Education Law

This article presents a survey of the significant developments in the area of K-12 education law in Virginia from 2012 to the present. After two of the most active legislative and judicial sessions for education policy in recent years, this review can present only a select number of the many education-related statutes and judicial decisions introduced during this time. This survey places a special emphasis on the Virginia General Assembly\u27s recent legislative updates to the Virginia education code. The volume and significance of these updates reflects Governor Robert McDonnell\u27s commitment in 2013 to pursuing a bold education agenda. As Congress begins to seriously consider the reauthorization ofthe Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, however, the education community may need to prepare for additional significant changes to the K-12 school law landscape

The role of sweet taste in satiation and satiety

Increased energy consumption, especially increased consumption of sweet energy-dense food, is thought to be one of the main contributors to the escalating rates in overweight individuals and obesity globally. The individual\u27s ability to detect or sense sweetness in the oral cavity is thought to be one of many factors influencing food acceptance, and therefore, taste may play an essential role in modulating food acceptance and/or energy intake. Emerging evidence now suggests that the sweet taste signaling mechanisms identified in the oral cavity also operate in the gastrointestinal system and may influence the development of satiety. Understanding the individual differences in detecting sweetness in both the oral and gastrointestinal system towards both caloric sugar and high intensity sweetener and the functional role of the sweet taste system may be important in understanding the reasons for excess energy intake. This review will summarize evidence of possible associations between the sweet taste mechanisms within the oral cavity, gastrointestinal tract and the brain systems towards both caloric sugar and high intensity sweetener and sweet taste function, which may influence satiation, satiety and, perhaps, predisposition to being overweight and obesity

Mediating effects of dietary intake on associations of TV viewing, body mass index and metabolic syndrome in adolescents

Objective Evidence suggests that TV viewing is associated with body mass index (BMI) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adolescents. However, it is unclear whether dietary intake mediates these relationships. Methods A cross‐sectional analysis was conducted in adolescents (12–19 years) participating in the 2003–2006 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. BMI z scores (zBMI) (n  = 3,161) and MetS (n  = 1,379) were calculated using age‐ and sex‐specific criteria for adolescents. TV viewing (h/day) was measured via a self‐reported questionnaire, and dietary intake was assessed using two 24‐h recalls. Using the MacKinnon method, a series of mediation analyses were conducted examining five dietary mediators (total energy intake, fruit and vegetable intake, discretionary snacks, sugar‐sweetened beverages and diet quality) of the relationships between TV viewing and zBMI and MetS. Results Small positive relationships were observed between TV viewing and zBMI (β = 0.99, p  < 0.001) and TV viewing and MetS (OR = 1.18, p  = 0.046). No dietary element appeared to mediate the relationship between TV viewing and zBMI. However, sugar‐sweetened beverage consumption and fruit and vegetable intake partially mediated the relationship between TV viewing and MetS, explaining 8.7% and 4.1% of the relationship, respectively. Conclusions These findings highlight the complexity of the relationships between TV viewing, dietary intake and cardiometabolic health outcomes, and that TV viewing should remain a target for interventions

Psychophysical evaluation of sweetness functions across multiple sweeteners

Sweetness is one of the 5 prototypical tastes and is activated by sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS). The aim of this study was to investigate measures of sweet taste function [detection threshold (DT), recognition threshold (RT), and suprathreshold intensity ratings] across multiple sweeteners. Sixty participants, 18-52 years of age (mean age in years = 26, SD = &plusmn;7.8), were recruited to participate in the study. DT and RT were collected for caloric sweeteners (glucose, fructose, sucrose, erythritol) and NNS (sucralose, rebaudioside A). Sweetness intensity for all sweeteners was measured using a general Labeled Magnitude Scale. There were strong correlations between DT and RT of all 4 caloric sweeteners across people (r = 0.62-0.90, P &lt; 0.001), and moderate correlations between DT and RT for both of the NNS (r = 0.39-0.48, P &lt; 0.05); however, weaker correlations were observed between the DT or RT of the caloric sweeteners and NNS (r = 0.26-0.48, P &lt; 0.05). The DT and RT of glucose and fructose were not correlated with DT or RT of sucralose (P &gt; 0.05). In contrast, there were strong correlations between the sweetness intensity ratings of all sweeteners (r = 0.70-0.96, P &lt; 0.001). This suggests those caloric sweeteners and NNS access at least partially independent mechanisms with respect to DT and RT measures. At suprathreshold level, however, the strong correlation between caloric sweeteners and NNS through weak, moderate, and strong intensity indicates a commonality in sweet taste mechanism for the perceived intensity range

Micronutrient supplement use and diet quality in university students

Many national and international public health organisations recommend achieving nutrient adequacy through consumption of a wide variety of nutritious foods. Despite this, dietary supplement sales continue to increase. Understanding the characteristics of micronutrient supplement users and the relationship with diet quality can help develop effective public health interventions to reduce unnecessary consumption of vitamin and mineral supplements. Participants (n = 1306) were a convenience sample of students studying first year food and nutrition. Data was collected via a Food and Diet Questionnaire (FDQ) and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Supplement users were defined as participants who indicated consuming any listed supplement as frequently as once a month or more. Diet quality was assessed using a Dietary Guideline Index (DGI) score. Prevalence of supplement use was high in this study population with 56% of participants reporting supplement use; the most popular supplements consumed were multivitamins (28%) and vitamin C (28%). A higher DGI score was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of supplement use (mean: 105 &plusmn; 18 vs. 109 &plusmn; 17, p = 0.001). Micronutrient supplement use was associated with a higher DGI score, suggesting that supplements are more likely to be used by those who are less likely to require them

