That’s because chronic dieters often overeat when consuming those 100-calorie packages.

A new study shows that dieters, or what they call “restrained eaters,” believe the mini-packs contain a lot of food, but they also think of them as “diet food.” You know, an easy way to lose weight while indulging your sweet tooth.

Using 100-calorie packs of M&Ms in their research, the scientists found that restrained eaters (dieters) ate more calories from mini-packs than unrestrained eaters (non-dieters).

So it may become easier to overeat with mini-packs and gain weight.

I think a lot of us look to 100-calorie snacks to give ourselves a little indulgence without gaining a lot of weight. But sometimes, there’s not a lot of heft to a sweet snack with only 100 calories.

So I think we start out to eat 100 calories, but then indulge more to satisfy our sweet tooth. That’s why it may be better to either eat bulkier sweet fruits that add up to 100 calories or put a sweet treat in your diet with enough calories to actually satisfy you.

It seems that the 100-calorie snack packs may be a little too tough on our willpower. And they turn out to be anything but an easy way to lose weight.

Technorati Tags: easy way to lose weight, calorie, calories, 100-calorie foods, lose weight, weight loss, diet, dieting, dieter

But a recent study says that certain types of meals cause more damage to these cells than others.

According to researchers at Monash University, the more sugars and carbs you eat, the more these cells degenerate. So if your appetite-control cells become useless, your brain won’t get the message to stop eating.

You’ll eat more and gain weight because you can’t judge when your hunger is satisfied.

Adults from 25 to 50 years old are believed to suffer the most risk of having these important cells die off over time.

The researchers believe this could explain why adult-onset obesity occurs.

I don’t know if that’s true or not.

But I do know that when I gain the most weight, it usually has nothing to do with hunger. I overeat most often when I’m tired and trying to stay awake. I know a lot of people who eat when they’re bored or when they’re emotionally upset.

From my own experience, I’m fully aware that I’m not hungry when I’m overeating. In fact, a lot of times, it’s physically uncomfortable to keep eating. And I’m just talking about a few hundred extra calories.

So I think there’s more to adult-onset obesity than damage to  appetite-suppression cells. It could be a contributing factor. But then again, so could lying on the sofa all weekend watching TV instead of getting some exercise.

It’s interesting to see how many theories and studies are presented as a way to “explain” obesity instead of looking at the obvious: too many of us eat too much and exercise too little.

It may not be politically correct to say that, but it’s often true.

Technorati Tags: overweight, obesity, appetite, appetite suppression cells

That’s because ear infections and tonsillectomies can cause damage to taste nerves which appears to affect eating habits.

According to scientific studies, here’s what happens:

Even though otitis media, or chronic middle ear infection, usually occurs during childhood, you can have localized taste damage which then causes an increased preference for high-fat foods.

That raises your risk of being overweight as a child and as an adult.

According to one study of almost 6600 people, a history of moderate to severe otitis media increased the risk of obesity by 62%.

Other studies have found that:

• Middle-aged women with taste nerve damage preferred more fatty and sweet foods and usually had larger waists…

• Preschoolers who suffered repeated severe ear infections ate more sweets, fewer vegetables, and were more likely to be overweight…

• Toddlers whose ear infections were treated with tubes had a higher body mass index (BMI) than those who weren’t treated with tubes…

Another link was found between tonsillectomies, eating habits, and a higher likelihood of being overweight. The reason may be that tonsillectomies were a common treatment for chronic ear infections during the 1960s when the tonsillectomy survey was taken.

Here are the results:

• Children between 6 and 17 years old who had their tonsils removed were more likely to be overweight…

• Teenage girls who had tonsillectomies had a 30% increased risk of being overweight…

Getting ear infections under control before they cause damage to taste nerves could be one more way to combat the obesity epidemic for children and adults.

Technorati Tags: overweight, obesity, otitis media, ear infection, tonsillectomy, body mass index, BMI

Here’s why…

Mushrooms are a low energy-density food.

By substituting a 4-ounce Portabella mushroom for a high energy-density food like a 4-ounce hamburger every time you would normally eat a hamburger for one year, you may be able to save over 18,000 calories or about 5 pounds a year.

