New Scientist magazine recent ran an article on causes of obesity other than the well known 'calories in vs calories burned' part. Some of the interesting causes include lack of sleep, climate control, drugs, (not) smoking and pollution. Most of the other issues were related to selective pressure and the condition mothers are in when they give birth.

One cause they left out is the changing nature of our food. This is not just that we are eating more highly processed foods. Our fresh food is also different. Fertilisers, chemicals and breeding programs have allowed rapid increases in the size of fruits and vegetables. However, a lot of this increase is in the form of extra water and sugar - not necessarily nutritional value. Our bodies sense the need for more nutrients and make us eat more. Of course, the same argument applies to processed foods, and is probably a stronger effect there.

The New Scientist article:

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19225760.900-the-10-roads-to-fatsville.html

The 10 roads to Fatsville
03 November 2006

Ask anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it's all down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That is undoubtedly true - you cannot get round the first law of thermodynamics. It's also true that we live in an "obesogenic environment": calorific food is plentiful and cheap and our lifestyles are increasingly sedentary. Most of us have to make an effort not to get fat.

That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it. Yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it.

Earlier this year a review paper by 20 obesity experts set out the 10 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic (International Journal of Obesity, DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803326).

WA is banning fatty foods like soft drinks, pastries and deep fried foods from state schools. They are also going to force students to participate in at least two hours of physical activity at school per week.

Quitting smoking may also be a cause.  I've gained about 10 - maybe more - since last year at this time.  

http://dingo.care2.com/pictures/c2c/galleries/albums/374694550/892831377/blahblah.gif

10 what?

Pounds, I think.  Thankfully, not 10 kilo's, or that would really be a problem...

According to another recent study based on a controlled test, if you eat slowly you will consume less, enjoy your food more and feel fuller an hour later.

I believe that there is too much focus on 'obesity' and it takes the focus off 'food' when it should be on.  

If every person was encouraged to focus on choosing food that is beneficial to them and if people better understood how important it is to provide the right fuel for the body so that there is good health and wellbeing, then maybe we might start seeing change as we would have a smarter/healthier attitude in people and that would automatically mean less sickness and all its associated problems.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/US-study-links-suburban-sprawl-to-weight/2006/12/19/1166290520170.html

US children who live in expansive suburbs may start to pay for it with expansive waistlines, new research suggests.

Using data from a national health survey, researchers found that teenagers living in sprawling suburbs were more than twice as likely to be overweight as teens in more compact urban areas.

The findings echo those of a 2003 study by the same researchers that focused on US adults. The researchers believe the same factors may be driving the link between suburban living and teenagers' weight - the major one being reliance on cars.

What is wrong with these people? They should be charged for mistreating their animals!

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/US-approves-weightloss-drug-for-dogs/2007/01/06/1167777309663.html

US health officials have approved the first prescription weight-loss drug aimed at treating Americans' increasingly plump pooches, the Food and Drug Administration said.

Experts believe that trans fatty acid is the cause of our obesity.  Denmark has already banned it - and we should really follow.

[Unlike other fats, trans fats are neither required nor beneficial for health. Eating trans fat increases the risk of coronary heart disease. For these reasons, health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans fat be reduced to trace amounts. Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils are generally considered to be more of a health risk than those occurring naturally.]

These are the fats used in takeaway foods and biscuits and breads that are shiny, but apparently this is where a big part of the problem lies.

As far as Americans giving their dogs diet pills - this is ridiculous.  Maybe they should just take the poor animals for more walks - it will help them as well.

I think we should take a look at how the Japanese fight this problem within their schools.

We all know that conditioning needs to be done at school level.

Robinson, T. N. (1999) Reducing children's television viewing to prevent obesity. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 282, 1561–1567


http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/282/16/1561?ijkey=30f3ea3d9ac4b736376786522f7a47a157b2105d&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

These findings and suggestions indicate that when discussing the health, physical fitness and athletic ability of children, comprehensive consideration of lifestyle, including the effect of the media, must be taken into account. Among these factors, discussion of the amount of physical activity is indispensable.

http://heapro.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/17/2/147

Not many obese asians. Pasta and Potatoe eaters tend to put weight on quicker because they don't burn the starch intake off.

