Another "duh" study

Everyone knows that exercise is a necessity to living a healthy lifestyle.  Exercise burns calories, which in turn (when combined with healthy eating) helps you lose weight.

It should then, be no surprise to you, that it was recently discovered in a study performed at the Harvard School of Public Health, that (hold onto your hats!):

Biking can lead to weight loss!!

** GASP ** (I warned you that it was exciting news!!)

Biking is a family friendly form of exercise that does not require exceptional skills and can be done by almost anyone. Riding a bike is a favorite summertime activity, especially when families use one of the many paved  or off road biking trails readily found around the city/desert.

The new study suggests that biking even a short amount of time every day can help people lose weight. In the study by the Harvard School of Public Health, adult women aged 25 to 42 were followed for 16 years. The women who biked even as little as 5 minutes each day gained less weight than women who didn't bike. The more minutes per day a woman biked, the less weight she gained over the course of the study.

The study authors also found that other forms of brisk exercise such as walking faster than three miles per hour for 30 minutes daily also helped to prevent weight gain in women.

So, there you have it.  It took Harvard School 16 years to conclude what I've been telling you all along...

Exercise is good!

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

The Ice Cube Diet??

The latest diet trend isn't hot, it's cold.

It's called the Ice Cube Diet, but these are no ordinary ice cubes. The company selling them claims the special cubes contain the appetite suppressant hoodia.

Alicia Puma is following the Ice Cube Diet and also works for the company.

"You take one cube a day it tastes great like a margarita, and it gives you a wonderful burst of energy," said Puma. "I am down a total of 25 pounds in a 3-month period."

The company ships the ice cubes to customers already frozen and packed in dry ice.

Experts said hoodia comes from a desert plant native to Africa. There is some limited research to suggest hoodia helps reduce appetite, but many health experts have questions about its safety. Because hoodia is sold as a dietary supplement, it's not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration like medications are.

Roberta Anding is a dietitian who has concerns about hoodia.

"Pfizer actually tried to develop this into a drug and stopped its clinical trials without really an explanation. And then Unilever who makes Slimfast, was going to make a drink with hoodia, and they also discontinued the development of this drink," said Anding.

Anding said more studies on hoodia's safety and effectiveness are needed.

"The difference between this company, the Ice Cube Diet that they've created, and the other companies is they process it into a pill form, and when you do that you destroy the structure of the plant," said Puma.

The Ice Cube Diet costs about $1.50 a day.

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Obesity puts you at higher health risks

SALT LAKE CITY -- The more obese you are, the more health problems you are bound to have. That's what the Utah Department of Health has discovered in its research.

This is the first time the "obese" weight category has been divided into different classes. Obese means you have a body mass index of more than 30.

But now we are learning the higher your BMI gets, you will be even more at risk for disease.

As you lose weight, your risk for chronic diseases decrease too. Epidemiologists like Michael Friedrichs with the Utah Department of Health have known that obese people are at risk of health problems, but now they know even more.

"We have never looked at the higher classes of obesity to find out if you become more obese, does your risk increase further? That is indeed the case," he says.

So now obesity has been divided into three separate weight classes.

If you have a BMI, which is calculated with your height and weight, of 30 to 35, you fall in the first obese class.

The second class includes those who fall into the 35 to 40 range.

And 40 and over is the third and potentially most dangerous class for risk of diabetes, asthma, hyper-tension and more.

BMI Categories
Categories	Score range
Ideal	18.5-24.9
Overweight	25.0-29.9
Class I Obese	30-34.9
Class II Obese	35-39.9
Class III Obese	BMI >40

"If you are overweight or obese, do what you can to lose weight," Friedrichs says. "If you can't lose weight, do what you can to maintain your weight status and not become more obese because your risk increases dramatically." 

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Battling the bulge after 40

Women begin perimenopause sometime after age 40 and gain, on average, a pound every year during menopause unless they change their exercise and eating patterns. Weight distribution changes, too, shifting to the belly area and creating the dreaded "menopot."


The good news is that with knowledge and hard work, you can beat this trend.

In perimenopause, even without weight gain, clothes may not fit like they used to because fat redistributes from the limbs to the abdomen. A higher level of testosterone promotes this, rather than lower estrogen, according to recent research from Rush University Medical Center. A good core workout like pilates can help. But when the scale starts to move up, your calorie intake and physical activity are out of balance and a different strategy is needed.

Belly fat is not only unsightly, it can produce metabolic changes that increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Adding 20 pounds during menopause also increases the risk of breast cancer. But this, too, can be reversed.

Know your risk of disease by measuring your waist circumference - at the belly button on exhale. Less than 35 inches is desirable.

Women get frustrated when cutting back their diet doesn't work to shed pounds like it used to. This is related to two factors: age and body composition. Typical sedentary people lose muscle when they age. This slows metabolism because muscle cells require more energy (calories) to function and when lost, overall calorie needs decrease and weight is gained even with a marginal diet. Add the hormonal changes in menopause and you have the perfect storm for belly bulge.

To combat this, start a strength training program of at least two 20-minute sessions per week.

Overall activity is also important. Recently, the Nurses' Health Study, which tracks women through menopause, found that only women who did an hour of moderate exercise daily, like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, avoided menopausal weight gain. Yes, you read it right - at least one hour a day! So if you are not moving now, get moving to burn belly fat. If you have always been active, say three days per week, you may need to step it up to five or six; 30 minutes of an intense workout is the equivalent of one hour of moderate.

With fat storage shifted to the abdominal area, insulin may not work as well and linger in the blood stream, creating inflammation and making it more challenging to lose weight. To minimize this, limit or avoid simple carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, crackers, soda, juices, sweetened coffees, cookies and others. Replace them with anti-inflammatory foods such as whole fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and other whole grains, cinnamon, small amounts of nuts, and lean proteins such as fish and chicken.

Try having a 100-calorie-pack of almonds one hour before meals to quell appetite and then skip the starch and pile on the non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus or green beans to accompany a lean protein.

The average woman will need to lower her calorie intake by 200 to adjust to a slower metabolism due to age. This does not spell starvation diet but requires a commitment to planning nutritious meals and snacks, and an awareness of lowering portions to what your body needs as you get older.

Massachusetts-based Joan Endyke is a registered dietitian with a master's degree in nutrition and food science, and a certified personal trainer.
-Moberly Montior.com -

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Motivation KEY to success

I often poke fun at the "studies" I find online having to do with weight loss; the extremes that some people will go to, the "out in left field" approaches, and sometimes the "DUH" studies.  However, today's post, though many will likely categorize it in the DUH pile, is most certainly true.  As most of you know, I participate in a ladies fitness boot camp.  I am 100% confidant that without that group of powerful, motivational, supportive and inspirational women, I would be at least 30 - 40 pounds heavier and much more unhealthy than I am today.  They are the reason I have stuck with the mentality of becoming a more healthy ME, plain & simple.

