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Eating for Weight Control

Spoonful of oats
Does Oatmeal Raise Blood Sugar?

Millions of Americans spoon up oatmeal for breakfast. It seems oatmeal does raise blood sugar but the effects depend on the type of oat.

Food timing
Meal Timing for Weight Loss

With respect to weight management, we now have more proof that it’s not just what we eat that matters but also when we take in our calories.

Breakfast before training
Rise and Dine . . . and Burn!

Here’s news that will please oatmeal lovers: Making time for a hearty morning meal may boost daily calorie burn, say German researchers.

Banned soda and weight control
Banned Sodas = Less Consumption and Slimmer Waistlines

Ten months after the University of California, San Francisco, banned sales of soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks, 214 full-time employees who had frequently consumed these beverages were drinking only about half as much of them, on average, according to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. The research also showed a drop in waist circumference among the employees.

Food app for kids
An App to Help Kids Eat Better

Weight Watchers, now rebranded as WW®, recently launched Kurbo, a new weight-loss app aimed at ages 8–17. Among the weight- and diet-focused elements of the Kurbo app is a traffic-light system that indicates which foods kids can freely enjoy and which they should limit. For example, an apple gets a green light, and soda gets a red light.

Weight Loss Strategies
Popular Weight Loss Strategies Stand the Test of Time

How many times during a week do clients tell you they want to lose weight or talk about what they are doing to change their body weight? Among 48,026 U.S. residents over the age of 20 who answered the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2015–2016, 42% responding said they were actively trying to lose weight.

Fruit and Obesity
Fruits and Veggies Silence Fat Genes

True, some people did not win the genetic lottery with respect to gaining pounds, but that doesn’t mean they can’t tweak their diets to stave off weight creep. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition involving more than 14,000 adults over a 20-year period discovered that increasing one’s intake of fruits and vegetables can be protective against a genetic susceptibility to obesity.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Cynthia Walker was struggling. Although she’d been trying to lose weight for years, it just seemed like the odds were stacked against her.

“At age 42, she had a TIA (transient ischemic attack) along with high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels,” says trainer E. Faith Bell. “Then, 11 years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. At 4 feet 9 inches tall, she weighed 176 pounds.”

Could Gaming Help People Eat Better?

As we become better informed about the potential pitfalls of too much screen time, findings in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine suggest that sitting in front of a computer to play a diet-focused game may drive people to trade in their candy for cauliflower!

Men’s Health Research Review

Men: Are you exercising and eating healthfully but not losing the weight you want? The good news is that there are more benefits to these two habits than just weight loss.

Megan Senger, professional fitness writer/editor and fitness instructor based in North Carolina, has summarized a few studies that center on men’s wellness, with comments on what the findings may mean for you.

Maternal Weight and Pregnancy Complications

Encourage your pregnant clients (if cleared by their doctors) to keep working out with you. A new study shows that maintaining a healthy weight before and during pregnancy is a key factor in avoiding pregnancy complications.

Social Media Influencers Give Inaccurate Health Advice

Have you been frustrated by bad health and fitness advice doled out by social media influencers? You’re not alone, and if you sense that much of the popular online health information is wrong, you’re right! A recent study of key U.K. social media influencers’ weight management blogs—presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow, Scotland, in April 2019—showed that most influencers were not reliable weight management resources.