HealthNut
Viewers eat more while watching Hollywood action flick on TV
Television shows filled with action and sound may be bad for your waistline. TV viewers ate more M&Ms, cookies, carrots and grapes while watching an excerpt from a Hollywood action film than those watching an interview program. Television has been blamed for helping Americans to gain weight because it encourages a sedentary lifestyle. But the […]
Dietary recommendations may be tied to increased greenhouse gas emissions
If Americans altered their menus to conform to federal dietary recommendations, emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases tied to agricultural production could increase significantly, according to a new study by University of Michigan researchers. Martin Heller and Gregory Keoleian of U-M’s Center for Sustainable Systems looked at the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of […]
The Posterior-chain Workout
The anatomical term “posterior” refers to the backside of the body. Thus, the phrase, “posterior chain,” refers to the muscles of the backside of the body, specifically the low back, gluteals, hamstrings and calf muscles. Posterior-chain exercises involve contracting and lengthening the muscles in a chain-like manner. This is important for athletic movements […]
Childhood trauma could lead to adult obesity
Being subjected to abuse during childhood entails a markedly increased risk of developing obesity as an adult. This is the conclusion of a meta-analysis carried out on previous studies, which included a total of 112,000 participants. The analysis was conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, and has been published in the journal Obesity […]
For kids with both asthma and obesity, which came first?
For years, doctors have known that there is a link between childhood obesity and asthma, but have found it difficult to determine which condition tends to come first, or whether one causes the other. An article published in the September issue of Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the scientific publication of the American College […]
Researchers examine effectiveness of blocking nerve to help with weight loss
Among patients with morbid obesity, blocking the vagus nerve, which plays a role with appetite and metabolism, did not meet pre-specified efficacy objectives compared to a control group, although the intervention did result in greater weight loss, according to a study in the September 3 issue of JAMA. Bariatric surgery can produce significant weight loss […]
Training your brain to prefer healthy foods
It may be possible to train the brain to prefer healthy low-calorie foods over unhealthy higher-calorie foods, according to new research by scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University and at Massachusetts General Hospital. Published online today in the journal Nutrition & Diabetes, a brain […]
Racial, ethnic stereotypes may contribute to obesity among minorities
Many Americans need extraordinary willpower to avoid becoming obese — or to slim down if they already weigh too much. For members of minority groups, maintaining a healthy weight can be that much harder according to new research led by Luis Rivera, an experimental social psychologist at Rutgers University-Newark. Rivera says it is common for […]
Improve Your Stability and Mobility with These Functional Exercises
Function: It is the newest addition the ACE Integrated Fitness TrainingTM (ACE IFTTM) Model continuum and is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Without function, we are unable to perform activities of daily living, leaving us dependent on others for assistance and unable to work toward other goals in health, fitness and performance. […]
Have we gotten carried away with HIIT?
“Everything in moderation” guides my nutrition and fitness decisions. I firmly that being healthy does NOT have to be hard, restrictive or compulsive. Recently, I’ve watched in horror as HIIT has overtaken the fitness world. Now, don’t get me wrong—I love a good high-intensity interval training session and we know that it works. […]