An Oprah threat to your health and the health of your children? Have you been misled?

Find out at www.Oprahcide.com or www.DeathByOprah.com

See FTC complaints about Oprah and her diet experts at www.JailForOprah.com

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Bloggers Preach 'Fat Acceptance'

Okay. Accept 'em. Just don't pay for 'em.
"'A lot of fat blogs have popped up to fight against the obesity epidemic hysteria portrayed by the media,' Kinzel, who said she started dieting at age 9 but eventually stopped, told ABCNEWS.com. '[Fat bloggers] want to speak for ourselves instead of being spoken for.'

And as first reported by The New York Times, Kinzel's blog is in good company. Along with her blog, which focuses on helping fat women find clothing that fits them, her counterparts' blogs include Big Fat Deal, bfdeal.com, and Fat Chicks Rule, fatchicksrule.blogs.com, among several others."

Or help them.

Of course, ABCNEws and other media companies refuse to assume responsibility for keeping people fat by publishing (over the air or in books, mags, etc. as Rodale does for example) harmful messages from their stars and experts. For examples, see here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

"'People think all fat people do is sit around and eat ice cream, and that we haven't tried to do anything [to lose weight],' said 32-year-old van den Berg, who blogs from Berkeley, Calif. 'I'm blogging to hopefully break some of those stereotypes.'"

I agree.

Many have tried but the advice of the rescue industry is wrong, doomed to fail and deadly.

But instead of giving up, these fat people should fight back and do what works - which is clearly not what ABCNews, the government, the sick care industry, its various components, incompetent onsumer advocates, Big Business, and others are telling us.

Fat people, you have tried listening to the experts and they have failed you as they have failed everybody else.

If you are serious about wanting to lose weight, stop repeating the same mistakes over and over again.

Wise up.

Find success here, here, here, here, here and here.

It is possible for you to succeed.

In fact, it is impossible for you to fail unless you choose to.

Brain scans hint at why we overeat

Must be scanning pig brains.
"Shedding light on why some people tend to overeat, a small study suggests that the brain responds differently to a full stomach depending on a person's weight.

In a brain-scan study of 18 volunteers, researchers found that normal-weight and overweight participants had different patterns of brain activation in response to "fullness" cues from the stomach.

"Specifically, overweight individuals had less activity in a brain area called the left posterior amygdala. The amygdala is involved in regulating emotion, and has been thought to play a role in appetite and eating."

Once they have to go into your amygdala to start seeking a cause, you are screwed.

Because they will never find it.

They cannot regrow hair, they cannot cure epilepsy, they cannot cure toenail fungus, they cannot prevent a cold.

And if you think they will be able to stop your fat hand from reaching for your food and shoving it into your mouth by dicking around with your left posterior amygdala, you have to be supremely stupid.

By the way, do left handed people do it on the right?

How many of the 18 were ambidextrous?

How many of you are getting the point that there is no point to this crap except money for researchers and something for organized medical crime and politicians to point to as if they were doing something?

Shut up, you stupid harmful researchers.

They are the rats in the lab gone wild.

Einstein Researchers: Do National Dietary Guidelines Do More Harm Than Good?

Right and wrong.

Right:
"For nearly three decades, Americans have become accustomed to hearing about the latest dietary guidelines, which are required by federal regulation to be revised and reissued at five-year intervals. Mid-way to the drafting of the 2010 guidelines, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University raise questions about the benefits of federal dietary guidelines, and urge that guideline writers be guided by explicit standards of evidence to ensure the public good.
Wrong:
"'Any directions should be based on the very highest standards of scientific evidence. After all, we expect that much from pharmaceutical companies before they bring a new drug to market.'"
Clearly, Big Pharma is exempt from "the very highest standards of scientific evidence.

But that is not the point.

The Guidelines are useless because all we really know about health and food is Calories.

Everything else fluctuates much more and is certainly unpredictable.

As a foundation, to do the most good for the most people, if a federal policy is to be implemented (and this is a big if), it should focus on what will work, not what is speculation.

And the one thing that will work is caloric intake control.

Exercise, as a means to achieving a healthy weight, is an almost impossible approach and needs to be relegated to its very distant second place.

The best posture for the Feds is to stop all recommendations for specific foods and ratios, stop paying for rescue pills and procedures, start educating people about Calorie accounting and making people accountable for their Calorie choices.

Cold drugs send 7,000 U.S. children to ERs: study

And this is the "thoroughly researched" "safe" stuff, not like the newer diet drugs and surgeries.
"Over-the-counter cough and cold drugs send an estimated 7,000 U.S. children under the age of 12 to emergency rooms every year, most for overdoses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Monday."
Getting fit is a better way to go than drugs and surgery.

Caffeine ups blood sugar level in diabetics: study

As if they care.
"Cutting down on caffeine could help people with the most common form of diabetes better control their blood sugar levels, researchers said on Monday....

Caffeine is found in coffee, tea and many soft drinks.

Diabetes is a condition in which one's blood glucose levels are too high. Having too much glucose in the blood can damage the eyes, kidneys and nerves, and diabetes can also lead to heart disease, stroke and limb amputations.

Type-2 diabetes is the form closely linked to obesity."

These fat folk are willing to risk "damage [to] the eyes, kidneys and nerves...heart disease, stroke and limb amputations" and are not willing to eat several fewer Calories per day.

Besides, the problem is not the caffeine.

It is the fat.

Nor is it certain that cutting back on the caffeine will make a difference.

"A number of studies have provided various results about the health effects of caffeine."

What is known is the too fat part.

And that fat people are unwilling to change to save their lives or their children's lives.

Folk medicines contain lead

An important distinction between folk meds, supplements, herbs, etc., and Big Pharma's products.
"Maria didn't mean to poison her children. Quite the opposite. Worried about her daughters' lack of appetite, the young Houston mother was merely following her grandmother's advice when she gave the two girls and a niece a dose of "greta" — a Mexican folk medicine used to treat children's stomach ailments.

What Maria, who asked that her last name not be used, did not know then, but now will never forget, is that the bright orange powder is nearly 90 percent lead...

...Health departments around the country say traditional medicines used by many immigrants from Latin America, India and other parts of Asia are the second most common source of lead poisoning in the U.S. — surpassed only by lead paint — and may account for tens of thousands of such cases among children each year.

Dozens of adults and children have become gravely ill or died after taking lead-laden medicine over the past eight years, according to federal and local health officials."

Idiots use these unproven-to-work things ignorantly thinking they will work.

Idiots use Big Pharma's proven-NOT-to-work diet drugs ignorantly thinking they will work.

NY subpoenas Merck and Schering-Plough over Vytorin

Trust 'em or rely on fitness.
"New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has subpoenaed Merck & Co and Schering-Plough Corp for documents and information to see whether the companies hid the results of a study on their cholesterol drug Vytorin.

The move, announced on Saturday, came one day after U.S. regulators said they would review the study, called Enhance, which showed Vytorin worked no better than a generic in preventing the build-up of arterial plaque."

I recommend opting for the latter.

"'We will investigate and, when appropriate, hold accountable drug companies for engaging in irresponsible and deceptive conduct and any deceitful marketing of prescription drugs,' Cuomo said in a statement on Saturday."

As if this is their only "irresponsible and deceptive conduct."

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Study: Obesity surgery can cure diabetes

Liars.

Fat loss cures the diabetes.

Surgery is just the means they used.
"A new study gives the strongest evidence yet that obesity surgery can cure diabetes. Patients who had surgery to reduce the size of their stomachs were five times more likely to see their diabetes disappear over the next two years than were patients who had standard diabetes care, according to Australian researchers."
This is a way to entice you to getting mutilated for the income of corrupt sick care practitioners who would rather malpractice on you than help you.

And the institutions (hospitals, clinics, etc.) that allow it to happen.

Face it. These greedy bastards are slicing you up for a buck. Not for your benefit.
"The patients had stomach band surgery, a procedure more common in Australia than in the United States, where gastric bypass surgery, or stomach stapling, predominates.

