Internet Weight Loss Programs Can Work!

Weight loss is a difficult task for most of us, but just as difficult is keeping the weight off after we have lost it.  Unfortunately, many of us regain the weight we lost.  This weight regain can occur for many reasons.  For some of us, we lost weight following a plan that did not teach us healthy, life-long dietary habits, making it easy to slip back into unhealthy eating habits.  In other cases, our weight loss plan did not include an appropriate weight maintenance plan to follow after reaching our weight loss goal.   A good weight maintenance plan that is easy to follow for life is important to maintaining a healthy body weight. 

A new weight loss study (free to read online) examined the effectiveness of an interactive weight loss website on the maintenance of weight loss.  Information from study volunteers in the internet arm of the Weight Loss Maintenance Trial was used in this study to determine the relationship between the usage of the interactive website and successfulness of the volunteers to maintain their weight loss over more than 2 years.  Weight loss volunteers were encouraged to log in to the weight loss website at least weekly for 28 months where they could enter their body weight, food records, exercise records, revised goals, and examine their progress, and interact with other study volunteers via bulletin board.  Based on log-ins and body weight entries, study volunteers were considered to have "consistent use", "some use", or "minimal use".  The weight loss study investigators reported that:

• 61% of the volunteers showed consistent use, 18% showed some use, and 21% showed minimal use of the internet weight loss site.  
• Consistent users re-gained less weight than individuals in the "some use" and "minimal use" groups.
• 51% of consistent users maintained a weight loss of at least 9 lbs compared to 27% in the "some use" and 24% in the "minimal use" groups.
• Better weight maintenance was linked to greater number of log-ins to the website, minutes spent on the website, weight and exercise entries, and bulletin board use.

These results show us that an internet website can be an effective weight loss and weight maintenance tool.  Like other weight loss or weight maintenance plans, sticking with an internet weight control program can be difficult for many of us.  In this study, 39% of the study volunteers found it difficult to consistently use this internet website.  However, the majority of those that did consistently use the website were able to maintain their weight loss.  Being able to record one's weight and exercise and chat with other people trying to lose weight or maintain their weight loss appear to be important components of a successful weight loss website.  This seems to reflect upon the importance of accountability, both to ourselves and to others.  Other studies have shown the importance of accountability to weight loss and weight maintenance.  Finding a good weight loss partner or an active weight loss website can be an important part of a successful weight management plan.

In addition to finding an accountability partner, finding a weight loss plan that you can follow is critical to weight loss success.  My diet plan is easy to follow with low-glycemic, hunger-satisfying, protein-rich bars and shakes.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more.

Gastric Bypass Surgery Reduces Hedonic Hunger

Obesity is an extremely complex condition that involves many factors including both mental and physiological aspects that appear to be tightly intertwined.  While overeating is a major factor in obesity, overeating can sometimes be the result of physiological changes.  For example, severely obese individuals have been reported to have low levels of dopamine type 2 receptors in certain areas of their brains; similar to changes seen in individuals with addictive behaviors.

Hedonic hunger relates to the pleasure experienced when eating highly delicious foods as well as the craving of such foods in the absence of any dietary needs.  It has been suggested that hedonic hunger may be a greater trigger to overeating than actual hunger.  The impact of gastric bypass surgery on hedonic hunger is the focus of a new obesity research study recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  For this study, obesity researchers asked study volunteers (110 non-obese volunteers, 123 severely obese individuals, and 136 gastric bypass patients) about their feelings about food and appetite using the Power of Food Scale questionnaire.  The results of this study were quite interesting:

• Severely obese study subjects had substantially higher levels of hedonic hunger thoughts and behaviors compared to non-obese study volunteers.  This was true for the overall scores as well as 2 of the 3 questionnaire sub-sections.
• Gastric bypass patients had lower hedonic hunger scores when compared to severely obese volunteers.
• The hedonic hunger scores of gastric bypass patients were similar to the non-obese study subjects for both the overall scores and 2 of the 3 questionnaire sub-sections.