Beef Eaters need to look at times they eat red meat. Never eat it after 3:00pm is a general rule. This gives it enough time to break down before going to bed.

We live in a faster society today so fast food is part of our culture. I could never work out why no one came up with the idea to have fresh food dive thru's. Salad Sandwiches etc. When I'm on the road and in a hurry Macka's get the better of me. ;D

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/aussies-scale-new-heights-in-obesity/2007/02/22/1171733955297.html

WE MAY have produced such fine athletic specimens as Cathy Freeman, Ian Thorpe and Brett Lee, but it seems Australia has also produced a nation of fatties.

The dubious honour has been handed down by the Forbes organisation, which released its list of the fattest countries based on body mass index, a measure of weight relative to height.

Australia weighed in at 21st, with almost 70 per cent of the population considered overweight or obese, based on recent estimates from the World Health Organisation.

Of the top 10 countries on the list, eight were from the South Pacific, with Nauru tipping the scales in first position with 94 per cent of its adult population overweight.

The US was ninth with 74 per cent overweight and Britain was 28th with almost 64 per cent of its population overweight.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/health-gap-widens-between-rich-and-poor/2007/03/12/1173548099572.html

The health gap between rich and poor Australians is growing wider as the most impoverished embrace bad health habits with increasing vigour, a report has found.

The new analysis of health trends warns that the distance will only grow unless more healthy living programs are directed at those in need.

The University of Queensland report, published by the World Health Organisation (WHO), analysed data from the last three National Health Surveys in 1989, 1995 and 2001.

It found that bad health habits such as smoking, lack of exercise and obesity were increasing for the poor.

Men living in the poorest suburbs were about twice as likely to smoke than men from wealthier areas.

"There is a real need to learn more about the social and physical barriers which limit higher levels of physical activity by the most socio-economically disadvantaged," the authors wrote in Bulletin, the WHO's international journal of public health.

Quote:

WE MAY have produced such fine athletic specimens as Cathy Freeman, Ian Thorpe and Brett Lee, but it seems Australia has also produced a nation of fatties.

Its the youth of today who are the main fat ones.
Some Causes are tv, computer games, fast food, parents driving kids to and from school. etc.

wrote on Dec 8^th, 2006 at 10:18pm:

I believe that there is too much focus on 'obesity' and it takes the focus off 'food' when it should be on.   If every person was encouraged to focus on choosing food that is beneficial to them and if people better understood how important it is to provide the right fuel for the body so that there is good health and wellbeing, then maybe we might start seeing change as we would have a smarter/healthier attitude in people and that would automatically mean less sickness and all its associated problems.

This should be the first step, and an integral part of the solution, but it goes deeper than just food I think. Face it, people are  lazy slobs. The New Scientist article I didn't find very enlightening, it does say all the things listed are marginal - the real problem is people don't get off their fat asses and move. Energy in should equal energy out or else the body stores it as fat. Simple.


Quote:

Experts believe that trans fatty acid is the cause of our obesity.  Denmark has already banned it - and we should really follow.

This IS a good point and to an extent I agree, but what we eat is our choice. The attraction to trans fats is that they are preservatives, they mean things have ten times the shelf life they would have otherwise. Problem is this is because they don't break down, even in our digestive system. Chocolate, lollies, potato chips, fast food, ice cream, margarine (this one is possibly the worst, eat butter! saturated fats are good!). Its a big step to ban trans fats in these things and would effect the economy. The best thing to do would be to force companies to list the trans fat content, and educate consumers so there is a slow demand driven shift as there was for saturated fats (which turn out to be fine after all...).

Now my personal belief, and this will sound harsh (DT you will like this), is that the problem also has to do with political correctness. Lots of overly thin people meant it suddenly became 'ok' to be fat. Its somehow normal now to be fat because 'you are who you are'. When I was a kid teasing fat people was normal, these days it is really not cool. I say we go back to openly telling people they look terrible because they are fat, they deserve to hear it if they are simply lazy. I am thin enough, my girlfriend is even thinner, and she cops it to no end, EVERYONE gives her sh!t in some form for being thin. WTF is this? When did it become a bad thing to not be fat?? We both exercise every day, and eat well and we cop sh!t from fat people for it!? Screw the fattys, social pressure will give an incentive to become thinner! (now watch me get slaughtered for saying this...)

social pressure will give an incentive to become thinner

But will it achieve thinner people?

