lunes, 23 de diciembre de 2013

Plus-Size Barbie Causes Controversy

As the fashion world slowly comes to accept the demands of plus-size women with realistic H&M mannequins and plus-size swimsuit models, last week it came to a tipping point. Plus-Size-Modeling.com posted an image that depicted a plus-size Barbie with the question of whether heavier dolls should be marketed to kids, via Worth100:

35,000 people have liked the image, but, as they do, the critics came out in droves via comments. One commenter wrote: "Imo this is horrible. Maybe make her a little fuller,but in no way promote obesity. Triple chins?? Really?? Im a curvy girl,but come on this is ridiculous."

This isn't the first time Barbie got a virtual makeover to reflect the average female proportions: Over this past summer, the artist Nickolay Lamm created Normal Barbie, who's got the butt and waist of your standard 19-year-old woman.


domingo, 8 de diciembre de 2013

8 Tips for new runners

1. Just do it.  Don’t wait until tomorrow or next week, or next month.  Do it today.  Run to the mailbox to get your mail, run to the end of the block, run with your dog until he goes to the bathroom and then run home.  Start today and never look back.

2. Don’t start out too fast.  This is a common mistake that new runners make.  You start out too fast, then feel exhausted, out of breath, and defeated.  We don’t want that, so start slow.  No, I mean really slow.  Slower than you think you need to.  If, after a while, you feel like you can pick up the pace, then great, go for it.  But, for now, pace yourself, you are in it for the long haul.

3. Get fitted for some good running shoes.  Find a running store and get fitted.  A good pair of running shoes will cost from $85-$120 but they are so worth it.  Take the time to get the right pair.  It will save you time, blisters, and injuries in the long run.  Here is a great resource for finding the right shoe.

4. Try not to get frustrated.  Even the most seasoned runners have a bad run.  If one day you have a terrible run, don’t give up, it happens to the best of us.  The next one will be better, I promise.

5. If you are running on the road, run against traffic, that way you see the cars and can get out of the way if they don’t see you.

6. Don’t compare yourself to others.   So what if tiny shorts lady can run a 7 minute pace.  You run at your pace and that’s that.  If you want to do speedwork when you have this running thing down, then by all means do it.  But do not compare yourself to others.  Running is individual.  Run for yourself, not for anyone else.

7. Listen to your body! Don’t push yourself….stop if you need to stop, slow down if you need to slow down, and eventually it will all come together and you too will feel that “Runner’s High”. ;-)

8. Find what motivates you- whether it is getting faster or losing weight or going to new distances, set a goal and work towards it in small increments.”

mommyrunfast.com

miércoles, 4 de diciembre de 2013

Bad Eating Habits Start in the Womb

The solution to one of America’s most vexing problems — our soaring rates of obesity and diet-related diseases — may have its roots in early childhood, and even in utero.

Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, a nonprofit research organization in Philadelphia, have found that babies born to mothers who eat a diverse and varied diet while pregnant and breast-feeding are more open to a wide range of flavors. They’ve also found that babies who follow that diet after weaning carry those preferences into childhood and adulthood. Researchers believe that the taste preferences that develop at crucial periods in infancy have lasting effects for life. In fact, changing food preferences beyond toddlerhood appears to be extremely difficult.

“What’s really interesting about children is, the preferences they form during the first years of life actually predict what they’ll eat later,” said Julie Mennella, a biopsychologist and researcher at the Monell Center. “Dietary patterns track from early to later childhood but once they are formed, once they get older, it’s really difficult to change — witness how hard it is to change the adult. You can, but it’s just harder. Where you start, is where you end up.”

This may have profound implications for the future health of Americans. With some 70 percent of the United States population now overweight or obese and chronic diseases skyrocketing, many parents who are eating a diet high in processed, refined foods are feeding their babies as they feed themselves, and could be setting their children up for a lifetime of preferences for a narrow range of flavors.

The Monell researchers have identified several sensitive periods for taste preference development. One is before three and a half months of age, which makes what the mother eats while pregnant and breast-feeding so important. “It’s our fundamental belief that during evolution, we as humans are exposed to flavors both in utero and via mother’s milk that are signals of things that will be in our diets as we grow up and learn about what flavors are acceptable based on those experiences,” said Gary Beauchamp, the director of the Monell Center. “Infants exposed to a variety of flavors in infancy are more willing to accept a variety of flavors, including flavors that are associated with various vegetables and so forth and that might lead to a more healthy eating style later on.”

There is another reason these exposures have a lifelong impact, he said: “This early exposure leads to an imprinting-like phenomenon such that those flavors are not only preferred but they take on an emotional attachment.”

