Obesity Seen Protective in Cases of Heart Failure

Studies have shown that a normal body mass index (BMI) "is likely not the ideal BMI" in people with heart failure and that overweight and obese patients with heart failure seem to have a lower risk of dying than their normal-weight counterparts,

Heart failure occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. It's been revealed that patients who were overweight or obese were less likely to die during follow up compared to their normal-weight peers.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080805/hl_nm/obesity_protective_dc;_ylt=At4ceQWTGIrN1KHhnuuxrEyISbYF

Eating Eggs Boosts A Healthy Weight Loss Plan

Eating two eggs for breakfast, as part of a reduced-calorie diet, helps overweight adults lose more weight and feel more energetic than those who eat a bagel breakfast of equal calories. Findings shows that adults who consume two eggs for breakfast:

• lost 65 percent more weight
  
• exhibited a 61 percent greater reduction in BMI
  
• reported higher energy levels than their dieting counterparts who consumed a bagel breakfast
  

This study adds to the growing body of research which supports the importance of high-quality protein in the diet and not getting enough high-quality protein may contribute to obesity, muscle wasting (loss) and increased risk of chronic disease.

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117366.php

Low-gravity Training Machine Reduces Joint, Muscle Impacts, Says Study

A new CU-Boulder study of led by Associate Professor Rodger Kram, shows the machine significantly reduced impacts on muscles and joints of study subjects.


Known as the "G-Trainer," a space-age, low-gravity training machine is found to significantly reduce impacts on muscles and joints of study subjects. This low-gravity training machine, used by several 2008 Olympic runners, showed that it reduced impacts on muscles and joints by nearly half.

The machine which consists of a treadmill surrounded by an inflatable plastic chamber that encases the lower body of the runner

Air that is pumped into the chamber increases the pressure and effectively reduces the weight of runners, who are sealed in the machine at the waist in a donut-shaped device with a special zipper and "literally lifted up by their padded neoprene shorts.



Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080730140934.htm

Studies Show Exercise Boon for Obesity, Diabetes

According to a study, whilst walking a little more each day can help people control their Type 2 diabetes, obese people trying to keep weight off may need to exercise harder than they had thought.

Simply walking 45 minutes more each day helped people with diabetes burn about 20 percent more fat,thereby increasing the ability of the muscles to store sugar and help control diabetes

However, the current exercise guidelines which call for people to get a 150 minutes / 2.5 hours workout each week may not be enough to help the obese keep weight off.

In fact, it has been discovered that women assigned to exercise for about an extra hour each day did not gain the weight back. Therefore, people who want to lose weight and keep it off need to get at least 4 1/2 hours of exercise a week


Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080728/hl_nm/exercise_weight_dc;_ylt=AveFtwGsNhfMw5N6ncxDkaWISbYF

Boosting Weight Loss By Limiting Fructose

The right type of carbohydrates a person eats may be just as important in weight control as the number of calories a person eats.

One of the reasons individuals on low-carbohydrate diets may lose weight is that they reduce their intake of fructose, a type of sugar that can be made into body fat quickly.

Fructose is naturally found in high levels in fruit, it is also added to many processed foods and is perhaps best known for its presence in the sweetener called high-fructose corn syrup or HFCS, which is typically 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, similar to the mix that can be found in fruits. It has become the preferred sweetener for many food manufacturers because it is generally cheaper, sweeter and easier to blend into beverages than table sugar.

Fructose given at breakfast also changed the way the body handled the food eaten at lunch. After fructose consumption, the liver increased the storage of lunch fats that might have been used for other purposes. Which means that the lunch fat was more likely to be stored than burned.






Source : http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/116049.php

Study: Low-carb diet best for weight, cholesterol

A two year study comparing on the Atkins diet, Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet have shown that all three diets achieved weight loss and improved cholesterol. However, the study had revealed some very interesting findings:

• The Atkins diet and the Mediterranean helped people lose more weight than a traditional low-fat diet.

• The Atkins diet improved cholesterol more than the other two.

• Average weight loss for those on the Atkins diet was 10.3 pounds after two years whilst those on the Mediterranean diet lost 10 pounds, and those on the low-fat regimen dropped 6.5.
  
  More surprising were the measures of cholesterol. Critics have long acknowledged that an Atkins diet could help people lose weight but feared that over the long term,

The study had also quell fear about the long term effects of the Atkins diet - that it may drive up cholesterol because it allows more fat. However, the low-carb approach seemed to trigger the most improvement in several cholesterol measures, including the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL, the "good" cholesterol. For example, someone with total cholesterol of 200 and an HDL of 50 would have a ratio of 4 to 1. The optimum ratio is 3.5 to 1, according to the American Heart Association.

The study also reveal that because women have more experience dieting and losing weight, they are more able to implement a complicated diet plan as compared to men. As such, men are more receptive towards the Atkins diet as it sets clear limits of what food should be consumed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080717/ap_on_he_me/med_dueling_diets;_ylt=As9c.3NMdvEb6devbS3dJfWISbYF

The Facts About Fat - Can It Really Be Good For Us?

This marine fat, which is fats from seals, walrus and oily fish, is high in omega-3s, which we now know have strong anti-blood clotting properties and help to guard against clots which can precipitate heart attacks and strokes. Further research has also revealed that they can help to keep the heart beat regular and reduce risk of 'arrhythmias' which can sometimes escalate into heart attacks, particularly in middle and old age.

Omega-3s may also have benefits in ameliorating symptoms in some 'inflammatory' disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, eczema and rheumatoid arthritis.

Early clues as to possible benefits of Omega-3s came from studies on traditional Greenland Eskimos who, despite having high fat diets, had low incidence of heart disease.


Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/112243.php