How Obesity Increases Risk for Diabetes and its Effect on Blood Glucose Level

 

 

Type 2 diabetes and obesity are both serious health conditions. Millions of people have been diagnosed with diabetes and obesity can worsen insulin resistance. The early stages of type 2 diabetes feature the development of insulin resistance during which the body does not use insulin properly. The rise in need for insulin in an obese person overwhelms the pancreas that becomes unable to carry out sufficient insulin production.

 

Obesity and Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is significant aspect of type 2 diabetes and losing weight has proven to be an effective way of preventing, managing and curing the disease. Along with how obese an individual is, it is important to find out where the body has stored most of the fat treating diabetes. People that have stored excessive fat around their abdomen are more likely to be at risk of developing diabetes.

 

Losing weight is an essential objective for anyone who is overweight or obese and has type 2 diabetes. Weight loss helps to enhance insulin production and decrease the amount of medication required for treating diabetes. A healthy diet, physical activity as well as lifestyle adjustments can effectively treat diabetes.

 

Obesity Linked to Diabetes

Obesity accounts of a large percentage of the risk for developing diabetes with obese people being significantly more likely to have type 2 diabetes than people who have normal weight. There is a clear link between type 2 diabetes and obesity that can only be dealt with through healthy eating and exercise. An obese person can quickly develop the condition and doctors recommend timely intervention.

 

Gradual Weight Loss

Decreasing your weight even in small amounts over a given period will have the effect of improving the insulin action in your body, reducing the danger of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Visit onetouchdiabetes.co.in for more information.

 

Healthy Eating

Obese patients who have diabetes need to cut down on their consumption of complex carbohydrates that have a tendency to cause a rise in blood glucose. Since the body has developed insulin resistance, higher levels of insulin in the body can result in weight gain. Complex carbohydrates include bread, cereal and rice. Opt for whole grain versions of carbohydrates.

 

Lean protein such as fish and chicken is the best option for people who want to lose weight. The intake of dietary fiber needs to be higher to facilitate weight loss, weight control and prevent hunger pangs. A balanced diet is important and should contain protein, vegetables, fruits and limited fat. It is advisable to note down the food you eat and keep track of the progress you make to remain motivated.

 

Regular Exercise and Medication

Regular exercise helps you lose weight and maintain your weight loss. It prevents you from gaining the weight back, enhances sensitivity to insulin and reduces the threat of becoming diabetic. Exercising moderately at least five times each week will contribute to weight loss.

 

Different types of medication can treat type 2 diabetes and deal with resistance to insulin. Check out the recent kiwibox.com’s article on diabetes. Obesity prevention will help to prevent and treat diabetes.

 

Categories: Blood glucose, Diabetes, diabetes nbsp, diabetes obesity, Healthy Eating, insulin resistance, Lose weight, Losing Weight, obese person, obesity, treat diabetes, Weight Loss

Should You Turn Down the Heating to Lose Weight?

In the winter, the central heating can be a life saver, but could having the heating on actually be damaging to your wellbeing? According to Dutch researchers, the use of central heating prevents your body using up energy to stay warm, which could be helping to drive up your obesity level. If you’re looking to lose weight, the research team advocate turning down the heating in your home and/or office in order to burn more calories – but aren’t there other wellness factors to consider? Surely there’s no point being skinny if you end up cold, miserable and possibly freezing to death!

 

The paper was written by researchers from MaastrichtUniversity and Avans Hogeschool, both in the Netherlands, and published in the peer reviewed journal Science and Society. The report was a narrative review on the topic of cold exposure, energy expenditure and its relationship to obesity. A narrative review uses certain studies in support of a particular argument. However, the NHS warns, ‘The authors do not appear to have searched the literature in a systematic way (a systematic review) nor do they report on how the search for literature was carried out. There is a risk that important evidence may have been overlooked or ignored.’

 

Still, the paper does make some interesting points. The paper notes that we can now control the temperature around us more easily, which means our bodies no longer need to expend as much energy to control internal temperature. We have also experienced a rise in obesity which, the researchers say, is linked not only to excessive food intake but also to physical inactivity (reduced energy expenditure). When you are cold enough, you start to shiver and burn energy at a greater rate – up to five times quicker than we would normally. This helps you to burn calories and, as a result, lose weight.

 

However, as shivering all day long is both unpleasant, unhealthy and make you unproductive, the researchers focus on “non-shivering thermogenesis” (NST), a method of keeping warm which does not entail shivering. This basically involves you keeping the temperature low enough to burn calories without shivering. The researchers assert that non-shivering heat production can account for up to 30% of the body’s energy budget in young and middle-aged people. They researchers suggest that a mildly cold temperature indoors – say, for example, 18-19 degrees C can result in the same increases in NST. This is roughly the same temperature as you would experience outdoors during June in England.

 

Without turning down temperatures in our homes, offices and public places, the researchers warn that ‘entire populations may be prone to developing diseases such as obesity.’ So should you turn down your heating to lose weight? According to the NHS website, ‘Slightly turning down the thermostat could certainly help your “energy balance”. There is a certain logic to the theory that if you’re cold the body will use energy to stay warm. But as yet there is no hard evidence to suggest this will help you stay a healthy weight. Staying warm in winter is important for health, especially for those who are vulnerable to cold such as the elderly and people with chronic conditions such as asthma. Current advice is that indoor heating should be around 18-21oC. Maybe one way to combine the benefits of temperature and physical activity is to regularly take brisk walks or jogs during the winter months. While this may not be a guaranteed method of burning of your brown fat, it should help contribute towards your fitness levels and lift your mood.’

