1. Be a ‘healthy’ role model. The number one thing that parents can do is to be a good role model for their children, Parents so often unknowingly set their kids up for failure.  If there are chips, cookies and Twinkies and no fruit or vegetables when your kids look for snacks, how can they succeed?  Line your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, easy things for kids to snack on besides ‘junk food’.

In a 2000 survey conducted by the CDC, close to 80% of adults reported eating fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily — not good role-model behavior.

2. Be positive. Don’t tell your child to ‘lose weight’ say, ‘Let’s be healthy and start taking care of our bodies’. Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you should limit eating. Say, ‘Let’s go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,’ not ‘Don’t eat this or that.’ Instead of saying, ‘We have to exercise,’ say, ‘Lets go to the park.’ Use positive words and phrases when talking with your kid.

3. Make healthy eating a family affair.  Create family meals together and for the entire family. Do not single out an overweight family member with special diet food.  Your entire family can benefit form healthy eating regardless of weight.

A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. The study showed children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don’t.

4. Avoid portion distortion. When serving food you must use portion control, buffet-type or family-style situations tends to promote overeating.  Fill up on salads and cooked vegetables  at meals and always wait 10-15 minutes before having a second helping.  Second helpings should only be taken if truly hungry.

5. Start the day off right with a good breakfast. A bowl of low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt with a granola or breakfast bar, or an English muffin with peanut butter, rather than a doughnut or muffin. A healthy breakfast will put your family on the healthy track for the rest of the day.

6. Make time for physical activity. Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

7. Try again.  Weight loss and healthy eating is not easy.  There will be times when you and your family will struggle with this new lifestyle.  It is important to keep trying.  Failure is certain if you are not trying.

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Some people in America suffer obesity through medical problems which is not fault of their own and cannot be helped but others are just far to lazy and eat far to much. Americans are taking the lead in obesity and no one seems to be doing anything about it except the medical research teams and endocrinologists who are trying to find ways to battle the bulge. With out the help of professionals it will be very hard for any obese person to loose weight, and they definitely need the support of their friends and family.

In 2004, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranked obesity as the number one health threat facing America and no one seems to be taking notice and doing anything about it. Obesity not only impacts your medical health but can also lead to lower self-esteem, and cause depression and discomfort in social situations, and is significantly reducing the quality of life among adults or children in American communities. Obesity in America is a growing story and needs to be tackled immediately.

Obesity is not a simple condition of eating too much. It is now recognized that obesity is a serious, chronic disease although eating to much does add to the discomfort and problem of obesity. American eating habits are different to many places, they are mainly carbohydrate eaters and that’s where the problems lye. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. A BMI of 30, in most cases, means that an individual is about 30 pounds over their ideal weight. Calculating your BMI is the safest way to determine how overweight you are as it calculates your height to weight ratio to give you a very close estimate to what your weight should be.

Obesity in American is a serious and growing problem that is almost out of hand and needs the American people to take a look at each other and do something about it. If nothing is done then obesity is just a time bomb lurking in Americas shadows waiting to explode!

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**Book claims obesity “epidemic” is a big lie

In his new book, “Fat Politics: The Real Story Behind America’s Obesity Epidemic”, writer Eric Oliver claims that the ramped up concern over obesity in the last ten years has been driven by the weight loss industry.

According to Oliver his research led him to conclude that, “Based on the statistics most of the charges saying that obesity caused various diseases or that obesity caused thousands of deaths were simply not supported.”

The writer does not dispute that the average American adult is between 8 and 12 pounds heavier today than in 1975. But he does dispute the significance of this weight gain to average health.

He claims that pharmaceutical companies and the diet industry have funded groups like the International Obesity Task Force whose objective has been to promote the dangers of obesity. According to Oliver, “nearly every prominent obesity ‘expert’ has been financed or supported in some way by the weight-loss industry.”

One important outcome of this effort was the successful lowering of the obesity standard in 1998. As Oliver says, “Suddenly tens of millions of Americans became ‘obese’ even though they hadn’t gained a pound.”

Oliver’s main contention is that “the scientific evidence is simply not there that most people who are either ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ are in any danger directly from their weight.”

This flies directly in the face of current orthodoxy on the impact of obesity on health. Those who warn us about obesity say it greatly increases the likelihood of conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.

**Obesity in Children linked to lack of exercise facilities

In a study published in the February issue of Pediatrics, researcher Penny Gordon-Larsen of the University of North Carolina’s School of Public Health and Medicine looked at the correlation between overweight and availability of exercise facilities.