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Vic-schools-to-get-healthy-eating-tips/2007/03/13/1173722473256.html

One in four Australian children is overweight or obese and condemned to a high-risk, disease-ridden adult life, a peak health body says.

Nutrition Australia is introducing a healthy eating program to Victorian schools in a bid to curb the growing obesity epidemic.

The Healthy Eating Schools program will aid 40,000 children across 98 Victorian schools.

"Children must be taught the basics of nutrition from a very early age and then encouraged to develop healthy lifestyle behaviours, which they can carry into adulthood," Ms Dobson said.

freediver wrote on Mar 14^th, 2007 at 9:43am:

But will it achieve thinner people?

Probably not :)

But it does upset me that my girlfriend and I put in a good amount of effort to stay thin and get stigmatised as a result. Perhaps I would be better to say that a society that does not view being overweight as much of a problem is one that facilitates the current problem.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Obesity-to-impact-on-next-generation/2007/03/15/1173722617735.html

The world is facing an obesity crisis and the generation of children born today may be the first to be sicker and die younger than their parents, Adelaide's latest thinker in residence says.

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Canberra 'abandoning' child fat fight

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Canberra-abandoning-child-fat-fight/2007/03/19/1174152964219.html

A $100 million government plan to tackle childhood obesity may have been dumped because of a "blame the parents" mentality, a leading children's health expert says.

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott's office would not confirm reports the government's budget razor gang had cut a scheme that would have allowed parents to seek advice on their pre-school children from practice nurses.

Mr Abbott had reportedly included the plan in his pre-budget "wish list".

Labor accused the government of abandoning parents in their fight against childhood obesity.

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Fight against obesity 'expands' in Vic

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Fight-against-obesity-expands-in-Vic/2007/03/19/1174152959554.html

The Victorian government will expand its fight against childhood obesity under a $3.6 million plan that will help more than 10,000 kids and some adults.

Acting Victorian Health Minister Gavin Jennings said the plan involves setting up new healthy eating and exercise programs in six locations across the state, expanding on three already running in Geelong, Colac and Moreland.

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Juice kids 'likely to be overweight'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Juice-kids-likely-to-be-overweight/2007/03/20/1174153014580.html

Children who drink more than two glasses of fruit juice per day are more likely to be overweight or obese, according to new research.

The researchers took a one-day snap shot of the eating habits of 2,184 children aged four to 12 years from eight kindergartens and 18 primary schools in the Barwon region in Victoria's south-west.

"Children who drank more than three glasses of soft drink - three quarters of a litre or 750ml - or four glasses of fruit juice/drinks on the day in question were more than twice as likely to be overweight or obese compared with children who did not drink these drinks," she said.

Dr Sanigorski said some parents mistakenly thought that giving their child fruit juice was a healthy alternative to soft drinks.

"One in five children ate no vegetables at all on the day in question," Dr Sanigorski said.

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PM bags minister's school obesity plan

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/pm-bags-ministers-school-obesity-plan/2007/04/13/1175971314371.html

Prime Minister John Howard has criticised a proposal by his own education minister for all Year five students to be weighed as "too prescriptive".

Parents Victoria has described the plan as potentially humiliating for children.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Glycemic-load-doesnt-affect-weight-loss/2007/04/20/1176697046520.html

Glycemic load doesn't affect weight loss

When it comes to losing weight, the number of calories you eat, rather than the type of carbohydrates, may be what matters most, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that diets low in "glycemic load" are no better at taking the pounds off than more traditional - and more carbohydrate-friendly - approaches to calorie-cutting.

The concept of glycemic load is based on the fact that different carbohydrates have different effects on blood sugar. White bread and potatoes, for example, have a high glycemic index, which means they tend to cause a rapid surge in blood sugar. Other carbs, such as high-fibre cereals or beans, create a more gradual change and are considered to have a low glycemic index.

The measurement of glycemic load takes things a step further by considering not only an individual food's glycemic index, but its total number of carbohydrates. A sweet juicy piece of fruit might have a high glycemic index, but is low in calories and grams of carbohydrate. Therefore, it can fit into a diet low in glycemic load.

