15% of U.S. Households Faced Food Shortages in 2009

More than 17.4 million U.S. households—about 15 percent of all households—struggled to put enough food on their tables in 2009 because they lacked money or other resources for food, according to the USDA’s recently released “Food Security in the United States 2009" report. The report also noted that one in eight U.S. households at least one person did not get enough to eat at some time during the year and normal eating patterns were disrupted.

Prevalence rates of food insecurity and very low food security were essentially unchanged from 14.6 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively, in 2008, and remained at the highest recorded levels since 1995, when the first national food security survey was conducted.

According to the report, federal nutrition assistance programs have seen dramatic participation growth, with major programs at or near record levels. In fact, 57 percent of food-insecure households in the survey reported that they had participated in one or more of the three largest federal nutrition assistance programs within the past month.

Rates of food insecurity were substantially higher than the national average among households with incomes near or below the federal poverty line, among households with children headed by single parents, and among black and Hispanic households.

The typical food-secure household spent 33 percent more on food than the typical food-insecure household of the same size and household composition.

Sources:

* USDA: Household Food Security in the United States, 2009

Coffee, Tea Reduce Brain Cancer Risk

Individuals who drink half a cup of drink coffee and tea daily may reduce their risk of glioma by 34 percent, according to a new study published in the November issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Researchers at Brown University analyzed data from 410,309 men and women in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, who reported coffee and tea consumption in food-frequency questionnaires and were followed over 8.5 years. The researchers used Cox proportional hazards models to examine the relation between coffee and tea and brain tumors.

During the study 343 cases of glioma and 245 cases of meningioma were newly diagnosed in nine countries. The researchers observed no associations between coffee, tea, or combined coffee and tea consumption and risk of either type of brain tumor when using quantiles based on country-specific distributions of intake. A significant inverse association was observed for glioma risk among those individuals consuming ≥100 mL coffee and tea per day compared with those consuming 100 ml/d (hazard ratio: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.97; P = 0.03). The association was slightly stronger in men (hazard ratio: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.34, 1.01) than in women (hazard ratio: 0.74; 95% CI: 0.42, 1.31), although neither was statistically significant.

Sources:

* American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Coffee and tea intake and risk of brain tumors in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort study

Researchers Seek Clues to Obesity Epidemic

A new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B suggests the current obesity epidemic goes way beyond eating too much and lack of physical activity. University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers suggest exposure to light, infections and epigenetics also may contribute to the battle of the bulge.

Obesity researcher David B. Allison, Ph.D., examined data on small primates called marmosets from the Wisconsin Non-Human Primate Center. He noted that the population as a whole showed pronounced weight gain over time; however, there was no compelling reason. The nature of the diet had changed, but controlling for the exact date of the change, easily doable with animals living in a controlled laboratory environment, only strengthened the phenomenon.

Allison analyzed recorded data on more than 20,000 animals for at least a decade, the scientists believe that their parallel (to humans') increase in obesity rates cannot be explained away by diet and activity levels alone. The variety of animals in the study, and their diets and lifestyles ranged too far for that conclusion, they added. The scientists studied cats, dogs, feral rats, laboratory rodents, monkeys and chimpanzees. The researchers collected 24 data sets and found that a pattern of weight gain emerged in all of them over time. In 23 of the data sets the proportion of animals classed as obese had gone up.

"And yet there was no single thread running through all 24 data sets that would explain a gain in weight," says Allison. "The animals in some of the data sets might have had access to richer food, but that was not the case in all data sets. Some of the animals might have become less active, but others would have remained at normal activity levels. Yet, they all showed overall weight gain," he wrote. “The consistency of these findings among animals living in different environments, including some where diet is highly controlled and has been constant for decades, suggests the intriguing possibility that increasing body weight may involve some unidentified or poorly understood factors."

Sources:

* University of Alabama at Birmingham: Why are we getting fatter? UAB researchers seek a mysterious culprit

Four Home-Based Businesses in Demand

The small-business market has traditionally been populated by corner stores and family-owned businesses. For women with an entrepreneurial streak, small-business opportunities have always been abundant. It's turning ideas into profitable enterprises that takes dedication and hard work. From stylists and bakers to bookkeepers and designers, women have played an important role in the small-business marketplace.

Today, women continue to influence their communities and the business world as a whole by launching successful, home-based companies. The economic downturn has been a catalyst for home-business growth. Take Indianapolis-based writer Emily Suess, for example. "In my case, my home writing business began because I simply needed the money to make ends meet," she says. "In tough economic times, people become increasingly resourceful about how they market their talents and skills."

Home-based businesses are proving again that necessity really does bring about innovation. For a couple of reasons, home-based opportunities have become popular as a result of the recession. First, technology makes communication effortless and affordable for entrepreneurs. In addition, a number of large businesses have downsized -- resulting in a growing number of contracting opportunities for professionals.

Freelance writers aren't the only people succeeding in the home-based market. A wide range of businesses are able to thrive in today's economy.

Here are some home-based opportunities that look good for 2011.

Catering services
Catering services are ideal for the home-based marketplace. After all, when will those hard-working entrepreneurs find time to prepare meals for themselves and their families? Food preparation and delivery are hot right now, and they can bring in extra cash or sustain a household. From family mealtime to Thanksgiving meals and parties, the demand for catering remains high. Home-based catering and bakery businesses are expected to do well in 2011 because these services are always in demand. People get married and throw parties in every economy, although they might cut down on the cost during a downturn.

Event planning
Weddings, birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, anniversaries, corporate holiday events -- all of these things require a great deal of effort to coordinate. Event consultants can save the day, and earn a decent living. If you're organized and know how to throw a good party, you can launch an event-planning business from the comfort of your own home without a lot of startup capital. Event planners will be in demand in 2011 for the same reason as catering services. In fact, networking among caterers and event planners can be good for both businesses.

Virtual assistant
With a growing number of websites dedicated to helping independent professionals connect with virtual assistants, you really don't need much more than a reliable internet connection and a home computer to start working from home. Virtual assistants often work on a part-time basis for several business professionals, helping them with everything from travel arrangements to bookkeeping. These kinds of home-business opportunities are ideal for moonlighters looking for extra cash to help pay the bills. As the number of virtual offices increases in 2011, so will the need for qualified virtual assistants.

Online retailers
From pet clothing to handcrafted jewelry and unique paintings, you can sell just about anything online. Small, home-based merchandisers can operate successfully thanks to sites such as Amazon, Etsy and Ebay. At a time where the missteps of large corporations have left the public mistrusting big names, home-based artisans can take advantage. Retail merchandise is another safe bet for 2011. People who want to make their bucks go further, in particular, are looking for unique, handcrafted items that are still affordable. And green items are also gaining in popularity – from organic skin care to organic kids’ clothing.

Of course, the possibilities for home-business opportunities are practically limitless, and the home-based market is expected to continue growing as the economy takes its time recovering. The unemployed and underemployed -- people who might never have thought of themselves as entrepreneurs -- are expected to join the ranks of work-at-home professionals.