Best Health News - Obesity

Hoodia Gordonii… Weight Loss Miracle or Diet Deception

root — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 08:38:45 +0200

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Hoodia Gordonii is a weight loss supplement that promises to eliminate your desire to eat. This claim was backed up by a 60 minuets reporter who did a story about Hoodia and made the statement that after trying the diet pill his appetite was gone. With millions of overweight people jumping from one diet fad to the next the thought of attractive a pill to curb cravings might sound like a dream come true, but is there any truth to this Hoodia hype? While pure Hoodia has been verified to stop you from absent to eat there are literally hundreds of products claiming to contain this latest supernatural bullet in the battle against obesity. This might not normal much until you realize antimonopoly how scarce Hoodia is. Consider that Hoodia Gordonii is single grown in certain parts of the desert, and after the recent media exposure there is no way for the supply to meet the demand. What does this say for all those diet pills claiming to contain Hoodia? Well in means most of them are lying! In fact pure Hoodia is very overpriced and hard to get so when you see the newest latest and greatest weight loss pill claiming to contain Hoodia odds are that there are only trace amounts that will have little or no effect. What can you do to make sure your getting the highest quality Hoodia in your weight loss supplements? Look at the list of ingredients and make predictable Hoodia is the only cardinal listed, and that there is at least 400mg. If it’s $8.00 for a 2 month supply it’s not real Hoodia. some diet pill made from 100% pure Hoodia is going to cost about $30-$45 for a month’s supply. Go to the companies website and see where they’re getting there Hoodia from, look at any research they’ve conducted, and see if they have some certificates to back up their claims. There are only a smaller handful of companies putting dead quality Hoodia products, and hundreds trying to defraud consumers. true reviews of Hoodia products are hard to come by but one website that gives it to you straight is http://www.hoodia-gordonii-diet.com Where you’ll find honest reviews and no hidden agendas.

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Low-Carb Diet, Should I or Shouldn

root — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:08:45 +0200

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It's no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the worth and reliability of low-carb diets after all the conflicting studies and disorienting interpretation of the information. It seems like debates are popping up everywhere! No matter if it's Atkins, South Beach or many other low-carb plan, there are approximately 30 million Americans are on a low-carb diet. Supporters contend that the large amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increased problems with obesity, diabetes, and other health situations. On the other hand, some attribute obesity and cognate health problems to over eating of calories and lack of physical activity. They also explicit concern that without grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, and many minerals. It is already known that any diet, whether high or low in carbohydrates, can produce meaningful weight loss during the early stages of the diet. Keep in mind, the key to a diet being successful is in being able to lose the weight on a permanent basis. Let's see if we can expose some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Following, is a listing of some related points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Point 1 - Some Differences Between Low-Carb Diets There are many known diets created to lower carbohydrate consumption. Lowering total carbohydrates in the diet means that protein and fat will take up a proportionately greater amount of the total caloric intake. Low carbohydrate diet like the Atkins Diet restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic (a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that includes normal amounts of protein). Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less confined. Some, like-minded Sugar Busters announce only to eliminate sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively. Point 2 - What We Know about Low-Carb Diets +Close to all of the studies to date have been smaller with a diversity of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics are wide-ranged greatly. Most of the studies to date have two things in common, none of the research studies had people in the study with a average age finished 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted more than 90 days. +The results on old adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to keep track of the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric use, while people in the study are dieting. This helps to explain the variances between studies. +If you lose weight on a low-carb diet it is a function of the calorie intake and length of the diet, and not with reduced amount of carbohydrates. +There is very little evidence on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Even though the medical community has concerns, no short-term evil effects have been found with cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among the people in the study on the diets. Because of the short period of the studies the unfavorable effects may not show up. Losing weight typically leads to improvement in these levels, and this may offset an increase caused by a high blubbery diet. The over-all weight changes for low-carb and other types of diets are similar. +Most low-carb diets can cause ketosis. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion are some of the latent consequences. When first starting a low-carb diet some fatigue and constipation may be met and these symptoms usually disappear quickly. +Some report that you can have more calories when on a low-carb diet. Remember a calorie is a calorie no matter what you intake. When the study is not closely supervised variations will result by people cheating in the study on many factors of the study. There are three important factors I would like to re-emphasize: 1.- The over-all success rate for low-carb and other types of diets are similar. 2.- Small amount of information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carb diets despite their huge popularity, 3.- Dieters usually experience boredom with a self-abnegating version of the low-carb diet and are not able to stay on diets of debased carb food. After observing the subject, a more severe and controlled study are needed on a long basis. The ketosis produced is abnormal and stressful metabolic state. The results may cause much problems than it solved. By picking a reliable diet you will benefit over a lifetime of decent eating and not a weight loss quickie. An superior rule of thumb is look at the diet long-range and see if you can see yourself still on that diet after a couple of weeks. However, by following a diet with fat, carbohydrates, protein and other nutrients in moderation may be the best way to go and a little much exercise won't hurt either.

