Just when you think that every commercial business that could be accused of weight discrimination probably has been accused of weight discrimination, up pops a new entry on the list. In this case, welcome to Dekalb County, Georgia, where a woman we won’t name was hit with a $5 “overweight” surcharge by a nail salon we also won’t name, on the grounds that the salon chairs have a capacity of 200 pounds, and when damaged by persons weighing more than that, cost $2,500 to fix.

When the customer complained, her $5 was refunded, but she was told to please take her nails somewhere else in the future. “That’s discrimination because of my weight,” the customer griped to the media. “Come on, we’re in America, you can’t do that.”

A few observations: First, yes you can do that. You can be sued for doing that, of course, but there’s a difference between discrimination, which is an arbitrary mistreatment of someone on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity or physical handicap, and differential treatment based on some practical consideration. You must be a certain height to ride some rollercoasters. You must be able to see to rent a car. You must be able to patronize a commercial business without damaging it.

Second, the photo of the woman in question indicates a weight somewhere between 250 and 300 pounds. That’s a pretty challenging load for a lot of things designed to support humans; some bathroom scales, for example, top out at 250. So the salon may be justified in this matter. On the other hand —

Third, $2,500 per chair? Just for repairs? What are they made of, platinum? For $2,500, I could get you a chair that could hold any two Oakland Raiders linemen of your choice. And what’s more –

Fourth, while it may be true that a seriously overweight customer can damage your facilities, the way you deal with that is by charging the particular customer at fault for the repairs. You don’t deal with it by requiring everyone who resembles that customer to pay a fine or make partial restitution. That’s why you don’t see signs in antique shops reading, “If anybody breaks it, you’ve bought it.”

With apologies to the retail nail salon industry, an industry that we got along just fine without until about 15 years ago, the CalorieLab call on this one goes to the aggrieved, if hefty, customer.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

Weight Discrimination or Legitimate Precaution: Sometimes It’s Tough as Nails to Tell the Difference is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

1. Black Rice Is a Healthy Alternative to Blueberries

Black rice is loaded with antioxidants and is an economical alternative to pricey blackberries and blueberries, researchers report.

2. Smokers on Metformin Decrease Lung Cancer Risk

Smokers who take the antidiabetes drug metformin may be at a decreased risk of lung cancer based on a study in mice, which also adds to previous research on metformin and other cancers.

3. New Tuberculosis Test Gets Results in Two Hours

A two hour TB test will allow doctors to get results quickly and be able to appropriately treat the individual, depending upon the type of strain with which they are infected.

4. Less Active Thyroid Linked to Longevity

Low thyroid activity is associated with an increased lifespan according to a study that analyzed thyroid levels in the blood of siblings from long-lived families in Holland.

5. Cognitive Decline Faster with Mental Activity

Seniors who are more mentally active have a faster rate of cognitive decline once they are diagnosed with dementia, including Alzheimer’s, according to an observational study of 1,157 older adults.

6. Gossip Reduces Anxiety

Despite what management at work may say, gossip can actually be a good thing, relieving worker stress and uncertainty and providing a path for flow of information.

7. Doctor Found Dead in Chimney

A doctor who graduated with honors from medical school has been found dead inside her boyfriend’s chimney in Bakersfield, California.

8. Selenium Linked to Lower Bladder Cancer Risk

Increased selenium intake may decrease the risk of developing bladder cancer. In a meta-analysis of seven studies, those with the highest selenium stores were at a 39 percent lower risk for bladder cancer than those with the lowest levels.

9. Age of Puberty Linked to Relationship with Mom

An early infant-mother attachment bond may determine the age at which girls mature, finds new research.

(By CalorieLab editors)

Lab Notes: Black Rice Is a Healthy Alternative to Blueberries; Smokers on Metformin Decrease Lung Cancer Risk is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

These two maps depict adult obesity trends in the U.S. from 1991 to the 2007-2009 period, as reported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Here’s the color key: White — no data. Light blue — less than 10 percent obesity; medium blue — 10-15 percent obesity; dark blue — 15-20 percent obesity; purple — 20-25 percent obesity; red — 25-30 percent obesity; orange — 30-35 percent obesity.

Remarkably, Colorado is not merely the last state still colored blue in the second map, but has actually lowered its obesity rate into the dark blue range, albeit just barely, with a 19.1 percent obesity rate.

At the other end of the spectrum, if the residents of Mississippi — obesity rate 33.8 percent — get much fatter, the map makers will have to come up with another color.

Courtesy of Miller-McCune

These two maps are based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and were part of a report whose title reflected the considered opinion of the 100-plus retired admirals and generals who endorsed to it: “Too Fat To Fight.”

In a nutshell, because of the spike in obesity rates among young adults graphically displayed above, the U.S. military now winds up discharging more than 1,200 first-term enlistees due to weight problems each year, and they had to turn down 140,000 volunteer recruits between 1995 and 2008 for the same reason. It’s estimated that the annual cost of retraining replacements just for overweight military dischargees runs to $60 million a year.

Courtesy of Carltonreid, Flickr user

No one seems to know just where this photograph was taken, but somewhere, presumably in the U.S., there is evidently a bike lane that makes its own best argument for itself. But wouldn’t this graphic be more effective if stenciled onto streets and highways?

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

Graphic Visuals: Four Depressing U.S. Fat Maps, and a Bike Path With an Attitude is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

1. Dead Plants Can Be Fire Hazard

Dead plants sitting around in plastic pots can spontaneously combust as happened at a house in Arkansas.

2. Many Parents Make Medicine Dosing Errors

Many parents aren’t so skilled at giving the correct dosages of liquid medicine to their children, say researchers.

