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[Blog] Wellness can be achieved through goals and planning

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 03:29:30 +0000

Fast food calorie counts will appear on menus, lawmakers tackle weight-loss

Label this

Whether you’re for or against the latest U.S. legislation on health care reform, there is one feature that health-conscience folks should appreciate: nutrition labels on fast food.

For those who are trying to lose weight this will be helpful in planning meals in accordance with wellness goals.

It can be difficult to plan for where you’ll be eating out with friends or on the road, but keeping track of calories is an organized way of preventing overeating.

The new national labeling may change the eating habits for some people, but others will ignore labels at drive-through menus completely.

Calorie counts probably won’t deter Americans from eating fast food. This is a fast food nation built on tight schedules and automobile transport; calorie counts will just speed up the orders for those who are both hungry and healthy.

Only an hour

Thankfully the weather has brightened up considerably over the last few weeks—at least in Virginia.

For those fighting the battle against obesity, there is some good news in addition to warm weather forecasts.

Web MD reports that it only takes one hour of exercise per day to fend off weight gain. Need a little inspiration to get started? Check out CNN’s Fit Nation online for stories of individuals training for a triathlon.

CNN also has various articles and videos on weight-loss success stories, recipes and workout tips. There is also a breakdown of races nationwide for runners—or aspiring runners—available online.

Doubting the effectiveness of exercise in the fight against obesity? Boston.com recently ran an article on that very concern.

Getting started on an exercise regimen can be a daunting task without goals and a realistic plan. Signing up for a race or other athletic event can serve as motivation to get moving.

Finishing a race could be considered a checkpoint on the way to wellness, a goal accomplished slowly, over time.

Beyond the White House

While recent media coverage has focused on First Lady Michelle Obama’s efforts to end childhood obesity, lawmakers are also taking on fitness challenges.

For example, the governor of Mississippi, his staff and other lawmakers are doing more than just talking about the nation’s obesity problem.

They too are trying to add exercise to their weeks and shed pounds in an effort to set a positive example for others.

Perhaps with more legislators jumping at the chance to get healthy, they will be more inclined to support future initiatives to curb the obesity epidemic in the U.S.

Actually working to lose the weight and keep it off is the best way for legislators, and citizens alike, to truly appreciate the weight-loss process.

Blog entries are part of a graduate course on multi-platform storytelling at Virginia Commonwealth University and are based on guidelines by Dr. Timothy Bajkiewicz. The views expressed are of the author and do not reflect the opinions of the class instructor, the university, current or former employers.

[Blog] Labels, options, offerings, choices

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:46:48 +0000

Companies may offer the healthiest options out there, but it’s up to us to make good decisions

It turns out that this week is a good time to write about obesity issues.

Not that any week is a bad week, but a few interesting stories popped up in cyberspace that are worth noting.

For starters there’s the woman who is trying to reach 1,000 pounds. Yes, that’s correct, New Jersey resident Donna Simpson wants to weigh 1,000 pounds.

According to the HuffingtonPost.com, Simpson currently weighs 600 pounds and, “already holds the Guinness World Record for world’s fattest mother.”

In subsequent reporting on the Simpson story, a Fox News reporter asks in a national news segment if, “being fat is a human right?”

Personally, I don’t know if being fat is a right, but I do know that being obese is a choice. There are other numerous behaviors that people choose as part of their lifestyles—all of which can have negative, positive or neutral effects on themselves and the people around them.

Luckily there were two other news stories that were more encouraging for those of us who are not looking to weigh 1,000 pounds.

The Washington Post reports that First Lady Michelle Obama is encouraging food manufacturers to take the lead in producing healthy products. In comments to the Grocery Manufacturers Association, she encouraged producers to “rethink” the products they offer.

“This isn’t about finding creative ways to market products as healthy,” Obama said, as quoted by the Post. “As you know, it’s about producing products that actually are healthy — products that can help shape the health habits of an entire generation.”

Kudos to Obama for going to the nation’s food producers and telling them what an important role they play in our nation’s food consumption. Companies should take an active role in more thoroughly labeling products so we know exactly what we’re putting in our bodies.

As an aside, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration plans to work with companies to implement front-of-package labels in the future. The USDA offers information on its Web site for consumers to better understand nutrition facts labels.

In other good news, the chairman and chief executive of Sony Pictures, Michale Lynton, is calling for healthier snacks in movie theaters in the United Kingdom and the United States. The TimesOnline reports that Lynton believes bringing healthier options into concession stands will meet “an urgent public health need.”

(And in case you were wondering, Glamour Magazine estimates that a medium-sized bucket of popcorn at the movies treats your body to 951 calories and 58 grams of fat.)

Food producers and movie chains can label and offer healthy products, but like the woman who is making 1,000 pounds her fitness goal, keep in mind that proper nutritional habits are our choice.

Simple economics says companies will offer healthy products if people are willing to buy them. The same goes for movie theaters.

The products and labels may be there but it’s the individual’s choice, not right, that will determine the size of his or her waistline.

[Blog] Accepting obesity is the first step to conquering the condition

admin — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:27:10 +0000

In order to address the effects of obesity in adults, it’s important to define what obesity is and what are the contributing factors to the condition.

In order to address the effects of obesity in adults, it’s important to define what obesity is and what are the contributing factors to the condition.

Mayoclinic.com defines obesity as a condition where one has an excess amount of body fat.

In the previous post there is a link for a body mass index (BMI) calculator. Those with a BMI above 30 are considered obese. (People with BMI’s ranging from 25 to 29.9 are considered “overweight.”)

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that obesity was “once considered a problem only in high-income countries” but points out that levels are “now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings.”

The organization also estimates that one in ten adults worldwide is considered obese—an alarming statistic to say the least.

The WHO offers a Q&A addressing the effects of obesity on the body. Long-term effects include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders and some cancers.

WebMD.com gives a decent overview of what factors contribute to obesity.

These factors include age, gender, genetics, environmental factors, physical activity levels, psychological factors, illness and taking certain medications. Believe it or not, genetics plays a big role in determining your body size. For example, if your biological mother is “heavy,” you have a 75 percent chance of being heavy as well. (The same goes for your chances of being thin.)

While some of these factors absolutely cannot be controlled by an individual, the fact remains that obesity is a fairly avoidable condition. It is obvious that the two main variables that individuals can control are their diet and the amount of exercise they take part in.

However, it is important to note that maintaining a proper diet and taking part in physical activities are not the two most crucial factors for battling the condition or keeping it at bay.

The key factor for those who are worried about obesity—or who are trying to lose weight—is to acknowledge the reality of their unhealthy weight and how it can effect them. Even for those who may not be obese, they may not practice the healthiest habits because they don’t believe they’ll ever be overweight.

For those who are obese, it’s important that they take the time to study the condition and accept that long-term illness could be a part of their daily life if they don’t make major changes to their lifestyles.

A condition like obesity is not one that is easily hidden—no humor intended. People who are overweight and obese know this each and every time they look in the mirror.

However, for most, it won’t be the reflection in the mirror that makes them reconsider their habits, but the acceptance that they have a problem to begin with.