GOT Arthritis?

I read something on this issue last week and haven't had time to get it up on Natural Health News or get my comments posted either.

What is of interest to me is the high percentage of people reporting increases in the signs and symptoms of arthritis, 22%.


In the early 90s a rise in arthritis was being reported too.  Back then the concerns were included in the reporting.


Some of the concerns about 20 years ago included water fluoridation; lack of exercise; poor diet and poor nutrition; not eating meat, move to use of PUFAs (polyunsaturated oils); continuing focus on low fat and non fat diet schemes; over use of artificial sweeteners; reliance on drugs that offered more side effects, even death, than relief; over use of NSAIDS leaving many with serious side effects and in some cases kidney and liver failure or death.

I am sure I am leaving some things out, but I do not want to exclude this important item:

As more and more processed and convenience type food, microwave cooking, and anti-nutrition methods began to take over modern food preparation, making broth fell by the wayside.  Making broth from bones is a very easy process and the end product is filled with nutrients that protect joint function.

Eating meat is also fallen by the wayside, and because of this, people take in less natural CLA, cetyl myristoleate, and health promoting saturated fat.  


Changes in this pattern also may be related to increasing fertility problems, as well as obesity concerns and other health problems now not being able to be diagnosed.

This won't be halted by a drug.


from AP

A surprising jump in the number of Americans hobbled by arthritis may be due to obesity, health experts said Thursday.

About 22 percent of U.S. adults have been told by a doctor that they have arthritis, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The statistic comes from national telephone polling of tens of thousands of adults in 2007 through 2009.

That translates to nearly 50 million people with the joint disease. It's also roughly the same percentage with arthritis as reported in a 2003-2005 study.

But there was a significant jump in adults who said their joint pain or other arthritis symptoms limited their usual activities, to 9.4 percent from 8.3 percent. That means more than 21 million adults have trouble climbing stairs, dressing, gardening or doing other things, up from less than 19 million only a few years before, the CDC researchers estimated.

That jump was "more than we would have expected," said Dr. John Klippel, president of the Atlanta-based Arthritis Foundation.

Klippel said the increase probably was due mainly to baby boomers, who are at an age when they are more likely to suffer osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. It breaks down cartilage and causes pain and joint stiffness.

He added that a complicating factor is high rates of baby boomers who are overweight and obese. Extra weight puts more pressure on arthritic joints, making the problem worse, he said.

The percentage of people who were hobbled was more than twice as high in obese people as those who were normal weight or were underweight, the CDC researchers found. Obesity can lead to or worsen osteoarthritis in the knees, the researchers wrote.

The study is published in a CDC publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. SOURCE

And in case you do not follow health history, here is a review from 2004 -

February 2004 - Mother was right about cod liver oil
At a press conference held at the Royal College of Surgeons in London on February 12 2004 , researchers from Cardiff University in Wales announced the results of a study which found for the first time in humans that cod liver oil really is effective in slowing the progression of osteoarthritis. The team, led by Professor Bruce Caterson and Professor John Harwood of Cardiff University, and Professor Colin Dent, of the University of Wales College of Medicine, provided two extra strength cod liver oil capsules per day to arthritis patients ten to twelve weeks before knee replacement surgery and found that 86 percent of the participants experienced a partial or complete reduction in the enzymes that cause cartilage damage, compared to 26 percent of a placebo group. Enzymes that cause joint pain were also reduced in the cod liver oil group.
Professor Caterson commented, "This breakthrough is hugely significant because it demonstrates the efficacy of a dietary intake of cod liver oil in patients with osteoarthritis taken prior to their joint replacement surgery. The data suggests that cod liver oil has a dual mode of action, potentially slowing down the cartilage degeneration inherent in osteoarthritis and also reducing factors that cause pain and inflammation. What these findings suggest is that by taking cod liver oil, people are more likely to delay the onset of osteoarthritis and less likely to require multiple joint replacements later in life.”
Professor Dent added, “Patients resort to joint replacement surgery when the symptoms and pain of their arthritis becomes unbearable. Cod liver oil can counteract these symptoms and if you can switch off the cartilage destruction and pain then surgery may not be necessary. We're very excited by this latest trial."

It is nice to recall that I learned in the 60s just how useful cod liver oil is for the "itis" category.  Wouldn't it be nice if this is what you had been reading instead of all about the dangerous drugs prescribed, pushed by Big PhRMA? 

Obesity: Concerns and Considerations

Here are some current headlines: 

One in 6 U.S. adults struggle with weight

Childhood Obesity Woes Linked to Too Little Sleep

Parents caving on healthy choices for kids

Do you ever wonder if it isn't just too much crappy food thrown at you by Big AG, errors in immunity created by continual vaccination, all kinds of artifical additives in food, fluoride in water, and too much refined food, with too many sugars (not to let artificial sweeteners off the hook?)

Then consider lack of absorption of nutrients, if any nutrients are actually in the food you consume.

The start here with the real food pyramid, skip the shots, skip water fluoridation, and start exercising....

and (new) don't over look this -

Why Is the Food Industry Pumping Food Dyes That Cause Cancer Into Our Food?

Despite signs that they may cause cancer, food manufacturers continue to pour about millions of pounds of synthetic dyes into the American food supply every year.

and this -

Remember that fluoride impairs your thyroid and it is your thyroid that controls metabolism and so much more.   No question here as PFOS and PFOA in non-stick coatings used in cookware, clothing, and in so many more products used by people who do not question ingredients and effects of what chemicals are in every day products. And yes, elevated cholesterol is directly related to low functioning thyroid...

Study shows latest potential negative effect of non-stick chemicals - Obesity from non stick cookware -

Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2010/09/teflon_children.html#ixzz0z416i2gC

Fluoride damages your immune system, liver, and thyroid...

