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A new study suggests that only 1 out of every 20 teens in America is getting the physician recommended amount of sleep, exercise and screen time (time spent on devices).
The recommended amount of exercise for a teenager is 1 hour of moderate to vigorous exercise per day. Screen time should be limited to 2 hours per day. “Kids ages 6 to 12 old also need 9 to 12 hours of sleep, while teens need 8 to 10 hours nightly.”
The study concluded that too little sleep and exercise and too much screen time can lead to chronic health issues such as obesity, mental health problems, poor academic performance and unhealthy behavior such as smoking and drinking.
However, these recommendations have been increasingly difficult for children and teenagers to meet. Similar to adults, it can be hard to meet all three requirements at the same time, versus focusing on one.
For the study, 59,000 kids were surveyed over four years. “Overall, just 3 percent of girls and 7 percent of boys spent the optimal time sleeping and being physically active while limiting screen time.”
The three factors seem to support each other. More exercise led to better sleep and less screen time. However, less exercise led to more screen time and less sleep.
The study urges parents to encourage their children to engage in physical activity that can help with sleep patterns. Schools also impact sleep due to early start times.
“Sleep and physical activity are two pillars that should not be sacrificed in childhood,” said Jonathan Mitchell of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania.
Sleep is often sacrificed for other activities including spending time on cell phones, computers and watching TV. Teens and parents should be more cognizant of bedtime and focus on finding a balance between, sleep, exercise and screen time.
To learn more: Most U.S. kids not meeting sleep, exercise and screen time targets – Rueters
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]A report attempting to overhaul the universal “diet” says a hamburger a week is about as much red meat you should be consuming. Eggs should be limited to less than four a week and dairy, one serving per day.
A panel of nutrition, agriculture, and environmental experts recommend a plant-based diet. This recommendation stems from many published studies that link red meat to health problems and livestock farming to environmental issues.
The report highlights the deadly effects meat production is having on the environment. “Producing red meat takes up land and feed to raise cattle, which also emit the greenhouse gas methane.”
The report was organized by a Swedish-based nonprofit seeking to improve the food system. They believe a “great food transformation” is necessary by 2050. They also believe their recommended diet could be inclusive to all cultures around the world.
Of course a major obstacle is convincing cultures who are traditionally meat and cheese heavy, to make the shift.
“The diet encourages whole grains, beans, fruits and most vegetables, and says to limit added sugars, refined grains such as white rice and starches like potatoes and cassava. It says red meat consumption on average needs to be slashed by half globally, though the necessary changes vary by region and reductions would need to be more dramatic in richer countries like the United States.”
Scientists
Advice to limit red meat isn’t a new concept and has been linked to lowering high saturated fats. However, the meat and dairy industries argue that their products carry important nutrients necessary for a healthy diet.
A report conducted by the United Nations, concluded that livestock is responsible for 15% of gas emissions that warm the climate. International Climate Researcher, Robbie Andrew, believes that utilizing practices that help the animal to grow bigger faster may help decrease emission, however the animal will still produce methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas.
People could replace beef with chicken or pork, which do have few emissions, however plants have one of the smallest carbon footprints over all.
The report itself does lay out the “optimal” diet for both environment and health. However, researchers understand the battle it may be to convince policy makers, food companies and those set in traditional cuisine.
Enjoy our Plant Based Resources Library
To learn more: Less beef, more beans. Experts say world needs a new diet – AP
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For this newsletter, we take a look at how our social environment is impacting this vulnerable age group. The habits established as teenagers are carried forward into adulthood and influence long term health outcomes. As parents, mentors and diabetes educators, are there actions we can take today to improve the health of our teens for tomorrow?
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More than 30 million Americans have diabetes and approximately 7.4 million require insulin. Between 2002-2013, the average price of insulin nearly tripled, creating financial hardships for people who rely on it to survive.
One company, Cigna’s Express Scripts, is working to lower the price for consumers by the end of the year. “Express Scripts, which manages prescription drug insurance for more than 80 million people, is launching a “patient assurance program” that Steve Miller, Cigna’s chief clinical officer, says “caps the copay for a patient at $25 a month for their insulin — no matter what.”
