Too Much Or Too Little Weight Gain Poses Risks To Pregnant Mothers, Babies

More self-abuse resulting in child abuse.

"Women who gain more or less than recommended amounts of weight during pregnancy are likely to increase the risk of problems for both themselves and their child, according to a new report by the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center...

Among the report's key findings is a strong association between high maternal weight gain and increased fetal growth and infant birth weight, which can contribute to complications during labor if a baby is too big, and can lead to long term health effects for the child. High maternal weight gain also is associated with cesarean delivery and weight retention by mothers after childbirth...

The report was prompted by several trends, including an increase in the number of American women who are overweight and obese, as well as the number who gain more weight during pregnancy than amounts laid out in the Institute of Medicine's 1990 recommendations for maternal weight gain. Public health officials also are concerned about an increase in pregnancy complications such as diabetes and cesarean delivery."

Stop the child abuse.

Caveman Fad Diet

Eat like a caveman and prove you are as smart as one, too.

"'Eat like a caveman for a healthy heart', is the headline in The Daily Telegraph...It and several other newspapers report on a new study which claims that a 'paleolithic' or caveman diet of berries, nuts, lean meat and fish 'could help to reduce the risk of developing heart disease'.

The story is based on a small, short study of 20 young healthy volunteers which had a 30% drop out rate, with complete data for only six people available. However, these six people reduced their calorie intake by about 900 calories to about 1500 calories a day and the whole group of 14 who managed to stick with the study, lost on average 5lbs (2.3kg) in three weeks. There was no control group, so it is not possible to say whether there is anything about a caveman diet compared with any other low calorie diet that produces the weight loss or the other changes noted."

And this is what passes for research.

Government to unveil fitness test for adults

And?

"An adult fitness test is being introduced Wednesday by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. It will incorporate several of the exercises that millions of students undertake each year as they aim for a certificate signed by the president."

So?

"'What were trying to do is inspire and motivate Americans to move their bodies more,' said Melissa Johnson, executive director of the council."

Hey, Lady!

If the increased risks for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer don't "inspire and motivate Americans" to do something about themselves, are you really that stupid to think that this will?

"The scores from all four of the fitness tests can be entered online. Other information, such as age, gender, height and weight are also part of the equation.You won't get a presidential certificate, but the results will then show where you rank among people of the same age."

Now that is inspiration and motivation.

Sorry.

Moron.

Acid problem common at diabetes diagnosis in kids

Kudos, fatsos.

More child abuse from fattening up your kids for the kill.

"When first diagnosed with diabetes, roughly one in four children and teens in the US have a potentially life-threatening condition that makes their blood more acidic than normal, according to a report in the journal Pediatrics.

Known as diabetic ketoacidosis, the condition occurs when insulin levels in the body are so low that virtually no sugar is able to enter cells and provide energy. As a result, the body begins breaking down fat for energy, but this leads to the build-up of acidic chemicals called ketones into the blood. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, chest pain, rapid shallow breathing, and trouble staying awake. Coma and even death can occur if the problem is not addressed expeditiously.

The key finding is that in the United States close to 30 percent of children with type 1 diabetes and 10 percent of those with type 2 diabetes have potentially life-threatening ketoacidosis at the time of diagnosis. "

Type 2 diabetes is fat person diabetes.

Shame on you for putting your children at risk.

Save the children.

Ads touting dairy for weight loss "misleading"

Like I have been saying for years...(an example)

"Recent claims that low-fat dairy products or calcium can help people lose weight are untrue, according to a review of the published scientific literature, which shows that neither dairy products in general nor calcium intake promote weight loss.

'Don't believe the hype,' Dr. Amy Joy Lanou told Reuters Health. 'The ads that promote milk as helping to achieve a healthy weight are misleading; the science does not support these ads.'

Lanou, an assistant professor in the department of health and wellness at the University of North Carolina in Asheville and Neal D. Barnard with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, DC, evaluated evidence from 49 clinical trials that assessed whether dairy products or calcium can help people lose weight.

Of the 49 trials, 41 showed no effects of diary or calcium on weight, two showed an increase in body weight with a dairy regimen, one showed a lower rate of weight gain and only five showed weight loss."

Big White, Big not so white lies.

Hormone Therapy Linked to Stroke Risk Regardless of Timing of Treatment Initiation

Consider this the next time you think that therapy with hormones is a good idea for controlling how much you shove in your pie-hole.

"New analysis of data from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS) suggests that hormone therapy (HT) is associated with an increased risk for stroke, regardless of the treatment strategy or the timing of treatment initiation."

So no matter when you treat, your squash is at a greater risk of harm.

Of course, with the right stroke, you might be unable to lift your arm to your mouth and you might lose weight.

I personally think that is an extreme remedy.

Your choice.

Policy Intervention With Potential: Forbid Unhealthy Snacks And Sell Fruit

So what? No potential shown here.

"The most interesting policy impact was found in schools that had fruit tuck shops along with policies that forbade students to bring food or only allowed fruit to be brought to school. Compared to children in schools that did not have a fruit tuck shop, children in tuck-shop schools in which only fruit was allowed to be brought consumed 0.37 more portions of fruit per day. Children in schools that forbade any type of food to be brought consumed 0.14 more fruit portions each day. At schools that did not have restrictions on what type of food could be brought, children consumed less fruit than in other schools - whether or not the school had a fruit tuck shop."

Meaningless.

Obesity Linked To Increased Risk For Dementia

Kudos, fatsos.

"Obesity may increase adults' risk for having dementia, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Their analysis of published obesity and dementia prospective follow-up studies over the past two decades shows a consistent relationship between the two diseases. The results are published by The International Association for the Study of Obesity in the May, 2008 issue of Obesity Reviews.

'Our analysis of the data shows a clear association between obesity and an increased risk for dementia and several clinical subtypes of the disease,' said Youfa Wang, MD, PhD, senior author of the study and associate professor with the Bloomberg School's Center for Human Nutrition. 'Subjects with a healthy body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference saw a decreased risk for dementia than their counterparts with an elevated BMI or waist circumference.'"

A reason to be proud of yourselves.

If only you were aware enough.

U.S. obesity rates alarmingly high

Kudos, fatsos.

"New research shows 'alarming levels' of obesity in most ethnic groups in the United States, principal investigator Dr. Gregory L. Burke, of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina told Reuters Health. The study also confirms the potentially deadly toll obesity exacts on the heart and blood vessels.

'The obesity epidemic has the potential to reduce further gains in U.S. life expectancy, largely through an effect on cardiovascular disease mortality (death),' Burke and colleagues warn in the latest issue of Archives of Internal Medicine."

And as to the drugs to keep these fat people functioning at their low levels:

"The investigators also found that obese adults, compared with normal-weight adults, had higher rates of high blood pressure (up to more than twice as high), abnormal lipids (two- to three-fold higher), and diabetes, despite a 'huge number' being on costly medications to lower blood pressure and lipid levels and control diabetes, Burke said.

'As the obesity numbers increase further, we will spend an even larger amount of health care dollars just treating risk factors,' Burke said."

Don't stand for it. Fight back.

"Obese adults also had more silent vascular disease (blood vessel disease that causes no symptoms); they had more atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and thicker heart walls, even after adjusting for 'traditional' risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels...

'Our findings support the imperative to redouble our efforts to assist in increasing healthy behaviors and to remove...barriers to maintaining a healthy weight,' Burke and colleagues conclude."

Would be a good idea, but for the fact that expert weight loss advice is the number one cause of diet failure.

Now there is a Catch-22 for you.

Increased Risks For Infection And Dislocation Faced By Obese Patients Following Revision Hip Replacement Surgery

Kudos, fatsos.

"Along with age and injuries, obesity is a leading risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA), a painful and disabling joint disease. While excessive weight can aggravate the toll on almost any joint, obesity has been associated with a higher prevalence of hip OA and an increase in total hip arthroplasty (THA)...

Overall, 20 complications occurred in 17 (33 percent) of the 52 obese patients, compared with 18 events in 13 (9 percent) of the 152 non-obese patients. In terms of specific complications, the incident rate was 4 times higher for surgical site infection and 3.5 times higher for dislocation. Even more striking, the incidence rate for occurrence of one or more adverse events rose with rising BMI. This increase was small between normal and overweight patients - 1.5 times higher. Yet, it became significantly greater in the group with a BMI between 30 and 34.9 - 4.5 times higher than normal weight patients. And it escalated to an alarmingly increase in the group with a BMI of 35 or more - 10.9 times higher. In these calculations, adjustments were performed for age, sex, and preoperative health status. "

Scissors over paper, paper over rock, rock over scissors.