Childhood Obesity Campaign: Issues in Health

UPDATE: 4 August, Sugar Cut in Cereals

Remember that most of the big name cereals have been loaded with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) for years.  And also consider that it is the organic brands of cold, boxed cereal that is also loaded with sugar, only they use the organic kind.  Either way you look at it the sugar has to go, the HFCS has to go, and all of the cereals with any GMO grain or other ingredient - like beet sugar that now is about 100% of the market -) nneds to come out of these and any other product containing them.

15% cut in sugar coming in 2011 to Coco Pops

3 February, 2010  Michelle Obama Kicks Off Childhood Obesity Drive
Mrs. Obama is taking on her first substantive policy role in overseeing the Obama administration programs and partnerships dealing with what is considered a national epidemic of childhood obesity.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/02/01/michelle-obama-kicking-off-childhood-obesity-drive-feb-9/

My hope is that Michelle addresses the role of vaccines, fluoride, environment, lack of physical education in schools, the USDA food pyramid that promotes obesity, unhealthy school lunches, artificial sweeteners proven to cause obesity, HFCS, soy formula, microwave cooking, GMO soy and canola oil disguised as " plant sterols" and not healthy saturated fat, TV ads and cold cereals, and some of Tom Vilsack's GMO buddies, and more to be concerned with.  We are just a nation of starving children who are malnourished because of the focus of today's government guidelines.


Some 30+ related articles on obesity can be found here at Natural Health News

Originally posted  3/6/09

Somehow I think the lineal thinking process, or lack of any kind of meaningful thinking, is a very real issue as we address the needs for health care change and reform in the US, and of course in the world.

I also think that as long as we have this mind set those who see themselves as power brokers just might not be hitting the target, so to speak.

Try to put a few puzzle pieces together here as I give you food for thought.

First of all, look at the USDA. This is the place where dietitians get their basic education. Since most of this is funded by Big AG is it no wonder RDs end up on the short end when it comes to how this translates to a role in health care delivery. Remembering too that the ADA (American Dietetics Association) wants to control ALL nutrition education, and they support aspartame, sucralose (both known obesity promoters) and the faulty food pyramid.

Luise Light, PhD, the originator of the first food pyramid with real food, might give you more to think about. Her opinion of grains is certainly not the same as ADA or USDA or for that matter, Big AG.

Today, you can read about a culture of bias in ADA education. If it is found in students of dietetics (dietetics is not nutrition) then you can be sure it is in the faculty and the field as well.

Bias Against Obesity Is Found Among Future DietitiansBy Carolyn Colwell Healthday Reporter
Mar 5, 2009

THURSDAY, March 5 (HealthDay News) -- Just 2 percent of those training to be dietitians have positive or neutral attitudes toward people who are obese, and the rest are moderately biased against their prospective patients, a new study has found.

"Essentially, this shows that future dieticians are not immune to weight bias, and there are negative attitudes toward obese patients that may have a negative impact on the quality of care," said Rebecca Puhl, the study's lead author and the director of research and stigma initiatives at Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

Most of the almost 200 dietetic students who participated in the study had pejorative views about the attractiveness, self-control, overeating, insecurity and self-esteem of people who are obese. They also rated obese patients as being less likely than non-obese patients to comply with treatment recommendations. The findings were published in the March issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

But the students aren't alone in their beliefs and share the biases with other health-care providers, Puhl said, adding that other studies have shown that many health professionals have negative perceptions about very overweight patients. Patients have reported "very many examples of providers who really make very stereotypical comments that suggest that they are making assumptions about a patient's character, intelligence or abilities because of their weight," she said.

Other signs of professional insensitivity, Puhl said, include weighing obese patients on freight scales because scales in a doctor's office don't accommodate their weight and not having blood pressure cuffs big enough for a heavy patient.

She said that the attitudes expressed by the dietetic students in the study show a lack of appreciation for how difficult it is to lose weight and for the biological factors involved. Also, the message that obesity results from a lack of self control ignores mounting scientific evidence that it's difficult to lose weight and keep it off for a sustained period of time, she said.

"Most people, when they walk into an office, have already tried to lose weight and, more likely, they've lost weight and regained the weight," Puhl said. "I think a better understanding and appreciation of the complexities and difficulties of weight loss are needed to reduce the stigma."

The 182 students who completed the study were from 14 universities and had been enrolled in an undergraduate dietetics program for about two years. With an average age of 23, 92 percent were women, and 85 percent were white.

The researchers asked the students to respond to questions about a normal-weight male and female and an obese male and female. The people they were asked about shared the same health characteristics except for weight.

Dr. Nicholas H.E. Mezitis, an assistant professor of clinical medicine and nutrition at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, said that the findings might be misleading because of the small number of minority students and the predominance of white females among the participants. "If you get into ethnic communities, such as a black population, they all have different views," he said. In some groups, he explained, being thin might not be seen as desirable.

"We also have to bear in mind that a lot of what these students are reading in magazines and such are taking them to the other extreme," Mezitis said. "What's desirable is very thin, and … these [obese] patients are way on the other extreme."

Lona Sandon, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, added that students' mentors need to provide positive role modeling. "If mentors reflect weight bias, then students are likely to do the same," she said. "In addition, one's own attitudes about body image may influence attitudes towards other's weight."

The study recommends adding stigma reduction to the standard curriculum for dietetics programs. The Obesity Society has more on weight-related bias.

Then we have to give some attention to this announcement of the joint venture between the heart association (AHA), Nickelodeon and Bill Clinton's organization to allegedly fight childhood obesity.

Then consider the Healthy School Lunch Program and what actually took place over a decade ago in Wisconsin, and you have to wonder about why all of this has been taking so long.

Then remember when the push started for the Hepatitis B vaccine? It was pretty clearly established that no long term studies had been done with this vaccine, and it contributed to the development of diabetes and some other scary for parents kinds of issues.

