Category Archives: Diet And Food

Intuitive eating is a way of eating that makes you respond to your bodys hunger or fullness, rather than being calculative while eating or planning your diet. Intuitive eating is not a diet, rather it opposes the restrictive principles of traditional diet. It doesnt aim at weight loss, but helps you develop a holistic eating habit for overall health benefits. It can, however, help you with sustainable weight loss if you develop an honest relationship with food, without giving in to emotional eating, which is a real roadblock to weight loss, as reported by several studies.

Different types of hunger

There are two types of hunger that drive eating habits. First is physical hunger, which asks you to respond to the biological urge and replenish your nutrient deficiency. It is defined by various signs such as fatigue, tiredness, irritability, or growling sound from the stomach. You dont need any special food to satiate your hunger; any food will do. Second is emotional hunger, which is driven by sadness, loneliness, and boredom that create cravings for comfort foods that are usually rich in sugar, trans fatty acid or are ultra-processed. Emotional eating or feeding to your feelings can bring guilt.

Weight loss isnt the main goal of intuitive eating, but eating based on your intuitions may help with sustainable weight loss. This may be explained by the fact that if you eat according to your intuitions, you wont have to follow a restrictive diet, stay occupied in planning or cooking your meals, or worrying if you are doing it right. The main goal is to listen to your body, keeping your emotions away, eating to satisfy your hunger and stopping when full. Intuitive eating doesnt believe dieting is the answer to health, but that nourishing the body is key to happiness, health and longevity.

There are several psychological benefits of intuitive eating. The most important being you wont be held hostage by your emotions. Research has linked this type of eating to weight maintenance as well as healthier psychological attitudes. That said, you can definitely concentrate better on your health goal in the absence of reservations such as body image consciousness. Studies have found participants who have been intuitive eating, have improved their quality of life and self-esteem, besides experiencing less depression and anxiety.

Researchers have also looked into womens eating behaviours and attitudes and found those who eat intuitively tend to have fewer eating disorders.

Eight basic principles of intuitive eating

Reject the diet mentality and practise a whole-based-food eating pattern. Restrictive diets are often monotonous and lack compliance for the long-term. Not all your meals need to be perfect or 100 per cent nutritious.

Respond to that sweet or burger craving once in a while. No single food can make you fat or help you lose weight. Rejecting your favourite foods can make you crave more, and make you eat more.

Respond to hunger by providing adequate nutrition to your body. Staying hungry for long leads to overeating and guilt.

Say no to people who tag a certain food as bad or good or try to judge you for eating that food. No single food can define your overall health status. Its the wholesome diet that you take every day that decides your health.

Stop when you feel full. Often people end up eating more due to social obligation, under peer pressure as observed in parties, festivals and social gatherings. Do not overindulge.

Enjoy what you eat. Joy of eating comes from eating meals that taste good. Dont grab foods. Dont eat your food while speaking on the phone, walking, or scrolling through the internet. Take some time out to sit and eat in peace. Connecting with your food while eating can make you satisfied even if you eat a small portion.

Avoid reaching out to the fridge to cope with your feelings. Take alternative measures such as long walks, meditation, calling friends or family, deep breathing, journaling to deal with your emotion. Best is to work with a mental health professional for suitable advice.

Exercise and enjoy physical activities that bring happiness. Shift your focus from losing weight to feeling strong, energetic and fresh. Weight loss is natural when you make exercise a part of your daily life.

Intuitive eating preaches the art of how and when you should eat. Responding to your physical hunger and fullness can improve quality of life an important aspect to avoid emotion-induced binge-eating. Finding a dietitian who practises and teaches intuitive eating is a good place to start.

Next column: How to become a master of healthy meal preparation

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Guide to eat right: Intuitive eating, an anti-diet approach to good health - The Indian Express

Poor-quality diets are driving an expensive epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in America, a panel of physicians, researchers, and policy experts told senators on Tuesday. They called for a national strategy to replace the mishmash of federal nutrition programs. We are on a path to disaster, said Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Tufts School of Nutrition.

Three-quarters of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, half of U.S. deaths are due to diet-related diseases, and $1 of every $5 in the country is spent on health care, said the witnesses. Furthermore, they said nutrition was overlooked as a factor in a healthcare system that focuses on treatment rather than prevention.