As found in the May/June 2010 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education & Behavior:

St. Louis, MO, April 26, 2010 – Energy in, energy out, it's the basic equation to weight loss, or is it? With more than two thirds of Americans classified as overweight or obese1, a study in the May/June 2010 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior examines how motivation might be a large contributor to sticking with weight loss programs.


Researchers at the University of Kentucky and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill examined two types of motivation, autonomous and controlled, and their relationship to adherence and weight loss in a 16-week Internet weight-loss intervention. To measure the 2 types of motivation, a Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire was used to identify those participants motivated by intrinsic and extrinsic controls such as feeling that performance is the best way to help oneself and making changes for personal reasons (autonomous motivation) and those participants motivated by only external controls such as perceived pressure from others and feelings of guilt (controlled motivation). Motivation for weight loss was measured at baseline and 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks. In addition, study participants recorded their food intake, exercise, and body weight through an on-line self-monitoring system weekly throughout the study.

Over half of the participants (37 of 66) lost 5% of initial body weight at the 16-week follow-up. To examine the relationship between the 2 different types of motivation and weight loss, the sample was divided into those who had and those who had not lost 5% of initial body weight by 16 weeks (37 and 29 participants, respectively). The researchers found that the majority of participants had a significant increase in autonomous and controlled motivation between baseline and 4 weeks, though it's not clear what caused the increase in motivation at 4 weeks, the face-to-face session given at the start of the study, early success with weight loss, or something else. Although motivation increased initially for most participants, the group that went on to achieve a 5% weight loss sustained their autonomous motivation between 4 and 16 weeks, while the group that was less successful experienced a significant decrease in autonomous and controlled motivation over time.

The authors also found that autonomous motivation at 4 weeks was a significant predictor of adherence to self-monitoring and weight loss. Furthermore, this increase in self-monitoring appeared to be a way in which autonomous motivation led to better weight loss. The authors found a positive correlation between weight loss at 4 weeks and higher levels of autonomous motivation especially when compared to participants who had higher levels of controlled motivation. .

Writing in the article, the authors state, "It appears that the time period between 4 and 8 weeks may be an important window for weight control programs to consider using techniques designed to enhance autonomous motivation, including giving more intense support or different types of interventions, such as activities to enhance autonomous motivation or contact from a weight-loss counselor in the form of e-mails, phone calls, or face-to-face meetings."

"It is possible that motivation measured a few weeks after the study has begun more accurately captures motivation than baseline motivation for weight loss since participants have become familiar with the behavior changes that will be necessary for weight loss and can better gauge their motivation for making those changes."

"These findings suggest that building motivation may be an effective means of promoting adherence and weight loss."

I hope, that in some small miniscule way, I stand as motivation & encouragement to you, my loyal readers.

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Are women hard-wired to worry about their weight?

Today's "breaking news" is courtesy of the NY Daily News.  It suggests, based on a recent study, that women (not men) are designed by nature to be self concious of their weight, no matter their size. 

The study, conducted at BYU in Utah, consisted of 10 normal weight women & 9 normal weight men between 18 & 30.  The participants' brain activity was monitored using a funtional MRI as they were showed an array of various images, consisting of both slim & overweight individuals.  As they viewed the images, they were told to imagine that their body type was of those shown in the images.  Despite the fact that all 10 women claimed to "not care about any body issues", each of their brain activity showed that it is very bothersome for them to think about the posibility that they may become overweight as indicated in the rise in activity in the part of the brain linked to self image and self worth.  When showed the images of thin individuals, the activity in the same brain region was significantly lower.

Men showed no change in brain activity whether they imagined themselves thin or fat.

Constantly getting bombarded with photos of starved-looking models and actresses may make women think that being skinny is best.  Many women learn that bodily appearance and thinness constitute what is important about them, and their brain responding reflects that,” psychologist Diane Spangler, a researcher from the study reported. “I think it is an unfortunate and false idea and does put one at greater risk for eating and mood disorders.”



Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Is the # on the scale what REALLY matters?

I recently found an article that paid hommage to my recent posts that being HEALTHY vs. THIN is what matters when it comes to our bodies.  I weight a lot more than most of my friends, but I am much more physically fit than them too.  I am (per government guidelines) in the top section of OBESE, yet my muscle to fat ratio is surprisingly comparable to those in the "AVERAGE" section.  I don't have a single ailment to complain of with regard to my health...no high blood pressure, cholesterol or dieabetes, which I am forever thankful for.  Now, I'm not saying that I couldn't stand to lose quite a bit of weight, I'm simply saying that the numbers on the scale aren't ALL that matter...nor are they (in my opinion) what the focus should be when a person is labeled "healthy".

The article, written by Professor Linda Bacon, stated just that.

With a PhD in physiology (specializing in weight regulation) and graduate degrees in psychology (specializing in eating disorders and body image) and kinesiology (specializing in exercise metabolism), Bacon knows more than a little about the impact obesity can have on health. Bacon's message -- that health is more important than weight -- goes against the grain of our country's current obsession with the "obesity epidemic." Yet her work is extremely popular, and the second edition of her book, Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight, was recently released.


According to Bacon (whose last name is perfect for this topic), being overweight or obese does not put people at significant health risk. Rather, factors like fitness, activity, nutrient intake, weight cycling, or socioeconomic status are far more important in determining disease risk.

Bacon encourages acceptance of people of all sizes, though she's not giving us a free pass to spend our lives in front of the TV eating junk food. A healthy lifestyle is important, even if it's okay that most of us don't have figures resembling the cast of "Bay Watch."  In fact, she urges Americans to join what she calls "the new peace movement" by refusing to fight the "unjust war" against body sizes that are larger than what our culture deems acceptable. Bacon points out that humans have internal systems designed to keep us healthy, and to maintain a healthy weight. These systems include signals of hunger, fullness and appetite. If you can follow your body's signals, your body will in turn find the healthy weight for you.

Healthy diets are important, and healthy diets consist of fresh, wholesome food, preferably cooked from scratch. Exercise is just as important.