Gastric bypass is even more effective against diabetes, achieving remission in a matter of days or a month, said Dr. David Cummings, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the journal but was not involved in the study."

And more profitable.

"The death rate for stomach band surgery, which can cost $17,000 to $20,000, is about 1 in 1,000. There were only minor complications in the study. Stomach stapling has a 2 percent death rate and costs $20,000 to $30,000."

The are just the hospital costs, not the obligatory others like: dietitians, psych care, follow-up doctor visits, surgical redos, etc.

Organized medicine is organizing against you.

Fight back.

Getting in shape reduces death risk

Immortality it is not, but still pretty good.
"The more fit you are, the longer you're likely to live, according to a large study of veterans that applies to black men as well as white men. The Veterans Affairs researchers found that the "highly fit" men in the study had half the risk of death as those who were the least fit. Being "very highly fit" cut the risk even more, by 70 percent."
Dr. Tracy Stevens, a cardiologist with Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Mo., said that the study reinforces the need for doctors to talk with their patients about exercise.

'This is more evidence that exercise is one of the best medicines that we have,' said Dr. Randal Thomas, director of the Cardiovascular Health Clinic at the Mayo Clinic."

This is clear evidence that you do not need to talk to your doctor, who is likely out of shape, about any of this stuff.

Avoid the sick care industry.

If "exercise is one of the best medicines that we have," then you do not need the doctors.

Do it on your own.

So assuming you have something to live for, are you ready?

If so, see here and here.

Burgers, Fries, and Diet Soda Are Recipe for Metabolic Syndrome

Like an O. Henry story, this one has a surprise ending.
"Middle-age adults who regularly eat a double burger, fries, and a diet soda for lunch or dinner increase their risk of incident metabolic syndrome by 25% compared with those who limit red meat to two servings a week."
Now for your surprise.
"But eating healthy doesn't reduce the odds of developing metabolic syndrome, said Lyn M. Steffen, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., of the University of Minnesota, who studied the eating habits of more than 9,514 middle-age Americans."
It does not surprise me really.
"An unexpected finding was that consuming a prudent diet (i.e. one that had a high concentration of fruits, vegetables, whole grains) and low-fat dairy products did not reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome. 'We had expected to see a benefit because we have seen a beneficial relationship in other studies,' she said."
It is all about Calories in, Calories out.

To eat healthily, go here.

Food poisoning can be long-term problem

Just get that they are only beginning to understand this common and old problem.

Imagine what they will discover about the ill-effects of their diet pills and surgeries over time.
"It's a dirty little secret of food poisoning: E. coli and certain other foodborne illnesses can sometimes trigger serious health problems months or years after patients survived that initial bout.

Scientists only now are unraveling a legacy that has largely gone unnoticed.

What they've spotted so far is troubling. In interviews with The Associated Press, they described high blood pressure, kidney damage, even full kidney failure striking 10 to 20 years later in people who survived severe E. coli infection as children, arthritis after a bout of salmonella or shigella, and a mysterious paralysis that can attack people who just had mild symptoms..."

Don't be stupid.

Try to avoid a future with a "dirty little secret" of rescues from being too fat.

News From Mayo Clinic Proceedings

Some good work from Mayo, not always the case.
"Mayo Researchers Examine the Effect of Antioxidant Supplements on Cancer

Do antioxidant supplements reduce the risk of cancer and deaths related to cancer? That's a question answered by Mayo researchers

'Systematic reviews can provide reliable summaries of the research, and help understand why different studies give different results,' says Victor Montori, M.D., senior author on the study and lead for Mayo Clinic's Knowledge and Encounter Research (KER) unit. For the study, two authors reviewed all randomized trials on antioxidants for cancer prevention(1968-2005) and identified 12 clinical trials with a total eligible population of 104,196. The review yielded a number of interesting findings including:

* Overall, antioxidant supplementation did not reduce the risk of cancer.

* Beta carotene supplementation was actually found to increase the risk of smoking-related cancers, as well as cancer mortality, and thus should be avoided, especially by tobacco users.

* Vitamin E appeared to have no beneficial or harmful effects.

* Selenium supplementation was found to lower the risk of cancer in men (not in women), but the number of trials were few and further research is required. A large trial assessing the effect of selenium in lowering the risk of prostate cancer is currently underway."
In conclusion:
"The bottom line according to Aditya Bardia, M.D., lead author of the study, is that antioxidants do not lower the risk of cancer and beta carotene might actually increase cancer risk among smokers. Selenium might have beneficial properties, but it cannot be recommended for general use until more evidence is available."
Stay away from this crap and eat healthily instead.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Study looks at why poor kids are heavy

A small step in the right direction.
"New research discounts a common theory on why poor children are more likely to be overweight than children from wealthier families.

Iowa State University researchers say their analysis shows that a lack of food isn't necessarily to blame, although they're not sure why so many children from low-income families are overweight.

Previous research has suggested that poor children weren't getting nutritious food and instead ate junk food, such as hot dogs...

'Family life has a lot to do with children's lives, particularly when it comes to overeating and obesity,' she said."

Like parents letting their kids eat more Calories than they burn.

That is the real reason. That is the only reason.

Nothing else.

Drinking coffee may lower ovarian cancer risk: study

Yet another "it is clear they do not know squat about what a healthy food is" article.
"Caffeine appears to lower a woman's chances of developing ovarian cancer, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday, while smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol do not."
Just yesterday we were told that caffeine killed fetuses and embryos.
"Risk also appeared to decline the more total caffeine and coffee a woman consumed, the study found. Decaffeinated coffee had no apparent benefit."
Children or caffeine?

The Sophie's Choice of the smart "we know what healthy food is" crowd.

Good luck following their sage advice.

Me? I will just try to eat healthily and shut out their noise.

Obesity now a 'lifestyle' choice for Americans, expert says

Congratulations!

Coffee 'raises miscarriage risk'

Here's the British reporting of caffeine-gate.

Notice that they have been recommending embryocidal/feticidal doses of caffeine.
"Pregnant women should consider avoiding caffeine say researchers who found even moderate consumption in early pregnancy raises the risk of miscarriage.

Currently, the Food Standards Agency sets an upper limit during pregnancy of 300mg - or four cups of coffee a day.

But a US study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found 200mg of caffeine a day doubled the risk compared to women who abstained."

Still think anyone knows what "healthy" food is?

Infections after breast surgery found to be costly

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

Another good reason to stay out of the hospital.
"More than one in 20 patients undergoing breast surgery later developed infections at incision sites, according to a study released on Monday, a complication that was more common than thought."
You can bet that the complication rate of other procedures, such as bariatric surgery, and treatments, such as diet pills, are higher than previously thought, too.

Do yourself a favor and get fit.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Online junk food adverts ban call

More nuts absolving child-abusing parents of responsibility.
"A ban on all junk food marketing aimed at children, including online games, is being called for by campaigners.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the Children's Food Campaign are calling for the rules on packaging and online marketing to be tightened.

A ban on adverts for junk food during television programmes aimed at children under 16 is already in force."

As if the kids had the money to spend without the complicity of their ignorant, child-abusing parents.
"A BHF survey found many parents were unaware some food firms had online games aimed at children and more than half did not realise that games and quizzes appeared on food and drink labels."
Start in the home where the real problem resides.

Caffeine doubles miscarriage risk, study finds

Even more proof that they have no concept of what is "healthy" food.
"Pregnant women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day have twice the risk of having a miscarriage as those who avoid caffeine, U.S. researchers said on Monday."
And see here from the NIH, for the counter-point.
"Consuming the amount of caffeine equivalent to that found in one to two cups of coffee does not appear to increase a pregnant woman's chances of having a miscarriage."
Turn off the noise.

Turn on the information.

