European study reinforces importance of eating breakfast for children's health

The message that 'breakfast is the most important meal of the day' is familiar to many of us. And now a European study of Cypriot children has revealed that choosing the right kind of breakfast each morning can have a direct impact on their weight and overall health. The paper, published online in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, investigates the significance of breakfast food choices in child health and the association...

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Obese patients who feel judged by doctors less likely to shed pounds, study shows

Overweight and obese people who feel their physicians are judgmental of their size are more likely to try to shed pounds but are less likely to succeed, according to results of a study by Johns Hopkins researchers.The findings, reported online last week in the journal Preventive Medicine, suggest that primary care doctors should lose the negative attitudes their patients can sense if the goal is to get patients with obesity to lose 10 percent or...

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5 Signs You're Taking Your Diet Too Far

When I first started out in private practice, clients came to me because something was wrong. Most of them struggled with their weight, or were newly diagnosed with a condition like high cholesterol or elevated blood pressure. Today, healthy, fit clients schedule appointments with me simply to pick my brain. Many describe themselves as health enthusiasts who want to learn all they can about optimal nutrition, the hottest superfoods, and latest...

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Health plans don't cover weight loss surgery

Like 78 million other Americans, MaryJane Harrison is obese.And like many critically overweight Americans, Harrison cannot afford to have weight loss surgery because her health insurance doesn't cover it. The financial burden makes it nearly impossible for her to follow the advice of three physicians who have prescribed the stomach-shrinking procedure for Harrison, who is four-feet, 10 inches and weighs 265 pounds.Harrison's health insurance plan, provided by UnitedHealth, excludes coverage of any surgical procedures for weight loss. As a result,...

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Conflicting and Misinformation About Weight Loss

We continue each year to confuse people about the benefits of exercise as it relates to weight loss. In a nutshell, the healthcare system’s bland and undocumented recommendation to be active is a simplistic and ineffective approach to obesity. Please note: Exercise will only accelerate fat loss if the diet keeps insulin levels low so that fatty acids are released into the blood stream for use as energy. Activity in and of itself is not exercise, and general activity does not use up much energy. The reason we eat everyday is to satisfy our...

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Top 5 Weight Loss Tips To Fight Cravings

Yes, it is well into the New Year and your degree of self-control is probably being tested. How are you doing?Do you have conscious control over your natural impulse to eat the certain foods which lead to weight gain? Can you avoid eating inappropriate foods that will prevent you from reaching your weight loss goals?Well, no matter how you change your lifestyle dynamics, if you want to lose body fat and add some muscle to your body, there will...

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High sodium intake correlates with obesity, inflammation

Most adolescents consume as much salt as adults - some more than twice the recommended daily allowance - and that high sodium intake correlates with fatness and inflammation regardless of how many calories they consume, researchers report. In a study of 766 healthy teens, 97 percent self-reported exceeding the American Heart Association's recommendation of consuming less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics. "The majority of studies in humans show the more food you eat, the more salt you consume,...

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How to Lose Weight During Happy Hour

If you like drinking alcohol, the easiest way to lose significant weight is to stop drinking it. Period. Beer, wine, Jello shots, they all pack on pounds and often come around with a sidekick named Nachos Grande. But, look, we know you might be partying with a choco-tini in the coming weeks. So be prepared for happy hour with these useful tips for reducing the alcohol and bar food calories while still enjoying the celebration with your friends....

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Mediterranean diet linked with lower risk of heart disease among young U.S. workers

Among a large group of Midwestern firefighters, greater adherence to Mediterranean-style diet was associated with lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). The study is the first to assess the effects of Mediterranean-style diet among a group of young, working U.S. adults.   The study will appear online in PLOS ONE on February 4, 2014. "Our study adds more evidence showing the...

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Top TV doctors share quick weight-loss secrets

Two of TVs top doctors talked to Channel 4's sister station in Houston, KPRC, about simple changes you can make to drop those extra pounds fast and safely. TV host and best-selling author Dr. Ian Smith said "crash diet" is not necessarily a dirty phrase. "It's not the weight loss that's unhealthy. It's the methods that people are using that are unhealthy," said Smith. Super Shred is for "destination dieters." You've got a big event coming up...

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Kindergartner’s weight strong predictor of later childhood obesity

A child’s weight during kindergarten may serve as a strong predictor of whether he or she will develop childhood obesity later in life. New research from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health suggests that the development of childhood obesity is strongly established by kindergarten – as overweight 5-year-olds are four times as likely as normal weight children to become obese by the 8th grade. According to lead author Dr. Venkat...

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Rocco DiSpirito’s ‘Pound A Day’ Diet Claims Quick Weight-Loss

Rocco DiSpirito is known for his delicious meals and now the celebrity chef says you can eat what you love and still lose weight with his “Pound A Day Diet.”  The goal of his new diet book: to help dieters lose up to five pounds in five days. Part of the appeal is quick weight loss, so dieters feel motivated immediately, and DiSpirito says the fact that it’s from a chef’s perspective distinguishes the plan from others. “It’s a chef’s...

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