We have so much accord but we are not getting it done, said Sen. Cory Booker, sponsor of a bill to call a White House conference on nutrition, inspired by a Nixon-era conference. The 1969 White House conference led to creation of WIC, the program for food insecure women and children, and expansion of the school lunch program; it also led to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, said a 2020 retrospective article. Booker chaired Tuesdays subcommittee hearing on the state of nutrition in America.

This nutrition crisis we face is a threat. In fact, I would say it is the greatest threat to the health and well-being of our country right now, said Booker, New Jersey Democrat. He pointed the finger at food companies who make and advertise nutrient-poor, addictive, ultra-processed foods that encourage the overeating of empty calories, literally making us sick and driving up healthcare costs. It was, he said, a failure of federal policy that too many Americans are overfed but undernourished and suffering staggering rates of disease and early death.

An advocate of food as medicine, Tufts Mazaffarian listed six areas for a national nutrition strategy. They included more nutrition education and research into nutrition as well as coordinated action among federal agencies.

The USDA, for example, spends more than $100 billion a year on public nutrition programs, including SNAP and school lunch, but 21 agencies are involved in federal efforts relating to diet for reducing Americans risk of chronic health conditions, said a Government Accountability Office report in August. Congress should consider identifying and directing a federal entity to lead the development and implementation of a federal strategy to coordinate diet-related efforts that aim to reduce Americans risk of chronic health conditions, said the GAO.

We need to try to work on dose, so people eat less, and what people eat, said Patrick Stover, dean of agriculture and life sciences at Texas A&M University.

Poor diets are a bigger challenge than reforming federal nutrition programs but government programs can play a role in helping to address them, said Angela Rachidi, poverty scholar at the free-enterprise think tank American Enterprise Institute. She called for restrictions on what low-income Americans can buy with food stamps, incentives for healthy eating among SNAP recipients, and more attention to nutrition education. Rachidi was part of a proposal a decade ago to ban SNAP recipients in New York City from buying sodas and other sugary beverages with nutrition program benefits.

People of color overall, and Black populations specifically, face higher rates of diet-related chronic conditions and have poorer dietary intakes as compared to whites, said associate professor Angela Odoms-Young of Cornell University. We did not get here by chance but through policy.

Donald Warne of the University of North Dakota medical school said obesity rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives were 1.6 times higher than white Americans and diabetes rates were three times higher. Heart disease rates were 50% higher.

Rather than the significant financial expenses and decreases in quality of life associated with addressing complications of diabetes and heart disease, would it not make more sense to invest in healthy food in the first place? Among steps to improve diets, Warne suggested, were putting higher prices on unhealthy foods and subsidizing healthier options.

To watch a video of the hearing or read the written testimony, click here.

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'Overfed but undernourished' Congress is told U.S. in health crisis - Successful Farming

While multivitamins from reputable brands are considered safe and don't pose a risk of any significant side effects or other concerns, there are a few important considerations to keep in mind when choosing and taking one.

In addition to missing nutrients and nutritionally meager doses (i.e., "sprinkling," as Ferira calls it), she also recommends looking out for non-premium forms of ingredients and long lists of "other ingredients," which usually means a formula contains unhelpful (or cheap) additives. Ferira shares this intel: "Tablet multis typically have longer excipient lists than a vegan capsule, for example."

A few undesirable additives to look out for, according to dietitian Brittnee Cannon, R.D.? Artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners, and common allergens, including anything derived from wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, tree nuts, or peanuts.

You might also want to think twice about grabbing that gummy multivitamin, too. Ferira says they're a common culprit of incomplete formulas. "Not only are gummy ingredients less stable and limited by the fact that they're in a heated confection, but they are also limited by space; you can only fit so much of the nutrients, as the bulk of the gummy is sugar and gelatin or pectin," she explains. And that's all in addition to the extra calories, sugars, and other excipients gummy multis come with.

Ferira concludes, "Listen, I think well-designed gummies can be useful for certain complexes and singular nutrients or botanicals, but for a multi, they're genuinely lacking. If you can swallow a capsule/tablet/softgel multivitamin, please do."

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Do Multivitamins Really Work? Here's What The Science Has To Say - mindbodygreen.com

Research from IGD shows the significant opportunity for the food and consumer goods industry to build on increasing desire from consumers to eat less meat and more fruit and vegetables

Nearly one-fifth (16%) of consumers now list the environment as their main motivator for healthy and sustainable eating a significant increase from 2020 while more than three-quarters (77%) have increased, or are thinking about increasing, their fruit and vegetable intake, according to the latest results from the Appetite for Change research series from IGD.

