A new study explores the idea that certain fruits and vegetables are more beneficial than others when trying to achieve a healthy weight.

Health professionals have made it clear that eating more fruits and vegetables, in conjunction with daily exercise, is the key to weight loss.

However, researchers have discovered that picking and choosing the kinds of fruits and vegetables to eat is crucial to providing a positive impact on weight.

The Study

Eating starchy vegetables such as corn, peas, and potatoes will cause weight gain.
Image: Medical News Today

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Medicine, led by Monica L. Bertoia at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Researchers collected data on the diets of 117,918 men and women in their thirties. The study included check-ins every four years for a total of 24 years.

“We hypothesized that greater consumption of fruits and vegetables with a higher fiber content or lower glycemic load would be more strongly associated with a healthy weight,” according to the study.

While collecting data, researchers took health and behavioral variables into account, including changes in consumption of foods other than fruits and vegetables.

Overall, people who increased the amount of vegetable or fruit foods they consumed over a four-year period gained less weight, measuring at exactly 0.25 pounds less for vegetables and 0.53 pounds for fruit.

Which Plant Foods Decrease Weight Gain?

According to the study, “the benefits of increased consumption were greater for fruits than for vegetables and strongest for berries, apples/pears, tofu/soy, cauliflower, and cruciferous and green leafy vegetables.”
Image: Candidrd

Eating berries every day resulted in 1.11-pound lower weight gain, whereas the consumption of citrus fruits yielded a 0.27-pound lower gain. For apples or pears, subjects gained 1.24 pounds less.

For vegetables, the intake of carrots and peppers was associated with smaller gains. However, potatoes, peas and corn didn’t make much of a difference.

The addition of soy products or tofu amounted to 2.47 pounds less weight gained.

“There are many fruits and vegetables that may be better choices — apples, pears, berries and nonstarchy vegetables,” Bertoia said.

Americans mostly drank fruit juices and ate potatoes, according toBertoia. These don’t really make the weight loss cut.

“People gain too much fat by consuming food and drink that contains more energy (calories) than they need for their daily activities. So, people can avoid becoming obese or reduce their BMI by eating a healthy diet that contains fewer calories and by exercising more,” according to the study.

The post Not All Fruits And Vegetables Aid In Weight Loss appeared first on Citizens Report.

Americans are finally starting to consume less calories, but still haven’t shifted to making healthier choices.

As America’s waistline grew, the nation’s eating habits continued to worsen. In previous decades, statistics reflected a trend that showed a larger number of overweight and obese people in the population, which coincided with increasing instances of chronic weight-related illnesses. The nation’s people, and its weight problem, continued to bulge, balloon and bloat.

Scientific research and public health campaigns have worked together to send a message that illustrated the need for a shift. Health concerns such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer spread like wildfire. But research shows that people are finally beginning to make a change.

The federal government began to track the eating habits of American adults and children about 40 years ago. From the mid-1970s to 2003, calorie consumption continually rose before hitting its highest point. But in recent years, the amount of calories consumed has begun a solid decline.

The Push for Progress

In the 1990s, the prevalence of obesity continued to increase.
Via: Slideshare

The 1999 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was a turning point for many experts and average Americans. Published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, the study included a visual depiction of the worsening obesity rates in all 50 states in the 1980s and 1990s. Experts were shocked.

The study’s lead author, Dr. Ali Mokdad, published another paper a year later that illustrated a correlation between the rising obesity rate and the amount of people diagnosed with diabetes.

In 2001, surgeon general Dr. David Satcher followed suit and published a report referred to as the Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity. The report was a stark warning that obese individuals were at risk of developing chronic illnesses, and that children should be a particular focus of parents working on reducing obesity.

Satcher’s report mirrored the famous 1964 surgeon general’s report on tobacco. After this report was released, dealing with obesity was no longer left on the backburner. It became a major priority.