Fat over metal hips.

Caution Recommended For New Anti-Obesity Drug In Children

Oops.

"A new class of anti-obesity drugs that suppresses appetite by blocking cannabinoid receptors in the brain could also suppress the adaptive rewiring of the brain necessary for neural development in children, studies with mice have indicated. One such drug, rimonabant (trade name Acomplia) has been developed by Sanofi-Aventis and is awaiting approval for use in the U.S., and other pharmaceutical companies are developing similar drugs."

As if they should not always use "caution" with any drug and for anyone.

Duchess 'plans UK fat campaign'

The blind leading the fat.

"The Duchess, who herself has battled weight problems, has been a spokeswoman for WeightWatchers in the US for more than a decade."

WeightWatchers is that crappy diet program that does not work.

"After making the two-part documentary on obesity and eating, the Duchess said Britain was eating itself 'to death'". (sic)

The Duchess is apparently champing at the bit to hasten the process.

"Tallow" ho!

Exercise may protect girls from future breast cancer

Although you will weigh more with both your breasts intact, it seems like a fair trade-off to me.

"Get your daughters off the couch: New research shows exercise during the teen years — starting as young as age 12 — can help protect girls from breast cancer when they're grown. Middle-aged women have long been advised to get active to lower their risk of breast cancer after menopause.

What's new: That starting so young pays off, too.

'This really points to the benefit of sustained physical activity from adolescence through the adult years, to get the maximum benefit,' said Dr. Graham Colditz of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the study's lead author.

Researchers tracked nearly 65,000 nurses ages 24 to 42 who enrolled in a major health study. They answered detailed questionnaires about their physical activity dating back to age 12. Within six years of enrolling, 550 were diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause. A quarter of all breast cancer is diagnosed at these younger ages, when it's typically more aggressive.

Women who were physically active as teens and young adults were 23 percent less likely to develop premenopausal breast cancer than women who grew up sedentary, researchers report Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

The biggest impact was regular exercise from ages 12 to 22."

Even if it is not true, i.e., bad research, still seems as if it couldn't hurt.

Especially since a child might avoid the other bad illnesses associated with unfitness.

After School Activity Reduces Excess Weight Gain In Adolescent Girls

And herein lie the problems, not the solution.

"The middle school years is the time when time kids spend begin to spend less time in physical activity, a growing concern as youth obesity rates rise. A new study of middle school girls shows that after-school programs, in addition to school physical education classes, may be one answer to reducing obesity in teens. The just-released results of the Trial of Activity for Adolescent Girls (TAAG) showed that moderate to vigorous after-school physical activity, in programs that can range from hip hop dancing to surfing, can modestly increase the amount of physical activity for young teenage girls, to the point that it could prevent excess weight gain of about two pounds per year. If sustained, that extra activity could prevent a girl from becoming overweight as a teenager or adult. Results are published in the article, "Promoting Physical Activity in Middle School Girls," in the March issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine."

The first problem is that for all the effort, cost and resources, only two pounds difference resulted.

This, of course. proves just how bad exercise is for weight loss.

Plus:

"This finding occurred after three years of the intervention, but not after two years."

Three years of effort to cut weight gain by 2 pounds.

Insane.

The next problem is the one absolutely fatal to any program similar to this.

Increased physical activity must lead to weight loss when more Calories are burned than consumed.

It is obvious that these kids are consuming too many Calories since they continue to gain weight though at a slower pace.

The problem is the toxic place called home where children go to get nutritionally abused by parents without concern for their kid's well-being.

This problem is undefeatable by the silly approaches such as the one studied.

WAFACS Published: No CVD Benefit in Longest-Duration Folic-Acid/B-Vitamin Supplementation Study

Still think they know what a safe and effective supplement is?

"Authors of one of the longest-duration studies looking at folic-acid/B-vitamin supplementation to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events say homocysteine is likely still a useful marker for risk prediction, but the wind has all but gone out of the sails of homocysteine lowering as a means of preventing cardiovascular (CV) events...

'The findings cast further doubt on the role of folic acid and B vitamins in preventing cardiovascular events, despite their effect on homocysteine lowering,' she said. 'Even with long duration of treatment, there was no evidence of cardiovascular risk reduction, and we did see a significant reduction in homocysteine.'"

Oops.

Study Supports Reason For Concern In Childhood And Adolescent Obesity

Stop the presses! This just in.

"Study findings presented at the May 2008 Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research Joint Meeting indicate that childhood and adolescent obesity negatively impacts vascular endothelial function, which relates to cardiac health."

You mean being fat can have a bad consequence?

No way.

Weigh.

Medical Mystery: The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep

Why isn't this kid fat?

"Rhett is awake nearly 24 hours a day, and his condition has baffled his parents and doctors for years. They took clock shifts watching his every sleep-deprived mood to determine what ailed the young boy."

Here is a picture of Rhett:



If the experts are correct, this kid ought to be a blimp.

Of course, the fly in the ointment is that the experts have to be right.

This is not possible.

Or maybe the kid is unaware of the party line, so he doesn't fatten up.

Yep, this is a real "Medical Mystery" as the morons at ABCNews have called it.

A real mystery.

Short Sleep Duration And Obesity: A Consistent, Worldwide Association

A consistent lie.

"A study published in the May 1 issue of the journal SLEEP is the first attempt to quantify the strength of the cross-sectional relationships between duration of sleep and obesity in both children and adults. Cross-sectional studies from around the world show a consistent increased risk of obesity among short sleepers in children and adults, the study found."

Also note no cause and effect, just association.

And who would be so ruthless as to lie about this stuff?

"Source: American Academy of Sleep Medicine "

Hmmm...

Tackle obesity like smoking: researcher

Globally-based crap from WHO. You can't get much more pervasive than that.

"Tackling the global obesity epidemic will require governments to take similar action to that many used to curb smoking, a top researcher said on Wednesday.

This could include regulations that restrict how companies market "junk" food to children and requirements for schools to serve healthy meals, said Professor Boyd Swinburn, a public health researcher who works with the World Health Organisation.

'The brakes on the obesity epidemic need to be policy-led and governments need to take centre stage,' Swinburn, a researcher at Deakin University in Australia, told Reuters at the 2008 European Congress on Obesity.

'Governments have to lead the way they did with the tobacco epidemic. We need hard-hitting messages.'"

We are awash in hard-hitting messages.

Problem is the messages are wrong.

As is this fool, Swinebum.

Dairy Products, Weight Loss And Misleading Advertisements

No surprise here.

"There have been recent claims that dairy products can help people lose weight, and the dairy industry has hyped the assertion by investing millions of dollars in commercial advertising. However, a new review of the evidence published in the journal Nutrition Reviews reveals that neither dairy nor calcium intake promotes weight loss."

Big White has been pulling the cowhide over our eyes for years.

Gene Sequence That Can Make Half Of Us Fatter Is Discovered

Which half? Upper, lower, front or back?

"A gene sequence linked to an expanding waist line, weight gain and a tendency to develop type 2 diabetes has been discovered as part of a study published in the journal Nature Genetics."

This is, of course, crap.

No gene in the world will make anyone fatter in the absence of more Calories in than out.

It is all a lie.

Low-income Hispanic Women Buy, Eat More Healthy Foods Than Low-Income Blacks, Whites, Study Finds

There are no "healthy" foods, but this article does put the lie to you gotta be rich to eat healthily.

"Low-income Hispanic women are more likely than their black and white counterparts to follow diets that are rich in fruits and vegetables, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Reuters Health reports...

According to Reuters, the Hispanic women likely followed a traditional Hispanic diet, which includes more beans, grains and produce than the typical U.S. diet."

So much for the "you gotta do" Mediterranean Diet.

None of this stuff makes a known difference.

Only Calories in and Calories out does.

Early Atherosclerosis Prevented By Apples, Apple Juice In Animal Model

Oh, yeah?

"A new study shows that apples and apple juice are playing the same health league as the often-touted purple grapes and grape juice. The study was published in the April 2008 issue of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research."

Sez who?

"Source: U.S. Apple Association"

Credible to the core?

Or the work of worms?

Obesity Significantly Raises Dementia Risk - Underweight Also Raises Risk

Try to remember to put the fork down.

Try to remember to not put the food in your mouth.

"Being obese can increase the risk of Alzheimer's Disease by as much as 80 per cent, according to a study in the May issue of Obesity Reviews.

Oh, you can't?

Study: Over half of Americans on chronic medicines

Kudos, fatsos.

