Final Blog Entry

This will be my final blog entry.  To some this may seem like a short time-frame to maintain a blog; however, this was intended to last for a semester.  I’m more than happy that this semester is wrapping up and summer is coming now! Speaking of summertime, this is when I know I’m most motivated to work out and eat healthy because I love being at the beach when I’m not working.

Let this summer be the start of your healthy life. The days are longer, so if you work all day there is no excuse not to exercise because you have plenty of sunlight to walk or run outside for at least 30 minutes a day. You have so many options to work out outside during summertime than just the boring ‘ol gym. Take advantage of the great weather and all of the possibilities summer can throw your way for the next few months. Plus it’s not as hot after work around 6 p.m. as it would be if you were working out in the afternoon. 

 

Summer is also a great time to start eating a healthy diet because most fresh fruits are typically in season: watermelon, cherries, strawberries, and the list continues on!  THE LIST Eating healthy is a great approach toward an ultimate healthy lifestyle because you are allowing your body to get familiar with eating nutrients it needs, rather than salty, fatty foods it craves.  Eventually, you will start to want to eat more and more fruits and vegetables because they provide more nutritional value for your body than fast food does…especially in the summer when dehydration is easiest to occur.  From my last reading list entry you should already know enough about dehydration-so drink lots of water because your body needs more than you think!

If taking a vacation this summer, you can still workout and eat healthy.  If going on an island the fish is very fresh! And very healthy for you; it is full of omega-3’s and most are low in calories.  Fish Calories You just have to watch what restaurants “top” them or “crust” them with because that will be loaded with calories and salt.  Most hotels offer gym facilities to their guests or if not find activities that require effort but you still have fun doing: swimming, biking, and canoeing.  Like I said the summer provides a lot of options for you lose weight and start living a healthy life.  You can change being obese and now is a great time to start!

I hope I was able to provide some insightful and useful facts and references to you through my blog.  Also don’t forget to read the bigger projects I have completed on the “pages” section.  Here you will find more information from a dietitian, facts about obesity, an original newsletter with more resources, and a reading list. I enjoyed writing this blog.

- Bridget

Don't Overeat

The number one reason why we overeat is because of our emotions.  As stated in my profile essay with Nettie Freshour…we eat when we’re bored, when we’re tired, or for no reason(s) at all! Food is the easiest way to feel comfortable when you are feeling another type of emotion.  Most people are triggered to eating and overeating when they are bored because the brain thinks it is hungry, even though you may have just eaten an hour ago.

Overeating or binge eating, according to Forbeswoman.com, is consuming more food or eating when not planned.  This website continues to explain “10 triggers for over eating”…the main reason being boredom.  Eating when you are bored is a way to pass time but it is also a way to consume the most calories throughout your day.  If you are a “bored-eater” keep a lot of healthy snacks like fruits and protein bars around the house. 
Overeating can be caused by feeling of deprivation.  Feeling that you are being deprived of food is more or less because you aren’t eating foods that will fill you up during the times you are eating meals or snacks.  Nutritional value is very important when it comes to overeating.  It will prevent you from being tempted to eating when you aren’t really hungry.  Being able to balance calorie in-take and output is important toward “beating” the cravings of wanting to binge eat. Also, eating foods that are higher in fiber are more likely going to keep your body regulating normally and keeping you fuller.
Lastly, eating smaller meals frequently will keep your metabolism running constantly.  It will also trick your brain into thinking that you are eating more than what you actually are because you are ingesting more food to have you body maintain a normal blood glucose level. This simply means what you consume is being broken down as quickly as when you are eating the foods.

There are so many ways to not overeat and to check out more, you can read the rest of the article in depth. http://www.womenfitness.net/over-eating.htm

News letter rough draft

This link will bring you to my Newsletter rough draft

I haven't figured out exactly what I wanted to include in my articles so I focused on getting the actual newsletter design itself first.

Stick to your diet

So this week’s blog is how to stick to your diet.  Many people don’t like to go on diets simply because they hate the concept of them or think that it’s okay to have “cheat days” or reward themselves with unhealthy foods.  The truth is, you are allowed to give in to temptation when it comes to food, but only a very very very small amount. If you don’t give in when you want to at that time, you are more likely to over indulge at another time and regret it later on.

Well here’s some easy tips to sticking to your diet successfully…lhj.com or ladies home journal provides 10 great tips for women to successfully sticking to diets (don’t worry, guy friendly too!)

