Friday, May 6, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Extra Pounds at Midlife May Boost Dementia Risk Later
Being merely overweight in middle age raised risk by 70 percent compared to normal-weight peers, experts find.
Being overweight during middle age may increase your risk of developing dementia later on, a new Swedish study suggests.
Several studies have already linked obesity in middle age to dementia in later life, but it was unclear whether merely carrying some extra pounds in midlife was a risk factor. The new research suggests that even being overweight — defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30 — is linked with a higher risk of dementia.
"Being overweight at midlife increased the risk of dementia in late life by more than 70 percent," said lead study author Dr. Weili Xu, a postdoctoral researcher at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.
Being obese raised the risk even more, to nearly fourfold.
"Although the effect of midlife overweight on dementia is not as substantial as that of obesity, its impact on public health is significant," Xu said, noting that 1.6 billion adults worldwide are obese or overweight, including 50 percent of adults in the United States and Europe.
The study is published in the May 3 issue of Neurology.
In her study, Xu analyzed information from the Swedish Twin Registry. It included data on 8,534 twins aged 65 and older. Of those, 350 were diagnosed with dementia and 114 with possible dementia.
Thirty years earlier, the participants had provided what then must have seemed like mundane data: their height and weight.
That data would prove invaluable as Xu grouped them according to their BMIs, from underweight to obese (having a BMI higher than 30). Nearly 30 percent, she found, were either overweight or obese during midlife.
Further analysis showed that being overweight or obese in midlife independently increased the risk of later dementia, including Alzheimer's and vascular dementia.
About 26 percent of participants without dementia had been overweight at midlife, compared to 36 percent of those with possible dementia and 39 percent with diagnosed dementia.
And although 2.7 percent of seniors without dementia had been obese at midlife, 6.9 percent of those with dementia had been obese, as well as 5.3 percent of those with possible dementia.
When Xu analyzed twin pairs in which one had dementia in later life and one did not, she found the link to weight no longer significant, suggesting early environment and genetics also play roles in dementia.
Why the weight-dementia link? Several mechanisms could explain it, Xu said. A higher BMI is linked with diabetes and vascular disease, which is in turn related to the risk of dementia. Higher weight at midlife may reflect a long period of exposure to higher inflammation throughout the body, which has been linked with lower cognitive function.
Xu and her colleagues noted several study limitations, including the notion that BMI may not be the perfect measure of body fat composition.
They also noted that in terms of lowering dementia risk, it's never too late to start reducing body fat.
The study has a number of strengths, including the large number of people studied, according to Dr. Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center and professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx.
Although the study finds a link between being overweight in midlife and dementia risk, it does not prove cause-and-effect, he said. Still, there is evidence that fatty tissue secretes inflammatory cytokines and other chemicals. These may have a direct effect on the brain, he said, inflicting damage to the neurons.
Dr. Gisele Wolf-Klein, director of geriatric education at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Hyde Park, N.Y., said the study "is of great relevance in view of the growing epidemic of obesity in both the United States and Europe."
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
My goals, can I reach them?
Today starts 92 days that I have to reach my goal.That means I have to lose 35 lbs. My BMI will put me at the overweight level 29.9. Currently it's at 35.2. Started at 37.6. Of course ultimately the real goal is to get to 24.9 which would be normal according to the BMI charts. To reach that number I have to lose another 31 lbs by October 1st from August 1st. So if you tally up the total weight loss if goals are met, it will be 81 lbs in a year. I know I can do it and will make it. Thanks for the support.
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| With clothes on you wouldn't know I had all this! |
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| Big difference! |
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| Still coming down, wait until July's pics! |
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Total miles today - 21.63! Walk and biking(twice)
Did a General Road Cycling in Absecon for 10.49 mi in 49:44 with a 04:44 min/mile pace and speed 12.7 mph with... http://soc.li/M2YSANJ
Did a General Road Cycling in Northfield for 6.94 mi in 34:13 with a 04:56 min/mile pace and speed 12.2 mph with... http://soc.li/wGJLW9M
Did a Walk in Absecon for 4.20 mi in 1:20:24 with a 19:09 min/mile pace and speed 3.1 mph with @MapMyFitness. http://soc.li/uzoBDuj
Did a General Road Cycling in Northfield for 6.94 mi in 34:13 with a 04:56 min/mile pace and speed 12.2 mph with... http://soc.li/wGJLW9M
Did a Walk in Absecon for 4.20 mi in 1:20:24 with a 19:09 min/mile pace and speed 3.1 mph with @MapMyFitness. http://soc.li/uzoBDuj
Surprising Causes of Weight Gain
It's true that we gain weight when we eat more than we can burn off. But this conventional diet wisdom does not always hold true. Weight gain can also be caused by health conditions such as hypothyroidism, food sensitivity, Cushing's syndrome, organ disease, prescription drug use, anxiety, blood sugar imbalance, and essential fatty acid deficiency.