Categories: burn calories, central heating, energy, energy expenditure, heating, Lose weight, narrative review, obesity, Research, Researchers, stay warm

Pregnancy And Obesity: What Are The Risks?

Obesity is a condition which vastly affects your health in a number of ways, but when you’re pregnant it can be extremely damaging to both you and your baby’s health. There are a number of possible complications and risks attached to obesity during this important stage in your life, but there are ways you can avoid these issues and promote a healthy pregnancy. Your BMI, or Body Mass Index, is usually used to determine whether or not a person is obese. If your BMI is less than 18.5, you are underweight (this is also damaging to your health and has its own set of issues attached to it). 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal; 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and anything higher than 30 is obese. A BMI of over 40 is considered extremely obese and this can have a negative impact on a woman’s success in In Vitro Fertilisation or IVF as well. So what are the risks? Firstly, gestational diabetes is a major risk for obese women during pregnancy and can affect the health of your baby as well. Preeclampsia is a condition which causes high blood pressure and protein in the urine after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Likewise, thrombosis and obstructive sleep apnoea can also affect you. There may be problems in labour; obesity can also interfere with the ability to use certain types of medication such as an epidural block. On an even more serious note, obesity can increase the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

 

Obesity during pregnancy can lead to a number of health problems for your baby as well as you. Macrosomia, which means your child is slightly larger than average, is a risk to women who are obese, and can lead to the risk of childhood obesity. Chronic conditions such as diabetes in your child or as an adult can be a risk, as well as birth defects such as heart problems or neural tube defects. You should work with your healthcare provider to ensure you maintain a healthy weight during your pregnancy. As a general rule, if you’re obese, the recommended weight gain is 11 to 20 pounds for a single pregnancy, or 25 to 42 pounds for a multiple pregnancy. There are things you can do to improve your health and weight during your pregnancy – speak to your healthcare provider as well though, to ensure you’re on the right track. You should schedule a preconception appointment if you’re obese and considering getting pregnant – there are prenatal vitamins you should take and diet changes that can be beneficial to you. You should also seek regular prenatal care to monitor both your and your baby’s health during the pregnancy. This can help you avoid issues such as sleep apnoea, high blood pressure and diabetes. A healthy diet is important at any weight during pregnancy, so as to avoid any excessive weight gain and to ensure that you’re getting the right level of vitamins and nutrients. You should endeavour to be physically active during your pregnancy – your GP can help to suggest ways to achieve this without putting your body under too much strain. And, natural, as with any pregnancy, you should avoid harmful substances such as alcohol or smoking while you’re pregnant. While these are damaging to any unborn baby, they increase some of the risks attached to obesity and could damage your baby’s development. If you’re concerned about your weight, you should speak to your GP who can advise you of the various ways to stay healthy for you and your baby.

Categories: blood pressure, healthcare provider, high blood, Obese, obesity, pregnancy, Pregnant, Risks, risks attached, Sleep apnoea, weight gain

The Habits That Will Keep You Fit and Healthy at Work

It is very difficult to keep fit and healthy when you are engaged in a corporate lifestyle. Most people spend their working lives hunched over a desk or a computer screen, with very little break of pause in their routine. This can lead to weight gain and obesity, and can have a serious impact on your wellness and wellbeing.

 

Obesity is one of the biggest epidemics threatening the health of millions around the globe, and it shows no signs of abating anytime soon. In actual fact, the obesity epidemic seems to be getting worse. Most countries in the world now have a serious problem with obesity.

 

Alongside healthy eating, exercise is the best way to help you avoid obesity. Exercise burns off calories and it also helps to boost your mood. Studies have indicated that the more healthy a lifestyle someone has in terms of exercise, the more likely they are to eat healthy food. In other words, if you take care of one area of wellness, other areas are likely to follow.

 

Having a split-level desk can be a great way to incorporate some exercise into your day – this allows people to stand up and sit down at different times during the day. This means that you have more incentive to stand up and sit down during the day. This can boost your circulation and your mood.

 

When getting out of the office for a lunch break, you can also make sure that you have a healthy lunch. Keep a food diary of what you eat during the day, and this will help you to highlight any areas where extra calories are creeping in. It may be that you eat biscuits in the middle of the afternoon or have too many calories in your mid morning mocha.

 

Bear in mind that losing weight should be a slow and steady job, too – don’t try any crash diets. Make small and simple changes and you will feel much better in the long run.

Categories: calories, exercise, Habits, Healthy, nbsp, obesity, work

Bigger Kitchen, Bigger Belly: Is Your Kitchen Killing You?

Your kitchen may be slowly killing you, but not in the way you think. While you may predict this article is about to warn you about the wellness dangers of radon or gas links, your wellbeing is actually at risk from kindness and proximity.

 

According to Neil Izenberg, founder of KidsHealth.org and a paediatrician at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, ‘When my 1840 Philadelphia row house was built for its seafaring owners, the kitchen was in the basement — like every other home on the block. If the family wanted a hot meal, someone had to tramp downstairs and stoke up the fire. Fire and smoke inhalation were chief among the many health hazards the 19th-century kitchen presented. In an era without refrigeration, food poisoning was a constant danger. Home-preserved foods filled in dietary gaps, but if stored improperly botulism became a real — and deadly — risk.’