3. Teens: Sleeping Less Equals More Fatty Foods

Teens that sleep less than eight hours a weeknight tend to consume more snacks and fatty foods, say researchers.

4. Cerebral Palsy Risk Up in Early and Late Births

Being born outside of the normal 40 week gestational period appears to slightly increase the risk of cerebral palsy, according to a study of 1.7 million kids in Norway.

5. Eating Vegetables May Reduce Lung Cancer Risk

A diet rich in a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables may reduce one’s lung cancer risk, especially in smokers.

6. Mandatory Flu Shots for All Medical Workers?

A position paper released by the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America recommends that all medical personnel should receive mandatory flu vaccines to ensure patient safety.

7. Milk Is Cure for Garlic Breath

You can still get the health benefits of garlic, but without the stinky breath by drinking some milk, suggest researchers.

8. Ovary Removal Prolongs Life

High risk women benefit from ovary removal with a prolonged life and prevention both ovarian cancer and breast cancer.

9. MS Activity Linked to Spring and Summer

Spring and summer for multiple sclerosis patients appear to be a time marked by an increase in brain lesions and disease activity, according to a study conducted in Boston.

10. Cough Medicine Could End Up Behind the Counter

The abuse of common cough medicines is prompting the Food and Drug Administration to place restrictions on them.

11. High Fat Diet in Puberty Linked to Breast Cancer

Girls who consume a high-fat diet during puberty are putting themselves at greater risk of breast cancer later in life, even if they’re not obese or overweight.

12. Scientists Discover New Anti-Obesity Protein

Researchers from Maine have found that mice that are bred to express more of a newly discovered protein called “Sprouty”, they become leaner and stronger and have increased bone density, possibly leading the way for a new weight loss drug.

13. Fish Oil Supplements Support Muscle Recovery

According to a new animal study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, supplementation with fish oil may improve skeletal muscle function and recovery. Rats fed a DHA-rich diet displayed a higher oxygen efficiency which helps decrease fatigue.

14. Reasons for Increasing Caesareans

One in three births are by Caesarean, and researchers blame increased use of labor-inducing drugs, giving up on labor too soon and failure to allow women with previous Caesareans to try vaginal birth.

(By CalorieLab editors)

Lab Notes: Dead Plants Can Be Fire Hazard; Many Parents Make Medicine Dosing Errors is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

I am indebted to Trent Lorcher, a contributing writer for KIRO TV in Seattle, for his presentation on the station’s website titled “5 Disgustingly Bad Foods We Love.” I don’t personally love them all, or find them all disgusting, but it’s an excellent list nonetheless. These are food items with almost no redeeming nutritional virtues, and we evidently cannot get enough of them. They are, as he notes, “junk foods (that) keep us coming back.”

Here they are, with my own wholly subjective remarks:

• Twinkies: As bad as the fat and sugar overdose inherent in sponge-cake-and-sweet-cream-filling is, these things are apparently immune to spoilage or decomposition, given a shelf life that seems to be figured in eons. If you ate enough of them, not only might it kill you but your digestive tract would be preserved for eternity.
• McDonald’s Filet of Fish Sandwich: This strikes a personal chord. I used to spend a lot of evenings on the road, and because I assumed that any fish sandwich was healthier than any beef or pork sandwich, I ate these on a regular basis. Now Lorcher informs me that each one delivers 400 calories and 18 grams of fat. Children, learn from my tale and do not be conned.
• Nacho Cheese: Good God, people, it even looks like toxic sludge. I’ve never consumed much of the stuff, thank you, not so much out of fear that it’s fattening as out of concern that it might be radioactive.
• Oreos: Lorcher’s actual phrase is the generic “Store-bought cookies,” but the accompanying photo and description leaves little doubt about the cookie in question. And when you think about all the healthier cookie alternatives there are, with ingredients like chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts, peanut butter, oatmeal, blueberries and raisins, it is a bit disgusting that our favorite is two little cocoa-flavored wafers with some frosting.
• Candy Corn: Compared to this, almost every other candy product looks like health food. It’s sort of the Oreo of candies, actually: no peanuts or caramel or almonds or cocoanut or chocolate or anything but sugar and corn syrup. And a couple of chemicals. And their shelf life makes Twinkies seem perishable. Even so, we gobble enough of them to keep countless dentists driving Lexuses.

There is one more thing you could say about these five food items, besides their being both disgusting and beloved. And that’s that they can be spectacularly fattening if eaten on a regular basis. I wish Lorcher had done the math on this, but he didn’t, so allow me to speculate: If you could wave a wand and make it so that none of these five items had ever existed, the national obesity rate would be a good two or three percentage points lower than it is.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

Five Unhealthy Temptations We Can’t Seem to Resist is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Q: Does eating too much sugar increase risk of diabetes?

Development of diabetes is strongly linked to overweight and obesity. For many people, the excess calories from frequent sweets and soft drinks makes it tough to maintain a healthy weight. Beyond that, however, research has not shown whether sugar consumption alone increases risk of diabetes. In part that’s because it’s unclear whether there is a difference in the effects of sugar from soft drinks, fruit drinks and juices; sugar-sweetened foods; and the rise in blood sugar that can follow consumption of refined grains (like white bread and white rice). Some studies do link greater consumption of all of these with increased risk of diabetes or pre-diabetes, even beyond any effect of total calorie consumption and/or weight.

