This study reports the effect of a school-randomized fruit and vegetable intervention consisting of a subscription to the Norwegian School Fruit Programme at no parental cost, and the Fruit and Vegetables Make the Marks (FVMM) educational programme, both delivered in the school year of 2001-02. Nine randomly chosen schools received the intervention and 10 schools served as control schools. Participating pupils completed questionnaires at baseline (September 2001), at Follow-up 1 (May-June 2002) and at Follow-up 2 (May 2003). A total of 517 pupils (84%; mean age, 11.3 years at baseline) participated in all three surveys. At both Follow-up 1 and Follow-up 2, strong intervention effects were observed for all-day fruit and vegetable intake (effect sizes were 0.6 and 0.5 portions, respectively). The sustained effect at Follow-up 2, 1 year after the end of the intervention, can partly be explained by greater participation rates in the School Fruit Programme (standard paid subscription). We conclude that the effects observed are most likely due to the no-cost subscription and not due to the FVMM educational programme, and that providing pupils with a piece of fruit or a vegetable at school at no cost for the parents is an effective strategy to increase school children's intake of fruit and vegetables. The effect is also sustained 1 year after the end of the no-cost subscription, providing increased health benefits.

The relationship between dietary habits and subsequent risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) was studied in 25,708 men and 25,049 women aged 16-56 years attending a Norwegian health screening in 1977-1983. Linkage to the Cancer Registry of Norway and the Central Bureau of Statistics of Norway ensured a complete follow-up until December 31, 1992. Diet was recorded through a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire at the time of screening, and 108 cases of CMM were identified during follow-up. Use of cod liver oil supplementation and intake of polyunsaturated fat were associated with significant increased risk and drinking coffee with significant decreased risk of CMM in women. Adjusting for height, body mass index, body surface area, education, smoking or occupational or recreational physical activity did not change the results. No significant association was found between the incidence of CMM and any of the dietary factors in men. Important aspects are residual confounding by sun exposure and social class, as well as concern with multiple comparisons. Int. J. Cancer 71:600-604, 1997.r 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Melanoma of the skin is the cancer with the most rapid increase in incidence in all Nordic countries, and the highest incidence rates are seen in Norway (Engeland et al., 1993). This increase is considered to be real and not due to changes in diagnostic criteria (Van der Esch et al., 1991).In Norway, cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is the 4th most frequent type of cancer in women and the 7th in men, comprising 5.2% and 4.2%, respectively, of all cancers (Cancer Registry of Norway, 1992). The rates are more than 7 times higher than 40 years ago (Cancer Registry of Norway, 1992) and are expected to increase further (Engeland et al., 1993).Sun exposure has been established as a major cause of CMM in white individuals (Boyle et al., 1995). The fact that Norway, one of the countries in the Northern latitudes of Europe, has the highest incidence rates of CMM among such countries (Boyle et al., 1995) suggests that other factors, such as dietary habits, may play a role in its etiology. The theoretical basis for dietary factors as causes of CMM is limited, but experimental studies have suggested that dietary antioxidants may reduce the carcinogenic effect of UV radiation, whereas polyunsaturated fat may increase these effects, and that retinoids and vitamins C and E may inhibit the growth of melanoma (Le Marchand, 1992). A protective effect of fish and antioxidants and an increased risk with increased intake of polyunsaturated fat and alcohol have been hypothesized in casecontrol studies, but the results are discrepant (Mackie et al., 1980(Mackie et al., , 1987Gallagher et al., 1986;Holman et al., 1986;Østerlind et al., 1988;Stryker et al., 1990;Bain et al., 1993;Kirkpatrick et al., 1994). The studies referred to are all of case-control design. To our knowledge, no prospective study with extensive dietary data has been published on this issue.A large Norwegian cohort of 50,757 men and women with dietary ...

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Post‐exertional malaise and delayed recovery are hallmark symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome ( ME / CFS ). Studies on repeated cardiopulmonary exercise testing ( CPET ) show that previous exercise negatively affects oxygen uptake ( VO 2 ) and power output ( PO ) in ME / CFS . Whether this affects arterial lactate concentrations ([La a ]) is unknown. We studied 18 female patients (18–50 years) fulfilling the Canadian Consensus Criteria for ME / CFS and 15 healthy females (18–50 years) who underwent repeated CPET s 24 h apart ( CPET 1 and CPET 2 ) with [La a ] measured every 30th second. VO 2 at peak exercise ( VO 2peak ) was lower in patients than in controls on CPET 1 ( P < 0.001) and decreased in patients on CPET 2 ( P < 0.001). However, the difference in VO 2peak between CPET s did not differ significantly between groups. [La a ] per PO was higher in patients during both CPET s ( P interaction < 0.001), but increased in patients and decreased in controls from CPET 1 to CPET 2 ( P interaction < 0.001). Patients had lower VO 2 ( P = 0.02) and PO ( P = 0.002) at the gas exchange threshold ( GET , the point where CO 2 production increases relative to VO 2 ), but relative intensity (% VO 2peak ) and [La a ] at GET did not differ significantly from controls on CPET 1 . Patients had a reduction in VO 2 ( P = 0.02) and PO ( P = 0.01) at GET on CPET 2 , but no significant differences in % VO 2peak and [La a ] at GET between CPET s. Controls had no significant differences in VO 2 , PO or % VO 2peak ...

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