The New Year symbolizes a fresh start, and we’re all more motivated than usual—at least in our minds. The typical resolution cycle shows a steep incline in health-related goals during the first quarter of the year, followed by a rapid decline soon thereafter. We’ve all been there.

We do a lot of talking about what we plan to accomplish in the New Year, but the actual “doing” is what takes real effort. In fact, 78% of people break their resolutions because their goals are too aspirational and lofty.  Overly ambitious goals thwart the will to stick to and stay with a game plan.

Real change takes planning—if our goals are broken down into bite-size nuggets and are properly thought out, we’ll be a lot more successful at making a long-term commitment. Consider, if you’re overweight, you didn’t get that way overnight.  Don’t expect to get back overnight.  Scientists tell us weight gain is more calories consumed than burned.  True enough.  It’s the ‘consumed’ bit that matters.  It’s our actions, conscious or unconscious, in consuming that are responsible for our results.

This is particularly true as it pertains to our health and wellness plans.  When it comes to our health goals, success or failure comes from taking or not taking the discrete actions appropriate to the result. This is really good news because we’re already in action.  We breathe, move, think and feel!

Successful health-related programs can help people overcome struggles and reach their goals in incremental steps. They address the need for very targeted and specific daily goals, providing continuous motivation and short-term rewards that keep resolution-makers on track.

New Year’s resolutions are annual goals—and like all goals, they are best reached when they are measurable. There should be well- defined milestones during the year when metrics can be checked toward achievement of those goals.

The key to success in achieving our health goals is in focusing  our awareness on our behaviors in the moment. We only have right now, this moment to take action.  If we can make even very small improvements over time, we quickly build synergistic momentum as those improvements lead to expanded capacity to experience even more vibrant, energetic and radiant health.

Knowing what to do is the booby prize. If we don’t take action on what we know to do, we only have ourselves to blame for one more rationalization.  So what are you measuring today, this week, this month and this happy, healthy New Year?

Technorati Tags: health habits, health planning, health resolutions

Chicago (June 6, 2011)—Whether it’s a suggestion from our physician or a need to slim down, almost everyone experiences the desire to exercise more or eat healthier at some point in our lives. According to the latest research from Mintel, more Black adults who are watching their diet are doing so for health reasons, not to lose weight. In fact, 56% of Black adults are dieting to lose weight, compared to 63% of White adults, 57% of Asian adults and 54% of Hispanic adults.

Moreover, 70% of Black adults who limit the amount and/or kind of food eaten say they’re doing so for general wellness and 46% say they’re watching their diet to maintain their current weight. Fifty-two percent are eating healthier to prevent or control high blood pressure.

“Black adults are concerned with controlling cholesterol, blood sugar levels, hypertension, salt intake and other health-related issues,” says Leylha Ahuile, senior multicultural analyst. “This demographic needs effective, targeted solutions that can help them reach their weight-loss goals rather than information that focuses on appearance, which may not speak to their concerns—as dieting simply to be thinner isn’t as important.”

Twenty-six percent of respondents who are cutting back on the amount or kind of food they consume say boredom with the “good” food they are noshing makes it difficult to curb their eating habits. Additionally, 35% report that the challenge to find healthy options at restaurants is to blame and 26% say hunger pangs test their willpower to eat better.

“Marketers should emphasize elements of delicious taste to make healthier products more appealing to Black consumers,” adds Leylha Ahuile. “For example, emphasizing the ‘creamy taste’ of a low-fat item or the fact that it’s ‘less greasy’ compared to a full-fat item may help Black consumers focus on attributes other than delicious taste, and create interest in trying a low-in item.”

Forty-two percent of Black adults who limit the amount and/or kind of food they eat believe that most diets don’t work and nearly half (49%) say they have a hard time sticking to a diet. Meanwhile, 60% say they would like to eat more healthy foods, but it’s just too expensive.

