Have you seen the new CDC report on the nation’s waistline?

Apparently, it show that when it comes to weight, there is no shrinkage. Some state may be holding steady but the major seem to be growing.

For the report,  400,000 American adults provided information about their height and weight which was used to calculate their body mass index (BMI).

Weighing up all the information, the CDC has determined that ‘the proportion of U.S. adults who are obese increased to 26.1 percent in 2008 compared to 25.6 percent in 2007.’

According to the CDC press release  “In six states – Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia – adult obesity prevalence was 30 percent or more. Thirty-two states, including those six, had obesity prevalence of 25 percent or more. Only one state, Colorado, had a prevalence of obesity less than 20 percent. But no state showed a significant decrease in obesity prevalence from 2007 to 2008.”

As for the ‘fattest state’, this dubious honor goes to Mississippi.

Here are the percentages of obese adults in U.S. states and Washington, D.C., according to the new CDC data:

Mississippi: 32.8%
Alabama: 31.4%
West Virginia: 31.2%
Tennessee: 30.6%
Oklahoma: 30.3%
South Carolina: 30.1%
Kentucky: 29.8%
North Carolina: 29%
Michigan: 28.9%
Arkansas and Ohio: 28

(source: WebMD)

 

Yes, it’s true if you eat more than you work off, you will gain weight.

But in the end, it’s not just food (ie calories) that will make you fat.

As this theDailyGreen shows, research done of the subject is also pointing the finger at a number of other variables that can also play havoc on your weight.

1. Stress - it’s a vicious circle. Stress can lead to weight gain. Weight gain can lead to stress.

2. Lack of Sleep - we live in a 24/7 world but being on the go around the clock and not getting enough restful sleep will, for reasons not yet determined, add numbers to the weight.

3. Baby Formula - seems that those who are, or were, breastfeed are less likely to become overweight. Again, for reason unknown, although it’s possibly due to the relationship of hormones in breast milk and the baby’s subsequent metabolic activity.

4. Obesogens - otherwise known as chemicals that mess with the hormones that regulate our metabolism. Also known as ‘endocrine-disrupting chemicals’, obesogens are mistaken for hormones by our bodies and yes, cause weight gain. Ranging from Bisphenol A to Phthalates and Dioxins, it’s list that’s getting longer and longer.

So, what to do.

Well, you can’t change your ‘breastfeed or not’ status, but you can try to avoid the obesogens as much as possible, aim to get into a regular and longer sleep pattern, and implement tactics to reduce stress.

Plus eat less and exercise more.

Sure sounds so simple and easy.

But is it?

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Marinades not only make grilled foods taste better, they may also make them safer. That’s the word from a number of studies that have been looking into the risk of grilling meats on the BBQ.

The latest study suggests that adding beneficial antioxidants such as rosemary extracts or Thai spices to the meat can significantly reduce the risk of ingesting heterocyclic amines (HCAs).

Last year, scientists at the University of Porto in Portugal examined the effects of beer and red wine marinades on grilled steak and discovered that simply marinating in beer or red wine for six hours reduced the levels of two types of HA by up to 90 per cent compared with unmarinated steak.

Mix all or some of these ingredients together and you’ll end up with healthy and hopefully tasty marinade recipe.

Other key ingredients for healthy, HAA reducing marinades include vinegar, citrus juices, herbs, spices and olive oil.

As for some recipes and marinade ideas, check out Marinade.com for the most comprehensive list around.

And remember, never marinate meat at room temperature. Mix, add, and then refrigerate until needed.

Happy Healthy and Safe Grilling!

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Summer time is BBQ time for most of us. But in the past few years, there has been a lot of concern about the health issues relating to barbequing meats.

In particular,  health concerns revolve around the potential exposure carcinogenic compounds such as Hetrocyclic amines (HCAs) that increase as meat is charred on the grill and Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAAs) that are created when fat and meat juices drip onto the coals and stones.

Back in 2005,  HCAs, which has been shown to cause tumors in animals and possibly increase the risk of breast, colon, stomach, pancreatic, and prostate cancer in humans, was added to The National Institute of Health’s hit list of cancer causing agents.

But that doesn’t mean you should stop BBQing.

It just means you need to grill safer.

Here’s how:

1. Marinade, marinade, marinade. Apparently marinading will not only make meats taste so much better. It also significantly reduces the amount of HCAs. But make it thin not thick as thicker marinades can increase the potential for charring.

2. Grill more vegetables than meats. Get creative. Put vegetables on skewers, make some veggie or tofu burgers. And don’t forget the quesadillas and tortillas.

3. Ensure proper cleaning of the grill before and after each use. Make sure that any burnt bits are scraped off the grill. Any residue left on the grill most likely will contain high levels of HCAs.

4. Frequently flip the burgers and cook at a lower temperature. Frequent turning not only accelerates the cooking process but also helps reduces the level of HCAs and can also help kill any bacteria.

5. If you’re cooking with coal, make sure you don’t place any meat directly over the coals. Best to cover the grill with aluminum foil. But don’t forget to pokes some holes in it first. Covering the grill also reduces harmful smoke that can result from meat juices spilling on the coal.

6. Reduce the grill time by pre-cooking or microwaving the meat before putting on the grill.

7. Never ever eat blackened or burnt meat.

Stop by tomorrow to discover some interesting and healthy marinades to try.

