Make Exercise A Lifetime Habit!

Numerous research studies have shown us the importance of regular exercise for both weight loss and the maintenance of a healthy body weight.  However the vast majority of these studies have typically been relatively short-term, running anywhere from 3 months to 3 years.  From these studies, we typically infer that maintaining a lifelong habit of regular exercise is important for the maintenance of a healthy body weight; however, few studies have actually tested this.

A new research study published a couple of weeks ago in the Journal of the American Medical Association tested the impact of long-term exercise on long-term weight maintenance.  For this study, researchers collected information from more than 3,500 men and women who took part in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults and who were 18 - 30 years of age at the start of the study.  Study volunteers were classified as maintaining either a high, moderate, or low level of physical activity based on activity scores at the start of the study.  The study investigators collected information on body weight, waist size, and physical activity at regular intervals during a 20-year follow-up period.  The results of this study showed that:

• Men who maintained a high level of physical activity during the 20-year follow-up period gained nearly 6 fewer pounds on average than men who maintained only a low level of physical activity.
• On average, men maintaining a high level of regular exercise also gained about 1 inch less around their waist than men with a low physical activity level.
• Women with a high level of physical activity over the 20-year period gained about 13 fewer pounds than women who did not exercise at a high level.
• Women who maintained a high level of regular exercise also gained about 1.5 fewer inches compared to women with a low level of physical activity.

While not unexpected, the results of this new study confirm the importance of maintaining a high level of physical activity throughout our lives.  This particular study shows that starting a regular exercise program as a young adult and maintaining it for 20 years helps reduce weight gain, reducing their risk of becoming overweight during their middle-aged years, a time where many of us tend to start gaining unwanted pounds.  However, this does not mean that it is too late to start exercising if you are already in your middle-age years or older.  It is never to late to start exercising and receiving the benefits of that exercise.  So, no matter how old you are, develop a healthy exercise plan, make it something you enjoy so that you can stick to it long-term, and get moving!

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Dance Your Way To A Healthier You!

Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and is essential for maintaining or losing weight.  However, most of us have a difficult time adopting a regular exercise program.  Even those of us that start a regular exercise program with the best of intentions have difficulty in sticking with it over the long-term.  A new research study (free to download) explored the use of a combination of Latin dancing and educational information on healthy eating as a way to enhance physical activity and improve dietary habits.

In this study, adult overweight women who reported low levels of leisure time physical activity and low consumption of fruits and vegetables were subjected to two interventions: (1) 4 weeks of Latin dance lessons twice weekly and (2) internet-based education.  Group 1 women were asked to dance during the first 4 weeks and were provided education materials during the second 4 weeks of the study.  Women in Group 2 received educational materials first, followed by 4 weeks of dance lessons.  Dance lessons consisted of 8 one-hour lessons during which study participants learned the Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Cha Cha from a professional dance instructor.  Physical activity and heart rate were monitored during the dance lessons.  Educational material on improving dietary habits by increasing fruit and vegetable consumption was provided via an interactive website that was updated with new material on a weekly basis.  The results of this small pilot study showed that:

• Based on heart rate, women obtained about 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity during their one-hour dance lessons.
• All study participants reported an increase in leisure time physical activity from about 10 minutes per week at the start of the study to about 30 minutes per week at the end of the study on average.
• Fruit and vegetable consumption remained stable throughout the study in women receiving educational material first and dancing second, while women who danced first and received educational material second showed a reduction in fruit and vegetable consumption.
• Group 2 women (education first) showed decreased consumption of dietary fats compared to Group 1 women (dance first)
• Body mass index (BMI) did not change significantly in either group

This is an interesting study that should be followed up with a larger, longer study.  In this study, the volunteers participated in over half of the dance lessons, suggesting that Latin dance might be a form of exercise that many individuals might find enjoyable enough to stick to on a long-term basis.  Additionally, this study suggests that learning about healthy eating habits before taking dance lessons might provide the best long-term results in regards to developing and maintaining healthier eating habits.  While no changes in BMI were observed in this study, it is important to remember that this was not a weight loss study and did not include any form of weight loss program.  Without the inclusion of a weight loss program, it would likely be difficult to lose much weight with moderate-intensity physical activity just twice per week for 4 weeks.  Nonetheless, no weight gain was observed suggesting that this intervention of education and dance might help maintain body weight or reduce weight gain.  It would be interesting to see if studies that include a weight loss program with the dance intervention, are of longer duration, and perhaps provide both education and dance over the same time frames would provide additional benefits like weight loss.

