by Bianca Garilli, ND Physical inactivity prevalence among adolescents aged 11-17 years was estimated to be 81% globally in 2010, where insufficient physical activity (PA) was measured as < 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA daily per WHO guidelines.1 As part of the 60 minute/day exercise recommendation, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that aerobic activity should be incorporated at least 3 days/week, muscle-strengthening at least 3 days/week, and bone-strengthening activities at least 3 days/week.2 It is well…

by Christopher Moulton, PhD Depression is one of the most common mood disorders in the US and worldwide. In 2016 an estimated 16.2 million adults, or 6.7% of US adults, suffered at least one major depressive episode,1 while globally more than 300 million are afflicted.2 Further, depression is comorbid with numerous chronic disease states including cardiovascular disease,3 type 2 diabetes,4 inflammatory bowel disease,5 and cognitive decline.6 Current frontline therapies such as psychotherapy and antidepressant medications present challenges related to treatment…

by Whitney Crouch, RDN, CLT The overweight and obesity epidemic in America Worldwide, obesity rates have tripled since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults 18 years and older were overweight. Of these, over 650 million were obese.1 The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a cross-sectional survey that represents the civilian, noninstitutionalized population.2 NHANES studies are crucial for looking at many aspects of community health in the US, like the worsening epidemic of overweight and obesity.…

by Christopher Keroack, MD, IFMCP Excess adiposity remains one of the leading healthcare concerns in America. Two-thirds of our nation is overweight and one-third is obese.1 As a healthcare force, we recognize that lifestyle factors like nutrition and physical activity are major contributors to this epidemic. Because of this, novel approaches to nutrition have come about in the last decade to address this epidemic…some helpful, others not so much. Along with Hippocrates, the father of healthcare who said, “There are…

Host: Deanna Minich, PhD, CNS, FACN, IFMCP Guest: Christopher Keroack, MD, IFMCP You may have heard about the ketogenic diet. This high-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein dietary pattern has experienced a revival of sorts in the mainstream media and dieting world. But, before “keto” was a contemporary fad, how was it used? In fact, there is ~100 years of science supporting the ketogenic diet. To shed light on its history of use and elucidate practical areas of clinical application, Drs. Deanna Minich and Christopher…

by Annalouise O’Connor, PhD, RD Dyslipidemia is defined as an abnormal level of lipids in the blood and is often described most simplistically as greater levels of total or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol or particle number, or lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” cholesterol. Dyslipidemia is linked with cardiovascular risk and is highly prevalent: The minority of adults (46.6%) in the US have on-target total cholesterol levels (<200mg/dL).1 With cardiovascular disease (CVD) responsible for one in every…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Body mass index (BMI) is frequently utilized in clinical practice to assess for risk of cardiometabolic disease (CMD). High BMI measurements are associated with insulin resistance along with other markers of CMD such as elevated blood glucose and triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and elevated blood pressure.1 By way of review, a BMI > 30 indicates obesity, which is linked to increased risk of chronic illness, particularly CMD; a BMI 25-29 is considered overweight, and a BMI…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN There is a paradox occurring in American youth: obesity and dieting. National statistics confirm that pediatric overweight and obesity rates are high, steadily rising over the past few decades.1 In fact, over 20% of the 12-19 age group in the US are obese, with higher prevalence in Hispanics and blacks.1 Actual weight and the teenager’s perception of their weight can be incongruent. Furthermore, weight status misperception drives intent for weight change.3 American youth are…

by Bianca Garilli, ND  History of breast milk: then and now The “breast is best” and “liquid gold” taglines made their return to conventional pediatric conversations in recent years, diverging from a previous school of thought that led Western mothers to believe their naturally produced, free breast milk was inferior to factory made synthetic formulas with a price tag. Interestingly enough, this was not the first time natural breastfeeding had gone out of vogue. A brief history of infant feeding…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP The Global Breastfeeding Collective (GBC), co-led by UNICEF and WHO, has a mission to rally political, legal, financial, and public support for breastfeeding, which will benefit mothers, children, and society. Seven key priorities have been set forth by the GBC to increase the rate of breastfeeding globally; their most recent data from 2017 evaluated 194 nations and found that, “only 40 percent of children younger than six months are breastfed exclusively (given nothing but breastmilk)…