SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Sign Up Now for the Great Worldwide Sugar-Out Challenge on Jan. 16

Are you like Oprah -- tired of lugging around excess weight?

Do you feel that you have no control over your sugar or carb habit?

Are sugary foods your "drug of choice"?

Would you like to get more energy, focus better, rev up your libido, get along better with loved ones and get a hot, trim body?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you'll want to join the First Annual Great Worldwide Sugar-Out Challenge, which takes place Jan. 16.

Many of us experts are here to help you begin to lick your sugar habit.

We're here to give you the support, compassion, information and education that you need and deserve.

My co-organizer Dr. Scott Olson and I invite you to take our challenge by submitting your comment here.

Spend time on Jan. 16 to look  at your sugar issues, learn about the dangers of sugar overloading (which people around the world are doing) and cut it out totally on that one day.

Wondering what could happen if you kick sugar? Read these amazing success stories now.

So sign up here now.

Make sure to tell us about your sugar history, what a lot of sweets do to you and what you envision for the future if being sugar-free was a reality.

What are you waiting for? Join us now.

And spread the word. We want to get a huge viral campaign going.

After you sign up, mark your calendar.

Our festivities begin Jan. 16 at 12 p.m. Eastern on my Gab With the Gurus Radio Show for the Great Worldwide Sugar-Out Challenge,.where we'll be joined by some of the biggest health and sugar experts in the country. (You can listen live or later, at your convenience, to a podcast.)

For instance, we'll be joined by Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman, author of Get the Sugar Out; Elizabeth Abbott, author of Sugar: A Bittersweet History; Dr. Eric Westman, director of Duke Lifestyle Medicine Clinic; (?), Dr. Hyla Cass, integrative psychiatrist and author of 8 Weeks to Vibrant Health and Natural Highs; MeMe Roth, founder and president of the National Action Against Obesity; Dr. Nancy Appleton, author of Lick the Sugar Habit;  Dr. Woody Merrell, author of Unleash Your Natural Energy; Dr. Fred Pescatore, author of The Hamptons Diet; Amy Kalafa, co-founder of “Two Angry Moms,” which is dedicated to cleaning up the school food environment;  Susan Linn (?), director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood;  Dr. Yvonne Sanders Butler, principal of Browns Mill Elementary School in Lithonia, Georgia; the first sugar-free school in the country; Roberta Ruggiero, founder of the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation;; Dr. Larry McCleary, author of The Brain Trust  Program; Dr. Roberta Lee, vice chair of the Department of Integrative Medicine at Beth Israel's Center for Health and Healing in New York City; the “Nutrition Twins” Tammy Lakatos Shames and Elysse ("Lyssie") Lakatos, authors of Fire Up Your Metabolism; and integrative medicine practitioner Steven J. Bock, M.D.

In addition, several happy, successful “Sugar Kickers” will participate, including popular low-carb blogger Jimmy Moore, who lost 180 pounds, mostly by cutting out sugar and refined or starchy carbs, and Amanda Lerner, who shed 25 pounds and got more energy, clearer skin, increased focus, creativity and a profound feeling of freedom. In addition, her cravings, depression, eczema, candida and fainting spells disappeared.

Then from 12 noon Friday to 11:59 Saturday, we'll conduct a supportfest on Twitter. If you don't have an account yet, just sign up at Twitter and then start following @TwitAsYouQuit.

Frustrated right now? Want support this minute? Get going now by becoming a member of my free online Kicksugar discussion group.

Remember, if you have sugar issues, this Sugar Shock Blog is your place to get news updates, information about upcoming programs and much more.

Sign up now for the Great Worldwide Sugar-Out Challenge.

FTC Praises Big Food for Changing Marketing Tactics Aimed at Kids, But Do They Deserve It?