Bacon says that "assuming fat people are eating worse than thin people is wrong." For this reason, focusing efforts on obesity sends the message to thin people that they do not need to make any changes in their lifestyles when in fact they may also engage in unhealthy behaviors that put them at risk for disease.  She states that focusing on obesity stigmatizes larger people and imbues everyone with a fear of fat, which can encourage the development of eating disorders and the adoption of dangerous, restrictive eating habits. In fact, dieters readily admit they are willing to engage in unhealthy eating patterns in order to lose weight. Bacon encourages focusing on health instead of weight and promoting acceptance of people of all body shapes and sizes. While ending discrimination against fat people is one of her goals, she also notes that people who love their bodies will be more encouraged to take better care of them. "You take good care of things you like," she says. "Self-hatred is not good motivation to make change."

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

C is for COOKIE

You've probably heard about it once or twice and thought, "Wouldn't that be great?"

It's the Cookie Diet.

I have to admit, although eating cookies to lose weight would be a "fun" diet, I'm a skeptic.  I mean, aren't we taught in everything that we know that COOKIES are BAD for us?

It has me wondering, how much validity is there to the claim that these COOKIES are actually a catalyst for weight LOSS?

According to PR Newswire.com, a recent study of the Cookie Diet has proven the claims that they really do work.

BOCA RATON, Fla., April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- In a retrospective chart review study conducted on 46 subjects who visited the Boca Raton Smart for Life(R) Weight Management Center and used a portion-controlled, protein-rich, low-fat cookie with unique fiber technology, all subjects lost weight with the average being 13.1 pounds in 35 days. Five subjects lost over 20 pounds in 35 days and 20 subjects lost over 15 pounds in the first 35 days. The 46 participants lost a total of 601 pounds, with one patient losing 38.7 pounds in 35 days.

This study is very significant because a loss of 5-10% has shown clinical improvement in people's health, which is far greater than the amount of weight they lost.

The average client's Body Mass Index (BMI) dropped by 2.5 points from 31.5 to 29. Most people dropped more than 5% of their body weight and many lost 10%. "This is clinically significant because we know the health benefits from 5% to 10% weight loss are huge. When individuals can achieve these results in a short 5 to 6 weeks with relative ease, I see this as a great way for people to start on a path to a healthier lifestyle," says Dr. Sasson Moulavi, M.D., who conducted the study.

Subjects were instructed to eat 6 Smart for Life(R) Diet Cookies (or Smart cupcakes, bagel chips, shakes, soups, crunch, cereals that are the equivalent of a cookie) specifically designed to suppress hunger and made with specific protein and HeroFiber(TM). Each day, subjects drank at least 64 ounces of water and ate 6-12 ounces of lean protein with 5 servings of vegetables. All clients were seen by a diet physician before starting, and then weighed weekly with a choice to check in with a counselor or physician.

The Smart for Life(R) Cookie Diet has seen huge success with more and more people trying it every day. The company understands the study's importance in that it clinically documents what clients achieve each day.

"This study proves what our clients already know - the weight loss is achievable. We have proven that our program is easy and provides quick, safe weight loss. I believe we are the only one of the 'cookie diets' that has released such a study. We always knew we have the best products and this study goes a long way to support our thinking. We offer the widest variety and believe we have the healthiest products using all-natural and organic ingredients and pack our cookies with nitrogen to avoid preservatives," says Dr. Sass Moulavi, Founder of Smart for Life.

Smart for Life(R) Cookie Diet plans to schedule a longer study with a larger sample group in order to review how its results measure up to these recent findings.

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Junk Food Addictive?

A new study suggests that bingeing on high calorie foods could be as addictive as drug use, causing compulsive eating habits and eventual obesity.


Published in Nature Neuroscience, the study revealed that unhealthy eating could have its roots in subconscious behaviour. Researchers in the US found that animals who had unrestricted access to high calorie foods would over-consume the junk food, triggering addiction like responses in the brain and turning the subjects into compulsive eaters.

The authors report that those animals who binged on junk food and became overweight had decreased levels of a dopamine receptor (a reward hormone), similar to that seen in humans who suffer from drug addictions.

The study suggests that those struggling with unhealthy eating habits could be the victims of subconscious impulses, addictions which hinder their attempts at weight loss. Hypnotherapy and other therapy techniques that help address subconscious impulses and reinforce desirable behaviour could be the most effective if this is the case.

"Obesity may be a form of compulsive eating. Other treatments in development for other forms of compulsion could then be very useful for the treatment of obesity" researcher Paul Kenny said in a telephone interview with Reuters press association. "What we're seeing in our animals is very similar to what you'd see in humans who overindulge. It seemed that it was okay, from what we could tell, to enjoy snack foods, but if you repeatedly overindulge, that's where the problem comes in."


Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Would you like some seaweed with that?

I recently discovered Sushi.  Prior to last week, the mere thought of eating raw fish dipped in fish eggs and wrapped in seaweed made my skin curl.  However, in an effort to do as I teach, I agreed to try a few variations of Sushi while on vacation with my sister as my 3 year old chanted, "Try it & you might like it!"

She was right.  I really DID like it!  I must admit that I had to mentally block out the ingredients while chewing in order to give my taste test a fighting chance, but managed to do well because my taste buds were happy!

While searching the internet today for the latest & greatest weight loss trend, I stumbled upon this article that I thought completely appropriate for my recent Sushi experience:

As found on Dr Cutler.com:

New research suggests that eating seaweed may help fight the battle of the bulge by reducing the amount of fat absorbed by the body by about 75 percent.
The study funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council found that Alginate – a natural fiber found in sea kelp – stops the body from absorbing fat better than most anti-obesity treatments currently available over the counter.
Researchers used an artificial gut to test the effectiveness of more than 60 different natural fibers by measuring the amount of fat that was digested and absorbed with each treatment.
"The aim of this study was to put these products to the test and our initial findings are that alginates significantly reduce fat digestion," said lead researcher Dr. Iain Brownlee. "This suggests that if we can add the natural fiber to products commonly eaten daily – such as bread, biscuits and yogurts – up to three quarters of the fat contained in that meal could simply pass through the body."
Alginates are already commonly used at a very low level in many foods as thickeners and stabilizers. Researchers say their next step is to carry out clinical trials to find out how effective they are for blocking the absorption of fat when eaten as part of a normal diet.

So, now that I've discovered that raw fish wrapped in SEAWEED is both tasty and good for you...anyone up for a night out??

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

From apples to eggs??

It has long been known that the benifits of eating an apple a day are countless.  Chalked full of vitmains and minerals that preserve our health and help our body fight and prevent multiple disorders and diseases, these fist-sized delicacies are convenient, affordable, and just plain good.

But results from a recent weight loss study have found another food item that may be linked to the looming fight against obesity.

