At least four times a week, Id stop at three different shops on my way home: Co-op for a pizza, family-sized chocolate bars, sharing bags of sweets; then onto Tesco, for Jaffa cakes, more bars of chocolate, tubs of ice-cream; and lastly Waitrose, for those squidgy bakery cookies and multiple packs of buttery pain au chocolat.

Id hide it deep within my rucksack so none of the shop workers could see the full extent of what I was going to eat that night. I would pretend I was on the phone to friends when buying enough food for four. Id pick up flour alongside bags of chocolate chips so the cashier might think I was making a cake. Anything to avoid the guilt, shame and judgement of people who certainly had better things to think about than me.

When I got home, Id lay it all out on my bed and, like a ritual, eat each item one by one. Sometimes it was thrilling, my ravenous eyes gleefully taking in the illicit spread; other times I cried as the compulsion drove me to put another bar of chocolate in my bloated, resentful body until I threw up and, minutes later, started eating again. Either way, I couldnt stop.

A few years ago, I was deep in the grips of binge eating disorder. Its difficult to pinpoint the exact moment that I knew I needed help, but what I do know is that if I hadnt made the terrifying decision to quit my job; if I hadnt decided enough was finally enough; if there hadnt been that tiny shred of evolutionary survival instinct that willed me to realise I did deserve a future, I wouldnt still be here today.

Blindly convinced that the solution to all of this pain was simply to lose weight, I signed up for three months at a residential bootcamp, at which, in my mind, I would have my self-loathing sweated and starved out of me.

Weight-loss bootcamps were the product of a fitness craze and obsession with thinness that swept the UK in the early 2000s. The medias fascination with size zero celebrities, and outright disgust at normal-sized bodies (remember Heat magazines cellulite specials where theyd take a marker to ring parts of celebrity bodies), as well as the chokehold of the Atkins Diet, fuelled a toxic diet culture that made us believe a 130lb Bridget Jones was overweight. The result of this was an explosion in retreats known as fat camps (or fat farms in America) that promised extreme, rapid weight loss in return for your hard-earned money.

In 2002, these camps were given primetime television slots: ITVs Celebrity Fit Club sold Britons the idea that Vanessa Feltz and Alison Hammond enduring weeks of tough military fitness was not a dangerous form of entertainment, but instead an aspirational answer to all our yo-yo dieting prayers. Marrying gruelling workouts with luxury accommodation birthed a residential bootcamp industry that is still booming, albeit in a different guise, to this day.

At these camps, clients would exercise for around six hours a day, burning between 300 and 600 calories in each of their five or so fat-busting sessions. Combined with a strict diet of 1,200 daily calories for women or 1,600 for men they guarantee weight-loss of 7-12lbs a week. I ended up at several of them. At the point I first signed up, I felt that if I wasnt losing weight it wasnt worth being alive.

Over a period of four years, I spent more than 20,000 on these fat bootcamps; my father and I both persuaded ourselves that spending the equivalent of a downpayment on a house would be worth it for every pound of fat I could lose. I ended up staying for 21 weeks at one.

Exercise would begin daily at 7am with 45 minutes of pre-breakfast running. After that came three 60 to 90 minute sessions of boxing, spinning, circuits or weight training: some were devilishly monotonous rounds of burpees, bear crawls and tyre flips, others were mercifully varied intense HIIT workouts.

Lunch and dinner were flavourful, if very small, affairs. Everything was rounded off with low-intensity walks in the beautiful countryside to remind you there is a world outside of the sodden field you spend 80 per cent of your day in. At the end of each week, your weight is taken and your inches are measured.

It can lead, as you might expect, to scenes of desperation at both ends of the spectrum. During my time at these camps, there were campers faking injuries and sneaking in contraband to get through the week, while others fell into disordered eating patterns to bring down the scales.

I learned that for every humorous anecdote of camp managers finding vodka bottles hidden behind bath panels; catching campers sneaking ham and chips at the local pub; or confiscating car keys to stop runs to Sainsburys, there was a far more disturbing story. The intelligent, late-twenties professional who hid her Type 1 diabetes and mismanaged her insulin until she ended up in hospital because she was so desperate to lose weight; the young woman and it is predominantly women who attend who had a mini stroke from overexertion.

