Obesity may complicate surgery in children

A new study suggests that nearly one-third of children undergoing surgery are overweight or obese, placing them at increased risk of experiencing complications associated with the surgery.

"We hope our study and others to follow will help spotlight the obese child as being a high-risk surgical candidate and therefore deserves extra vigilance," Dr. Olubukola O. Nafiu from University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, told.

"Obviously, primary prevention of obesity will be the answer," Nafiu said.

Nafiu and colleagues looked at all 6,017 children who had surgery at the U-M Hospital between 2000 and 2004 and found that 31.5 percent were overweight or obese, with 10 percent classified as obese and 4.5 percent classified as morbidly obese.

Based on age- and gender-specific definitions, 14.4 percent of children were overweight and 17.2 percent were obese, the results, published in the Journal of the National Medical Association, indicate.

"We were quite surprised to find that many obese children and those who were morbidly obese by adult standards were classified as ASA I," indicating a healthy patient with no increased surgical risk, Nafiu said.

On the contrary, it's been shown that certain surgical complications are more common in obese individuals compared to normal-weight individuals, Nafiu said.

For instance, obese children may have more breathing difficulties; a higher risk of post-surgery upper airway obstruction; and may require more anti-nausea medication. Obese adults are also known to be at increased risk for surgical complications.

"Normal-weight obese" syndrome may up heart risks

People who are normal-weight but carry a good deal of body fat may be at increased risk of heart disease and stroke, a small study suggests.

Most people have by now heard of body mass index (BMI), a measure used to classify people as normal-weight, overweight or obese based on their weight and height.

However, there are people who are technically normal-weight based on their BMI yet have a substantial amount of excess fat, and some researchers say this is its own type of "syndrome."

In research published last year, a group of Italian researchers described what they call "normal-weight obese" or NWO syndrome -- where BMI is normal but body fat makes up more than 30 percent of weight.

The good news for these individuals is that they don't have the metabolic conditions that often mark obesity -- such as high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels and high blood sugar.

On the other hand, the bad news, according to this latest study, is that people with NWO syndrome may be prone to high blood levels of certain inflammation-related proteins. That suggests they are at risk of becoming obese or developing cardiovascular disease in the future, the study authors report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Dr. Antonino De Lorenzo of the University of Tor Vergata in Rome led the research team, the same one that first described NWO syndrome.

The study included 20 young women who met the definition of NWO syndrome, along with 20 normal-weight women and 20 who were overweight based on their BMI and had a body fat percentage greater than 30 percent.

Overall, the researchers found, the NWO group had higher levels of several inflammatory proteins than normal-weight women did. The excess body fat in the former group may explain the difference, as research suggests that fat tissue secretes inflammatory substances, De Lorenzo and his colleagues note.

Because inflammation has been implicated in the buildup of artery-clogging plaques, women who have a normal weight but high fat mass may be at increased risk of heart disease and stroke down the road, according to the researchers.

What's more, they point out, these women are likely to have a false sense of security about their heart health because their BMI is normal.]

This means that measuring body fat percentage, and not just BMI, could be an important part of preventing obesity-related ills, the researchers conclude.

Girls Who Become Overweight Remain At Increased Risk

A study published in the January issue of the Journal of Pediatrics shows that girls who become overweight while children tend to remain at increased risk through young adulthood. Furthermore the study suggests, for the first time, that girls are most likely to become overweight in the the years immediately before puberty.

The study, conducted by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, enrolled more than 2300 girls between ages 9 and 10, and followed the girls up to age 23. Approximately half the girls were white, and half African American.

The proportion of girls who were overweight increased as they progressed through adolescence, from 7% to 10% in white girls, and 17% to 24% in African American girls. The onset of becoming overweight was most likely during ages 9 to 12.

Girls who were overweight had higher blood pressure, higher LDL cholesterol levels, and lower HDL cholesterol levels than those who were of normal weight. Furthermore, girls who were overweight in childhood were up to 30 times more likely to be frankly obese during the early ages of adulthood (up to age 23), and their metabolic abnormalities persisted into adulthood.

This study shows that childhood obesity is not benign, and is not merely "a phase" that girls are likely to grow out of. Indeed, it shows that childhood obesity is a pattern that is likely to transition into an overweight adulthood, complete with metabolic abnormalities predisposing to metabolic syndrome, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and early death.

How Gain Weight Systems of Your Body Work

Gaining weight is on the mind of more and more people today. Maybe it's a result of the increased discontent in this generation, or maybe the result of return to sanity after the super-skinny era. In any case, first you need to know how 'gain weight' programs can hurt you if they're not right on. How gain weight programs generally work is simple - take some supplements, lift some weights, eat a lot more, and you'll see results. Nope. There's no guarantee that these efforts will yield the fruit you seek. How gain weight system of your body actually works is much different.

There are three essential components to gaining weight that MUST me met before you'll see any significant gains. How gain weight programs make a ton off of unsuspecting customers is rather disconcerting since this is stuff that only people who're actually willing to learn research, and not those trying to keep a resolution.

#1 - You need proper nutrition - Without this, you might as well not lift. It's like spending thousands on tuning up your classic car, and then not putting any gas in it! You need tons of protein - about .8 grams for every pound of weight if you're trying to gain weight. A small amount of fat, fiber, and loads of water are also essential to it.

Related Myth - You can gain muscle without gaining fat. Nope. You just can't avoid putting on a bit of fat with the muscle, though that can be changed later.

#2 - You need more intensity, less frequency - No, you don't need to spend 5-10 hours a week in the gym. In fact, you can get the best workout and gain the most weight with just 3 hours a week in the gym. The key is to work out with maximum intensity. Most programs ignore this since many are actually unaware of how gain weight mechanisms of the body work.

Related Myth - More reps = more sweat = better workout. No it doesn't. Sweat doesn't prove anything...except that you're losing some water to cool off.

#3 - You need adequate rest - Without resting at least a day between intense workout, you're killing your chances of gaining weight. You actually gain weight during the rest, and not the exercise.

Related Myth - You should workout 5 days a week. No way. More than 3 a week means that you're gaining less that you could.

Those are the three important things to keep in mind. If you want a program that can teach you exactly how gain weight systems work, give you proper guidance on nutrition, exercises, and all other important things about gaining weight, none comes close to The Truth About Building Muscle.

