Trying To Eat Less Becomes More Important To Fend Off Middle Age Weight Gain

Fri. Jan 02, 2009

Many experts disagree over the seemingly obvious notion of keeping weight off by trying to eat less a debate that centers on whether the practice backfires, leading to binging and weight gain. Now a new study shows that practicing restraint becomes more important with age.

Women who participated in the study had more than twice the risk of substantial weight gain if they did not become more restrained in their eating.

"Some suggest that restrained eating is not a good practice," said Brigham Young University professor Larry Tucker, the study's lead author. "Given the environmental forces in America's food industry, not practicing restraint is essentially a guarantee of failure."

The study followed 192 middle-aged women for three years and tracked information on lifestyle, health and eating habits. Their analysis revealed that women who did not become more restrained with eating were 138 percent more likely to put on 6.6 pounds or more.

Columbia University researcher Lance Davidson, who was not involved with the analysis, said the findings highlight an important principle of weight management.

 "Because the body's energy requirements progressively decline with age, energy intake must mirror that decrease or weight gain occurs," said Davidson, a research fellow at Columbia's Obesity Research Center. "Dr. Tucker's observation that women who practice eating restraint avoid the significant weight gain commonly observed in middle age is an important health message."

Tucker says watching what you eat is not about physical appearance it's a direct investment in your health. "Weight gain and obesity bring a greater risk of diabetes and a number of other chronic diseases," Tucker said. "Eating properly is a skill that needs to be practiced."

Professor Tucker's Tips for Better Eating:

• Record what you eat and how much
• Put less food on your plate
• Eat more fruits and vegetables; the food pyramid recommends at least five servings per day

SOURCE: American Journal of Health Promotion

Merry Medical Myths

Thu. Dec 18, 2008

Eating at night makes you fat

If you don't eat at night you won't get fat, or so claims one common myth. Nonsense, say Rachel Vreeman and  Aaron Carroll assistant professors of pediatrics, at Indiana University School of Medicine  in their annual myth busting article in the British Journal of Medicine. After reviewing a variety of studies on the subject, the authors conclude that there is no link at all between eating at night and weight gain.  People gain weight because they eat more calories than they burn.  What time of the day you eat the extra calories does not seem to matter. 

An interesting side note to this literature review is that while eating at night may not be linked to weight gain, skipping breakfast probably is.  This isn't because breakfast skippers eat more at night.  According to calorie intake journals, breakfast skippers tend to eat more throughout the rest of the day than people who eat breakfast. 

Sugar makes kids hyperactive

While sugar is firmly linked with tooth decay and overweight, the commonly held belief that it is also associated with hyperactivity in children does not seem to be the case.  At least 12 research studies have examined the effect of various sugar levels on children's behavior and none of them could detect any effect on behavior. These studies even included children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and sugar "sensitivity."

Although there was no apparent effect on children's behavior; the same could not be said for their parents. When parents think their children have been given a drink containing sugar (even if it is really sugar-free), they rate their children's behavior as more hyperactive.  The difference in the children's behavior is all in the parents' minds.

Drink 8 glasses of water a day

Though it still raises a good deal of debate and is supported by both medical professionals and lay people alike, there is a complete lack of evidence supporting the recommendation to drink six to eight glasses of water a day.  In an exhaustive cataloging of information on the subject, Heinz Valtin in the American Journal of Physiology failed to find any supporting evidence. Existing studies suggest that adequate fluid intake is usually met through typical daily consumption of juice, milk, and even caffeinated drinks.  Additionally, drinking excess amounts of water can be dangerous, resulting in water intoxication, hyponatraemia, and even death.  While adequate hydration is critical, a six to eight glass a day rule is probably overdoing it.

Turkey makes you sleepy

Drowsiness after a  thanksgiving meal is frequently attributed to the presence of the amino acid tryptophan in turkey. Tryptophan is involved in sleep and mood control and has been shown to cause drowsiness.

However, turkey has about the same amount of tryptophan as chicken and minced beef (about 350 mg per 115 g), and less than pork or cheese.

Sleepiness can occur after any large meal probably because of a decrease in blood flow and oxygenation to the brain. This is especially true after meals high in protein or carbohydrates.  Wine accompanying a meal may also play a role.

SOURCE: BMJ

Low-carb diet more effective in metabolic syndrome

Tue. Dec 09, 2008

Researcher suggest that a diet low in carbohydrates is more effective than a diet low in fat for reducing saturated fatty acids in the blood and reducing markers of inflammation which are important indicators for metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a condition where one person exhibits a group of risk factors for type 2 diabetes and diseases related to plaque build up in arteries. It afflicts between one quarter and one third of adult Americans.

Reducing dietary fat has become standard advice for people with metabolic syndrome, but researchers now say that low-carb diets are more effective at reducing specific markers for metabolic syndrome, such as high triglycerides and inflammation. While experts don't always agree on the treatment method for metabolic syndrome, most agree on the need to limit inflammatory agents

Lead researcher Jeff S. Volek, PhD, RD, associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut, describes the new study as "adding to the evolving picture of improvement in general health beyond simple weight loss in keeping blood glucose and insulin under control. Lowering total and saturated fat only had a small effect on circulating inflammatory markers whereas reducing carbohydrate led to considerably greater reductions in a number of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules. These data implicate dietary carbohydrate rather than fat as a more significant nutritional factor contributing to inflammatory processes."

Richard Feinman, PhD, professor of biochemistry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center, adds, "The real importance of diets that lower carbohydrate content is that they are grounded in mechanism - carbohydrates stimulate insulin secretion which biases fat metabolism towards storage rather than oxidation. The inflammation results open a new aspect of the problem. From a practical standpoint, continued demonstrations that carbohydrate restriction is more beneficial than low fat could be good news to those wishing to forestall or manage the diseases associated with metabolic syndrome."

SOURCE: Lipids

Beat chocolate cravings

Fri. Nov 14, 2008

Suffering from a chocolate craving? A 15-minute walk may be all you need to beat that food craving and stay on track with your healthy eating plan.

Researchers at the University of Exeter took 25 chocolate eaters and had them abstain from eating chocolate for three days.  Then they randomly had participants rest or take a brisk 15 minute walk before engaging in a follow up activity that would normally induce a chocolate craving.

Participants reported lower cravings after walking than after resting.  They also reported lower cravings when engaged in the follow up activities.

Commenting on his research, Professor Adrian Taylor said: "While enjoying the occasional chocolate bar is fine, in time, regular eating may lead to stronger cravings during stress and when it is readily available. Recognizing what causes us to eat high energy snacks, even if we have plans to not do so, can be helpful."

"Short bouts of physical activity can help to regulate how energized and pleasant we feel, and with a sedentary lifestyle we may naturally turn to mood regulating behaviors such as eating chocolate. Accumulating 30 minutes of daily physical activity, with two 15 minute brisk walks, for example, not only provides general physical and mental health benefits but also may help to regulate our energy intake. This research furthers our understanding of the complex physical, psychological and emotional relationship we have with food."

SOURCE: Appetite

Pity the Poor Potato

Mon. Nov 10, 2008

Pity the poor potato. In recent years, the lowly spud's reputation has been mashed -- undeservedly so, according to the November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Criticisms have ranged from high carbohydrate count to its role as a magnet for high-fat toppings that add calories. The truth is, if you skip the sour cream, cheese and butter and don't fry your spuds, the potato need not be avoided in a healthy diet.

Here are some common misconceptions about potatoes:

• Potatoes are high in calories. In fact, a medium-sized russet potato baked in its skin has just 160 calories. None of those calories are from fat, cholesterol or refined sugar.
• Potatoes are nothing but carbohydrates. The average potato has 37 grams (g) of carbohydrates. But, potatoes also are a great source of vitamin C with 22 milligrams (mg) in a medium potato. They are a superb source of potassium, providing 952 mg of this important nutrient, which is considerably more than is in a banana or a serving of broccoli or spinach. Potatoes are a good source of protein, too, providing 4 g, which is comparable to a half a cup of milk. In addition, that medium-sized potato provides 1.9 mg of iron.
• Most of the nutrients are found in the potato skin. The truth is that most of the nutrients are found right below the skin's surface. To maintain all the nutrients, it is best to avoid peeling. The peels also have a healthy dose of fiber -- 4 g.
• When it's time to cook, think baked, boiled, roasted or microwaved to get the most from a potato without adding calories.
  

SOURCE: Mayo Clinic

Prudent diet reduces heart attack risk by one-third

Tue. Oct 21, 2008

People who are concerned about heart attack should look closely at their dietary patterns say Canadian researchers. The typical Western diet of fried food, salty snacks, eggs, and meat is associated by a 30 percent higher risk of heart attack when compared to what researchers call a Prudent diet high in fruits and vegetables.

After examining typical diets from 52 countries around the world, Salim Yusuf, D.Phil., a professor of medicine at McMaster University, identified three dietary patterns that were common globally.

Along with the Western diet, Yusuf identified the Oriental diet which is higher in tofu, soy, and other sauces, and the Prudent diet which is higher in fruits and vegetables.

"The objective of this study was to understand the modifiable risk factors of heart attacks at a global level," said Yusuf. "This study indicates that the same relationships that are observed in Western countries exist in different regions of the world,"

Yusuf and his colleagues examined data collected from 5,761 heart attack cases and 10,646 people without known heart disease.

"A simple dietary score, which included both good and bad foods with the higher score indicating a worse diet, showed that 30 percent of the risk of heart disease in a population could be related to poor diet," said Romania Iqbal, Ph.D., lead author of the study.

People who consumed the Prudent diet of more fruits and vegetables had a 30 percent lower risk of heart attack compared to people who ate little or no fruits and vegetables.

People who consumed the Western diet had a 35 percent greater risk of having a heart attack compared to people who consumed little or no fried foods and meat.

The Oriental pattern showed no relationship with heart attack risk. The researchers concluded that the high salt content of oriental sauces may neutralize the effects of an otherwise healthy diet.

SOURCE: Circulation

Fructose interferes with weight control hormone

Thu. Oct 16, 2008

A diet rich in fructose, a common sweetener in processed food, may induce resistance to the hormone leptin that helps regulate the balance between food intake and energy expenditure.  Researchers now believe this can lead to rapid weight gain with the high fat, high calorie diet typical for many Americans.

Fructose is the sugar found in fruit, but normal consumption of fruit does not create a problem. Instead, it is table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup which are about 50% fructose and have become increasingly common in many foods and beverages. Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are added to many foods and people now eat much more fructose than ever before.

A new study from the University Of Florida College Of Medicine, suggests that the interaction between consumption of large amounts of fructose-containing foods and eating a high-fat, high-calorie diet that produces the weight gain. According to Alexandra Shapiro, one of the researchers, "This study may explain how the global increase in fructose consumption is related to the current obesity epidemic."

Leptin resistance appears to prevent leptin from reaching the brain. When this occurs, the brain will not send out the normal signal to stop eating and, over time, the person gains weight.

While the relationship between leptin resistance and weight gain is well established, it was not previously known that a high fructose diet could be responsible for developing the resistance. More disturbing is the discovery that that leptin resistance can develop silently, that is, with little indication that it is happening.

"The presence of high fructose alters the way leptin works, fooling the brain so that it ignores leptin," says researcher Philip J. Scarpace.  "Consumers should be cautious about what they eat, checking labels to see how much sugar the items contain."

It is not yet known if leptin resistance can be reversed by removing or reducing the fructose content of the diet.

SOURCE: American Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology

Protection from pectin

Mon. Oct 13, 2008

Pectin, a soluble dietary fiber found in most plants, may offer an explanation into why people who eat more fruit and vegetables appear to have higher protection from the spread of cancers.

A fragment released by pectin during digestion, binds to proteins that play pivotal roles in cancer development. The galectin 3 protein plays a role in all stages of cancer progression but its action is inhibited when bound with the pectin fragment.

According to Professor Vic Morris from the Institute of Food Research, reports on the anti cancer effect of foods are generally based on population studies that show what happens when people eat more fruit and vegetables but do not explain why protection occurs. Morris's research looks at these effects from a molecular perspective that may shed new light on the interaction between dietary carbohydrates and mammalian proteins.

Discovery of the subtle role of pectin is leading researchers to identify how pectin can be taken up by the body and released so it can exert its effect on cancer cells. The research could result in functional foods with added bioactive pectin as well as providing more conclusive evidence for the importance of eating at least your '5-a-day'.

"For a whole combination of different effects it is best to consistently eat a range of fruits, vegetables and high-fiber foods," says Professor Morris. "You don't necessarily have to eat a superfood."

SOURCE: FASEB Journal

Supersized portions lead to unhealthy food relationships in children

Fri. Oct 10, 2008

Insisting that children clean their plate at meal time may lead to overeating and other unhealthy relationships with food say researchers from the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University.

Children assume that the quantity of food provided at meal time is the amount they should eat. When larger portions are provided, children eat more and use portion size and other environmental cues to help them decide when they have had enough.

Jennifer Fisher, Ph.D., theorizes that having large amounts of food available conveys a social expectation about portion size that condones larger self-served portions. Fisher and other researchers are exploring different avenues to determine the association between the amount of food children are served and the amount they actually eating.

"Our goal is to try to identify ways to promote healthful choices from an early age," says Fisher. "We want children to grow up with good eating habits, and without having to struggle with food issues into adulthood."

Observing children's eating behavior when confronted with differing portion sizes and even different sized eating utensils, may lead researchers to pinpoint some of the factors determining how eating patterns develop, which could help stave off unhealthy relationships with food later on in life.

SOURCE: Obesity

Preventing bone weakening during rapid weight loss

Fri. Sep 26, 2008

Bone demineralization and weakening seen during significant weight loss may be avoided by better nutrition say Louisiana researchers.  

Scientists at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, suggest that calorie restriction alone does not cause bone loss and that careful assessment of skeletal health combined with appropriate nutrition allows for significant weight loss without bone weakening.

Leanne M. Redman, Ph.D., one of the researchers writes, "Our data do not support the notion that extreme weight loss (more than 10 percent) over short periods (three months) has a worse prognosis on bone health than gradual weight loss achieved over six months by moderate calorie restriction with or without aerobic exercise."

Researchers are focusing attention on determining if reports of bone loss and fracture during substantial weight loss are the result of calorie restriction or a reduction in vitamins that might accompany them.

Weight loss would naturally result in changes in skeletal structures as the body adjusts to lower weight and less demands for load bearing.  The researchers believe that ensuring nutritional quality is not sacrificed during weight loss is the key factor in preventing changes in skeletal strength. They suggest that long term studies are needed to look at the effect of weight loss on bone quality and architecture.

SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine