First Look: The FDA's Nutrition Label Gets A Makeover

Old label on the left, new proposed label on the right.

The Obama administration Thursday released its proposed tweaks to the iconic black and white panel that we're all accustomed to seeing on food packages.
The most visible change is that calorie counts are bigger and bolder — to give them greater emphasis.
In addition, serving sizes start to reflect the way most of us really eat. Take, for example, ice cream. The current serving size is a half cup. But who eats that little?

Under the proposed new label, the serving size would become 1 cup. So, when you scoop a bowl of mint chocolate chip, the calorie count that you see on the label will probably be much closer to what you're actually eating.
Another significant change: The new panel will include a separate line for added sugars.

This is aimed at helping consumers distinguish between the sugars that are naturally found in foods (such as the sugar in raisins found in cereal) from the refined sugars that food manufacturers add to their products.
Read more at npr. org. 

Request for study participants for research which promotes greater understanding of loss, grief and bereavement

Participants wanted for Suicide Survivor Grief Group Study

Adults who have experienced the death of a close friend or family member by suicide more than 6 months ago and are struggling with grief or experiencing distress are invited to contact Caring Connections:  A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program to discuss participation in a research study.  For information contact Kathie Supiano or Shawna Rees at 801-585-9522.

Participants wanted for Bereaved Dementia Caregiver Grief Group Study

Adults who have been caregivers for a family member or close friend with dementia, and are struggling with grief or experiencing distress since the death of the person with dementia are invited to contact Caring Connections:  A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program to discuss participation in a research study.  For information contact Kathie Supiano or Shawna Rees at 801-585-9522.

We are most appreciative of your interest and willingness to pass on these materials to others who might be interested.

Katherine P. Supiano, PhD, LCSW, FT, F-GSA

Associate Professor

Director

Caring Connections:  A Hope and Comfort in Grief Program

University of Utah College of Nursing

10 South 2000 East room 3640

Salt Lake City, UT 84112

801-581-2322

801-585-9522

www.nursing.utah.edu/caring-connections

New Service Launched To Track Obamacare Subsidies

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Consumer Reports said Monday they've teamed up to create a website that helps people find out if they qualify for financial assistance when they choose a health plan on one of Obamacare's web-based markets. Read the story >

Landmark Hispanic study may offer longevity clues

The government’s largest-ever study of Hispanics’ health may help answer why they live longer than other Americans but the first results suggest that for some, the trend might be in jeopardy.

Overall, high rates of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and pre-diabetes were found, especially among older adults. But troubling signs were seen among younger Hispanic adults. They were the least likely to have diabetes under control, and the least likely to eat recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.

Hispanics from Puerto Rico were among the least healthy, while those from South America, who tend to be more recent arrivals, were among the healthiest.

The landmark study is the most comprehensive effort to document the health of U.S. Hispanics. It has followed more than 16,000 Hispanics aged 18 to 74 since 2008.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute released initial results revealing a diverse group whose health habits depend partly on their age and country of origin.

Mexican-Americans are the largest and oldest Hispanic group nationwide, but there has been more recent growth among Dominicans and those from Central and South America.

Researchers in four cities are documenting prevalence of chronic disease and risk factors, and trying to determine how adopting U.S. lifestyles affects Hispanics’ health. Aviles-Santa said the results may provide a better understanding of what some call the “Hispanic paradox” — longer lives than non-Hispanic white Americans despite some known health risks.

“We’ve never had a study of this magnitude,” said Dr. Martha Daviglus, lead investigator for the study’s Chicago site and a researcher at the University of Illinois in Chicago. “Hispanics and Latinos are underserved and understudied.” She said the results will help communities find better ways to prevent health conditions afflicting different Hispanic populations.

Among the findings:

—High blood pressure affects almost one-third of Cuban-Americans and Puerto Rican-Americans, versus one-fifth of those from South America.

—Diabetes affects one in five Puerto Rican-Americans versus 11 percent of South Americans.

—Obesity affects nearly half of Puerto Rican-Americans, versus 30 percent of those from South America.

—One-third of Puerto Rican-Americans are smokers, versus 11 percent of those from the Dominican Republic.

—One-third of all Hispanics aged 18 to 44 have one risk factor for heart disease.

—More than half of Hispanic men aged 45 to 74 eat five or more fruits and vegetables daily, versus about 2 in 5 women of the same age and just 1 in 3 women aged 18 to 44.

Read entire article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/landmark-hispanic-study-may-offer-longevity-clues/2014/02/24/a09354d8-9d9e-11e3-878c-65222df220eb_story.html

Utah County Schools Earn National Nutrition Honors

PROVO -- Ask kids what their favorite subject is at school and some will joke "recess" or "lunch." There is good reason that lunch should be high on that list. Twenty Utah County elementary schools have earned honors for their nutrition programs.

It's part of the Healthier U.S. School Challenge, a voluntary national certification for schools which participate in the National School Lunch Program.

