Lack of basic nutrition knowledge contributes to overweight and obesity

Too much high calorie foods add up to too much body fat.

As we grow fatter as a nation, we seek answers as to why our waistlines continue to grow. We know we eat too much and move to little, but still seek an elusive and easy way out of our predicament beyond the old answer of diet and exercise.

Reading through the blog-o-sphere of diet and nutrition blogs, readers will find differing opinions on why people become overweight or obese. Recent blog entries included Kevin Dill of 'Low Carb HIT' asking “WHY DO WE GET FAT??”

The author of 'The Last Atkins Dieter' blog stated “People know what the right foods to eat are, and when they're ready, they'll make the right choices.” See below why this isn't always true.

'Diet Blog' commented on a UK Times piece – “Besides, there is the embarrassing fact that those who eat and drink junk do so for cheap comfort and because they are either too poor or too ignorant (or both) to prepare healthy food.” The author of 'Diet Blog' said, “To say that fat folks are too stupid is one heck of a judgment call.“ Again this viewpoint doesn't always hold up.

And Jimmy Moore of 'Livin' La Vida Low Carb' wrote an entry entitled, “Why Do People Have An 'I Don't Care' Attitude About Their Need For Weight Loss?”

People get fat for a miriad of reasons including emotional difficulties, using food as a coping mechanism, eating for entertainment, and simply not understanding what constitutes a portion size. (Hint: NOT the heaping mounds of food brought to you on a platter at Applebee’s or the Super Size Value meal at McDonald’s.)

Click here to read more and see video demonstrations below.

Is modern life making us fat?

Simply, the answer is yes. Modern conveniences contribute to overweight and obesity. You've heard it before, our modern lifestyle with all its gadgets and time savers like electric toothbrushes and can openers, washers and dryers, remote controls, drive-thru banks, dry cleaners, fast food chains, and in Las Vegas drive-thru wedding chapels, contribute to our weight problems. We move considerably less than our parents and grandparents did.

Here's an eye opening example. A modern housewife performs mundane chores regularly, one being her daily chore of making homemade dinners to keep her family healthy. She avoids fast foods and prepackaged processed foods.

Read more and watch the videos.

Why the obesity and diabetes epidemics won’t resolve overnight

The twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes go hand in hand, and for many reasons, may never be resolved. Not to sound a negative tone, but various factors are at play in these health issues. They are intertwined in ways that make them more dangerous and hard to overcome as a society.

I had a dream the other night that I was out running a flood. I reached high ground, looked back and saw people drowning just above a set of steps I just ascended that could easily save them. If they just put their feet down they could find the steps the desperately needed. I told them, “The steps are right there. Just put your feet down and save yourself.” Only one did, (oddly enough, a young, naked Merle Haggard. Unfortunately, I woke up).

I interpreted the dream on many levels, but it could easily represent the tide of obesity overtaking us and our seeming inability to implement the simple steps that could save us from suffering from overweight, obesity, and diabetes, and the other devastating diseases that accompany them.

I’ve observed the following among family, friends, acquaintances, and former nutrition clients:

Read more and watch the video.

Childhood obesity prevention, parental guidance only goes so far

A few recent articles and blog entries I came across took parents to task for the childhood obesity epidemic. I agree parents have a responsibility to teach wise food choices and provide optimal nutrition at home. I personally don’t allow sodas, fruit juice, baked goods and other junk or snack foods in our house regularly. These are cosidered treats to enjoy occasionally. But it was obvious several of the people taking parents to task had no experience raising children. Talk about clueless.

Educating a child to discern between healthy foods and unhealthy foods only goes so far. Most children over the age of six are away from home the better part of the day. My nine year old catches the bus at 8:10 am and returns home at 4:10 pm. He eats two meals, a snack andlunch, in the school cafeteria every day. Kids are faced with making their own food choices and school cafeterias are as bad as grocery stores. It’s easy to eat a sub-standard diet.

Read more and watch the videos.

