Approximately 4% of people abuse laxatives at some point, and as many as 7% of high school students abuse laxatives for weight loss. Laxative abuse occurs when a person attempts to get rid of unwanted calories, lose weight, “feel thin,” or “feel empty” through the repeated, frequent use of laxatives. Often, laxatives are misused following eating binges, when the individual … [Read more...]

HICT is gaining popularity because of its efficiency and practicality for a time-constrained society. The combination of aerobic and resistance training in a high-intensity, limited-rest design can deliver numerous health benefits in much less time than traditional programs. Benefits: HICT can be a fast and efficient way to lose excess body weight and body fat. When … [Read more...]

Check your waist size, for a woman’s waist size  greater than 34.6 inches possesses serious health risk. Storing excess fat around the waist poses a significant health risk, even in people not considered to be overweight or obese. The doctors should measure a patient's waistline and their hips as well as their body mass index as part of standard health checks, according to … [Read more...]

Studies have shown that this “health halo” effect leads some people to eat twice as much or more of these foods because they are marketed as healthy.   Mental shortcuts that we resort to while making food choices considered "healthy" . These mental shortcuts are closely tied to what researchers call the heath halo effect.   The health halo effect refers to … [Read more...]

A new study challenges the notion that a “calorie is just a calorie” by finding that diets reducing the surge in blood sugar after a meal are preferable for weight loss, praising the low-glycemic index diet. In order to keep energy expenditure at a high rate, the study researchers suggest a low-glycemic load diet as a more effective way to burn calories at a higher rate after … [Read more...]

Rock Climbing is one of the best total body workouts. The motion of climbing works every part of you. From your fingers and forearms as you grip the rock or climbing hold, your abs and core as you lift your legs into position then your whole body as you propel yourself up with your legs and pull up with on your arms. Climbing develops lean, endurance muscles (the same muscles … [Read more...]

A high-protein diet may be the secret to consistent weight loss. A recent research (Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine) has shown that doubling your protein intake can help you drop pounds without losing muscle mass. In one study, published in The FASEB Journal, researchers put 39 patients on a weight-loss regimen over 31 days; at first, all participants … [Read more...]

Jumping rope is a great cardiovascular exercise. It's one of the foundations of a boxer's conditioning program, and you've got to be in shape to box. The tennis champ Jimmy Connors used to skip rope as part of his conditioning routine. Wear supportive cross-trainers, tennis or basketball shoes while skipping rope. Running shoes won't give you enough forefoot support and are … [Read more...]

It's time to stop counting the calories, and instead start promoting the nutritional value of foods if we are to rapidly cut illness and death from cardiovascular disease and curb the rising tide of obesity, say experts in an editorial published in the online journal Open Heart. Its time to shift the focus away from calories and emphasise a dietary pattern that focuses … [Read more...]

Repeated cycles of  dieting can make you fatter than before. That's because when you lose the weight, it often comes from water and muscles. But when you gain it back, it returns in the form of fat. Up to 50 percent of women are on a diet at any given time, according to Judy Mahle Lutter in her book "The Bodywise Woman." Up to 90 percent of teenagers diet regularly, and up to … [Read more...]

According to Time magazine, a multi-centre study in the USA found that, compared to other methods of weight loss, keeping a food diary helped slimmers to lose an average of 8kg in a 6-month period, whereas dieters who didn't keep diaries only lost 4kg. Writing down everything you consume, in great detail, like, eating seven peanuts, a packet of ketchup can help you achieve … [Read more...]

Late-night snackers and fast- eaters are more likely to gain weight. For those people who work night time hours or who wake in the middle of the night to enjoy a midnight snack, this means that you are more likely to become overweight or obese based on your habits alone. The human body is governed by hormonal fluctuations and routines, also called the circadian rhythm … [Read more...]

US researchers from the government-affiliated National Institute on Ageing have found that even having a BMI (Body Mass Index) just one point over a safe level, speeds up the onset of dementia for people aged 50 or over. For people who are seriously obese, they could develop neurodegenerative disease years a decade before they would have if they were a healthy weight. This … [Read more...]

A new study from the University of Minnesota found that the fiber in beans can keep you feeling surprisingly full. Researchers asked men and women to test two “meatloaf” lunches, made from either beef or beans. Both meals provided an equal number of calories and fat grams, but differed in protein and fiber, with the meat loaf providing 26 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, … [Read more...]

Using a weighing machine can be a useful tool to help adults control their weight, but for adolescents and young adults this behavior may have negative psychological outcomes.   Researchers from the University of Minnesota recently tracked the self-weighing behaviors of more than 1,900 young adults as part of Project EAT (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young … [Read more...]

Such headlines are read by us daily: Michelle Obama's is now tackling child obesity and planting an edible garden. In a recent U.N. study it said eating less meat is better for the planet -- either way, there’s no doubt that reducing your meat intake and embracing a plant-based diet is one of the best things you can do for your health and the environment. The Meatless Monday … [Read more...]