US News and World Report made its Best Diets 2012 announcement today. The list by the high profile news magazine started last year, with Weight Watchers taking the top spot.
Released today, DASH Diet gets the highest marks on the list, being named the best overall diet. We wouldn’t disagree. In fact, our resident pharmacist and diabetes specialist, Dr. Sarah G. Khan, wrote in November that the DASH Diet is an ideal weight loss plan for diabetics. “The DASH diet consists of lowering sodium intake to less than 2400 mg per day, eating fresh fruits and vegetables and carbohydrate sources coming from whole grains,” wrote Dr. Khan. “It also includes proteins coming from lean meats, fish and chicken, and moderate amounts of fats such as olive oil and nuts.” Dr. Khan also notes endorsements for the diet from the American Heart Association, The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and the Mayo Clinic.
DASH wasn’t the only program getting high praise and attention today.
The US News and World Report Best Diets 2012 also breaks the diets down in to multiple categories, naming the best diets for weight loss, heart health, diabetes, and even the easiest to follow.
The Best Diets 2012 list is as follows.
Read Full Post >
“Lose weight like a man,” says Charles Barkley, the newest spokesperson for Weight Watchers. The former NBA superstar, who has been nicknamed “Round Mound of Rebound,” has gotten tired of his weight and pledged to drop it, once and for all. At his highest weight, the 48-year-old retired basketball star weighed more than 350 pounds.
Famous for a 1993 Nike ad in which he says “I am not a role model. I’m not paid to be a role model. I am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models,” Barkley has changed his tune.
In the Weight Watchers ads, slated to run most often during sporting events, Barkley says “I am still not a role model. But maybe I can change that. Maybe if I tell you I’m losing weight and getting healthy, you’d see that you can too.” Nowhere in the advertisements does he mention black men specifically, but the message of “health first” is one that is very often overlooked by men, especially men of color. They are often underrepresented in the weight loss field, often to the gross extremes of encouraging heaviness with the popularity of such men as “The Notorious B.I.G.”, and the recent passing of comedian Patrice O’Neal.
Read Full Post >
Fact-checked or not, there’s nothing quite like a celebrity endorsement to make a diet’s popularity skyrocket. In 2011, we saw a number of diets get big attention thanks to “inside sources” claiming they were the secret to a star’s slim figure. On the other hand, many diet plans are willing to write big checks in order to put a celebrity face on their advertisements. Here’s a look at the biggest celebrity diet trends of the past year.
1) Dukan Diet
After mother-of-the-bride Carole Middleton said she lost a few pounds on the Dukan Diet, rumors flew that the Duchess of Cambridge was also following the super-low carb diet. Although it was never confirmed that Kate was dieting at all, The Dukan Diet by Dr. Pierre Dukan quickly became a best seller in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
2) Baby Food Diet
Named one of the worst celebrity diets by the British Dietetic Association, the mushy origins of this diet go back to Madonna’s glory days. Supposedly created by celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson, the diet blew up in 2011 when tabloids claimed that baby food was the secret to Lady Gaga’s slim figure. The star refuted the claims, but this did nothing to quell the diet’s popularly.
Read Full Post >
This post was submitted on behalf of DoctorsofWeightLoss.com, a website that educates people on gastric bypass surgery, explanations of cutting-edge research, and profiles of the nation’s leading weight loss surgeons.
Losing weight is a difficult task as it is, you can use as much help as you can get. One of the ways you can help ensure weight loss success is finding a partner in your journey.
Whether you choose a branded diet or just look to improve your overall health choices, even those with the best intentions can use someone else’s support. Some even say it’s the difference between success and failure.
It’s not just about dieting support either. When you exercise, try to do it with a friend. A friend can not just hold you accountable, they may also rely on you just as much, making it much more difficult to blow off a workout session.
Read Full Post >
Not surprisingly, Jessica Simpson has made the news again regarding her weight. We’ve learned she has signed up with weight loss giant Weight Watchers to lose her baby weight. So what makes that newsworthy? She hasn’t even had the baby yet.
Simpson has signed a $3 million contract with Weight Watchers to start trying to lose weight immediately following the birth of her first child in 2012. This endorsement deal can give the impression that immediate focus on weight loss after delivery is the norm. It also highlights the popular celebrity trend of having your pre-pregnancy body back six weeks after giving birth, which isn’t realistic for most women. Sources state that Simpson will also be preparing for her wedding to Eric Johnson shortly after giving birth, which offers some insight into her wanting to lose weight so quickly. Although it has been stated that Simpson will only be trying to lose her pregnancy weight, it is questionable that weight loss be her main focus immediately after giving birth. During that time, her body will be making some big adjustments going from growing the baby to feeding and caring for the baby. If Simpson plans to breastfeed, she will actually need to consume more calories instead of cutting back.
Read Full Post >