From Jennifer Moore

Yikes! A total of 44 major food and beverage companies spent a whopping $1.6 billion dollars in 2006 marketing their products to kids 17 and under, according to a report released by the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC says in a press release that "although there is room for improvement, the food and beverage industries have made significant progress" in marketing more responsibly to children since 2005 when the FTC and the Department of Health and Human Services convened the Workshop on Marketing, Self-Regulation & Childhood Obesity to address the issue.

Oh, really? I'm not so sure about that.

For starters, the food makers promised to either stop targeting ads at kids or to advertise only "better-for-you products" to them.

One product that apparently meets these guidelines, devised by the food corporations themselves, is Kellogg's Apple Jacks cereal, which was specifically reformulated so that it's "better for you" (notice that they didn't say "good for you"), according to Stephanie Clifford of The New York Times.

But a look at Kellogg's website shows that Apple Jacks contains 12 grams of sugar per serving.

In fact, the very first ingredient listed on the Apple Jacks package is sugar. If that's an example of something that's supposedly better for kids, I shudder to think what was worse.

Big Food also issued its own report and press release congratulating themselves on meeting its own guidelines.

The food makers' report notes that companies used varying criteria to determine the sugar content of "better for you" food, such as food that has no more than 12 grams of sugar per serving (which doesn't count sugars found naturally in fruits, vegetables, or dairy).

So, by my calculations, Kellogg's did the absolute least they could, using their own lax standards, to make their Apple Jacks less unhealthy.

The companies also decided for themselves what exactly advertising aimed at children means, so the standards vary.

Interesting. Don't you think Coca-Cola was well aware that kids watch shows that aren't primarily aimed at them such as "American Idol," which appeals to some 2 million youngsters, according to Clifford's New York Times article?

The FTC and Big Food will have to forgive me for being none too impressed with this so-called progress.

I'm not the only one who isn't bowled over. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood issued its own press release on the FTC's report, which concludes this way:

"Given the concerning picture of food marketing’s infiltration of children’s lives painted by the FTC               report, it is disappointing that they continue to perpetuate the myth that self-regulation can effectively rein in an industry whose profits rely on commercializing childhood."

The Center for Science in the Public Interest also weighed in with some strong words of their own, saying that Big Food's pledges to be more responsible are "carefully tailored with loopholes" and arguing that there's a "disconnect between the food industry’s talking points and what we actually see on television during children’s programming."

Given the crisis of childhood obesity in the U.S. and the seemingly endless ways food manufacturers have found to push their products on children, I completely understand why the CFCC and CSPI feel so strongly.

As a mother to a five-year-old, I also strongly believe that Big Food isn't doing nearly as well as they should be.

From Jennifer Moore

McDonald's Will Stop Pushing Its Food on Report Cards, Thanks to Grass-Roots Campaign

Note from Connie: Parents, I urge you to pay attention to this inspiring story. It shows the power of rallying people together to fight to toss junk-food ads out of your children's schools. Jennifer Moore brings you this report.

The onslaught of junk-food advertising aimed at kids sometimes seems unstoppable.

But thanks, in part, to one spirited mom in Seminole County, Florida, fast food giant McDonald's will stop using the report cards to push their products to 27,000 impressionable kids.

This positive development was reported by Stuart Elliot in the New York Times, Dave Weber in the Orlando Sentinel, and Emily Bryson York in Advertising Age magazine.

Things began when mother Susan Pagan was shocked when her fourth-grade daughter came home with a report card plastered with Ronald McDonald, the golden arches, and photos of Happy Meal items like Chicken McNuggets. (Being a mom to a young girl myself, I shudder to think how I'd react if my daughter arrived home with such a blatant ad, along with her grades.)

Hurrah for Pagan, because she wasn't content to take this lying down. The furious mother sounded the alarm by calling the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood (CFCC), who rounded up thousands of complaints from other angry parents.