A British study, which analysed 71 research papers on the nutritional composition of eggs and their role in diet, found that eggs are packed with vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium and choline that could also play a significant role in dieting and weight loss.


According to the researchers, a medium-sized egg has fewer than 80 calories and provides more than 20 per cent of the recommended daily allowance.

Dr Carrie Ruxton, an independent dietitian and lead author of the report, said: "There are clear nutritional benefits to eating eggs on a regular basis. Emerging evidence suggests that eggs may be beneficial for satiety, weight control and eye health. "With previous limits on egg consumption lifted, most people would benefit from a return to the days of going to work on an egg."

The study confirmed that eggs contain the richest mix of essential amino acids -- crucial for children, adolescents and young adults since a balance of them is required for proper growth and repair.

It also claimed that the high levels of antioxidants found in eggs could even help prevent age-related muscular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness.

The research team highlighted data from studies in the US which found that people who ate eggs had higher intakes of nearly all nutrients compared with non-egg eaters.

Low levels of vitamin D have been linked with a host of medical conditions including poor bone health, cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, immune disorders and mental health problems.

The study, which will appear in the June 2010 issue of journal Nutrition and Food Science, identified specific groups which could benefit from eating more eggs, including the young, heavy meat-eaters and those who shun milk.

Dr Ruxton added: "The health benefits of eggs would appear to be so great that it's perhaps no exaggeration to call them a superfood -- they are one of the most nutrient-dense foods available.

"Eggs are not only low in calories but are packed with nutrients that are essential to healthy living. They are an ideal food at every stage of life, as well as being easy to cook and enjoyable to eat."

So, go grab a boiled egg or 2 for breakfast and an apple for a mid morning snack!
 
Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Women who drink WINE are THINNER?

I am not a drinker.  It may have something to do with the fact that I was raised in a religiously strict environment and anything addicting was prohibited, or it may be simply because I really just don't like the taste.  However, there are some cetrain circumstances when one must re-address their current position on things, such as WINE, and reconsider partaking of them.  This recent study may just be one of those times!

According to a long-term study led by Dr. Lu Wang, preventive health experts at Brigham conducted the first study of women's drinking habits and weight gain.  The study involved 19,220 women over the age of 38 who were of normal weight. Researchers asked the women about their alcohol consumption over the past year, and recorded how much of four different types of alcoholic beverages they consumed — beer, red wine, white wine and liquor. The researchers measured the average ethanol content of each beverage, and then calculated each volunteer's average alcohol intake; they also weighed each woman five times over the course of the follow-up period.


After 13 years, women consuming the highest amount of alcohol per day (more than two drinks daily) were 30% less likely to be overweight and nearly 70% less likely to be obese than non-drinkers, the team found. "We certainly don't want to encourage non-drinkers to adopt alcohol as a method for weight control, but we were surprised by the strength of the association," says Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's and a co-author of the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The scientists controlled for a suite of obvious factors that could have separately contributed to the women's weight, such as age, smoking, physical activity and other lifestyle and behavioral habits. But even after accounting for these potential confounders, the link remained between higher alcohol consumption and a lower risk of being overweight or obese.

The association led the team to consider several possible explanations. First, it could be that women who drink more simply substitute alcohol for other sources of calories — in essence adopting a form of the liquid diet. Indeed, when the researchers analyzed the data, it appeared that the women who drank the most got fewer of their total calories from nonalcoholic sources than other women, but also consumed the most calories overall. Women having one to two drinks daily, for example, consumed 1,738 kcal/day, compared to the 1,670 kcal/day of non-drinkers, but they took in 177 fewer kcal/day from nonalcoholic sources. Whether or not this substitution is a conscious decision on the women's part still isn't clear, and the study wasn't designed to find out.

Second, there is evidence that alcohol may cause physiologic changes to appetite and metabolism that may drive women to lose weight as they drink more. Women may metabolize alcohol differently from men, using a more inefficient, high-energy process that causes them to burn more of the calories from alcohol than men, which in turn leads to a net loss in caloric intake. But more research is needed to determine exactly how women process alcohol and the different ways in which the liquid calories are absorbed by the body. "It's very likely there is a combination of physiologic, metabolic and some behavioral changes," says Manson regarding the association between drinking and weight.

It's worth noting that while replacing some foods with alcohol may seem like an enticing weight-loss loophole, it isn't necessarily good for health. "Displacing 200 calories or so from food with alcohol probably has a detrimental effect on diet quality and on overall health," notes Dr. David Katz, director and co-founder of the Yale University Prevention Research Center. "If you look meticulously at nutrient intake there might be important deficiencies there."

That underscores the complex effect that alcohol has on the body, especially in women: excess alcohol can lead to a greater risk of developing breast cancer, while moderate consumption of a glass of wine a day may help reduce heart disease risk. So whatever potential gains a nightly beer or glass of red may have on slimming down love handles, the benefits must be balanced against the other potential gains and risks of alcohol consumption.

Putting these results in the context of previous work showing the heart benefits of moderate drinking, Katz prefers to look at it this way: "This study suggests that you can probably make room for moderate alcohol consumption and not have it result in weight gain. But we certainly don't want to suggest to people to go out and drink more alcohol as a weight control strategy."

Well, Dr. Katz, point well taken!




Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Could sleep deprivation cause obesity?

Not getting enough sleep may lead to more severe problems than just a lack of energy and alertness.

It also could lead to an increase in fat accumulating around vital organs, according to a study released today by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.  

That could result in higher rates of metabolic disease among minorities, including obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, the study found.

Researchers focused the study on 1,107 minority participants -- 775 Hispanics and 332 blacks -- over five years because the races have been underreported regarding the issue. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 81. They were examined through CT scans.

The Wake study focused on the effects on abdominal organs, such as liver and pancreas. Other studies have targeted the heart and other organs.

The connection between getting six or fewer hours of sleep and the amount of visceral fat -- the kind that collects around organs rather than under the skin -- was noticeable particularly among participants under age 40.

People who get more than eight hours of daily sleep also showed signs, though slighter, of the same fat-around-organ buildup.

"We put a lot of stock in diet," said Dr. Kristen Hairston, an assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism and lead author on the study. "But this study brings up some interesting questions about the way we live.

"We may need to start looking at other behaviors -- besides daily food choices -- that could be contributing to the obesity epidemic in younger age groups.

"This information may help a physician put into context other issues going on in the patient's life which may be affecting their overall health," she said.

There have been previous studies regarding sleep and weight gain.

