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Wednesday 30 November 2016
What it’s like going to the doctor as a fat person.
I am visiting my family when my hearing cuts out.
Its scary to abruptly lose one of your senses. Everything sounds muffled, like the people speaking around me are behind a closed door at the end of a long hallway, distant and unreachable. The pain in my ears is sharp.
I feel my breath shallow and quicken, anxiety beating its hummingbird wings in my ribcage. First, because something is so clearly wrong. And second, because I will have to go to the doctor, and I am fat.
As I walk into the office, I steel myself for the charm offensive Ill need to wage.
As a fat person, my health is always suspect, and never more than when I step into an unknown doctors office.
The nurse and I chat away as she takes my vital signs, though I still strain to hear her. As we speak, she takes my blood pressure once, then frowns. She takes it again, then another look. She excuses herself and comes back with another cuff, trying a third time. Nervous, I ask her what the problem is.
Im just not getting a good read, she says, adjusting the second cuff.
Is everything OK?
Its coming back great, but that cant be right. Overweight patients dont have good blood pressure.
Its a familiar moment that Ive come to dread. Even with her trusted equipment, even with the numbers clear as day in front of her, she cannot see that I am healthy. She anticipates poor health, and anything better becomes invisible.
I have entrusted her with my health, and she cannot see it.
Eventually, the doctor enters. Both of my ears are infected, and Im prescribed antibiotics.
He gives me detailed instructions on how to use the eardrops and advises me to take all of the medicine as prescribed. As the visit wraps up, I ask the doctor if theres anything else I should do for aftercare.
You should lose some weight.
This moment is familiar, too. It leaves me disappointed and unsurprised. When I seek medical care, many providers only seem to see my weight. Whatever the diagnosis, weight loss is its prescribed treatment. I explain what I eat, how much I exercise, my history of low blood pressure, and general good health. It only rarely influences my course of treatment. Because the biggest predictor of my health, even in the eyes of professionals, is my dress size. I have proven myself an irresponsible owner of my own body. Every detail I provide is suspect.
And I am not alone. Many fat people find the doctors office which should be safe, confidential, and constructive is instead a home for shame and rejection. Health care providers congratulate fat people for their eating disorders, they tell patients they should lose weight if they want to be beautiful, and fat people are given lectures on weight loss instead of receiving medical treatment.
Like all of us, health care providers can be products of a culture that teaches us to shame, exclude, and be disgusted with fat people.
Often, it can show in their treatment of fat patients.
A growing body of research shows that doctors are less likely to show empathy for fat patients, making many unable to take in important diagnostic information. Doctors are more likely to describe fat patients like me as awkward, unattractive, noncompliant even weak-willed and lazy. Because despite extraordinary training and expertise in medicine, health care providers are products of a culture that shames and rejects fat people. And those beliefs inform important, sweeping health care policy decisions.
When thin friends and family talk to me about my health, this is a part they almost never imagine: Getting basic health care, from regular check-ups to minor interventions, requires tenacious self-advocacy. Because in the doctors office just like the rest of the world I am forced to defend my body at every turn just to get my basic needs met. Unlike other patients, I must prostrate myself, prove that I am worthy of treatment.
And thats made possible by the way we all talk about being fat all of which muddies our ability to measure health in more complex, precise ways. I think we use losing weight and getting healthy interchangeably. We reject fat peoples accounts of their own weight loss attempts, opting instead to believe that they simply havent tried hard enough, or dont know how.
When we talk about fatness as the only real measure of health, we bypass many other pieces of the puzzle: nutrition, heart rate, blood pressure, sleep patterns, mental health, family histories. We ignore precise, important measures of health, collapsing all that complexity into the size of someones body, believing that to be the most accurate and trustworthy measure of a persons health. This is what happens to me. My health is disregarded, all because of how I look.
In order to get accurate diagnoses and real treatments to fat patients, well all need to examine our own thinking about fat people and health.
Changing the conversation around fat and health will take more work than that but its a place to start. Because as it stands, few of us are willing to believe that fat people could have health problems stemming from anything other than their fat bodies.
Read more: http://www.upworthy.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/what-its-like-going-to-the-doctor-as-a-fat-person/
Dad Thinks Mom Is Just Gaining Weight, Until He Delivers Their Son At Home
Normally, when a woman gets pregnant, she feels the symptoms of her pregnancy after a certain time. Such symptoms often include morning sickness, weight gain, and tenderness of some parts of the body.
But not all pregnancies are the same, and miraculously, some women feel little to nodiscomfort at all.
In fact, several of these women, like one teen, claim they had no idea that they were expecting until the moment theywere actually giving birth.
Jennifer Favela is one of thesewomen. Whenshe gave birth to a baby boy, her only symptom was some weight gain. And she was already a mother of two.
She woke up in the middle of the night, thinking that she just had a stomach ache. It wasn’t long before her husband,Jeff Parungoa, was calling 911, with a baby almost in his arms.
Just one week before, Jeff had noticed his wife’s weight gain, and wondered what was causing it – now, he has his answer!
The parents may bescrambling for baby supplies, but we’re certain that, though they are still shocked by the new arrival, they couldn’t be happier.
How thehuman bodyworks is definitely a mysterious and wondrous thing.
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Read more: http://littlethings.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/dad-thinks-mom-is-just-gaining-weight-until-he-delivers-their-son-at-home/
Tuesday 29 November 2016
Trump is ‘not slim and trim,’ Reid says
Washington (CNN)Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid ripped Donald Trump Tuesday for being overweight and eating too much fast food, charging that the media “magnified” Hillary Clinton’s recent bout with pneumonia.
“She has pneumonia and, well, you know, it’s curable,” Reid said flatly at a news conference. “She’s off the campaign trail for a few days. She probably needed the rest anyway. So you folks have magnified it.”
He urged reporters to turn their lenses to Trump’s health instead.
“Take a look at this character that’s running for president. He complains about her health. What does he do? He’s 70 years old. He’s not slim and trim. He brags about eating fast food every day. Look at his health a little bit,” Reid said.
Reid’s frustration arose after several days of intense news coverage of Clinton’s illness after she felt ill at a ceremony marking the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. She was escorted out and the press pool that covers her was in the dark about her whereabouts and medical condition for several hours.
All aspects of the Democratic presidential nominee’s recent coughing fits, possible fainting spell, and eventual diagnosis of pneumonia were reported above the fold in the major newspapers and treated as “breaking news” on many television networks.
Her campaign’s lack of disclosure and handling of her health woes also have been poked and examined by editorial boards and panels of pundits.
