The Efficacy of Popular Weight Loss Programs

People frequently ask me what I think of various weight loss programs.  Marie Osmond endorses Nutrisystem, Valerie Bertinelli lost her weight with Jenny Craig, and Charles Barkley credits Weight Watchers for his weight loss.  How about Sensa, HCG or Alli?

I’m always skeptical about weight loss products, because they are usually not regulated and have not gone through the rigorous scrutiny prescription medications have. Those that have often get pulled from the market after long-term harmful results start to surface.   Diet “supplements” are not FDA regulated, and typically they are evaluated by the manufacturer, not a neutral third-party, so the not-so-favorable studies never get reported to the public.

Weight loss programs, such as those mentioned above, are a safer, usually more effective way to go.  The key to long term success with any of these programs is not to view them as a short term diet, but rather as a method for facilitating a lifelong shift in life style.  Nutrisystem and Jenny Craig provide food, allowing customers to learn portion control and nutritional balance, ideally.  This can be helpful initially, as long as the skills for managing weight without the company’s food are ultimately mastered.  Most people are not in a position to purchase diet foods for the rest of their lives, and we have to learn how to handle buffets, vacations, holidays, and visits from the in-laws.

There are proven habits that facilitate losing and maintaining weight.  These include doing regular, healthy food shopping; making wise choices when dining out; exercising most days of the week; and eating consciously.  Learning, practicing, and teaching these habits have been my passion for almost twenty years.  It’s been a great journey; why not join me?

Wound Care Basics

Have you noticed how high tech band-aids and wound care have become?  Yesterday, I dropped an enormous chopping knife on my toe.  Thankfully I had recently read about wound care in the February 2012 issue of the Wellness Letter, published by the University of California, Berkeley, so I knew just what to do:

1. Stop the bleeding by using a clean cloth or gauze to apply pressure.  If the injury is a deep puncture wound, such as a nail would cause, allow it to bleed a little to cleanse it.
2. Cleanse the wound by holding it under cool running water, if possible.  (Thankfully I’m in good enough shape to maneuver my toe into the sink.  One more good reason to exercise and do those stretches!)  Irrigation is what prevents infection. You may use soap around the cut, but not on it.  Remove any debris with tweezers.
3. Keep the wound moist and clean with an adhesive bandage.  We were told years ago to keep the wound dry and expose it to air, but experts now know that moisture is more beneficial and will help prevent scarring.  Any variety of bandages you prefer is sufficient, as standard, unmedicated band-aids or regular gauze and tape are fine.
4. Use your own judgment about antibiotic creams, as the experts are not in agreement.  Bacitracin, neomycin and the like are not necessary and should be discontinued if they cause skin irritation.  Avoid betadine at concentrations greater than 1%, rubbing alcohol, iodine, and hydrogen peroxide, as they can damage the skin.
5. Finally, see a doctor for a) a tetanus shot if you have a puncture wound and it’s been longer than five years since your last injection, b) any bite that breaks the skin, c) wounds where the bleeding won’t stop, d) cuts you can’t clean yourself, and e) symptoms such as redness, swelling or fever, signs of infection.

Obesity is Costly and Getting Costlier

Eighteen months ago, I wrote about the high cost of being overweight or obese.  George Washington University researchers had estimated the cost of being overweight for women as $524 annually and for men as $432. (While overweight and obese women earn less than those at a healthy weight, men are not disadvantaged this way.)    Their estimated annual cost of obesity was outright alarming: $4879 for women and $2646 for men.

Let’s keep those figures in mind and consider a national perspective.  Recently the USA Today reported that Duke University researchers predict that the adult obesity rate may increase from 36% in 2010 to 42% in 2030.  Think your health insurance premiums are high now?  Obesity raises an individual’s risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, many forms of cancer, and other chronic, disabling illnesses.  This increase would cost the U.S. $549.5 billion in weight-related medical expenditures in the next 18 years. 

The good news is that we are not helpless!  Diets and weight loss supplements do not work.  Just earlier today I heard a DJ suggesting we drink a combination of grapefruit juice, apple cider vinegar, and honey before every meal to “burn 30% more fat.”  My mantra in response to such advice is “there is no evidence to support that claim.”  Instead, read food labels and pay attention to serving size.  Gradually change your diet so that ultimately you routinely have fruit at breakfast, two servings of vegetables at lunch and dinner, and a fruit or vegetable with every snack.  Let’s keep the weight off and our money in our pockets!

Must You Exercise?

In a word, yes.  If you want to be healthy, you really must exercise.  You may manage to be disease free without it, but you cannot be truly healthy - experiencing physical, mental and emotional soundness, vitality, and proper functioning.
 

While there are many, many reasons why exercise is essential, let’s consider just this one: between age 25 and 65, a typical person gains an average one pound of weight per year.  But they also lose 0.5 pounds of lean tissue (muscle) each year.  This means they have actually gained 1.5 pounds of fat annually.  Over a 40-year period, this accumulates to 60 pounds more fat and 20 pounds less lean mass!

 
The good news is that this is preventable.  One and a half pounds equals 5250 calories, so eating about 100 fewer calories per week would stop the fat from accumulating.  Weighing yourself once a week will help you stay on track.  To circumvent the loss of muscle, exercise is the solution, and it doesn’t take hours in the gym.  Hand-held weights, exercise bands or tubes, or your own body weight can provide all the resistance needed to maintain muscle mass.   Two 30-minute or three 20-minute workouts per week on alternating days will do it.
 

To get started, check out these links at WebMD or give me a call.  The sooner you start, the longer you’ll have to enjoy the benefits of being physically fit, strong, and energetic.  Exercise will help you look, feel, and be your very best!

Alignment Enhances Wellness

“Alignment” is our theme for the week and the definition is: the correct position or positioning of different components with respect to each other or something else, so that they perform properly.  When it comes to wellness, the concept applies to many things.    
Consider eating and activity.  When calorie intake equals calorie expenditure, there is alignment, and we maintain our weight.   The Law of Thermodynamics, the only scientifically proven method for reducing weight, is all about getting out of alignment by expending more calories than are consumed.  While most of us know this, the problem for most Americans is that they tend to overestimate how much they exercise and underestimate how much they eat - a sure formula for weight gain.  The good news is that this issue is easily resolved through some simple measurement and tracking techniques.

We also need alignment in our rest.  Too much sleep can make us sluggish (seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it?), cause headaches, and exacerbate back pain.   Increased risk of heart disease and death are also correlated with oversleep, according to WebMD.  Getting too little sleep is far more common, however, and results in fatigue, inability to concentrate, impaired decision-making and delayed responses, and weight gain. 

To really be well, we need alignment in other things too, such as work and play, strength training and aerobic exercise, and the composition of our diets. While it sounds overwhelming to achieve all this balance, our bodies have wonderful feedback mechanisms built in.  We get numerous indications that we’re out of alignment.  Sounds like a good topic for another time…