The consensus of those studies is that a person who regularly gets less than six hours of sleep had a larger body-mass index than those who regularly get seven to eight hours. Women who sleep no more than five hours a night tend to weigh more than those who sleep seven hours.

"We know from those studies that a regular lack of sleep can produce a change in hormones regarding a person's desire to eat and how they process nutrients," Hairston said.

In the Wake study, Hispanic men and black women under age 40 were the largest groups to report getting less than five hours a sleep regularly.

Hairston said that researchers' next steps are determining why the fat accumulates around the organs and which organs are more susceptible to the problem.

"There are cultural issues at play here," Hairston said. "When people are up more, there may be a tendency to eat more. If they sleep more, they're likely exercising less."

It's a growing concern in part, Hairston said, because there are more people working more than one job a day to bring extra income into their household.

"It's not really focused on the college student pulling an all-nighter before an exam, but regular sleeping patterns," she said.

Hairston said she would encourage OB/GYN physicians and pediatricians to bring up the subject of lack of sleep and weight gain with parents.

"Especially for those who are having child after child and are struggling to regain normal sleep habits," she said.

The study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, appears in the March 2010 issue of Sleep, the journal of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.



 
Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

You're fat,but not at enough...

Todays recet study results revolve around the weight loss surgery world.

Courtesy of Dallas News.com:

North Texas is a hotbed for weight-loss surgeries, yet many candidates for the procedure


By one doctor's informal calculations, Dallas is the country's No. 1 market for weight-loss surgeries. It's nearly impossible to sit through a 30-minute midday TV program or sift through a newspaper without being pitched an opportunity to transform your body. Industry observers say the market here is supported by a high concentration of bariatric surgeons and one of the nation's worst rates of obesity-related diseases.

Texas ranks in the top quarter of the country for percentage of residents with Type 2 diabetes, one of the most common and deadly obesity-related diseases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Within the state, Dallas fares worse than other big cities. Diabetes patients see Dallas doctors nearly twice as often as they do in Houston, according to a study by Pennsylvania researcher SDI Health LLC.

Some, like Terry Johnson, 45, of Burleson, say they are denied coverage for surgery because of unfair prerequisites or an outright unwillingness to pay. He wants weight-loss surgery because obesity has made him sickly.

Johnson – 260 pounds, 5 feet 11 inches tall, with diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure – said he has not been able to get the surgery because his health insurer repeatedly denied his requests and he can't afford to pay for it himself.

Johnson's weight has kept him from a good night's sleep, even with a prescribed breathing machine. That has made him prone to sinus infections, colds, bronchitis and voice loss. At night, his wife stays on guard to shake him in case he stops breathing – again.

"She says it sounds like a big freight train," Johnson said.

His doctor, Dr. Nick Nicholson, has grown frustrated with denials for coverage. Nicholson owns the Nicholson Clinic in Plano and is medical director of weight-loss surgery programs at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.

He calculated that Dallas ranks No.1 in bariatric surgeries, based on data he has received from national suppliers of weight-loss surgical tools.

"But for every 100 people that come in, less than half will get the surgery," Nicholson said.

Some policies require patients to prove they've tried dieting, exercise, medication and psychotherapy, but many of those policies do not pay for the prerequisites, Nicholson said. In addition, submitting the correct paperwork to prove requirements are met can take months or longer if it's lost in the shuffle, Nicholson said.

A quarter of patients considering bariatric surgery are denied insurance coverage three times before getting approval, and about 60 percent report their health worsened during this waiting period, according to an online Harris Interactive survey conducted in May 2008 of 280 surgeons and 400 weight-loss surgery patients. (The American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, which has a financial interest in doing more surgeries, funded the survey.)

Documentation

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, the state's largest health insurer, requires a body mass index of 40 or more. It will OK a surgery with a BMI of 35 as long as the patient has two of the following: hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis or dyslipidemia, a blood condition.

In addition, it requires documentation that the patient has stopped growing taller and has completed an evaluation from a licensed counselor, psychologist or psychiatrist within 12 months.

"Practically speaking, we'd prefer to intervene well before a member reaches the point where bariatric surgery is an option," said Dr. Eduardo Sanchez, vice president and chief medical officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas.

"At that point, a lot of ground has already been lost, and no matter which treatment is chosen, the person will have experienced preventable disease and distress, and it will be very expensive to treat the patient."

Obesity costs the nation more than $75 billion a year and Texas more than $5 billion a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which looked at direct medical costs linked to obesity.

Patients and surgeons, however, argue that the cost of surgery – in Johnson's case, $12,000 – more than justifies the long-term cost of rebandaging obesity-related ailments.

"They know I've been to the doctor for all these other illnesses," said Johnson, who would like to get down to 180 pounds. "They have to know, because they're paying the bill."

Employers' option

To be sure, insurers may not be to blame if they offer weight-loss surgery but the employer rejects the coverage option for workers. Most large employers in Dallas are self-insured and typically use an insurance carrier as an administrator.

The time it takes for payback also may discourage insurers from approving surgeries, Nicholson said.

"Insurance companies save money on weight-loss surgery but don't want to pay for it because the average member retention rate is lower than the time it takes to save money," Nicholson said.

If an employee receives the surgery and soon afterward finds a new job, the insurer misses out on the employee's better health and lower medical claims.

That logic, however, is debatable. A study in the September issue of The American Journal of Managed Care said insurers recover their costs for bariatric surgery in two to four years, depending on the type of surgery performed.

Across the board, insurers are routinely updating their guidelines and approving more weight-loss surgeries as the procdures become safer.

Aetna Inc. has approved 40 percent more weight-loss surgeries every year – 4,200 in 2006, 6,000 in 2007 and 8,500 in 2008. Numbers for 2009 have not been calculated but are expected to also be up 40 percent, said Aetna spokeswoman Anjie Coplin.

John Baker, president of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, said insurers have eased their prerequisites to surgery. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas used to require six months of medical supervision before approving the surgery but has changed it to three months, Baker said.

"I applaud them for making the treatment decisions they have been making," Baker said.

Baker said the next step is to get insurers to pay for follow-up care. He said he has a dietitian in his office as a benefit to patients because many insurers won't cover them.

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Low carb has same result a Low fat & Orlistat

A new study released by Duke University found that a low carb diet has the same results as a low fat diet combined with Orlistat (Alli)

Brand new weight loss methods are introduced to the general public each and every year and people are left to their own devices wondering how to decipher the differences between the good and the bad. With slick marketing claims like “scientifically-proven” and even “FDA-approved,” Joe and Jane Consumer out there doesn’t know who or what to believe. One of the most heavily-promoted diet concepts to hit the American market in recent years is the weight loss medication called orlistat, commonly known as and sold commercially as Alli.