Junk Food Manufacturers Unhappy About U.K.'s New Rules on TV Advertising of Unhealthy Foods to Kids

Over in the U.K., food companies that make sugary, less-than-healthy snacks and beverages are predictably unhappy about the idea that their ads won't be shown on television before 9 p.m. as part of phase two of the new British rules that restrict advertising unhealthy foods to children, FoodNavigator.com reports.

What intrigues me is how Great Britain even went so far as to restrict foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Clearly, our British brethen are way ahead of us Americans in limiting junk-food ads that children will see.

Kids Eat More Fresh Fruits & Veggies If Given a Chance, Study Finds

Parents, don't despair. You can get your children to eat colorful, nutritious fruits and veggies. My blog researcher Jennifer Moore, brings you some good news.

As the mother of a picky eating 5-year-old, I know it isn't easy to get your kids to eat healthy foods. But news of a recent study from the University of California Los Angeles gives me hope that it can be done.

As you can learn in the December edition of the journal Public Health Nutrition, three Los Angeles elementary schools participated in a nutrition program that put salad bars in to school cafeterias and arranged for children to take field trips to a farmer's market or farm. The L.A. project also offered the youngsters ideas on how to pick healthy foods and gave them a chance to be involved in a fun art project.

Then, the UCLA research team -- headed up by Wendy Slusser, M.D. assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California at Los Angeles and assistant professor of pediatrics at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA -- gave a 24-hour food recall questionnaire to 337 kids from 2nd through 5th grades.

What they found was very encouraging:

School Lunches: Healthy Food is Hot

Who says you can't get kids to eat healthy foods at school?

Give up your preconceived points of views. If healthy foods are served for school lunch, sales don't decline, a University of Minnesota study found.

What's more, those nutritious lunches don't necessarily cost schools more to produce, researchers found.

Thanks to Yahoo News and Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski for alerting us to this promising phenomenon.

Among the more exciting conclusions: When researchers crunched the numbers, they learned that schools serving the healthiest lunches did not see a falloff in demand.

Fitness Coach Peter K on Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Today

Today's Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show at 2 p.m. EST on Blog Talk Radio will feature an interview with health and fitness coach Peter K.

Peter will share with you:

• 5 secrets you may not know about exercise.
• 5 best exercises  to do anywhere.

And we'll also chat about sugar and exercise --  do they mix?

FYI, Peter K also does his own show on BlogTalkRadio, which hosts my show. In fact, Peter recently interviewed me for his show. So now it's my turn to interview him.

Remember, you don't need to listen live. You can listen afterwards, at your convenience. Just click here to listen to any of my shows after they run.

Organizations Kick Off "Global Dump Soda" Campaign

Note from Connie: Now this is absolutely fascinating news. Wow! Check out this revolutionary proposal to squash the marketing of soda and other sugary drinks. Jennifer Moore gives you the details.

Alarmed by the worldwide increase in childhood obesity, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the International Association of Consumer Food Organizations recently kicked off an initiative to seriously curtail the marketing of sodas and other sugary drinks to kids, according to a press release on CSPI's website.

Among other smart solutions, CSPI and IACFO want Coca-Cola and PepsiCo to stop all marketing of sugar-packed drinks to kids under 16. This means no print or broadcast ads, no internet marketing, no using kids' cell phones to push the stuff, nothing.

The groups also called for soda companies to stop selling all sugary drinks, including sports drinks, fruit-flavored beverages, sweetened teas and sodas to all schools, whether public or private.

One of the ideas will certainly be controversial: The organizations also propose a modest tax on soft drinks, with the resulting revenue to be used for nutrition education and exercise programs and to subsidize the costs of healthy fare like fresh fruits and vegetables.

If the point of the tax is to make people think soda costs too much to buy, I'm not convinced it'll work. But after reading the startling stats on how the increase in consumption of sugary drinks mirrors the rise of obesity and diabetes, I can understand the impulse to give such a plan a try.