A western diet — which includes more sweets and refined grains — is linked with greater risk of diabetes. But this pattern also includes higher consumption of red and processed meats, also linked with diabetes, so we don’t know the role of each individual part of this eating pattern. Evidence is strongest about risk from regular soft drinks: compared to those who consume less than one drink per month, people who consume them daily may increase diabetes risk by 25 to over 80 percent. Some people probably inherit a tendency to more easily develop diabetes in response to these choices than others.

More research is needed. Meanwhile, we don’t have evidence that supports totally avoiding high-sugar foods and drinks, but keeping them to occasional use makes sense for many health reasons. For now, research is clear that reaching and maintaining a healthy weight and getting daily moderate physical activity are effective diabetes prevention strategies.

Q: If abdominal exercises can’t spot-reduce fat around the
waist, then what’s the big deal about doing them?

In terms of your appearance, strengthening abdominal muscles can’t specifically burn excess fat located there, but when muscles get weak and sag, you can look like you have more fat there than you do. Much more important, however, is that when you strengthen the muscles of your “core” — including your lower back, abdomen and pelvis — it helps you maintain good posture, avoid lower back pain and prevent injuries. A strong core also promotes better balance (which reduces the risk of falls), makes it easier to bend and reach throughout daily life activities and improves performance in a variety of sports, from bicycling to golf.

(This article was provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. A registered dietician is available to respond to questions about diet, nutrition, and cancer at the free AICR Hotline at 1 (800) 843-8114 during business hours.)

Diabetes and Benefits of Abdominal Exercises is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

“Drink water before meals” has been one of the staple items on nearly every list of weight loss tips for years, and why not? It seems quite logical: The water, which has zero calories, takes up space in your stomach that would otherwise be filled with food, which has plenty. And earlier studies seemed to confirm some link between water consumption and weight loss. But nobody had actually conducted a gold-standard scientific study of the question, a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Until now. The American Chemical Society just conducted such a test, and they found that among people on low-calorie diets, those who drank two 8-ounce glasses of water before each of three daily meals did, indeed, lose five more pounds over 12 weeks than those who didn’t, shedding around 15.5 pounds compared to the non-drinkers’ 11 or so. The AMC’s official conclusion: “Increased water consumption is an effective weight loss strategy.”

For that matter, the single most effective weight loss strategy of all would be to simply replace all consumption of sugary, caloric fruit drinks and soft drinks with water.

Hey, It’s a Tea Party We Can All Agree On

Speaking of beverages and the American Chemical Society, the AMC also did a bit of investigating on the tea front, specifically with regard to those upscale designer bottled teas that come in such tony flavors as rose, hip and mango and pomegranate and can cost $3 a bottle. Furthermore, there are the ones that justify their lofty prices by claiming to be loaded with cancer-fighting flavonoids and antioxidants.

What the AMC discovered is that while they do contain those beneficial elements, you’d need to knock back a couple of gallons of the pricey teas just to get as much benefit as from a cup of plain old teabag tea you brewed at home.

In hard numbers, the ACS analyzed 49 samples of the commercial teas and found that the average 16-ounce bottle contains just 3 milligrams of polyphenols, the compounds that deliver most of the health benefits, whereas a typical cup of green or black tea brewed in your kitchen packs up to 150 milligrams, and for a mere fraction of the cost. And you’re not stuck with an empty bottle.

If only all of the dieter’s choices were this easy.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

“Miracle” Beverage Spurs Weight Loss; but “Supercharged” Teas are a Waste of Money is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

I’ve seen some pigs in my life! I remember seeing one at the Ohio State Fair that was not volumetrically challenged, to say the least. That sow must have been a thousand pounds or maybe more. She was not a pretty sight. Did have a blue ribbon, however.

I’ve seen several wild hogs while running along country roads. Watching the mama pig with five or so babies in tow can be very entertaining unless they are headed toward your vegetable garden with mischief on their minds.

I’m sure most everyone remembers Babe the pig! I had hoped at the time that the Babe phenomena would lead people to eat less pork, but the power of bacon is stronger than steel.

You may not be able to teach a pig to ride a bicycle, as the old joke goes, but you can teach them to be an optimist. Actually, I’ve always thought that pigs were optimists. After all, any creature that can be happy in slop must be able to look at things with the sunny side up.

Teaching the Pigs

Researchers from Newcastle University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development have shown for the first time that a pig can be influenced to be either optimistic or pessimistic, and that pigs are capable of complex emotions which can be influenced by how they are treated.

The Newcastle scientists taught the pigs to associate a note on a glockenspiel with a treat, an apple and a dog training clicker with something they find unpleasant: the rustling of a plastic bag. They then placed half the pigs in an idyllic environment. They were provided a large space, the freedom to roam in straw and play with toys. The other half were placed in a depressing environment. The conditions were sparse and confining. There was no straw and only one non-interactive toy.

Going to Your Happy Place or Not

The team then played an ambiguous noise, a squeak and studied how the pigs responded. Lead researcher, Dr. Catherine Douglas, explains: “We found that almost without exception, the pigs in the enriched environment were optimistic about what this new noise could mean and approached expecting to get the treat,” she said. “In contrast, the pigs in the boring environment were pessimistic about this new, strange noise and, fearing it might be the mildly unpleasant plastic bag, did not approach for a treat.”.

We certainly can have a similar positive or negative cognitive bias depending on our life circumstances also!

“Our research, for the first time, provides an insight into pigs’ subjective emotional state, and this will help scientists and farmers to continue to improve the lives of their pigs in the future.”

I hope someone can then apply this information to our welfare and environment as well!

It’s Healthy to be Optimistic

I don’t know if optimistic pigs are healthier than their pessimistic counterparts, but optimistic people sure are.