Lunch itself is only part of the challenge. Schools had to show they had improved the quality of the food available and met the dietary guidelines established by the Institute of Medicine. They had to provide nutrition education and have the students participate in physical activity during the school days.

Provo School District had 10 of its 13 elementary schools meet the challenge and earn the bronze medal.

Bill Seidel, the Child Nutrition Coordinator for the district, said the lunch menus were planned with new regulations focusing on fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

One of the main challenges is trying to reduce food waste, he said. It takes time for the students to adapt to eating different food. The servers must first make it available to them, then the students take the next step.

"We encourage them to eat it," he said. "Nutrition is only good if you consume it. It is definitely not an overnight thing."

"We pride ourselves on doing a lot of scratch cooking," he said. "It makes better meals."

On their web page, they show some of the schools' efforts to create interesting and attractive food. Sometimes they introduce certain foods to the students and send baskets of that particular food to each class, along with a fact sheet telling about it.

Read entire article at Provo Daily Harold http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/education/precollegiate/utah-county-schools-earn-nutrition-honors/article_d470d1ba-0a85-5acb-8c02-83c685ac0895.html

Salt Lake City is One of 10 Places Where Health Insurance Costs the Least

Top 10 places with best insurance bargains, ranked by monthly premium:

• $154: Minneapolis-St. Paul
• $164: Pittsburgh and Northwestern Pennsylvania
• $166: Middle Minnesota
• $167: Tucson, Ariz.
• $171: Northwestern Minnesota
• $173: Salt Lake City
• $176: Hawaii
• $180: Knoxville, Tenn.
• $180: Western and North Central Minnesota.
• $181: Chattanooga, Tenn.

This list was compiled using the monthly silver premiums for a 40-year-old person. The ranking is based on rates listed in federal and state insurance marketplaces and data compiled by Kaiser Family Foundation researchers.

The 10 most expensive regions, ranked by monthly premiums:

• $483: Colorado Mountain Resort Region. Eagle, Garfield and Pitkin counties, home of Aspen and Vail ski resorts. Summit County premiums are $462.
• $461: Southwestern Georgia. Baker, Calhoun, Clay, Crisp, Dougherty, Lee, Mitchell, Randolph, Schley, Sumter, Terrell and Worth counties.
• $456: Rural Nevada. Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Elko, Mineral, Pershing, White Pine and Churchill counties.
• $445: Far western Wisconsin. Pierce, Polk and St. Croix counties, across the border from St. Paul, Minn.
• $423: Southern Georgia. A swath of counties adjacent to the even more expensive Georgia region. Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Clinch, Colquitt, Cook, Decatur, Early, Echols, Grady, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Miller, Seminole, Thomas, Tift and Turner counties.
• $405: Most of Wyoming. All counties except Natrona and Laramie.
• $399: Southeast Mississippi. George, Harrison, Jackson and Stone counties. In Hancock County, the lowest price plan is $447.
• $395: Vermont.
• $383: Fairfield, Conn. The southwestern-most county, which includes many affluent commuter towns for New York City.
• $381: Alaska.

Content from Kaiser Health News: editorially independent program Kaiser Family Foundation on npr.org health news blog.  http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/12/276029983/the-10-places-where-health-insurance-costs-the-least

VISTA Opportunity with Help Me Grow

An AmeriCorps VISTA position is open in South Salt Lake to help with the expansion of Help Me Grow Utah (HMGU) across Salt Lake County. Help Me Grow is a free information line designed to connect families with community resources and information on child development. The VISTA is needed to (1) develop and engage in targeted outreach strategies for Salt Lake County’s diverse population, (2) identify and cultivate outreach opportunities between HMGU and private businesses, (3) conduct research for and populate HMGU’s dynamic resource database, (4) organize Salt Lake networking breakfasts, and (5) increase volunteer involvement with HMGU.

The ideal candidate will be a self-starter who is hard-working, excellent at following instructions, good at creative problem-solving, and thorough. The candidate will also possess superior interpersonal skills and must feel comfortable approaching and interacting with families, community leaders, and health care professionals. Spanish-speaking skills, nonprofit or community outreach experience, and knowledge of child development are highly desirable but not required.

VISTA is needed to start on April 22^nd. Position is one year starting with a pre-service orientation in Los Angeles (expenses paid by the VISTA program) from April 22-26^th.

Benefits:
-Living Allowance ($946 a month pre-taxes),
-A $5,550 education award or $1,500 cash stipend upon completion of one year

-Health Coverage
-Relocation Allowance
-Childcare assistance, if eligible

Requirements:
-Full-time (40 hours per week) service for one year without school or other work commitments
-Some college experience
-At least 18 years of age
-General office and computer skills 

TO APPLY: Email resume and cover letter to Julie Miller at JulieM@unitedwayuc.org by Friday, March 21,  2014. An online application with AmeriCorps is also required after the interview process is complete.