However, the effort of figuring out what's an allowable carb might not be worth it, if the new study is any indication.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/junk-food-tv-ads-making-kids-fat-study/2007/04/19/1176696987584.html

Junk food TV ads making kids fat: study

Two-thirds of food advertisements during popular children's television programs promote junk food, and a new study claims it could be making children fat.

The report comes amid growing concern over childhood obesity and evidence it is linked to television watching.

The University of Sydney researchers say their findings are further evidence that laws governing acceptable viewing for children should be tightened to reduce their exposure to junk food marketing.

The study measured the number of advertisements for high-fat and high-sugar foods during programs popular with children aged five to 12 and teenagers aged 13 to 17, and compared it to adult viewing hours.

The research team found the number of junk food commercials was much higher during times when children were watching.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/US-study-shows-dieting-does-not-work/2007/04/24/1177180612906.html

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, examining 31 weight-loss studies found long-term dieting does not keep the pounds (kilos) off. While people can lose weight initially, many relapse and regain the weight they shed.

The findings confirm what many scientists have been saying all along: Losing weight is easy. Keeping it off is another story.

Many factors can conspire against successful weight reduction, health experts say. Diets can be boring and there's always a temptation to return to old habits. Serial dieters may also become discouraged and give up when their weight plateaus. People who lose too much too soon don't learn to make the overall lifestyle changes - eating healthier foods and exercising regularly - that are necessary to keep their weight stable.

It's unclear whether repeatedly losing and gaining weight leads to health problems. But some studies have found a link between seesawing weight and problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and gallbladder disease.

"There might be benefits in losing weight for a period of time even if you regain it than not having lost the weight at all," Klein said.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/dads-to-blame-for-fat-kids-study/2007/05/07/1178390207752.html

Dads to blame for fat kids: study

Fat children are more likely to have their father to blame for their weight problem than their mother, a new study shows.

Research by Australian child health experts has revealed that fathers who are disengaged or do not set clear limits for their kids are more likely to have heavier children.

Dads who did lay down boundaries generally had children with a lower body mass index (BMI), the study of almost 5,000 youngsters found.

Surprisingly, a mother's parenting behaviour or style apparently had no impact on whether a child was overweight or obese, according to research by Murdoch Children's Research Institute and The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.

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Lap band can 'cure' obese of diabetes

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Lap-band-can-cure-obese-of-diabetes/2007/05/08/1178390279164.html

A rubber band surgically wrapped around the stomach can strip most obese diabetics of their disease as well as their weight, a world-first Australian study has found.

Preliminary results presented at a Melbourne medical conference have shown that lap band surgery, designed to restrict the appetite, will clear three out of four type two diabetics of the condition after two years with the band.

---

Inside every fat person is a thin person waiting to get out. All you need is an exray to prove it. I never knew te opposite could be true.

Thin people 'might be fat on the inside'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Thin-people-might-be-fat-on-the-inside/2007/05/13/1178994979088.html

If it really is what's on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble.

Some doctors now think that the internal fat surrounding vital organs like the heart, liver or pancreas - invisible to the naked eye - could be as dangerous as the more obvious external fat that bulges underneath the skin.

According to their data, people who maintain their weight through diet instead of exercise, are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are otherwise slim. "The whole concept of being fat needs to be redefined," said Bell, whose research is funded by Britain's Medical Research Council.

Without a clear warning signal - like a rounder middle - doctors worry that thin people may be lulled into falsely assuming that because they're not overweight, they're healthy.

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Pure fruit juice okay for kids

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/pure-fruit-juice-okay-for-kids/2007/05/12/1178899166347.html

Contrary to popular belief, drinking pure 100 per cent fruit juice does not make young children overweight or at risk for becoming overweight, new research shows.

Pure fruit juice provides essential nutrients and, in moderation, may actually help children maintain a healthy weight.

Inconsistent research findings have led to continued debate over the potential associations between drinking 100 per cent fruit juice, nutrient intake, and overweight in children.

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Australian dieters praise CSIRO plan

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Australian-dieters-praise-CSIRO-plan/2007/05/14/1178995045571.html

CSIRO's Total Wellbeing Diet has been voted the best way to lose weight by an online panel of Australian dieters.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Parents-want-junk-food-TV-ad-ban-survey/2007/05/16/1178995191789.html

An overwhelming majority of Australian parents believe junk food advertising is bad for their children's health and should be banned during popular viewing hours, a national survey has found.

