Sheah Rarback, a registered dietitian, is on the faculty of the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. She answers your questions about nutrition.

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This study, published online in the journal Environmental Research, measured the urinary excretion of phthalate byproducts.

MARSHA HALPER/Miami Herald Staff

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Is perfume making us fat?

The causes of obesity are many. The most significant are overeating, genetics and inactivity, heightened by an abundance of sedentary activities such as television viewing, video gaming and computer use. Some researchers are delving into environmental factors that could be minor but controllable contributors to this growing public health issue.

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Teasing adds to burden of childhood obesity

A recent news item described how a 200-pound 8-year-old was placed in foster care because the state of Ohio did not believe his parents were taking appropriate measures to reduce his weight.
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Study shows small changes add up to big improvement in health

It’s a familiar message from nutrition professionals: The road to a healthier lifestyle is paved with a series of small changes. It seems a no-brainer that this would be a good strategy, but until a recent article in the British Journal of Nutrition, it wasn’t clear how beneficial each change is when added to previous modifications.
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Time for a new strategy in the battle of the bulge?

What is the best tactic in a losing war? Retreat and regroup or continue marching forward with slight modifications to the battle plan? That was the question at the “War on Obesity” debate at the recent American Dietetic Association meeting.
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A new name and a running argument

Last month was the final annual meeting of the American Dietetic Association. We will still be gathering once a year, but a new banner will be flying: As of January, the largest association of food and nutrition professionals will be known as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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Don’t rely on pills to address stomach-acid issues

There’s a television commercial in which a sparerib hits a man across the face and an announcer advises: “If your food is fighting you, it might be time to fight back.”
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Mushrooms a boon for your taste buds and immune system

Producers of myriad foods designate specific months to promote and celebrate their wares, and September belongs to mushrooms. Our favorite fungi have more going on in the nutrition department than you may realize.
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Prunes can be a plum good idea

There is a new wrinkle in the prune story. Long acknowledged for their laxative effect, and now known by the more descriptive name dried plums, another important benefit is emerging. Dried plums appear to be an important food in the quest for strong bones.
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Blood pressure: Balancing sodium and potassium is key

Aren’t we all looking for balance? Work-life, income-expenses and food intake-energy output are a few equations that come immediately to mind.

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