Gastric bypass surgery aids in weight loss through both the reduction of food intake and food absorption.   The reduction in food intake appears to be due to a number of factors including [1] reduced stomach size, [2] increased levels of hormones that make one feel full, [3] increased levels of dopamine type 2 receptors in certain areas of the brain.  These changes help to reduce food intake and support weight loss.  The way in which gastric bypass surgery effects hedonic hunger remains an area for further investigation.  Changes in appetite-related hormones and hormone receptors are potentially involved, but probably do not act alone.  The study investigators suggest that their observed reduction in hedonic hunger might also be learned as a result of adverse effects experienced by gastric bypass patients who continue to consume highly palatable foods after their surgery.  While the reasons remain uncertain, it appears from this study that one of the ways gastric bypass surgery helps with weight loss is to normalize hedonic hunger and thereby possibly removing one of the triggers for overeating.

Weight loss, even weight control, can be difficult for many of us.  That is why my diet plan is both simple and delicious.  My easy diet plan keeps you full with high-protein bars, shakes, and snacks.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more!

Reduce Meat Consumption To Prevent Weight Gain

Most of us love to eat meat, whether it is beef, poultry, pork, or one of the many other varieties.  When cooked right, meat can be delicious, savory, and satisfying.  However, most of us eat too much meat.  Instead of limiting ourselves to the recommended 3-ounce portion we should consume, most of us will eat the whole steak or chop set in front of us whether it is 9, 12, or more ounces.  While it is an excellent source of protein, meat, particularly red meat, can also be a source of unhealthy dietary fat.  The impact of meat consumption on body weight remains a topic of debate with many, but not all, studies suggesting that meat consumption is linked to weight gain.

As part of a large European  study on cancer and nutrition, researchers examined the association between meat consumption (total meat, red meat, poultry, and processed meat) and weight gain after 5 years.  For this study, the researchers recruited over 100,000 men and nearly 300,000 women from 10 European countries.  Questionnaires were used to determine dietary habits, which were then analyzed in respect to changes in body weight over a 5-year period.  Results of this diet and body weight analysis showed that:

• Total meat consumption was linked to an increase in body weight.  This was true for both normal weight and overweight volunteers and for both smokers and non-smokers.
• When the data was adjusted so that caloric intake was comparable, an increase in meat consumption of 250 grams (about 9 oz) per day was linked to a 4.4 pound greater weight gain after 5 years.
• Positive links between weight gain and consumption of red meat, poultry, and processed meat were also observed.

These are interesting results that confirm earlier observational studies that suggest meat consumption can lead to weight gain.  The most interesting result outlined in this study is that meat consumption would lead to weight gain even if calorie consumption was approximately equal.  While we might look at the numbers and think that gaining 4.4 lbs  over 5 years is pretty insignificant, over a lifetime this would add up to a substantial weight gain.  Therefore, this study suggests that limiting the amount of meat we eat on a regular basis might help us maintain a healthy body weight over time.  Meat is clearly a good source of protein and we all need protein in our diets.  However, making wise choices in the meats we consume (aim for leaner meats and appropriate portion sizes) and including protein from non-meat sources can help us limit meat consumption to a healthier level.

My milk protein bars and shakes and soy protein bars and shakes are good sources of dietary protein and a delicious part of my easy diet plan.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more!

Avoiding Dangerous Weight Loss Pills

With approximately two-thirds of the adult American population considered obese or overweight, a lot of money is spent on weight loss pills in hopes of finding a quick and easy way to lose weight.  Weight loss pills are one of the most popular tools for weight loss.  They typically promise rapid weight loss and often do so by touting their ability to help us lose weight without diet and/or exercise.  These diet pills generally are said to work in one or more of several ways including suppressing appetite so we feel less hungry and eat less, enhancing metabolism so we burn more calories without necessarily having to do extra exercise, and blocking fat absorption so we consume fewer calories from fat. 

While all of the marketing messages and even the science behind some of these diet pill products appear promising, it seems that we are finding more and more frequently that many of these diet pill products are being adulterated with pharmaceutical drugs.  Just this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that two weight loss pills were found to be contaminated with pharmaceutical drugs.  In their first news release, the FDA warned that Que She weight loss capsules, marketed as “Slimming Factor Capsule”, contains fenfluramine, sibutramine, ephedrine, and propanolol, drugs either withdrawn from the market (fenfluramine) or known to pose risks to certain populations.  In their second related press release, the FDA announced that “Slim-30 Herb Supplement” contained traces of sibutramine and N-desmethyl sibutramine.  Sibutramine is known to increase blood pressure and heart rate in some people and can therefore be a substantial risk to some individuals.  While these might seem like isolated incidences, the FDA has warned us about many other similar diet pills that have been found to contain undeclared drugs like sibutramine, rimonabant, and phenolphthalein.