Degenerative Diseases Such As Cancer May Be Combatted By Consumption Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

When you can't get your one basic fact right, like this moron and his MD accomplice, can you trust the others?
"In the 1960s, Ancer Keys, a US expert on nutrition, studied the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet for the first time."
There is no "Ancer" Keys.

It is Ancel Keys.

Art Agatston, the little plumper from the South Beach Diet couldn't get it right either.
"The Environmental, Biochemical and Nutritional Analytical-Control Research Group, directed by Professors Alberto Fernández Gutiérrez and Antonio Segura Carretero, used the most advanced analytical techniques for a precise study on the antioxidant properties of olive oil, characterized by its polyphenolic composition and its potential to combat degenerative diseases."
Note "potential to combat degenerative diseases."

Not that it does or can.

Or that it can kill you
.

Wonder how they missed that part.

Maybe because "Spain...[is one of] the main olive-oil-producing countries..."

Making Quick Decisions Healthy: Simple Front Of Pack Logo Best To Help Consumers In Busy Shopping Environment

"Healthy" food ideas from the makers of Hellman's Mayonnaise.
"Unilever consumer scientists claim that simple front-of-pack logos will be most effective in helping consumers make the healthy choice in the supermarket."
The choice: trust them or really eat healthily.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Online Diet Comes Under Scrutiny

Right approach. Wrong place to start.
"An online dieting program which promises big weight loss results in record time has raised suspicions and resulted in a possible class action lawsuit."
It is about time.
"The diet provided stunning results and Sherburne lost 100 pounds in only five months. The Kimkins diet recipe for dropping pounds included replacing fiber with laxatives and severely limiting caloric intake. While the recommended daily number of calories for the average woman is 2,000 according to the Food and Drug Administration, the Kimkins diet called for only 500 calories daily."
You: On A Diet, by Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen, Oprah experts, clearly advocates for nutritional homicide by recommending sub-Nazi caloric intakes. David Katz and Jorge Cruise recommend near Dachau-level caloric intakes for their 3-Hour Diet.

ABCNews, another bad source of diet info, uses David Katz, an MD who is involved in the patently wrong 3-Hour Diet and Abs Diet, as an expert quoted in the article.

In fact, frankly, it is my opinion that these diets are scams and provide bad advice.

Ironic isn't it, that Katz, the pot, is calling Kimkins, the kettle, black.

Sue them all: Oprah, Katz, Cruise, Cruise (again), Zinczenko, Sears, ABC, Rodale, Discovery Health, Consumer Reports, Oz, the sick care establishment, etc.

They are the deeper pockets.

And they cause way more harm, IMHO.

Once the diet liars are out of business, then take on the fitness liars.

Finding smart buys at the health food store

An oxymoron from the dangerous people at Prevention magazine and its dangerous publisher, Rodale.
"Health food stores are booming: 469 new establishments opened between 2005 and 2006, for a total of 35,876 nationwide. Unfortunately, many shoppers believe that everything they sell is healthy — and that the staff is knowledgeable about nutrition. Neither is necessarily true. I should know. I owned a health food store for many years before becoming a registered dietitian (RD)."
Now here's comfort x 2.

First, this irresponsible person knowingly misinformed people (arguably as the moment of epiphany is not stated) in order to make a buck.

Seems like the right person for Rodale and Prevention, the magazine with all the drug ads. If the advice in this crap publication worked, why the Big Pharma adverts?

Second, now this unnamed RD, a member of the nutritional homicide establishment thinks he or she is qualified to offer advice.
"Back then, my 'nutrition smarts' came from popular bestsellers and word-of-mouth advice. Some of the information was valid; a lot wasn't. Today, I'm qualified to help customers safely and healthfully navigate the aisles. Here are the top lessons I wish everyone knew."
Sez who?

BTW, Rodale is a publisher of these bestselling weapons used against you.

Here is some advice from these whores (IMHO. Notice the embedded ads.) and the RD:
"Do gobble up the whole grains
Whole grain products are typically plentiful at these stores, including 100% whole grain burger and hot dog buns, crackers, cereals, pitas, and pastas. These selections make it easy to feed your kids whole grain versions of the foods they love, like pizza or mac 'n' cheese. The stores also stock many frozen whole grain items such as waffles, pancakes, pizza crusts, and meals (like Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Biryani over Brown Rice or Amy's Breakfast Burrito made with a whole grain tortilla)."
Here is the nutritional content of the advertised products:
Ethnic Gourmet Chicken Biryani over Brown Rice. It is also here and different. (By the way, try to find nutrition information at the Ethnic Gourmet website. If their stuff is so good, why is the information not conveniently available?)
Amy's Breakfast Burrito
Between the two of them you can get 2/3 of your sodium in about 1/3 of your Calories (assuming 2000 per day)

The Ethnic Gourmet item can be purchased online for $4.79.

Using the Ethnic Gourmet product as an example, at an average caloric content of 365 Calories, for 2000 Calories per day, you can spend $26.08 daily on food.

Per person.

Well, more like per idiot person.

No wonder this RD pushes this garbage. At a cost of 1.3 cents per Calorie, it is 435% the cost of an average Calorie. This is a tremendous mark-up spelling huge profit potential.
"Don't take advice from the clerk
Employees are not required to complete any formal education or training in nutrition science. That means you may know as much as they do about what to eat and why. Even worse, because they aren't health professionals, they could give you advice that harms rather than helps."
Don't take advice from Prevention, Rodale or this unidentified RD.

It is the media and "health professionals" that are giving "you advice that harms rather than helps."

Avoid their trash.

New Study Shows That Fitness Trumps Fatness In Determining Risk Of Cancer Death In Men

Don't be misled.
"Leaner men had significantly lower rates of cancer mortality than fatter men..."
It is leaner people who have the best chance, not fat, allegedly fit, ones.

Study Finds Diet And Lifestyle Critical To Recovery

More data in support of "they will never figure it out."
"Diet and lifestyle may play a much more significant role in a person's ability to respond favourably to certain drugs, including some cancer therapies, than previously understood, say scientists.

Writing in Nature Genetics, University of Manchester researchers have shown how the nutrients in the environment are critical to the fitness of cells that carry genetic mutations caused by diseases.

The findings for the first time provide a scientific insight into why some people might respond better to certain medications than others and form the foundations for more individualised drug therapy in the future."
The clear admission is that the factors involved in "health" and "recovery" are more complex than they ever realized and that the number of factors will only increase with time as more come to light.

There is a here and now approach that can offer you the best there is to offer.

That approach is fitness.

There is no other approach.

The only choice you need to make is whether you want to trust those who have been wrong all along and continue to be wrong, their media co-conspirators, experts anointed by obvious fat fitness failures like Oprah, etc., or separate yourself from these killers (IMHO) and follow advice that will work for you.

I suggest the latter.

New Dimensions Weight Loss Surgery Among First To Offer REALIZE(TM) Personalized Banding Solution

More about the malpractice known as bariatric surgery.
"New Dimensions Weight Loss Surgery is the first bariatric program in central and south Texas to offer the new REALIZE™ Personalized Banding Solution, which is comprised of two important tools - the REALIZE Adjustable Gastric Band surgery and the REALIZE mySUCCESS™ patient support system...

'While the surgery is among the most effective treatments for morbid obesity, it is just one stop along the patient's journey. Patients must make changes to their diet and lifestyle after surgery to achieve long-term success. The combination of the REALIZE band and its innovative online patient support program marks a new approach in bariatric surgery,' said Mickey Seger, MD, president of New Dimensions Weight Loss Surgery."
Well, if they could do those things, they would not opt for the surgery.

And the reason they cannot, is bad diet advice.

Docs 1, patients 0.

Why High-Protein, Low-Fat, And Low-Carbohydrate Diets Suppress Hunger

More bull.
"'We found that when fat is consumed, levels of ghrelin remain relatively high, which could in turn stimulate hunger,' said Dr. Karen Foster-Schubert of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington. 'Protein consumption resulted in the greatest suppression of ghrelin over a long period and, interestingly, consumption of carbohydrates resulted in a strong ghrelin suppression initially, although subsequent ghrelin levels rebounded well above baseline.'"
There are simply too many factors involved in deciding when, what and how much food to shove down the piehole.