 

Now, however, we’re less at risk to these hazards, so you don’t have to worry about kitchen wellness anymore, right? Izenberg notes, ‘Our kitchens, like our girths, have grown substantially, in terms of size and of function. They’ve become part of expansive entertainment complexes in our homes. A recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders reports that three out of four new-home buyers want their kitchen and family room to be a combined space. That makes sense. People like to hang out and socialise in their kitchens. Now great spaces are full of wonderful, convenient devices — with super-size refrigerators, stoves that could service a restaurant and large enough cabinets to store provisions for a small army. Even our dinner plates are bigger than they used to be. Comfy chairs, computer stations and a large-screen TV — virtual necessities — round out the picture.’

 

It’s a nice picture, but it perhaps covers up a dark underbelly; bigger kitchens mean bigger people. With all that storage for food, all those appliances and all those nice places to sit and eat together, there’s nothing but opportunity to sit and eat together. As a wellness writer, one tip I often hand out is to avoid “family-style dining” as this can cause you to keep dipping into a host of dishes on the table, without really realising how much you’re eating. However, if the dining room and the kitchen are one room, how can you help but keep going back for more – it’s all right there! Izenberg comments that his plans for his new kitchen will give him a similar problem of convenience: ‘Soon I’ll be able to amble (or, more likely, roll) a mere five feet from my kitchen counter stool to my couch to watch Chopped, Top Chef or Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The refrigerator, pantry and containers of food will remain alluringly in sight (and all beautifully lighted, I might add). I won’t even have to leave the room during a commercial. And why would I leave at all? The kitchen has Wi-Fi.’

 

He continues, ‘Many of the safety issues of yesterday’s kitchens are gone. No one in my family is likely to tumble into an open hearth. But new kitchens pose a more subtle danger to our health by doubling as a comfortable social, entertainment and eating hub. Retail marketers have long known that when tempting food is within close range of our eyes or nose, we tend to eat more of it. In our new kitchens, it’s just too darn easy to get to addictive snacks and calorie-rich drinks…There are, of course, many reasons for the nation’s obesity epidemic, with its staggering health implications. But surely modern home design plays an important and under-appreciated role.’

Categories: family-style dining, Food, Home, kitchen, kitchens, obesity, open-plan kitchen, room

Obesity Overhaul: How to Get Back to a Healthy Weight

We all consider a diet when we put on a bit of weight, but when does an extra few pounds turn into obesity? When you’re obese, it means you have so much body fat that you’re posing a threat to your wellbeing, risking your health with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, sleep apnoea, and stroke – to name a few. Even though you might feel fine now, and weight loss is such a chore, it’s important to protect your wellness by getting down to a healthy weight.

 

First and foremost, you need to tell if you’re obese. Medical professionals do this by using a measurement called a body mass index, or BMI, along with a waist size camera. There are many BMI calculators online that can help you determine where you sit on the scale, using your height and weight measurements. You know your weight is putting your health in danger if you have a BMI of 30 or higher. You’re also in danger if you carry too much fat around the middle, rather than around your hips. Women and men have an increased chance of disease when they have a waist size of 35in/88cm and 40in/101cm respectively. If you’re Asian, your health may be at risk if you have a BMI over 27.5 and a waist size of 32in/80cm (women) or 36in/90cm (men).

 

On one level, weight gain is a simple case of consuming more calories than you burn off. However, in reality there are other factors at play. If you have obese family members, for example, you may have inherited a tendency to gain weight and/or are surrounded by people who shape your unhealthy eating and lifestyle habits. Plus, these days we’re so busy it’s increasingly hard to plan and cook healthy moods, and so we reach for prepared foods, go out to eat, or go to the drive-through. Work schedules, long commutes, and other commitments also cut into the time we have for physical activity.

 

With weight loss being so at odds with modern life, it’s important that you take the right approach. Instead of focusing on “going on a diet”, turn your attention to your health. The problem with diets is that they don’t produce good long-term results, as they usually involve big changes to your eating habits that you simply cannot sustain. The better thing to do is to make small lifestyle changes that will improve your health and help you to achieve the right balance of energy and calories. This means burning more calories than you take in through reasonable amounts of healthy foods and becoming more active.

 

In order to create a plan that works for you, consult your GP and consider working with a dietician and fitness trainer. It’s also important to get support from your family and friends who can help motivate you to stick to your plan, rather than tempting you with treats. However, if and when you do stray from your healthy lifestyle plan, don’t beat yourself up about it. Feeling rubbish and hopeless will just make you want to give up, when you’ve only made a little mistake that everyone makes. Instead, look at what happened, figure out what made you go off track and work on ways to fix it for next time. Becoming healthier and staying that way is a lifelong effort, and so it’s likely that you’ll fall off the wagon countless times. Still, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. After all, isn’t your health worth the effort?

Categories: BMI, health, health concerns, Healthy, healthy weight, nbsp, obesity, waist, waist size, weight, Weight Loss

Could Obesity be Causing the Problems With Your Sleep?