Not only are you in the majority, you also made us a majority drug-dependent country.

"For the first time, it appears that more than half of all insured Americans are taking prescription medicines regularly for chronic health problems, a study shows.

The most widely used drugs are those to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol — problems often linked to heart disease, obesity and diabetes."

Of course, it is not only the fault of the pigs. Other animals on the sick care farm are to blame, too.

There are the turkeys who call for the same old, same old failing approach to fix what they have caused and will only worsen.

"Dr. Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen's Health Research Group said the increased use of medications is partly because the most heavily advertised drugs are for chronic conditions, so most patients will take them for a long time. He also blames doctors for not spending the time to help patients lose weight and make other healthy changes before writing a prescription."

At least these problems are ones the entire family can share.

"The study highlights a surge in children's use of medicines to treat weight-related problems and other illnesses previously considered adult problems. Medco estimates about 1.2 million American children now are taking pills for Type 2 diabetes, sleeping troubles and gastrointestinal problems such as heartburn.

'A scarier problem is that body weights are so much higher in children in general, and so we're going to have larger numbers of adults who develop high blood pressure or abnormal cholesterol or diabetes at an earlier age,' said Jones, of the heart association.

Dr. Richard Gorman, an American Academy of Pediatrics expert on children's medicines, said more children are taking medicines for "adult conditions" partly because manufacturers now provide pediatric doses, liquid versions or at least information to determine the right amount for a child."

Nice. Families are staying closer together because they are too fat and unfit to move any distance from each other.

APA: Antipsychotic Benefits in Kids Offset by Weight Gain

Oops.

"Pediatric patients get a "clear-cut benefit" from antipsychotic drugs, but at the cost of immediate -- and worrisome -- changes in body fat and lipids, a researcher said here...

'Wherever you start,' Dr. Newcomer said, 'you're seeing more than a 10% increase in BMI percentile.'"

Being a fat kid. It's enough to drive them psychotic.

Nitrates In Vegetables Protect Against Gastric Ulcers

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

"Fruits and vegetables that are rich in nitrates protect the stomach from damage. This takes place through conversion of nitrates into nitrites by the bacteria in the oral cavity and subsequent transformation into biologically active nitric oxide in the stomach. The Swedish researcher Joel Petersson has described the process, which also means that antibacterial mouthwashes can be harmful for the stomach.

'Nitrates in food have long been erroneously linked to an increased risk of cancer,' says Joel Petersson of Uppsala University's Department of Medical Cell Biology."

You really, really have to be a friggin' idiot if you do.

Eat healthily. That is known.

Sleeping Too Much Or Too Little Linked To Poor Health Habits, CDC Study

Call the sleep police!

"A new study suggests that American adults who usually sleep fewer than 6 hours a night are more likely to have poor health habits than those who sleep 7 to 8 hours. The findings also suggest a similar poor pattern of health behaviours for those who usually sleep 9 hours or more."

While you're on the phone, take a moment to call the headline police, too.

"However, the authors were keen to stress that the finding (sic) do not prove that too much or too little sleep causes poor health behaviours, or the other way around. More research would be needed to investigate causes, they said."

Liars.

Still, don't be surprised if calls for a national Greenwich Wake-up Time are just around the corner.

Increased Commitment To Prevention A Must, Australia

Amazing.

A think tank that thinks. Sometimes.

"The Australian Medical Association rejected a think tank report that labels efforts to prevent obesity and chronic diseases a waste of money.

The Centre for Independent Studies claims that there is no convincing evidence that preventative health measures work, and Australia's 40-year track record of public health education campaigns have not achieved outcomes."

They only did not think far enough.

Prevention and weight loss efforts fail because prevention and weight loss advice is wrong.

As to the AMA.

"The AMA believes that responsibility for addressing the obesity epidemic is a 'whole-of-society' responsibility - which includes governments, the food industry, the health and education sectors, and individuals." (emphasis added)

They want the care dollars for themselves.

If society has to go to hell in a hand basket, better to line yours with money.

APA: Higher BMI Associated with Worse Bipolar Outcomes

Kudos, fatsos.

"Bipolar patients who are obese are significantly less likely to respond to lithium than those of normal weight, a researcher said here.

And those who have an elevated body mass index (BMI) but aren't obese have an intermediate likelihood of responding to the drug, according to Cynthia Calkin, M.D., of Dalhousie University in Halifax. The differences in response by BMI were significant at P=0.01."

Maybe they should look into schizophrenia since the fatties are eating for at least two.

Not All Fat Created Equal

As if.

"It has long been known that type 2 diabetes is linked to obesity, particularly fat inside the belly. Now, researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have found that fat from other areas of the body can actually reduce insulin resistance and improve insulin sensitivity.

In a study published in the May issue of Cell Metabolism, a team lead by C. Ronald Kahn, M.D. found that subcutaneous fat -- fat found below the skin, usually in the hips and thighs -- is associated with reduced insulin levels and improved insulin sensitivity."

But here is the point.

"'This points to a new opportunity to find substances made by subcutaneous fat that may actually be good for glucose metabolism,'' said Dr. Kahn, Head of the Joslin Research Section on Obesity and Hormone Action and the Mary K. Iacocca Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. 'If we can identify how subcutaneous fat does this, we will have a big clue as to where to look for these substances.'"

A "new opportunity" to SELL you something.

If you did not get fat in the first place, you would not have type 2 diabetes.

If you lose the weight, you will lose the diabetes and save money, too.

Research of, by and for the crooks.

Food Made To Appear More Delicious By Gut Hormone

Useless.

"A gut hormone that causes people to eat more does so by making food appear more desirable, suggests a new report in the May issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press. In a brain imaging study of individuals, the researchers found that reward centers respond more strongly to pictures of food in subjects who had received an infusion of the hormone known as ghrelin."

Although removing the guts of fat people will work to cause weight loss.

Hmm...

Possibly a good idea, as long as we don't have to pay for it.

Infants Could Be Harmed By Iron Supplements

Still think they have any idea about what a safe supplement is?

"A new study suggests that extra iron for infants who don't need it might delay development results that fuel the debate over optimal iron supplement levels and could have huge implications for the baby formula and food industry.

'Our results for 25 years of research show problems with lack of iron. For us to find this result is a big deal, it's really unexpected,' said Dr. Betsy Lozoff, University of Michigan research professor at the Center for Human Growth and Development, and the study's principal investigator.

U.S. infant formulas typically come fortified with 12 mg/L of iron to prevent iron-deficiency anemia. Europe generally uses a lower amount. In infants, iron-deficiency anemia is associated with poorer development, and during pregnancy it contributes to anemia in mothers, contributing to premature birth, low birth weight and other complications."

Stay away from these things unless you are treating a known condition where efficacy has been proven.

Removing Barriers To Physical Activity In Child Care Centers

Clearly, "exercise" is a terribly inefficient way to control weight.

Still, you should not be paying for these folks to keep kids prisoner, nor should kids be dressed unable to move or participate.

"At a time when over half of US children (aged 3-6) are in child care centers, and growing concern over childhood obesity has led physicians to focus on whether children are getting enough physical activity, a new study of outdoor physical activity at child care centers, conducted by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, has identified some surprising reasons why the kids may be staying inside. The study, was presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Honolulu, Hawaii.

'It's things we never expected, from flip flops, mulch near the playground, children who come to child care without a coat on chilly days, to teachers talking or texting on cell phones while they were supposed to be supervising the children,' according to Kristen Copeland, M.D., lead author of the study which was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. She noted that because there are so many benefits of physical activity for children - from prevention of obesity, to better concentration and development of gross motor skills - it's important to know what barriers to physical activity may exist at child-care centers."

At least give them a chance to develop a culture of physical activity which would be of benefit.

Could The Secret Of Longevity Be To Lead A Healthy Lifestyle?

Dunno. And the article doesn't either. It is crappy research generated bull.

"Research on the bone health of one of the oldest persons in the world, who recently died at the age of 114, reveals that there were no genetic modifications which could have contributed to this longevity...

The research team studied the bone mass and analysed the genetics of a man with enviable health who at the time of the study was 113 years old. The research was carried out with four other members of his family: a 101-year-old brother, two daughters aged 81 and 77, and a nephew aged 85, all of them born and still living in a small town of the island of Menorca.

The results of the research do not rule out the possibility that other genetic mutations could positively influence longevity. However, researchers do point out the fact that the excellent health of this family, and of the 113-year-old man in particular, is probably due to a Mediterranean diet, the temperate climate of the island, a lack of stress and regular physical activity. The article underlines the fact that until the age of 102, the man cycled every day and looked after the family orchard. "

The research was carried out by Mediterraneans with a proven Jones for their diet.