A study following 99 Harvard University graduates beginning in 1942 and following them for up to 35 years found that the more optimistic individuals were much healthier and that pessimism in early adulthood appears to be a risk factor for poor health in middle and late adulthood.

It’s not just with health, optimistic people show greater achievement in sports and business, are more persistent and therefore more likely to be successful, live longer and experience less stress in their lives.

If you are not a natural optimist, great news, it can be learned!

In a controlled study of cognitive coping skills by the University of Pennsylvania’s Martin Seligman, Ph.D., and Gregory Buchanan, Ph.D., people who use these skills to learn to maintain an optimistic attitude may not only avoid depression, but they may actually improve their physical health.

“Optimists believe in themselves and their abilities. They expect good things to happen. They see negative events as minor setbacks to be easily overcome, and view positive events as evidence of further good things to come. Believing in themselves, they also take more risks and create more positive events in their lives.”

Who knows, just because no pig has learned to ride a bicycle yet doesn’t mean that a peddling pig isn’t right around the corner!

FunnyAnimated.net – funniest gifs online

Dr. J on Pigs, Optimism and Going to Your Happy Place is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

What Are Friends For? If You Answered, “Support and Honesty,” Not so Fast.

For whatever it may be worth, here are some of the more intriguing numbers. For openers, fully 90 percent of the survey respondents say that at least one of their friends needs to lose weight, while 64 percent say that at least two and as many as five of their friends need to lose. Five percent say all their friends are too fat.

How fat? Of the 90 percent with overweight friends, over half, 56 percent, say their friends need to shed at least 20 pounds. But nearly as many, 49 percent, insist they would never mention it to those friends. Perhaps that’s because a whopping 95 percent say they would still wish to be friends with someone who had become obese.

And why not, when 49 percent say that overweight friends, especially those fatter than themselves, make them feel better about their own weight, and one-third admit that their self-esteem rises when they’re with fat friends.

But there’s a downside to having overweight friends. Fully 92 percent claim that they sometimes, or always, eat more when dining with persons who overeat, and 39 percent claim that those friends undermine their own weight control efforts by eating unhealthily in their presence or badmouthing their attempts to diet.

And hey, with friends like those …

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

Fat and Friendship, Part 2: How Does One Affect the Other? is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Among the various explanations put forth for the current soaring obesity rates (fast foods, fructose, video games, etc.) the one that seems to be generating the most buzz in academic circles is “social contagion.” Very simply, that’s the premise that we tend to do the things that our friends and acquaintances do because they do them, especially when the majority of them are doing whatever it is.

If our friends are moody and sullen, we most likely will also be moody and sullen. If they’re serious sports fanatics, we’ll become likewise. And if they all adore junk food and eschew exercise and get fat, well, get ready to start buying a larger size.

But there is an alternative school of thought which endorses the birds-of-a-feather explanation of shared group behavior. Unlike social contagion, where the notion is that one or two group members become “infected” and spread the new behavior to the others, the “feather” concept is that people who are already disposed toward such-and-such behavior just naturally gravitate together and form a group. To use our weight example, the question for social scientists is: Are we fat because of our friends, or friends because of our fat? Depending on which studies you cite, you can make an argument either way.

Complicating the matter even further, one analysis of behavior patterns over time found that in the case of obesity, friends evidently influence one another’s behavior even when living hundreds of miles apart. Some feel this strengthens the contagionists’ cause, but others feel just the opposite. In reality, it just changes the basic question to: Do we stay close despite the distance because we’re both fat, or both fat because we stay close despite the distance?

These may seem like questions to which the obvious response is, “What difference does it make?” But if the behavior in question is obesity and one is looking for ways to reduce or reverse the spread thereof, it’s a fairly important distinction. If contagion is the driving force, you identify the trend-setters in the group, those who adopt new behaviors first, and focus on changing their attitudes toward weight. If, on the other hand, it’s the birds-of-a-feather principle at work, you have to tackle the behavior patterns of the group as a whole.

In light of our grim childhood obesity rates, we’d be well advised to find out which of these two dynamics we’re dealing with.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

Fatness and Friendship, Part I: Why do They Often Go Hand in Hand? is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

From researchers at the University of South Carolina, via a study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, comes further evidence that prolonged periods spent sitting doing nothing can, in fact, kill you.

Specifically, the researchers found that men who spent more than 23 hours a week sitting — in their cars, watching TV, reading, etc. — had a 64 percent greater chance of dying from heart disease than men who spent just 11 or fewer weekly hours being stationary.

And that’s just the bad news. Here’s the worse news: Heart disease was linked to prolonged sitting just as strongly for men who led active lifestyles and exercised regularly when not sitting. In short, even frequent physical workouts are no protection against the “sitting” effect. The more you sit, the worse for your ticker.

So what is one to do if one’s occupation, hobbies or favorite recreation involves spending hours on end warming a chair, bench or stool? Exercise scientists suggest: anything. Anything, however brief, to break up those long sedentary stretches with some physical activity every half hour or so. Stand up, do some deep knee bends or torso flexes, walk around the room, go get coffee, do a chore. Whatever gets you out of your chair and upright.

Just keep reminding yourself that the more you remain motionless today, the sooner you could be motionless for keeps.

For the Seriously Corpulent Worker, It’s a Good Boss, Bad Boss World

Two recent news items serve to illustrate the broadly divergent ways in which employers relate to those employees who may be greatly overweight or obese, a situation that is becoming a recurrent topic in the media.