Then, if you recall history, Mr. Bill awarded the developers of the Hepatitis B vaccine the National Technology Award.

Is it guilt, is it greed, or is it that there is a real interest in change this issue for our children.

One has to ask because we haven't seen a response on aspartame even though the FDA knows it causes diabetes and obesity.

And certainly there has to be consideration of cultural concerns because in the American Indian and other ethnic and forgotten communities, nuttrition, diabetes and weight issues are major public health problems.

Now you have some real food for thought.

Do Diet Drugs Drop Density

Not sure if its the AP writer or Arena Pharmaceuticals that wants you to take a bit of this one with a veil of success.  I'm skeptical so far because I've looked at the statistics. Their PR says 13 percent to 15 percent of body weight, but is you read the reports it takes about a year to reduce by very few percentage of pounds.

And there are risks as well as problems related to monkeying with your serotonin.

"Lorcaserin works in a way similar to fenfluramine, which was part of the fen-phen diet cocktail before it was withdrawn in 1997 after being linked to heart valve damage."
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1225473220100312

Fenfluramine is a fluoride based compound with benzene
http://naturalhealthnews.blogspot.com/2010/07/common-sense-needed-not-new-risky.html
Lorcaserin 10 mg Once Daily

40.2% of patients treated with 10 mg of lorcaserin dosed once daily lost
at least 5% of their body weight (p<0.0001); and
17.4% of patients treated with 10 mg of lorcaserin dosed once daily lost
at least 10% of their body weight (p<0.0001).

Taking the drug twice daily (BID) increases your risk of serious side 

effects and you show little difference in weight loss over taking the drug

once daily

22.6% of patients treated with 10 mg of lorcaserin dosed twice daily
lost at least 10% of their body weight compared to 9.7% for placebo
(p<0.0001)

So for what costs you incur for the drug, price data which so far I haven't

located, you really aren't making signnificant progress.

If you weigh 250, in a year on this drug you may lose 12.5 - 25 pounds. And if

you follow a sound weight management plan without drugs and include exercise

you can safely look at a loss of 2 pounds a week.

Experimental diet pill shows promise, little risk

Mike Stobbe, Ap Medical Writer – Thu Jul 15, 2010

ATLANTA – An experimental diet pill helped about half the people who tried it lose some weight and keep it off a year later, without the heart problems that some earlier drugs caused, a study found.
Complete article/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100715/ap_on_he_me/us_med_obesity_drugs

http://invest.arenapharm.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=410040
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1225473220100312http://weightloss.suite101.com/article.cfm/will_new_weightloss_drug_make_it_to_market

There might be better ways to look at this health problem.

Common Sense Needed, not new risky weight loss drug

Obesity Concerns Not Cured by A Risky Drug: FDA Plans to Review First of 3 New Diet Drugs

Remember Phen-Fen, an older alleged weight loss drug that harmed the hearts of many and often caused pulmonary hypertension among its other gifts?

It may be reappearing in a different form, a new concoction of phentermine and topiramate, ready to be reviewed by our trusting folks at the FDA.

Phen-Fen: The once-popular diet-drug combination of fenfluramine and phentermine that, amidst much media attention, was taken off the market because of concern for heart valve damage.

Fenfluramine hydrochloride is an anorectic drug for oral administration. Immediate release tablets containing 20 mg fenfluramine hydrochloride are orange, scored, compressed tablets engraved AHR and 6447.
Inactive Ingredients: Corn Starch, FD&C Yellow 6, Magnesium Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

Fenfluramine HCl - one of many fluoride based drugs - has the following chemical name: N-ethyl-alpha-methyl-3-(trifluoromethyl) benzeneethanamine hydrochloride.

The most common adverse reactions of fenfluramine are drowsiness, diarrhea, and dry mouth. Less frequent adverse reactions reported in association with fenfluramine are:

Central nervous system: Dizziness; confusion; incoordination; headache; elevated mood; depression; anxiety, nervousness, or tension; insomnia; weakness or fatigue; increased or decreased libido; agitation, dysarthria. Gastrointestinal: Constipation; abdominal pain; nausea. Autonomic: Sweating; chills; blurred vision. Genitourinary: Dysuria; urinary frequency. Cardiovascular: Palpitation; hypotension; hypertension; fainting; pulmonary hypertension. Skin: Rash; urticaria; burning sensation. Miscellaneous: Eye irritation; myalgia; fever; chest pain; bad taste.

Drug Abuse and Dependence

Fenfluramine hydrochloride is a controlled substance in Schedule IV. Fenfluramine is related chemically to the amphetamines, although it differs somewhat pharmacologically.

Topiramate is a white crystalline powder with a bitter taste. Topiramate is most soluble in alkaline solutions containing sodium hydroxide or sodium phosphate and having a pH of 9 to 10. It is freely soluble in acetone, chloroform, dimethyl sulfoxide, and ethanol. The solubility in water is 9.8 mg/mL. Its saturated solu tion has a pH of 6.3. Topiramate has the molecular formula C₁₂H₂₁NO₈S and a molecular weight of 339.36. Topiramate is designated chemically as 2,3:4,5-Di-O-isopropylidene-β-D-fructopyranose sulfamate and has the following structural formula: used for Seizure and Migraine

14 July, 2010  NEW YORK (AP) – Vivus Inc.'s potential weight loss drug Qnexa will likely draw scrutiny over nervous system and psychiatric side effects from a panel of Food and Drug Administration experts this week.
But shares jumped in morning trading as the FDA acknowledged the potential blockbuster drug's effectiveness in cutting weight. The stock rose $1.75, or 16 percent, to $12.40 in morning trading, more than doubling from a low of $5.57 last July.
The FDA raised some concerns in briefing documents posted online on Tuesday about a range of side effects. It said reviewers should take into account rates of depression, memory and concentration lapses, and heart-related issues, among others. The concerns were not a surprise to Wall Street, which has been following development of the drug over the last several years. Complete article

Side effects include but may not be limited to

Cardiovascular: Primary pulmonary hypertension and/or regurgitant cardiac valvular disease (see WARNINGS), palpitation, tachycardia, elevation of blood pressure.

