The Fat Problem

Have you ever seen a mermaid with a pot belly? It could be that these temptresses of the sea have maintained their svelte figures for centuries by nibbling on fucoxanthin, a compound found in brown seaweed that attacks belly fat. Luckily, you don’t have to dive to the bottom of the sea to whittle your middle because a new, marine-vegetable based weight management supplement called fucoTHIN which is yet to get an approval from FDA is now available with clinically proven results on humans. Garden of Life is launching fucoTHIN, a non-stimulant weight management supplement with a thermogenic effect for fat metabolism. Researchers have confirmed that fucoTHIN naturally promotes thermogenesis, the process by which the body increases its metabolic rate and requires the utilization of internal stores of energy such as fat. Exciting research and a human clinical trial yielded results indicating that fucoTHIN supports the breakdown of fat in white adipose tissue, or visceral fat cells, which accumulate in the liver and around the stomach and organs. The findings are important because studies have shown almost 46 percent of adult Americans have an excess of visceral fat, which has been identified as a leading risk factor for a variety of serious health issues. Combined with a diet and exercise program, fucoTHIN can be an important addition to a healthy weight management plan says Marie Spano, a registered dietician and vice president for the International Society of Sports Nutrition. FucoTHIN contains a proprietary blend of fucoxanthin, a carotenoid found in brown seaweed, and pomegranate seed oil, a powerful antioxidant that works synergistically with fucoxanthin to promote thermogenesis and provide cellular protection. FucoThin costs $39.95 for a 30-day supply. Source

Summer is the time when everyone goes on dieting as they’ll hit the pool and don’t want to look bad in their swimming suits. While dieting may help you slim down a bit, it really is not an answer as it is not a permanent solution. Even if you plan to diet it is dangerous to lose lose more than one or two pounds a month. On the other hand if you plan to keep your weight off permanently you must think of other ways of achieving it. Dieting helps you lose weight at the cost of body tone and body strength. Lifting weights and exercising will help you burn calories, tone and strengthen your body which in turn makes you look slimmer. Here are some small changes you need to make to slim down. 1) Change your lifestyle- Take stairs instead of elevator; Park you car a few blocks away and walk to your destination. 2) If you feel hungry, try healthy snacks like fruits instead of cookies or pizza. 3) You need to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound. Cut down 50 calories from each meal; If you cut down 150 calories a day you will lose a pound in 24 days easily. 4) Exercise regularly- if you cannot do it at one stretch try splitting it into two 15 minutes workout. Don’t hide your body in those boring figure-hiding swimsuits; Flaunt it in the designer swim wear you have always dreamt about, the next time you go in for a splash in the pool.

Not televisions or videogames but the way of transportation is the main culprit behind childhood obesity. The profounder of this belief is a Stuart Biddle, professor of exercise and sport psychology at Loughborough University. Biddle has come up with this belief after studying more than 1,500 kids between the ages 12 to 16 years of age. During the course of study, he found that teenagers who spent more time than average in front of the television were just as active as those who do not. In his words: If you look at the decline in walking and cycling among children, it is far more dramatic than any changes in TV watching trends. Biddle’s statement that instead of cycles kids are transported to their residences through cars, buses, etc. is no doubt, correct. However, to say that this is the only cause behind childhood obesity won’t be right. Moreover,saying that televisions and videogames have nothing to do with childhood obesity seems somewhat unbelievable. There can be given many reason to prop this view, first, kids’ more interest in watching televisions, playing videogames prevents them from participating in outdoor games. Secondly, unrestrained television viewing prompts heavy consumption of calorie intake, which studies have also proved. These few examples prove that to some extent televisions and videogames are responsible for nurturing childhood obesity. Moreover, several studies have associated televisions and videogames with several psychological problems too, which we can’t keep a blind eye to. For instance:- About television � Television ‘harms’ children’s health � TELEVISION ADVERTISING LEADS TO UNHEALTHY HABITS IN CHILDREN About videogames � Video games ‘increase aggression’ � The Impact of Video Games on Children � The Violent Side of Video Games In brief, letting televisions and videogames go scot-free won’t be correct. Image credit: Buehlers Via: Post chronicle

If you are still leading an ignorant lifestyle and believe that gulping down those sugary soft drinks is not adding calories in your body…then you have all reasons to correct yourself. The age old debate between the nutrition researchers and the representatives of beverage industry might get resolved after reading this study that reveals that consuming sugary sodas pack more calories into their bodies, in comparison to the non consumers. The study has been tagged as the meta-analyses of 88 soda studies and prves that fizz drinks are a major cause of obesity all across the world. The study is conducted by Yale University Researchers. According to the researchers, the fact that these drinks are less filling, in turn leaving the consumer less satisfied and more wanting…thus adding calories. And the amount of calories that people add on this way is anyway more than that added by a sedentary lifestyle…so the explanation given by the representatives of beverage companies gets less effective here. Read More

