![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|
AMA news NY Times Health Washington Post Health LA Times Health Medscape BBC Health News Healthier US.Gov No Free Lunch
|
|
On resistance training Seniors need strength training, too
I extrapolate and believe that we 50somethings should do resistance training as primary prevention. And I do.
More on stretching not preventing injuries Hold That Stretch: Warm-Up Is Challenged
The argument against stretching does make some sense. You need not take a joint to an angle that you will not be using. Too much laxity may make injury more likely (by preventing resistance to injury). I like the recommendation of warming up. I notice in golf that a slow warm up leads to better golf swings on the course. I notice that prior to my weight lifting sessions, a moderate aerobic activity of 10-15 minutes helps me get ready for action. Posted byVacation Going on vacation. Will resume blogging either Sunday or Monday. Playing golf and giving health care thoughts a rest. Have a great weekend!!! Posted byAnd I hate stretching anyway Wow - sometimes research provides good news. FITNESS: Study finds no evidence stretching prevents injuries
Sounds good - warm up, stay in shape, do not worry so much about stretching. Posted byThe anti-Atkins Diet I might love this diet. Can a high-carb diet help you lose weight?
There is more than one way to skin a cat, and more than one way to lose weight. This way looks interesting to me. I hope we read more about this new diet. Posted byAtkins updated You probably saw this on TV or read this in the newspapers. The Post-Atkins Low Carb Diet
Posted by Weight loss surgery is dangerous Weight loss surgery has a major "upside". Morbidly obese patients who have major weight loss have wonderful health and social benefits. Despite the danger, for many patients the risk is clearly worthwhile. We must always remember the risk though - Mass. Panel to Probe Obesity Surgery
The death rate is significant. Patients need complete disclosure of the risks. But the benefits are great enough to make the risks worthwhile for many patients. Posted byPortion control - the key to weight control This article explains our portion control problem very well - Want to stay slim? Get a handle on America's out-of-control food portions Posted byOn exercise and weight loss Many readers have a New Year's resolution to lose weight. You can lose weight just by dieting. However, increasing activity can help greatly. Need Exercise? Count on It
Posted by On fighting obesity - state laws State legislatures have taken heed. They are passing positive laws to attack the obesity epidemic. Worried about obesity, states mulling laws for restaurants, schools and public employees
For even more information on obesity - here is the Surgeon General's web page on the subject - The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity Posted byFitness matters! I harp on fitness often. Personally I work out approximately 5 days a week, some resistance training, some cardiovascular work. This article speaks to young adults, but I suspect it is rarely too late. Treadmill Tests Gauge Future Fitness
We should spend public health dollars on middle school and high school fitness programs. "Phys Ed" is not a luxury for students, but rather a most important class. It should provide life long exercise habits. This is important. Posted byHyponatremia - a reminder Do not drink excessively when running marathons. Running the Risk of Too Much Water: Hyponatremia Can Sometimes Lead to Death for Marathoners If you run or bike long distances, please read this article. Posted byAligning incentives So how can we get Americans to exercise? Maybe incentives will work - Bribing People To Exercise?
What a logical, novel, and appropriate idea!!!! Posted byThat's more like it! So what are the costs and benefits of bariatric surgery? We just do not know - so Louisiana will find out! La. Testing Stomach Surgery's Cost Effect
This is very important. Some obese patients really cannot lose weight without surgery. I believe that it will save money, but we will wait and "let the data speak". Posted byThe South Beach Diet New Doctor, New Diet, but Still No Cookies
This article describes a very interesting diet. It seems to have significant rationale. Of course we need good prospective studies to be sure. I would probably pick this over the Atkins' diet given the information I currently have. Posted byWarm up but do not stretch! Wow, this is interesting. Forget the stretch
Wow! I love studies that test conventional wisdom - and find it lacking. Interestingly, my personal trainer ask me to arrive early and do 10-15 minutes of cardiovascular warm-up prior to resistance training. He seems to have it right. Posted byThe exercise habit Exercise Is a Habit; Here's Why to Pick It Up This article reviews some very good studies on exercise benefits for women. It does ignore us men. I can only say, exercise is very good for us also! Posted byOn strength and power
A good weight training progam will work on both strength and power. As we age we want to maintain power. Power requires strength, therefore work on strength first. Posted byAbout Well-behaved little butterballs How do we deal with the obesity epidemic (and yes it is an epidemic)? Girth control The author paints a fair picture of our obesity problem. He concludes his essay with these perceptive points.