When you are obese, you will know that it is very important for your health to lose weight and improve your fitness. You will most likely be able to reel of a list of reasons why being overweight is damaging for your wellness and wellbeing, but what you may not know is that being obese can have a devastating effect on your body’s ability to sleep. Lack of sleep and obesity are actually linked, and researchers have been finding more and more evidence that proves this in recent months.

Most people today lead very stressful lives, where they are always on the go. People work long hours, do numerous chores in their spare time, try to spend time with their families and do household duties and also try to incorporate their friends into their lives. In this kind of lifestyle, sleep is very important but research has shown that the average person only gets around six and a half hours of sleep every night.

A study that took place at the University of Chicago looked at 12 men who were in their early 20s, and the study spanned several nights. For the first two nights they were only allowed to sleep for four hours per night and after that, for the next two nights, they were allowed to sleep for 10 hours a time.

What the researchers discovered was quite remarkable. The tests showed that a lack of sleep disrupts two hormones in the human body which regulate your appetite. Leptin is the first hormone, and it is the one that tells the brain when it is time to eat. Ghrelin is the other one and this hormone triggers the hunger reflex in the body. The study showed quite clearly that when the subjects of the study had a reduced amount of sleep, the hormones in their body were reduced significantly, meaning that they ate too often.

 

Categories: body, hormone, hours, obesity, sleep, study, time

Weight Loss Around the World: Tips from Different Cultures

Although obesity is a worldwide issue, different cultures have different solutions for losing weight and bolstering their wellness. So, if you’ve been doing weight loss the British way and not seeing any results, maybe it’s time you took a virtual trip around the world and investigate what other countries’ weight loss strategies might do for your wellbeing.

 

1. UK: Ok, let’s start with how we do it here in Blighty. In the UK, the name of the dieting game is to downsize on the supersizing. Any nutritionist will tell you that supersizing your meal will supersize you, while smaller portions can help you to shed pounds, and only eat what your body really requires. Simon Hartley, executive editor of Reader’s Digest UK, suggests that the British diet technique of smaller portions is perhaps a lingering vestige of the frugality instilled by Second World War rationing – Yule Britannia.

 

2. Thailand: As Thai food is among the spiciest in the world, it not only raises your metabolism but also slows down your eating. According to Dr. Arya Sharma, scientific director of the Canadian Obesity Network, in the West ‘we eat too fast. By the time your body signals that it’s full, you’ve already overeaten. Eating slower is an effective strategy to avoid weight gain.’ Pass the Pad Thai.

 

3. France: No one does a leisurely family meal better than the French. The statistics show that 92% of French families dine together every night, spending at least 33 minutes just on eating dinner every weekday, and 43 minutes at weekends. It may sound counterintuitive, but eating a lengthy meal encourages you to eat less – after all, how many fat French people have you seen? Melodie Yong, registered dietician for the Heart and Lung Institute of St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, explains, ‘It generally takes 20 minutes from the time you’re full for your brain to realize you’re full, so taking longer to eat means you’ll end up eating less.’

 

4. Brazil: Rice and beans is a traditional dish in Brazil, which Brazilians enjoy at just about every meal in order to stay slim. A recent study, published in the journal Obesity Research, showed that if you eat a diet consisting primarily of rice and beans, your risk of becoming weight is 14% lower than if you dined on typical Western fare. The reason? Rice and beans are low in fat and high in fibre, which stabilises your blood-sugar levels. Yong asserts, ‘Beans are a great healthy addition’ to any meal.

 

5. Poland: The way Poles stay so slim is by staying in for dinner more often than they eat out. Typically, people in Poland only spend 5% of their family budget on eating out. Yong points out, ‘People who eat out a lot tend to eat less-healthy food and to be heavier than people who do.’ Moreover, there is a close connection between the rise in obesity over the last 30 years and the decline of cooking at home, linked in part to the increasing number of women in the workforce. In order to save pounds – both on your waistline and in your pocket – it might be a good idea to track and jot down how often you eat out and how much you spend each month, so that you can gradually cut back.

 

6. Germany: On a daily basis, an impressive 75% of Germans eat a breakfast usually consisting of whole-grain cereals, breads and fruit. Sharma argues, ‘If you could make just one change to impact the obesity epidemic, it would be to get everyone eating breakfast.’ Breakfast has a notable impact on your weight, one reason for which being that skipping breakfast makes your brain’s reward centre light up more vividly if you see a high-calorie food. This makes you more likely to indulge.

Categories: eating, meal, nbsp, obesity, Rice and Beans, spicy foods, weight, Weight Loss

Are Your Weird Periods a Sign of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome?

Though it may not feel like it when you’re laid out on the sofa with a hot water bottle strapped to your lower back, your menstrual cycle plays an important part in your wellbeing. A healthy, normal cycle controls your fertility and has many other functions, but certain health concerns can get in the way of your menstrual wellness. One such concern is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

 

If you break down the word “polycystic”, it simply means many cysts. PCOS, therefore, means that you have by clusters of pearl-size cysts in your ovaries. Due to a hormonal imbalance, these fluid-filled cysts contain eggs that have not been releases. Although no one knows exactly why PCOS occurs, researchers believe that decreased insulin sensitivity may play a role. If this is the case, your body requires more insulin than normal to ensure your cells absorb enough sugar, which means you end up with higher levels of insulin in you blood. This causes your ovaries to produce male hormones, and this triggers or worsens your symptoms of PCOS. If you notice areas of your skin are darker, this could be a sign of high insulin levels.

