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According to this BBC report:
A University of Melbourne team tested the impact of a home-based physical activity programme on 138 volunteers aged 50 and over with memory problems.
…Some volunteers were asked to complete three 50-minute sessions a week of moderate physical activity, such as walking, for 24 weeks. Others were not asked to increase their exercise levels.
According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, people living in walkable, older neighborhoods with businesses and stores within walking distance are less likely to be overweight or obese. According to the New York Times:
With each extra decade of a neighborhood’s age, the researchers said, the risk of obesity was 13 percent lower for men and 8 percent lower for women.
There are several reasons older neighborhoods are more walkable, said the lead author, Ken R. Smith of the University of Utah: better sidewalks, trees to provide shade and intersections at shorter intervals.
But older neighborhoods have something even more basic when it comes to luring someone into heading out on foot.
“You always want to have something to walk to,” Dr. Smith said. And unlike many modern residential areas, older communities may have stores and other businesses near houses.
We’re sort of lucky in that regard: we don’t live in an old neighborhood, but we’re close to a main drag, so we have a number of stores and services in walking distance. In addition, our neck of the world is reasonably pedestrian and bike-friendly. As a result, I see a lot more people out and about on the streets during the day than I used to when we were living in Ohio.
Even if it didn’t help reduce excess weight/fat, walking is healthier for both walkers and the environment. The fact that it does, is an added bonus.
“100 Ways to Cut 100 Calories” is a list from America On The Move, a non-profit educational foundation dedicated to improving “…health and quality of life by promoting healthful eating and active living among individuals, families, communities and society. ” As they put it:
Our research shows that small, specific changes in food and physical activity behaviors can have a positive effect on health and effectively stop weight gain. AOM provides free web-based programs, tools, and resources to individuals, families, groups and communities of all types and sizes.
As I’ve written before, a lot can be accomplished through small, progressive changes, vs. trying to overhaul an entire lifestyle overnight. Cutting a little here, and making small changes there can help prevent weight gain, as well as set the stage for future weight loss success. There are lots of tips and tools on the AOM site, so it’s definitely worth a look.
…in a new ad campaign by a vegetarian-oriented research group, The Cancer Project.
According to the Associated Press, the ad has touched a lot of nerves, from the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council to the American Cancer Society, which beat a quick retreat from the controversy.
This is the subject of a nice little article over at WebMD.
Now, I like a good pre-workout booster - which is usually some combo of caffeine with nootropics (heck, even a stiff shot of coffee and a couple tyrosine caps will do in a pinch). I think they really do help with focus, and the ability to dig just a little bit deeper to get that last rep or two out. The bottom line, however, is that the best general energy booster I know of, is activity. I sit at my computer for long hours each day - and there are times when I find my forehead sinking towards the keyboard. When that happens, a brisk walk, or a few short minutes of more intense exercise (i.e., wall squats, pushups, rope jumping), perk me right back up again.
I thought this BBC article was extremely cool.
Exercise classes keep Flo fit at 100.
Flo Harmsworth is a good example of the old adage, “It’s never too late to get fit.”
At the age of 90 her doctor prescribed exercise classes to help combat the painful effects of peripheral vascular disease - narrowing of the arteries.
Her legs were aching and, despite having a very active life, she was starting to find it too painful to walk.
Now a decade later the centenarian is still taking part in the Royal Free Hospital weekly classes and loving them.
Back when we lived in Ohio, I worked out at the gym operated by the City of Kettering Parks and Rec. Dept. The main facility was in the same building as the senior citizens’ center, so it wasn’t unusual to see older people there, too. A couple of standouts were Millie, who - at 84 years old - participated in the regular aerobics classes and jogged on the indoor track; and my “boyfriend” Charlie, who still lifted weights at 92.
Unfortunately, most of the older folks I chatted with weren’t like Millie and Charlie: they were there because of health problems. Over the years, I heard a lot of sad stories about open-heart surgeries and osteoporosis. Several people had disabled spouses, and needed to improve their own fitness so they could be better caregivers. As one man put it to me: “If only I knew then what I know now.”
As Flo’s story proves, you’re never too old to get into shape…as far as I’m concerned, being in the gym beats the hell out of being in a wheelchair.
The US Presidential election is “on” in full force now…and both Barack Obama and John McCain are duking it out over who is the most “elitist” and out-of-touch with us reg’lar Murikans. The rationale is obvious: if you sling enough mud, some of it will stick. The idea is to create a negative “vibe” that will influence how people vote on election day - despite the fact that it’s unrelated to the administrative capacity of either candidate.
Supplement ads sometimes use a similar tactic. Often a case “for” a particular supplement rests on a case “against” a competing product (or product type). And - needless to state - the case “against” nearly always consists of some carefully cherry picked “facts,” combined with the use of descriptive terms designed to evoke a negative emotional response. Like I said, if you sling enough mud…
Paul sent me a perfect example of this today. It was part of the advertising for a pea/rice protein supplement, and the case “for” these proteins was made by slagging two popular alternatives: whey and soy.
I’m all for encouraging people to get in shape, but - in my humble opinion - this is the wrong way to go about it.
MONTGOMERY - Obese state employees and those who have high readings for blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose will have to pay more for health insurance starting in January 2011, unless they take steps to address those risks, under a plan adopted by a state board Wednesday.
Starting in January 2010, state employees will have to pay an extra $25 a month for health insurance unless they submit baseline readings for their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose.
Starting in 2011, they will have to pay the extra $25 a month unless a work site wellness screening shows their readings fall below certain thresholds or they consult with a doctor, participate in a wellness program or reduce their risk levels, perhaps by losing weight or lowering their blood pressure.