The Dumpsoda.org website is chock-full of information about the rising rates of obesity worldwide, the dangers of soda, what you can do to fight back against sugary drinks in your community, and more. Kudos to CSPI and IACFO for undertaking this initiative, and let's hope it works!

Jennifer Moore for SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

American Schools Cut Back on Sugary, Fatty Foods, But Is There Enough Progress?

American schools are cutting back on sugary, fatty, unhealthy foods, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

The survey -- which Will Dunham of Reuters and Kevin Sack of the New York Times covered -- found changes in school health policies from 2000 to 2006 that:

• 19% of schools served French fries in 2006, down from the 40% in 2000. This means 25,000 schools nationwide are no longer selling the fast-food fare.
• 30% of schools kicked junk food from vending machines, up from just 4% in 2000.
• 46% of schools now sell bottled water, up from 30% in 2000. (Curiously, though, 100% of schools aren't selling H20. Why not?).

However, schools certainly could be doing better:

• 12% percent of elementary schools, 19% of middle schools, and 24% of high schools still offer fast food from the likes of Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.
• 75% of high schools still sell soda, and 61% still offer potato chips or other processed snacks to high schoolers.
• Only 4% of elementary schools, 8% of middle schools and 2% of high schools follow the CDC's recommendation to provide daily gym class. And 20% of schools don't require any physical education at all.

Although progress has certainly been made, it's still disappointing that less-nutritious food still finds its way into schools.

But at least schools are starting to do take steps to improve food in the schools.

Jennifer Moore of the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog contributed to this post.

Howard Stern: I Hung Up On the Show In the Middle of An Interview!

Now that I'm rejuvenated and excited after a fabulous vacation, I'm currently on a whirlwind media blitz.

As Halloween (which I dub "Sugar Overload Day") fast approaches, I'm doing a whole bunch of radio and TV interviews, as well as print interviews, etc.

For instance, Monday, I began my day by giving an interview to Rick Shepard, a gracious radio host at WKYE-FM and WNTJ-AM in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Soon afterwards, I was called for last-minute interview with the Howard Stern Show. Only I didn't know it was the Howard Stern Show! The interviewer didn't tell me!

All he mentioned was this it was for "Jack and Rod" on Sirius Radio. So I happily obliged and got ready for another interview with a polite, curious host. Was I in for a surprise!

Perhaps I would have easily put the clues together if I'd had more sleep.

Of course, I well know that Howard Stern had jumped ship to Sirius Satellite Radio in January 2006. In fact, it's common knowledge that Howard felt commercial radio was no longer a safe haven for shock jocks of his ilk.

Actually, I confess, while living in L.A. six years ago, I used to be a big fan of the show. I would love listening to Howard, Robin Quivers and the rest of the gang while being trapped in my car for long stretches.

But, you see, on Monday, I was operating on a negligible amount of sleep. (I know - I set a bad example!)

(In case you're wondering -- I was functioning on about 2 hours of sleep, because I'd taken the red eye back from San Diego to New York City. Then the 2 nights before that, I'd also burned the midnight oil while hanging out with new friends on this fabulous Bob Proctor cruise to Mexico.)

So all I know is that I'm being interviewed about sugar and its dangers to kids and that I'm supposed to mention Halloween and how all that candy endangers our poor kids.

But almost right away, I sense that something wild and off kilter is happening. First off, Jack and Rod, the two supposed hosts to interview me, disappear, and the interviewer is allegedly an 8-year-old girl, "Kelly," who is in major sugar shock.

Well, "Kelly" wasn't a girl. No way! It was quite evident, from the tone of the voice, that "Kelly" was a man pretending to be a girl with serious sugar issues. So "she" was one of the hosts but they didn't want to talk in their normal voices.

"Kelly" just was not this cool, in-need-of-help, sugar-shocked kid. Instead, "she" was mean, nasty, angry, cranky, belligerent, feisty, rude and obnoxious.

And she had one foul mouth. Did I tell you that "Kelly" had a really, really foul mouth? Put it this way, I would never ever ever use the words that "she" used! Not in conversation. Not in the privacy of my home. Not on the radio!

For several minutes, in my slap-happy, sleep-deprived state, I responded with lots of laughter and giggles, a huge dose of embarrassment and as many quick-witted retorts that I could conjure up on 2 hours of sleep.

When "she" became really vicious and rude, I said, "You know, folks, when your kids eat a lot of sugar, they behave much like Kelly. Kids on sugar turn angry, confused, moody, argumentative and downright nasty," I explained.

"Children on sweets will even hurl objects across the room." (Well, I hope I said something like this.)

National School Lunch Week

Our nutrition-savvy friends at Better School Food, which is run by the hard-working Dr. Susan Rubin, inform us that this is National School Lunch Week (from Oct. 15 to 29).

Basically, National School Lunch Week is an initiative sponsored by the School Nutrition Association, which, as you can learn here, is a national, nonprofit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members providing high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country.

Wondering how you can help out? Just join Dr. Rubin (one of Two Angry Moms), as well as other health-food supporters for a "Lunch-In" and take take your child to lunch in the school cafeteria.

Sugary Soft Drinks Still Account for 32% of Beverages Sold at Schools But Water is On the Rise

A new report from the beverage industry (think soft drinks, etc.) touts the fact that school vending machines are offering fewer high-calorie soft drinks today.

While at first blush, that certainly sounds like good news, the changes aren't all that dramatic when you look at the figures.

Does the beverage industry deserve high marks when 32% of drinks sold at schools for the 2006-2007 school year were still full calorie, sugary sodas?

Granted, this is a modest improvement from 2004, when non-diet soda soda accounted for 47% of beverages making their way into our children's bellies when they plunked down cash at school.

USA Today (thanks to the AP) revealed that this is the industry-generated "first report card since agreeing in May 2006 to pull non-diet soft drinks from the vast majority of public and private schools over the next three years."

While the news is somewhat heartening, don't you think our nation's kids would benefit more from no soda at all sold at schools?

Despite my less-than-ecstatic reaction, I still welcome progress of any kind, and it was good to learn about the 22.8% increase in the volume of bottled water in school vending machines. (But I'm unclear -- does that mean more water is stocked or sold?)

By the way, I get very nervous when reading reports which imply or hint that it's still OK to sell diet drinks in the schools. After chatting with a number of experts and looking at quite a bit of literature about the subject, I am not a fan of these falsely sweetened drinks.

If you want to cut down on sugar and are thinking of going the artificial sweetener route, please first read the eye-opening questions and answers about Splenda, aspartame, sugar alcohols, etc. in the FAQ section of my book SUGAR SHOCK!

Twinkies: Learn the Scoop About What's in the Popular Snack Food

Get ready for an eye-opening half hour in which the topic will be Twinkies.

You see, tomorrow, (Tuesday), at 4 pm EST, on my Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio show, I will interview Steve Ettlinger, author of the much-acclaimed book, Twinkie, Deconstructed.
.
If you've succumbed into eating this popular snack food and other processed carbs, you'll want to get the lowdown from this popular writer, editor and book producer.

Steve will open our eyes about the startling Twinkie nexus of ingredients that ultimately become many Americans' favorite snack food.

You'll never look at Twinkies again in the same light after hearing Steve's revelations.

Listen to this fascinating description of Steve's book:

"In this fascinating exploration into the curious world of packaged foods, Twinkie, Deconstructed takes us from phosphate mines in Idaho to corn fields in Iowa, from gypsum mines in Oklahoma to oil fields in China, to demystify some of America’s most common processed food ingredients—where they come from, how they are made, how they are used—and why. Beginning at the source (hint: they’re often more closely linked to rocks and petroleum than any of the four food groups),

Obesity: Americans Just Keep Getting Fatter

Note from Connie: Americans are continuing to grow fatter, but of course, that's no surprise to you. But now we have some frightening conclusions in the fourth annual F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007 report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). Indeed, this exhaustive study shows that Americans are continuing to bulge in unbecoming ways -- this despite the fact that 85 percent of us believe obesity is an epidemic. What gives, folks? Karen James updates us.