Diet Pills - A Risky Idea

root — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 05:38:45 +0200

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I wish I had a nickel for every weight loss aid and pill on the market. You and I could both retire. Many of these have been associated with earnest medical risks, including heart attack, heart abnormalities, tachycardia, stroke, seizures and death. That's pretty scary! Most diet pills are appetite suppressants of one kind or another, generally stimulants with effects similar to those of amphetamine. They're okayed for treatment of obesity, where it's considered that the health risks associated with obesity outweigh the risks of the medication. But is you have less than 30 pounds to lose, the risks are far less cut-and-dried. finished the counter medications and their risks are not as well-documented as the effects of prescription diet pills. Herbal preparation effects are documented even less, especially those whose makers don't officially make weight loss claims. Here's part of the problem. As long as they don't contain a 'new' ingredient, or one that has never been marketed for weight loss purposes, weight-loss aids are not subject to FDA review. Instead, the manufacturer is held responsible for the safety and effectiveness of their products. So a lot of times that means unregulated dosages, unhealthy additives and ineffective ingredients. Hopefully, one day complete over the counter medications and herbal preparations marketed as weight loss supplements will be labeled and tested by impartial researchers. Until then, there are many things that you can do to lessen diet pill risks. Research thoroughly. There's a lot of information out there about drugs and herbs like ephedra, ephinedrine, phentermine and sibutramine. Know what you're taking and what the risks are so that you can watch for side effects. Always talk to your doctor before you start taking any drug or herbal supplement. Yes, I know you've heard this a thousand times, but there are good reasons for the advice! Some products interact poorly with other medications, or have an adverse effect on chronic conditions. Follow dosage instructions. Overdoses of stimulant medications, which are a component of most weight loss preparations, can be earnest and severe. Don't take any weight loss pill or supplement for much than a few weeks unless a doctor has prescribed it. Ask your pharmacist when purchasing over the counter weight loss preparations to be sure that the ingredients don't interact with other medications you may be taking. Include both prescription and nonprescription medications in your questions. There are much much healthy and effective ways to lose weight than taking pills. The potential of serious health problems remains. It's an bad lot of risk for a little weight loss.

Gastric Bypass Surgery, an Overview

root — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 21:08:45 +0200

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With the number of people suffering from obesity rising so rapidly in America it was only a matter of time before the miracle cure for those who were morbidly obese. Is it all really as simple as stapling your stomach? The gastric bypass has suffered both constructive and negative press since it's availability to the general public. We've heard the fatal horror stories resulting in death months down the line after the surgery, but we've also detected the success stories by hundreds of satisfied and much trimmer people! The surgery sounds simple, the surgeon will tie off part of your stomach creating a re-route around the rest of the stomach which reduces the amount of food the person can take in, causing them to feel hungry after only a few bites. Its clear why the gastric bypass works and why weight loss is precise rapid after the surgery. While it sounds simple on the surface the gastric bypass is actually a very complex procedure, both for the surgeon and the patient, mentally and physically. The inflexible diet a patient must stick to afterwards could be difficult and there are important nutrients to take. You should always seek nonrecreational advice if you're thinking about having the gastric bypass, and remember there are many else ways of weight loss. fast-growing surgery always carries a risk.

