Nibbles: Obesity in China, plus watching TV during dinner and eating for productivity
A quarter of Chinese citizens now overweight
The increase in levels of overweight in China is second only to Mexico among developing nations in terms of speed, according to new data from the journal Health Affairs. A quarter of all people in China are now overweight or obese, and that number is only expected to continue to grow as more people eat more meat, eggs and dairy. Researchers say the traditional Chinese diet, rich in vegetables, no longer exists…
New method makes measuring babies easier
One problem associated with obesity during pregnancy is that it’s difficult to determine exactly how large the baby is getting, which may make the birth problematic if they baby has grown too large. But British researchers have developed a method for estimating birth weight in obese women that’s relatively accurate. The gestation-adjusted projection method uses a series of ultrasound measurements and calculations to determine if the baby is larger than normal and to predict the birth weight. The method was accurate within 20 percent of birth weight 93 to 95 percent of the time and within 10 percent 59 to 70 percent of the time. Results were more accurate the less obese the mother was…
Obese men should lose weight before trying for baby
Speaking of pregnancy complications having to do with obesity, it turns out overweight men should think about losing weight, too, before they think about conception. Another British study shows that obese men have lower volumes of semen and more abnormal sperm than men of normal weight, making it more likely they’ll have difficulty conceiving. Men who were considered ideal weight in terms of body mass index (in the range of 20 to 25) had higher sperm volume and quality than either men who were overweight or underweight…
Watching TV during meals leads to more eating
Those in favor of mindful eating say you should never eat in front of the television or computer, and now research from Canada indicates the same thing. A study by a University of Toronto researcher found that kids who watched television while eating lunch consumed 228 more calories than kids who had no external stimulation. Harvey Anderson says watching television overrides the body’s signals that it’s ready to stop eating…
PE teacher not allowed to give marrow because of BMI
Thirty-five-year-old Huddleston (that’s in England) resident Carl Zaffino has been a longtime blood donor and was excited to potentially have the opportunity to donate bone marrow as well, that is until he was rejected because his body mass index is too high. At five foot 10 and 18 stone (252 pounds), he registers at just over 36 on the BMI scale, but anyone who looks at him would know he’s actually pretty fit. He says his muscular legs put him over the top and that the National Blood Service is being unfair. They say they’re trying to protect recipients’ health…
Change your diet to feel more productive
Finally, if you’d like to get more done on the job, perhaps you should try eating more salads. A report from ComPsyh says that people who eat healthy diets are much more likely to consider themselves productive. About three-quarters of those who reported having a healthy diet also said they were productive at work, compared to just a quarter of those who ranked their diets as poor. Two-thirds of those who regularly work out call themselves productive (compared to 26 percent of those who don’t) and they also have more energy and higher morale.
(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)
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