I read the news today, oh boy…
Red Bull drink lifts stroke risk: Australian study.
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Just one can of the popular stimulant energy drink Red Bull can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, even in young people, Australian medical researchers said on Friday.
The caffeine-loaded beverage, popular with university students and adrenaline sport fans to give them “wings”, caused the blood to become sticky, a pre-cursor to cardiovascular problems such as stroke.
“One hour after they drank Red Bull, (their blood systems) were no longer normal. They were abnormal like we would expect in a patient with cardiovascular disease,” Scott Willoughby, lead researcher from the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, told the Australian newspaper.
According to the FAO, the Mediterranean Diet is on the decline…in the Mediterranean.
Hailed by experts as keeping people slim, healthy and long-lived, the Mediterranean diet has followers all over the world – but is increasingly disregarded around the Mediterranean.
According to FAO Senior Economist Josef Schmidhuber, over the past 45 years the famed diet revolving around fresh fruit and vegetables has “decayed into a moribund state” in its home area.
…Schmidhuber attributes the change in eating habits not only to increased income but to factors such as the rise of supermarkets, changes in food distribution systems, working women having less time to cook, and families eating out more, often in fast-food restaurants. At the same time, calorie needs have declined, people exercise less and they have shifted to a much more sedentary lifestyle.
Sounds just like us, doesn’t it?
Check these out: getjumpingstilts.com/post.html (scroll down to check out the vid - lol)
I haven’t written about exercise gimmicks in a while, so I went looking around to see what I could find. I stumbled over “Powerskips” - which were developed in Germany. They’ve been around for a few years (long enough to garner a Wikipedia entry), but this is the first that I’ve heard of them.
I gotta admit: these things would make cardio a hoot…assuming I didn’t put myself in the ER first.
Over the last few months, Elissa and I have been blogging about growing obesity crisis as it pertains to children. As detailed here and here, children are increasingly vulnerable to advertising for junk food (on which the major players spend zillions of dollars), and they are also spending more and more time in front of the tube.
Another great post from “Zen Habits” - “How to Get in Lean Shape with Little or No Equipment.”
Although I use a gym, I’ve always used bodyweight exercises…they’re useful all by themselves, and indispensable when I’m away from home and/or too frantically busy to get to the gym.
Are eggs healthy or unhealthy? For years, doctors and dieticians told us that eggs should be avoided or severely limited, as they were loaded with artery-clogging cholesterol. That attitude has softened in recent years, after researchers determined that there’s no clear cut association between egg consumption and cardiovascular risk for healthy individuals. Still, eggs haven’t been given a pass: one recent study, for example, found an association between increased egg consumption and mortality. Mainstream professionals are still cautious, and conventional medical advice remains fairly discouraging.
Stevia, the south American herb that’s been used as a sweetener for years, but rejected by the FDA as being unsafe (despite the fact that its been consumed for nearly 30 years in Japan with no adverse effects noted) may be finally coming to the United States.
A recent study (Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(14):1550-1559) revealed what at first glance appears like very sobering news; an hour of exercise per day is required to maintain a 10% weight loss. Obviously, this emphasizes that losing weight is very much a lifetime venture. Eating healthy, watching your calories and exercising is not something you are ever going to “forget about”, especially if you have a job that requires minimal physical effort or are relatively inactive during the day.
An interesting, and - I think - smart move by the LA City Council.
Personal responsibility and issues of economic freedom aside, South LA appears to be a “Food Desert.” A food desert is a term for low-income neighborhoods that are underserved by grocery stores - leaving residents with limited access to fresher (and healthier) food. The linkage between increased risk of obesity and poverty is well-established, so the Council’s intent to aggressively market the area to increase the range of choices is a good first step.
The FTC report reveals that the major US food companies spent over $1.6 billion on product advertisements directed at children. Approximately $492 million was devoted to soda advertising alone.
The FTC based their estimate on the reported expenditures of 44 companies, and covered the largest producers of fast foods, soft drinks, cereals and snack foods.
According to the US Dept. of Health and Human Services:
…data from two National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) (1976-1980 and 2003-2004) show that prevalence of childhood overweight is increasing. For children aged 2-5 years, the prevalence increased from 5.0 percent to 13.9 percent; for those aged 6-11 years, prevalence increased from 6.5 percent to 18.8 percent; and for those aged 12-19 years, prevalence increased from 5.0 percent to 17.4 percent.
Can you imagine the impact, if a comparable amount of money was spent on promoting veggies, fruits and other healthier foods?
One more reason why you shouldn’t read anything into the word “natural” when it appears on a food label.
“Upon careful review of the manufacturing process for High Fructose Corn Syrup, the FDA found that HFCS can be labeled natural,” stated Audrae Erickson, president, Corn Refiners Association. “HFCS contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and meets FDA’s requirements for the use of the term ‘natural.’ HFCS, like table sugar and honey, is natural. It is made from corn, a natural grain product.”
As we’ve said before, “natural” is not the same thing as ”good for you.”
One of the things I’ve noticed about many people’s fat loss efforts, is how negative they are. There’s a long list of “don’ts;” tiny portions of plain, drab food and punishing workouts. It’s all about hardship and deprivation. If you’re “good,” that means you have the stern discipline and moral fiber to tough it out, and can bask in the awe of your family, friends and colleagues. And if you’re like everyone else (i.e., “bad”), you crash and burn within a few short weeks, gain whatever you lost back, and either a) beat on yourself for being weak; b) decide your excess weight is due to some extrinsic factor, like “toxins” or “parasites” and go off in search of various ”placebo“ cures; or c) eventually give it all up, decide you’re genetically programmed to be overweight, and join the “Fat Acceptance” movement.
It doesn’t have to be this way…