The researchers gathered statistics on the number of physical-activity facilities, the rate of overweight children, and the average physical activity levels for each area. Facilities included were schools, public recreation facilities, parks and YMCAs, as well as dance studios and private gyms.

Not surprisingly, the study concluded that “more disadvantaged communities have a great deficiency in terms of the number and types of exercise facilities available.”

**Link between “food insecurity” and obesity challenged

In another study conducted by researchers at Tulane University, the link between “food insecurity status” and obesity has been challenged.

Prior studies suggested that people not sure where their next meal was coming from might overeat when they got food, or possibly eat less-nutritious, higher calorie foods.

But in the study of nearly 17,0000 kindergarten children, kids in “food insecure houselholds” were found to be 20% less likely to be overweight.

The researchers concluded that some risk factors did contribute to overweight. These were low physical activity, watching TV more than two hours a day, high birth weight, being from a low-income family, and being either black or Latino.

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According to the American Heart Association (PCA), one third of children and adolescents and 66 percent of the adult population is overweight or obese. If the trend continues, there will be a reduction in life expectancy of our children, making it the first generation to live less than their parents.

Obesity in simple form is an excess of body fat. The body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference measures are most commonly used. The BMI is the ratio of weight in kilograms to height in meters measure. The normal BMI is between 18 and 24.9 kg/m2. Overweight is any measure between 25-29.9 kg/m2, and obesity a BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2. The waist circumference should be <40cm in men and <35cm in women. Obesity is associated with the development of hypertension, stroke, blockage of the coronary arteries, diabetes, failure and heart rhythm disturbances. In young people, obesity is associated with the development of adult conditions such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and cholesterol.

It is difficult to associate obesity a factor, as it develops a complex relationship that involves lifestyle, the environment and genetics. However, there is a causal relationship between poor nutrition and unhealthy lifestyles. The sedentary lifestyle, produced by busy lifestyles, overexposure to television, computers and video games, along with the excessive consumption of calories, breaks the balance needed to maintain a healthy weight.

Education is extremely important, particularly since early age, to establish good eating habits and healthy lifestyles.

To bring the message and awareness generation of young people about the importance of prevention, the American Heart Association created the Alliance for a Healthier Generation in conjunction with the foundation of former President William  Bill  Clinton.

On the Island, the association established partnership with the Government of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico Form.This government initiative and whose guidelines are based on those of the Heart Association, offers a real alternative for the prevention of obesity through education and offering physical activity programs, among other things.

Obesity, together with other factors such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipedemias and smoking is a risk factor crucial to the development of cardiovascular diseases. However, contrary to other factors, obesity (next to smoking), is the most changeable of all.

By developing or modifying good nutritional habits and increasing physical activity can have a healthier life.

Further information: Drugs in Canada Methods of Quitting Smoking

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If you are considered overweight, whether you know it or not, you are in the majority. In America, it has been recently estimated that 65% of the population is overweight with 30% being at least clinically obese. To add to this alarming statistic is the estimate that 15-20% of the nation’s children are overweight. Now, obesity is beginning to spread more and more to countries that have always had a relatively low rate of obesity, like China and Japan. This is one case where being in the majority is not considered a good thing. What really matters is, how being overweight or obese affects your overall health.

According to the body mass index, you are considered overweight if your index is between 25 and 29. If your index is over 30, you are considered obese. The American collage of sports medicine defines obesity as an amount of body fat that increases the risk of disease. As a general rule, more than 25% body fat for men and more than 32% body fat for women is considered obesity.

Let’s look at some of the most likely reasons that so many people are obese.
1: overeating
2: lack of exercise
3: genetic predisposition
4: psychological problems
5: too slow a metabolism
These are some of the things scientists are investigating as to the likely causes for obesity. Most of these can be overcome by lowering the fat in the diet and by exercising.

Regardless of the reasons for overweight and obesity, there is health risks associated with these conditions. According to the U.S.Surgeon’s report:
A bodyweight of more than 20% over ideal constitutes a definite health hazard.
Obesity is associated with a reduced life expectancy.
Risk factors for heart disease such as high cholesterol increase.
Obesity increases stress on the body joints.
Obesity increases the risk of surgery.
The presence of diabetes is nearly 3 times higher in overweight people.

According to the experts, all of these risk factors can be improved by a reduction in weight. Some have estimated that a weight loss of 10% can improve the risk factors for heart disease by 20%. Also, the greatest health benefits are reported to occur with the first 20 pounds of weight loss, which means that even if it seems to be hard to lose weight, it is still worth doing it. If you don’t lose all of the weight you want to lose, you can still improve your risk factors by losing some of the weight.