As my mother has always said, if all the other kids are jumping off the building should you jump? We actually can control our behavior. And we should. Posted byNo pain no gain I love the feeling of a good workout. A knowledge and feeling that I have exerted makes me feel energized. This physician shares that feeling. Pain Gains Posted byWill and Power The Fat Environment written by Ellen Goodman is worth reading. Just click and read. It is very simple. Posted byStep to it An effort to get America walking seeks to stop obesity in its tracks
This article talks mostly about walking. They believe (as do I) that the key to weight control is movement, not diet. Diet will follow nicely. Quit suing fast food outlets; quit taxing fat content; reward walking, or any other movement. Posted byAn obesity tax? Tax Policy That Uses Economies of Scales
He almost has the right idea. I would rather see body fat used as a factor in insurance rates. Rather than a tax, I would like to see health insurance scaled for behaviors - including obesity. Nonetheless, this type of thinking is worthwhile. It encourages us to more explicitly define the problem. Posted byBig food is responding "Big Food" is changing what they sell. 'Big Food' Gets the Obesity Message
I remain skeptical. I do not think that food composition is the problem as much as lack of exercise. When one examines the data carefully, our biggest problem is activity (or the lack thereof). But maybe this will help. Posted byDo as I do! Loyal readers know my healthy obsession with fitness. Now the American Heart Association is encouraging all physicians to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They just may be on to something important. Physicians Urged to Promote Exercise to Patients, and to Set an Example
As the title says - Do as I do!!!!! Posted byBusiness against obesity Obesity costs moeny. That is the conclusion of these business leaders. Employers Plan Obesity Fight, Citing $12 Billion-a-Year Cost.
When business decides that obesity eats into profits (pun intended), then they act. We need to restructure our work places. We need exercise time and space. We need to walk more and ride less. Our 'lunch rooms' and restaurants need to quick 'supersizing'. We can do much as a society and as businesses to improve this problem. I applaud this interest from business and look forward to some positive results. Posted byOn obesity A reader questioned our inactive lifestyle as a cause of obesity. This article certainly supports that concept - Battling the bulge in the burbs
I have tried to add walking to my daily routine. This is often difficult. This concept does make some sense. Can you modify your routine to include more movement? Medpundit on obesity I am a bit late getting to this important article - 'No Matter What the Data Say' . Sydney Smith (Medpundit's pseudonym) minimizes the effect of diet and blames our increasing obesity on lack of exercise.
Medpundit makes a reasonable argument here. I have often argued that weight control requires attention to increasing caloric expenditure (more exercise) and decreasing caloric intake (careful diet). I am skeptical of dietary data. We generally rely on surveys for these data - and I am skeptical of surveys in general. While I believe that too many teenagers and adults take in excessive calories, Medpundit makes an important point. If we get off our butts and move we can handle more calories. Posted byTwo commentaries on the Atkin's diet Two of my favorite medical writers have addressed the Atkin's diet articles published last week. Pounds Lost on Atkins Diet May Quickly Return from the NY Times.
And Miracle Cure? Fat Chance from the Washington Post.