Make a food diary.. list everything that you’ve throughout the day. This way you know what calories you have eaten and can track the good foods and minimize the bad ones.  This will ultimately decrease the amount of fast food and bad carbs you choose to eat from now on.

Create a plan/choose a diet that fits your lifestyle.. I mean as much as we all want to look like Marisa Miller and Ryan Reynolds…..well the world is just not that perfect. So be realistic! And choose meals that you know are accessible like whole wheat pasta and broccoli with butter.

It’s all about portion control!!! So if you go out to dinner, remember you pay the bill so you can ask for smaller portions. But if they do say no you can ask for a smaller plate and portion the meal out yourself. I know temptation is always there but be strong and don’t eat the meal. Just think, you’ll have more of the meal as leftovers for tomorrow (more bank for your buck)!!

Read more on how to stick to your diet go to this website.

http://www.lhj.com/health/weight-loss/keeping-weight-off/10-tips-for-sticking-to-your-diet/

Happy St. Patty's Day

In honor of St. Patty’s Day, and me being Irish…I’ve decided to do a little research of the effects of alcohol and obesity/weight gain. 

In Ireland, 1 in 5 children are obese

(http://www.ihf.ie/news/foodforkids/obesity.htm)

In the United States 40% of obese children and 70% obese adolescents become obese adults.

(http://obesity.ygoy.com/overweight-chidren-in-america-childhood-obesity-statistics/)

Both statistics are very high, but the US is constantly “upping” other countries because we tend to have larger portions than most other countries. 

In a study called Drinking Alcohol Associated with Obesity published by About.com, men and women who drank the least amount of alcohol per week (about one drink per day, 3 days a week) generally had the lowest BMI. 

Ting Kai Li, M.D. the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Director of this study states that obesity is a high risk for numerous chronic illnesses and early death.  Having a high alcohol consumption will only make shorten the projected lifespan because it can damage your liver quicker than if you were not obese.  The way to assess alcohol consumption is through its quantity and frequency relevancy.  Days drinking alcohol vs. how often you have drink days. 

The reason why so many people associate alcohol use with rapid weight gain is because of its high calorie intake and the fact that it will usually target hunger, even after you consumed all of the liquid calories. 

Drinking alcohol can affect the body’s metabolism because it will store the alcohol as fat rather than using it as fuel because it messing up the body and mind when consumed.  Stereotypically, smoking will coincide with drinking, which can further lead to more cravings for food because the mind thinks that it is getting less than what is actually getting.  The body is constantly working to burn off those calories but the mind doesn’t realize how much calories it already has consumed in liquids and sugars.

So if you were wondering if there was a correlation between obesity and alcohol...there is.

Nettie Freshour Interview

Hey all,

I recently had a very productive and interesting interview with  Nettie Freshour, WVU's consulting dietitian (along with numerous titles).  She was really awesome and basically the most knowledgable person I've met that truly wants to help people with weight-loss/weight-gain.

Click the link above labeled "Nettie Freshour" to read more about her and all of the information I captured about nutrition in my interview.

I am veddy veddy Sneaky, Sir

The other day one of my friends and I were talking about “sneaking” food. Not just any food, fast food; foods we know we should not be eating.  Regardless of what kind of food it was, why did we feel the need to sneak it or hide it from the world that we were eating it. Maybe it’s a girl thing, but we’ve all done the “oh I’ll just sneak/have one more…it won’t hurt” phrase.  But seriously who are we hiding food from? Are we going to get 20 lashes with a wet noodle? (My 7^th grade English teacher used to say that all of the time) anyway, IT’S BORDERLINE CRAZY!

To be honest, I do it all of the time and feel guilty about eating fast food (hence why I try to cook my food), but the real question is, “what would happen if someone ‘found out’ I ate that meal?” probably nothing!! So here’s my confession that I was sneaking: I had both Burger King and Chick-fil-a over the weekend for dinner and I had Coldstone Creamery ice cream.  I definitely do not feel healthy or good about my decisions and yes every calorie counts but sneaking foods can only lead to binge eating or over -eating.

