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Will you burn off that chocolate bar?
A NEW STUDY SUGGESTS THAT LABELLING FOOD and drink with the amount and type of exercise we need to do to burn off those calories may help in the fight against obesity. Scientists reviewed 15 studies and found that, on average, people consumed 195 fewer calories each day when exercise labelling was included. The suggestion that products should be labelled accordingly has caused controversy among health professionals, with organisations such as the Royal Society of Public Health supporting the idea, while eating disorder charities are against it. We’d love to know what you think – so drop us an email or comment on social media. In the meantime, check out the amount of walking or running you’d need to do to burn off the calories of these favourites…
12 The percentage reduction in the risk of heart failure over 10 years in 161,000 people who brushed their teeth three or more times a day. It’s thought brushing frequently reduces the bacteria that live between the teeth and gums so they don’t get into the bloodstream and cause inflammation – a risk factor for heart problems.
EXAMINING THE BENEFITS OF BREAKFAST
Exam season may seem a long way off, but there’s one subject all students should add to their study list now – and that’s breakfast. Researchers from the University of Leeds looked at the regular weekday breakfast eating habits of almost 300 pupils and their GCSE results. They found that 29% of the students rarely ate breakfast on school days (no more than once during the school week), 18% ate it occasionally (two to three times during the school week) and 53% ate it frequently (four to five times). When it came to exam results, they found that those pupils who rarely ate breakfast scored, on average, 10 points lower than those who ate it regularly – the equivalent to two grades.
Particularly good breakfast options include porridge with almonds and berries, a wholegrain bagel with peanut butter and banana, wholemeal toast with scrambled or poached eggs and orange juice, or wholegrain cereal with milk and juice.
FOLIC ACID FOR THE FUTURE
Current health advice recommends women who are trying to conceive or who are in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy should take supplements of folic acid to reduce the risk of neural tube defects