This puts babies fed formula at a disadvantage because the flavors in packaged formula never change. But according to Ms. Mennella, the opportunity to expose those babies to a range of flavors is not lost. “Just because you’re formula-fed, it’s not hopeless,” she said. “Babies learn through repeated exposure, so the more varied the diet, the more likely they’ll be to accept a novel food.”

nytimes.com

viernes, 4 de octubre de 2013

5 regular meals a day can ward off obesity risk in teens

A regular eating pattern may prevent obesity in adolescents, according to a new Finnish study.

When eating five meals - breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks - a day, even those with a genetic predisposition to obesity had no higher body mass index (BMI) than their controls, the study of more than 4,000 participants found.

The collection of data on the study population began prenatally, and the participants were followed up until the age of 16.

The aim was to identify early-life risk factors associated with obesity, to investigate the association between meal frequencies, obesity and metabolic syndrome, and to examine whether meal frequency could modulate the effect of common genetic variants linked to obesity.

The genetic data comprised eight single nucleotide polymorphisms at or near eight obesity-susceptibility loci.

According to the results, a regular five-meal pattern was associated with a reduced risk of overweight and obesity in both sexes and with a reduced risk of abdominal obesity in boys.

Moreover, the regular five-meal pattern attenuated the BMI-increasing effect of the common genetic variants. Conversely, skipping breakfast was associated with greater BMI and waist circumference.

Maternal weight gain of more than seven kg during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy increased the risk of obesity in the offspring. However, maternal obesity before pregnancy was a more important risk factor than weight gain during pregnancy.

Paternal obesity before pregnancy was nearly as important as maternal pregravid obesity as a risk factor for the offspring obesity during adolescence.

The risk of obesity was strikingly high in adolescents whose both parents had a BMI of 25 or over throughout the 16-year follow-up period.

martes, 1 de octubre de 2013

The future health in USA

The future health and wealth of the country are inextricably tied. Right now, however, Americans are not as healthy as they could or should be, in large part due to the obesity epidemic. Obesity rates have more than doubled in the past 30 years. Two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are now overweight or obese. It is one of the biggest health crises the country has ever faced, and we’re at a crossroads for how we deal with it and where it will take our economy.

Obesity is among the biggest drivers of preventable diseases and health care costs in the United States. Estimates for these costs range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion annually, with job absenteeism related to obesity costing another $4.3 billion annually.

In 2012, the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation commissioned a modeling study which found that if obesity rates continue on their current trajectory, by 2030 combined medical costs associated with treating preventable obesity-related diseases could increase by between $48 billion and $66 billion per year. The loss in economic productivity could be between $390 billion and $580 billion annually.

Based on current trends, the nation would see a continued rise in the five most expensive conditions related to obesity: Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke, hypertension, arthritis, and obesity-related cancers (among other health problems).

The study also found that if obesity trends fell as a result of reducing the average adult body mass index (BMI) by 5 percent, millions of Americans could be spared from serious health problems and the country could save $29.8 billion in five years, $158 billion in 10 years, and $611.7 billion in 20 years.

Despite the importance of preventing poor health, to date there has never been a strong national focus on prevention to deliver the potential results. But recent evidence from communities across the country shows that if we make a concerted effort, we can change the trajectory. For instance, a 2008 study by the Urban Institute, New York Academy of Medicine, and the Trust for America’s Health found that an investment of $10 per person in proven community-based programs to increase physical activity, improve nutrition, and prevent tobacco use could save the country more than $16 billion annually within five years. That’s a return of $5.60 for every $1 invested. The nation simply has not invested enough in these types of community-based initiatives.


miércoles, 24 de julio de 2013

Dubai offers gold to fight obesity epidemic

Dubai's government will pay residents in gold for losing those extra pounds as part of a government campaign to fight growing obesity in the Gulf Arab emirate.

The 30-day weight-loss challenge was launched on Friday to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, when the faithful refrain from eating and drinking during daylight hours.

Many eat too much after breaking the fast, tucking into traditional dishes loaded with fat and sugar that can push their daily calorie intake well above levels outside of Ramadan.

For every kilogram dropped by Aug. 16, contestants who register from Friday can walk away with a gram of gold, currently worth about $42, Dubai's civic authority announced as part of its 'Your Weight in Gold' initiative.

The top three dieters can win gold coins worth up to 20,000 dirhams ($5,400). The contestant has to lose a minimum 2 kgs (4.4 pounds) to qualify for the contest.

"Participant must have excess weight to reduce and stay away from unhealthy methods to lose weight and should be present on the final day to measure weight," Dubai Municipality said in a press release.