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Fitness Is Declining In College Students

Most of the time when we think about diet, lifestyle, exercise, and obesity, we think about body weight and weight loss.  While these factors are an important component of being physically fit, we often don't give as much thought to how physically fit we are as a population.

A new obesity and wellness research study (free to download) was conducted to determine if the physical fitness of college students changed over time and, if so, how those changes effected measures of obesity like body mass index (BMI) and body fat.  Nutrition researchers analyzed the results of MicroFit tests from over 5,000 students attending a private Seventh-Day Adventist college where each student enrolled in a physical activity class was required to take the MicroFit test.  Information collected on body weight, body fat, muscle strength, aerobic fitness and more from 1996 to 2008 was analyzed.  Fitness was measured by estimating VO2max, which is a measure of the maximum oxygen uptake during a graded exercise and is considered to be one of the most accurate measures of physical fitness.

The results of this data analysis showed that:

• While there was some yearly fluctuation, physical fitness, as measured by VO2max, declined overall during the 13 years examined.
• Physical fitness declined at a faster rate for male college students (0.812 mL/kg/min) than female college students (0.414 mL/kg/min).
• During the 13 year study period, percent body fat increased in both males (0.513% per year) and females (0.654% per year).
• The proportion of male college students classified as having poor physical fitness increased dramatically, while the number of male students classified as excellent, fit, or fair declined steadily.  Similar, but less dramatic, changes were observed in college females.

Overall, this study showed that both male and female college students are apparently becoming less physically fit and gaining more body fat over time.  One of the most interesting aspects of this study is the study population.  Seventh-Day Adventists are a religious group that stresses a very healthy lifestyle that includes eating a healthy vegetarian diet and getting plenty of exercise.  It has been reported that their lifestyle choices have resulted in a lifespan that is typically about 10 years longer than the average American.  This is reflected in this new study by the fact that the average body mass index of the students was about 24, which falls within the accepted healthy range, while average body fat was only about 12% in male college students and 22% in female college students.

While it is not completely unexpected to see a decrease in physical fitness during the college years due to the college lifestyle of little sleep, skipping meals, too much snacking and too much fast foods, one has to wonder how rapidly physical fitness is declining in the general population where healthy diet and lifestyle habits are not as frequently stressed.  Finding ways to increase physical activity, improve eating habits, and improve overall physical fitness during the college years should be an important part of our fight to reduce obesity.

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Exercise Reduces Genetic Likelihood Of Obesity

While it is clear that being overweight or obese can be the result of too many calories consumed and not enough exercise, it is just as clear that genetic factors can play a major role in a person's risk for becoming obese.  In fact, research has shown that at least 12 different gene locations are involved in increased body mass index (BMI) and that these 12 different gene locations can be used to determine a person's chances of becoming obese by calculating a genetic predisposition score.  What is less clear is whether exercise can overcome a person's genetic likelihood of becoming obese.

Investigators collected data from over 20,000 men and women who took part in the European Prospective Investigation of Cancer - Norfolk (EPIC-Norfolk) study in an attempt to examine the possible relationship between physical activity and the genetic risk for obesity (free to download).  Physical activity was determined with a questionnaire and categorized as inactive, moderately inactive, moderately active, and active.  A genetic predisposition score was calculated for each study subject by adding up the changes at the 12 different gene locations linked to increasing BMI.  Analysis of the interaction between genetics and physical activity showed that:

• When all study subjects were examined together, each additional BMI-increasing gene was linked to a 0.154 increase in BMI.
• This was even greater in the inactive volunteers where each BMI-increasing gene was linked to a 0.205 increase in BMI.
• In contrast, each additional BMI-increasing gene was only linked to a 0.126 increase in BMI in active individuals, indicating that exercise suppressed the genetic effects on body mass.
• Moderately active and moderately inactive individuals showed an intermediate effect on BMI-increasing genes, suggesting that even small amounts of activity can help fight against the genetic likelihood of becoming obese.
• When looking at obesity risk instead of body mass index, taking part in regular physical activity suppressed the genetic predisposition for obesity by about 40%.

These are both fascinating and important results.  Overall, this study shows us that while genetics certainly play a role in obesity risk and weight gain, exercise can dampen the effects of genetics.  Interestingly, the study investigators report that even exercising less than 30 minutes per day can have a positive effect on one's genetic likelihood of becoming overweight or obese.  While getting enough exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle for everyone, individuals who are genetically predisposed towards becoming overweight might gain additional benefit from a regular exercise routine.  So rather than believing that one's genetics doom us to being overweight, it is important to remember that exercise can fight back against one's genetic risk for obesity.

