Random Facts

I plan to make this a weekly feature - nutrition/health facts that are being published in popular magazines (NOT TABLOIDS!). I'm thinking more along the lines of Prevention, Shape, Self, Mens Health etc. What's my motivation ? It's what people read, some facts are true, others may be exaggerated, but the bottom line is these facts are more likely to influence peoples thoughts and behaviors that advice given by their Doctor!

My friend Kate (pointyuniverse.blogspot.com) wrote a great piece about how we change every 7 years, and this motivated her to come up with a "7 Songs of the Day" playlist. As Kate knows, I'd be lucky to come up with 7 songs in one year! I don't know the artists, or the words, and to the annoyance of my husband I make up words of songs and belt them out as if I'm auditioning for American Idol ! So Kate, the best I can do is come up with 7 random nutrition/health facts !

1. Consumer Magazines Digest interviewed 21,000 subscribers about their lifetime weight history and their eating, dieting and exercising habits. They found 6 behaviors were linked to a healthy weight. The most important - portion size. The others: limit fat, eat fruits and vegetables, chose whole grains over refined, eat at home and exercise, exercise, exercise (Feb, 2009).
2. In 1969, 50% of children walked to school. Today, only 15%. (Parenting,2007)
3. To calculate the number of teaspoons of sugar in a product, look at the sugar on the label and divide by 4 ( one teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams).
4. Upsizing your fast food meal from a medium coke and fries to a large of both only costs 17% more but the increase in calories is 55% (Mens Health, 2007).
5. In a recent study, 27% of people who said they would opt for fruit over a sweet treat actually reached for the indulgence when given the choice a week later (Self Magazine, 2009).
6. The average serving of a bagel is a 5-inch, but one portion of grains is actually one half or a 3 inch bagel. So eating a bagel should count as 2 servings of grains.
   
7. Soda accounts for 33% of the added sugars in the American diet.

Please send along any facts you may come across while flicking through your favorite magazines !