About Mintel

Mintel is a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence. For more than 38 years, Mintel has provided insight into key worldwide trends, offering exclusive data and analysis that directly impacts client success. With offices in Chicago, New York, London, Sydney, Shanghai and Tokyo, Mintel has forged a unique reputation as a world-renowned business brand. For more information on Mintel, please visit www.mintel.com. Follow Mintel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mintelnews

Contact:
Jennifer Ballard
Mintel Group
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jballard@mintel.com

According to Dr. Pooja Tandon, “A majority of children under the age of 5 years in the United States spend almost 40 hours a week with caregivers other than their parents, and it’s important to understand what kind of screen time exposure children are getting with these other caregivers.”  Dr. Tandon and fellow researchers from the Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the University of Washington studied nearly 9000 preschool-age children who took part in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort (ECLS-b), a longitudinal, observational study of over 10,000 children born in 2001 with diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.  The ECLS-b used interviews with parents and child care providers to collect data about each child’s daily screen time.

On average, children were exposed to 4 hours of screen time each weekday, with 3.6 hours of exposure coming from home.

Children in home-based child care spent a combined average of 5.6 hours watching television or videos at home and while at child care, with 87% exceeding the 2 hour recommendation. Center-based child care scored slightly better, with children watching an approximate total of 3.2 hours each weekday at home and while at child care.  Children who did not go to child care also tended to exceed the recommendations, however, with the average child watching 4.4 hours a day.

Children enrolled in Head Start, a program for economically disadvantaged children, watched an average of 4.2 hours a day.  However, very little of this time was accrued at the child care center.  “Only 2% of the 4.2 hours occurred while the children were attending Head Start,” Dr. Tandon explains, “with the rest of the exposure happening at home.”

Television viewing in young children has been associated with speech delays, aggressive behavior, and obesity, but few states have regulations about screen time in licensed child care settings.  Dr. Tandon believes that such regulations may be helpful in curbing screen time.  “Parents can also play an important role,” she suggests, “by making sure all of their child’s caregivers are aware of the AAP’s advice regarding screen time.”

The study, reported in “Preschoolers’ Total Daily Screen Time at Home and by Type of Child Care” by Pooja S. Tandon, MD, MPH, Chuan Zhou, PhD, Paula Lozano, MD, MPH, and Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, appears in The Journal of Pediatrics, DOI 10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.08.005, published by Elsevier.

• Full bibliographic information“Preschoolers’ Total Daily Screen Time at Home and by Type of Child Care” by Pooja S. Tandon, MD, MPH, Chuan Zhou, PhD, Paula Lozano, MD, MPH, and Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, appears in The Journal of Pediatrics, DOI 10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.08.005, published by Elsevier
• Notes for editorsJournalist wishing to set up interviews should contact Louise Maxwell, Public Relations, Seattle Children’s Hospital, 206-987-5210, louise.maxwell@seattlechildrens.org.

In an insightful Commentary in the November issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, Chair of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, and Professor and Associate Dean, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, highlights the key features and noteworthy findings of the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) Report.

While many of the recommendations from previous reports are reinforced, new evidence-based findings will help registered dietitians and other health care providers prioritize effective approaches towards facilitating better eating habits among Americans.

Dietary Goals for Americans (DGA) were first set in 1977 at a time when the average total fat intake was 42% of total energy intake, saturated fatty acids (SFA) intake was about 14%, and cardiovascular disease mortality was at an all-time high. Population-wide improvement in these parameters has occurred. By 2010, average American intake of total fat and SFA has decreased significantly to 33.6% and 11.4%, respectively – still higher than recommended, but certainly improved.

Meanwhile, the obesity epidemic in the US continues. “The literal ‘elephant in the room’ is the persistent and pervasive obesity epidemic that continues to perpetuate and perplex health care providers in all specialty areas, as well as consumers,” commented Professor Van Horn. This report indicates that the US population consumes inadequate nutrient-rich foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and over consumes calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods that include solid fats, added sugars, salt, and refined grains. The result is a population that is overfed and undernourished.