Hopefully, this will help you attain your goals about gaining weight more easily and effectively.

The Obesity Problem in the United States

Obesity in the United States has significantly risen in the past 20 years. Over 60 million adults and 9 million children are obese! If you are overweight, this is extremely dangerous for your health. You need to get to a normal weight.

Obesity is caused by an energy imbalance which results from consuming too many calories and not getting enough exercise. Behavior and the environment are the biggest causes of people being overweight today. However, this can be prevented and changed.

Being overweight increases your risk for many health conditions and diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, stroke, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and even some cancers.

There are several ways that doctors use to decide if a patient is obese. The most common way is to use the BMI (body mass index). The BMI takes into account a patient's weight and height and comes up with their body mass. For most people, this is an accurate way to get the amount of body fat in your body. Other ways to estimate body fat include measuring skin fold thickness, waist circumference, ultrasounds, waist to hip circumference ratios, MRI, and computed tomography.

Obesity in the United States just seems to be getting worse and worse. In 1991, only four states had obesity rates of 15 to 19% and no states had obesity rates above 20%. In 2004, this had dramatically changed. Seven states had obesity rates of 15 to 19%, 33 states had obesity rates of 20 to 24%, and 9 states had obesity rates that were more than 25%.

There are many reasons why obesity is so prevalent today which include behavioral reasons, environmental reasons, and genetic reasons. In the past 20 years, the environment and people's behavior has drastically changed, causing this jump in obesity. Fast food restaurants, soft drinks, and pre-packaged foods are much more readily available than they were 20 years ago. Grocery stores also have more foods than before.

People are eating much more than they used to. Everyone is taking larger portions and eating more snacks. There are so many unhealthy snacks being sold and everyone buys them. This is very unhealthy because people are consuming so many calories and not burning them off.

Something everyone can do to prevent becoming obese or to lose weight if you are already obese is physical activities. You need to do activities that use energy so you can burn off calories. Some physical activities include washing floors, washing windows, gardening, yard work, farming, waiting tables, construction work, carpentry, walking, biking, swimming, skating, dancing, sports, aerobics, and anything else that involves movement. Physical activity is good for your health; it not only controls your weight, buy it also decreases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer.

Most Americans no longer do physical activities, which is a big problem. Technology has eliminated the need to do physical activities. Cars are used instead of walking or riding a bike. Elevators, dishwashers, computers, and televisions also are causes for our inactivity. People need to get up and move around. Anything that involves movement will use energy and burn calories.

This rise in obesity is a big concern for us. We need to make sure that we are doing all we can to maintain a healthy weight. Everyone needs to try to eat healthier and do physical activities. If you do not get to a normal weight, it is an enormous health risk for you.

Knowing the Different Types of Fats

When people hear the term 'fats' they automatically assume that it is a bad thing, however there are actually fats that are good, and that you in fact need in order to maintain your body properly. There are many different types of fats, and each different type affects your body differently. This is why it is truly so important to take all of the different types into account as well as whether or not they are beneficial to your body, so that you can maintain a healthier diet.

•Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are the fats that are derived from animal sources, such as that of beef or other similar products, and these fats go hard when at room temperature. Saturated fats are basically the type that you would generally like to avoid, as they are one of the types of fats that are the worst for you. Furthermore, saturated fat is the fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids, and foods that contain a high proportion of saturated fat include that of: butter, tallow, lard, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, and perm kernel oil.

•Unsaturated Fats
Generally, unsaturated fats come from specific plant resources, such as canola oil, olive oil, and other similar products. In other words, an unsaturated fat is one in which there is one or more than one double bond in the fatty acid chain. Basically in this regards, a fat molecule is monounsaturated if it contains one double bond and polyunsaturated if it contains more than one double bond. As well, therefore a saturated fat is saturated with hydrogen atoms, and the greater degree of unsaturation in a fatty acid, the more vulnerable it then is to lipid peroxidation.

•Trans Fat
This is yet another type of fat, and trans fats are actually a type of unsaturated fat. All trans fats occur naturally, in small quantities, in such things as meat and dairy products, and most of the trans fats that are consumed today are industrially created as a side effect in fact of partial hydrogenation of plant oils. This is a process which was developed in the early 1900s and which was first commercialized as Crisco in the year 1911.

Furthermore, unlike all other types of fat, trans fats are neither required nor beneficial for your health. Trans fat is actually thus one of the worst types of fats for you. Eating a lot of foods that are high in trans fats is incredibly bad for you, and puts you at risk for a multitude of different health problems, including that of coronary heart disease.

From this it is quite easy to see that there are many different types of fats, and it is actually quite surprising not only that there are some fats that are good for you, but also the fact of how different each type of fat really is. Each type has different qualities to it, and all of these qualities in regards to each one must be taken incredibly seriously into consideration in order for you to be able to come to a proper and knowledgeable understanding on what type of fat you should be consuming.

Obesity may reduce risk of heart failure death

Obese patients hospitalized with heart failure tend to fare better than their lean counterparts, new research suggests.

The report, which appears in the American Heart Journal, indicates that this "obesity paradox," which was previously described in patients with chronic heart failure, may also apply to patients with rapidly worsening or "decompensated" heart failure.

"This study suggests that overweight and obese patients may have a greater metabolic reserve to call upon during an acute heart failure episode," lead investigator Dr. Gregg Fonarow told Reuters Health, "which may lessen in-hospital (death) risk"

Fonarow of the University of California, Los Angeles and colleagues came to this conclusion after studying data on almost 109,000 heart failure episodes in more than 80,000 patients.

Patients were grouped by body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight relative to height. A normal BMI is between 20 and 25 and subjects in the present study had ones ranging from 16 (very thin) to 60 (very obese).

Those with the highest BMI were younger, were more likely to have diabetes and had higher left ventricular ejection fraction, meaning that the heart was able to pump more blood out with each contraction.

The team found that in-hospital deaths fell as BMI rose, even after accounting for factors including age, gender, blood pressure, and heart rate.

For example, the overall in-hospital death rate was 5 percent in those with the lowest BMI versus 2.2 percent in those with the highest. For every 5 unit increase in BMI, the death risk fell by 10 percent.

