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Diet Doc hCG Diet Plan Announces a New Section on Their Website to Help People Understand Everything They've Ever …

Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:18 pm

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) October 01, 2012

Diet Doc hCG Diet Plan announces a new section on the hCGTreatments website to help people answer questions and learn information about the hCG diet.

Diet Doc hCG Diet has added a new comprehensive section to their website to help people get answers to the questions they have when learning or searching for the best hCG diet available.

Certain phenomena gain popularity largely based on an enormous internet presence without other reliable resources in place to clarify misconceptions which are propagated unchecked. The hCG diet and hCG weight loss protocol is an obvious example. Over the last few years, the marketing and websites promoting the use of hCG for weight loss have grown astronomically on the internet. While there are legitimate hCG weight loss clinics, the vast majority of the information on hCG and the hCG products offered online are designed to confuse and make profit from an unknowing public.

There are four of the egregious errors that, due to the quantity of websites claiming the contrary to be true, must be clarified.

First, the original hCG diet was developed several decades ago by a Dr Simeons and he used an extremely restricted 500 calorie per day diet. Eating so few calories per day is inherently risky and can lead to health problems. From what we have learned about diet and nutrition since the 1950s, there is absolutely nothing about losing weight on hCG that requires patients to consume so few calories. There are in fact, many types of much safer diets that couple well with hCG for weight loss and in most cases are just as effective as the severely restricted diet. While this fact is true, 99% of the websites, blogs, videos, and other online chatter about hCG promote the 500 calorie diet.

Next, many online sites make unqualified and unsubstantiated claims on the effectiveness of the hCG weight loss program. They claim that patients are losing 2 pounds of fat per day. They claim that hCG is a permanent cure for obesity. Neither of these claims are true and in most states in this country making fraudulent medical claims is not only unethical, but illegal.

Third, it is not true that all hCG is created equally. Homeopathic hCG drops are definitely not the same as prescription hCG. While there are some legitimate prescription strength tablets being compounded by pharmacies, hCG drops in liquid form are never prescription strength. Furthermore, the majority of hCG sold online directly to the public is either not true prescription strength or it is being obtained and sold illegally. There are also claims that there is special hCG weight loss for women and special hCG weight loss for men. Not true. Again, legitimate hCG weight loss clinics do exist. Prescription hCG is a medication and as such should always be prescribed by a qualified professional.

Lastly, most websites claim that hCG is a permanent reset for metabolism. This is also false. Any method one chooses to utilize to lose weight, whether it be diet or exercise or lap band surgery or gastric bypass surgery, once the weight is off long term strategies must be implemented to keep the weight off and stay healthy. Therefore, a tremendous failing of nearly all hCG weight loss available online is the lack of long term support and an effective maintenance program.

Diet Doc physicians are highly trained experts in the weight loss field and are the only doctors in America utilizing a modern-day hCG prescription diet . Diet Doctors have collectively seen thousands of successful cases, and will give people a personalized diet plan based on health history, age and gender along with specialty weight loss products and medications, including prescription hCG all to help people lose rapid weight safely.

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Diet Doc hCG Diet Plan Announces a New Section on Their Website to Help People Understand Everything They've Ever ...

Diet Coke to Style One Lucky Chicagoan with Couture Refreshment

Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:18 pm

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Youre never fully dressed without a smile or now a Diet Coke. A lucky Chicagoan will win a new fall look and a chance to meet couture designers from around the block and across the country at Chicagos Art of Fashion event on October 19 at Millennium Park courtesy of Diet Coke, The Shops at North Bridge and 101.9fm THE MIX.

Starting today through October 7 aspiring fashionistas and Diet Coke fans alike can tune into 101.9fm THE MIX and listen for a chance to text-to-win a makeover and VIP experience for two at Chicagos Art of Fashion event. Valued at $2,500, this prize package includes:

Diet Coke and Chicagos Art of Fashion Event bring together the best of whats possible when you push the limits of design and fashion, said Michael Dulin, Vice President, Commercialization, Coca-Cola Refreshments. This event recognizes both young and established designers and reinforces the positive power of ambition. Supporting our fans and their dreams is just one more way Diet Coke celebrates those who stay extraordinary.