Maybe fat isn't your fault, blame hormones

Controlling weight isn't just about calories consumed

Researchers found a "food free" way we get fat. Many people swear they got fat through no fault of their own. They eat right and exercise, yet a slim body alludes them.

I don't believe this is a reason to throw your hands up and give up your weight loss goals and efforts. But it would be progress to see less blame and more compassion for people dealing with weight issues and obesity.

This is certainly not the first study involving leptin and won't be the last. The more we understand, the better our chances are for a solution more people can apply. This begs the question, 'What were the study participants eating?' as opposed to how much. Perhaps the macro-nutrients of their meals - protein, carbs, fat - influenced the studies results.

I'd like to see studies applying leptin control to low carbohydrate and no carbohydrate diets. If you're not eating foods that involve raising blood sugar - only carbohydrates dramatically spike blood sugar - you probably would circumvent the need for leptin (and insulin) to be effective in the first place.

Researchers at the University Of British Columbia have discovered a food free route to obesity. Can people really gain a lot of body fat without overeating? According to Timothy Kieffer, a University of British Columbia researcher, you really can get fat without pigging out at the buffet. Read more and watch Dr. Mercola's video explaining that not only is type 2 diabetes completely preventable, but it is virtually curable for anyone who is willing to put in the hard time and work and recovering their insulin and leptin sensitivity.

It's A Busy Dizzy World

Cool Links For A Dizzy Day

I hope you enjoyed my guest blogger Matt Sison. Matt's an expert in his field and his hypnosis CDs are of value to anyone seeking to lose weight through proper diet and exercise. I'll be doing an indepth reviews of Matt's Cds soon.

I've taken on new and exciting writing assignments beyond my column at The Examiner and I think you'll enjoy these new projects as they're completed.

Until then I'm serving up these links I hope you'll enjoy.

Tom Venuto has an excellent article and audio on why fruit is fine for most diets, and particularly for bodybuilders.

Science News

A Little Exercise Goes A Long Way For Severely Obese

ScienceDaily (Oct. 6, 2008) — A little exercise goes a long way toward helping severely obese individuals improve their quality of life and complete important daily tasks, according to researchers at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center.
See also:

In a pre-program assessment where patients reported, on average, just under one hour of exercise per week, individuals who were more active reported better overall-quality of life. They also reported improvements in their ability to perform daily tasks as measured on a physical functioning scale.

"Things that many people take for granted like tying one's shoes, getting dressed, or simply moving around were easier for those who reported routine exercise," says Martin Binks, Ph.D., research director at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center, a residential weight loss program at Duke University Medical Center. Read more.

Food For Thought: Regulating Energy Supply To The Brain During Fasting

ScienceDaily (Oct. 6, 2008) — If the current financial climate has taught us anything, it's that a system where over-borrowing goes unchecked eventually ends in disaster. It turns out this rule applies as much to our bodies as it does to economics. Instead of cash, our body deals in energy borrowed from muscle and given to the brain.

Unlike freewheeling financial markets, the lending process in the body is under strict regulation to ensure that more isn't lent than can be afforded. New research by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies reveals just how this process is implemented.

"We have all seen the sub-prime mortgage crisis," says Marc Montminy, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the Clayton Foundation Laboratories for Peptide Biology who led the current study. "If you take out a loan, sooner or later you've got to pay your debt, and the same is true in fasting metabolism." Read more.

National Nutrition Examiner Annie Kay has an enlightening article on Kid's cereals and sugar content. Check out Annie's excellent column at The Examiner.

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The Diet Pulpit has a David Lettermen style top ten on Sarah Palin.

And please check out my latest columns at The Examiner. I'm sure you'll find something you'll like.

