Ten counties getting $5,400 each for farm-to-school programs

More than $50,000 in grants were awarded to Kentucky school districts this week to start or expand farm-to-school programs, an effort meant to support local farmers and get healthier meals in school cafeterias. Funding was given to Calloway, Carlisle, Daviess, Fayette, Madison, Marshall, Mercer, Owsley, Perry and Woodford counties. Each county got $5,400.

County health departments will form teams of school food-service directors, teachers, farmers and community advocates. "These teams will implement activities in local schools that include three program areas — cafeteria, classroom and community — as a way of educating children about what they eat; what they learn about food; and what they observe in their communities," said a press release from the Kentucky Department for Public Health.

Funding was awarded by the department's Obesity Prevention Program. For more information about farm-to-school programs in Kentucky, click here.

Teens don't need sports drinks unless they are playing sports, and shouldn't consume energy drinks, experts say

Though teens are increasingly consuming sports and energy drinks, the beverages don't offer them any benefits, a report contends. In fact, teens should only consume sports drinks like Gatorade if they're actually playing sports and avoid caffeinated energy drinks like Red Bull entirely, reports Alice Park of Time magazine's Healthland. "Water, not sports drinks, should be the major source of hydration for adolescents," said Dr. Marcie Schneider said.

The report was compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Nutrition and its Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. It found many teens consume sports drinks (Getty Images photo) in the school cafeteria, in part because sodas are increasingly being taken out of school vending machines. Sports drinks have extra carbohydrates and electrolytes, which can be beneficial after intense workout sessions. "But outside that setting — and honestly most of our teens and children are way outside that setting — they don't need sports drinks," Schneider said. The extra carbs are just extra calories. They also can erode enamel from teeth and cause dental problems.

Energy drinks are similar to sports drinks, but have the added ingredient of caffeine, which kids also don't need. "We know that caffeine raises heart rate, blood pressure, speech rates and motor activity, and affects how much acid your stomach secretes, your body temperature and how much you sleep or don't sleep" Schneider said. These drinks can make children who are already anxious have more anxiety and rev up kids with attention deficity hyperactivity disorder even more. "Do these kids really need caffeine as part of their lives? The answer is no." (Read more)

Plate is replacing food pyramid as guide to a balanced diet

A segmented plate is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's new icon for what to eat. It will replace the long-used food pyramid, which critics say is confusing. It makes clear a general consensus of nutrition experts about what amounts of what types of foods should make up a balanced diet.

MyPlate dedicates the most space to vegetables and grains, with fruits and protein each getting less than a fourth of the plate. Looking like a glass or cup on the side of the plate, a circle for dairy products gets a bit less. The graphic makes a clear point: "Make half your plate fruits and vegetables," Robert Post, an official at USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, told told Brian Vastag of The Washington Post.

The new graphic was unveiled Thursday at USDA headquarters. First Lady Michelle Obama, who is a strong advocate for improving child nutrition, attended and said, "Kids can learn to use this tool now and use it for the rest of their lives. It's an image that can be reinforced at breakfast, lunch and dinner." Indeed, children will be exposed to the image, as they were the food pyramid, through USDA's school-food programs. The new graphic was designed to combat obesity, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. (Read more)

Retiring Boyle County health director has played important roles in the community; many of his counterparts do likewise

The man behind Danville's smoke-free ordinance is stepping down from his position as Boyle County's public health director. "I've got a 100-acre farm and I plan to pursue those interests and do some extensive traveling," Roger Trent told The Advocate-Messenger's Mandy Simpson. (Advocate-Messenger photo)

Trent has been at the helm of the health department for 12 years. During his tenure, he "successfully lobbied the Danville City Commission to pass an ordinance banning smoking in all enclosed public places of employment," Simpson reports. He also started smoking cessation classes at the health department, collected food for families in need, and headed efforts during the 2009 ice storm. "He will certainly be missed, and I hope we can find somebody equivalent," said David C. Liebschutz, chairman of the Boyle County Board of Health.

Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues and publisher of Kentucky Health News, commented on Trent's impact on his community: "County health directors rarely get noticed except when they create controversy or retire," he said. "They play, or should play, a more important role in the community than local news media might suggest." (Read more)

Pediatrics academy tells parents to monitor kids' online activities

A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses children's physicians can play a vital role in educating parents about setting limits for kids when it comes to technology like texting and Facebook.

"Pediatricians are in a unique position to help families understand these sites and to encourage healthy use," the report says. The academy recommends that parents communicate often with their kids about time spent on computers, both to make sure it is not harmful to them and it doesn't conflict with family time. "I think even in the tween years, this has to be happening because ... more and more, pop culture is percolating down to tweens," Dr. Kathleen Clarke-Pearson, a North Carolina pediatrician and co-author of the report, told The Courier-Journal's Darla Carter.

Parents should look for signs of sleep deprivation and "Facebook depression," which can happen when children spend a lot of time on social media sites. Parents should also have a plan regarding when electronics should be allowed to be used at home, during dinner or at bedtime, for example. Parents should also talk to their children about how to be a "responsible digital citizen," Clarke-Pearson said, which involves talking about subjects like sexting, cyberbullying or posting inappropriate matter or comments.

Kids and teens can be influenced by social media and other websites to try risky behavior, such inhaling chemicals or trying the choking game, experts say. "The mantra basically is it's not going to happen to me, so they will do these things because everybody else is," Dr. Hatim Omar, a pediatrics professor at the University of Kentucky, told Carter.

Earlier this year, the academy reported about one in five teens log onto their favorite social media site more than 10 times a day, and more than half log on more than once a day. "It also notes that 75 percent of teens own cell phones and 25 percent use them for social media while 54 percent use them for texting and 24 perfect use them for instant messaging," Carter notes. (Read more)

Louisville doctors help woman with extremely rare condition

Louisville doctors have helped a woman with an extremely rare type of dwarfism deal with the deterioration caused by her disorder. Monica Zaring, who is one of just two women in the world who has osteodysplastic microcephalic dysplasia, has had her shoulder joint replaced using custom-made implants and instruments, The Courier-Journal's Laura Ungar reports.

The 3-foot-6 Bellarmine University student (C-J photo by Matt Stone) started having problems when she woke up one morning last year and couldn't move her right arm. Over time, she was able to move it again, but not without severe pain. Doctors found arthritis had caused the cartilage to deteriorate, causing the joint's bony surfaces to rub on each other. "We needed to do something," said Dr. Ryan Krupp of Norton Orthpaedic Specialists, who was the lead surgeon.

So began months of preparation, part of which involved designing a custom-made shoulder stem, head and socket. Custom instruments were also needed to install the implants. "Krupp even flew to a company lab in New Jersey to try the instruments on a cadaver to make sure they would work," Ungar reports.

The Dec. 7 operation took 90 minutes and Zaring spent four days in the hospital, resulting in a $85,000 hospital bill; she is covered through her mother's insurance. Norton Healthcare officials would not say how much the procedure cost, but the custom implant was 47 percent more expensive than a standard one. However, the operation was considered necessary. Zaring, who plans to graduate in December with a degree in communications, does not dwell on future health problems that will likely be caused by her condition. "I have challenges," she said. "But if if I let them get me down, I'd always be sad." (Read more)

E-cig, hookah ban takes effect Monday in Madison County

Electronic cigarettes and water pipes known as hookahs will be banned in enclosed public places in Madison County beginning Monday under an amendment to the county's existing smoking ban.

The ban, which has been in effect since 2007, was amended in April by the Madison County Board of Health. In addition to adding the e-cig and hookah regulations, the amendment also prohibits smoking in retail tobacco stores, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader's Greg Kocher.

Madison County is not the first jurisdiction to ban e-cigs and hookahs. Bardstown and Glasgow prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in their smoking bans. The Bullitt County Board of Health also approved a ban, which takes effects in September, that prohibits them. Effective July 1, a campus-wide tobacco-free policy that includes e-cigarettes and hookahs takes effect at St. Catharine College in Washington County. Lexington's smoking ban does not include e-cigarettes. (Read more)