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The days are getting shorter, students are preparing for the fall semester and in a few weeks fans will pack Beaver Stadium for the first football weekend. August marks the unofficial beginning of the end of summer, but it also marks the start of the Physical Activity and Heart Walk Month.

About 2 in 3 American adults and 1 in 3 American children are overweight or obese, and the number continues to grow. Only about 22 percent of American adults meet the federal physical activity recommendations for aerobic and strengthening activity. About 1 in 3 adults participates in no leisure time physical activity at all. Worldwide, physical inactivity (35 percent) is now more prevalent than smoking (26 percent) and is responsible for more deaths. Those are just some of the reasons the AHA focuses on the importance of physical activity, like walking, this month.

Staying active is one of the best ways to stay healthy, look and feel better and live longer. The AHA recommends getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. Doing so can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, help to better manage stress and sleep and improve overall health and well-being. Just 30 minutes a day, five days a week is a simple way to achieve this weekly goal. That can even be broken down into a few sessions of 10 minutes each throughout the day.

Physical activity and a healthy diet are important factors in maintaining an ideal body weight. Gaining even a little weight over time may alter the structure and function of heart muscle, affecting long-term risk of heart failure, according to new research published last month in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the AHA/American Stroke Association.

Researchers followed 1,262 adults (average age 44, 57 percent women, 44 percent black, 36 percent obese) who were free from heart disease and other conditions that put them at high risk for heart disease for seven years. Participants had MRI scans of their hearts and multiple body fat measurements at the start of the study and then seven years later.

Researchers found those who gained weight:

even as little as 5 percent, were more likely to have thickening and enlargement of the left ventricle, well-established indicators of future heart failure;

were more likely to exhibit subtle decreases in their hearts pumping ability; and

were more likely to exhibit changes in heart muscle appearance and function that persisted even after the researchers eliminated other factors that could affect heart muscle performance and appearance, including high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and alcohol use.

Any weight gain may lead to detrimental changes in the heart above and beyond the effects of baseline weight so that prevention should focus on weight loss or if meaningful weight loss cannot be achieved the focus should be on weight stability, said Dr. Ian Neeland, study senior author and a cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Counseling to maintain weight stability, even in the absence of weight loss, may be an important preventive strategy among high-risk individuals.

The researchers caution that their study was relatively small and their findings do not mean that every person with weight gain will necessarily develop heart failure. The results do suggest that changes in weight may affect heart muscle in ways that can change the organs function.

The Heart Walk is the AHAs biggest event for raising funds to save lives from heart disease and stroke. More than a million people in more than 300 cities across the United States, including State College, are joining Heart Walks to take a stand against heart disease and stroke and help us all be Healthy For Good.

The 2017 Centre Heart Walk and 5K Run will be held on Saturday, Sept. 23 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. with the walk/run starting at 9:30 a.m. To register in advance, visit http://www.heart.org/centrewalk.

For additional information on local Heart Association efforts, contact Division Director Brooke Welsh at 717-730-1713.

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Staying active is one of the best ways to stay healthy - Centre Daily Times (blog)

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If youre eating the Standard American Diet, a ketogenic diet, Atkins or another high fat diet, then you may inadvertently be increasing your colon cancer risk. Thats because research shows that high fat diets increase the risk of this serious form of cancer.

Recent research in the medical journal Stem Cell Reports found that eating a high fat diet increases the risk of colorectal cancer. The researchers also identified a cellular pathway that drives the growth of cancer stem cells in the colon, thereby contributing to the disease. Colorectal cancer,also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer or rectal cancer, is the third most common type of cancer in North America, next to lung cancer.

Many high fat diets are also high in processed meat, such as bacon, sausage or luncheon meats, and red meat, which also have been linked to colorectal cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). New research in the Journal of Gastroenterology confirmed the WHOs conclusions about these meat products. Diets high in animal protein in general have also been linked to colorectal cancer.

High fat diets are not the only contributors to colorectal cancer. Sadly, many of the processed, prepared and fast foods found in high fat diets also contain two food additives that add insult to injury. Two commonly-used emulsifiers used by the food industry: carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate 80. Carboxymethylcellulose is frequently labeled cellulose gum on product labels. Polysorbate 80 is often just referred to as polysorbate or called Tween 80. According to Georgia State University research, both of these food additives contribute to the risk for colorectal cancer.

Id rather not just be the bearer of bad news. So, heres some good news to counter your risk of colorectal cancer: your daily coffee may actually be helping you to thwart this often-deadly cancer. According to research in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, & Prevention researchers found that your daily java may significantly reduce your colorectal cancer risk. In this study, researchers found that drinking 1 to 2 cups of coffee daily reduced colorectal cancer risk by 26 percent while drinking at least 2.5 cups daily cut the risk in half.

Eating a diet high in chlorogenic acid has also been found to reduce colorectal cancer risk. In addition to coffee, other foods that contain chlorogenic acid include: apples, carrots, flaxseeds, pineapples, potatoes and strawberries.

Eating a plant-based diet high in fiber can also reduce your risk. Add legumes, whole grains, fruit and vegetables to take advantage of the fiber but also the many plant-based nutrients known as phytonutrients that can cut your cancer risk.

I probably dont need to tell you that it is also important to quit smoking and start exercising to further reduce your colorectal cancer risk.

High fat diets are not only linked to colon cancer. Other research shows that a high fat diet prior to conception of a child and during the pregnancy increases the risk of breast cancer and mental illness in later years in the offspring. Check out my blog High Fat Diet Raises Breast Cancer and Mental Illness Risk in Offspring for more information.

Related:The Vitamins that Protect Your DNA against Air PollutionDont Believe in Herbal Medicine? 10 Things to Change Your MindThe 5 Best Herbs to Soothe Your Nerves

Dr. Michelle Schoffro Cook, PhD, DNM is the publisher of the free e-news Worlds Healthiest News, president of PureFood BC, and an international best-selling and 20-time published book author whose works include: The Life Force Diet: 3 Weeks to Supercharge Your Health and Get Slim with Enzyme-Rich Foods.

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Is Your Diet Increasing Your Colon Cancer Risk? - Care2.com

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Published 7:08pm, Sunday, August 6, 2017

Ancel Keys, arguably the most influential nutrition scientist of the past half-century, died in 2004 at the age of 100. Keys invented the K ration, named for him, that provided our deployed military with portable and complete nutrition. He was among the first, if not the first, to hypothesize that heart disease was not an inevitable consequence of aging but likely related to diet and lifestyle.

Obvious as that now seems, someone had to be the first to consider it and that someone was Ancel Keys. He developed and directed the Seven Countries Study, a colossal undertaking that tested the above hypothesis, concluding that variation in dietary sources of saturated fat notably meat and dairy contributed importantly to cardiovascular risk.

Throughout most of his life, Keys was celebrated as a public health hero. He graced the cover of TIME Magazine as such in 1961. In the years leading up to his death, however, and in the decade since, much of the public commentary about Keys, his lifes work, his seminal Seven Countries Study, and his integrity has been derogatory. There are five apparent reasons for this.

The first is perhaps best described as Newtonian: for every action, an equal and opposite reaction. Maybe we simply cant resist the inclination, whenever someone settles securely on a pedestal weve placed under them, to shift our efforts to knocking them down.

The second might best be described as Aesopian, as in the Aesops Fable that says: we are all judged by the company we keep. The latter years of Keys life, and those since his death, were concurrent with misguided forays into low-fat dietary boondoggles, and somebody had to be blamed for Snackwells. In many quarters, that somebody wound up being Ancel Keys, for having pointed out the harms of dietary fat albeit only certain dietary fat in the first place.

The third reason is that everyone seems to love a good conspiracy theory. So, there were careers to launch and books to sell, as there are today, by telling us all that everything authorities had advised was wrong, that the real truth was being concealed, distorted or suppressed. As one of the worlds preeminent epidemiologists, Keys was among such authorities, and thus an obvious target of conspiracy theory, revisionist history and alternative facts.