The latest data shows UK consumers are increasingly looking to adopt more healthy and sustainable diets, with 58% open to changing their eating habits (up from 57% in 2020). The research, drawn from 1,368 UK consumers during July 2021, also found there has been a rise in people eating meat only twice a week or less, 39% compared to 34% in 2020, showing that consumers are becoming more aware of the sustainable issues surrounding food production and diets.

The latest research from IGD shows there continues to be a huge opportunity for the food and consumer goods industry to act now, to help consumers turn the new lifestyle habits developed during 18 months of lockdowns into long-term transformations to their diets.

Mark Little, Director of Health and Sustainability at IGD, said: This shows the opportunity for food and drink companies to act now and help consumers turn positive new behaviours into long-term changes to their diets. Not only are consumers increasingly willing to change their eating habits for health reasons, but they are also starting to better understand the connection between their diets, the environment and how changing what they eat could impact their own health, as well as the planets health.

This year, IGD has joined forces with the University of Leeds and leading retailers and manufacturers to trial a series of interventions aiming to shift people towards healthier and sustainable food and drink choices, to see what truly drives long-term behavioural change. The first results will be announced at the end of November. By rolling out these interventions with our industry partners, we hope to inspire others and continue to drive this positive change.

IGD has identified a series of practical actions that businesses can take to help drive behaviour change and encourage consumers to change their behaviour for good. These include:

Mark Little adds: From effective marketing and product placement to meal planning and recipe inspiration, there are lots of really practical actions businesses can take to help make sure consumers continue to shift towards healthy and sustainable diets. We know from our research that consumers certainly have an appetite to move towards healthier and more sustainable diets; as an industry we all have a role to play in helping encourage this positive behaviour, and if we come together our impact will be much greater.

Download the latest Appetite for Change research here.

-Ends-

For media enquiries and interview opportunities please contact Sarah Burns on [emailprotected] or 07483 094027.

Notes to editors:

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Consumers increasingly open to adopting healthier and more sustainable diets - IGD

Its a soup you could easily slide onto your holiday table as a light side dish, even if you arent doing a full vegan dinner, Wahpepah says.

Yan, meanwhile, invites neighbors and relatives to his home for a Chinese-style Thanksgiving feast every year. Hell roast a turkey, but he stuffs it with a sesame oillaced stir-fry of bamboo shoots, Chinese celery, pressed bean curd and all different kinds of mushrooms, brushing the bird with soy sauce until the skin develops the lacquered, amber sheen normally associated with Peking duck. Hell make sweet potatoes seasoned with ginger and five-spice powder. I make it very Asian, he says.

Mostly, though, what he cooks are vegetables, which he says have long been the foundation of his diet, even if hes never been fully vegan or vegetarian. His fridge is crammed full of Asian producemustard greens, daikon, Chinese broccoli, winter melon and more.

For the reFresh demonstration, Yan plans to make a variation on mu shu pork, a very standard dish that you might order at a Chinese restaurant. Of course, hell make a version without meatjust heaps of thinly julienned fresh vegetables stir-fried to still-crunchy perfection, then served on top of pancakes made out of crispy noodles. According to Yan, Chinese tradition dictates that you have to eat noodles during special celebrations, since they symbolize longevity and long-lasting happiness.

Now in his early 70s, Yan still spends more than two-thirds of the year traveling around the world for various speaking engagements. And he attributes his good health to his mostly plant-based diet, even if he only recently started using the term.

After all, Yan says with his trademark deadpan delivery, Thats why for 36 years I have not gained one pound.

The Holiday reFresh virtual event takes place Sunday, Nov. 7, from 45:40pm. Theres an optional suggested donation of $35, but anyone who would like to attend can reserve a free ticket.

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Martin Yan and Crystal Wahpepah Share Plant-Based Holiday Recipes - KQED

Breast milk is a common food for infants. While breastfeeding rates are rising, many lactating parents supplement breast milk with pumping and/or formula.

Breastfeeding, or chestfeeding, has numerous benefits for both lactating parent and child. Breast milk contains antibodies that can protect infants from illnesses. It can also reduce the lactating parents risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

However, breastfeeding does not work for everyone. Formula is a safe and nutritionally complete alternative.

Just 25.8% of parents exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. Barriers to breastfeeding are very prevalent, and many parents do not get the breastfeeding support and education to help them continue nursing.

Breast milks many benefits mean that any breast milk at all whether nursed or pumped is almost always beneficial for an infant.