The team calls for further study to investigate underlying factors. "These findings," Fonarow noted, "raise the possibility that nutritional/metabolic support may have therapeutic benefit in specific patients hospitalized with heart failure"

The Monster that is Obesity

Some Facts About Obesity

What is Obesity?
It is not the last few pounds you need to loose to fit back into your old jeans. Obesity is essential having too much body fat. Obesity is determined by calculating your body mass index (BMI).

BMI
The BMI takes measurements for height and weight. It then estimates to what a degree a person is healthy or unhealthy. To figure you BMI:
Take your weight in pounds and height in inches. For example: Jane weighs 140 pounds and is 5 feet 3 inches tall.
BMI = (pounds x 700)/ (inches squared)
BMI = (140 x 700)/ (63(square)
BMI = (98000)/ (3969)
BMI = 24.7
A score of 30.0 or higher is considered obese on the BMI scale. A BMI score between 25 and 30 is considered overweight. Having a score that high can lead to problem, such high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and other serious illness. The higher your BMI the more weight related illness you are likely to have.
Obesity is a very complex disease; it is hard to say why some people weigh more than others. It is a combination between genetics, culture, environment, and behavior.

What Causes Obesity?
An individual gains weight when they take in more calories than they expend. For example the average person with a moderate activity level burn 1800 calories per day. If that person was taking in 2100 calories per day they would gain 1 pound every 11.7 days. Unused calories are stored as fat. This is a defense mechanism. To help our bodies prepare for winter or if female for birth. Our bodies are taught to prepare for the future.
Other factors besides calories can cause obesity. If your parents were obese you have a greater chance of being obese. Your activity level, if you don’t get any physical exercise you are more likely to gain weight, although this does depend on your genetics and metabolism. Finally culture plays a part. Do you live in a culture with covenant, yet unhealthy food choices? Is it easier for you to run to McDonald’s that make a salad at home?
What are the Health Problems Associated with Obesity?
If you are obese you are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, sleep disorder, and other various illnesses.

How is Obesity Diagnosed?
Obesity is diagnosed by a physician performing a physical exam and using the BMI chart.

Stereotypes About Obesity
People who are obese are often assumed to be lazy. Our society emphasizes thinness to the point of obsession. There is a lot of physical and psychological pain that comes with being obese. Obesity is hard disease to overcome. And often societies view of obese people to do not help the situation.

What Treatments are there?
First to fix obesity, it must be a lifetime fix. You must change your lifestyle. No magic pill or workout will do it for you. Treatment includes; changing your eating habits, increasing physical activity, and monitoring behaviors. You want to find your eating triggers and learning how to deal with stressor without using food as a coping mechanism. If this does not work surgery, such as gastric bypass is an option, but it must be considered as a last result, because of the dangers.
The key to be healthy is to eat the right foods, get the right amount of exercise and see your doctor regularly.

More about obesity and weight loss:
Weight Loss Tips and Tricks

Dangers of Obesity

The human race has made several advancements over a period of time. Due to all these advancements life has become extremely sedentary. People don’t do enough physical activity as a result more and more people are becoming victims of obesity.

Many people just don’t bother to take their weight problems seriously. They feel it is just a cosmetic disorder. This is far from the truth. Obesity is a serious health problem and is causes around 300,000 deaths per year, second only to smoking.

Obesity leads to serious health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, diabetes, osteoarthritis, gallstones, gallbladder disease, gout, and breathing problems like asthma. Due to this a person who is 40% overweight is said to be twice as likely to die prematurely as compared to an average weight person.

A list of the different health problems caused by obesity includes:

Heart Disease & Stroke
A heart disease affects the normal functioning of the heart and it results in blood not circulating properly. Heart diseases can lead to problems like a heart attack, congestive heart failure, sudden cardiac death, angina (chest pain), or abnormal heart rhythm. When a person suffers from stroke it results in blood and oxygen not reaching the brain.

High levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats) in the blood can lead to strokes and heart disease. Doctors say that even a weight gain of 20 pounds doubles the risk of heart disease.

Type 2 Diabetes
In type 2 diabetes the blood sugar of the person goes above the normal level. When a person is obese or overweight it affects the cells causing them to become less effective in removing sugar from blood. As a result there is more pressure put on the insulin producing cells as a result of which they gradually stop working.

Weight gain increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and it has been found that 80% of the people suffering from diabetes are overweight or obese.

Cancer
Cancer is a leading cause of death in the U.S. Though cancer need not necessarily originate from obesity but obesity does increase the chances of certain types of cancers. These cancers include cancers of the colon, esophagus, and kidney, and uterine and postmenopausal breast cancer in women.

It is believed that being overweight or obese causes the fat cells in the body to make hormones that affect cell growth and can lead to cancer.

Liver Disease
When fat builds up in the liver it can lead to liver disease and can result in injury and inflammation in the liver. Fat can also cause severe liver damage, cirrhosis and even liver failure.

High Blood Pressure
Being overweight or obese is a leading cause of high blood pressure. According to doctors being 20% overweight makes you eight times more likely to suffer from high blood pressure as compared to an averaged weight person.

Sleep Apnea
When a person stops breathing for short periods in the night, the condition is termed as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is caused when fat gets stored around the neck resulting in narrowing of the airway. Fat stored in the body can also cause inflammation in the neck, this can also causes sleep apnea.

Gout
Gout is caused due to a high level of uric acid in the blood. Sometimes uric acid forms into solid stone or crystal masses that get deposited in the joints. Gout is a problem that is usually experienced by overweight people.

Problems in Women
Women who are obese often suffer from irregularities in the menstrual cycles and infertility. If a woman is obese during pregnancy it increases the risk of death of both the mother and the child. It also leads to an increase the risk of maternal high blood pressure by 10 times. Obesity during pregnancy can also cause birth defects, particularly neural tube defects.

Gallstones
Being overweight is a major factor for the formation of gallstones. Gallstones are solid clusters that form in the gallbladder. They are usually made of cholesterol and overweight people produce more cholesterol, hence they are at risk.

Urinary Stress Incontinence
A large, heavy abdomen and relaxation of the pelvic muscles, especially associated with the effects of childbirth, may cause the valve on the urinary bladder to be weakened, leading to leakage of urine with coughing, sneezing, or laughing.

A healthy diet and regular physical activity are both important for maintaining a healthy weight. Even a small decrease in calories consumed and an increase in physical activity can help prevent weight gain or facilitate weight loss.

