Salmonella found in peanut butter
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Health officials have found salmonella in jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter used by some of the 329 people sickened in a salmonella outbreak.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised consumers not to eat any Peter Pan peanut butter bought since May 2006 and not to eat any Great Value peanut butter with a product code beginning with 2111.
Public health officials said 329 cases of salmonella infection in 41 states had been reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No deaths were blamed on the outbreak, but at least 51 people were hospitalized, the CDC said.
Peter Pan peanut butter and some jars of Great Value peanut butter are made at the same plant in Georgia. The FDA and the peanut butter manufacturer were investigating how the peanut butter may have become contaminated, the FDA said.
For most people, a salmonella infection causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, and most people recover without treatment. It is more likely to cause a severe illness for the elderly, infants and those with impaired immune systems, the CDC said.
Green space, markets impact kids' weight
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Researchers in Indianapolis have linked children's weight to the proximity of their homes to green space and grocery stores.
"We seem to be losing the battle to prevent childhood obesity by dealing with diet and exercise in individual children," said Dr. Gilbert Liu, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
"Our study notes the interaction between environment and weight and suggests that environmental approaches to childhood obesity may prove more successful than working individually with the growing number of overweight children."
The study of more than 7,000 children found that for children living in densely populated areas, their risk of being overweight dropped if they lived close to a green space.
In suburban areas, the chances a child would be overweight dropped if a supermarket was nearby.
Liu theorized that the green space and proximity to shopping had a good influence on diet and exercise.
"As a pediatrician, I hope this study will encourage neighborhood organizations, community activists, and others to bring more opportunities for physical activities and healthy food choices to the places where children live," said Liu.
Trans fat obsession not so healthy
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Some nutrition experts say Americans preoccupied with trans fats in their diet are replacing one unhealthy oil with another.
Experts told USA TODAY that the focus on trans fats is taking attention away from other dietary reasons why most Americans are overweight or obese.
"It is important to remind ourselves that changing oils and removing trans fat does not magically turn a deep-fried food into a health food," Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Memorial Wellness Institute in Chicago and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, said.
Artery-clogging trans fats have been banished from restaurants in New York and Philadelphia and cut from popular snack foods, including Oreos.
Robert Eckel, a former president of the American Heart Association, told USA TODAY that "getting rid of trans fats is important," but "the idea that this is the most harmful (type of) fat is a matter of debate."
The newspaper said that some companies have replaced trans fats with oils high in saturated fat, such as palm oil or coconut oil.
"The American Heart Association does not consider it acceptable to substitute saturated fat for trans fats" in food products and restaurant foods, Eckel said.
India, China's AC prompts ozone worries
MUMBAI, India, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- The growing popularity of air conditioning in India and southern China has some scientists worried about the impact on the ozone layer.
The International Herald Tribune reported that the rising standard of living in the world's two most populous countries means air conditioners are within many peoples' means.
The problem for atmospheric scientists is that the refrigerant in the machines -- HCFC- 22 -- is harmful to the ozone layer and has been identified as the fastest-growing ozone-depleting gas that can be controlled, the newspaper reported.
Meanwhile in the hot city of Mumbai, Geeta Vittal told the International Herald Tribune that when her husband suggested eight years ago they get an air conditioner, she objected because it seemed extravagant. He got one, anyway, and now she's hooked on staying cool.
"All my friends have air conditioners now," she told the newspaper. "Ten years ago, no one did."