Art of Fashion is the culmination of Fashion Focus Chicago a week-long celebration of Chicagos fashion industry. In partnership with Style Chicago and presented by the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Fashion Focus Chicago showcases some of the citys top designers, and features three headlining runway shows in Millennium Park. This is Diet Cokes inaugural year sponsoring Art of Fashion.

The iconic Diet Coke can is also getting a makeover this fall. Diet Coke has re-introduced its stylish cropped logo design for its aluminum can and launched a new, refreshed ad campaign. The campaign is the latest evolution of Diet Cokes iconic Stay Extraordinary platform and features a modern, bold look on the Diet Coke can and a series of new print and out-of-home ads. The refreshed packaging design features a section of the Diet Coke logo, cropped to feature the "D" and the k, set against the brand's signature silver backdrop, creating a sleek, modern look for the brand.

For more information on this contest please visit: http://www.wtmx.com or follow on Twitter @DietCokeUS.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo.

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Diet Coke to Style One Lucky Chicagoan with Couture Refreshment

Nuviva Medical Weight Loss Opens New Clinic in Lake Mary (Orlando)

Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:18 pm

Nuviva Medical Weight Loss is pleased to announce the opening of their Lake Mary clinic. The Nuviva Medical Weight Loss program integrates a multi-phase nutrition program, exercise, proprietary supplements, medications, education and extensive personalized support to help clients not only reach their weight loss goals, but maintain their results for life.

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) October 01, 2012

The Lake Mary clinic, located at 719 Rodel Cover, is under the medical direction of Chris Brouillette, M.D. Dr. Brouillette is a Florida-educated physician who holds a bachelors degree in biology from the University of West Florida and an M.D. from the University of Florida School of Medicine. Following a two-year residency in general surgery at Orlando Regional Medical Center, Dr. Brouillette completed a family medicine residency at Florida Hospital-South and is board-certified in family medicine. He serves as a clinical assistant professor at Florida State University College of Medicine.

Nuviva Medical Weight Loss operates a clinic in Fort Myers and two in Naples, with franchise locations in Sarasota, Tampa, Altamonte Springs, Boca Raton, Jupiter, Boynton Beach and Port Charlotte.

Nuviva Medical Weight Loss founders Alex Joseph, president and CEO, and Jeff Delaney, vice president, created Nuviva in conjunction with Medical Director Brian Arcement, M.D., FACC, FASCAI, to include a multi-phase program with specifically formulated nutraceuticals and extensive individual coaching and education to help clients achieve their weight-loss goals in a sustainable format.

The program integrates diet, exercise, supplements, medications, education and support in a unique, customized program that begins with a comprehensive physician evaluation and includes regular meetings with a nutrition coach.

To make an appointment, call the Lake Mary clinic at 407-896-8218.

For more information about the contest and a free consultation regarding Nuvivas proprietary weight-loss program, call toll-free 855-4Nuviva (855-468-8482) or visit http://www.NuvivaWeightLoss.com.

Megan Spears

(855) 468-8482 Email Information

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Nuviva Medical Weight Loss Opens New Clinic in Lake Mary (Orlando)

Minnesota’s 50,000 Pound Weight Loss Challenge

Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:18 pm

Rejuv Medical is launching a free weight loss challenge. The challenge comes as a result of a recent study that predicted Minnesota residents are on their way to becoming the fattest people in the nation.

Minnesota (PRWEB) October 01, 2012

I was horrified when I read the reports that Minnesota is on the track to having over half of its population considered as obese. The study has projected that Minnesota's Obesity Rate will climb from its current status of 25.7 to an estimated 54.7%, leaving half of Minnesotan overweight by 2030 , said Dr. Baumgartner of Rejuv Medical. We have always offered Medically Supervised Weight Loss, but now we are going to provide a FREE and special weight loss challenge so everyone can partake. I will not allow Minnesotans to become this countrys fattest state. Plus, it is a matter of life or death when you look at the long term effects of being overweight.

Here is how Rejuv Medicals 50,000 Pound Weight Loss Challenge works. All an interested person has to do is click on this link, http://www.rejuvmedical.com/pages/Fattest-States-Challenge, and provide an email address. The FREE 3 Week Fitness Program includes three weeks of beginner and advanced workouts. In addition, each person who signs up for the challenge will receive a Personal Trainer Exercise Idea Guide (75 Body-Weight Exercises), 3 Public Conference Calls: Getting Started - Rejuv's Dietician's Advice On Food Allergies and Support Systems, a Rejuv For Life Meal Plan, the The Rejuv Medical Cook Book: 300+ Very Clean Meals/Recipes, and Weekly Health & Fitness Tips, To Ensure Success.

