Experts anticipate small but healthy lifestyle changes in 2011

Tuesday, 04 January 2011 14:04

Reducing portion size, eating more colorful meals, and increasing physical activity are a few of the small but healthy changes predicted for 2011 by the Calorie Control Council, a non-profit association representing the low-calorie, reduced-fat food and beverage industry.

According to Beth Hubrich, R.D., executive director of the Calorie Control Council, the organization recommends focusing on "small improvements in eating and exercise habits" that can be maintained for life, rather than trying extreme or restrictive diet plans.

One in four overweight women think their weight is normal

Monday, 29 November 2010 13:22

Faulty body perception may be another contributing factor for obesity. Nearly one quarter of overweight women believe that their weight is normal, reports a new study published in the December issues of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Average-weight women sometimes view their bodies inaccurately as well: The study found that sixteen percent of women at an average body weight viewed themselves as being overweight.

Researchers found that these perceptions often correlated with race. Overweight African-American and Hispanic women were more likely to perceive their weight as normal, while white women were more likely to consider themselves overweight, even if they weren't.

Why when you eat is as important as what you eat

Thursday, 04 November 2010 09:05

A new study presented at the Obesity Society 28th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego suggests that eating meals late at night may be associated with a higher risk of obesity. Researchers from Health Care Food Research Laboratories in Tokyo, Japan, examined the effects of different meal times on healthy males. The men in the study all ate the same meals and had breakfasts at 8:00 a.m. and lunch at 1:00 p.m. The control group ate dinner at 7:00 p.m.; the test group at 10:00 p.m.

Study authors found that the men in the late-dinner group burned fewer calories and expended less energy after they ate. Insulin levels were also significantly higher after dinner in the late-dinner group. Men in the test group also reported feeling hungrier.