Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda
By Steve Edwards
If you're looking for a scapegoat in the obesity epidemic, look no further than soda. It's the single greatest caloric source in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide. It's cheap, addictive, and readily available, which generally means that it will take some willpower to avoid. But don't despair, as we at Beachbody® are here to help. We present: our top 10 reasons to give up soda. Drumroll please . . .
10.Soda may cause cancer. According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks. As reported, the study "followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not."
Then why, you're probably asking yourself, is this number ten on our list and why is soda even still on the shelf? Not that I'd challenge the ability of such large corporate power to hide such a thing but, in this case, the study slit its own throat. As one of the researchers noted, "soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," meaning that we have no way of knowing, for sure, if soda was the culprit. Still, it doesn't hurt to know that when you drink soda it lumps you into a fairly unhealthy user group.1
9. It's not just about calories. Calories grab headlines, but recent science is showing that diet soda users are still in the crosshairs. A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed that there's a 41 percent increased risk of being obese—and a 65 percent increased risk of becoming overweight during the next 7 or 8 years—for every can of diet soda a person consumes in a day. Admittedly, this one should be higher on the list, but I wanted to make sure the article-skimming crowd knew the score up front: that diet sodas are very much a part of the problem.
8. It's the water . . . and a lot more. Okay, so that was a beer slogan, but soda is also made up mainly of water, and when you're slinging as much of it as they are, and you need to sling it cheap, sometimes you can't help but run into problems with your supply chain. In India, Coca-Cola® has found itself in hot water, and not the kind they thought they were purchasing rights to. Two of their factories have been closed, but one continues to run amok. According to a report in The Ecologist, "They accuse the company of over-extracting groundwater, lowering the water tables and leaving farmers and the local community unable to dig deep enough to get to vital water supplies."
"Since the bottling plant was opened in 2000, water levels in the area have dropped six metres, and when a severe drought hit the region earlier this year the crops failed and livelihoods were destroyed."2
7. BPA: not just for water bottles anymore. Nalgene® and other water bottle companies took the heat when the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) were made public a couple years back. While these companies went to great lengths to save their businesses, the soda companies somehow flew under the radar and continue to use it in their products. A recent Canadian study has found that BPA exists "in the vast majority" of the soft drinks tested. Most of these were under the national limits set for toxicity, but some were not. And remember how much soda the average person consumes, meaning odds are most soda consumers are at some risk.
"Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals."3
6. Can convenience. As in the 1950s colloquial: can it. Speaking of the 1950s, those were the happy days when most of our soda was consumed at soda fountains, obesity was a term hardly anyone had heard of, and the most feared epidemic was one of atomically mutated insects taking over the world. Now instead of hoofing it down to the corner confectionery for one soda, we fill out trucks with pallets of shrink-wrapped cans or bottles and quaff the stuff by the six-pack. Not to mention how out of balance this ensures our diets will become, it wreaks havoc on the world around us. The bottled-water industry (which is mostly owned by the soda industry) famously uses 17 million barrels of oil a year, and the aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa. Not only that, aluminum mining accounts for a ton of toxic chemicals that is left behind for every ton of the metal produced.4
5. The Frankenfood factor. Whether you consume diet or regular soda, you're getting all of the genetically modified food you need and more, via high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Both of these are under plenty of scientific as well as anecdotal scrutiny. Findings aren't pretty but, so far, this multibillion-dollar industry has kept these sweeteners on the shelves while alternative sweeteners meeting cost requirements are explored. Since it's almost impossible to read health headlines without finding one of these ingredients in some type of controversy, I'll just use one example:
"The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety advocacy group, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the claims, which stem from research conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy.
The foundation reported that rats who consumed aspartame in exceedingly large quantities were more likely to develop cancer. CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson considers this an important finding that should not be overlooked." 5
I know, there I go again with the cancer. But some people need to be shocked in order to take action. For me, seeing the Diet Coke® and Mentos® experiment was all I needed to swear off the stuff.
4. Foreign news cares how much soda we sell in our schools. How bad is your country's problem when the whole world is watching its daily actions? "Nearly one in three children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese and health experts say sugary drinks are part of the problem." Yep, bad. The world is well aware of the problems soda is causing and is looking to us to lead. And we certainly are trying. Are you with the program?