At least, that would happen for men according to a new study by John Hopkins Weight Management Center.

By observing how much study participants ate when they had mushroom vs. meat meals, the researchers found that energy or calorie intakes were much higher with meat.

Specifically, 420 calories more per day when eating meat entrees.

But the participants didn’t seem to prefer one type of meal over the other. They ate lunch entrees of sloppy Joes, chili, lasagna or napoleons. One week, these entrees were made with beef; the next week, they were made with mushrooms.

Mushrooms are also a good source of vitamin D. If you read my last article, then you know that not getting enough vitamin D may increase your risk of death by 26%.

Mushrooms also provide selenium, niacin, and riboflavin. Plus they’re low in calories — about 20 for 4 to 5 white button mushrooms.

So if these preliminary results are duplicated in other studies, you just may have a delicious and nutritious way to lose an extra 5 pounds a year with mushrooms.

Technorati Tags: lose weight, lose pounds, weight loss, calories, mushrooms

But what if you don’t get enough Vitamin D?

Your risk of death increases by 26%.

This comes from a study of 13,000 men and women by Johns Hopkins researchers. These participants were initially healthy and came from diverse backgrounds.

But a commonality eventually appeared.

For those people with an unhealthy low level of vitamin D — which is 17.8 or fewer nanograms per milliliter of blood — they were 26% more likely to die from any cause.

From this and previous studies, a serious vitamin D deficiency may be linked to higher rates of depression and breast cancer in the elderly, a substantially higher risk of peripheral artery disease, and possibly heart disease.

You can boost your vitamin D intake by eating foods like mackerel, sardines, salmon, and dairy products. Or you can take cod liver oil or vitamin D supplements.

With vitamin supplements, some experts believe that taking between 200 and 400 international units of D is enough to stay healthy.

But be careful not to take too much vitamin D in the form of supplements. That’s because an excess may cause weakness, nausea, poor appetite, confusion, weight loss, and/or constipation.

So it may be better to get more vitamin D naturally.

Just 10 to 15 minutes a day of sun exposure will produce vitamin D naturally in your body. That’s why it’s called “the sunshine vitamin.”

However, in northern cities, the sun’s rays may be too weak to generate vitamin D during the months of October through March.

Because of the twin dangers of too much vitamin D and too little vitamin D, you should always consult your doctor for the best way to get this vitamin for you.

Technorati Tags: vitamin D, vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D excess

Well, okay, that might not surprise you. But here’s something that should…

… the possible harmful effects of weight loss on your bones can continue during your weight maintenance phase, even if you’ve only lost a small amount of weight.

Yikes!

It’s all about something called bone remodeling. That’s when the old bone breaks down and new bone is formed. When you lose weight, that process happens at a faster rate.

But some University of Missouri and University of Kansas researchers found that remodeling continues at an unusually high rate even during a 9-month weight maintenance period when people increase the number of calories they eat.

The scientists studied 37 middle-aged, obese adults who reduced their weight by about 20% with a severe calorie-restricted diet.

The more body weight the subjects lost, the more their bones broke down.

But there appeared to be no greater or lesser effect with low-fat or low-carb diets during the maintenance phase. Gender made no difference, either.

For women, it also didn’t matter if they were in menopause or taking hormone replacement therapy.

The researchers couldn’t draw solid conclusions about the effect of this faster bone remodeling process during weight maintenance.

But they suggest that people who intend to lose a lot of weight should think about doing high-impact, weight-bearing physical exercise. They should also make sure they get enough calcium.

Of course, talk to your doctor first. But you already knew that.

Technorati Tags: weight loss, lose weight, obesity, bone loss, bone remodeling

You’ll have a greater span of active life, fewer disabilities, and less than half the chance of dying an early death as your older counterparts who don’t run.

This information comes from a Stanford University School of Medicine study of 538 older runners that started in 1984 soon after jogging and running became wildly popular.

These runners were all over 50 years old and were compared to a group of nonrunners who were about the same age. The runners ran about 4 hours a week at first, then slowed to about an hour and 15 minutes per week after more than 20 years.

But here’s where the story gets good. After 19 years, the researchers checked to see how many of each group had died.

