In a recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health (December 2009), Yale researchers tested the effectiveness of menus that included calorie information and also notified customers that the average adult should consume approximately 2,000 calories daily.

In this study, 303 adults were given one of three menus: the first had no labeling at all, the second had calorie information only and the third had calorie information plus the recommended 2,000 calorie daily intake.

The people in the two groups with labeled menus ate about 14% less calories than those that ordered off the menu without any labels. Also, the diners that ordered off the menu with the 2,000 calorie recommendation reported a lower intake of calories over the rest of the day. They ate about 250 calories less than the people in the other 2 groups!

Bottom line: Paying attention to those calories that are listed on the menu can actually help you consume less. Also, it is important to keep in mind the daily 2,000 calorie goal so you can plan your calories accordingly.

For more heart healthy tips visit us at www.heart-strong.com.

Approximately 24 million people have diabetes mellitus (DM) and 57 million are at risk of developing it.  The increased risk is due to the fact that more and more people are overweight/obese and thus have impaired blood sugar control.

A recent study published in The Lancet followed 3,000 high-risk patients for 10 years.  The focus of this study was on preventing DM.  One third of the participants were told to eat a low fat diet and exercise for 30 minutes at least 5 days/week.  The goal was a 7% weight reduction in one year.  The second 1/3 were given Metformin, a diabetes medication to control blood sugars.  The remaining 1/3 received no intervention.

 Many people in the lifestyle group met the weight reduction goal.  However, many also gained some of the weight back over time.  The good news was that their risk of developing DM was still the lowest of the 3 groups although there was some weight regained. 

 After 3 years, the incidence of DM was decreased by 58% in the lifestyle group and 31% in the Metformin group as compared to the group with no intervention.  After 10 years, the lifestyle group and the Metformin group had a decreased incidence of DM by 34% and 18% respectively.

 Lifestyle interventions delayed the onset of DM by 4 years and the Metformin delayed onset by 2 years.  The greatest benefit of lifestyle changes was seen in the 60 year old and above group.  The diet and exercise lowered their risk of developing DM by 50%!

These results emphasize the significant benefit of healthy lifestyle changes in preventing DM.  These simple measures should be incorporated into everyone’s daily life.

 Remember….SMALL LIFESTYLE CHANGES YIELD GREAT HEALTH BENEFITS!!!

This is exactly what Heartstrong is trying to teach. For more info please visit www.heart-strong.com