In addition to making exercise an important part of our fight against obesity, following a healthy eating plan can also be critical.  My easy diet plan is a great way develop better eating habits and lose weight while still enjoying delicious tasting foods.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more or tune in to watch me on QVC September 12th from 1 AM - 2 AM EST!

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.

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!

Vigorous Exercise Reduces Cellular Aging

Telomeres are complexes composed of protein and DNA that cap the ends of the chromosomes in our body's cells.  Because telomeres shorten as we age, they have become a cellular marker of biological age.  Additionally, short telomere length has been linked to a number of chronic diseases and possibly early death.   Interestingly, telomere length appears to be modified by a variety of factors including diet, body size and stress.  A number of studies have reported that greater amounts of perceived stress are associated with shorter telomere length.  However, few studies have evaluated the ability of stress-reducing interventions to protect telomeres.

In a new anti-aging research study (full paper is free to read), investigators examined the effect of exercise on stress and telomere length.  Previous research has suggested that stress has a negative impact on human health and that this might be due to a link between chronic stress and telemore length. Other studies have shown a positive link between exercise and longer telomere length.  This new study was conducted to more clearly define the possible relationships between stress, exercise, and telomere length. 

For this new anti-aging study, investigators divided 63 postmenopausal with different stress levels into either Sedentary or Active groups based on their level of physical activity.  The women classified as Active met the CDC-recommended amount of daily activity.  The odds of the study subjects having long or short telomeres were calculated based on their amount of exercise and their perceived stress level.  The study investigators reported that:

• Volunteers with high perceived stress levels were less active and had shorter telomeres.
• Among non-exercisers, each increase in perceived stress increased the odds of having shorter telomeres by 15 times.
• Among volunteers who exercised, telomere length was not affected by stress levels.
• Analysis of different levels of physical activity indicated that the benefits of exercise on telomere length were achieved by at least 15 minutes of vigorous activity per day.

These are fascinating research results, which suggest an anti-aging benefit of short periods of vigorous physical activity.  This study suggests that (1) high levels of chronic stress are linked to shorter telomeres and therefore a shorter cellular lifespan and (2) short periods of physical activity can protect our telomeres from stress-related shortening.  It is thought that exercise might protect telomeres by increasing the enzyme needed to prevent or slow telomere breakdown, though this theory requires additional testing.  While exercise appears to have an anti-aging benefit, stressed individuals are reportedly less likely to exercise.  This makes it imperative to develop physical activity programs targeted towards highly stressed individuals, individuals who might possibly derive some of the greatest benefits from exercise.

Exercise is an important aspect of any healthy weight management plan,  My easy diet plan recommends 30-45 minutes of walking or other physical activity you enjoy 6 days per week.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more.

Get Active & Stay Active!

In several of my previous blogs, I've talked about the importance of being physically active.  The new 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans also stresses the importance of physical activity and goes so far as to indicate that additional exercise beyond the minimum recommendations can provide additional health benefits. 

However, it is unclear how many people actually meet these guidelines.  A new study in the journal Preventive Medicine used data from a 2007 behavioral questionnaire to determine how many people actually exercise more than  300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise or more than 150 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity exercise, the amounts suggested by the Guidelines for additional health benefits.  According to this study, in the year 2007:

• Only 43.5% of adults met the new 2008 Guidelines recommendations for being highly active
• 48% of men and 39% of women were considered highly active
• More non-Hispanic whites were considered highly active (46%) than Hispanics (38%) and African Americans (38%).

Overall, this data analysis shows that less than half the population surveyed met the "highly active" recommendations of the new 2008 Guidelines, meaning less than half of the surveyed population exercised for more than 300 minutes/week (~45 minutes/day) of moderate-intensity exercise or 150 minutes/week (~20 minutes/day) of vigorous-intensity exercise.  These results suggest that we need to continue getting the word out about the importance of adequate levels of physical activity for health benefits.  However, it would be interesting to conduct a similar survey now, a couple of years after the establishment of the new 2008 Guidelines to determine if the establishment of these recommendations have had a positive impact on physical activity levels.

