Weight & Wellness Buzz
​​New Ways to Achieve
Weight Loss!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average body weight of an adult in the United Sates is rising. These finding are alarming because it indicates that most men and women are now either overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity will continue to be a burden on the U.S. population. It is important that we screen men and women who have excess weight because early detection can help in the prevention of future diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke, heart disease, increased risks of several cancers, sleep disorders, and complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Childhood obesity is also a serious public health concern to our nation.
In the United States prevalence of obesity varies by racial and ethnic group, education, age, location, and physical ability. Young adults were half as likely to have obesity as middle-aged adults. Adults aged 18-24 years had the lowest self-reported obesity (18.9%) compared to adults aged 45-54 years who had the highest prevalence (37.6%).
Our programs focuses on Age as a factor in prevention and intervention in adults with obesity.
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Our team welcomes you to Act On Weight and Wellness Care now. Maintaining a healthy body weight can also improve mental health, quality of life, and well-being.
Sleep Helps Weight Loss
Want to lose weight from sleeping? Try extending your sleep time so you are not sleep deprived.
That’s the startling outcome of a randomized trial that asked young, overweight adults who typically slept less than six and a half hours to try to sleep about eight and a half hours a night for two weeks.
At the end of that short amount of time, many of those who did extend their sleep to a healthier length decreased their calorie intake by an average of 270 calories a day, according to a study by JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Some of the study participants cut their intake by 500 calories each day, the study found.
“This is almost like a game changer for weight loss or weight maintenance,” said study author Dr. Esra Tasali, an associate professor of medicine who directs the Sleep Research Center at the University of Chicago.
The researchers projected their findings into the future. They found that eating 270 fewer calories a day would translate to a loss of 26 pounds over three years, all by doing nothing more than getting additional sleep.
“A small intervention you can do to yourself to increase or preserve your sleep duration so you are not sleep deprived can have an significant impact on healthy weight,” Tasali said.
One of the strengths of the study was the fact that it happened in a real-world setting, not a sleep lab, and used an objective urine test to measure calories instead of relying on people’s recall of what they ate.
“This is a very well done study answering an important question,” said Dr. Bhanuprakash Kolla, a sleep psychiatrist and neurologist in the Center for Sleep Medicine and the Division of Addiction Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He was not involved in the study.
“They clearly showed that as you increase the amount of sleep, energy intake reduced and this in turn led to modest reductions in weight,” Kolla said. “It is likely that if this were extended, there could be more significant changes in weight.”
How Can You Overcome A Weight Loss Plateau
This article from the Mayo Clinic
provides great tips!
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When you reach a plateau, you may have lost all of the weight you will lose on your current diet and exercise plan. Ask yourself if you're satisfied with your current weight or if you want to lose more. If you want to lose more weight, you'll need to adjust your weight-loss program.
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If you're committed to losing more weight, try these tips for getting past the plateau:
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Reassess your habits. Look back at your food and activity records. Make sure you haven't loosened the rules. For example, look at whether you've been having larger portions, eating more processed foods or getting less exercise. Research suggests that off-and-on loosening of rules contributes to plateaus.
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Cut more calories. Further cut your daily calories, provided this doesn't put you below 1,200 calories. Fewer than 1,200 calories a day may not be enough to keep you from constant hunger, which increases your risk of overeating.
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Rev up your workout. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. Guidelines suggest that you spread out this exercise during the course of a week. For even greater health benefit and to assist with weight loss or maintaining weight loss, at least 300 minutes a week is recommended. Adding exercises such as weightlifting to increase your muscle mass will help you burn more calories.
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Pack more activity into your day. Think outside the gym. Increase your general physical activity throughout the day. For example, walk more and use your car less, do more yardwork, or do vigorous spring cleaning. Any physical activity will help you burn more calories.
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If your efforts to get past a weight-loss plateau aren't working, talk with your health care provider or a registered dietitian about other tactics to try. If you can't further decrease the calories you eat or increase your physical activity, you may want to revisit your weight-loss goal. Appreciate the weight you've lost. Maybe the number you're striving for is unrealistic for you.