The only approach that works 100% of the time is fewer Calories in than out.

How you do it makes no difference at all.

New Research Supports Effectiveness Choices Stamp To Make Healthy Choices Easy

A new way to promote bad decision-making.
"The effectiveness of a simple front-of-pack logo such as the Choices stamp is supported by new scientific research published in Appetite recently (Feunekes at al.). Results show front-of-pack labels can help consumers make healthy choices. Importantly, simple labels seem to work as well for the less health conscious and lower-educated, and across countries. Findings also show the importance of endorsement of the label by an international or national organisation in the area of nutrition and health."
Since you cannot trust any "international or national organisation in the area of nutrition and health" the labels are worse than useless.

They are clearly harmful.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

The Weight Is Over - New Pfizer Drug Fights Canine Obesity

It is possible that dogs get the best drugs first since they are often lab animals.
"Dog owners, who would like a slimmer, healthier pet, shouldn't despair just because diet and exercise have failed to have the desired effect."
I wonder whose fault it is for this impossible outcome.

Could it be the owners? The pet shops that sell the food to these animals when the owners are not looking? The pet food elves that fill the doggie food bowls at night when the owners are asleep?
"A new drug which has already been used successfully in the US is now approved for use by European vets. It works mainly by altering the way the body handles fat in the diet, so the dog feels full earlier and may beg less, thus making it easier for the owner to implement and commit to a weight loss programme long-term."
Soon, you too, can be barking for the scam.
"It has been developed specifically for use in dogs and is not approved for use in any other animals or humans."
Darn.

Or, you could just keep barking because you cannot swallow when you bark.

Resistin May Be Biochemical Link Between Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes

Crap.

"Overeatin' IS The Link Between Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes."

End of story.

Survey Reveals Americans Don't Make The Grade When It Comes To The ABC's Of Nutrition And Multivitamins

Tainted, corrupt study that offers proof that the experts have succeeded - we are nutrition morons.
"While the majority of Americans believe they are very or somewhat knowledgeable about multivitamins (67%), many do not know which vitamins and minerals are essential for the body...

[W]hen asked to identify vitamins and minerals that are not essential, only 44 percent correctly recognized that arsenic -- a poison -- is not an essential nutrient."
Probably, they would not have recognized that expert diet advice is poison, too.

The study is from one of the moron-makers:
"To access more information about the survey and multivitamins, please visit http://www.healthywomen.org. This survey was made possible with financial support from Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, the makers of the Centrum(R) family of products."
If you want to eat healthily, do not listen to these crooks (IMHO).

Healthy eating excludes them completely.

Workplace Caterers Commit To Healthier Food, UK

More insanity.
"About three million meals are eaten at work every day, two million of which are prepared by contract caterers. The Food Standards Agency publishes the first stages of activity to give people across the UK improved access to healthier meals while they are at work."
To what were they committed before?

And, of course, there are no such things as "healthy" foods.

There is only healthy eating.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Fish Oil Supplements May Help Some Cardiac Patients While Harming Others

Even more they have no idea what a "healthy" food is.
"Fish oil supplements may help some cardiac patients while harming others, suggests a new review of evidence compiled by St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto researchers."
Why?
"Fish oils can have complex and varied effects on the heart,' says Jenkins, a U of T Professor of Medicine who runs the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre at St. Michael's Hospital."
Why?
"...studies in different patient populations with different pathophysiologies and therapeutic regimens have all produced divergent results."
They will not figure out all the variables in our lifetimes.

Your best bet is to eat for a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9.

Take control.

Prostate Cancer Progression May Be Promoted By Hormonal Dietary Supplements

Wonder if taking the supplements by mouth is better or worse than taking them in the butt?
"Hormonal components in over-the-counter dietary supplements may promote the progression of prostate cancer and decrease the effectiveness of anti-cancer drugs, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered."
Still think we know what "healthy" foods are?
"An estimated 42 percent to 69 percent of U.S. adults use dietary supplements, at an estimated out-of-pocket expenditure of about $34.4 billion, according to published reports cited in the study. Individuals often use supplements because they believe these natural products are safe and drug-free."
That is an awful lot of money to prove how stupid they are.

Seems as if it could be done more cheaply.

Green light for hybrid research

Brave fat world alert!
"Regulators in the UK have given scientists the green light to create human-animal embryos for research."
Now we can create overweight/obese hybrids.

Better to leave the human part out.

Portion control at school lunch cuts calories

Duh.

Vitamin C may hamper adaptation to exercise

Another "healthy" food alert!

Sorry for such a long quote, but it has value. Try to make it through the whole excerpt.
"Taking vitamin C can blunt the body's response to endurance training, a new study in humans and rats shows...

The men who didn't take vitamin C showed a 22-percent increase in their body's ability to take up and use oxygen during exercise, compared with just a 10.8-percent increase for the men given vitamin C. Similar results were seen for the rats.

When the animals were forced to run to the point of exhaustion after 6 weeks of endurance training, those that weren't dosed with vitamin C were able to run nearly twice as far as they had before training, while those given the vitamin only increased their distance by 25 percent. Tests on the muscle tissue of the animals found that rats that weren't given vitamin C had added more mitochondria, the "engines" within cells that convert nutrients into energy.The findings suggest that the release of free radicals during exercise helps muscles to adapt by changing gene expression, Vina and his team note, while antioxidants such as vitamin C may interfere with this process. In fact, they add, exercise itself could act as an antioxidant by boosting the body's expression of antioxidant enzymes."

Here's the deal.

It is well-known, except by the experts in diet and fitness, that the body produces free radicals from training.

You read that right. The body makes free radicals normally.

The body also has its own mechanisms for dealing with them.

It is plausible that the anti-oxidants you take interfere with what the body prefers to do.

"Healthy" food?

The experts don't know squat.

But you can eat healthily.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

FDA: Cold medicines too risky for tots

Another example of this-stuff-has-been-around-forever-and-they-still-don't-understand-it.
"There's no evidence that these oral drugs actually ease cold symptoms in children so young — some studies suggest they do no good at all. And while serious side effects are fairly rare, they do occur. Indeed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year reported that more than 1,500 babies and toddlers wound up in emergency rooms over a two-year period because of the drugs...

Why is this an issue now? Child versions of cold remedies came on the market decades ago, when scientists thought that what worked in adults would automatically work in children. Scientists today know that is not always the case."
Don't expect them to figure out the effects of diet pills and bariatric surgery.
"But the FDA is investigating an even bigger question: Are OTC cold remedies safe and effective for children under 12? The agency's advisers last fall called for no use just by the under-6 crowd, but did recommend more research to determine the medicines' effects in children overall."
Your best chance is to get fit. And get your kids fit, too.

Movie characters who smoke may influence kids

Now what?
"Young children may be influenced to start smoking through exposure to movie characters who smoke, researchers suggest.

'Exposure possibly occurring as early as ages 4 to 7 appears to have as much influence over later smoking initiation as exposure occurring when children are older,' Dr. Linda Titus-Ernstoff told Reuters Health."

Will we ban movies with fat people, bad investors, people with "alternative" lifestyles, etc., because they may influence kids?

Maybe, just maybe, the parents ought to influence their own children.

Oh, yeah, that's right.

They already do.

They influence them to become fat piglets through nutritional child abuse.

Don't take the kids to the movies.

Rate them for certain "undesirable" behaviors. Now there is a slippery slope.

Point the finger in the right direction. No slope here.

Recognize that it is the parents who are responsible.

Exercising breathing muscles may aid older adults

Stupid study alert!
"Older adults may be able to exercise more easily if they give the muscles that control breathing their own workout, preliminary research suggests.

In a small study of healthy, moderately active older adults, Spanish researchers found that those who used an inspiratory muscle trainer to work on their breathing muscles were able to boost their capacity for exercise....

