Critic Urges Caution Over Exercise Pill Study

It could be a matter of dilution of the message as the scientific data was reinterpreted and broadcast by journalists everywhere recently when the prestigious Salk Institute for Biological Studies published, in the journal, Cell, a paper describing a drug under laboratory investigation that mimics some of the body’s responses to regular exercise.  The study has frequently been described as the “exercise pill” study. Read more

Kids’ Quality Sleep May Prevent Obesity, Diabetes

According to recently released information, the soaring rate of obesity in 6- to 11-year-old American children has tripled in just 30 years.  Alongside that dangerous rise in weight that threatens our nation’s children, a growing number of these children also suffer from chronic sleep deprivation.  The newly released study has found an important link between a child’s weight and his or her ability to get a good night’s rest. Read more

Exercise in Pill Form May Answer Prayers of Many

Most of us would have a hard time trying to discern the links between world-class athletes, veterans suffering from physical disabilities,  couch potatoes, and the frail, the elderly, and the obese but researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies would tell us they’re all likely candidates for a new drug they’ve been investigating that mimics the healthful effects of exercise.  Tested only on laboratory mice, the mice getting the drug dramatically increased endurance during exercise, did not gain weight on a high-fat diet, and their body’s response to insulin improved as well. Read more

Bariatric Surgery Safest at Better Hospitals

Health Grades, Inc., has just released its third annual report on bariatric surgeries performed at surgical facilities across the nation.  It seems top-rated hospitals perform more of this increasingly popular surgery and they do so with 65% fewer complications than their lower-rated and less busy counterparts. Read more

Women Need More Exercise to Keep the Weight Off

With 65% or more of the adults in the United States tipping the scales at the overweight (or beyond) point, losing excess weight and keeping it off is a mission most of us wish we could accomplish.  It’s common knowledge that healthy food choices and regular exercise are critical steps to take when following a weight-loss regimen but a newly released study from the University of Pittsburgh suggests we might need more exercise than once recommended. Read more

Fructose Converts to Fat Faster Than Other Sugars

A general assumption is that fructose means fruit and most of us don’t worry about getting too much sugar from our fruits because we just don’t eat them very often.    We may be getting an overload of fructose without even being aware of it, though.  And what’s even worse is that a researcher from the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas has just discovered that fructose in the diet converts to fat faster than any other sweeteners available today. Read more

Childhood Obesity Biggest Issue Among Concerned Adults

In April, the CS Mott Children’s Hospital, a part of the University of Michigan, conducted a poll of adults to determine the issues that most concern them about the health and well-being of the nation’s children. Of the 20 issues listed in the poll, childhood obesity received the highest rating. Read more

Land of Plenty Has Too Many Pounds

When our ancestors hailed the United States as the “Land of Plenty,” it’s hardly likely they meant plenty of pounds. With the obesity epidemic spreading from sea to shining sea, however, the one thing Americans do seem to have plenty of is excess weight. Read more

AHA Responds to Israeli Diet Comparison

The American Heart Association (AHA) has released a commentary to the much-publicized comparison of three popular diets published by a team of Israeli researchers in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.  In the Israeli study, one diet under scrutiny was the low-fat diet advocated at one time by the AHA. Read more

Personal entry: Camping without gaining weight

Ed. Note: This is a personal entry on my recent trip to the mountains of Southern Oregon. If you enjoy Almost Fit, please leave a comment or consider having Almost Fit delivered to your inbox. Thanks.

As the title of this post indicates, despite my best efforts to the contrary, my camping trip at Umpqua’s Last Resort was a dietary success. Read more

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