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WIC policies should help kids drink less fruit juice, Stanford experts say

Every day of my 1980s childhood began with orange juice, which my mom served because it was considered a good way to get our daily vitamin C. Since then, nutritionists’ thinking has changed. Daily consumption of fruit juice has been linked with childhood obesity and dental cavities, and kids are thought to be better off getting their vitamins from whole fruits. Yet some health policies haven’t kept up.

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Less is More

With her graduation just around the corner, a new job, and plans for college in the fall, Megan Acaccia has a lot to celebrate.

But just a year ago, things did not look so bright for the 18-year-old San Jose native. At 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing more than 300 pounds, Megan was morbidly obese. She was so bullied at school that she stayed at home for a month, and she suffered through bouts of vomiting, diarrhea, and night sweats. Requiring seven kinds of daily medications, she battled hypertension, arthritis, acid reflux, polycystic ovary syndrome, and obstructive sleep apnea—all a result of her excess weight.