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Because you've already improved your diet and increased your exercise, you've already improved your health. If you're overweight or obese, even modest weight loss improves chronic health conditions related to being overweight.
Whatever you do, don't give up and go back to your old eating and exercise habits. That may cause you to regain the weight you've lost. Celebrate your success and continue your efforts to maintain your weight loss.
Eating Ultra-Processed Food on The Rise
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat formulations of ingredients derived from foods, additives, colorings, flavorings, sweeteners, and emulsifiers. They contain little to no whole food. Compared to other food groups, ultraprocessed foods are typically sugary (higher in added sugar), fatty (higher in trans-fats and saturated fats), salty (higher in sodium), energy dense (higher in calories) and low in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals (micronutrients). Included in this definition are sugar sweetened beverages, sweets, ice cream, chocolates, snacks, burgers, processed meat and frozen dishes. Recent studies provide consistent evidence that high intake of ultra-processed foods contributes to overweight and obesity and the rise of noncommunicable diseases in children and adults.
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Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers are responsible for almost 70% of all mortalities worldwide. UPFs consumption increases added sugar intake, which is associated with obesity and several other health concerns. Moreover, higher intake of UPFs induces changes in gut microbiota, serum C-reactive protein levels and lipoprotein profiles.
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Among population subgroups by age, high UPFs consumption is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, overweight and obesity, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, overall cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, gestational obesity, adolescent asthma and wheezing.
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In population subgroups by age, among youths aged 2-19 years, the consumption of ultra-processed foods was significantly higher among youths aged 6-11 years and aged 12-19 years. This trend is significantly higher among non-Hispanic Black youths and Mexican American youths than the increase among non-Hispanic White youths.
Screening Labs to Prevent Diabetes
An estimated 13% of all adults in the United States (18 year of age or older), and 34.5% of asymptomatic adults aged 35 to 70 years who are overweight or obesity meet criteria for prediabetes.
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Prediabetes and diabetes are conditions in which glucose (sugar) is not metabolized normally, resulting in high blood sugar levels. The cause of this abnormal sugar metabolism is a problem with insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps regulate sugar level. In type 2 diabetes, the body stops responding properly to insulin (insulin resistance), and eventually the pancreas stops making enough insulin.
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Prediabetes means a person has a blood sugar level that is higher than normal but not yet in the range of what is considered diabetes. Prediabetes increases the risk of developing diabetes, but it does not always progress to diabetes. Exercise, a healthy diet, and weight loss if you are overweight or obese are all effective ways to prevent diabetes. Risk factors for developing prediabetes and diabetes include being overweight or obese, older age, and having family members with diabetes.
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Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and new cases of blindness among adults in the United States. It is also associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and was estimated to be the seventh leading cause of death the US in 2017.
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Progression of prediabetes to diabetes can be prevented by lifestyle changes as well as medications. This recommendation from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is a new update because the USPSTF has lowered the starting age of screening from 40 to 35 years.
Mindfulness Exercises For Your Wellness
What is mindfulness? This article from the Mayo Clinic
will help explain.
Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.
Spending too much time planning, problem-solving, daydreaming, or thinking negative or random thoughts can be draining. It can also make you more likely to experience stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression. Practicing mindfulness exercises can help you direct your attention away from this kind of thinking and engage with the world around you.
What are the benefits of meditation?
Meditation has been studied in many clinical trials. The overall evidence supports the effectiveness of meditation for various conditions, including:
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Pain
• Depression
• Insomnia
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Preliminary research indicates that meditation can also help people with asthma and fibromyalgia.
Meditation can help you experience thoughts and emotions with greater balance and acceptance. Meditation also has been shown to:
• Improve attention
• Decrease job burnout
• Improve sleep
• Improve diabetes control
There are many simple ways to practice mindfulness. Some examples include:
Pay attention. It’s hard to slow down and notice things in a busy world. Try to take the time to experience your environment with all of your senses — touch, sound, sight, smell and taste. For example, when you eat a favorite food, take the time to smell, taste and truly enjoy it.
Live in the moment. Try to intentionally bring an open, accepting and discerning attention to everything you do. Find joy in simple pleasures.
Accept yourself. Treat yourself the way you would treat a good friend.
