Visceral fat is deep fat – inside your belly, where it grows around your vital organs. The more you have, the greater your chance of diabetes and heart disease.

But researchers say that people who lost weight and exercised to keep the weight off for a year kept the insides of their bellies skinny.

At the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Gary Hunter had some people train aerobically, and others do resistance with weights:

The people who aerobic and resistance trained and continued to do that gained back no visceral fat at all – zero.

Still others, who lost weight but didn’t exercise – or who stopped exercising – gained back about one third of their visceral fat

The study in the journal Obesity was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Share on Facebook

In the name of “public health”…

Recently, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission started pushing its program, which they call “Resale Round-up.” It’s a plan that halts the sale of any item that fails the government’s standard on lead.

Note: THE GOVERNMENT’S STANDARD.  Translate: Whatever they decide, whatever/whoever they don’t like.  Doesn’t matter if there is truly a “threat” or not.

Do you wonder what that has to do with you? If so, let me ask you this: have you ever had a garage sale, a yard sale, or donated stuff for somebody else to have one? Did the items you sell and the items you gave away meet the government’s rules about lead?

What? You don’t know? There is a 24-page book that tells you what is banned.

There is a Web site that tells you what is illegal. And, if you get caught selling something on that list, you can be fined.

“How big a fine?” you might ask. It can be up to $100,000 per infraction. They actually plan to accuse innocent people of selling “deadly” items.

As Inez Tenenbaum, the CPSC chairman says, “Those who resell recalled children’s products are not only breaking the law, they are putting children’s lives at risk.”

Furthermore, this is going to hurt the time-honored charitable resale stores such as Salvation Army and Bethesda that, left to their own devices, helps communities nationwide:

“CPSC is partnering with the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops (NARTS), the Salvation Army, state agencies, and others to alert re-sellers about recalled products, product hazards including cribs that do not meet current safety standards, drawstrings in children’s clothing, and the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).”

These stores help thousands of people make ends meet. They’ve been around forever and why? Because of the goodness and generosity of your neighbors.   Many people enjoy garage sales in their free time…another time-honored tradition in America under “surveillance”.

Now goodness and generosity could be considered a crime.  Churches doing their own rummage sales for profit could be under attack or subject to fines.  Some ‘hope’.  Some ‘change’.

Spread the word…and tell your legislator what you think of this, too if you think it’s going a bit too far.  We seriously wonder if anyone has ever been physically made ill or hurt by something they bought at a garage sale or from a charitable organization.

References:
Handbook for Resale Stores and Product Re-sellers
Resale Roundup 2009: Top Ten list of Recalled Children’s Products

Share on Facebook

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself and Your Family Against Flu Strains this Season

Educate yourself about influenza strains, vaccination risks, and the public health laws in your state that may require you or your children to undergo either mandatory vaccination or quarantine.

Take care of your health to reduce or eliminate your risk of contracting the flu. The key is to keep your immune system strong by following these guidelines:

1. Eliminate sugar and processed foods from your diet. Sugar consumption has an immediate, debilitating effect on your immune system.
2. Take a high quality source of animal-based omega 3 fats like Krill Oil.
3. Exercise. Your immune system needs good circulation in order to perform at its best for you.
4. Optimize your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency is the likely cause of seasonal flu viruses.
5. Getting an optimal level of vitamin D will help you fight infections of all kinds.
6. Get plenty of good quality sleep.
7. Deal with stress effectively. If you feel overwhelmed by stress, your body will not have the reserves it needs to fight infection.
8. Wash your hands. But not necessarily with an antibacterial soap. Using a pure, chemical-free soap is just as protective.

Be safe, be healthy!

Share on Facebook

Women of childbearing age have been urged to take folic acid supplements, even if they are not planning a family.

Research suggests up to 75% of cases of Spina Bifida could be prevented if a woman takes folic acid three months before conception, and during pregnancy.

Children born with spina bifida are often paralysed from the waist down and can suffer lifelong spinal cord, bowel and bladder problems. Some children also have brain damage.

Source:  Experts urge wider folic acid use

For more information on Spina Bifida, visit the Spina Bifida Association.

Share on Facebook

New report, August 15, 2009:  Swine flu jab link to killer nerve disease: Leaked letter reveals concern of neurologists over 25 deaths in America.