For me, being there was near impossible at first. I had tantrums, I screamed, I swore, I got injured some real, some exaggerated. I was probably one of the worst campers theyd had, holding inside me an incredible amount of anger. I wanted my life to change, but I still sabotaged myself at every turn.

I was, I suppose, eventually a success story. I lost my excess weight, I could deadlift 100kg, I was running 5k (like I wasnt the same person who spat blood the first time I tried to jog). But as soon as I left, the real world hit me like a barbell. Like many who attend, nothing I did, no matter how healthily I ate or how much I worked out, could keep the weight off. Within a year, I was seeking treatment for bulimia. Im not saying the camps were entirely to blame but my experience of relapse is far from an unusual story.

One former trainer, who worked in the bootcamp industry for five years and wishes to remain anonymous, claims that around 75 per cent of campers fail to maintain their weight loss, which leaves these businesses cashing in on repeat returners.

Were not about giving you an after-package. Were not the NHS; were a business. Bootcamps have flourished because people want a quick-fix, not because well sort you out for the rest of your life, he says.

Ema, now 27, spent 8,000 on an eight-week programme at a UK bootcamp that promised to help her conquer her food addiction with a holistic therapy-led approach.

I was at such a low point in my life and I needed help to overcome what was going on in my mind. I was consumed by a binge eating disorder, she says.

I wish I hadnt been sucked in by the false promises made when I first went there. I was told by the owner that she was invested in helping change my life. Instead, my time [there] was overwhelming, difficult and caused a rapid decline in my mental and physical health. They didnt have the professional training to fix what was going on in my head.

Vomiting from exertion in nearly every exercise session and struggling with restricted food portions, Ema ended up being taken by her parents to hospital after six weeks. I was having such bad stomach pain. It turns out I had dehydration and a stomach ulcer.

Like many who attend, Ema had initially turned to the NHS for help with conquering weight loss but faced a two-year waiting list to access the right support.

I feel like I wasted a lot of money on a helpless solution and, if there was more support available elsewhere with a short wait time, people would not feel the need to turn to camps, she says.

In the end, I had gastric sleeve surgery and made positive lifestyle changes through the help of a qualified psychologist. I only wish Id done it earlier.

Sarah*, a nurse who lives in London, was similarly battling binge eating disorder when she signed up to a residential bootcamp several years ago. She was shocked at how easy it was to join a long-term programme with little assessment for those with disordered eating. Worryingly, there are no industry regulations for these types of private long-term programmes and no obligation to tell your GP before, during or after your stay.

My decision to go was driven by my low self-esteem, poor body image and struggles with binge eating at the time. I was seeking rapid weight loss and a quick fix, admits Sarah.

I was more concerned with addressing my weight and improving my physical appearance as I thought it would lead to an instant improvement in my mental, social and emotional wellbeing. Unfortunately, no matter how hard I tried, it ended up having the opposite effect long-term.

The temporary feelings of accomplishment and euphoria she got from the weight loss during her time at camp were replaced with harsh, shame-laced internal thoughts and feelings of hopelessness when she returned home. It led to a more entrenched cycle of binge eating.

I feel that, for some individuals, bootcamp can be a positive place. However, I feel for the majority of people, especially those with eating disorders, it can be dangerous, Sarah says.

I strongly feel that greater regulations should be put in place for people who attend long-term bootcamp programmes, as they can do a lot more harm than good in many cases.

Hannah*, 25, a police officer, found herself hooked on bootcamps after she attended a trial day at one near her home in the Midlands. Id moved back from London, started in the police and my health went out the window. I was drinking loads and I gained 80lbs. I was in a low place mentally and physically but at camp I could lose 10lbs a week. I was probably one of the slimmer and fitter people there at the time and it made me feel really powerful. I would compare myself to the others and it made me feel amazing while I was there.

But the bubble soon burst when she got back home. I was completely lost trying to do it on my own. You physically cant commit to that amount of exercise and eating that little on your own. Hannah found herself oscillating between periods of starvation and bingeing, all while blotting out her problems with alcohol.