Maternal Obesity Increases Gestation Length and Complications

Kudos, fatsos.

"Higher maternal body mass index (BMI) in the first trimester of pregnancy and a greater change in BMI during pregnancy are associated with longer gestations, a decreased rate of spontaneous labor at term, and more complications, according to results of a study published in the May issue of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology."

More early child abuse.

Getting Obesity Under Control - Australian Medican Association Position Statement On Obesity

An attempt to reconstruct society because of fat people.

"Releasing the AMA Position Statement on Obesity, Dr Capolingua said obesity was a whole-of-society problem and that we all needed to take responsible action, especially those who play a key role in the food choices people make."

But no "responsible action" for the fatso consumer.

The rest of society is told to change for the calorically irresponsible.

If you are not a fat, calorically irresponsible person, your rights are trampled.

Fight back.

Second Genetic Link To Weight And Obesity - New DNA Variants Found That Can Help To Pile On The Pounds

More than spouting crap, it's a stool fountain!

"A study of 90,000 people has uncovered new genetic variants that influence fat mass, weight and risk of obesity. The variants act in addition to the recently described variants of the FTO gene: adults carrying variants in both genes are, on average, 3.8 kg (or 8.5 lb) heavier...

Importantly, the effects of the new gene add to those of FTO; people who carried both the FTO variant and new variants were on average 3.8 kg (8.5 lb) heavier. "

8.5 pounds!

Clearly that is the difference between normal weight and obesity.

BTW, what happened to the other many thousands of genetic links to obesity?

Got a big bottom? Now a reason to be glad

Hey, something new and stupid reported by the morons at MSNBC.

"A type of fat that accumulates around the hips and bottom may actually offer some protection against diabetes, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

They said subcutaneous fat, or fat that collects under the skin, helped to improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar.

Mice that got transplants of this type of fat deep into their abdomens lost weight and their fat cells shrank, even though they made no changes in their diet or activity levels."

If you did not get fat in the first place, you would not have diabetes.

"'It was a surprising result,' said Dr. Ronald Kahn of Harvard Medical School in Boston, whose study appears in the journal Cell Metabolism."

Always, ALWAYS, be wary of a "surprising result."

The last thing you want is for a doctor to be "surprised" by a result.

In this case, it is the research equivalent of "Oops, "" Whoa!" or "Oh-Oh" in the operating room.

Stay tuned for the "liposuction followed by squirting the ass fat into your belly" procedure.

Too much, too little sleep tied to ill health in CDC study

Too much, too little, no relationship. What's a human to do?

"People who sleep fewer than six hours a night — or more than nine — are more likely to be obese, according to a new government study that is one of the largest to show a link between irregular sleep and big bellies...

Such surveys can't prove cause-effect relationships, so — for example — it's not clear if smoking causes sleeplessness or if sleeplessness prompts smoking, said Charlotte Schoenborn, the study's lead author.

It also did not account for the influence of other factors, such as depression, which can contribute to heavy eating, smoking, sleeplessness and other problems."

Well you can either lose sleep over it, sleep on it or just stay in bed too confused/bummed to get out of it.

Personally, I say don't give a sh** about it and just eat healthily.

That way you can never get fat.

Blocking brain enzyme helped mice stay slim

There's hope for you rodent-brained fatsos.

"Blocking a single brain enzyme helped short-circuit a key hunger signal in mice and made them eat less, lose weight and have better blood sugar control, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday."

Of course, it is not yet ready for prime time.

"While much more research lies ahead, they said the finding may lead to new treatments for obesity and diabetes in humans."

And it won't be ready until they do enough research to make something they can sell you.

B vitamins fail to cut heart risk in study

Still think they know what an effective supplement is?

"Giving B vitamins and folic acid supplements to reduce high levels of a blood protein that is a marker for heart disease did nothing to protect women from heart trouble, according to a study released on Tuesday."

You're mistaken, if you do.

"'Until further data become available it is essential to remain firmly grounded on the available evidence and to admit that once again experimental and observational data do not always translate into therapeutic benefits,' Lonn wrote."

Right.

Study: Restaurant tobacco bans influence teen smoking

If true, then good, and if true, then all the more reason to exclude fat people from restaurants.

"A Massachusetts study suggests that restaurant smoking bans may play a big role in persuading teens not to become smokers. Youths who lived in towns with strict bans were 40 percent less likely to become regular smokers than those in communities with no bans or weak ones, the researchers reported in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

The findings back up the idea that smoking bans discourage tobacco use in teens by sending the message that smoking is frowned upon in the community, as well as simply by reducing their exposure to smokers in public places, said Dr. Michael Siegel, of Boston University School of Public Health, and the study's lead author.

'When kids grow up in an environment where they don't see smoking, they are going to think it's not socially acceptable,' he said. 'If they perceive a lot of other people are smoking, they think it's the norm.'"

Then keep fat people out of restaurants so, at the very least, their kids and other kids will learn it is simply not acceptable to be calorically irresponsible.

Weight-loss drugs may harm developing brain: study

More about the malpractice known as diet drugs.

"A drug from a new class of weight-loss treatments disrupted wiring needed for brain development in young mice, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday, raising concerns about using such medications in children."

No one, including children should get diet drugs.

"Sanofi-Aventis' weight-loss pill rimonabant, also known as Zimulti and sold under the brand name Acomplia in Europe, is the first in this new class of drugs. A U.S. expert panel rejected it last June because of fears it might trigger suicidal thoughts.

Other drugmakers, including Merck & Co Inc, are working on similar drugs."

Figures.

"'You have to weigh the benefits against the risks. If the benefit is related more to vanity than morbidity, I don't think the risks are tolerable,' he said."

There are no real benefits to diet drugs, only risks.

It is only a matter of time before more ill effects are found in adults.

These drugs are prescribed because expert diets fail.

They fail you because they are ill-conceived and based on false assumptions.

And when they fail, which they invariably do, the failed dieter is left in a worse position than before.

Diet properly to lose weight lastingly.

It is more than possible. It is probable if you do it correctly.

Workouts sculpt heart as well as muscles

Maybe.

Whether they are right or wrong, this for sure is wrong:

"Exercise can cause structural changes in the heart, and these changes vary depending on the type of training an athlete is engaged in, new research shows."

Exercise will not do squat. Training will improve fitness.

This is also wrong:

"To investigate, Baggish and colleagues studied 40 endurance athletes and 24 strength athletes, examining their hearts with echocardiography before and after 90 days of team training."

There are 3 types of athletes: power, speed and endurance.

Football players (the incorrectly-called "strength group") are distributed along the gamut of speed athletes depending on their position.

In any event: training good, exercise stupid.

Hospital report: Obesity threatens county's children

Kudos, fatsos.

"Nationwide Children's Hospital officials hope a new report will spur community members and agencies to band together to improve the health of Franklin County's children.

Obesity is the No. 1 health threat, the report states, and immunization rates in certain neighborhoods and infant mortality are sobering figures.

In all, the report includes 10 factors that affect children's health and compares data from Franklin County to the state of Ohio and the United States.

'Preventing pediatric obesity is the most important health mandate of our time,' the report states."

Stop the child abuse.

Frequent weight loss may weaken men's bones

The weight cyclers I know, bodybuilders, seem to have bones that are just fine, thank you.

"Weight cycling in adulthood may lead to fragile bones later in life, according to a new study of 4,601 men followed for 28 years.

The more frequently men slimmed down and regained weight between the ages of 25 and 50, the more likely they were to suffer a fractured forearm after age 50, Dr. Anne Johanne Sogaard of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo and colleagues found.

Weight cycling could increase skeletal fragility by causing microscopic damage to bone structure, or it could also boost men's fall risk by weakening muscles, Sogaard noted in emailed comments to Reuters Health."

Fortunately, no one can lose weight so their bones are in no fear of weakening.

Belly fat produces hunger hormone

Bummer.

"You knew that spare tire around your midsection was hard to shed, but new research suggests that it may be thwarting your diet by churning out a powerful appetite-stimulating hormone.

In a study of rats, both lean and obese, scientists found that fat cells within the abdomen produced a hormone called neuropeptide Y (NPY), an appetite stimulant that was previously thought to originate only in the brain."

Face it, there is no hope for you.

All the people who have lost weight over the years must have done it with smoke and mirrors.

One thing that should be clear to you is that you have no hope, no chance and should resign yourself to your belly fat hormone fate.

