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In This Issue
Introducing Live Positively: Letter from Coca-ColaCoca-Cola is committed to providing you with useful information and resources as they develop and emerge. In this quarterly e-newsletter, you'll get:
In this first issue, we look at whether beverages and foods sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners help or hurt healthy eating regimens. We also include an excerpt from an interview with cardiologist Dr. Peter Jones that examines some of the latest thinking on metabolic syndrome and glycemic load. Through this communication, we want to ensure we are providing you with information you find useful. We welcome your feedback, questions, or suggestions for future topics and issues; please let us know!
Amy Laski Resource: Webinar — Move It! Strategies for motivating bodies at rest
This webinar featured Timothy Church, MD, MPH, Ph.D., along with Steven Blair, PED, and Barbara Fletcher, RN, MSN, FAAN. Coming soon an archived version of the webinar will be available at http://www.beverageinstitute.org/CPE/index.shtml Other upcoming events: McGill Health Challenge Think Tank: Active Living and Energy Balance Trends & Development: Nutrition Labelling
Tools include an interactive nutrition label tool, and a quiz to help assess comprehension of the tools. View and use the tools here. In related news, Coca-Cola recently undertook some original research to understand Canadian perceptions of nutrition. Among our findings:
Click here to see more of the results of our survey. (Research source: Leger Marketing national survey of 1,509 adult Canadians completed between May 28-June 3, 2008. Results are considered accurate to within +/- 2.5 %, 19 times out of 20.) Profile: Nutrition Expert Susan Roberts, Ph.D., from The Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness
Born and educated in Canada, Dr. Roberts is Director of Health and Nutrition at The Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness. LP: Thanks for taking the time today, Dr. Roberts. Can you tell us how you became interested in nutrition? Roberts: It started early on, in grade four or five, when my father was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I was old enough to understand the role diet had in controlling blood glucose and its importance in maintaining my father's health and minimizing progression of the disease. It had a big impact on me. LP: So how did you end up working at The Beverage Institute? Roberts: After completing my Ph.D. at the University of Toronto, I had the opportunity to work with Mead Johnson Nutritionals on infant formula and toddler products and then to join Minute Maid, which is part of the Coca-Cola family. In recent years, Coca-Cola brought together its health and nutrition research staff in one place as The Beverage Institute for Health and Wellness. Now I work side-by-side with a team of professionals and scientists working on a wide range of research topics and products. LP: Can you tell us about some of the recent work you have been involved with? Roberts: Sure. I have worked on a variety of products that have been developed based on our clinical findings or on current information available in the scientific literature. For example, I've been involved in studying the cholesterol-lowering effects of plant sterol-fortified juices, studying the bioavailability of omega-3 fats from orange juice, and evaluating the impact of a multi-nutrient fortified juice on nutrient absorption and nutritional status of children in Peru and Botswana. Some of this work has influenced the development of products around the world. LP: What is the appeal of working in the corporate sector? Roberts: When you work on commercial food and beverage products you have the opportunity to impact the health of a large number of people. My job is to bring forward the latest scientific findings, to perform studies that evaluate the health impact of potential new products, and to connect with external experts - like nutrition professionals and physicians, and our scientific advisory board - to shape our product development. It's very engaging and meaningful work. LP: What is your favourite thing about working at The Beverage Institute? Roberts: What I enjoy most is the opportunity to work with a cross-functional team of experts to develop products that have the potential to impact so many people. The Coca-Cola Company's reach is such that new products have a real chance to significantly impact public health - our work on sterol-fortified juices reducing cholesterol is just one example. To me that's exciting and it motivates me to give my best every day. LP: As a nutritionist, what do you think is the biggest challenge facing your profession today? Roberts: Nutrition professionals are at the heart of so many of the most important issues of the day - advising on good nutrition, preventing and managing conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Because of that we need to work closely with other medical professionals, school boards, government, and industry to develop effective programs. Clearly, nutrition is an important element, but it's not the only one, that's why we need to work together. LP: How do you stay up to date on the latest research? Roberts: The key to staying up to date is knowing what to read within your time constraints. It's critical to read nutrition and medical journals, but I also get updates internally and externally, through RSS feeds and other means. LP: Finally, how would you describe your philosophy on nutrition? Roberts: It's based on the principle of moderation. It's extremely important not only to ensure a balanced and varied diet, but also to enjoy your food and not deprive yourself. Allowing the occasional portion-controlled treat may be extremely satisfying, and reduce the inclination to overeat at a later time. Online resources recommended by Dr. Roberts:
Susan Roberts, Ph.D., is Director, Health and Nutrition, at The Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness where for more than 8 years she has contributed to global research and product innovation. Dr. Roberts holds professional memberships in The American Society for Nutritional Sciences, The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, The American College of Nutrition, Dietitians of Canada and The Institute of Food Technologists. She received a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, and Dietetics and Master's degrees from McGill University in Montreal. Findings: Results from the Active Healthy Kids Canada 2008 Report Card
Highlights from the report:
What Coca-Cola is doing: To make a change we need to find solutions that are powerful, motivating and relevant to today's teens. In line with the Report Card's recommendations, Coca-Cola, in collaboration with ParticipACTION, has launched a unique youth active living program called SOGO Active. Coca-Cola is proud to offer young Canadians that participate in the program* the chance to win the opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. *Purchasing or drinking Coca-Cola products is not required to qualify. Download and read the full report. Visit the Active Healthy Kids website. Ask Coca-Cola: Do foods and beverages sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners help or hurt in healthy eating regimes?by Joan Koelemay RD Whether or not low calorie sweeteners — be they in beverages or foods — are beneficial in healthy eating regimes really depends on how Canadians choose to incorporate them into their overall diets. How they can help According to a recent evidence-based review of existing research by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), foods and beverages with low-calorie sweeteners can help consumers meet dietary goals by offering choice in beverages and savings in energy that they could use on nutrient-dense foods. However, they will affect overall energy balance (body weight) only if substituted for higher calorie food or beverages. The point is illustrated by a 2005 study included in the review that assessed the relationship between diet quality and use of reduced-calorie foods and beverages. It found that users of reduced-calorie foods and beverages ate more vegetables and fruit, had higher intakes of several micronutrients including fiber and calcium, and tended to consume fewer calories and have healthier diets overall. The ADA review also concluded that low calorie sweeteners do not increase appetite or food intake in adults, although their benefit ultimately depends on their integration within a reduced-calorie diet. This position was also supported by two recent meta-analyses of low-calorie or no-calorie sweeteners and body weight published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition and the Nutrition Bulletin, in which the authors conclude that reduced- and no-calorie foods and beverages can be beneficial in controlling weight gain. In addition, a long-term clinical weight-loss study at Harvard University found that people who used low-calorie sweeteners were more successful than non-users at limiting regain after dieting. The challenge Ever since low-calorie sweeteners first became popular in the 1980s, there has been interest in, and studies on, their impact on hunger and body weight. And while most research on humans concludes that low-calorie sweeteners do not increase food intake and do not affect appetite, a handful of recent animal and epidemiological studies suggesting the opposite have spurred heightened media and consumer interest in the topic. For example, a study published earlier this year in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience found that rats fed plain, low-fat yogurt flavoured with saccharin subsequently ate more rat chow and gained more weight than those fed low-fat yogurt flavoured with glucose. This was interpreted by some as a warning that low-calorie sweeteners could also trigger overeating in humans. Although this study raises interesting questions, other studies have found key differences between rat and human responses to sweeteners. For example, although rats clearly have a strong response to saccharin (a sweetener that is not very popular among most humans) research also shows that rats are nearly indifferent to the taste of aspartame and sucralose — the sweeteners that most humans seem to prefer. Since the research involving humans, taken as a whole, indicates low-calorie sweeteners don't increase hunger or food intake in humans, the applicability of this and similar rat studies is, at this time, far from clear. It's also important for Canadians with weight concerns to remember that the benefit of no- and low-calorie sweeteners lies in their ability to provide taste without adding calories. They are not silver bullets that magically limit weight gain nor are they a license to overeat at meals, load up on high-calorie snacks or avoid exercise. In conclusion When counselling clients on their use of foods and beverages with low-calorie sweeteners, health professionals are encouraged to refer to the body of clinical and other research on this topic, the majority of which supports the safety and usefulness of low-calorie sweeteners, and to assess the strengths and weaknesses of emerging research before deciding if there is cause for concern. Sweeteners continue to be extensively studied and the scientific community's understanding of their impact and benefits further refined. New studies are quick to grab headlines but the varying perspectives should be examined closely in order to present a fair and balanced assessment of the issue. Your Perspective: Do you have an opinion on the role of sweeteners? Got a question for our dietitians or nutrition and food scientists? Share your thoughts! Recommended Reading
From The Beverage Institute: Glycemic Load and Metabolic Disorder
Excerpt: "What is metabolic syndrome?" Jones: Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of several factors that puts an individual at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and, possibly, premature death. These factors are: high body mass index (BMI) coupled with a large waist circumference; elevated blood pressure; dyslipidemia, including elevated triglycerides and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or HDL; and elevated fasting glucose, usually indicating underlying insulin resistance.1 When at least three of these five risk factors are present, a person is said to have metabolic syndrome." Read the complete interview. Submit a question to Dr. Jones and The Beverage Institute. Learn more about The Beverage Institute. News
The Coca-Cola Commitment
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Regards,
Recently, The Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness hosted an energizing and enlightening webinar for health professionals on how to motivate yourself and others to go from being a body at rest to a body in motion.
Nutrition labelling became mandatory in Canada in 2007. Since some of the information contained in labels can be challenging to read, the Canadian government recently introduced a set of online tools to help navigate the new world of labelling, including what to look for, how to read the labels, and more.
According to the Active Healthy Kids Canada 2008 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, the average Canadian child 10 to 16 years of age spends six hours a day in front of some type of screen — the equivalent of 42 hours a week.
Metabolic Syndrome. You've seen the research. But how can the glycemic load affect metabolic syndrome? This interview with cardiologist 
Introducing some of Coca-Cola's latest nutrition and wellness initiatives:
Coca-Cola is taking steps to provide useful information to the people who enjoy our products and to work with health and nutrition professionals to encourage a balanced approach to well-being. We promote a philosophy of enjoyment and informed choice when it comes to making food and beverage choices.
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