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We’re headed for the SpoCon 2010 Sci Fi/Fantasy Convention tomorrow, but I’ll be checking in from the road!
Number One Son’s a finalist in the Short Story competition for “Joy Ride,” so – while Sci Fi geekdom ain’t exactly mah thang, I can’t possibly miss this. 
Ciao!
ShareDr. Melina Jampolis – the Physician Nutrition Specialist for CNN – recently posted a brief, but informative response to a parent query about her 50-pounds-overweight, daughter. The answer to “Should I put my 11-year-old on a diet?” was neither yes, nor no, since this was a question that needed to be directed to the child’s pediatrician. But Dr. Jampolis noted certain important dietary changes that are important for parents to consider – even if their children aren’t quite as overweight as the one under discussion.
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Wrigley and Coca Cola are just two of the food companies experiencing legal setbacks in their efforts to capitalize on the functional food trend.
First up, Coke recently lost its bid to have the CSPI-backed, class action suit against Vitamin Water dismissed. According to NutraIngredients-USA:
ShareCoca-Cola is to face a lawsuit challenging the health claims on its Vitaminwater drinks, after a US federal judge denied the firm’s request to have the lawsuit dismissed.
I came across two articles with some pretty impressive weight loss stories, so I thought I’d highlight both of them.
FRIDAY, July 23 (HealthDay News) — Things hit the “big crescendo” for Marci Williams in December 2005.Williams, 47, of Greensboro, N.C., had been obese for some time, weighing as much as 332 pounds at just 5-foot-3.
…Her doctor referred her to a cardiologist, who performed some tests and laid it out plainly for Williams.
“I just knew the minute he walked in this wasn’t going to be a very good appointment,” she said. “He said, ‘You know, you are not going to live to see 50 if you don’t lose this weight.’ He made it very clear to me that all these things that were happening to me were symptoms of obesity, rather than stand-alone illnesses. His advice to me was [that] we can treat all of these symptoms, but the only way to cure this is to lose the weight.”
Williams started watching what she ate, carefully counting the carbohydrates in her diet. She also began light exercise. She set a goal of working out 30 minutes a day, but she says it came hard. She sometimes had to exercise for 10 minutes, then come back and do another 10 minutes later in the day.
…She stepped up the exercise and kept it up, while watching what she ate. As she shed pounds, she also shed symptoms. She stopped having to take insulin. Her blood pressure came under control. Her cholesterol improved.
The results? Today Marci Williams weighs 135 – 140 lbs., and her numbers “rock.” Click the link above to read the full story.
ShareOk, Roche gets my vote for creating the creepiest ad evah (!) for a weight loss product. The company’s NZ ad campaign for Xenical virtually equates losing weight with your worst nightmares.
Then again, considering that “anal leakage” is one of the side effects you can get with Xenical, “worst nightmare” might be an appropriate metaphor, after all.
ShareIn my years on the “Bodybuilding Revealed” and “Fat Loss Revealed” forums, I’ve had to field a number of questions related to the rather bizarre mix of sense and nonsense spewed by Dr. Joseph Mercola. Sorting out the truth from the half-truths and outright, self-serving BS is no mean feat – Dr. M is a skillful writer, who knows exactly what buttons to push in order to convince his audience. As I put it to one forum member:
ShareIf you’ve read my posts on the good doctor, then you’ve certainly encountered this statement:
“…I read his stuff periodically (I’m on the e-mail list), but take some of what he says with a grain of salt. He’s got an agenda, and frequently selects or spins info to support a predetermined position.”
That is my honest opinion. For the record, I don’t see him as “crazy.” Nor do I see him as “legit” (I do not know the source of his title, nor do I care – I judge him on the basis of his writing, not his credentials…I’ve known legit MDs and PhDs who couldn’t pour piss out of a boot if the instructions were printed on the heel). There are points he makes that I would agree with completely. But, IMO, he’s less concerned with the health of his readers than he is with their wallets… it’s not black/white; right/wrong. But I don’t trust him to be completely honest, and therein lies the problem I have with him.
As I surf around the medical blogosphere, I can’t help but notice the hostility that various MD’s express towards supplements. I understand where they’re coming from – there are a lot of sensational claims being made on very shaky evidence. They’re concerned about safety – not to mention the prospect of seeing people with eminently treatable ailments and conditions abandon needed medical care in favor of “natural” miracle cures. Nonetheless. I don’t agree with their solution – the repeal of DSHEA. As I’ve noted before, I treasure my right to choose, and feel better enforcement of the existing regs and GMPs is the answer – not insisting supps meet the same criteria as prescription drugs (as if that’s a solution… cases like Avandia and Vioxx argue otherwise).
ShareA bud of mine from the “Bodybuilding Revealed” forum sent me a link to this Sports Illustrated article about the ”all you can eat” sections appearing in Major League ballparks. Apparently, it’s a winning tactic being used by many teams to beef up (no pun intended) the attendance figures for games.