As the voices of people who rely on insulin are beginning to be heard, lawmakers are starting to take notice. The increase in prices has been deadly for some.
The full retail price of some insulins can cost up to $1,400 per month. Under Scripts new program, people who normally would have to meet their deductible will stay pay only $25 per month for their insulin.
A recent study conducted at Yale found that 25% of people utilizing insulin will dilute or skip doses altogether in order to save money. This can a
“The bottom line is that drug prices are set by drug makers,” he told lawmakers. “The list price for insulin has gone up dramatically — and that’s the price that many patients pay. This is what needs to come down. It’s as simple as that.”
Express Scripts will begin to offer the $25 co-pay deal close to the end of the year to those not covered by a government insurance program.
Insulin should be affordable for all. Click here for additional resources on how you can make a difference.
To learn more: “Express Scripts Takes Steps to Cut Insulin’s Price to Patients” – NPR
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According to the National Credentialing Board for Diabetes Educators, (NCBDE) the CDCES® Exam Content Outline will be updated starting July 1st, 2019.
To celebrate this update, we will be basing our 2019 Questions of the Week on this content outline. (See a snippet of the NCBDE content outline to the left or click on it to see the complete outline.)
These targeted questions are designed to help assess your knowledge of the topics critical to diabetes educators.
In addition, if you are preparing to take the exam, we strongly encourage you to go through each of these sub-categories and rate your knowledge on a scale of 1-5. Based on this self-assessment, spend the majority of your study time on the topic areas you are least comfortable with. This approach will help you become familiar with the exam content and to use your limited study time wisely.
Assessment of the Diabetes Continuum – Learning
For this question in this series, we focus on the Assessment Section, under learning. Here is the question that addresses learning goals and needs of the learner. Good luck!
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]An unhealthy lifestyle can not only lead to chronic illness like obesity and heart disease, but also cause wear and tear on your brain.
Lack of mobility causes inflammation, which leads to a number of serious chronic illnesses including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Researchers are now finding that inactivity can also lead to a faster decline in thinking and memory.
“We found that people in their middle adulthood who had higher levels of inflammatory markers in their blood tended to decline over the next 20 years at a quicker rate, especially on measures of memory,” Walker said.
To protect your brain functions, it is important to maintain a heart healthy diet, exercise and get plenty of sleep.
When someone gets sick, even a small cold, you see symptoms of systemic inflammation. This inflammation can cause lack of motivation, change in appetite and even changes in mood, which are all changes in brain function.
Researchers believe that long-term inflammation could have lasting effects on brain function.
The study conducted measures inflammation as it correlates with brain function over time. Those with the highest rate of inflammation were more likely to lose brain function at the end of two decades (that were measured for the study).
“This could be happening either because chronic inflammation is directly harming neurons, or because it is exacerbating other brain conditions that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, Walker said. “
Although there could be a plethora of causes for inflammation, scientists believe the best way to combat this and protect your brain would be to live a healthy lifestyle. This includes having healthy eating habits, incorporating exercise and sleeping the recommended hours per night.
To learn more: How Inactivity and Junk Food Can Harm Your Brain – Health Day
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]According to the National Credentialing Board for Diabetes Educators, (NCBDE) the CDCES® Exam Content Outline will be updated starting July 1st, 2019.
To celebrate this update, we will be basing our 2019 Questions of the Week on this content outline. (See a snippet of the NCBDE content outline to the left or click on it to see the complete outline.)
These targeted questions are designed to help assess your knowledge of the topics critical to diabetes educators.
In addition, if you are preparing to take the exam, we strongly encourage you to go through each of these sub-categories and rate your knowledge on a scale of 1-5. Based on this self-assessment, spend the majority of your study time on the topic areas you are least comfortable with. This approach will help you become familiar with the exam content and to use your limited study time wisely.
Assessment of the Diabetes Continuum – Learning
For this question in this series, we focus on the Assessment Section, under learning. Here is the question that addresses learning goals and needs of the learner. Good luck!