Central Nervous System: Overstimulation, restlessness, dizziness, insomnia, euphoria, dysphoria, tremor, headache; rarely psychotic episodes at recommended doses.
Gastrointestinal: Dryness of the mouth, unpleasant taste, diarrhea, constipation, other gastrointestinal disturbances.
Allergic: Urticaria.
Endocrine: Impotence, changes in libido.

http://www.diet.com/g/fenphen

Sensible responses to weight issues are welcome.

Our main organization, CHI, offers nutritional and spiritual counseling 

 

If the 'Phen' proportion isn't bad enough consider the anti-seizure drug's problems. Just check out page three of this drug information database and evaluate for yourself.

http://www.rxlist.com/topamax-drug.htm

http://www.vivus.com/pipeline/qnexa-obesity

http://www.merck.com/mmpe/lexicomp/topiramate.html

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/07/12/fda-plans-to-review-first-of-3-new-diet-drugs/

http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/07/12/obesity-was-no-laughing-matter-for-comedian-sonya-d/

PhRMA GREED leads to statins for children

Statins for children 10 to 17 have been FDA approved since 2002.  Now Pfizer seeks EU authorization. 

READ IT HERE FIRST: THE IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING YOU IN HEALTH CARE AT NATURAL HEALTH NEWS DAYS, AND OFTEN WEEKS OR MONTHS, AHEAD OF THE SITES THAT HAVE BEEN COPYING OUR WORK FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS...

Liptor and other statin drugs already have a record of serious side effects and other problesm related to increased risk of demthia and cancer as well as liver and kidney failure.

At what price do those on the take at FDA, and in Congress, begin to show a little ethical behavior as well as really determining the root cause of why children are becoming obese.

Pfizer gets EU approval for kids' cholesterol drug

By LINDA A. JOHNSON, AP Business Writer  Tue Jul 6,  2010

TRENTON, N.J. – The European Union has approved a new chewable form of cholesterol blockbuster Lipitor for children 10 and up with high levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides, a type of blood fat, Pfizer said Tuesday.
The approval includes children whose high blood fats are due to an inherited disease that causes extremely high cholesterol levels, familial hypercholesterolemia.
New York-based Pfizer Inc. won U.S. approval for Lipitor use in children 10 to 17 with that condition in 2002.
Lipitor is the world's top-selling drug, with 2009 sales of about $13 billion, but its U.S. patent expires at the end of November 2011. Pfizer, the world's biggest drugmaker, will quickly lose most Lipitor revenue once generic competition hits, so the company has been trying to boost sales where possible before then.
Pfizer said last fall that it plans to apply for a six-month extension of its patent in European countries, after doing studies of Lipitor in youngsters.
As in the United States, the European Union allows drug makers to seek an additional six months of patent protection for medications if they test them in children, who generally are excluded from the drug studies performed to win approval for a new medication.
Pfizer already won such an extension for its crucial U.S. patent on Lipitor.
For blockbuster drugs, those extensions can easily bring hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue. Normally, they are for drugs that are widely used by different age groups.
Until recently, cholesterol drugs have been primarily taken by adults with heart disease, but their use has expanded to younger patients as more obese, sedentary teenagers and adolescents develop heart disease and diabetes.
Lipitor is approved to lower risk of heart attack and stroke, but can cause dangerous muscle pain or weakness, and it cannot be taken by patients with liver problems or by nursing or pregnant women.

Clear association between obesity and vitamin D deficiency

Calcium, parathyroid health, and obesity

Endocrinology: http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/jc.2009-2822v1

More on a study conducted at Uppsala University has demonstrated that obese people often suffer from serious vitamin D deficiency and poor calcium metabolism. The findings have been published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. According to the researchers, the problem is under appreciated by the health care establishment.

Better than BMI

Figuring out whether your weight is in the healthy range involves multiplication, division and calculating your height in inches, squared. If you do all that right, you'll get your Body Mass Index (BMI), which ideally should be in the range of 19 to 24.

Currently the BMI has been sidelined in favor of waist circumference measurements as being a better tool.

Now comes the revision of an old tool I used decades ago when I was in college and studying nutrition for health.

A Nevada professor of applied statistics has come up with an easier formula you probably can do in your head. 

Here's how: for women, the baseline height is 5 feet and the maximum weight limit (MWL) is 125, meaning that if you're 5 feet tall and weigh more than 125 you’re over your MWL. If you're taller, add 4.5 pounds for every extra inch so if you’re 5'5", your MWL would be 147.5 (125 + 22.5). If you’re less than 5 feet tall, subtract 4.5 pounds for every inch below that baseline. 

For men, the baseline height is 5'9" and MWL is 175. For every additional inch, add five pounds (or subtract five for every inch under 5'9"). Results closely correspond to your BMI. 

Professor George Fernandez presented his new method at the Sept. 22, 2009 Nevada Public Health Association Conference.

Finally, science agrees with herbalYODA on fructose

Food sweetener could be 'fuelling' childhood diabetes, study finds


The sweetener fructose, a cheap sugar substitute found in thousands of processed foods and soft drinks, may be increasing childhood diabetes and the obesity crisis, new findings suggest.

Fructose


By Amy Willis, Daily Telegraph, 13 Dec 2009

In a study by researchers at the University of California, 16 volunteers were put on a controlled diet with high-levels of fructose – a sweetener derived from corn.