Rejuv Medical specializes in Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, weight loss and fitness, anti-aging procedures, and is dedicated to global health care through the companys charitable efforts. For an interview with Dr. Baumgartner, or to schedule a media tour of the facility, please contact Rejuv Medical at (320) 217-8480.

Helene Vece Body Solutions Inc / JumpStart Ink 702-749-5925 Email Information

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Minnesota’s 50,000 Pound Weight Loss Challenge

FitFarms weight loss retreat weekends are starting in January 2013

Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:18 pm

The UK's leading weight loss retreat FitFarms will be opening their weekends in 2013. The courses will be open to men and women running all year round.

(PRWEB UK) 30 September 2012

The fitness team will consist of personal trainers from all round the UK. There will also be pilates and yoga specialist on site to help you towards your fitness goals.

The nutrition programme has been designed by a senior nutritional therapist and will be made extremely tasty by French chef Anthea de la Roche from Brittany.

The fitness camp team will be making sure the exercises are challenging but also manageable.

Typically since FitFarms opened back in 2006 guest have come in all shapes and sizes looking to lose weight and increase there fitness levels.

The FitFarms weight loss and fitness camp programme is not just about weight loss and fitness it is a whole lifestyle change.

The health team look at the reasons behind why people make unhealthy decisions and correct it through Life Coaching sessions.

There is often an underlying reason why people make the choices and even during a short weekend process FitFarms will set out to make the difference.

The Fitness camp weekends will be a great mixture of indoor and outdoor exercises which will be intense but also manageable and inspirational.

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FitFarms weight loss retreat weekends are starting in January 2013

Los Angeles Weight Loss Patients at Marina Del Rey Hospital Get The 'STARR Treatment'

Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:18 pm

The STARR Treatment is now available at Marina Del Rey Hospital, performed with an instrument called the SPIDER system, enables surgery through just one incision in the navel, minimizing pain, scarring, and recovery.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) September 26, 2012

"This is a fantastic new tool," said Dr. Jeremy Korman, the Medical Director and bariatric surgeon at L.A. Bariatrics. "I want to do everything possible to make sure my patients recover quickly and with minimal pain. Of course, if we can accomplish this with a great aesthetic outcome, all the better."

Laparoscopic surgery utilizes slim tools inserted through small slits in the skin at the surgery site. The medical industry has continuously sought to perform abdominal surgery with as few incisions as possible. However, when surgeons use traditional tools in a single-incision surgery, the site of entry can get crowded, making surgery more difficult.

The SPIDER system involves just one flexible tool, inserted into the body through a single incision. Once inserted, the SPIDER expands like an umbrella, and all the necessary instruments are deployed. When the surgery is complete, the system folds back up so the surgeon can remove it and close the small incision. The system increases the surgeon's dexterity and visibility compared to other minimally invasive approaches.

Dr. Mona Misra, Dr. Kormans surgical partner at LA Bariatrics, has been using the SPIDER system for nearly a year and has seen excellent outcomes for her patients. "Having the ability to safely and efficiently perform surgeries like the Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy, Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band, and Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy through a single incision at the belly button is extremely desirable. This provides multiple advantages to patients including faster recovery, less pain, increased privacy, and better cosmetic results. Most importantly, my patients have been thrilled with their results!" added Dr. Misra.

Because the scarring is minimal and in a discreet location, this technique also satisfies patients' desire for privacy after surgery. It's an important personal concern, and by making the incision in the umbilicus [belly button] we create a procedure which is virtually scar-less. This is an important issue for my patients and therefore it is important to me, Dr. Misra said.

Dr. Korman agreed saying, "This SPIDER system makes surgery easier on the patient, and we are happy to provide this exciting new technology to our patient population."

This is not the first bariatric surgery innovation Marina Del Rey Hospital has helped pioneer in the Los Angeles area. Dr. Korman was among the first to adopt several procedures, including gastric plication, and to implement new combinations of established procedures. He has led the center to its Bariatric Center of Excellence status, which is conferred on the best weight-loss surgery centers by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. With the addition of Dr. Misra, L. A. Bariatrics now has a combined experience of over 3000 weight loss surgeries. Dr. Korman, Dr. Misra, and the L.A. Bariatrics team say they look forward to continuing their legacy of not only providing the standard, but also the newest cutting edge technologies to their patients.

