News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms August 18, 2008

News to know:

When I read this headline, I thought: If I have to blog about the chemicals in plastic bottles one more time . . .
But, just in case you're wondering:

FDA: Chemical found in plastic bottles is safe
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined trace amounts of bisphenol A that leach out of food containers are not a threat to infants or adults.
The plastic-hardening chemical, similar to the hormone estrogen, is used to seal canned food and make shatterproof bottles. It is also used in hundreds of household items, ranging from sunglasses to CDs.

Study: Most kids' fast-food meals have too many calories
Nearly every possible combination of the children's meals at Kentucky Fried Chicken, Taco Bell, Sonic, Jack in the Box, and Chick-fil-A are too high in calories, according to a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The report examined the nutritional quality of kids' meals at 13 major restaurant chains.Ninety-three percent of 1,474 possible choices at the 13 chains exceed 430 calories -- an amount that is one-third of what the National Institute of Medicine recommends that children ages 4 through 8 should consume in a day, the report said.
Subway's kids' meals came out the best among the chains examined in the report. Only 6 of 18 "Fresh Fit for Kids" meals -- which include a mini-sub, juice box, and one of several healthful side items such as apple slices, raisins or yogurt -- exceed the 430-calorie threshold. But Subway is the only chain that doesn't offer soft drinks with kids' meals, which helped lower the calorie count.

Study: Kids who eat junk food are slower learners
A British study of 14,000 children found a large number of children who ate snacks like potato chips, lollipops and take-out food at age 3 lagged behind the rest of their class in elementary school.
The researchers also found that if a child had eaten a lot of junk food at an early age, switching to a healthier diet a couple of years later would do little to improve their test scores.