Weightloss Central

High-Sugar Diet Raises Risk of Cholesterol Problems

Jane St. Clair — Fri, 10 Dec 2010

Eating a diet high in sugar can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

People in the study who consumed at least 25% of their calories from sugars of any kind were more than three times likely to have low levels of good cholesterol. They were 20% to 30% more likely to have high levels of fats called triglycerides.

"This is a specific added sugar effect," said Dr. Miriam Vos, lead author of the study at Emory University.

Dr. Vos and her colleagues used data from 6113 adults participating in the Centers for Disease Control's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, done between 1999 and 2006.
The more sugar in a person's diet, the more likely they were to have low levels of good cholesterol.
Only 15% of people in the study got less than 5% of their daily calories from sugars.

Using Your Freezer to Avoid Fast Food

Stefanie Hamilton — Wed, 08 Dec 2010

“Family dinner” used to mean a sit-down meal around the table at home. Today, it more often means picking something up in a drive thru and eating in the car. Unfortunately, fast food is rarely nutritious and almost always laden with fat and sodium. Instead of relying on drive thrus, you and your family will be better off if you start relying on your freezer.

“If you prepare meals at home, you can control the type of ingredients in your meals. Cooking ahead and freezing your meals is a better way to keep healthy meals accessible. And loss of nutritional quality by freezing is minimal, [Angela] Coopla said.” [Source: The Pocono Record]

Freezing your meals will require pre-planning, but it will help you and your family control portion sizes, calories and the nutritional value of your food.

Snacks Without the Guilt

Stefanie Hamilton — Mon, 06 Dec 2010

A fast-growing vending machine company is promoting healthy eating. Healthy U machines are stocked with healthy snacks and have already been bought by health clubs, high schools and even the Hyatt Regency hotel in Chicago.

“Its product offerings, including baked potato chips, fruit snacks, energy bars, cookies, juices, tea and other beverages and salty snacks; meet strict company standards… All are taste tested and include no trans fats, hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners, preservatives or colors…” [Source: Chicago Sun-Times]

Healthy U was launched by T Hephner, who was looking for a way to help other people make some of the same healthy-eating choices he and his wife had made. Natural Choice Vending and Yo-Naturals are two other vending companies that offer healthy choices.

Changes at School Help Students Lose Weight

Stefanie Hamilton — Fri, 03 Dec 2010

Results of a recently released government study found that positive changes in school food, curriculum and physical education helped some kids lose weight. Over 4,000 kids participated in the three-year study while they were in middle school.

“Organizers said the HEALTHY study is the first large study to show that changes in middle school can make an impact on obesity in a high-risk group of both boys and girls… ‘The take-home message is that this intervention did reduce the rate of obesity in those kids who were overweight or obese to begin with,’ said Dr. Barbara Linder with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.” [Source: San Antonio Express-News]

Though the program didn’t reduce overall obesity rates, the most positive results were found in the kids who were at highest risk for developing diabetes.

Regular Monitoring Promotes Weight Maintenance

WLC — Wed, 01 Dec 2010

People who keep monitoring themselves through weight maintenance programs are more likely to maintain weight losses, according to a new study from Kaiser Permanente healthcare system.

Researchers studied 1600 overweight or obese people trying to lose weight by attending weekly group meetings, weighing in at the meetings, keeping food diaries, and obtaining information about exercise and healthy foods.
Among those who lost at least nine pounds, 348 were asked to use a website to regularly record their weight, the amount of exercise they got, and the number of days they kept food diaries.
The ones who were most consistent about using the website over the 14-month period of the study were most likely to maintain a weight loss of five pounds or more.
The ones who did not use the site kept off only three pounds.

"Consistency and accountability are essential in any weight maintenance program," said Kristine Funk, lead author of the study. "The unique part of this intervention was that it was available on the Internet whenever and wherever people wanted to use it."

The study appears in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Walkable Neighborhoods Help Promote Weight Loss

Jane St. Clair — Mon, 29 Nov 2010

Some people deliberately choose to live where they can walk to stores, schools, and work, while others want to live near outdoor recreation areas, such as lakes and hiking trails. People in the first group are more likely to maintain healthy weights, according to a new study from the University of Alberta.