Health officials in Dubai, the commercial hub of the United Arab Emirates, and in neighbouring Gulf nations, are spending millions to control obesity among their citizens.

Oil wealth and high household incomes have led to overeating, high-sugar diets and a heavy reliance on cars for getting around, leading to an explosion of diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses.

Five of the 10 countries where diabetes is most prevalent are in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), an umbrella organisation of more than 200 national associations.


domingo, 10 de marzo de 2013

10 Reasons to Quit Soft Drinks

Let’s admit it. We’re a nation of junkies addicted to sugary soft drinks. Decades of clever advertising and cheap unlimited access have made us slaves to sugary pop. We must stop this nonsense. Here are 10 reminders why you should quit, right now!

1. You’ll lose weight. Regular consumption of soft drinks make you fat. Drinking just one 12 oz. Pepsi a day for a year will add 18 pounds to your body weight when compared to water consumption.

2. You’ll lose weight by quitting diet drinks too! When you consume calorie-less sweets, your body gets confused. It releases insulin to absorb the expected sugars in the blood stream, but those sugars never arrive. The result is increased fat cell production.

3. Artificial sweeteners are dangerous. True, the FDA has approved them all, but enough studies have suggested that some artificial sweeteners may cause cancer. Until the scientists sort this out, why take the risk?

4. Diabetes. Studies have shown a link between soft drink consumption and type 2 diabetes. The high amount of sugar in soft drinks has been shown to increase your chance of getting diabetes. Diet drinks may increase the chances even more than regular drinks.

5. Save your teeth. The only thing worse than gulping down your cola, iced tea, or a sports drink is to sip it slowly. This coats your teeth with sugar, phosphoric acid, malic acid and/or citric acid. These compounds directly damage tooth enamel. Ask your dentist.

6. Save money. A family of 4 can save $500 (FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS) a year by switching to (filtered) tap water.

7. Tinker with your taste buds. Soft drinks diminish the taste of food. Of course, if you define food as a trip to Burger King, there’s not much to detract from, but eat a decently prepared meal at home or at a good sit down restaurant, and you will not want to spoil the taste with sugary water. Better have the sommelier pair a good wine with your steak.

8. Refined sugars. A single can of cola has 10 teaspoons of sugar. If you drink just one Dr. Pepper a day for a year, you’ll have consumed 32 pounds of sugar! Picture that. Take a 32 pound sack of sugar and strap it to your waist to walk around with for a day…

9. Controversial artificial colors. Yellow #5 (Tartrazine), present in Mountain Dew, for example, has been linked to hyperactivity in children.

10. The ecology. Billions of empty plastic bottles and cans are contaminating the earth. Recycling is a joke, barely touching the tip of the iceberg, even if Coca Cola is trying to convince you otherwise. 

fooducate.com



ArturoRodriguez, MD
md@thebariatric.com
http://www.thebariatric.com
http://www.bandstersforum.com
Phone: 011-52-81-8378-3177
Twitter: @bandagastrica
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/banda.gastrica

jueves, 10 de enero de 2013

McDonald’s Happy Meals Now Come With Free Books (And A Side Of Childhood Obesity)

Ronald McDonald has been scrutinized for his contribution to childhood obesity; now, he’s taking an even more controversial tack in their bid to get families hooked on McDonalds Happy Meals: books. The fast food giant started distributing children’s books with their happy meals in the UK today, launching a five-week campaign and plan to distribute 15 million books by 2015. On the bright side, this means a lot of kids are getting free books, which are far more beneficial than happy meal toys. But on the not-so-bright side, free books at McDonald’s means more parents who are willing to stuff their kids with unhealthy fast food and soft drinks–ironically, in the name of doing something good for their kids.

McDonald’s says says the campaign is modeled off a pilot project they ran last year, which got overwhelmingly positive response from parents. This time, they’ll be passing out DK Books’s Amazing World series for five weeks, including Oceans; Earth; Stars and Planets; Arctic and Antarctic; and Rainforest.

Much of the press on their campaign has involved quotes from Jonathan Douglas, director of the UK’s National Literacy Trust, trumping the benefits of such a program:
 
“Our research tells us that there is a very clear link between book ownership and children’s future success in life, so it is very concerning that one in three children in the UK doesn’t own a book, and half of kids don’t really enjoy reading.”

I’m all for giving free books to kids; I just feel conflicted about handing them out with a side of childhood obesity.

Read more.- blisstree.com

ArturoRodriguez, MD
md@thebariatric.com
http://www.thebariatric.com
http://www.bandstersforum.com
Phone: 011-52-81-8378-3177
Twitter: @bandagastrica
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/banda.gastrica