But the government has stuck to its guns and maintained a ban would not help tackle the obesity epidemic.

More than 86 per cent of parents want a complete ban on advertising of unhealthy foods at times when children watch television, while almost 89 per cent believe stronger government-imposed restrictions on advertising are warranted.

The Queensland-health funded survey, which advocacy group Coalition on Food Advertising to Children commissioned an independent polling group to conduct, quizzed a random sample of 400 parents across Australia who have children under 14.

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Low-fat yoghurts 'have more kilojoules'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Lowfat-yoghurts-have-more-kilojoules/2007/05/25/1179601664898.html

They claim to be "lite" and easy on the hips, but many popular low-fat yoghurts have more kilojoules than their full-fat counterparts, a study has shown.

Two of them even have more fat.

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Single, obese mums breed chubby children

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Single-obese-mums-breed-chubby-children/2007/06/03/1180809311985.html

Overweight or single mums are more likely to breed chubby children, new research has found.

A study published in the Medical Journal of Australia shows a mother's weight and marital status have more influence on childhood obesity than her parenting style.

The study found that family conflict, negative life events, and maternal depression were not likely to affect a child's tendency to become overweight or obese.

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Entertaining TV shows make you pig out

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Entertaining-TV-shows-make-you-pig-out/2007/06/03/1180809309482.html

People eat more when they are glued to the television, and the more entertaining the program, the more they eat, researchers say.

It seems that distracted brains do not notice what the mouth is doing, said Dr Alan Hirsch, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.

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Society blames mums for fat kids: study

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Society-blames-mums-for-fat-kids-study/2007/06/13/1181414355016.html

Society almost exclusively blames mothers for fat children and the nation's growing girth in general, a new review has found.

"They had either made their children fat by bad choices in pregnancy or even marrying an overweight man," Ms Malik said.

"Or they were blamed for bottle-feeding instead of breast-feeding, shopping badly, cooking wrong and packing inappropriate school lunches."

An "extremely small" number of the news stories specifically mentioned the role of fathers.

Ms Malik said many articles implicitly pitched responsible mothers against "neglectful refrigerator mothers made soft by welfarism".

"We're not saying mothers aren't to blame because clearly they do play a role," Ms Malik said.

"But we need to be looking at the bigger picture of society as a whole to really deal with this problem."

She said the results reflected a general reluctance to manage obesity with food advertising restrictions, resistance to canteen regulation and rejection of taxes on certain types of foods.

Obesity expert Professor Ian Caterson, from the University of Sydney, said mothers were often blamed because they are seen as the gatekeepers of food.

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Kellogg to make kids' foods 'healthier'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Kellogg-to-make-kids-foods-healthier/2007/06/15/1181414508848.html

Kellogg says it will increase the nutritional value of its cereals and snacks for children or stop marketing those products to them altogether.

Company brands such as Froot Loops cereal and Pop-Tarts toaster pastries that fall outside certain standards will either be reformulated or dropped from advertising that reaches audiences where at least half of the people are under age 12.

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Aspartame linked to cancer: study

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Aspartame-linked-to-cancer-study/2007/06/26/1182623862983.html

The US Food and Drug Administration says there is no need for an urgent review of the safety of aspartame, despite a new study showing the sweetener may cause cancer.

"This is the second study by the same lab showing that aspartame causes cancer in rats," Centre for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael Jacobson said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Its-official--stress-makes-you-fat/2007/07/02/1183351105088.html

Australian scientists have discovered why stress can make us fat.

New research published in an international journal has revealed that chronic stress triggers the body's fat cells to grow and multiply.

The link between stress and obesity has been known for more than a decade but these findings are the first to explain how exactly the connection works.

The research by Australian, US and Slovakian scientists could lead to new therapies that shrink fat cells or make them die.

Professor Herbert Herzog, director of neuroscience at the Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research, said he expected the findings to have a profound effect on the way society deals with the obesity epidemic.

The research team made its discovery by feeding stressed and unstressed mice a "comfort food" diet high in fat and sugar.

The stressed mice gained twice as much fat as unstressed mice, because the stress caused fat to be stored differently.

Interesting - although I always thought stress caused you to lose weight.  When you are worried and upset about something - eating is difficult.