The study included 18 moderately active men and women who were an average of 68 years old. The researchers had half the study participants use a breathing-muscle trainer every day for eight weeks, under supervision. The rest used an identical-looking "sham" device for comparison.

After eight weeks, the researchers found that participants who used the real device had made gains in breathing-muscle strength and were performing better on treadmill tests."

The proper study should have tested device-users with those who only did treadmill exercises to see if the device made a difference.

So why not do the obvious?

"However, the researchers note, the findings should spur further studies into whether the training improves older people's ability to exercise, and, by extension, their overall health."

More money for research.

More money from selling the device.

More money from overseeing its use.

Think it's the money?

Antioxidant vitamins may reduce cataract risk

And it might only cost you your life.
"People who eat lots of yellow or dark leafy vegetables, as well as foods rich in vitamin E, may be reducing their risk of developing cataracts, according to new research published in the Archives of Ophthalmology.

'Although definitive data to guide public health recommendations regarding these and other nutrients in the prevention of cataract will come from randomized trials, a continued recommendation to increase total intake of fruits and vegetables seems warranted,' Dr. William G. Christen, from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, told Reuters Health."

Such a deal!

High Body Mass Index Increases Risk of Developing Cancer

Hey, looky here.
"An increasing body mass index (BMI) is associated with a significant increase in the risk for certain types of cancer, report researchers conducting the Million Women Study, a cohort study of women in the United Kingdom."
Funny how round people seem to live on the edge.

Go figure.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Unfavorable drug studies don't see print: report

Surprise. Surprise. Not.
"Nearly a third of antidepressant drug studies are never published in the medical literature and nearly all happen to show that the drug being tested did not work, researchers reported on Wednesday.

And in some of the studies that are published, unfavorable results have been recast to make the medicine appear more effective than it really is, said the research team led by Erick Turner of the Oregon Health & Science University."

Depressing.

"The idea that unfavorable test results get quietly tucked away so nobody will see them -- sometimes call the 'file drawer effect' -- has been around for years.

The Turner team was able to study the question because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has a registry in which companies are supposed to log details of their drug tests before the experiments are begun."

Think about that the next time you want a diet drug (that will not work, incidentally) to solve a problem that needs no drugs to get solved.

And go here to do something about it.

Jarvik Responds to Lipitor Ad Controversy

But Congress, where many are overweight or obese, apparently has no stomach to go after the other threats to national health (IMHO), e.g., Oprah, her self-anointed experts, diet gurus, Big Pharma, The View, the sick care industry, and NIH/the government itself.
"Robert Jarvik, the inventor of the artificial heart, is at the center of a congressional investigation into his credentials and his role as pitchman for the top-selling cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor.

In the commercials, Jarvik says, 'Lipitor is one of the most researched medicines. I'm glad I take Lipitor, as a doctor, and a dad.'

Despite his famous medical breakthrough, Jarvik ended his training after medical school, instead of completing a medical internship. He can't legally prescribe medicine to anyone and he is not licensed to practice medicine.

'I am a medical scientist not a practical physician,' he said on 'Good Morning America' today. 'I think it's very upfront. I am a doctor. I have long experience with heart disease.'"

But not clinically.

And this is a bit slimy:

"His goal is to disseminate the message of preventive medicine in relation to heart disease."

Prevention has not a thing to do with taking drugs for rescue.

Although if you look at a copy of the corrupt (IMHO) magazine Prevention, you will see that it is loaded with drug ads.

"'Our ad campaign with Pfizer is an educational (sic),' he said."

Education to ask for Lipitor, that is.

Ad campaigns for direct to consumer marketing of drugs are means to pressure doctors into prescribing the product.

"'We're looking to see if there is wrongdoing but also we're looking to see if the law needs to be changed to give us a better level of protection for the consumers,' Dingell said."

Cessation of drug advertising direct to consumers is one way to improve their protection.

Cessation of bad diet and exercise advice is the right way to prevent many diseases given our current knowledge.

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

Probiotics 'have effects on gut'

So what? Bullets to the head "have effects on the brain."
"Scientists say they have hard evidence foods containing "friendly bacteria" do have a tangible effect on the body."
And who funded this "so what" study?
"The Imperial College London research - which was part-funded by food giant Nestle - also suggested they could change fat digestion."
Do you smell an ad campaign coming?

Well, it probably won't mention this:
"But dieticians say they work only for relatively small numbers of people...

The science of probiotics has been controversial, with suggestions that even the billions of bacteria in a pot of yoghurt could not possibly influence the trillions already found in our guts.

However, the mouse research does offer some evidence of an measurable effect, say the researchers...

We're still trying to understand what the changes they bring about might mean, in terms of overall health, but we have established that introducing 'friendly' bacteria can change the dynamics of the whole population of microbes in the gut."

A spokesman for the British Dietetic Association said that most theories about the way probiotics worked involved the new 'friendly bacteria' getting rid of harmful bacteria by competing more strongly for their food.

'It's believed that they can displace them by being dominant, rather than interact with them directly, so this would be something new.'

She added that relatively few people had actually been shown to benefit from probiotics, including people with irritable bowel syndrome, those at risk from travellers' diarrhoea, and patients whose own gut bacteria had been wiped out by antibiotics."

Probiotics?

Horsefeathers.

Vegetables May Be New Calcium Providers

More on Frankenfoods.

If you thought vegetables were expensive now, wait until they price these designer veggies.
"'The daily requirement for calcium is 1,000 milligrams, and a 100 gram serving of these carrots provides only 60 milligrams, about 42 percent of which is absorbable,' he noted. 'A person could not eat enough of them to get the daily requirement.'

But if vegetables and fruits could be bred to contain more calcium, then a diet that includes a variety of these produce might come closer to providing necessary calcium, Morris said."
As for the calcium, let's do the math.

Assuming all veggies will be like these Supercarrots, then you will absorb about 25 mg of calcium per 100 grams of vegetable.

To absorb 1000 mg daily, you only need to eat 4000 grams of vegetables.

There are 454 grams in a pound.

You only have to eat 8.8 pounds of Superveggies per day to get your daily calcium requirements.

If they breed these mutants to contain more calcium, you might only have to eat 4 or 5 pounds.

Daily.

Seems efficient, sensible and cost-effective to me.

Not.

New Health Initiative To Battle The Bulge, Australia

The morons down under are at it again.
"Australia's Healthy Weight Week will give Australians the support they need to take control of their health to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and is part of DAA's comprehensive obesity strategy to tackle Australia's health crisis due to rising rates of overweight and obesity and its associated diseases including diabetes and heart disease.

Dr Clare Collins, Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and spokesperson for the DAA, says that Australia's Healthy Weight Week is set to become an annual event on the health calendar and will help Australian's make lifestyle changes they can stick to for life."
These nuts continue to go down the wrong road.

Lifestyle changes are absolutely unnecessary for weight loss and in fact present an obstruction to weight loss.

Their recommendations are nothing more than a thinly veiled advertisement to make them money by keeping regular folk dependent on them:
"An Accredited Practising Dietitian is your diet coach - they can tailor an eating plan to your individual lifestyle and support and motivate you to make changes for life. Call, toll free, 1800 812 942 or visit 'Find an APD' at www.daa.asn.au to contact your local APD."
Weight loss is simple.

But the experts confuse the matter and keep you in the dark so they can profit from your misery.

These in particular misinform:
"We gain weight when we eat more energy (kilojoules) than we use up through exercise or activity. Eating and drinking foods and drinks that are high in kilojoules or eating large amounts of food as well as being less physically active leads to weight gain."
Clearly untrue.

Weight gain occurs only when more Calories are consumed than burned. Nothing else leads to weight gain.

You can eat all the high Calorie foods on the planet and not gain a single ounce if you burn more than you eat.

And most of the Calories we burn are not from "exercise or activity," but from simply keeping our bodies alive.

Any person with any lifestyle can be at a healthy weight.

