in Jornal Público,30.04.2010
"As autoridades de Silicon Valley, na Califórnia, proibiram os restaurantes de oferecerem brinquedos junto com as refeições para crianças que não cumpram os padrões nutricionais de saúde - medida que vai afectar à cabeça as Happy Meals da McDonald"s.
Com esta nova regulamentação - aprovada na quarta-feira e que carece de nova discussão e votação, agendada para 11 de Maio, antes de entrar em vigor dentro de três meses -, a assembleia legislativa do condado de Santa Clara, onde uma em quatro crianças é obesa, restringe o hábito que se estendeu aos restaurantes de quase todo o país de atrair as crianças com a oferta de brinquedos.
"O regulamento vai pôr fim à associação de refeições não saudáveis e ofertas [para as crianças]. E vai ajudar os pais a fazerem as escolhas certas para os filhos, sem brinquedos e brindes a entrarem na ponderação e a forçá-los a consumir alimentos que não cumprem os padrões nutricionais", defendeu o director do organismo de supervisão do condado, Ken Yeager, ao jornal San Francisco Chronicle.
Apenas os restaurantes que sigam os critérios nutricionais estabelecidos pelos serviços de saúde norte-americanos podem oferecer brinquedos junto com as refeições - a saber: não mais do que 120 calorias por bebida, e até 200 calorias por cada componente da refeição ou 485 calorias por toda a refeição. É igualmente imperativo cumprir os limites de sódio, gordura e açúcar nos alimentos.
O não cumprimento da nova regulamentação penaliza as empresas em multas de mil dólares por cada refeição vendida em violação dos termos do decreto.
O estado da Califórnia tinha já dado passos pioneiros neste âmbito, tendo proibido a venda de refrigerantes nas escolas públicas, e está agora a ser debatida uma proposta de legislação estadual para introduzir taxas adicionais sobre as bebidas extremamente calóricas e contendo elevados níveis de açúcar.
Nos EUA, a obesidade infantil atinge níveis alarmantes, tendo triplicado nos últimos trinta anos. E dois terços dos norte-americanos adultos - 190 milhões de pessoas - têm peso acima dos padrões saudáveis."
Fonte:
http://jornal.publico.pt/noticia/30-04-2010/silicon-valley-proibe-fast-food-combrinquedos-19300971.htm
Quick Dinner Recipes Under $3 per Serving
"Healthy Quick Dinner Recipes for $3 or Less per Serving
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Quick Dinner Recipes Under $2.50 per Serving
Quick Dinner Recipes Under $2 per Serving
Junk food is as addictive as drugs and tobacco
"Junk food is bad for us. No surprise there then. But a shocking new study has revealed that fattening snacks could in fact be as addictive as heroine and cigarettes.
According to the research, food high in fat or sugar trigger exactly the same ‘pleasure centres' in the brain as drugs and tobacco, making them difficult to give up.
The discovery emerged after experts studied rats fed on cheesecake, bacon and sausages. Almost immediately, the animals started showing signs of addiction.
‘In the study, the animals completely lost control over their eating behaviour and continued to over-eat even when they anticipated receiving electric shocks, highlighting just how motivated they were to continue eating the palatable food,' says Professor Paul Kennedy from the Scripps research Institute in Jupiter, Florida.
Rats on a normal diet quickly learned to avoid the unhealthy food.
‘It presents the most thorough and compelling evidence that drug addiction and obesity are based on the same underlying neurobiological mechanisms,' Professor Kennedy continues
The study concluded that parts of the brain that handle the feel-good chemical dopamine become unbalanced after eating junk food. The same changes occur after taking cocaine or heroine.
The good news is that people can adapt their food tastes if they want to. The key is to make subtle changes, such as giving up sugar in tea or replacing full-fat milk with semi-skimmed on cereal. Make simple alterations and new eating habits will eventually replace the old ones."
Fonte:
http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/health/448599/junk-food-is-as-addictive-as-drugs-and-tobacco.html
According to the research, food high in fat or sugar trigger exactly the same ‘pleasure centres' in the brain as drugs and tobacco, making them difficult to give up.
The discovery emerged after experts studied rats fed on cheesecake, bacon and sausages. Almost immediately, the animals started showing signs of addiction.
‘In the study, the animals completely lost control over their eating behaviour and continued to over-eat even when they anticipated receiving electric shocks, highlighting just how motivated they were to continue eating the palatable food,' says Professor Paul Kennedy from the Scripps research Institute in Jupiter, Florida.
Rats on a normal diet quickly learned to avoid the unhealthy food.
‘It presents the most thorough and compelling evidence that drug addiction and obesity are based on the same underlying neurobiological mechanisms,' Professor Kennedy continues
The study concluded that parts of the brain that handle the feel-good chemical dopamine become unbalanced after eating junk food. The same changes occur after taking cocaine or heroine.
The good news is that people can adapt their food tastes if they want to. The key is to make subtle changes, such as giving up sugar in tea or replacing full-fat milk with semi-skimmed on cereal. Make simple alterations and new eating habits will eventually replace the old ones."
Fonte:
http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/health/448599/junk-food-is-as-addictive-as-drugs-and-tobacco.html
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