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When people ask me how to lose weight, I ask them if they eat organic foods.

Most are surprised that it matters.

But there are at least two reasons for eating as much organic food as possible besides the fact that its better for the planet.

Some studies have shown that organic food is more nutritious although some experts dispute that.

Other studies have shown that the chemicals, pesticides and hormones found in non-organic foods add stress to the body. Stress can make you lethargic, affect your hormones and lead to swings in blood-sugar levels. Chemicals and pesticides also cause inflammation in the body.

Researchers are looking at how certain chemicals used in food affect body weight, leading to a new term called obesogens. Its not yet a household word. But it may be soon, as the evidence linking this group of chemicals to weight gain mounts.

In 2009, a study released by The Endocrine Society linked pesticides to impaired thyroid function. In another report, researchers found a fungicide called tributylin activates the retinoid X receptors in human cells, which led to fat cell formation. And mice exposed to obesogens were predisposed to weight gain later in life, according to research conducted at the University of California.

There are enough red flags that the National Institutes of Health began a three-year research project in 2011 to explore the role of environmental chemical exposures in obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

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But you dont have to wait for the results to test the theory. For the next three weeks, follow these steps for a cleaner diet. You might find it easier to shed those stubborn pounds.

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Wodraska: Lose weight organically

The NBC4 team is hitting the treadmill and shedding the pounds in the NBC4 Biggest Loser Challenge inspired by the hit NBC show The Biggest Loser.

Twenty-eight NBC4 staffers are participating in the 12-week challenge to lose weight, get in shape and boost our health.

We track our steps with pedometers and have weekly weigh-ins that keep us honest in documenting our weight loss.

"I track my weight. I actually have an app that I track all my meals," said Karen Gorsky, a staffer who lost 30 pounds before the competition even started and is aiming to taking off more weight.

Assignment Editor Andy Long says he is moving more and focusing on his diet.

"Cutting down a lot on the sugar and sweet stuff. I cut out soda all together," said Long who has taken off 60 pounds since he started his weight-loss journey and is aiming to be a healthy father to his baby girl.

We all have our goals, and this is a competition with money and prizes on the line, but this is also for our health. The NBC4 family is a pretty tight team. We have watched our own Mike Jackson face heart disease.

"A lot of people think I signed up, Ellie, so I'd look cute in my Speedo this summer, but in reality I just want to be alive to try to put on a Speedo this summer," joked NBC4 Today Anchor Mike Jackson. He has been in and out of the hospital this past year, facing numerous procedures.

"I had a major blockage in my heart that required three stents. I also had a blockage in my kidneys and in my legs," said Jackson who is well on the road to recovery now. He works out between newscasts in our gym, walking and lifting weights, and pays close attention to his diet.

Like any weight-loss challenge, the NBC4 team is facing ups and downs.

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NBC4 Team Losing Weight In Biggest Loser Challenge

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - An FDA panel voted to approve a new diet drug that could give hope to millions of people trying to lose weight. But there is controversy about the pill - and a better way to lose weight.

Q-Nexa would be the first diet drug approved in years. A previous panel voted against approval two years ago, because of potential side effects, but new evidence demonstrated it really can help people lose weight.

Dr. Henneth Burman, who is on the FDA panel, attested, "Potential benefits of the medication seen at this time could trump the potential side effects, but in truth, only time will tell."

The drug company has agreed to monitor patients for potential problems. Q-Nexa may help people lose up to 15 percent of their body weight over a year. But what then?

Dr. Gary Giovino is chairman of UB's Department of Community Health and Health Behavior. he says, "A lot of people lose weight, but they don't keep it off. Well, you maintain your weight loss if you keep eating healthy foods that are satisfying."

Dr. Giovino points out that, even if the pill works, lifestyle changes will be necessary.

"We wouldn't take a pill to reduce our risk for lung cancer and continue smoking for example. If we take a pill and still eat foods that compromise our health, are we really that ahead, even if our weight is low?" argued Dr. Giovino.

A large part of our national obesity problem is that the foods that are bad for us are desirable.

Dr. Giovino explained, "The problem with those is that they're designed to make us want more; they're designed to stimulate us; in fact some of those foods stimulate the same centers in the brain that nicotine and heroine do."

But he knows that major dietary change works.

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FDA OKs diet drug - but will it work?

Wellington, Feb 28 : Mel B has revealed that it was not easy for her to lose weight after giving birth to a child.

The former Spice Girl, whose real name is Melanie Brown, was named the latest spokesperson for the Australia and New Zealand branch of weight loss program Jenny Craig towards the end of last year.

She has already succeeded in reaching her goal weight after losing 15 kg in just six months after giving birth to her daughter Madison.

