July 2nd, 2009

Weight-Loss Surgery May Be Beneficial for Diabetes

Earlier this year, the American Diabetes Association suggested that obese patients struggling with Type 2 diabetes consider weight-loss surgery. The results of two long-term studies presented this week at a medical conference lend further support to the recommendation.

One study of 177 patients found that among Type 2 diabetes patients who had been very obese, 57 percent remained free of the disease more than eight years after gastric bypass surgery.

As many as 90 percent of the obese patients experienced resolution of their diabetes within a year of gastric bypass surgery. But for many, the effect did not last.

Patients who were dependent on insulin prior to surgery were most likely to experience a recurrence of the disease, with only 30 percent seeing long-term resolution of their condition, said Dr. James Maher, professor of surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University and the paper’s senior author.

“This suggests to us that if you’ve got a diabetic who might be a candidate for weight reduction surgery, it’s best to refer them early in the course of their disease,” Dr. Maher said. “If you wait until the pancreas burns itself out, they probably won’t get a great long-term result.”

A second study of 95 formerly obese patients who had undergone a less invasive procedure, gastric banding surgery, found that 40 percent were free of diabetes five years after surgery, while an additional 43 percent saw improvement in control of the disease.

Patients whose disease went into remission were those who had on average lost more excess weight, said Dr. Christine Ren, associate professor of surgery at New York University School of Medicine and an author of the second paper.

“The question is always not just ’Does the band work?’ but ’Does it work on helping diabetes, and is [the effect] sustained?’,” Dr. Ren said.

The papers were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.

Source: NY TImes

April 28th, 2009

Timeline of Lindsay Lohan Shows Weight Gain, Loss

Lindsay Lohan

Lindsay Lohan apparently thinks the best way to silence critics about her weight is to pose for another one of those conspicuously candid bikini photo shots. And, it looks like she might be right.

Recent bathing suit photos of the “Mean Girls” star seem to show that while she is thin, she’s not anorexically skin and bones. Fortunately, there is no shortage of bikini shots of her, and it’s possible to track Lindsay’s fluctuating weight over the past three years.

Lindsay Lohan

August 2006: A decidedly shapelier Lindsay was dating Harry Morton and paling around with the likes of Paris Hilton. It was her pre-rehab period when she was drinking and partying pretty heavily, although even then she was dogged by rumors of anorexia. In September of that year, she was sniped with Morton vacationing in Hawaii.

November 2006: Lohan had dumped Morton, but was livid over rumors that Hilton had moved in on her ex-boyfriend. Lohan “hit the roof” after Morton slept over at Hilton’s place on Nov. 7, according to Life & Style Weekly. Lindsay was is best described as being shapely in a Playboy sort of way. She was entering what many would call her “crazy period.”

January 2007: Lindsay was already into her paranoid control-freak rage period when she hooked up with British boy-toy Calum Best. According to The Mirror, Lohan called hotel security to try and stop Best from leaving her hotel room, even though he had a plane to catch. Lindsay had to have an emergency appendectomy and was partying so hard> The National Enquirer reported that Lohan was damaging her liver from all the drinking, which could explain her subsequent weight gain. Lindsay Lohan

April 2007: The Samantha Ronson era begins after the two were spotted together frequently and questions started to emerge about Lohan’s sexuality. She was still doing glamour photographs for magazines like Allure and GQ, but was on her way to rehab. Those shoots would soon end.

May 2007: Lohan was caught on a phone-camera doing lines of cocaine even though she had just emerged from rehab. Then the “Mean Girls” star reportedly bragged: “I’m going to New York tomorrow to fuck Jude Law.” Friends say Lohan, now 21 and party legal, was spiraling out of control and bragging about wild sex with a succession of celebrities. She was sniped on the beach with Best, looking thinner, but not in an unhealthy way.

uly 2007: Lohan was again sniped frolicking on the beach, and generally drew raves for her shape in blog postings. Lohan, however, was reportedly sweating that nude photos of her, purportedly taken by now former boyfriend Calum Best, would surface on the net. They never did.