The reason why I say sneaking meals can lead to over-eating is because people don’t see you eat and could become concerned but don’t know that you are actually eating in secret, which leads you to eat double…in front of people. It’s a vicious cycle because you want to seem like you eat normal and are trying to be healthy but are really having trouble controlling cravings.

http://caloriecount.about.com/guilt-sneaking-food-ft193172

this woman’s post does not necessarily apply to being obese but if you apply her story as if she were an overweight woman.. It could lead to obesity because of her sneaking of food.  Her constant snacking and hiding meals because she is trying to limit what she is eating during meal times yet over compensating when she should not be eating at all.  It would be healthier and more logical to eat sensible, smaller meals throughout the day (roughly six) than three large meals and overcompensating with snacking or sneaking meals too.

Anytime you feel the urge to hide a meal or sneak a snack... don't bother because it's not a secret anymore...just eat sensible and you'll have more of a secret to keep.

All I Want To Do Is SLEEP!!

Ever been in one of those moods where you feel like everything is dragging and you don’t want to do anything productive?

It’s been one of those days. Like most stressed-out college kids, I’ve been lacking in the sleep department.  Therefore, this week is about sleep disorders and their effects on the body. 

Since the percentage of Americans who are obese is increasing more every day the more prone to developing more disorders than a healthy, normal (according to BMI) individual. 

People who are obese or overweight are likely to develop a sleep disorder called Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a condition where a person stops breathing during sleep and their Oxygen levels decrease immensely. A recently released study, according to njsleepdisorderscenter.com, states that Sleep Apnea can cause a person to become obese because they are so tired they do not have the energy or drive to exercise, in order to lose the weight.

- Glucose does not process through the body as quick in an obese person’s body system. 

- Increasing the amount of sleep will decrease weight and increase energy.

Read more about the effects sleep apnea has to obesity by clicked the link to the article that was referenced above.

http://www.njsleepdisorderscenter.com/obesity.htm

America is known for its larger portions, compared to those in Europe (I’ve been there, I know).  There’s really no rhyme or reason why we have such larger portions than the recommended serving, but larger meals tend to make people more tired than when they normally would be.  Although sleep and water essential to the body and can reduce food cravings, too much sleep can be a bad thing because it can decrease the want to exercise if the individual was overweight.

“A large-scale study at Case Western Reserve University (more than 68,000 women) found that those who sleep less than 5 hours a night gain more weight over time than those who sleep 7 hours a night. The women who slept less were more likely to become obese, and here’s something that may be counterintuitive: the women who slept less consumed fewer calories than the ones who slept a full night, on average.”

http://www.sleepdex.org/weight.htm   < the website explains more about this study for those that are interested in reading further.

Every web site that I searched said pretty much the same things about the connection between obesity and sleeping.  Moral of the story is, sleep benefits the body is more ways than just keeping your energy up.

Eat Alternatively

"Happy is still legal in all 50 states” – Jello lid 2/24/11

Why am I still on this Jello kick, not really sure? But it’s chocolate and only 60 calories! The best of both worlds.  There are alternative, healthy food options out there that allow you to eat what you love and not feel guilty about doing it. 

Not everything that says “reduced fat” or “fat free” is healthy. What companies do instead is increase the sodium or sugar intake, so yes the calories and fat content may be lowered but it is still processed and unhealthy.  Next time you go grocery shopping check out the labels on your favorite box of crackers before you buy them.  For example, I haven’t had Cheez-it(s) in a while so I caved and bought them. Before I did I had two boxes in my hand… a regular and a reduced fat.  Normally, I would just grab reduced fat to justify my decision as “healthy” but I actually read the label to find out:

Regular Cheez-it(s) have more calories but less sodium and Reduced Fat Cheez-it(s) have more sodium and fewer calories. Interesting so I took the regular box being a migraine sufferer (the less salt the better). 

http://wolfweb.unr.edu/homepage/jerryj/NNN/Nutrition.pdf

^above is a link that supports my label theory and can help you in the store next time you are debating on two products.

The Huffington Post published an article a few years ago that is related to snacks that have the perception of being categorized as junk food, which are actually not that bad.  In the article, you will find foods such as pork rinds, alcohol and sour cream alternatives that are healthier to have in moderation and can be better for your body than some other products are.  For example, full fat (regular) sour cream is better to use than fat-free because you will use less of the condiment and it will keep you feeling fuller, longer.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/15/genius-junk-food-6-snacks_n_112903.html

Okay, I got this chart from a pregnancy website because pregnant women usually have unhealthy cravings (in no way am I comparing obese/overweight people to pregnant women, take no offense please!).  I simply thought it was a good chart to post that had great suggestions to “outsmart your snack attack” as the web site states it with wit. If you feel like stuffing your face with greasy potato chips but want to stick to your diet try these substitutions:

Instead of	Try
Ice cream	Nonfat frozen yogurt or reduced-sugar, low-fat ice cream, sherbet, or sorbet
Can of cola	Mineral water with fruit juice or a squeeze of lime
Doughnut or sweetened pastry	Whole-grain cinnamon raisin toast or half a small whole-grain bagel with low-fat strawberry cream cheese spread
Slice of cake	Low-fat banana nut or zucchini bread, or angel food cake topped with fresh strawberries
Sweet, low-fiber cereals	Whole-grain cereal or oatmeal topped with a little brown sugar and cinnamon, raisins, or cranberries
Potato chips	Baked potato or tortilla chips, popcorn (plain or sprinkled with popcorn seasonings), or pretzels
Sour cream	Nonfat sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt
Sundae toppings	Fresh berries, sliced bananas, or crushed pineapple in juice, topped with a sprinkle of coconut or – if you crave crunch – chopped nuts
Canned fruit in sugar syrup	Fresh fruit or unsweetened canned or frozen fruit
Chocolate	Hot cocoa made with nonfat or low-fat milk – or homemade trail mix with raisins, dried fruits, nuts, and a few chocolate chips
Cookies	Graham crackers or other low-sugar cookies with no more than 3 grams of sugar per cookie (add a little peanut butter if you like)
Cheesecake or other creamy dessert	Small slices of cheese on whole wheat crackers, low-fat vanilla or rice pudding, or some low-fat cream cheese and a dab of fruit spread on a graham cracker

 There are some other great tips about nutrition on this web site, if it doesn't freak you out that it's a pregnancy page (again, take no offense) and I hope all of these tips help you become a heathier person!

Citation: "Six healthy fixes for pregnancy junk food cravings." Baby Center. November 2009. BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. 24 Feb 2011. Web.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_six-healthy-fixes-for-pregnancy-junk-food-cravings_669.bc.

Best,
Bridget

Fact Sheet Page

Hey guys, here is another link to my informative fact sheet that I posted last Tuesday... I guess something happend to my previous post and it got deleted but it's filled with great facts about eating healthy and exercising correctly. It also gives some insight about the negativity on obesity.

How to Get Healthy!!

Bridget

SICKNESS

Writing about obesity this week will be some what difficult for me considering I’ve been hit with a flu virus/bug of some sort which attack most if not all of my body systems and made me drop weight…YIKES!

It would not be ethical for me to promote sickness in order to lose weight because let’s face it

a. the weight is going to come back just as quickly as when you lost it

b. you really don’t want to suffer what I did (I’ve been sick for almost six days)

c. you’ll exhaust your body, which gains more weight (because your not healthy)

I am, however, spinning this blog in my favor of the flu because it’s really the only thing my mind had to deal with since Saturday.  The flu can strike obese individuals extremely hard because of their immune systems are not up to par as say someone who is healthy.  Because of this, the T-cells (what fights off infections, viruses, colds, etc.) aren’t being produced fast enough in mass quantities to fight off whatever is coming into your body that should not be there.  Therefore, this leaves the person worse off than if they were producing a sufficient amount of T-cells.

For further explanation of this flu and obesity matter, check out this article:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2799552/does_being_obese_increase_the_risk.html

People who are obese are more susceptible to more types of diseases, which ultimately weakens their immune system.  Having the flu on top of a lot of other complications is going to put you at a higher risk of get it and a more difficult time fighting it off.  My suggestion is to simplify your life and cut out all of the long-term consequences that will put you (if you’re obese) in the running for more problems.  It will be a tough experience to lose weight the healthy way, but it will benefit you physically as well as psychologically if you get on a healthy, active level.  You can decrease your chances of having a poor immune system which will be able to fight off those possible diseases obesity can cause.

Look good, feel good, play good.

P.S. Jello was my life saver this week, so shout out to JELLO!

Beat Superbowl Temptations

Today is the 45^th Superbowl which entitles people to endulge in the unhealthiest foods the country will produce. Pizza, wings, chips and soda, anything fried and greasy we’ll eat it today and in mass quantites.  No one really thinks about what they’re eating during holidays or “special events”.  You feel comfortable and full when you’re eating it, but how do you feel when your plate is clear? I know I felt like running for the bottle of pepto bismol after two slices of pizza, a huge portion of dip, and a can of ginger ale later. ICK!  That’s the funny thing with most people, they don’t realize how much they’re really eating until you reiterate “oh, my stomach!” and start to feel sick.

