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Wellness Library- Weight Control
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5 Food Fallacies
5 Food Fallacies When it comes to food, dieting, and weight loss, separating facts from fiction can be hard. It's easy to be misled, especially when you read about a new fad diet or see a commercial for a new miracle food. Here are five common food fallacies to avoid if you want long-term success. Myth: Skipping breakfast helps you lose weight. Reality: At first, this might seem like an easy way to cut down on calories. But skipping the important first meal of the day can backfire. Instead of helping yo...
A 7-Step Plan for Weight Loss
A 7-Step Plan for Weight Loss According to the Weight-control Information Network, more than two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. Each year, countless studies investigate various weight-loss tactics, such as low-fat versus high-fat diets, the benefits of snacking, and the importance of exercise for weight loss and maintenance. Data from large groups whose members lost weight on their own, and kept it off, also has been analyzed to determine how they achieved success. A successful weight-lo...
A Healthy Weight for Life
A Healthy Weight for Life Staying at or reaching a healthy weight is important for many reasons. Not only will you feel better about yourself and have more energy, but you'll also help to reduce your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. The "secret" to maintaining a healthy weight is not found in any magic diet or weight loss system. In fact, it's no secret at all. You just need to take in about the same amount of calories that your body uses up. It'...
A Weighty Issue: Childhood Obesity
A Weighty Issue: Childhood Obesity At one time, an overweight child was more the exception than the rule. But these days, the number of obese children in the United States is increasing at an alarming rate. According to a 2012 report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the United States has the highest prevalence of obesity among developed nations. The percentage of young Americans who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens ages 2 to 19 years, 17 per...
As Snack Attacks Rise, Seek Healthy Options
As Snack Attacks Rise, Seek Healthy Options If you think your kids have more snack attacks than you did as a child, you're right. Compared to two decades ago, children are taking more snack breaks. Each time children snack, they probably eat the same amount of food and get the same number of calories as they always have -- but the higher number of snack breaks adds up to more calories a day. More snacking Youths of all ages from 2 through the teen years snack more often. With 13 to 14 percent of childre...
Balanced Ways to Attain a Healthy Weight
Balanced Ways to Attain a Healthy Weight According to the CDC's 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, nearly 70 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese and many are trying to slim down. But in the battle of the bulge, more people are losing than winning these days. Whether you have tried to lose weight on your own or with the help of a weight-loss program, the focus is too often on severely restrictive diets and unrealistic goals, nutrition experts say. Not being able to rea...
Choosing a Safe Weight-Loss Program
Choosing a Safe Weight-Loss Program The not-so-secret secret to weight loss is to burn more calories than you eat. This can be done safely and effectively by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly, according to the Weight-Control Information Network (WIN), part of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Although many people can lose weight on their own, others believe they'll be more successful if they enroll in a weight-loss program that provides support, informati...
Could Medication Be Causing Weight Gain?
Could Medication Be Causing Your Weight Gain? Eating too much and not exercising enough are the main reasons people put on extra pounds. However, some prescription and over-the-counter medications also can cause weight gain. You might gain as much as a pound a week. If you feel your pants getting tighter and you haven't changed your exercise and diet regimen, ask your doctor about your medications. The most common prescription medications to cause weight gain include drugs that treat depression, heartbu...
Counting Liquid Calories
Counting Liquid Calories When counting calories, don’t forget the ones you drink. For many people, these so-called liquid calories can make or break an effort to lose pounds. Beverages with high-fructose corn syrup can be a major contributor to weight gain and obesity, according to the CDC. These include sodas and sports and energy drinks. Americans drink about 1-1/2 cans of soda per person per day, according to the USDA. For regular soda drinkers, that adds up to 240 empty calories per day, or 25 extra...
Cut a Rug and Cut the Fat
Cut a Rug and Cut the Fat Remember how much fun you used to have on the dance floor? You probably didn't even think about how good it was for your heart, your lungs, your joints, your muscles, and your stress level—you were just out having fun. Perhaps you still look forward to weddings and holidays to show everyone you've still got the moves. But why wait for the occasional social gathering? People of all ages are discovering the joys of dancing and signing up for classes or going to dance halls. Waltz...