So what are we to do?  First, it is important to remember that the best weight loss plans still focus on diet and exercise.  As simplistic as it might sound, the basics of losing weight still rely upon a reduction in calorie intake and an increase in exercise (calories burned).  Weight loss pills can have a place in a healthy weight loss plan.  Many studies have shown that diet pills taken as part of a healthy weight loss plan based on caloric restriction and increased physical activity can boost weight loss by a few additional pounds.  However, it is important to be careful about the diet pills we choose.  If you decide to start a weight loss plan, be sure to discuss your plan with your physician and if you are going to make a promising-looking diet pill part of your overall weight loss plan let you doctor know what weight loss pill you intend to use.  Your physician might have information on the safety of the diet pill and any possible interactions it might have with other medications you might be taking.  In addition to talking with your physician, research your diet pill.  Visit the FDA’s website for current press releases and other safety information.

While many healthy weight loss plans are effective, they can also be difficult to follow.  My diet plan is both easy to follow and delicious.  Exercising 30-45 minutes per day most days of the week is an important part of my diet plan and can be as easy as taking a brisk walk every day.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more!

All-You-Can-Eat Ballparks!

Have you read the recent article on the Sports Illustrated website about the relatively new trend in ballparks?  It appears that despite the fact that two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, ballparks have been opening all-you-can-eat sections in order to boost sales, and it is working.

According to this article, this trend started off with the development of premium all-inclusive packages, but has progressed to include other stadium sections.  In fact, many of these all-you-can-eat sections are sections of stadiums that typically do not sell out. By selling seats that include all the food and drink that you can consume, ballparks have now been selling out sections that were nearly empty before including the all-you-can-eat promotion.  For sports fans it's a great deal.  One park is selling seats in its all-you-can-eat section for $40 per person.  Most sports fans would end up spending quite a bit more than $40 for tickets, food, and drink if they had to pay for the items separately.  Because ticket sales have increased, so has the number of teams using similar promotions.  Currently, over half of the major league baseball teams have all-you-can-eat seats, up from only a handful of teams in 2007.

It is clear that these all-you-can-eat promotions are helping the ballparks and also helping the wallets and pocketbooks of customers who choose to attend a game, but is it helping these customers' waistlines?  Most likely not!  While some ballparks apparently offer salads, fruits and other healthy options, the majority of foods offered are what we consider typical ballpark fare... hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, soda, ice cream, and more.  Not exactly the healthiest of choices.  Even when healthy options are offered, customers reportedly opt for the less healthy choices because it is part of the ballpark culture.  In addition to being offered less than healthy food choices in most cases, the all-you-can-eat ballpark atmosphere leads to some serious overeating.  One customer mentioned in the article apparently eats double or triple what he would normally eat in another section of the stadium, stating "I figure I might as well take advantage of it".  This is the same attitude many of us take at any buffet, whether at a ballpark or our favorite restaurant.

Eating healthy is a challenge for most of us in the best of situations.  Putting ourselves in all-you-can-eat situations makes it even more difficult to eat healthy.  While I would never tell anyone to stay away from a ballpark, I would suggest that you practice restraint if do you have the opportunity to watch a game from an all-you-can-eat section.  Some of the tips below might help:

• Eat a healthy snack of fruits and/or vegetables before going to the game.  This will curb your appetite so that you can resist the buffet longer and decrease your chances of overeating.
• Try to avoid repeated trips to the all-you-can-eat buffet.
• If you order nachos, only get one and share it with a friend.
• If they offer grilled chicken, choose it over less healthy options.
• If a salad bar is available, include a salad as part of your meal.  It is a healthier option and will reduce the amount you eat of less healthy options.  
• Choose healthier dessert options if available (e.g. frozen yogurt over ice cream)
• Choose calorie-free drinks when possible.