Isn't it when you're relaxed and happy you put on weight?  There's some new conclusive study to the obesity problem every week.

I wonder how they would shrink fat cells.  Sounds painful.

It's not rocket science.

Energy intake > energy output = weight gain.

Energy intake < energy output = weight loss

Energy intake = energy output = weight stable.


Look at our PM as a sterling example. Goes for a walk every day, in great nick.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2007 at 9:20am:

It's not rocket science. Energy intake > energy output = weight gain. Energy intake < energy output = weight loss Energy intake = energy output = weight stable. Look at our PM as a sterling example. Goes for a walk every day, in great nick.

This is completely correct Sprint..its a no brainer. We know how to lose weight -society as a whole is too lazy.

Only problem is, we don't have as much control over our energy output as you would expect. Our bodies adjust our metabolism in response to diet. So if you are just putting on weight, but very slowly, reducing your dietary energy intake while doing the same amount of exercise will not necessarily reverse the trend.

freediver wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2007 at 1:15pm:

Only problem is, we don't have as much control over our energy output as you would expect. Our bodies adjust our metabolism in response to diet. So if you are just putting on weight, but very slowly, reducing your dietary energy intake while doing the same amount of exercise will not necessarily reverse the trend.

SO WE WORK A BIT HARDER THEN

I'm not saying it is easy.
I am saying it is simple.

No need to get theoretical and scientific about it all.
Put some runners on and go out for a walk.
For some reason though, that is not easy.

The law of inertia weighs on us

I don't think it is that easy. People do those things and it doesn't seem to make a difference. I think the problem is that much larger changes are necessary than viewing it in such a simple manner would lead a person to believe.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/One-in-five-Queensland-kids-overweight/2007/07/11/1183833577588.html

More than one in five Queensland children are overweight or obese, new figures show.

The first study of child health in Queensland since 1995 has found the state is experiencing an epidemic of unhealthy, overweight children.

Overall, 21 per cent of Queensland children aged five to 17 are overweight or obese, including 19.5 per cent of boys and 22.7 per cent of girls.

But it was a better result than some states - the obesity rate being about three per cent lower than in NSW and Western Australia.

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Obese girl taken from parents in Britain

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/obese-girl-taken-from-parents-in-britain/2007/07/13/1183833764315.html

An overweight eight-year-old British girl who already wears size 16 clothes has been taken away from her parents and put into care.

The girl is 1.52 metres tall, but is already six sizes bigger than most girls her age and suffers from a range of health problems.

Cumbria County Council, in England's far north-west, has taken the girl from her parents because of fears she could be a victim of neglect, The Times reported.

It is the first time the council has removed a child from the family home because of obesity.

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Qld schools to focus more on exercise

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/qld-schools-to-focus-more-on-exercise/2007/07/17/1184559771381.html

Queensland primary school students will do 30 minutes of physical activity each day under a state government plan beginning next year.

Mr Welford said there had been a gradual drift away from physical eduction, but the plan would commit schools to looking after students' health.

He said they would be encouraged to incorporate movement into traditionally "passive" classroom subjects, like math.

"They can have formal exercise routines - or running around the oval - but they can also have action-packed classrooms. Classrooms where active learning is promoted and encouraged."

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Companies vow to control ads for kids

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Companies-vow-to-control-ads-for-kids/2007/07/19/1184559911217.html

Some of America's largest food and drink companies, including McDonald's and Coca-Cola have promised to put stricter controls on advertising aimed at children under 12.

The voluntary steps varied among the 11 companies and were announced as the Federal Trade Commission held a forum to spotlight the need for more responsible food marketing to help address childhood obesity.

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Low GI diets may improve acne

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Low-GI-diets-may-improve-acne/2007/07/23/1185042987135.html

The findings from a new study suggest another reason why diets that contain low glycemic loads may be of benefit. Not only can they improve insulin sensitivity, this type of diet also appears to clear up acne as well.

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Diet soft drinks may be risky: US study

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Diet-soft-drinks-may-be-risky-US-study/2007/07/24/1185043067518.html

Soft drinks - even diet ones - may be linked with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, US researchers say.

They found adults who drink one or more soft drinks a day had about a 50 per cent higher risk of metabolic syndrome - a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure and other symptoms.