The camp solved my weight issues temporarily but it wasnt my actual issue, in retrospect. While I could focus on losing weight, it meant I didnt have to acknowledge I had a problem with drinking.

However, now she is no longer drinking, Hannah is more positive about her camp experience: I would 100 per cent go back to lose weight quickly. It does not fix you mentally and it does not fix you long-term, but it can make you feel good and lose that last five pounds. Bootcamps have a place, but not for the reasons they say they have a place. You go there to build your resilience, mental discipline, fitness levels and your mindfulness, she says.

Therein lies the rub. These bootcamps keep people coming back. Although weight loss culture has changed since the early noughties, theres a steady market in those who see the benefit to this weight-loss approach. Personal trainer Rhys Jenkins-Hayhow, who taught at a bootcamp for 18 months after spending five years in the military, is pragmatic about what they can achieve. Rhys notes theres been a huge post-lockdown boom at his gym in the number of people wanting to lose weight, something he predicts will have boosted the bootcamp industry too.

I see residential bootcamps as very similar to prisons, explains Rhys, who now owns Empire Fitness in Stourbridge.

They only work if the person wants to change themselves. You cannot rehabilitate someone whos not ready in the same sense you cannot get someone to lose weight whos not ready to. For him, they can deliver what they promise, but the end result massively depends on the reason you attend in the first place.

As the diet industry desperately rebrands itself in 2018, Weight Watchers changed its name to WW with the tagline wellness that works these camps have done the same. The fat camp hard sell has been replaced with language like wellness retreats or holistic resets. Nutrition workshops, counselling sessions and neuro-linguistic programming all slot into the schedule. On the surface, they seem the perfect kickstart for the cash-rich and time-poor, but are these places really so far from their previous iterations? Can they really change lives for the better?

In a time when theres a noticeable shift in anti-diet messaging on platforms like Instagram, there remains that friction point between self acceptance and self improvement. Where loving yourself just as you are grates against the desire to look that bit better.

Last year, I took a step I never thought I would: I got a gastric sleeve. I went under the knife to have 80 per cent of my stomach permanently cut out of me, and I consider it the best decision I ever made. Ive worked hard, time and time again, to lose the weight, but now I have a lifelong tool that will last much longer than a month at bootcamp.

As lovely as it would be to imagine a world of genuine body positivity, there will always be a market for weight loss. In 2022, when every penny is tight, perhaps its time to look deeper at who is profiting off our obsession with pounds. Twenty years on from Celebrity Fit Club, I think theres still a darker side to fat camps that cant be rebranded out.

*Names have been changed

Beat, the UKs eating disorder charity, has helplines open 365 days a year from 9am8pm during the week, and 4pm8pm on weekends and bank holidays. The general line is 0808 801 0677, the youth line is 0808 801 0711 and the student line is 0808 801 0811. There is also a one-to-one web chat service.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger and its outside of helpline opening hours, contact 999 or the Samaritans on 116 123.

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The dark story of Britain's weight-loss bootcamps: 'I spent 20000 in four years' - iNews

If youve been attempting to lose weight, youre probably sick of hearing general suggestions like, Eat healthier. What does that even imply, in all honesty? Additionally, there are a variety of fraudulent weight reduction solutions available that promise to assist you in losing weight quickly. First and foremost, you should never set weight loss as your only objective. The optimum outcome must be weight loss in addition to an increase in general health and fitness. You may lose weight and improve your overall health with the 5 really simple diet programs that are listed here.

1. Vegetarian diets

One of the simplest diets is a flexitarian one, sometimes known as a plant-based diet. The two most common types of plant-based diets are vegetarian and vegan diets. Avoiding animal products and byproducts is the main objective.

2. Alternate-day fasting

Its possible that you have heard about intermittent fasting if you have been seeking for weight-loss diet programs. This eating plan alternates between periods of fasting and eating. Intermittent fasting comes in a variety of forms.

3.Low-carbohydrate diets

Low-carb diets are among the most popular weight-loss diets available today. Low-carb diets come in a variety of forms.