In 2010, the Obama administration passed the The Affordable Care Act, which required chain restaurants to publish the calorie content of their menu. Shortly after, making school lunches healthier became one of the first lady’s primary projects.

How Have American Diets Changed?

Americans are eating smaller portions, but not choosing healthier options.
Via: Daily Mail

Most Americans, especially children, have begun to cut out sugary sodas and soft drinks. The average amount of full-calorie sodas consumed in 1998 was 40 gallons, and it has since dropped to 30 gallons in 2014. The amount of calories children consume has dropped by 9 percent.

Public health campaigns have been targeted at these kinds of beverages, which proves that people are actually getting the message. Beverage companies are even working on changing their inventory, now focusing on producing and marketing diet drinks, flavored waters and iced teas.

Americans are eating smaller portions and consuming a little bit less of various food and drink items than was previously reported. But there has yet to be an overall shift in the kinds of foods that Americans are eating. Fast food and dessert consumption remains high, and the amount of people who shop at farmers markets for fruits and vegetables remains low.

The Demographics

Families with children are making smarter choices overall because most campaigns are targeted at childhood obesity.
Via: Sure Way To Lose Bellyfat

Statistics show that a broad effort to reduce their calorie consumption is being made, and changes are noticeable across different social classes and ethnic groups. However, white families have reportedly made the most progress in comparison to black and hispanic families. Additionally, households with children have cutback on calories more than homes with only adult residents. The emphasis on reducing childhood obesity may be the reason for this trend.

The Catch

The most obese Americans are continuing to gain weight.
Via: Benchmark Reporter

Although diets are changing across different demographics of age, class and ethnicity, the trend has not yet hit the heaviest of Americans. Obese Americans continue to experience a rising weight and waist circumference.

Kevin Hall, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, estimated that an average adult would need to reduce calorie consumption by 220 calories a day to return to the average body size in 1978 by 2020. Unfortunately, the current changes only meet a fraction of the goal.

Today, more than a third of Americans are still obese. Researchers will continue to publish information about healthy eating habits, and public health officials won’t stop fighting for a better food-focused future.

The post America’s Attitude On Calorie Consumption Is Finally Changing appeared first on Citizens Report.

Here are some eye-opening statistics about obesity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• More than one-third (or 78.6 million) of American adults are obese.
• Obesity-related conditions such as strokes, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain forms of cancer are the leading causes of preventable deaths in this country.
• On average, the medical costs for obese individuals are $1,429 higher than for those individuals who are a normal weight.

Medical Daily

Those are some startling and dismal numbers, which is why some people are hailing a recent obesity treatment approved by the FDA as a potential cure. Called the Maestro system, this surgical implant works by generating electrical pulses that essentially block nerve signals from the brain to the stomach in order to keep a person from experiencing hunger pains. So far, the device has only been approved for adults with a body mass index of 35 to 45 and at least one obesity-related condition, such as type 2 diabetes. In addition to that, the individual must have unsuccessfully tried to lose weight in the past five years.

A yearlong trial for the Maestro device showed that the 157 obese adults treated with the implant lost 8.5 percent more weight than the 76 individuals in the control group. Although the original goal of the device was 10 percent weight loss, the FDA concluded the benefits of the implant outweighed the risks.

And what are those risks? Side effects include nausea and vomiting, pain near the implant and surgical complications. They didn’t expand on the surgical complications, but we all know that those are never good.

Inactivity v.s. Obesity: Which is the Bigger Killer?

We often hear in the news that obesity is one of the biggest killers. No one will deny that obesity can cause diseases that have the potential to lead to death. However, not as much attention is given to another killer: inactivity.