Here are websites that will give you ideas for your next party that allows you to have the foods you love, with less calories:

http://www.dailybreeze.com/lifeandculture/ci_17275171

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1268

There is such a thing as having healthy options at a party you just have to think healthy and be creative.  If there is no willpower to eat healthy, there is no willpower to want to stay healthy.  Every unhealthy food you eat that is drenched in grease or covered in salt will put you on the treadmill longer than you should be there in the first place.

According to health.com, food and beverage companies account for one-third of the advertisments that have been aired throughout tonight’s game.  Personally, I have seen more than three commercials for Doritos and Coca-Cola each before the first half of the game.  These advertisments for junk foods and other unhealthy foods are meant to target the younger, unhealthy demographics who may or may not be interested into football.  But because a kid likes dragons, for example, and Coca-Cola places their product in the commercial with the dragons, they are more likely going to want to buy the product because of the connection with something that they like.  Being obese in today’s society is a strategic concept; most of the foods are placed, pinned, hairsprayed etc. in order to appeal to its auidence for them to buy it.  My advice is…don’t give into the temptation because your doing more damage to your body and wallet by intaking all of those calories, sodium, and fructose corn syrup.  By cooking meals yourself you benefit so much more than a healthy body, you can even pick up a healthy passion for cooking as well.  Start wanting to live healthy and you can change your obese lifestyle.

Required Reading List

1.Campos, Paul F. The Obesity Myth: Why America's Obsession with Weight Is Hazardous to Your Health. New York: Gotham, 2004. Print.

This book portrays a stereotype that thin is better in today's society.  The goal is to show that being thin is becoming an obsession as is being obese.  The image of weight is controlling how people live and people need to not stress that weight is so important but being healthy is.

2.Hellmich, Nanci. "USATODAY.com - Obesity on Track as No. 1 Killer." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. 09 Mar. 2004. Web. 02 Feb. 2011.
This is an article written by Nanci Hellmich from USATODAY which explains how underestimated the epidemic of obesity is effecting the nation.  The ultimate goal is have the audience understand how serious of an issue obesity is if nothing is done to prevent it in the long run.  The article gives examples of tobacco death rates vs. obesity rates.

3.Muzzy, Thomas. "A Fat Loss Workout: Quick and Simple!" Associated Content from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com. Web. 02 Feb. 2011.
Muzzy's website is geared toward an audience who does not have any form of workout plan that coincides with their healthy diet.  The goal is to give people an idea of where to start when they decide to change their lifestyle.  Muzzy wants his readers to take his exercise program and continue on by themselves, which shows their dedication to beating obesity.

4."Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Data and Statistics: U.S. Obesity Trends | DNPAO | CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 02 Feb. 2011.
This website was used in a previous blog to support statistics of the obesity.  The goal is to have people understand various reasons why people are obese, how they can become obese and what can happen if they don't try to do anything for it.  There are also several statistics that give information about how other states vary from each other.

5. Brownlee, Christen. "Obesity-Mild or Severe-raises Kidney Stone Risk." John Hopkins University. 17 Feb. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/ObesityMild_or_Severeraises_Kidney_Stone_Risk

In the John Hopkins case study, it is proven that people who are obese are more likely to be obese have a greater chance at developing kidney stones.  Although the study does not explain why there is such a high correlation between the two, there is a pattern when research was conducted over a span of five years (2002 – 2006).  Brian R. Matlaga, M.D., research leader states that the main reason could be the lack of metabolic (exercise) rate versus the high salt intake in the diets that these obese subjects are experiencing.  This is a good reading to add to my reading list, because most people know the common diseases that obesity entails, they do not realize the other consequences that it can lead to, such as kidney stones.  Kidney stones are painful disease that can constantly recur if not treated properly.

6. Foreyt, John. "Obesity." Web. 22 Feb. 2011.

http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Met-Obe/Obesity.html

This is a general Web site that further explains what obesity is and how the consequences can affect a person’s life for the worse. The “best” part of the page is the statistics that are given to the readers on a national level. “American spend more than $33 billion annually on weight loss, including low-calorie foods and fees at weight-loss clinics. A study estimated the health care cost of overweight and obesity to be $120 billion.”  It gives a sense of realization of how much people are so cautious about their image in order to not give into the wide-spread epidemic of obesity.  Adding this to my reading list reminds my audience how big of issue obesity actually is on a national level and the reasons why it is such a problem.  For example, the Web site claims that fast food encourages the problem more than it has in previous decades.

