Sugary drinks need a Surgeon General’s Report

Sugary drinks need a Surgeon General’s Report: consumer groups

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Stone Hearth News

Nearly 100 national and local health, medical, and consumer organizations, several municipal public health departments, and more than 20 prominent individuals are calling on the Surgeon General of the United States to issue a report on the health effects of soda and other sugary drinks. Citing the importance of the 1964 landmark Surgeon General’sreport on tobacco use, the groups and individuals say a report on soda would appraise the health-damaging effects and alert health professionals, government officials, and consumers to the public-health impact of over-consuming sugary drinks.

“Soda and other sugary drinks are the only food or beverage that has been directly linked to obesity, a major contributor to coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, and a cause of psychosocial problems,” the groups wrote in a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. “Yet, each year, the average American drinks about 40 gallons of sugary drinks, all with little, if any, nutritional benefit.”

The groups say that soda and sugary drinks have a devastating effect on the health of young people in particular. Each extra soft drink consumed per day was associated with a 60-percent increased risk of overweight in children, according to one important study. Type 2 diabetes, which used to occur primarily in middle-aged and older adults, is now becoming more common among teens. Though soda consumption has declined somewhat in recent years, consumption is still dangerously high, according to the letter. Even almost half of two- and three-year-olds consume sugary drinks every day, according to the group.

“Previous reports and calls to action from the Surgeon General, on topics as varied as tobacco, underage drinking, and obesity, have helped galvanize policymakers at all levels of government,” said Center for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “Unlike just about any other product in the food supply, sugar-based drinks are directly connected to obesity and diet-related disease. Reducing their consumption should be one of the main pillars of the government’s prevention strategy.”

The call for a Surgeon General’s report on soda and sugary drinks was organized by the CSPI, and included the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, Consumer Federation of America, National Hispanic Medical Association, Prevention Institute, the Trust for America’s Health, and Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Public health departments in Boston, El Paso, New York City, and Philadelphia also signed the letter to Sebelius.

Testosterone-, estrogen-level regulation genetic markers identified

Testosterone-, estrogen-level regulation genetic markers identified by researchers

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Stone Hearth News

A research study led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with a global consortium, has identified genetic markers that influence a protein involved in regulating estrogen and testosterone levels in the bloodstream. The results, published online in PLoS Genetics, also reveal that some of the genetic markers for this protein are near genes related to liver function, metabolism and type 2 diabetes, demonstrating an important genetic connection between the metabolic and reproductive systems in men and women.

Andrea D. Coviello, MD, assistant professor of medicine at BUSM and an endocrinologist at Boston Medical Center, is one of the paper’s lead authors. This study was done in collaboration with the Framingham Heart Study and investigators from 15 international epidemiologic studies participating in the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genetic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium.

Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is the key protein that carries testosterone and estrogen in the bloodstream in both men and women. As the main carrier of these sex hormones, SHBG helps to regulate their effects in different tissues and organs in the body. In addition to effects on reproduction in men and women through regulation of sex hormones, SHBG has been linked to many chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes and hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast and prostate.

Previous family studies have demonstrated that approximately 50 percent of the variation in SHBG concentrations in the bloodstream is inherited from parents, suggesting that SHBG levels are under significant genetic control. However, little has been known about the specific genes that influence SHBG levels.

Investigators examined human genomes from 21,791 men and women to determine which genes influence SHBG levels and validated the results from this genome-wide association study (GWAS) in an additional 7,046 men and women. They identified 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or DNA sequence variations, associated with the concentration of SHBG circulating in the bloodstream. However, these SNPs combined explain only 16 percent of the variation of SHBG in men and eight percent in women, respectively, indicating that SHBG levels are affected by many other factors as well.

The results also showed that the SNPs that influence SHBG levels are near genes related to liver function, fat and carbohydrate metabolism and type 2 diabetes. In addition, there were genes that had stronger effects in one sex compared to the other.

“These findings underscore the connection between the reproductive system and metabolism in both men and women, and may help explain sex differences observed in some metabolic diseases, particularly type 2 diabetes,” said Coviello.

Phil Lo Greco Wins By KO in Vega. Sets Stage for Oct 20 in Brooklyn.

On July 14 , 2012 "Italian Sensation" Phil Lo Greco went for his 24-0 as a welterweight. In only his second fight under the Golden Boy Promotions Banner Phil came out with high energy. Looking to impress the fans Lo Greco took his time and used his power to close the Show in 1:26 of the first round.

