Weight Loss: November 2006 Archives

A Scottish obesity clinic has been named the best in Britain by a charity.

Glasgow Royal Infirmary's Weight Management Service (GWMS) was described as a gold standard service by a panel of members of the National Obesity Forum.

Funded by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, the service was set up two years ago, and treats more than 1000 patients each year.

The clinic takes a holistic approach to health, with a team of experts including dietitians, psychologists, and physiotherapists. It takes referrals from GPs and hospital doctors. Patients, aged in their 20s to their 70s, are encouraged to examine their attitudes to food, what they eat and how to exercise.

It's now official. The simple act of fidgeting can mean the difference between lean and obese. It’s the natural weight loss diet.

My friend likes to relate a story from time to time about when he was just a lad. His grandfather called him "Worm", because he fidgeted so much. And between you and me, it can get rather annoying.

But he had the right idea, even if it wasn't intentional. He's 5'8" tall and weighs around 145 lbs.

Dieting in the future will be "weight loss to go," with more people getting customized advice on their cell phones, personal digital assistants and computers and more companies delivering diet foods directly to homes.

So says Thomas Wadden, one of the nation's top obesity researchers and president of the Obesity Society.

Currently, 66 percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese (30 or more pounds over a healthy weight), which increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other medical issues.

Research suggests that dieters benefit from getting nutritionists' advice via e-mails, chat rooms and phone calls, says Wadden, 54, a psychologist and director of the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Marie Fallaw says she lost 83 pounds in six months simply by "stapling" her ears.

The Mississippi entrepreneur, owner of Staple Lean LLC, has scheduled a return trip to Florida for ear stapling sessions with dozens of weight loss hopefuls.

The problem: ear stapling for weight loss is illegal in Florida. The state Board of Acupuncture banned the practice because of the threat of infections and other health problems.

Despite the prohibition, ear stapling practitioners from across the country target Florida. They promise miracle weight loss by stapling an acupuncture point on the ear.

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Need to lose weight, but don't know the best way to start? If you're in your 50s, cardiovascular exercise may be your best option.

Diet and exercise are both effective ways to lose weight. But if you're over 50, you may want to hit the treadmill to help maintain muscle mass when you're dropping pounds. A new study reveals caloric restriction promotes weight loss, but it may result in loss of muscle and aerobic capacity.

"The systems responsible for moving the body, the musculature and the cardiovascular systems, are being used in exercise-induced weight loss, therefore the body preserves them," study author Edward Weiss, Ph.D., of Saint Louis University in St. Louis, told Ivanhoe. "In the case of caloric restriction or diet-induced weight loss, there are fewer demands put on these systems, so the body degrades the tissues responsible for delivering oxygen and producing muscular force."

by Valerie de Armas, Best Weight-loss

What do you think of the hundreds of weight loss supplements out there on the shelves today? Are they worth the money? Will they actually help you lose weight?

How do you know which ones are going to work for you? Is there any proof that these products work?

I've taken some time and researched some of the most popular product to try to find the answers for you. The truth is, most products won't help you lose anything but money.

There are a few, however, with some research behind them that prove that they actually work.

National Bioscience Corporation has received a weight loss patent for its phyto-ingredient Aralox, which opens up possibilities for exclusive marketing in the booming weight loss segment.

The company announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded it a new patent entitled “Novel composition for the treatment of obesity and effective fat loss promotion”. Two of the main plant compounds in Aralox are derived from soft grape leaves and Siberian birch tree leaves.

The market for slimming products in the US is the world's largest by far, and while competition may be stiff, ingredient innovation brings new hope for formulators.

Is the food industry playing games with our children? You bet it is. A recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, "It's Child's Play: Advergaming and the Online Marketing of Food to Children,^[1]" provides a comprehensive look at this increasingly popular type of advertising.

Advergaming is the use of online video games with embedded brand messages to engage a target audience. It is specifically designed to blur the boundary between advertising and entertainment.

The food industry uses advergaming that targets children and adolescents as a low-cost supplement to television advertising. Like the higher profile TV ads that have attracted so much attention from critics,^[2] the advergaming onslaught is largely aimed at promoting energy-dense foods, such as sweet cereals, candies, and high-calorie snacks. These foods are the raw fuel for childhood obesity.