On the “good guys” end of the spectrum, South Carolina legislators, clearly alarmed by the fact that obesity rates in the state have doubled since 1990 and that obesity-related illnesses now cost South Carolinians more than $1 billion a year, will begin offering obese state employees surgery at no cost. The procedures, which essentially reduce the capacity of the stomach and cost about $24,000 each, will be available as part of a trial program for the first 100 obese applicants for whom it is deemed medically advisable.

In other parts of the world, the attitude of company execs is rather less accommodating. Flight attendants working for Turkish Airlines and for Air Arabia, for example, have been given three to six months to lose weight and get fit or face “reassignment,” which is code for grounding, a career-crippler. How they manage to lose the weight is their problem.

The airlines cited the need for flight crew members to move about easily, and, in an emergency, quickly and efficiently, which seems reasonable. But aviation experts noted that such an edict would be unthinkable in America because, noted one, it is “forbidden to discriminate against someone because of their weight.”

Perhaps more to the point, commented another expert, “This would never work in the United States, where the body mass index of the passengers and attendants is higher than anywhere else in the world.” In other words: futile.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

More on the Dangers of Sitting, and Company Policies on Obese Employees is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

They came up with a list they called the “20 Laziest States,” because that was the number of states whose residents spent more than the national average of 12 hours and 58 minutes per day essentially motionless, and because “laziest” was an attention-getting word, albeit not necessarily accurate, as we will see.

Here are the Torpid Twenty: Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Delaware, New York, Missouri, Arizona, Michigan, Indiana, Maine, Florida, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, New Hampshire.

It’s rather a mix bag of the expected and the counterintuitive.

Okay, Maybe “Laziest” Isn’t Altogether a Fair Choice of Words

The ten least active states are all in the deep south, which, not very coincidentally, is where the overweight and obesity rates are the highest (see “fattest state” rankings). But the presence of five New England states seems to contradict the conventional stereotype of the vigorous, energetic Yankee, and the idea that New Yorkers are the 11th laziest citizens in the country is downright laughable, as any New Yorker would tell you if he/she wasn’t too busy to take the time.

The reality is that a number of factors beyond the individual resident’s control are conducive to inactivity. In the south, heat and humidity render physical exertion, not just unpleasant, but downright unhealthy for several months a year, just as severe winter weather does in our northernmost states. Poorer and more rural areas have fewer facilities for recreation and exercise. Some states have higher percentages of the elderly. In Michigan, they’re probably just too depressed to exert themselves.

And some things simply defy explanation. For example, the national average for engaging in “active” leisure time pursuits is 17 minutes per day, and the two states whose residents spend the most of their leisure time being “active” are North Dakota and Hawaii. Why does North Dakota rank number one for leisure time activity and South Dakota 38th? We have no idea.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

America’s Laziest States is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Q: I am a breast cancer survivor, is it safe for me to be exercising?

The bottom line advice from a recently published gathering of experts on exercise in cancer survivors is, “avoid inactivity.” The panel stated that overall, exercise is safe for breast cancer survivors, both during and after treatment. The expert panel’s research review concluded that physical activity benefits breast cancer survivors’ quality of life, fitness and anxiety levels; and it seems to decrease fatigue and may help improve weight or body fat versus muscle composition in some women.

There are a few conditions that require some attention. Roughly half of breast cancer survivors can have arm or shoulder problems related to treatment; these should be resolved before beginning a program of upper body exercise, and women can learn steps to be proactive in preventing injury. Likewise, women with extreme fatigue or anemia should get these resolved before beginning an exercise program. Women with lymphedema, a swelling that can occur after lymph node removal or radiation to the underarm area, should wear a well-fitting compression garment during exercise, including strength training.

Conditions that require some adjustment in exercise plans include heart conditions, decreased immune function and bone metastases or hormonal treatments that put bone health at risk. Survivors currently in chemo or radiation treatment are advised to take extra precautions to avoid the spread of infections if they workout at public gyms.

Breast cancer survivors should not let that list of precautions scare them away or give them the impression that exercise is risky, however. With so many benefits, they’re urged to gradually incorporate both aerobic and strength training into their lifestyles, but to do so wisely with input from their physician and, ideally, an exercise trainer with cancer-specific expertise. Survivors can check with their local cancer treatment center for suggestions, and with the local YMCA to see if they participate in the LiveSTRONG partnership with the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Q: How risky are the compounds called AGEs in cooked meats?

AGEs (advanced glycation end products) may increase oxidation and inflammation in the body, promote diabetes and heart disease, and play some role in cancer development. These compounds form when beef, pork, chicken and fish are cooked, especially at higher temperatures and with dry heat (roasting, grilling, frying and broiling).

AGEs form when high-fat foods are heated to high temperatures and in production of dry-heat processed snack foods (such as crackers, chips and cookies). AGEs also form within the body during normal metabolism. Animal and limited human research suggests that greater consumption of AGEs raises body levels of these compounds. Many foods contain these compounds, but people who eat diets high in grilled or roasted meats, fats and highly processed foods could consume more than double the AGEs of people who eat meals rich in plant foods with smaller amounts of meat, especially prepared by moist heat (in soup or stew, microwaved, poached).

It would be premature to make dietary changes solely based on concern about AGEs, but the mostly plant-based diet with meats in only moderate portions (infrequently cooked at high temperatures) and limited use of highly processed foods is already the advice to reduce risk of cancer and promote overall health.

(This article was provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. A registered dietician is available to respond to questions about diet, nutrition, and cancer at the free AICR Hotline at 1 (800) 843-8114 during business hours.)

Exercise for Cancer Survivors and AGEs is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Autumn is nearly upon us, which means that school will soon be starting, which in turn means that a significant percentage of American adolescents are staring down the barrel of the dreaded “freshman fifteen” — the amount of pounds that conventional wisdom says the typical new college student is liable to gain during his or her first year away at college.