October 2007: Lohan was reportedly staying sober and was looking more and more like Playboy material. She was rumored to be up for a part in Brett Ratner’s movie about Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. “She would be great as a Playboy Bunny.” Ratner said. In December 2007, Lindsay had apparently fallen off the wagon and caused an uproar when she tore through Italy reportedly shacking up with three different men in one weekend. Lindsay was attending a film festival on Capri. Lindsay Lohan

February 2008: Lohan posed nude for a now infamous New York magazine spread, reprising Marilyn Monroe’s last photo shoot before she died. Lohan was probably at her voluptuous best for the pose, and appeared decidedly rounded and curvy. In fact, Lindsay appeared to really be pack on a few pounds around the beginning of the year.

March 2008: Lindsay had a decided paunch and sparked rumors that she was pregnant. Although she could never be called fat, she definitely appeared thicker around the middle. After her Italian fling, Lindsay appeared to have almost given up on men. Openly lesbian Samantha Ronson was a growing factor in her life.

May 2008: Lohan was sniped hugging and canoodling with Ronson. Her family was hotly denying the lesbian rumors, but photographs from Cannes showing them hugging, holding hands and kissing, pretty much confirming that she had switched teams. The rumors about her pregnancy seemed to mark a highpoint for her weight gain and after that she appeared to start thinning down.

June 2008: Lohan was sniped making out with a guy and publicly reacted to the pregnancy rumors and fat comments for the first time. In photographs her stomach was decidedly flatter. Lindsay Lohan

October 2008: Lindsay was definitely an item with man-girl Samantha and the two were sniped on the beach. By then, Lohan seemed to be emulating the rail-thin Ronson. In a side-by-side comparison, Lindsay was still shapelier, although she was closing in on her gal-pal’s board-like physique.

January 2009: Lindsay was again sniped in a bikini in Miami and was starting to draw skinny comments. Her relationship with Ronson was by now shaky, if not on the rocks, and Lohan was undoubtedly under stress. She had been involved in a feud with her Bible-thumping father over Ronson and was having difficultly lining up work.

Feburary 2009: Concern about Lohan’s weight exploded after she appeared at New York Fashion Week, looking as gaunt as the runway models, suggesting her weight loss was sudden. At the launch of designer pal Matthew Williamson’s new store in Manhattan, Lindsay’s collarbone was in sharp relief in her low-cut dress. The day before, the star appeared almost skeletal, according to paparazzi. Lohan insisted she was eating.

April 2009: Lohan was reeling from her break up with Ronson, alternately poking fun at the situation and expressing hurtful surprise because she was being portrayed as a crazy, spurned lover. But what ever her real emotional state, her shockingly thin frame had set off alarm bells among friends and health professionals. Lohan appeared on the Ellen De Generes Show Apr. 23 and said she was fine. As if to prove her weight is under control, Lohan appeared in new bikini photos over the weekend, looking thin, but not anorexic.

She said she is eating Big Macs. She may not be kidding. She definitely looks like she’s put on some weight. Maybe a little intravenous nourishment is part of the mix, too. Whatever the case, let’s hope she has curbed her anorexic impulses.

February 6th, 2009

Top Four Weight Loss Tips - You Need to Lose Your Belly and Get in the Best Shape of Your Life

Are you having trouble getting rid of your belly? When it comes to getting in a shape, most people would say that losing fat around their mid-section is the most important. Often times it can also be the most difficult place to lose fat. You may start to see results at first, but they begin to slow down.

Here you can get our four weight loss tips that will help you on your journey to creating a healthier body. The best part about following these simple steps is that you can get started immediately.

  1. The first tip is the most important. You’ll find that you won’t get anywhere if you fail to do this one thing. The one thing I am talking about is setting goals. When it comes to setting goals make sure that your goals are attainable and measurable. They need to be specific and have a deadline in sight.
  2. This tip is to get a workout and exercise journal. Your progress will be difficult to measure unless you keep good track of where you’ve been and where you’re going. It gets exciting when you’ve been doing this for a month and you can look back and see how far you’ve progressed.
  3. This tip is extremely important especially when you’re working out. Research shows that you need to get a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep each night. While you’re asleep your pituitary gland will release growth hormone. This will help you recover from the previous days activities and help you get a good start the next day.
  4. The last step is to start eating a healthy food. And It is important to get your metabolism kick-started early in the morning. This will set your body up for burning fat throughout the day. Not only that, you’ll start making an effort to eat healthier food throughout the day. After a several weeks you’ll start to see amazing results!
December 19th, 2008

Find Your Right Cellulite Treatment

Cellulite laser treatment is certainly one of the common ways to eliminate cellulite. However, before you book an appointment for a cellulite laser treatment, you need to know if this is type of anti cellulite remedy is really effective, and whether it is suitable for you.