Warning, this is a pure press release. However, the trend is obvious. People tend to look less demanding ways to lose weight. It's too difficult to fight bad habits.  Go ahead, read the release below. However, don't take it as granted. Remember, to lose weight you need to lose a habit to eat like a pig and do exercises. Or else you will end up paying much more than just money.

Margate, FL (FV Newswire) - Andersonstown, Belfast UK's Personal development reviewer Michael McGrath says the new Neuro-VISION video weight loss hypnosis DVD is "powerful stuff". McGrath tests personal development products and posts the reviews on his website, Personal-Development.info

Recently three of McGrath's independent reviewers tried Neuro-VISION's video weight loss hypnosis program. They all reported that their view of food and their eating habits changed dramatically after watching the video:

A month after a controversy in the modeling world over body weight, a second model has died after becoming dangerously thin.

Ana Carolina Reston, a well-known Brazilian model who worked for Giorgio Armani, died this week at the age of 23.

Reston was 5 feet 8 inches tall and starved herself down to 88 pounds during her battle with anorexia. The model ate only tomatoes and apples at the end of her life.

Reston had to be hospitalized because of a generalized infection. She had been a model since 13 and worked world-wide.

The issue of ultra-thin models has been a big topic of debate.

LONDON (AFP) - The UK is to ban adverts for junk food on children's television in a bid to clamp down on the growing problem of child obesity.

Under the plans announced Friday by the Ofcom broadcasting regulator, no ads for food and drink products which are high in fat, salt and sugar will be able to be broadcast during programmes aimed at under-16s.

The measures will cost broadcasters up to 39 million pounds (74 million dollars, 58 million euros) in lost advertising revenues.

ATHENS, Greece - Greeks are ignoring their traditionally healthy diet and suffering higher rates of obesity and related illnesses such as diabetes, medical groups warned Wednesday.

Greece has among the highest rates of childhood obesity in Europe, at more than 30 percent, while the level for adults is also near the top of Europe's list — a problem considered to have emerged since the early 1990s.

A University of Athens study of 312 fifth-graders in Greece's northern Ioannina region found 29.4 and 11.8 percent of boys were overweight and obese, while the figure for girls was 39.0 and 7.5 percent.

By Kelly Huggins

Just around the corner the New Year is upon us. Typical is the New Year’s resolution (which typically isn’t resolved) in which you may say, “I’m going to lose weight.” This is really no surprise considering that the holiday season is the time of gluttony and weight gain.

Now, it has been said that the typical person gains 5, 10 pounds or something like that during the holidays. From what I understand, this is an actual myth too. However, weight gain can still occur with many, it’s just not as much as what many have said.

Real point I want to get at is this…

Can weight-loss supplements help you shed pounds while you sleep? Let eat your favorite foods without gaining an ounce? Or turn your body into a fat-burning machine? And can a lip gloss make shedding those extra pounds more appealing? We’ve all seen ads for diet products that make these outrageous claims. Many Americans who are struggling to lose weight buy these non-prescription diet products. According to government reports, this is a billion dollar business.

The lifestyle modifications are the foundation of any successful long-term weight-loss plan (eating less and moving more), but for many dieters that can be difficult, since it requires daily focus and discipline. So it’s not surprising that many Americans want some help. My patients are always asking me about these weight-loss products, so I wanted to provide a reality check on this ever-expanding business. While the answers are not black and white, it all comes down to two questions: “Are they safe?” and “Do they work?” Here’s the skinny on products with unsubstantiated weight-loss claims.

CUMBRIA, England -- 24 Children Achieve Weight Loss of Up to 19 kg in Eight Weeks or Less

Wellspring UK, Europe's first scientifically based weight loss camp for children and adolescents ages 12-17, announced record weight loss for its programme participants over the 2006 two-month summer session.

On average, students lost 2 kg per week, with some students losing as much as 16 and 19 kg. Most students who had enrolled in the programme were atleast 9 kg overweight before enrollment and had been struggling to controltheir weight for a year.

