Science-based policy: targeted nutrition for all ages and the role of bioactives.

Globally, there has been a marked increase in longevity, but it is also apparent that significant inequalities remain, especially the inequality related to insufficient 'health' to enjoy or at least survive those later years. The major causes include lack of access to proper nutrition and healthcare services, and often the basic information to make the personal decisions related to diet and healthcare options and opportunities. Proper nutrition can be the best predictor of a long healthy life expectancy and, conversely, when inadequate and/or improper a prognosticator of a sharply curtailed expectancy. There is a dichotomy in both developed and developing countries as their populations are experiencing the phenomenon of being 'over fed and under nourished', i.e., caloric/energy excess and lack of essential nutrients, leading to health deficiencies, skyrocketing global obesity rates, excess chronic diseases, and premature mortality. There is need for new and/or innovative approaches to promoting health as individuals' age, and for public health programs to be a proactive blessing and not an archaic status quo 'eat your vegetables' mandate. A framework for progress has been proposed and published by the World Health Organization in their Global Strategy and Action Plan on Ageing and Health (WHO (2017) Advancing the right to health: the vital role of law. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/252815/9789241511384-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y . Accessed 07 Jun 2021; WHO (2020a) What is Health Promotion. www.who.int/healthpromotion/fact-sheet/en/ . Accessed 07 Jun 2021; WHO (2020b) NCD mortality and morbidity. www.who.int/gho/ncd/mortality_morbidity/en/ . Accessed 07 Jun 2021). Couple this WHO mandate with current academic research into the processes of ageing, and the ingredients or regimens that have shown benefit and/or promise of such benefits. Now is the time for public health policy to 'not let the perfect be the enemy of the good,' but to progressively make health-promoting nutrition recommendations.

Community and Street-Scale Supports for Walking in the US Virgin Islands Before the 2017 Hurricanes.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of community and street-scale design features that promote walking across the US Virgin Islands (USVI). METHODS: In May 2016, the USVI Department of Health, with technical assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted a territory-wide audit with a validated tool. We selected street segments (n = 1114) via a 2-stage sampling method, and estimates were weighted to be representative of publicly accessible street length. RESULTS: Overall, 10.7% of the street length contained a transit stop, 11.3% had sidewalks, 21.7% had at least 1 destination (e.g., stores, restaurants), 27.4% had a traffic calming feature (e.g., speed humps), and 53.2% had at least some street lighting. Several features were less prevalent on residential streets compared with commercial streets, including transit stops, sidewalks, destinations, and street lighting (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Across the USVI, community and street-scale features supportive of walking were uncommon. Improving community and street-scale design in the USVI, particularly in residential areas, could increase physical activity by enhancing walkability and therefore improve public health. These data can be used to inform community planning in the USVI.

Docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acid levels in extremely low birth weight infants with prolonged exposure to intravenous lipids.

OBJECTIVE: To report changes in red blood cell long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids levels in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants relative to duration of intravenous lipid emulsion. STUDY DESIGN: Serial blood samples were collected from 26 ELBW infants during the first 2 months of life in the neonatal intensive care unit using a prospective cohort study design. The primary outcome was the change in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids levels over the study period relative to a duration of intravenous lipid emulsion of either ≤ 28 days or >28 days. Secondary outcomes included parenteral and enteral nutritional exposures as well as prematurity-associated morbidities. Longitudinal regression estimated changes in fatty acid levels between the 2 exposure groups. RESULTS: Infants with >28 days intravenous lipid emulsion had 36 more days of intravenous lipid emulsion than did those with ≤ 28 days (P < .001). Docosahexaenoic acid significantly decreased over time in all infants and decreased significantly more in infants exposed to intravenous lipid emulsion for >28 days (P = .03). Arachidonic acid significantly decreased over the study period but the decrease was not related to intravenous lipid emulsion duration. Linoleic and α-linolenic acids had significantly larger increases over time in those with longer exposure to intravenous lipid emulsion (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Docosahexaenoic acid status of ELBW infants declined significantly in the first 2 months of life and the decline was significantly greater in those exposed to intravenous lipid emulsion >28 days compared with those exposed ≤ 28 days.

Prevalence of self-reported aerobic physical activity among U.S. States and territories--Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2007.

BACKGROUND: Accurate surveillance data on physical activity prevalence is important for U.S. states and territories as they develop programs and interventions to increase physical activity participation. METHODS: Using 2007 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we estimated the percentage of U.S. adults in each U.S. state and territory who met minimum aerobic activity criteria using the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2008 Guidelines) and the Healthy People 2010 criteria for physical activity. SUDAAN was used to calculate prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of recommended aerobic activity in U.S. states and territories ranged from 44.5% to 73.3% according to 2008 Guidelines and from 30.8% to 60.0% according to Healthy People 2010 criteria. Absolute percent differences in prevalence among U.S. states and territories ranged from 11.7% to 19.1%, and relative percent differences ranged from 20.8% to 44.6%. CONCLUSIONS: In all U.S. states and territories, a larger proportion of U.S. adults met minimum aerobic activity criteria in the 2008 Guidelines than met corresponding criteria in Healthy People 2010. This difference, however, does not reflect an actual change in the amount of aerobic activity, but a change to the criteria for meeting 2008 Guidelines.