When it comes to asthma, overweight girls are three times more prone to it than the girls with normal body weight. Putting forward this equation, Australian researchers believe that female sex hormones might be at fault. This conclusion is based on the study that tracked about 1500 girls, measuring their body mass index (BMI) when they were just 7 years of age and after measuring it 25 years later. Finally, researchers concluded that non-asthmatic girls in the top 25 per cent for BMI were three times more susceptible to respiratory problems when compared to girls with lowest BMI. Commenting on the finding researcher John Burgess, from the School of Population Health said: It adds to a growing body of evidence detailing the harmful long-term effects of excess weight in childhood. This is quite a startling finding; however, previous studies have also associated obesity with an increased risk of asthma. For instance:- � Asthma ‘linked to obesity’ � Obesity and asthma are linked . . . really Interestingly, a study considers obesity-asthma equation applicable just for women and not for men. May be findings of this study true and may also not be. However, one fact remains intact that obesity (overweight or higher BMI) is the mother of several other health problems. Therefore, every effort should be made to prevent its intrusion into our lives. Image credit: Photo Bucket Via: News

Like fatty food and physical inactivity, stress is also one of the key factors behind this much or rise in obesity. This factor was unveiled through a new study that tracked about 6,895 men and 3,413 women for almost 19 years. All these men and women were between the ages 35 to 55 years. During the course of study, participants reported different levels of job strain, consisting of heavy demands, faltering decision-making power and inadequate social support. As per the conclusion of this study, participants who reported strain on at least three occasions were 73 per cent more likely to become obese. Those who reported stress on two occasions were 24 per cent more prone to developing obesity and those who reported stress just on one occasion were at 17 per cent increased risk of obesity. Interestingly, those who reported to have no stress during job were far away from the risk of obesity, which shows that stress plays a key role in obesity development. Here it is worth mentioning that stress participants were more prone to central obesity, following waist circumference greater than 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women. This study is quite commendable, as it has undraped quite a significant equation lying between stress and obesity. Still, it seems that previous studies have also somehow shown that there is definitely some equation lying between stress and obesity. Previous studies have shown that stress ushers several mental as well as physical changes, giving way to many fundamental changes in our body. For instance, it slackens up metabolism, disturbs sleep and sometimes prompts too much eating. Unfortunately, all these factors are known for stirring up obesity. In addition, obesity is not the only problem that comes flocking with stress but several other mental as well as physical ailments also join it, like:- 1. Stress kills brain cells 2. Stress triggers depression 3. Job stress affects your kids’ health 4. Stress affects your family life 5. Stress affects health 6. Stressed Moms May Slower Baby’s Growth In the Womb! 7. Early Puberty Linked To Stress? 8. Stress and Sleeplessness Can Damage Memory 9. Stress: Your Child’s Brain Killer It means that in order to stave off all such mental as well as physical problems we shall have too make hard efforts to stave off stress. And as far as, stress-obesity link is concerned, it could be said that for curbing obesity we shall also have to curb the swelling tide of stress. Image credit: Scots Man Via: Yahoo

People who are severely obese as adolescents or in their early 20s can expect to have significantly shorter lives, according to research published in a Journal. Overweight in children and adolescents is generally caused by lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns or a combination of the two, with genetics and lifestyle both playing important roles in determining a child’s weight. Society has become very sedentary. Television, computer and video games contribute to children’s inactive lifestyles. Forty-three percent of adolescents watch more than two hours of television each day. Children, especially girls, become less active as they move through adolescence. The excess weight puts children at risk of a range of preventable health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, susceptibility to heart attack and stroke, joint problems and mental health issues, hypertension and other obesity-related chronic diseases are nowadays more common in children at younger age. "For the first time in recorded history, today’s younger generation will live shorter lives than their parents. According to a survey by the Canadian Medical Association, nine per cent of parents identified their children as being overweight or obese. The recent research and study suggests the young one’s to control weight through more physical activity and better dietary habits. Latest surveys have found that today’s youth are considered the most inactive generation in history. Rates among aboriginal children are worse, with 55 per cent living on reserves being overweight or obese, compared with 41 per cent for First Nations children living off reserves, said the report. Merrifield said if one meal a day is made of traditional First Nations food, than the obesity level will go down besides children’s habit of snacking. The report asks’ the federal government Start a public awareness program and remove fatty foods from Canadian diet and use its alternative. Conservative MP Steven Fletcher said that it will take generation to change the culture, but it is possible. We have to change the paradigm so that it’s unfashionable to overeat and it’s very fashionable to exercise more," Merrifield said. We need a revolution, a delicious revolution, that will induce children – in a pleasurable way – to think critically about what they eat. Children’s eating habits stay with them for the rest of their lives. The best way to defeat the obesity epidemic is to teach children about food – and thereby prevent them from ever becoming obese. Our children are our future due to the obesity epidemic, our children will not be as healthy as we are. But if we could improve their health, we could improve so many other aspects of their lives. Read