Dr. Tanya Berry and her colleagues analyzed reasons why over 2.300 people purchase their homes, and then looked at data on their heights and weights.

"For those people who had moved for ease of walking and thought that was important, their BMIs didn't change and they were able to maintain their weight," said Dr. Berry. "But the results for the question related to choosing to live near outdoor recreation facilities were completely the opposite from what we would have thought. The more people said they chose their neighborhood because of its access to outdoor recreation, the higher their BMIs."

The study appears in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Study Suggests Teen Weight Loss Surgery May Raise Risk of Birth Defects

Jane St. Clair — Mon, 15 Nov 2010

More obese teenagers than ever are undergoing surgeries to lose weight. Now a new study finds that such surgeries might not be safe for girls because they increase their risk to have babies born with defects.

Researchers from Benioff Children's Hospital at the University of California in San Francisco found that after a girl undergoes obesity surgery, her body has trouble absorbing vitamin B9, which is needed to give birth to a healthy baby. A deficiency of this vitamin causes spinal and brain birth defects.

"The possibility of future birth defects may outweigh the benefits of this procedure," said Dr. Diana Farmer, lead author of the study. "I am not saying the procedure should be ruled out, or that obesity is not a problem. But no kids are dropping dead at age 18 from obesity."

Over the past ten years the number of gastric bypass surgeries increased 600%, with 220,000 such surgeries performed in 2009.
The government has not approved the surgeries for young people, who are nevertheless undergoing the procedures in great numbers.
A recent study showed that 78% of teens who have bariatric surgeries are girls.

This study was presented at a convention of the American Association of Pediatrics.

Larger Waists Associated with Increased Risk of Bowel Cancer

WLC — Fri, 12 Nov 2010

Carrying fat around your waist may increase your risk for bowel cancer even if you are at a healthy weight, according to a new study from Imperial College London and the University of Leeds.

"We estimate that more than 2700 cases of bowel cancer a year in the United Kingdom, could be prevented if people maintain a healthy weight," said Dr. Martin Wiseman.

"But as well as confirming the link between body fat and bowel cancer, this study has strengthened the evidence that where we carry the fat is also important," Wiseman said. "People who do have a large waist should consider losing weight even if they are in the normal BMI range."

The study was presented at a meeting of the World Cancer Research Fund.

Are 3 Big Meals Better than 6 Smaller Ones?

Jane St. Clair — Thu, 11 Nov 2010

Overweight men on high-protein diets who ate three meals a day felt less hunger than those who ate six small meals a day. according to a new study from Purdue University. The Purdue research team had expected to find the opposite.

Twenty-nine overweight men were randomly assigned to either a high-protein or normal protein diet for three months.
They ate three meals five hours apart or six meals every two hours for three days, and then they would switch the pattern for the next three days.
The men on the high-protein diet felt fuller when they ate the three larger meals a day, but the results were the same for the men on the diets with normal levels of the protein.

"These mini-meals everyone is talking about do not seem to be as beneficial as far as appetite control," said lead author Heather Leidy.

The study appears in the journal Obesity.

Heightened Suicide Risk After Weight-Loss Surgery

WLC — Wed, 10 Nov 2010

According to a new study that was published in the American Journal of Medicine, weight-loss surgery patients have a higher suicide risk than average.

The latest study, which tracked deaths among Pennsylvania resident who underwent bariatric surgery, examined a longer period than previous research – up to 10 years following the procedure.

Among 16,683 who had bariatric surgery between 1995 and 2004, 31 committed suicide by the end of 2006, the researchers found.

The data translate into a suicide rate of nearly 14 per 10,000 men per year, and five per 10,000 women each year. - Source: Fox News

Researchers were quick to emphasis the fact that, though they found an association between weight-loss surgery and suicide, the nature of the association is still unknown. The severely overweight and obese have higher rates of depression in general, as well as other mental disorders like anxiety.