4.The DASH diet

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet,sometimes referred to as the DASH diet, is a systematic eating plan that is especially created for the treatment and prevention of high blood pressure, usually referred to as hypertension.

5.The Mediterranean eating plan

The Mediterranean diet is the best option if youre seeking for a weight-loss and health-boosting diet. This diet is great for boosting immunity, extending life, and giving you a healthy, well-fed bodyin addition to helping you control your weight.

Source: pinkvilla

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5 Simple Diets To Lose Weight And Improve Your Health - IWMBuzz

Losing weight is something many people battle with as they try various diets and exercises to help shed some pounds.

However, there is a lot of information regarding weight loss that can lead to unsuccessful weight loss and downward spiralling morale.

In hopes of reducing the confusion and making the journey easier, fitness experts at TotalShape.com, have revealed the truth behind the most common myths about weight loss.

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Here's what they had to say.

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the essential macronutrients that have to be a part of any healthy and sustainable diet.

Carbohydrates play a very important role in your body and are a major source of energy for your body, and they allow it to function properly.

They can be both simple and complex, and what you want to do is limit your intake of simple carbohydrates.

These are found in processed foods, and because of their simple chemical structure, they spike your blood sugar levels.

On the other hand, complex carbohydrates are processed more slowly, which means that they provide sustained energy with no sudden spikes in your blood sugar levels.

Skipping meals and snacks is not the solution for several reasons.

For one, not eating when you are hungry leads to irritability, dissatisfaction, and inevitably to binging.

When you are hungry, your body automatically slows down your metabolism as a way to ensure survival through an extended period of starvation.

Rather than ignoring your hunger, you should eat mini-meals and nutritious snacks every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day.

Try including high-quality protein and different kinds of vegetables in every meal.

Putting all your efforts into exercise is a waste of time and will lead to no results in the long run.

However important physical activity may be, not only for losing weight but for general well-being as well, nutrition is the key factor.

Workouts account for only a small percentage of calorie burning, so what it comes down to is the quality of food you consume.

Both diet pills and weight-loss surgery are extremely risky and often dont give the desired results.

Diet medications are ineffective and can cause serious harm to your body; high blood pressure, fast heart rate, and other heart and lung problems are common side effects.

Weight-loss surgery can be effective for highly obese individuals, but it takes serious preparation, and not everyone is a suitable candidate.

Fat is an essential macronutrient which has a unique role in your body. It helps the proper functioning of your cells, keeps you warm, and supplies you with energy. It is also important for your brain and skin health.

Incorporating low-fat foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil into your diet will support your weight loss.

These unsaturated fats make you feel fuller for longer, thus reducing your food cravings.

Your weight loss journey is not a reflection of your character, and not achieving your goals is not proof of your lack of willpower, motivation, or work ethic.

More and more research proves that factors such as genetics and environment also play a role in your weight gain or loss, meaning that while it is easy for some people to influence their weight, it can be very difficult for others.

Although they may be an appealing accessory, studies indicate that they have no significant effect on the outcome of your weight-loss journey.

In fact, a study from 2016 which monitored its participants who were trying to lose weight for two years showed that those who used fitness trackers dropped around 7.7 pounds, while those who didnt dropped an estimated 13 pounds.

This one is not entirely false. Proteins are essential nutrients, and they keep you full, help repair and build your tissues, and coordinate bodily functions.

Although some studies suggest that higher protein intake can contribute to weight loss, it is debatable just how much protein your body actually needs.

Protein needs differ for everyone, depending on age, gender, degree of physical activity, and whether you are pregnant or nursing.

Instead of obsessing with grams, focus on choosing nutrient-dense, lean sources of protein like lentils, tofu, eggs, and poultry.

Weve all heard the famous Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Although choices like this are not bad, they will also not have any major impact on your weight loss.

Taking the stairs will often get you faster to your destination instead of the elevator, and it is certainly beneficial to get that extra physical activity during your day, but this will not impact your long-term weight loss in any significant way.

All the information about weight loss can be overwhelming, especially if you are at the beginning of your weight-loss process.