But what if we really did have proof from the scientific community that looked at whether or not drugs like Alli/orlistat along with a “sensible” low-fat diet outperformed by 50 percent other diets like a high-fat, low-carb one, for example? Well, now we do thanks to Duke University researchers who released a new study published in the January 25, 2010 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. They wanted to compare the effects of a low-carb, ketogenic diet (LCKD) with a orlistat therapy combined with a low-fat diet (O + LFD).

Lead researcher Dr. William S. Yancy, Jr., Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine, observed 146 overweight or obese study participants from the Department of Veterans Affairs primary care clinics in Durham, North Carolina for 48 weeks and placed them at random on one of the two prescribed weight loss methods:

LCKD: Less than 20g carbs daily, unlimited meat and eggs, limited cheese, leafy greens, and non-starchy vegetables, no calorie restriction

OR

O + LFD: Restrict fat to less than 30% of calories, saturated fat to less than 10% of calories, cholesterol less than 300 mg daily, calorie-restriction 500-1,000 kcal below weight maintenance intake, and 120 mg orlistat prior to meals three times a day

The average age of the study participants was 52 and their mean body mass index (BMI) was 39.3. Nearly three-fourths of them were men, over half were African-American, and just under one-third had Type 2 diabetes. A total of 57 members of theLCKD group (79%) made it to the end while 65 members of the O + LFD group (88%) completed the full 48-week study. This was the first time a direct comparison between these two weight loss protocols had ever been studied and the results were stunning!

Weight loss between the two groups was statistically identical while blood pressure levels had a more beneficial impact with the LCKD group. Although HDL cholesterol and triglycerides improved similarly among both groups, the O + LFD group was the only one to see an improvement in LDL cholesterol. However, the LCKD group saw improved blood sugar levels, insulin and HgA1c levels better than O + LFD. In the end, though, Dr. Yancy did not find a significant statistical difference between the two groups regarding the health and weight changes.

What does this mean for those claims that Alli/orlistat “is proven to help boost your weight loss by 50 percent?” It’s dead wrong! Even more compelling is the fact that the dosage of orlistat used in this study (120 mg) is TWICE as potent as what is found in Alli (60 mg). Imagine if the researchers has chosen to use Alli rather than the stronger prescription medication (Xenical) — it’s quite probable that the differences between the two study groups would have been even more stark in favor of the LCKD.

Interestingly, both groups shared specific adverse effects from being on their chosen diet. The LCKD group complained of constipation, increased urination, bad breath, and leg muscle cramps. The researchers note this underlines “the importance of combining intensive dietary counseling and medical management with these interventions.” Meanwhile, not surprisingly, the O + LFD group reported increased flatulence, loss of bowel control, and diarrhea. Neither of these issues caused a mass exodus from following the prescribed diet for the study as “adherence was high over the 48 weeks.”

The LCKD group consumed more than 55 percent of their calories from dietary fat, although the researchers noted that the actual amount of total fat consumed was “identical to their baseline diet.” Meanwhile, the O + LFD group found it necessary to lower their fat consumption in half because of the fat absorption blocking nature of the drug. Calories were naturally reduced on the LCKD while caloric intake in the O + LFDgroup were artificially lowered because of the orlistat.

I was curious to see how many carbohydrates the LCKD study participants consumed since most so-called “low-carb diet studies” do not come close to restricting carbohydrates enough to see real results. But I was pleased to see Dr. Yancy’s study participants consumed an average of 62g carbs per day, or 15 percent of their total caloric intake in week 48. This is huge since most of these studies comparing low-carb with a low-fat diet have participants eating upwards of 120-190g carbs daily, or 33 to 45 percent of their calories. Yikes! So this truly was a low-carb diet comparison study and the results against one of the most powerful weight loss medications to ever hit the market were virtually identical.

Don’t you think if you could produce similar weight and health improvements on a deliciously healthy high-fat, low-carb lifestyle change without having to shell out the $50/month cost for Alli as well as being forced to suffer through the hunger-inducing impact of a low-fat diet that you’d be more apt to do that instead? Of course you would. But don’t expect to see any television advertisements like the ones you’ve seen for Alli promoting livin’ la vida low-carb because there’s no money to be made from doing that. This is a grassroots word-of-mouth campaign that is gonna take the efforts of people like you and me who have had our lives changed forever for the better because of low-carb living.

Isn't it good to know your low-carb life works as well as a prescription — without a prescription?!

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

A supplement that burns calories?

A new weight loss supplement tested at the University of Oklahoma has the potential to burn as many calories as a 20-minute walk, according to researchers.


The tri-pepper blend supplement is a mix of black pepper, caffeine and a concentrated form of capsaicin, which is the ingredient that makes red peppers hot.

A group of study participants were given the supplement or a placebo followed by a metabolic rate test. The study measured oxygen consumed and carbon dioxide produced by participants to determine the arresting metabolic rate of each after receiving the supplements. The study confirmed the viability of the weight loss supplement.

Researcher and professor of exercise physiology Joel Cramer says the study showed energy expenditures of 3 percent to 6 percent, results which are statistically significant enough to validate product weight-loss claims.

Several herbal and dietary supplements are believed to help aid with weight loss. They include bitter orange, chitosan, chromium, conjugated linoleic acid, ephedra, green tea extract, guar gum and hoodia, according to the Mayo Clinic. Some healthcare experts say scientific proof of the effectiveness and safety of some of these supplements for weight loss has not yet been established.

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Eating Algea for weight loss??

In my effort to keep you, my loyal readers, abreast on the recent plethora of weight loss studies out there, here's one that you may not find too appetizing.

Courtesy of Easier Lifestyle.com:

A natural product that makes you burn more fat and allows you to train harder, sounds too good to be true? Not according to the 'Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise' journal, which this month published a study that showed some interesting results.


The study, which involved getting participants to run on treadmills, who had either taken the natural supplement spirulina or a placebo, had surprising results showing that for the same amount of exercise, participants who had taken spirulina burnt more fat than those who hadn’t.

Furthermore the study showed those who had taken the spirulina were able to train for longer without becoming tired, and therefore their exercise performance overall was increased.

With such positive results, (although it is important to remember spirulina won’t stop you from having to exercise in the first place) its clear that taking spirulina could help boost your chances of success if you're exercising in a bid to become healthier and lose weight.

What is Spirulina?

