Healthy Heart Beats

Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Extension
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1571

Healthy Heart Beats


April-June 2008
Vol 30, Issue 2

Resources

Web Sites for Women's Health Research Information

Consumers can check for the latest information regarding women's health research published in scientific journals and other peer-reviewed sources on Web sites through the National Library of Medicine (NLM). By creating this one-stop on-line resource for women's health research at the NLM, consumers, health care providers, and researchers will be able to more quickly access the latest information available on scientific developments for important issues related to women.

The 2008 "National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Priorities for Women's Health" were used to identify overarching themes, specific health topics, and research initiatives in women's health. Within each section of the Web site are topics with links to relevant and authoritative resources and research initiatives for women's health. The NLM of the NIH has partnered with the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) to make this resource available.

Dr. Vivian W. Pinn, M.D., Director of the ORWH, noted, "There has long been a need for a reliable and user-friendly source of current scientific information about women's health, sex/gender issues, and clinical research on women's health topics. We are delighted that the NLM has developed just such a resource that will be of great value to researchers, clinicians and anyone with an interest in the many aspects of women's health and diseases."

Women's Health Resources from the NLM Web site can be found at: http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/outreach/womenshealthoverview.html

Women's Health Resources from the ORWH Web site can be found at: http://orwh.od.nih.gov/nat_lib_med.html

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Diet Quality of Americans

healthy eatingHealthy Eating Index 2005 scores for Americans have been released by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. They are available at: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/HealthyEatingIndex.htm. The scores measure the diet quality of Americans in terms of how food intakes compare with recommendations from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This Report presents baseline scores for the years 1994-96 and 2001-02.

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Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Web Site for Educators

The Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ Campaign was launched by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in 2000. The updated Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ for Educators is about encouraging and teaching kids and adults to eat healthy and be physically active every day. It offers resources and tools to convey and reinforce healthy eating and lifestyle behaviors that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid Food Guidance System. It is now easier than ever to find updated and new resources, ideas on how to use them, and ready-to-go tools to use in conjunction with Power Panther visits. The Campaign spokescharacter, Power Panther, and his nephew, Slurp, are used to communicate the behavior messages.

The Eat Smart. Play Hard.™ materials support the nutrition and physical activity component of School Wellness, add a new twist to WIC education and counseling, and reach Food Stamps, Commodity Supplemental Food Programs, Food Distribution on Indian Reservations participants as well as child, after school, and summer programs.

Eat Smart. Play Hard.™

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Health Calendar Observances and More

If you're writing an article or newsletter and want to focus on a timely topic, check out the 'Health Calendar' sponsored by Food and Health Communications: http://www.foodandhealth.com/calendar/index.php?m=4&y=2008.

At their Web site you can all view the list of other free resources that are available including BMI and calorie calculators, recipes, handouts for nutrition education and more.

foodandhealth.communications

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Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults

Tufts University has modified their 1999 food pyramid graphic for older adults to make it more user-friendly and to emphasize the special dietary needs of individuals older than 70. It emphasizes making nutritious choices with fewer calories since older people have a slower metabolic rate but still require good nutrition. The new print graphic does not require use of the Internet upon which the original revised 2005 MyPyramid is based. It includes more pictures promoting specific foods, physical activity, hydration, and nutrients including packaged, frozen, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Single-serve options for this age group are useful since older individuals often live alone. A flag at the top reminds older adults to get calcium, Vitamin D and Vitamin B 12 in their diet. One row of graphics at the bottom of the Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults promotes hydration. Lead author Alice H. Lichtenstein, DSc, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts' Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging says, "As we age there can be a disassociation between how hydrated our bodies feel." Below the glasses is a row of icons stressing physical activity. "Regular physical activity is linked to reduced risk of chronic disease and lower body weights. Government statistics indicate that obesity in adults 70 years and older has been increasing. Physical activity is one way to avoid weight gain in later years and its adverse consequences. In addition, regular physical activity can improve quality of life for older adults," says Lichtenstein.

MyPyramid

Visit their Web site for a printable color copy of the pyramid for older adults: http://nutrition.tufts.edu/1174562918285/Nutrition-Page-nl2w_1203674431946.html.

To learn more, click on http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/abstract/138/1/5 in the Journal of Nutrition, January 2008.

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