Diet Drinks, Small Snacks Have Drawbacks
Diet Drinks, Small Snacks Have Drawbacks Diet soft drinks and packaged minisnacks seem like painless ways to provide treats as you trim calories from your child’s diet. Sugar-free soft drinks may be especially tempting. Children get an increasing share of their total calories from sugar-sweetened sodas, and studies link this to kids’ rising weight. And common sense suggests that smaller snack packages will help keep your child from eating too much. But the experts aren’t giving the go-ahead. There are d...
Diet Traps to Avoid
Diet Traps to Avoid When you’re trying to shed extra pounds, it’s tempting to look for an easy way out—a magic bullet or a diet product that promises fast, easy weight loss. Diet traps and unhealthy eating can't safely help you lose weight for the long term. A sensible weight-loss plan that includes balanced meals and exercise can help you reach your healthy weight. Watch for these These are some of the diet traps you should stay away from: Starving yourself to lose weight. You can lose weight on a very...
Emotional Eating: How to Cope
Emotional Eating: How to Cope If you raid the fridge when you’re stressed or upset, that’s called emotional eating. Emotional eating affects most everyone from time to time, but regularly letting your feelings guide your food intake can affect your health. Sadness, boredom, and other negative emotions can drive emotional eating—such as polishing off a container of ice cream after a romantic breakup or devouring a bag of potato chips when you’re home alone on a Saturday night. But happy events can lead t...
Even with Weight-Loss Drugs, Losing Pounds Isn't Easy
Even with Weight-Loss Drugs, Losing Pounds Isn't Easy The CDC currently estimates that more than 70 percent of Americans ages 20 years and older are either overweight or obese. Out of the millions of Americans who are overweight and go on a diet each year, many regain all or a part of the weight they lose within five years. Still, the search for the miracle weight-loss cure goes on. The reality is that losing weight requires a change in eating habits and a boost in daily physical activity. You must burn...
Everyday Ways to Lose Weight
Everyday Ways to Lose Weight Moderately intense activities, such as walking briskly from your parked car to the mall entrance and taking your dog for a quick jog after dinner, won't help you train for a sport. But they can help you achieve and maintain a healthful weight and improve your overall fitness level. They can also help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis, put you in a better mood, and improve your balance, coordination, and agility. You have dozens of opportunities each...
Exercise and Eat Smart to Keep the Weight Off
Exercise and Eat Smart to Keep the Weight Off Most dieters committed to losing weight are successful. Yet, a 2012 report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that in 2009 and 2010, more than 70 percent of Americans were overweight or obese. The problem is, as hard as losing weight can be, keeping it off is even harder. People who keep lost weight off tend to have several habits in common. The following strategies can help you be a successful long-term loser. Exercise every day People in ...
Exercise for the Seriously Unfit
Exercise for the Seriously Unfit You've been out of shape before, but this time it's serious. You can't walk across a room without huffing and puffing. Your arms get tired unpacking a bag of groceries. You're carrying more and more excess body weight. And you can't remember the last time you got any real exercise. If you see yourself in this picture, you have cause for concern. You may be simply unfit or you may have underlying medical conditions that rob you of stamina. Before approaching a workout pro...
Fight Back Against Fat
Fight Back Against Fat During the past 20 years, obesity has continued to be a growing health problem in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), over 70 percent of American adults are either overweight (defined as having a body mass index of greater than 25), or obese (defined as having a body mass index of greater than 30), compared with 46 percent in 1980. That's despite the fact that Americans have been bombarded with information on how to lose weight and keep it off. I...
Fitness Goals Provide Motivation
Fitness Goals Provide Motivation Whether you want to run a marathon or just start exercising regularly, having a goal is an important tool. “Fitness goals help focus your attention, increase your motivation, channel your energy, and provide checks and balances so you’re accountable,” says Judy Van Raalte, Ph.D., a psychologist in Springfield, Mass. “But unless they’re carefully crafted and reassessed regularly, they can backfire.” To help you formulate exercise objectives that work for—not against—you, ...
