Food For Thought

Salt, school lunches and the intersection of food, wellness and public policy.

by Martina M. Cartwright, Ph.D., R.D.

Why Is Swimsuit Season so Scary?

Every year around this time, department store dressing rooms echo with the disgruntled sighs of women trying on swimwear. Armed with at least a half dozen spandex garments of various shapes, sizes and colors, nothing can morph a mature woman into an awkward adolescent like a full length, three-sided mirror. Read More

Is Your Workplace Making You Fat?

Every office has them: the colleague who brings in the donuts, the other who brings in homemade banana bread loaded with fat, calories, sugar. How about the office celebrations, birthday parties, retirements, baby showers and an endless list of corporate events that provide a readily available feast of sugary indulgence that can sabotage even the most willful dieter? Read More

Sixty Seconds of Stupidity: The Cinnamon Challenge

"What will my kid think of next?!" cried the caller at the other end of my phone. "My son tried to swallow a gob of cinnamon, is this dangerous?" My first thought was, what the heck (actually I used another word) is going on? Then I recalled the recent resurgence of the "Cinnamon Challenge," the latest YouTube craze where contestants attempt to gulp a teaspoon of cinnamon. Read More

What Makes a Face Beautiful?

The human face is a reflection of internal well-being; beauty may be indeed in the eye of the beholder, but what makes a face attractive, young or beautiful may have more to do with hue rather than symmetry. Read More

Can One Literally Eat "Positive Thoughts?"

Chocolate is America's most craved food. For many, chocolate gives a great mid-afternoon pick-me-up, but can this effect be enhanced by enriching chocolate morsels with positive thought? Read More

The High Incidence of Post Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Anxiety and Depression

Many patients who are discharged from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) frequently suffer health problems long after they've left the hospital. Read More

Putting Paula Deen's Diabetes in Perspective

This week celebrity chef Paula Deen announced that she has had Type II diabetes for the past 3 years. Ms. Deen is noted for her "comfort food" recipes that are rich in butter and sugar and are consequently high in calories. Many have chided the 65-year old cook promoting an unhealthy diet... but is this fair? Read More

Alternative Medicine & The Death of Steve Jobs

Today it was announced that Apple pioneer Steve Jobs chose to pursue alternative therapies to treat his pancreatic cancer, a decision he came to regret. After this announcement people began issuing judgments of how "such a smart man could make such a stupid choice." Harsh. Read More

Child Beauty Pageants: What Are We Teaching Our Girls?

Today, television and magazine covers are splashed with images of little girls coiffed as women, thus driving home the message that "beauty matters." "The Princess Syndrome" spurs young girls to embody physical beauty at a young age, instilling in them the desire to strive for the fairy tale ending of complete physical perfection and beauty. Read More

Food Anxiety in Tough Economic Times: Should Americans Start Stockpiling Food?

Today's second steep stock market crash coupled with wallet-draining food prices have many Americans wondering, "Should I start stockpiling food?" During times of economic uncertainty, people become anxious about the main stays of living: food, shelter and clothing. Read More

When Your Best Friend Passes: Tips for Coping with a Pet's Death

Within the past week, two of my dear friends lost their best friends. Read More

Separating Super Obese Kids from Their Parents: Solution or Problem?

It's no secret that childhood obesity is a problem in the US. Over 2 million American kids are considered "super obese." As a dietitian I have seen and counseled several severely obese children and their parents. Over the past 20 years, I've only had to call child protective services once. The child in question was super obese and showed signs of neglect. Read More

Class Reunions, Mean Girl Flashbacks & Body Image

Summertime is class reunion season with many wanting to drop a few pounds before the big day. Like weddings, class reunions put a spotlight on body size and image. To some still haunted by cruel comments hurled by classmates, the mere thought of attending a reunion in less than perfect shape can turn a seemingly confident adult into a fretful adolescent. So how can anxiety-fil Read More

The Depressing Truth About Unemployment

"What do you do for a living?" To the unemployed or underemployed person those words can trigger a wave of anxiety and embarrassment. Stress levels and emotional distress are sky high in the jobless. A recent Rutgers study of unemployed US workers showed that 77% were stressed, 64% felt anxious, 61% reported feelings of helplessness and 54% were hopeless. Read More

The Dukan Plan: A Diet Fit for a Princess?

Tomorrow millions will watch willowy Kate Middleton walk down the aisle to marry her Prince Charming. The impending nuptials have many obsessed with all things Royal including the bride's pre-wedding diet. Rumor has it Kate's svelte physique is due to the Dukan Diet, the latest miracle weight loss plan that promises rapid weight reduction. Read More

Don't Dis My Peeps!

It's that time of the year again when store aisles are crammed with brightly colored marshmallow chicks, bunnies and other characters. Peeps have long been an Easter season tradition and Americans consume over 700 million Peeps every spring. So what is so magical about the squishy, sugary treat? Read More

Zombies and Other Office Personnel

It is 2 PM and offices everywhere look like the set of the "Night of the Living Dead." Co-workers congregate around the coffee maker or perhaps lumber to the vending machine in search of liquid energy. Mid- afternoon crashes are normal, set to the beat of the circadian rhythm (CR) or inner biological clock. Read More

Zinc and the Common Cold: Just the Facts

Perhaps you are one of millions of cold sufferers who tried a zinc supplement to rid yourself of pesky symptoms like runny nose and cough only to find disappointment. After a week of slamming zinc lozenges every two hours, maybe you are still plagued by a cough that won't quit and nasal congestion that makes your nose run so often that you could compete with Rudolph the Red Nose reindeer. Read More

Does This Economy Make My Butt Look Big?

Recession pounds. Believe it or not, bigger waistlines are not uncommon when the economy goes south. Downturns in personal finances lead to tighter food budgets, with people selecting fewer, higher cost items like fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and low fat meats in favor of less expensive choices rich in refined sugars and fat. Several studies link obesity with low income. Read More

SAD This Valentine's Day? Curb It With a Chocolate Kiss

Widespread frigid temperatures, mounds of snow and days of gray skies have millions spending this February 14th hunkered down at home with the winter blues, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Lack of sunlight and cold temperatures trigger a change in brain chemistry that turn SAD sufferers into drowsy, depressed eating machines. Read More

Freaked About Food: Ultra Health Conscious Kids

The number of children fixated on health foods is on the rise, so is this really a problem? Most experts and families alike want children to adopt healthy eating habits in hopes that such behaviors will stem the tide of obesity and nutrition sensitive diseases like diabetes. But sometimes too much of a good thing can create more harm than good. Read More

Escaping the Exercise Comfort Zone

Exercise, I hate it, especially exercise classes. Never one to keep a rhythm, I'd lose my synch with the cardio kick boxing class and find myself with an increased heart rate due to frustration alone! Then I tried yoga. It was ok for awhile. I liked the concepts of focus, balance, stretching and strength, but yoga class was too slow and I would find thoughts wandering. Pilates. Hmm. Read More

Fighting Fat with Facebook? How Social Media Has Changed Dieting Forever

Temptation is all around, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Before Facebook, Twitter and texting, those trying to shed a few extra pounds relied on old fashioned face to face support networks to help them achieve their weight loss goals. Read More

Martina M. Cartwright, Ph.D., R.D., is an adjunct professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Arizona and an independent biomedical consultant.

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