July 2005

July 4, 2005 20:37 - Does eating breakfast affect your weight maintenance

Three years ago, researchers surveyed individuals about their eating habits. These individuals had already lost a minimum of 30 kg and maintained that weight loss for atleast a year and were registered with the National Weight Control Agency. The participants answered questions about the type of food they ate and the frequency, as well as the physical activity they do. As well as these questions, they were asked about their breakfast consumption.

Researchers hoped to identify whether or not breakfast consumption might be a factor in maintaining a healthy weight. The results of the survey showed that 78% reported eating breakfast every day of the week. Over 90% reported eating breakfast for four or more days in a 7 day period. An overwelming majority of the participants seemed to eat breakfast in some form or other. Researchers concluded that eating breakfast is a characteristic that successful dieters have in common, however, acknowledge that further research needs to be done to conclude that eating breakfast is directly linked to maintaining a healthy weight.

They plan to conduct further research that will be able to identify whether there is a direct relationship between breakfast consumption and weight maintenance.

This study was conducted jointly between the University of Colorado, Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Brown University and was funded in part by National Institutes of Health Grants and an unrestricted grant from General Mills, Inc.

Source: Wyatt, et. al., Long-Term Weight Loss and Breakfast in Subjects in the National Weight Control Registry Obesity Research 10:78-82 (2002)

July 5, 2005 17:44 - Dairy Industry In Trouble Over Weight Loss Claims

Articles in the Washington Post and Associated Press reported that the Dairy Industry was being sued over their advertising campaign that dairy products help in weight loss. Investigation into the background of the woman suing the Dairy Industry reveals that she is actually a member of an anti-meat, anti-dairy group that has close links to Animal Protection Groups. (Read Article)

July 16, 2005 21:02 - Nearly 76% of you feel that Ephedra Should Not Be Banned Even In Small Quantities.

Some of you may remember that in April this year, a Federal Utah Judge overturned the ruling on the ephedra drug distributed in small doses.

We asked you what you thought and this was the result of the poll.

Ephedra Drug Ban Poll Results

Some of the comments made by visitors to the Best Fat Burners Page were:

"It is only dangerous when the person taking it does not follow the proper dosage."

"ephedra is not bad for you unless you abuse it. i miss it!"

July 27, 2005 12:22 - What Are The Safe and Natural Ways To Boost Metabolism?

Boosting metabolism, often will have little to do with a little white pill sold to you promising weight loss. Increasing metabolism will depend on a number of factors, such as your age, your weight, how often and how hard you exercise and some experts report that your basal metabolic rate can even be effected by the weather or stressful situations.

Your basal metabolic rate is actually controlled by your thyroid gland. You can see a diagram of it here.

thyroid and hormone action within the body

One of the ways in which you can ensure the health of your thyroid gland is to make sure that you consume enough iodine. Now a women needs about 120 mcg's per day and a man would need about 150 mcg's per day[1], and you will find that foods such as fish, seaweed and shellfish contain iodine.

I should also say that eating excess iodine to try and boost metabolism will cause thyroid enlargement which will have detrimental effects, instead the aim is to get small amounts of iodine in foods such as those listed above to promote a healthy thyroid gland and normal functioning which in turn will effect the way in which it affects your metabolism.

Other natural ways of boosting metabolism are:

getting enough sleep;
increasing your muscle mass, if you are skinny but have little muscle mass, you may still have a fairly low metabolism;
eat enough protein. Protein provides the essential amino acids that our body needs to maintain and build muscle . You don't need a lot - just an average sized steak and a triangle of cheese could be all you need. Some however may need more, depending on their body's needs. Ask your dietitian to formulate a diet for you.

[1] Saxelby, C. (2002) Nutrition For Life, Hardie Grant Books.

Other Research Opportunities:

MedicineNet on Basal Metabolic Rate

Victorian Government Health Site, Go For Your Life

July 27, 2005 14:54 - Getting Rid Of Abdominal Fat - What The Experts Think

Abdominal fat can be the most frustrating of all fat to get rid of. Many complain that even though they exercise, they still can't get rid of it.

The American Dietetics Association encourage sensible eating and exercise to reduce abdominal fat, while they also note studies have found that exercise alone can reduce it.

A 2004 study [1] published by the The American College of Sports Medicine found that men with higher levels of aerobic fitness have significantly less abdominal fat - regardless of whether they have a high or low BMI.

Aerobic fitness improves when an individual does exercise that increases heart rate and keeps it elevated for an extended period of time.

400 men aged between 30 to 76 years of age participated in the study where researchers measured body weight, height, waist circumference, then conducted a series of digital CT scans on the abdominal area to obtain pictures of the fat deposits. The men were then put on a treadmill to determine their level of cardiorespiratory fitness or aerobic fitness.

Researchers found that men who were in the high cardiorespiratory fitness group had lower waist circumferences and men who had lower cardiorespiratory fitness had significantly more abdominal fat. They also noted that the fitness levels of those belonging to the high cardiorespiratory fitness group could be easily determined using the American College of Sports Medicine and the US Center for Disease Protection Guidelines which suggest 30 minutes of activity per day.

The American College of Sports Medicine concede though that improving aerobic fitness may not always mean that the abdominal fat will go away. The coincidence of smaller waist circumferences with higher aerobic fitness levels, may not mean that there is a causal link.

Ellington Darden, PhD on the WebMD site when asked a series of questions about how to burn fat and shape the body made some interesting replies. He comments that to burn tummy fat, you'd have to do an awful lot of situps and really the best method would be to curb your dietary intake. You can see his question and answer session here.

If you're having trouble shifting the spare tyre, there will be no fast solutions. The experts in diet and fitness seem to be saying that exercise and reduced but balanced dietary intake will eventually get you the body that you're happy with.

[1] Effect of Cardiorespiratory Fitness on Abdominal Fat Linked To Reduced Risk of Obesity-Related Diseases. Press Release.

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