Read more to learn about the benefits of breastfeeding, solutions to common problems, the best feeding positions, and more.

Breastfeeding is a personal choice. However, it is important to know the facts. Here are the basics:

For new parents, it can be challenging to find a comfortable nursing position. Experimenting with different ones can help them find the best position for themselves and their infant(s).

No matter what position they choose, ensure the baby is tummy-to-tummy with the parent not rolled away from them with the head turned toward the breast. The infant should be able to move their head, neck, and lips freely. Resist the temptation to press on the back of the babys head to help them latch.

Some popular positions to try include:

A comfortable option in the newborn weeks, this position involves holding the babys body in the same hand as the breast the baby nurses on.

Cradle the baby with their body facing the parent, and offer additional support with the free hand. This hand can also help the baby latch or adjust the latch.

This is a good position for when the parent needs to rest, as it involves both parent and baby lying on their sides facing each other. The parent may need to adjust their position to get the most comfortable latch.

This position can be beneficial for parents who have a large milk supply or a strong milk let-down.

Similar to the cradle position, this involves the parent sitting upright and cradling the baby. The parent uses the hand opposite the breast the baby is nursing on to hold the baby, making it easier to adjust the babys head position.

A good option for older babies with good head control, this position has both parties sitting. The baby sits in the parents lap, facing the parent, and nurses in an upright position, often with the legs straddling the nursing parent.

This is a good position for skin to skin and allows the baby to lie on the nursing parent. The nursing parent lies back, and the pair goes tummy to tummy. Both hands are free so that the nursing parent can support the babys head and change their position.

Breastfeeding can benefit both the lactating parent and the infant. It can also be affordable and accessible for most people who are able to nurse. Some of these benefits include:

When a parent is breastfeeding, their body reacts to the infants needs.

An infants saliva provides information about their overall health, causing the parents body to change the milk. This means that a parents breast milk always has exactly what their baby needs, even as the needs change over the course of hours, days, weeks, and even years.

The metabolites (small molecules) in breast milk can influence an infants digestive system, immune system, and more. It may also benefit them by lowering their risk of:

For premature or otherwise medically vulnerable infants, breast milk is particularly important. Preterm infants who receive breast milk have higher survival rates, lower necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) rates, and shorter stays in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Breastfeeding may also support the lactating parents health, offering benefits such as:

When hungry, most babies will open their mouths, stick out their tongues, and show signs of rooting. These natural reflexes communicate that a baby is ready to eat. When hungry, babies will instinctively search for a nipple to latch onto.

However, latching can be difficult, and it is the hardest part of breastfeeding for many parents. A person can try these techniques for a baby who is reluctant to latch or who does not open their mouth:

If the latch is painful, the parent may want to contact a lactation consultant, midwife, or doctor.

Breastfeeding can be tricky. If an individual is experiencing persistent problems they cannot resolve, it may help to contact a doctor, midwife, or lactation consultant.

Some common breastfeeding challenges include:

The proper environmental and healthcare support can overcome many of these issues. People who struggle with breastfeeding should know that nursing can be difficult, especially in an unsupportive environment.

Individuals who stop nursing often do so because of factors beyond their control, such as returning to work too early or pressure from family.

Some strategies to promote breastfeeding include:

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that, if possible, parents exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. After that, they can introduce solid foods while continuing breastfeeding until the infant is 1 year old.

After that, they can continue to breastfeed as long as it benefits both parent and baby. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends continued breastfeeding until a child is at least 2 years old.

Some parents may find it easier to switch to a combination of breastfeeding, pumped breast milk, and formula as they return to work and other responsibilities. Some babies will wean themselves of breast milk gradually as they become more interested in other foods.

Some research suggests that children allowed to nurse as much as they want wont self-wean until around age 3.

There are plenty of misconceptions surrounding what breastfeeding parents should and should not eat while nursing.

A 2017 study found that most lactating parents believe they need to avoid some foods. However, there is no evidence that a breastfeeding parent must always avoid certain foods.

Instead, parents should focus on how certain foods affect themselves and their baby.

Some babies have food sensitivities, and removing these foods from the diet may help. If they notice the infant experiences fussiness or gas after eating certain foods, they may want to experiment with avoiding those foods.

Although parents may want to try an elimination diet, they should always consult a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before doing so.

One food group they may want to eat in moderation is seafood. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some seafood such as shark, swordfish, and tuna have high mercury levels that can transfer to the baby in milk.