Foods That Help You Lose Weight
Foods That Help You Lose Weight Foods that are low in calories can help you with weight control. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the healthiest way to lose weight is to reduce your daily food intake by at least 500 calories. Your meal plan should be divided like this: 20 to 35 percent of calories from fat, 45 to 65 percent of calories from carbohydrates, and the remainder from protein. What to add Here are some ways to add volume to your diet whil...
For Obese Teens, Surgery Is the Last Resort
For Obese Teens, Surgery Is the Last Resort Extreme obesity plagues more than 5 million teens and young adults, experts estimate. These youths tend to be at least 100 pounds or 100 percent above their ideal body weight. Teens who have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater are considered extremely obese. BMI is a way of calculating whether a teen or adult is overweight or obese. It is based on a measure of weight and height. A teen is overweight if his or her BMI is 25 to 29.9. Moderate obesity is 30 ...
For Seniors: How About Losing Weight Today?
For Seniors: How About Losing Weight Today? Much to our dismay, it is quite common for people to gain weight as they age. Some of the gain is unavoidable, because as your body ages, body fat increases as lean muscle mass and bone mass decrease. Body fat doubles over the five decades from age 25 to age 75. Body weight increases until you reach age 60, when it begins to decline. Less lean body mass needs fewer calories to maintain, and a more sedentary lifestyle that often accompanies aging also requires ...
Habits to Help You Look Good and Feel Terrific
Habits to Help You Look Good and Feel Terrific You can help reduce the effects of aging by following this simple advice: Take care of yourself. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), habits that keep your body functioning at its best are the same things that promote an active, confidant bearing physique. Here are some ideas to help aid in shaping healthy behavioral patterns to help produce and maintain a positive outlook on life. Eat a healthy diet A diet high in saturated fat an...
Healthy Strategies for Weight Loss
Healthy Strategies for Weight Loss Are the following three statements myth or fact? Fad diets work for permanent weight loss. Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight. Low-fat or nonfat means no calories. All of the above are dieting myths. Long-term success at weight loss requires a balance between diet and physical activity. Losing one-half to two pounds per week by eating better and exercising more is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Before you begin a weight-loss program, talk with yo...
Helpful Hints for a Healthy Weight
Helpful Hints for a Healthy Weight Most people consider losing weight a difficult proposition. Few folks have the time or interest to count calories or fat grams. Others have no patience for restrictive diets or complex dietary regimens. And even fewer are interested in the other part of losing weight, exercising regularly. But you can lose a significant amount of weight by making small changes in your eating habits that don't require record keeping or a food scale. Use the following tips to help you sh...
How Diets Work
How Diets Work If you’ve tried everything, yet weight loss continues to elude you, don’t give up. There are ways to up the odds and increase your chance of success. The first step is to understand how dieting causes weight loss. It's a matter of energy balance. If the number of calories you consume is less than what you need to maintain your body weight, you’ll lose weight. Conversely, if you take in more calories than you burn, over time you’ll gain weight. In general, you’ll take in excess calories if...
How to Help an Overweight or Obese Child
How to Help an Overweight or Obese Child Ask a parent to name the greatest health threat to children and you'll hear about drinking or drugs. Rarely will anyone cite obesity, even though it can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. And it's rampant. Almost one child in five is overweight, according to the CDC. One out of four obese children will likely be obese as adults. And as many as 80 percent of obese preteens and teens will be obese as adults. Researchers place much of the blame...
How to Junk a Junk-Food Diet
How to Junk a Junk-Food Diet Whether you’re trying to maintain a healthy weight or improve your health, junk food can sabotage a worthy effort. Weaning yourself from these unhealthy foods can reap big benefits. Salted snacks, sodas, juice drinks, potato chips, candy bars, cookies, french fries, doughnuts, and other deep-fried foods—it’s not hard for most people to identify these as junk food. What’s much more difficult for most Americans is to eat less of them. And therein lies the problem. By definitio...