A 12 year study conducted by the University of Cambridge uncovered a different set of startling facts. Over 675,000 deaths associated with inactivity occurred each year, compared to only 337,000 deaths associated with carrying excessive weight. The study further showed that inactivity is deadly in those people who are classified as thin as well as those classified as overweight and obese. No matter a person’s weight, a simple 20 minute walk a day will have huge health benefits.
[pullquote align=”right”]Inactivity is deadly in all people, thin as well as those classified as overweight and obese. No matter a person’s weight, a simple 20 minute walk a day will have huge health benefits.[/pullquote]

The Cambridge study poses an interesting question and possible concern regarding the Maestro obesity treatment: If a person is told that technology will cure them of obesity, what will motivate them to be active? For many people, the answer is not much. That’s just human nature. Why get off the couch and walk around the block when you can hit a button or pop a pill and lose all the weight you want? Should the FDA take into account the Cambridge study and other studies like it, which point to the dangers of inactivity? Before approving any other obesity cure, be it a new pill or implant device, the FDA should consider the implications. Whether or not they will is another matter altogether.

The post A New Cure for Obesity appeared first on Citizens Report.

Researchers at Indiana University and the German Research Center for Environmental Health recently announced they developed a new treatment for obesity and adult-onset diabetes. They claim their treatment improved glucose sensitivity, reduced appetite and enhanced calorie burning in lab mice, thereby curing them of obesity and diabetes.

I know what you’re wondering. What was this treatment? Were the mice fed only egg white omelets and half a grapefruit, then outfitted in very tiny yoga pants and tank tops and made to hit the miniature elliptical machine before tackling a rather intense Pilates workout?

Nope. The ‘treatment’ is a new pharmaceutical drug, a new peptide if you will, that combines three gastrointestinal hormones which lower blood sugar levels and reduce body fat better than any other existing drug on the market. These new single-cell molecules with triple-hormone action (that will sound good in the commercial) are called triple agonists and have the ability to bind to and activate receptors to produce desired biological responses.

Human clinical trials are being overseen by… wait for it… Roche (there’s a shocker).

Okay, let’s review what we’ve just learned. Big pharma has created the latest and greatest weight loss pill that essentially activates the body and makes it ‘eat less’ and “exercise more.’ Sales of this new miracle pill, once it hits the market, will no doubt speedily climb into the billions of dollars.

How You Can Lose Weight and Prevent Diabetes Naturally

Do we really need another pill to help us be healthy? Right now you might be saying, “But people don’t really have control whether they develop diabetes or not, it’s genetic.” I, and some fine data shared by Harvard School of Public Health, would reply that, yes, your genes may influence your development of adult-onset (Type 2) diabetes to some extent, but genetics take a back seat to lifestyle factors.

A Nurses’ Health Study revealed that 90% of type 2 diabetes in women was linked to being overweight, a lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, smoking, and alcohol use. 90% of women in this study developed diabetes because they made poor choices.

Humans don’t need a pill; we simply need to commit to our own health. We need to keep our weight at a healthy level (obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes by 20% – 40%) by making better food choices (more fruits, veggies and whole grains – less processed garbage) and exercising more (no need to run marathons – walking does the trick).

If You Already Have Diabetes

Until the day your doctor announces you are no longer diabetic and no longer require insulin, there are things you should do to manage your diabetes:

Be Aware of How an Illness Affects You

When you get sick with the cold or flu, your body produces stress-related hormones that help you fight off the virus. Be aware that these hormones can also raise your blood sugar levels. You will want to speak with your doctor and have a plan for sick days that outlines how to adjust your medication dosage. And, though you may want to eat comfort foods while sick, it’s obviously best to stick with your normal meal plans.

Monitor Your Glucose Levels Closely

Check to see what your blood sugar levels are throughout the day at different times and intervals. Doing so will help you determine whether the lifestyle changes you are making are effective.

Menstruation and Menopause

Your hormones play a huge role in diabetes management. Women need to understand this even more than men because they experience significant fluctuations in hormone levels every month before menstruation as well as in the years leading up to menopause.

Monitoring blood sugar levels more frequently is a good idea, as is speaking with your doctor about oral contraception. Although most are safe to use by diabetic women, some have the potential to raise glucose levels.

The post A Cure for Obesity and Diabetes appeared first on Citizens Report.