If excluding all processed foods from your diet and exercising every day are major changes to your routine, it is going to be very difficult to implement them, and this always leads to burnout, lethargy, loss of motivation, and a sense of failure.

Instead of trying to change your whole life in a day, start by adopting small habits that work well with your lifestyle.

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Exercise, strict dieting and other weight loss myths debunked by fitness expert - Irish Mirror

You may already know a lot about the benefits of a ketogenic diet, and you might have even followed it with positive outcomes. However, without knowing one piece of critical information, this diet can be harmful to your health. The key point is for how long you should follow the ketogenic diet. Some people view the ketogenic diet as the healthiest diet and choose to keep it for life, which may entail some serious risks.

The ketogenic diet is regarded as a very effective way to lose weight quickly. It differs from the general diet in that the ketogenic diet has two major features, including high fats and very low carbohydrates.

The percentages of dietary calories in a keto diet are approximately 70 to 80 percent from fats, 5 to 10 percent from carbohydrates, and 10 to 20 percent from proteins. Sometimes, the lipids in a ketogenic diet even provide as much as 90 percent of the daily calories.

If we use the daily dietary intake of 2,000 kcal as the standard, a ketogenic diet requires that the carbohydrate intake should be between 20 to 50 grams, and not exceeding 50 grams. This means a strict control of carbohydrates. As you may know, a medium-sized banana has 27 grams of carbohydrates.

When the daily intake of carbohydrates is restricted to less than 50 grams, insulin secretion will be significantly reduced. When the availability of carbohydrates is low, and the storage of glycogen is depleted, the body is forced to undergo certain metabolic changes, such as gluconeogenesis and ketosis.

Gluconeogenesis is the endogenous production of glucose, and this process occurs primarily in the liver. The liver uses other substances, such as lactic acid, glycerol, and amino acids, to make glucose.

When endogenous glucose is also unable to meet the bodys energy needs, the body begins to use fats to produce ketone bodies to replace glucose as the bodys energy source.

During ketosis, blood sugar is relatively low, and relatively little insulin is secreted. This corresponds to a decrease in the storage of glucose and a decrease in fat production. At the same time, other hormonal changes can stimulate the breakdown of fats and convert them into ketone bodies, which accumulate in the body. This metabolic state is called nutritional ketosis. In the state of nutritional ketosis, the energy demands of organs and tissues are primarily met by ketones and fatty acids. Nutritional ketosis is considered relatively safe for a certain period of time.

Ketone bodies, also known as super fuels, when compared with glucose, produce more energy, that is, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This allows the body to produce energy efficiently even in caloric deficits. Ketone bodies can supply energy to the heart, muscle tissues, and kidneys; and they can also cross the blood-brain barrier to provide some alternative energy for the brain.

As the state of nutritional ketosis continues, the sense of hunger subsides, and the overall caloric intake decreases, which helps to further reduce weight. Compared with a low-fat diet, another benefit of the ketogenic diet for weight loss is that it can maintain the basal metabolism without consuming a lot of muscle.

Experiments have also proven that in addition to being a good energy source for the body, ketone bodies can also reduce free radical damage, enhance endogenous antioxidant capacity, and reduce inflammation, with positive impact on longevity and health.

In recent years, the ketogenic diet has been receiving more and more attention and admiration. In addition to effective weight loss in a short period of time, it has also shown to improve a series of indicators in the human body, such as reducing blood lipids in a short period of time.

The best duration of a ketogenic diet is about 6 to 12 months. After this period of time, especially after two years, the diets positive effects may no longer be obvious.

A general review published in Obesity Reviews conducted an overall study of low-carbohydrate diets. It discovered that during the first 6 months and between 6 to 11 months, various obesity- and ill-health-related indicators dropped significantly.

Between 6 to 11 months, direct indicators of weight loss such as abdominal circumference, weight, and fasting blood sugar continued to decline. However, the BMI and blood insulin levels stopped falling and stagnated. The diets soothing and regulating effects on blood pressure also weakened.

When entering the period between 12 and 23 months, except for the fasting plasma glucose index, which is still declining, most of the other indicators have stopped falling, and they even started to rise. By 24 months, many indicators approached zero change, and the fasting plasma glucose index even increased.