How to avoid this cliché and maintain a healthy weight has become a matter of some concern to freshmen and their parents alike. Happily for them, some researchers at Marquette University studied the eating habits of first-year students at seven dormitories and came up a simple rule that could be of some aid in staying trim, a rule that rather surprised the researchers, but probably shouldn’t have.

The rule: The more distance between your dorm room and a kitchen, the better.

They came to this conclusion after taking freshmen from the seven different dorms, four of which had dining halls onsite, and monitoring their weight and activities. What they found at the end of the study was that female students in dorms with dining facilities weighed nearly two pounds more than those living in dorms without dining halls.

So it’s just that simple, live in a dorm with no dining hall, right? Well, maybe not. It seems that those in the dining hall dorms also exercised 1.5 fewer times per week on average than those in the non-dining dorms. Accordingly, some observers suggest that the rule might actually be: The closer your dorm room is to a gym, the better.

They reason that (1) studies show that the great majority of people who regularly work out at fitness facilities live just a short distance from those facilities, and (2) if proximity to food is so pivotal, why didn’t they gain 15 pounds per year all through high school, when the food was just down the hall from their room?

Evidently the Marquette study did not record the distance from the various dorms to the school gym and/or fitness center, so further study will be needed to nail down the relative impact of dining halls and exercise facilities. In the meantime, to the standard weight-control advice given to new college students — don’t snack out of boredom or hang out with students who do, use study breaks as exercise breaks, weigh yourself regularly — we are probably safe in adding this: Try for a dorm room that is at least several minutes closer on foot to an exercise facility than it is to a food source.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

How to Avoid the “Freshman 15″ Weight Gain: Keep Your Distance From Food. Literally. is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

As a kid I often watched cartoons on Saturday mornings, especially in the wintertime! One of my favorite cartoons was Popeye the Sailor. Even now I marvel at the excellent artistry and detail of those earlier works drawn by the artists that worked for Paramount pictures.

I don’t remember paying much attention to the commercials, but perhaps they were not as subversive as they are today. The emphasis now, for the most part, is on selling unhealthy foods to their young audience.

What children are watching is more important than you may realize, at least according to Dr David Haslam, a physician who chairs the National Obesity Forum. He feels that the age of four is a crucial point, because once a child starts school “the battle is lost.”

Dr. Haslam suggests that behavior patterns are well established by the ages of four to five. At that point, the child begins school and the home stops being the major place where a child’s diet can be mostly controlled.

Paul Sacher, a research director at a program that aims to encourage obese children to be more healthy, agrees a healthy start in life is vital.

“Children who are obese at a very young age are more likely to become obese adults. Being obese in early childhood is associated with a wide range of health problems from childhood to adulthood.”

Actually, Dr. Haslam goes on to suggest that we must go “back to the start of life” in order to prevent early childhood weight problems and says that during pregnancy is the time to begin interventions with educating the birth mother about healthy habits.

Perhaps moms need to watch more cartoons! As it turns out, the cartoon itself may actually be more effective as a marketing tool than the commercials, which in this particular case can be a good thing according to current research published in the journal Nutrition & Dietetics.

Popeye as a Role Model

Researchers at Mahidol University in Bangkok found the type and amount of vegetables children ate improved after they took part in a program using various modalities to promote eating healthy food, including watching Popeye cartoons.

Lead researcher Professor Chutima Sirikulchayanonta said: “We got the children planting vegetable seeds, taking part in fruit and vegetable tasting parties, cooking vegetable soup, and watching Popeye cartoons. We also sent letters to parents with tips on encouraging their kids to eat fruit and vegetables, and teachers sat with children at lunch to role model healthy eating.”

They studied 26 kindergarten children aged four to five for an eight week period. The researchers recorded the types and amounts of fruit and vegetables that the children ate before and after going through the program.

The researchers found that the children’s vegetable intake doubled and the types of vegetables that they ate increased. Parents also reported that their children talked proudly about their eating vegetables more often at school.

In case you are not watching cartoons any more, and you want to talk proudly about your vegetable eating, perhaps this more sophisticated video about eating spinach will be helpful and instructive.

Cause I Eats Me Spinach is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Q: How do I know which vegetables and fruits are really best when antioxidant scores seem to vary?

Keep in mind that antioxidant scores are just one measure of how beneficial vegetables and fruits are to our overall health. Cancer protection also comes from effects of compounds that promote healthy DNA, slow growth and promote self-destruction of cancer cells, block carcinogen formation and more. If you do pay attention to the scores, know that there are different methods of testing antioxidant levels in vegetables and fruits, and the tests give varying results. You might most often see vegetables and fruits rated by their ORAC scores, but other tests, such as TOSC, FRAP and TEAC also test antioxidant power.

The problem with all of these is that they are strictly chemical “test tube” tests; they can’t represent the effects of eating these foods. Actual effects vary with how much of the antioxidant compounds we absorb from foods, how stable the compounds are within our body and how much of the compound gets into and works in our cells. Several newer methods developed now look at how compounds are taken into cells and metabolized. According to one system (developed at Cornell University), the vegetables highest in antioxidant activity within our bodies include broccoli, carrots, beets, red pepper, asparagus, eggplant and Brussels sprouts. Highest antioxidant ratings for fruits went to pomegranates, blackberries, wild blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, cultivated blueberries and apples. It’s important to note that all 27 vegetables and virtually all 25 fruits tested showed signs of fighting cancer cells. So don’t make antioxidants the only basis for choosing vegetables and fruits. Good nutrition is much simpler than that: aim for a wide variety and large portions that are part of every meal.