How to Prevent Childhood Obesity
How to Prevent Childhood Obesity Baby fat is something children are supposed to outgrow, not grow in to. According to the National Center for Health Statistics 2009-2010, the percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens ages 2 to 19 years, almost 17 percent are considered obese. Extra pounds and too-big waistlines have serious consequences for children, including self-esteem, social problems, and increased risk for chronic diseases. Why are so ...
How Women Can Avoid Midlife Weight Gain
How Women Can Avoid Midlife Weight Gain Most women between ages 35 and 55 find it difficult to avoid gaining weight, especially inches that tend to settle around their waistlines. In fact, on average, women gain about a pound a year during the years leading up to menopause and beyond. But middle-life weight gain doesn't have to be inevitable. Weight gain during middle age is caused by a combination of factors: Pregnancy. Weight gain during pregnancy is normal and necessary for a healthy baby, but most w...
Ignore These Diet ‘Rules’
Ignore These Diet ‘Rules’ Some rules were meant to be broken, including any that promote unhealthy or unsuccessful modes of weight loss. If you’ve been trying to lose extra pounds without success, you may want to take a look at the diet rules you’ve taken to heart. If you’re eating according to outdated or untrue dietary commandments, all your efforts could be in vain. To turn things around, note these eight so-called diet “rules” and change your ways if you’ve been following the wrong path. Bailing out...
In Midlife, Keep Your Weight Under Control
In Midlife, Keep Your Weight Under Control Call it love handles, a beer belly, middle-age spread, or a spare tire. They all refer to unwanted weight that creeps on over the years, especially after age 40. You may be tempted to accept that weight gain as an inevitable part of getting older. It's important to avoid those extra pounds, though. Midlife weight gain may put you at risk for serious health conditions, such as diabetes. Out of balance Why do so many of us put on extra pounds as we get older? For...
Keep Moving to Manage Your Weight
Keep Moving to Manage Your Weight You can lose weight by dieting, exercising, or a combination of both. Including exercise into your daily routine offers other benefits besides weight control: it boosts your stamina, increases your muscle strength, improves your balance and your mood, and can reduce your risk for some cancers. Exercise helps build lean muscle. Muscle mass burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn. If you don't exercise, or slack off on yo...
Lifting Your Way to Weight Loss
Lifting Your Way to Weight Loss If you've tried a dozen diets but the pounds always sneak back, you may be able to lose them for good by making strength-training a part of your weight-loss program. Strength training is essential to weight control, according to the CDC. Here's why: Muscles burn calories and keep people active, while fat is dead weight. Muscle is active tissue that consumes calories, while fat uses very little energy, says the CDC. As people lose muscle through aging or inactivity, their ...
Losing Weight at Work
Losing Weight at Work Losing weight may be tricky when you have a challenging career. Consider the many potential saboteurs: having little time to exercise, eating out frequently for business events, and facing the constant temptation of cookie trays. Your weight is controlled by the number of calories you eat balanced against the number of calories you use. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat. The first step? Keep a food and exercise diary for about two weeks. Record when, what, and...
Maintaining Weight Once You've Quit Smoking
Maintaining Weight Once You've Quit Smoking Although people generally gain weight when they stop smoking, you can reduce your chances of adding extra pounds by taking steps to prevent it. Being aware of situations in which you could be tempted to overeat and devising strategies to cope with those instances is your best bet. The following suggestions can help you maintain your weight after you stop smoking. Exercise regularly Taking a walk, riding a bicycle, dancing or doing any other aerobic activity yo...
Metabolism's Weighty Role
Metabolism's Weighty Role You would give up just about anything to be the same weight you were when you were younger, right? Believe it or not, you need give up nothing. That is, as long as you keep doing what you've always done—and maybe a bit more. Other factors Although metabolism plays a large role in controlling weight, it can't take all the blame. Genetics play a role, too. But genetics are predetermined, and lifestyle is not. Metabolism is the amount of energy—in this case, calories—that the body...
