Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Increase Risk of Obesity

A prospective study involving ethnically diverse middle-school children in four Massachusetts communities over the course of 2 school years showed the risk of becoming obese increased by 60% for every additional serving of sugar-sweetened beverage consumed per day. This held true after adjusting for confounding variables.PositiveTip: There is no nutritional need for sugar-sweetened beverages. Water…

Should There Be A Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax?

We all know too much sugar is harmful to us! Yet how many of us make conscious choices to reduce our intake of refined sweeteners? Did I see all hands raised? Good for you!

American Heart Association says “Limit added sugar.”

The increasing epidemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease in America has prompted the American Heart Association (AHA) to issue "prudent" upper limits on the consumption of added sugar. These sweeteners include sugars and syrups added to foods during processing, preparation, or at the table. Today, Americans consume an average of 22.2 teaspoons per day (355…

Complex or “Simple” Weight Loss Programs

The enormous cost of obesity complications along with the challenges of helping people lose weight might suggest the need for intense and complex solutions. However, a fascinating new study from New Zealand suggests a simple program of weigh-ins and supportive phone calls was as effective as more elaborate approaches to keep the pounds off.Starting with…

Eating When There is Not Enough to Eat

It may seem hard to believe, but nearly 11% of U.S. households experience food insecurity (not having access to enough food for an active, healthy life because of a lack of resources) during the past year. New research reveals significant and challenging differences between the eating habits of food-secure and food-insecure adolescents.The food-insecure were more likely…

Sleep to Prevent Disease

This may come as a surprise to many, but adults need approximately 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night. Research shows there may be a link between sleep and certain diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression. Sleep is also one of the easiest ways to improve your thinking and health!…

Work More, Get More (Benefit)!

It seems in life that nothing worthwhile comes easily! A newly published research paper underscores this fact in finding the higher the energy expenditure of overweight patients in a cardiac rehabilitation program, the greater the improvement in risk.Typical protocols result in little weight loss for the more than 80% overweight patients who enter cardiac rehabilitation…

Could the answer to obesity be as simple as drinking more water?

Researchers in Germany have found by promoting water consumption in grade schools, students do not gain as much weight. In the intervention schools one or two water fountains were installed, the students were given a water bottle at the beginning of the school year and again mid-term, and the teachers presented four prepared classroom lessons about the body's need of water.…

A Case for Balance in Body Weight

The media today informs us of the growing epidemic of obesity while at the same time placing great value in the beauty industry of the super-thin model. New research shows lowest death rates in those who are neither obese or super thin.