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Los Angeles Weight Loss Patients at Marina Del Rey Hospital Get The 'STARR Treatment'

Diet Doc Announces Medical Weight Loss For People Who Have Previously Failed at Dieting

Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:17 pm

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 01, 2012

Diet Doc Announces Medical Weight Loss For People Who Have Previously Failed at Dieting

Medical weight loss for people who have not been success losing weight, let alone rapid weight, safely and long term. Diet Doc Weight Loss created a clinically advanced weight loss solution without hunger and with added fatigue.

Diet Doc Medical Weight Loss was developed by a team of weight loss doctors who wanted to offer something clinically advanced and personalized for every individual based on health history, age and gender. Add to that, specialty weight loss medications and diet pills formulated for such things as: emotional eating, appetite suppressant, cellular fat burner, metabolism rejuvenation and more.

The Diet Doc Diet Plan does not utilize a one-size-fits-all approach and says that only 40% of individuals would be successful dieting if they offered a diet plan in this manner.

The Diet Plan by Diet Doc is based on the latest clinically relevant literature and nutritional sciences pulling together a variety of body systems that fight the body when dieting.

Diet Doc has incorporated diets that the Diet Doctors agree would be a suitable addition, including: Paleo diet, gluten free diet, Atkins, Mediterranean diet and more.

The Diet Plan by Diet Doc also formulates specialty weight loss medications and diet pills that help people easily lose up to 30 pounds per month. The diet pills cannot be found or bought anywhere else besides Diet Doc.

Patients of Diet Doc receive service via telemedicine (Skype or phone) after the person completes an extensive health history and submits to the Diet Doctors. The doctor creates a customized diet plan and then a nutritionist teaches the dieter how to do their version of the Diet Doc Diet Plan. The patient also receives a consultation by a weight loss nurse. All clinical staff work in collaboration with each patient to successfully help the patient lose weight fast.

Diet Doc also offers diet foods that are specifically designed without anything artificial and are only 20 calories per serving. The main concept behind the Diet Doc diet foods was the ability to feed these diet foods to the entire family without compromising flavor, nutrients or cost.

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Diet Doc Announces Medical Weight Loss For People Who Have Previously Failed at Dieting

What's More Fun than Losing Weight Fast? hCG Diets / Diet Doc hCG Diets & Weight Loss Plans Announces Better Weight …

Posted: October 1, 2012 at 10:17 pm

There is no shortage of fad workout diets on the market, but hCG Diets / Diet Doc Weight Loss Plans is proven to deliver better, long-term results, without all of the time consuming and often strenuous and joint damaging exercise.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 01, 2012

There is no shortage of fad workout diets on the market, but hCG Diets / Diet Doc Weight Loss Plans is proven to deliver better, long-term results, without all of the time consuming and often strenuous and joint damaging exercise.

An unfortunate occurrence for dieters is the recurring trend of fad exercise diets that promise dramatic body transformations yet rarely deliver. hCGTreatments / Diet Doc Weight Loss Plans offers a prescription strength hCG diet that is doctor monitored and proven to provide fast weight loss without complicated dance moves, extreme workouts, or physically demanding and exceedingly laborious fad workout plans. What the hCG diet offers that these fad workout diets do not is safe and effective weight loss without time consuming, and for many, physically risky weight loss routines.

With the hCG diet, there are no tricky dance moves to learn and no videos or propaganda to buy. Columbian dancer and choreographer, Alberto Perez created one of these fad exercise diets in the early '90s called Zumba. Celebrities often come out of the woodwork to be the next to endorse fad diets. Zumba has the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Kirstie Alley touting its effectiveness. Some people like to spend a lot of time and money being pushed to exhaustion with dance and aerobics.

Unfortunately, in order to receive the benefits of these fad exercises, one must be in relatively good physical shape already, with good internal and external health as well as good mobility. For many obese Americans, high impact or high intensity exercise is not an option due to mobility constraints. Julie Wright, CEO of Diet Doc explains that "Diet Doc manages people who are athletes, moderate exercisers or even just sedentary." A key to the hCG diets longstanding popularity and effectiveness is that it works just as well, providing fast weight loss without strenuous exercise. This enables those with health or mobility constraints to participate in improving their health. hCGTreatments.com offers a customized hCG diet, including prescription hCG that produces weight loss averaging a pound-per-day, even when exercise is not an option. Due to the low calorie hCG diet, extreme exercise is not recommended. But light exercise will only accelerate fast weight loss.