“You’ve all been unfair to Hillary,” Reid complained, further noting that she had “submitted a multiple-page report from a doctor — a good doctor — talking about what medicine she’s on. Pretty thorough.”
Trump hasn’t submitted medical reports, just as he hasn’t released details of his charitable giving or his tax returns, Reid said.
“I can’t imagine you folks not being a little inquisitive about what he’s done to cheat people in Atlantic City and everywhere,” Reid said.
Reid, who is 76 and retiring this year after 30 years in the Senate, predicted that regardless of the negative attention Clinton is getting on the health issue, she will win the White House.
“And we’re going to have a Democratic Senate,” he added.
Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/trump-is-not-slim-and-trim-reid-says/
Eating Half Your Weight In Chipotle Just Got Easier
Your hangover cure just got better: Chipotle is testing out a pilot program where they’ll use drones to deliver food to customers. Yes I’ll take my burrito bowl with black beans, fajitas, and cool af technology please. So Seamless, Imma let you finish but Chipotle has the best food delivery system of all time.
The program has customers order their food at kiosks, then Chipotle food trucks stationed strategically in the geographic area make the food. The workers then load the food order onto a drone, and the drone flies over to the customer and drops it. I’m assuming that eventually the kiosks will be eliminated and people can just order from their phones, so there’s absolutely no human interactionthe ultimate millennial goal.
But will guac still be extra??
Read more: http://www.betches.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/eating-half-your-weight-in-chipotle-just-got-easier/
Dolly Parton reveals her secret to staying slim on the road
Legendary Country Music Hall of Famer Dolly Parton may be a pint-sized powerhouse but the songtress has never shied away from touting her love of food.
I’m a short little thing with a big, country girl appetite so I have to really watch it,” Parton told FoxNews.com. “I’ve been every size in the world, [but] I’d be big as a house if I ate everything I wanted so I’m a big eater. My best bet is to stay on low carb because on a low carb you can actually eat quite a bit of food of the things you’re allowed.
In 2006, she released her own cookbook Dollys Fixins, sharing recipes from her childhood, career on the road and other Southern favorites. The cookbook is available through Dollywood.com or DollyParton.com.
But Partons love of food extends beyond recipes. Her Pigeon Forge, Tenn. theme park, Dollywood, has also racked up several accolades through the years for its food offerings and service.
Mostly recently, the park placed second in Best Food and Cleanest Park categories at Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards at the magazine’s annual awards ceremony at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio on Sept. 10. Dollywood’s newest rollercoaster Lightning Rod won best new ride for being the world’s fastest wooden coaster and the world’s first wooden launching coaster. It was also named Friendliest Park for the fifth consecutive year. That nod to hospitality is something Parton holds dear to her heart.
As an artist whose constantly touring, Parton has learned not to rely on the craft service table to feed her fix. Shes able to prepare a few items that will hit the spot before hitting the road.
I do love to cook and when we travel on tour I have to have a few things in the freezer, says Parton. We have great caterers and all that. But some days you just think, I gotta have some chicken dumplings or pork roast or something that’s home.”
Partons new album Pure & Simpleher 43rddebuted Aug. 19 and has already sky-rockeed to number four on Billboards Top Country Album Chart. Parton is currently promoting the album across North America.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/dolly-parton-reveals-her-secret-to-staying-slim-on-the-road/
New study shows how sugar industry skews research on fat
Image: Matt Rourke/ap photo
The sugar industry began funding research that cast doubt on sugar’s role in heart disease in part by pointing the finger at fat as early as the 1960s, according to an analysis of newly uncovered documents.
The analysis published Monday is based on correspondence between a sugar trade group and researchers at Harvard University, and is the latest example showing how food and beverage makers attempt to shape public understanding of nutrition.
In 1964, the group now known as the Sugar Association internally discussed a campaign to address “negative attitudes toward sugar” after studies began emerging linking sugar with heart disease, according to documents dug up from public archives. The following year the group approved “Project 226,” which entailed paying Harvard researchers today’s equivalent of $48,900 for an article reviewing the scientific literature, supplying materials they wanted reviewed, and receiving drafts of the article.
The resulting article published in 1967 concluded there was “no doubt” that reducing cholesterol and saturated fat was the only dietary intervention needed to prevent heart disease. The researchers overstated the consistency of the literature on fat and cholesterol, while downplaying studies on sugar, according to the analysis.
“Let me assure you this is quite what we had in mind and we look forward to its appearance in print,” wrote an employee of the sugar industry group to one of the authors.
The sugar industry’s funding and role were not disclosed when the article was published by the New England Journal of Medicine. The journal did not begin requesting author disclosures until 1984.
In an editorial published Monday that accompanied the sugar industry analysis, New York University professor of nutrition Marion Nestle noted that for decades following the study, scientists and health officials focused on reducing saturated fat, not sugar, to prevent heart disease.
While scientists are still working to understand links between diet and heart disease, concern has shifted in recent years to sugars, and away from fat, Nestle said.
A committee that advised the federal government on dietary guidelines said the available evidence shows “no appreciable relationship” between the dietary cholesterol and heart disease, although it still recommended limiting saturated fats.
The American Heart Association cites a study published in 2014 in saying that too much added sugar can increase risk of heart disease, though the authors of that study say the biological reasons for the link are not completely understood.
The findings published Monday are part of an ongoing project by a former dentist, Cristin Kearns, to reveal the sugar industry’s decades-long efforts to counter science linking sugar with negative health effects, including diabetes. The latest work, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, is based primarily on 31 pages of correspondence between the sugar group and one of the Harvard researchers who authored the review.
In a statement, the Sugar Association said it “should have exercised greater transparency in all of its research activities,” but that funding disclosures were not the norm when the review was published. The group also questioned Kearns’ “continued attempts to reframe historical occurrences” to play into the current public sentiment against sugar.
The Sugar Association said it was a “disservice” that industry-funded research in general is considered “tainted.”
Companies including Coca-Cola Co. and Kellogg Co. as well as groups for agricultural products like beef and blueberries regularly fund studies that become a part of scientific literature, are cited by other researchers, and are touted in press releases.
Companies say they adhere to scientific standards, and many researchers feel that industry funding is critical to advancing science given the growing competition for government funds. But critics say such studies are often thinly veiled marketing that undermine efforts to improve public health.
“Food company sponsorship, whether or not intentionally manipulative, undermines public trust in nutrition science,” wrote Nestle, a longtime critic of industry funding of science.