The only thing you need to do is tune-out the experts and do what works instead.

Atherosclerosis, Weight Gain Could Be Reduced By Lipoic Acid

More substanceless hype.
"A new study done with mice has discovered that supplements of lipoic acid can inhibit formation of arterial lesions, lower triglycerides, and reduce blood vessel inflammation and weight gain - all key issues for addressing cardiovascular disease.

Although the results cannot be directly extrapolated beyond the laboratory..."
Got it?

Hype.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Thousands Of Genes Found To Influence Body Weight

A scintilla of sense against a background of pitch blackness.

The only question is whether the fat idiots out there will see it. (Despite the fact that the eye can see a single photon.)
"The findings suggest that over 6,000 genes - about 25 percent of the genome - help determine an individual's body weight.

'Reports describing the discovery of a new 'obesity gene' have become common in the scientific literature and also the popular press,' notes Monell behavioral geneticist Michael G. Tordoff, PhD, an author on the study.

'Our results suggest that each newly discovered gene is just one of the many thousands that influence body weight, so a quick fix to the obesity problem is unlikely.'"
Well, yes and no.

It is clear that to successfully and sustainably lose weight a distant horizon is usually needed.

BUT, all the tools necessary to lose weight successfully are available now.

And they will never really change since their control is by the immutable Laws of Thermodynamics and no gene, food, biologic agent, etc., can ever change that.

I am not talking about the deadly advice (IMHO) of the media, epitomized by Oprah and her experts, which will certainly be metastasized over the Oprah Winfrey Network, coming to you in the not-so-distant future.

I am talking about good weight loss advice.

So the fix is here and it is quick in that it can be implemented immediately.

Further, you have to be a raging moron to think that "healthy" food really exists AND that we know what it is for each of us.

With thousands of genes involved in this stuff, there is simply no way, currently, to know what will be "healthy" for someone else that might be "unhealthy" for you and vice versa.
"The findings also hold clinical relevance, according to lead author Danielle R. Reed, PhD, a Monell geneticist. 'Clinicians and other professionals concerned with the development of personalized medicine need to expand their ideas of genetics to recognize that many genes act together to determine disease susceptibility.'"
This correct realization highlights how complex the matter is.

Assuming 6000 genes, the number of combinations and their interactions become virtually infinite.

And if you are stupid enough to rely on drugs for rescue, remember that they are also a blunt instrument. If drugs were so good at targeting the problem, 1. they would work (which they do not) and 2. there would be no side effects (and there are many).

Ditto for surgery (though it is more effective than drugs).

Bottom line is, for you fat people out there, there is no rescue in sight for your irresponsible behavior and lack of self-control.

Stop killing yourselves and your children and make the simple changes that will succeed. See here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

And advocate for real help in getting fit.

Hospital clown images 'too scary'

Nothing to do with fitness. Sorry for being self-indulgent.

I just find it interesting that clowns are scary in the era of first-person shooter games, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, etc.
"A University of Sheffield study of more than 250 children, aged four to 16, found the images were widely disliked.

Even some of the oldest children found the images scary."

Cooking oil switch produces modest weight loss

Great victory.
"Switching to a different type of cooking oil could help people pare off a pound or two, according to new research from Japan.

People who used diacylglycerol oil instead of their regular cooking oil for a year lost an average of 0.55 kilograms, or 1.2 pounds, without otherwise changing their diet or exercise habits, Hidetoshi Kawashima of the Japanese Red Cross Society, Kumamoto, and colleagues found...

'Replacing a portion of dietary triacylglycerol with diacylglycerol as part of daily life was shown to be a promising tool to control body weight for extended periods of time,' they conclude."

"Promising" has been downgraded to meaningless, a recent study proves.

Study suggests heart risk from calcium supplements

So much for the supercarrot.
"Older women who take calcium supplements to maintain bone strength may have an increased risk of heart attack, researchers in New Zealand said on Tuesday...

'This effect could outweigh any benefits on bone from calcium supplements,' researchers led by Ian Reid of the University of Auckland wrote in the British Medical Journal."
At least you will see well while having your heart attack.

Monday, January 21, 2008

Hormones raise breast cancer risk quickly: study

Remember the good old days, which were just a few years ago, when they told us this was safe?

"Hormone replacement therapy can raise the risk of an uncommon type of breast cancer fourfold after just three years, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

They found women who took combined estrogen/progestin hormone-replacement therapy for three years or more had four times the usual risk of lobular breast cancer.

Their study, published in the January issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, is one of dozens trying to paint a clearer picture of what dangers might come from taking HRT to treat menopause symptoms."

Sure you want to take diet drugs and have fat person surgery?

Try fitness.

Live to see another day and enjoy it, too.

"Health is a function of participation. Participation is a function of fitness." (tm)

"Chocoholics" may risk brittle bone disease

"Healthy" food? You decide.
"There's increasing evidence that chocolate is good for the heart, but new research suggests it may not be so great for the bones.

Older women who ate chocolate every day had weaker, thinner bones than their peers, who indulged less frequently, and the difference didn't appear to be due to overall dietary habits, Dr. Jonathan M. Hodgson of the University of Western Australia School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Perth and colleagues found."

"Healthy" foods? Not.

But there is healthy eating.

Go for it.

Cheap Chickens Could Cost Public Health Dear, UK

Just when you thought that boneless, skinless chicken breasts were "healthy" food.
"UNISON is warning that sub-standard poultry meat inspection and appalling conditions experienced by battery hens could lead to contaminated chickens entering the food chain.

The drive to cut costs and deliver the £2.50 chicken to consumers is having a dangerous impact on standards of meat inspection in poultry slaughterhouses."
It can happen anywhere.

Further data supporting the fact that we do not know what "healthy" food is.

And it is a fact.

If you want to eat healthily (a different, but effective, concept), see here.

Check out these people to see if you trust them.

Either way, to be nutritionally healthy go here.

Health Care Marketplace | Health Insurers To Refuse Payment, Billing for Care Related to Hospital Errors

Are you ready to rumble?
"Several private health insurers, such as Aetna and WellPoint, have moved to end reimbursements to hospitals for treatment that results from serious medical errors, the Wall Street Journal reports. The insurers also will not allow their members to be billed for hospital errors...

In hospital contracts that require renewal, Aetna has begun to include a provision that ends reimbursements for 28 "never events" outlined by the National Quality Forum."
Here is where you may get screwed.

You will sign an informed consent that will specifically enumerate the "never events" and other events, too. You will also sign a statement of responsibility for payment in the event that your insurer refuses.

Presto chango. The events occur, you are responsible.

After all, you were warned and you agreed to the risks, right?

Better to stay away from the sick care system.

Better to be fit to improve your chances.

ER waits dangerously long in U.S.: study

Hurry up and wait!
"Patients seeking urgent care in U.S. emergency rooms are waiting longer than in the 1990s, especially people with heart attacks, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.

They found a quarter of heart attack victims waited 50 minutes or more before seeing a doctor in 2004. Waits for all types of emergency department visits became 36 percent longer between 1997 and 2004, the team at Harvard Medical School reported.

Especially unsettling, people who had seen a triage nurse and been designated as needing immediate attention waited 40 percent longer -- from an average of 10 minutes in 1997 to an average 14 minutes in 2004, the researchers report in the journal Health Affairs.

Heart attack patients waited eight minutes in 1997 but 20 minutes in 2004, Dr. Andrew Wilper and colleagues found."

Have you ever heard that fit people have better hearts than non-fit people?

Your choice, wait in the ER to die or live longer participating in life.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Scientists unveil 'supercarrot'

New vegetable imperils the vibrator industry!

Carrots containing bone mineral are developed.
"Scientists in the US say they have created a genetically-engineered carrot that provides extra calcium.

They hope that adding the vegetable to a normal diet could help ward off conditions such as brittle bone disease and osteoporosis.

Someone eating the new carrot absorbs 41% more calcium than if they ate the old, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study suggests.