Diet Doc utilizes an individualized hCG diet designed to push the body into ketosis, a state at which the body is burning fat stores at optimal levels. The high protein diet prescribed by Diet Doc is similar to that of athletes. Advancements in nutrition and hCG diets however now allow dieters to consume 700-1250 high-protein calories per day. This amount of caloric intake is over twice the amount allowed by the hCG diets discovers, Dr. Simeons. This increase in calories quells the hCG diets number one criticism, that 500 daily calories is not enough to sustain health. Diet Doc has utilized advancements in nutritional science to increase caloric intake while maintaining the fast weight loss that is characteristic of the hCG diet. Patients do not feel hungry or tired while on the updated hCG diet from Diet Doc.

According to allpointsmedicine.com, "A typical Zumba workout burns between 500 and 1,000 calories but [it] doesnt feel like it because Zumba is so much fun!" Having fun during the weight loss process is indeed important. What is more fun than losing weight fast though? The hCG is fun because when clients step on the scale, they see that their weight is falling so fast they cannot help but get excited. For Dieters who want to get serious about weight loss -weight that leaves and doesn't return- the hCG diet is proven to provide much more dramatic results than Zumba or any other fad or fleeting exercise trend of the moment. A major drawback of fad diets, the reason that they are often considered ineffective is because once the client stops having fun, stops seeing fast weight loss, or the workout becomes too physically demanding or time consuming, the client quits. With a customized diet from hCGTreatments, there is no hard work to grow weary of, no classes to plan life around, and exciting weight loss to keep clients interested. Diet Doc conducted a survey revealing that clients routinely lose an average of 1 pound of unsightly fat per day without any tricky dancing or karate moves.

Julie Wright hCGTreatments / Diet Doc 888-934-4451 Email Information

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What's More Fun than Losing Weight Fast? hCG Diets / Diet Doc hCG Diets & Weight Loss Plans Announces Better Weight ...

Scientists Develop Vanishing Medical Device

Posted: October 1, 2012 at 4:21 am

They're called "biocompatible electronics" - tiny medical implants designed to dissolve into the body's tissues after they have done their work. Such devices may some day be used for fighting post-surgical infections, speeding bone development and a host of other medical applications.

Unlike conventional medical implants such as heart valves or hip replacements that are designed to last a lifetime, transient electronics are made with tiny, ultra-thin silicon chips, containing magnesium electrodes, that completely melt away when they have served their function. They're now being developed by a team of researchers at the University of Illinois, Northwestern University in Illinois and Tufts University in Massachusetts.

John Rogers is a University of Illinois engineering professor who leads the development team. Rogers envisions a number of medical applications for the new devices, which combine microchips with so-called nano-membranes that slowly melt when exposed to water or biofluids.

One example of that kind of device is in an applique, a thin film device that goes into the body at the site of a surgical incision to provide thermal therapy that can eliminate bacteria that would otherwise cause infection," said Rogers.

Rogers says the chip, which can be controlled wirelessly, is packaged in silk gathered from silkworm cocoons. Researchers can alter the structure of the silk, Rogers says, to pre-set how long the silicon chips last - from minutes to days, weeks or even longer.

Rogers and colleagues conducted experiments in which they slipped the silicon wafers into surgical incisions on mice. Rogers says the dissolvable chips, only a few tens of nanometers thick, heated the animals wounds for two weeks - just long enough to prevent infection and for healing to begin.

And in that type of time regime, its advantageous for the device to simply disappear," he said.

Scientists examining the mice a few weeks later saw little sign of infection and only a faint residue of the silicon wafer at the wound sites.

Rogers says the device's electrodes are made of magnesium, a naturally fluid-soluble material. The amount of magnesium on a single chip is less than most people consume every day through their diets or in a multi-vitamin.

The biodegradable technology might some day have a wide range of applications - from environmental monitoring to creating disposable and non-polluting consumer electronic products. But for now, researchers are focusing on the medical possibilities, including heart, brain and muscle activity monitors, as well as targeted drug delivery devices.