According to the CDC, breastfeeding parents need about 330 to 400 extra calories per day. They should try to eat a wide range of nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins such as fish and nuts.

Many parents may also find it helpful to take a prenatal vitamin while breastfeeding. Most prenatals provide additional iodine and choline, which lactating parents need more of.

Vegetarians and vegans may also need to supplement for B12, which can be lacking in plant-based diets.

Nursing parents do not need to pump and dump or fully abstain from alcohol. While alcohol does enter the bloodstream and breast milk, it does so at much lower levels than is present in alcoholic drinks.

A 2017 study found that drinking fewer than 14 standard drinks per week did not correlate with a higher risk of shorter breastfeeding or poor outcomes for the infant.

The CDC advises that while the safest option is not to drink, nursing parents should aim to drink one or fewer drinks per day. They may also want to have a drink immediately after a nursing or pumping session and then wait 2 hours after drinking to nurse or pump again.

While breastfeeding offers many benefits, it does not work for everyone. Both pumping and formula are good alternatives that can be more comfortable, convenient, and healthier for some individuals.

Formula offers complete nutrition, and it also allows other caregivers to feed an infant safely. Parents can use formula to supplement breast milk, or they can exclusively formula feed. While formula is nutritionally adequate, it does not provide the individualized nutrition or the immune protection that breast milk does.

Parents who cannot nurse but want their children to have breast milk can pump their milk and feed with a bottle. This option also allows caregivers to feed the infant, and it can be helpful for busy and working parents. Some parents find it beneficial to pump in advance and freeze bags of breast milk for later use.

Breast milk donation is also an option, especially for children with complex medical needs, such as premature infants.

Parents can ask about donor milk from a hospital or milk bank that screens the milk. Donor breast milk offers similar benefits to a parents breast milk, and it may also reduce the risk of certain serious medical conditions, such as necrotizing enterocolitis.

People who need help with breastfeeding should consider the following:

Breastfeeding is an excellent option for supporting a babys health and development, and it offers benefits for both the infant and lactating parent.

Despite this, many families experience societal and cultural barriers to breastfeeding or are unable to get support for common breastfeeding issues. This can make breastfeeding challenging.

Parents struggling with breastfeeding can try useful tips to find a better nursing position, help the baby latch, and prevent problems such as mastitis.

Feeding a combination of breast milk and formula can be a good alternative to exclusive breastfeeding. For families who are unable to breastfeed, formula is a safe and nutritionally adequate alternative.

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Breastfeeding basics: Benefits, positions, tips, and more - Medical News Today

Baleen whales may eat an average of three times more each year than previously estimated, according to the most detailed study of their diets yet,offering a window into the role the world's largest animals play in engineering their ecosystem.

"It may seem like an interesting trivia fact, you know, how much food does a blue whale eat? But it's a lot more than that," said Matthew Savoca, a postdoctoral scholar in the GoldbogenLab at Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station and lead author of the paper.

"Whales are what we call ecosystem engineers. And what that means is that just by the function of them living, eating, pooping, swimming, just their daily activities, they change the function and the structure and the productivity of marine ecosystems."

The research,published in the journal Nature,involved tagging 321 whales over the course of a decadein the Southern Ocean and off the coast of California. They taggedseven different speciesincluding humpback, fin, minke, and blue whalesto get a comprehensive lookat the amount of food these animals consume on a daily basis.

Baleen whales eat by taking in large gulps of water and filtering it through the fringed baleen plates in their mouth, until only theirpreyremains.

But the actual quantity of food the whales eat has not been well understood until now, as previous estimates were made based on estimates from the metabolism of smaller animals, and from analyzing the stomach contents of dead whales.

"It was surprising,"Savoca told Quirks & Quarks host Bob McDonald."We did think when starting this work that most likely the previous estimates were underestimates, although I don't think we realized how large of underestimates they would be when we actually analyzed all the data."

Getting a clear picture of what the animals were eating was a challenge, because they can be difficult to observe.

To determine how frequently they were scooping up food, Savoca and his colleaguesattached high-tech tagging devices to the whalesto record their movements and acceleration as they dove underwater. They also used drones to measure the size of the whale and subsequently, the size of their gulp. Finally, they used a device called an echo sounder, which uses sound waves blasted underwater, to measure how much prey is in a swarm of krill.

The data showed that these gigantic baleen whales eat an average of three times more food each year than scientists have previously estimated.

