Americans are getting fatter.
Some have called our creeping obesity a virtual epidemic. They
wouldn’t be far off. The figures are staggering: a 60 percent
increase in the prevalence of obesity in the 1990’s alone says
the October 4, 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Medical
Association. According to 1999 data, the average U.S. man now
weighs 187 pounds and the average U.S. woman weighs 151.
The “obesity boom” has also helped fuel an increase in type
2 diabetes. According to researchers at the CDC (Center for
Disease Control), this increase in diabetes was no accident—
type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with obesity. The CDC
researchers feel that this association demonstrates that
“obesity is not just a cosmetic disorder but a major risk factor
for chronic diseases.” The World Health Organization would
seem to agree: by their figures, over 300,000 Americans die
prematurely from obesity related complications.
Belly Fat
Written by Lorna Vanderhaeghe, MSc
If there is one thing that is the bane of a good figure
and vibrant health, it is belly fat. I am talking
about that stubborn extra roll around the middle
that does not seem to disappear, no matter how swift your
metabolism, how much you exercise or how many sit ups you
do. For some people, belly weight means the dreaded “muffin
top” that escapes over the top of your jeans. For others,
abdominal weight gain results in a clear round, apple shape.
The fat in those love handles also contribute to increased
blood triglyceride levels, inflammation and insulin resistance.
Carrying extra weight around the middle puts you at higher risk
of heart disease, cancers and diabetes.
Last week, we discussed the touchy subject of sugar cravings and artificial sweeteners, and the influence of diet soft drinks on weight. (It increases it.)
According to the Vancouver Sun, obesity is partly to blame for the rise in joint surgery. They were, of course, writing for their Canadian audience, but it is just as true in the US. If that is true (and it doubtless is), it is not difficult to understand. Added weight increases stress on the bones and joints.
In case you think that headline is an unwarranted scare tactic, I didn't make it up.
I borrowed it from an article published in the Houston Chronicle. They got their information from the researchers at the University of Texas San Antonio, who did a study of middle-aged adults who drink soft drinks. Are you ready for this?
Do you drink diet soft drinks, in the hopes it will diminish the circumference of your waistline? Forget it. The study monitored the weight and soda-drinking habits of over 600 normal weight adults, aged 25 - 64. After following the participants for eight years, they discovered that diet soda drinkers were 65 percent more likely to be overweight (with just one soda per day), and two or more calorie-reduced drinks raised the odds of becoming obese or overweight even higher.
SLEEP away those POUNDS: Part II of The Missing Pieces of the Weight Loss Puzzle
Written by Sherrill Sellman, ND
We all know about beauty rest but did you know about thinness slumber? Getting those zzzs is another important
piece of the weight loss puzzle.
Your carbohydrate addiction may be more the result of your sleeping patterns rather than your lack of willpower.
Have you ever noticed that after a night with little sleep, you wake up ravenously hungry and want to devour everything in sight? Why? Because your lack of sleep actually triggers food cravings.
The Promise of HIGH Satiety
Written by Michael T. Murray, ND
You are about to discover the key to effective and
lasting weight loss is not dieting or deprivation,
but rather eliminating excessive hunger
and increasing the feelings of pleasure and
satisfaction from food. The Hunger Free Forever
program provides a near effortless program for safe, effective,
and lifelong weight control that has evolved from major
scientific discoveries we have made in the field of appetite
regulation. Our discoveries have been effectively applied in
community weight-loss programs conducted over the past
few years on hundreds of people. This simple approach
allows you to reach and easily maintain your body weight
goals utilizing exciting new scientific breakthroughs to normalize
your appetite and consistently enjoy a high degree of
satiety from the food you eat.
Obesity