Tune in to witness women air their very frank thoughts about how they really feel about other women’s sizes.

Check your local listings for show times.

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Tune In: Weight Discrimination on The Tyra Show

Lead researchers of the study call this “severe brain degeneration” a great risk for degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, in addition to other diseases that affect the brain.

Obesity is classified as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more and overweight is classified as having a BMI of 25 to 29.9.

Sixty-six percent of Americans are either overweight or obese according to the latest statistics by the Centers for Disease Control.

These startling findings are just one additional reason that greatly underscores the importance of following a healthy lifestyle in order to live a healthy and bright life.

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Obesity Leads to Fewer Brain Cells

A research team led by Dr. A. T. Merchant, an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of South Carolina, used a 2004-2005 cross-sectional survey of 4,451 Canadians aged 18 years and older. The results indicate higher carbs are associated with normal weights.

People consuming 290 to 310 g/day carbohydrates (47% to 64% of calories from carbs) were least likely to be overweight or obese compared to those in the lowest intake category.

Those that consumed the highest level of carbohydrates tended to be younger and female, with lower intakes of calories and fats and higher intakes of fiber. Compared to the lowest carb intake category (179 g/day), weight and obesity risk was lower by 37% for those consuming 234 g/day and by 42% for those consuming 269/day.

Lead scientist Dr. A. T. Merchant says that the main drawback of any extreme diet, be it one based on high or low carbohydrate intake, is that is it difficult to adhere to over the long term.

As a nutrition expert, I’d have to agree with that sentiment — and I know I’m not alone. Just this week Biggest Loser star and blogger at this very website, Mike Morelli, gave his thoughts on extreme dieting where calories are slashed to next to nothing.

I have supervised overweight clients on following modified low-carb eating plans to initiate weight loss (about 45% of calories), but rarely do I cut carbs lower than that. Usually there is a more serious medical nutrition therapy reason like a Ketogenic diet for seizures.

Low-carb diets are seriously lacking in complex carbohydrates that are rich in soluble and insoluble fiber, which aid in digestion and help people get and stay full. It has been well documented that diets low in whole grain, fiber, fruit and vegetables, and high in calories, are associated with an increased risk of overweight or obesity and poor overall health, and these findings point out some of the limitations to eliminating carbs, especially those with potential health benefits.

There’s also an increased risk for developing gout, a painful joint condition that results from a buildup of uric acid in the blood. The nutrition treatment is limiting protein to 2-3 ounces once or twice a day and taking in vegetables and fruits, various complex carbs, and things like cherry juice that help remove the uric acid.

Going back to the study, it is not surprising that the researchers found those who had the lowest overweight and obesity risk were more physically active than those in both the lowest and highest carbohydrate intake categories. And retailers have a role to play, too.

Bottom line: modified low carb is OK in my book (45-50% of calories) if you are still restricting calories, meeting fiber needs and not eliminating whole fruits (but should limit to 2-3 fruits a day for all healthy people). Get out there and move! Check out the articles covering exercise here at DietsInReview.com.

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People Who Maintain Healthy Weights Don’t Eat Low Carbs

Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and there’s no end in sight to this dangerous trend. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2007 25.6 percent of Americans were obese. But in 2008, it crept up to 26.1 percent.

There are six states that can dubiously boast the fact that over 30 percent of their citizens are obese: Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Colorado is the only state in which less than 20 percent of its citizens are not obese.

“If this trend continues we will likely see increases in health care costs for obesity-related diseases,” said the CDC’s Liping Pan, who headed the study.

Well, yeah, that’s pretty much stating the obvious.

The most fascinating part of this phenomenon to me is, where is the breaking point? It’s certainly not sustainable. So where does it get to that point? Is it half of our population obese? More? Let’s hope we don’t have to test those boundaries.

(via: Yahoo)

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Americans Still Getting Heavier

By definition, overweight is having a BMI over 25, and obesity is having a BMI over 30. (If you are unsure of how to calculate yours, there’s a great BMI calculator here at DietsInReview.com.) Why are these numbers so alarming? Being overweight increases your chances of declining health. Even President Obama is catching on to this trend, as he said in a recent town hall address, “If we can help somebody control obesity, they are less likely to get diabetes…which will help keep health care costs down.”

Being overweight increases your chances of many obesity related diseases like heart disease, thyroid malfunction, stroke, diabetes, and the list goes on and on. And it’s really a downward spiral; being heavy means that it’s more difficult to exercise, which only increases your chances of gaining more weight, which makes it even MORE difficult to exercise, and bam! You have an entire set of complications staring you in the face.

If you lose some weight, those health complications can be more easily managed; but it’s not as easy as it sounds. It is MUCH more work to get out there and start walking than it is to sit on the couch and watch television. Trust me, I know. Do it for your family, do it for yourself, do it for whatever – but if you are overweight, even losing a few pounds will help you in the long run.

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Why is Fat the New Norm?