"Under the voluntary guidelines, in place since 2006, full-calorie soft drinks were removed from school canteens and vending machines. Lighter drinks, including low-fat milk, diet sodas, juices, flavoured waters and teas, were promoted in their place."6
And, while great and all, it appears that no one got the memo about diet sodas.
When it comes to soda, treat the word "diet" as a slogan. A study at Boston University's School of Medicine linked diet soda with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. To be more specific, the study "found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome," which is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other symptoms that lead to heart disease and/or diabetes. And, for those of you only concerned about how you look in the mirror, "Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese."
2. Soda outkills terrorists. A study out of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that soda has killed at least 6,000 Americans in the last decade.
From ABC News: "The new analysis, presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, offers a picture of just how horrifying the damage done by excess consumption of sugary drinks can be.
Using a computer model and data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Nurses Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated that the escalating consumption between 1990 and 2000 of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, which they abbreviated as 'SSBs,' led to 75,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease.
What's more, the burden of the diseases translated into a $300 million to $550 million increase in health care costs between 2000 and 2010."7
1. It's the "real thing" . . . not exactly. Should having the number one caloric source in the world come from something that's entirely manmade be a metaphor for a dying world? It doesn't have to be this way. After all, there's nothing in soda that we need. In fact, there's nothing in soda that even comes from the earth except caffeine, and that's optional. It's a mixture of altered water (injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors (yes, "natural flavor" is artificial), artificial color, and phosphoric acid, along with its sole caloric source that is a by-product of genetically modified corn production and offers virtually no nutritional value. It's about as real as The Thing.
Sources:
1 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/aafc-sdc020310.php
2 http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/373906/cocacola_just_part_of_indias_water_freeforall.html
3 http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/05/popcans.html
4 http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html, http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/books/eco/eech6_ss3
5 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/story?id=3317079&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
6 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8557195.stm
7 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/study-sugary-drinks-lead-early-grave/story?id=10019518
If you're looking for a scapegoat in the obesity epidemic, look no further than soda. It's the single greatest caloric source in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide. It's cheap, addictive, and readily available, which generally means that it will take some willpower to avoid. But don't despair, as we at Beachbody® are here to help. We present: our top 10 reasons to give up soda. Drumroll please . . .
10.Soda may cause cancer. According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks. As reported, the study "followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not."
Then why, you're probably asking yourself, is this number ten on our list and why is soda even still on the shelf? Not that I'd challenge the ability of such large corporate power to hide such a thing but, in this case, the study slit its own throat. As one of the researchers noted, "soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," meaning that we have no way of knowing, for sure, if soda was the culprit. Still, it doesn't hurt to know that when you drink soda it lumps you into a fairly unhealthy user group.1
9. It's not just about calories. Calories grab headlines, but recent science is showing that diet soda users are still in the crosshairs. A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed that there's a 41 percent increased risk of being obese—and a 65 percent increased risk of becoming overweight during the next 7 or 8 years—for every can of diet soda a person consumes in a day. Admittedly, this one should be higher on the list, but I wanted to make sure the article-skimming crowd knew the score up front: that diet sodas are very much a part of the problem.
8. It's the water . . . and a lot more. Okay, so that was a beer slogan, but soda is also made up mainly of water, and when you're slinging as much of it as they are, and you need to sling it cheap, sometimes you can't help but run into problems with your supply chain. In India, Coca-Cola® has found itself in hot water, and not the kind they thought they were purchasing rights to. Two of their factories have been closed, but one continues to run amok. According to a report in The Ecologist, "They accuse the company of over-extracting groundwater, lowering the water tables and leaving farmers and the local community unable to dig deep enough to get to vital water supplies."
"Since the bottling plant was opened in 2000, water levels in the area have dropped six metres, and when a severe drought hit the region earlier this year the crops failed and livelihoods were destroyed."2
7. BPA: not just for water bottles anymore. Nalgene® and other water bottle companies took the heat when the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) were made public a couple years back. While these companies went to great lengths to save their businesses, the soda companies somehow flew under the radar and continue to use it in their products. A recent Canadian study has found that BPA exists "in the vast majority" of the soft drinks tested. Most of these were under the national limits set for toxicity, but some were not. And remember how much soda the average person consumes, meaning odds are most soda consumers are at some risk.
"Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals."3
6. Can convenience. As in the 1950s colloquial: can it. Speaking of the 1950s, those were the happy days when most of our soda was consumed at soda fountains, obesity was a term hardly anyone had heard of, and the most feared epidemic was one of atomically mutated insects taking over the world. Now instead of hoofing it down to the corner confectionery for one soda, we fill out trucks with pallets of shrink-wrapped cans or bottles and quaff the stuff by the six-pack. Not to mention how out of balance this ensures our diets will become, it wreaks havoc on the world around us. The bottled-water industry (which is mostly owned by the soda industry) famously uses 17 million barrels of oil a year, and the aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa. Not only that, aluminum mining accounts for a ton of toxic chemicals that is left behind for every ton of the metal produced.4
5. The Frankenfood factor. Whether you consume diet or regular soda, you're getting all of the genetically modified food you need and more, via high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Both of these are under plenty of scientific as well as anecdotal scrutiny. Findings aren't pretty but, so far, this multibillion-dollar industry has kept these sweeteners on the shelves while alternative sweeteners meeting cost requirements are explored. Since it's almost impossible to read health headlines without finding one of these ingredients in some type of controversy, I'll just use one example:
"The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety advocacy group, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the claims, which stem from research conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy.
The foundation reported that rats who consumed aspartame in exceedingly large quantities were more likely to develop cancer. CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson considers this an important finding that should not be overlooked." 5
I know, there I go again with the cancer. But some people need to be shocked in order to take action. For me, seeing the Diet Coke® and Mentos® experiment was all I needed to swear off the stuff.
4. Foreign news cares how much soda we sell in our schools. How bad is your country's problem when the whole world is watching its daily actions? "Nearly one in three children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese and health experts say sugary drinks are part of the problem." Yep, bad. The world is well aware of the problems soda is causing and is looking to us to lead. And we certainly are trying. Are you with the program?
"Under the voluntary guidelines, in place since 2006, full-calorie soft drinks were removed from school canteens and vending machines. Lighter drinks, including low-fat milk, diet sodas, juices, flavoured waters and teas, were promoted in their place."6
And, while great and all, it appears that no one got the memo about diet sodas.
When it comes to soda, treat the word "diet" as a slogan. A study at Boston University's School of Medicine linked diet soda with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. To be more specific, the study "found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome," which is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other symptoms that lead to heart disease and/or diabetes. And, for those of you only concerned about how you look in the mirror, "Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese."
2. Soda outkills terrorists. A study out of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that soda has killed at least 6,000 Americans in the last decade.
From ABC News: "The new analysis, presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, offers a picture of just how horrifying the damage done by excess consumption of sugary drinks can be.
Using a computer model and data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Nurses Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated that the escalating consumption between 1990 and 2000 of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, which they abbreviated as 'SSBs,' led to 75,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease.
What's more, the burden of the diseases translated into a $300 million to $550 million increase in health care costs between 2000 and 2010."7
1. It's the "real thing" . . . not exactly. Should having the number one caloric source in the world come from something that's entirely manmade be a metaphor for a dying world? It doesn't have to be this way. After all, there's nothing in soda that we need. In fact, there's nothing in soda that even comes from the earth except caffeine, and that's optional. It's a mixture of altered water (injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors (yes, "natural flavor" is artificial), artificial color, and phosphoric acid, along with its sole caloric source that is a by-product of genetically modified corn production and offers virtually no nutritional value. It's about as real as The Thing.
Sources:
1 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/aafc-sdc020310.php
2 http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/373906/cocacola_just_part_of_indias_water_freeforall.html
3 http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/05/popcans.html
4 http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html, http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/books/eco/eech6_ss3
5 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/story?id=3317079&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
6 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8557195.stm
7 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/study-sugary-drinks-lead-early-grave/story?id=10019518
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Learn to Love Going to the Gym
No More Excuses!
-- By Leanne Beattie, Health & Fitness Writer
I was not very athletic in school. All elbows and knees and very little ability, I was usually the last one picked for teams. It was clear to me at a young age that my future lay in books, not basketballs, so I accepted my lack of athletic skills and concentrated on simply getting through gym class without causing my team to lose.