"When you have metabolic syndrome, your risk of developing heart disease or stroke doubles. You also have a risk of developing diabetes," said Dr Ramachandran Vasan of Boston University School of Medicine, whose work appears in the journal Circulation.

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New institute to tackle obesity problem

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/New-institute-to-tackle-obesity-problem/2007/07/26/1185339145671.html

A new Sydney research centre will be a key in battling Australia's obesity crisis, federal Health Minister Tony Abbott says.

Unveiling Sydney University's Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise on Thursday morning, Mr Abbott described obesity as Australia's "affluenza".

"(Obesity) is causing a whole range of chronic conditions which impact massively on our health costs and detract from our economic success," Mr Abbott said.

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No fat people in Nazi camps 'a blunder'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/No-fat-people-in-Nazi-camps-a-blunder/2007/08/05/1186252525344.html

New Zealand National leader John Key says a comment one of his MPs made that there were no fat people in concentration camps was offensive and regrettable.

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Bigger bodies 'a danger in mortuaries'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Bigger-bodies-a-danger-in-mortuaries/2007/08/05/1186252522715.html

Extremely obese bodies are becoming a safety hazard in mortuaries, according to pathologists who are calling for new "heavy duty" autopsy facilities as Australians get fatter.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/McAnything-tastes-better-US-children/2007/08/07/1186252673800.html

Anything made by McDonald's tastes better, US preschoolers said in a study that powerfully demonstrates how advertising can trick the taste buds of young children.

Even carrots, milk and apple juice tasted better to the children when they were wrapped in the familiar packaging of the Golden Arches.

The study had youngsters sample identical McDonald's foods in name-brand and unmarked wrappers. The unmarked foods always lost the taste test.

"You see a McDonald's label and kids start salivating," said Diane Levin, a childhood development specialist who campaigns against advertising to children. She had no role in the research.

Levin said it was "the first study I know of that has shown so simply and clearly what's going on with (marketing to) young children."

Study author Dr Tom Robinson said the kids' perception of taste was "physically altered by the branding." The Stanford University researcher said it was remarkable how children so young were already so influenced by advertising.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Healthy-snacks-contain-stealthy-fat/2007/01/22/1169330793711.html

Several of Australia's favourite food brands have been "outed" by the independent consumer watchdog for making children fat.

Despite often being enticingly tagged as "all natural", "low GI", and "real fruit", a single serving of some of the snack foods analysed by Choice, pack as much of a kilojoule punch as a Big Mac and a middy of beer.

Nestle's Milo cereal, which trumpets its energy-building qualities, contains as much sugar and even more fat than the much maligned Kellogg's Coco Pops.

A single 27-gram Arnott's Tiny Teddy biscuit had the dubious honour of packing the most kilojoules into the least amount of food.

Ribena, promoted as a healthy children's drink, contains only five per cent blackcurrant - the rest is sugar and water.

Go Natural's berry pieces in yoghurt could be found in the health food section of a major supermarket but is laden with trans fatty acids.

Nestle spokesman Peter Kelly said Choice was confusing consumers and making an unhelpful contribution to the healthy diet debate.

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Young and old failing health guidelines

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Young-and-old-failing-health-guidelines/2007/08/31/1188067286232.html

Australians young and old are failing to meet national guidelines for exercise and nutrition, according to two major surveys of more than 30,000 people.

The studies released have painted a grim picture of a slothful, unhealthy nation of people eating poorly and exercising inadequately.

One of the surveys, of 16,000 adult Australians, showed one in four - 25 per cent - meet physical activity guidelines, while 55 per cent eat enough fruit and 15 per cent eat enough vegetables.

But an alarmingly small number - fewer than five per cent - met the criteria for all three guidelines, a statistic the University of Sydney and Deakin University researchers say is "extremely concerning".

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Negative body image affects all

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Negative-body-image-affects-all/2007/08/31/1188067284943.html

It has long been assumed that only women fret about body image.

Not so, says psychologist Dr Vivien Lewis.

Men are just as likely to experience negative body image.

The big difference is they are much less likely to seek help.

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Smokers, obese miss out on surgery

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Smokers-obese-miss-out-on-surgery/2007/09/09/1189276515786.html

Smokers and obese patients are being rejected for elective surgery in Victoria.