The fourth reason was the advent of the internet.

Once upon a time, you needed actually to know something to broadcast expertise, because an editorial filter stood between you and the public at large. There were ways around this, of course, such as the reliance on celebrity as an alternative to content knowledge as a basis for selling books, lotions, potions or programs. But even so, the means of disseminating messages favored those with some claim to genuine merit.

Now, anyone with internet access can broadcast opinion, masquerading as expert opinion, into the echo chambers of cyberspace, where those who own the same opinion already will amplify it. So, for instance, those totally devoted to eating or selling meat, butter and cheese are also apt to eat up, and regurgitate, any allegations against those pointing out the related liabilities.

The fifth is the most obvious: along with not wearing plaid, dead men dont fight back very effectively, either. Keys has mostly been turned into a scapegoat since dying. By way of reminder, he lived to 100 and applied what he thought he knew about diet and lifestyle to himself. That alone would make him a candidate for both celebrity and expert status today. One imagines the book: Diet of the Century.

The popular allegations against Keys are: (1) he cherry picked countries to enroll in his study to align with the beliefs he already held; (2) he fudged or selectively presented data to make a case aligned with the beliefs he favored; (3) he either failed to study sugar or misrepresented findings about it; and (4) he advocated for a now generally discredited low-fat dietary pattern.

The True Health Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit organization I founded to identify and disseminate the fundamental truths about lifestyle and the health of people and planet alike, based on the weight of evidence and the global consensus of experts, commissioned a White Paper to determine the veracity of these claims. The paper, with its extensive and fully transparent bibliography of primary source material, was just released, and is accessible to all. The basic conclusion is that all popular disparagements of Keys and his research are demonstrably false.

Lies, repeated often enough, can smother the truth. After a decade of lies about Ancel Keys and the Seven Countries Study, its time for the truth to break free, and strike back clad in plaid or otherwise.

Dr. David L. Katz;www.davidkatzmd.com; founder, True Health Initiative

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Dr. David Katz, Preventive Medicine: Ending a decade of diet lies - New Haven Register

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If you want to lose weight, theres always the option of eating less. Of course, that may be too complicated a solution for many of us who want to see quick results, like losing eight pounds before going out for dinner tonight with friends we havent seen since high school.

Instead, you could always follow one of these popular dieting plans:

The Atkins Diet. Named after the renowned guitarist Chet Atkins, this diet requires you to try to eat while you are also trying to remember the chord progression of I Wanna Hold Your Hand. Nutritionally speaking, this is like trying to tap your head, pat your tummy and solve a quadratic equation at the same time. You will become so frustrated trying to do it all you will give up food completely during this diet and never be able to solve a quadratic equation.

The Low-Fat, High-Carb Diet. Whenever you sit down at the table, you divide your food into those with a low amount of fats, like celery stalks and facial tissues, which you put on the left. High-carb foods, like your Subarus carburetor, you put on the right. You stare at both piles, then you pull up pictures of Twinkies on your smartphone and begin to salivate, thus losing water weight.

The High-Fat, Low-Carb Diet. This is exactly like what the Low-Fat, High-Carb Diet feels like when it is staring in the mirror.

The South Beach Diet. Spend all the time you would normally devote to eating walking south on the beach and scorching your toes on burning hot sand. This will keep your mind off Twinkies, unless you happen to step on a discarded Twinkie wrapper. For dietary variety, step on some jagged sea shells, which will take your mind off your scorched toes.

The Mediterranean Diet. On this diet, you are allowed to only eat highly seasoned water that has been imported directly from the Mediterranean and put in an expensive bottle that you might be able to dangle from your belt loop. The premium version of the diet includes an all-expenses-paid trip to Greece and a stay at an AirBnB where the hosts are impossibly thin and extra virgin.

