blog

Preventing Disease With Obesity

Mon, 14 May 2012 19:25:51 +0100

So your weight is unhealthy and you are diagnosed as obese, this means your body mass index is over 30.

The risks are high for non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, dabetes and strokes.

Obese people are at greater risks than their normal weight counterparts for certain cancers, respiratory problems and asthma; they can die prematurely.

One way obese people can insure themselves against disease is through physical activity.

Here is a video on physical activity. Enjoy!

There is an online health program that prepares people to maintain a healthy weight with physical activity and healthy eating.

The self-developed plan makes it possible for anyone to achieve a healthy weight without the costs.

Both programs are available online and can therefore be accessed by anyone.

Click here for the consumer health education program.

Air Pollution In Pregnancy-A Risk For Childhood Obesity

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:13:15 +0100

The result of a recent study shows how important it is for couples who are family planning to include reducing health risk factors as part of their plans.

An unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are two known risk factors for childhood obesity, but a recent study has linked obesity to maternal exposure to high levels of air pollution during pregnancy.

The study was done in New York City and involved 702 non-smoking pregnant women, age 18-35.

In their third trimester, for two days, the participants used small backpacks equipped to sample the air surrounding them.

During the day the backpacks were worn and during the night they were placed near the bed.

The study found that the children of the mothers who were exposed to high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAH) were almost twice as likely to be obese at age 5 and more than twice as likely at age 7.

To read more on the study click Here Obese children go on to become obese adults, and are at the risk for developing diseases earlier in life than if they were not obese.

Physical inactivity, obesity, unhealthy eating, air pollution and smoking are the five health risk factors covered in my consumer health education program.

Couples who are family planning and have decided to make weight control part of their plans are wise to work towards eliminating air pollution. It it a good first health insurance for their offspring.

Low Self Esteem Continues After Weight Loss

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:04:49 +0100

Obese teenage girls who become a normal weight benefit physically, a good reason to lose weight and prevent diseases.

According to a recent research report; however, their emotional health may not do as well. They continue to experience low self-esteem compared to girls who were never obese.

The study was done on 2,206 black and white girls, they were followed for ten years beginning at age 9 to 10.
They were separated into three groups:

Normal weight
Transitioned out of obesity
Chronically obese

Self perception profiles were administered to them every year.

Both races continued to have negative body perception after the transition from obese to a normal body mass index (BMI).

White girls continued to have lower self-esteem than their normal weight peers; their self-esteem remained flat even as they attained normal body weight.

This report from Modern Medicine has more details.

The findings of this report mean that weight loss interventions for girls should include building a positive body image and improving self-esteem.

About A Healthy Weight Loss Diet

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:12:44 +0100

When we talk about dieting the first thing that may come to mind is eating less or less frequently.

For the purpose of losing weigh, dieting can be misunderstood and therefore can do more harm than good.

When it comes to losing weight I prefer to use the term diet modification which involves healthy eating and calorie control.

Healthy eating means eating your three meals each day including breakfast. Healthy eating for weight control means not starving yourself nor binging.

In this video there are some basics of a healthy a weight loss diet; there are 10 of them, they include:

Eating at least 5 vegies and fruit each day
Eating at the same time each day
Keeping active
Choosing food with reduced fat
Checking nutrition labels on food products
Not sitting for too long

Watch the video and enjoy!

Sitting Too Much Can Kill- Study

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:16:45 +0100

A large study that focused on total sitting time provides reliable evidence of how being too sedentary can affect one's life.

The study of 200,000 found that inactive people who sat a lot had twice the risk of dying within 3 years than those who sat least.

Physical activity is important to prevent non-communicable diseases such as cancers and heart disease, but researchers are saying that lack of it can kill.

Read about the study.

At another study researchers found that sitting for six hours a day is a health risk even if time is spent being active afterwards.

Experts recommend walking 30 minutes 5-7 days per week for a healthy lifestyle and to prevent obesity.

For obese/overweight people who are too busy to spend less time sitting, I've developed a list of things they can do standing or walking. I call them "Sedentary Lifestyle Modifiers."

Many of the work and leisure activities that are done sitting can also be done while standing or walking.

For people whose busy lifestyles are centered around sitting, these sedentary lifestyle modifiers can mean the difference between life and death. Try them for a more active lifestyle.

Obesity A Risk For Cognitive Decline

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:29:19 +0100

Obesity is a a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases, but reaserchers say it may be a risk for brain dysfunction.

Researchers have reported that being overweight in later years can lead to poor cognitive performance and dementia.

Two hundred and fifty people age 60-70 participated in the study which looked at the relationship between fat levels and cognitive performance. They had the following assessments:

Body mass index (BMI)
Waist circumference
Mental test
Scan of abdominal fat

The researchers found that both the high BMI and high levels of abdominal fat were linked to poor cognitive performance in adults age 60-70.

Click here to read more on this study.

A BMI of 25 and over is considered overweight while a BMI of 30 and over is obese.

Obesity is managed with healthy eatiing and regular physical activity.

This may mean a lifestyle change for those who are struggling with excessive weight gain.

A Food Serving Matters

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 21:43:10 +0100

So your diet is being modified to manage your weight, remember healthy eating is important to any weight loss plan.

Healthy eating involves eating food from the four food groups

Healthy eating involves eating the right amounts each day for your age and gender.

The number of servings you eat and what you eat determine your eating pattern.

Your eating pattern determines whether you will lose weight, keep it off and remain healthy.