Institutions such as the University of Florida have further studied the impact of the length of the ketogenic diet on health.

The study found that during the first 6 to 12 months, decreases in blood pressure, triglycerides, and glycosylated hemoglobin, as well as increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (good cholesterol), and weight loss could be observed.

However, after 12 months of following the ketogenic diet, these effects typically disappeared.

The ketogenic diet allows the use of some healthy unsaturated fats such as nuts (almonds, walnuts), seeds, avocados, tofu, and olive oil. However, in addition, people are also encouraged to consume saturated fats in palm oil, coconut oil, lard, butter, and cocoa butter in large quantities.

Compared with a low-fat diet, following a ketogenic diet for too long may lead to abnormal health indexes, such as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is an increase in blood lipids that can lead to the development of atherosclerosis and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

The researchers conducted experiments to compare 12 relatively convincing low-fat diets and the ketogenic diet, with 1,258 participants. The experiment durations all reached or exceeded 12 months. The results showed that following a low-carb ketogenic diet for up to a year resulted in significantly higher blood lipids than a calorie-restricted low-fat diet.

At least, the ketogenic diet has relatively little regulatory effect on blood lipids, and it may even increase blood lipids.

In addition, some people may not be able to control their carbohydrate intake at 5 to 10 percent when implementing a ketogenic diet. Instead, their carbohydrate intake is more than the standard, while their fat intake is relatively reduced, and their protein intake remains similar but at relatively low levels. The problem with this diet is rising blood lipids.

For instance, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that compared with those who followed a low-fat diet, those who followed a low-carbohydrate diet (the proportions of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins were 30, 45, and 23 percent, respectively) had significantly elevated blood lipids. The people in the low-fat diet group (the proportions of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins were 48, 29, and 21 percent, respectively) did not have this problem, and their blood lipids were reduced.

The scientists explanation is that low carbohydrate intake inhibits insulin production, which in turn inhibits the action of some enzymes, while stimulating the production of other enzymes, thus unintentionally raising blood lipids, which may promote atherosclerosis.

Currently, there are few conclusions about the long-term effects of the ketogenic diet on the human body. Through animal experiments to simulate the effects of long-term intake of ketogenic diets on the human body, it was found that long-term ketosis may lead to metabolic acidosis, anemia, and reduced antioxidant levels.

The study found that some physical indicators of the rats that followed the keto diet for 60 consecutive days had worsened, and 60 days in adult lab rats is equivalent to 4 years in humans.

Among them, one distinctive change is that the ketogenic diet increases the ketone bodies in the rats blood; their blood pH values drop, and acidosis occurs in them. In addition, the rats developed anemia, with significantly lower red blood cell and hemoglobin counts.

Long-term ketogenic diets also aggravated lipid peroxidation in the liver and kidneys. At the same time, there is a decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD), a substance that represents the antioxidant level in the blood.

U.S. News & World Report invited a number of experts to rate the worlds top 40 diets. While the ketogenic diet ranks 4th in the best diets for quick weight loss category, it ranks only 19th in the best diets for weight loss category. And it ranks 35th on both the best heart-healthy diets and the easiest diets to follow categories. It ranks 37th in the best diets overall category; and in the best diets for health category, the ketogenic diet actually ranks the lowest.

The ketogenic diet severely restricts carbohydrate intake, so many vegetables, fruits, and grains are removed from the menu. This can lead to deficiencies in micronutrients such as selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin B, and vitamin C.

Restricted grains and legumes are rich in fiber. Losing these sources of fiber, in addition to increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, may also affect intestinal function and lead to constipation.

The human brain needs the sugar from healthy carbohydrates to function well, and a low-carb diet can create irritability.

In addition, long-term side effects of the ketogenic diet may include hepatic steatosis, kidney stones, hypoproteinemia, and vitamin deficiency.

Remember to check in with how youre feeling on any diet plan.