 

So how do you know if you have PCOS?

 

1. Your sister has PCOS. This means there’s a 50% chance that you will be likewise affected.

 

2. You have irregular menstrual periods; it’s either heavy, absent, or unpredictable.

 

3. You’re infertile. You gave up birth control measures a year ago and still haven’t conceived.

 

4. You’re obese.

 

5. You have abnormal hair growth on your face, chest, abdomen, or upper thighs.

 

6. You have severe acne that does not respond to usual treatments.

 

7. You have patches of thick, velvety, dark skin.

 

If you think you might have PCOS, you should see a specialist to have a physical exam, a review of your medical history, a hormone test, a glucose test and an ultrasound of your ovaries. There are many treatments for PCOS, but the one you will receive will depend on your individual symptoms, pre-existing health problems and whether or not you wish to become pregnant. Treatments include female hormone preparations, weight loss, diabetes medications, ovulation-induction, anti-male hormone medications and proper nutrition and exercise.

Categories: nbsp, obesity, ovary syndrome, pcos, pcos nbsp, polycystic ovary, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), Unusual Periods

Myth Busters: Why Thin and Healthy Aren’t the Same Thing

In this day and age of prevalent obesity, being thin is equal to being in the prime of health, right? Not so. Although being overweight is by no means beneficial to your wellness, being skinny certainly doesn’t get you off the hook in terms of looking after your well-being. Let’s take a look at some of the myths related to weight and weight loss.

 

1. If your kids are going to shed the obesity bulge, they need to lose weight.

According to a new study, published in the journal Lancet, some kids can outgrow their obesity around puberty even if they don’t lose weight. Researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health developed a mathematical model to differentiate between healthy weight gain of childhood and the extra pounds that contribute to obesity, noting that as children grow, they transform fat into muscle, which can weigh as much, if not more than fat tissue. This means that, even if your kid has a high BMI, they may not actually be overweight.

 

2. Fat people can’t be fit.

In 2012, researchers found that overweight and obese people – who were just as metabolically fit as their skinnier counterparts – had no greater risk of developing or dying from heart disease or cancer than normal people. It’s not about how fat you are, but the type of fat you’re carrying. Visceral fat is the type to watch out for, and lean people can have high levels of this fat in their tissues. Larger individuals, on the other hand, may be carrying more subcutaneous fat and so, in theory, may be metabolically fitter than those who are slimmer.

 

3. You can eat what you want and still lose weight as long as you exercise.

Sorry, folks, the best way to lose weight is still cutting calories by adjusting what you eat, especially when combined with exercise. According to Gayl Canfield, the director of nutrition at Pritikin Longevity Centre, ‘You can greatly undermine weight loss efforts and general health by not considering the quality of the foods you eat. It is important to consider calorie density and nutrient density of foods to maximize exercise performance and improve health status.’

Categories: Childhood Obesity, health, Lose weight, Metabolic Fitness, Myths, obesity, weight, Weight Loss

Could You Stomach the Idea of Using Worms to Treat Obesity?

There’s always some miracle pill or fad diet to try, but these are never as effective for your weight loss wellness as you want. Now, researchers have addressed the obesity epidemic with some brand new therapies but thought they may promise results, they’re so horrifying that you might not want to put your wellbeing in their hands.

 

If you have a problem rationing your food intake, there’s the AspireAssist Aspiration Therapy System, which pumps food out of your stomach right after you finish eating. The device was invented by a group of bariatric surgeons and Dean Kamen — who brought you the Segway personal transportation device — and essentially allows you the luxury of eating until you feel you’re about to burst, but without any weight gain. You use a small pump on a tube that connects directly to your stomach, so that 30% of what you ate 20 minutes ago ends up in the toilet. However, critics are calling the AspireAssist “mechanical bulimia” and pointing out that large portions of food can clog the device and that there’s a high probability of infection.

 

Still, if you don’t want to pump out that weight, scientists have found a way to worm it out of you. A study published in Nature Medicine has shown that some parasitic worms secrete a sugar-based anti-inflammatory molecule called glycan. This decreases inflammation in the host so that the worms can better navigate through tissue, but it may also treat metabolic disorders associated with obesity. Donald Harn, the study co-author who worked on the research while at the Harvard School of Public Health, commented, ‘Obesity is an inflammatory disease, so we hypothesised that this sugar might have some effect on complications related to it.

 

For the study, the researchers used the parasite’s sugar by-product on fat mice, and found that these mice were better guarded against insulin resistance, high triglycerides, and high cholesterol than their control counterparts. While the worm sugar won’t make you skinny, it may have a beneficial effect for your wellbeing. Harn noted, ‘We see great promise in this sugar, and we hope that future research and collaborations will eventually lead to marketable therapies for people suffering from disease.’

Categories: Device, Food, mechanical bulimia, nbsp, obesity, Sugar, worms

How Can You Tackle Obesity in Children?