Phil has now set the stage to be on Golden Boys inaugural  boxing card at Brooklyn's new prestigious Barlays Center. He is ready and aiming to please not only the Italian / Italian-American community in the wonderful borough of Brooklyn, but all boxing fans as a whole.

Checkout Phil's fight and post fight press conference

ROOTS OF FIGHT™ UFC® LEGENDS SERIES OF SHORT FILMS AND APPAREL IN UFC® MAGAZINE

ROOTS OF FIGHT^™ UFC^® LEGENDS SERIES OF SHORT FILMS AND APPAREL IN UFC^® MAGAZINE

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO AVAILABLE ONLY ON UFC MAGAZINE’S TABLET EDITION JULY 17

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – UFC^® Magazine, the official publication of the Ultimate Fighting Championship^®, will debut Roots Of Fight^™ UFC^® Legends Series, a collaboration between Roots Of Fight^™ and UFC^® in the October/November issue of the magazine’s print and tablet edition.

The Roots Of Fight UFC Legends Series pays tribute to historic battles waged in the Octagon with an exclusive documentary combining new interviews with the combatants and includes archival fight footage. Each documentary provides a new perspective on fights years after they take place and oftentimes long before the participants reached superstar status. The first documentary in the Roots Of Fight UFC Legends Series reaches back to April 2005 when Forrest Griffin andStephan Bonnar made their Octagon debuts to fight for the light heavyweight title on the premiere season The Ultimate Fighter^®.

The full six-minute documentary Roots Of Fight UFC Legends Series: Bonnar vs. Griffin debuts exclusively on the tablet edition of UFC Magazine available here [LINK: www.ufc.com/magazine] on July 17.

For a preview of the documentary go to: http://youtu.be/-F3FYr4lM6o

In addition to producing the exclusive documentary, Roots Of Fight also created a capsule collection of high-end apparel that pays homage to this TUF 1 battle - available for purchase exclusively at rootsoffight.com.

Roots of Fight UFC Legends Series: Bonnar vs. Griffin debuts on the tablet edition of UFC Magazine on July 17. Subscriptions as well as single copies of the tablet edition of UFC Magazine are available on the iTunes Newsstand for iPad devices or through Zinio (www.zinio.com or the Zinio app) for Android devices. For more information go to www.ufc.com/magazine

The August/September “Olympic Issue” of UFC^® Magazine features No. 1 light heavyweight contender and two-time Olympian Dan “Hendo” Henderson on the lifestyle cover. Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion and 2008 Bronze medalist in judo “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey graces the fitness cover of the same issue. Rousey is the first female fighter ever featured on the cover of UFC Magazine.

About UFC Magazine

UFC Magazine, the official publication of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, publishes six issues per year on a bi-monthly basis plus an annual special issue. The magazine is published in partnership with Transworld Media, a division of Bonnier Corporation. To subscribe to the magazine’s print or tablet edition go to ufc.com/magazine. Follow us on Twitter @UFCmag like us on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/UFCMagazine

About Roots of Fight

Roots Of Fight pays tribute to the rich history and tradition of martial arts from regions around the globe and connects the history and images of iconic fighters like Muhammad Ali^® and Bruce Lee^™ with the contemporary global scale of mixed martial arts. Roots Of Fight tells an authentic story that reflects a genuine place and time and weaves the true stories of icons from the past with those of the present - paying homage to the roots, regional influence and diversity of each discipline. The “Sweet Science”, “Jun Fan Gung Fu”, Jeet Kune Do along with Muay Thai, Russian Sambo and Krav Maga – legends about these fighting systems and others are explored by Roots Of Fight.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship^®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can't-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC is the world's premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest Pay-Per-View event provider in the world. In 2011, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter^®, which now airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 149 countries and territories, to nearly one billion homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with over two million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, the best-selling UFC Undisputed® video game franchise distributed by THQ, a new partnership with EA Sports for video game distribution with the first scheduled release in 2014, UFC GYM^®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo^® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards

Robert Guerrero : Camp Notes

ROBERT 'THE GHOST' GUERRERO Press Release For Immediate Release CAMP NOTES ROBERT "THE GHOST" GUERRERO  IS DEEP INTO TRAINING CAMP IN LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. WHILE  SELCUK "MINI TYSON" AYDIN SETTLES INTO LAST MONTH OF TRAINING CAMP IN SAN JOSE, CALIF. FOR THEIR JULY 28 SHOWTIME TELEVISED WORLD TITLE FIGHT AT HP PAVILION IN SAN JOSE, CALIF.     GUERRERO: CALIFORNIA LIVING IN LAKE TAHOE MOUNTAINS A former three-division world champion, the talented Guerrero is ready for the difficult challenge of moving up in weight to face number one rated WBC welterweight contender Aydin in hopes of winning a world championship in a fourth weight class. "It's been a grueling training camp since I arrived four weeks ago," said Guerrero.  "There's no cable TV, no busy streets, nothing, just a whole lot of forest and mountains." Guerrero continued, "I get up at 5:00 a.m. every morning to start my road work.  I follow that by a hard workout in the middle of the day, then end with push-ups and sit-ups at night.  I'm getting the proper sparring and amount of rounds to get me ready for Aydin, who I know is coming to rip my head off.  I'm expecting a rough, rugged fight and the fans will not want to miss it, I can guarantee that!" When asked about Aydin and his come-forward style, Guerrero said, "My team and I have been studying all of Aydin's fights and we know where we can take advantage of his flaws.  Aydin is very strong and puts a tremendous amount of pressure on all of his opponents.  I can see why he's been avoided, but I'm ready to take him on even though nobody else wants to." Guerrero's father, Ruben Guerrero, who also is his trainer, said, "Robert is looking sharp and I'm confident we will win this fight.  We've been studying Aydin and we have the perfect game plans for him.  I know my son is hungry to take care of his family and believe me; he's going to leave it all in the ring on fight night.  This training camp has been very productive." "I can see Robert's body getting stronger and stronger as each day goes by," manager and nutritionist Bob Santos said.  "I think people will be surprised at how Robert's body will look on fight night.  We took this risky fight because we believe Robert is on the level of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.  A win against Aydin puts us in a wonderful position to challenge the best fighters in boxing." Guerrero went on to say, "I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for getting me to this point in my career.  I have tremendous support from my wife Casey, who's been through a lot.  I also want to say that no man in boxing is hungrier than I am.  On July 28, everyone is going to see a man that will be fighting to take care of his family, a wife who has battled cancer and is now healthy, a tremendous team who's stuck by my side through thick and thin and a hometown crowd that will be cheering for me to bring it home.  Aydin is going to give it absolutely everything he has, just like me, so this fight will most likely be a 'Fight Of The Year' type fight, because neither of us is going to back down.  Everyone is in for a treat when we battle at HP Pavilion on SHOWTIME!" AYDIN: FROM GERMANY TO CALIFORNIA The offensive-minded, hard-hitting Aydin, who hails from Trabzon, Turkey, has been the WBC's number one rated welterweight contender and mandatory challenger for the 147-pound title for almost three years and is eager to showcase his skills and ability to fans and experts all over the world. "This is the big chance and the big fight I have been waiting and working for," Aydin said.  "I will not let this opportunity pass.  I give my respect to Robert Guerrero for fighting me when so many other so-called champions have ducked me for years.  Unfortunately, Guerrero will find out the hard way why nobody wants to fight me.  I will walk right through "The Ghost" and take the belt back home to Turkey! " To achieve a lifelong goal, Aydin and his team left nothing to chance.  The former European champion started training on May 1 in Stuttgart, Germany and moved his training camp to San Jose, Calif., on July 1.  He'll spend the last couple weeks winding down his preparation while continuing to acclimate himself. "When we have to go to the lion's den, we go all the way, " Aydin's promoter Ahmet Oner said.  "By coming to San Jose so early, Selcuk wanted to make a statement and show everybody that he is not afraid of Guerrero's hometown advantage.  Of course, we know that it is always tough to win in your opponent's backyard, but Selcuk is a true warrior.  It doesn't matter where he's fighting, he is always ready for war. " "Moving training camp from Germany to the United States had different benefits for us, " Aydin's head coach Conny Mittermeier said.  "Of course, we wanted to get adjusted to the time difference and the weather conditions over here, but it's also easier to find high-quality sparring partners in the United States than it is in Europe.  Especially when you're looking for slick, fast welterweight southpaws." Aydin has already completed more than 50 rounds of sparring and will end up having done about 100 rounds before wrapping up training camp. "I had no problems adjusting to everything here in California," Aydin said.  "I have trained and fought in the United States before and it feels natural to be here.  Boxing is an international sport and the United States is the place to be for big fights and big money.  Of course, Turkey is my home country and Trabzon is my hometown, which I am very proud of, but I am also happy and proud to be here.  Not many fighters get the chance to prove themselves on the big stage and I thank everybody for giving me this opportunity." "Thanks to our wonderful hosts at San Jose Boxing & Fitness," added Mittermeier.  "We've had ideal conditions for our training.  The sparring partners are doing a great job.  We have some guys over here who worked with Miguel Cotto for his fight against Floyd Mayweather and with Timothy Bradley for when he prepared for Manny Pacquiao.  It doesn't get much better than this.  Selcuk is in great shape.  Sometimes I have to stop him a little to make sure that he doesn't tear somebody's head off.  I have never seen him as focused and as fired up for a fight." "The Thunderstorm from the Black Sea" ("Karadeniz Firtinasi"), as Selcuk is called in his hometown of Trabzon, knows that it could be difficult to win a decision. "I am not planning to leave the decision to the judges," Aydin said.  "I didn't come to California to outbox or outscore Guerrero.  I am on a very simple mission...seek and destroy!  Every other day I read somewhere that Guerrero is dreaming of fights against Mayweather and Pacquiao.  He can dream whatever he wants when I put him to sleep.  'The Ghost' has no idea what's coming to him.  He may have been featherweight and junior lightweight champion, but now he's playing with the big boys.  The first time I hit him, he will regret moving up in weight and accepting to fight me." ### Guerrero vs. Aydin, a 12-round fight for the vacant WBC Interim Welterweight World Championship, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arena-Box Promotion and sponsored by Corona, DeWalt Tools and AT&T.  The SHOWTIME Championship Boxing telecast will air live at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) with co-featured events to be announced and preliminary fights to air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT Tickets, priced at $252, $127, $62 and $26, are available for purchase at the HP Pavilion box office, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Grapplers Quest:Stevenson vs. Pellegrino Superfight