Key features of the 2010 US DGAC Report:

• It is the first totally evidence-based report that maximizes the quality, quantity, and critical organization of the underlying scientific data that fully substantiate and raise to new levels of significance the importance of these recommendations.
• It addresses, for the first time, an unhealthy American public, with the majority (72.3% of women, 64.1% of men) classified as overweight or obese and the rest at risk of becoming obese. This increases the level of intensity, urgency, and significance associated with the translation and implementation of these DGA.
• It includes a strong and emerging evidence base on infants, children, and pregnant women, vulnerable subgroups. All previous DGA have been directed at the population age 2 years and older.
• It was conducted in a completely transparent manner with six public meetings, including three Webinars that uniquely provided worldwide, complete real-time access to all the proceedings as they occurred.
• It includes two new chapters, one regarding the “Total Diet” to present the totality of the recommended eating patterns, and a “Translation/Implementation” chapter that provides the environmental context that affects the overall usefulness and adaptation of the DGA.

The report highlights other noteworthy findings of particular importance for registered dietitians.

Between 1970 and 2010, energy intake has increased by over 600 calories per day. Grain-based desserts (for example, cakes and cookies) are the highest ranking contributor to energy intake in the US population, while sodas and sports drinks provide the highest source of calories to adolescents, followed closely by pizza.

Given the dismal success rate of weight loss efforts in adulthood, and the even less successful efforts to maintain weight loss once it is achieved, this report stresses the importance of recognizing that primary prevention of obesity beginning in childhood is potentially the single most powerful method for halting and reversing America’s obesity epidemic.

Professor Van Horn writes that “tremendous input was provided by an exceptional team of highly qualified, experienced, knowledgeable, and dedicated registered dietitians from many different backgrounds whose efforts made all the difference in achieving this herculean effort. In conclusion, this commentary serves to congratulate and distinguish the many contributions of RDs, American Dietetic Association members, and others throughout this process.” She notes further that, “Encouraging these changes will require partnership with policymakers, industry, and consumers. RDs are key to facilitating these changes, along with dietetic technicians, registered dieticians, and other health care providers.”

Let’s not forget the impact the school districts, farmers and parents can have when optimal health is at stake.

The 2010 DGAC report is available online at the link below.

http://www.dietaryguidelines.gov

• Full bibliographic information“Development of the 2010 US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report: Perspectives from a Registered Dietitian” by Linda Van Horn, PhD, RD. It appears in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 110 Issue 11 (November 2010) published by Elsevier.

Technorati Tags: Children, infants, obesity, pregnant women, prenatal obesity

A study by Matti Leijon at Linköping University in Sweden looks at physical activity in the Swedish county of Östergötland through 12 month follow-ups of people who received physical activity referrals from their health care providers in 2004 and 2005. This concluded that half of the patients had followed the instructions issued in their referrals, a favorable outcome and comparable with other medical prescriptions.

The National Institute of Public Health (Folkhälsoinstitutet) 2001 campaign “Sweden On The Move” promoted prescription of physical activity by primary health care providers, so called physical activity referral (PAR). Yet despite studies supporting the effectiveness of physical activity referrals the uptake has remained limited in Sweden.

A general population survey shows only one in four adults (aged 18-84 years) in Östergötland achieves the daily 30 minutes of physical activity. Many of those who did not reach this target and were determined to change would welcome support in achieving this change. The proportion of people welcoming support from their health care provider increased in groups with poor health -  BMI over 30 or who were inactive.

Most respondents felt their level of physical activity was the main area requiring a lifestyle change. Respondents in most need of increased physical activity were also most likely to welcome support in achieving this, mainly from their health care provider

6300 people received physical activity referrals in 2004 and 2005, two thirds were women and half were aged between 45 and 64. The majority of patients were issued home-based activities such as walking. Twelve months on from the referral date half of the patients had increased their level of physical activity and the proportion of inactive patients had decreased from 33% to 20%.

Matti Leijon says “Half of the patients followed the referral instructions. This is a respectable percentage as it involved a lifestyle change and is on a par with levels of compliance for pharmaceutical prescriptions.”

The study further confirmed the success of physical activity referrals in increasing physical activity in patients in primary care settings.

“We are now at a stage where we have a good grounding on which to develop our methods and increase the effectiveness of PARs. Eventually this could lead to a holistic approach to lifestyle changes involving physical activity, smoking, drinking and diet” says Matti Leijon.

http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-16825

• Full bibliographic information The thesis ‘Activating people – physical activity in the general population and referral schemes among primary health care patients in a Swedish county’ is published by LiU Electronic Press, http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-16825