The crisis of childhood obesity has quadrupled over the past 25 years and, in the UK, they’ve trebled since the 80s. Two-thirds of children in the UK will be over the healthy weight range by 2050, according to a report carried out in 2007. But with the right support it is possible to combat the problem early so that children can grow up to be as healthy and fit as possible. Many people are now classified as overweight or obese, but this brings with it far more problems than simply affecting the aesthetics of a person – it can lead to heart problems, certain cancers and stroke, as well as breathing problems and joint difficulties due to the excess strain on the lungs and bones. It also affects our mental health, affecting confidence, self-esteem and can even lead to depression. While genetics play a part, anyone can become overweight – it’s all down to how much your eat, what you’re eating, and how much exercise you do. We’re far more sedentary than we once were, in addition to eating an increasingly unhealthy diet, and this all contributes to those extra pounds which soon mount up to become a serious health risk. When children come under fire, this can be a serious problem – they’ll grow up already prone to diseases and health concerns, which will be harder to combat in adult life.

 

One of the first signs of a child becoming obese is when they can no longer fit into children’s clothes, and have to start wearing clothes designed for adults. However, with more manufacturers making clothes to accommodate the increasing number of children who are overweight, this can mask the issue. The best way to check if your child is in the danger zone is to check their BMI – this will give an accurate view of the extent of the issue. Once your child is slightly older, you may want to start keeping a check on their weight and height so that this figure can be monitored and dealt with if it begins to rise too high. It’s important to catch the condition early, as studies show that between 40 and 70 percent of obese children will grow up to be obese in adulthood. If your timing is right, you’ll be able to solve the problem early and your child will be able to enjoy a healthy childhood at a normal weight. Start from birth and get your baby weighed regularly by a doctor or nurse (around six times in their first year) and check their growth speed. Don’t move on to solid foods too early as otherwise they will become accustomed to the taste of this food too early on. It’s advised that you don’t wean until six months, or change on to pureed food at around four months. It also helps to talk to your kids when they’re a little older to help them become educated about foods. Communication with kids is key, so if you can get them to open up about why they feel the need to overeat, this can be half of the battle already won.

 

Portion sizes are a problem for many people, and can lead to overeating without you even realising it. Try to cut your portions down a little and you’ll notice that you’ll lose weight and stay full too. A good guide is to use their hand as a guide for portions – the size of their fist should be the maximum you give of each food item. Making sure that your child stays active is also helpful, as their diet will only account for part of the problem. It can be anything from a kick-about in the park on a Saturday morning, walking to school instead of driving, or getting them to take part in an evening class such as dance or basketball where they can socialise with friends and keep fit too.

Categories: check, Child, Children, Early, obesity, problem, problem early, Tips, weight

Stevia: 300 Times Sweeter than Sugar, None of the Calories

A natural sweetener, extracted from a wild South American plant, may be a major weapon in tackling the obesity crisis threatening the wellbeing of millions of people around the world. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than traditional beet or cane sugar, but with none of the calories, meaning you can satisfy your sweet teeth without the guilt of weight gain.

 

According to Dr Margaret Ashwell, a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Global Stevia Institute, an information service provided by the main suppliers of stevia, you cannot understate the health benefits of the sweetener. ‘Stevia can help people enjoy natural-origin sweetness while reducing calories as part of a healthful, balanced diet,’ she said. ‘There are enormous opportunities for industry to meet national and international pledges to reduce sugar in products to help the obesity crisis.’

 

South American cooking has used the sweetener in food for thousands of years, as well as believing it to have wellness benefits for those suffering from high blood pressure, heartburn, gout and type 2 diabetes. However, in just a few years, the plant used for centuries by Paraguay’s Guarani Indians has shot from relative obscurity to being a key ingredient in a range of low-calorie products from multi-national food companies, such as Coca-Cola and Danone.

 

But can a calorie-free supplement actually help in long-term fat loss diets? Dr Robert Lustig, author of Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar, argues that your body expects real sugar, and this may get in the way of your weight loss diet. Dr Lustig is one of several critics who doubt the health benefits of stevia, but that hasn’t stopped the popularity of the sweetener. Stevia was added to fizzy drink Sprite in March this year, in order to reduce the full-fat version’s calorie content by 30%. However, fans fear it will have an unusual aftertaste.

 

According to a spokesman from Coca-Cola, which manufactures Sprite, ‘We are introducing Sprite with Stevia in the UK. This will contain 30% fewer calories and, instead of being added as a mid-calorie addition to the Sprite range, it will completely replace the current Sprite. Stevia, a sweetener from natural origins, is sweeter than sugar but without the calories. It is an extract from the leaf of the stevia plant which is native to Paraguay. Stevia has been used for centuries as a source of intense, natural sweetness.’

Categories: obesity, Sprite, Stevia

How carbohydrates can cause obesity

For those seeking a diet that can help them lose weight, carbohydrates should be struck from the list immediately. Although carbs are considered the prime source of energy for your body to function effectively, there are actually two types which can either help or hinder your weight loss which consist of good or complex carbs, and bad or simple carbohydrates – some professors actually advocate low carbohydrate diets in order to limit your risk of health problems such as diabetes.

Bad carbohydrates are found in refined food products such as white bread, potatoes, sweets, pasta, fast food and pastries. The carbohydrates in these foods turn to glucose almost immediately in the body, which causes a huge spike in your blood sugar levels. This causes your insulin levels to rise in order to cope with the sugar in your bloodstream. The usual result is that the pancreas tries but struggles to deal with copious amounts of glucose and this ends up being dumped into the fat cells, where it stays and causes weight gain and eventual obesity.