Breakfast consumption trends among young Australian children aged up to 5 years: results from InFANT program

Breakfast is considered a healthy dietary habit which can track over time from childhood to adulthood. The breakfast meal has the potential to improve daily dietary quality, particularly if it includes a range of food groups and adequate nutrient intakes. However, research on breakfast consumption trends among young Australian children aged up to 5 years is currently limited. This study assessed children’s usual breakfast food group and nutrient intakes at ages 1.5 (n = 369), 3.5 (n = 242), and 5.0 (n =240) years using three 24-hour dietary recalls from the Melbourne InFANT program. Tracking of food groups at breakfast across the three ages was assessed by Pearson correlation of energy-adjusted food intake residuals. The main food groups consumed at breakfast were grains, milk/alternatives and discretionary items, with vegetables rarely consumed at any age. Our study found that while breakfast contributed about 20% of total daily energy, this provided 20%-29.1% of total daily intake across all ages for carbohydrates, total sugars, calcium and potassium. For the contribution to daily recommendations, breakfast contributed more than about a third of daily recommended intakes for some micronutrients (e.g., iron, calcium and zinc), and a large proportion (over 40%) of sodium intake. Children consumed 11.9% -15.2% of their energy at breakfast from saturated fat, which is higher than the recommended total energy contribution of saturated fat (no more than 10% from saturated fat). For tracking of most food groups and nutrients, tracking was found to be low or moderate over time. Given the contribution that breakfast can make to ensure children achieve their daily dietary intakes, early interventions for young Australian children should focus on practical strategies to increase vegetable intake while reducing sodium and saturated fat intake at breakfast

The association between sweet taste function, anthropometry, and dietary intake in adults

Variation in ability to detect, recognize, and perceive sweetness may influence food consumption, and eventually chronic nutrition-related conditions such as overweight and obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between sweet taste function, anthropometry, and dietary intake in adults. Participants\u27 (n = 60; mean age in years = 26, SD = &plusmn;7.8) sweet taste function for a range of sweeteners (glucose, fructose, sucrose, sucralose, erythritol, and Rebaudioside A) was assessed by measuring detection and recognition thresholds and sweetness intensity. Height, weight, and waist circumference were also measured, and participants also completed a Food Frequency Questionnaire. There was large inter-individual variation in detection, recognition and sweetness intensity measures. Pearson\u27s correlation coefficient revealed no robust correlations between measures of sweet taste function, anthropometry, and dietary intake, with the exception of suprathreshold intensity, which was moderately correlated with total energy intake (r = 0.23-0.40). One-way analysis of variance revealed no significant differences between the most and least sensitive participants in terms of BMI, waist circumference, and dietary intake for all measures of sweet taste function and sweeteners (all p &gt; 0.01). When stratified into BMI categories, there were no significant differences in any measure of sweet taste function between the normal weight and overweight/obese participants (all p &gt; 0.01). Results show that that sweet taste function is not associated with anthropometry and sweetness intensity measures are the most appropriate measure when assessing links between sweet taste and food consumption

Effects of breaking up sitting on adolescents\u27 postprandial glucose after consuming meals varying in energy: a cross-over randomised trial

ObjectivesTo explore the impact of uninterrupted sitting versus sitting with resistance-type activity breaks on adolescents&rsquo; postprandial glucose responses while consuming a diet varying in energy.DesignCross-over randomised trial.MethodsThirteen healthy participants (16.4 &plusmn; 1.3 years) completed a four-treatment cross-over trial: (1) uninterrupted sitting + high-energy diet; (2) sitting with breaks + high-energy diet; (3) uninterrupted sitting + standard-energy diet; and (4) sitting with breaks + standard-energy diet. For all four conditions, two identical meals were consumed; at 0 h and 3 h. A continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) recorded interstitial glucose concentrations every five minutes. Linear mixed models examined differences in glucose positive incremental area under the curve (iAUC) and total AUC between the sitting and diet conditions for the first meal, second meal and entire trial period.ResultsCompared to the uninterrupted sitting conditions, the breaks condition elicited a 36.0 mmol/L/h (95%CI 6.6&ndash;65.5) and 35.9 mmol/L/h (95%CI 6.6&ndash;65.5) lower iAUC response after the first and second meal, respectively, but not for the entire trial period or for total AUC. Compared to the standard-energy diet, the high-energy diet elicited a 55.0 mmol/L/h (95%CI 25.8&ndash;84.2) and 75.7 mmol/L/h (95%CI 8.6&ndash;142.7) higher iAUC response after the first meal and entire trial, respectively. Similar response to the high-energy diet were observed for total AUC.ConclusionsAccording to iAUC, interrupting sitting had a significant effect on lowering postprandial glucose for both dietary conditions, however, it was not significant when examining total AUC. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings