Fetal Brain Can Be Programmed To Induce Adult-Onset Obesity When Mother Is Obese

Kudos, fatsos - more early nutritional child abuse.

"Researchers at the University at Buffalo have found that fetuses of obese mother rats were programmed in utero to develop obesity in adulthood.

Moreover, they have shown for the first time that the metabolic programming occurs in the fetal hypothalamus, the area of the brain responsible for maintaining the body's energy homeostasis (body weight) throughout life."

It is way past time to discourage fat people from having children (though we still should).

Now we will have to play even harder to catch-up.

More dairy foods in the diet may boost fat burning

Well this study could never be considered as tainted.

"Eating plenty of dairy foods may help people who are trying to maintain their weight to burn more fat and eat more calories without putting on excess pounds, according to new research published in the journal Nutrition & Metabolism.

The study, funded by the National Dairy Council, didn't find that eating the recommended three servings of dairy food each day made any difference in helping people keep off the weight that they had lost, but it did show that they were able to consume more calories without gaining weight compared with people who consumed less than one dairy serving daily.

Being able to eat more calories may make it easier for people to stick to a weight-maintenance diet, suggest lead researcher Dr. Michael B. Zemel of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and his colleagues.

Zemel has received grants from the National Dairy Council, and also holds patents on the use of calcium in weight management.

Clearly, there is no way this guy could be a whore for Big White.

Government program tied to weight gain in adults

Give 'em money and they will eat it.

"A Mexican government program that offers cash assistance to encourage healthy habits may paradoxically result in excess weight gain and higher blood pressure in some adults, a study suggests.

The program, which gives impoverished families cash in exchange for attendance at annual medical check-ups and nutrition classes, has been held up as a model for the rest of the world."

And it is - a model of a really bad idea.

Like the silly, stupid idea of paying people to lose weight.

"The researchers found that among nearly 3,700 adults who entered the program 5 to 6 years earlier, those who received larger cash amounts were more likely to be overweight or obese or to have elevated blood pressure.

For each doubling in cash amount over the years, the risk of being overweight or obese climbed by 41 percent to 57 percent -- even when a number of other factors, like the participants' education levels and household assets, were weighed."

That's because a pig is a pig no matter what degree it holds or how much it makes.

"There is no clear explanation for the findings, Lia C. H. Fernald and her colleagues report in the Journal of Nutrition."

Yes, there is, you ignorant, blind idiot.

Give the calorically irresponsible money and they will spend it on food.

Is that "clear" enough for you?

If Obesity Increases At Present Rate Cancer Rates Will Double

Kudos, fatsos.

"If obesity rates continue to increase then the number of cancer cases in the UK could double in the next 40 years, a leading cancer expert has warned ahead of a conference of scientists specialising in the links between cancer and obesity.

Professor Martin Wiseman, Medical and Scientific Adviser for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), believes today's children could face big increases in rates of cancer as adults unless something is done to curb the obesity crisis.

Speaking ahead of a London conference organised by the charity and the Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO), Professor Wiseman said the fact that a third of women and half of men are projected to be obese in 40 years is one of the most important reasons for the expected doubling in cancer cases.

He said: 'The evidence now shows that, after not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight is the most important thing you can do for cancer prevention. This means that if rates of obesity continue to rise then this will have serious consequences for cancer rates in the UK.'"

And elsewhere, too, where there are fat people growing in number (and size).

Better start fighting now for your rights if you are not fat, because you can be certain that you will be forced to pay for these calorically irresponsible people.

Common Nutritional Supplements Do Not Prevent Cancer in Women

How is this possible?

"Folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 — all of which are thought to play a role in cancer prevention and are common ingredients in multivitamin supplements — have no significant effect on cancer risk in women.

This conclusion comes from the Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study (WAFACS), a randomized trial of 5442 female health professionals in the United States who had an average age of 62.8 years at baseline and who were observed for an average of 7.3 years.

'Our trial says that this [using the 3 nutritional supplements daily] does not appear to be an effective approach to preventing cancer in women. We know that there are other things that women can do that help prevent cancer, such as stopping smoking and exercising,' said lead author Shumin M. Zhang, MD, ScD, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, in an interview with Medscape Oncology...

Approximately one third of adults in the United States take multivitamin supplements containing folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, according the authors of the study, which appears in the in the November 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association...

Two other large, randomized trials assessing folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 in relationship to CVD risk have reported similar cancer outcomes but during fewer years, according to the study authors."

How can it be that 3 vitamins that so many people take have not extincted cancer?

Maybe it is because voodoo doesn't work all that well.

Oops.

If you are serious about doing something that will almost certainly improve your life, i.e., getting fitter, go here.

Drug 'tricks body to lose weight'

Media trick public into believing this will come to the rescue.

"French scientists say they have found a drug that tricks the body into burning off fat even when on a high-fat diet.

The University of Louis Pasteur team found the drug protected mice against weight gain and insulin resistance."

What is in the diet makes no significant difference.

As long as fewer Calories are consumed than burned, the weight will come off and if you do that long enough, the weight comes off mostly as fat.

"Professor Stephen Bloom, who has been researching obesity at Imperial College London, said: 'This sounds interesting but is terribly early.'"

As in, way, way, too terribly early.

And as in the complications are coming.

Stay tuned.

U.S. hypertension rates rising: study

Kudos, fatsos.

"A comparison of U.S. hypertension rates over a decade indicates there has been an 18-percent relative increase.

Much of this increase is attributable to an upward trend in hypertension rates among women, report Dr. Jeffrey Cutler and colleagues at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Prevention involves lifelong dietary and lifestyle changes to improve body weight and to eliminate other cardiovascular risk factors such as high cholesterol and smoking, Cutler told Reuters Health...

Among men, increased body weight appears to account for most of the increase in hypertension prevalence, however overweight only accounts for part of the increase among women."

If you are not a calorically irresponsible fatty and this makes your blood pressure rise since you will likely pay for the fat people's sick care, go here and fight back.

AASLD: Fatty Liver in Kids Increases Risks of Death, Transplant

More nutritional child abuse.

"Children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are more than 13 times as likely to die over a 20-year period or need a transplant as kids in the general population, a researcher said here."

Fat kids, i.e., nutritionally abused children, get non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Fat parents have fat children.

Discourage fat adults from having kids.

Stop nutritional child abuse.

Acupuncture may not help induce labor

How can this possibly be?

"Acupuncture is promoted as alternative way to induce labor in women who go past their due date, but a new study finds no evidence that the tactic works.

About 5 percent to 10 percent of pregnant women go 2 weeks or more past their due date, a delay that raises the risk of complications during labor. Because of this, doctors routinely induce labor when a pregnancy lasts beyond 41 weeks.

During standard labor induction, the doctor uses an instrument to rupture the amniotic sac or gives synthetic forms of prostaglandins or oxytocin -- hormones that normally help trigger labor.

Acupuncture has been promoted as an alternative; in theory, it may work by stimulating the nervous system, which in turn could cause the uterus to contract.

But in the new study of 364 pregnant women who were past their due dates, Australian researchers found that 2 days of acupuncture therapy did not reduce the need for standard forms of labor induction."

I mean, what is it about sticking small needles in the body that cannot induce labor?

Go figger.

Small Amounts of Caffeine Linked to Low-Birth-Weight Babies

Still think they have any idea of what a "healthy" food is?

Caffeine's bad.

"A cup or more of coffee daily during pregnancy is enough to increase the risk of delivering a low-birth-weight baby, researchers here reported.

Pregnant women who drank one to two cups of coffee a day (100-200 mg caffeine/day) increased the risk of fetal growth restriction by 20%, found a prospective study of 2,635 healthy pregnant women, Justin C. Konje, M.D., of the University of Leicester, and colleagues reported online today in BMJ.

In fact, they reported that the risk increased as caffeine consumption rose, and they "could find no level of intake at which there was no association with increased risk of fetal growth restriction."

They found that consuming 200 mg to 299 mg of caffeine daily -- the equivalent of two to three cups of coffee -- was associated with an increased risk of fetal growth restriction by 50% compared with women who limited daily caffeine intake to less than 100 mg or less."

No it's not.

Yes it is.

No it's not.

Yes it is.

Maybe, who knows?

Face it.

They have no idea.

There are no "healthy" foods. There is only eating healthily.

Kids mimic parents' diets from an early age

Where's the news here?

"Parents who want their preschoolers to eat their vegetables may need to take a hard look at their own eating habits, new research suggests.