The 36-year-old singer spoke about the struggles of shedding the excess weight in the glare of the public eye.

"You know what, it's not easy losing weight, and especially when you're doing it in front of everyone," Stuff.co.nz quoted her as saying on the Kyle and Jackie O Radio show.

"It's a bit embarrassing, but I kind of had to do it. I was fat!" she said.

Brown has posed on the cover of Australian tabloid magazine Woman's Day to show off the results of her exercise and diet regime and is thrilled with the results.

"The six-pack is back! I'm the same girl from 15 years ago ... losing weight has made me the best mum possible. My energy's up!" she told the publication.

She also revealed that she can now fit into her 13-year-old daughter Phoenix Chi's jeans.

"Well, the jeans were mine in the first place.

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Mel B struggled to lose weight after childbirth

It's no secret that the pounds creep up on you -- it's not one or two huge meals that put on the pounds but instead the incremental, everyday diet and lifestyle choices.

On the other hand, most people also believe that with Americans so fixated on their weight, people (especially women) are painfully aware of every calorie they consume and each new ounce they gain -- much like the Bridget Jones film and book character.

A new study suggests that for many women it's not true.

BLOG: Forty Percent of Overweight Women Don't Know It

In a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Women's Health, University of Texas Medical Branch researchers found that a significant number of women evaluated at six-month intervals did not recognize recent gains in weight.

Researchers tracked 466 women of various ethnicities over 36 months and found that nearly one-third of women did not notice a weight gain of approximately 4.5 pounds over a six-month time, and one-quarter of women did not notice a weight gain of nearly 9 pounds over the same period.

The study, which is believed to be the first to explore the accuracy of self-perception of recent weight gain, found that African-American women and women who used DMPA users (the birth control shot), were more likely than white or Hispanic women to notice their weight gain.

The new findings are in line with previous research.

In 2010, for example, a study found that nearly four in 10 overweight women believe themselves to be thinner than they really are. The study's authors surveyed 2,224 women between 18 and 25 years old from a variety of ethnicities.

Using the subjects' calculated Body Mass Index (BMI) and self perception of weight, the researchers found that 36.8 percent of the overweight women (and 10.5 percent of the obese women) believed themselves to be underweight, or of normal weight.

Though it's often assumed that most women think they are too fat, only 16 percent of normal-weight women in the study perceived themselves as overweight. The vast majority (84 percent) accurately perceived themselves as normal weight or underweight.

BLOG: Breast Cancer and the 'Fat Taboo'

These findings concern researchers because if people don't realize they are overweight they won't make an effort to lose weight. These findings also have implications for the wider obesity epidemic, because doctors should not assume that their overweight or obese patients are aware of their weight gains (or even their absolute weight).

Photo: iStockPhoto

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Many Women Don't Notice Weight Gain

POSTED: 3:38 pm EST February 27, 2012
UPDATED: 11:05 pm EST February 27, 2012

BEDFORD, N.H. -- Losing weight can seem like a daunting task, but it's possible to work exercise into your daily routine and lose a pound per week.Fitness experts said about 3,500 calories need to be burned to shed a pound. Personal trainer Donna Wilczek said it's easy to find ways to burn 700 calories per day and drop a pound in a week.Wilczek said many people already have what they need at home, such as a staircase. A 150-pound person walking up and down stairs for 10 minutes can burn 91 calories."So what you want to do to make this more of a challenge to your muscles is to add some weight," she said.Carrying two 5-pound weights while walking up and down the stairs will typically let you burn more than 100 calories.Wilczek recommends using some tools to help track your activity. At a website like healthstatus.com, you can type in your weight, then enter the activity you're doing and how long you did it. The site then calculates how many calories you burned.Mundane chores can add up. Shopping for a half-hour burns 80 calories. Putting those groceries away can burn another 90 calories.Just as important as tracking how much you burn is tracking how much you take in."I always recommend that my clients for a month, maybe longer, keep a food diary," Wilczek said.Food calorie counts can be easily found online. For example, a medium-sized banana is 60 calories, while a plain bagel can add up to 300 calories.Wilczek said it can also be easy to exercise while doing other things, like watching TV or taking care of a baby. Lifting lightweight dumbbells for 30 minutes burns another 117 calories.If you start doing more exercise, though, Wilczek warned to not overdo it. Stretch between sets and start out slow."You don't want to do too much too soon," she said. "That causes people to be discouraged. They hurt too much, and they don't want to come back."Different exercised can have different results. Wilczek said a lower-body workout burns more calories than an upper-body one. She said she's a big fan of squats, recommending three sets of 15 while holding 5-pound weights.A 125-pound person can burn 55 calories while doing squats with 5-pound weights for five minutes. A 140-pound person who does two sets of squats at five minutes per set can burn 88 calories. Adding light weights bumps that up to 121 calories.Beginners can start with leg lifts while sitting on the edge of an ottoman or chair, Wilczek said, adding that ankle weights can be added later.Surveys have shown that more than 40 percent of Americans own a piece of exercise equipment, but the percentage who actually use the equipment is much lower. But Wilczek said home exercise machines can provide a quick and efficient way to burn calories."For burning calories, do it 15 minutes in the morning, 15 minutes at night," she said. "That's OK. You're burning those calories. That's what it's all about."Spending 15 minutes on a Stairmaster will burn about 108 calories. Hit it again in the evening to shed another 108 calories.At work, you can carve off calories by taking a five-minute walk every hour, adding up to 40 minutes by the end of the day and another 100 calories burned.Free pedometer apps for smartphones can show you how many steps you take, how fast you walked and how many calories you burned. A brisk walk for 30 minutes can burn 150 calories.Wilczek said the key is to consider both what you eat and what you do. Plan ahead, ideally working out your diet and exercise the night before.

Copyright 2012 by WMUR. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Lose Weight In 700-Calorie Steps

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Let's face it, some of us lead such busy lives spending an hour at the gym five days a week just to stay in shape is nearly impossible.

But what if you could achieve the same results, doing something just 10 minutes a day and without breaking a sweat? The concept has roots right here in Houston and is about to go mainstream.

For Hilary Brown, life is one big juggling act. With three kids and a career, working out hasn't fit into her schedule, so staying fit has been a real challenge.

"I'd rather be a certain size in my clothes. If I could fit into my size 6 jeans, that would be awesome," she said.

Shaking 10 minutes a day on a machine that claims to work out 90 percent of the muscles in your body - all at the same time - may be just what she needs.

"Within 30 days, you are going to see something," said Gail Hightower with ZAAZ STUDIOS.

It's called ZAAZ, which is Hebrew for movement. While working out on a machine that does the work for you might sound like a gimmick, studios like the one in southwest Houston are growing in popularity and insist they are not giving clients a false sense of hope.

"There's an entire push for people to get into other methods of working out other than the traditional go to the gym or pump iron," said Wil Glennie with ZAAZ STUDIOS said.

Brown was eager to give it a shot. We tracked her progress over three-and-half weeks to see if she gets the results she's been looking for.

"I would love to tone. I would love to have some time by myself; a small amount of time to maximize my workout," Brown said.

Shaking, or whole body vibration, as a tool to work your muscles has been around for a while. It was initially developed for cosmonauts in the Russian space program back in the 1960s. NASA is even toying with the concept for astronauts.

And it's great because you don't have to spend a ton of money on gym clothes; you can just come here dressed as you are.

But can you boost your metabolism and shed those unwanted inches without breaking a sweat?

"There are studies that go both ways," said William Amonette, assistant professor of fitness and human performance at the University of Houston-Clear Lake.

Amonette says this is not a substitute for good old-fashioned exercise.

"It's like anything else in fitness. It's a tool. It's not everything but it's something that can be used with other tools in order to improve our overall health," Amonette said.

We checked Brown's progress half way through her program.

"I'm noticing a toner body. A firmer -- my legs are firmer, my legs are tighter," Brown said.

And a week later, now almost a month after she started the program, it was the moment Brown has been waiting for.

"My jeans are a little looser on the thighs and around my midsection, I've noticed a difference there too," she said.

Houston already has three ZAAZ STUDIOS. Plans are in the works for more studios to open in Denver and San Francisco.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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Lose weight, tone muscles without breaking a sweat?

Scientists target a new part of the body to combat weight loss.

Weight loss is an obsession upon which the diet industry feeds, supplying numerous weight loss programs, pills and patches. There are the well-known, celebrity-endorsed programs and products, such as Weight Watchers and Zantrex-3, which involve diet and lifestyle changes. Then there are the lesser-known diet tactics, including earrings designed to decrease hunger by stimulating acupuncture points.

“I would say weight loss is a big deal to most people, especially girls,” said Kristina Woolf, a freshman in College of Arts and Sciences. “And they usually don’t want to lose weight in order to be more healthy. They sacrifice their health to look a certain way.”

The latest focus of weight loss drug manufacturers is the endocannabinoid system. Located throughout the body, endocannabinoid receptors and proteins play a key role in the regulation of numerous physiological—including hunger.

In June of 2006, Rimonabant, a weight loss drug sold by pharmaceutical company, Sanofi-Aventis, became available in Europe. Rimonabant targeted the CB1 endocannabinoid receptors in the brain to suppress hunger.

In the summer of 2007, rimonabant had been rejected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration due to numerous reports of adverse side effects including nausea, depression and suicidal tendencies. In December of 2008, after addressing health concerns per request of the European Medicines Agency, Sanofi-Aventis removed rimonabant from the markets in Europe.

OUT OF THE BRAIN, INTO THE GUT

The issue with rimonabant was that it interfered with the body’s ability to produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating the reward and pleasure centers of the brain. Without the ability to attain a natural high, a person taking rimonabant was more susceptible to depression.

Dr. Keith Sharkey, a neuroscientist studying endocannabinoids in the stomach at the University of Calgary, along with medical chemist Alexandros Makriyannis and a team, synthesized a compound to mimic rimonabant with a few important changes.

The compound, AM6545, targets the CB1 receptors in the stomach but remains outside of the brain. They theorized that the compound would promote weight loss just as rimonabant had done without compromising the dopamine levels in the brain.

In animal trials, AM6545 has been a success. A study in the British Journal of Pharmacology reports that mice and rats on AM6545 had lost weight without any side effects of nausea or depression.

The question that remains is whether or not the compound will have the same effect in humans. Research has found that the placement and distribution of endocannabinoid receptors is different among species. Still, the compound is a step in the right direction.

“I’m optimistic. I would say that humans would lose weight, that they would have improved metabolic profile. I would hope that they would have less or no side effects,” Sharkey said in an email interview.

The compound might also be able to maintain effectiveness without any lifestyle changes.

“In our preclinical studies we do see effects whilst animals are maintained on a high fat diet,” Sharkey said.

Despite the promise AM6545 demonstrates, Sharkey said that the compound should not be used as quick fix or permanent solution for obese or overweight individuals

“I would imagine that once a stable reduced weight was accomplished it would make sense to use lifestyle changes to maintain it, and not have to use a drug,” he said.

QUICK FIX FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

The development of a drug that could be used to achieve an ideal weight without any real effort, as demonstrated by AM6545, does not seem to be improbable. The utility of such a drug as the only method of treatment for obesity is not recommended.

“Since the etiology of obesity is complex, it only makes sense that the treatment requires a multipronged approach. Standard treatments include both medical and nutritional management,” said Kelli Swensen, Social Media Manager for Sargent Choice Nutrition Center in an email interview. “Weight loss requires a total lifestyle change that can only be completely achieved by lifestyle modification, including changes to behavior.”

While there is no quick fix for obesity or an easy way to lose weight, many people are attracted to the idea of such options.

“I feel like people would abuse a drug that could make people lose weight without really doing anything because it would be a quick and easy solution,” said Martine Trembelay, a sophomore in CAS. “I’m not saying that a drug like that should not be made but it definitely should not be marketed.”

BACK INTO THE BRAIN

Researchers’ interest with the endocannabinoid system does not end with hunger and obesity. Many believe that further research could result in new drugs for numerous diseases, addictions and ailments such as alcoholism, epilepsy, depression, pain, anxiety and Parkinson’s disease.

The system’s involvement in managing dopamine levels makes it a prime target in the treatment of addiction to dopamine-boosting drugs.

Zheng-Xiong Xi, a pharmacologist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Baltimore, figured that interfering with the CB1 receptors to decrease dopamine levels, similar to the way rimonabant worked, would deny cocaine users the high associated with the drug.

To test his theory, Xi studied the effects of THC, the active compound in marijuana, which is believed to increase dopamine levels by stimulating CB1 receptors, in the brain. Instead of finding the dopamine levels rising with a dose of THC, Xi found that they dropped.

The same dopamine decrease occurred in mice without CB1 receptors. The only way this could be possible would be if THC was acting on CB2, the other endocannabinoid receptor, instead of CB1. This possibility was strange considering that CB2 receptors were thought to be located outside of the brain.

To discover whether or not CB2 receptors were in the brain, Xi used JWH-133, a dopamine-decreasing compound developed to attach to CB2 receptors. He found that the dopamine levels decreased in the brain which confirmed that CB2 receptors had to be located there. He also found that the compound reduced the number of times cocaine-addicted mice pushed a lever for a shot of cocaine. In addition, the mice exhibited no adverse side effects.

STAY IN THE BRAIN

Xi’s discovery suggested there could be an alternative to Sharkey’s method of avoiding the brain all together. Rather than targeting the same CB1 receptor in a different area of the body, an effective drug for weight loss could target the CB2 receptor instead.

The very nature of the CB2 receptors makes them a likely focus in the research for new drugs.

“The problem with the CB1 receptor is the fact that it is one of the most widely distributed, highly expressed receptor,” Sharkey said. “The CB2 receptors have a much more restricted distribution so you can target them more with a less potential for side effects.”

The endocannabinoid system presents an opportunity and a challenge for researchers and drug designers. There is no doubt that continued research on the system will yield new types of treatments and therapies for numerous conditions. Nevertheless, there is always a risk of unwanted side effects and the far reaching influence of the endocannabinoid system increases that likelihood.

“I think it is a worthy investment of our research,” said Adnan Hussain, a freshman in CAS. “The fact that the system is found throughout the body probably means we will learn more about the body in the process.”

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Lose Weight With Your Brain

Don't let "lose my spare tire" find its way onto your list of failed resolutions this year. It doesn't have to be a struggle! With just a few simple changes to your daily routine, you can fire up your metabolism and say goodbye to fat forever. Make these strategies a way of life, and you'll find your six-pack in no time.

5 New Ab-Exercise Upgrades

Eat Eggs for Breakfast

A study in Nutrition Research found that people who egg it up consume fewer total calories the rest of the day.

Stand Up

Stand up whenever you read or take a phone call at work. (You can also use a stand-up desk.) Standing burns 1 1/2 times more calories than sitting does.

Don't Eat Meals in Front of the TV

In a University of Massachusetts study, people who did that took in nearly 300 more calories a day.

Weigh Yourself Each Week

Three out of four successful dieters do this, the American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Journal reports.

10 Strategies for Successful Weight Loss

Have an Apple

At lunch, have an apple instead of apple juice. Chewing triggers satiety, so you'll likely consume nearly 15 percent fewer calories, notes the journal Appetite.

Mix a Shake

Consuming 55 grams of whey protein a day for 23 weeks can leave you 4 pounds lighter than if you'd eaten those calories in carbs, USDA scientists say.

Put Produce at Eye Level

You're 2.7 times more likely to eat healthy food if it's in your line of sight, say scientists at Cornell University.

How to Pick the Best Produce

Clean the House

People with the most spic-and-span abodes have the highest levels of physical activity, research from Indiana University reveals.

Add Chickpeas to Soup

Toss a half cup of chickpeas into your next pot of winter soup. You'll tack 6 more grams of flab-fighting fiber onto your bottom line.

Drink Skim Milk

Got milk? Drinking 2 1/2 cups of skim milk in the a.m. instead of the calorie equivalent in juice can lower calorie consumption by 8.5 percent, says an Australian study.

***

More from Men's Health:

Is Milk Really Health for You?

The Truth about Protein

Build Your Own Stand-up Desk

Is Your Environment Making You Fat?

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10 Ways to Lose Weight Without Trying

Mark McGovern lost 35 pounds in just six weeks using hynosis.

BOSTON (CBS) – Gastric bypass surgeries have helped thousands of people lose weight. But there are always risks associated with surgery and there is also a recovery period. Now there’s a new weight loss system that promises the same results without the surgery. It’s called the Virtual Gastric Band Weight Loss System. It uses hypnosis to make people think they’ve had the surgery and their stomachs are much smaller than they really are. That makes them eat less and they lose weight.

Mark McGovern was skeptical about the whole idea of hypnosis. “I was afraid of getting up and clucking like a chicken on someone’s key word,” he said. But he decided to give it a try and went to licensed psychologist and hypnotherapist, Elinor Burke.

WBZ-TV’s Paula Ebben reports

“It was like a switch got flipped,” he said. He used to be able to eat an entire pizza in one sitting; now he gets full after just a few bites of tuna. He has lost 35 pounds in just six weeks. “It’s been so easy,” he said.

The system includes four hypnosis sessions and a CD that patients listen to daily. Elinor Burke understands many people are skeptical but she believes in the power of hypnosis. “Hypnosis is not a trick,” she explained. “It’s just a mental image that you place in yourself.” Elinor had success with the program herself. She lost 45 pounds. “It has become so much a part of me that I just east smaller portions,” she said.

Doctors are quick to point out that there are no scientific studies that prove this system works. “The idea that you’ll get surgical weight losses without surgery is probably more wishful thinking than reality,” explained obesity expert Dr. Gary Foster.

Debbie Baylor is a believer. She’s lost 62 pounds, going from 270 to 208. “You feel that you know, you went for that surgery even though you don’t have stitches,” she said.

Scientific proof or not, Mark McGovern is just glad he had the opportunity to try it. “I feel great and I’m not hungry,” he said.

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Gastric Bypass Hypnosis Helps People Lose Weight, Without Surgery

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