Move to the Music: Dancing as Exercise
Move to the Music: Dancing as Exercise Don’t like jogging in the park or swatting a tennis ball on the court? Slip on your dancing shoes instead for a good workout. The benefits of dancing go well beyond heart health and physical fitness. Dancing, especially group dance activities, provides opportunities for people of all ages to be socially and mentally engaged, as well. Many people find the combination of music and movement stimulating, relaxing, and pleasurable. Research shows that dancing can have a...
Now Is the Time to Get Moving
Now Is the Time to Get Moving As cold weather settles in and the days grow shorter, it's tempting to put off any thoughts of becoming active. The bustle of the holidays also makes it harder to follow through on a plan to start exercising, because you just don't think you have the time. But don't let the season or the weather get in your way. You owe it to yourself to get moving. The consequences of a sedentary lifestyle can be costly. Inactivity is a risk factor for heart disease and can contribute to o...
Obese Parents Influence Children's Weight
Obese Parents Influence Children's Weight Obesity is the most common health problem facing children, child health experts say. Twenty-two percent of children and teens are overweight, and over 15 percent are obese. Children whose parents are overweight or obese are at higher risk for becoming obese themselves, studies have shown. A study in the Journal of Pediatrics , for instance, found five independent risk factors for childhood overweight. The main risk factor was parental weight. Nearly 80 percent o...
Overview of Obesity
Overview of Obesity Facts about obesity Overweight and obesity together make up a leading preventable cause of death in the U.S. Obesity is a chronic disease that can seriously affect your health. Overweight means that you have extra body weight, and obesity means having a high amount of extra body fat. Being overweight or obese raises your risk for health problems, including coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Public health experts agree that overweight and obesity have reached epidemi...
Potbellies Warn of Later Problems
Potbellies Warn of Later Problems You were a pretty good jock in high school, and in your 20s you tried everything from racquetball to running. But in middle age, even your softball glove is gathering dust. For recreation, you surf -- the Web, not the waves. It's all part of that cavalier male attitude toward health that also makes men less likely than women to see a doctor. The fact is, you might not care as much about looks as your wife does, but that fat around your abdomen is no laughing matter. A m...
Simple Ways to Improve Your Diet
Simple Ways to Make Your Diet Better Good nutrition is a cornerstone of good health. A low-fat, low-cholesterol diet can reduce your risk for heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes, stroke, and other diseases. One way to improve your diet is to eat more fruits and vegetables. For adults, the 2010 U.S. Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines recommend 2 cups of fruit and 2½ to 3 cups of vegetables each day. You should also get at least 6 ounces a day of grains (3 to 4 ounces should come from whole...
Six Facts on Obesity
Six Facts on Obesity We've all heard warnings, yet many of us keep gaining weight. According to the CDC, more than one-third of U.S. adults, or 35.7 percent, are obese. People who are obese have an abnormally high and unhealthy proportion of body fat. This important public health issue is now epidemic. According to the CDC, the prevalence of obesity in the late 1970s was 15 percent. In 2004, it was 32.5 percent. An adult who is overweight has a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0 to 29.9. An adult who is obes...
Snacking Can Help You Maintain a Healthy Weight
Snacking Can Help You Maintain a Healthy Weight If you’re trying to maintain or reach a healthy weight, eating between meals may seem like the last thing you should do. Many nutrition experts say, however, that having a healthy snack midmorning or midafternoon can help you maintain your energy and prevent you from eating too much at lunch or dinner. The following suggestions can help you keep your appetite and weight in check: Keep snacks between 100 and 200 calories. Snacks with fewer than 50 calories ...
Staying Fit the Old-fashioned Way
Staying Fit the Old-fashioned Way Stroll down the aisles of any department store these days, and your eye will be drawn to a glittering array of labor-saving devices—everything from snow blowers and electric hedge trimmers to remote controls for the TV and DVD player. It's enough to send shudders of alarm through every health and exercise expert in the land—and for good reason. These labor-savers are associated with America's slide toward lethargy. A large segment of the American public isn't getting en...
