Diet & weight control

Breakfast provides the energy and nutrients for a proper start to the day. Eating breakfast regularly is linked to improved nutrient intakes and may help maintain a healthy body weight. It is particularly important for children and adolescents, as breakfast appears to support learning and school performance, especially among children with poor nutritional status. As this is the meal most likely to be skipped, Europeans need to wake up to the benefits of breakfast.

Used by the indigenous peoples of South America for centuries, the plant Stevia has recently hit the headlines. Stevia contains natural sweeteners, called steviol glycosides, which taste up to 300 times sweeter than sugar without providing calories. A new addition to the sweetness portfolio that could help with weight management? European consumers will need to wait.

Will caffeinated drinks make you dehydrated? Should you limit egg consumption or avoid cooking vegetables? Can eating certain nutrients at certain times of the day help you lose weight? Fact is not always easy to distinguish from fiction.

Physical activity is related to health and lifestyle status and should be part of everyone’s daily routine. With growing rates of obesity and its associated health problems, physical activity is now more important than ever.

At the recent Food in Action conference organised in conjunction with EUFIC, psychologist Dr Andrew Hill revealed a number of counter-intuitive findings about what makes adolescents obese. His findings shine an alternative light on the issue and offer insight into new approaches to tackle this problem.

In view of the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in Europe, the role of certain carbohydrates, like sugar, is often controversially discussed. Here are some facts about the role of carbohydrates, sugars and sugar in our diet.