My protein bars, shakes, and chips make great options to either consume before going to the ballpark in an effort to reduce your risk of overeating or to take with you to the game (where allowed of course!).   Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more about my delicious foods and easy diet plan.

USDA Hoping To Reduce Fat in Desserts

Who doesn't occasionally like to indulge in foods, particularly desserts, that don't provide much nutritional value?  Most of us enjoy having a piece of cake at a birthday party or doughnut for breakfast every now and again.  Where we get in trouble is when we start making this a regular habit or over-indulging when we do succumb to the temptation.  While desserts and many other baked pastries taste delicious, they are often high in fat.  In fact, many desserts are so high in total and saturated fat that nearly 50% of calories come from their fat content.

Researchers at the USDA's National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research are hoping to reduce the fat in many baked goods through the development of a new food ingredient called FANTESK.  This new ingredient consists of microdroplets of trans fat-free cooking oil encapsulated in wheat flour or cornstarch.  Experiments at the USDA have shown that by using FANTESK in cake mixes, it is no longer necessary to add cooking oil.  Furthermore, the reduced-fat cakes made with FANTESK apparently have both better texture and volume.  The researchers also report that reduced-fat frosting made with FANTESK have up to 50% less fat than regular frostings.  According to an earlier article, USDA researchers have successfully made low-fat cheese as well as low-fat soft serve ice cream with the FANTESK ingredient.

Results of food science research with FANTESK look extremely promising so far, suggesting that a new ingredient for low-fat foods might soon be available.  With the current obesity problem facing the United States and many other parts of the world, ingredients that can help lower dietary fat intake are needed.  In the meantime, the well known tips below can help lower the amount of fat in many of our favorite recipes:

• Reduce the fat added to the recipe by one-third.
• Use reduced fat versions of sour cream, cheese, or yogurt when called for.
• Choose skim milk for your recipes instead of whole milk.
• Cook with olive or canola oil instead of solid fats or blended vegetable oils.
• Use fruit purees to substitute for half of the oil or butter in the recipe.
• Substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg.

Whether you are looking to lose weight or simply keep the weight you already lost off, my diet plan is an easy and delicious way to help reach your weight control goals.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more!

A New Diet Pill On The Horizon?

Diet pills are extremely popular for many individuals trying to lose weight, though the success of most of the pharmaceutical weight loss pills has been dampened by their safety profile.  Many of the popular diet pills, like fenfluramine, dexfenfluramine, and sibutramine, have been removed or are in danger of being removed from the market due to safety concerns.

According to a new weight loss study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a new drug, lorcaserin, successfully helps with weight loss without the safety concerns of previous diet pills.  In this study, investigators randomly assigned  over 3,000 overweight or obese adults to receive either a lorcaserin diet pill or a placebo pill twice daily for 1 year.  After completion of the first year, individuals who had received the lorcaserin were re-assigned to either continue taking lorcaserin or take the placebo pill for a second year.  All study volunteers received regular counseling to exercise moderately 30 minutes each day and to consume 600 fewer Calories per day.  Weight loss was examined after the first year and weight maintenance was determined after the second year.  The study investigators reported that:

• Volunteers taking lorcaserin lost 13 lbs on average after 1 year, while volunteers taking the placebo pill lost only 5 lbs on average.
• 47.5% of volunteers taking lorcaserin lost more than 5% of their body weight compared to only 20% of volunteers taking the placebo pill.  
• During the second year of the study, 68% of the study subjects taking lorcaserin maintained their weight loss for a year.  Only 50% of the subjects taking the placebo pill managed to maintain their weight loss after a year.
• Side effects of lorcaserin use were considered mild and included headache, dizziness, and nausea.  Furthermore, use of lorcaserin was not linked to increases in heart valve problems.

At first blush, these look like excellent results.  Study volunteers taking this new diet pill lost weight, maintained their weight loss, and, compared to control subjects, experienced no differences in serious side effects.  However, I keep coming back to that average 13-lb weight loss. Volunteers in the lorcaserin group exercised 30 minutes per day, consumed 600 fewer calories per day than they needed, and took lorcaserin twice daily, all of which resulted in an average loss of 13 lbs in one year.  If you look at that number another way, that would be equal to an average of 1/4 lb per week.  How many of us would be happy losing only 1/4 lb per week?

