Category Archives: Diet

Drinking Milk for Bone Health Could Actually Have Opposite Effect

Posted on October 30, 2014 by Greg Asseff

Every five years since 1980, the USDA and the HHS have jointly published the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It’s an exhaustive document detailing the foods and serving sizes that Americans should consume in order to promote health, prevent disease and maintain a healthy weight. When it comes to milk consumption, the 2010 edition states that “recommended amounts are 3 cups per day of fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products for adults.” Drinking milk in this amount is thought to promote bone health and decrease the risk of fractures due to the amount of calcium milk provides. However, health professionals don’t always agree with this notion. For example, a Harvard School of Public Health report indicates that the jury is still out on the benefits of milk. Now, a new study is not only casting doubt on milk’s bone health effects, but it’s also showing that milk could do a lot of damage.

Posted in Diet, Food, Health, Medical, News, Nutrition, Studies, Women | 53 Comments

Study Shows Decrease in Fast Food Calories, but Is It Enough?

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Greg Asseff

Earlier this year, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation reported that major food and beverage companies such as Kraft, General Mills, Nestlé and Coca-Cola cut around 6.4 trillion calories from the U.S. marketplace. Now, it seems that fast food companies may be following suit. According to a study published this week in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, newer menu items in some of the largest chain restaurants in the U.S. had an average of 56 fewer calories this year than they did in 2013. This is about a 12 percent decrease in fast food calories overall. Specifically, newly introduced beverages had an 8 percent decrease in calories, while children’s items decreased by 20 percent and main courses dropped by 10 percent. These reductions in fast food calories are significant, but it’s not exactly time for health proponents to celebrate just yet.

Posted in Diet, Food, Health, News, Nutrition, Studies, Weight Loss | 1,230 Comments

Caffeine-Infused Underwear and 7 Other Bizarre Weight Loss Products

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Greg Asseff

Let’s face it: weight loss is hard. Diet and exercise takes time, commitment and willpower. And with so many people trying to lose weight, it’s no surprise that marketers have been trying to sell people shortcuts for years. Most people know that weight loss products as crazy as say, tapeworms, are way too dangerous and ineffective to attempt using (although it still happens in rare cases). However, there have been tons of bizarre weight loss products over the years that have been less risky but no more effective. Even just this week, the Federal Trade Commission had to put a stop to two companies that were manufacturing caffeine-infused underwear such as leggings, bras and girdles. The companies, Norm Thompson Outfitters and Wacoal America, were charged with deceptive advertising, as they promised “slimming and firming” within a month but had no evidence to backup those claims. Customer refunds will total around $1.5 million.

Posted in Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, News, Nutrition, Weight Loss | 7,548 Comments

Cutting Belly Fat: 6 Essential Tips For Treating Abdominal Obesity

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Greg Asseff

Americans keep getting bigger around the middle, and it’s definitely cause for concern. Abdominal obesity, also called central obesity, belly fat, beer belly or pot belly, is one of the most dangerous forms of obesity. Associated health risks include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and asthma. Abdominal obesity is also a symptom of polycystic ovary syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome. While the obesity statistics have been high in America for years, a recent report in The Journal of the American Medical Association states that the problem is now as dire as it’s ever been. Get ready for this: over half the U.S. population now has abdominal obesity. To be exact, 54.2 percent of Americans suffer from the condition – up from 46.4 percent about a decade ago. This is in spite of the fact that overall obesity levels have generally leveled off. Also, the average American waist size went from 37.6 inches at the turn of the millennium to 3.8 in 2011-2012.

Posted in Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, Medical, Nutrition, Weight Loss | 10,145 Comments

Guess How Much Exercise it Takes to Counteract the Effects of Soda

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Greg Asseff

The effects of soda have been widely reported. From the famous “what happens to your body when you drink a Coke” story to the proposed New York City ban on soft drinks larger than 16 ounces, it’s safe to say that most people are at least slightly aware that soda isn’t good for your health. And yet we drink it anyway. In fact, according to some sources, the average American drinks around 44 gallons of soda each year.