How much do you need to eat? This is based on your age and gender. It is calculated by the number of servings and the size of the servings ( portions).

A serving size may not be as large as you think.

The best place to measure a serving is not at your favourite restaurant. Do so at home where you can measure for accuracy. Before long you will able to estimate correctly wherever you dine.

Examples of a serving:
Vegetables & fruit:1 medium fruit or 1 cup of raw vegetables or 125 ml 100% fruit juice.
Grain products: one slice of bread or 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta
Milk products: 250 ml milk or 50g of cheese
Meat products: 2 eggs or 75g of lean meat

The Healthy Eating Guide has a full list of the serving sizes. Click Here.

Some food products are measured before cooking, some like vegetables are measured prior to consuming.

Raw vegetables will require a larger measure, but add up to the same as cooked vegetables.

Food products that must be cooked such as: rice, pasta and couscous are measured after cooking.

Food products that do not require cooking such as: bread, milk, cheese and yoghurt are measured as they are. If used for recipes or food preparation they are measured before use and must be counted.

The healthy eating guide is based on Canada Food Guide, when followed it will lay the foundation for proper nutrition.

Success with dieting will be long-term. You will remain healthy, lose weight and keep it off.

Know of Any Tricks To Stick To Your Diet?

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:30:07 +0100

If you've been dieting for weight management you may have discovered some difficulties along the way.

You may have failed to reach your goals or to keep the weight off.

You may; however, have found some tips that worked for you to keep you on track and motivated.

Here are some tips, seven of them, from The USNews and World . They can help you succeed, they can boost willpower and control cravings.

They are:
1-Picture yourself
2-Bet on it
3-Color your way thin
4-Brush your teeth
5-Shoot your dinner
6-Spice things up
7-Role-play

If you have any of your own, feel free to share or add a comment.

Clck on the link below to get them.
http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/articles/2012/01/03/7-stick-to-your-diet-tricks-youve-never-heard-of-for-2012

You can develop a weight loss plan for yourself, one that is unique. Diet modification and exercise are combined to enable anyone to succeed. It is the Self-Developed Plan.
Click Here for more information.

Some Facts About Overweight/Obesity

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:33:48 +0100

Consuming more calories than the body burns is a cause of overweight or obesity. The excess fat, as a result, is stored in specific cells until the body is able to burn it.

If the body hasn't had the opportunity to burn fat through physical activity, it leads to weight gain. Over long-term the weight gain can lead to obesity that is difficult to treat without intervention.

Some Facts

Obesity may start as early as during development in the womb, this is when childhood obesity can begin.

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of a child being overweight.

The number of overweight people is increasing.

According to research a person with a body mass index( BMI) of over 30 has a reduced life expectancy , if the trend continues this could be reduced by another 5 years in this century.

As a person's BMI increases their life expectancy decreases. According to research this can be reversed be developing healthy habits and controlling weight gain.

The most accurate measurement for assessing body weight is the body mass index(BMI). The BMI uses the person's weight and height to determine the total body mass to body fat.

A healthy body weight is a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9
A BMI of 25-30 is overweight.
A BMI of over 30 is obese.

Two other measurements to assess weight health are:

Waist circumference
Waist-to-hip ratio.

A healthy waist circumference is less than 40 for men, less than 35 for women.

Some Reasons For Overweight/Obesity

There are many reasons why one can become overweight, most of them can be eliminated with a different lifestyle.

Unhealthy eating and lack of enough physical activity are the main causes.

Children and adolescents who eat a lot of junk food and less meals at home are at increased risk. Other causes are:

-Sedentary lifestyle and desk jobs

-Using the computer for long hours

-Watching TV for long hours

-Lack of physical education programs

-Overeating and binging

-Eating the wrong food

-Too much sugar in the diet

Some of the health problems of being overweight are:

Cardiovascular disease
Kidney failure
Hypertension
Depression
Respiratory problems
Joint pain
Difficulties with mobility
Premature death

Certain psychological disorders and thyroid dysfunction can make weight control difficult. When this happens it may be necessary to see a health care professional.

The approved treatment for obesity are:

Diet

Physical activity

Behaviour modification

Medication

Surgery

Diet and physical activity must be part of any treatment, this means for any weight loss plan diet and exercise must be combined.

Keeping a diet and activity journal will improve chances of success, it will keep track of your progress.

Learning about weight control is made easy through this self-developed plan.

Overweight/Obesity-A Fertility Concern

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:35:18 +0100

There are many good reasons why weight control should be part of family planning, one is a recent research report.

Based on the study, couples who are thinking of starting a family or are struggling with infertility would do well to include weight control in their plans.

According to the report, when compared with healthy-weight couples, overweight/obese couples have a reduced fecundity. The finding is so even if one partner is overweight.

Fecundity is the physiological ability to reproduce.

For the study researchers interviewed 47,835 pregnant Danish women and men about their weight and fecundity. They found that increasing body mass index (BMI) in both women and men increased the risk of subfecundity.

Seventy-five percent of the men and 32% of the women were overweight or obese.

It is therefore wise for couples who are having problems with fertility to make weight control a part of their lifestyle.

Other research reports have identified certain maternal factors that can put both mother's and baby's health at risk. For example:
1-Obese/overweight pregnant women are at greater risk for pregnancy related illnesses such as gestational diabetes, more likely to have a cesarean section and have a large baby.
2-Maternal obesity is also a cause of neonatal and childhood obesity.

A body mass index of 25 and over is overweight, one of over 30 is obese.

Click Here to read in more detail.