Parents Might Underestimate Their Child’s Obesity

Your child isn’t obese, right? It’s just “baby weight” that will go away on its own. He’s big for his age, just like his dad was. She has inherited the big bones that run in the family. But, your child certainly couldn’t be obese. Are you sure? A study shows that parents can underestimate their child’s obesity. A study was published in the British Journal of General Practice in April of 2015. It was called “Child obesity cut-offs as derived from parental perceptions: cross-sectional questionnaire”. The purpose was to compare parental perception of their child’s weight with objectively derived assessment … Continue reading →

Global Obesity Bigger Concern than Hunger

I often blog about hunger in my Green blog because not only are people all over the world going without food, there is hunger in America as well. But, I also realize now that sometimes the lack of food also doesn’t mean out-and-out hunger but a lack of healthy food and some people who are from food-insecure homes are actually overweight. That may have something to do with a recent study conducted by almost 500 researchers for the Global Burden of Disease that said that globally, obesity is a bigger health concern than hunger. One of the co-authors of the … Continue reading →

Obesity Costs $190 Billion

It makes sense that as we get fatter as a nation, our healthcare costs rise as well. But, I was really taken back today when I read that obesity could cost the U.S. $190 billion in healthcare. A new study shows that the rising cost of obesity has doubled from what experts previously expected. The staggering cost of obesity may even exceed the healthcare cost of smoking – yikes. Maybe it is true that when you give up smoking, which has been pushing in our society (and rightfully so), you gain weight. What is all this money being spent on? … Continue reading →

Avoiding Holiday Pounds

It’s that time of year again – no, not the holidays, but the time when everyone seems to come into your office armed with cookies and the office luncheon is filled with enough tryptophan and carbohydrates to choke a horse. The other day, a study was released that showed that the highest number of heart-related deaths occur on Christmas, with the second highest number being recorded on December 26. Now maybe it is family stress that is getting everyone or that last minute shopping, but I know that I personally pack on the pounds during the holidays because I love … Continue reading →

Obesity Affecting Our Police Force

Obesity has become such a problem in America that it’s even affecting our police force. I recently read a story about police officers who are failing their physicals, having to retake them. To be honest, considering what we expect from police officers I was very surprised. Their physical is not that difficult, in light of what we expect them to do for our cities and towns, in protecting us. These fitness exams consisted of push-ups, one and a half mile run, obstacle course and a flexibility test. For someone who is going out to serve and protect, this really doesn’t … Continue reading →

Natural Sweeteners, Artificial Sweeteners, or None At All?

There’s always been a war going on when it comes to sweeteners. Some experts feel that corn syrup is bad while white sugar is okay—in moderation, of course. Some think honey is best and all forms of processed anything should be avoided. Then we come to artificial sweeteners. Saccharine was fine in the 70’s then was purported to cause cancer in rats. Now some experts say it’s fine and their data was off. I read that the amount of saccharine they had to give rats equaled about 300+ diet sodas per day for humans. I don’t have that many in … Continue reading →

Eat Soup And Lose Weight – Cabbage Soup Diet

Most of us tend to think of soup as something to sip on when we’re ill, are low on grocery money, or for a light lunch. While all of these things are true, soup can also speed up your weight loss efforts. I’ve read before that by just having a bowl of soup before lunch and dinner, it can help you drop the weight without feeling deprived. For just a few calories you can feel full and satiated so that when you dig into your meal you don’t eat as much. Anyone who’s had a bowl of soup and sandwich … Continue reading →

The Right Scent May Help Fight Obesity

Your nose may be key in helping fight obesity. Aromatherapy isn’t anything new. For centuries, people have been using scents to affect mental and physical health! When it comes to your stomach, the right scent can stimulate appetite or help ease digestive issues. The wrong scent can put you off your feed, so to speak. A new study from NIZO Food Research in the Netherlands has found that scents may also help trigger a feeling of fullness in your brain — and that might just help curb overeating. Some scents are better than others at triggering that full feeling. Scents … Continue reading →

Study Links Obesity and Brain Chemistry

A study from the University of California in San Francisco took a look at the relationship between the nervous system and weight. The researchers from the University of California looked at the nervous system in worms. Serotonin levels in the nervous systems had an influence on how much worms ate and what the body did with the calories. (You may already be familiar with serotonin — a neurotransmitter that also affects mood.) Fat regulation is the balance between what you take in and the energy you use. In worms, serotonin levels activated nerve receptors not normally used for fat regulation. … Continue reading →

Joint-Friendly Exercise

I fell in a hole this week while I was walking the dogs. We were at a local park, exploring all sorts of new sights and smells… and I just stepped where I shouldn’t have. My ankle turned and I was on my hands and knees in the wet grass and mud before I had a chance to think! At least it was early enough in the day that there was only one other walker out. (My ego survived the fall better than my ankle and knee.) My little slip up was a good reminder to be kind to my … Continue reading →