You can make losing weight a little easier if you just set a small goal at first, then when you reach that goal, set another small goal and aim for that. A good target is to try to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. It is within reason to try to lose 10% of your current bodyweight, or 20 pounds in about six months if you are overweight.

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But what is commonly found that when people find out that obesity is embarrassing their life, they begin to torture themselves by doing various experiments like staying hungry, living only on juices or go to a gym. This kind of sudden change in one’s life leads to the worst rather than doing any benefits.

For along time from now, research was going on obesity. Though it was found that obesity cannot be cured completely, but oflate a drug named Phentermine is found to be very productive. FDA has found it to be the most effective drug to fight obesity. It is a drug which belongs to the class of anorectics that stimulates our nerverous system to inhabit the feeding centre and hence suppress our appetite. It is found that consumption of Phentermine pills along with a proper nutrition and a bit of physical exercise is very fruitful. One good thing about this drug is that it is used as a short term drug and a course can extend maximum to maximum unto 12 weeks. So within a short period of time you can get a new shape and get your self free from obesity.

Common side effects like diarrhea, impotency for a short period, insomnia as well as dizziness are said to be found in using Phentermine. So it is always better to consult a physician before including it to your daily routine and it is highly recommended for pregnant women. Generally a tablet a day is consumed before breakfast.

Do you know, how much of your work suffer due to obesity problem? In a resent survey about 40% of your work gets affected due to obesity. Along with it, your body becomes a home for various diseases. So it is always cleaver to be health conscious and try to get rid of it when you find problems due to obesity for it is not a big deal. Thanks to Phentermine.

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Type I diabetes, also known as adolescent diabetes, differs from Type 2 in that the body stops producing insulin altogether.  Type I diabetes is generally diagnosed in children or young adults.  Type 2 diabetes is usually diagnosed in older adults, however, it is becoming substantially more prevalent in the younger population.

With the onset of diabetes, whether it be Type I or Type 2, we lose our ability to adequately utilize sugar.  When this occurs, blood sugar levels increase due to the body’s inability to transport sugar into the cells and out of the blood stream.  Sugar is very important in that it is the basic fuel source for the cells in our bodies.  Insulin is necessary for the transport of sugar from the blood and into the cells.

Diabetes is a serious condition and can lead to many other health problems.  Some problems that diabetics commonly encounter are an increased risk for heart and circulatory problems, high blood pressure, visual problems and blindness, nerve damage, and kidney damage.  With the diagnosis of diabetes, it becomes extremely important that blood sugar fluctuations are tightly controlled.  With good control of blood sugar levels and the prevention of prolonged periods of elevated blood sugar, people with diabetes can live long and healthy lives.

Fortunately for the newly diagnosed diabetic, there are more and more tools available to help monitor and control the condition.  Glucose meters are becoming smaller and easier to use.  Blood samples necessary for glucose meter use are much smaller than in the past.  Painful finger pricks can now be avoided with blood samples being able to be taken from alternate, less sensitive areas, such as the forearm.  In the relatively near future, there will be non-invasive glucose monitoring devices not requiring a sample of blood at all.

A simple blood test, known as the A1c test, can measure the average blood glucose levels over the previous three months.  This test is a very good way to monitor and critique how effective current treatments, diet, medications, etc. have been recently.  This test is now available for home use and as such does not even require a visit to the doctor.

Type 2 diabetics have more options available to them for blood sugar control than do Type I diabetics.  Not only are there oral medications, often eliminating the need for insulin injection treatment, but other methods that may eliminate the need for medications altogether.

Type 2 diabetics should look to multiple sources of information in order to determine the best methods available to deal with their condition.  A good start is a physician specializing in the treatment of diabetes.  Most physician specialists will have nutritional counseling available to help understand the relationship of various food items with blood sugar levels.

Additionally, diabetics should become very familiar with vitamin, mineral, and herbal options to improve blood sugar metabolism and control.  A few examples of supplements that are well known to help in this regard are chromium, magnesium, and vanadyl sulfate.  Various natural glucose transport factors can be very helpful in aiding the body’s transport of glucose from the blood and into the cells.  Vanadyl sulfate has been shown to improve glucose sensitivity and decrease insulin resistance.

Various herbal preparations have been shown to significantly improve blood sugar levels, sugar metabolism, and reportedly even improve the function of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas.  Notably, Gymnema sylvestre, known as “sugar destroyer” in Sandskrit, has been shown to have positive effects and benefits for diabetics.