Focus on your breathing. When you have negative thoughts, try to sit down, take a deep breath and close your eyes. Focus on your breath as it moves in and out of your body. Sitting and breathing for even just a minute can help.
You can also try more structured mindfulness exercises, such as:
Body scan meditation. Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms at your sides, palms facing up. Focus your attention slowly and deliberately on each part of your body, in order, from toe to head or head to toe. Be aware of any sensations, emotions or thoughts associated with each part of your body.
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Sitting meditation. Sit comfortably with your back straight, feet flat on the floor and hands in your lap. Breathing through your nose, focus on your breath moving in and out of your body. If physical sensations or thoughts interrupt your meditation, note the experience and then return your focus to your breath.
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Walking meditation. Find a quiet place 10 to 20 feet in length, and begin to walk slowly. Focus on the experience of walking, being aware of the sensations of standing and the subtle movements that keep your balance. When you reach the end of your path, turn and continue walking, maintaining awareness of your sensations.
When and how often should I practice mindfulness exercises?
It depends on what kind of mindfulness exercise you plan to do.
Simple mindfulness exercises can be practiced anywhere and anytime. Research indicates that engaging your senses outdoors is especially beneficial.
For more structured mindfulness exercises, such as body scan meditation or sitting meditation, you’ll need to set aside time when you can be in a quiet place without distractions or interruptions. You might choose to practice this type of exercise early in the morning before you begin your daily routine.
Aim to practice mindfulness every day for about six months. Over time, you might find that mindfulness becomes effortless. Think of it as a commitment to reconnecting with and nurturing yourself.
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What Is Healthy Weight Loss?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s natural for anyone trying to lose weight to want to lose it very quickly. But people who lose weight gradually and steadily (about 1 to 2 pounds per week) are more successful at keeping weight off. Healthy weight loss isn’t just about a “diet” or “program”. It’s about an ongoing lifestyle that includes healthy eating patterns and regular physical activity.
Once you’ve achieved a healthy weight, rely on Healthy eating and physical activity
to help you keep the weight off over the long term.
Losing weight is not easy, and it takes commitment. But if you’re ready to get started, we’ve got a step-by-step guide to help get you on the road to weight loss and better health.
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Even a modest weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight is likely to produce health benefits, such as improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugars.
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For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, a 5 percent weight loss equals 10 pounds, bringing your weight down to 190 pounds. While this weight may still be in the “overweight” or “obese” range, this modest weight loss can decrease your risk factors for chronic diseases related to obesity.
So even if the overall goal seems large, see it as a journey rather than just a final destination. You’ll learn new eating and physical activity habits that will help you live a healthier lifestyle. These habits may help you maintain your weight loss over time.
For example, the National Weight Control Registry noted that study participants who maintained a significant weight loss reported improvements in physical health as well as energy levels, physical mobility, general mood, and self-confidence.
Intermittent Fasting and Obesity-Related Health Outcomes
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This review published in December 2021 from JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggests that intermittent fasting (IF) may have a beneficial role in improving anthropometric and cardiometabolic outcomes, especially for adults with overweight or obesity. Several meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have demonstrated the many health benefits of intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting (IF) has recently gained much public interest as a weight loss approach. IF is a unique dietary strategy defined as periods of eating alternated with periods of not eating (fasting). IF focuses on when food is consumed and total quantity consumed. IF works through an altered liver metabolism, referred to as the metabolic switch, where the body periodically switches from liver-derived glucose to adipose cell–derived ketones during fasting periods. Fasting stimulates adaptive cellular responses including improved glucose regulation, increased stress resistance, suppressed inflammation, and the upregulation of autophagy where damaged molecules are removed or repaired to defend against oxidative and metabolic stress. It is hypothesized that altering body metabolism will lead to long-term health benefits.
Clinical trials have demonstrated the benefits of IF for many health conditions, especially obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, through reduced weight and improved cardiometabolic parameters.
This review found beneficial associations of IF with anthropometric and cardiometabolic outcomes that were supported by moderate to high quality of evidence. Our results support the role of IF especially in adults with overweight or obesity as a weight loss approach with metabolic benefits.
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