Hyperlipidemia
Hyperlipidemia refers to high cholesterol in the body and it is caused by a build up of fatty substances in the arteries. Due to this the arteries narrow and become hard as a result of which blood flow to the heart goes down. This can result in chest pain and heart attacks. Hyperlipidemia is caused by several factors but an increase in weight is a leading cause.

Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a join disorder where the joint bone cartilage wears away. It usually affects the knees, hips, and lower back. Osteoarthritis is usually caused by an increase in the body weight as it exerts extra pressure on the joints and cartilage. People who have more body fat also face the risk of inflammation at the joints and this may cause osteoarthritis. There is an 8 to 12% increase in the risk of developing Osteoarthritis with every 2 pound increase in weight.

Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are formed when valves in the veins weaken and due to this veins permanently dilate. Blood is not pumped around the body instead it pools in the veins. Having excess weight in the body leads to varicose veins and when a person looses weight it helps in the treatment.

Psychological and Social Effects
Probably the psychological and social effects of obesity are the most painful. When a person suffers from obesity he often looses confidence and feels unattractive. Obese people are often made fun of and discriminated as a result of which they find it really hard to lead a happy life, many start suffering from depression.

Need to Loose Weight
These dangers of obesity make it extremely important to loose weight. But here again there is another problem. People often try to loose weight quickly with the help of fad diets. But it must be remembered that successful and happy weight loss takes time and one needs to be patient. Fad diets might help in loosing weight but they bring about weight loss by depriving the body of some necessary nutrients. This might cause further health complications.

The only healthy way to loose weight is by following a proper weight loss program that includes exercise and a reduced calorie diet. In the beginning you might find it difficult to limit you intake therefore you can try using weight loss pills like Phentermine, Adipex or Xenical. There is nothing wrong with using Phentermine or the other weight loss pills. Phentermine will help in suppressing the appetite as a result you’ll be able to reduce your intake and be satisfied even by eating smaller amounts. Talk to your doctor before you begin your weight loss program. You should not aim too high in the beginning, you need to set attainable goals. Being patient is the key.

More resources:
Visit Weight Loss Blog for more information on obesity and weight loss.

One Fourth of American's Calories Come From Soda

An interesting study funded by the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), intended to identify opportunities for milk producers to develop more "value-added beverages," speaks volumes about how addicted people really are to sugary soft drinks, long considered the leading source of calories among Americans.

By the numbers:

• Almost half of all Americans (upward from age 4) drink a sugary sweet drink -- a presweetened iced tea, fruit drink or carbonated beverage -- on a given day.
• Americans drink nearly a quarter of their total caloric intake every day.
• More than a third of all the added sugars Americans consume come from soft drinks.

A look at these numbers on their own demonstrate, without a doubt, why sugary substances like high fructose corn syrup have been targeted as a major culprit in the obesity epidemic. Then, combine those frightening numbers with the fact that consuming only one extra soft drink a day can add up to 15 pounds to your weight over the course of a year, and you have a recipe for a health care disaster of epic proportions.

One of the best ways to optimize your health and tame the obesity epidemic in your home today is certainly among the easiest: Stop consuming sweet drinks and make the switch to clean fresh water.

Fighting Obesity: What We Need to Do to Keep Our Children Fit

From the results of a study released earlier this year scientists' concluded that by the year 2010 nearly half of the children that live in North and South America will be overweight. And, although we lead the world in chubby children the rest of this planet is not too far behind. Europe trails us by about 10 percent and Asia places a respectable third.

Is this little facet of knowledge alarming? Should it be? and, how concerned are we as a society about this global epidemic??

Yes, i did use the word epidemic because that's exactly what this is. Using the trusty site, www.dictionary.com, I found the definition of epidemic to be the rapid spread or increase in the occurence of something. In this case, it's a disease. Obesity is a disease with an endless list of health related areas that it has a negative impact on.

Do we really want to live in a world where more people are overweight than not? A world where people are unable to perform normal, daily functions because their obesity is stopping them? Do we want to witness a world first hand when for the first time in history the lifespan of the average human starts to decline simply because he or she can't say no that jumbo sized tub of greasy fries?

YOU CAN'T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS

Most everyone is familiar with this saying. What this dog is trying to tell us is that change in our general lifestyle becomes more difficult the older we get. Human beings like to use the excuse of age and slowed metabolism and less free time to account for their packing of the pounds. But, if that's the case, then what excuse do the children have? What about the young children who are eating fatty foods and watching television or playing video games inside all day instead of going out and getting some fresh air? What excuse do they have?

YOU GUESSED IT, NONE

The early years of your life are supposed to be your most active. It's the way we were designed. It's most natural for the young to engage in more physical activity than, let's say a middle aged adult. So, if you're young and reading this pull yourself away from the computer screen and go get some exercise. Or, you can continue reading, but after your done viewing my content, feel free to go outside.

It's not uncommon to hear debate around the issue of physical education and recess time allotted in school. One side argues that academics are more important and therefore should not be forfeitted to grant extra recess time. The other side opts for a 'no child with a fat behind' side (try that on for size dubya) and advocates for longer recesses and gym or physical education side. You see, books and studying are important, but so is excerise and play, and maybe just maybe, physical activity is more important than academics with our youngest generations.

MY NAME IS JOE SMO AND MY CHILD'S FAT

I'm thinking that maybe the concerned parents of the world who worry about their children's flirtation with fatness should form a coalition, one giant forum, where they can hash out their problems. Instead of alcoholics anonymous (AA) it would be something like Obesity not too Anonymous (OntA) because if your child's fat we can pretty much see that, sorry.

According to a study released on www.obesity.org nearly 30% of parents in America are concerned about their children's weight. And, a higher percentage, 35% believe our school systems are doing a poor job of teaching our children how to not be fat.

There are things that are out of our control, such as... most of the world around us. It's impossible to block fast food restaurants, addictive videogames, commericials promoting unhealthy habits and all restaurants in general from our children. (Let's not place all the blame on fastfood chains, regular sit-down, fine dine restaurants are often times just as bad if not worse) But the things we can control, if your a parent that is, is family life and the school system. Believe it or not, you do have a say in these matters.