The Paleo Diet. The idea behind this diet is that if you could hunt and gather it, you can eat it. That means yes to meats, fruits and veggies, but no to Devil Dogs, caramel popcorn and Good & Plenty, unless you have a license to hunt Good & Plenty during the fall breeding season.

Remember, no cereal grains, legumes, dairy and potatoes on this diet, which makes it difficult. But while research isn't conclusive, one small study has found that after three weeks on this diet, subjects had dropped an average of five pounds, mainly by tearing their hair out.

The Good & Plenty Diet. For breakfast, eat the white ones first, then the pink ones. Then for lunch, work in the opposite direction, balancing your intake. For dinner, gobble them both up at the same time. You may not lose weight, but youll make your dentist happy.

Neil Offen can be reached at theneiloffencolumn@yahoo.com. Past columns can be found at http://www.theneiloffencolumn.wordpress.com.

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Choosing your diet plan Neil Offen - Durham Herald Sun (blog)

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WASILLA Yet another Wasilla Centennial event filled the Curtis D. Menard Center on Saturday the inaugural Valley Fitness Expo. It was chock-full of educational and entertaining activities including seminars, cooking and fitness demonstrations, group classes, health screenings, contests, prizes and resources for fitness professionals. Food trucks, a fresh market with local produce and more than 100 vendors were on-site throughout the day.

Autumn Bentz, Lanet Spence and Teresa Moss were the organizing force behind the event. They said the expo was their labor of love. They said they created the expo with the mission to improve the Valleys health, and as a community effort to encourage positive changes. Bentz said the event was a one-stop experience for all the components of being healthy, and a place to learn more about how to make manageable life changes.

I think everyone is super pleased with it. Weve been getting a lot of positive feedback, Bentz said.

It was also an exposition of some of the Valleys top athletes and a place to get the ball rolling with exercise. According to the event website, all levels of fitness, from amateur to pro were welcome to attend the expo from a Zumba Dance Party for all levels to try, to the Centennial Bodybuilding Show, where muscular men and women could show off their hard work. There was be a variety of activities to choose from, all with the mission to enhance the overall health and the quality of life for the entire family through education.

Tying in with the 100-year anniversary of Wasilla, there were some historical elements sprinkled into to the expo, like the H2 OH! Swimsuit Fashion Show. It showcased several women models wearing swimsuits throughout the decades, one as early as the 1920s. The announcer explained how the fashions progressed over time, evolving with more color and more eventually became more revealing.

Participating bikini model and owner of Shear Fire Design and Masters of Iron Gym, Jana Powell said that bikinis have been the traditional garbs for the fitness world.

It was the first time for two bikini models, Qiann Coleman and Natasha Sails. They said it was a chance to try something different, to put themselves out there with confidence. They also wanted to support the community and let them know fit comes in all shapes and sizes.

Its real women, real bodies, Powell said. Youve got to be comfortable in your own skin.

Former Anchorage Mayor Rick Mystrom was the keynote speaker, and had a book signing for the release of his third book, Your Type 2 Diabetes Life, a guide to living with diabetes. Mystrom is a nationally acknowledged expert on healthy eating, according to the event website. He has written two other books on healthy eating and avoiding or reversing Type 2 diabetes.

Spence said Mystroms books are game changers. She appreciated how he wrote the book in everyday people-speak, saying it felt like talking to a friend.

That guy knows what hes talking about, Spence said.

Mystrom was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 20. After his diagnosis, Mystrom said he essentially turned his body into a laboratory, poking himself for more than 60,000 blood sugar tests to understand which foods will raise blood sugar the most and add the most weight and which foods will raise blood sugar the least and take weight off.

People dont have to be perfect with what you eat, they just need to be good, Mystrom said.

Mystrom credited his good health to eating right and staying active and that type 2 diabetes is the most self-controlled disease he knows of. He wants his obituary to say, he had a long, healthy relationship with diabetes.

Im 73 and it makes me feel 63, Mystrom said. Youve got a choice between a $20 book or a $40,000 medical bill.