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Exercise Can Reduce Risks Of Diabetes

root — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 03:38:45 +0200

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The 2 types of diabetes are type I and type II. Type I diabetes is characterized by the pancreas making too little or no insulin. An individual with diabetes type I will have to inject insulin throughout the day in order to control glucose levels. Type II diabetes, also celebrated as adult onset diabetes, is characterized by the pancreas not producing enough insulin to control glucose levels or the cells not responding to insulin. When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is celebrated as insulin resistance. When a subject is diagnosed with type II diabetes, exercise and weight control are prescribed as measures to help with insulin resistance. If this does not control glucose levels, then medication is prescribed. The risk factors for type II diabetes include: inactivity, high cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension. Inactivity alone is a precise strong risk factor that has been proven to lead to diabetes type II. Exercise will have a positive effect on diabetes type II while rising insulin sensitivity while type I cannot be controlled be an exercise program. Over 90% of individuals with diabetes have type II. Exercise causes the body to process glucose faster, which lowers blood sugar. The more intense the exercise, the faster the body will utilize glucose. Therefore it is important to understand the differences in training with type I and type II diabetes. It is important for an individual who has diabetes to check with a physician before beginning an exercise program. When training with a diabetic, it is important to understand the dangers of injecting insulin immediately prior to exercise. An several with type I diabetes injecting their normal amount of insulin for a sedentary situation can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during exercise. General exercise guidelines for type I are as follows: allow adequate rest during exercise sessions to prevent high blood pressure, use low impact exercises and avoid heavy weight lifting, and always have a supply of carbohydrates nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the individual may feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious, become irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate snack or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a matter of minutes. Before engaging in exercise, it is important for blood sugar levels to be tested to make sure that they are not below 80 to cardinal mg/dl range and not preceding 250 mg/dl. Glucose levels should also be tested before, during, after and three to cardinal hours after exercise. During this recovery period (3-5 hours aft exercise), it is important for diabetics to consume ample carbohydrates in order to prevent hypoglycemia. Exercise will greatly benefit an individual with type II diabetes because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper exercise and nutrition are the best forms of prevention for type II diabetics. It is important for training protocols to be repeated almost daily to help with sustaining insulin sensitivity. To prevent hypoglycemia, progressively work up to energetic activity. As with individuals with type I diabetes, carbohydrates should also be present during training to assist in raising blood sugar levels if the individual becomes low.