ShareBALTIMORE — Matthew Cavalier had a seat in Section 280 for a late June game between the Orioles and Athletics at Camden Yards. But for a good portion of the fourth inning, he chose to watch the game on TV from inside the concourse. That way, he could be closer to the food.
The all-you-can-eat food — the nachos, hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, lemonade, sodas and ice cream — that he was entitled to with the purchase of a ticket in the Orioles’ Left Field Club Picnic Perch was that big of a draw.
“It’s an easier walk,” Cavalier said.
Although we deal mostly with fat loss/muscle-building and miscellaneous herbal supps here, we’d be remiss if we ignored the growing number of “cosmeceutical” supps entering the marketplace. Most of the ones I’ve seen are for moisturizing/hydrating aging skin… and they’re NOT cheap. Fortunately, Chris Woolston, “The Healthy Skeptic,” has done some digging on the subject. The verdict? Save your money.
The bottom line: The ingredients in Dermalipid and Ocea Skin could probably help moisturize dry skin — but only if you broke open the capsules and applied the contents directly, says Dr. Joseph Fowler, clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Louisville and a past president of the American Contact Dermatitis Society. “Even then, you could only cover a square inch or so, and the skin is a big organ,” he says. “I know of no evidence that taking a pill would work in any reasonable fashion.”
One problem with the pill approach, according to Fowler, is that most of the oils will break down in the digestive system before they have a chance to reach the bloodstream. And even if they make it to the blood, he says, there’s no telling where they’ll end up. Sure, some of those fat molecules could reach the surface, but he doubts it could ever be enough to change how the skin looks or feels.
Personally, I’d love to be able to take a pill: even at my age (52), I have very oily, acne-prone skin that often breaks out when I use topical creams and lotions - even the so-called “non-comedogenic,” oil-free kind. But alas, no such luck. 
Using weighted clothing to improve strength, power and/or endurance isn’t new – in fact, well-made, close-fitting weighted vests and shorts have been used by athletes for quite some time. I own a “Smart Vest” myself, and have made good use of it. But – let’s face it – unless I’m wearing a jacket or sweatshirt, it’s pretty obvious I’m wearing athletic gear.
According to CNN, a young engineer at Georgia Tech, Patrick Whaley, has come up with weighted clothing that’s both unobtrusive and useful. So useful, in fact, that he was able to use his creation(s) to facilitate his rehabilitation following a near-fatal assault.
ShareHere’s Stephen Colbert’s take on two things that drive me crazy: the so-called “sport” of competitive eating and the current craze for gross-out, oversized fast food/restaurant sandwiches.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Thought for Food – Kentucky Tuna & Grilled Cheese Burger Melt | ||||
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I’ve seen plenty of weight loss gimmicks in my time at ultimatefatburner.com, but the “Breathslim” and “Cool Away Shorts” share the prize for the most… unusual. Points for imagination, I suppose.
The Breathslim device consists of a tube attached to a hand-held container. At first glance, I thought it was some sort of inhaler, but no… there’s nothing in the container. Believe it or not, it’s supposed be used in conjunction with breathing exercises to “…get rid of your excess weight and at the same time dramatically change your metabolism.”
In other words, you can lose excess fat simply by learning to breathe more deeply! It’s breathtakingly simple! 
According to researchers from the University of Minnesota, fast food chains have “…significantly decreased trans fats in the oils they use to cook food.”
By using the School of Public Health’s Nutrition Coordinating Center’s proprietary database — which catalogs the nutritional values of more than 18,000 foods — researchers looked at trans fat and saturated fat levels in french fries from five major fast food chains: McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box and Dairy Queen.
The researchers found that three of the restaurants — McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s — significantly decreased the trans and saturated fatty acid composition of French fries between 1997 and 2008. For these three restaurants, saturated fats either went down or stayed level. While the remaining two restaurants didn’t show a decrease in trans fats during the time period studied, current nutritional information illustrates that the chains have decreased both trans and saturated fatty acid composition since 2008.
So trans fats in fast foods are down, and it took only… oh, about 11 years to accomplish it. Bravo! At this rate, we should expect to see “significant” reductions in the amount of high-fructose corn syrup/sugar and sodium in fast food meals by 2025 – 2030.
ShareRemember this recent news item?
Although no one has become seriously ill, 20 people complained about a “stale” odor and flavor. Five people reported nausea and vomiting.
The Kellogg Company announced on Friday that it is recalling about 28 million boxes of the sugary breakfast cereal kids love and dentists curse.
Kellogg never publicly revealed what the cause was. All the company said was…
ShareThe off-taste and smell is caused by a slightly elevated level of substance commonly present at very low levels in the waxy resins used to make the packaging materials that are approved by the FDA. These substances are commonly used to coat foods such as cheese, raw fruits and vegetables, such as cucumbers. They are also used in packaging materials. During our thorough testing, we did not identify any substances that are not commonly used in packaging materials.
