Study Ties Soft-Drink Intake to Pancreatic Cancer
A new study suggests that drinking soda may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer, Reuters reports. Researchers tracked 60,524 participants in Singapore over 14 years. They found that those who drank two or more sodas a week had an 87 percent increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Lead author Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota says that sugar in soda may be to blame—at high amounts, it could boost the body's insulin levels and spur cancer cell growth, according to Reuters. Another expert warned, however, that the study may be based on too few cases (only 140 participants developed pancreatic cancer) and that other risk factors such as smoking may have contributed to the results. The findings are published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
[Read 6 Things You Need to Know About Pancreatic Cancer and Soft Drinks and Energy Drinks: Too Sweet for Your Own Good.]
Nutritionist. Food Coach. How Good Is Their Diet Advice?
If you feel the need for professional help with your eating habits or diet, you may assume a nutritionist is the person to talk to. As it turns out, that's not a particularly specific or useful term—a point driven home by recent advice published in a magazine from a "nutritionist" who claimed weight loss is aided by eating carbs and protein at separate meals, a notion not supported by science, U.S. News's Katherine Hobson writes.
By no means is everyone calling herself a nutritionist (or a nutritional consultant, food coach, or weight-loss specialist) dispensing hogwash. But for consumers attempting to make an informed choice, the titles are meaningless; they don't capture the possessor's education, experience, or credentials. And those are all important when it comes to seeking eating advice, given the proliferation of fad diets and quick weight-loss schemes. "I can't think of a field that has more quackery than nutrition," says Lisa Sasson, a clinical associate professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University.
One specific title to look for: registered dietitian. In order to call himself an R.D., a person must have an undergraduate degree in nutrition or dietetics—or the equivalent in coursework—from an accredited institution, says Dee Sandquist, an R.D. and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, the professional organization that credentials R.D.'s. Read more.
[Slide Show: 6 Stupid Diet Tips You Should Ignore (and 1 You Shouldn't).] [Read Can Mindful Eating Help You Lose Weight? and 'Full Plate Diet' Says Fiber Is the Secret to Weight Loss.]
6 Ways Parents Can Help Kids Cope With Social Cruelty
Kids can be incredibly cruel to one another, but parents can help minimize the pain. That's the reassuring message from Carl Pickhardt, a clinical psychologist in Austin who recently wrote Why Good Kids Act Cruel: The Hidden Truth About the Pre-Teen Years.
U.S. News contributor Nancy Shute asked Pickhardt why he focused on the middle-school years, when social cruelty knows no age restrictions. "It's not that you don't get it in childhood," Pickhardt says. "It's just that the most damaging point is in middle school. The kids are right in the midst of this developmental change from childhood to adolescence. Combine that with self-awareness and striving for social place. It can be really devastating." Kids who don't feel safe at school can't concentrate on academics, and nobody wants to see a child suffer.
That's why parents and teachers need to take the initiative, Pickhardt says. "Parents should let kids know that at this age, what very frequently happens is that people are trying to get a secure social place. They will treat each other meanly in service of that. There will be teasing, and exclusion, and bullying, and ganging up." Read more.
[Read Being Bullied Linked to Future Psychiatric Problems and Teen Suicide Risk Factors: Parents Are Too Often Clueless.]
Other Popular Articles From USNews.com
- Can't Sleep? Why Insomnia Shouldn't Be Ignored
- 10 Ways to Get Better Sleep (and Maybe Cure Your Insomnia)
- 10 Reasons Not to Skimp on Sleep
- 5 Risks Linked to Diabetes Medications
- 7 Steps Newly Diagnosed Diabetics Should Take
- 6 Ways to Reduce Inflammation Without Taking a Statin
- Need Care? Scan the Rankings: Best Nursing Homes, Best Health Plans, and Best Hospitals.
Reader Comments Read all comments (23)