High carbohydrate diets were once promoted as being the ideal choice, but health experts have since changed their minds on this score – this way of eating is now linked with unhappiness and poor health. A low carbohydrate diet can help with feelings of sluggishness and poor health, as well as weight loss and improved vitality.

If you are looking to lose weight, as well as improve your general feeling of wellbeing, it is advised that you avoid simple carbohydrates, such as those found in biscuits or white rice, and replace them with healthier alternatives. Generally speaking, a high carbohydrate diet is packed with foods that don’t provide very much nutritional value and as such should be avoided for a healthier diet and more energy.

Categories: carbohydrates, carbs, obesity

Early Nutrition Can Determine Good Life-Long Health

EU-funded research has discovered that good nutrition in the womb, and in the early stages of life, can affect our susceptibility to obesity, heart disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes and even cognitive functions. The findings have now been translated into practical advice which could have a hugely beneficial impact on the next generation in Europe. The EARNEST project utilised the knowledge of a team of scientists to identify the factors behind ‘early nutritional programming’ – it followed over 1000 children in five EU countries from birth up to the age of two, with a further follow-up after that. The goal of the project was to see what effects infant feeding had on obesity later in life. Results proved that infants fed with a low-protein content formula which is more similar to breast milk were significantly lighter than those on a high protein formula, when tested at two years of age. The differences which emerged at six months of age persisted, even after the intervention ceased.

The study shows that early growth predicts a reduced rate of obesity by as much as 13 percent at 14 to 16 years of age. The evidence is substantial and could promote ‘positive programmers’, such as breast milk, which not only affects future health through nutrients, but also through non-nutrient components. The research offers great potential for improving the health of future generations, as well as potentially combating the obesity crisis with future generations of children protected against it. This would not only improve the health of these individuals, but also reduce hospital costs due to a lower need for weight-related treatments. Obesity and the various associated problems are a growing concern, but this study could offer the answer to a future set of questions.

Categories: Children, obesity, weight

What Causes Obesity? Your Answer May Affect Your Weight

When it comes to weight loss, giving up the foods you love is hard. You might think you can just exercise your way to better wellness, and still allow yourself your dietary indulgences, but you may want to think again. This is according to a new study, published in the journal Psychological Science, which found that while the majority of overweight people believe lack of exercise is to blame for them piling on the pounds, slim or healthy weight people believe diet is the main cause of obesity.

 

Led by Doctor Brent McFerran, of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and Doctor Anirban Mukhopadhyay, of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the researchers found that your belief on what causes obesity has a direct impact on your weight and wellbeing. If you believe lack of exercise is the main cause of obesity, you’re more likely to be overweight and eat more chocolate than those who believe otherwise. In fact, the researchers claim they can even predict your body mass index (BMI) by your views.

 

For the study, the researchers conducted an online survey in which it was found that people dubbed one of two culprits to be the cause of obesity; lack of exercise or overeating. According to Dr McFerran ‘There was a clear demarcation – some people overwhelmingly implicated poor diet, and a roughly equal number implicated lack of exercise. Genetics, to our surprise, was a far distant third.’ The researchers then conducted a further series of studies across five countries on three continents, and found that participants in Korea, the US and France showed the same overall pattern; people who implicated diet as the primary cause of obesity actually had lower BMIs than those who implicated lack of exercise.

 

Dr McFerran explained, ‘What surprised me the most was the fact that we found lay theories to have an effect on BMI over and above other known factors, such as socio-economic status, age, education, various medical conditions, and sleep habits.’ Dr Mukhopadhyay added: ‘This is the first research that has drawn a link between people’s beliefs and the obesity crisis, which is growing as fast as people’s waistlines are.’ He noted that public health campaigns may need to target people’s beliefs just as much as they target their behaviour, in order to be effective.

Categories: belief, obesity, Research

Why are Food Labels so Important to our Health?

New front-of-package labels are being rolled out in the UK as a way of trying to assist customers in making healthier food choices. As obesity levels rise, experts are claiming that the lack of education about what’s really in our food is to blame for the number of people eating a poor diet. The label in question uses a traffic light system to highlight the worst offenders, in keeping with the GDAs or Guideline Daily Amounts, to show how much daily fat, salt, sugar and calories we’re eating in each 100g portion. All of the major supermarket chains, including Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons and Tesco, have announced that they will use the label on their own packaging as well, in addition to large brands such as Premier Foods, McCain Foods and Nestle UK. The change comes after research found that consumers were confused by various schemes, reducing the likelihood that they would use the information provided.

 

There are a number of health problems associated with obesity, and our increasing sedentary lifestyles and poor diets have led to this condition being a major health risk for various countries. Obesity costs the NHS over £5 billion every year – money which could be being spent on research for other health risks that aren’t lifestyle generated. A report published in 2011 found that 61 percent of adults in England are overweight or categorised as obese, which is higher than almost all other developed countries. The report also stated that one-third of 10 to 11 year olds, and nearly a quarter of 4  to 5 year olds, are overweight or obese, as well. This is a dangerous age to be instilling such habits into children, as they will grow up to be more prone to health problems, and issues with their weight and body confidence. According to a recent study, women who used the labels were less likely to be overweight than those who didn’t, showing that this new initiative may be effective.