Q: Is it true that you lose more body fat by exercising in the low-intensity fat-burning zone?

No. The notion that slow exercise burns more fat is a misinterpretation of the research. Of all the calories you burn during exercise, a greater proportion comes from fat during low-intensity than during higher-intensity exercise. However, you generally burn significantly more total calories and therefore more total fat with higher-intensity exercise. So, if you hit a plateau in weight loss or exercise, increasing your intensity may actually help you burn more body fat. On the other hand, if low intensity exercise is what’s enjoyable for you or what your doctor has said is safe for you, then rest assured that you just need to keep at it longer to burn more calories. And even without a change in body weight, physical activity of moderate and vigorous intensity is linked with lower cancer risk (ideally 30 minutes vigorous or 60 minutes moderate) and better health. For ideas to get moving, visit the our page Physical Activity: Getting Started.

(This article was provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. A registered dietician is available to respond to questions about diet, nutrition, and cancer at the free AICR Hotline at 1 (800) 843-8114 during business hours.)

Antioxidant Scores and Low-Intensity Fat-Burning Zone is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Notice that all these personal sacrifices and lifestyle choices have something in common. To wit: None of them actually has anything to do with one’s weight. Okay, maybe if they gave up the TV and/or computer they’d be more physically active, and giving up sex would mean burning fewer calories, and the poor generally have fattening diets, so there are some tenuous associations. But the point is that none of the questions actually dealt with weight in real and germane terms. Here are some questions that might produce some interesting survey numbers.

Would you give up desserts for the entire summer in trade for a flat belly? How about any alcoholic beverage stronger than light beer?

Would you give up your car and walk or bicycle or take public transit instead? Would you give up all electronic diversions: video games, TV, the Net and anything else that kept you seated? Would you give up your golf cart and walk the course?

Would you give up all fast food? Would you give up all fried food? Would you give up doughnuts? Would you give up bacon?

I’m not optimistic about what the response rates would be. Especially since the survey found that while 73 percent of all adults would make one of the survey’s “magic wand” sacrifices to be slender, 46 percent say flat out that they will not give up their favorite foods.

Conclusion: It seems that we are generally willing to make any sacrifice for fitness other than those that might actually work. One more thing; a note to those who would give up showering for the summer: Studies have shown that people with no friends tend to become seriously overweight.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

Poll Results: We’ll Do Anything to Stay Thin, as Long as It’s Irrelevant and Pointless is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

Q: I love the New American Plate as a simple model for healthy eating. Does it matter how much of the 2/3 of your plate that is plant foods comes from vegetables?

Lots of people find the model developed by American Institute for Cancer Research, called the New American Plate, a helpful way to simplify messages about healthy meals that can promote a healthy weight, decrease cancer risk and support overall health. This simple model advises that each time you eat, make plant foods (vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans) at least two-thirds of your plate, and animal protein (poultry, seafood and red meat) no more than one-third. The ideal proportion of plant foods within that two-thirds varies with individual nutritional needs and overall eating habits. As long as they’re not loaded with fat, most non-starchy vegetables are lower in calories than the same portion of grains (rice, pasta, bread), beans (like kidney and garbanzo beans and lentils) and even most fruits.

If you are trying to lose weight or have a low activity level that poses a challenge for weight maintenance, vegetables with no or little added fat as a major portion of the plate can be a great strategy. On the other hand, if you like to choose raw vegetables and fruits as snacks, need extra calories (for example, if you’re very physically active) or are choosing meatless meals, then substantial portions of whole grains and beans may be important for you.

Look at how your current habits are working for you in promoting a healthy weight and in achieving the total amounts recommended for you in the MyPyramid Plan section of MyPyramid. For more individualized assessment from a registered dietitian, go to www.eatright.org and click on “Find a Registered Dietitian.”

Q: Are the chicken nuggets better than a burger at fast food restaurants?

Chicken offers the obvious advantage of helping you avoid the excess red meat (beyond 18 ounces a week) that increases risk of colon cancer. However, the smallest “adult” portion of chicken nuggets, usually 3.5 to 4 ounces (about five to eight pieces), is in many other ways comparable to a small hamburger. The two choices are about equal in calories and protein, and nuggets are likely to be only about one gram lower in cholesterol-raising fats (saturated plus trans fats). Compared to the somewhat larger “single” or quarter-pound size burger, the chicken nuggets are much lower in calories and cholesterol-raising fat.

Sodium in chicken nuggets varies widely; some contain less than a condiment-loaded hamburger, while others are just as high or higher. Most fast food dipping sauces, however, can add anywhere from 150 to 800 mg of sodium. But why limit yourself to these two options? A grilled (unbreaded) chicken sandwich is a healthier option. Because of the bun, calories are a little higher than the nuggets; but if you add fries to your chicken nugget order, the grilled chicken on a bun comes out lower in calories and saturated fat.

Some restaurants offer wraps made with grilled chicken, which may be lower in calories and higher in fiber than a sandwich on a white bread bun. Individual fast food restaurants may offer other healthier options, too. There are two main issues to consider when you eat at a fast food restaurant: First, regardless of what you choose, portion control is vital. And second, with any of these options we are still left asking, “Where are the fruits and vegetables?” For a balanced meal, be sure to include a salad, fresh fruit or both.

(This article was provided by the American Institute for Cancer Research in Washington, D.C. A registered dietician is available to respond to questions about diet, nutrition, and cancer at the free AICR Hotline at 1 (800) 843-8114 during business hours.)