Spirulina is a microscopic spiral shaped blue-green algae that has been on the planet for millions of years. As a superfood it is packed full of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, natural proteins and amino acids and is one of the most nutritional foods on earth; making it popular in recent years with celebrities and nutritionists. However, the new study shows there may be even more to the algae. Those who took spirulina in the study were seen to burn more fat reserves as well as being less tired during exercise and therefore were able to run at a high intensity for longer.

The study used only relatively small amounts of spirulina of just 6g a day, making these results achievable by everyone.

Which Spirulina?

Natural Greens is a natural foods specialist, committed to making spirulina, chlorella and wheatgrass attractive and accessible as everyday supplements in the UK.

Packaged in stylish recyclable packaging, their products come in easy to use powders, which can be added to water, smoothies or juice, or as capsules. They're 100% pure and natural (with no fillers, like some other products), are non GM, gluten-free, and registered with both the Vegan and Vegetarian societies. Furthermore, a percentage of the company’s profits go to the charity ‘Yes To Life’, which helps support people with cancer in the UK in accessing Complementary & Alternative Medicine.

 Packaged in handy 1, 2 or 4 month supplies, perhaps the biggest reassurance of the quality and effectiveness of Natural Green's products comes from their 7 day return policy. They're so confident you will feel the benefits of 'Natural Greens' that they offer a 7 day money back guarantee if you're not happy.

Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Slim TRANCE!

Forget pills, special juices and diets, the best way to shed weight could be fitting oneself with 'virtual gastric band', suggests a new study

In the new research, it was found that fat individuals fitted with the virtual gastric band shed an average of almost nine inches in just five weeks, reports The Daily Express . The new technique, which follows the idea that the subconscious mind will not allow the body to over-eat, includes simple rules like reducing portion sizes, exercising and listening daily to a supporting hypnotherapy CD.


Hypnotist Sheila Granger said her trial saw significant weight loss in 99 per cent of the volunteers who had the virtual surgery. Granger, who runs Trance Actions, in Beverley, East Yorkshire, said, “I expected to see a 50 to 60 per cent success rate. “However, I am very excited to find that we have had a 99 per cent positive result.”


Until Tomorrow!
Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Have your noodles...and eat them too!

I love Tuesday's posts.  They're so educational, and often quite humerous, as I plunge into current studies adrift the plethora of information highway we call the internet.  I am mind boggled at the different studies, and often wonder HOW people actually THINK about starting studies about their subjects...and how they effect me (or any common person).

Today's post is about noodles.  Noodles, that not only taste good, but have been recently shown in a study to help with weight loss.  Too good to be true?  You be the judge.  But, according to this report...now you can have your noodles...and eat them too!

As cited from the online Wall Steet Journal:

Konjac fiber, also called glucomannan, is extracted from the root of the Asian konjac plant. Besides being an ingredient in some Asian noodles, the fiber is sold as a dietary supplement in capsule form, an ingredient in a meal-replacement drink and as sprinkles you can put on your food before eating.


While fiber in general is well known to be good for you, glucomannan has caught the eye of scientists because it is particularly soluble in water, resulting in a viscous mixture that lingers in the intestines and slows digestion. A University of Connecticut meta-analysis of 14 studies involving capsules, biscuits and energy bars made with glucomannan found the fiber appears to help lower bad cholesterol, keep blood glucose under control and has a "mild" effect on body weight. The analysis, published in 2008 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, concluded that larger, longer-term studies are needed.

"We can say at this point that it is not harmful, but whether it is going to be effective over the long haul is up for debate," says Joyce K. Keithley, a professor at Rush University College of Nursing in Chicago and author of a 2005 review article on glucomannan for weight loss. A recently completed 50-person study at Rush, so far unpublished, found a modest weight loss over two months in patients taking two capsules with a glass of water an hour before each meal, but a longer-term study is needed to see if the weight loss holds up over time, Ms. Keithley adds.

For diabetics, fiber intake in general has been shown to help keep blood sugar under control. But so far there's insufficient evidence to show glucomannan is better than other fibers—particularly those you get by eating whole, natural foods, says Abhimanyu Garg, chief of the division of nutrition and metabolic diseases at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. "If you are eating papayas or apricots or dates, you are increasing soluble fiber while also getting vitamins and minerals," he adds.

And then there's the noodles with konjac fiber, often called shirataki or yam noodles, which is the way konjac is commonly translated. They are widely available in Asian grocers, usually refrigerated and packed in water. In an informal taste test, the noodles at first seemed clammy and fishy tasting. But after rinsing them in water and stir frying them with vegetables, they absorbed the flavor of the stir-fry sauce and tasted good. They did appear to be particularly filling. (The noodle importer, JFC International Inc. of Los Angeles, couldn't be reached for comment.)

Health claims for konjac noodles are generally based on tests of other forms of glucomannan. Strumba Media LLC, of West Hollywood, Calif., claims on its Web site that its Miracle Noodle product "prolongs the sensation of fullness" and will "dramatically lower calorie intake." While the company says it hasn't done any clinical trials on its product, it adds that the very low-calorie noodles, made entirely of water and fiber, expand in the stomach to make you feel full.

According to a recently published study, consumption of a proprietary fiber called PGX, made from glucomannan and other ingredients, before a meal was found to reduce pizza intake by 38 grams, or about 85 calories, in a test involving 31 adolescents, compared with a control group who had cellulose fiber before the meal. PGX is sold by Canada's InovoBiologic Inc., which funded the study. Published in September in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, the study involved test drinks consumed 90 minutes before eating. The PGX drink also outperformed an ordinary glucomannan drink. PGX, available as a capsule, a meal-replacement drink and food sprinkles, is sold under SlimStyles and other brand names.

Glucomannan has been found in several studies to improve digestion—specifically constipation. However, it can also cause gas, abdominal discomfort and sometimes mild diarrhea.

I was pretty interested in this article of "new information" because I myself have actually tried "Miracle Noodles", which fall into this category (study). They are basically a "free" food, having no calories, sodium, or cholesterol.  At first, they are a little scary, packaged in a fishy-smelling water, but once rinsed well (5-7 minutes) with hot water, the smell is gone, and they are a perfect last minute addition to stir-fry or any other flavorful dish (dry well prior to adding to food or they are a little bitter). They are a little like rice noodles with their texture, yet still unique to themselves. They do make me feel more full when I add them to my dish vs. eating vegetables by themselves!!  Give them a try & let me know what YOU think!


Until Tomorrow!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!


Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥

Weight loss surgery now an option...

As an overweight mother of 4, who has struggled with my weight for more than a decade, I would be lying if I said that I had never thought about of investigated weight loss surgery.  However, until now, it was never an option because I fell into the "moderatly obese" category.  Millions of people are in this same category....in limbo constantly struggling with their yo-yo activity of their weight....until now.

