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Wow! Americans ARE exercising more!
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There is a new report out that Americans are exercising more than they were a few years ago.The obesity rates are still not on the decline, but exercise is rising. I think the fault here is that we still are not understanding that we need to watch what we eat in ADDITION to the exercise. I'm not sure why the combination of these two factors cannot be applied to each other.
Denise, DTR, CPT-AFAA
Nutrition Specialist
It's one day at a time and that's what you need to concentrate on; each day that you do this will make you stronger for the next!
How Healthy is Your State?
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Do you choose where to live based on the health care system or the lifestyle of the people? According to a report by the United Health Foundation, Vermont leads the pack as this year's healthiest state, followed by Minnesota. You may be wondering, “How did they arrive at this conclusion?” The ratings were based on 20 wellness factors ranging from rates of obesity to high school graduation. Unfortunately, Mississippi and Louisiana ranked at the bottom this year. Can you spot the link here? I don't know about you, but I think poverty is the thread that binds these two states to the bottom of this list. Curious to know how your state stacks up in this ranking? Click here.
Samantha, RD, LD/N
Nutrition Specialist
“We are all measured by inches, ages, numbers and all the outside things that don’t add up to who we are on the inside. So let your weight loss journey be one of self-acceptance every step of the way. If you are unhappy with yourself fifty pounds heavier you’ll probably feel the same way when you lose the weight. Happiness is not embedded in outward appearances.”
Labels: Obesity
What is the School's Role in Childhood Obesity?
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Was it appropriate for the school to give this information to a child or should the school have mailed it directly to the parents? What about the role that the school plays in the health of students, should they even get involved by doing health screenings?
Schools are instrumental in teaching our children many important lessons needed for success. With the enormity of the obesity crisis in America, this may be one of the most important lessons students can learn from school.
Nutrition Specialist
Obese Children Miss More School
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A joint research study by Temple and Penn University draws a link indicating that heavier and obese children miss more school in a given year than those children falling within the normal weight range as determined by the Body Mass Index. Prior studies implicated race, socioeconomic status, age and gender as markers for absenteeism. But, this new study places weight at the top of the list of reasons for missing school. This most recent study which focuses on fourth to sixth graders does not conclude why overweight children are missing more school; however, the study does theorize that reasons are less medically based and more emotional or psychologically based. Lead author of the study, Andrew Geier says, “They’re missing school because they don’t want to be bullied and called names.” The medical evidence is clear, obesity can be linked to diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol to name a few, but this new study falls in line with previously published data focused on non-medical complications with obesity. Previous data shows that overweight college students have lower attendance and overweight adults miss more work. Perhaps more evidence that parents need to break the unhealthy eating habits early on to help counter alarming obesity rates and encourage a healthy step in society.
Jerri, DTR
Nutrition Specialist
"You never know what you can do, unless you try"
Obese and an unfit parent??
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A judge ruled a man in Kansas City an unfit adoptive parent because of his obesity. Does this sound like discrimination to you?
Before you answer, think about the goal of adoption agencies when selecting parents for these children. They want people who can provide permanency, love, and a secure environment. Being obese doesn't affect a person's ability to provide these things... does it?
Looking deeper, someone who is obese has an increased risk for developing life-threatening diseases, like diabetes or heart disease. Would it be in the best interest of the child to have parents who are potentially risking their lives? Is it a big enough risk for a judge to reject adoptive parents? What do you think?
Eunice, DTR, CPT-ACE
Nutrition Specialist
Being from a fat family history I know it was a bad influence that I battle with even to this day at 50! Having to relearn good eating habits, learning to make exercise a part of every day wasn't part of my upbringing. It should be considered when people are being considered as parents.
Obesity is Contagious...the Solution? Find Fit Friends!
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Why do we have a tendency to gain weight? The list is long and thanks to the New England Journal of Medicine there is yet another reason to add to the lengthy list...“The Buddy System”.
Nicholas Christakis, coauthor of the study and professor of Medical Sociology at Harvard Medical School puts it this way, “If your close friend becomes obese in a given time interval, there’s triple the risk that you will follow suit.” If your friend’s weight rises, statistically you are at greater risk of packing on the pounds too! The study takes matters one step further explaining that even people you’ve NEVER met have influence on your weight fluctuations (in a six-degrees-of-separations way). Just another reason to choose your friends wisely!
Jerri, DTR
Nutrition Specialist
"You never know what you can do, unless you try"
Labels: Obesity
Nice post.
We've a real problem with obesity.
In fact I recently blogged about this exact thing here: http://tinyurl.com/38zvkm
In short: In May of 2002, the World Health Organization announced a rise in obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Remarkably, this occurred not only in affluent developed nations - but also among developing nations in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, where malnutrition was once the major dietary issue.
Obesity in the developing world can be seen as a result of a series of changes in diet, physical activity, health and nutrition, collectively known as the ‘nutrition transition.’ As poor countries become more prosperous, they acquire some of the benefits along with some of the problems of industrialized nations. These include obesity.
Since urban areas are much further along in the transition than rural ones, they experience higher rates of obesity. Cities offer a greater range of food choices, generally at lower prices. Urban work often demands less physical exertion than rural work. And as more and more women work away from home, they may be too busy to shop for, prepare and cook healthy meals at home. The fact that more people are moving to the city compounds the problem. In 1900, just 10 percent of the world population inhabited cities. Today, that figure is nearly 50 percent.
Read more here: http://tinyurl.com/2scnhk
Very good. Another reason to isolate and discriminate against over weight people.
It doesn't have to be isolation/discrimination against over weight people... we can choose to be the catalyst for change among our friends if we want to.
And I think a lot of this just simply has to do with the fact that people who like doing similar things (going out to eat or watching movies, vs going out to walk in the park/play tennis/ something active) hang out together. Not a whole lot of earth shattering research should have been required to reach that conclusion.
Obesity Can Go Beyond What Your Eyes See
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As we find more about how substances, hormones and different types of cells can affect our weight, scientists have recently found that this can go all the way to the simplest unit of life; the molecule. Scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) have found that a molecule called Bsx could be the difference between why one diet works for you and the same won’t work for me. Is the mystery uncovered or do we need more studies?Ivelisse, BS, LD/N
Nutrition Specialist
"Take care, take control and enjoy"
Labels: Obesity
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