"So for a blue whale in the North Pacific, this might be 10 to 20 tonsa day, where previous estimates might have suggested something like four to six tons per day. And this is exceptional, obviously, because of the tremendous amount of food that is," said Savoca.

Perhaps paradoxically, by eating this large amount of food, the whales help to support an ecosystem that can generate a significantly higher amount of food for them to eat.

By eating krill, which are iron-rich, the whales unlock the iron and other nutrients in the krill. When the whales excrete this through their waste, it feedsphytoplankton, the microscopic algae that is a vital food source for not only krill, but also small fish and crustaceans in the ocean.

"Because we know they eat more food now than we thought, then we also were able to estimate the fact that they recycle more nutrients in their poop than we previously thought," said Savoca.

So the whales, at the top of the food chain, are recirculating critical nutrients and supporting the entire food chain below them.

"They increase the efficiency at which those nutrients are used and reused and reused in the system before they eventually sink out. And that allows for more productivity overall in the oceans, with using the same amount of nutrients just reusing them over and over again in different locations over time,"Savoca said.

Produced and written by Amanda Buckiewicz

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Baleen whales eat much more than we thought and fertilize the oceans doing it - CBC.ca

Will you lose weight and keep it off if you diet? No, probably not, UCLA researchers report in the April issue ofAmerican Psychologist,the journal of the American Psychological Association.

You can initially lose 5 to 10 percent of your weight on any number of diets, but then the weight comes back, said Traci Mann, UCLA associate professor of psychology and lead author of the study. We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more. Sustained weight loss was found only in a small minority of participants, while complete weight regain was found in the majority. Diets do not lead to sustained weight loss or health benefits for the majority of people.

Mann and her co-authors conducted the most comprehensive and rigorous analysis of diet studies, analyzing 31 long-term studies.

What happens to people on diets in the long run? Mann asked. Would they have been better off to not go on a diet at all? We decided to dig up and analyze every study that followed people on diets for two to five years. We concluded most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all. Their weight would be pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the wear and tear from losing weight and gaining it all back.

People on diets typically lose 5 to 10 percent of their starting weight in the first six months, the researchers found. However, at least one-third to two-thirds of people on diets regain more weight than they lost within four or five years, and the true number may well be significantly higher, they said.

Although the findings reported give a bleak picture of the effectiveness of diets, there are reasons why the actual effectiveness of diets is even worse, Mann said.

Mann said that certain factors biased the diet studies to make them appear more effective than they really were. For one, many participants self-reported their weight by phone or mail rather than having their weight measured on a scale by an impartial source. Also, the studies have very low follow-up rates eight of the studies had follow-up rates lower than 50 percent, and those who responded may not have been representative of the entire group, since people who gain back large amounts of weight are generally unlikely to show up for follow-up tests, Mann said.

Several studies indicate that dieting is actually a consistent predictor of future weight gain, said Janet Tomiyama, a UCLA graduate student of psychology and co-author of the study. One study found that both men and women who participated in formal weight-loss programs gained significantly more weight over a two-year period than those who had not participated in a weight-loss program, she said.

Another study, which examined a variety of lifestyle factors and their relationship to changes in weight in more than 19,000 healthy older men over a four-year period, found that one of the best predictors of weight gain over the four years was having lost weight on a diet at some point during the years before the study started, Tomiyama said. In several studies, people in control groups who did not diet were not that much worse off and in many cases were better off than those who did diet, she said.

If dieting doesnt work, what does?

Eating in moderation is a good idea for everybody, and so is regular exercise, Mann said. That is not what we looked at in this study. Exercise may well be the key factor leading to sustained weight loss. Studies consistently find that people who reported the most exercise also had the most weight loss.

Diet studies of less than two years are too short to show whether dieters have regained the weight they lost, Mann said.

Even when you follow dieters four years, theyre still regaining weight, she said.

One study of dieting obese patients followed them for varying lengths of time. Among those who were followed for fewer than two years, 23 percent gained back more weight than they had lost, while of those who were followed for at least two years, 83 percent gained back more weight than they had lost, Mann said. One study found that 50 percent of dieters weighed more than 11 pounds over their starting weight five years after the diet, she said.

Evidence suggests that repeatedly losing and gaining weight is linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and altered immune function. Mann and Tomiyama recommend that more research be conducted on the health effects of losing and gaining weight, noting that scientists do not fully understand how such weight cycling leads to adverse health effects.

