Fast-Food Outlets Nearby Might Not Cause Weight Gain

FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Most people who live near fast-food restaurants aren't at increased risk for weight gain, but women may put on a few extra pounds, according to a new study.

The findings challenge the widely held belief that living near fast-food restaurants and other unhealthy food outlets has contributed to the rapid rise in Americans' weight over the past few decades.

Researchers analyzed 30 years of data collected from participants in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort, which followed heart health and weight among people in and around Framingham, Mass., from 1971 to 2001.  More....Yahoo News

Women Taking Diet Supplements Should Think Twice, Study Says

For the nutrient conscious, a daily caplet of vitamins and minerals might seem like a sure way to get all the necessary nutrients you could miss in your diet. But a new study reports that those supplements may not be helpful, and in some cases, could even be harmful for older women.
The study looked at more than 38,000 women age 55 and older who participated in the Iowa Women's Health Study since the mid-1980s. The researchers found that when it came to reducing the risk of death, most supplements had no effect on women's health.
In fact, women who took certain kinds of dietary supplements -- vitamin B6, folic acid, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron and multivitamins -- faced a slightly higher risk of death than women who did not. Only women who took supplemental calcium showed any reduction in their risk of death.
The study was published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine. More...abc news