Fast-forward almost thirty years and I realized the pounds that had been steadily creeping up on me weren’t going to disappear on their own. I needed to get serious about my health before I started following in my mother’s footsteps with osteoporosis, high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. It was time to get to the gym.
Even though I knew I had to start working out, it took a few days to psych myself up and actually set foot in the gym. All of the old memories started playing in my head. Would I make a fool of myself? Would people laugh at me? How was I ever going to figure out all of that equipment? Maybe I should forget about the whole thing and resign myself to accepting my body the way it was, instead of putting myself through all this mental torture.
Then I realized that most of the problems I had in gym class all those years ago stemmed from my lack of knowledge. I didn’t remember a teacher ever explaining the rules of baseball and I was too shy to ask, so when the ball came my way I simply ducked because I didn’t know what to do. But now as an adult, I was much more confident and had the power to ask questions. I could do this!
I chose the gym closest to my home so I wouldn’t have an excuse not to go. Since it was within walking distance, I could never bail out of an exercise session because it was too much trouble to get there. So with new cross-trainers in hand and only slightly shaky knees, I signed up for a one-year membership.
My representative immediately put me at ease by giving me a tour of the facility and explaining all the rules and protocol. After showing me how to operate the cardio equipment (treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bikes), she left me on my own to find what I was most comfortable with. I selected the treadmill—I could already walk, so it seemed the natural choice for a beginner. Thirty minutes later I was sweating and happy. Even though I had stumbled a few times before getting into the rhythm of the machine, nobody had laughed at me or even seemed to notice. This gym thing wasn’t so bad after all!
I started going three times a week and noticed the same people there most of the time. This made me feel even more comfortable because even though I didn’t know these people personally, I wasn’t around total strangers anymore. It even got to the point of nodding a hello to the woman on the next treadmill or commenting on something we had both seen on the TV as we worked out. I felt like I was part of a tribe of people who were all trying to reach the same goal—physical fitness.
I made a lot of progress over the next few months but I still felt a little insecure around people in tip-top shape. All it took was a scan around the room to find a whole range of body types and fitness levels and I felt better. I was doing okay.
I ran into an old friend about six months after I started going to the gym and she was impressed by the changes in my body. I was noticeably slimmer and carried myself with more confidence. When she found out that I went to the gym regularly, she shook her head and said she would never be able to do it—she hated the whole idea and wondered how I had managed to become such a fan. It wasn’t hard to give her a list of reasons why I love going to the gym:
Social enrichment. I love being around people who are trying to improve their health. We share the same ideals and values.
Year-round exercise. I used to walk outside when the weather was good but stayed in at the slightest sign of rain or snow. Going to the gym meant not being limited by Mother Nature.
Expert advice. Personal trainers are always right there to check my form and make suggestions. No more flying blind when trying to use a piece of equipment for the first time. I even had a personalized routine created with regular check-ins every 6-8 weeks.
Classes. With a wide variety of group fitness classes available each week, I can choose between any of them and never get bored. For instance, I might go to kickboxing one week and take a step class the next.
Nutrition education. My gym often offers sessions with a registered dietitian who gives solid advice on how to eat better.
Variety of equipment. A gym offers much more equipment than I could ever afford to buy—and much better quality too.
Goal setting. Setting a goal to lift a certain weight and achieving it is a great confidence booster. If I can do this, what other things can I do?
Self-acceptance. Seeing people of all shapes and sizes helps you accept your own figure even if you need to lose a few pounds or haven’t exercised in years.
Daycare. Many gyms offer affordable, onsite daycare services, so parents of small children can exercise without scrambling to find a babysitter.
Fun! As children, we naturally exercise because we see activities such as running or playing volleyball as fun, not work. When you adopt the attitude that a fitness class is fun, you can look forward to exercise instead of seeing it as one more thing on your to-do list.
Learn to Love Going to the Gym
-- By Leanne Beattie, Health & Fitness Writer
I was not very athletic in school. All elbows and knees and very little ability, I was usually the last one picked for teams. It was clear to me at a young age that my future lay in books, not basketballs, so I accepted my lack of athletic skills and concentrated on simply getting through gym class without causing my team to lose.