Strategies to Fight Holiday Weight Gain
Strategies to Fight Holiday Weight Gain The average American gains several pounds in the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. This seemingly inevitable weight gain is avoidable; you can fend off added pounds during the holidays without becoming a dietary Scrooge. One way to do that is to eat healthier foods that are low in fat and calories. You can still fill your plate at a holiday buffet, but fill it with fresh fruits and vegetables instead of fried chicken fingers or cheese sticks. You ...
Stress Can Pack on Pounds
Stress Can Pack on Pounds Some people respond to impending deadlines, financial problems, relationship meltdowns, and other difficulties by eating less. But if you respond to added stress by eating more, you could end up with added pounds. Fortunately, you can take steps to avoid stress-related weight gain. To begin, consider which of the following behaviors you’re prone to, and then take steps to counteract your usual behavior. Behavior: You don’t have time to prepare healthy meals. If having a lot to ...
Strokes and Heart Attacks: What's the Difference?
Strokes and Heart Attacks: What's the Difference? Although their symptoms and effects can be similar, strokes and heart attacks are two different medical problems. Both are vascular events, meaning they involve the blood vessels, the arteries in particular. Both conditions can also lead to disability and death. Heart attack Heart attacks are almost always the result of progressive coronary artery disease (CAD). In CAD, the arteries that supply blood to the heart become choked with fatty deposits called ...
Success Secrets of Losing Weight
Success Secrets of Losing Weight The majority of dieters regain the weight they lose within five years. But they could avoid doing so by gradually changing their eating and exercise habits. Your approach to weight loss should be to make changes you can keep up for the rest of your life, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). You can expect to go through three distinct phases as new diet and exercise habits take root and a healthier you begins to emerge...
The Facts on Fat: What a Healthful Diet Should Include
The Facts on Fat: What a Healthy Diet Should Include Surprise: Fat’s not all bad. You just have to know how to maximize the healthy fats and minimize the unhealthy fats. Unhealthy fats contribute to hardening of the arteries and can lead to heart disease and stroke. The following fat facts and tips can help you understand how fat should fit in your healthy eating habits. Change your fat mix Fact: Monounsaturated fats like canola oil and olive oil can improve blood-cholesterol levels and reduce the risk ...
The Importance of Eating Together as a Family
The Importance of Eating Together as a Family Eating together as a family has many benefits not only for you, but also for your children. Despite today’s fast-paced lifestyle that seems to include more drive-throughs and diners than dinners at home, people still believe that this traditional practice is important. One recent study showed just why people believe eating as a family can be so valuable. Researchers surveyed 107 parents of 8- to 10-year-old children and found that parents believe eating toge...
The Power of a Food Diary
The Power of a Food Diary You can lose weight without a food diary, but according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, you’re more likely to be successful if you keep one that tracks what, why, when, and where you eat. A food diary can provide insight into your hunger patterns and highlight emotional eating binges. In addition, you become much more aware when eating because of hunger or boredom. Diary details The easiest way to keep a food diary is to use a small notebook. This is what your diary ...
The Reality Behind Metabolism Myths
The Reality Behind Metabolism Myths So can we really change our metabolism or are we predestined to having a slugging metabolism? Can we blame our metabolism for our body weight? Does our age, gender, or race play a role in the number of calories we can eat? Myth No. 1 - We can precisely calculate what our calorie needs are based on our metabolism. A person's basal metabolic rate is the amount of energy required to sustain basic processes required for life. With today's technological advances, a person'...
The Science of Weight Loss
The Science of Weight Loss The science behind weight loss is actually quite simple. If you want to lose weight, you have to use up more calories than you eat. On paper, losing weight is simple math. One pound of fat equals about 3,500 calories. If your goal is to lose one pound of fat, your body has to burn off 3,500 calories. If you cut back your caloric intake and/or increase exercise each day to create a deficit of 500 calories, you can lose one pound every seven days. In real life, however, it's mor...
