Researchers wondered if, by using tempting names, they could get people to eat more vegetables.

Researchers at Stanford University set to out to determine if vegetables could become more appealing if their name, just their title changed. To find out the answer, the scientists staged an experiment in the university’s cafeteria, which revealed that people do, in fact, chose dishes with tempting names more than straightforward titled ones.

The study was conducted over a six weeks period and was staged in a dining hall at the Stanford University. Each day, the hall served up one of their vegetable-based dishes during lunch. Nothing was added or taken from either their preparation method or display. Instead, the labels describing the serving got a mix-up. For each meal, the research team randomly selected one of four descriptions.

The first is the basic presentation, and a second one is the “healthy restrictive” variant. This is alternated with a “healthy positive” description or an indulgent one. For example, for a butternut squash, they would either name it as such or go for “butternut squash with no added sugar” or “antioxidant-rich butternut squash” for the healthy variants. The indulgent title was “twisted garlic-ginger butternut squash wedges.”

Tempting Names Elicit More Attention and A Higher Consumption

During each lunch period, the research team secretly recorded how many people chose which variant of the dish. At the same time, they also weighed how much of it was left after the lunch had ended, as compared to when this began.

Study results showed that the tempting names, ‘reigned supreme’. Out of the almost 28,000 diners, over 8,000 chose a vegetable dish across the experiment’s duration. On average, more people chose a veggie serving when this was given an indulgent title when compared to the other three variants.

In contrast, using the healthy restrictive description generated the least interest among diners from all the variants. At the same time, people that chose dishes with tempting names also ate more vegetables when compared to the other options.

According to results, an enticing name can “significantly increased the number of people choosing vegetables and the total mass of vegetables consumed compared with basic or healthy descriptions, despite no changes in vegetable preparation,” state the researchers.

The researchers noted that they were unable to actually determine how much of the food taken in a serving was actually eaten. Research results are available in a paper in the JAMA Internal Medicine.

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The APP issued a new fruit juice consumption recommendation for kids under the age of 1.

The American Academy of Pediatrics or AAP issued a new recommendation targeting fruit juice consumption. Pediatricians state that children younger than one should drink no such beverages.

Such recommended restrictions already existed but they targeted toddlers six months or less. They also offered limitations in consumption levels for older infants and kids in general.

Now, according to the new release, children under the age of one year old should drink no fruit juice at all. The specialists offer their lack of nutritious gains as the reason behind this guideline change.

Fruit Juice Consumption Brings No Help, But Possible Problems?

The APP released this updated recommendation in a paper in the journal Pediatrics. In it, the specialists claimed that drinking fruit juice brings no nutritional benefits for young kids. They state that small quantities of such beverages are still alright for older aged children.

However, APP offers fresh fruit as the best alternative to juice consumption. They point out the actual fruit’s increased health advantages as this comes with more fiber and less sugar than a glass of juice.

Also, Dr. Steven Abrams stated that drinking too much such juice may actually come with health problems. More precisely, he underlined the possibility of tooth decay or even weight gain.

“Parents may perceive fruit juice as healthy, but it is not a good substitute for fresh fruit and just packs in more sugar and calories,” stated Dr. Melvin B. Heyman.

He is a co-author of the newly released recommendation. Dr. Heyman is also the director of the Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Program carried out at the University of California, San Francisco. He explains that small, moderate amounts of fruit juice are quite alright for older kids. But that they are “absolutely unnecessary” for children younger than 1.

The APP recommends parents to encourage their kids, no matter their ages, to eat fresh fruit. These come with more benefits and can and should be consumed at all ages.

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Researchers compared the mortality rate for white Americans in 1999 with the rate now.

A new study focused on the rising of the mortality rate for white Americans. The rate has increased a lot in the last 20 years. Many of these deaths are named deaths of despair. The researchers that conducted this study mentioned that these are caused by suicide, alcohol, and drugs.

This research started in 2015 and was conducted by Angus Deaton and Anne Case from Princeton University. In order to conduct this study, researchers compared the mortality rate for white American in 1999 to the rate now.

They observed that white men are twice more likely to die from alcohol, suicide, or drugs now than they were in 1999. When it comes to women, the rate is even bigger. Women are four times more likely to die from “despair” now than they were 18 years ago.

The mortality rates of Hispanics, Europeans, and black people are smaller when compared to white Americans. The mortality rates are even bigger for people that live in rural areas and have only high school education. These people are the most affected by deaths of despair.

Middle-aged, working-class people with high school education are the ones that suffer from deaths of despair. The researchers mentioned that their research shows the current decline of the working class people that thrived in the 70s.

Scientists mentioned that showing numbers and demonstrated the increase in the mortality rate is simple. The problem came when they looked for remedies. They mentioned that many people need to take action in order to save people from deaths of despair. The government, civic organizations, and businesses should all look for remedies.

The people that are affected by deaths of despair were also the ones that voted for President Donald Trump. This is because he promised to bring back jobs that can be done by people who only have a high school diploma. Manufacturing and coal mine jobs are desired by the middle age working class white American. The researchers mentioned that something should be done for these people before more of them die from alcohol, drug abuse or suicide. They need more than promises.

What is your opinion about this report? Did you know about these “deaths of despair”?

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