Hypothyroidism
Thyroid hormone deficiency can decrease metabolism of food, causing appetite loss and modest weight gain. Weight gain is from fat accumulation and fluid retention caused by protein deposits in the body.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism can include fatigue, lethargy, swelling of the face or around the eyes, dry, coarse skin, decreased sweating, poor memory, slow speech and hoarse voice, weakness, intolerance to cold and headache.
Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency
Essential fatty acids, such as in flaxseed oil, are good fats that are needed by the body to make hormones and maintain the body's metabolic rate. A deficiency may cause cravings, particularly for fatty foods.
The first signs of deficiency are often dandruff, dry hair and dry, scaly skin. Deficiency is also associated with arthritis, eczema, heart disease, diabetes and premenstrual syndrome.
Food Sensitivity
Reactions to foods are not always immediate. They can occur many hours later as bloating and swelling in the hands, feet, ankles, abdomen, chin and around the eyes. Much of the weight gained is fluid retention caused by inflammation and the release of certain hormones. In addition, there is fermentation of foods, particularly carbohydrates, in the intestines which can result in a swollen distended belly and gas production.
Symptoms of food sensitivity can include headache, indigestion or heartburn, fatigue, depression, joint pain or arthritis, canker sores, chronic respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, sinus congestion or bronchitis and chronic bowel problems such as diarrhea or constipation.
Cushing's Syndrome
Cushing's Syndrome is a disorder caused by an excess of the hormone cortisol. Fat accumulates in the face, abdomen and upper back, often producing a characteristic rounded "moon" face and "buffalo hump". The arms and legs usually remain slender.
Other symptoms of Cushing's Syndrome include muscle wasting and weakness, thin skin, poor wound healing, easy bruising, purple "stretch marks" on the abdomen, menstrual irregularities, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance and hair loss in women.
Prescription Drugs
Hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives containing estrogen can cause fluid retention and increased appetite. Other drugs that can cause weight gain are steroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants and diabetic medications.
Kidney, Heart or Liver Disease
Disease in these organs can cause fluid retention, which appears as general puffiness all over the body, especially the eyes and ankles.
Emotional Eating
Many people respond to stress or depression by eating excessively. Sources of stress may not always be apparent, but may still affect eating habits and cause weight gain.
Blood Sugar Imbalance
Why people have difficulty losing weight(maybe I fall into this category)!
Eating simple, refined carbohydrates can cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels. For example, eating chocolate increases the amount of sugar in the blood. The hormone insulin is released which causes sugar to be stored away and blood sugar levels to be lowered, which can trigger cravings for more sweets in order to stabilize blood sugar balance.
Conclusion
Weight gain can also be caused by organ enlargement, such as from an ovarian cyst, and obstruction of lymph fluid.
The above conditions must be diagnosed by a qualified health care practitioner, especially since serious disease may not always be accompanied by overt symptoms.
Hypothyroidism
Thyroid hormone deficiency can decrease metabolism of food, causing appetite loss and modest weight gain. Weight gain is from fat accumulation and fluid retention caused by protein deposits in the body.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism can include fatigue, lethargy, swelling of the face or around the eyes, dry, coarse skin, decreased sweating, poor memory, slow speech and hoarse voice, weakness, intolerance to cold and headache.
Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency
Essential fatty acids, such as in flaxseed oil, are good fats that are needed by the body to make hormones and maintain the body's metabolic rate. A deficiency may cause cravings, particularly for fatty foods.
The first signs of deficiency are often dandruff, dry hair and dry, scaly skin. Deficiency is also associated with arthritis, eczema, heart disease, diabetes and premenstrual syndrome.