Fruit Juice Is Bad, Obesity Epidemic Gets Worse, and Sleep Deprivation Leads To Overeating

Dietary Factors Appear To Be Associated With Diabetes Risk

ScienceDaily (July 29, 2008) — Drinking more sugar-sweetened beverages or eating fewer fruits and vegetables both may be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, whereas eating a low-fat diet does not appear to be associated with any change in diabetes risk, according to three reports in the July 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Diabetes rates continue to increase, particularly in developed countries, according to background information in the articles. By the year 2030, 11.2 percent of U.S. adults are expected to have the condition. Obesity is the strongest modifiable risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes.

In one study, Julie R. Palmer, Sc.D., of the Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston University, and colleagues examined the association between type 2 diabetes, weight gain and the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks in 43,960 African American women. In 1995 and again in 2001, the women completed a questionnaire about the types of foods and beverages they typically consumed. A total of 17 percent reported drinking one sugar-sweetened soft drink each day, 32 percent drank one sweetened fruit drink each day and 22 percent had at least one glass of orange juice or grapefruit juice.

Over 10 years of follow-up, 2,713 of the women developed type 2 diabetes. Those who drank more regular soft drinks and fruit drinks—including regular soda, other fruit juices, fortified fruit drinks and Kool-Aid but not diet soda, orange juice or grapefruit juice—were more likely to develop diabetes than those who drank less of those beverages. Read more.


Study Suggests 86 Percent Of Americans Could Be Overweight Or Obese By 2030

ScienceDaily (July 29, 2008) — Most adults in the U.S. will be overweight or obese by 2030, with related health care spending projected to be as much as $956.9 billion, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Their results are published in the July 2008 online issue of Obesity.

“National survey data show that the prevalence of overweight and obese adults in the U.S. has increased steadily over the past three decades,” said Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, lead author of the study and associate professor with the Bloomberg School’s Center for Human Nutrition. “If these trends continue, more than 86 percent of adults will be overweight or obese by 2030 with approximately 96 percent of non-Hispanic black women and 91 percent of Mexican-American men affected. This would result in 1 of every 6 health care dollars spent in total direct health care costs paying for overweight and obesity-related costs.”

The researchers conducted projection analyses based on data collected over the past three decades from nationally representative surveys. Their projections illustrate the potential burden of the U.S. obesity epidemic if current trends continue. Read more.

Sleep Restriction Results In Increased Consumption Of Energy From Snacks

ScienceDaily (June 11, 2008) — Bedtime restriction in an environment that promotes overeating and inactivity is accompanied by increased intake of calories from snacks. This behavior may contribute to the increased risk of weight gain and obesity associated with short sleep hours, according to a research abstract that will be presented on June 11 at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The study authors led by Plamen Penev, MD, PhD, of the University of Chicago, followed 11 healthy volunteers who each completed two 14-day studies in random order at least three months apart. Studies were carried out in the laboratory with five-and-a-half or eight-and-a-half hour bedtimes and ad lib food intake.

According to the results, when bedtimes were restricted to five-and-a-half hours study subjects consumed more energy from snacks. The carbohydrate content of ingested snacks also increased for this group. Read more.

What Does Your Body Fat Percentage Mean?

Someone stumbled onto my blog yesterday because it turned up on a search for “What does 30.6 percent body fat mean?” The blunt and accurate answer is “It means you have too much body fat.”

Or put another way, 30 percent body fat means you are one third fat. That's a lot of body fat.

(Site Statistics show me where readers come from and what they click on. The reader above went here: “Tracking and Attacking Body Fat” in which I discuss my personal body fat struggles).

Body Fat Guidelines from American Council on Exercise
Classification Women (% Fat) Men (% Fat)
Essential Fat 10-12 percent 2-4 percent
Athletes 14-20 percent 6-13 percent
Fitness 21-24 percent 14-17 percent
Acceptable 25-31 percent 18-25 percent

Recommended body fat amounts Women 20-25%, Men 8–14%.
Adults in United States averages women 22-25% men 15–19%
Obese is defined as Women 30%+, Men 25%+

This is a very common problem today. Many people struggle with weight and figures show about 65 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. Next time you’re in a public place look around and take note of how many people are visibly overweight. There are so many overweight people around us on a daily basis our perception of what is normal has become skewed. We are so used to seeing overweight people we only notice the obese among us when they are morbidly obese or super obese.