Wellspring UK incorporates a summer camp environment with a focus onweight loss through diet and activity management. It also utilizes a unique cognitive behavioural therapy to address the psychological and emotional issues that often prevent successful long-term weight control. Throughout theprogramme students self-monitor their dietary intake and exercise levels andrecord their thoughts and feelings to help them in their goal of becoming long-term weight controllers.

Question: I've been reading more and more diet advice that recommends eating five or six small meals a day vs. the traditional three meals a day to maintain higher metabolism levels. I find it difficult to manage this type of eating. Is there any credence to this as part of an exercise plan to lose weight? And what constitutes a small meal? — B.S., St. Louis

Answer: The mini-meal philosophy does get plenty of publicity, but Justa Davis, a clinical dietitian at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, says there's not enough evidence to prove that it's a better way to lose weight.

"We need to focus more on the big picture of daily calorie intake," she writes via e-mail. "Nutrition experts agree that to lose weight, we must burn more calories than we take in on a daily basis."

BRUSSELS, Belgium - The European Commission on Thursday hailed several food and beverage multinationals — often seen as culprits in obesity — for pledging to help fight the flab in Europe.

EU Public Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou praised, among others, Unilever NV, PepsiCo, The Coca Cola Company, McDonald's Corp. and Kraft Foods Inc. for committing to voluntary steps to reverse Europe's widening girth and promote physical fitness at a time when the number of overweight children in the EU is rising by 400,000 a year.

At a press conference with top executives of these companies, he said it was crucial food and drink companies cooperate in the fight against flab because the EU cannot legislate against products that are not dangerous.

Almost four in every 10 Europeans (38 percent) feel they are overweight, according to results of a health survey published Thursday.

According to the survey, only 55 percent of European Union (EU)citizens think that their weight is about right. Ninety-five percent agree that obesity is harmful for health.

"This survey provides us with valuable insights into the concerns of EU citizens on health and nutrition. EU citizens are aware there is a problem with overweight and obesity in Europe, and that much depends on their willingness to address it and change their lifestyle," said EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou.

One North Texas teen said something almost like "magic" helped her lose 70 pounds.

Isabela DeSousa, 13, said hypnosis not only changed her figure, but also transformed her closet.

"I like the style," she said as she went through her closet, which holds trendy new clothes she bought after her new weight loss. "I think they are really cute."

Eight months ago, none of the size eight clothes that now hang inside her closet would have fit since she weighed over 200 pounds.

Did you see the electrifying appearance of former "Cheers" star Kirstie Alley on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Monday?

Seeing her flash that sexy body in a bikini in front of the millions of people who were watching was a breakthrough moment for Alley who has made a second career of sorts for herself around her personal struggles with her fluctuating weight on her hit autobiographical reality television series "Fat Actress."

After losing 75 pounds as the spokesperson for the weight loss support system Jenny Craig, Alley is putting the issue of the lifechanging impact of weight loss out there prominently for all to see.

U.S. firm Scientific Intake said it has finished enrolling patients in a study of its non-invasive weight-loss device.

The company said it has recruited 190 patients in a multi-center study and would seek approval of the device for use in people with a body mass index from 27 to 35.

The device simulates a physical condition linked with thinness called Torus Palatinus. The device contains a wireless microsensor linking patients and providers for remote monitoring of compliance, behavior change and progress.

Scientific Intake said the device increases savoring, reduces bolus size, slows intake and allows the body's built in defense mechanism, the satiety response, to trigger.

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Mothers often get a bad rap for putting too much pressure on their young daughters about their weight.

That might be unjustified. According to a new study out of Columbus Children's Hospital in Ohio, moms are more likely to see their daughters as slimmer than they really are, rather than heavier. Girls, on the other hand, are pretty good at correctly assessing their own weight.

Researchers questioned mother/daughter pairs about the daughters' bodies. The girls in the study, who were ages 9 and 10, provided realistic responses. Those with low and normal body mass indexes (BMIs) were generally satisfied with their size, while those with higher BMIs knew they were overweight.

