Obesity Cuts Life Span :: Weight Loss

Obesity Cuts Life Span

As the smoking epidemic wanes in the western world and we find ourselves in the midst of an obesity epidemic, two important new studies have emerged showing that obesity can, on average, cut more than a decade from a person’s life. Reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Annals of Internal Medicine, the studies found that obesity is of particular concern for younger adults in their 20s and 30s. The risk is greatest for obese African-American men, who stand to lose about 20 years of life, even after accounting for smoking. Researchers recommend 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity each day to move each of us in the right direction—toward better health, vitality and longevity.References available on request.

Source: alive #O

Combating The Childhood Obesity Crisis
Kids and youth are eating worse and exercising less. Something has got to change. In his 29 years as a physical education teacher, David Lively has seen "big" changes in his students. Frightening ones.

Downsize Not Supersize
Living in a land of plenty comes with a price that we're only now discovering. With one out of three Canadians now overweight, Canada appears to have one of the worst obesity problems in the industrialized worl.

Health Perspective
When I read newspaper headlines such as "Trans fat Could Stop Your Heart and "New Food Labels Indicate 'bad fat' Content, I know that at last, the tireless work by health food educators on the dangers of 'bad' fats has now become mainstream.

A Heavy Toll
Of all the resolutions made on January 1, 2000, none were more fervent than those to lose weight. In the millions, overweight men and women resolved not to drag their extra pounds into the new millennium.

The Blood Sugar Connection
Everyone knows that smoking is directly linked to numerous cancer.

Childhood Obesity
Until recently the battle of the bulge has been fought primarily by adults. Today, however, the largest growing segments among the obese are our children and adolescents.

Children and the Fat Wars
It's no longer uncommon to see an overweight child. Within the last 20 years, we have witnessed a doubling in the prevalence of childhood obesity. Now, approximately 30 percent of our kids are seriously overweight, and 15-percent are considered obese.

Grumpy, Lumpy, Men Syndrome
Remember what it was like to be a teenager? That lean, muscular physique never seemed to gain an ounce of fat no matter how much you ate (or drank). Do you now find yourself patting your belly more then you pat your dog? If so, you could well be experiencing a loss of your male hormone - testosterone.

Metabolic Aging
Everybody wants to live a long and healthy life. If you carry excess body fat on your frame, though, you may be setting yourself up for a shorter lifespan than the one you were aiming for.

Overweight Kids?
I recently attended the birthday party of a three-year-old. Cookies, cake, and ice cream were served. The birthday boy smiled with anticipation--he has learned that this food is worth getting excited about.

Lighten the Load
In order to assess a child's risk of being overweight for his or her age, researchers use a variation of the Bod.

Nag Me Not
In 2000 the Canadian Medical Association Journal reported that children are increasingly choosing to watch TV, surf the Internet, and play video games instead of staying active with sports and outdoor play. Today the average Canadian child sits in front of a screen three to five hours a day.

You Can Have Healthy Children
A young mother, in her mid-20s and grossly overweight, was pulling a four-wheeled cart behind her. In the cart was an obese six-year-old child. The young boy, sitting cross-legged, was eating a mound of pretzels and potato chips piled high in his lap.

Environmental Weight Gain
According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information, the latest studies indicate that in the past 20 years overweight and obesity rates have more than doubled for adults and tripled for children. So why the sudden expansion (pun intended)?

No Pain, More Gain

Tune In and Tone Up

Syndrome X: Reduce your risk with exercise

Small Victories; Healthy Kids

Yin and Yang of a Balanced Diet

Start young for better health

Encouragement goes a long way

A School Food Revolution

Crohn's Disease: A Naturopathic Approach

Are Toxins Making you Fat?

Eat, Drink, and Exercise
Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, Zone, and Bernstein diets are in mainstream practice. Yet research is clear that as long as we are dedicated and compliant, any weight-loss diet will work. Unfortunately, 95 percent of all dieters regain lost weight.

Into the O-zone
It seems so simple really. Eat too much and move too little, and you'll get too fat. Move more and eat less, and you'll get thinner. If human beings were machines, we would all plug into this universal weight loss equation and live the rest of our lives in svelte bliss.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
Would sugar by any other name taste as sweet - or make us as likely to gain weight? It's the sticky debate taking place in nutrition circles.

The Obesity Epidemic
Excessive body fat accumulates when we take in more calories than we expend. But the expanding North American waistline is caused by a complex relationship between environment and genes. This month Research Watch explores the causes of the obesity epidemic.

Portion Distortion
Due to the supersizing of food items, a majority of people are eating more than ever before, without even realizing it.