Let’s firstly define Cellulite Laser Treatment. Cellulite Laser Treatment involves a process whereby a devise is used to break down fats underneath the skin - the cellulite. This treatment works by vigorously massaging and stimulating the skin on parts of your body affected by cellulite. By doing so, excess fats are broken down so that they can then be naturally flushed out of your system. Cellulite Laser Treatment also acts as a detoxing process that gets rid of toxins from your body.

The cellulite removal & skin repairing is only possible due to the massage’s powerful body repairing properties — which help to increase blood flow and lymphatic drainage. These two factors play a large role in both cellulite reduction and accumulation.

In addition, even if you have liposuction, the costs are outrageous and the recovery can be very difficult. Your doctor might tell you the risks are minimal, but there are hundreds of people that die each year from complications of liposuction. So, unless you absolutely have to have it, you should avoid liposuction at all costs. Simple exercise can do just as good and will last longer.

Revitol Reshaping Treatment is one of the more popular cellulite reduction creams. This cream will specifically help the skin by firming and toning it. The reshaping treatment has the special ingredients Q10 and active soy protein which will reduce the look of cellulite after a couple of weeks of use. This is because it will replenish the coenzyme that is used to strengthen your skin.

Mesotherapy is a very safe cellulite treatment and have no major side effects. But it is recommended that this treatment should be performed by a trained therapist. No deaths have occurred due to this treatment in the past 50 years. The good thing is, almost all patients can do their daily tasks after taking this treatment. No bed rest is required.

When there is cellulite visible when the skin is picked but it is not visible standing or lying down, this is Stage 1. Stage 2 has cellulite visible when standing up but not lying down and stage 3 has cellulite visible when both standing and lying down. In Mesotherapy the main ingredient is called Aminophylline and is mainly used to treat asthma and another common ingredient is Phosphatidylcholine. This ingredient or PPC for short, will help dissolve the fat so it can go through the bloodstream and relieved on to the kidneys and bows.

What is in mesotherapy injections?” The exact cellulite eliminating concoction differs from person to person and from area to area, and it also depends on the masotherapist performing the procedure. But generally, the ingredients included are a combination of cellulite fighting vitamins, minerals, and medications.

The only drawback of this treatment is that it can be time consuming and costly. With a busy lifestyle, going to a anti cellulite massage parlour can be time consuming. So what can you do if you are on a small budget and if you want a that bring the same if not better results at fraction of the cost? All you have to do is to look for the best cellulite treatment that has been proven to bring the same results similar to Ionithermie cellulite reduction treatment.

December 18th, 2008

What You Need to Know About Caralluma Fimbriata

Caralluma fimbriata is a succulent plant, in the cactus family, that has been used as a natural appetite suppressant in India for centuries. It’s a new arrival in the family of cactii and succulent plants that are becoming increasingly popular for their appetite suppressant, and weight loss properties, as well as their ability to lower blood sugar. Supplements made from the popular hoodia gordonii cactus from the Kalahari Desert in Africa, are, for example, growing in popularity and usage in the U.S. and Europe.

Like hoodia, caralluma fimbriata has been used to suppress appetite, and as a portable food for hunting. It is used to suppress hunger and appetite, and enhance endurance throughout India. It is also sometimes considered a “famine food,” used during periods of famine to suppress appetite. For centuries, people in rural areas of India have eaten Caralluma fimbriata, which grows wild over various parts of the country. Caralluma fimbriata is cooked as a vegetable, used in preserves like chutneys and pickles, or eaten raw. Caralluma fimbriata is believed to block the activity of several enzymes, which then blocks the formation of fat, forcing fat reserves to be burned. Caralluma fimbriata is also believed to have an effect on the appetite control mechanism of the brain. Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) experts have noted that there are no adverse effects when using Caralluma fimbriata, and the plant has no known toxicity.