Stevenson vs. Pellegrino Superfight Plus $14,250 in Prizes at Grapplers Quest U.S. Nationals July 21-22 in New Jersey MORRISTOWN, NJ (July 16, 2012) - Grapplers Quest® is proud to announce its official Superfight, featuring New Jersey native and veteran of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino versus Ultimate Fighter® Season 2 winner, Joe "Daddy" Stevenson, as well as $14,250 in cash and prizes for the 2012 U.S. National Championships, sponsored by Gaspari Nutrition®, on Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22 at the William G. Mennen Sports Arena (located at 161 E. Hanover Avenue) in Morristown, New Jersey. The July 21-22 event begins each day at 10:00 a.m. / ET. Discounted spectator tickets and Fighter Registration are available online at http://GrapplersQuest.com. All Advanced Division Champions (including Children, Teen, Men, Women, Executive and Masters Advanced Divisions) and All Absolute Divisions will be awarded custom made Championship Belts, in addition to the largest medallions in the sport of grappling, sponsored by Gaspari Nutrition, Zebra Mats and TapouT, plus a full color Champion Certificate. Grapplers Quest's massive event growth, especially in the Youth Grappling, has expanded Children and Teen Divisions to include Beginner (less than 9 months training), Intermediate (9-18 months of training) and Advanced (18 months or more of training) skill levels to allow for fairer matches.  In 2010, Grapplers Quest added age categories for Grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to include Under 6 years, 7-9 years, 10-12 years and Teens separately into two groups, as well 13-15 years and 16-17 years, plus any divisions that have two or more girls will branch out and become a Bonus division to allow female athletes extra matches as well.  The two-day tournament will feature all Adult (18+) No-Gi Submission Grappling and Wrestling divisions on Sat., (July 21), doors open at 8:00 a.m. / ET, followed Sunday (July 22) with the U.S. Nationals for All Children and Teens Divisions, plus All Adult Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo Divisions. The mega-Superfight on Sat., an exciting Submission-Only rematch from UFC® 74 between Pelligrino and Stevenson, starts at 1:00 p/m. / ET. All featured Superfights will now showcase new "Grapplers Quest Professional Rules," which include a 10-minute Submission Only Round, if necessary, followed by a five-minute overtime round using Grapplers Quest rules. "This is the evolution of the sport of grappling and I'm honored to have two UFC veterans take the stage," Grapplers Quest owner Brian Cimins commented. "We just debuted this at UFC Fan Expo ® in Las Vegas and it yielded the most exciting superfights in grappling history.  Grappling is now ready for the highest sports television.     More than 10 million fans on YouTube at LiveGrappling.com want more submissions and this event nearly guarantees that. It's going to be the best Superfight tournament, featuring the highest level of exciting talent to date." $14,250 in Cash and Prizes:    Special Championship Awards for All Advanced & All Absolute divisions:    ● All Men, Women, Teen, Children and Executive and Masters No-Gi Advanced Weight Classes receive these and Custom Medallions for 1st-3rd Place for All other Divisions ● $3,000 Prize Package Value for No-Gi Men's Advanced Absolute: $1,000 cash Absolute plus Compete Free for Life ● $2,750 Prize Package Value for No-Gi Women's No-Gi Advanced Absolute: $250 cash plus plus Compete Free for Life ● $2,750 Prize Package Value for No-Gi Men's Intermediate Absolute: $250 cash plus Compete Free for Life ● $2,650 Prize Package Value for No-Gi Men's Beginner Absolute: $150 cash plus Compete Free for Life ● $2,600 Prize Package Value for No-Gi Men's Novice Absolute: $100 cash plus Compete Free for Life Discount Competitor registration starting at just $99 (ends Wednesday, July 18 includes:    ● Free Seminar with Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (Sunday, July 22 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. / ET - $100.00 value) ● Full Access to U.S. National Championships and Superfight ($15.00 value) ● Free Grapplers Quest at UFC Fan Expo Fighter T-Shirt by TapouT ($35.00) ● $20.00 off at-the-door pricing ● $1.00 donated to http://AutismRadio.org per Pre-Registered Competitor ● Free XBOX Kinect Raffle for ALL Children and Teen Competitors Registration Savings End: Wednesday, July 18 at 11:59 p.m. / PST. Space is limited - register today at http://www.grapplersquest.com/products/fighter-registration-2012-grapplers-quest-us-national-championships-free-tapout-shirt-and-s   - Fighter Registration and tickets will also be available at the door. Two-Day Passes are now available for only $15.00 ($7.50 per day). Spectators may save $25.00 off at-the-door ticket prices ($20.00 per day) for the Grapplers Quest® U.S. National Championships, featuring the Joe Stevenson vs. Kurt Pellegrino Submission Superfight, and are on sale NOW athttp://www.grapplersquest.com/products/2-day-pass-2012-grapplers-quest-usa-grappling-championships-save-5-door-pricing