The closer we get to the government wanting to offer a vaccine in time for the school season, the more concerns seem to be surfacing. A recent article raises some very alarming concerns.

A warning that the new swine flu jab is linked to a deadly nerve disease has been sent by the Government to senior neurologists in a confidential letter.

Concerns have already been raised that the new vaccine has not been sufficiently tested and that the effects, especially on children, are unknown.
…the possibility of an increased incidence of GBS remains a concern.

Shadow health spokesman Mike Penning said last night: ‘The last thing we want is secret letters handed around experts within the NHS. We need a vaccine but we also need to know about potential risks.

‘Our job is to make sure that the public knows what’s going on. Why is the Government not being open about this? It’s also very worrying if GPs, who will be administering the vaccine, aren’t being warned.’

GBS attacks the lining of the nerves, leaving them unable to transmit signals to muscles effectively.

It can cause partial paralysis and mostly affects the hands and feet. In serious cases, patients need to be kept on a ventilator, but it can be fatal.

Death is caused by paralysis of the respiratory system, causing the victim to suffocate. It is not known exactly what causes GBS and research on the subject has been inconclusive.

However, it is thought that one in a million people who have a seasonal flu vaccination could be at risk and it has also been linked to people recovering from a bout of flu of any sort.
Dr Richard Halvorsen, author of The Truth About Vaccines, said: ‘  …in most cases this is a mild virus which needs a few days in bed. I’d question why we need a vaccine at all.’

Looks like we’d all be far better of avoiding this “vaccine”.

Share on Facebook

Why haven’t you become more active? It is difficult for many of us to defend ourselves when we know we should be exercising more.

Print out our little “self-evaluation” to help you pinpoint, and hopefully correct, your reasons for not applying more activity into your lifestyle. This is meant to help — not criticize! And do be honest with yourself — it won’t help you if you are not.

Follow this link for your free do-it-yourself  ”analyzation!”

Share on Facebook

A lot of children and teens take vitamin and mineral supplements. National survey data indicate about one third of people between 2 and 17 years used supplements in a given month.

Researcher Ulfat Shaikh of UC Davis Children’s Hospital says some of the kids might need them. For instance, kids who don’t get enough dairy, or who face hunger because their families can’t provide adequate food consistently, might benefit.
 
The study in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Share on Facebook

If you are maintaining your current body weight, you are in caloric balance. If you need to gain weight or to lose weight, you’ll need to tip the balance scale in one direction or another to achieve your goal.

If you need to tip the balance scale in the direction of losing weight, keep in mind that it takes approximately 3,500 calories below your calorie needs to lose a pound of body fat.1 To lose about 1 to 2 pounds per week, you’ll need to reduce your caloric intake by 500—1000 calories per day.2

To learn how many calories you are currently eating, begin writing down the foods you eat and the beverages you drink each day. By writing down what you eat and drink, you become more aware of everything you are putting in your mouth. Also, begin writing down the physical activity you do each day and the length of time you do it. Here are simple paper and pencil tools to assist you:

• Food Diary
• Workout Log

By studying your food diary you can be more aware of your eating habits and the number of calories you take in on an average day.

Physical activities (both daily activities and exercise) help tip the balance scale by increasing the calories you expend each day.

Share on Facebook

Almost two months ago, New York Governor David Paterson proposed an 18 percent tax on sugary drinks.

New Yorkers hated the idea – and with good reason. In addition, a recent Rasmussen poll shows that only 18 percent of Americans overall would support it.  More good news.

It appears this was about nothing more than another way to impose yet another tax on over-taxed, hard working citizens, using a food item because we are getting to the point where food is all they have left to  tax.

In fairness to the Governor, he now claims his point wasn’t really to have a new soda tax. The Associated Press reports that “Paterson said his point was to increase awareness for the high caloric content of foods consumed by children, who unlike adults aren’t in a position to make their own choices.”

One can debate that argument…

Taking a Hard Look at the Facts
Vending machines have been put “under attack” to force the children into supposedly “healthy choices”, yet Obesity Research points out that kids get only one-half of one percent of their calories from vending machines.  And ouright food bans? Bans only produce black markets, as they have in Texas:

One Texas high  school’s ban on  snack  foods has created  a  thriving  black  market  for  candy  bars
and  other  sweets,  reports  the  Austin  American Statesman:  “The  candy  removal  plan,  according  to students at Austin High, was thwarted by classmates who created an underground candy market,  turning the hallways of the high school into Willy-Wonka-meets-Casablanca.”