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How Long Should I Really Stick to the Keto Diet? - The Epoch Times

Before he was the Republican candidate for Pennsylvanias open U.S. Senate seat, Mehmet Oz was a celebrity heart surgeon with a line of communication into thousands of households.

His popular television program, The Dr. Oz Show, sometimes promoted well-accepted health advice for instance, he once hosted a renowned scientist to debunk the myth that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines alter our DNA.

But other times, he used his platform to offer misleading or downright untrue medical advice.

His past claims about fat-burning supplements and weight-loss miracle drugs have drawn criticism from doctors, patient advocates, and political opponents.

Oz exploited the hopes and fears of his viewers by promoting unproven, ill-advised, and at times potentially dangerous treatments, wrote one such group, Real Doctors Against Oz, in an open letter posted online in August and updated earlier this week. The group of doctors, has been campaigning for Ozs Democratic opponent, John Fetterman.

Rachel Tripp, a spokesperson for Oz, dismissed challenges to his medical expertise.

He has designed devices that have made healthcare more affordable and safer, written eight New York Times best sellers, and hosted the number one health show in the world, which has inspired millions to take charge of their healthcare, Tripp said in an email. John Fetterman is a radical liberal supporting government takeover of healthcare.

Here are some of the claims that have earned the Penn-educated, NY Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center cardiothoracic surgeon such notoriety:

Oz was among the medical experts to tout hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug pushed by former President Donald Trump as a treatment for COVID-19, despite insufficient evidence. After studies found the drug did not provide any benefit for treating COVID-19, Oz dialed back his endorsement, saying people should wait for more substantial evidence from trials.

A congressional report released in August mentions Ozs advocacy for hydroxychloroquine, and details emails he sent to senior White House officials, including Trumps son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner, urging them to push the Food and Drug Administration for studies of the drug in 2020.

Oz also owns shares of the companies that were supplying hydroxychloroquine, CNBC reported in September.

Oz featured several products on his show purported to melt belly fat with little evidence that they work. In 2014, he was hauled into a U.S. Senate panel hearing to address his claims that green coffee extract was a miracle weight-loss supplement.

Companies that made the supplements used their spots on Ozs show to further promote their products.

Oz told senators he promoted such products because he felt his job was to be a cheerleader for the audience.

When they dont think they have hope, when they dont think they can make it happen, I look everywhere, including in alternative healing traditions, for any evidence that might be supportive to them, he said.

A small study in India suggested the extract helped people lose weight quickly, but it was later retracted after a Federal Trade Commission complaint that the green coffee manufacturer Applied Food Sciences had paid researchers to conduct the study and that data had been manipulated.

Companies that advertised green coffees weight-loss benefits based on the flawed study agreed to a $9 million settlement with the FTC to refund 200,000 consumers who had bought the products based on false advertising.

Oz also helped popularize a supplement made from garcinia cambogia, a tropical fruit that resembles a small, yellow pumpkin. The hydroxycitric acid found in the fruits rind is supposed to slow fat buildup and increase serotonin, making people feel less hungry. But studies have not found the extract to have any significant effect on weight loss.

Regardless, Oz promoted the product on his show as a revolutionary fat buster that could help people lose weight without diet or exercise.

Ozs financial disclosures have shown he has ties to some of the supplements he promoted on his show. In a 2015 letter urging Columbia University to rescind Ozs faculty appointment, a group of doctors accused him of an egregious lack of integrity by promoting quack treatments and cures in the interest of personal financial gain. The letter did not offer any evidence that Oz accepted money in exchange for promoting a product, and the television host has said he did not earn a commission from any product featured on his show.

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Oz came to Philadelphia in 2017 to film a segment on the citys El Campamento, a former heroin camp along a Conrail-owned strip of land in Kensington. He called the camp the festering epicenter of the heroin crisis, drawing national attention and outrage. Later that summer, Philadelphia officials dismantled the encampment but residents and advocates criticized the clearance, saying the city didnt offer people with addiction adequate treatment or housing options, and contending the clearance contributed to larger, more visible encampments throughout the neighborhood.

Oz returned to Kensington in September, during a campaign stop in Philadelphia. He plucked a needle off the sidewalk, rhetorically asked where the police were and if theyre allowed to do their job, and left with four people from the neighborhood to take them to a treatment center that provides detox services.