Fast-forward almost thirty years and I realized the pounds that had been steadily creeping up on me weren’t going to disappear on their own. I needed to get serious about my health before I started following in my mother’s footsteps with osteoporosis, high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. It was time to get to the gym.
Even though I knew I had to start working out, it took a few days to psych myself up and actually set foot in the gym. All of the old memories started playing in my head. Would I make a fool of myself? Would people laugh at me? How was I ever going to figure out all of that equipment? Maybe I should forget about the whole thing and resign myself to accepting my body the way it was, instead of putting myself through all this mental torture.
Then I realized that most of the problems I had in gym class all those years ago stemmed from my lack of knowledge. I didn’t remember a teacher ever explaining the rules of baseball and I was too shy to ask, so when the ball came my way I simply ducked because I didn’t know what to do. But now as an adult, I was much more confident and had the power to ask questions. I could do this!
I chose the gym closest to my home so I wouldn’t have an excuse not to go. Since it was within walking distance, I could never bail out of an exercise session because it was too much trouble to get there. So with new cross-trainers in hand and only slightly shaky knees, I signed up for a one-year membership.
My representative immediately put me at ease by giving me a tour of the facility and explaining all the rules and protocol. After showing me how to operate the cardio equipment (treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bikes), she left me on my own to find what I was most comfortable with. I selected the treadmill—I could already walk, so it seemed the natural choice for a beginner. Thirty minutes later I was sweating and happy. Even though I had stumbled a few times before getting into the rhythm of the machine, nobody had laughed at me or even seemed to notice. This gym thing wasn’t so bad after all!
I started going three times a week and noticed the same people there most of the time. This made me feel even more comfortable because even though I didn’t know these people personally, I wasn’t around total strangers anymore. It even got to the point of nodding a hello to the woman on the next treadmill or commenting on something we had both seen on the TV as we worked out. I felt like I was part of a tribe of people who were all trying to reach the same goal—physical fitness.
I made a lot of progress over the next few months but I still felt a little insecure around people in tip-top shape. All it took was a scan around the room to find a whole range of body types and fitness levels and I felt better. I was doing okay.
I ran into an old friend about six months after I started going to the gym and she was impressed by the changes in my body. I was noticeably slimmer and carried myself with more confidence. When she found out that I went to the gym regularly, she shook her head and said she would never be able to do it—she hated the whole idea and wondered how I had managed to become such a fan. It wasn’t hard to give her a list of reasons why I love going to the gym:
Social enrichment. I love being around people who are trying to improve their health. We share the same ideals and values.
Year-round exercise. I used to walk outside when the weather was good but stayed in at the slightest sign of rain or snow. Going to the gym meant not being limited by Mother Nature.
Expert advice. Personal trainers are always right there to check my form and make suggestions. No more flying blind when trying to use a piece of equipment for the first time. I even had a personalized routine created with regular check-ins every 6-8 weeks.
Classes. With a wide variety of group fitness classes available each week, I can choose between any of them and never get bored. For instance, I might go to kickboxing one week and take a step class the next.
Nutrition education. My gym often offers sessions with a registered dietitian who gives solid advice on how to eat better.
Variety of equipment. A gym offers much more equipment than I could ever afford to buy—and much better quality too.
Goal setting. Setting a goal to lift a certain weight and achieving it is a great confidence booster. If I can do this, what other things can I do?
Self-acceptance. Seeing people of all shapes and sizes helps you accept your own figure even if you need to lose a few pounds or haven’t exercised in years.
Daycare. Many gyms offer affordable, onsite daycare services, so parents of small children can exercise without scrambling to find a babysitter.
Fun! As children, we naturally exercise because we see activities such as running or playing volleyball as fun, not work. When you adopt the attitude that a fitness class is fun, you can look forward to exercise instead of seeing it as one more thing on your to-do list.
Learn to Love Going to the Gym
Monday, March 29, 2010
Fit Question: Weight Gain and Depression - Which Came First?
Depression is frustratingly common and difficult to manage, even with the tools we have like exercise, medication and therapy. What makes it even harder is that many people who are depressed gain weight...or is it that people who gain weight get depressed?