Or you can ignore all this research bullsh** and lose the damn weight.

Docs want higher tax on junk food

Will never work, is unfair to the calorically responsible and not the point.

"MONEY from higher taxes on junk food would be used to reduce the skyrocketing cost of fresh fruit and vegetables, under a plan by doctors to fight obesity.

In a paper released yesterday, the Australian Medical Association called for a tax rise on sugary soft drinks and unhealthy foods known to significantly contribute to obesity.

AMA president Rosanna Capolingua said the revenue raised from the higher taxes should be used to subsidise fresh fruit and vegetables, and for public education campaigns on obesity."

Here is how to do a fat tax properly.

British team discovers obesity gene

More hogwash.

"A genetic variation that raises the risk of obesity has been discovered by a British-led research team, offering insight into why some people put on weight while others with similar lifestyles stay slim.

People who inherit two copies of the variant, which lies close to a gene called MC4R, weigh an average of 1.5kg (3.3lb) more than those with none, according to the international study of 90,000 people published in Nature Genetics. The newly identified effect also combines with a gene known to influence obesity, called FTO. People who have the most damaging versions of both genes tend to be between 3.5kg and 4.5kg heavier than those with the 'slimmest' possible genetic profile."

First, as if they know what the "slimmest possible genetic profile" is.

Second, for the sake of yellow journalism, obesity is now a matter of 1.5, 3.5 and 4.5 kg overweight.

People like this are technically known as liars.

Fat Children May be Tied to a Lifetime of Obesity

The take on this research from the morons at ABCNews.

"Be careful what you eat as a kid, because those extra fries could make it harder to shed pounds years later in life.

A team of Swedish researchers has found that humans determine their total number of fat cells in childhood. New cells spring up and old ones perish, but their numbers change little after adolescence."

BTW, what kids eat is more about the parents than the kids.

"Blocking the birth of new fat cells with a drug might offer a treatment for obesity, Spaulding says. Conversely, turning up the signal to grow new fat cells could help cancer patients gain weight."

Then there is "the drug/surgery/intervention will cure the problem" angle.

Clearly, the folks at ABCNews can't wait for the day when they realize advertising revenue from it.

To be expected from the people who bring you this crap. See here, here, here, here and here.

Anti-psychotic drug use soars in UK children, too

A problem similar to the one with the malpractice known as diet drugs.

"American children take anti-psychotic medicines at about six times the rate of children in the United Kingdom, according to a comparison based on a new U.K. study.

Does it mean U.S. kids are being over-treated? Or that U.K. children are being under-treated?

Experts say that's almost beside the point, because use is rising on both sides of the Atlantic. And with scant long-term safety data, it's likely the drugs are being over-prescribed for both U.S. and U.K. children, research suggests."

One - they do not know the long-term safety of the malpractice known as diet drugs.

Two - they over-prescribe that crap and without indication.

Fight back.

School Nutrition Association Recognizes Professionals Who Promote Healthy Meals

Morons awarding morons.

"Teaching nutrition lessons, preparing healthy school meals and offering a friendly greeting are all in a day's work for more than 250,000 child nutrition employees in the nation's 99,000 school cafeterias and kitchens. The non-profit School Nutrition Association celebrates this professional commitment with Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week, May 5 - 9, 2008. The week is an opportunity for parents, students, school staff and communities to thank those who provide healthy school meals to more than 30 million children each school day."

Thanks?

These people deserve condemnation.

Get them out of the schools and away from children where they can do no harm.

Appetite Decreased And Weight Loss Promoted By Blocking Brain Enzyme

Mouse brains, that is.

"Imagine being able to tone down appetite and promote weight loss, while improving the body's ability to handle blood sugar levels.

That's just what Tony Means, PhD, and his team at the Duke University Medical Center were able to do when they blocked a brain enzyme, CaMKK2, in mice."

Efforts to sell you a drug to bring out your slim inner rodent.

Trends In Heart Mortality Reversing In Younger Women

Kudos, fatsos.

"Coronary heart disease mortality in younger women could be on the rise, according to findings in the open access journal, BMC Public Health, published by BioMed Central. High levels of smoking, increasing obesity and a lack of exercise could all be contributing to this disturbing trend, seen in women under the age of 50.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common cause of death in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia. It occurs when the arteries supplying blood to the heart narrow, and includes disorders such as heart attacks and angina."

Bon appetit.

Ideas On Evolution Of Human Diet Challenged

More pitfalls in postdicting the past.

"Tiny marks on the teeth of an ancient human ancestor known as the "Nutcracker Man" may upset current evolutionary understanding of early hominid diet.

Using high-powered microscopes, researchers looked at rough geometric shapes on the teeth of several Nutcracker Man specimens and determined that their structure alone was not enough to predict diet.

Peter Ungar, professor of anthropology at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, contends the finding shows evolutionary adaptation for eating may have been based on scarcity rather than on an animal's regular diet."

This new and improved history of the human species is a good example of just how little we know.

Much like today's nutrition and what is "healthy" to eat.

Remember, there is only healthy eating and there are no known "healthy" foods.

Fat cell numbers 'set for life'

Meaningless, except for the harm it causes.

"No amount of dieting will alter the number of fat-hoarding cells in our bodies, research has suggested.

Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden say that the number is set during adolescence and stays the same, regardless of obesity later in life."

First, this is not news.

That the number of fat cells in the body is fixed has been biologic dogma for years.

Second, it simply does not matter.

You get fat when you fill the fat cells with fat.

The fat goes away as you lose weight from fat because you burned their contents for fuel when dieting.

Picture it like this.

You have a layer of balloons on your body.

They are perfectly flat when they are deflated.

They are bloated with air when inflated.

The fat cells in your body can remain flat or you can fill them with stored fat.

You have a clear choice.

"'It explains why it's so difficult to lose weight and to keep it off - those fat cells aren't going anywhere, and they're crying out for more.'"

This is clearly wrong and stupid.

It has nothing to do with the number of fat cells.

It has everything to do with the Calories that are overeaten.

Whether you have 50, 500, 5000 or 50,000 fat cells to fill, the excess Calories are added.

Whether they add as 50 really big fat cells or as 500 big fat cells or as 5000 small fat cells or 50,000 really small fat cells makes no significant difference in weight.

Morons.

You have another choice.

Believe this bullsh** research or be smarter than the stupid.

Your choice.

Lose the weight. The number of fat cells on your body is irrelevant.

Fat chance: A diet pill won't make you thin

A surprisingly not bad, though not great, piece from MSNBC.

"In addition to Alli, there are about six prescription weight-loss drugs on the market. Some, like Alli, block the absorption of fat in the body. Others work in the brain to suppress appetite. But the reality is, no matter how many weight-loss pills you take, they don’t work by themselves.

'The pills we currently have don’t seem to be terribly effective for long-term weight loss,' says registered dietitian Anne Fletcher of Mankato, Minn. 'When people go off the pills, many put weight back on.'"

Now there's an understatement for you.

And even while on the malpractice known as a diet drug, the effects are minimal.

"When combined with diet and exercise, anti-obesity drugs can help someone lose about 5 to 10 percent more weight, research suggests."

So if you naturally lose an amazing 40 pounds, for example, a diet pill will change that to between 2 and 4 pounds more, i.e., you will lose 42 - 44 pounds. A negligible, costly and risky difference.

And 5 to 10 percent more weight represents the best result one can expect.

Most people do not achieve the best results.

Plus, you still have to do the diet and exercise things.

If you were willing to do them, you would not have turned to drugs.

"Still, the drug industry and many dieters remain convinced that a pill is the answer to the nation's growing obesity epidemic. Several new prescription diet pills are in late stage trials, including the experimental drug lorcaserin, a variation of Fen-phen which was pulled for causing heart problems. At least 30 companies are developing weight-loss drugs, with experts estimating that in the next few years there will be 10 to 15 medications meant to help dieters in different ways. The pharmaceutical research firm Decision Resources projects that the obesity drug market will grow in the U.S. from $222 million in 2006 to nearly $2 billion by 2016."

When the money is this good, you can bet that the drug companies will sell you useless crap since so many people are stupid enough to spend bucks on them.

"There’s no real data on how safe the pills are long-term, especially for young people. However, the Food and Drug Administration has only approved them for adults for up to two years of continuous use. According to an analysis of 30 trials done on adults taking anti-obesity drugs for one to four years, about 30 to 40 percent stopped taking them after a year, although it wasn't clear why.