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What science says about the fat burners and other gimmicks Oz promoted on his TV show - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Wellness & FitnessMonday October 10 2022

A session at Corporate Health Gym, Vision Plaza in Nairobi on October 8, 2022. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NMG

Aerobic exercises come in different forms and shapes from running, walking, jogging, swimming, and biking. Then there is step aerobics.

Step aerobics, however, is not your ordinary aerobics. It is a classic high-intensity cardio workout that involves stepping on and off cardio equipment.

Step aerobics trainer Philip Luchebeleli says steps aerobics is an intense entire-body cardiovascular workout involving using steps during training.

He explains that the workout comes in different forms and though intense, combines effectiveness and fun in the process.

If you want to shed fat fast, take up step aerobic exercises for weight loss. Step aerobics make it more effective and fun as it boosts mood and energy levels, he says.

Just like aerobic exercises, step aerobics is a great way to lose weight through burning calories, improving lung capacity, and increasing heart rate while also boosting metabolism and kick-starting the bodys normal rhythm and functioning.

This as the moves involved work on the legs, upper body, and core, building strength and flexibility in the process as well as improving a persons balance, coordination, and agility leading to improved overall fitness and individual's cardiovascular health.

One needs to be patient as there are moves and terms that one needs to master. If you are overweight, you have to gradually increase the duration of the sessions as you build your fitness, advises the trainer.

He says that step aerobics is becoming popular with fitness enthusiasts with beginner, intermediate and advanced classes made available to cater to all types of individuals.

A few years ago I used to have a few step classes but now I am being called to many gyms. I dont even have free days, says the trainer.

However, to maximise results, one has to be consistent because skipping any session will mean that an individual will have to start from zero on resumption.

The trainer adds that one therefore also has to be patient, focused and consistent to learn the moves and avoid getting injured.

Depending on an individuals objective, if you just want to keep fit then three times a week is fine but for losing weight five days in a week is recommended, says Luchebeleli.

Workout is only 30 percent of the work but food intake accounts for the rest. An individual should observe a clean diet and give him or herself between three and four months to start seeing results, he adds.

This involves standing in front of a step box and marching along with the music beats as one places the right foot on the step and then the left one.

V-Step For this, place a step box in front of you then place the right foot on the step box in a diagonal direction. Place the left foot on the step box in the left diagonal direction with the feet wider than shoulder-width apart. Place the right foot on the ground in its initial position and then the left foot.

Charleston Place the left foot on the step box in front of the right leg then lift the right foot off the floor, lean back a little, and kick the right leg. Place the right leg back on the floor and then place the left foot on the floor and repeat from step one.

Repeater This involves standing with your feet close together and then placing the left leg on the step box diagonally to the right. After, lift the right leg off the floor, bend the knees, and kick up but do not crunch. Place the right foot back on the floor. Then, place the left leg on the floor. Place the right leg on the step diagonally to the left before lifting the left leg off the floor, bend the knees, and kick it up.

Place a step box on your right then step on the step box from the right and get down on the left. Step on the box from the left and get down on the right 20 times.

Begin standing sideways to the step, step up with the right foot and then turn as you bring the left foot up onto the step. Step down with the right foot and bring the left foot down to meet the right.

While performing the moves, Mr Luchebeleli advises that a person should maintain good posture and alignment by gently engaging the abdominals and gluteal muscles.

One should also not use slippery step surfaces, adjust the height of the steps depending on the level of fitness and skills, step softly and take small steps not more than one shoe length away from the platform.

He further recommends that one should get the right sports shoes as there are specific shoes for step aerobics where the soles have to be very soft so that when stepping they can bounce up and down.

The trainer says that the way one steps is key, advising that while stepping up, only the ankles and not the waist should bend and the entire foot should be placed on the step without any part hanging over the edge.

The tempo of the music you are using should not be very fast as one can run the risk of missing the steps and falling hence injuries. In class, do not depend on your neighbor by copying what they are doing. Focus on the trainer and do what the trainer is doing.

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