The calcium-charged vegetable still needs to go through many safety trials."

But, like one of its possible uses, the new veggie is a bit of a weenie.

"On its own, the carrot would not meet the daily requirement of 1,000mg of calcium, but if other vegetables were similarly engineered, intake could be increased dramatically."

You will still need to find another "partner" for complete nutritional satisfaction, baby.

"Professor Susan Fairweather-Tait of the University of East Anglia said genetically engineering foods to increase their nutrient content was becoming an increasingly important avenue.

'People are being told to eat more modestly to prevent weight gain, and many diets now no longer contain everything we need...'"

That's because diet advice is wrong. It is not the carrot's fault.

"'Much more research needs to be conducted before this would be available to consumers.'

But the scientists nonetheless hope their carrot could ultimately offer a healthier way of consuming sufficient quantities of the mineral."

"Research" perhaps to determine if Viagra/Cialis/Levitra in the fridge will keep them crisper (and) longer.

Or if simply rubbing them will do the trick.

What about the super-rabbits? Will they take over?

In any event, until this Frankenvegetable is available in the market, try this.

You just might find that it will obviate the "need" for the bony, and likely more expensive, carrot.

At least for your nutritional needs.

Heck, who knows?

Maybe if you get fitter, you won't need a veggie partner. You might be able to attract one from your own species.

"Natural" supplements caused cancer in 2 men: study

Make your penis bigger by giving it cancer. What a thought!
"Two men seeking to boost sexual performance and grow bigger muscles instead ended up with advanced prostate cancer after taking "herbal" supplements, U.S. doctors reported on Tuesday."
Okay, so their aim was off and they hit the prostate. Now it is simply a matter of fine-tuning.
"They said many supplements marketed as "safe" and "natural" could contain unknown and potentially dangerous ingredients, and noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has little authority to regulate them."
Just like prescription drugs, at least as far as the potential dangers go.
"Roehrborn's team became concerned about what they call herbal/hormonal dietary supplements, or HHDSs, after two men developed aggressive and incurable prostate cancer within months of taking the same supplement.

They analyzed the product, which they did not name for legal reasons, and found it contained two hormones -- testosterone and estradiol. When they tested it on tumor cells in the lab, they found it fueled the growth of prostate cancer cells more potently than testosterone alone, they reported in the journal Clinical Cancer Research."

None of this stuff, prescription or OTC (over the counter), should be taken needlessly.

Unless you don't really care about your health.

Then, fulfill your death wish.

"The patients, a 67-year-old white man and a 51-year-old black man, have both survived but have extensive cancer that has spread throughout their bodies."
Hey, they're only "natural." right? Supplements, that is. How could they cause harm?

BTW, fit people tend to do better in the erections department, i.e., lesser incidence of ED, than unfit people.

However, if you were hoping for an encounter with the Swedish Bikini Team, then maybe your RD (Reptile Dysfunction = your lizard doesn't work) will save you from disappointment.

Solo drug as good as cholesterol combo

Oops.
"A controversial trial of the popular and costly cholesterol-lowering drug Vytorin showed that it offered no benefit over an older drug available in generic form, Merck and Schering-Plough said Monday.

The results come from a study of 720 patients that pitted Vytorin, a drug duo made of Zetia and Zocor, against Zocor alone. Researchers found that although Vytorin lowered bad cholesterol by 58%, it failed to slow the growth of carotid-artery plaques any more than Zocor, a statin now available as a much cheaper generic."
The response of the sick care industry?
"What worries some doctors is that Zetia and Vytorin are so widely prescribed despite the lack of direct evidence of their effectiveness. Last year, doctors wrote 32 million prescriptions for the two drugs, according to IMS Health."
Now they are "worried."

Well, if you worry about your well-being, go here and not to these folk.

Study Casts Doubt on Cholesterol Drug

You might not need this crap, if you were fit instead of fat.
"A clinical trial has shown that the combination cholesterol drug Vytorin is no more effective than a high dose of one of its components available generically, Vytorin's makers said Monday...

In December, a congressional committee requested more information on the study. The results were delayed, the companies maintained, because of the complexity of the data."
If this data is so complex, how can you trust the original data?

You can't. BTW, why didn't they discover this link before releasing the drug?
"In the quarter ended Sept. 30, sales of Zetia and Vytorin hit $1.3 billion, up 26 percent from the year-ago period. Merck and Schering-Plough market Zetia and Vytorin jointly and split the profits."
Could it be the money? Now that it has been milked for all it was worth, the data can come out.
"Vytorin, developed by Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp., is a combination of Zetia and Merck's Zocor, which lost patent protection in 2006."
Better to be fit, than sick from this stuff.

And if you think that the diet drugs and surgeries are safe, you really have to be stupid.

For the rest of us to keep paying for the rescue of the nutritionally irresponsible is also stupid.

Stand up.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Most Effective Weight Loss Diet Revealed

Most Ignorant Weight Loss Researchers Revealed!
"Scientists at Aberdeen's Rowett Research Institute have shown that a high protein, low carbohydrate diet is most effective at reducing hunger and promoting weight loss, at least in the short term."
Most Ignorant Journal of Clinical Nutrition Revealed!
"Their work has just been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Most Ignorant Weight Loss Study Conclusions Revealed!
"'We showed that the volunteers on the ketogenic diet reduced their energy intake without increasing their hunger and this was a very important factor in their ability to stick to the diet.'"
For four whole weeks. WOW!
"An important part of this study was to unravel the physiological mechanisms behind this type of diet."
Hey. morons, the physiological mechanisms were "revealed" long ago.

More crap to ruin your life.

Obese Children Show Early Signs Of Heart Disease

More nutritional child abuse.
"Children who are obese or who are at risk for obesity show early signs of heart disease similar to obese adults with heart disease, a study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found."
Stop it.

Strawberries May Help Reduce Risk Of Having Elevated Inflammation In Blood Vessels

More misleading crap by way of the dimbulbs at Harvard.
"Strawberries are not only delicious and nutrient-rich, new research from Harvard Medical School found that they may offer cardiovascular disease protection. The new study found that those who reported eating the most strawberries experienced lower blood levels of C-reactive protein, a biomarker for inflammation in the blood vessels."
But...
"Researchers found that those women who had higher strawberry intakes were also more likely to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle. On average, women in the highest strawberry intake group ate about twice as many servings of fruits and vegetables every day as did women in the lowest intake group. Not surprisingly, they had much higher average intakes of important heart-healthy nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, potassium and folate. They were also most likely to be non-smokers and get daily physical activity. In addition, the high strawberry consumers had modestly lower levels of both total and LDL cholesterol, the so-called "bad" cholesterol."
So is it the strawberries or their heart-healthy lifestyle?
"Strawberries are a powerhouse of nutrients and antioxidants that have been shown in other studies to help reduce risk factors for heart disease and some types of cancer. Eighty-eight percent of the nation's supply of strawberries comes from California."
Now why would they mention California?
"Further information about scientific research into the links between California strawberries and health can be found at http://www.calstrawberry.com."
That's why.

BTW, in case you care, strawberries are among the most pesticided fruits and vegetables.

Researchers Report Breakthrough In Lowering Cholesterol, Fatty Acids

Bull.
"It's well-known that eating too much fat and sugar and too little exercise will make you fat, and that obesity often leads to diabetes and heart disease."
It is also well-known that if you eat less fat and sugar so your Calories in are less than your Calories out, it will often lead to diabetes and heart disease cure/prevention.

But the crooked sick care industry and its cronies, e.g., diet gurus, governments, will not make it possible for you to succeed on your own.

Here is something to look for when you read articles like this.
"...a key discovery that could lead to new drugs to treat and reverse the effects..."
The trash they want us to believe and rely on is nothing more than the promise of finding a way to charge us for rescue.

There is and never will be prevention from the sick care industry and its allies.

It is not what they do.

Nor will there be empowerment to lose weight on your own.