Mann notes that her mother has tried different diets, and has not succeeded in keeping the weight off. My mother has been on diets and says what we are saying is obvious, she said.

While the researchers analyzed 31 dieting studies, they have not evaluated specific diets.

Medicare raised the issue of whether obesity is an illness, deleting the words Obesity is not considered an illness from its coverage regulations in 2004. The move may open the door for Medicare to consider funding treatments for obesity, Mann noted.

Diets are not effective in treating obesity, said Mann. We are recommending that Medicare should not fund weight-loss programs as a treatment for obesity. The benefits of dieting are too small and the potential harm is too large for dieting to be recommended as a safe, effective treatment for obesity.

From 1980 to 2000, the percentage of Americans who were obese more than doubled, from 15 percent to 31 percent of the population, Mann noted.

A social psychologist, Mann, taught a UCLA graduate seminar on the psychology of eating four years ago. She and her students continued the research when the course ended. Manns co-authors are Erika Westling, Ann-Marie Lew, Barbra Samuels and Jason Chatman.

We asked what evidence is there that dieting works in the long term, and found that the evidence shows the opposite Tomiyama said.

The research was partially supported by the National Institute of Mental Health.

In future research, Mann is interested in studying whether a combination of diet and exercise is more effective than exercise alone.

UCLA isCalifornias largest university, with an enrollment of nearly 37,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The UCLA College of Letters and Science and the universitys11 professional schools feature renowned faculty and offer more than 300 degree programs and majors. UCLA is a national and international leader in the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs. Four alumni and five faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize.

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Dieting does not work, UCLA researchers report | UCLA

Weight loss is something many people struggle with, but without the motivation, only a few manage to achieve their goals. For Dominic, who struggled with his weight for a long time, it was both his son and rugby legend Rob Burrow who motivated him to slim. But how did he manage to lose 11 stone?

Dominic shared his weight loss journey and admitted everything started after watching Rob Burrow's interview.

"I was very emotional in December 2020 and after seeing Rob Burrow give an interview following his diagnosis with MND and how he wanted to fight this awful disease so he could spend more time with his young family, it forced me to ask myself some hard questions about my lifestyle and choices.

"I was weighing in at over 22 stone and very unfit when Rob was diagnosed.

"I realised that I needed to change a lot of things about myself so that I could be here in the long term for my son," he explained.

READ MORE:Debenhams returns! High street legend hiring ahead of new store

"I started eating healthier by joining weight watchers and on January 1 I started to run every day (a minimum of one mile) to kickstart my long road back to being a fit and healthy dad so that hopefully I could be as good a role model for my son as Rob has been for thousands of others.

"I followed the coach to five km to help build up my running slowly whilst continuing to run every day.

"I ran every day for 502 days and completed a virtual marathon on May 14, 2021 to celebrate 500 days of running.

"I ran it in three hours 46 minutes. My first run on January 1 was a park run (five km) in 48 minutes 37 seconds," Dominic explained.

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"By June 2021 I had lost just over 11 stone and Im now at a weight that Im happy with and just eating healthy and exercising to maintain both my physical and mental health," he said.

But Dominic admitted what helped him the most was changing his diet habits and cutting down on one specific thing.

"The big thing that helped the weight loss was cutting my takeaways down from two or three a week to once a week.

"I always kept the one takeaway a week as it gave me something to look forward to and aim towards and it meant that I never felt like I was depriving myself of everything I enjoyed.

"As when Ive done this in the past Ive always 'blown my diet' by having a lot of food that I know I shouldnt all at once because Ive been too strict.

"The other thing was just not having as much processed food as I had before and trying to be more organised by planning my menu for the week so that I had real food to take to work rather than buying a ready meal.

"This usual meant cooking an extra portion of my evening meal to take to work the next day," he said.

Dominic admitted that losing 11 stone has drastically changed his entire life.

"Losing the weight has given me the energy to keep up with my five-year-old son and its given me the confidence to make changes in my life to make me a happier person such as changing careers from being a bus driver to working as a support worker in a college.

"It has also given me much more body confidence than I ever had before. I ran the Manchester marathon on October 10, 2021, and it was such a warm day and I was really struggling with overheating and I actually had the confidence to finally take my top off and run the final nine miles feeling much more comfortable.

"I would never have thought to do this before and even when I was exercising I would wear baggy clothing to hide my body as best as I could," he admitted.

In January 2020 Dominic completed a five km park run in 48 minutes and in October 2021 he ran the Manchester Marathon in three hours 24 minutes 44 seconds.