That's the question one study asked in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. In this meta-analysis, which involves researchers going through previously published studies and analyzing them, researchers found that being obese increases the risk of depression and that being depressed can contribute to developing obesity.
In fact, obese people had a 55% increased risk of depression, while depressed people had a 58% increased risk of becoming obese.
While I don't think these results are terribly surprising considering the mental and physical toll that both depression and obesity can take on you, I do think this is important information. As the authors of the study suggest, doctors should be aware that weight should be monitored in depressed patients and that mood should be monitored in overweight patients. Tackling these issues head on may help prevent these problems or at least lead to early detection before things get out of hand.
What do you think? If you've experienced depression, how did it (or does it) affect your weight? And on the other hand, if you've experienced obesity, how did it (or does it) affect your mood and psychological state? Do depression and obesity go hand in hand and can we prevent them? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts about obesity and depression.
Fit Question: Weight Gain and Depression - Which Came First? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 05:00:10.
That's the question one study asked in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. In this meta-analysis, which involves researchers going through previously published studies and analyzing them, researchers found that being obese increases the risk of depression and that being depressed can contribute to developing obesity.
In fact, obese people had a 55% increased risk of depression, while depressed people had a 58% increased risk of becoming obese.
While I don't think these results are terribly surprising considering the mental and physical toll that both depression and obesity can take on you, I do think this is important information. As the authors of the study suggest, doctors should be aware that weight should be monitored in depressed patients and that mood should be monitored in overweight patients. Tackling these issues head on may help prevent these problems or at least lead to early detection before things get out of hand.
What do you think? If you've experienced depression, how did it (or does it) affect your weight? And on the other hand, if you've experienced obesity, how did it (or does it) affect your mood and psychological state? Do depression and obesity go hand in hand and can we prevent them? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts about obesity and depression.
Fit Question: Weight Gain and Depression - Which Came First? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 05:00:10.
Weight Gain Prevention - An Hour of Exercise Every Day?
If you've been watching or reading the news at all this week, you've probably seen the headlines ( "Women need hour of exercise to keep off pounds," "Women should exercise an hour a day to maintain weight, study says") about a recent study published in JAMA concerning women and weight gain prevention. To summarize, the study involved following 34,079 women over 13 years to learn about their exercise habits and how those habits affected their weight. Throughout that time period, these women would report their physical activity and body weight. The women who successfully maintained their weight exercised at least 21.5 MET hours a week, which study authors averaged out to be 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day.
Obviously, plenty of media outlets have covered this story and many of our About.com Guides (like Wendy, our Walking Guide) and have done a stellar job of covering it as well, but headlines like this drive me crazy for a variety of reasons. For one, there are many flaws in a study like this and Dr Rich, our Heart Disease Guide does an amazing job of spelling out these flaws. My beef has to do with what I think are the two biggest issues:
Diet. This study involved only exercise habits, not diet which is a crucial part of both losing weight and preventing weight gain. The study claims these women were following a 'usual diet,' but what does that mean? Maintaining a balance of calories can be accomplished with both exercise and diet. Using only exercise without changing how you eat is better than nothing, but if you're eating an unhealthy diet, you'll absolutely have to exercise more to offset the extra calories and prevent weight gain.
Intensity. The study concluded that the women averaged 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day, but this broad generalization doesn't take into account different intensity levels. They actually based this amount of exercise on how many METs (Metabolic Equivalent Tasks) the women expended each week. A MET is a ratio that compares your metabolic rate while at rest to other activities. So that means when you're at rest, you expend 1 MET every hour. Taking a stroll might burn twice as much as being at rest, expending 2 METs an hour. Jogging at a 12-minute-per-mile pace would expend 8 METs an hour. That means that if one of these women jogged for an hour at a 12-minute per mile pace 3 times a week, she would easily surpass the 21.5 METs of the successful women in the study, all with just 3 days of exercise. The harder you exercise, the more METs you expend and the more calories you burn, which can change how often and how long you need to exercise.
The truth is, no one can tell you exactly how much exercise you need. It depends on so many things - how active you are, your diet, age, gender, genetics, metabolism and proper planet alignment. Headlines like these can scare people who already struggle to stay active, but the kind of broad generalizations that come from these kinds of studies are just that: Broad generalizations that will never fit every person.