The authors of the analysis note they were unable to interview key actors quoted in the documents because they are no longer alive. They also note there is no direct evidence the sugar industry changed the manuscript, that the documents provide a limited window into the sugar industry group’s activities and that the roles of other industries and nutrition leaders in shaping the discussion about heart disease were not studied.
Nevertheless, they say the documents underscore why policy makers should consider giving less weight to industry-funded studies. Although funding disclosures are now common practice in the scientific community, the role sponsors play behind the scenes is still not always clear.
In June, the Associated Press reported on a study funded by the candy industry’s trade group that found children who eat candy tend to weigh less than those who don’t. The National Confectioners Association, which touted the findings in a press release, provided feedback to the authors on a draft even though a disclosure said it had no role in the paper. The association said its suggestions didn’t alter the findings.
In November, the AP also reported on emails showing Coca-Cola was instrumental in creating a nonprofit that said its mission was to fight obesity, even though the group publicly said the soda maker had “no input” into its activities. A document circulated at Coke said the group would counter the “shrill rhetoric” of “public health extremists.”
Coca-Cola subsequently conceded that it had not been transparent, and the group later disbanded.
Read more: http://mashable.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/new-study-shows-how-sugar-industry-skews-research-on-fat/
Monday 28 November 2016
Trump tells Dr. Oz he loves fast food, wants to lose weight
UPDATE: Thursday, 11:56 a.m. ET: The Dr. Oz Show confirmed to Mashable Trump does in fact weigh 236 pounds.
Donald Trump visited The Dr. Oz Show on Wednesday morning and while the episode won’t air until Thursday, audience reports have already started to circulate.
Trump declared he would share the results of a recent physical on Oz’s show after Hillary Clinton stumbled as she left a Sept. 11 memorial over the weekend. Her campaign later announced she had pneumonia.
Trump opened up about his previously documented love of fast food during the taping Wednesday, among other interesting admissions.
Per an audience member at Dr. Oz taping with Trump, he said he likes fast food because “at least you know what they are putting in it.”
Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) September 14, 2016
As for Trump’s weight, there were conflicting reports. Politico noted audience members said he weighed 236 pounds while NBC and MSNBC revealed audience members said he weighed 267 pounds. Dr. Oz said Trump was “slightly overweight,” to which Trump replied he hoped to lose 15 to 20 pounds.
Per audience member at Dr. Oz show with Trump, he weighs 267. Oz said that is slightly overweight.
Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) September 14, 2016
Trump’s height has been reported at 6’3″ and at 236 pounds, his BMI, per the CDC, would be 29.5, just at the upper reaches of the “overweight” range, close to “obese.” At 267 pounds, Trump’s weight would be a BMI of 33.4.
On Thursday, the Dr. Oz Show confirmed to Mashable Trump’s weight is actually 236 pounds.
Here’s how the conversation went down:
Dr. Oz: “You’re 63 236 pounds as I mentioned. Now in my mind Im thinking your body surface area and your BMI is high. Its probably close to 30 which is sort of the barrier for most people. Do your doctors or your family ever give you a hard time about your weight?”
Donald Trump: “Yeah I think I could lose a little weight. Ive always been a little bit this way. You know Ive sort of always been, I was probably a good swimmer. But Ive always been this way. I think that if I had one thing Id like to lose weight. Its tough because of the way I live. But the one thing I would like to do is be able to drop 15 20 pounds. It would be good.”
Overall, though, Oz assessed Trump as being healthy.
Per audience member I spoke to, Dr. Oz said Trump is very healthy & that he would be happy if any of his patients had similar results
Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) September 14, 2016
As for exercise, well, it turns out all of those hand gestures are important! Speaking perhaps a bit tongue-in-cheek, Trump said that’s his exercise.
On exercise: Trump said his campaigning was his exercise. That him “moving his hands around when he was speaking” was a work out.
Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) September 14, 2016
And, of course, there’s his relationship with daughter Ivanka, who made an appearance on the show. Of note, Trump confirmed how he loves to show his affection for his daughter.
MSNBC: “Dr. Oz said when Ivanka came on stage ‘It’s nice to see a dad kiss his daughter.’ Trump said he kisses her every chance he gets.”
Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) September 14, 2016
More information was reported by NBC’s Katy Tur, including some political aspects of his discussion with Oz.
The medical info Trump released from a source who saw Dr Oz taping -> pic.twitter.com/x59LJ6Hmnp
Katy Tur (@KatyTurNBC) September 14, 2016
Mashable will update this story as more information becomes available.
Read more: http://mashable.com/2016/09/14/donald-trump-dr-oz-leaks/
source http://www.gp724.com/trump-tells-dr-oz-he-loves-fast-food-wants-to-lose-weight/
Reid In Nasty Battle With Trump Over Weight, Injury
This split shows Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, left, and Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid, right. (AP)
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid is fond of sparring with Republican presidential candidates, but the ex-boxer started an all-out street fight with Donald Trump this week — and it only escalated Friday after the GOP nominee responded by mocking the injury that left Reid blind in one eye.
“Trump can make fun of the injury that took sight in my eye — I’ve dealt with tougher opponents. With my good eye, I see Trump is a con-artist,” Reid tweeted on Friday morning.
The political brawl started on Tuesday when Reid poked fun at Trump’s weight.
While accusing the press of magnifying Hillary Clintons pneumonia diagnosis and downplaying Trump’s health issues, Reid said during a press conference, He complains about her health? What does he do? Hes 70 years old. Hes not slim and trim.
Trump’s health details released this week show he is somewhat overweight, and the candidate says he wants to lose 15 pounds. But he hit back hard at Reid for going there, making a mocking reference to Reid’s 2015 home-gym accident — which happened when an exercise band snapped, sending the 76-year-old to the ground. He broke several ribs and facial bones.
Harry Reid? I think he should go back and start working out again with his rubber work-out pieces, Trump told the Washington Post on Wednesday.
The latest headlines on the 2016 elections from the biggest name in politics. See Latest Coverage →
Aside from the tweet, Reid also issued a written response to Trump saying with “my good eye, I can see that Trump is a man who inherited his money and spent his entire life pretending like he earned it.”
This is not the first time Reid has engaged in a verbal battle with a Republican presidential nominee.
In July 2012, Reid took to the Senate floor to engage in speculation that Mitt Romney had not paid any taxes.
Speaking in the Senate on Thursday, Reid also unleashed a flurry of broadsides at Trump calling him a human leech and a spoiled brat.
Reid, who is retiring in January after 33 years in Congress, also suggested earlier this summer that intelligence officials fake the security briefings given to Trump.
How would the CIA and the other intelligence agencies brief this guy? How could they do that? I would suggest to the intelligence agencies, if youre forced to brief this guy, dont tell him anything, just fake it, because this man is dangerous, Reid said during an interview with The Huffington Post.
Reids attacks may or may not damage Trump, but one of Reids colleagues believes the real blow is to the Nevadans own legacy.
“Harry Reid, for some time now, has been going beyond the line, making statements on the floor where words should be taken down,” Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told Roll Call.
“And to hear in the last few months of his career, sadly, it’s gotten worse. And it mainly looks bad for Senator Reid and his legacy.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/09/16/reid-in-nasty-battle-with-trump-over-weight-injury.html
source http://www.gp724.com/reid-in-nasty-battle-with-trump-over-weight-injury/
6 Ways Your Diet Can Help You Avoid Alzheimer’s Disease
(iStock)
Alzheimers disease is a devastating degenerative brain disorder that leads to problems with memory, cognition, and overall mental ability. The disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of all cases in America. Alzheimers is an age-related disease thats categorized by the slow deterioration of the mind over many years. One in nine people over the age of 65 currently lives with Alzheimers disease, and as many as one in three seniors die with some form of dementia.
Related to Alzheimers
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Coffee May Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease
Green Tea May Help Prevent Alzheimers, Studies Suggest
Keeping Fish in Mind: Omega-3s and Alzheimer’s
The most troubling aspect, however, is how the disease targets its victims. Its first signs are innocuous a forgotten word, face, or name but it then slowly develops into the loss of personal history and culminates in compete helplessness and the need for full-time care.
Whether an individual develops Alzheimers is largely out of his/her control the most reliable indicators are your age, your family history, and your genetics. That said, Alzheimers is still, above all, a disease of the mind. Therefore, building a diet around foods that have been found to benefit the brain is one way to proactively combat it.
The medical community is fighting feverishly to discover the origins of this mysterious and deadly disease, and new research continues to flow from universities and research hospitals. A 2015 study of 923 subjects between ages 58 to 98 found that the subjects who followed a diet that was rich in green leafy vegetables, berries, fish, whole grains, and olive oil, and that was also low in red meats, cheese, butter, and fast food, had lower rates of developing Alzheimers.
Here is a list of six ways that your diet can help you avoid Alzheimers disease.
Click Here to View 6 Ways Your Diet Can Help You Avoid Alzheimer’s Disease Slideshow
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/09/20/6-ways-your-diet-can-help-avoid-alzheimers-disease.html
source http://www.gp724.com/6-ways-your-diet-can-help-you-avoid-alzheimers-disease/
Sunday 27 November 2016
Woman Who Fit In Size 12 Jeans By Age 8 Looks Unrecognizable After 180-Pound Weight Loss
Losing weight can be one of the hardest things for a person to do.
Eating right and working out is what pretty much every fitness expert will tell you to do if you want to shed some pounds, but that is easier said than done.
We all lead busy lives! How do some people make it to the gym 6 times a week? I am amazed and impressed by people who can make healthy meals for themselves 3 times a day. I’m lucky if I eat a salad once a week.
I give these dedicated folks plenty of credit. Mastering a healthy diet and lifestyle is something I haven’t figured out yet, but maybe one day.
After getting a scale in the mail, Erica decided to turn her life around after she read the number of the screen.
When Erica was a kid, she fit into her mom’s size 12 jeans when she was in the 2nd grade. She used food to comfort herself, as well as to celebrate and enjoy life.
Erica works as a blogger and someone sent her a scale to review, not knowing that Erica struggled with her weight. When she stepped on the scale, it said she weighed 326 pounds.
Instead of kicking herself for her weight, she was inspired to use that scale daily to monitor it. She started a low-carb diet and over time, she shed 180 pounds! But after losing that weight, she didn’t know what to wear. That is where Today nutritionist Joy Bauer came in to help!
If you were inspired by this woman’s weight loss journey, you will also find this mother losing 90 pounds after having her baby as motivation as well!
Don’t forget to SHARE Erica’s story with all of your friends and family!
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Read more: http://littlethings.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/woman-who-fit-in-size-12-jeans-by-age-8-looks-unrecognizable-after-180-pound-weight-loss/
Fitness trackers may not aid weight loss, study finds
Research shows a simple diet and exercise plan is more effective weight loss strategy than using Fitbit and Jawbone devices
They have become the must-have for fitness fans but wearable gadgets that track users physical activity may not help people lose weight, a new study has found.
Instead of motivating users to do more exercise over the day, the two-year survey found the devices were actually less effective at encouraging people to lose weight than simply following a diet and exercise plan.
Scientists suspect that people become overly dependent on the gadgets to help them change their health, developing a false sense of security and would do better by relying on simple willpower.
Costing up to 150, the devices by technology firms including Fitbit, Jawbone and Misfit are worn on the wrist or arm, monitor physical activity, steps taken, calories burnt, heart rate and quality of sleep and feed the data directly into a smartphone.
The researchers tracked 470 overweight or obese people, aged 18 to 35, for 24 months. Everyone in the study was put on a low-calorie diet, given an exercise plan and invited to regular group sessions.
After six months, half the group was given a Fit Core armband, which tracks activity and feeds it into a computer programme that also allows people to log their diet. The other half were simply told to monitor their exercise and diet by themselves.
The researchers, whose results are published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that patients given the armbands lost less weight than those who monitored their own activity.
The group using the Fit Core gadgets lost an average of 7.7lb over two years, compared with an average 13lb in the self-monitored group.
A spokesman for Jawbone, which owns BodyMedia, the manufacturer of Fit Core, told the Daily Mail: The results of the study do not suggest that wearable devices should not be used for positive weight loss outcomes.
In fact, the study demonstrated positive weight loss in both groups. Wearable tech helps to bridge the gap between patients who have access to rather intensive weight loss treatments and the very many who dont.
A spokeswoman for Fitbit said: The researchers point out that a limitation of their work includes the fact that they did not use a modern wearable device such as those offered by Fitbit. The upper arm device used in the study was limited to automatic data collection only.
