Tag Archives: physical activity

Inflammation and Your Appetite

Are you suffering from inflammation? Inflammation is a condition where your immune system is kicked into overdrive by stress, lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, or exposure to toxins. Your body wants to fight something off. Inflammation can lead to weight gain, arthritis, and heart disease. Why? In a healthy, normal weight person, the body produces a hormone called leptin to control appetite and metabolism. When body fat increases, leptin levels rise to tell the brain to decrease appetite and speed up metabolism. In an obese person, the body isn’t getting the message from leptin — it may not be … Continue reading →

Suicidal After Weight Loss Surgery?

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I know, I know. You’re probably thinking: “Hey, you aren’t obese anymore, you’ve lost 100 pounds and all your health problems have cleared up. What have you got to be suicidal about?!” The University of Pittsburgh recently completed a study that showed that among people aged from 25 to 34 who had weight loss surgery, the suicide rate was considerably higher than that of the general population. Having had a gastric bypass in 2001, I’d like to address this from my own personal point of view. When you’ve been overweight all of your life, it becomes part of your identity. … Continue reading →

Morbid Obesity and Weight Loss Surgery

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There comes a point where a person has become so obese that weight loss simply stops and other health issues arise. When you get to that point, diet, exercise programs, appetite suppressants and behavior modifications are just not effective any more. When you weigh 264, losing 5 pounds is a drop in the bucket. When I took this before picture, I was eating a healthy diet (and much less food than my husband who weighed far less than me) as well as walking for an hour on a treadmill every day. I couldn’t run because the weight was too much … Continue reading →

Is Obesity Contagious?

Okay. You can’t “catch” obesity like you catch a cold. But obesity can spread like a disease through social networks, according to research from Harvard University. The Harvard study found that if a close friend gains an unhealthy amount of weight, your chances of packing on the pounds increase by more than fifty percent. If you and your overweight friend are the same gender, your chance of gaining an unhealthy amount of weight is more than seventy percent. Why? Because being around heavyset people might stretch your perception of what is appropriate in terms of body size. It isn’t a … Continue reading →

Yes, Kids Need Exercise, We Get It!

Maybe it’s because I’m in the business of following fitness trends, reading and writing about them and discussing how to build your exercise program. Maybe because I work with young children and I have one of my own, I’m a little more sensitive to the issue. But could we please stop using the words “alarming,” “dangerous” and “overwhelming” when we are referring to the issues of childhood fitness, obesity and health? Yes, obesity is an issue. Yes, kid fitness is an issue. Yes, we need to be doing something about it. But parents, teachers, caretakers and many others are becoming … Continue reading →

P is for Playtime

Do you get enough play time in your routines? We talked about over training yesterday and the danger that poses to your health and overall fitness, today let’s talk about play time. Play time is exactly what it sounds, where you get to go out and be physical, but instead of doing a workout – you’re doing it for fun. Summer Pool Time It’s summer time and whether you have a pool in the backyard, a community pool or a pool at your fitness club or YMCA – the swimming pool is a great place to play with the kids … Continue reading →

Are Microwaves Bad For You?

I remember when microwaves were being launched into every home. They were the hottest new devices on the market. My parents debated getting one, but they were so expensive. A year later, when the prices came down some, they bought one. It sat in our kitchen and we hardly ever used it. They said you could heat water in it (but we liked our water boiled in a kettle). Still, we owned it and my parents bought some microwavable food because we could. But we never really used the microwave that much and over the years, as I’ve grown up, … Continue reading →

Does School-Based Fitness Fade Over the Summer?

I’ve made my feelings known on the P.E. requirements at schools and how I think they need to be higher. I’ve also made it clear that it’s just as much a parent’s responsibility, if not more, than a school’s to see that their child’s fitness needs are met. Even if you can’t afford to send them to classes, there are a number of free offerings available over the summer from community centers and more – and taking your kids out for walks and bike rides doesn’t cost you much more than some time. So when studies find that school based … Continue reading →

Kids Just Gotta Have Fun

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“Children’s motor activities should not be over-restrained. For the sake of both mental and physical health, children need to run, jump, climb, skip, etc. Concerns for the health of the furniture is understandable, but it must not supersede concern for the health of children. Inhibitions of physical activity in young children results in emotional tension, which may be expressed in aggression.”- Dr. Haim Ginott. In theory, I agree with Dr. Ginott, but living with a child who on many days is a blur as he bounces off the furniture and the walls, makes me long for the days when he … Continue reading →

Author Challenges The Obsession with Obesity

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In her book, Rethinking Thin Gina Kolata argues that being fat is not something that people have control over. A researcher asked the question: Would you rather be fat or blind? Kolata, a science reporter for The New York Times, shares the answers to the researcher’s question. 89 percent of respondents to this question all agreed that they would rather lose their sight than be fat. When you’re blind, people want to help you. No one wants to help you when you’re fat. The idea that people would rather be blind than fat is shocking, but once you start reading … Continue reading →