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR CHILDREN HEALTHY

If your wondering how to promote physical activity and nutritition the best way is through imatation. That's right if your going to make your child eat brussel sprouts you should too. This way it shows him or her that being healthy is a good thing.

YOU ARE A ROLE MODEL

Promote physical activity through yourself. Set aside a time to engage your family in some group activity that you all can enjoy (biking, hiking, rollerblading etc.) I know you don't have much time, but they do. Once you get them started chances are they will pick up on it and continue the fun on their own free time.

So, America, and the rest of the world, don't go down without a fight. Or don't plump up without a fight seems more appropriate. Go out do some exercise and have some fun.

Lose the Weight: Obesity Affects Prostate Cancer Risk

A long-term study of almost 70,000 men by the American Cancer Society has found that losing excess weight will decrease a man's risk of prostate cancer.

Other studies have already been published have shown that men with a high body mass index (BMI) are more likely to more likely to be diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, and to have the prostate cancer recur after having it treated.

Facts:
Over 234,0000 men were expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and over 27,000 men were to die of it in 2006 (the 2007 estimates have not been released).

The study was part of a lifestyle study called the Cancer Prevention Study II that was started back in 1982. This study routinely questioned the men about their smoking, diet and exercise habits while calculating their BMI, and documented any incidence of cancer. The data was correlated with the reports of prostate cancer in the men from 1992 to 2003 to find a positive correlation between BMI and different stages of prostate cancer.

Summary:
This study positively confirms that losing excess weight reduces a man's chance of developing prostate cancer. If you are overweight, try to lose the pounds, if you are not overweight, keep the pounds off.

Are You Medically Obese?

How to Find Out If You Are Obese and What You Can Do About It

Many people talk about wanting to lose weight or increase their overall health, but statistics show that there are roughly 40 million obese Americans in the U.S. today. If you include overweight Americans, the figure jumps to 97 million adults, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Obese is defined as being more than 20 percent above your ideal body weight, or having a BMI (body mass index) over 30. That makes a 5'7" woman weighing 185 pounds obese in medical terms. For a complete chart that shows where you fall on the obesity scale, go to http://www.holisticonline.com.

Obesity is linked to a long line of medical problems, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and Type II diabetes. These diseases are linked to mild obesity and being overweight but not obese-the prognosis is worse for those who are extremely overweight. Fortunately, reversing the possibility of suffering from an obesity-related disease is easy-losing only ten percent of your current weight can lower your risk of stroke and heart disease.
Losing that ten percent may be easier than you think. It is common knowledge that eating less and exercising more will make you lose weight; however, this seems to be the hardest diet program for people to stick to. Here are some quick and painless ways to jumpstart your weight loss program:

•Increase activity. Do something, anything, above what you normally do. This can mean parking in the farthest space from the grocery store or taking the stairs at work. If you're already active, add a little jog to your walk or take up swimming, the best all-over workout available.

•Avoid excess sugar. Everyone knows they should avoid excessive sugar if they want to lose weight, but they may not know how their health foods sabotage this goal. Read the labels of your food and avoid high fructose corn syrup, added fructose, and added sugar. Try to eat as little processed food as possible.

•Water, water, water. Drink up! Replace at least two drinks a day with water. H2O keeps your body running smoothly while reducing water retention and quenching thirst and hunger. By replacing fruit drinks or soda with water, you're cutting down on sugar and calories, too.

Take 10% of your weight off and you could remove yourself from the obese list. You will immediately increase your overall health and create a better long-term health outlook for yourself. Obesity does not have to be an unknown health problem in your life. Find out if your weight level is healthy, overweight, or obese-and get healthier today!

The Three Variables That Affect Childhood Obesity

Researchers reviewed data on some 8,000 children between kindergarten and third grade to identify factors associated with a school-age child's weight. Children were divided into three categories: Those who were never overweight, others who became overweight by the time they reached third grade and a third group who became overweight during kindergarten and stayed that way through third grade.

No surprise, an excessive amount of TV watching, fewer family meals and neighborhoods parents perceived weren't safe for outdoor play -- meaning no exercise time - all contributed to higher obesity levels.

For instance, the presence of all three variables contributed to a child being overweight by the time he or she reached kindergarten. And, kids who watched too much TV and ate fewer meals with their families were more likely to be overweight by the time they reached first grade.

You can fight obesity all you want in our schools, but controlling the epidemic depends on parental guidance or, more importantly, the lack of it.

12 Easy Tips to Weight Loss and Healthy Living

1. Lessen Portion size

Eating less food to achieve your weight goal would be a no-brainer but for your stomach screaming to eat more. If you get hungry later, you can eat more, but always stop eating early. A good rule of thumb is to leave 10% on the plate (and that doesn’t mean over-serving yourself to compensate!).

2. Drink LOTS of water

Many times, our brain is really sending the message that we are thirsty, and we decode this wrongly to assuming that we are hungry. Drink an obscene amount of water (think nearly a gallon a day). You will feel much better. Not only will you be hungry less often, but your skin will clear up, your hair will be softer, and you will have more energy.

3. Exercise

Exercise does not have to be at a gym, but it does have to be somewhere other than the couch. Go rollerblading or play tennis in the park. If you don’t like sports or the weather is bad, dance to some fast music at home!

4. Walk everywhere

Take the stairs. Park far away, and walk up to the store. Walk any distances that are less than 5 miles, weather and safety permitting.

5. Eat Breakfast

Eating breakfast will give you energy and speed up your metabolism. Skipping meals is never a good idea for your body. Starving yourself will cause your body to retain the next meal you eat as fat instead of burning the calories as it should.

6. Don’t focus on your mind’s image

You don’t see yourself as you are. Think of your brain like a funhouse mirror; it is distorting your image. Ignore your faults.

7. Visualize yourself at your ideal weight

Close your eyes and imagine yourself looking as you would like to: vibrant, healthy, and happy. This will keep you happy and upbeat. Walking quickly with your head held high burns more calories than sulking!

8. Focus on the positive

Instead of focusing on where you think you SHOULD be in terms of your weight loss goal, focus on where you are and how far you have come. Don’t set unrealistic goals or you will plateau and give up. Instead of saying “I really should have lost 5 inches”, say “Wow! I lost 2 inches! I’m smaller than I was”.

