June 8, 2005
A quick trip through the health-food section of any grocery will reveal several labels touting soy content, but does soy deliver on its promise as a low-fat, low-calorie food? A University of Kentucky physician and researcher says it just might.
Writing in the June issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (JACN), physician and researcher Dr. James Anderson describes a study in which he tested two types of meal replacement bars, powders and drinks commonly used as weight loss tools.
One group of research sbujects ate milk-based meal replacements for 12 weeks while another ate soy-based products.
Both groups lost weight. The soy-based group lost slightly more weight in any given week, and displayed lower serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. Soy intake also produced small but significant reductions in serum glucose values.
This evidence suggests that soy may be a valuable tool in maintaining overall health, lowering cholesterol, and even slowing the development of diabetes.
"The bottom line is soy is healthy, and while incorporating it into weight loss may not have a more dramatic effect on your waistline than other nutrition plans, its benefits go beyond weight loss toward increasing overall health," Anderson said.
In another JACN article, Anderson raises the possibility that poor snack choices may play an active role in increasing rates of childhood obesity.
Noting that snacking can be healthful when snack foods are high in nutritional value and low in calories, Anderson provides a quantitative analysis of what makes a snack either a healthy choice, or a "junk food."
While parents may not enter the grocery store with calculator in hand to crunch the numbers before their children bite into some crunchy snacks, Anderson's research reveals that there is a reliable method for calculating the health value of snack foods. He calls upon manufacturers and government to make this information more readily available to consumers.
"Labels should clearly identify excellent food choices and junk foods," said Anderson. "The government should also consider options such as taxing junk foods, subsidizing healthy foods, and prohibiting junk food advertisements in media targeted to children, especially advertising in schools."
As a physician, Anderson regularly treats young people trying to control their weight. He believes stemming the American obesity epidemic is a task shared by all.
"Communities, schools, legislative bodies, movies, television and food companies should partner in promoting healthful food choices. Where childhood obesity is concerned, we are all responsible," Anderson said.