What do you think about this study and how the media is handling it? Will this discourage people or encourage them? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.
Weight Gain Prevention - An Hour of Exercise Every Day? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, March 26th, 2010 at 05:00:53.
Obviously, plenty of media outlets have covered this story and many of our About.com Guides (like Wendy, our Walking Guide) and have done a stellar job of covering it as well, but headlines like this drive me crazy for a variety of reasons. For one, there are many flaws in a study like this and Dr Rich, our Heart Disease Guide does an amazing job of spelling out these flaws. My beef has to do with what I think are the two biggest issues:
Diet. This study involved only exercise habits, not diet which is a crucial part of both losing weight and preventing weight gain. The study claims these women were following a 'usual diet,' but what does that mean? Maintaining a balance of calories can be accomplished with both exercise and diet. Using only exercise without changing how you eat is better than nothing, but if you're eating an unhealthy diet, you'll absolutely have to exercise more to offset the extra calories and prevent weight gain.
Intensity. The study concluded that the women averaged 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day, but this broad generalization doesn't take into account different intensity levels. They actually based this amount of exercise on how many METs (Metabolic Equivalent Tasks) the women expended each week. A MET is a ratio that compares your metabolic rate while at rest to other activities. So that means when you're at rest, you expend 1 MET every hour. Taking a stroll might burn twice as much as being at rest, expending 2 METs an hour. Jogging at a 12-minute-per-mile pace would expend 8 METs an hour. That means that if one of these women jogged for an hour at a 12-minute per mile pace 3 times a week, she would easily surpass the 21.5 METs of the successful women in the study, all with just 3 days of exercise. The harder you exercise, the more METs you expend and the more calories you burn, which can change how often and how long you need to exercise.
The truth is, no one can tell you exactly how much exercise you need. It depends on so many things - how active you are, your diet, age, gender, genetics, metabolism and proper planet alignment. Headlines like these can scare people who already struggle to stay active, but the kind of broad generalizations that come from these kinds of studies are just that: Broad generalizations that will never fit every person.
What do you think about this study and how the media is handling it? Will this discourage people or encourage them? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.
Weight Gain Prevention - An Hour of Exercise Every Day? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, March 26th, 2010 at 05:00:53.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Try Some Tantalizing Tofu!
If you're looking to increase your protein intake, boost your heart health, and cut your food budget, try tofu! Tofu is soymilk curd, pressed and packed into a spongy food that's bursting with protein, heart-healthy fiber, and unsaturated fat, as well as vitamins and minerals. And tofu is affordable, especially compared with animal proteins like beef, chicken, and fish. Tofu is so versatile, it's a cinch to incorporate it into your diet! Substitute firm tofu for chicken, fish, or meat in your favorite stir-fry recipes; because tofu has little taste on its own but is very absorbent, it soaks up the flavors of all the foods and spices it's cooked with, leading to a delicious, savory dish! Try blending soft or silken tofu in smoothies, dressings, dips, or desserts like mousse. You can even scramble it for egg-free "scrambled eggs." You can also buy preseasoned or marinated tofu at the supermarket — it's great with rice and veggies for a balanced, healthy, and delicious meal!
If you haven't tried tofu yet, challenge yourself to switch one of your animal-protein meals in the week ahead to tofu. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it!
A heads-up about soy products in general: Because of the estrogenlike properties of soy, the jury is still out on whether soy products are safe for women who have a high risk of breast cancer to consume in large amounts. If you are at increased risk for breast cancer because of your personal or family history, choose soy products only in moderation, avoid soy supplements, and speak with your health care provider for specific recommendations.
Morning Stretch with Denise Austin
If you haven't tried tofu yet, challenge yourself to switch one of your animal-protein meals in the week ahead to tofu. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it!
A heads-up about soy products in general: Because of the estrogenlike properties of soy, the jury is still out on whether soy products are safe for women who have a high risk of breast cancer to consume in large amounts. If you are at increased risk for breast cancer because of your personal or family history, choose soy products only in moderation, avoid soy supplements, and speak with your health care provider for specific recommendations.
Morning Stretch with Denise Austin
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