Most wearables today, including those offered by Fitbit, go far beyond data collection, offering individuals real-time access to their information, insights, motivation from associated social networks, and guidance about their health. We would strongly caution against any conclusion that these findings apply to the wearable technology category as a whole.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us
source http://www.gp724.com/fitness-trackers-may-not-aid-weight-loss-study-finds/
Saturday 26 November 2016
I haven’t had sex with my wife for six years after she ignored my advice on weight loss
I tried to assist with her post-pregnancy weight loss, but when that didnt work, I avoided intercourse. Ive since tried to get back to normal, but she runs away from me
I havent had sex with my wife since my youngest daughters birth six years ago. This is due, in part, to me. After the birth, I tried assisting my wife with her weight-loss efforts, but she ignored my advice. I got fed up and avoided intercourse. I realise that my approach was not a good one and I have been making efforts for the past two years to go back to normal, but she is always running away.
You will have to be patient. It takes time to regain trust and overcome the pain of rejection. Your wife is pushing you away as a self-protective measure. She is still hurt by your punishing approach and needs substantial reassurance that it will never happen again. She also needs reassurance that you truly appreciate her, including her physical appearance.
You have learned that sex should never be used as a weapon. Your best option is to sit down and talk to your wife. Apologise sincerely, and ask what you can do to gain her trust. Ask her to express her own feelings about being physically close to you, and listen very carefully without interruption, defensiveness or turning blame back on her. She needs to feel safe with you again or she will never be comfortable with intimacy. Without proper conflict-resolution, relationships deteriorate into unhealthy patterns of avoidance, passive-aggression, escape, impasse, or a cold war none of which can coexist with healthy lovemaking.
Pamela Stephenson Connolly is a US-based psychotherapist specialising in sexual disorders.
If you would like advice from Pamela Stephenson Connolly on sexual matters, send us a brief description of your concerns to private.lives@theguardian.com (please dont send attachments). Each week, Pamela chooses one problem to answer, which will be published online and in print. She regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence.
source http://www.gp724.com/i-havent-had-sex-with-my-wife-for-six-years-after-she-ignored-my-advice-on-weight-loss/
Friday 25 November 2016
Fat Boy The Cat Finally Rescued After 9 Days Atop Power Pole
A Californian cat named “Fat Boy” has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
The black-and-white feline was rescued Tuesday from the top of a 45-foot high power pole in Fresno, where he had been stuck for nine days, The Fresno Bee reports.
Fat Boy’s owner, Andrew Perez, wasn’t sure how the cat got up there, but guessed that a neighborhood dog may have scared him.
“We were calling his name, and he was looking at us, and he’d just meow,” Perez told ABC 7.
The cat’s human family was worried for their pet, so the fire department and other local agencies referred them to power company Pacific Gas and Electric, according to ABC News.
“It’s not a simple thing to climb a power pole and get a cat down,” PG&E spokesman Denny Boyles told the Fresno Bee. “The first thing we have to do is de-energize the line – it’s a 12,000-volt line. The safety of the two guys who went up on the pole, and the crew member on the ground, has to be our first priority every time.
He said they usually “wait out” cats on poles, and the felines typically come down on their own, but after Fat Boy had been up there so long, they had to take action. In order for workers to get him, the company had to shut off power to about 250 homes for a few hours.
Fat Boy seemed healthy, but since he had gone so long without food or water, veterinary workers gave the feline electrolytes and made sure he had food before returning him to his family.
Welcome home, Fat Boy.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/fat-boy-the-cat-finally-rescued-after-9-days-atop-power-pole/
Thursday 24 November 2016
Donald Trump’s major fat-shaming problem was on full display at the debate.
Another day, another group belittled by presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Women. People with disabilities. Muslims. Jewish people. Black people. Mexicans. Gay people. Prisoners of war. Transgender people. (Did I miss any?)
There’s one group, though, that Trump has repeatedly, consistently mocked time and time again throughout his entire career, long before he got into politics and it’s one not enough people are talking about.
Trump has great disdain for fat* people. And it was on full display during and immediately after the first presidential debate on Sept. 26, 2016.
*Note: I will use the term “fat” to describe people in this article. Unlike Trump’s usage, I am using “fat” as an adjective, not an insult.
Let’s break down the three fat-phobic things Trump promoted at (and shortly after) the debate with some classic, cold, hard fact-checking.
Trump’s two cents: After Hillary Clinton pointed out that Trump has called women “pigs, slobs, and dogs,” Trump resurrected and defended his offensive, decade-old remarks against Rosie O’Donnell, claiming “she deserves it, and nobody feels sorry for her.”
Fact-check: Calling O’Donnell a “slob” is a play right out of the Fat-Phobic’s Handbook of Fallacies. Although our society pushes this narrative, the truth is that being fat does not mean a person is inherently lazy, unhygienic, incompetent, or any of the other negative stereotypes often ascribed to people with bigger bodies including being a so-called “slob.”
Trump’s two cents: In a mind-bogglingly random aside, Trump suggested during the debate that “someone sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds” could have been the one who broke into the Democratic National Committee’s email server a not-so-subtle suggestion that any know-nothing, inept person could do so.
Fact-check: Again, Trump perpetuated a seemingly inconsequential but actually pretty dangerous connection between undesirable traits and having a body that happens to be fat.
“Trump didnt just express the standard disgust for fat bodies,” writer Lindy West penned in The Guardian. “He positioned fat people as dangers to national security. The implications are familiar, even if the context is outlandish: fat people are lazy, bedridden, unscrupulous, untrustworthy, antisocial, gluttonous (for secrets!) and worthless as anything but a punchline.”
West wasn’t the only one unimpressed. Former Republican rival and Trump supporter Rick Santorumwas seemingly just as perplexed as many of us watching at home:
400 pounds??
Rick Santorum (@RickSantorum) September 27, 2016
Trump’s two cents: During the debate, Clinton said Trump allegedly once called former Miss Universe Alicia Machado “Miss Piggy.” He doubled-down on his attacks against Machado the following morning as though her weight would ever be a legitimate reason to condemn her as a pageant winner explaining in an interview with “Fox and Friends” that Machado had gained “a massive amount of weight” and it had become “a real problem.”
Fact-check: In his follow-up interview, Trump didn’t even try to deny that Machado’s weight had become an underlying issue for him. And that’s … an issue. Instead of using his platform to help change a sexist, fat-phobic industry standard, Trump allegedly threatened to take her crown away after she’d gained weight, and, astoundingly, invited reporters to film her exercising without telling her beforehand in order to show the public she was on a weight-loss regimen.
“It was very humiliating,” Machado said years later of Trump’s treatment. “I felt really bad, like a lab rat.”