In a study of 120 young children who were allowed to "buy" food from a play grocery store, researchers found that even 2-year-olds tended to mirror their parents' usual food choices."

Duh.

All the more reason to hold parents accountable for the nutritional child abuse of their offspring and to discourage fat people from having children.

Stop nutritional child abuse.

Most adults get some exercise during the day: study

And most adults are fat.

What does that tell you about exercise?

"Many adults may be meeting experts' recommendations on exercise if all types of activity, from work and play, are counted, a study of Swedish adults hints.

Researchers found that among 1,470 adults ages 18 to 74, nearly two-thirds were meeting the goal of getting at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week."

It says that exercise is a terribly inefficient and remarkably ineffective way to drop pounds and/or that the exercise recommendations are insipid.

Either way the best way is, and will be, caloric intake control.

Give yourself a chance to succeed.

Fish may help prevent diabetic kidney trouble

There's a better way.

"For adults with diabetes, eating fish twice a week may help prevent kidney disease -- one of the most serious complications of diabetes, according to British researchers.

Dr. Amanda Adler from Addenbrooke's Hospital, in Cambridge and associates studied the diets of more than 22,000 middle-aged and older men and women, 517 of whom had diabetes, primarily type 2 disease."

Type 2 diabetes is fat person diabetes.

The better way?

Don't get fat in the first place and if you already are, lose the weight.

"Lead investigator Chee-Tin Christine Lee told Reuters Health: 'It is possible that fish oil improves blood lipid profiles and decreases the risk of kidney disease. It could be other components of fish, such as protein or micronutrients, are protective against diabetic kidney disease. However, it is also possible that people who eat fish frequently have other lifestyle factors, which we could not account for.'"

Especially since the fish thing is not for sure and the weight loss thing is almost certain to work.

Weight loss is cheaper, too, and you don't have to worry about mercury and the other toxins, parasites, etc., in fish.

Probiotic for babies doesn't ward off allergies

Now how is this possible? Clearly it cannot be because the stuff is overhyped crap.

"Giving children a type of 'good bacteria' during their first 6 months of life doesn't reduce their risk of developing allergies in early childhood, researchers from Australia report...

However, when the children were 2-and-a-half years old, there was no difference between the probiotic group and the placebo group in the likelihood of developing rashes or other allergic conditions, and the children who had taken the probiotic were no longer more likely to develop allergen sensitivity."

Don't worry.

You can rest assured that they will keep at finding a way to charge you for eating bacteria.

Human Diet Gives Deadly Bacteria A Target

Oops.

"University of Adelaide scientists are part of an international research team that has uncovered the first example of a bacterium causing disease in humans by targeting a molecule that is incorporated into our bodies from our diet. The discovery has been published in the prestigious international journal Nature.

Microbiologists Dr Adrienne Paton and Professor James Paton, and their collaborators, have shown that a potent bacterial toxin, Subtilase cytotoxin, specifically targets human cells that express a sugar called Neu5Gc on their surface.

'Remarkably, humans cannot make Neu5Gc, and so we should all be resistant to the toxin,' Professor Paton says. 'However, consuming foods that have high levels of Neu5Gc, such as red meat and dairy products, leads to uptake of the sugar by human cells and this makes them susceptible to attack by the toxin'...

'Red meat and dairy products, the richest dietary sources of Neu5Gc, are also the foods that are most commonly contaminated with the E. coli bacteria that produce the toxin,' Professor Paton says.

'Through dietary choices, therefore, humans may expose themselves to an increased risk of infection with the E. coli bacteria and simultaneously sensitise themselves to the potentially lethal actions of the toxin it produces...'

'This research emphasises the need for people to eat only well-cooked red meat (particularly for hamburgers), or pasteurised dairy products, as these processes destroy contaminating bacteria,' Professor Paton says."

Flame on!

So much for "healthy" foods.

Simple Blood Test Predicts Obesity

Not even close.

"According to new research from the Monell Center, the degree of change in blood triglyceride levels following a fatty meal may indicate susceptibility to diet-induced obesity. The findings open doors to new methods of identifying people, including children, who are at risk for becoming obese.

Triglycerides are a form of fat that is transported in the blood and stored in the body's fat tissues. They are found in foods and also are manufactured by the body.

'These findings suggest we may someday be able to use a simple blood test to identify those at risk for obesity,' said senior author Mark Friedman, PhD, a behavioral physiologist at Monell. 'The ability to identify more susceptible individuals would make it possible to target obesity-prevention resources on those who need them most.'

The global obesity epidemic is thought to be caused in part by consumption of a diet high in fat and carbohydrates, which promotes weight gain. This propensity to gain weight and become obese when consuming a high-fat diet is at least partially controlled by genes, with some individuals gaining more than others while eating the same diet."

You have to be a friggin' idiot for this one to seem sensible to you.

The epidemic is "global," so they say.

What will this blood test do? Identify extra-terrestrials so you can "target obesity-prevention resources on" them?

And the "propensity to gain weight and become obese when consuming a high-fat diet is at least partially controlled by genes, with some individuals gaining more than others while eating the same diet" is crap galore.

It has nothing to do with genes and there is neither a genetic cause nor a genetic "cure."

High-fat has nothing to do with it (to wit, the bad Atkins' and South Beach Diets and their ilk, where people consume high-fat foods and still lose weight, albeit in a bad way).

It all has to do with the balance of Calories in vs. Calories out.

Nothing more, nothing less.

The "propensity to gain weight and become obese when consuming" any diet is a result of caloric irresponsibility and that is it.

Period. End.

Cut off their funding before even more resources are wasted.

US Diabetes Rate Nearly Doubled In 10 Years

Kudos, fatsos. Type 2 diabetes is fat person diabetes.

"The rate of diabetes in the United States has nearly doubled in the last ten years and the incidence of the disease has been particularly high in the South said a new report from the country's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who suggest the main culprit is rising rates of obesity...

The age-adjusted figures for 33 states show that the incidence of diabetes was 90 per cent higher in 2005-07 than in 1995-97, confirming fears that diabetes will continue to be a major public health problem in the US, said the CDC...

The CDC report suggests that obesity is the main reason for the rise because the growth in diabetes prevalence matches the growth in obesity prevalence...

The CDC said there should be more population-based approaches to reducing obesity and physical inactivity and helping those at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes..."

No.

There should be "more population-based approaches to reducing" the amount the rest of us pay to keep people who do not care about their lives, their children and the rest of us from enjoying the consequences of their caloric irresponsibility.

Gaining Too Much Weight During Pregnancy Nearly Doubles Risk Of Having A Heavy Baby

More early nutritonal child abuse.

"A study by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research of more than 40,000 women and their babies found that women who gained more than 40 pounds during their pregnancies were nearly twice as likely to have a heavy baby. Published in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the study found that more than one in five women gains excessive weight during pregnancy, doubling her chances of having a baby that weighs 9 pounds or more.

'Too many women gain too much weight during pregnancy. This extra weight puts them at higher risk for having heavy babies, and these babies are programmed to become overweight or obese later in life,' said study lead author Teresa Hillier, MD, MS, an endocrinologist and senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Oregon and Hawaii. 'A big baby also poses serious risks for both mom and baby at birth--for mothers, vaginal tearing, bleeding, and often C-sections, and for the babies, stuck shoulders and broken collar bones.'"

Hold these nutritional child abusers accountable.

Flaxseed Oil Consumption Raises Premature Birth Risk If Consumed During Last Two Trimesters

More about killer "healthy" supplements.

"A study has found that the risks of a premature birth quadruple if flaxseed oil is consumed in the last two trimesters of pregnancy. The research was conducted by Professor Anick Bérard of the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Pharmacy and the Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center and Master's student Krystel Moussally.

In Canada, 50 percent of pregnant women take prescription medication. Yet many of them prefer to use natural health products during the pregnancy. 'We believe these products to be safe because they are natural. But in reality, they are chemical products and we don't know many of the risks and benefits of these products contrarily to medication,' says Bérard."

Now there is a lucid thought.

"'In the general population, the average rate of premature births is 2 to 3 percent. But for women consuming flaxseed oil in their last two trimesters that number jumps up to 12 percent,' says Bérard. 'It's an enormous risk.'

The correlation existed only with flaxseed oil, yet women consuming the actual seed were unaffected. Even if more studies must be undertaken to verify these results, Bérard recommends caution when it comes to consuming flaxseed oil."

Fact remains, no one knows what a "healthy" supplement or food really is.

Asthma Drug Linked to Serious Adverse Events

Still think they know what a "safe" drug is?