The expo concluded with the Centennial Bodybuilding Show with seven categories: Wasilla Centennial High School Mr. & Miss fit, Fitness Class, Bikini Class, Figure Class, Womens Physique Class, Mens Physique Class and Mens Bodybuilding Class. Bentz said a lot of people came specifically for the bodybuilding show.

The expo also had mental athletes in its ranks. Four youth robotic groups were on-site pitting their creations against each other to see which robot could complete the most tasks with the least amount of error. Two groups, the Fluorescent Four and the Brick Masters were from Anchorage, the Nuclear Wolves were from Eagle River and the Arctic Bytes were from the Valley.

These are our future engineers. I get goose bumps thinking about how smart these kids are, Spence said.

Arctic Bytes and the Brick Masters competed with their Lego robots and performed various tasks like feeding toy animals by lifting blocks and taking them to the desired location. They scored points for achievements like overall effectiveness and the complexity of tasks. The Arctic Bytes and Nuclear Wolves fought for technological supremacy with remote controlled, brick shaped robots round up color corresponding balls and shoot them into a bin.

The Fluorescent Four coach, Tammy Hanley, said that Alaska has embraced the youth robotics programs, saying its actually pretty competitive. The groups compete internationally and have traveled the Lower 48 to put their best to the test.

Its a sport for the mind, Hanley said.

Arctic Bytes coach, Karen Olson, marveled at how beneficial the clubs were for the kids. She said the kids are learning many other life skills beyond robotics, like socialization and teamwork. She also said it was great to see the kids flourish in a hands-on activity that occupies their time while building them up instead of just going home and watching TV.

We need to get our kids moving, Bentz said. We only have one body and weve got to take care of it and theres many ways to do it.

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Inaugural Valley Fitness Expo touts healthy lifestyles - Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

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Three Northern Arizona University grads are hoping to jon a growing field: bringing the exercise world into the social media world.

Anthony West, Anthony Lawson and Matthew Drapkin are currently testing their new app, Universal Fitness, in San Diego and Flagstaff. They hope to releasethe beta version to the public before the end of the year.

The app is a kind of mashup of Facebook, Yelp and your favorite exercise tracking app. It allows users to share their workouts, tips and dietary advice with others and ask questions, as well as track their workouts, find and rate gyms and other facilities, and test their fitness. The number of places listed on the app is expected to grow as the number of users increases.

West and Lawsonacnowledged that Universal Fitness has many of the same features as millions of exercise apps currently on the market. However, most of those apps dont allow users to track more than one exercise type, provide a map for local gyms and workout facilities, or try to create and encourage a community of fitness, Lawson said.

We wanted to bring in all types of activity, West said. We wanted to bring different communities together who share a similar experience in trying to stay fit. It doesnt really matter what you do as long as you do it.

They want to create a voice and a place for individuals young and old who want to improve their health but need motivation from others to do so, Lawson said.

For example, there are some people who just lift weights and other people who just do cardio workouts like running or the elliptical, he said. But there is also a large and growing group of people who like mixing things up and doing both. Other apps in the Google Play and Apple iTunes stores focus on one type of activity: running, yoga, etc. Universal Fitness is designed to provide one location to track all of a users exercise, weightlifting, running, swimming, hiking, etc.

West and Lawson got the idea for a health app after they saw the effect that a lack of exercise and good diet had on their family members.

We both have a lot of family members with ill health, Lawson said.

We wanted to bring health and wellness to others, West added. We want to create a community of support for fitness here and across the nation.

The original idea behind the app was to make it easy to find locations to work out no matter where you are in the U.S., and eradicate the old excuse of not being able to work out while on a trip or vacation because you dont know where the closest gym is, Lawson said.

Users can add their favorite gyms and workout areas -- such as hiking trails -- to the app, which allows visitors with the app to scope out locations to workout, hike or run while visiting for work or on vacation, he said. This also allows you to connect with local fitness groups or enthusiasts who you might be able to partner with on a run or workout.