A patented, tested extract of Caralluma fimbriata has been developed and standardized by a company called Gencor. Known as “Slimaluma,” the extract delivers the plant in a concentrated form. One of the only products available in the U.S. that uses the Slimaluma formula is Country Life’s GenaSlim supplement, which combines the patented Slimaluma extract of Caralluma fimbriata with EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) from green tea. Together they reportedly have a synergistic effect on appetite control and weight loss. In several clinical trials Slimaluma was shown to be effective in reducing body fat through appetite control. If you’re interested in trying this product for weight control, you can compare prices now from various online vendors.

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December 11th, 2008

A Teen And His Weight Loss Story

Teens can get into a variety of fun activities in order to lose weight. With overweight teens getting increasingly more common nowadays, finding more enjoyable ways of getting rid of excess weight.

Unique ways may appeal to more teenagers as they not only want to look at losing weight as something that they have to do instead of being something that they really want to do. Once they enjoy doing it, they have an increased likelihood of keeping it up and become more successful in trying to lose weight.

But how can you make losing weight more fun? Well, exciting activities that appeal to the teenager will likely do it. There is a story of a certain teenage girl who lost weight simply by playing a video game. Now, what can be more exciting and fun than that? Losing weight while playing a video game? This is some story that is worth listening to.

This typical teenage girl makes use of her time at the arcade to lose weight. She started playing a popular video game called “Dance Dance Revolution (DDR)” at the age of 17. At that time, she was a senior in high school and weighed about 235 lbs, pretty overweight for a teenage girl. But after four and a half years of playing the said video game, she now weigh about 140 lbs.

She couldn’t even imagine just how much a video game would come to affect her health and weight concerns with positive results. The said video game even helped her grow to be a better and more self-confident teen. Before discovering the video game, she was a rather inactive person not used to go about doing such activities.

Although she was active as a member in different bands, orchestras, drama, and had already played video games, she didn’t regularly get out for exercise. She became really unhappy when she realized that she was at an unhealthy weight. Just as what happens with most obese people, she started losing hope that she will ever be a normal person again when faced with the fact that she had so much weight to lose. The Internet became a form of escapism so that she didn’t have to face people in person because of her overweight condition.

In college, she became increasingly unhappy being in a new environment and her weight continued to yo-yo, usually staying at around 235 lbs. Sometime around October of 2002, a fun new game version of a game called DDR USA was released that contained a ton of new songs to dance to. She tried the game out and soon became addicted to the video game with a high activity rate. Not long after, she began frequenting the video arcade almost everyday playing the video game for hours and hours.

At one point, she came to discover a website which had a Bulletin Board where people would meet online and talk about DDR and music games and she quickly became friends with the regulars. She was able to get to know friends who were able to motivate her to play more frequently and for hours at a time. It was during around this time she began losing most of her weight.

In her first six months of playing, she was able to lose 45 lbs with no change in her diet whatsoever. Once she discovered that she can find herself at a more comfortable weight again, she decided to make healthy changes in her life such as following a more healthy diet. She became more conscious of what she ate and as a result, lost an additional 20 lbs.

Playing the game regularly and coupled with a healthy diet has allowed her to maintain a healthier weight than she ever thought possible. All because she was able to enjoy losing weight by playing a video game that changed her life.

December 2nd, 2008

How Can I Lose Weight Safely?

Weight loss is a tricky topic. Lots of people are unhappy with their present weight, but most aren’t sure how to change it — and many would be better off staying where they are. You may want to look like the models or actors in magazines and on TV, but those goals might not be healthy or realistic for you. Besides, no magical diet or pill will make you look like someone else.

So what should you do about weight control?

Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you. The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a doctor or dietitian, who can compare your weight with healthy norms to help you set realistic goals. If it turns out that you can benefit from weight loss, then you can follow a few of the simple suggestions listed below to get started.

Weight management is about long-term success. People who lose weight quickly by crash dieting or other extreme measures usually gain back all (and often more) of the pounds they lost because they haven’t permanently changed their habits. Therefore, the best weight-management strategies are those that you can maintain for a lifetime. That’s a long time, so we’ll try to keep these suggestions as easy as possible!

Make it a family affair. Ask your mom or dad to lend help and support and to make dietary or lifestyle changes that will benefit the whole family, if possible. Teens who have the support of their families tend to have better results with their weight-management programs. But remember, you should all work together in a friendly and helpful way — making weight loss into a competition is a recipe for disaster!