If you are overweight – but only a little bit – congratulations, you are probably going to live the longest of any of us. That’s right, according to a new study people who were overweight, but not obese, were in prime position to outlive everyone else.

In the study, published in the journal Obesity, experts followed people 25 and older for 12 years. What they found was that people in the body mass index range of 25-29.9 were 17 percent less likely to die than those who were normal weight (a BMI of 18.5-24.9). Those who were underweight, a BMI less than 18.5, were 73 percent more likely to die than those who were normal weight.

“Overweight may not be the problem we thought it was,” said Dr. David H. Feeny, a senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, and one of the authors of the study. “Overweight was protective.”

The study was thorough and took into account issues that may lead people to poke holes in it: age, gender, people’s smoking habits, exercise, alcohol consumption, and diseases such as cancer.

In 2007, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute reported that overweight adults were less likely than normal weight adults to die from a variety of diseases, including infections and lung disease.

Feeny says the findings may be due to the fact that a little excess weight is protective for the elderly. But the one possible explanation that would diffuse the controversial aspect of the findings is that maybe medication, used to treat health conditions associated with being overweight, is responsible for prolonging their lives.

(via: The New York Times)

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Overweight People May Live Longest

In a study of mostly African American adolescents, nearly 40 percent were overweight or obese, and 27 percent of them underestimated their weight.

Of the 448 5th to 8th graders, more than 62 percent of the overweight boys and about 31 percent of the overweight girls listed their weight as normal or even underweight, reports Dr. Youfa Wang and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. That’s an interesting comparison. Since women are generally more conscious of their weight, it goes to show that girls aren’t as misguided about the number on the scale as their male counterparts.

The researchers also found that twice as many girls as boys indicated a dissatisfaction with their weight.

Another aspect of the findings that parallel adults is the fact that those kids who were trying to lose weight were still not eating a healthier diet or increasing their physical activities. In fact, the boys who reported trying to lose weight still spent more time watching TV than those who were not trying to lose weight.

So like adults, they may be misinformed on what is a healthy food. They also don’t have the will power to get out of the house and get in some activity. But hey, these are kids we’re talking about. They need some adult guidance. We, on the other hand, have no excuse.

(via: Yahoo)

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Overweight Kids Underestimate Their Weight

Six Ohio troopers were removed from duty in 2003, including one who was 71 pounds overweight.

While no officers have been fired in recent years, at least 11 have received verbal or written reprimands this year for weighing too much. Reportedly, one trooper was 48 pounds over his allowable weight, while another was 40 pounds overweight. So, apparently the protest is working, or nobody wants to enforce the rules.

A national organization of law enforcement groups has recommended that agencies include incentives. Some police forces have health programs that give officers time to train and give extra pay or time off for those who lose weight.

“It’s basically being fired, with the stipulation that once you make weight, then you can come back,” Ohio State Troopers Association President Larry Phillips said of the state’s health provision. “They are just simply out the door. No health care, nothing.”

To this I say, frankly… and your point is?

Maybe I’m just in a bit of a surly mood today, but many jobs have rules and guidelines. If you don’t follow them, you can be fired. With no pay or health care.

I appreciate and admire our men and women who patrol the streets. They have one of the toughest jobs in the country. It’s also a physical job, even if they spend many hours in their car or behind a desk. To ask them to have at least a minimum level of health is perfectly reasonable.

(via: Yahoo)

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Overweight Cops May Lose Jobs

A new study confirms what is a pretty logical assumption anyway. Obesity in early adulthood can lead to disabilities in your golden years. But the important thing to note is that, even if you lose weight, you may be at a higher risk of disability even if you lose weight. If you’re already overweight, don’t despair. You still stand to benefit from getting to a healthy weight. That’s because the longer you are overweight, the greater the risk of having mobility limitations later in life.

“Over the past couple of decades there has been a trend toward declining rates of physical disability in older adults,” says lead researcher Dr. Denise Houston, an assistant professor of gerontology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“However,” she adds, “the dramatic increase in overweight and obesity in the United States may reverse these declines and may lead to an increase in physical disability among future generations of older adults.”

The excess weight creates problems down the road with wear-and-tear to the joints. Then, of course, there’s the higher risk of diabetes and heart ailments.

The study followed 2,845 people in their 70s for seven years. The most startling find was that even for those who were at a normal weight, if they spent any time in their adulthood overweight, they were more likely to have a disability.

(via: Yahoo)

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Obesity Now Can Lead to Disabilities Later in Life

Dr. Martin Neovius of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and his colleagues stressed that since overweight and smoking are both associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, that if young adults fall in either category, they are at risk of an early death. Although the pathogenic mechanisms differ, he said, a synergistic effect of smoking and obesity may be possible.

The researchers found that obesity and being overweight in late adolescence increased mortality risk, regardless of whether or not they also smoked.

Researchers concluded that “overweight, obesity, and smoking among adolescents might be good targets for intensified public health initiatives.”

(via: MedPage Today)

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Smoking and Obesity are Equally Fatal