There are many things one can do to shed pounds. Losing weight quickly can be dangerous. Fad diets diet pills, and fasting may indeed induce rapid weight loss, these methods can cause you to lose muscle and may also injure your heart and other organs. Don’t believe in an overnight miracle. Instead, you should follow some steps to lose fat rapidly, healthily, and sustainably. You don’t have to be 100% accurate, but you do want a good estimate of the number of calories you’re taking in. But atleast know your daily calorie intake. Losing weight is simply expending more calories, through exercise and your daily activities, than you take in. Exercise alone won’t make you lose weight if you’re still taking in more calories than you burn. A healthy diet is important for overall health, so you should look at what you eat. Just because you’re getting healthy doesn’t mean you can’t eat snack. In fact, eating small meals and snacks throughout the day (grazing) has been shown to aid weight loss (compared to eating three large meals) by keeping metabolism steadier. Pick snacks that are low in calories and fat and high in fiber (dried apricots, nuts, rice cakes, fruits, baby carrots, baby tomatoes, and so on). Vegetables are generally very low in calories, very high in fiber, and full of flavor and nutrition. Avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes, and try to eat vegetables plain, without fatty dressings or dips. Fruit also makes a good snack. Fruit contains more soluble fiber than vegetables, which slows your body’s absorption of carbohydrates, thus releasing energy slower (preventing sugar highs) and keeping you full longer. Fruit juices are okay, but are not a replacement for the real thing. You need that fiber, and juices often have more calories than the equivalent serving of fruit-as many calories as soda! Be careful with dried fruits, because without the water, you tend to eat more, and fruits-when dried-are calorie-rich per ounce. Your diet should also include 5 portions of carbohydrates. It includes daily cereals, pasta, rice, noodles, oats and other cereals, potatoes, bread and sweet potatoes atleast one of it should be taken in meal. Dairy products are good for healthy body like milk; yoghurt and cottage cheese but don’t take butter and cream. Choose lean meats. Chicken and fish are both very low in fat (and certain fish like salmon, sardines, and fresh tuna are an excellent source of antioxidants which is also beneficial to your health), so aim to replace some or all of the beef or pork in your diet with these foods. Be realistic. Healthy weight loss can be achieved fairly quickly, but you’ll need to be patient don’t expect a miracle. You should set realistic goals. Make sure that the weight you’re trying to attain is a healthy weight for you.

On one hand we are looking forward to keeping our kids off the junk food eating habits and promote a healthy lifestyle, while on the other we are coming across innovations as contrary as this TV and remote control. A product from Hanspree, called the Hannsfry this LCD TV takes its inspiration from a large pack of kids’ fav french-fries, while the remote is designed as ketchup to complement the fries. Isn’t it ironical to give something as enticing as a French fry like TV to your kid and then expecting not to get tempted from him? In fact, this TV is a sure shot means of double harm for kids. One, that it is openly promoting junk food and secondly the cute design is attractive enough to add into the already growing numbers of couch potatoes. I think it is. What do you say? Will this be a next buy on your shopping list? Price $400. Via: PopGadget/ ChipChick

If you are wondering why are growing obese despite eating right and exercising right, its time to check if the culprit is your shampoo. Yes, you read it right….Shampoos could make you fat, cause breast cancer, and affect your pregnancy…Sounds Scary? Read on….. Check the ingredients on the back of your shampoo bottle that are listed. Most shampoos contain one or more of these ingredients – Butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben. These parabens act as preservatives extending a product’s shelf life by inhibiting bacterial growth and are used in hundreds of products from make-up removers to shaving creams. Why are parabens so harmful? The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that the chemical preservatives called parabens-methyl, propyl, butyl and ethyl (alkyl-p-hydroxybenzoates)-displayed estrogenic activity in several tests. This means that these chemicals mimic your body’s own hormones and can have endocrine-disrupting action when they are rubbed into your body or washed down the drain into your drinking water. These disruptors interfere with your body’s endocrine system: your hypothalamus, your ovaries, your thyroid-virtually every system in your body. Parabens have been linked to several hormone-related diseases, including breast cancer, abnormal fetal development in pregnant women, and abnormal development of male reproductive systems. Estrogen also helps to regulate the activity of fat cells, meaning that yes, it’s possible your shampoo is making you fat Apart from causing health hazards parabens also pose environmental risks. When parabens are washed off, they accumulate in waterways and get absorbed in soil thereby disrupting the harmones in animals and causing genetic defects in them. What can you do? Get rid of all cosmetics, toiletries that contain parabens and also educate others about them. Read the ingredients on any of the cosmetics before you buy them. There are plenty of paraben-free shampoos and cosmetics available in the market. Image Source