While many see others who are overweight as normal, many see themselves as bigger than really they are. But more commonly, there’s a growing group known as “skinny fat people”. Although they appear to be a normal weight they have too much body fat and too little lean mass – particularly muscle mass. This can be dangerous to health, especially when their excess fat is abdominal or ‘viseral’ fat that is linked to greater risk of diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic disorder.

On the flip side, many athletes and fit people weigh more but have a low body fat due to high levels of muscle mass (this is good). This is why BMI or body mass index is not the best way to measure body composition or body fat for some people. And the good old fashioned basic weight scale is also a poor way to measure your body composition. It only tells you your overall body weight not your all important fat to lean mass ratio.

The most accurate way to measure body fat is by Bod Pod or water immersion, both of which can be expensive, hard to access, and unnecessary. Other body fat percentage tests. The cheapest method is by use of calipers and best done by a trained professional - else a medical professional or a personal trainer. Another relatively affordable method is by bio-impedance and can be done in some doctors' offices or with a home meter. I personally use an Omron hand held and a Taylor scale model.

But you can easily estimate body fat percentage with a measuring tape. Waist size is the biggest indicator of being fit or over fat. Below are links to several online body fat percentage estimators.

Knowing your body fat percentage is an important key to health. Your body fat percentage – and your lean mass percentage – tell you how fit or unfit you are and indicate where you need to improve. People with high body fat percentages need to lose body fat and gain lean muscle mass. That sounds so obvious. So why are people Googling questions that indicate we really do not know this basic health information?

The Hidden Dangers of Excess Abdominal Fat

US Naval Circumference Method


Home Body Fat Test (Online Fill In Form)


Understanding Your Body Fat Percentage

Guide To Body Fat Percent

Meet Your Hormones Part Two - Cortisol

Reminder to House M.D. and Hugh Laurie fans, the show has a new episode premiering tonight at 8 pm pacific on FOX.













Cortisol is a hormone produced in the adrenal cortex located in the adrenal gland. It’s involved in the following physiological functions: proper glucose metabolism, regulation of blood pressure, insulin release for blood sugar maintenance, immune function, and inflammatory response.

A vital hormone, cotisol is often called the "stress hormone" as it is produced in response to stress and increases blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and has an immunosuppressive action. This action has great value in certain situations including the treatment of anaphylaxis and inflammation.

A synthetic form of cortisol, hydrocortisone, is used in the treatment of allergies and inflammation. Cortisol was first introduced as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, it was referred to as Compound E.

Cortisol is metabolized by the 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase system (11-beta HSD), which consists of two enzymes. An alteration in the 11-beta HSD1 enzyme is hypothesized to play a role in the development obesity, hypertension, and insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.

Cortisol is secreted in higher levels during the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response to stress, and is responsible for several stress-related changes in the body. Where cortisol goes wrong is when someone is in a constant state of stress. Chronic stress leads to higher levels of cortisol which can lead to greater fat storage and a shutdown of fat burning. The result can be obesity, blood sugar irregularities, high blood pressure, impaired cognitive performance, suppressed thyroid function, decreased immunity, increased abdominal fat, decreased bone density, and decreased muscle tissue.

Studies reveal that people’s responses to stress differ and not everyone secretes the same levels of cortisol in response to stress. Those individuals who secreted higher levels of cortisol in response to stress also tended to eat more food, and food that was higher in carbohydrates than people who secrete less cortisol.

The drug and supplement industries are aggressively marketing anti-cortisol and cortisol controlling ‘drugs’ in response to the obesity epidemic. Most if not all of these over-the-counter solutions are ineffective. The best way to regulate your cortisol levels is with stress reduction and lifestyle change.

Links:

Cortisol Definition

The Human Brain - Stress

Cortisol & Weight Gain

Cortisol - The "Uncontrollable" Hormone