Here’s What They Found

34% of the nonrunners had died. But only 15% of the runners were dead.

Both groups experienced more disabilities over time, but the runners’ first disability was 16–yes, 16!–years later than the nonrunning group.

And the gap between the 2 groups’ abilities continued to widen over time.

The researchers believe this happened because the runners had healthier lifestyles and leaner bodies than the nonrunners.

The runners also had fewer early deaths from heart disease, cancer, infections, neurological and other diseases.

Surprisingly, runners didn’t have more knee replacements or osteoarthritis than nonrunners.

So the conclusions from this study are obvious: keep exercising to remain healthy longer. Of course, you should never start an exercise program without consulting your doctor.

But aerobic exercise, including running, may just turn out to be your fountain of youth.

Technorati Tags: running, aerobic exercise, fountain of youth

That’s the surprising conclusion from a new study by the University of Michigan. It shows that your weight doesn’t predict the state of your health nearly as well as the size of your…

… oh, we’ll get to that in a minute.

But first, here’s what the researchers concluded about weight and health.

According to the study, approximately 51% of overweight adults in the U.S. have normal cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood sugar readings. Close to 33% of obese adults in the U.S. are healthy, too.

But around 25% of thin adults have unhealthy readings in 2 or more of the same categories — cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood sugar. That’s 16 million thin adults who have the kind of health risks that are usually linked to obesity.

How Can This Be?

To start with, the experts are beginning to rethink how they define “overweight.” Traditionally, they used BMI, or body mass index, a ratio of weight to height that doesn’t take into account whether your body is fat or lean.

Using BMI, many professional athletes would be considered to be overweight.

But no matter what your weight or BMI, heart health risks are more prevalent in smokers, older people, and people who rarely or never exercise.

For obese people between the ages of 50 and 64, only 2 out of 10 are deemed to be healthy. For younger obese adults, the healthy ratio is 5 out of 10.

But the researchers aren’t ready to say that excess weight doesn’t carry health risks. At a minimum, this study reinforces the importance of regular exercise for maintaining good health.

One Result Did Jump Out

And the experts took notice.

Whether you’re overweight or thin, a thick waist is linked to a higher risk of heart disease. That’s because a thick waist can mean that your abdominal organs are surrounded by internal fat deposits.

That increases your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and high blood sugar.

So now you know — whether you’re overweight or thin — it’s the size of your waist that may matter most to the state of your health.

Technorati Tags: overweight, obese, blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar

That’s because obese men often have lower PSA levels than normal-weight men.

Researchers at Duke Prostate Center and the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center believe this happens because obese men have greater volumes of blood which dilute the PSA levels.

By giving a false impression of cancer status, these lower PSA levels may be responsible for the delayed diagnosis of prostate cancer in obese men. And worst of all, their cancer may be much more aggressive and widespread by the time it is identified.

The researchers studied almost 3400 men over the last 8 years. They compared the outcomes for men who had prostate cancer found by PSA tests versus by abnormal digital rectal exams.

Their conclusion: obese men who were diagnosed through PSA screening had over 2 times the risk of cancer recurrence after surgery than normal-weight men.

But when obese men were diagnosed through abnormal digital rectal exams, the risk of cancer recurrence after surgery was about the same as normal-weight men.

Another Duke study concluded that prostate surgery may be more technically difficult in obese men as well. By that, they meant that tumors were harder to remove completely. So there was a greater probability of cancer being left behind in obese men.

So obese men get hit twice: once because their tumors are more aggressive and the second time because those tumors are harder to surgically remove.

What should obese men do?

If you’re an obese man, you may want to talk to your doctor about alternative prostate cancer screening methods. Maybe a digital rectal exam should be considered along with a PSA screening.

Or maybe lower PSA levels should be flagged for further analysis in obese men.

For now, unfortunately, there are no standardized medical rules to help with PSA screening, prostate cancer and obese men.

Technorati Tags: obese men, obesity, overweight, PSA, prostate cancer

Like so many others, I was inspired by his 2007 last lecture, “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” Randy talked about living with challenges and most importantly of all, living your passion.

Even he was surprised by how many people he touched in his final days.

If you haven’t had a chance to hear his lecture yet, you can find it at http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/

I hope you’ll be inspired, too.

My thoughts and prayers go to his wife, Jai, and their 3 kids, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe.

Technorati Tags: Randy Pausch, last lecture

Now the FDA believes the salmonella outbreak may be coming from jalapeno peppers.

They found this salmonella strain on a Mexican jalapeno pepper in Texas.

So now they’re warning us to avoid fresh jalapenos, although tomatoes aren’t “exonerated.”

The FDA isn’t sure where the salmonella came from. But they’re warning us not to eat fresh jalapenos or products that are made from them, like fresh salsa.

What I’m getting from this is they really don’t know yet. So I’m staying away from jalapenos, salsa, and tomatoes.

Technorati Tags: FDA, salmonella, tomato, jalapeno, salsa

We all know that Vitamin D can help to prevent the bone disease, osteoporosis. But recent studies show that Vitamin D can help with these diseases, too…

1. Cancer Prevention

Vitamin D can help to prevent your cells from turning into cancer. Without adequate levels of Vitamin D, your risk of certain cancers may increase.

These cancers include lung, colon, breast, uterine, ovary, kidney, and rectum.

2. Heart Disease

Inadequate levels of Vitamin D are linked to coronary artery calcification and maybe even congestive heart failure.

3. Fall Prevention

Vitamin D supplements may increase balance and muscle strength in older adults. This can reduce the risk of falls and broken bones.

4. Autoimmune Disease Protection

By lowering inflammation and making your immune system stronger, Vitamin D may help to protect you against multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.

5. Chronic Pain Prevention

Inadequate levels of Vitamin D may cause muscle pain and weakness.

So How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?

Doctors and medical groups don’t agree on a precise amount.

Yes, your body does produce Vitamin D when you’re exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. But this may not be enough for some people, especially the elderly.

So current recommendations range from 800 to 1,000 IU per day.

But you should always consult your doctor to determine how much Vitamin D you need to stay healthy and whether it makes sense to take supplements.

Technorati Tags: vitamin D, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disease, fall prevention, chronic pain

A recent study suggests that memory loss in midlife may be linked to low levels of HDL. And that memory loss may increase your risk of developing dementia.

Researchers in the British Whitehall II study observed almost 3700 people between the ages of 55 and 61.

The scientists defined high HDL as at least 60 mg/dL and low HDL as less than 40mg/dL. Cholesterol levels from blood samples were measured after 8-hour fasts or 4 hours or more after light breakfasts.

Then the study participants were given simple, verbal memory tests.

Here’s What The Researchers Concluded…

1. At 55 years old, study members with low HDL had a 27% higher risk of memory loss as compared to participants with high HDL…

2. At 60 years old, study members with low HDL showed a 53% higher risk of memory loss as compared to those with high HDL…

3. Over a 5-year period, participants with decreasing HDL had a 61% higher risk of memory loss as compared to the high HDL group…

4. There was no significant difference in memory loss between men and women when cholesterol was measured. So these results apply for both sexes…

5. The use of statin drugs to alter cholesterol levels had no effect on memory loss…

6. There was no link between total cholesterol or triglycerides and memory loss…

Why this memory loss occurs with lower HDL levels is not clear. But the researchers thought that HDL cholesterol might stop the formation of beta-amyloid, which is part of the plaque found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

So What Should You Do?…

You and your doctor may want to check your level of HDL cholesterol to make sure it’s high enough in addition to watching your LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) level to make sure it’s low enough.

To increase HDL and reduce LDL, the American Heart Association currently recommends regular exercise, the elimination of trans fats, the reduction of all dietary fat (particularly saturated fats), and the consumption of monounsaturated fats such as peanut, canola and olive oils.

Of course, you should check with your doctor before altering your diet. But if these study results are true, keeping your HDL cholesterol level high could reduce your risk of developing dementia as you get older.

Technorati Tags: HDL, LDL, cholesterol, dementia, memory loss

University of Salzburg researchers looked at 2 specific types of physical training. One is called hypertrophy resistance training; the other is SuperSlow(R) which is slower exercising with fewer repetitions.

Both types of training increase the ratio of muscle mass to fatty and connective tissue. But slower exercising had a more positive effect.

The researchers studied different groups of women from 45 to 55 years old for a period of 12 weeks each. They were looking at how menopausal women’s muscles deteriorate and how best to slow or reverse the process.

The slower training appeared to work better. So exercise programs will be developed with these results in mind. The goal is to reduce injuries and give older women a better quality of life.

Technorati Tags: menopause, exercise

But if you’re not losing as much weight as you expect during the rest of the year, maybe you should take a look at what you’re doing on the weekends.

A new study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that most dieters stop losing weight on the weekends and many exercisers may actually gain weight then.

It All Started With Rats And Calorie Restriction…

Earlier studies have shown that rats live longer on calorie restricted diets. So these researchers designed a new study to see if the same thing would work with humans.

Forty-eight overweight or healthy weight adults from 50 to 60 years old took part in the study. None were obese.

But there was one problem that occurred when comparing humans to rats.

Rats Don’t Have Weekends…

A rat’s lifestyle is the same no matter what day it is. But we humans change our lifestyles significantly on the weekends.

We have sporting events, parties, and other social events where we eat, eat, eat…

All of which can sabotage your weight loss efforts.

How The Study Worked…

The researchers divided the study participants into 3 groups:

1. The Dieters reduced their daily calories by 20%…

2. The Exercisers increased their daily exercise by 20%…

3. The Control Group didn’t change their diet or exercise habits…

They all kept track of their food intake and exercise for one year. They were also weighed regularly.

Before the study began, the participants ate the most calories on Saturday. They each would’ve gained about 9 pounds a year before they changed their dieting and exercise habits.

But There Was A Surprise After The Study Began…

The pattern stayed the same.

The Dieters ate more on Saturday while The Exercisers consumed more on both Saturday and Sunday. So The Dieters stopped losing weight on the weekends and The Exercisers actually gained weight on the weekends.

The researchers concluded that these weekend eating patterns explain why most dieters don’t drop as many pounds as they expect to.

Here Are 3 Steps You Can Take To Overcome The Problem…

The researchers recommend these 3 steps to overcome the weekend weight loss pitfall:

1. Weigh yourself everyday.

This will help you to become aware of your weight loss and gain patterns which is especially important on the weekends.

2. Pay attention to your portion sizes.

You can still eat on the weekends, but make sure you do so in moderation.

3. Plan ahead.

For example, pack healthy snacks before you go to sporting events or eat a light snack before you go to a party so you’re not starving when you get there.

With a little planning and awareness, you can beat the weekend weight loss pitfall and get your weight loss back on track.

Technorati Tags: diet, dieting, exercise, weight loss, lose weight, calorie restriction

By having both carbohydrates and caffeine after a serious workout, athletes can replenish their glycogen levels faster. Glycogen is your muscles’ most important fuel source during strenuous exercise.

Using a caffeine-carbohydrate combo, athletes were able to increase their glycogen levels by 66% more 4 hours after a workout. That’s compared to athletes who consumed carbohydrates only after exercise.

That means the athletes with superior glycogen levels will be able to train or compete better the next day.

Caffeine can be found in coffee, chocolate, colas, and tea.

Prior studies have shown that the combination of caffeine and carbohydrates before and during exercise can improve athletic prowess. Now this study reveals that this combo can refuel your muscles after exercise as well.

Apparently, the caffeine produced higher levels of glucose and insulin in the athletes. The glucose then traveled from the blood to the muscles.

One hour after exercise, there was no difference in muscle glycogen levels between the athletes who ingested caffeine and those who didn’t.

But 4 hours after exercise, the athletes who drank caffeine had 66% higher glycogen levels in comparison to the athletes who only had carbohydrates.

The athletes had different responses to the caffeine. Some couldn’t sleep well that night; others slept like babies. So it’s important for individual athletes to find out what works best for them.

The researchers now want to study the effects of a lower dose of caffeine and determine how best to refuel your muscles after exercise.

Technorati Tags: exercise, muscles, glycogen, caffeine, carbohydrates, fitness, workout, athletes

That’s been a subject of intense debate lately. Now there may be some scientific evidence of how to do it and why it just may work.