"For chronic asthma, the regular use of formoterol is associated with a significant increase in non-fatal serious adverse events, according to a systematic review of the literature.

In an analysis of 22 randomized trials, regular formoterol use was linked to a 57% increase in non-fatal serious adverse events compared with placebo (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.37), Christopher Cates, B.M.B.Ch., of St. George's University of London, and colleagues reported in a Cochrane Review."

Remember, ill-affects from drugs may not be "discovered" for many years after their release.

Diet drugs, a form of malpractice, are no different.

Except they are completely unnecessary and cannot "cure" the problem for which they are sold.

The only thing that will "cure" overweight/obesity/overfatness is fewer Calories in than out.

If you are offered drugs or surgery, talk to a plaintiff's attorney first, IMHO.

A Good Diet Scores "A" In Exams

Loopy.

"Reaching for fast foods and energy drinks to get through exams may lead to worse outcomes on the report card, dietitians have warned.

A recent survey of US teens found 35 per cent regularly use energy drinks, up from 19 per cent in 2003. And many Australians have these drinks on a daily basis, without realising they are usually packed with kilojoules and sugar, and not much nutrition."

This is crap.

There are precisely seven nutrients: water, vitamins, minerals, alcohol, protein, fat and carbohydrate.

All foods are almost 100% nutritious/nutrition (with certain exceptions such as some chemical additives, e.g., preservatives).

It is impossible for a food to not have "much nutrition." Food is virtually all nutrition.

You may have a beef with the proportions of the nutrients in the food, e.g., you might want more carbs if you are training, but to suggest that there is "not much nutrition" in food is misleading and demonstrates a basic flaw in expert thinking.

The users of energy drinks are looking for a fast boost. Not what this nut is describing here - not that any of it will definitely work, anyway:

"Accredited Practising Dietitian Lisa Renn said students should focus on regular meals and low glycaemic index (GI) foods for sustained energy, instead of caffeinated beverages and sugar-laden energy drinks.

Ms Renn said: 'What we eat has a big impact on mental performance, so we need to give our brain the best fuel to help it perform at its peak. Any boost to energy levels from caffeinated beverages and sugar-laden drinks is short lived.'

She explained there are also key nutrients that will enhance study efforts, including omega 3 fatty acids, iron and zinc.

'Omega 3 fatty acids, found in foods like tuna, salmon and sardines, play an important role in brain function.

'Getting enough iron, from foods like lean red meat, fish, poultry, eggs, green leafy vegetables and nuts, will help prevent tiredness. And eating vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables will help your body absorb the most iron from food.

'And zinc, found in lean red meat, fish, eggs and reduced-fat dairy foods, has been shown to play an important role in immunity, which can help ward off untimely infections,' said Ms Renn."

Assuming she eats the same as she speaks, I submit that she hasn't even proven it works for her, let alone that she is qualified to offer advice to others.

Surprise: Lean times may actually make you fat

No, more Calories in than out makes you fat.

"Tough times inspire belt-tightening, or so the popular notion goes, but scientists who study public health say they’re worried that a slumping economy will make American waistlines wider than ever.

Rising unemployment, higher food prices and dwindling savings may exacerbate the nation’s obesity problem, sending already high rates ballooning as consumers turn to cheaper, less healthful choices ranging from boxed mac ‘n’ cheese to fast-food dollar menus.

'All evidence suggests that obesity is the toxic consequence of a failing economic environment,' said Adam Drewnowski, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington in Seattle."

Hey, Dumbowski, then why were all those people getting fat when times were good?

"But that doesn’t mean they’re dieting, noted Drewnowski, whose research has found a consistent link between poverty and obesity, including a recent study that showed that obesity rates were five times higher in lower-value Seattle ZIP code areas than in upscale neighborhoods."

Of course there is a link.

Obesity causes poverty, i.e., poveresity.

Not the other way around.

There is no law that makes people who earn less weigh more.

And despite what these agenda-driven jerks say, no matter one's income or wealth it is 100% possible to not get fat and eat healthily.

And it has nothing to do with "healthy" foods, since there are none.

There is only eating healthily.

All these idiots are doing is offering excuses for people who are calorically irresponsible.

Consumer group asks government to ban Avandia

Still think there is safe drug to "cure" your overfatness.

"The government should ban the diabetes drug Avandia because of a wide variety of life-threatening risks, including heart and liver damage, a consumer group said Thursday.

The consumer group, Public Citizen, filed a petition with the Food and Drug Administration to have Avandia taken off the market.

It was the second setback in as many weeks for the GlaxoSmithKline medication, which at one time had shown great promise in reducing the blood sugar levels of people with Type 2 diabetes. Last week, the American Diabetes Association and a European counterpart jointly released updated treatment guidelines for doctors that pointedly recommended against using Avandia.

'The FDA is in possession of clear, unequivocal evidence that (Avandia) causes a wide variety of toxicities,' Public Citizen said in its petition. 'Many of these are life-threatening, such as heart attacks, heart failure (and) liver failure.'...

Avandia's heart risks were brought to light two years ago in a medical journal article that reported a 43 percent higher risk of heart attacks among Avandia patients when compared with those taking other diabetes drugs. Although scientists are still debating a link between the drug and heart attacks, concerns about the medical evidence led to stronger warnings."

And they will find problem after new problem with diet drugs, too.

It is only a matter of time.

Why risk it?

Lose the weight properly.

New diabetes rate up 90 percent in past decade

Kudso, fatsos.

"The rate of new cases of diabetes soared by about 90 percent in the United States in the past decade, fueled by growing obesity and sedentary lifestyles, U.S. health officials said on Thursday.

Diabetes experts said the findings show there is no end in sight to the diabetes epidemic.

Newly diagnosed cases of diabetes rose to 9.1 per 1,000 people annually between 2005 to 2007, up from 4.8 per 1,000 from 1995 to 1997, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

The most common form of diabetes, type 2 diabetes, is closely linked to obesity and has become increasingly common in recent decades as more people become obese. An estimated 90 percent to 95 percent of the new cases are type 2 diabetes as opposed to type 1 diabetes, also called juvenile diabetes."

Fat person diabetes, i.e., Type 2 diabetes, is the kind people get by choice.

Choose not to pay for them.

Program for parents improves kids' lifestyle

But not much when done the way they did it.

"In a pilot study testing a program called Families for Health, UK researchers found benefits for both children and their parents. The children, who were all overweight or obese at the study's start, became less sedentary and managed to lose some weight."

To do it right, you have to do it early.

Their approach is too little, too late.

It also employs the conventional stupidity which is likely to fail.

"The researchers are continuing to follow the group, looking at whether the program still makes a difference after two years."

We'll see.

Healthiness In Old Age Requires Advance Planning

Surprisingly sage advice.

"If you plan to 'thrive' when you are 65, you need to invest in your health decades earlier. A new study in the October issue of The Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences (Volume 63A, Number 10) finds that fewer than 10 percent of people aged 65-85 maintain exceptional emotional and physical health throughout their golden years. These so-called 'thrivers' share specific behavioral and lifestyle characteristics that may hold the key to healthy aging, according to the study's authors.

'Important predictors of thriving were the absence of chronic illness, income over $30,000, having never smoked, and drinking alcohol in moderation,' said lead author Mark Kaplan, DrPH, of Portland State University."

Start now.

Eating dark chocolate may keep heart healthy

Wanna bet?

"Eating dark chocolate regularly may help lower levels of inflammation, which is strongly associated with heart and blood vessel disease, Italian researchers report.

'In an apparently healthy population, even a small reduction of a low-grade inflammation such as that associated in this study with regular consumption of dark chocolate might have clinically relevant benefits in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease,' Dr. Romina di Giuseppe of Catholic University in Campobasso write in the current issue of The Journal of Nutrition."

"Might have...benefits."

They do not know.

But one thing is certain.

"The benefits were seen when people ate up to one 20-gram serving of dark chocolate every 3 days, but eating more chocolate wasn't more beneficial; in fact, effects on CRP levels 'tended to disappear' at higher consumption levels, the researchers found."

6.7 grams per day is less than 1/4 ounce.

Even if true, this small an amount will result in more inflammation from frustration at only eating less than 1/4 ounce of chocolate.

Medicare Proposes Coverage of Bariatric Surgery for Morbidly Obese Diabetics

Fight this one vigorously.

"Medicare is planning to cover bariatric surgery for morbidly obese patients with type 2 diabetes.

