Misconception About Excercising and Burning Calories

According to Edward Melanson PhD, an associate professor of medicine, Exercising during the day does not make a person a fat burning machine for the next 24 hours.

This research was presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine in Seattle this month.

Moderate duration exercise of an hour or less has little impact on 24-hour fat oxidation. It's not that exercise doesn't burn fat, it's just that people replace the calories.

"Exercise increases the capacity to burn more fat," said Melanson, "But if you replace those calories, that is lost."

The point of the study is that people need to get out of the mind set that just because you are working out you can eat whatever you want, at least for people who are trying to lose weight.

If people are using exercise to lose body weight or body fat, they have to consider how many calories they are expending and how many they are taking in. Melanson said the goal is a negative fat balance. Get more information here.

Americans Still Avoiding Healthy Living

A new study shows that recommendations on diet and exercise aren't getting through, reports WebMD. The research indicates that even though Americans know what they need to do to ward off cardiovascular disease and live longer, most still aren't making smart lifestyle choices.

In the June 2009 issue of The American Journal of Medicine, researchers reported that only a small proportion of adults are engaging in physical activity on a regular basis, eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetable, or working hard to maintain a healthy weight.

Study researchers Dana E. King, MD, MS said, "The potential public health benefits from promoting a healthier lifestyle at all ages, and especially ages 40-74 years, are substantial. Regular physical activity and a prudent diet can reduce the risk of premature death and disability from a variety of conditions, including coronary heart disease, and are strongly related to the incidence of obesity."

King says that the medical costs related to physical inactivity and its consequences are estimated at $76 billion.

The researchers write that men's healthy habits have decreased more than women in some areas and the percentage of women engaging in physical activity decreased by about 7%.

Among their conclusions is that more emphasis is needed on the importance of healthy lifestyle habits.

Alcoholism May be Predicted by Sensitivity to Alcohol

A new study says the more you need to drink to feel the effects of alcohol, the greater your chance of becoming an alcoholic.

A low level of response to alcohol can lead a person to drink more heavily to get a buzz or other desired effects according to the article on MedicineNet.com.

The condition appears to be genetic and independent of other influences on alcohol usage, such as the age a person started drinking, family, history of alcohol abuse and body mass index according to the researchers.

It is also noted that having a more immediate reaction to alcohol would not guarantee that a person wouldn't develop a drinking problem because alcoholism is linked to many different factors.

Yo-Yo Dieting is Taking a Toll on Americans

USA Today reports that yo-yo dieting is the most common outcome of efforts to lose weight. People are able to lose weight at first but the majority of them gain it back whether its over one year, two years, three years or five according to the article.

Psychologist Thomas Wadden says that it is natural for dieters to blame themselves when they regain weight. However, after losing weight, there's a cascade of biological responses designed to return you to your pre-diet levels. Wadden says that a hunger hormone called gehrelin increases, and a fullness hormone called leptin decreases.

The article goes into detail about other reasons why so many Americans can be considered "yo-yo" dieters which include the availability of food 24/7, lessening amounts of exercise in people's lives, and dieters setting "lofty goals".

Keith Ayoob, a registered dietitian says that people need to understand that losing weight is a process, not a sprint. It is diet, physical activity and the mental approach to food, food has to become less of a priority in our lives.

Texting May Be Causing Health Issues

American teenagers sent an average of 2,272 text messages per month in the fourth quarter of 2008 according to the Nielson Company. That is nearly 80 messages a day.

The New York Times reports that all of this texting is starting to worry many physicians and psychologists who say it is leading to anxiety, distraction in school, falling grades, repetitive stress injury and sleep deprivation.

A pediatrician in Greenbrae, Calif., surveyed students at two local high schools and found that many were sending hundreds of texts every single day. The texts late at night are going to cause sleeping issues in this age group.

However, this rise in texting is too recent to have produced any conclusive data on health effects but it may be causing a shift in the way adolescents develop according to a psychologist's study found in the article.

Recession Causing a Change in Healthy Habits

Two national surveys tell us that public health is being affected by the recession (MedicineNet).

The American Academy of Family Physicians says the recession and fears of money problems are causing people to do things such as skipping doctor's appointments and the gym, postponing preventive care, and eating more unhealthy foods.

The American Heart Association says in another survey that Americans are cutting back on exercise and eating low-cost fattening foods to save money which could worsen the nation's obesity problem.

This AHA survey found that 57% of people surveyed report that the economy has affected their ability to take care of their health. More statistics and information can be found in the article.

Almost 96,000 Pounds of Ground Beef Products Recalled

The federal government announced Thursday that an Illinois meat producer recalled 95,898 pounds of ground beef.

CNN Health reports that the recall was designated as "Class One" by the Department of Agriculture from Valley Meats LLC of Coal Valley, Illinois, implying the health risks associated with eating the meat is high.

The Ohio Department of Health reported an outbreak of illness linked to the bacterium E. coli to federal authorities on May 13. Clusters of illnesses have also been reported in Pennsylvania and Illinois.

A list of the recalled products were posted on the USDA Web site, all of which were produced on March 10 and packaged under a variety of labels.

New Sunscreen Regulations Proposed by FDA Nearly Finalized

According to new FDA regulations to be put in place by the end of this year, sunscreen labels will be changing. WebMD states that these changes have been designed to give consumers a better idea of the sun protection they are receiving from their sunscreen.

The new regulations will require sunscreen manufacturers to give information on the amount of ultraviolet A (UVA) screening provided by their products.

Many sunscreen label claims that you see now will be prohibited including claiming sun factors (SPF) of more than 50+. Many of the commonly seen phrases will also disappear including "sunblock" and "waterproof".

"No product can completely block out the rays from the sun and no product is completely waterproof," said Rita Chappelle of the FDA in an interview with WebMD.

Although the regulations are not completely finalized, the FDA is coming very close and proposed regulations are all coming together.

Getting Enough Sleep?

According to a new study on WebMD, if you are trying to lose weight, a good night's sleep may help. This study, presented May 15-20 at the American Thoracic Society's International Conference in San Diego, had participants wear armbands that measured total activity, body temperature, body position, and other indicators of rest and activity.

Contrary to what was expected, the overweight participants were significantly more active and burned more calories per day than their normal-weight peers.

Lead researcher Am Eliasson, MD, said, "We found so many interesting links in our data. Primarily, we want to know what is driving the weight differences, and why sleep and weight appear to be connected."

Lack of sleep may disrupt natural hormonal balances that trigger overeating. Stress could also be a factor according to Eliasson. For more on sleep and weight, see "Healthy Eating & Diet".

Swine Flu Concerns Dwindling...

Right now, the swine flu seems to be at the top of every one's worry list. According to CNN Health, the number of confirmed swine flu cases has almost reached 10,000.

Although there have been at least 79 deaths, swine flu has acted like a typical seasonal influenza which can usually be treated successfully but can be deadly among the very young, the very old and those with pre-existing health problems. Authorities have said this week that the outbreak may be less severe than they first suspected (CNN Health).

The number of cases may still be rising but a new poll released this morning from the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation found that only one in six Americans is worried that someone in their family will get the flu

According to the poll, 63% of those polled said they were never worried about the flu to begin with. In general, Americans worries about the flu seem to be calming. See more results here