In addition, side effects are common. Sibutramine can increase blood pressure and heart rate in some patients. Orlistat, which alters the absorption of fat in food, can have embarrassing intestinal side effects. Rimonabant (used in Europe, but awaiting approval in this country) may, for some users, cause nausea, anxiety, depression and insomnia."

Clearly, these rubbish pills are more harmful than good.

You remain fat because the diet and exercise advice you receive is intended to keep you fat.

Don't buy the pills. Don't have the surgery.

Lose weight properly and if you failed on a diet or pill or were subjected to the malpractice known as bariatric surgery, talk to a plaintiff's attorney.

Stop being a victim.

Remember, your victimization also hurts your kids.

Health care waits to ignite as campaign issue

We probably will not spend a lot of Fitness Watch time on the so-called "health care" debate since health and fitness are two separate issues, related only where they touch at BMI or Body Mass Index.

But, here is a point to consider.

The sick care industry is a rescue and repair industry.

The worse condition the thing, in this case a person, enters a rescue and repair industry, the more difficult it is to fix.

Reform of a rescue and repair industry is much more difficult and costly than improving the condition of what enters it.

Anyone, any politician, who claims that he or she can "fix" the sick care system is lying through his or her teeth.

The only way to "fix" the system appreciably is for those entering it to be in better condition.

Anything less is certain to fail.

A New Method To Establish The Antioxidant Capacity Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A new Kill Index.

"A group of scientists from the Nutrition and Food Science Departments from the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Granada have reported the beneficial effects of extra virgin olive oil on human health, determining in vitro and in vivo the antioxidant power that the examined extra virgin olive oil samples present. With this work, researchers have discovered a more effective method in order to establish the antioxidant capacity of extra virgin olive oil."

Well, not everybody is in agreement that antioxidants are so good for you. (see here, here, here, here and here for examples)

More proof that they have no idea what a "healthy" food is.

Gene effect on colon cancer differs by gender

Still waiting for a genetic "cure" for your overweight/obesity?

"Whether variant forms of a gene called EGFR increase or decrease survival with colon cancer depends on whether the patient is male or female, new study findings indicate."

Well, it apparently just became at least twice as difficult to find. (not that they will, anyway, since neither overweight nor obesity is caused by genetics)

Stop two things at once. By losing weight now you will:

Stop waiting and
Stop being an idiot

A good two-fer, most would say.

Low-income women's diet quality varies by race

There are no healthy foods. Period.

There is only healthy eating. Period.

And that you need a high income to eat healthily is also a myth. Period.

"The findings, they say, show that it is possible for low-income families to fit more healthy fare into their budgets.

'You see a lot of people on the news say you can't have a healthy diet on a low income,' said lead researcher Dr. Sharon L. Hoerr, a professor of food science and nutrition at Michigan State University in East Lansing.

'This refutes the idea that it's impossible,' she told Reuters Health.

Instead, Hoerr said, many low-income families need education on how to find relatively inexpensive healthy foods."

A very rare "they got this one right" moment in overfatness research.

Obesity May Up Odds Of Short Sleep

Before it was too little sleep makes you fat. And now the flip side.

"The researchers' analysis showed a 'striking, consistent' pattern of increased odds of being a short sleeper if you are obese regardless of age."

Too much fat makes you sleep little.

Then there are the no relationship between sleep and fat studies.

More proof that they have no idea re: what they are talking about.

Cancer Experts Issue Seasonal Warning On Grilling -- With An Important Research Update

It's just gotta be right.

"This year, as Americans make ready to fire up millions of backyard grills, there's a new scientific wrinkle: according to an exhaustive analysis of international research on diet and cancer, it's time to start looking for an alternative to the humble hot dog...

...according to the AICR report's analysis of the available evidence, every 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of processed meat eaten per day increases risk for colorectal cancer by 42 percent. Because of this, AICR now advises avoiding hot dogs - along with sausages, bacon, ham, cold cuts and other processed meats."

So one interpretation of their data suggests in three days of 100 grams or one day of 10.5 ounces of eating processed meats, your chance of getting colorectal cancer is 126 percent.

Bummer in the bum.

Maybe you should eat the unprocessed wiener of the bull, hog, etc.

When barbecuing becomes Fear Factor.

Weighing The Evidence On Weight Loss - What Works? Canada

Hey, the dietitians from Canada are at it again, trying to drum up business by convincing you they are needed.

"'People who want to lose weight need support and encouragement to pursue behaviours linked to long-term weight management. These behaviours include self-monitoring, a regular healthy diet, eating breakfast and commitment to regular physical activity,' continues Hamilton.

'Dietitians are an important partner to include on an individual's support team for weight loss, not only as nutrition experts, but also as a coach and counselor,' advises Hamilton."

For weight loss, few things are as useless as a dietitian.

They rival diet gurus, physicians and talk show hosts, etc., for a top spot in the useless list.

The problem with these persons is that they advocate the same failing approaches as the rest of the experts.

Which means, you haven't a prayer of succeeding.

All weight loss takes are fewer Calories in than out and the passage of time.

If you can, get a copy of their piece (of you know what).

Despite the claim:

"Dietitians of Canada sheds light on current evidence related to the effectiveness of weight loss programs in a recent publication titled Weighing the evidence on weight loss approaches in adults."

This article sheds no light on anything. It is inconclusive.

Fear of falls may drain seniors' physical function

Likely true.

"Older adults who limit their activities out of fear of falling may see their physical function deteriorate more rapidly, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among 673 Italian adults age 65 or older, those who limited their daily activities over fear of falling were more likely to experience worsening disability over the next three years."

But is there a way to maintain physical function so when one ages, there is less to no need of fear?

Yes.

A little known secret called "training."

It is revealed here, where they believe that:

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

Fitness regimens for the sexes

No, bullsh** for both sexes.

"'We're not the same. Our physiological systems are not identical,' says Earl Noble, director of the school of kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. He likens exercise to a drug 'that needs to be given in the appropriate dose and intensity and should be varied for sex differences.'"

Earl is not so Noble.

Earl is a moron.

There is not a single species on earth whose male and female genders will not benefit from precisely the same training approaches.

"One real-world application of such research may be the development of workouts that optimize weight-loss for women and men."

There is nothing "real world" about this, unless you consider being lied to part of your "real world."

The reporter is a moron.

And these people are toxic to the general population.

Beware.

Lower-back supports ineffective for pain: study

Nothing new here, the effectiveness of lumbar supports has been questioned for years, but the article still serves a purpose.

"Lower-back supports may not be much help in preventing or managing back pain, a research review suggests.

Many people with chronic lower back pain use wide belts called lumbar supports when performing heavy lifting or other tasks that stress the back. Some workers also use the supports in the hopes of preventing on-the-job injuries.

But in the new review, Dutch researchers found that across 15 clinical trials involving more than 15,000 people, there was no clear evidence that lumbar supports were effective."

The purpose?

If they cannot figure out if something as simple as a weight belt works, imagine where they are figuring out if the twin malpractices of diet drugs and bariatric surgery have harmful consequences.

They are nowhere.

And you are at risk.

New Study Finds California Neighborhoods "Designed For Disease"

"New Study Spouts More Sh**"

"Californians face an added challenge as they battle expanding waistlines and obesity-related diseases - their address. A landmark study released shows the state's first direct correlation between where you live and your risk for obesity or diabetes."

Note "correlation," not cause and effect.

Why?

Because there is no cause and effect relationship.

Overweight and obesity are the result of more Calories in than out.

They are not a result of any particular type of food.

Any food, when it comes to overweight or obesity, can be eaten without causing either condition.

Research Analyzes If Bariatric Weight Reduction Helps Improve Low Back Pain Symptoms

Kudos, fatsos.

You gave yourselves back pain from being too fat.

But, you can find relief if you lose the weight.

"...this study provides evidence that substantial weight reduction following bariatric surgery results in moderate reductions in preexisting back pain within six months of weight loss."

And you do not need the malpractice known as bariatric surgery.

Just shed the pounds.

Study: Pregnant Women With Diabetes Rising

Kudos, fatsos.

"The number of pregnant women with pre-existing diabetes has more than doubled in seven years, a California study found, a troubling trend that means health risks for both mothers and newborns.

And the number of diabetic teenagers giving birth grew fivefold during the same period, according to the study, the largest of its kind.

Expectant mothers who don't control their diabetes face an increased risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Their babies have a higher chance of being born with birth defects."

Why is this happening?

"The rise of diabetes among women of childbearing age mirrors the prevalence of the disease in the general population. The most common form of diabetes is Type 2, which is linked to obesity."

More nutritional child abuse.