Not that I expected different news… whether prescription med, over-the-counter drug or supplement, there are no miracle pills. As the LA Times reports:
With U.S. obesity rates nearing 35 percent of the adult population, expectations are high for the first new prescription drug therapies to emerge in more than a decade. Even a modestly effective drug has blockbuster potential.
None of the three medicines represents a breakthrough in research. Drugmakers have made little headway in understanding and treating the causes of overeating. Two of the drugs submitted for approval simply combine different existing drugs — one with worrying side effects. The third, a new medication, is safer but less effective.
…To be considered effective, obesity drugs should reduce total body weight by at least 5 percent after one year, according to FDA guidance to companies.
Qnexa showed the best weight loss results in clinical trials, with patients losing between 13 percent and 15 percent of their body weight. But the drug also had the highest rate of patient dropouts due to side effects, which include memory and concentration problems.
Modern medicine has accomplished some amazing things, but I doubt that drugs will ever provide the “fix” people are looking for.
ShareIf you’ve been following the recent health care debate in the US, then you know that the bill that passed includes a requirement for chain restaurants with more than 20 locations to post calorie information on the menu.
ShareThis is a topic that I’ve covered before on the blog, but it’s also one that bears repeating – as there are so many reasons to exercise that have nada to do with fat loss or physique enhancement. The evidence just keeps pouring in that exercise – particularly vigorous aerobic exercise – is good for your brain.
But how does it work? The NY Times discusses some of the recent work being done in animal models, in an effort to tease out the mechanism(s).
ShareA recent study published in the Journal of Public Health should raise a few eyebrows:
Background To critically examine baby and toddler food products sold in Canada for their sugar and sodium content, and to assess these in light of current recommendations.
Methods Baby and toddler foods (n = 186) were coded for various attributes, including ‘Nutrition Facts’ label data. Four ‘categories’ of baby/toddler foods were analyzed against their ‘adult’ counterparts for sugar and salt to reveal whether a ‘halo effect’ attributed to baby/toddler food is warranted.
Results 63% of products have either high levels of sodium or an excessive proportion of calories coming from sugar. Over 12% of products had moderate or high levels of sodium; over 53% of products derive >20% of their calories from sugar. Baby and toddler foods were not found to be nutritionally superior—in terms of sodium or sugar—to their adult counterparts.
Conclusions Baby and toddler foods are currently overlooked in the public, and public policy, discussions pertaining to dietary sodium and sugar. Yet these products are clearly of concern and should be closely monitored, since they promote a taste for ‘sweet’ and ‘salty’ in our youngest consumers.
For the record, “pure” foods (strained veggies, fruits and juices) were excluded from the analysis, which focused on prepared foods/products: “pureed ‘dinners’ and ‘desserts’, toddler ‘entrées’ and ‘dinners’, ‘snacks’ (including biscuits, cookies, fruit snacks, ‘snack bars’ and yogurts) and some cereals.”
The worrisome points made in this study are that a) on average, baby/toddler foods are not nutritionally superior to their adult counterparts; and b) such products may be getting kids “hooked” on sweet and/or salty tastes at a very early age.
ShareI didn’t do any posting yesterday, as I spent my bloggy time doing something I rarely do: putting in my $0.02 on other people’s blogs. Needless to state, I read quite a few blogs on a regular or semi-regular basis… but I rarely ever leave a comment. I simply don’t have the time/energy to spare.
Yesterday, I made the time – as a small bomb was dropped on one of my regular stops: Scienceblogs. Scienceblogs is actually a large collection of individual blogs authored by various doctors, researchers and other specialists – so it’s a fabulous smorgasbord of insights and commentary from workers in medicine, biology, etc. Needless to state, the bloggers on Scienceblogs represent their (opinionated) selves – no corporations involved.
Until recently, that is… “Weighty Matters” tells the story.
ShareAccording to a recent study, the standard heart rate formula, 220 – age, overestimates the maximum heart rate for women performing cardiovascular exercise. According to the New York Times report,
The commonly used formula subtracts a person’s age from 220. But based on the data collected in the Chicago study, the right formula for calculating a woman’s maximum heart rate is a little more complicated: 206 minus 88 percent of a woman’s age.
…But the new study shows that for women, the number typically derived from the standard formula is far off the mark. Using the old formula of 220 minus age, a 40-year-old woman would achieve an average maximum heart rate of 180 beats per minute. That means her pulse should stay around 153 beats per minute during her workout to achieve a target heart rate of 85 percent.
But based on the new calculation, the same woman’s average maximum heart rate is 171 beats per minute, meaning her desired target heart rate is just 145 beats per minute, 8 beats a minute slower than under the old formula. Although the gap seems small on paper, it can be the difference between an exhilarating workout or a frustrating one that ends in exhaustion.
For what it’s worth, I rarely keep tabs on my heart rate at all, unless I’m doing early morning fasted cardio (relatively rare) – I go by perceived exertion. But for those who do, this could be useful info.
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