According to an article on the Mayo Clinic website, cutting 500 calories per day (3,500 calories per week) from your typical diet will result in losing 1 lb per week.  The volunteers in this study were supposed to consume 600 calories per day (4,200 calories per week) less than their energy needs and yet they only lost 1/4 lb per week on average.  This could suggest that either the study volunteers weren't exercising and dieting according to the instructions or the diet pill wasn't as effective as it appears.  A previous study of this same diet pill showed that it could help with weight loss in individuals following their regular diet and activity plans, suggesting that diet and exercise might not be needed when taking this diet pill.

Since this drug works by decreasing food intake, it might be possible that weight loss could be achieved without additional dieting and exercise; however, an average weight loss of 13 lbs per year does not seem as effective as diet and exercise alone can be.  For example, dieters lost nearly 400% more weight on my diet's eating and physical activity plan when compared to another study of dieters who used a leading weight loss diet pill plan. You can lose more weight in less time on my diet plan without using diet pills; however, if with your doctor’s consent you choose to use a diet pill, my eating and physical activity plan is the perfect complement for the best results.

Don't Let Your Workouts Slow You Down!

Regular exercise, outside of our normal daily physical activities, is a vital part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a healthy body weight. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that we should exercise more than 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise or more than 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity exercise, though less than half of us meet these recommendations.

Research studies have suggested that committing to a regular, structured exercise program might cause us to reduce the amount of physical activity we get during the rest of the day, partially compensating for our daily workout.  Whether our choice of exercise intensity impacts our overall daily amounts of physical activity remains unclear and is the subject of a new obesity research study. 

For this new study (free to download), research investigators enrolled 36 overweight or obese postmenopausal women who had been inactive during the 6 months before the study started.  Eighteen of the women were assigned to moderate-intensity exercise and the other 18 women were assigned to vigorous-intensity exercise such that calories burned were similar in both groups of women.  Total physical activity (structured exercise + normal daily activities) was measured both on days with structured exercise and on days without structured exercise.  The results of this investigation were very interesting.

Moderate-Intensity Exercise.  In women exercising at a moderate intensity, the amount of energy burned was higher on days when they exercised (~577 Calories) than on days when they did not exercise (~450 Calories).  However, this difference between exercise and non-exercise days (~127 Calories) was substantially less than the calories burned on the treadmill, suggesting that the women burned less calories outside of their workout on days that they exercised.

Vigorous-Intensity Exercise.  In women exercising at a vigorous intensity, the amount of total energy burned was LESS on days with treadmill exercise (~450 Calories) than on days without treadmill exercise (~520 Calories), suggesting that the women in this study were reducing the amount of physical activity they did outside of the structured program on days they exercised.

These are fascinating results that suggest we might automatically compensate for any structured exercise program to which we commit if we are not careful.  According to this study, the greatest risk appears to come with vigorous-intensity exercise.  In this group of women, those that committed to vigorous-intensity exercise on average reduced their non-treadmill physical activity so much that they burned more calories on non-exercise days than they did on exercise days.  While this reduction in non-treadmill physical activity was seen in both groups of women, it was clearly more pronounced in women following a vigorous-intensity program.  These findings make it clear that we need to educate individuals deciding to start a structured exercise program about the importance of maintaining their normal levels of physical activity in addition to their exercise program in order to achieve the best possible results.

Walking 30-45 minutes per day is a great way to start a healthy exercise and weight loss plan.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more about my easy diet plan and physical activity plan.

Berberine Blocks Fat Production in Obese Mice

Berberine is chemical found naturally in plants such as Berberis (a shrub) and Goldenseal (a member of the buttercup family).  It has been used in traditional herbal medicine to treat bacterial and fungal infections.  Research into the potential health benefits of berberine suggests that it might have heart health and other benefits.

