Christmas cookies are my worst dietary weakness. If they’re in the house, I can’t help but munch on them. So I’m coming back from a lovely holiday break at least a few pounds heavier than before. [Read more…]
Evidence-based health: Lose those extra pounds now
January 5, 2015 By 1 Comment
Exploring the link between diet and mental health in kids
November 13, 2014 By 1 Comment
Over the past 30 years, the rate of childhood obesity has more than doubled in the United States, increasing the risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and joint problems. Last month, a new systematic review found obesity among kids is associated with yet another health problem. [Read more…]
How important is breakfast, Part 2
September 5, 2014 By 4 Comments
Earlier this week, we wrote about the body of evidence that shows eating breakfast does not lead to weight loss. But does eating breakfast impact cognitive function and learning? As my kids head back to school this week, it’s certainly a question on my mind.
How important is breakfast?, Part 1
August 28, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Crowning breakfast as the most important meal of the day is a long-held conviction among many Americans and some nutritional experts. In reality, there are data on both sides of the debate showing that breakfast is essential to maintaining a healthy weight, and also that breakfast is no more important than any other meal for weight loss. Recently, new evidence sheds more light on the topic. [Read more…]
The science of cooking
August 19, 2014 By 8 Comments
As gardens and local farms are in full swing this month producing vegetables of all sorts, I’ve found myself revisiting America’s Test Kitchen to make sure I’m using evidence-based techniques in my kitchen. I thought it’d be a great time to revisit this post about this culinary research center. [Read more…]
Kids and food allergies: What we don’t know
June 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment
We had some excitement at our house this past month when my 8-month-old daughter had two systematic allergic reactions to food. [Read more…]
How to measure childhood obesity
June 25, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Now a new systematic review has found that even more youth may be classified as obese. [Read more…]
Part 2: Obesity and stress – plus a lesson about reviews
June 17, 2014 By 2 Comments
Last week, we summarized a literature review that explained how stress leads to overeating and ultimately contributes to weight gain.
This information didn’t come from a meta analysis, but from a different kind of large-scale study called a literature review. We asked Janis Whitlock, a research scientist in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Transnational Research and Director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery, to explain the difference. Here’s what she had to say: [Read more…]
Part 1: Obesity and stress – plus a lesson about reviews
June 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment
If you think about your own life, you likely understand intuitively that stress often leads to overeating. In my own life, if I think about stressful times, I can picture myself standing in front of the pantry looking for something to munch on.
Using evidence to ask the right questions
June 5, 2014 By 2 Comments
For decades, health and nutrition experts have built weight-loss programs around the commonly-accepted notion of balancing calories in and calories out. In other words, to lose weight, one simply needs to burn more calories than he eats. But there is growing evidence that’s only part of the equation for losing and maintaining a healthy weight. [Read more…]
The evidence on social pressure and food choice
March 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment
As we’re nearly a quarter of the way through 2014, are you still focused on the New Year’s resolution you made? If you vowed to lose weight, a new meta-analysis may help your cause. [Read more…]
What we know about eating wheat
January 28, 2014 By Leave a Comment
If you’re at all interested in losing weight, you’ve likely come across the en vogue advice to avoid eating wheat. People across the country are following diets that avoid wheat including the paleo and gluten-free diets. Now a new systematic review answers the question, is eating wheat bad for us? [Read more…]