9. Make peace with the mirror

I don’t care how much it hurts, smile at the mirror. That’s right, SMILE. Give yourself a compliment out loud, regardless of how stupid you feel. Our brains respond to what we vocalize and hear, and yours will hear “wow, you look beautiful today”.

10. Don’t overdo it

You will not be a better person after losing 20 pounds. In fact, you will not even be a different person. You will still be as you were before; there will just be less of you. Keep your original goal in mind; don’t re-adjust it once you reach your ideal weight. Focus on your self-esteem rather than your weight and be amazed at how the pounds seem to vanish.

11. Eat whole foods

Don’t buy boxed, dried food to mix with hamburger meat. Buy the hamburger meat, tomatoes, and spices and make it yourself. Not only will it taste better, but your meal will lack the preservatives of the processed food. You are what you eat.

12. Give yourself a break

Take a day, my day is Saturday, and make it all yours. Eat McDonald’s. Eat a pound and a half of chicken wings. Eat whatever it is that you want. Enjoy yourself! One day of indulgence will not hurt your health if you stay healthy all of the other days. In fact, it will give you something to look forward to.

Burn fat all year long

You don't need to eat like a child to recapture the metabolism of your youth. "You can rev up your metabolic engine without changing how much you eat," says Mark Hyman, M.D., author of Ultra-metabolism. Combined with an interval workout, these simple tips will have your body burning calories all day long — and all night.

• Up your protein intake. A British study found that participants who increased the percentage of protein-based calories in their diets burned 71 more calories a day (that's 7.4 pounds a year) than those on low-protein diets. "Protein burns hotter than other food sources," says Dr. Hyman. Jumpstart your metabolism early with two scrambled eggs or a few slices of lean turkey bacon for breakfast, then keep it up throughout the day with at least one protein-packed snack, such as almonds or cheese, and lunch and dinner built around legumes, lean meats, tuna, or salmon.
• Eat more often. Skipping meals lets your body's calorie-burning furnace go cold, says Dr. Hyman. Spread out mini-meals throughout the day. Try a cup of yogurt with fresh fruit or almonds at 10:30 a.m., and a hard-boiled egg or hummus with vegetables around 3 p.m.
• Go green. Catechins, the powerful antioxidants found in green tea, are known to increase metabolism. In a 12-week double-blind study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, participants who consumed 690 milligrams of catechins from green tea daily had significantly lower body-mass indexes and smaller waist measurements than those in the control group. Skip the Lipton and steep 1 teaspoon of loose green-tea leaves (we like Dragon Pearl from Rishi) in hot water for 4 minutes.

Eat breakfast every day
Begin by proving that you have time for it. This weekend, time how long it takes you to nuke a bowl of instant oatmeal and eat it. We're betting less than 5 minutes, which isn't long enough to make you late for work.

Then remind yourself why it's so crucial. "Not eating breakfast may reduce your metabolic rate by 10 percent," says Leslie Bonci, R.D., M.P.H., director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh medical center. This in turn increases your risk of obesity, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

"Keep a breakfast bar by your bed, or pour dry oatmeal or cereal in a bowl the night before," Bonci suggests. Leave a bowl of fruit or bags of trail mix near your front door so you can grab them in a hurry.

Wanna lose 40 pounds?
You want to drop big weight? Forget about it. No, really — that's the crucial tip. Put the end goal out of the picture and narrow your focus to the day at hand. Bob Harper, a trainer on the NBC TV show "The Biggest Loser," says, "Ask yourself, Did I get my workout in today? Did I make the right food choices? Then go through it again tomorrow, always with an eye on improving."

Here are Harper's top five real-world solutions. Becoming fat is a big piece of cake. Slimming down is not.

1. Get over gym-timidation. The muscleheads at the squat rack aren't judging you. "If they see someone out of shape trying their hardest to change, they'll do what they can to help you," says Harper. So ask for a spot, or even some guidance. Just because those guys are ripped doesn't mean they don't struggle with diets and exercise plans.

2. Fight through the pain. Your neglected body won't be able to do what it once could. Start slowly and remember that post-exercise soreness means you're making progress. Use this as motivation to put the past into your present. "You'll see just how far you've let yourself go, but you'll know what you're eventually capable of," Harper says.

3. Break periods of discouragement — with a little help from your friends. "It's no secret that support groups work," says Harper. Online sites like www.biggestloserclub.com are huge inspirations for weight loss. Share your story with peers and read how they overcame struggles similar to yours.

4. Forget plateaus. Whether you lose weight every week or not, remember that your efforts are improving your overall health — from lowering cholesterol to cutting visceral belly fat. And don't weigh yourself more than once a week. You'll just make yourself nuts.

5. Fall down six times, but stand up seven. The wagon will leave you behind if you fall off. It's your job to keep chasing it down.

Eat smaller portions
There's a conspiracy to trick you into eating more. Everything from efficient busboys (clearing the table so you forget how much you've eaten) to "family-size" bags of chips (making massive quantities seem normal) goads us into stuffing our faces.

A recent Cornell University study found that nutritionists (!) who were asked to serve themselves ice cream at a party with large bowls and spoons dished out about 50 percent more than those given smaller bowls and spoons. "Even superstar experts get fooled," says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating. Fortunately, the illusion works both ways. . . .

• Use small bowls and spoons. Not only will you serve yourself less food, you'll eat less. Cornell researchers also found that graduate students scarfed down 59 percent more Chex Mix from large bowls than those who served themselves from smaller bowls.
• Drink from a tall glass. Our brains estimate height differently than width. Given drinking glasses with the same capacity, we tend to pour more into a short, squat glass than a tall, narrow one.
• Always, always skip the value size. Sure, you get more for your money when you buy in bulk. But Wansink has found that people who are given larger boxes of pasta cook and eat more of it than people given smaller boxes. Sacrifice the pennies; slim your waist.

Kick your fast-food addiction
We know how tempting it is. We're guys, and we've been hungry and tired. Fight back with our plan.

Step 1: No more eating while driving. The real appeal of fast food is convenience: You don't even need to get out of your car. Once you have to walk in the door to get your combo meal, the appeal of fast food swiftly declines. Plus, by keeping the food away from the driver's seat, you'll avoid dripping Arby's sauce on your tie and stockpiling empty soda cups in your backseat, and you'll probably drive more safely.