It is pretty common for most of us to go through periods of time where it is difficult to get or stay motivated in regards to exercise.  It happens without us ever really knowing it… things get hectic at work, the kids have homework that needs to be completed, activities outside of school and work require our time, etc.  All of these things can make it difficult to get in the daily exercise our bodies crave.  Below are just a few ideas for getting moving and staying motivated… 

• Work out with a friend – this can make your exercise more enjoyable and makes everyone more accountable.
• Schedule a workout session and set it as a priority – for many of us, if it’s on the calendar we’ll make sure it gets done!
• Keep an exercise log - this will help you see how much you have improved over time and motivate you to do more.
• Set specific goals – once you’ve accomplished your initial goals, continue to set new goals.
• Make sure you enjoy the activity – doing something you enjoy will make it easier to continue long term.
• Try different workouts or activities – Variety keeps you from being bored and helps reduce the chance of a weight loss plateau.
• Set up a reward system – for example, if you meet an exercise goal plan a relaxing day at the pool, beach or spa.
• Join an intramural team – camaraderie and competition can help make exercise fun!

Each of these ideas can help you get started and stay motivated.  With the right support system (family and friends) in place you’ll be moving and losing weight, while having fun at the same time!

What keeps you motivated to exercise?

Turn Off The Television To Help Reduce Obesity Risk

The incidence of childhood obesity continues to increase around the world.  There are many factors associated with obesity, whether it is childhood or adult obesity.  Two related factors that are most commonly linked with the incidence of being overweight or obese are the lack of physical activity and the high rate of sedentary behaviors, particularly television watching.  Research reports have suggested that television watching is associated with higher body mass index scores and poorer overall health.  Because of this, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that television time for children be limited to no more than 1-2 hours of quality programming per day.  Some research even suggests that children's total screen time (television, computer use, and video games) should be limited to less than one hour per day in order to reduce the incidence of being overweight.

It is often suggested that parents need to set a good example for their children by adopting healthier habits in regards to physical and sedentary behaviors; however, the actual impact of parental behaviors on subsequent child behaviors remain unclear.  A new research study (free to read online or download) from the UK suggests that our television viewing habits as parents is strongly linked to our children's television viewing habits. For this study, the researchers examined physical activity measurements, overall sedentary time, and self-reported television viewing time from over 400 parent-child pairs.   The investigators reported that:

• For both 10-11 year old boys and girls, sedentary time was positively linked to parental sedentary time such that as parental inactivity increased, so did their child's inactivity.
• The risk of girls watching more than 4 hours per day of television was nearly 4 times greater when their parents watched 2-4 hours of television.
• When parents of boys reported watching 2-4 hours of television per day, their sons were more than 10 times more likely to watch more than 4 hours of television per day.
• Unexpectedly, parental physical activity levels were not linked to the physical activity of the children, suggesting that children at this age might not readily follow parental physical activity examples.

This is interesting research that sheds more light on parent and child relationships regarding physical activity and sedentary behavior.  The biggest news from this study is that children with parents who watch more than 2 hours of television per day are more apt to watch an unhealthy amount of television themselves.  Since television watching and other sedentary behaviors have been linked to poor health and increased body weight, it is important for parents to monitor their own level of television viewing in order to help reduce childhood inactivity.  It is also important for parents to develop strategies to reduce child sedentary behaviors and encourage physical activity.

Physical activity is an important part of any healthy weight management plan.  My easy diet plan recommends 30-45 minutes of walking or other physical activity you enjoy per day for 6 days per week.  Visit us to learn more!

Physical Activity Reduces Markers of Sub-Chronic Inflammation

Chronic health conditions associated with being overweight or obese are thought to be partly due to an increase in the production of inflammatory compounds by fat tissue.  While exercise is an important part of any diet plan and necessary to help maintain a healthy body weight, little is known about the interaction between physical activity and chronic inflammation in overweight or obese individuals.

A new research study explores the potential relationship between physical activity and markers of chronic, subclinical inflammation.  For this study, the investigators measured total energy expenditure, resting energy expenditure, and energy expenditure due to physical activity in sedentary, obese postmenopausal women.  Differences in these measurements were analyzed in relation to blood levels of several inflammatory compounds.  The study investigators reported that women with the highest third of physical activity had lower concentrations of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein and haptoglobin.  In contrast, increased levels of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein and orosomucoid were observed with higher levels of resting energy expenditure.

Overall, these study results suggest that physical activity, even in sedentary individuals, can potentially reduce subclinical inflammation.  With the relationship between inflammation and a variety of chronic health conditions, these results support the possibility that physical activity might help reduce the risk of such conditions in sedentary individuals.  Increasing physical activity can be done in any number of ways and it doesn't have to be difficult.  Some ways to increase your amount of daily physical activity might include pacing while talking on the phone, using the stairs instead of the elevator, taking a walk during a work break, or making multiple trips when carrying items (groceries for example) instead of a single, heavily-burdened trip.

In addition to increasing one's level of physical activity, it is important to eat a healthy diet.  My easy Slim and Beautiful diet plan is a great place to start.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more.