News Limited newspapers report that surgeons are turning away patients because of high odds of poor surgical outcomes linked to smoking and obesity, and to save money.

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I'd like to see the proof they mentioned:

Companies accused of junk food trickery

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Companies-accused-of-junk-food-trickery/2007/09/14/1189276908009.html

Australia's leading junk food manufacturers have been lambasted for their "trickery" and aggressive marketing to children in a new report calling for an overhaul of advertising regulations.

An independent review commissioned by The Cancer Council Australia has uncovered what researchers describe as extensive promotion of unhealthy products directly to kids and manipulative methods to link them with health and fitness.

The report analyses the public policy statements of eight of the nation's largest food companies.

It found that many pledge, but fail, to deliver on their commitment to responsible marketing to children.

"Our findings suggest that, despite these policies, most of the products promoted to children - and recalled by children - were those high in sugar, fat and salt," said lead author Professor Sandra Jones, from the University of Wollongong.

The Cancer Council is now calling for regulation of junk food marketing to children to try and stem an expected surge in obesity-related cancers.

However, manufacturers say food advertising has been proven to have little bearing on obesity and say the report is designed to influence the results of the current Australian Communication and Media Authority review into food advertising.

Kellogg's, Nestle and Uncle Toby's were found to link their products to sports events and athletes to "imply that consumption increases energy levels and physical performance".

"And where advertising is apparently targeted at parents, the emphasis is often on an association with health and fitness, even though in most cases the products are high in sugar, saturated fats and salt."

Anorexia or obesity?

http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1196754932

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High protein diet helps men slim: study

A diet rich in red meat can help overweight men shed layers of dangerous tummy fat, a new Australian study has found.

The findings from the CSIRO study suggest high protein intake effectively strips abdominal weight, but opponents of the diet say eating extra meat comes with its own risk, cancelling out the benefits.

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Fitness trumps fatness in US study

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/fitness-trumps-fatness-in-us-study/2007/12/06/1196812916627.html

When it comes to living longer, fitness may trump fatness, US researchers said.

Men and women who were fit, as judged by a treadmill test, but were overweight or obese had a lower mortality risk than those of normal weight but low fitness levels, the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed.

http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle.aspx?id=105736&catId=100563&tid=100008&p=1&title=Exercise+myths

There are many myths about exercise — fictions which are endlessly perpetuated and validated through sheer repetition. And it’s not just the internet and other media. Even fitness professionals get it wrong sometimes.

Many of the misconceptions about exercise relate to whether it burns fat and calories, and how much. This leads some people to eat more than they should, relative to the amount of total activity they do each day, which in turn causes them to gain weight (or not lose as much as they’d like).

In this report we take a look at the 10 most common exercise myths, and give you the real facts.

"Exercising three times a week is enough."
"Walking burns 300 calories an hour, so if I walk for an hour I’ll burn off the 300 calorie chocolate bar I ate."
"No pain, no gain."
"Low-intensity exercise burns more fat."
"Walking one kilometre burns the same calories as running one kilometre.
"Swimming isn’t a good way to lose weight."
"Your metabolism increases after exercise, so you burn more calories even though you’ve stopped exercising."
"You burn more fat if you exercise on an empty stomach."
"You should stretch before exercising."
"I’m slim and healthy, I don’t need to exercise."

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Teens who eat breakfast weigh less, US study shows

http://news.smh.com.au/teens-who-eat-breakfast-weigh-less-us-study-shows/20080304-1wtb.html

Teenagers who eat breakfast consume more daily calories but weigh less than those who skip the first meal of the day, a study released Monday in the United States showed.

"This study clearly supports what other studies have shown: kids who skip breakfast tend to gain more weight, and therefore would be at a higher risk for obesity," said Dr Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota's department of epidemiology and community health, which conducted the study.

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Australian scientists report weight loss breakthrough

http://news.smh.com.au/australian-scientists-report-weight-loss-breakthrough/20080429-297g.html

Australian scientists may have discovered how to help people lose weight without cutting back on food, a breakthrough that could pave the way for fat-burning drugs.

Researchers in Melbourne found that by manipulating fat cells in mice they were able to speed up the animals' metabolisms.

They found that when a particular enzyme, known as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), was removed, mice were able to eat the same amount as other mice but burn more calories and therefore gain less weight.