Step 2: Embrace the boneless, skinless chicken breast. You're more likely to skip the drive-thru if you have a cooked chicken breast waiting at home. They're high in protein, low in fat, and cheap. MH "Muscle Chow" author Gregg Avedon cooks several each Sunday to eat throughout the week, and you should, too.

Rub 2 pounds of chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and lay them on a broiler pan. Cook under the broiler or in a 500°F oven for 5 minutes, then flip them over and cook for another 5 minutes, until they're Nerf-football firm. Let them cool, then store them in a resealable bag in your fridge.

Step 3: Cook a tasty, healthy meal for one in less time than you'd have to wait at the drive-thru. We're not saying you have to eat chicken every night, but look what you can do with your precooked chicken.

Cobb salad: Dice one chicken breast and toss it in a salad of romaine lettuce with crumbled blue cheese, low-sodium bacon bits, and a sliced hard-boiled egg. Dress with a tablespoon of balsamic vinaigrette.

Chicken fajita: Sauté 1/3 cup each of sliced green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and onion in olive oil until tender. Slice a chicken breast into 1/4-inch strips and add the chicken to the pan, along with a pinch of cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook for 60 seconds (you can even do that ahead of time), then serve the mixture on whole-wheat tortillas topped with shredded Cheddar cheese and a dollop of low-fat sour cream. Even full-fat sour cream is okay, because it'll keep you satisfied longer.

Pesto Pasta: Cook a cup of penne pasta according to the package directions. Bonus points if you decide to use whole-wheat pasta. At the same time, reheat one chicken breast in the microwave for 60 seconds, then slice it into 1/4-inch strips. Toss the chicken and pasta with 1 1/2 tablespoons of prepared basil pesto, and eat with store-bought salad-in-a-bag.

Barbecue-chicken pizza: Spread 1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce on a large pita and layer with diced chicken, sliced red onion, a dash of dried oregano, and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake in a 400°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Conquer your cravings and stop bingeing
Healthy eating isn't about deprivation — it's about simple planning and smart decisions. This year, skip the rice cakes and sprouts, and eat real food that satisfies your hunger and your body's nutritional needs.

Here's your four-step game plan:

1. Outsmart your cravings. "People tend to eat around their cravings, snacking and nibbling until they've taken in 500 calories and still aren't satisfied," says D. Milton Stokes, M.P.H., R.D. Don't fight the urge —find a healthier way to satisfy it. Sweet tooth? Try a Stonyfield Farm Smoothie: big on protein and creamy flavor, low in calories and fat. "You curb the craving, and you get solid nutrition," says Stokes.

2. Eat well on the road. To avoid a Cinnabon relapse at the airport, pack mixed nuts, energy bars, and granola bars. Make your own trail mix by combining 1/2 cup each Bran Chex, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, unsalted cashews, and raisins. Bag small servings and go.

3. Snack smarter. It's not snacking when you're elbow deep in a Doritos bag--that, friend, is gorging. Control the quantity. Buy prepackaged portions, like 1-ounce bags of Baked Lay's and snack-size Pacific Gold jerky. Warehouse stores like Costco and Sam's Club have huge boxes of these. Even ice cream comes in small cups. "For most guys, the carton becomes a trough," says Stokes.

4. Control late-night bingeing. Use the "set snack" trick. People who ate the same snack 90 minutes after dinner for 1 month dropped 4 pounds in a Wayne State University study. (They ate cereal.) And beware hunger spurred by boredom or TV ads. "Take the dog for a walk; do anything to buy some time for your brain to tell you you're not really hungry," Stokes says. Or brush your teeth and gargle: "Nothing tastes good after that."

Eat more fiber
Drinking your roughage is more efficient than eating it. You'd have to consume three heads of lettuce to ingest the 38 grams (g) of fiber per day that the USDA recommends for men. But adding fiber to something you take in every day can cut your goal in half before you even leave the house. Fibersure, a new supplement from the makers of Metamucil, packs 5 g fiber per teaspoon and dissolves flavorlessly into any liquid. Add a spoonful to each of three cups of coffee in the morning, and you're already 15 grams to the good. Other easy ways:

1. Read the box. Pick a cereal that contains more than 10 g fiber per serving. We like Fiber One, which packs 28 g fiber per cup.

2. Snack on berries. One cup of raspberries or blackberries contains 8 g fiber. Fill a bowl with a cup of each and top them with yogurt or milk for a sweet alternative to cereal.

3. Bulk up your smoothies. Mix 1/4 cup of flaxseed into any blended beverage to add 12 g fiber.

4. Make everything Mexican. One whole avocado contains 13 g fiber, along with loads of mono-unsaturated fats. Slice one on top of a salad, a sandwich, or even scrambled eggs.

Eat less sugar
This is both obvious and tricky.

The obvious: Avoid soda, juice, sweetened teas and coffees, sugary cereals, and candy.

The tricky: Sugar hides on ingredient labels behind such names as: barley malt, brown-rice syrup, corn syrup, dextrose, evaporated cane-juice invert syrup, fructose, fruit juice, galactos, glucose, high-fructose, corn syrup, honey, lactose, maltodextrin, maple syrup, molasses, organic cane juice, sorghum, sucrose, turbinado.

Our advice: Try an experiment.

For 1 month, use this list to avoid any sugar unless it naturally occurs in a food (like the kind in milk or fruit).

When scientists at Cornell University examined the eating patterns of more than 14,000 people, they observed that those who ate the most baked confections and candy also ate the most fruit; so try satisfying your sweet tooth with the natural sugar in a peach or melon instead of a candy bar. As nutritionists like to say, "No one ever got fat from eating fruit."

Also, start substituting protein-rich snacks (string cheese, hard-boiled eggs) for seemingly harmless fare like bagels, popcorn, and pretzels. The latter are primarily composed of starch, which your body quickly breaks down into sugar. So, technically, you're still feeding your body high amounts of the sweet stuff.

Twelve Steps to Losing Weight in 2007

Making a New Years Resolution to lose weight is a noble gesture, but without taking steps to accomplish it, the gesture becomes empty. By breaking the task down into 12 months, you may be able to make losing weight more manageable. Here are my 12 mini resolutions for losing weight in 2007.