You can find out the scoop from numerous sources including ScienceDaily, the Los Angeles Times and MedPage Today like we did, but

Here are some of the key findings from the F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2007 report, which you also can learn about in ScienceDaily, the Los Angeles Times and MedPage Today like we did:

Obesity: Adults Keep Widening

• Adult obesity rates rose in 31 states last year -- the second year in a row for 22 of them.

• Mississippi not only topped the list, but it had the distinction of being the first state to reach an adult obesity rate of more than 30 percent (30.6 to be exact).

• Colorado, where adult obesity runs at 17.6 percent, get kudos for coming in as the leanest state. Nevertheless, that figure is still higher than 16.9 percent the previous year.

Clinton Foundation Works to Make Kids Healthy

New Expansion Grant to Help More Schools Get Healthy

I received this announcement from the Clinton Foundation this week. Here is what I received (it's verbatim):

"On August 7th, President Clinton returned to Little Rock, Ark., for the 2nd Annual Healthy Schools Forum, where hundreds of educators and students gathered at the Clinton Presidential Center to discuss strategies to make their school environments healthier for students and staff.

"At the conclusion of the Forum, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced a $20 million grant to expand the Healthy Schools Program. The grant will allow the program to reach more than 8,000 schools in states with the highest obesity rates by 2010. The Forum also featured the presentation of bronze recognition awards to the first 26 schools from around the nation that met the standards set by the Alliance for providing healthy foods and encouraging physical activity."

Learn more about what the Alliance is doing to make schools healthy.

"Two Angry Moms" Fight Bad School Food: Featured in USA Today

This week is an exciting time for the kick-junk-foods-out-of-the-schools movement, thanks to "Two Angry Moms" Susan Rubin and Amy Kalafa, who are featured in a fabulous article in USA Today.

As followers of this blog know, I'm a huge supporter and fan of these amazing ladies, who I've written about several times previously, including here and here.

Susan and Amy have produced an eye-opening documentary to draw attention to the horrendous food now being served in schools around the nation. (View clips of their film here.)

Congrats, Susan and Amy, for your continued media attention and for getting the word out about your important work! You've worked hard so that children will be fed better food in the schools.

Join Susan and Amy now in their efforts to get quality food into the schools. Grab their "Cool Resources." Make a tax-deductible donation. Catch the latest news about them.  Or host a screening of their documentary in your community.

Schools Need Better Food! Special Teleconference On Aug. 2

I just got wind of a very special free teleconference sponsored by Better School Food next Thursday, Aug. 2 at 1 pm EST.

The telephone program, as children's health advocate Susan Rubin, DMD, HHC informs members of her mailing list, is designed for parents and anyone else who's concerned with healthy food.

Parents in particular, you should participate if you want your kids to eat better food this year.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to connect with other parents, who care about the foods that their kids put into their bodies when they're in school.

During the call, you'll also receive pointers on how to make better school food happen in your community.

To join the call, email Susan at info@betterschoolfood.org.

Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio Show to Feature Hot Guests -- Roberta Ruggiero, Susan Linn and Brian Wansink

Stop SUGAR SHOCK! Radio will present some very exciting, cutting-edge guests in the next three weeks.

First off, tomorrow -- that's Tuesday,July 24 -- I have the distinct honor of interviewing the amazing Roberta Ruggiero, founder and president of the wonderfully worthwhile non-profit organization, Hypoglycemia Support Foundation at 4 p.m. EST.

Roberta, as you can read in my book SUGAR SHOCK!, was my entire support network when I kicked sugar back in 1998.

She also, as you'll soon find out, is a woman with a heart of gold.