Stop paying for fat people's choice to nutritionally abuse children by reproduction and save the kids.

Instead, hold them accountable.

Considering Weight Loss Surgery? What You Need To Know

A puff piece from someone who wants to cut on you.

But there is one good point.

"To succeed, weight loss surgery requires hard work from you... 'I frequently tell our patients that 90 percent of their long-term success is in their hands, not mine,' says Dr. Nicholson."

The "hard work" is real.

Better to put it into weight loss (where the work is less hard) than surgery and a lifetime of dependence on the sick care system.

Crash diets 'may reduce lifespan'

Maybe. This is not what they studied.

"Scottish scientists have found that binge eating and crash dieting may significantly reduce life expectancy.

Researchers from Glasgow University observed that fish given a "binge then diet" food regime had a reduced lifespan of up to 25%."

Binging and crashing are different from just being fat and dieting, even extreme dieting.

"'However, on average their lifespan was three-quarters that of animals eating a constant amount every day.'

The research found that the difference in lifespan was not a consequence of more rapid ageing but an increase in the risk of sudden death.

'But it would be for extreme switches in diet. Just skipping lunches would not have any effect, but if they had several weeks of one diet followed by several weeks of the extreme opposite, then there could be an effect.'"

This is not quite sensible, but on the road there.

There are yo-yo dieters who succeed apparently without life expectancy risks.

Bodybuilders are an example.

Yet, as I proposed years ago, the yo-yo dieter who fails is the usual binge and crash dieter who overeats and overfattens their body, then tries an expert diet (which are all starvation diets), fails, then overeats and overfattens themselves further.

Big, fat bottom line: following any expert diet will certainly fail you and will certainly result in some loss of your life according to what we now know.

Don't follow them.

Fight them.

And lose weight properly.

Study finds increases in nursing home, assisted living costs

An illustration of the problem.

"Costs for nursing homes, assisted living facilities and some in-home care services have increased for a fifth consecutive year, and could rise further if a shortage of long-term care workers isn't resolved, a new study indicates."

This is an example of bad reporting and bad media advocacy and bad study data that can only result in harm to you.

Costs are considered to be a result of supply and demand.

One way to look at old person costs is from the demand side.

Then a "shortage of long-term care workers" may be an issue.

The other way is to look at it from the demand side.

If fewer people "needed" nursing care, then there would be no "shortage of long-term care workers."

There would be too many and costs would go down.

You have a choice.

Buy into the system that requires your descent into dependence.

Or

Remain independent for as long as you possibly can.

That is a real goal of a fitness program.

Maybe you think you are entitled to reliance on someone else to push you in your wheelchair, turn you in bed, hold you up as you try to negotiate stairs with your walker, etc.

Whether you are or are not should never be the point.

The point should be for how long can you avoid these things and what can you do to achieve that?

"Buck Stinson, president of Genworth Financial's long-term care insurance business, said the results indicate that 'the expense of just a few years of long-term care in a facility or at home can very quickly wipe out a lifetime of savings.'

He noted, for example, that an elderly person typically spends 2- 1/2 years in a nursing home, or more than $190,000 on average at today's costs.

He said that individuals, especially the baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964, "need to do more thinking about their own retirement plan and how they're going to age."

Stinson also said there was a need to find ways to 'recruit close to 200,000 people a year to keep pace with the aging demographic.' A companion Genworth Financial study found that low wages and benefits as well as a lack of training and career-advancement potential have made it difficult to attract workers to the elder care industry and retain them."

Clearly, it is better to recruit and train fewer workers, let unfit old people who chose that option fend for themselves and act as inspirations to the rest of us to shape up or...else.

Mistletoe As Cancer Treatment: Review Calls Evidence Weak

As if.

"For many people, mistletoe conjures up images of Christmas holidays, but in parts of Europe, mistletoe extract is widely used as a therapy for cancer patients. However, a new review of studies finds only weak evidence that the treatment provides any benefit."

So much for this Christmas cheer.

Park Company Developing Treatment Package For Obesity Virus

Scam alert!

"Obetech, LLC, a tenant in the Virginia Biosciences Development Center (VBDC) incubation program at the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park, recently announced a joint venture with Scandinavian Clinical Nutrition (SCN), a Swedish organization focused on development of dietary supplements.

Obetech has developed a diagnostic test for those who have been infected with a particular common cold virus, human Adenovirus 36 (Ad-36). Quickly gaining recognition as "the obesity virus," Ad-36 has been shown to trigger proliferation of fat cells, which ultimately leads to obesity in the infected person."

There is no "obesity virus."

There are only the morons who think there is and the people trying to separate the morons from their money.

Can you really be 'fit but fat'? Study says no

Study is pretty much correct.

"New research challenges the notion that you can be fat and fit, finding that being active can lower but not eliminate heart risks faced by heavy women."

The fit fat creature is a chimera like a unicorn, griffin or centaur.

People speak of it, but one is never really seen.

"Compared with normal-weight active women, the risk for developing heart disease was 54 percent higher in overweight active women and 87 percent higher in obese active women."

Still the study has problems.

It does not really address fitness.

It talks about health.

Fitness and health are two different, but related, things.

In any event, the point is that to get healthier through fitness, your best way is to be nutritionally fit.

That is to have a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.

Here's how.

CocoaVia Dark Chocolate Bars Shown To Lower Cholesterol

Not really.

"The results of a University of Illinois study have demonstrated an effective way to lower cholesterol levels - by eating chocolate bars."

Here's what else happened.

"Forty-nine persons with slightly elevated cholesterol and normal blood pressure were recruited for the study. Those chosen for the double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study began the American Heart Association's "Eating Plan for Healthy Americans" (formerly the Step 1 diet) two weeks before the study started; then they were divided into two matched groups. Two types of CocoaVia bars were then introduced, one with plant sterols and one without...

'After the participants started the AHA diet, a lot of them began to lose weight, so we had to keep fussing at them to eat more. We didn't want a weight change because that also lowers cholesterol,' said Ellen Evans, a U. of I. professor of kinesiology and community health and co-author of the study."

Just lose the weight.

You will save money.

Speaking of money, who funded the research?

"The study, funded in part by Mars Inc., the company that makes the bars, was published in this month's Journal of Nutrition. "

'Nuff said.

Public Plea To End Pester Power, UK

It is always somebody else's fault.

"Four out of five people (83 per cent) believe that irresponsible marketing of unhealthy food makes it harder to encourage children to eat a healthy diet, shows new Which? research."

Just say "No," you child abusing parents, you.

Don't wait for your excuse to go away and reveal you for what you really are.

Pregnant Women Need Omega 3 To Boost Infant Development

Sez who?

"Dr. Levine is a scientific advisory board member of http://www.dhaandbvitamins.org, an educational Web site developed by specialists at Weill Cornell Medical College and other major academic medical centers. She has been recommending the nutritional supplement Animi-3 to patients who need to supplement their diets with DHA and B vitamins."

A corrupted researcher, that's who.

Maybe the fat helps.

For sure, the product Animi-3 is irrelevant.

If you believe in this stuff, do not support this product.

Obesity, Inactivity As Common Among Cancer Survivors As Rest Of Canadians

What happened to wasting away from cancer?

"New research supported by the Canadian Cancer Society shows that many cancer survivors in Canada are overweight and inactive, which could put them at risk for health problems, including their cancer returning."

Oh, it has been replaced with returning disease.

"'These findings tell us that we need to look at ways to better support cancer survivors to become more active and to maintain a healthy body weight,' says Dr. Kerry Courneya, professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and affiliated scientist with the Centre for Behavioural Research and Program Evaluation."

No.

It tells you that if a cancer remission fails from obesity, let the patient pay for the care.

Moron.

A Healthy Breakfast May Protect Against Heart Disease

Well would it be "healthy" if it caused heart disease?

"Breakfast is more than just an eye-opener that helps you transition from sleep to the day ahead. Eating breakfast, especially one that includes whole grains, reduces your risk for heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and heart failure, reports the May 2008 issue of the Harvard Heart Letter."

This is from the same Harvard that advocates execution dieting.

Don't fall for the hype.

Eat breakfast if you want, but weight control is what you are after, not when you eat.

Most New Mothers Agree That Early Diet Is Important For The Long Term Health Of Their Babies

Yeah, so what?

"A survey of new mothers in five different European countries has found that most of them (85 - 90%) agreed that the way they fed their babies was important for their babies' long term health. The preliminary results of the survey were presented at the International Symposium on Early Nutrition Programming held in Granada on 23rd April."

No wonder it is useless stuff. It is from the same conference that brought you the NUTRIMENTHE cons.

"The mothers will be followed up when their babies are 8 months old to ask them about their milk feeding and weaning experiences."

Can't wait.

Moderately To Severely Obese Elderly Run Significant Risk Of Disability And Dependence On Long-Term Care Services, Finds Study Presented At AGS

Duh.

No news here.

"Among the growing number of obese older adults, those who are moderately and severely obese, but not those who are mildly obese, run a significantly increased risk of having disabilities serious enough to need long-term care, according to a study that will be presented here, at the American Geriatrics Society's Annual Scientific Meeting, on May 1. The meeting is the premier conference on aging research."

And this is the best the "premier conference on aging research" can do.

No wonder we are in such trouble.

Very thin pregnant women at risk of severe nausea

More bad research.

"Women who are underweight when they become pregnant have an increased risk of severe, potentially dangerous nausea and vomiting, a large study suggests.

Many women suffer "morning sickness" in the early months of pregnancy, but in a small percentage of cases, the nausea and vomiting progress to a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum. Women with this condition have unrelenting, excessive nausea and vomiting that puts them at risk of malnutrition, dehydration and significant weight loss.

Because of the risks to the mother and fetus, severe vomiting may require hospitalization and IV fluids."

How did this likely very small percentage of women become underweight?

Bulimia?

Conclusion?

"It's not clear why pre-pregnancy weight affects the risk of hyperemesis, Cedergren said. But she speculated that underweight women get a more severe form of the condition, more often necessitating hospitalization.

Another possibility, she and her colleagues note, is that doctors are quicker to hospitalize underweight women out of concern that they will rapidly become dehydrated and malnourished."

They don't know.

But they do know how to get a headline.

Benefits Of Omega 3s Still Unclear For Bipolar Disorder

What is clear, is that the data are tainted.

"Despite intriguing findings that omega 3 fatty acid supplements could alleviate depression symptoms, there is still not enough evidence to say whether omega 3s are useful treatments for people with bipolar disorder, according to a review of recent studies.

Nevertheless, omega 3s deserve further study, since they seem to have no serious side effects and most experts recommend the supplements for people with heart disease and some immune disorders, said authors Paul Montgomery, Ph.D., and Alex Richardson, Ph.D., of the University of Oxford...

Companies that manufacture the supplements, along with government and charity funding, supported some of the studies considered for the review. Montgomery and Richardson have worked as consultants to several fatty acid supplement companies, the review disclosed."

More conflicts of interest getting press.

And research money.

The Effect Of Diet On The Mental Performance Of Children The Nutrimenthe FP7 Project Investigates

More instructive crap from the NUTRIMENTHE folks.

Here is today's lesson.

If an article has a really fancy science-y, sounding title, it is a con.

"A team of leading International Scientists from top Academic Centres and Food & Biotechnology Multinational Companies, providing a critical mass of experts in the "Effect of Diet on the Mental Performance of Children" are meeting in Granada to kick start the Nutrimenthe project and participate in the Early Nutrition Programming International Symposium (22/23 April 2008)."

"Critical mass of experts."

No.

Critical mass of BS.

Are you getting the picture?

Stressed out? Turmoil takes a toll on diet, exercise routine

The excusinators are working overtime.

"Stressed workers often reach for calorie-rich foods, skip the gym after a taxing day or forego meals because of heavy workloads. Or they indulge in other bad-for-you behavior like smoking, drinking or staying out late.

As the credit and housing crises rattle Wall Street, pressures over bigger workloads, job security and shrinking nest eggs are upending diets and fueling unhealthy habits across the country."

And when times were "good," people still got fat and fatter.

Shut up.

Aerobic exercise helps turn back biological clock

Not even close.

Exercise is almost valueless.

But this is not.

"...people who engage in progressive aerobic training can maintain their independence longer, in effect by turning back the clock on the loss of aerobic fitness that occurs with aging."

Training is the key.

Orexigen(R) Therapeutics Announces Completion Of Enrollment In Second Of Four Phase III Clinical Trials For Contrave(R)

More hype alert!

"Orexigen® Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: OREX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system disorders, including obesity, announced completion of enrollment in NB-301, the largest of its Phase III clinical trials, for Contrave®, its lead obesity product candidate."

Obesity is NOT a central nervous system disorder.

It is a condition due to consuming more Calories than are burned.

What is central here, is the attempt of this company to get your money.

"Forward-Looking Statements

Orexigen cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements....

All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995."

Caveat investor.

An Infant's Future Mental Abilities And Susceptibility To Mental Illness Can Be Permanently Altered By Dietary Changes In Early Life

Crap alert!

If you ever need to quickly determine if an article is full of it, look to the first sentence. If it begins like this, Bingo! Crap.

"Remarkable new research into the way environmental factors affect the development of the brain has opened up the possibility that an infant's future mental abilities and susceptibility to mental illness can be permanently altered by dietary changes in early life."

Any article starting with "remarkable" or "cutting edge" or anything other than an understated opening is trying to mislead you.

That is not to say that the more subdued ones are harmless or honest. Those you have to read more fully to determine their quality.

But ones like this are no-brainers.

This is from the "NUTRIMENTHE project."

Scorn it.

Obesity, low birthweight mar health of kids

More child abuse.

"The researchers found obesity among children in middle childhood is nearly four times more common than in children of the same age in a national survey in 1960s. For children aged 2 to 5, it is three times higher.

'These are dramatic increases in the prevalence of overweight children in American society from one generation to the next,' the researchers wrote. 'The importance of this trend for the health and well-being of children is difficult to exaggerate.'

They said overweight children have greater risks of type 2 diabetes, and often have elevated risk factors associated with heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure."

Hold the parents accountable.

More doubts about echinacea for preventing colds

How can this be?

"The popular herbal cold-fighter echinacea may not work as advertised, a new clinical trial shows."

Shocker.

Not.

High-calorie diet linked to boys

Wanna bet?

"A woman's diet around the time of conception may influence the gender of her baby, research suggests.

The study suggests a high-calorie diet at this time - and regular breakfasts - might increase the odds of a boy."

How good was the research?

"The study focused on 740 first-time pregnant mothers in the UK, who were asked to provide records of their eating habits before and during the early stages of pregnancy...

The average calorie intake for women who had sons was 2,413 a day, compared to 2,283 calories a day for women who had girls."

The data are clear that self-reported caloric intakes are notoriously bad.

And what about the nutty diabetes study?

"...most of the studies in children indicate a higher frequency of type 2 diabetes in girls. Rosenbloom et al. reported that girls were 1.7 times more likely to have type 2 diabetes than boys."

Do yourself a favor and shut out the noise from the media.

Babies of heavy mothers have more fat, less muscle

Fetal abuse and bullsh*t alert.

The abuse alert...

"Babies born to overweight or obese women have more fat and less muscle than infants born to normal-weight moms, according to one of the first studies to compare newborns' body composition to their mothers' pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI)...

...infants of the 39 overweight or obese moms had significantly higher percentages of body fat (13.6 vs. 12.5 percent), higher fat mass (448.3 grams vs. 414.1 grams), and lower fat-free mass (3,162.2 grams vs. 3,310.5 grams) than the babies born to the 33 normal-weight women, Fields and his team found."

So what?

The bullsh*t alert...

"Babies born to heavy mothers may face a greater risk of diabetes because they have less muscle mass, Fields noted in an interview. 'That could be reason why these kids, probably many of them, will get diabetes, because muscle is your largest consumer of sugar,' he said."

Clearly there is no pre-determination as kids of intended-weight are not condemned to diabetes, no matter their birth weight or body composition.

If a kid is fat, put him/her on a diet.

Heavily marketed kids' cereals are least healthy

Bull.

"Breakfast cereals for children are less healthy than cereals meant for adults, and those marketed the most aggressively to kids have the worst nutritional quality, according to a new analysis of 161 brands.

'The cereal the parent is eating him or herself is probably better than what they're feeding their child,' Dr. Marlene B. Schwartz of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, the lead researcher on the study, told Reuters Health."

More crap from Yale whose health experts are full of sh*t.

Here is the real issue.

"Schwartz and her colleagues also found that health claims made for kids' cereals were often misleading. Cereals sold as 'low fat' or 'low sugar' were not lower in calories, as parents might assume, and while brands touted as "whole grain" did have more fiber, they had just as much salt, sugar and fat as other brands and the same calorie content."

Calories.

There are no "healthy" foods.

There is only healthy eating.

And that is a matter of Calories in, Calories out.

Period.