Veggies in Meal Planning and Chicken Nuggets vs. Fast Food Burgers is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

It seems we live in a world of signage and rules!

I was out at the airport the other day, and as I taxied past the overrun area where I had my “plane crash”, I noticed a sign that read, “Prohibited Area: Keep Out.” I’m glad I didn’t try to obey that sign as my plane was dropping like a rock!

I was reminded of a time when my dad and I went sailing in a lagoon in our little 10 foot boat, and it capsized. As we paddled around trying to decide our next course of action, I happened to notice a large sign in the water saying, “No Swimming Allowed.” Perhaps in the small print it said that keeping from drowning was an allowed exception.

Recently at my fitness center pool, I was looking at a swimming kick board. In large letters it proclaimed, “Not a Lifesaving Device.” If I was drowning, and you can’t find anything better, throw me the kick board, please.

OK, I break a lot of rules!

I don’t eat breakfast and haven’t in a long time, even though I’ve read that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and will cause overeating later in the day.

I eat most of my food for the day after seven in the evening, even though I’ve read that that behavior causes us to gain weight.

I run every day, even though I’ve read that that causes all kinds of injuries to our joints.

I don’t tend to set goals, even though I’ve read that people with goals are more accomplished and get where they are headed.

I believe that our weight is simply a function of calories consumed versus calories utilized, even though I read daily how it’s so much more complicated and more than that.

Perhaps It’s All In the Interpretation

I feel that most of our behaviors are habits that we have adapted to.

I do not go over my calorie limits for the day even if I do not eat breakfast and eat the majority of my food after seven in the evening.

I’ve worked up to running every day, and I run with proper form, good shoes and off of hard surfaces.

I am direction oriented and move in a direction even thought I don’t often know where I am headed, but I still find that I accomplish a lot of goals on the journey.

I have found that calories utilized versus calories consumed for the vast majority of people is accurate in spite of society’s delusional; need to disprove it.

Maybe Some Things We Read are Wrong

I believe that doing healthy behaviors is more important than spending time trying to understand what is stopping you, even though I read every day about people’s wasted efforts directed toward understanding why, rather than just doing them. As I’ve stated before, push past your barriers and build positive, healthy habits, and you may eventually understand or not, but I believe you will be so much better off in the long run that way.
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I have been able to lose 30 pounds and maintain that loss, even though I’ve read experts saying that it is not possible to do that because of “internal factors,” and that we all know studies about “why some sedentary folks can eat like horses and remain lean while their neighbors consume moderately, train for triathlons and stay fat,” except I don’t.

I have seen statistics that report that even though people can initially lose weight, almost all of them gain it back. A conclusion drawn from these is that dieting is useless. However, the reason people gain the weight back is that they have stopped the diet and returned to what brought them to need to diet in the first place.

The Choices We Make Determine Our Lives

If I had followed every rule or believed everything that I’ve read, I don’t know where I would be, probably not where I am. I guess, within the realms of chance, each one of us has the opportunity to make the choices that will determine our lives. When you are faced with your choices, make the one’s that will help you succeed in your health and fitness voyage rather than accept the rules and signage that may put your plane into a house or your self under water. I don’t know if we are a certified lifesaving device here at CalorieLab, but we have changed servers and we can definitely float!

Dr. J on Signs and Rules is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News

A University of Texas analysis of 43 fruits and veggies in 2004, for example, found notable reductions in vitamin, mineral and protein content between 1950 and 1999. The amount of broccoli that packed 130 mg of calcium 50 years ago now delivers just 48 mg, for instance.

Some Bananas and Bell Peppers are Better Than Others

The reasons for this general nutritional decline aren’t yet clear, but researchers speculate that the breeding and fertilizing techniques now used commercially to accelerate the growth process also lead to a reduction in nutrients. Whatever the cause, the falloff in nutritional content is important to those who are trying to include more fruit and veggies in their diet. The challenge becomes how to select and prepare produce items so as to maximize their nutritional contribution to your body.

MSNBC tossed that challenge at a number of experts and came up with a short list of tips on how to get the most nutritional bang for your buck in the produce section. Here’s a summary.

Buy organic. There is evidence that fruits and vegetables grown without synthetic fertilizers contain more nutrients than the non-organic version.

The more color, the better. To get a complete spectrum of vitamins and minerals, go beyond green veggies and include items from across the color spectrum: red, yellow, purple, orange and combinations thereof. Also, the deeper and more intense the color of the produce, the more healthy phytochemicals, such as beta-carotene, are likely present.

Buy the junior sized produce. The smaller apple, bell pepper, zucchini or other produce item will have about as many nutrients as the larger one, but in more concentrated form.

Try steaming your veggies, a process that retains more nutrients in broccoli, carrots and some other veggies than boiling or even eating them raw.

Eat fresh. It’s the “new car” principle: Produce items’ nutritional value begins to drop the minute they’re harvested, so try to consume all fruits and veggies within a week after buying them.

As much as possible, leave them alone. Don’t buy pre-sliced or pre-shredded or already-peeled produce items, since the very act of chopping can drain nutrients, and edible peels (apples, potatoes, etc.) are particularly rich in healthy chemicals. Minimize your own slicing and peeling, and prepare your fruit and veggie dishes just before eating them.

Go local if you can. Produce at farmers’ markets is generally riper and fresher than the supermarket version, and both ripeness and freshness are nutrient boosters. If they’re also grown without growth-inducing fertilizers, you’ve scored a produce hat trick.

(By Robert S. Wieder for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News):

How to Avoid Buying Nutrition-Deficient Fruits and Vegetables is a post from: CalorieLab Diet News