Amylin has soared on sales of one diabetes drug. Now it's looking to extend its franchise into weight loss. Will it pay?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The biotech Amylin is testing what could be the next blockbuster in the $40 billion market for weight loss products, or the treatment could just be a big fat flop.

The only thing for sure is that it's too early to say, meaning the biotech's bet on the weight loss drug makes the San Diego-based company a risky, long-range investment.

Amylin is experimenting with its injectable drug Symlin, which is already on the market to control blood sugar levels for diabetics, for an additional use as a weight loss drug. The biotech recently reported that Symlin reduced weight by 7 percent to 8 percent over 52 weeks in diabetics, compared to a 1 percent weight loss with a placebo. 

The United States' obesity rates won't fall until Americans stop placing their faith in unproven and possibly fraudulent weight-loss products and treatments.

That's the message from some of the nation's top obesity experts, commenting on new data about Americans' continued, naive hope for the quick fix.

Part of the problem, they say, is consumers' misconceptions about safety laws. A national survey released last week at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society, a scientific group dedicated to the study of obesity, found that 60 percent of Americans believe incorrectly that over-the-counter dietary supplements for weight loss are required to have been tested and proven to be safe and effective.

In this land of growing girth where 66 percent of adults are now overweight or obese, some people have managed to stay at a healthy weight. Are they depriving themselves by eating tiny portions and giving up their favorite foods? You’ll be pleased to hear that the answer is no.

How do they do it? One trick is to learn which foods will fill you up without a lot of calories.

We study this in my lab at Penn State. In one type of study, we bring people into our laboratory, offer them various types of foods and see which ones fill them up the most. We conduct long-term trials to find out whether different types of dietary advice can actually help people lose weight and maintain that loss. We also analyze information from large surveys of what Americans eat.

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Researchers at Ohio State and Denison universities say traditional gym classes don't work for many students, but an exercise program does.

The researchers developed and tested the new program in which students at a rural Ohio high school learned how to create a personalized exercise program. The students spent one gym class each week learning the skills necessary for planning a lifelong exercise program.

Nearly half of the students said that they spent no time exercising outside of school prior to beginning the program, but the number dropped to less than one in 10 students once the program ended.

LONDON (Reuters) - Europe is facing an obesity epidemic by the end of the decade which will increase health costs and hamper economic development, health experts said on Thursday.

Up to 23 percent of men and as many as 36 percent of women in Europe are obese and one third of children are overweight.

"If we do not act now, we expect to have 150 million adults and 15 million obese children by 2010. That means between 2002 and 2010 we will have 20 percent more obese people compared to about 10 years ago," Dr Francesco Branca, of the World Health Organization (WHO), told a news conference.

Bloomberg - Sanofi-Aventis SA's new diet pill, Acomplia, may get limited sales in Germany because the treatment is being targeted by a national plan to trim health-care spending.

A German panel of doctors and insurers earlier this month recommended the government classify Acomplia as a ``lifestyle'' drug, not one that is necessary for treating a disease. The proposal, if carried out, means the medicine's 100-euro ($127.40) a month cost won't be reimbursed covered by state health insurance plans, and will probably inhibit sales.

The recommendation is part of Germany's strategy to reduce medical expenses, echoing a new round of health-spending cutbacks in several European countries. Rejecting coverage for new and expensive medicines would threaten several drugmakers, such as New York-based Pfizer Inc. and Sanofi, France's largest pharmaceutical company. Some doctors say that taking aim at Acomplia is short-sighted because obesity is becoming a pandemic.

Sawf News - In an interview with Us Weekly magazine, due to hit stands this Friday, Nicole Richie spoke for the first time about her weightloss and dispelled any rumors of having an eating disorder or even checking in a rehab.

"I'm not in rehab and I don't have an eating disorder," Nicole told Us Weekly. "I'm getting the help I need and taking care of my health."

Nicole did reveal that after appearing at a family gathering, her father Lionel Richie intervened into the matter of her shocking weight loss over the past recent months. The father and daughter discussed it as a family and decided that she needs treatment.

According to ET, that got the early scoop on the Us Weekly article, Ms. Richie's publicist said, "She is working with a team of doctors and specialists whose focus is nutrition."

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