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Weight loss: Man loses 11st by cutting down on one thing - 'finally took my top off' - Express

As technology advances and life becomes busier, achieving a healthy work-life balance is becoming increasingly complex. We all want success in every aspect of our lives, but are you sacrificing your health for this ambition?

It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. Seneca

Although there are many things that contribute to achieving a healthy work-life balance, here are some small steps you can take to become happier and healthier.

Many people turn towards diets with extreme fad claims whenever they have problems losing weight or staying fit. Although these quick fixes might prove effective in the short term, they will often lead to failure because you arent addressing the real problem.

To lose excess weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. To maintain a healthy weight, this balance needs to be equal. Forget all the crash diets and get thin quick schemes slow and steady wins the race every time.

Make small healthy changes over time, such as packing your lunch instead of buying it, switching to sugar-free products, canceling unhealthy food deliveries, and introducing super enzymes into your eating plan. At first, these might seem like big sacrifices for minor benefits, but once they become second nature, they will greatly improve your diet without feeling like youre missing out on anything.

Its easier said than done, but there are so many positive outcomes from spending just 30 minutes exercising every day. Along with burning calories, you will be improving your blood circulation, strengthening your muscles, and boosting energy levels.

To see the benefits for yourself, try something new like dance lessons or yoga classes. You could also sign up for self-defense courses or sports that involve kickboxing, boxing, or martial arts to get in shape while learning a valuable skill.

Regardless of whether you work from an office five days a week or stay at home with kids all day every day, its important to take breaks throughout the day and make time for relaxing activities such as reading a book, watching TV shows on Netflix (or whatever is popular nowadays), going out with friends and family, etc.

When putting work first, its easy to forget about our mental health. We can become stressed, depressed, and overwhelmed due to overworking ourselves. Even if you visit the gym every day after work, your body will still be recovering from what your mind has endured throughout the day, so dont neglect this important aspect of self-care.

Does prioritizing a career sound familiar? When were busy chasing money and success, its all too easy to leave out personal relationships. Instead of working overtime for that promotion, try spending time with your partner or family members instead.

Taking vacations or weekends away is an excellent way to improve your relationships while also having fun in the process. If travel isnt possible, then plan a dinner date or movie night at home. You could also try new experiences, such as attending an art gallery exhibition or checking out the latest book releases at your local library.

Friends are also important, you dont have to spend all your free time with them but keeping in touch can help reduce feelings of loneliness or isolation. There are lots of apps where you can make plans to get together, such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Kik, etc.

How financially savvy are you? If youre constantly living paycheck to paycheck and borrowing money from friends and family, its time for some changes. The first step is to stop spending on things that dont bring lasting satisfaction (see: physical goods). Although we all need clothing, toys, and gadgets, we can live without them once in a while.

Try living within your means by creating a detailed budget for one whole month. Break down how much money youre earning every week/fortnight/month and what your essential costs will be (e.g., rent/ mortgage, electricity, water, food). If youre spending more than you earn every month, cancel unnecessary subscriptions and start saving for a rainy day instead of racking up more debt.

Most people work during the week, so its essential to find the right career path which provides satisfaction as well as financial security. To do this, we must take time off to pursue hobbies and interests outside of our working lives.

Later on in your life, dont rush into accepting the first job that comes your way because you feel like its your only option. Instead, research potential careers and their entry requirements before taking part in application tests and interviews. Follow your gut instincts because you will feel happier about doing something you truly love instead of settling for a job that doesnt make use of your potential.

Although its good to learn something new in your free time, you dont have to take up a professional hobby. It can be beneficial to try out activities you used to enjoy during childhood, such as hiking, reading books, playing board games with friends, attending concerts, etc.

If this seems too difficult or daunting at first, start small by scheduling short daily me times where you do the things which make you happy without distractions. For example, instead of scrolling through social media profiles while watching TV every night, turn off your electronic devices and give yourself 10 minutes of peace and quiet before bedtime.

If you follow the above steps, it will be easier to live a balanced life which means greater levels of happiness and self-fulfillment. These are the key factors that, when combined, can lead to long-term success in whatever industry or area of life you choose.

So whether thats at work, home, or school, finding satisfaction with what were doing is crucial for our wellbeing. Take some time out every day to do something positive and see how much better life becomes as a result!

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7 Steps To Achieve A Healthy Work-Life Balance MyrtleBeachSC News - myrtlebeachsc.com