If you have any baffling ailments such as headaches, heart palpitations, mood swings and anxiety, you'll want to tune into our show, because you could have hypoglycemia, and Roberta has an amazing perspective about the subject -- both as a sufferer and as a leader, who's helped millions around the world.

You can listen live here to the Robert Ruggiero interview or you listen here after the fact, at your convenience.

Then on Wednesday -- that's July 25 -- tune in at 4 p.m. EST for a special program, "Is Big Food Being Altruistic or Pressured to Stop Advertising to Kids Under 12?"

My guest will be renowned children's health advocate Susan Linn, author of Consuming Kids.

The incredibly articulate Susan, who I also interviewed in my book SUGAR SHOCK!, is an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Associate Director of the Media Center at Judge Baker Children's Center.

She's also co-founder of the coalition Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

Then, the following week, on Wednesday, Aug. 1, also at 4 p.m. EST, I will have the distinct pleasure to interview leading weight loss expert Brian Wasink, Ph.D., director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab.

Dr. Wasink is author of the much-acclaimed book, Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think.

Publishers Weekly said of this book: "This peppy, somewhat pop-psych book argues that we don't have to change what we eat as much as how, and that by making more mindful food-related decisions we can start to eat and live better.

"The author's approach isn't so much a diet book as a how-to on better facilitating the interaction between the feed-me messages of our stomachs and the controls in our heads..."

Remember, you can listen to all three shows live or you can tune in here after the fact.

To call in with questions during the show, just dial (646) 716-7312.

More Fresh Fruits and Veggies On Their Way Into Schools, We Hope

About 6,000 nutrition professionals and industry members are expected to converge on Chicago July 15-18 during the School Nutrition Association's 61st annual conference, the food and beverage development industry publication foodnavigator.com reported.

The types of foods and drinks allowed in schools will be a prominent theme, thanks to the increasing scrutiny they have undergone in recent years. Other topics to be discussed include nutrition standards in schools, marketing and food safety inspections.

Thankfully, as the nation moves toward healthier school lunches, the fresh fruits and vegetables experts urge us to eat will be among new products tasted by the attendees, who will help shape school lunches for the next year. (Does anyone else find it ironic that fruits and vegetables are considered new?)

The verdict is still out on the low-fat flavored milks and reduced-fat and organic snacks also being shown since we don't know if manufacturers have decided to stop adding sugar or high fructose corn syrup to these products. As Connie points out in SUGAR SHOCK!, low-fat foods often contain sugar to make them taste better.

By Karen James for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Nutrition Education for Kids Is Failing, the Associated Press Reports

After reviewing 57 federally funded nutrition programs aimed at getting children to choose fruits and vegetables over junk food, all but four had more or less failed to change kids’ eating habits, the Associated Press reported.

The programs, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), included measures such as providing children with fresh vegetable snacks, producing dancing fruit videos and developing hundreds of hours of classroom instruction on nutrition, according to the AP.

Incidentally, this is the same USDA whose allocation of billions of dollars in annual farm subsidies favor industrial-size conventional farming operations (whose use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers contribute to environmental degradation) and are largely to blame for the demise of the small family farm, according to the Organic Farmers and Gardeners Union (click on Misallocation of Farm Subsidies tab for more information)—but I digress.

The AP review uncovered that:

• Fifth graders became less willing to eat fruits and vegetables than they were at the beginning of a federal pilot program that provided the produce to school children for free.

• In once instance, children were willing to eat fruits and vegetables in exchange for prizes, but when researchers returned several months later to follow up they found the kids had gone back to eating junk food.

• Even when children reported that their eating and exercise habits had improved, their blood pressure, body size and cholesterol levels usually remained the same.

Despite the more than $1 billion the federal government will spend on nutrition programs in schools this year, those dollars still don’t compare to the effects of parental influence, poverty and advertising in swaying children’s eating habits, according to the AP.

By Karen James for the SUGAR SHOCK! Blog