Food Sensitivity
Reactions to foods are not always immediate. They can occur many hours later as bloating and swelling in the hands, feet, ankles, abdomen, chin and around the eyes. Much of the weight gained is fluid retention caused by inflammation and the release of certain hormones. In addition, there is fermentation of foods, particularly carbohydrates, in the intestines which can result in a swollen distended belly and gas production.
Symptoms of food sensitivity can include headache, indigestion or heartburn, fatigue, depression, joint pain or arthritis, canker sores, chronic respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, sinus congestion or bronchitis and chronic bowel problems such as diarrhea or constipation.
Cushing's Syndrome
Cushing's Syndrome is a disorder caused by an excess of the hormone cortisol. Fat accumulates in the face, abdomen and upper back, often producing a characteristic rounded "moon" face and "buffalo hump". The arms and legs usually remain slender.
Other symptoms of Cushing's Syndrome include muscle wasting and weakness, thin skin, poor wound healing, easy bruising, purple "stretch marks" on the abdomen, menstrual irregularities, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance and hair loss in women.
Prescription Drugs
Hormone replacement therapy and oral contraceptives containing estrogen can cause fluid retention and increased appetite. Other drugs that can cause weight gain are steroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antidepressants and diabetic medications.
Kidney, Heart or Liver Disease
Disease in these organs can cause fluid retention, which appears as general puffiness all over the body, especially the eyes and ankles.
Emotional Eating
Many people respond to stress or depression by eating excessively. Sources of stress may not always be apparent, but may still affect eating habits and cause weight gain.
Blood Sugar Imbalance
Why people have difficulty losing weight(maybe I fall into this category)!
Eating simple, refined carbohydrates can cause rapid fluctuations in blood sugar levels. For example, eating chocolate increases the amount of sugar in the blood. The hormone insulin is released which causes sugar to be stored away and blood sugar levels to be lowered, which can trigger cravings for more sweets in order to stabilize blood sugar balance.
Conclusion
Weight gain can also be caused by organ enlargement, such as from an ovarian cyst, and obstruction of lymph fluid.
The above conditions must be diagnosed by a qualified health care practitioner, especially since serious disease may not always be accompanied by overt symptoms.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Weight Issues Around the World
Is the United States the only country worried about its collective weight? A new Reader’s Digest survey has analyzed responses from 16,000 people in 16 countries to find out what people around the world think about weight. Here are some of the findings:
The most pressure to be thin: Brazilians topped the list, with 83 percent complaining that the culture places too much emphasis on weight. India was second, at 68 percent, and the United States ranked third, with 62 percent complaining about an overemphasis on weight.
Wives who want their husband to lose weight: Just over half of married women in the United States want a thinner husband, while 47 percent of married American men said they were unhappy with their wife’s weight.
Husbands who want their wife to lose weight: Indian men were most unhappy with their spouse’s weight, with 48 percent saying they wished their wife was thinner.
Most likely to use weight loss pills: The survey found that 37 percent of people in China had used weight loss drugs, followed by Brazil (30 percent), Russia (24 percent) and Mexico (23 percent). In the United States, 19 percent said they used diet pills.
Most likely to blame genetics: Seventy percent of Russians said their weight problems are inherited, followed by Germans (61 percent) and Indians (50 percent). In the United States, 20 percent of respondents blamed their genes for a weight problem.
Most likely to blame Americans: More than any country surveyed, the French were most likely to blame American eating habits and American fast-food companies for spreading obesity.
The most pressure to be thin: Brazilians topped the list, with 83 percent complaining that the culture places too much emphasis on weight. India was second, at 68 percent, and the United States ranked third, with 62 percent complaining about an overemphasis on weight.
Wives who want their husband to lose weight: Just over half of married women in the United States want a thinner husband, while 47 percent of married American men said they were unhappy with their wife’s weight.
Husbands who want their wife to lose weight: Indian men were most unhappy with their spouse’s weight, with 48 percent saying they wished their wife was thinner.
Most likely to use weight loss pills: The survey found that 37 percent of people in China had used weight loss drugs, followed by Brazil (30 percent), Russia (24 percent) and Mexico (23 percent). In the United States, 19 percent said they used diet pills.
Most likely to blame genetics: Seventy percent of Russians said their weight problems are inherited, followed by Germans (61 percent) and Indians (50 percent). In the United States, 20 percent of respondents blamed their genes for a weight problem.
Most likely to blame Americans: More than any country surveyed, the French were most likely to blame American eating habits and American fast-food companies for spreading obesity.
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