The agency's proposal, which is subject to a 30-day comment period, would apply to beneficiaries with diabetes who have a body mass index of 35 or higher."

Complain, complain, complain because you will end up paying for this in two ways: with your taxes and your insurance premiums.

"The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined that the evidence is adequate to conclude that open and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP), laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB), and open and laparoscopic biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD/DS), are reasonable and necessary for Medicare beneficiaries who have a body-mass index (BMI) > 35, have at least one co-morbidity related to obesity, and have been previously unsuccessful with medical treatment for obesity."

Of course they were "unsuccessful with medical treatment for obesity."

Just about everyone is since the system is flawed at its very foundation ensuring the "need" for the malpractice known as bariatric surgery.

Here is who gloats about decisions like this one.

You should not be so happy.

In essence, the Feds and soon the private insurers will be taking money from your pocket to give unto those who chose to grow fat and give themselves Type 2 diabetes.

If someone who was quadriplegic bought a home with a large lawn, but could not mow it, would it be fair for the Feds to take your money to pay for landscaping?

You decide.

Then, fight.

Because the earth-shaking feeling you are experiencing is from fat people jumping for joy at your misfortune. (Well, those that can jump, that is.)

A New Strategy To Fight Obesity Developed By Scripps Research Scientists

Not exactly. More like a "A New Strategy To Make Money For Big Sick Care Developed By Scripps Research Scientists."

"The antibody works against the gastric hormone ghrelin (pronounced 'grell-in'), which has been linked to weight gain and fat storage through its metabolic actions. These findings point towards a potentially novel treatment for obesity that would interfere directly with the some of the biological mechanisms determining weight."

Not only will docs get paid to give you the stuff (if it ever is shown to be effective - a big if), but they will also get to try and fix you from the complications, direct and indirect, from messing with your hormones.

And get paid for that, too.

Prepare to suffer complications and/or die.

Or, simply lose the weight.

Consuming Flaxseed Oil In Pregnancy Increases Risk Of Premature Birth

Still think they know what a "healthy" supplement is?

"A study has found that the risks of a premature birth quadruple if flaxseed oil is consumed in the last two trimesters of pregnancy. The research was conducted by Professor Anick Bérard of the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Pharmacy and the Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center and Master's student Krystel Moussally.

In Canada, 50 percent of pregnant women take prescription medication. Yet many of them prefer to use natural health products during the pregnancy. 'We believe these products to be safe because they are natural. But in reality, they are chemical products and we don't know many of the risks and benefits of these products contrarily to medication,' says Bérard...

The most consumed natural health products by pregnant women are chamomile (19 percent), green tea (17 percent), peppered mint (12 percent), and flaxseed oil (12 percent). Bérard and Moussally correlated these products to premature births and only one product had a very strong correlation: flaxseed oil.

'In the general population, the average rate of premature births is 2 to 3 percent. But for women consuming flaxseed oil in their last two trimesters that number jumps up to 12 percent,' says Bérard. 'It's an enormous risk.'"

If you do, then, you are still an idiot.

Toys in Pediatric Offices Harbor Rhinoviruses

Another good reason to stop nutritionally abusing children so they can stay away from doctor's offices.

"The toys in pediatricians' waiting rooms could be exposing kids to cold viruses, researchers here reported

One in five of the toys tested in a pediatric waiting room were positive for rhinoviruses or influenza B, according to Diana Pappas, M.D., of the University of Virginia Children's Hospital.

Cleaning the toys provided only a modest germ-killing effect, Dr. Pappas told researchers at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, held jointly with the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America."

It makes sense that docs, especially pediatricians, would sicken kids as they are complicit in child abuse.

At least they are consistent.

Quickly Vetted, Treatment Is Offered to Patients

Better not to get sick in the first place.

"After a surgeon removed a cancerous lump from Karen Medlock’s breast in November, he recommended radiation, a routine next step meant to keep cancer from recurring.

But he did not send her for the kind of radiation most women have received for decades.

Instead, the surgeon referred her to a center in Oakland, Calif., specializing in a newer form of treatment where radioactive “seeds” are inserted in the tumor site. It could be completed in only five days instead of the six weeks typically required for conventional treatment, which irradiates the entire breast using external beams.

To Ms. Medlock, it seemed an obvious choice. The newer treatment — given through a system called MammoSite — has been performed on about 45,000 breast cancer patients in this country since the Food and Drug Administration cleared it for use in 2002.

Only when Ms. Medlock, 49, sought a second opinion did she learn a startling truth: MammoSite is still highly experimental.

The MammoSite system is among the thousands of devices the F.D.A. lets onto the market each year after only cursory review and with no clear evidence that they help patients. Doctors are free to use those products as they see fit, without telling patients that the devices are not proved. And because the doctors are frequently paid more by Medicare as a way to compensate them for the extra time and expense of adopting new procedures, these unproven products can become widely adopted...

Critics say the F.D.A.’s process for reviewing medical technology, under which medical devices have become a $75 billion-a-year industry in this country, is often too lax. More devices, they say, should get the same scrutiny applied to new drugs. While that process is not perfect, a new drug is typically studied in hundreds or even thousands of patients before the F.D.A. will approve it as safe and effective.

But under the fast-track review for most devices, a product’s effectiveness is never directly established. Regulators simply determine if the device does what its maker says it does — in MammoSite’s case, that it delivers radiation — and whether it poses any undue safety risks.

'Nobody is looking to see whether they help patients,' said Diane C. Robertson, an executive with the ECRI Institute, a nonprofit group in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., that evaluates new devices for insurers and hospitals. 'We’re never going to wisely allocate resources in health care unless we start to focus on what’s best for patients.'"

And maybe some of these approaches will work.

But that is not the point.

It is better not to enter the sick care system until absolutely necessary because once you have to, you have lost.

"Fitness is the only REAL preventive medicine." (tm)

The sooner you get it, the better off you will be.

Chinese kids on melamine milk develop crystals: WHO

Great news! Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) meets the New Age.

"Some children who have fallen ill in China after being fed milk formula that had been contaminated with melamine have developed 'crystals' in their kidneys, a WHO food safety expert said on Tuesday.

'Our understanding is that these are not normal kidney stones because they are not being detected via all of the tools that one uses to detect kidney stones, so some are not showing up on x-rays," said Anthony Hazzard, regional advisor for food safety at the World Health Organization.

'We believe at this stage that it's really the complex of melamine and cyanuric acid forming what you call crystals ... they can form in the small tubules (in the kidneys) and they get bigger and can block the tubules,' he said in a telephone interview from Manila."

Welcome to the Age of Aquarius.

And harness the power of two.

The Truth About Sweeteners - Moms Express Nutrition Concerns, Yet Real Culprits Overlooked

An odd article - clearly suspect and clearly correct.

"A recent national survey revealed that moms are more concerned with individual ingredients rather than their children's overall caloric intake. Since total calories typically determine weight gain and even obesity, parents must understand the basic nutritional facts to keep their kids healthy.

'Many accusations today rely on speculation that tries to link single ingredients, including sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, to obesity,' said Dr. James M. Rippe, cardiologist and biomedical sciences professor at the University of Central Florida. 'Americans are eating more of everything -- it's the excess calories and sedentary lifestyle that are having the greatest impact.'"

One of the docs associated with this article is beholden to the Corn Refiners Association.

Still, the message is correct - it is all about Calories In, Calories Out.

There are no healthy foods. There is only eating healthily.

That abusive and ignorant parents point their stupid fingers at others for the problems the parents cause their own children is nothing new.

Here is a link to an article with apparently less commercial taint that tells the story.

Motivation Is Key To Beat The Inactivity Crisis, Says 'Take To The Streets'

Good luck with that especially since people would rather die than "exercise."

"Despite the glorious success of Team GB at the Beijing Olympics last summer, the UK is still suffering from a growth in obesity levels which have doubled since the 1980's. 

Around one in four men and one in three women in the UK are obese, according to government statistics. People who are obese also have an increased risk of high blood pressure and/or cholesterol, type two diabetes, a heart attack or stroke and some forms of cancer.

Now, people are being asked to Take To The Streets, to participate in a national activity programme which aims to encourage more people to take part in challenges such as the Bupa Great North Run, to motivate them to change their lifestyles for the better."

Wanna bet on the outcome?

Ginkgo biloba not useful in preventing dementia

Still think they know what an effective supplement is?

"Although often billed as a memory and cognition enhancing product, the medicinal herb Ginkgo biloba does not stave off cognitive decline or help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association this week."

Oh, and by the way, it may not be safe, either.