The app morphed into something much bigger when Drapkin joined the team, West said. Drapkin has a background in nutrition sciences. It was his idea to try to create a nutrition blog to provide information on diet and exercise app users and an exercise tracker to the app to count steps or reps. Theyre also toying with the idea of a rewards system for the app, much like the badge system that other exercise apps like FitBit and Strava use.

The app includes a blog with nutrition tips, recipes and a social media-type tab for photo and video shout-outs to friends or to ask questions. A shortcut button for feedback to the developers is also included.

While the finished app will be free to download, the trio is considering a monthly subscription service that would help users test their fitness and create custom workouts. Most of the financial support for the app will come from ads, Lawson said. He said the group is in negotiations with several advertisers now.

Right now, the trio has a Kickstarter page set up to help with startup costs and plans to release the beta version of the app by the end of the year.

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Universal Fitness: Putting the social in working out - Arizona Daily Sun

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Its time for children in our area to head back to school. Students, parents, and teachers are starting another school year filled with opportunities for children to learn and grow through math and science, reading and writing, and art and music. To be sure, this is time well spent since these subjects help kids build a strong foundation that will help them succeed in school and beyond, something that is widely understood and appreciated.

But children should also learn about good nutrition and physical activity, since both good health and good education are essential for lifelong happiness and success. In most schools, though, most kids won't experience much meaningful education about nutrition, activity, and health. In fact, opportunities for children to be active in school, either through formal physical education or more informal play and recess, have declined over the years. Good nutrition isn't likely to get much classroom time at any level, and the food served in most schools hardly sends a positive message about healthy eating. These are missed opportunities!

The message that children need to eat breakfast before school is well known, and many schools offer breakfast for kids who dont get it at home. Similarly, lunch is an important part of the school day. In addition to providing energy to support growth and learning, these meals also present an opportunity to teach children about healthy eating since formal nutrition education isnt part of the curriculum at most schools.

The same is true for physical activity. Research shows that activity can positively affect several factors that are related to academic performance. These include skills (attention, concentration, and memory), behaviors (classroom conduct and homework completion), and academic achievement (test scores and grades).

The effect of physical activity on brain may be due to physiological adaptations that are associated with enhanced attention, better information processing and recall, and improved attitudes. And it doesnt seem to matter if the activity is delivered through physical education classes, classroom activity, recess (especially outdoors), or extracurricular activityit's the movement that matters!

The point is that good nutrition and physical activity support academic success, and including them in schools is a natural fit. Research and practical experience shows that nutrition and physical activity have positive effects on learning. In many ways, health education is just as important as reading and math, topics schools dont trust parents to teach on their own, to future success.

Some argue that parents, not schools, should be responsible for promoting physical activity and good nutrition. I disagree! Since nutrition and activity improve academic performance, schools are the perfect place to teach about healthy lifestyles. There is also no guarantee that children will have opportunities to eat well or be physically active when they go home, so school may be the best chance for many kids to get these benefits.

Given that most children will get only limited opportunities for physical activity and good nutrition school, these topics necessarily become homework. Since most of us could stand to be more active and eat healthier ourselves, we should start by modeling good habits for our children and grandchildren.

Going for a walk in the neighborhood, going to the playground, or doing yard work along with preparing healthy meals and snacks are good starts. Parents and community members should also express their concerns to lawmakers and administrators in an effort to get more health education included in the school day. We should treat nutrition and activity like we treat other subjects.

How would you feel if your childs school wasnt teaching math?

Brian Parr, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Sports Science at USC Aiken where he teaches courses in exercise physiology, nutrition and health behavior. You can learn more about this and other health and fitness topics at http://drparrsays.com or on Twitter @drparrsays.

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HEALTH AND FITNESS: Schools should emphasize health education - Aiken Standard

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I am catching up on the news. I just finished reading Thursdays (8/3/17) paper. The Dear Abby column was of particular interest to me. A woman wrote to ask Abby how she can make her stepmother actually follow through with her declaration to lose weight.

