Did you ever read the salt content of fast foods? Scary! What is even scarier is the news that the same fast foods sold abroad have less salt in them.

According to a study that appeared in the April 16 issues of the  Canadian Medical Association’s journal, CMAJ there are significant differences in the amount of salt in fast foods sold in fast-food restaurants in the U.S., Canada and other countries.

Study researchers examined the salt content of more than 2,100 food items in seven product categories sold by Burger King, Domino’s Pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Subway in the United States, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Researchers found that McDonald’s fast food Chicken McNuggets in Canada contained 2.5 times more sodium than those in the United Kingdom. There were 600 milligrams of sodium (1.5 grams of salt) in a 3.5-ounce serving in Canada, but the same serving size in the United Kingdom contained 240 milligrams of sodium (0.6 grams of salt).

Norman Campbell, of the University of Calgary, and colleagues, said in a journal news release that”Canadian companies indicate they have been working to reduce sodium but the high sodium in these foods indicates voluntary efforts aren’t working.

These high levels indicate failure of the current government approach that leaves salt reduction solely in the hands of industry,” the researchers reported. “Salt-reduction programs need to guide industry and oversee it with targets and timelines for foods, monitoring and evaluation, and stronger regulatory measures if the structured voluntary efforts are not effective.”

The researchers concluded,”Decreasing salt in fast foods would appear to be technically feasible, and is likely to produce important gains in population health — the average salt levels of fast foods are high, and these foods are eaten often.”

SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal, news release, April 11, 2012

According to a new study conducted by Kaiser Permanente researchers, youngsters aged 4 to 6 are not at higher risk of febrile seizures after receiving measles vaccines.

The study, conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at data from nearly 87,000 children ages 48 to 83 months who received the following vaccines: measles-mumps-rubella-chickenpox (MMRV) vaccine; the MMR vaccine plus the varicella vaccine for chickenpox, administered separately but on the same day; or either the MMR or varicella vaccine alone.

Febrile seizures are described as brief, fever-related convulsions. They are not fatal and do not lead to brain damage, epilepsy or other seizure disorders. The researchers noted that febrile seizures typically occur in children ages 6 months to 5 years, and the incidence of these seizures peaks at about 18 months of age.

There was no increased risk of febrile seizures among the children during the six weeks after they received any of the vaccines, according to the study, which appears in the current issue of the journal Pediatrics.

In a news release, lead author for the study, Dr. Nicola Klein, co-director of the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center, said, “The results provide reassuring evidence that neither MMRV nor MMR plus V appear to be associated with an increased risk of post-vaccination febrile seizures in this 4-to-6 age group.”

Dr. Bruce Hirsch, associate chairman for clinical services at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y. stated that, “Families of 4- to 6-year-olds can be reassured from this study that a combination MMRV vaccine is safe.” He went on to say that, “Febrile seizures are scary; the child develops a high fever and convulses The condition is surprisingly common and can occur after colds and other viral infections.”

(SOURCES: Bruce Hirsch, M.D., attending physician, Infectious Disease, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, N.Y.; Kaiser Permanente, news release, April 2, 2012)

Laughter is good for us!

Here are 10 reasons why you need to laugh as often as you can:

1. Laughter busts stress. It reduces the levels of stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol.

2. Laughter strengthens the immune system.

3. Laughter is anti-aging. It tones facial muscles and expressions. People look younger and more fun when they laugh!

4. Laughter is aerobic exercise. Laughter stimulates heart and blood circulation and is equivalent to any other standard aerobic exercise.

5. Laughter is internal jogging. It massages internal organs by enhancing the blood supply and increasing their efficiency.

6. Laughter is a natural pain killer.Laughter increases the level of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers.

7. Laughter can control high blood pressure. It helps to control blood pressure by reducing the release of stress-related hormones. (But don’t stop taking your blood pressure medication.)

8. Laughter can help dump depression and anxiety. Laughter can help you sleep better and reduce depression, lessening the stress and strain of modern life.

9. Laughter alleviates bronchitis and asthma. Laughter improves lung capacity and oxygen levels in the blood.

10. Laughter just makes you feel good.

Source: Healing Thru Yoga Laughter, www.yogalaff.com

Findings from a recent study, available on line in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, point out that nearly half of our preschool children are not getting enough daily outdoor play.

Researchers conducted a study that analyzed data previously collected in a long-term U.S. study that highlights something already know from other studies-girls have fewer opportunities for outdoor play than boys.

The research team looked at statistics on the outdoor-activity routines of 8,950 children born in 2001 who were tracked through enrollment in kindergarten. The data were deemed to be nationally representative, reflecting the behavior of an estimated 4 million kids.

Researchers interviewed each child’s mother on the frequency and kind of outdoor play experience her child had at 9 months, 2 years and 4 years, and then again once enrolled in kindergarten.

Researchers found that 51 percent of the kids had a daily routine of parent-supervised outdoor play. Girls got less daily outdoor exercise.

According to findings, race was a factor. Children from white families got substantially more outdoor play than children with Asian, black or Hispanic mothers. Asian mothers were 49 percent less likely to take their children outdoors for play, black mothers were 41 percent less likely and Hispanic mothers were 20 percent less likely.

TV viewing habits of children, mothers’ marital status, neighborhood safety issues, or family income levels did not affect findings.

The study authors report that the American Academy of Pediatrics asks doctors take a proactive role in encouraging routine physical activity among kids, particularly outdoor activity, which can be critical to helping children develop motor skills, as well as promoting vision and mental acuity.

“I want to encourage parents to talk to all their child’s caregivers, and to ask about their outdoor playtime experience in the same way they would normally ask about how much their child ate that day and what they learned,” said Pooja Tandon, M.D., M.P.H., pediatrician and researcher, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, and acting assistant professor, department of pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, the lead researcher of the study.

Rahil Briggs, a child psychologist with Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, in New York City, agreed that “There’s a very real need for growing children to have outdoor play.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not too surprised with these findings, because of what we already know about the obesity epidemic in this country and all the sedentary activities our children are partaking in with the use of video games, TV, the iPad and all of that,” she said.

“Parents need to change their thinking about outdoor play as a luxury that they can get in for their kids on a Saturday, to something along the lines of a necessity. Many preschoolers are not getting daily outdoor activities,” Briggs said. “We need to know that it has an important impact on our children’s physical health and also on their behavioral development.”

(SOURCES: Pooja Tandon, M.D., M.P.H., pediatrician and researcher, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, and acting assistant professor, department of pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle; Rahil Briggs, Psy.D., child psychologist, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, New York City; April 2, 2012, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine online)

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recently came out with a “Get Your Plate in Shape” Campaign for 2012 National Nutrition Month.

Here are their tips from the campaign to shape your plate:

• Think about what you are putting on your plate.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Choose “reduced sodium” or “no salt added” canned vegetables.
• Make at least half your grains whole grains.
• Switch to fat free or low fat dairy products.
• Eat a variety of proteins such as sea food, nuts, beans, lean meat, poultry and eggs
• Cut back on sodium, solid fats and sugary drinks.
• Enjoy your foods but eat less.
• Be conscious of calories.
• Use a smaller, plate bowl and glass.
• When eating out, choose lower calorie options.
• Write down what you eat and keep track of what you eat.

For more eating tips, go to www.eatright.org

In addition to watching what you put on your plate, the Academy offers the following exercise guidelines:

• Children and teens need to get 60 or more minutes a day of physical activities.
• Adults need two hours and thirty minutes a week of activity that requires moderate effort such as brisk walking.