"Compared with placebo, Ginkgo use was associated with a slightly increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease."

Perhaps the true test of dementia is whether you take ginkgo.

If you do, maybe you got it.

Unilever U.S. Applauds New Uniform Food Labeling System For American Consumers

Do people really stick to packages?

"Unilever, a global consumer products company, today announced that it is a "likely implementer" of The Smart Choices Program, a voluntary front-of-pack food-labeling system comprised of a diverse coalition of scientists, academicians, health organizations, food and beverage manufacturers and retailers."

Don't know how they will get the "scientists, academicians, health organizations, food and beverage manufacturers and retailers" that compose the "front-of-pack food-labeling system" to stay on the package, but that is not my problem to solve.

In any event, I predict the system, if implemented, will cost consumers more and do little to nothing.

There are no "healthy" foods, there is only eating healthily and these gimmicks will likely be unable to achieve the latter.

Stay tuned.

Strength training eases knee arthritis, study

More MSM crap turns a good idea bad by misleading you.

"Resistance training appears to improve muscle strength and physical function, and decrease pain in people who suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee, according to a review of multiple studies...

The mostly overweight and obese men and women, aged from 55 to 74 years, participated in resistance programs of regular, repetitive exercise using free weights, resistance bands, or resistance machines for 1 to 6 months on average, or usual care (non-weight-bearing exercise, electrical stimulation, and health and nutritional education).

Results indicate that resistance training 'is quite an effective and safe form of exercise for people with osteoarthritis,' Lange told Reuters Health. Such programs can potentially counteract the functional limitations caused by osteoarthritis of the knee, she and colleagues report."

I am all for believing that resistance training can help.

And with fat people who are at greater risk of arthritis, weight loss will likely add benefit, so lose the weight.

The problem is, resistance training can hurt, too.

But you would not know it unless you read to the end of the article.

"Further research is needed to determine whether resistance training benefits those with severe knee osteoarthritis..."

It is possible that for those with severe joint destruction, continued use, under certain conditions can worsen the damage.

Beware of MSM headlines. Beware of their reportage in general.

You can end up worse than before.

Cultured Milk, Yogurt, And Dairy Intake In Relation To Bladder Cancer Risk In A Prospective Study Of Swedish Women And Men

You can bet that Big White and Group Danone will be all over this one.

"Intakes of various foods and nutrients could influence the risk of bladder cancer, because most metabolites are excreted through the urinary bladder. With regard to dietary factors, consumption of milk and other dairy foods could potentially reduce the risk of bladder cancer."

And with the same integrity as usual.

Despite...

"Total dairy intake was not significantly associated with risk of bladder cancer, however, a statistically significant inverse association was observed for the intake of cultured milk (sour milk and yogurt). The intake of milk or cheese was not associated with bladder cancer risk."

The fact is there was no relationship with milk or cheese and the only certainty to the "benefits" was uncertainty, i.e., "could potentially reduce" risks.

Intense exercise best for whittling down fat

Reinventing the wheel alert!

This article is both good and sad news rolled into one.

First the (mostly) good:

"While any type of exercise can do a body good, people who want to reshape their figures may need to boost the intensity of their workouts, a small study suggests.

The study, which followed 27 middle-aged obese women, found that those who exercised at a high intensity for four months successfully shed fat from their midsections. Women who exercised at a low intensity, however, showed no such changes in body fat.

The findings suggest that for people who want to change their body composition, the intensity of the exercise is matters, researchers report in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise."

I qualified the first part with "mostly" since not "any type of exercise" WILL do a body good, which is different from "can."

Now the bad:

This is silly, stupid, ignorant research.

Anybody who knows square one about fitness knows that only physical activity at training intensity will result in improved fitness, i.e., increased capacity of one or both of the energy producing pathways of the body (aerobic and anaerobic) and the concomitant changes in body composition, i.e., less fat and more muscle.

These are the natural outcomes of a proper training program.

That these morons are now "discovering" this truth is embarrassing and serves to show why sick care, physicians, etc., are the exact wrong "leaders" to follow.

As a rule of thumb, do not follow stupid leaders.

Get smarter on fitness and do it on your own without waiting for the fools to catch up - assuming they ever will.

Diabetes drug costs soaring, top $12B last year

Kudos, fatsos.

"Americans with diabetes nearly doubled their spending on drugs for the disease in just six years, with the bill last year climbing to an eye-popping $12.5 billion.

Newer, more costly drugs are driving the increase, said researchers, despite a lack of strong evidence for the new drugs' greater benefits and safety. And there are more people being treated for diabetes.

The new study follows updated treatment advice for Type 2 diabetes, issued last week. In those recommendations, an expert panel told doctors to use older, cheaper drugs first."

Type 2 diabetes is fat person diabetes.

"Nearly 24 million Americans, 8 percent of the population, have Type 2 diabetes, which can lead to kidney failure, blindness and heart disease."

Lose the weight.

And for those of you who are tired of paying for these calorically irresponsible people, go here.

Fight back.

Otherwise, it will only get worse.

Prostate cancer not warded off by supplements: study

How can this be?

"Selenium and vitamin E supplements do not prevent prostate cancer and may in fact be a little bit dangerous, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

The study of 35,000 men showed the supplements did not work together or alone to prevent prostate cancer, the most common type of cancer in men in the United States...

The National Cancer Institute, which helped organize the study, said men taking part are being told to stop taking the supplements they had been given but will continue to have their health monitored for about three more years.

'The data also showed two concerning, but not statistically significant, trends: there were slightly more cases of prostate cancer in men taking only vitamin E and slightly more cases of diabetes in men taking only selenium,' the NCI, one of he (sic) National Institutes of Health, said in a statement."

Still think they have any idea of what a "safe," let alone effective, supplement is?

The best cancer-fighting foods

More MSM crap.

The subtitle of this piece is "A doctor with a malignant tumor changes his diet to stave off his disease" and this guy has a book to sell that came out about two months ago.

"I was diagnosed with brain cancer about 16 years ago. I received chemotherapy and went into remission, but the cancer came back and I endured two surgeries and 13 months of chemotherapy. I asked my oncologist if I ought to change my diet to avoid another recurrence. His answer was perfectly stereotypical: 'Eat what you like. It won't make much difference.'

He was wrong."

Maybe, maybe not.

But this brain tumor guy not only offers no proof, he actually supports an opposite conclusion.

"I've kept cancer at bay for 8 years now, and I attribute my survival largely to the changes I've made in my diet and lifestyle. I exercise and meditate more and eat wholesome anticancer foods on a daily basis. Still, the medical establishment is slow to embrace this approach."

So let's do the math.

He was diagnosed "about 16 years ago." His cancer, it is claimed, recurred. He was surgerized and had chemo and has now been "cancer-free" for "8 years."

This means that the first surgery, apparently without nutritional voodoo, worked for as long as his current approach has.

Also, this guy gives no credit to the effects of the subsequent surgeries and chemo, instead choosing to credit his "survival largely to the changes I've made in my diet and lifestyle."

This is unknowable.

Those of you who are familiar with Fitness Watch know that the last thing I am is a cheerleader for Big Sick Care.

I am also not a cheerleader for voodoo.

The MSM pollutes the airwaves and cyberspace with spew designed to capture our attention.

Sensational, works. Truth, does not.

The very fact that this drivel is entitled, "The best cancer-fighting foods" is a testament to this.

The takeaway lesson is to eschew the MSM because your well-being isn't even an afterthought.

It is ignored completely.

Japan's Banana Diet Strips Store Shelves

It is a "what works" world.

"The banana has long been a fruit of choice for many Japanese. In 2007, the Japanese consumed 970,000 tons of bananas. But a new diet has swept across the nation and become the culprit for the sudden spike in banana consumption, and a shortage at grocery stores.

'My husband has lost about six pounds since he started the morning banana diet a few months ago,' Satake said. 'I am not sure how much the fruit did for me, but my husband has been following this diet and he needs his bananas.'"

Because she did not eat fewer Calories than she burned, she did not see the results her husband did.

Also, notice the rate of weight loss - "six pounds" in "a few months" and compare that to the diet claims/programs of the IMHO nutritional homicide set, i.e., Oprah, Oz, Katz, Cruise and Cruise, Greene, etc.

Assuming "a few months" is three months, that is 2 pounds monthly or under one-half pound per week.

Even if "a few months" is less, compare this to the recommendations of the experts.

The differences between these IMHO killers and the "banana diet" should be striking to you.

The experts claim that their diets will result in up to greater than two times as many pounds shed in a mere two weeks. (e.g., see here and here)

Here is another example:

"'One man has kept writing in for more than 700 days so far," Watanabe said. "He had lost about 19 kg (41 pounds) so far.'"

41 pounds in 700 days is 0.41 pounds per week, well below the recommended weight loss rate of 1-2 pounds per week the experts use to kill people in this and other countries.

This diet approach demonstrates that no matter what you do, as long as you consume fewer Calories than you burn, pounds will be shed.

Too bad that the "inventor" has no knowledge of this and instead spouts voodoo:

"'People tend to focus just on bananas and forget other things I mention, such as finishing dinner before eight or going to bed before midnight,' Watanabe said. 'These help your body and mind to rest, which is also important for weight management. You will need to create an environment where body and mind can be released from stress.'"

Opportunity lost.

Anything will work as long as fewer Calories are consumed than burned.

None of the other stuff is "important" unless it helps you reduce your Calories in relative to your Calories out.

Period.

End.

Scientists develop purple, cancer fighting tomato

A Frankenfood update.

"A purple tomato genetically engineered to contain nutrients more commonly seen in dark berries helped prevent cancer in mice, British researchers said on Sunday...

The researchers cautioned that trials in humans are a long way off and the next step is to investigate how the antioxidants actually affect the tumors to promote better health...

'But it's too early to say whether anthocyanins obtained through diet could help to reduce the risk of cancer.'"

It is also too early to know if there are any unintended harms from these Love Apples.

Stay tuned.

Overweight Women May Find Accessing Healthcare Difficult And Stressful

Poor fat babies.

"Women who are overweight and obese can find accessing healthcare difficult and stressful, according to research in the latest UK-based Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Researchers from Texas, USA, carried out in-depth interviews with women aged between 20 and 61, after recruiting them through local advertisements placed in community agencies and a regional newspaper.

'The participants in our study described the experience of seeking healthcare as a constant battle and struggle and were upset by the reactions of healthcare staff' (sic) says lead author Professor Emily Merrill from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center."

Lose the weight.

"'They told us that they felt even more uncomfortable with specialists than with their own family doctors and nurse practitioners.'

Four themes emerged: struggling to fit in, feeling not quite human, being dismissed and refusing to give up."

Lose the weight.

"Women talked about feeling shame and embarrassment because they did not fit into the normal healthcare environment because of their size and needed larger gowns, blood pressure cuffs, scales and chairs.

Elena told researchers that she had to wait half an hour to have her blood pressure taken, because the right equipment wasn't available. She related how embarrassed she was while the nurse was running round the office saying: 'We need the bigger cuff. She can't fit the other.'

And Tammy's bad experiences have made her plan ahead when she goes to a healthcare appointment. 'I am to the point now where I will pretty much demand a larger fitting gown before the nurse even walks out of the room' she says."

Lose the weight.

"Women also reported feeling less than human because of their size."

Lose the weight.

"The women who took part in the study had all dieted and felt defeated by their weight and their failed attempts to control it.

Stella said that being overweight was the 'worst thing in my life' and she longed to be a normal size. 'It's not something I think about one or two times a day. It's something that is always, always there, from getting out of bed…' she told researchers."

Ah, a valid point - finally.

Learn how to lose the weight, why you have failed and what you can do. Learn who your enemies are and have been all along. (see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here, for a few examples)

Then lose the weight.

"The women also talked about being dismissed by healthcare professionals.

Lynette was refused treatment for her arthritis by a chiropractor because of her weight. She told the researchers he 'took one look at me and said 'All you need to do is lose weight and that would solve all your problems'… He didn't bother with X-rays or an examination or anything, so it was amazing to me that he could know that from just reading over the questionnaire and looking at me.'

And Kay's doctor was unsympathetic about her high blood pressure and weight problem and told her to simply stop eating. She felt that he had treated her 'so pathetically like I was nothing' that she changed doctors and found one who treated her with respect. 'He respected me, so I think I was more inclined to listen to him and to do what he asked me to do' she said. "

Lose the weight. (There is no reason to intentionally disrespect a patient. Although we do not know if it really happened or this patient misperceived. Only one side of the story is being presented. Still, there is no reason to intentionally disrespect a patient.)

"'The eight women we spoke to were stigmatized because they did not fit into the healthcare environment or the cultural expectation of being slim' says Professor Merrill, who carried out the research with Professor Jane Grassley from Texas Women's University.

'It is vital that healthcare providers tackle the issues raised by overweight women as latest figures show that a third of women in the USA are obese. Research also shows that women may delay or avoid healthcare if providers have reacted negatively to them because of their weight.

'The women who took part in our study were determined to control their weight and improve their health despite many failed attempts. And they were keen to receive support and resources from healthcare professionals.'"

Interestingly, these researchers claim that the women were "stigmatized because they did not fit into the healthcare environment or the cultural expectation of being slim."

They did not question whether said stigmatization was self-induced or mendaciously expressed for secondary gain - the "poor, poor, pitiful me" validation.

And these researchers only spoke with 8 women in carrying out their "in-depth interviews with women aged between 20 and 61."

Some study, eh?

Hey, researchers!

Lose the stupid.

Chubby Babies Born To Overweight Mums

More early child abuse.

"University of New South Wales (UNSW) research has highlighted a link between childhood obesity and a mother's diet before and during pregnancy. The work in animals proves that overweight expectant mothers are more likely to have babies with more body fat, who are at greater risk of diabetes and lipid metabolic disorders later in life."

Clearly, fat people should be discouraged from having babies.

Different Psychosocial Factors Predict Adoption, Maintenance Of Physical Activity Program

Duh.

"The health benefits of regular physical activity are well documented, yet only 32 percent of adults in the United States engage in regular exercise. Now a new study by researchers at The Miriam Hospital offers some new insight into the role of social and environmental influences on physical activity behaviors.

According to the study, published online by the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, a person who is starting a physical activity program is influenced by different psychosocial factors than a person who is trying to maintain such a program...

'Although it's premature to draw any definitive conclusions, our report suggests some directions for future research.'"

Yep.

And that direction is to do no more silly research like this in the future.

Extra Cash From Government Program Linked To Higher Risk Of Adult Obesity

No surprise here.

"While a poverty-alleviation program launched by the Mexican government that has been modeled in the United States and around the world has led to improved health and cognition outcomes in children, a new study by University of California, Berkeley, researchers says that the cash component of the program has a downside for adults.

The program, called Oportunidades, provides money to impoverished families on the condition that they participate in health-promoting activities, such as getting annual health checkups and attending nutrition and hygiene education seminars. This is in contrast to traditional welfare programs that provide cash to families based solely upon their income or where they live.

The study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that adults in households that received more cash from the program were more likely to be overweight, obese and have higher blood pressure than those who had received less money over time."

Frankly, I am suspicious of the alleged "improved health and cognition outcomes in children."

Still this outcome was 100% foreseeable, except to the brain dead researchers and the fools who provided the funding.

"'It's a controversial finding because it suggests that adults are not necessarily spending the money wisely for themselves,' said Lia Fernald, UC Berkeley assistant professor of public health nutrition and lead author of the study. 'It's not clear why the cash is having this effect, but it could be because people who suddenly have more cash are able to buy more high-calorie soft drinks, alcohol or snacks that they couldn't afford before, though we did not analyze how the money was spent in our study. This result could also reflect trends in the developing world, particularly in rapidly changing economies, of increased availability of foods high in fat and sugar in place of healthier cereals, fruits and vegetables.'

The surprising study results come on the heels of an earlier paper, authored by the same UC Berkeley researchers, which showed that overall, the conditional cash transfer program was linked to better health outcomes among adults."

This outcome is not "surprising" and likely the "earlier paper" is wrong.

In fact, the only "controversial" thing about this study is that it places responsibility on people and not "the system."

Far be it from any study to suggest that people are the problem.

Still, this is why there is a poveresity epidemic. We essentially pay people to overeat since they do not spend the money given to them in better ways.

As long as they keep throwing money at the non-money problems self-generated by the calorically irresponsible, it will be wasted.

Stop being taken for a ride. Assert yourself to stop the madness.

Soybeans No Longer A Musical Fruit? Victory Over Soy's 'flatulence Factor' - Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry

A new way to raise your blood pressure.

"Soybeans may drop off the list of musical fruit. Scientists in Singapore are reporting victory over some consumers' No. 1 complaint about soy products - the "flatulence factor" caused by indigestible sugars found in soy. In a study scheduled for the November 12 issue of ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, they describe a method for significantly reducing the amount of flatulence-causing carbohydrates in soy yogurt..."