Mini Resolution for January : Drink water. Drink lots and lots of water; at least six glasses a day. Drink a glass of water when you wake up, a glass before each meal and a glass before you go to bed. In addition, keep a water bottle with you at all times to sip from continuously, and place it by your bed at night. Drinking pure, fresh water can be expensive, so it might be smart to purchase a water filter for your sink, or a water system for your house. I get my water from my refrigerator that has a charcoal filter.

Mini Resolution for February: Eat raw vegetables. Continue drinking your water as you have for the past month, but add raw vegetables to your diet. Serve your entrees on a bed of raw broccoli. Eat carrots (with or without low fat onion dip) for snacks. Eat a Salad for lunch and a salad before dinner. By the end of the month, you may have noticed that by drinking all that water, and eating all of those vegetables, you do not have a lot of room for much else.

Mini Resolution for March: Get moving: You need to exercise. Just as the experts say, you need to participate in an aerobic activity for at least 20 minutes 3-4 days a week. Do whatever is most natural for you. Most people start with walking, but you can choose to do aerobics, join a gym, or take martial arts classes instead.

Mini Resolution for April: Stop frying: Take a good look at the foods you are eating. By now, you have seen enough progress to want more. To get past those plateaus you will need to eliminate fried chicken, French fries, and anything else cooked with boiling oil. Investigate grilling, baking, and roasting. Purchase a George Foreman Grill.

Mini Resolution for May: Go sugar free: As you get closer to your goal weight, you will have to make some drastic changes. It is time to let the sugar go. Consider using sugar alternatives like Stevia or little yellow or pink packages. When those are not good enough, try a tablespoon of honey. I, personally like raw sugar, but it must be used in moderation.

Mini Resolution for June: Eliminate carbohydrates. You do not have to eliminate all carbohydrates in your diet, but you should get rid of the white carbohydrates. Swap your white potatoes for sweet potatoes. Purchase brown rice instead of white, and use whole wheat breads and pastas instead of the bleached, enriched, processed versions.

Mini Resolution for July: Pick up the pace. You are halfway to your goal. It is time to put your exercise routine into overdrive. At this point, you should be exercising for an hour a day, four to five days a week. If you started with walking, you should be running, or at least power walking by now. If you have not increased your intensity, and endurance by now, you may want to take a few lessons from a personal trainer, or at least buy a video tape.

Mini Resolution for August: Do not ignore your sweet tooth. When you get a craving for something sweet, have a square of dark chocolate, or a juicy piece of fruit. Sugar free popsicles are great for late night snacks.

Mini Resolution for September: Eat more often. Chances are your weight loss has slowed down to a crawl. Instead of eating less, what you need to do is eat more often. Instead of eating two or three meals a day, you should switch to five or six mini meals. You can graze constantly, on fruits and vegetables.

Mini Resolution for October: Vary your activities. Your body will not by happy with the same old exercises for long. You need to start cross training. Find a new sport that you enjoy to do one or two days a week in addition to your normal daily exercise.

Mini Resolution for November: Eat more soup. As the weather gets frigid, it is easy to slip back into the habits of comfort food. With the holidays around the corner, you will also want to save you calories for special occasions of which there will be many. In the meanwhile, eat soup. Chicken noodle soup is my favorite and is low in calories, yet incredibly filling. Eat your favorite variety of soup every chance you get, but do not buy the canned variety, it has too much sodium.

Mini Resolution for December: Indulge a little. You have done a great job, and there is food everywhere this time of year. As long as you drink your water, exercise, avoid processed foods, and eat soup and vegetables for your regular meals, it is ok to indulge on those special occasions.

Study Raises Questions About Weight-Loss Drugs

Millions of Americans take popular drugs to lose weight, but the long-term risks and benefits of these medications aren't known, two Canadian researchers contend.

Drs. Raj Padwal and Sumit Majumdar, of the University of Alberta, said long-term studies are needed to determine whether losing weight on drugs such as sibutramine (Meridia), orlistat (Xenical) and rimonabant (Acomplia) actually reduces the risks of heart attack, stroke and diabetes associated with being overweight or obese.

The physicians expressed their views in the Jan. 6 issue of The Lancet.

"These three medications will likely lower weight, modestly, but we need better studies," Padwal said. "The studies that are out there don't provide information on cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular deaths. The other problem is that they are not long-term and have high dropout rates. We really need to know what the net benefits of these medications are, and truly know whether we should be using them or not."

Padwal and Majumdar reviewed all the published studies on the risks and benefits of the drugs.

For example, Meridia is associated with improvement in some cardiovascular risk factors, but for some patients it raises blood pressure, Padwal said.

"If you are going to prescribe a weight-loss drug, the ultimate goal is not a cosmetic one. The ultimate goal is to get that person to be healthier and lower their risk of having cardiovascular problems," Padwal said. "If you are going to give a medication that raises the blood pressure, then you have to question, is the net benefit advantageous or am I putting this patient at increased risk."

Padwal noted that studies are now under way to determine the long-term benefits and risks of these drugs. But such studies take time, and drugs such as Merida and Xenical have been on the market for several years. "That's going to be eight to nine years of using the medication before we finally get more definitive evidence whether they are beneficial or not," he said.

The ultimate question, Padwal said, is whether the modest weight loss associated with these drugs is really a benefit for overall health. People who exercise may only lose a little weight but they can significantly reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke and diabetes, he noted.

"Until you have a study that shows that these medications lower the incidence of heart attack, the incidence of stroke, cardiovascular mortality, overall mortality, you don't know what the overall net benefit of these medications are," Padwal said.

One expert doesn't think drugs are the solution to the obesity epidemic gripping the United States and many other developed nations.

"To date, the history of weight-loss drugs is not very encouraging," said Dr. David L. Katz, an associate professor of public health and director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. "The two FDA-approved weight-loss drugs now available, sibutramine and orlistat, have serious potential side effects, limited efficacy, and work only as long as they are taken."

Rimonabant, a new drug soon to be available, blocks a receptor influencing appetite, and looks promising. But studies suggest its effects may wear off over time, and side effects are unknown, Katz said.

"Obesity is less about the body doing anything wrong than it is about an environment that is all wrong for our bodies," he said. "We are adapted to survive in a world where calories are scarce and physical activity demands high. To use pharmacotherapy to fight obesity, we are, in essence, hoping to redirect the fundamental activities of human metabolism. I don't think we'll ever succeed in doing so, without dire cost in toxicity and side effects."