A new obesity study was conducted in mice to determine if the potential anti-obesity benefits of berberine seen in cell culture studies might also be evident in an animal model of obesity.  For this study, obesity researchers treated mice being fed either a normal diet or a high-fat diet to induce obesity with berberine.  The results of this study showed that:

• Berberine reduced weight gain in obese mice fed a high fat diet.
• Food intake by obese mice was reduced by treatment with berberine.
• Berberine had beneficial effects on markers of cholesterol health and blood sugar health.
• Treatment with berberine did not have any negative effects on mice fed a normal diet.

These are interesting results suggesting that this naturally occuring plant chemical might have potential weight management benefits.  Previous research indicates that berberine's possible benefits are likely due to its anti-inflammatory activities and its ability to reduce production of fat by fat cells.  Additional research will be needed to test the potential anti-obesity benefits of berberine in human clinical trials.  While appropriate levels of exercise and food consumption remain the cornerstone of maintaining a healthy body weight, new discoveries that can help fight the current obesity epidemic are always welcome!

Eating healthy and getting enough regular exercise is critical for healthy weight management.  My diet plan is an easy way to start developing healthier eating habits, while still enjoying many of your favorite flavors.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more.

Reduce Weight Gain By Bicycling & Walking

We are all aware of the importance of regular exercise for maintaining overall health as well as maintaining a healthy body weight.  However, the benefit of some forms of exercise, particularly bicycling, on weight control are not well studied.

A 16-year follow-up study of more than 18,000 women who took part in the Nurses Health Study II investigated the impact of walking and bicycling on weight change between 1989 and 2005.  The results of this study showed that:

• At the start of the study, only 39% of the women walked briskly and only 1.2% of them bicycled for more than 30 minutes per day.
• Women who increased their bicycling or brisk walking (> 3 mph) by at least 30 minutes per day gained substantially less weight.
• Slow walking (< 3 mph) did not prevent weight gain.
• Women who did not bicycle before the study started and increased they bicycling by at least 5 minutes per day gained less weight than women who did not bike at all.
• Normal weight women who rode a bike for more than 4 hours/week had about 25% lower odds of gaining more than 5% of their initial body weight.
• Overweight women who bicycled at least 2 hours per week had a 46% lower chance of gaining more than 5% of their initial body weight.

Overall, these study results continue to show us the importance of exercise for weight control.  Even small amounts of brisk exercise can have some benefits, but as this study indicates, additional amounts of exercise have additional benefits.  According to the newest obesity report, the majority of us aren't getting the recommended amounts of exercise.  In fact, the states with the highest rates of obesity have the highest percentage of sedentary adults.  Regular moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity exercise has multiple health benefits in addition to supporting healthy weight management, so remember to get the right amount of exercise as often as possible.

My easy diet plan recommends at least 30-45 minutes of brisk walking six days per week.  Walking is a great, low-impact way to start exercising and has many benefits.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more about my delicious foods and easy diet plan.

Obesity Rates Continue To Rise!

The newest national obesity report, "F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2010" was recently made available to the public and indicates that obesity levels continue to increase.  While the full report is free to read, some of the major finding are briefly outlined below:

• Adult obesity rates rose in 28 states.
• 38 states have an obesity rate more than 25% with 8 of those states having obesity rates greater than 30%.
• Of the 11 states with the highest obesity rates, 10 are Southern states with Mississippi having the highest rate of obesity (33.8%).
• Adult obesity rose for a third year in a row in 11 states and for a second year in a row for 15 states.
• Obesity rates were highest in individuals with an income below $15,000/year and lowest in individuals with an income above $50,000/year, suggesting the cost of healthy foods is a barrier to healthy eating.
• Physical inactivity rose in 12 states with 6 states reporting that more than 30% of adults did not exercise.
• 8 of the 10 states with the highest rates of obesity also had the lowest rates of fruit and vegetable consumption.

The report indicates that obesity reached 'epidemic proportions' in 2001, after which steps were taken nation wide to slow or prevent the increase in obesity rates.  Unfortunately, these steps were often too slow to develop and were not always well-accepted.  According to this new report, programs to prevent obesity have grown tremendously in the last couple of years and research suggests that 80% of Americans recognize obesity as a national problem.  Some of the programs being widely adopted include raising nutritional standards for school lunches and foods sold in vending machines (over 20 states), requirements for body mass index screening of children and teens (20 states), linking local farms to schools (23 states), imposing soda taxes (33 states), and improving safe access to community streets for pedestrians and bicyclists (13 states).  Hopefully, this growing obesity awareness and improved obesity education will lead to a reversal of the obesity trends being reported.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is an important part of living a healthy, active lifestyle.  My easy diet plan is a delicious way to manage your weight and eating habits.  Visit us to learn more!

