Researchers reported Tuesday that they have linked 180,000 obesity-related deaths worldwide to sugary drinks, including about 25,000 adult Americans.

Overall, 1 in 100 deaths of obese people globally can be blamed on too many sweetened beverages, according to a study presented at an American Heart Association scientific conference in New Orleans. Mexico leads the 35 largest nations in deaths attributable to over-consumption of sugary drinks, with the United States third. Japan, which has one of the lowest per-capita consumptions of sugary drinks, had the fewest sugar-related deaths.

In New Orleans, the Louisiana Public Health Institute and the Crescent City Beacon Community are striving to reduce obesity and type 2 diabetes through the txt4health program. Txt4health is a mobile health information service designed to help people understand their risk for type 2 diabetes and become more informed about the steps they can take to lead healthy lives.

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Did you know that sitting too long can cause blood clots and increases the risk of high blood pressure? Adults are encouraged to get in at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day to alleviate the negative health affects a sedentary lifestyle can produce.

Check out this great infographic from CBC that highlights how sitting too long can wreak havoc on your body.

To read the full CBS article, click here.

A new study suggests that being physically inactive can be as hazardous to our health as smoking. While researchers differ on specifics, they all point to the fact that laziness and resulting obesity can be linked to similar health hazards and even death, just as tobacco use.

Check out the full story here.

Researchers are studying the ability of beneficial micro-organisms – or probiotics – to treat a range of conditions from eczema to inflammatory bowel disease. And the idea that “good” bacteria are healthy for us is gaining traction. Because of this information, lots of people have turned to yogurt, with the belief that the bacteria added to the milk as part of the fermentation process are helpful. And there’s some evidence that yogurt affects digestion. Others are trying specialty yogurts or supplements made with specific strains of probiotics. There are hundreds of products on the market.

Check out this great article from NPR for more information about probiotics, how they can help, and the studies going on around them.

The Fit NOLA Challenge for a Healthier Louisiana Project, led by the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI), in partnership with the City of New Orleans Health Department, is slated to receive a total of $2.2 million in funding from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation and pledged matching funds from community partner organizations to increase use of neighborhood parks and access to healthy foods in three underserved neighborhoods. The project will work to transform policies, systems and the environment in parks and surrounding neighborhoods to address barriers to both physical activity and access to healthy food.

The Fit NOLA Project will work to create innovative linkages between community health clinics, parks, and farmers markets in the St. Roch, Gert Town, and Hoffman Triangle-Central City neighborhoods, with a goal of connecting  approximately 64,000 residents with new opportunities for family-oriented physical activities, nutritious foods, and community centered health clinics that support and promote better nutrition and increased physical activity to improve long-term, community health outcomes.

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We all know that fruits and veggies are tasty and good for us. But many people have also heard about the negative side of fruit – too much sugar, empty calories, etc. Well, for those of you who are still wondering, here are 10 compelling reasons why we should all put more fruit in our daily diets.

Check it out here.

We all know what sugar is – that thing some of us crave, others add to morning coffee and still others avoid like the plague. However you identify the sugars you eat daily, we should all understand the basic differences between Fructose and Sucrose sugars.

Fructose is found mainly in fruits and honey.  It can also be found in high fructose corn syrup, but not regular corn syrup.  Regular corn syrup contains mostly maltrose (malt sugar) with various levels of other types of sugars, including fructose and glucose.  Fructose should not be confused with either high fructose corn syrup or with regular corn syrup, since it is a “naturally” occurring sugar that doesn’t need a lot of chemical processing to be extracted from fruits and honey.

Sucrose is the sugar that’s found in many different types of plants world-wide.  It is the most easily obtained sugar just by doing something as simple as eating a carrot.  The sucrose that a person uses as a sweetener in baking and other food making processes is usually extracted almost exclusively from sugar cane and sugar beets.

Check out the full article for greater detail.

We all struggle daily with the motivation to get up and workout, go to the gym or a run or a bike ride, etc. But the reality is, exercise needs to be a part of all out daily routines to keep us healthy and avoid numerous medical conditions like type 2 diabetes, obesity, and on and on. Live Well 360 has a great article about how to amp up your workout motivation levels. Its definitely worth a read.

Click here to view the article.

A recent study has revealed what many of us probably already knew, yet may finally encourage some of those out there to get up and increase their activity levels.

A sedentary, or couch potato, lifestyle can amplify a genetic disposition to obesity, but just walking briskly, and briefly, each day can cut that effect in half.

When you consider the other detrimental health effects obesity can be a factor of, like type 2 and 1 diabetes, heart problems, etc., its obvious that we need to drastically cut back our average 4-6 hours of TV consumption and spend more time exercising.

For more info on the study, click here.

Esther Entin, M.D.,  a pediatrician and clinical associate professor of Family Medicine at Brown University’s Warren Alpert School of Medicine, recently published an article in The Atlantic about why recess and exercise are crucial for youth today.

According to Dr. Entin, ‘there is growing evidence that physical activity enhances brain function and improves thinking and reasoning skills for children — and adults. Some studies have also suggested that children perform better in school when they have planned periods of physical activity. This idea stands in contrast to how the pressure to provide more time for academics has eroded opportunities for physical exercise during the school day.’

In New Orleans, there is a great program called School Health Connection that promotes healthy school communities and access to health services. The idea of recess or school structured exercise and health classes and clinics is one the program embraces and is worth checking out. Visit www.schoolhealthconnection.org.

To read the full article, click here.