Tuesday, July 15, 2008
"Normal Weight" Obesity?
Bigger Bodies = Bigger Deception
It seems as we get bigger, our exaggerations are growing as well. A recent study in Britain found that while the number of overall overweight people increased the past decade, the number who think they are overweight actually went down.
Is overweight becoming the new "average weight"? Only time will tell.
The study also confirmed what self-help gurus have been claiming for years: that your circle of friends has a huge impact on your success. People with more overweight friends and family tend to be more overweight, even when other factors such as diet and genetics are factored into the equation. The take home? Find friends who care about their health and are willing to support, rather than sabotage, your success.
NPC USA Bodybuilding and Figure Championships
For those who aren't familiar with the organization, the NPC is the National Physique Committee. The show is coming up July 25th and 26th and there is full coverage over at Bodybuilding.com.
Lose Weight With Yogurt?
Another study that on the surface seems to support the dairy industry has surfaced. It turns out that people who included yogurt with their diet lose more weight, more body fat and specifically more belly fat than others who ate similar calories but didn't include yogurt. Sounds like a reason to go out and grab some right away, right? Sounds great, but if you read between the lines, you'll find the key wasn't the yogurt. It was the calcium. The yogurt-eating group got twice as much calcium as the other group. I can buy calcium for fat loss ... and I can buy it in places other than dairy. Did you know that leafy green vegetables and nuts contain huge amounts of calcium? They just don't have a multimillion dollar advertising campaign ("Got Lettuce?")
100 Pound Weight Loss Journey
I can claim 100 pounds lost ... if I include my wife's weight (you can see her before/after in the testimonials section of the Lose Fat, Not Faith Transformation Guide. Jenn, however, did it all on her own! Read her inspiring story and how she did it (Congratulations, Jenn!).
Normal Weight Obesity?
It sounds like a contradiction, but it's true. Just as those of us who have hefted quite a few weights in our day might be declared "obese" by body mass scales when in fact we are fit and trim, the reverse is also true. A growing number of people might look fine on the scale, but they are what we would call "skinny fat" or lacking muscles and still holding a higher percentage of weight from fat. Antonio De Lorenzo coined a more politically correct term when he called this condition "normal-weight obesity." Learn more about the sneaky fat attack.
Blame it on the Rain
We blame everything for obesity: the fast food restaurants, larger portion sizes, and increased viewing of television (heaven forbid any of us fesses up, takes responsibility, and says, "I am why I am overweight, and I am the one who has to do something about it" ... oh, wait, that IS what those who DO something about it tend to say) ... anyway, here's the latest: the Scots can blame it on the rain.
Cure Your Headache and then Kill Yourself
I know it sounds harsh, but that's just what is happening. A slew of drugs designed to treat migraine headaches, biopolar disorder and even epilepsy have been shown to double the risk of suicide but our friends at the FDA don't think this warrants a major "black box" warning (after all, letting people know they will be twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts might lower sales, and we can't have that, can we?)
Crossfit Olympics
Check out these fit individuals banging it out at the 2008 Crossfit tournament. I have been researching this style of training for some time now, and have some good friends in the area who have started a gym. It is an interesting concept that a lot of people are following ... but very intense!
Your House is on Fire and You're Still Smoking in Bed
The Wall Street Journal said it best in their health blog update.
Some highlights: "Our members were advertising life-saving medicines like it's Pepsi, and that hurt us." and ... A hearing in the House in May on DTC advertising was so painful for companies (and observers) that a few weeks later, Pfizer, Merck, Schering-Plough and Johnson & Johnson, all suddenly announced a six-month moratorium on ads for new drugs, and volunteered to limit how they would use doctors in their ads.
Warmly,
It seems as we get bigger, our exaggerations are growing as well. A recent study in Britain found that while the number of overall overweight people increased the past decade, the number who think they are overweight actually went down.
Is overweight becoming the new "average weight"? Only time will tell.
The study also confirmed what self-help gurus have been claiming for years: that your circle of friends has a huge impact on your success. People with more overweight friends and family tend to be more overweight, even when other factors such as diet and genetics are factored into the equation. The take home? Find friends who care about their health and are willing to support, rather than sabotage, your success.
NPC USA Bodybuilding and Figure Championships
For those who aren't familiar with the organization, the NPC is the National Physique Committee. The show is coming up July 25th and 26th and there is full coverage over at Bodybuilding.com.
Lose Weight With Yogurt?
Another study that on the surface seems to support the dairy industry has surfaced. It turns out that people who included yogurt with their diet lose more weight, more body fat and specifically more belly fat than others who ate similar calories but didn't include yogurt. Sounds like a reason to go out and grab some right away, right? Sounds great, but if you read between the lines, you'll find the key wasn't the yogurt. It was the calcium. The yogurt-eating group got twice as much calcium as the other group. I can buy calcium for fat loss ... and I can buy it in places other than dairy. Did you know that leafy green vegetables and nuts contain huge amounts of calcium? They just don't have a multimillion dollar advertising campaign ("Got Lettuce?")
100 Pound Weight Loss Journey
I can claim 100 pounds lost ... if I include my wife's weight (you can see her before/after in the testimonials section of the Lose Fat, Not Faith Transformation Guide. Jenn, however, did it all on her own! Read her inspiring story and how she did it (Congratulations, Jenn!).
Normal Weight Obesity?
It sounds like a contradiction, but it's true. Just as those of us who have hefted quite a few weights in our day might be declared "obese" by body mass scales when in fact we are fit and trim, the reverse is also true. A growing number of people might look fine on the scale, but they are what we would call "skinny fat" or lacking muscles and still holding a higher percentage of weight from fat. Antonio De Lorenzo coined a more politically correct term when he called this condition "normal-weight obesity." Learn more about the sneaky fat attack.
Blame it on the Rain
We blame everything for obesity: the fast food restaurants, larger portion sizes, and increased viewing of television (heaven forbid any of us fesses up, takes responsibility, and says, "I am why I am overweight, and I am the one who has to do something about it" ... oh, wait, that IS what those who DO something about it tend to say) ... anyway, here's the latest: the Scots can blame it on the rain.
Cure Your Headache and then Kill Yourself
I know it sounds harsh, but that's just what is happening. A slew of drugs designed to treat migraine headaches, biopolar disorder and even epilepsy have been shown to double the risk of suicide but our friends at the FDA don't think this warrants a major "black box" warning (after all, letting people know they will be twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts might lower sales, and we can't have that, can we?)
Crossfit Olympics
Check out these fit individuals banging it out at the 2008 Crossfit tournament. I have been researching this style of training for some time now, and have some good friends in the area who have started a gym. It is an interesting concept that a lot of people are following ... but very intense!
Your House is on Fire and You're Still Smoking in Bed
The Wall Street Journal said it best in their health blog update.
Some highlights: "Our members were advertising life-saving medicines like it's Pepsi, and that hurt us." and ... A hearing in the House in May on DTC advertising was so painful for companies (and observers) that a few weeks later, Pfizer, Merck, Schering-Plough and Johnson & Johnson, all suddenly announced a six-month moratorium on ads for new drugs, and volunteered to limit how they would use doctors in their ads.
Warmly,
Labels: crossfit, distorted body image, lose weight, npc bodybuilding, obesity epidemic, pharmaceutical danger, self image
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