7. "15 Shocking Facts About Obesity In America." Insider Monkey, 06 Dec. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.http://www.businessinsider.com/shocking-facts-obesity-america-2010-12

Business Insider’s featured article about 15 Shocking Facts About Obesity in America is a very informative Web site.  Even though you have to click through all of the facts to read them, they do pose a topic that is rarely discussed in obesity’s vast epidemic.  Since there are so many issues that come along with obesity, many people usually focus in on the main issues, such as diabetes or heart failure; however, this Web site, proposes topics such as, “High school graduates (29.5%) have about the same obesity rates as college drop-outs (29.1%).”  Having these facts on my reading this is a good reference for my readers to go back to if they need them.

8. "Healthy Eating & Diet." Obesity. WebMD. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/what-is-obesity

WebMD’s page about obesity is particularly informative and branches out to helping obese people with more than, “What is obesity” or “Am I obese?”  This Web site allows readers, who want to gain more information about obesity in general (how they usually become obese) and what they can do to change their unhealthy lifestyles into a positive, healthy one.  If you continue you read on and scroll down the page, there are links that lead you to “the right diet” and “healthy eating” and “ways to keep off the weight”.  Personally, this website is the best one for my reading list because my blog is designed to educate overweight people on how to change their lifestyles into a healthy, more positive one.  This Web site gives the credentials and support many people need in the right direction, in order to see what they are doing is right or healthy for them.  I would recommend anyone that is trying to change their diet to view WebMD.

9. Kita, Paul. "7 Ways to Trick Yourself Full." active.com. Men's Health, n.d. Web. 29 Mar 2011. <http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/7-Ways-to-Trick-Yourself-Full.htm>.

People are always concerned about what they eat and how much they eat throughout the day.  The online article issued by Men’s Health, “7 Ways to Trick Yourself Full” gives credible advice to those who have trouble dieting because of their calorie intake.  The article lays out seven tips to keeping yourself fuller longer; eating certain meals with more fiber will keep you fuller regardless of calories.  In the article an example is given about a man eating two donuts before work and then feeling hungry again two hours later.  Whereas, when he ate more calories a few days earlier with an egg and whole-wheat toast sandwich he was fuller until the afternoon.   The article continues to talk about how eating the right amount of foods and water will keep your body fuller and not lead you toward snacking and junk food. 

10.

"Fast Food Consumption Increases Obesity Risk." Food Navigator.com. Meggle, 24 05 2004. Web. 29 Mar 2011. <http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Fast-food-consumption-increases-obesity-risk>.

Although a relatively short article, it is a very informative publication that states that US citizens over the age of 20 are more likely to eat fast food more often and drink twice as many sugary drinks than those who are more conscious.  A study was conducted for two non-consecutive days, to prove a difference between those who consumed fast food on either both days from those who did not.  The difference was that their body mass indexes were more likely to be overweight when consumed fast food than when the other subjects did not.  "Although fast food provided one-third of some respondents' daily caloric intakes, those meals included almost no milk, fruit or fruit juices, which are important nutrient sources among key food groups."  The study show that there was no healthy food intake when these meals were consumes as well.

11.   Reynolds, Gretchen. "Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast." Health. The New York Times, 15 12 2010. Web. 29 Mar 2011. <http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/phys-ed-the-benefits-of-exercising-before-breakfast/>.

This article from the New York Times is about exercising before eating breakfast.  Generally, the rule of thumb is to eat an hour upon waking up; however this study proves that it is more efficient to work out before eating breakfast in the morning. This may seem extreme for someone losing an extreme amount of weight but the research done in Belgium was published in The Journal of Physiology proves that the men lost fat and gained more muscle by exercising before breakfast than on their usual heavy-carbohydrate meals.  "In other words, working out before breakfast directly combated the two most detrimental effects of eating a high-fat, high-calorie diet. It also helped the men avoid gaining weight." The case study in the article shows the differences between the men’s different diets before working out versus no breakfast before working out and the results varied in the favor of no breakfast.