After 10 weeks, the volunteers had developed more fat cells around the heart, liver and other major organs as well as showing signs of food processing abnormalities linked to diabetes and heart disease.

Another group of volunteers, who were also on a controlled diet but without the fructose, did not show the fat cell increase or the food processing abnormalities.

Both groups put on the same amount of weight.

Children are said to be in a higher risk group as they are more likely to eat products with high-levels of sweeteners over longer periods of time.

"This is the first evidence we have that fructose increases diabetes and heart disease independently from causing simple weight gain," Kimber Stanhope, a molecular biologist who led the study, told a Sunday newspaper.

Stuffing Face 101: Eating fast makes us fat

ATHENS, Greece, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- Greek researchers say mom was right when she said "wolfing down your food will make you fat."

The study, published in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, finds those taking a full 30 minutes to eat ice cream tend to have higher concentrations of two satiety inducing gut hormones -- peptide YY and glucagon-like peptide -- and had more of a feeling of being full than those who ate their ice cream quickly.

"Our study provides a possible explanation for the relationship between speed eating and overeating by showing that the rate at which someone eats may impact the release of gut hormones that signal the brain to stop eating," lead author Dr. Alexander Kokkinos of Laiko General Hospital in Athens says in a statement.

A decreased release of gut hormones, Kokkinos says, can often lead to overeating.

"Our findings give some insight into an aspect of modern-day food overconsumption, namely the fact that many people, pressed by demanding working and living conditions, eat faster and in greater amounts than in the past," Kokkinos says.

School Lunch Improvements Don't Limit Sugar

UPDATE:10/23/09

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Prevention programs may be the best way to fight child obesity, U.S. researchers said.

A study examining regional changes in child obesity between 2000-2005, published in the journal Obesity, found a local obesity prevention program combining state and local community nutrition and exercise programs with media attention, and an evidence-based school health approach in the El Paso, Texas, region, was most effective statewide in decreasing childhood obesity.

The El Paso fourth graders had a decrease of 13 percent in obesity prevalence.

"Data from the El Paso region show us that obesity prevention efforts, when implemented on a broad scale, can be successful," study leader Deanna Hoelscher of the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, Austin, Texas, said in a statement.

Hoelscher said the results of the study -- called SPAN, or Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition -- illustrated the importance of measuring prevalence at the local level rather than relying on national or state estimates to monitor trends.

--------------------
Yesterday I listened to Charlie Rose interview former FDA honcho David Kessler about his book on food.

While I agree that Big Ag and food manufacturers have been remiss in their efforts to enhance the addictive power of their products with sugar, salt and fat (as trans-fats), as well as the addition - not mentioned by Kessler - of artificial coloring, flavorings, HFCS, aspartame and sucralose, flavor enhancers such as MSG and Senomyx all add to the problem.

What I also did not hear Kessler mention is the direct connection between many of the vaccines to diabetes and to obesity. The Hepatitis vaccine is one of the main culprits. A new study on vaccines shows brain inflammation and injury following this particular vaccine.

Other concerns of mine relate to the use of non-fat dairy products when children need fat for growth and brain function as well as energy.

Then think of the USDA pyramid and its heavy weight on grains and pasts as well as other carbs, not so good when more vegetables and limited whole fruit make more sense.

But then I'm not from Big Ag or the government...

Read more: Childhood Obesity Campaign: Issues in Health

A Different Kind of School Lunch

Light on what happened to the healthy pyramid

School lunches get nutritional makeover
Published: Oct. 21, 2009

Recommendations by the Institute of Medicine are expected to be used to make over U.S. school lunch and breakfast menus, nutrition advocates said.

Margo G. Wootan, nutrition policy director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, said schools shouldn't wait for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's final regulations to implement Institute of Medicine's sensible new school meal standards.

"The USDA should help schools work toward the new standards, so by the time they are required schools are already most of the way there," Wootan said in a statement. "When Congress reauthorizes child nutrition legislation, it also should give USDA and school districts the resources and support they need to make these healthier meals appeal even to the most finicky of young eaters."

The recommendations, which the Agriculture Department will write into regulations, will increase the amounts of fruits, vegetables and whole grains in school meals; reduce the content of sodium and trans fat; and ensure low- or no-fat milk is provided, Wootan said.

The changes will help address the biggest problems in children's diets and foster healthier eating habits, advocates said. However, the Institute of Medicine unfortunately didn't recommend limits on added sugars, Wootan said.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

How To Choose The Best Weight Management Product For You

By Michael Skatoli

Weight management and weight loss products and programs have
grown into a burgeoning industry in the last number of years
and it is only getting bigger. The big problem is that there
are such a large number of weight management products for
sale, all promising quick results, that it is difficult to
figure out which ones may be most suitable for you.

It is thought that up to $55bn is spent on weight loss
products and weight loss programs in the US each year. The
range of weight loss products available is quite staggering.
They range from pills, ointments, diet supplements, fitness
machines, CDs, creams and rings to clothes and books.
Certainly, many of these products will be genuinely
beneficial, while others will not. The trick is finding the
right ones.

We all would prefer a quick and easy fix when it comes to
shedding those pounds. A lot of supplements will guarantee
dramatic effects with little or no healthy eating or
exercise. It is questionable whether these will really
deliver results, and if they do they might be dangerous to
your health.

That said, there are numerous genuinely helpful supplements
out there that, with the aid of the right diet and regular
exercise, will help you achieve your weight loss goals. A
good way to begin is to check out which supplements are
approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There
are a lot of fully approved widely available products that
will help in your fight against weight gain.

It is also helpful to consult your GP. There are a lot of
prescription weight loss drugs which, with the correct
supervision, can help you attain your goals.

That said, if possible, it may be advisable to avoid
supplements and drugs completely and lose weight the healthy
and natural way - namely by eating well and getting plenty
of exercise. This method might take more effort and
willpower, but it is more sustainable and satisfying in the
long term.