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A recent article in the New York Times,  ‘A Slimmer You May Be a Whiff Away’, highlights some interesting niche products that have been marketed on the theory that manipulation of smell can lead to weight loss.

The idea is that by saturating the sensory system you won’t be as hungry.

It’s an interesting idea but I’m not sure how it would work.  To me, the smell of food always stimulates my taste buds. For example,  everytime I smell toast I suddenly get hungry and want to eat some. 

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Image from FitnessMagazine.com

Aiming to be fit this summer?

Or at least a whole lot fitter?

Yeah, I know. Much easier said than done.

But if you are really interested in getting up and moving towards a fitter you, then FitnessMagazine.com wants to help.

They are running a ‘celebrate summer series’ that features workout routines, motivation tricks for getting your bikini body ready for the season, and special summer drink recipes.

Get Fit the FitnessMagazine.com Way…

“Get a Bikini Body in 4 Weeks” - receive weekly plans for getting your body in shape, featuring cardio and toning exercises and diet recommendations.

 Cycling guide - detailed information on how to get the most out of your biking exercise

10 motivation tricks - geared for how to get in your exercise even in hot weather.

Swimming pool workout - exercises that burn calories while you tone muscles and are targeted to different areas of your body.

Maximum sun protection summer workout outfits -  a guide to coordinated hats, tops and shorts or pants for maximum sun protection, broken into several categories—walking, running or just covering up at the pool.

Smoothie recipes - includes several combinations of fruit with added ingredients, such as flaxseeds, peanut butter, and even chocolate.

Low-cal drink recipes - gives a choice of refreshing alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for your happy hour.

Take a gamble

People bet on the horses, football, basketball, and pretty much any sport in between. So why not bet on weight loss? That’s what over a 1,000 dieters in the United Kingdom have signed up for on the StickK website.

The American based start-up was created last year by two Yale professors who wanted to help people achieve their goals and objectives by enabling them to form Commitment Contracts.

Dieters in the UK have been joining up and betting on their ability to lose a specified amount of weight in a specified time frame. If  you don’t succeed,  you lose money.

But you don’t just lose a designated amount of money. The money that you lose is paid to a charity that you nominated when you join up.

But wait, there’s a twist. You have to nominate a charity that you would not normally support - preferably one that supports a cause that you do not agree with.  

Plus a Group e-mail will be sent to your friends informing them of your failure to reach your target weight loss.

Sounds pretty extreme.

Not sure it’s something I’d be willing to sign up for. But there are studies that incentive schemes - usually resulting in gaining some sort of material gain - do work, if only in the short term.

So what do you think?

Would you be willing to bet on your dieting success?

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Looking for somewhere different to eat?

Check out this restaurant in the Netherlands called Restaurant of the Future.

It looks like a restaurant. It acts like a restaurant. But it’s actually a living laboratory where scientists can monitor and study what and how people eat.

The scientists, thankfully, are not standing at the tables, clipboard in hand, watching the customers eat. Instead customer’s eating habits are monitored by cameras that are discretely in the ceiling.

In fact, the only way that customers even know that they are participating in an ongoing research project is because they are given a questionnaire and research waiver to sign when they arrive at the front door.

Unless they are looking closely, they probably won’t even notice the ceiling cameras or the black rubber scale at one of the cash registers that unobtrusively weighs each diners. Nor will they see how the staff weighs the food is thrown away to find out how much people are actually eating.

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Welcome to yet another edition of the Healthbolt Carnival. You know the drill - grab a coffee, get comfortable, and start reading…

Tristan fromBody And Fitness Blog discusses the importance of Muscle Overload in exercise.

Romeo Vitelli from Providentia writes about The Rafferty Experiment and how early medical experiments that helped shape the future of medical research.

Free Organic News suggests that you Nourish Your Skin Organically with these great tips.

FeminineSpirit provides some Easy Ways to Fuel Your Metabolism.

Dan Abshear from Informaproject looks at The Issues With Electronic Medical Records.

FitJerk from FlawlessFitness provides some Powerful Plyometrics Training That Will Knock Your Socks Off!.

Alvin Hopkinson from High Blood Pressure Treatment and Medication Reviews offers some Tips in Preparing a Diet to Prevent High Blood Pressure.

Dejan Banovic from Weight Loss Writings writes about How To Loss Weight.

Madeleine Begun Kane from Mad Kane’s Humor Blog asks Does Your Guilt Spring Eternal?

J.D. Bell from It Takes Work looks at Core Training and asks What’s With All The Bouncy Balls?

Ann Monahan from End Hemorrhoids Naturally provides suggestions for Eliminating Hemorrhoids.

Walter from The Highlight HEALTH Network reviews Brain Toniq and looks at the science behind this ‘Think Drink’.

Ross from Energise for Life discusses How To Cure Yourself of Hay Fever naturally.

dietetic boy from Vegetarian Culinary discusses The Advantage That you Will Find From the Many Vegetarian Menus | Vegetarian Culinary Recipes.

That concludes this edition of Healthbolt Carnival.

By the way, this is will be the last Healthbolt Carnival for a while.

Stop back next week and see what we’ve got up our sleeve instead.

Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags: a healthbolt carnival, blog carnival.