Tip the Scales in Your Child's Favor
Tip the Scales in Your Child's Favor Sure, the kids are carrying a few extra pounds -- OK, maybe more than a few -- but how big a deal could that be? It could be today's greatest threat to public health. "We may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents," U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, M.D., recently told a Senate committee. Obesity is poised to pass tobacco as America's leading preventable killer, and it's a growing epidemic among...
Using Free Weights for Resistance Training
Using Free Weights for Resistance Training Resistance training is a type of strength-training exercise that gets you to use your muscles against some form of resistance. The most common forms of resistance are free weights and strength-training equipment. Strength training is an important part of a total physical fitness plan for both men and women. It improves muscle strength and endurance. It’s also been shown to decrease the loss of muscle that comes with aging, and it can improve heart health, bone ...
Vegetarians and Weight Loss
Vegetarians and Weight Loss Most people who follow a vegetarian diet are less likely to be overweight or obese than nonvegetarians. Even so, becoming a vegetarian is no guarantee you will attain or maintain a healthy weight. That’s because the same rules apply to vegetarians and nonvegetarians as far as weight is concerned. That is, if you consume more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight. This is true no matter what you eat. A calorie is a calorie, whether it comes from a hamburger or a whole whe...
Watching Your Diet This Winter
Watching Your Diet This Winter When the thermometer plunges, you may feel like eating high-fat comfort foods. Dietary habits do change seasonally, but winter doesn't mean your healthy diet has to hibernate. A varied, balanced, year-round diet -- one that highlights vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, and de-emphasizes meat and other high-saturated fat foods -- can reduce your risk for major, chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Still, eating ...
Weight Matters: When Willpower Isn't Enough
Weight Matters: When Willpower Isn't Enough When you're significantly overweight, nobody has to tell you that you'd probably be happier and healthier without the extra pounds. But what if the weight won't come off, no matter how hard you try? Willpower alone might not be enough for people who are significantly overweight. If you've honestly tried to lose weight and failed, medications or surgery could be helpful under certain conditions. Most medical weight-loss programs first try to help you make the l...
What's Your Healthy Weight?
What's Your Healthy Weight? In today's society, the media hound celebrities whether they lose a pound or gain one, so it's hard to grasp the concept of a healthy weight. Obesity is determined by percentage of body fat and weight, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Having a large percentage of body fat, regardless of how much you weigh, is unhealthy. You could be of normal weight or underweight and still have an unhealthy amount of body fat. Being overweight means that you...
When Your Diet 'Disconnects'
When Your Diet 'Disconnects' If you’re like most American adults, you really do mean to lose weight. But exactly how you're going to do it has stumped you. The results of the 2007 International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation Food and Health Survey found that 75 percent of Americans are concerned about their weight. In addition, 70 percent have made dietary changes “to lose weight,” and 56 percent are “trying to lose weight.” Yet, even with some basic knowledge about how to accomplish these g...
Why Fat Cells Are Important
Why Fat Cells Are Important Excess body fat is bad for your health, but we all need at least a little fat. Experts note that fat plays an important role in maintaining good health, so we should all understand how fat cells function in the body in order to keep our own fat levels in a healthy range. What is a fat cell? Fat cells, also known as adipocytes, store excess energy from foods as fat. Fat is stored in the form of fatty acids called triglycerides. Adipose tissue, or a group of fat cells, is found...
Why Portion Sizes Are Important
Why Portion Sizes Are Important You've heard the news that much of America -- including its kids -- is overweight or obese. If you are in that crowd and want to lose the extra pounds, the first step is to know what and how much you're eating. One large obstacle is that most people are serving-size challenged, thanks to today's large portions: mega-muffins, heaping plates of pasta, behemoth burgers and extra-large bagels. According the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a "portion" can be ...
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SEARCH HEALTH LIBRARY
FIND A PHYSICIAN
WELLNESS LECTURES & EVENTS
CONTACT US
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Visit Us
2170 South Ave.
South Lake Tahoe, CA
96150
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