Watch your drinks. It’s amazing how many extra calories can be lurking in the sodas, juices, and other drinks that you take in every day. Simply cutting out a can of soda or one sports drink can save you 150 calories or more each day. Drink water or other sugar-free drinks to quench your thirst and stay away from sugary juices and sodas. Switching from whole to nonfat or low-fat milk is also a good idea.

Start small. Small changes are a lot easier to stick with than drastic ones. Try reducing the size of the portions you eat and giving up regular soda for a week. Once you have that down, start gradually introducing healthier foods and exercise into your life.

Stop eating when you’re full. Lots of people eat when they’re bored, lonely, or stressed, or keep eating long after they’re full out of habit. Try to pay attention as you eat and stop when you’re full. Slowing down can help because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to recognize how much is in your stomach. Sometimes taking a break before going for seconds can keep you from eating another serving.

Avoid eating when you feel upset or bored — try to find something else to do instead (a walk around the block or a trip to the gym are good alternatives). Many people find it’s helpful to keep a diary of what they eat and when. Reviewing the diary later can help them identify the emotions they have when they overeat or whether they have unhealthy habits. A registered dietitian can give you pointers on how to do this.

Eat less more often. Many people find that eating a couple of small snacks throughout the day helps them to make healthy choices at meals. Stick a couple of healthy snacks (carrot sticks, whole-grain pretzels, or a piece of fruit) in your backpack so that you can have one or two snacks during the day. Adding healthy snacks to your three squares and eating smaller portions when you sit down to dinner can help you to cut calories without feeling deprived.

Five a day keep the pounds away. Ditch the junk food and dig out the fruits and veggies! Five servings of fruits and veggies aren’t just a good idea to help you lose weight — they’ll help keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy. Other suggestions for eating well: replace white bread with whole wheat, trade your sugary sodas for water and low-fat milk, and make sure you eat a healthy breakfast. Having low-sugar, whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk with a piece of fruit is a much better idea than inhaling a donut as you run to the bus stop or eating no breakfast at all! A registered dietitian can give you lots of other snack and menu ideas.

Avoid fad diets. It’s never a good idea to trade meals for shakes or to give up a food group in the hope that you’ll lose weight — we all need a variety of foods to stay healthy. Stay away from fad diets because you’re still growing and need to make sure you get proper nutrients. Avoid diet pills (even the over-the-counter or herbal variety). They can be dangerous to your health; besides, there’s no evidence that they help keep weight off over the long term.

Don’t banish certain foods. Don’t tell yourself you’ll never again eat your absolutely favorite peanut butter chocolate ice cream or a bag of chips from the vending machine at school. Making these foods forbidden is sure to make you want them even more. Also, don’t go fat free: You need to have some fat in your diet to stay healthy, so giving up all fatty foods all the time isn’t a good idea. The key to long-term success is making healthy choices most of the time. If you want a piece of cake at a party, go for it! But munch on the carrots rather than the chips to balance it out.

Get moving. You may find that you don’t need to cut calories as much as you need to get off your behind. Don’t get stuck in the rut of thinking you have to play a team sport or take an aerobics class to get exercise. Try a variety of activities from hiking to cycling to dancing until you find ones you like.

Not a jock? Find other ways to fit activity into your day: walk to school, jog up and down the stairs a couple of times before your morning shower, turn off the tube and help your parents in the garden, or take a stroll past your crush’s house — anything that gets you moving. Your goal should be to work up to 60 minutes of exercise every day. But everyone has to begin somewhere. It’s fine to start out by simply taking a few turns around the block before bed and building up your levels of fitness gradually.

Build muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat. So adding strength training to your exercise routine can help you reach your weight loss goals as well as give you a toned bod. And weights are not the only way to go: Try resistance bands, pilates, or push-ups to get strong. A good, well-balanced fitness routine includes aerobic workouts, strength training, and flexibility exercises.

Forgive yourself. So you were going to have one cracker with spray cheese on it and the next thing you know the can’s pumping air and the box is empty? Drink some water, brush your teeth, and move on. Everyone who’s ever tried to lose weight has found it challenging. When you slip up, the best idea is to get right back on track and don’t look back. Avoid telling yourself that you’ll get back on track tomorrow or next week or after New Year’s. Start now.

Try to remember that losing weight isn’t going to make you a better person — and it won’t magically change your life. It’s a good idea to maintain a healthy weight because it’s healthy.