By Peggy O'Farrell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Research

Smart mix: A combination of losing weight, exercising, cutting salt and eating healthy can dramatically lower blood pressure, a new nationwide study shows.

The PREMIER study, which followed more than 800 adults, showed that participants who were counseled on weight loss, better exercise and a low-sodium diet and given specific dietary instructions lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure over six months.

On average, participants lost 13 pounds, exercised more, cut salt, and ate more fruits, vegetables and calcium while cutting fat.

The number of people with uncontrolled high blood pressure from 37 percent to 12 percent, and the number of people with optimal blood pressure, defined as 120/80 or lower, increased from 0 to 35.

The study, published in the April 23 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, was conducted at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institution in Baltimore, Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., and Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore.

Hot news

Eat smart: Even though there's plenty of evidence to suggest that oversized portions are to blame for Americans' growing girth, just telling consumers to eat less won't make us thinner, says a researcher at Penn State.

Dr. Barbara Rolls, an expert in satiety and hunger, says innovative strategies are needed to keep portions under control:

• Policy makers should use sophisticated marketing strategies to warn consumers of the dangers of overeating.

• Nutrition facts on food labels should be more prominently displayed to help consumers make smarter choices.

• More information on fat, calories and portion size should be made available to consumers at restaurants and other vendors.

• Companies that sell and serve food in reasonable portions should be rewarded to make a greater range of portion sizes available.

• Children - and their parents - need clear guidelines on what constitutes a "normal" portion of food.

• Modifying food to reduce fat and add water-rich vegetables would significantly cut fat and calorie content.

Tips

Safer: These tips from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons can cut scooter-related injuries:

• Wear protective gear, including helmet, knee and elbow pads and wrist protectors.

• Wear sturdy shoes.

• Children under 8 should not use a scooter.

• Learn how to steer, handle and stop.

• Obey traffic signs.

• Avoid steep hills, slippery or uneven surfaces and crowded areas.

• Never use a scooter at night.

Siting

Click: Check out www.talkingweightloss.com for tips on talking to your doctor about safe ways to lose weight.

Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone, 768-8510; fax, 768-8330, or e-mail, pofarrell@enquirer.com