Category Archives: Questions & Answers

Questions & Answers

Does Calorie Counting Encourage Weight Loss?

I read an interesting study out of the States that looked at calorie counts on restaurant menus.
The obesity problem in the U.S. is out of control. In the last fifty years, the prevalence of obesity has tripled. It’s estimated that obesity cost $147 billion per year in the U.S. alone.

In this randomized field study, three researchers looked at the behavior of 5,500 diners at two restaurants. The control group was allowed to order off the menu in a restaurant that provided no caloric information. The other group of study participants ordered at a restaurant that included calorie counts on their menu board. It turned out that knowing the calorie count results in people ordering meals that were 45 to 50 calories lighter.

People often don’t know the calorie count of what they are eating. Despite everything, despite all of these crazy exercises, super pills, Botox, liposuction, and the like, the world is still getting fatter and fatter.

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Instead of big tobacco promoting cigarettes, iwe have big food promoting high-calorie foods. As a result, government agencies are saying to these food chains, “Hang on a minute, you guys, you need to put calorie information up there to show consumers what they’re eating.” And then, of course, the fast-food chains come back saying, “We can’t do that. If we do that, we’re going to lose profits.”

Profits, my foot. What about the $147 billion in care? That’s the cost of looking after diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other health conditions associated with junk food and obesity.

Any time you eat fewer calories is a step in the right direction. Every calorie less you eat is less extra fat, protein, and sugar that your body doesn’t need. We live in an ocean of food today, and yet many people are still malnourished. That’s the crazy part.

Don’t forget the best exercise you can do is to push the plate away. Don’t laugh. I’ve seen it work many times.

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Questions & Answers

How To Motivate People To Lose Weight

Obesity is a very big problem in Western countries, particularly the United States. The cost of obesity is nearly $150 billion a year in the U.S.

There is an expert in the field, Dr. Mitesh Patel, who has looked at the types of incentives that help motivate people to lose weight. He even looked at whether financial incentives like tickets for a small lottery win would help people commit to losing weight. Dr. Patel is a behavioural expert and helps businesses improve their employees’ health.

We know that healthy people are more productive in the workplace. Companies are always looking for ways to motivate their employees to develop healthy habits.

If you give a person the chance of winning a $5 lottery every few days and make it a one in four or five chance, it doesn’t improve motivation to any great degree. If you increase the pot to $400 to $500 dollars but the chances of winning are less, there still isn’t much of a difference.

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However, people placed into random lotteries are more likely to hit the goal of 7000 steps per day. In fact, the number of people hitting that threshold went from 26% to 38% in response to a change in the lottery incentive.

It’s sad that people need bribes, incentives, and buddies to push themselves into a fitness program. I feel so sorry that there are so many people trapped in big bodies who don’t feel they have the power to do anything about it.

I’ve helped a lot of obese people come down to an average size. Unfortunately, many of them regained the weight. Some of them didn’t and were able to sustain the weight loss.

I think upbringing influences your body weight. Friends and social circles also impact your weight. If your friends and family tend to be active and eat healthily, you’ll be more prone to do that yourself. It’s hard to be slim when your family has a legacy of watching hours of television while eating pizza and drinking pop.

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Questions & Answers

The Downsides To Sugar Consumption

Sugar used to be a very, very expensive commodity. Hundreds of years ago, buying sugar was like buying gold dust.

Things changed over time, with a particularly big shake-up occurring in the late 1950s. Around that time, the ability to manufacture corn-syrup and extract fructose and glucose from sugar developed.

Many researchers also point out the obesity crisis is literally in line with the production of high-fructose corn syrup.In the United States, obesity is out of control. 70% of the population now are overweight or obese.

Cargill is the biggest manufacturer of high-fructose corn syrup. This type of sugar is added to a vast range of foods, from cereal to soda, and from protein bars to salad dressings.

50 to 70% of all foods now available in supermarkets contain high fructose corn syrup. When fructose goes to the liver, it is split up, and one component contributes to triglyceride production. As a result, the risk of stroke and cardiovascular problems can go up.

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Multiple studies show that soft drinks made with high-fructose corn syrup are linked to obesity. One meta-analysis I read concluded that there’s overwhelming proof that people who drink one to two soda drinks per day will pile on the weight over time. High-fructose corn syrup also increases the risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and goodness knows what else.

If you get used to having sugar in your diet at a young age, it gets harder and harder to break the habit. Of course, it’s crucial to differentiate between industrial sugar like corny syrup and the natural sugar found in fruit. Sometimes people get so sugar phobic that it can trigger an eating disorder, as they avoid anything with even a naturally occurring sugar content.

Remember, there is a big difference between high-fructose corn syrup and something growing on a tree that happens to contain fructose.

Big companies will continue to push profit over health and encourage the intake of lots of sugar. Keep your eye on your health and eat accordingly. I genuinely believe that high-fructose corn syrup will one day be seen as unfit for human consumption.

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Questions & Answers

Drinking water and weight: What you need to know

Can drinking plain water help you lose weight?

A study done in 2008 followed close to 200 premenopausal women between ages 25 to 50. When the researchers adjusted for diet, exercise, and other variables, water intake was still a significant determinant of weight. It turns out that overweight women on diets lose more weight if they drink a liter of water per day.

The question is, do you need to drink eight cups a day? Do you only lose weight if you consume a certain number of ounces of water each day?

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Actually, I don’t think the amount of water is so much the issue. I think the key factor is to drink regularly throughout the day. When you drink regularly, your body will craving more and will keep your consumption high.

The body is no different than a garden. You’ve got to water it. The body is about 77% water, so keeping our water content up is very important.

I drink all year round although less in winter compared to summer.

Water helps generate a feeling of satiety. If you combine ample water with eating smaller servings and increasing your physical activity, weight loss becomes less difficult.

Science has shown us that water can indeed contribute to weight loss success.

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Questions & Answers

Walking As A Weight Loss Tool

An interesting study was conducted in 2002, related to walking and weight loss.

The researchers found that walking no only improved weight but also cholesterol and waist circumference. The study also found that people had better outcomes if they dieted and walked rather than dieting alone.

The improvements were also more significant for people who walked thirty minutes daily compared to people who walked for sixty minutes, once or twice a week.

However, you don’t have to walk to lose weight. You can be active in other ways. I love to garden, and I get a lot of activity by bending, stretching, and walking through my yard. I have friends who prefer yoga, running and cycling. The important thing is to find an activity you enjoy, walking or otherwise.

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Being active is one of the critical habits that I try to encourage people to practice throughout their lives. It’s crucial to avoid the dreaded “sitting disease” that develops when you spend day in and day out in front of the screen. Some people find a fitness tracker very helpful. In some cases, these gadgets can also monitor sleep and relaxation. These trackers don’t only help people get off their butt, but sometimes gets them to get on their butt and relax!

If you want something a little less fancy, pedometers can keep track of your steps.

I think being active, whether it be via walking or something else, is crucial for keeping your weight, blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity in check. It can also reduce the risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. Activity is truly one of the best “medicines” out there.

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