12.  Bush, Chelsea. "8 Ways to Stick to Your Diet While Friends Indulge." Health. U.S. News, 17 02 2011. Web. 29 Mar 2011. <http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-fitness/2011/02/17/8-ways-to-stick-to-your-diet-while-friends-indulge>.

This article is about how to sticking to you’re even though your friends are indulging in meals that may be unhealthy.  Everyone knows how difficult it is to stick to a diet in the first place and especially when your friends do not make it any easier.  This article stresses that it is okay to indulge once in a while but not to obsess with over eating.  By giving into temptation slightly, as the article says “taking a bite” it will allow you to not deprive yourself and overeat later on.  The article continues on to give tips on how to monitor your own portions and serve/order yourself the healthier options when out to dinner.  It says to order more fruits and vegetables and lean meats.  The article also suggests ordering more whole-grains instead of starches and asks to minimize the portion size as well.  Having supportive friends is also beneficial, so if you know that your friends like to tempt you with food, the article suggests that having a firm attitude will help you with your diet.

13. Waehner, Paige. "Simple Ways to Live a Healthy Lifestyle." About.com Exercise. About.com, 16 04 2010. Web. 19 Apr 2011. <http://exercise.about.com/od/healthinjuries/a/healthylifestyl.htm>.

In the article “Simple Ways to Live a Healthy Lifestyle” the reader is able to learn positive ways to changing his or her obese and unhealthy life into a healthy one.  The article addresses that the main problem that America faces is a lack of activity, which ultimately leads to a severe amount of weight gain when not cautious about your health.  The article written by Paige Waehner, explains in detail how important it is to obtain a healthy lifestyle.  By doing so, she states that you reduce the risk for developing complications and diseases that are common with weight gain.  “One study has found that just 10% weight reduction helped obese patients reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and increase longevity.”  Paige Waehner also lists several activities that can anyone can engage in, in order to take small but necessary steps toward a healthy lifestyle.  The article also offers “clean diet” regimens that people can use such as eating low-fat or fat-free and eating more fruits and vegetables.   

14. "Sometimes You Really Need to Dig Deeper Into the Causes of Rapid Weight Gain." Perfect-Body-Toning.com. Site Build It!, n.d. Web. 19 Apr 2011. <http://www.perfect-body-toning.com/causes-of-rapid-weight-gain.html>.  

In the article written by Perfect-Body-Toning.com readers get a more focused and clear perspective about what can cause obesity or severe weight gain.  I enjoyed reading this web page because the author was very casual with the way he or she addressed the issue. Because weight gain and obesity can be a sensitive issue to discuss, making “light” of a situation and keeping the language very conversational.  “I’m talking about cases where you do everything right…yet you gain weight and rapidly at that.”  The article continues to explain reasons that could be possible for weight gain even though you already live a healthy lifestyle.  Although it is not always possible that one of these diagnoses could be the reason for weight gain.  The author goes into detail about several medical conditions that people suffer and that have been correlated with obesity.  The author explains what the condition is, relates it to weight gain, and provides stories to support the condition.  This appeals to the pathos of readers because the author is trying to connect the medical conditions to their own personal life.  The author states some of the conditions to be blood sugar imbalance, knots in stomach, drugs and medicine, and food sensitivity.  These could all be connected to obesity.

15. Tsang, Gloria. "10 Tips for Easy Weight Loss." HealthCastle.com. Healthcastle Nutrition Inc., n.d. Web. 19 Apr 2011. <http://www.healthcastle.com/easy-weightloss.shtml>.

This article, “10 Tips for Easy Weight Loss” is an excellent website to use for people who are obese or have gained a severe amount of weight.  I recommend this website because there is a Basal Metabolic Rate that allows you to calculate how many calories should be consumed a day based on your current weight and how much you exercise daily.  Many people don’t realize how much they should be eating and typically only hear about the extreme calorie counting diets that are usually crash diets.  The BMR is an ideal way for people to start being cautious about the amount of calories they consume because they are able to see what the recommending amount is.  The author, Gloria Tsang also provides useful tips and explanations about what people can do to lose weight.  “One serving of pasta means ½ cup of cooked pasta…restaurants serve a pasta dish with 4 servings…”  Most people do realize how much food is being served to them when going out to a restaurant, which makes portion sizing a difficult task.  She continues to give advice about losing weight in a healthy manner like not being overly-restrictive with “treats” and understanding labels.