It is safe to say that there are a plethora of weight loss
products to help you if you choose to go down this path.
Fitness machines, stair masters or cycling machines are a
good way to begin. On the other hand, if you are feeling a
little more adventurous, you could invest in some jogging
gear and hit the streets.

Also, a visit to your local bookstore or Amazon may be a
good start. Self-help books may not be for everyone but a
good one might help motivate you and help you set your mind
on the task of losing weight. Investigate what the most
popular books on weight loss are these days, and pick up a
few healthy eating CDs while you're at it.

The right weight loss products for you will depend on your
personality, your preferences, your aims and a number of
other factors. Visit your GP and try to find a game plan
that works for you and then choose what weight loss products
you require.

Michael is a reporter with over 15 years writing experience.
Michael is currently employed as a columnist for the
fuzing.com portal and has become the resident authority on
weight loss products. Be sure to visit our very useful
website for additional information on Fat Burning Capsules
and Diet Pills.

Lose Weight Fast - 3 Crucial Things You Should Know

By Chloe Bishop

Most people nowadays are looking for fast and easy ways to
lose weight. We long to have lean, toned and attractive
physique and yet we are not willing to work for it.

This overwhelming demand for easy ways to lose weight fast
is exactly what's fueling the scams that many diet and
weight loss companies are perpetuating.

Do these sound familiar:

"Simply peel and stick to burn fat and lose weight!" (ad
selling diet patches)

"This product will change your body in 4 minutes a day!"

"Forget about long, difficult exercises! We have a range of
treatments and surgeries to make you lose weight..."

"Take this pill, go to bed... wake up skinny! It's magic!"

If you really think about it - can you honestly believe
their promises are true?

Out of desperation, many people actually buy into these
fantasies of a quick, easy, and miraculous physical
transformation.

Sure they are just doing their jobs - but don't you think
you deserve to make a well-informed and educated purchasing
decision?

They say when it sounds too good to be true, then it
probably is. So before you fall for any of the hype again,
remember these 3 things being kept from you by most
marketers of quick fix weight loss solutions:

1. "Weight loss" is not necessarily beneficial.

Most (if not all) body wraps, slimming teas, and toning
creams work mainly by eliminating water from your body.

Losing water changes nothing about how much body fat you
have. Remember that your body is 75% water. It's sick that
their strategy for making you lose weight is by dehydrating
you.

But you gotta hand it to them - dehydration IS an easy way
to lose weight fast! Clever, indeed.

Losing weight by dehydrating yourself is obviously
ineffective, and the weight loss effect hardly lasts.
Buying these miracle cures is just like patching up a hole
on your shirt - it may patch up the hole, but it doesn't
make you look good nor solve the problem.

2. Starving yourself actually makes you fatter!

Another "easy ways to lose weight fast" solutions are pills
and potions designed to make you lose appetite. An extremely
low-calorie diet can work in the short term, but over a
prolonged period of time, our body's starvation response
mechanism kicks in, ultimately causing our bodies to hoard
fat.

When you starve yourself, you may lose weight at the start
due to the big calorie deficit, but eventually your body
thinks it's starving to death so it switches to survival
mode. When this happens, it burns off your muscles for fuel,
conserves energy by decreasing your metabolism and - horror
of horrors - keeps your body fat.

Is that what you really want?

3. Many quick fix solutions don't work for the long-term.

Of course, when you DO lose weight through bogus means and
by using ineffective products, in order to keep losing
weight you're made to think you have to keep consuming their
products. And that's exactly what marketers and vendors are
training you to do: to keep buying their stuff!

Considering this reason alone, you may want to ask yourself
if it's really worth it.

Conclusion

The problem with weight loss is that losing weight could
mean just losing water or muscle. So instead of having
weight loss as your goal, aim for fat loss instead.

An truly effective fat loss program includes the right
combination of personalized nutrition, exercise and mental
training.

Using natural methods, you may need to pay a higher price
with your sweat and resilience to see results, but the
benefits are worth it.

The truth is that there are no magical and miraculous
solutions that can instantly give us the body we want. If
there are, then why is obesity a continuously growing
problem?

Recommendation

Many people fail to lose fat effectively because they don't
know what to do or how to do it. I say that the best way to
to find out what works for you is by educating yourself
using reliable sources and applying the principles you've
learned.

The best resource I've found about fat-burning and muscle
building is Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle
program.

I myself have used Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle, and while
the results had been remarkable (I reached my target of 15%
body fat within 84 days), what really worked for me was the
whole process of how I succeeded. When I read Burn the Fat,
I finally 'got' it, and from then on I was unstoppable. I
had everything I needed to make it work: the motivation, the
knowledge, and a proven way to find my very own fat loss
formula.

You can learn more about Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle
program at (http://www.burnfatgainmuscle.info) Burn Fat Gain
Muscle website here.

Can't Stick To Your Weight Loss Program? Here's Why

By Erin Upshaw

Many people are very similar to you. They are tired of
constantly trying new exercises and diets that just will
never work. You're motivated at first, but as time progresses
you become tired of it, and you feel as if you have failed
again.

Does this sound like you? Are you wondering why you cannot
stick to your weight loss program? Well, so are many others.
There are many factors that could explain why you cannot
stick to your weight loss program, and this article will
examine a few of them in depth.

Your program may have been a bad program that resulted in
failure. Maintaining an extreme diet will fail on you
because it is too difficult to maintain. Eating specific
fruits or performing weird exercises or workouts for long
periods of time is eventually not sustainable. If you're
looking to stay slim, you've got to pick a routine that you
can maintain consistently for the long-term.

