Daily HealthBeat Tip

Junk forever?

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Bad eating habits can start young. Junk food now often means junk food later, and the weight problems that go with it. And America already has about nine million kids with weight problems.

But a study in the journal Pediatrics says the eating habits can be changed for the better. Experts supported by the National Institutes of Health taught eight- to 10-year olds to choose "Go" foods � low in saturated fats and cholesterol � rather than "Whoa" foods that were high in those bad things.

Dr. Elizabeth Nabel is director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute:

"The children learned to make healthy selections, and the research showed that the children actually could continue to make those healthy selections for several years." (five seconds)

A new NIH program called We Can! has tips on eating and being active.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: August 5, 2005

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