• In a quest to give children “healthier choices”, many turned to fruit juices. However, it has since been determined that fruit juices actually out-pace sugar-added beverages in contributing to weight gain. Innocent parents/guardians and schools inadvertantly could have added to the problem all the while thinking they were helping – all because of hype put out by the government!  FACT: Twelve ounces  of  apple  juice contains  nearly  160 calories -  more  than a  regular  12-ounce Coke or Pepsi, and most of those calories are in the form of sugars.
• A 2005 study published in the journal Risk Analysis found no relationship between regular soft drink consumption and body-mass index. In addition, an overwhelming number of peer-reviewed  studies have  shown  that  there  is no link  between  soft  drinks  and  childhood  obesity.

Good news: Soda isn’t the culprit fattening our children or anyone else, for that matter.  It really boils down to a lack of movement and/or exercise. 

Speaking of Exercise: Troubling Public School Stats
We have public schools aiming for healthier luncheons etc.  - why even PETA is getting on the band wagon and pleading that schools feed kids vegetarian school lunches.

But what is the public school system doing about activity? Nothing. Why? Well, it appears because activity doesn’t fill their coffers because it’s rather difficult to tax someone running, jogging, playing a sport, etc.  In my own city, the taxpayers had to fund 32 million dollars, most of which went to what I refer to as “Royal Gyms” – then I see these stats:

• Forty-nine  of  50  U.S.  states  do  not  require daily  physical  education  classes  in  school.
• October  2004  report  from  the Institute  of  Medicine  found  that  daily  physical   education  classes  are  only  offered  in  8 percent of  elementary  schools,  6.4  percent  of  middle  schools, and 5.8 percent of high schools.

This is in spite of evidence proving that children who attend public schools with more frequent physical education classes are increasingly more likely to have normal body weight…yet public schools ignore that angle.  Frankly, logic tells me that no public entity has the right to butt into either our eating preferences or our exercise preferences; however, in past days every student had a “gym class” every day of the week.  And that was a good thing.  It was truly a healthy practice and undoubtedly good for children who otherwise are sitting in classrooms all day. 

Perhaps it’s time to get back to the basics?

Share on Facebook

This one leaves me flummoxed.

In the UK, it was reported that at least 7 Obese Kids were put into government care.

An Australian “obesity expert” is urging doctor’s to report obese children to child protection officers. This doctor wants to make parents sign “responsibility contracts” if their child is obese.

The Australian doctor says, “Take fat kids from parents“.

David Rogers, a spokesman for Britain’s Local Government Association claims that parents who allow their children to “eat too much” could be guilty of child neglect.

A columnist from the Orlando Sentinel says obesity is “aesthetically disgusting,” and wants being fat to be considered “socially unacceptable”.

A father, caught up in this craze, chained his daughter to her bed because he thought she was overweight so he tried to keep her from eating.

Councils in Scotland are warning that obese people will be barred from adopting “if their weight is seen as a risk to their long-term health”.

Morton M. Kondracke, Roll Call Executive Editor, thinks the President of the United States should, “help nation fight obesity epidemic“.  Talk about discrimination…this guy fills the bill.

And so on it goes…

This is nothing more than a public call for more government regulation and intrusion into our lives, supposedly to “improve public health“.  The sad truth is that there are massive amounts of money in this for government and politicians, and I fear it’s more about “following the money” than it is about “public health“. 

I see more egotistical contempt amongst the above reports than I do compassion and I fear that this approach is going to prove disastrous.

Just as the smoking issue created division and derision amongst the people, so will obesity. Already people are getting prejudiced and reactionary when they see overweight or obese people – as if it isn’t difficult enough or hasn’t always been difficult to fight a weight problem, we should now embrace more hate and angst?

People are learning to eat better. Word HAS gotten out to urge people to practice healthier lifestyles – and personal physician’s know our issues far better than any elected official or governing body.  Doesn’t it behoove every free citizen to be free to take control of their own health and weight concerns?

Share on Facebook