So much for the tooting the horn about the "health benefits" of soy.

Cancer Patients' Response To Chemotherapy Improved By Eating Fruit And Vegetables

Crap research, misleading headline, par for the course.

"The leading cause of death in all cancer patients continues to be the resistance of tumor cells to chemotherapy, a form of treatment in which chemicals are used to kill cells."

Of course, it could never be that "The leading cause of death in all cancer patients" is poor, ineffective chemotherapy agents.

"Now a study by UC Riverside biochemists that focuses on cancer cells reports that ingesting apigenin - a naturally occurring dietary agent found in vegetables and fruit - improves cancer cells' response to chemotherapy...

'In therapy you want to kill cancer cells,' explained Cai, the first author of the research paper. 'But to stop cell growth and to kill the cell, p53 first needs to be moved to the cell's nucleus to function. Apigenin is very effective in localizing p53 this way.'

Apigenin is mainly found in fruit (including apples, cherries, grapes), vegetables (including parsley, artichoke, basil, celery), nuts and plant-derived beverages (including tea and wine)...

'Our study advocates the inclusion of vegetables and fruit in our daily diet to help prevent cancer,' said Liu, the research paper's coauthor."

Clearly these conclusions are wrong/unsupported.

If they want to get a handle on whether eating fruits and vegetables improves the response to chemotherapy, they could analyze the real world outcomes of true vegetarians (not the trendy who eat fish, for example, and label themselves "vegetarian" - so-called pisco-vegetarians) and omnivores/carnivores.

Further, they do not translate the amount of this miracle substance used in the study, into kilotons of fruits and veggies per day, assuming that the digestive process does not alter the stuff rendering it even less useful than is claimed.

And, there is not a mention of how this stuff helps "to prevent cancer," in this article of their authorship.

This is, in a word, bulls**t that they expect you to swallow whole.

Watch out for the pits.

White adults who see discrimination often overweight

Perceptions of the perceptually impaired.

"Certain white adults who say they've been discriminated against in their daily lives are more likely to be obese than their peers who haven't perceived personal discrimination, a new study finds.

The study of U.S. adults, reported in the American Journal of Public Health, found that perceived unfair treatment was associated with increased abdominal girth...

Participants were weighed and interviewed about their health habits and demographics. They were also asked about perceived discrimination -- including how often they believed they'd been treated disrespectfully, received poorer service than other people or felt threatened or harassed."

These are the same people whose perceptions are so bad that they cannot tell they are killing their children with food.

Shut up you fat whining child abusers and lose the weight.

New Link Identified Between Tart Cherries And Risk Factors For Heart Disease

More crap intended to harm you financially while helping them pocket your bucks.

"New research continues to link tart cherries, one of today's hottest 'Super Fruits,' to lowering risk factors for heart disease. In addition to lowering cholesterol and reducing inflammation, the study being presented by University of Michigan researchers at next week's American Dietetic Association annual meeting, found that a cherry-enriched diet lowered body weight and fat - major risk factors for heart disease."

Here is a rule of thumb. Anytime you see a food item preceded by the modifier "Super," you are being scammed. Do not buy the stuff expecting it to do what the press release or MSM story claims.

There is, however, a pit of truth in the rotten fruit above.

It is the "today's hottest" con part. The truth is that all this trash talk about food is temporary. Give any of it a while and new data will supplant the old.

And the new data are likely to be less enthusiastic.

So who put this s**t out?

"The study was funded by the Cherry Marketing Institute, which provided an unrestricted grant to the University of Michigan to conduct the research and was not directly involved in the design, conduct or analysis of the project."

And where do they suggest you go for more misinformation about this pit-i-full bull?

"The Cherry Nutrition Report posted on http://www.choosecherries.com/."

Don't choose the industry party line.

Choose to be smart instead.

Beta-blockers not best for high blood pressure

Still think there is a safe weight loss drug?

"A class of drugs once widely used to lower blood pressure -- beta-blockers -- may actually lead to heart problems, a study concludes."

And these drugs have been around for many years.

You can be certain that the longer the malpractice known as diet drugs is out there, the more problems there will be.

Rising risk for obese kids: middle-aged arteries

Kudos, fatsos.

"A glimpse inside the neck arteries of obese children and teens reveals cardiovascular systems more like those of 45-year-olds, researchers said Tuesday.

Scientists using ultrasound imaging detected fatty deposits more typical in middle-aged adults than in children as young as 10, underscoring worries about accelerated risks of heart disease decades earlier than once thought possible."

Another result of nutritional child abuse from calorically irresponsible parents.

Enforce CAPTA against:

the parents,

the docs who see these kids and don't report the abuse and

the teachers who are as complicit in the abuse as the docs.

That would be a good start.

Stop nutritional child abuse.

Diet drug 'doubles weight loss'

See the article below.

"An anti-obesity drug vastly outperforms currently available rivals, early trials suggest.

Danish tests of tesofensine, reported in The Lancet, found dieting patients on the highest doses lost up to 12.8kg (28.2lbs) in six months.

This is twice the level achieved by drugs such as sibutramine and rimonabant...

The drugs did produce side-effects, ranging from dry mouth and insomnia to nausea and diarrhoea, with the highest dose increasing patients' blood pressure, a concern given that many obese patients may have heart problems or diabetes...

Professor Steve O'Rahilly, an obesity expert at the University of Cambridge, said: 'If we could treat obesity like we treat high blood pressure, with safe, effective and affordable drugs, this would be an enormous boon to health care.

'However, to date obesity drugs that have been effective have not been safe, and conversely those that are safer are relatively ineffective.

'The results with this new drug demonstrate that, over a six-month period, it is quite effective.

'However, as the drug is likely to have actions on parts of the brain not involved in weight control, the risk of serious side-effects on longer term administration will need to be watched very carefully."

Which they probably will not/cannot do as complications surface years after drugs are released.

There are better ways to shed the pounds.

Anti-obesity drug use suspended

More malpractice news about the malpractice known as diet drugs.

"The European drugs watchdog is recommending doctors do not prescribe the anti-obesity drug rimonabant, also known as Acomplia.

The European Medicines Agency has said the risk of serious psychiatric problems and even suicide are too high."

Really, it is better to lose the pounds without the twin malpractices of drugs and surgery.

School-Based Physical Activity Interventions Ineffective for Childhood Obesity

Who could have seen this coming? Why, Fitness Watch readers, of course.

"School-based physical activity interventions to address obesity in children have no effect on body mass index (BMI) or other anthropometric measures of overweight or obesity, a systematic review of the literature concludes...

Meta-analysis of the data revealed that the difference between intervention groups and the control groups in mean change in BMI was −0.05 kg/m2 (95% confidence interval, −0.19 to 0.10), indicating that BMI is not affected by school-based physical activity intervention. There was also no consistent improvement in any other measures of body composition, such as body fat percentage, skin-fold thickness, lean mass, waist circumference, and waist-hip ratio."

In other words, school-based physical activity interventions don't do squat and are a waste of resources.

Which makes perfect sense, since exercise is a terribly inefficient way to lose weight, any weight loss effects of exercise (rare) are easily undone and parents are killing their children with Calories more quickly than exercise could ever overcome even under the most ideal of settings.

If anyone is serious about helping kids by saving them from their calorically irresponsible parents:

report fat kids to the authorities so they can be helped,

report docs and teachers who do not fulfill their responsibilities as mandatory reporters to the authorities and

stop paying for the diseases of choice that fat people get.

Smoking Cessation Drug Linked to 1,001 New Serious Adverse Events

As will diet drugs.

"The smoking-cessation drug varenicline (Chantix) has been associated with 1,001 serious adverse events -- including 50 deaths -- during the first quarter of 2008, a drug-safety watchdog group said today.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices said that total put varenicline at the top of its list of drugs associated with serious injuries during the quarter. Heparin was second. The institute's drug-safety watchers include Curt D. Furberg, M.D., Ph.D., of Wake Forest.

Since varenicline was approved in 2006, there have been 3,325 reported serious injuries in the U.S., including 112 deaths, the institute said."

Still think there is a safe drug that will "cure" your overfatness?

There ain't and there won't be.

Diet drugs are malpractice and unnecessary.

Drop the weight naturally.

