ANN ARBOR—Nutrition in mid-life. Children with food allergies. Should you eat fish? These stories and many more are featured in the current issue of Findings magazine, a publication of the University of Michigan School of Public Health.

TThe topic is “Food for the 21st Century.” The entire magazine is available at: More >

Here are some of the articles for story ideas:

“Can a Web site make you healthy?”

A simple Web site quiz tells the writer that she doesn’t eat nearly enough fruit and vegetables. Do you? More >

Children and food

How can childcare centers cope with the growing number of children who have life-threatening food allergies? Did you know that when schools bring in locally grown foods kids s eat more healthily? How can pediatricians help overweight kids lose weight? When parents model healthy eating, kids’ diets improve. Find out how U-M SPH researchers are tackling the unique nutritional challenges of childhood at: More >

Adolescent eating

Middle-school girls who attend schools where healthy eating is a priority halve their chances of becoming obese, and cell phones are now being used to help teenagers lose weight. Adolescent obesity may cause a drop in income in early adulthood in addition to other consequences. More >

Nutrition in midlife

How can healthy eating become a priority for men who’ve grown up accustomed to “man-sized” portions? When nutritional advice is tailored for different ethnic groups, people’s diets improve, and micronutrients may lower a woman’s risk of developing heart disease and cancer, you’re your neighborhood may be as important to your diet as food itself. More >

Nutrition and older age

Folate and vitamins B12 and B6 have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and other diseases, and soy products may help to lower the threat of neck and throat cancers? The presence of a fast-food restaurants increase the relative risk of stroke in a neighborhood by one percent. Learn more about these U-M SPH studies of food and health in older age at: More >

Anatomy of a disease: Type 2 Diabetes

Did you know that Type 2 diabetes is directly related to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia? Researchers have identified 18 regions of the human genome linked to Type 2 diabetes, and the average age of onset for Type 2 diabetes has dropped from 62 to 52, and women suffer higher rates of the disease than men. Find out 15 ways that U-M SPH researchers are combating an epidemic that now afflicts an estimated 240 million people worldwide.More >

Safety matters

More >

This section features experts on many food-related health topics, including:

Fish

Should you eat fish or avoid it? Find out what ecological toxicologist Nil Basu has to say about the pros and cons of fish consumption, and how he knows.

Water

How do you know if the water in your home is safe to drink? Chuanwu Xi, an expert in drinking water systems, talks about why consumers should be vigilant.

The food chainDid you know that pollutants in Asia or California can reach you through the food chain? Olivier Jolliet explains how and lists the most persistent and dangerous contaminants.

BPA

Did you know that Bisphenol A, which is found in beverage containers, baby bottles, and tin cans, disrupts endocrine function? John Meeker discusses the potential dangers of BPA and explains what scientists are doing to understand the threat.

Food-borne pathogens

How vulnerable are we to food-borne pathogens like salmonella, and what are public health officials doing to protect us? Former Michigan State Epidemiologist Matthew Boulton describes efforts to prevent and control outbreaks.

The University of Michigan School of Public Health has been working to promote health and prevent disease since 1941, and is consistently ranked among the top five public health schools in the nation.

School of Public Health