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Allow me to piggyback on Liz’s post from earlier today and explore another possible reason for the obesity epidemic (one that’s probably a very likely part of the equation) – The Great American Buffet Table.
According to my local newspaper, there is a new study out which suggests that sitting too close to the buffet table at a restaurant can lead to overeating. They learned some other nifty things when they divided study subjects into an “overweight” group and a “normal” group, too. Take a look:

Heavy customers sat an average of 14 feet closer to the fixins …read more

Bad news if you’re overweight and are employed by the state of Alabama. If you don’t ease up on your Southern-fried favorites and hit the gym a bit more, you’ll end up paying $25 a month for insurance that is otherwise free to the un-fat folk.
That’s right, in an unprecedented move to encourage state workers to slim down, Alabama will be the first state in the nation to charge overweight workers who don’t make the effort to lighten up.
This $25 insurance fee will join the already-in-place $24/month fee that ‘Bama employees are charged for smoking. The state says it’s …read more

So in a moment of “don’t shoot the messenger”, I am sorry to have to share the news that “moderate” exercise is no longer going to cut it, if weight loss is your main goal. And by “moderate”, I’m referring to the old standby of 30 minutes a day, most days of the week.
Bummer, eh?
As if we don’t have enough on our plates (heh. Punny, huh?) Now we need to ramp up our routines in order to shed a few. This, according to a recent article on TIME.com.
Truly, it makes sense. When I first went on a crusade to lose …read more

The Healthbolt Carnival is back once again, full of interesting, informative, and entertaining posts about ‘everything to do with health.
So grab a coffee and have a read. You’ll be amazed at what you find.

Walter from Highlight HEALTH writes about The Upside of High Food Prices, saying, “As the price at the gas pump continues to climb, so does the cost of diary, grain and meat products. However, there is a healthy upside to the increasing cost of food.”

Trisha at Women’s Health Research News tells us in a review of the new fad diet Sensa that There’s no magical way to lose …read more

Image details: Vegas or Bust served by picapp.com
You think you have weight loss goals? Well, I’m guessing Manuel Uribe has you smoked. His goal is to be able to walk down the aisle at his own wedding. And we’re betting he’ll do just that.
The 43-year-old Uribe has dropped an astonishing 550 pounds over the last two years after breaking the Guinness World Record of 1,235 pounds. He’s now down to about 700 pounds and has dreams of whittling down further.
Currently living in Northern Mexico, Uribe attributes his obesity to the American way – a nonstop diet of …read more

Walking without a pedometer may be getting you nowhere…
Image details: Group of woman walking served by picapp.com
Sure, you talk the talk…but do you walk the walk?
If you’re walking without a pedometer, probably not.
See, most people aren’t all that good at monitoring their own progress. They tend to overestimate the amount of effort (or in the case of walking, the amount of steps) they’ve accumulated. It’s human nature – we like to think we’re better than we are – or at least more ambitious.
However…
According to a study by the University of Michigan, wearing a pedometer (a small computer worn on your …read more

Sleeping or getting fat? Hmm, tough choice.
Image details: Portrait of a young woman sleeping fully dressed on a white bed served by picapp.com
Well, you don’t have to tell me twice to follow this advice:
Get more sleep!
So the deal here is that we can go about our business, scraping for anything remotely resembling rest, or we can make sleep a priority and lose weight. Boy, I’m just not sure on that one. Lemme think a sec…
Okay, yeah, I’ll play. I am officially on board with the findings that too-little sleep ends with a 40% increase in cortisol in the blood (cortisol …read more

Well, it’s finally here. – the very first Healtbolt Carnival and  it is huge.
 You know, when we first decided to do this, we were a little nervous. After all, what if we gave a party and nobody came. A natural fear, but one, it seems, that wasn’t warranted. ‘Cause it looks like everyone, and I mean everyone, has come to the party.
So put on your glad rags, grab a drink and start mingling…
And don’t forget to pass the word on. After all, the more the merrier.

SjP presents the sister study…the battle against breast cancer posted at Sojourner’s Place.The Sister Study is …read more

A whole bunch of random goodness for you this week around the blogosphere. So fun to see all our health compadres kicking out great articles. Hope you find something particularly useful. Enjoy!
A new blog that’s taking the world by storm, Weighting Line has a very interesting perspective on 6 ways to commit discrimination against the obese. Is blaming global warming on them one of those ways?
And speaking of weight, if you’re new to the weight loss game, but you’re looking to hook up with a gym, how do you know which one is the right fit? The fabulous MizFit explores …read more

More Healthbolt approved links for you this week, all plucked straight from the blogs on the Healthbolt blogroll.
What’s that you say? You want to be on our blogroll, too? Great, just drop us a comment here or in an email and we’ll be happy to add you. As we see it, the more resources readers have for living a great and interesting life, the better.
But for now, enjoy these fabulous thoughts on the ever-intriguing topic of weight loss:
Our newest Health & Wellness channel addition, Weighting Line, shares some fantastic tips for cutting portion sizes.
At Fat Man Unleashed, Israel puts and …read more