Understanding Low Carb Diets

root — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 15:38:45 +0200

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With all of the inconsistent studies and fuzzy interpretation of information, it's no wonder that confusion reigns when it comes to the value and safety of low-carb diets. It seems like heated debates are violent everywhere! Whether it's Atkins, the South Beach or some other low-carb plan, as many as 30 cardinal Americans are following a low-carb diet. Advocates contend that the high amount of carbohydrates in our diet has led to increasing problems with obesity, diabetes, and else health problems. Critics, on the other hand, attribute obesity and related health problems to over-consumption of calories from any source, and lack of physical activity. Critics also express concern that the lack of grains, fruits, and vegetables in low-carbohydrate diets may lead to deficiencies of some key nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and several minerals. Any diet, weather low or high in carbohydrate, can produce significant weight loss during the initial stages of the diet. But remember, the key to successful dieting is in being able to lose the weight permanently. Put another way, what does the scale show a year after going off the diet? Let's see if we can debunk some of the mystery about low-carb diets. Below, is a listing of some relevant points taken from recent studies and scientific literature. Please note there may be insufficient information ready to answer all questions. - Differences Between Low-Carb Diets There are many popular diets designed to lower carbohydrate consumption. Reducing total carbohydrate in the diet means that protein and fat will represent a proportionately greater amount of the whole caloric intake. Atkins and Protein Power diets restrict carbohydrate to a point where the body becomes ketogenic. Other low-carb diets like the Zone and Life Without Bread are less restrictive. Some, like-minded Sugar Busters claim to eliminate only sugars and foods that elevate blood sugar levels excessively. - What We Know about Low-Carb Diets Almost complete of the studies to date have been small with a wide variety of research objectives. Carbohydrate, caloric intake, diet duration and participant characteristics varied greatly. Most of the studies to date have two things in common: None of the studies had participants with a mean age over 53 and none of the controlled studies lasted longer than 90 days. Information on older adults and long-term results are scarce. Many diet studies fail to monitor the amount of exercise, and therefore caloric expenditure, while participants are dieting. This helps to explain discrepancies between studies. The weight loss on low-carb diets is a function of caloric restriction and diet duration, and not with shrunken carbohydrate intake. This finding suggests that if you want to lose weight, you should eat fewer calories and do so over a long time period. Little evidence exists on the long-range safety of low-carb diets. Despite the medical community concerns, no short adverse effects have been saved on cholesterol, glucose, insulin and blood-pressure levels among participants on the diets. But, adverse effects may not show up because of the short period of the studies. Researchers note that losing weight typically leads to an improvement in these levels anyway, and this may offset an increase caused by a high fat diet. The long-life range weight change for low-carb and other types of diets is similar. Most low-carb diets cause ketosis. Some of the potential consequences are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and confusion. During the first phase of low-carb dieting many fatigue and constipation may be encountered. Generally, these symptoms dissipate quickly. Ketosis may also give the breath a fruity odor, somewhat like nail-polish remover (acetone). Low-carb diets do not enable the consumption of more calories than else kinds of diets, as has been often reported. A calorie is a calorie and it doesn't matter weather they come from carbohydrates or fat. Study discrepancies are likely the result of uncontrolled circumstances; i.e. diet participants that cheat on calorie consumption, calories burned during exercise, or any number of else factors. The drop-out rate for strict (i.e. less than 40 grams of CHO/day) low-carb diets is relatively high. What Should You Do? - There are 3 consequential points I would like to re-emphasize: - The long-range success rate for low-carb and other types of diets is similar. - Despite their popularity, little information exists on the long-term efficacy and safety of low-carbohydrate diets. - Strict low-carb diets are usually not sustainable as a normal way of eating. Boredom usually overcomes willpower. It is obvious aft reviewing the topic, that more, well-designed and controlled studies are needed. There just isn't a lot of good information available, especially concerning long-range effects. self-abnegating low-carb diets produce ketosis which is an abnormal and potentially stressful metabolic state. Under many circumstances this might cause health related complications. The diet you choose should be a blueprint for a lifetime of better eating, not just a quick weight loss plan to reach your weight goal. If you can't see yourself eating the prescribed foods longer than a few days or a week, then chances are it's not the word-perfect diet. To this end, pursuing a moderately low fat diet with a healthy balance of fat, protein, carbohydrate and else nutrients is beneficial. If you do decide to follow a low-carb plan, remember that certain dietary fats are associated with reduction of disease. Foods high in monounsaturated fats that are free of trans-fatty acids such as chromatic oil, fish, flaxseeds, and insane are preferred to fats from animal origins. Even promoters of the Atkins diet now say people on their plan should limit the amount of red meat and saturated fat they eat. Atkins representatives are telling health professionals that only 20 percent of a dieter's calories should come from saturated fat (i.e. meat, cheese, butter). This change comes as Atkins faces competition from other popular low-carb diets that call for less saturated fat, such as the South Beach diet plan. Low-carb dieting should not be considered as a license to gorge on colorful meat! other alternative to "strict" low-carb dieting would be to give up some of the bad carbohydrate foods but not "throw dead the baby with the bath water". In other words, foods high in processed sugar, snacks, and white bread would be avoided, but foods high in complex carbohydrates such as fruit, potatoes and whole grains, retained.