And read RangelMD for a further discussion of this tautology - The Atkins diet: A case in calorie restriction. Posted byNY Times on the Atkins' diet
I would argue with the last point. We do know how to lose weight and keep if off. The successful keys are portion control and exercise. What we do not know is how to succesfully get patients to follow the formula! Weight loss is achievable, but requires lifestyle changes. And lifestyle changes are not easy to induce. Posted byThe Atkins Diet - new studies So the NEJM published two articles today on low carbohydrate diets. If you read the popular press you will see various spins on the results. The AP reports - Atkins Diet Bolstered by Two New Studies
The Washington Post reports Atkins Similar to Low-Fat Diets Study: Long-Term Results Differ Little
And this report from Medscape - Benefits of Low-Carbohydrate Diet Still Uncertain
So what does DB think? First, these studies do vindicate the concept that weight loss trumps fat intake. The most important factor in maintaining or decreasing lipid levels comes from weight. Second, one can lose weight on a low carbohydrate diet. But finally, weight loss remains difficult. Diets can start the ball rolling, but true sustained weight loss depends on lifestyle changes. No gimmicks need apply. We must all figure out how to control portion sizes indefinitely and increase our calorie expenditure (through both resistance and cardiovascular exercises). Posted byExercise boosts mood I think we know this. Somehow exercising improves our mood - Scientists have a good feeling about exercise
This makes sense to me. I work out 2 mornings a week, and get to work in a great mood! Posted byTax breaks on fitness Regular readers of Medrants know that I strongly promote (and practice fitness). I believe that attention to fitness has many positive outcomes - including better health outcomes. Given that background, I love this idea - Tax plan to subsidize worker fitness: Health club membership would be in company health plan
While many could argue with the precise incentives here, the concept is a strong one. Giving tax incentives would work to encourage more use of fitness activities - clearly a desirable goal. Posted byOn carbohydrates and weight loss The Carbo War, Cont'd This article summarizes the controversy over low carb diets. It includes a common sense approach to dieting. I recommend this article strongly. Posted byWaist size and the metabolic syndrome This rant does not qualify as news. The ideas are a rehash of many previous rants. Still I have not used this rant recently and I found an interesting new article related to it. A human time bomb
I rant about As I have discussed previously, waist circumference provides more information than body mass index (BMI). Athletes often have increased BMI, but excellent waist circumference. Waist circumference does a better job of predicting body fat percentage - which is the real risk factor. Now we need to understand how we get patients (and sometimes ourselves) to prevent or treat this syndrome. The solutions will involve diet and exercise. Many believe that better understanding the glycemic index will provide great benefit. Posted byA little dietary advice SARS, malpractice concerns and too much traveling have decreased my diet and fitness posts. Today I will provide a very nice link on modifying our diets. Pecking at the Pyramid
Read the entire article. Please. Posted byOn personal trainers I have used personal trainers for 18 months. While they do cost significant money, I doubt that I would have achieved my current conditioning without a trainer. This article describes the benefits well - Friendly persuasion that works. The article discusses many pros but adds this "con" -
I disagree about the flexibility comment. Having a fixed time to workout is a major advantage. Since prioritizing working out, I never miss these workouts unless I am traveling. Working out is too important to allow flexibility. Flexibility makes not working out too likely. Most of us need the discipline of scheduling. Posted byA dieter's story 10 pounds lighter, and safely past Super Bowl
We should all understand life as a marathon, rather than a sprint. Lifestyle changes only occur one day at a time. As I have attacked my New Year's Goals, I understand that I will need time to succeed. We succeed when we can delay gratification of our final results and revel in our small successes. Posted byThe cost of extra weight Companies fight employee fat: Obese workers have insurance costs up to $1,500 higher. Duh! Overweight patients and especially obese patients have greater health care costs. And they needed a study.
So I have ranted often, why should I subsidize the overweight and obese? Why should I not receive a break on my insurance costs for living a healthy lifestyle? Some companies are starting to consider programs to encourage exercise and weight loss. Given the impact on health insurance costs, I would bet that developing such programs should save money! Why not have more company gyms - and even schedule exercise as part of the work day? While this might sound radical, someone should try this. I would bet that one could save on health care costs, without impairing productivity. |