She wrote in a fairly detailed description of how her stepmother eats. She eats lots of fatty foods, uses lots of salt and eats almost no fruit and vegetables. Then she praised her father for his healthful eating habits, He, on the other hand, eats very healthy almost the opposite of what she does. He rarely eats anything fatty and uses salt sparingly. He also eats fruits and vegetables every day.

Then the stepdaughter goes back to commenting on her stepmothers weight and how its an issue and how her health problems would improve if she lost weight. Its probably true that some of her stepmothers health issues are related to her weight. Its true that losing weight could improve her health, so why do I suspect the motives of the woman seeking the advice of Abby?

She writes shes concerned that saying something will strain the relationship. I agree, it will strain it further. I already sense some stress between the two women based on her descriptions of the difference in the way her father and her stepmother eat. It comes across as judgmental.

Dont expect a pleasant reaction like the one here when you tell your stepmother she needs to eat better to lose weight.

Abbys advice, should she follow it, can only make things worse. Abby says, dont talk to her; talk to your father. The stepmother will feel as though the two are ganging up on her. The desired outcome of the talk with dad is to get Stepmomma to see a nutritionist to tweak her eating habits. That sounds helpful, but as I am reading the column, Im thinking talking to Stepmomma because youre concerned about her health is no different that talking to an addict.

Jim LaPierre wrote an excellent blog (Recovery Rocks). Actually, every blog he writes is excellent, but this one in particular is about talking to addicts with great advice about how to approach it and the expectations one should have as a result of the talk. Its called The problem with trying to save people.

Jim writes:

But you cannot force a person to be willing to change.

You can shame them, threaten them, guilt them and pressure them. You can point out the suffering of their friends and family. You can implore them, beg them, and point out their proximity to death.

But you cannot make a person stop drinking, using, or otherwise prevent them from destroying themselves.

In the case of this Dear Abby post, Im not sure the real purpose of writing is to save her stepmother. The moralistic and judgmental undertones strike me more as shaming than saving. Whatever the motive, the approach Abby suggests is not a good one.

Recently Dear Lizresponded to a reader asking how to let somebody know she was concerned with how many prescription drugs a friend was taking. Liz asked Jim LaPierre to weigh in and he said what I wish Abby had replied with the reader with the overweight stepmother.

Ive been asked this countless times. To an addictions counselor, it translates to, Im pretty sure my friend is waist deep in quick sand, but Im afraid Ill hurt their feelings by mentioning it. Maybe expressing our concern over a possible substance use disorder should not be akin to, Janet, you really seem to be packing on the pounds these days!

I get it. Folks tend to fear conflict and therefore anticipate defensiveness. Showing concern for your loved one on sensitive topics can be a bit of an art form. Most counselors would suggest that the finesse youre looking for would come through making, I statements.

As cheesy as that may sound, saying to your friend, You seem to be taking too many medications will be received very differently than saying, Im concerned about how your medications are affecting you. You triggers defensiveness because it points at my friends choices. I need not trigger defensiveness because Im expressing concern for you as my friend.

I suggest to folks that when theyre concerned about being misunderstood that they lead with their fears. Example: Janet, I want to talk to you about something but Im afraid itll come out wrong. By doing this, were enlisting our friends support and patience in expressing our concerns.

Think about what youve seen thats changed. Whats different thats raised your concerns? Im assuming here that you havent just been snooping through her medicine cabinet and are genuinely worried. Expressing this as directly and succinctly as possible is your best bet.

Express your concerns without expectation. Give your friend time to consider whether this is something they need to look at. Dont get hung up on whether youre right or wrong sharing your concerns is a way of showing love. The world needs more of that.

You might be able to help a friend or family member make lifestyle changes that can save their life and maybe you cant. If you follow Jims advice youve done your best.

Before you do anything about alerting a dear one to his or her need to lose weight, examine your motives. Where is this concern coming from. Is it concern or judgment? Should you tell somebody they need to lose weight? In my opinion you should not, but thats not the same as letting somebody know youre concerned about lifestyle choices that might help that person live a longer and healthier life.