Because they cannot charge for it.

To succeed, the sick care industry, as any other business, requires you to be dependent.

If you really want to improve your fitness, which by extension, will likely improve your health, you MUST insulate yourself from the wiles of the sick care industry, diet gurus, government, etc.

There is no other way.

Health and fitness are not the same thing. You have almost no real control over your health. You have much more control over your fitness. This is a critical distinction and one that you should try to understand.

Take control.

Take them down.

Save yourself.

Save the children.

Live a better life.

Moms Like The Web Best For Nutrition Info

What is the best way to get MISinformed?
"A Web site is a better source of information on nutrition than a video game or printed pamphlet, according to a study of low-income mothers reported in the January issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (http://www.jneb.org/)."
It is not "information."

It is misinformation.

Since conventional expert weight loss advice is wrong, harmful, deadly and costly, the study clearly shows that none of it should be on the Web.

Friday, January 18, 2008

For A More Youthful Heart Either Eat Less Or Exercise More

Proof of what I have been saying for years.

Avoid exercise since how you weight loss makes no difference.

Exercise is hugely less efficient for weight loss than Calorie control.
"Overweight people who lose a moderate amount of weight get an immediate benefit in the form of better heart health, according to a study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. And the heart improvements happen whether that weight is shed by eating less or exercising more.

'If individuals want to do something that's good for their heart, then my message to them is lose weight by the method they find most tolerable,' says the study's senior author Sándor J. Kovács, Ph.D, M.D., director of the Cardiovascular Biophysics Laboratory and professor of medicine. 'They're virtually guaranteed that it will have a salutary effect on their cardiovascular system.'

Studying a group of healthy, overweight but not obese, middle-aged men and women, the researchers found that a yearlong regimen of either calorie restriction or exercise increase had positive effects on heart function. Their analysis revealed that heart function was restored to a more youthful state so that during the heart's filling phase (called diastole) it took less time for participants' hearts to relax and fill with blood."
If you want to succeed, make weight loss as easy as possible.

For most of us, less time spent and less effort exerted equal easier.

The problem is that conventional diet recommendations make weight loss impossible to achieve.

And conventional approaches to healthy eating recommendations are wrong.

Do yourself the favor of doing right.

Then if you want to train properly, add it into your life.

YMCA tackles America's health crisis

No need to ask "Y." Another direct attempt to take money from you.
"[T]he Y is aggressively expanding health-related initiatives, notably through a program called Activate America...

'We have to retrain our staff so they will actively listen to what the needs are,' Leslie said. 'We want to move away from prescribing what we believe individuals need.'"
What have they been doing until now?

Family dietary coach fuels healthy eating: study

Another way to needlessly spend more on a completely soluble problem.
"Having a nutrition coach actively coach families on how to make healthy changes in their diet appears to help parents and their children improve their nutritional intake, researchers found...

However, while dietary coaching led to decreased weight gain among parents, it did not improve overall indicators of obesity among children..."
Think the study could be a bit biased?

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Antioxidant Vitamins May Increase Mortality

With the push for "healthy" foods, here is a little reminder of the state of the art in our understanding of what is "healthy."
"The largest analysis of data on antioxidant vitamins ever conducted has shown that beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E probably increase mortality."
Oops.
"Two other antioxidant substances — vitamin C and selenium — had no effect on mortality...

'This is the most comprehensive collection of data on anti-oxidant vitamins ever conducted, and we have shown that on the whole that these agents have no benefit. Indeed, vitamin A, vitamin E and beta-carotene are associated with an increase in mortality at the doses studied. Vitamin A and beta-carotene seem to have a dose-related effect, with mortality increasing as doses increase, whereas vitamin E does not appear to have a dose-related effect, with all doses associated with increased mortality.'"
Whatcha gonna do now?

Go here.

Restaurants lighten up on menus

Not really.
"For the millions of Americans who entered 2008 a bit flabbier and made that perennial resolution to shed poundage some of the most familiar eateries have an alluring pitch for the new year: Eat, drink and be lighter."
Why would they allegedly do this?
"Even Taco Bell's yum added low-cal stuff. 'There's a battle of the bulge after the holidays,' says Tom Wagner, vice president of consumer insights. 'We don't want people eating at home. We want them to eat at Taco Bell.'"
Oh, yeah, the money.
"But 'lighter' items may do more harm than good, says Kelly Brownell, director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders. 'The majority of what the fast-food chains sell is high in sugar, fat and calories," he says, and lighter items actually rarely are bought.'"
And the expert critic, well, look at him.

Except for Fitness Watch, you are on your own against the forces trying to fatten you up for the kill.

Eating Out Can Have Both Positive And Negative Impact On Obesity

Misleading title alert!

The release really says that you may get fatter faster from fast food vs. full-service restaurants. Not that one has a negative impact on obesity, i.e., you lose weight.

The best approach is clear.

For healthy eating, make your own meals where you have control over content.

It is not tough to do.
"Eating out instead of cooking at home continues to increase as a factor impacting the American diet. Americans face a large variety of food options and food establishments when choosing to eat out. Do the choices of available restaurants matter to America's rising obesity? In a study published in the February 2008 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers found that the availability of more "fast food" restaurants compared to "full service" restaurants can contribute to higher levels of obesity."

A few extra pounds may harm kids' hearts

Not quite.
"Even 'chunky' kids who aren't obviously overweight have changes in their heart and blood vessel function that could increase their risk of cardiovascular disease, a new study shows."
These are not "chunky" kids.

They are fat, overweight ones who for reasons of political cowardice are called "at risk for overweight."

Here is how kids are classified: (link to source)

"Once you know your child's BMI, it can be plotted on a standard BMI chart. Your child will fall into one of 4 categories:

  • Underweight: BMI below the 5th percentile
  • Normal weight: BMI falls between the 5th and the 85th percentiles
  • At risk for overweight: BMI between the 85th and 95th percentiles
  • Overweight: BMI at or above 95th percentile"
Note there is no "obese" for kids.

That is so child abusing parents can feel real good about themselves.
"For nearly every parameter of cardiovascular health the researchers checked, from blood pressure to function of the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber, the overweight white and black youth had worse scores than the healthy-weight youth, but better scores than the obese youth...

He and his colleagues conclude: 'Youths at risk of overweight, compared to healthy-weight youths, seem to have increased cardiovascular risks. Our data suggest that the status of at-risk of overweight already has clinical implications for youths.'"
Parents are the Number One child abusers and nutritional child abuse is the number one form of child abuse.

Do something.

Brits Obsessed With Going On Diets

But they are not obsessed with succeeding on diets.
"About one third of British adults are on a diet all the time, according to a survey carried out by YouGov on behalf of supermarket chain, Tesco."
Of course, even if they wanted to succeed, the diet advice of the experts is deadly, impossible to follow and simply put, wrong.

So it is a Catch-22.

Die from overfatness if you do, die from overfatness if you don't.
"According to healthcare professionals, approximately 60% of all British adults will be overweight by the middle of this century if current trends continue. It has been estimated that 70,000 British lives could be saved if people complied with government eating guidelines."
This is a boon for the sick care industry and no lives can be saved following conventional diet advice since no one can follow impossible instructions.

It is, simply put, a lie and malpractice.
"There are literally thousands of different diets on this planet. Some work very well, some work moderately well, while some are just a waste of money and time."
Here are some rules of thumb for evaluating diets if you really want to lose weight:

Any diet that claims you can safely lose 1-2 pounds per week by cutting back 500-1000 Calories per day will fail you with almost absolute certainty.

Any diet that places you on a fixed number of Calories per day will fail you with almost absolute certainty.

Any diet from an Oprah expert, will fail you with almost absolute certainty.

Any diet from a diet guru, the sick care industry, trade group, "consumer" publication, a medical center, Big Pharma, seen on a talk show or promoted by a government will fail you with almost absolute certainty.
Follow these rules and you have a fighting chance.

Ignore them and you have no hope.