An announcement was recently made by the Chicago Tribune:

After spending the majority of her 48 years trying to slim down, Veronica Mahaffey was still 50 pounds overweight -- not morbidly obese but still far from the size she wanted. Worried about her health, she called a San Diego weight-loss surgery clinic last spring and asked for help.

She was told no.

At 185 pounds and with a body mass index of 28, the mother of four was not heavy enough to meet medical guidelines or insurance company qualifications for weight-loss surgery. Those require a BMI of at least 40, or 35 for people with a related medical problem such as diabetes or sleep apnea.

"People would say, 'You look fine.' But I couldn't get into normal-size clothing. That's not fine," said Mahaffey, of California.

Ultimately, she got the surgery through a clinical trial of one of several new weight-loss procedures. Now 10 pounds from her goal weight of 135, Mahaffey said she looks better, feels better and is confident she'll no longer have to fight her weight.

Her experience may soon be shared by thousands of Americans.

Traditionally limited to dangerously heavy individuals, weight-loss surgery is undergoing technical advances and becoming an option for moderately obese patients. Physicians who perform the procedures say it's a form of early intervention that can help prevent medical problems, such as diabetes, associated with carrying significant excess weight.

But other health professionals are concerned, citing the potential for complications and high costs.

"If you're looking at the numbers of people who are obese -- that's a third of the population," said Dr. Robert Kushner, a professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "It's unimaginable even thinking about providing invasive procedures to a group this large.

" Obesity is a public health crisis that is not going to be solved by surgical interventions."

Nutritionists also are not enthusiastic. They reject the notion that surgery should take the place of dieting and exercise.

The problem is that nothing has worked so far in slowing the nation's alarming rise in obesity. A New England Journal of Medicine study published last month concluded that obesity rates soon will negate life-span gains achieved through declining smoking rates.

The American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery argues that surgery should be a bigger part of the solution.

Technological innovations may help make that possible by turning some surgeries into a one-hour, incisionless procedure -- making them more attractive to moderately overweight adults like Mahaffey, overweight and obese teenagers, and normal-weight people with difficult-to-control diabetes. Several new procedures are in human clinical trials.

Already, bariatric surgery rates have doubled in six years, to 220,000 procedures in 2008, according to the bariatric surgery society.

Depending on the type of surgery used, patients can lose 50 percent or more of their excess body weight and maintain that loss for as long as 10 years after surgery. Other research has found that bariatric surgery cures Type 2 diabetes in a majority of patients studied, as well as improving symptoms related to sleep apnea and heart disease, such as high cholesterol and blood pressure.

In comparison, recent studies on long-term use of weight-loss medications show a typical weight loss of 5 to 22 pounds over one year.

But even the simplest surgical procedures are not without risks. The most common weight-loss surgeries -- gastric bypass and gastric banding -- restrict stomach size so patients feel full faster. Afterward, 19 percent of patients experience dumping syndrome, which is involuntary vomiting or defecation, according to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Complication rates involving ulcers, wound problems, hemorrhage, deep-vein thrombosis, heart attacks and strokes range from 2.4 percent to 0.1 percent.

"None of these procedures is benign," said Dr. Blandine Laferrere, a diabetes expert at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.

Experts are seeking ways to decrease the risks.

"Investigators are working on ways to make these operations more effective, safer, less invasive and lower-cost," said Dr. Philip Schauer, director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.

Furthest along in clinical trials is an incisionless technique called TOGA, or transoral gastroplasty. A surgeon inserts a flexible tube through the mouth into the stomach and then uses staples to create a pouch that limits the amount of food that can be consumed.

Some surgeons are adopting a wait-and-see attitude on such procedures until longer-term data are available. "These approaches are still experimental, and we don't know yet how successful they will be," said Dr. Jonathan Myers, director of bariatric surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Mahaffey underwent a procedure called POSE, or primary obesity surgery, endolumenal, designed for people who need to lose only a moderate amount of weight.

In another incisionless technique still in the early stages of development, a device is placed in the upper part of the small intestine to create a barrier between food and the wall of the intestines, mimicking the effect of gastric bypass surgery. The device is expected to cost about half as much as gastric banding and one-quarter as much as gastric bypass.

Lowering the cost of surgery will be key to offering an effective weight-loss option to thousands, or millions, more people, Schauer said. The costs of traditional weight-loss surgery vary widely, with average costs ranging from $13,000 to more than $50,000, depending on the type of procedure and the area where it's performed.

Whether insurance companies will welcome the idea of more people receiving bariatric surgery remains to be seen. Weight-loss surgery is now covered by insurance only for those patients who have premium benefits and a BMI of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35 or higher with obesity-related medical problems. Standard health plans typically don't include coverage of bariatric surgery.

However, insurance companies tend to follow the lead of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and last February the federal agency announced that it would approve payment of surgery for people with Type 2 diabetes and a BMI of at least 35.

In November, a consortium of influential medical groups published a consensus statement recognizing the "legitimacy" of bariatric surgery as a treatment for some patients with Type 2 diabetes and noted that surgery may be suited for people with Type 2 diabetes who are not yet morbidly obese -- those with a BMI of 30 to 35.

"I see many patients with BMIs in the low 30s who aren't going to make it much longer," said Kushner, of Northwestern. "If we could get that person to take off 30 or 40 pounds long-term, that would make a tremendous difference."

"There is probably a subset of patient with BMIs under 35 -- those with diabetes, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, severe sleep apnea -- who would benefit substantially from some sort of (surgical) intervention," said Dr. Eric Hungness, a bariatric surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The Chicago medical center is offering surgeries to patients who fit that description on a case-by-case basis, he said.

Nearby, at a surgery center at 900 N. Michigan Ave., Myers estimates he has performed more than two dozen lap-band stomach surgeries on patients with BMIs of 30 to 35 in the last several years. More have conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol and all pay for the operations themselves.

"This isn't a quick fix or an easy fix," he warned, noting that people have to permanently change their eating, drinking and exercise habits for the procedures to achieve expected weight-loss gains.

Dr. John Baker, president of the bariatric surgery society, said that for people with a BMI of 25 to 30, which is considered overweight but not obese, diet and exercise changes should still be the treatment of choice.

"Even people who have surgery still have to focus on those things," he said. "You have to change your lifestyle and habits for any weight-loss program."

Until Tomorrow!

Keep healthy, keep safe and keep going!

Have an awesome day!

♥Fit~NOW~Girl♥