Of course, none of this is probably all that surprising to you even if you’re a Trump supporter. Voters have come to expect he’ll spout whatever’s on his mind, for better or worse. If that means saying something fat-phobic like bullying overweight people at his rallies, demanding Chris Christie stop eating Oreos, or body-shaming Diet Coke drinkers so be it.
But really, this isn’t about Trump or whether his fat-phobic remarks will change the presidential race. It’s about how those remarks hurt us everyone watching at home.
Fat-shaming is often overlooked, sometimes because it becomes so frequent and so subtle that we get used to it. But we shouldn’t.
Many of us have rallied together in defense of other groups women, Muslims, military families after Trump has insulted them, and rightly so. We should be doing the same right now for fat people.
Again, it bears repeating: “Fat” should not be an insult. It is an adjective. The problem isn’t just that Donald Trump is calling people fat it’s that he uses “fat” as a catch-all term that implies a whole host of other negative, undesirable qualities.
The prevalence of fat-phobia continues to promote real-world discrimination, and comments like Trump’s only add fuel to the fire.
Fat-phobic biases by medical professionals means fat people are more likely to receive poor health care services. Being fat means you look more guilty in jurors’ eyes. If you’re fat, you’re more likely to be seen as unhealthy despite the fact you can’t actually tell much about a person’s health just by looking at their waistline. And because workplace discrimination is a thing, fat women are more likely to get smaller paychecks than their skinnier counterparts. (Isn’t it fun when sexism and fat-phobia collide?)
To be clear, Trump’s certainly not the only politician who’s made fat-phobic remarks although maybe he’s the worst offender? and expecting him to change his tune before Nov. 8 is unlikely.
I’m not holding my breath, hoping Trump transforms into a body-positivity champion but I am hoping his fat-shaming will spur some backlash from all of us and the way we treat fat people as a society.
I’m hoping Trump’s blunt, non-P.C. style will actually shed a light on how hurtful, ignorant, and dangerous this “tell it like it is” mentality can be when it comes to fat-shaming.
When reality TV show hosts make fat-phobic remarks, it’s a problem but when those remarks are coming from someone who wants to be the leader of the free world, it’s an utterly unacceptable show of disrespect and discrimination.
source http://www.gp724.com/donald-trumps-major-fat-shaming-problem-was-on-full-display-at-the-debate/
Trump’s America: No fat chicks
(CNN)Donald Trump has a message for the American people: No fat chicks.
And America has a message for him: That kind of crass sexism may have sold tabloids in the ’90s, but it loses you elections in a more feminist, body-positive 2016.
But a reinvigorated feminist movement and its overlap with movements for fat acceptance mean broader awareness of the harms that narrow beauty ideals can cause, and a more generalized disgust at men who feel entitled to judge women’s bodies. Beauty pageants are on the decline. Companies increasingly tout the use of “real women” in their ads, or their refusal to airbrush photos of models. Americans are, in general, larger than we’ve been in the past.
That means more Americans know the sting of anti-fat bias, and aren’t laughing along when Trump calls a beauty contest winner an “eating machine.” There is also strength in those numbers: The more Americans self-identify as fat and refuse to accept that being fat makes them less worthy of love, respect, and being treated with basic humanity, the less public figures like Trump can get away with using weight as a tool of sexist humiliation, and the more antics like this will hurt him in November.
It is not a coincidence that Trump doubled down on his sexist, sizist remarks right as polling showed that voters crowned Hillary Clinton, and not him, the winner of the debate. Trump is a sore loser who loves to play king. But as any of his pageant contestants could have told him, you don’t show up on stage outgunned and underprepared — and if you come at the queen, you’d best not miss.
Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/28/opinions/trumps-america-no-fat-chicks-filipovic/index.html
source http://www.gp724.com/trumps-america-no-fat-chicks/
Wednesday 23 November 2016
Zoodles With Bolognese Because We’re On A No-Carb Diet
So like, weve frequently sung the praises of Mr. Atkins and his groundbreaking diet. Is it totally recommended by nutritionists and people who actually study this shit? No, but can you lose 3 lbs in a week? You bet!
Simple swaps like replacing rice with some sort of cauliflower powder or noodles with some sort of spiralized veggie can save you more than 200 calories. That way, you wont feel as bad when you splurge on some kind of delicious sauce like the meat-laden Bolognese.
Making zoodles isnt hard. We adapted the Bolognese from Italian skinny betch, Giada, so you know its good.
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the sauce
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- lb ground beef
- 1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- cup dry red wine
- 3 tbsps parsley, chopped
- 6 basil leaves, fresh, chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Grab your spiralizer, if you have one, or a veggie peeler. Cut off the ends of the zucchini and spiralize or peel, catching all the noodles in a sheet pan. Grab a saut pan and heat with half of the olive oil. Once its super fucking hot, add in half of the zucchini and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring n shit. Add some salt and pepper, cook another 2 minutes, then remove. Toss out any and all liquid in the pan, add the rest of your olive oil, and repeat with the rest of the zucchini noodles.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat up your oil and, when its almost damn-fuckin-hot (like, nearly smoking), add in the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent without burning the goddamn garlic.
Add in the celery and carrot and saut for another 5 minutes before adding the beef. Cook over high heat, breaking that shit up into manageable pieces until it isnt pink anymore. Add in the tomatoes, wine, parsley, basil, salt and pepper and cook until the sauce thickens in like, 15-20 mins. Remove from the heat and top your zoodles. Grate some fucking cheese over the top and BLAMO.
Read more: http://www.betches.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/zoodles-with-bolognese-because-were-on-a-no-carb-diet/
Gremlin The Bulldog Cant Gain Weight Then He Gets A Special High Chair
When it comes to celebrating our favorite friends in the animal kingdom, were always ready to show them plenty of love!
Still, while each and every animal is pretty darn spectacular, well confess that we do have a special soft spot in our hearts for some of the creatures that spend their days making human lives that much better.
Theres something truly exceptional about loyal animals like horses, kitty-cats, and sweet pups like this fluffycotton ball with the face of an angel that just makes life that much better!
And if you know dogs, you know that they will never give up on their human. Even when youre at your lowest, in the worst mood of your life, a pup will always do everything in her power to boost you back up again.
Thats why its so powerful to see humans that return the favor, and absolutely refuse to give up on their very best four-footed friends.
Check out the gallery below to learn the background behind one incredible puppy-love story.
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Gremlin, now 5years old, is a beautiful valley bulldog who lives in a happy and loving home with his human family.
But Gremlin didn’t exactly get the easiest start in life.
As a puppy, he was the runt of his litter, and wasunable to gain enough weight.
Fortunately, he was adopted early on by his fur-ever mom, Chrissy Wilson, who was bound and determined to give her little guy a good life.
When they first found each other, poor little Gremlin was throwing up all day long, and still couldn’t put on any weight.
The veterinarian gave Gremlin a grim prognosis: The pup likely only had a year to live.
Eventually, however, Wilson was able to get a diagnosis for her poor pup, who couldn’t keep down enough food to gain weight.
He had canine megaesophagus, a condition where his throat muscles are too weak to push food all the way down, so it gets stuck in the esophagus, where it’s eventually vomited back up.
With the diagnosis, Wilson was able to start thinking hard about a solution to improve little Gremlin’s quality of life.
After lots of research, Wilson hit on an innovative solution that would improve Gremlin’s life dramatically and allow him to gain weight.
All she needed to do was change the way he ate.
Instead of eating standing on the ground, as is healthy for most dogs, Gremlin needed to sit up straight, to allow gravity to pull his food into his stomach.
To help Gremlin, Wilson jury-rigged something called a Bailey chair.
For humans, Bailey chairs are generally used to help children with developmental or physical disabilities sit upright.
Gremlin’s chair works in much the same way: It holdshim vertical, with a high chair-style tray toeat from.
The initial idea proved to be a huge success, allowing Gremlin to eat and reach a healthy weight for the very first time.
Wilson took the idea to a handy friend, who ended up developing a nonprofit called Bailey Chairs 4 Dogs, to help other dogs living with the condition.
They have now successfully helped hundreds of dogs have happier and healthier lives.
Gremlin, meanwhile, isn’t resting on his laurels. He’s become a doggy advocate for the chair that saved his life.
He shows off his skills by napping in the chair, hanging out, and, most impressively, jumping into the chair all by himself, and showing other dogs (and humans) just how this awesome concept works.
If you’d like to learn more about this awesome project, check out Bailey Chairs 4 Dogs, and watch the video below to see Gremlin putting his moves in action!
Please don’t forget toSHAREthis awesome idea with friends and family to help raise awareness about dogs that just need a little extra loving to live their best lives!
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Read more: http://littlethings.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/gremlin-the-bulldog-cant-gain-weight-then-he-gets-a-special-high-chair/
Chrissy Metz reveals she is under contract to lose weight for ‘This Is Us’
Chrissy Metz as Kate in “This Is Us.” (NBC)
Kate may have only lost a little over a pound on this week’s episode of “This Is Us,” but according to Chrissy Metz, her character will be shedding the weight — and that’s in writing.
The wildly popular NBC drama follows Kate as she struggles with her weight, a journey Metz tells TVline is a “parallel to my life.”
The 37-year-old actress shares that in order to realistically portray a 36-year-old woman working to transform herself physically, she too had to agree to lose weight as it pertains to the storyline. “In our contract, it did state that that would be a part of it, to lose the weight in the trajectory of the character as she comes to find herself,” Metz explains.
“That was a win-win for me,” she adds. “Because it’s one thing to try to do it on your own. But as human beings, it’s an ego thing: We’re more likely to do something for someone else.”
Metz recently spoke with ET about the overnight success of “This Is Us” and why her character resonates with so many viewers.
MORE: ‘This Is Us’ Star Chrissy Metz Dishes on Why the Jack Revelation Was ‘Overwhelming’
“I think everyone has shame about something, whether it’s a lack of a relationship with a child or maybe their weight or a lack of communication within their marriage,” she said. “Everyone can relate to that because we all have something that we’re like, ‘God, I can work on that or I wish I was better at doing this.'”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/chrissy-metz-reveals-she-is-under-contract-to-lose-weight-for-this-is-us/
Chorizo Cheese Dip Because We’re All Going To Get Fat Anyway
Theres something beautiful about not giving a fuck about gaining weightthat is, until February hits and you immediately do fucking care because omfg summer is coming. But, for now, youre in a safety zone.
Because of said safety zone AND because the holidays are coming anyway, we figured why not prep our bodies for the onslaught of sugar and fat with a delicious, bubbly cheese dip that we adapted from Foodie Crush?
You can serve this dip with veggies if you want, but we recommend tortilla chips, bread, and other cellulite-forming carbs.
Ingredients
- chorizo sausagethe kind that is NOT cooked alreadyyou need 6 oz
- 4 tbsps butter
- 2 cups of sweet onion, chopped
- tsp thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- tbsp smoked paprika
- 8 oz package of jalapeo cream cheeseif you cant find it, use regular and add in one chopped jalapeo unless youre a pussy
- cup Dukes mayoand yes, it matters
- 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
- cup green onions, chopped
Take the casing off your chorizo and cook in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Set aside. Grab a diff skillet and melt your butter, then add in the onion, thyme, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Cook over medium-low until the onion is soft and caramelized. Dont rush this shit or itll burn or be not as cooked and youll just fail all around.
Meanwhile, grab a medium bowl and mix together the cream cheese, mayo, and mozzarella. Once thats all combined, throw in your caramelized onions and green onions (and jalapeos if using). Fucking finally, add in the chorizo GENTLYgrease and all. Pour all that into a baking dish thats been sprayed with nonstick.
Bake at 350 for like, 15 mins or until the dip is golden and bubbling. Note that you will 100% hate yourself after you eat this, but youll feel so great during.
Read more: http://www.betches.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/chorizo-cheese-dip-because-were-all-going-to-get-fat-anyway/
Monday 21 November 2016
Brighton
The time has come when people are depending more and more on getting the information they need from the Internet. We are about convenience. Our site provides wealth of information about Brighton & Hove and its user friendly nature make it easy for people to find the perfect shop, restaurant or hotel.
With iSeat-U you don’t have to stay on the phone forever to reserve a room at your favorite hotel. We make room reservations a snap (a click to be precise!). Just search through our real-time inventory of available hotels and rooms, select the time you want the room and reserve. All with the click of the mouse.
iSeat-u.co.uk, the leading provider of online restaurant reservations, was founded in 2000 by a team with a proven track record in integrating technology with the restaurant and hospitality industries – individuals who meld their respective experience in taking the dining public to the Internet. iSeat-u currently caters fo Brighton & Hove area; however any restaurant, hotel concierge or diner – across the country – can immediately join the service
We bring restaurant reservations to a new level. With iSeat-u you don’t have to stay on the phone forever to reserve a table at your favorite restaurant. We make restaurant reservations a snap (a click to be precise!). Just search through our inventory of available tables, select the time you want to dine and reserve. All with the click of the mouse.
source http://www.my-brighton.co.uk/brighton/
Friday 18 November 2016
Cnn Hypocrisy? Flashback To When Network Fat Shamed Miss Universe Alicia Machado
Alicia Machado (R) talks to Colombian model Nathalia Paris in 1998. (Reuters)
Donald Trump is being assailed in the media for disparaging comments he made about Alicia Machado, the Venezuelan winner of the 1996 Miss Universe competition.
Machado claims that Trump, who ran the Miss Universe pageant, called her Miss Piggy after she gained weight. Trump himself said earlier this week that Machado gained a massive amount of weight and it was a real problem.
So lets take a look back to the late 1990s, when the Miss Universe organization put Machado on a strict diet and exercise regime, and media outlets flocked to film her working out in a New York City gym. In fact, the medias coverage of the spectacle was every bit as fat-shaming as Trumps remarks.
CNN, for example, would be aggressively denounced today for what the news network wrote about Machado in 1997.
When Alicia Machado of Venezuela was named Miss Universe nine months ago, no one could accuse her of being the size of the universe, wrote legendary CNN correspondent Jeanne Moos. But as her universe expanded, so did she, putting on nearly 60 pounds.
@CNN
BREAKING
Holier-than-thou CNN made fun of former Ms Universe Alicia Machado’s weight In 1997: pic.twitter.com/4cDELjiFfa— Marie (@MarieLeff) September 28, 2016
Some have noticed another interesting aspect of this story, which blew up after Hillary Clinton very deliberately mentioned Machado at the end of the presidential debate on Monday. As it turns out, sympathetic mainstream media outlets had been working on profiles of Machado since last week, causing some to wonder if the press was coordinating all along with the Clinton campaign.
This story first appeared on Heat Street.
Great coincidences in campaign reporting: The Guardian & Cosmo sent reporters just before debate to profile Machado, then pubbed today.
— Lee Fang (@lhfang) September 27, 2016
Sat down with Alicia Machado in LA last week to talk Clinton love, Trump hate, and more inclusive visions of beauty https://t.co/e9mBePVXIh
— Lucia Graves (@lucia_graves) September 27, 2016
I ate lunch with Alicia Machado last week and we talked about Trump (and life beyond Trump) https://t.co/DVa5sflNI4
— Prachi Gupta (@prachigu) September 27, 2016
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/cnn-hypocrisy-flashback-to-when-network-fat-shamed-miss-universe-alicia-machado/
A bad diet is worse than drugs, alcohol and tobacco combined
(CNN)
When you next visit the supermarket, tread carefully, because your food choices could be cutting years off your life.
Whether it’s too much junk food or a lack of nutritious food, malnutrition caused by bad eating habits is on the rise, a new report shows.
Globally, poor diets pose a greater risk to our health than alcohol, tobacco, drugs and unsafe sex combined, according to the report by the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition (Glopan).
The report draws upon data from 250 data sources and peer-reviewed articles, and lists recommendations for policymakers.
In Africa, the increasingly urban population is eating more processed food, the report shows, leaving the continent with a dangerous mix of both underweight and overweight people causing diet-related diseases.
“Bad diets are a big problem affecting all countries. We estimate that one in three people has a poor diet,” says lead author, Dr Lawrence Haddad, executive director at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
Bad for you, bad for your country
A poor diet may lead to type two diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancers, hypertension, anaemia and a whole range of other health issues, Haddad explains.
In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the growth in the rate of obesity among men is larger than that of undernourishment, and in Nigeria and Ethiopia diabetes is on the increase, the report shows.
This isn’t just bad news for your health, it’s bad for the economy, as poor public health can be a huge cost for governments.
Across Africa and Asia, the estimated impact of undernutrition on gross domestic product (GDP) is 11% every year, according to the report — worse than the annual economic downturn caused by the global financial crisis of 2008 to 2010.
It’s not just Africa — rates of obesity and diet-related diseases such as diabetes are increasing all over the world, but they are growing fastest in countries with low GDP, according to the report.
From underweight to obese
But that doesn’t mean the end of starvation.
In Africa, due to large gaps in living standards, many countries are battling both undernourishment and obesity, according to the report.
Children are particularly vulnerable. An estimated 45.4% of deaths among children under five can be linked to poor diet. Foetal growth restriction, suboptimal breastfeeding, stunting, wasting and vitamin A and zinc deficiencies are all possible consequences.
While undernutrition and hunger is slowly declining in Asia, in sub-Saharan Africa, the number of stunted children is still 58 million and rising by 500,000 every year, according to the report.
Income, a double-edged sword?
While developing countries tend to see improvements in education and the reduction of poverty as incomes rise, more money doesn’t automatically fix the problem, if people spend more on sugary drinks, street food, ready meals and other processed foods Haddad says.
“As income goes up, we can consume and buy more good things, healthier things like fruits, vegetables, fresh fish, stuff like that. But we can and do also buy unhealthy things — processed meats, sugary drinks, highly processed food.”
In Africa, urbanization has fueled a rise in processed food purchases, the report showed, especially in lower- and upper-middle-income countries.
Among the highest income group in urban areas of southern and eastern Africa, highly processed foods make up 65% of the average food basket, compared to 35% for this group in rural areas, according to the report.
Haddad says processed foods are bad because they are full of calories, but may not leave you feeling full.
They may also be low in nutritional value.
“They have got lots of sugar, salt and saturated fats in them, and not a lot of anything else,” Haddad says.
Do cities make people fat?
The demand is driven by rapid urbanization, with people in cities leading busy lives and wanting convenience, Haddad says.
Others may live in slums without kitchens and buy all their food on the street or in cheap restaurants and cafes, he adds.
“Those kinds of places want to make their food tasty. They use unhealthy fats and lots of salt and sugar.”
“By not spending any agricultural research and development money on vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, poultry and fish, the prices of these foods are going up,” Haddad says.
But for policy makers the mix of diet-related issues may be confusing, and focusing on reducing starvation and poverty naturally comes first, says Haddad.
He recommends tackling the issues from two angles.
“They’ve got to end hunger quickly and make sure people have a more diverse diet. They’ve got to put their foot on the accelerator. But then they’ve got to put their foot on the brake to stop the increase in ultra-processed food,” he says.
“They’ve got to drive with both feet. It’s not easy.”
Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/
source http://www.gp724.com/a-bad-diet-is-worse-than-drugs-alcohol-and-tobacco-combined/
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