A lack of support from family and friends causes many to
quit their diets. Maybe your family and friends didn't
provide the support you needed in order to say no to that
bite of rich dessert. It could be possible that your
friends had no faith in you or your diet. A fact of life is
the fact that support is critical when focusing on weight
loss. Try joining a weight loss group with others that are
in the same situation, or consider hiring a personal trainer
that will keep you motivated towards your goals.

You could have been dieting incorrectly while exercising too
much, or even dieting without doing a single exercise
routine. The results you expected didn't happen and led you
to quit what you were doing and loose focus. Both diet and
exercise are a necessary combination when doing a workout
program in order to lose weight. No matter what plan,
program, or diet you choose, you must combine a balance of
diet and exercise.

Another reason was that you expected results far too
quickly. Diets take time to work, and your body may take
even more time to adjust to your new diet before weight loss
is noticed. Your body is resistant and will require you to
use diet and exercise to steer it to shed pounds. Stick to
a well designed program, and the results you want will be
achieved.

A final reason for you to quit your weight loss program
could be that you lacked a bona fide commitment. It is
impossible to begin a new lifestyle with only half the
motivation. Diet and exercise plans require full mental
commitment. You will find yourself taking shortcuts around
your diet and become frustrated when the scale goes up not
down. Personally commit to this workout plan from day 1 and
don't look back. Remember that if you continue to do what
you always did then you will get what you always got.

Most people advertise all kinds of secrets to weight loss,
but the secret never really was a secret. It's the one
truth that we all know: a lifestyle with a healthy diet and
exercise are what will help us all lose weight and stay in
shape. There are no secret tricks or shortcuts to becoming
healthy. You've just read the trick for yourself. You will
not find a "fat buster" cure besides a healthy diet and
exercise. Do your research, pick a workout plan that you
will enjoy, and stay with it. Remember to aim for realistic
and achievable goals and you will be sure to shed those
unwanted pounds.

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Some Typical Causes Of Childhood Obesity

Being concerned with the causes of childhood obesity is a
very good idea for any parent. It's only when you
recognize the true causes of this condition that you can
truly work toward fixing it. Dismissing the situation will
not make it disappear. And when a youngster grows up heavy
or obese it's far more difficult to control the weight
as an adult. So, what are the common causes of childhood
obesity and what may a family do to come to grips with these
causes?

Think of the typical lifestyle that many people lead today
and you may get your first clue as to the typical causes of
childhood obesity. Children just don't go outdoors and have
fun anymore. They usually spend their free time playing
video games or computer games or watching the television
set. Physical inactivity is one of the reasons for
childhood obesity. The body must burn the calories it takes
in from eating. Any extra calories not burned off are stored
as fat.

Today people also typically drive everywhere rather than
walk. Children ride the bus to school and are often driven
to the bus stop itself. They're driven to their friend's
house and to the corner store. And when it's time to do
chores around the house we have many labor-saving devices
that limit physical activity as well. Power lawn mowers,
snow blowers, and leaf blowers mean that even when doing
work around the house there is very little exertion
expended. All of this lack of activity and lack of physical
exertion is another one of the causes of childhood
obesity.

The diet that many people follow is another part of those
causes of childhood obesity. Most food that people consume
is very unhealthy. It is commonly cooked with added oil,
butter, and sugar to heighten the flavor. Unfortunately, this
also enhances the calorie count! Fast food and junk food are
two prime culprits. Hamburgers, fries, potato chips, and
items like these are very calorie heavy, meaning they have a
lot of calories for the amount of food you get. Fast food
restaurants are definitely a large part of the common causes
of childhood obesity! Enclosed in this are the numerous
vending machines that are just about everywhere, including
the schools. Most of their contents contain sugary foods and
sodas. It's not strange for youngsters to eat literally
thousands and thousands of surplus calories every week.
This, even if it doesn't appear as if anyone is overeating.

These common causes of childhood obesity can be treated by
any responsible parent. There's no need to go to extremes
or to never have a hamburger again. But being balanced and
moderate can go a long way in this respect. Addressing these
causes of childhood obesity may be as simple as walking
after dinner as a family or going for bike rides on a
regular basis. Serve healthy and nourishing foods at home to
balance out the excess calories children consume when on
their own, and your child should maintain a healthy weight.

How To Make Fat Loss Work For You

With a huge percentage of the population of Western
countries overweight and out of shape, it's no wonder that
the demand for fitness products is as strong as ever. Diet
pills, protein shakes and exercise gadgets are selling like
crazy as people try to lose weight and have a better quality
life.

As the culture of fast-food spreads across the globe, an
increasing number of people are falling prey to the
temptations of high-calorie junk food. Obesity is on the
rise and together with it other diet-related diseases like
diabetes and high-blood pressure.

In their quest to lead healthier lives and find the fastest
fat loss method, overweight people embrace the newest fad
diet that comes along. The word 'fad' precedes 'diet'
because that's just what they are - popular for a while then
as folks realize their effects aren't sustainable, these
over-hyped diet plans are quickly dropped for the next one
that comes along.

Getting rid of excess fat is only a matter of burning more
calories than our body takes in each day. Office work and
commuting takes up most of our hours and this means we're on
our butts for most of the day. Losing weight then by just
cutting back on food intake won't be very successful without
regular workout sessions.

Fat loss happens faster when we exercise and use up a larger
amount of caloric energy than we get from our daily
consumption of food. Aside from improving our physique,
working out regularly also conditions the cardiovascular
system and produces endorphins which improve our mood.

Trying to cut back on calories by passing-up breakfast or
lunch can also lead to a feeling of self-deprivation. This
only serves to make us vulnerable to loss of self-control
and pigging-out the next time we go to a party or a buffet
table. Eating too much in one meal if done regularly results
in an ugly potbelly after a while.

Experts say it's more effective to eat small portions
whenever we get the munchies rather than stuffing ourselves
every meal. Doing this can also keep our metabolism high and
lets us burn calories more efficiently. It's been discovered
that our metabolic rate slows down considerably when our
body senses a shortage of food.

