People With Overweight/Obesity
Weight Discrimination Linked to Obesity
When working with individuals who are overweight or obese, it is wise to watch your words.
Research published recently in PLoS ONE (2013; 8 [7]: e70048) found that subjects who experienced discrimination because of their weight were more likely to become or remain obese than those who didn’t encounter discrimination.
Activity Rates Among U.K. 7- and 8-Year-Olds
Many experts believe that introducing healthy habits–like regular physical activity—at an early age can lead to a lifetime of health. It seems some people in the United Kingdom missed the memo.
Low Gut Bacteria Linked to Obesity, Inflammation
It’s often said that good health begins in the gut, an aphorism that is well supported by two studies published in the August 29 issue of Nature (2013; 500, 541-46). In short, individuals with low bacterial richness in their gut have more obesity and inflammation–and weight loss can improve the richness of their bacterial genes.
Join The Fight Against Childhood Obesity
?It is well known that the United States faces a childhood obesity epidemic. In fact, 81% of respondents in a poll on the topic considered childhood obesity a serious concern and two-thirds believed the problem was getting worse (Hassink, Hill & Biddinger 2011). Actually, national surveys show a stabilization of childhood obesity rates and even small declines in some localities (RWJF 2012).
Working With Overweight Clients
How can the Pilates industry be more welcoming to clients who are overweight? We asked instructors how they create a comfortable and beneficial experience that keeps clients of all sizes coming back for more.
Mexico Is the Most Obese Country in the Americas
For many years the United States held the not-so-coveted title of most obese country in the Americas. That designation has recently transferred to Mexico, according to the The State of Food and Agriculture report released by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.
Virtual Reality and Weight Loss
Can watching a virtual-reality avatar help someone lose weight? Scientists from George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services, in Washington, DC, think so.
Addressing Obesity And Exercise In Preadolescents
Preadolescence is a time of major change and growth, bringing psychological, physical and social shifts for boys and girls alike. Caught between the carefree days of childhood and the first throes of being a teenager, “tweens” (roughly aged 9–12) are a force to be reckoned with. Like many other populations, preadolescents are suffering from lack of exercise, which threatens to chart a course toward obesity and disease.
American Medical Association: Obesity Is a Disease
By now you’ve probably heard about the American Medical Association’s decision to classify obesity as a disease.
“Recognizing obesity as a disease will help change the way the medical commu-nity tackles this complex issue that affects approximately one in three Americans,” explained AMA board member Patrice Harris, MD, at the AMA annual meeting. “The AMA is committed to improving health outcomes and is working to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, which are often linked to obesity.”
Obesity Starts in the Brain
Michael R. Mantell, PhD, earned his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania and his master’s degree in clinical psychology at Hahnemann Medical College, where he wrote his thesis on the psychology of obesity. He has served as chief psychologist both for Rady Children’s Hospital and Health Center of San Diego and for the San Diego Police Department. In addition to working in private practice, Mantell coaches world-class athletes and fitness enthusiasts for mental and behavioral performance enhancement.
What Obese People Wish Fitness Professionals Knew
“I am not lazy.”
“I don’t necessarily want or need to lose as much weight as you think I do. My biomarkers are good.”
“I don’t have access to the same moisture-wicking clothes thin people do, and that can make working out more difficult for me, owing to chafing and lack of comfort.”
“Don’t presume I don’t know how to eat correctly.”
“My body is hard to carry around.”
“Please give me time to do what you ask.”
How Fitness Professionals Can Fight Childhood Obesity
?Fitness professionals are an important part of the solution to the childhood obesity epidemic. One of the most compelling studies to demonstrate success in combating childhood obesity involved MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It), an intervention in which fitness professionals who were trained as health coaches delivered a 24-session curriculum to children and families over 3 months in communities and schools.
Do Fitness Pros Understand Clients With Obesity?
??In 1988, Joan Darragh tipped the scales at 288 pounds. During a trip to Japan, she had a defining moment. “I was in a bar, and I sat on a stool built for the slighter Asian frame,” says the New York City resident. “Suddenly, the bolts on my metal stool started to pop.” She tried to pretend it wasn’t her stool making that noise, but she still kept one foot on the floor.
Undoing Childhood Obesity
?It is well known that the United States faces a childhood obesity epidemic. In fact, 81% of respondents in a poll on the topic considered childhood obesity a serious concern and two-thirds believed the problem was getting worse (Hassink, Hill & Biddinger 2011). Actually, national surveys show a stabilization of childhood obesity rates and even small declines in some localities (RWJF 2012).
Building Networks of Nourishment
??Mindful movement specialist Lawrence Biscontini, MA, has won awards from ACE, IDEA, Inner IDEA®, Can-Fit-Pro and ECA World Fitness. He has created programming for international clubs and spas, including Equinox®, 24 Hour Fitness®, Gold’s Gym® International, Bally Total Fitness™, and Golden Door® Spas, where his work received a Condé Nast Traveler Award. He has been a consultant and trainer for leading spas in Europe, Asia and the United States and has served as a contributing author to IDEA Fitness Journal, AFAA’s American Fitness and AsiaSpa.
As Alcohol Intake Increases, Diet Quality Decreases
?While we are familiar with the blunting effect of
alcohol on gains in metabolism and accelerated
fat burning, researchers have found another
reason why we should cut back on adult beverages:
We tend to eat poorly on the days we imbibe.
The Biomechanics of Obesity
Anthony Carey, MA, CSCS, ACE-AHFP, owns Function First in San Diego, voted one of the city’s Best Personal Trainer/Studios in 2010 and 2011 and its Best Health & Fitness Club in 2012. Aside from being named 2009 PFP [Personal Fitness Professional] Trainer of the Year, he has written two best-selling books, The Pain-Free Program: A Proven Method to Relieve Back, Neck, Shoulder, and Joint Pain (Wiley 2005) and Relationships and Referrals: A Personal Trainer’s Guide to Doing Business with the Medical Community (CreateSpace 2012).
Gray Institute Launches Nonprofit
To help address some of the problems facing youth today—physical inactivity, diabetes and obesity, among them—the Gray Institute has launched the not-for-profit Free2Play.
Utilizing the institute’s Applied Functional Science™, Free2Play aims to improve “movement literacy” and athleticism through “progressive” lesson plans available via online learning with on-demand access. Free2Play doesn’t replace health and fitness programs or curriculum.
Overweight People Live— Longer?
If you were asked to visualize a model of longevity, would you picture someone overweight? Probably not. However, new research suggests that people who carry extra pounds could have a lower all-cause mortality risk than normal-weight people.
