Weight Loss Blog

Okay, cheezy title I know From The Denver Channel

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is promoting legislation that would encourage healthier food and drinks in schools, including a bill that would extend a statewide ban on soft drinks from lower grades to high schools.

Moreover,

Schwarzenegger also urged lawmakers to pass a bill that would only allow high schools to sell soda 30 minutes before and after the school day. During the day, schools could sell water, milk, sports drinks and drinks that are at least 50 percent fruit juice with no added sweeteners.

I think it’s this is a good step in the right direction. American children are exposed to far too much junk food. Schools should be a “safe haven” for healthy eating.

From Fox News:

Researchers in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine describe six cases in which people were diagnosed with noncancerous tumors in their pancreas following gastric bypass surgery. These tumors caused the pancreas to produce too much insulin, the hormone that processes blood sugar, resulting in symptoms of low blood sugar — especially following meals.

Weight-Loss surgery is growing in popularity amongst obese people to treat their disease. The last thing they need is another health problem to worry about

Everyone should know to beware of these quick weight-loss fads that we see advertised in magazines and on late night television, but here’s a reminder!

From Philadelphia Daily News

“These products offer false hope and are a waste of money,” said personal trainer Jeff Shablin of Optimal Personal Fitness in Philadelphia. “Focus on exercise and good nutrition. There is no cure in a pill or a product.”

They have an interesting blurb on herbal teas:

Herbal teas and dietary supplements may seem harmless enough, but many of these products contain laxatives, diuretics or other drugs than can cause diarrhea, kidney problems and more. These products may interfere with prescription medications you are taking. And if they lead to cardiac arrhythmia or electrolyte imbalance, you could die.

I found this pretty disturbing:

Crystal meth is a form of methamphetamine, the use of which has reached epidemic proportions in much of the country, especially the Midwest. Typically, people try it because they’re looking for a higher high than they’ve found with other drugs.

But, reports The Early Show correspondent Melinda Murphy, it’s also emerging as a drug of choice among women of all ages seeking alternatives to over-the-counter weight loss aids. But crystal meth can be dangerously addictive.

Read the rest of the article at CBS News

This has to be the greatest research done ever! These researchers deserve some kind of model for this work..because now I can eat dark chocolate without feeling guilt.

From Yahoo:

The study, published by the
American Heart Association, joins a growing body of research that show compounds found in chocolate called flavonoids can help the blood vessels work more smoothly, perhaps reducing the risk of heart disease.

“Previous studies suggest flavonoid-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, tea, red wine and chocolate, might offer cardiovascular benefits, but this is one of the first clinical trials to look specifically at dark chocolate’s effect on lowering blood pressure among people with hypertension,” said Jeffrey Blumberg of Tufts University in Boston, who led the study.

Now this doesn’t mean we can all go out and eat a pound of Chocolate each. But if we are craving chocolate (..and who doesn’t), go for the dark chocolate rather than the white or milk chocolate.

I found a really amusing study that may just be the motivator you need to lose weight

From MedicalNewsToday

Overweight Americans who lose a lot of weight also tend to build more wealth as they drop the pounds, according to new research.

The study found that the link between weight loss and wealth gains was particularly strong among white women. Black women and white men also gained wealth as they lost weight, but not as much as did white women. The wealth of Black men was basically unaffected by their weight.

Overall, the results showed that a one unit increase in a young person’s BMI was associated with a $1,300 or 8 percent reduction in wealth. But the changes varied dramatically by ethnicity and gender.

Maybe it’s because when people lose weight, they become more motivated to accomplish goals, some of these goals being improving their job, income, etc.

…at least not yet.
From the Beacon Journal:

The Dairy industry is about to launch a $200 million campaign to try and connect dairy consumption to losing weight. The researchers, who were paid by the dairy industry, are saying that these claims hold. Most other researchers in the field are saying that there is just not enough evidence, and there are inconsistencies in the data.

The dairy campaign is based on research by Michael Zemel, a nutrition professor at the University of Tennessee who since 2000 has published several studies that found people who eat a lower-calorie diet and consume the recommended low- or non-fat dairy servings lose nearly twice the weight as those who only cut calories.

But his research often is misunderstood, Zemel says. It is not a case of drink milk, lose weight. It works only for people who eat a low-calorie diet.

Yes, eat dairy products, but don’t think it’s going to shed you 50lbs.

So it’s Sunday, suppose to be my day away from the Internet, but I had to post this

This article outlines the ’secrets’ for weight-loss by Canyon Ranch, America’s top spa. This is the first time i’ve heard about this spa, but I google’d it, and it looks like just the place I need to visit!

‘Cliff notes’ of their secrets:

1. Eat mindfully
2. Take 10.
3. Focus on fiber.
4. Pump up the protein

Yes, we’ve all heard the jokes about ‘Fat Camp’, seen the movies that mock it, and may have even laughed about the idea, but a new study shows that sending your child to a Weight-Loss Camp has positive effects!

From Reuters:

UK researchers found that children who attended the northern England camp for about a month lost an average of 13 pounds, improved their fitness level and sports skill, and in general felt better about themselves.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, followed 185 overweight and obese children who attended the weight-loss camp at some point between 1999 and 2002. They each spent about a month, on average, in the program.

Of course, not all camps are the same. Some may stress healthy eating more, push kids to excersie more, etc. I don’t even think the camp has to be a ‘Weight-Loss Camp’. Send your child to any camp, and they will most likely be spending the days outdoors, running around and having fun.

Found an interesting article at Med India about supplements containing ephedra and guarana. Here is an excerpt:

A study conducted by University of California-San Francisco has published that weight loss supplements containing ephedra and guarana changes the cardiovascular system by increasing heart beat rate and blood pressure. It also has negative influence on glucose and potassium homeostasis.

and

Therapeutics said that weight loss supplements containing ephedra and guarana may change cardiovascular and metabolic conditions. These in turn prove harmful to obese people with already have high blood pressure, clogged arteries, or glucose intolerance.

I’ve always been a little skeptical of taking supplements that include ephedra, but guarana is new to me. My son drinks these energy drinks that contain guarana. He’s a little overweight, so I may suggest to him to stop drinking them.