More Women Have Healthy Eating Habits Than Men, Survey

Then why are women more likely to be obese than men? (and see here and here for arguably conflicting research results)

"New International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation research suggests women are more likely than men to be taking advantage of and eating foods to maintain overall health and wellness as well as for more specific benefits like improved feelings of fullness and digestive health. The new insight comes from further study of this year's 3rd annual IFIC Foundation Food & Health Survey, which examines what consumers are thinking and doing about their food, nutrition and health."

The point?

It is tough to rely on the studies.

Rely on Calories in, Calories out.

China closes herbal drug firm linked to deaths

More Traditional Chinese Medicine.

"China, battling to restore trust in its products amid a tainted milk scandal, has closed a local pharmaceutical company whose herbal injections have been linked to the deaths of three people.

China last month expanded a product recall for Wandashan Pharmaceutical, a company based in northeastern Heilongjiang province, after the injections caused adverse reactions in six people, three of whom died.

Investigators from China's food and drug watchdog, the State Food and Drug Administration, had found the problem drugs were contaminated with bacteria after being soaked with rain at one of the company's storage areas in southwestern Yunnan province."

Good excuse.

"Rather than dispose of them, employees repackaged them for sale, the watchdog said in a notice posted on its website (www.sda.gov.cn) on Friday."

A yen saved, is a yen earned.

"The case comes as China grapples with a string of health scares involving melamine-contaminated milk and other dairy products, that have made thousands of infants ill and prompted recalls of Chinese-made goods from around the world."

Well, at least WHO has its head on straight.

Not.

Fructose Hampers Hormone That Controls Appetite, UF Study Finds

Hmmm...

"Could all those years chewing candy and slurping sugary sodas come back to haunt you? Perhaps. A new University of Florida study in rats shows that a fructose-filled diet blocks the appetite-controlling hormone leptin from doing its job, setting the body up for future obesity.

Leptin is critical in controlling appetite and energy expenditure, and scientists have long linked leptin resistance to obesity. And several studies have shown that overconsumption of fructose, a sugar found in everything from apples to cookies, could be playing a significant role in the obesity epidemic. But the UF study, recently published in the American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, is the first to link fructose and leptin resistance."

Apparently it is time to give up apples (and other fruits).

Actually, the study does demonstrate something of value.

"To test how fructose affects leptin, the researchers studied two groups of rats. The rats in both groups received the same number of calories each day, but one group received chow containing 60 percent fructose while the other was kept on a fructose-free diet.

'After six months, we could not detect any differences between the two groups of rats, with the exception of an elevation in blood triglycerides in rats on the high fructose diet,' Shapiro said. 'They had identical body weight and fat, as well as blood levels of leptin, insulin, glucose and cholesterol.'"

Note that as long as caloric intake was controlled, the body weights were "identical."

It is all about Calories in, Calories out.

Don't believe anyone who tells you different.

If you are ready to lose weight, reasonably and sensibly, go here.

Waste From Gut Bacteria Helps Host Control Weight, UT Southwestern Researchers Report

We are just one molecule away from a "cure"!

"A single molecule in the intestinal wall, activated by the waste products from gut bacteria, plays a large role in controlling whether the host animals are lean or fatty, a research team, including scientists from UT Southwestern Medical Center, has found in a mouse study.

When activated, the molecule slows the movement of food through the intestine, allowing the animal to absorb more nutrients and thus gain weight. Without this signal, the animals weigh less.

The study shows that the host can use bacterial byproducts not only as a source of nutrients, but also as chemical signals to regulate body functions. It also points the way to a potential method of controlling weight, the researchers said."

Or, just eat lots of laxatives with your meals.

Just goes to show that what goes around, comes around.

Years ago, I wanted to write the "S**t and Stay Thin Cookbook"

Memo to self - reconsider writing book in light of this new, ground-breaking research.

Obesity, Abnormal 'Reward Circuitry' In Brain Linked By Imaging Studies

Wrong reward circuitry.

"Using brain imaging and chocolate milkshakes, scientists have found that women with weakened "reward circuitry" in their brains are at increased risk of weight gain over time and potential obesity. The risk increases even more for women who also have a gene associated with compromised dopamine signaling in the brain.

The results, drawn from two studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at the University of Oregon's Lewis Center for Neuroimaging, appear in the Oct. 17 issue of the journal Science. The first-of-its-kind approach unveiled blunted activation in the brain's dorsal stratium when subjects were given milkshakes, which may reflect less-than-normal dopamine output."

The real, abnormal reward circuitry is the one that pays for these fatsos and their diseases of choice.

Interrupt that and you will see fatso-ness plummet.

Fight back.

2008 Nutrition Trends Survey Released By American Dietetic Association

BFD.

"Increasing numbers of American adults are aware of the importance of nutrition and physical activity and are taking steps to eat a healthy diet and engage in exercise, according to the American Dietetic Association's nationwide consumer opinion survey, Nutrition and You: Trends 2008."

So what?

Awareness doesn't mean squat. Action does.

"Taking steps," eh?

What steps?

Most likely steps to the fridge.

And if people try to act, they follow crap like this because they do not know better: see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here, for starters.

"In each ADA survey since 1991, ADA has used respondents' answers to a number of different questions to segment consumers into three groups representing people's overall attitudes toward maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise:

* I'm Already Doing It: Consumers who feel that maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise are very important; are concerned about diet, nutrition and overall fitness; and feel they are doing all they can to eat a healthy diet.

* I Know I Should: Consumers who feel that maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise are very important, but may not have taken significant actions to do all they can to eat a healthy diet.

* Don't Bother Me: People who do not feel diet and exercise are very important to them and are the least concerned with their overall nutrition and fitness.

Results of ADA's 2008 survey show the percentage of people in the Don't Bother Me category has dropped substantially, especially from 2002 (32%) to 2008 (19%). "This is the first year the Don't Bother Me group has represented less than one-third of the population," said registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association spokesperson Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo. She noted that the segment had been as large as 40 percent in the mid-1990s.

'The steady increases we are seeing among the I'm Already Doing It segment appear to represent movement away from Don't Bother Me, while the I Know I Shoulds remain relatively constant - 38% in 2008, and 30% in 2002.

'These trends tell us people are paying more attention to their nutritional and physical activity needs and are increasingly doing what they need to do to eat right and be healthy,' Gazzaniga-Moloo said."

Clearly wrong and a good reason why the ADA should shut-up.

People may be increasingly doing something (or possibly "paying more lip service to their nutritional and physical activity needs"), but that does not mean they "are increasingly doing what they need to do to eat right and be healthy."

They are almost certainly following doomed to fail programs advocated by persons like the ones mentioned and linked to above.

Don't just do it.

Do it right.

And don't fall for the crap of the experts, including the ADA.

Periods Of Excessive And Rapid Weight Loss May Be Associated With Internal Hernia After Bariatric Surgery

More complications from the malpractice known as bariatric surgery.

"For the first time, surgeons have linked internal hernia with excessive and rapid weight loss after undergoing minimally invasive surgical treatment of morbid obesity. (Internal hernia is a defect in the abdominal cavity that allows abdominal structures, such as the intestines, to move out of their natural position. However, the condition can be corrected surgically before it leads to potentially serious bowel obstruction.)"

Yippee! Another surgery can "fix" it.

"The surgical group also is counseling patients who have lost an excessive amount of weight in a short period of time after a bariatric operation to consult a surgeon if they have suspicious symptoms. 'We caution patients if they start to develop episodes of abdominal pain or bilious vomiting that they should consult their surgeon and go through a workup,' Dr. Bour said."

Yummy "abdominal pain or bilious vomiting."

Wonder why you almost never hear about this stuff in the MSM.

Whatever.

Stay tuned.

They will link more complications of this malpractice "for the first time" as time passes.

You can bet your fat ass on that.

Hospitals See Drop in Paying Patients

More good news from the recession.

"In another sign of the economy’s toll on the nation’s health care system, some hospitals say they are seeing fewer paying patients...

While the full effects of the downturn are likely to become more evident in coming months as more people lose their jobs and their insurance coverage, some hospitals say they are already experiencing a fall-off in patient admissions.

Some patients with insurance seem to be deferring treatments like...weight-loss surgeries — the kind of procedures that are among the most lucrative to hospitals. Just as consumers are hesitant to make any sort of big financial decision right now, some patients may feel too financially insecure to take time off work or spend what could be thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses for elective treatments."

Any drop in IMHO malpractice is good.

And anything that makes fat people consider doing something smart, like losing weight without surgery or drugs, is good, too.

"'It’s safe to say hospitals are no longer recession-proof,' said David A. Rock, a health care consultant in New York."

Hallelujah!