Our Neighborhood Effects Our Obesity Risk

Obesity is a very complex health condition that can be effected by many factors.  While obesity is still considered the result of too many calories consumed and to little exercise, many things influence our eating and exercise habits.  One such factor to which most of us give very little thought is our physical environment.  Yet studies are starting to show that the neighborhoods in which we live might effect our obesity risk.

In one new obesity research study, investigators examined volunteers' perceptions of their environment in relation to body mass and exercise levels.  The researchers also investigated the effect of a light rail transit system on body weight and physical activity.  Information on body mass, obesity, and physical activity was collected both before and after the completion of a new commuter light rail transit system.  The results of this study showed that:

• A positive feeling about one's neighborhood was linked with a lower body mass index, a 15% decreased risk for obesity, and a greater likelihood of getting regular exercise.
• Use of the light rail transit commuter system was associated with a reduction in body mass index and an 81% decreased risk of becoming obese.

A second obesity study examined the effect of a person's food environment (closeness of restaurants, grocers, convenience stores, etc.) on body mass.   The study investigators reported that a higher number of restaurants within a 5-minute walk of one's house was associated with a higher body mass index.  Also, living close to supermarkets and grocery stores was linked to a lower body mass index when compared to living near a convenience store.

The results of these two new studies clearly suggest that our neighborhood environment can have a real impact on our body weight and risk for becoming obese.  Environments that encourage physical activity (e.g. walking to commuter systems, well lit, etc.) and provide availability of healthy food options appear to decrease obesity risk.  Improving neighborhood environments might be an important public policy approach to providing better health and well-being.

Developing healthy eating habits is an important part of a successful weight management plan.  My easy diet plan is a convenient way to start developing better eating habits, lose weight, and keep it off.  Visit us as www.drtabor.com to learn more!

Black Tea Polyphenols for Weight Management

Green tea has become one of the most popular dietary supplements, whether taken in pill form or consumed as a beverage.  This is because research continues to demonstrate the potential health benefits of green tea and its main constituent, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).  One of the many proposed benefits of green tea is as a weight loss aid.  While green tea continues to shine, the potential benefits of other teas (black tea, white tea, and oolong tea) for weight loss are not as well studied. 

A new weight loss research report published online ahead of print in the journal Nutrition, examined the possible benefits of a black tea extract rich in black tea polyphenols (antioxidants) for weight loss in pre-clinical animal studies.  In their first study, weight loss researchers measured the activity of an enzyme responsible for lipid (fat) absorption in a cell culture system.  Additional studies determined the effects of this black tea polyphenol extract on blood lipid levels in rats and body weight in mice.  The results of these studies were very positive:

• The black tea polyphenol extract substantially reduced the activity of the enzyme involved in fat absorption.
• In rats, consumption of the black tea extract supported healthy blood lipid levels with greater amounts providing better benefits.
• In mice fed a high fat diet, the black tea extract fed as 5% of the diet prevented increases in body weight and fat mass.

Overall, these results suggest that black tea polyphenols, plant chemicals with antioxidant properties,  might support healthy weight loss and reduce body fat due to their ability to reduce fat absorption.  While these initial results are very positive and quite intriguing, it is important to remember that these studies were done in pre-clinical models and additional research in human subjects will be needed.  In the rat study, the lowest dose tested was 500 mg/kg of body weight.  This would be equal to 35 grams of black tea polyphenols in a person that weighs about 150 lbs, which is a massive amount!  Therefore, studies to determine if lower doses are effective will be needed.  While additional research into the weight loss benefits of black tea are clearly needed, this new research suggests that black tea might have a future place as part of a healthy weight management plan.

Maintaining a healthy body weight can be very difficult for many of us.  My easy diet plan takes the usual difficulty out of losing those unwanted pounds and successfully maintaining a healthy body weight.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more about my easy diet plan!