 

Research shows that of all the schemes rolled out for tackling obesity, this is working the best and people are using the information provided to make healthier choices when it comes to their weekly shop. Experts state that we all have a responsibility to combat the obesity crisis, through eating better diets and exercising more. This initiative shows that brands are making a more conscious effort to be open about what’s in their foods, so that we can then use the information effectively.

Categories: diet, Labels, obesity

Generation Game: Obesity Health Problems Affect Grandkids

You may be worried that any wellness problems you may have will be passed on to your children, but you should be more concerned about your parent’s health. This is according to a new study, published in the journal Endocrinology, which found that health problems linked to weight and obesity, such as heart disease and diabetes, could skip a generation.

With support from the British Heart Foundation, the Medical Research Council and Tommy’s – a baby charity that funds research into pregnancy health – Edinburgh experts found the offspring of obese mothers may be spared health problems linked to obesity, while their own children then inherit them. They noted that obesity rates are higher than they’ve ever been, and this research adds to growing concern about the wellbeing of future generations. Obese mothers were found to make an impact on the birth weight and diabetes risk of grandchildren, despite it being absent in their own children.

For the study, the researchers examined moderately obese female mice fed on a diet high in fat and sugar before and during pregnancy. Moderate obesity is a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 30 and 34.9, and has been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer and stroke, as well as the more commonly cited diabetes and heart disease. The researchers saw virtually no ill effects of obesity in the first generation of mice, but the reasons why the first generation is apparently protected are not fully understood.

The researchers surmised that differences in maternal weight gain during pregnancy or specific food eaten during pregnancy might explain why the first generation is protected. They added that the study could help inform health policy on obesity, and though studying effects of this kind – referred to as developmental programming – in humans would be challenging, it is still possible. According to Dr Amanda Drake, senior clinical research fellow at Edinburgh University, ‘Given the worldwide increase in obesity, it is vital that we gain an understanding of how future generations may be affected. Future studies could look at these trends in humans but they would need to take into account genetics, environmental, social and cultural factors.’

Categories: obesity, Research, third generation

Why Do You Snack? Scottish Study Aims to Find Out

Why do you snack? Are you genuinely hungry? Is it a habit? Are you just bored? These are the questions that a research team at Aberdeen’s Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health are trying to answer, with a new study aiming to learn why people snack. As part of a Scottish government drive to tackle the wellness problem of obesity, the team spent a week monitoring over 100 Scots, recording their heart rates, activity levels and snacking habits. This will be done using heart sensors, GPS devices and an electronic diary, and the scientist say they hope to find out how the “executive functions” in your brain affects your wellbeing in terms of snacking.

 

According to study leader Dr David McMinn, from the institute, ‘We live in an environment where snack foods are readily available, and where desk jobs and labour-saving devices mean that we are less active than in previous generations. Because our environment makes it easy to consume high-calorie snack foods and spend long periods of time inactive, eating well and being active requires considerable self-regulation. It requires us to make an effort, such as deciding not to snack in order to maintain a healthy weight.’

 

Dr McMinn added, ‘We are particularly interested in the way food choices and physical activity behaviours are linked to psychological processes in the brain called the “executive functions”. We use executive functions to achieve goals, for example, planning actions in advance, solving problems, ignoring distractions and resisting temptations. The executive functions can be depleted if used intensively, or due to particularly stressful situations. We are interested to know if reductions in executive functions are associated with behaviours such as snacking on unhealthy foods or sedentary behaviour.’

 

It is the researchers hope that 120 people will participate in the study. Volunteers will be required to be over the age of 18, not currently taking beta-blockers and able to attend the university’s health sciences building on the Foresterhill campus to take part in psychological testing ahead of the seven-day monitoring period. Dr McMinn noted, ‘Information from the different monitoring devices will be used to identify where periods of snacking, activity, sedentary behaviour, and stress occur. The aim is to try to understand why people snack, because we all know that sticking to a healthy diet is easier said than done.’

Categories: obesity, Research, Snacking

Could Obesity Affect your Child During Pregnancy?

A recent study has found that health problems connected to obesity, such as heart disease and diabetes, could be passed on through pregnancy and skip a generation. Researchers have found that the infants of obese mothers could be spared the health problems that are associated with this lifestyle condition, but their own children could inherit them instead. The obesity epidemic has been in the spotlight for several years now, due to our increasingly sedentary lifestyles and poor diets, but this study suggests that it could also be affecting the wider family – not just the individual in question. The study was carried out by the University of Edinburgh and has shown that moderately obese mothers can impact the weight and diabetes risk of their grandchildren, even with the apparent lack of effects in their own children.

 

Researchers have stated that the rates of obesity in the public are at an all time high, increasing the risk of breast and colon cancers, stroke and heart problems. Those with a body mass index of between 30 and 34.9 are classified as moderately obese. Studying moderately obese female mice who were fed on a high fat and sugar diet, scientists found that the mice were found to pass on the risks associated with the condition to their second generation offspring. The reasons why are still unknown, and further studies will need to take place in order to determine why these risks skip a generation. They believe that it could be connected to differences in maternal weight gain during pregnancy, or specific foods eaten during the pregnancy.

 

Scientists have stated that the effects, referred to as developmental programming, could be challenging in humans but are possible. Due to the worldwide problem with obesity, it’s important that we gain a better understanding of the impact of this problem for future generations. Future studies will need to take place to determine how the trend is affected by genetics, social and cultural factors, and environment.

Categories: obesity, pregnancy, weight