Gastric Bypass Surgery, an Overview

root — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 08:38:45 +0200

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Technorati Tags: Obesity # Weight Loss # Weight_Loss # gastric bypass # horror stories # matter of time # miracle cure # morbidly obese # people # sounds # stomach bypass # success stories # suffering # #

Gastric Bypass Surgery - Is It Right For You?

root — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 08:08:45 +0200

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When we hear all the success stories of the gastric bypass, it sounds so easy. One pricey operation and the pounds just fly off! Right? Not quite. Gastric bypass surgery is only advised to those who are morbidly obese – this is someone with a body mass index greater past 40 and men and women between 80-100 pounds their perfect body weight. The gastric bypass is also sometimes recommended to patients troubled obesity along with other conditions such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes. If the surgeon is happy the health benefits outweigh the possible broadside effects of gastric bypass surgery then it maybe recommended. If you're currently obese and suffering no else conditions, I would personally think about big lifestyle changes, some in diet and exercise. I know it's a tough, long-life haul but with the word-perfect support it's possible to lose over 1lb/week safely and effectively. That's over 60 pounds of weight loss in 6 months. You must considering the risks involved in the gastric bypass surgery, because even with the surgery you will still be required to follow a inflexible diet that you certainly aren't going to like at first. Try to be objective about all forms of weight loss and weight up your options. There are many success stories out there on the gastric bypass and its beneficial to many people but please always remain yawning to the basics of weight loss.

What to Eat After Gastric Bypass Surgery

root — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 07:08:45 +0200

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Many people are under the impression that gastric bypass surgery is the easy way dead of obesity. However, those that believe this unfortunately misunderstand the operation and its lifestyle and mind altering effects. After speaking to people who have had the gastric bypass you soon realise that real work and focus is needed to actually keep the weight off after the early year of rapid weight loss. Right after surgery your stomach won’t be able to cope with much food, perhaps single a quarter of a cup of solid food. This will increase over time, but eating too much could make you vomit – you must stop eating as soon as you feel hungry. Most nutrition’s agree that 3 solid food meals a day is sufficient for those who’ve had gastric bypass surgery, making sure you drink enough water in-between so you don’t dehydrate but don’t eat and drink together – you’re small stomach simply can’t handle it and you may be sick! With any wholesome balanced diet, eating nutritious meals will serve your body healthy – reduce fatty and honied meals and focus on protein rich foods such as fish and chicken. Google is your friend and there are galore websites out there giving example diets specifically for those who’ve recently had gastric bypass surgery.

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Understanding Bariatric Surgery

root — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 23:38:45 +0200

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity among adults has risen significantly in the U.S. over the last 20 years. In fact, statistics show that 30 percent of adults 20 years of age and older are fat (body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher). That translates to more than 60 cardinal people. Although reducing the prevalence of obesity among adults is a national health objective, the health of the nation seems to be getting worse instead of better. There are myriad complications related with obesity, including endocrine abnormalities, hypertension, respiratory and pulmonary ailments, gallbladder disease, degenerative arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Individuals suffering from obesity may also have psychological issues stemming from a low body image and repeated diet failures. For many obese individuals, diet failure is extremely common and the odds of significant weight loss are low. Those who have proved and failed to lose weight using diet modification and exercise may find success using preoperative methods such as Bariatric weight loss surgery. The word “Bariatric” comes from the Greek words “baros,” meaning weight, and “iatrike,” meaning treatment. There are cardinal basic types of bariatric weight loss surgeries for obesity: restriction procedures and malabsorption procedures. Restriction procedures reduce the size of the stomach through the use of a gastric band, staples, or both, and do not interfere with the normal digestion process. Malabsorption procedures, on the other hand, reduce the size of the stomach and bypass duodenum, the first segment of the smaller intestine, and sometimes the entire of the jejunum (the mid-section of the intestines).