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Scientists Develop Vanishing Medical Device

Wrestling With Their Weight … Literally

Posted: October 1, 2012 at 4:21 am

"My friend just told me that he has to lose 10 pounds by next week ... isn't that unhealthy?" asked my 17-year-old son. Perplexed and troubled, he went on to say that unless his friend "starved" himself, he wouldn't "make his weight" for his wrestling team.

Unfortunately, this is not atypical. Anywhere from one-quarter to two-thirds of high school wrestlers use fasting, excessive exercise, unbalanced diets, and voluntary dehydration as techniques to help them achieve a fighting weight, according to some estimates. Ironically, these behaviors only sap athletes of the strength and energy needed to compete in this sport--and they're particularly dangerous for still-growing teens, who demand calories to fuel both mind and body. Furthermore, an improper diet can have a profoundly negative impact on learning and focusing at a time when students can barely afford to divert their attention from college applications and SAT's to rigorous after-school workouts and weekend tournaments.

In his 2001 report published in Contemporary Pediatrics, "Aiming for Healthy Weight for Wrestlers and Other Athletes," the late Vito Perriello, Jr., a pediatrician and pioneer in the field of sports medicine, wrote that participants of "weight-sensitive sports" are likelier to engage in unhealthy eating practices than are other athletes. Wrestlers in particular "feel that to succeed they must punish themselves in order to make themselves tougher," wrote Perriello, adding that they think they'll also "gain an advantage by competing at a lower weight." However, studies have determined that wrestling performance is optimal at one's ideal weight versus a lower weight, since the latter could cause weakness and reduced endurance.

While one tactic, voluntary dehydration, may make the numbers on the scale go down, it also cheats the body of the fluid it needs to protect the heart, kidneys, and brain, as well as to properly perform other vital bodily functions. Josh, a teen who competes for a high school team told me, "Although I know it's good to keep hydrated, to make weight I sometimes completely cut liquids out of my diet." But "before a match or after weigh-ins," Josh said, '"I usually stuff my face with sports drinks, water, and food to gain my weight back so I can feel good before I wrestle." This starvation-to-binge pattern is rampant among wrestlers.

Ben, a 12th-grade wrestler, seemed sensible when he said that when asked for diet advice from fellow teammates, he tells them, "Eat three meals a day to keep metabolism and energy up [because] you can't work out without the energy that food gives your body." Yet, in his next sentence, he admitted, "But if I'm still a little overweight one or two days before the weigh-in, I do fast and skip breakfast the morning of the weigh-in ... but I eat after." And he's not alone. Several other students, including Max, an 11th-grade wrestler, told me, "Although I know I probably shouldn't, I do usually binge after a weigh-in ... I try not to go overboard if my match is very soon after my weigh-in, but tournaments sometimes have weigh-ins the day before, though, so under those conditions I do eat as much as possible."

And it's not just the kids who are obsessed with weight. I recently overheard a conversation between two dads of teen wrestlers, who were discussing their sons' weight status. One said, "What's your son weighing now?" The other smiled and replied, "My son is down to 120 and will probably be 116 by the weekend ... but he's looking good." The method by which that weight would be lost didn't seem to be of concern. Many parents light the fire under extreme eating behaviors as well.

Although most wrestlers look to their coaches or teammates for tips on how to cut weight effectively, that doesn't guarantee that the advice they receive encourages safe weight loss. If a coach suspects that disordered eating practices are endangering a player, he should be suggesting a referral to a pediatrician or recommending a consultation with a registered dietitian. A player who is not in shape physically or mentally is not an asset to the team.

As Franklin D. Roosevelt and Spiderman's Uncle Ben similarly stated, "Great power involves great responsibility." It is so critically important that coaches provide the guidance young wrestlers need to fuel their growing bodies and minds. Poor habits at vulnerable times in life can set the stage for a lifetime of poor choices. When asked if he thought his eating habits reverted back to "normal" when not wrestling in the off-season, without hesitation, Josh responded, "No, wrestling has definitely affected my life in a way where I regularly don't eat normally. I constantly think about my weight and how much I weigh, so I can't just eat anything I want."

Young wrestlers need to learn that the number on the scale is not necessarily a reflection of their strength or state of health. During teen years, many important considerations must be weighed.

Hungry for more? Write to eatandrun@usnews.com with your questions, concerns, and feedback.

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Wrestling With Their Weight ... Literally


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