Having healthy eating habits and sticking to regular
fat-burning exercises (cardio and strength training) will
help speed-up fat loss and keep metabolism high. Raising the
body's metabolic rate means less calories transformed to
fat.

Senator Ortiz y Pino Continues Fight to Ban Aspartame

Please support this important FDA action. And hopefully, this time around, Ajinmoto will not send big checks - like the 10K Bill Richardson accepted - to interfere with fact and the people's will.

New Mexico Senate
Santa Fe, New Mexico
February 12, 2009

The Honorable Frank Torti, M.D.
Acting Commissioner, United States Food and Drug Administration
5400 Fishers Lane
Rockville, Maryland

Dear Dr. Torti:

I am the New Mexico sponsor of the enclosed Senate Memorial 9, 2009, asking the Food and Drug Administration to rescind its approval for the artificial sweetener, aspartame.

You may know that the FDA, to its credit, turned down G.D. Searles application for aspartame's approval from 1966 to 1981, at which point, approval was forced through the FDA at the insistence fo Searles CEO, Donald Rumsfeld.

Numerous physicians petitions as well as many private petitions have been filed with FDA since 1981 asking for the rescinding of aspartames approval. These have all been routinely ignored and responded to with industry assurance about how many industry financed "tests" aspartame has been through, all of which showed "aspartame to be safe."

FDA used to keep records on consumer complaints on aspartame, accruing a minimum of 92 alleged symptoms from ingesting aspartame, ranging from headaches, blurred vision, skin rashes, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis to that ultimate symptom, DEATH.

Dr. Torti, this chemical has produced a massive mountain of medical and neurodengenerative evidence, which I believe would lead you to order it removed from the market. While it is too late to do this now as a "precaution"; it is even more imperative to do this as a means of preventing further medical harm to future victims.

This Memorial is advancing in the New Mexico Senate, after being cosponsored by ten of my colleagues. A similar version of the Memorial has also been introduced by Hawaii Senator Chun Oakland, and is cosponsored by ten members of the Hawaii Senate. That resolution will create an evidentiary repository for Hawaii victims, especially those with diabetes and epileptic seizures, now statistically epidemic in Hawaii, with links to aspartame.

In January 2009, Hawaii Senator Kalani English introduced SB576 in that state. It would ban aspartame entirely in Hawaii. This bill is cosponsored by an astonishing 14 members of the 25 member Hawaii Senate. At the same time, Representative Mele Carroll has introduced HB669, also banning aspartames sale and use in Hawaii.

I realize a permanent FDA Commissioner has not yet been selected by the Obama Administration, but when one is appointed, I will send a similar letter to him/her to again request this action in order to protect the American public from further harm from a chemical that the FDA has known for 43 years is metabolized as methanol, formaldehyde, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and the proven carcinogen, diketopiperazine.

This regulatory failure of epic proportions entirely resulted from the actions of Donald Rumsfeld when he was with the original patent holder for aspartame. There is sufficient evidence to warrant such a rescinding, a situation not unlike that in 1969 when President Richard Nixon similarly ordered the FDA to take away the approval for another group of carcinogens, cyclamates, which occurred very quickly.

Our concern must be the overarching concerns of preventing further neurodengenerative and carcinogenic damage to hundreds of millions of Americans, who have no other government entity to trust and depend on than the United State Food and Drug Administration!

I believe that President Obama, Congressman Bart Stupak, and Congresswoman Rosa Delauro all want to see the rebuilding of an FDA that merits the restored trust of the American people. I certainly want to see this come about, and I hope you do as well.

Rescinding aspartames FDA approval would be a major credible first step in the right direction.

Sincerely yours,
Gerald Ortiz y Pino
New Mexico State Senator
District 12
Albuquerque

Weight Loss For Good Health

There is no such thing as a perfect and easy weight loss
system, but many good ones do exist and it will depend on
the user as to how effective any system will ultimately be.
Being overweight is the cause of many medical conditions
which require long term attention but obesity also affects
the way we see ourselves as well.

There are plenty of easy weight loss methods available on
the Internet, but what you don't realize is that you are the
person who is going to make it easy. Is it to remain healthy, or
is it because someone else wants you to lose weight?

Many people forget that a number of factors must be included
in any weight loss program from the amount of physical
activity involved down to the type of food eaten, when, and
how often. Don't be too ambitious and set yourself
impossible tasks like losing 30 pounds in less than a month;
this is not sensible because it can have a vast impact on
the entire body bringing about other health problems like
anemia or heartburn.

To keep it simple, consider that a pound in weight is
generally believed to be 3,500 calories and then it's easy
to break down into daily reductions of 500 calories, meaning
you can lose a pound in weight each week. Too many people
are consuming large amounts of unhealthy food because they
enjoy eating but there is no need to force-feed yourself
just because you enjoy particular foodstuffs.

Of course we often eat more when we do not feel very good
about ourselves or are depressed about our lives, which is
often called comfort eating. It is nonsense to believe that
continued eating and weight gain will not have serious
consequences for your health as we now see in the increase of
conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart conditions and
cancer. The psychological aspect of using easy weight
loss methods and weight gain should also be considered
as part of the overall cure, but if we just rely on dieting
then we will not be addressing the real issues of obesity.

Studies have shown that people who have started weight loss
programs with a light-hearted determination are more likely
to accomplish the looked-for results. A positive attitude
and open mind are very often the keys to improving life
style and eliminating the bad habits. Most people that lose
those extra pounds claim they have more energy and are able
to do things that their weight had stopped them from
enjoying previously.

Many easy weight loss programs are far from it as they
actually test the person using them but the pain barrier
does not last long and once through it, the whole system
becomes more pleasant.