Rigondeaux calls out Donaire

Rigondeaux labels Donaire 'The Filipino Phony' CORK, Ireland (July 11, 2012) - A frustrated World Boxing Association ("WBA") Super Bantamweight Champion Guillermo "El Chacal" Rigondeaux (10-0, 8 KOs), upon learning that Nonito Donaire plans to move up to the featherweight division after his next fight, has labeled Donaire, "The Filipino Phony." "Donaire is running scared of any super bantamweights with power," Rigondeaux said from his Miami training camp. "He hasn't knocked out anybody at 122 pounds. One thing is for sure, though, he will get knocked out if he has the guts to fight me." Rigondeaux trained at Wild Card Gym with one of his favorite fighters, Manny Pacquiao, who may be wondering at this point exactly why his fellow countryman, Donaire, doesn't fight Rigondeaux to determine the contemporary King of the Super Bantamweights. "Manny fought the best fighters around when he was moving up through weight classes but this phony, Donaire, is disappointing fans all over the world, especially Filipino people, by running scared from the best fighter at 122 pounds," Rigondeaux continued. "I competed against more than 250 amateur boxers from every continent and none of those guys were paid to fight me. 'The Filipino Phony' will be paid a king's ransom to fight me, but he's scared enough to move up to 126 just to avoid fighting me. The problem he faces, though, is I will also move up to featherweight once I've cleaned out the super bantamweight division. What's he going to do then, move up to super featherweight?"   Guillermo "El Chacal" Rigondeaux (Photo by Kevin Finn / Boxing Ireland) Arguably the greatest amateur boxer of all-time, Rigo is a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, as well as a 7-time Cuban national champion who captured a pair of World Championship titles during his incredible amateur career. "It's beyond belief that the so-called No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter in the world is scared to fight Rigo," Rigondeaux's manager Gary Hyde added. "There can be no doubt in anyone's mind that this is what's happening now with Donaire. When a member of our team, Paddy Cronan, approached Donaire at Rigo's June 9th fight to ask him if he would step-up to the plate and fight Rigondeaux, Donaire clearly indicated that he had no intention of fighting Rigo." A lethal puncher, particularly to the body, Rigondeaux looked sensational in his most recent fight last month against Teon Kennedy (17-1-2), who was decked five times before the fight was mercifully stopped in the fifth round. Rigondeaux, a savvy southpaw, is trained by Cuban coach Jorge Rubio and working with conditioning coach DJ Montanocordoba. Rigondeaux's promotional contract with Top Rank expires July 15 and discussions are ongoing with Hyde and Rigondeaux's team to determine what path to take from here on.