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Should you tell somebody she needs to lose weight for her own good - Bangor Daily News

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This couple lost 100kg's between them in just 12 months on 'This Time Next Year'. Courtesy: Channel Nine

You might think weight loss is simple. Its not.

WHEN it comes to shedding kilos, you probably think you know the formula.

Calories in vs. calories out, and the weight will fall off. Right? Not quite.

There are several things you ought to know before you tackle a healthier waistline.

1. FORGET THE FORMULA

This science behind shifting weight basically says that if your calories out (exercise) exceed your calories in (food), then youll see results.

While this is correct, to some extent, its not always this simple. Weight loss is complicated when you factor in genetics, environment, underlying health issues, fitness, biological age, to name a few.

2. SCRAP THE SCALES

Health professionals will tell you losing around 0.5kg a week is a good guide. But stepping on the scales each morning may prove more disheartening than motivating.

Why? The scale weighs everything: bone, muscle, water (which makes up 70 per cent of the body) and body fat. Just because your scale is not heading south, doesnt mean you are not making progress. So dont overly rely on the scale and use measurements or clothing as your results indicator.

3. FOOD COMES FIRST

You often hear 80% diet and 20% exercise? While this theory may not be completely accurate, its true that what goes into your mouth is the key to success.

You can lose weight without exercise (not recommended), but you cannot lose weight if your calories counteract your hard work at the gym. Remember though, exercise has numerous benefits beyond burning calories: mental health, self-esteem, energy, heart health . you name it.

4. PREPARE FOR PLATEAUS

The road to success is not a straight one. Youll probably find you gain momentum, then have a few set backs, then maybe have another great few weeks, then plateau. As mentioned above, there are many forces working behind the scenes hormones, stress, genetics and lifestyle hindrances. Plus, physiologically, our body protects us from weight loss more than it protects us against weight gain. So prepare for some ups and downs.

5. YOUR FRIENDS ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS

OK, sounds a little harsh, but even well-meaning of friends can steer you off course. Youll be faced with conflicting advice: Just cut out the carbs! or Carbs are fine, just eliminate fat. Also, theres the temptation that comes with social outings.

As hard as it may be, plan around these and have contingent solutions so you stick to your guns. If it helps, fill your mind with motivating podcasts or spend time with people who share similar goals.

6. ITLL FEEL A LITTLE WEIRD

Youre used to how your body feels, how you hold yourself, how clothes look, how you move. So as your body changes, youll start to feel a little different. Spend time in front of the mirror, working on your new personal style, and falling in love with your body.

Its important to note that improved self-esteem doesnt happen overnight.

Kathleen Alleaume is an exercise and nutrition scientist and author of Whats Eating You?

Excerpt from:
Six things no one tells you about losing weight - NEWS.com.au

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Weight loss can be aided by doing different forms of exercise, with running an easy way to start the journey.

However, running forwards may not be the most effective way to do so.

A study has found that running backwards may aid any weight loss much more.

The only tricky part may be the odd looks that are given.

By reverse running, it is thought that up to 20 per cent more calorie are burnt.

This is because running backwards requires more balance and is harder to stay in an upright position.

Therefore by trying to maintain a good posture to avoid falling over, more effort is put in and therefore creates a harder workout.

It is thought that it can build stamina as well as improve speed and balance more than forward running.

Dr Robert K Stevenson, author of Backwards Running, states: This switch in movement also helps the bodys antagonistic (opposing) muscles function like the agonistic (contracting) muscles.

"Overall, backward running will produce a far better relationship between your muscles and help deliver more power, safely.

When attempting the workout for themselves, any runners should be careful not to fall over.

For best and safest results, they should keep their arms close to their body and push off from the balls of their feet.

Its not the only thing running is good for when it comes to health.

Walking and running could also keep dementia at bay, a new study has found.

Just 45 minutes of intensive activity a day could be key in delaying it.

It is thought that it also boosts brain power.

Continue reading here:
Weight loss: Could running BACKWARDS be more effective when losing weight? - Express.co.uk

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