First, some background on why scientists are so gung ho on studying this subject in humans. You see, they’ve already researched this with rats and mice.

In rodents, calorie restriction has been demonstrated to slow the aging process.

Why It May Be Successful…

One possible explanation is that fewer calories reduce triiodothyronine, a thyroid hormone known as T3. By decreasing T3, the metabolism slows and the rodents age more slowly. Or so goes the theory.

Now some researchers from Saint Louis University have studied a similar process in humans.

According to results published in the June 2008 issue of Rejuvenation Research, reducing your caloric intake by about 300 to 500 calories daily will produce the same metabolic effect in humans. And maybe, just maybe, it will make you age more slowly.

Here’s How The Study Worked…

The volunteers were post-menopausal women and sedentary, non-smoking men from 50 to 60 years old who were in relatively good health.

Each volunteer was placed in one of three groups: calorie restriction, exercise, or control. They were studied for one year.

The calorie restriction group reduced their weight by eating 300 to 500 fewer calories per day. The exercise group ate their normal diet and exercised regularly.

Who Had The Best Results…

Although the calorie restriction and exercise groups had the same types of body fat changes, only the calorie restriction volunteers reduced their levels of the T3 thyroid hormone.

Now a long-term study is needed to see if the T3 reduction slows the aging process in humans.

But the scientists warned that people who cut calories should be careful to maintain proper nutrition. And of course, no one should cut calories to the point of developing anorexia nervosa.

You should always see your doctor before you start a new diet or exercise program. They can best guide you on how to cut calories to live longer.

Technorati Tags: calories, calorie restriction, live longer, T3, thyroid, aging process, metabolism

Right now, there are 2 main bariatric surgery techniques. One is a bypass procedure that removes part of the stomach and reroutes the passage of food. The other puts a band around the top of the stomach to decrease its capacity to hold food.

Both are major surgeries with the possibility of serious side effects.

But now doctors are testing an implantable device which blocks the vagal nerve. It’s known as VBLOC(TM) vagal blocking therapy.

In a 6-month trial in Norway, Mexico, and Australia, 31 obese patients used the device to see if electrically blocking the vagus nerve would make them feel full after eating a normal-sized meal.

These patients didn’t go on diets or receive counseling. The goal was to see how much the implanted device reduced weight on its own.

VBLOC therapy uses high-frequency electricity to block the nerve impulses between the brain and the stomach and the pancreas. The patient turns on the device during the day by flipping a switch.

Think of it as a pacemaker for your stomach. But instead of stimulating your heartbeat, the VBLOC blocks the stomach nerves to make you feel fuller.

So how well did it work?

Well, for the 31 obese patients who tried it, the average weight loss was 15% of their excess weight. Seven or eight patients lost over 25% of their excess weight and three patients lost greater than 30%.

Although this initial test seems promising, more studies will take place before this new obesity treatment becomes publicly available.

Technorati Tags: obesity, vagus nerve, weight loss, bariatric surgery, VBLOC

But surprisingly, having at least one alcoholic drink per week may actually protect your hearing. This relates to moderate drinking only.

According to a European study of 9 audiological centers, almost 4100 people between 53 and 67 years of age were tested for hearing loss and their exposure to these potential risk factors.

So what does this mean?

Well, apparently, your lifestyle may significantly affect your hearing. A healthier lifestyle — no smoking, no obesity, and no excessive occupational noise — could help to preserve your hearing into old age.

Technorati Tags: obesity, hearing loss, body mass index

Even the most drastic reduction in caloric intake won’t change that number.

That’s because the number of fat cells in your body is established during your childhood and teen years. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fat or thin.

According to a new study of 687 adults from DOE/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, weight gain in adulthood comes from an increase in body fat volume only.

So if you lose a lot of weight, you’re just reducing the volume of fat in your cells, but not the number of fat cells in your body.

Which means you continue to have the same capacity to store fat no matter how much weight you lose. That’s probably why it’s so hard to stay thin.

But the scientists are optimistic that this research can help them to develop new drugs to combat obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Technorati Tags: lose weight, weight loss, dieting, fat cells, gastric bypass, weight loss surgery, bariatric surgery, obesity