Along with proper nutrition, appropriate supplements and vitamins, other important considerations are weight control and exercise.  Excess weight tremendously increases the burden on the pancreas as fat requires much more insulin than lean tissue.  Exercise not only helps control body fat and reduce weight, but additionally aids the transport of sugar from the blood and into the cells.

Diabetes is a very serious condition, but proper diet, glucose monitoring, and exercise can substantially improve our ability to control the condition.  We should attempt to educate ourselves not only in the importance of tight blood sugar control, but also the various methods and options available to help in this regard.  By utilizing good judgment in diet, weight control, exercise, and appropriate supplementation, diabetics can markedly reduce complications and lead long and healthy lives.

For further information and valuable diabetes resources, please go to http://www.diabetessites.com

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Did you know that you can be ‘just a little bit diabetic’? The condition is technically called ‘pre-diabetes’, and it is characterized by persistent high blood sugar levels. Pre-diabetes is a serious condition, though its symptoms may be so subtle that you don’t notice them affecting your life. More importantly, it’s an indicator that there is something seriously wrong with your body. Left untreated, over 50% of those diagnosed with pre-diabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes within ten years.

If your doctor has told you that you are one of the more than 16 million Americans who has pre-diabetes, the American Diabetes Association has some very good news for you. In March 2005, the ADA released the results of the multi-year Diabetes Prevention Project. In a study that followed thousands of patients across the nation who had been diagnosed with pre-diabetes, the Diabetes Prevention Project found that patients who lost a ‘moderate’ amount of weight reduced their risk of developing full-blown diabetes by over 58%. Even more encouraging, many of those patients had managed to reverse their condition, and their blood sugar levels were well within normal ranges.

This was a result that the researchers had not expected. Diabetes (and pre-diabetes) is the result of changes to cells in the pancreas that reduce the amount of insulin that they can produce. Doctors have always believed that those changes are irreversible. Now however, the research seems to suggest that losing weight with a healthy balance of exercise and diet can actually heal those early damages caused by diabetes.

Here’s the even better news. Those results were achieved by people who lost ‘moderate’ amounts of weight – from 5-7% of their total body mass. In other words, if you weigh 200 pounds and have been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, losing just 10-15 pounds can more than halve the risk of developing full-blown diabetes, and may reverse your condition entirely.

Here are some healthy weight loss tips from the American Diabetes Association:

1. Keep your diet balanced. Eat a variety of foods in all food groups, with an emphasis on grains, starches and fresh vegetables and fruit.

2. Learn to eyeball portions. Portion control is far more important than restricting what foods you eat. A ‘portion’ of raw vegetables may be considerably larger than a portion of the same vegetables cooked. There are some handy reference guides on their web site at http://www.diabetes.org

3. Add one half hour daily of moderate exercise to your daily routine five days a week. This one single lifestyle change seemed to be the key to both weight loss and the beneficial effects derived from it. It was the single significant difference between the two groups in the study.

The results of the Diabetes Prevention Project only confirm what has been the best advice in dieting circles for years – losing weight with a balanced diet and exercise is the healthiest way there is. For more information on the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association, visit their web site at http://www.diabetes.org

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As the government becomes more aware of the problem of childhood obesity, schools in the UK are now planning to weigh and measure all children at the ages of 4-5, when they start primary school and again at 10-11, when they are about to leave for secondary education. This is something which is already being carried out in the US, but how effective is it?

There are arguments that children will be stigmatised and that this will increase bullying, as well as leading to an increased number of children suffering from eating disorders in the future.  In addition, many people feel that parents should be able to tell that their child is overweight and that the money could be put to better use by doing something to help change the situation.

As a parent, what can you do to help your children keep their weight under control?

It is important to be aware of children’s feelings – if they are being bullied at school, parents need to be sure they aren’t feeling “got at” at home by nagging parents, which will only increase feelings of isolation and failure.

Parents can set a good example by providing healthy meals and not eating junk food themselves, but it’s important to allow some treats, as being over strict is likely to cause friction and could be counterproductive. If the whole family learn about healthy eating and try cooking new healthy recipes together, kids won’t feel they are being singled out.

It is also important not to focus too much on food. Although it is an important part of life and can’t be avoided, it should not be made the main topic of discussion in the family. If children are constantly reminded of their weight and what overeating can do to them, they could develop an unhealthy attitude towards food. So be sure to focus on other things, particularly areas of life which are not stressful and which your child enjoys.

©  Waller Jamison  2006

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