16. Hearn, Nancy. "12 Common Symptoms of Dehydration." Billings, MT. examiner.com, 10 08 2009. Web. 19 Apr 2011. <http://www.examiner.com/holistic-health-in-billings/12-common-symptoms-of-dehydration>.

Hydration is most important factor when being concerned about losing weight.  According to this article, “12 Common Symptoms of Dehydration” the body is 75% water; therefore most illnesses are caused from dehydration.  Water is the most important aspect to the body with weight gain because the fluids cannot remove toxins from the body that are stored.  “If we wait until we are thirsty to drink water, we are already dehydrated.”  This article gave me a lot of information about the body and how important staying hydrated is because it supports everything inside of your body.  If anything is dehydrated or affected by lack of water intake the body is not able to produce a stable metabolism; therefore encouraging more weight gain.   Although this website discusses several other conditions that are affected by dehydration and overall will affect weight.

Where the U.S. ranks

Everything is bigger in Texas…and throughout the rest of the country!

According to the website, Nationmaster.com, the United States ranks number one on the obesity list, compared to other countries.  If you don’t want to accept the fact that we are becoming a nation, which depends of food for various reasons then check out the statistics for yourself. We are over 6 percent more obese than the second country on that list, which is Mexico. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

 The foods that we choose to put into our systems without realizing their consequences puts us, again, at the top of unhealthy “food chain”. That is an over abundance of fructose corn syrup that people ingest daily.  Comparing to past decades, obesity has increased significantly and will continue to rise as time continues unless people become more aware of this chronic epidemic.

 Being healthy is more than following a diet for a few days, it is a lifestyle.  If someone is overweight or obese and is in desperate need to lower their weight, they have to be committed.  Committing to a healthy diet without processed meats, sugary drinks, and extremely salty dishes only leaves room to become fit.  Salt is one of the main “evils” of a diet.  One teaspoon is the ideal recommendation for salt intake; people in the United States consume a lot more than that by topping every meal with salt (processed meals or not). Once a proper becomes a daily routine, then exercising will be another assignment to maintain. Losing weight is easier when a diet plan is set and an exercise regimen, that supports your new eating habits, is being followed.  If you don’t know where to start for a diet…start by throwing away anything that is packaged or processed (e.g. hot dogs, frozen meals etc.) and restock with fresh produce and lean cuts of fresh meat. This will help guide your diet into the right direction toward losing weight.

For a simple workout plan to get you started check out this website! www.associatedcontent.com/article/5406740/a_fat_loss_workout_quick_and_simple.html%253Fcat%253D5

FACT: Women are more likely to develop osteoporosis when consuming high quantities of sodium in their meals.

Advertising Obesity to its Consumers

In American society today, unhealthy habits are becoming more accessible to inherit than healthy ones because of the promotion of the “Fast Food Era”.  Commercials are obsessed with selling their products to the vast number of consumers; however, what many people do not know is how these commercials target certain demographics of a culture.  Obesity’s awareness has become more of a national epidemic for most people to start living healthier or else they would face several consequences that would eventually hurt them even more, in the long run.  Food advertising’s overwhelming use of media is one of the main causes we do not fight the temptation against the unhealthy fast food, because it suggests that it is quicker to stop on-the-go and pick up a meal rather than cooking it personally.  The main target of these media producers is children.  Today’s society of parenting is more of a “to-go” family and some parents would rather pick up a meal rather than sitting down and cooking one.  Another advertisement evil is the competitive companies that fight for more publicity, which gives the consumer a variety of options to try; therefore, continuously adding to the unhealthy eating lifestyle.  They all promote something different, e.g. McDonalds’ coffee will energize you better than Dunkin’ Donuts will.  Will these advertisements make you want to buy their product?

http://www.dirjournal.com/shopping-journal/food-advertisements-what-makes-us-buy-it/

Being overweight or obese is identified by the Body Mass Index (BMI), or height and weight fat distribution of a person.  A healthy person’s BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24 depending on the actual person’s distribution.  If your BMI falls above that numbered range, you can put your body at high risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, heart failure/complications, infertility etc. A calorie is a unit of energy that the body is supplied.  Being overweight is understood that the amounts of calories that are being put into the body are overpowering the amount of physical activity that is burning those calories: energy imbalance.  Body weight can be determined not only by calorie intake, but also from metabolism rates, social behavior, environmental habits, cultural habits and even economic status.

There is no real main target for obesity; however media suggests that the younger demographic is more at risk to develop unhealthy behaviors.