Hoodia Information

Another Easy Exercise.

I have a back injury and execise is difficult.  Recently I went to the doctor and she told me to get a large gym ball and sit on it just moving a little.  The next day my back and legs were very sore from using all the muscles.  It really works!  No big fancy exercise.  Sweet!!

Play can be Fun Exercise

Earlier this week I met several people at a nearby park.  They met three of four times a week to play with their dogs and exercise.  They were having a blast.  The dogs played.  The people played with the dogs and chased them all over the place.  This was just an evening after work and they wanted some exercise.  These people started this habit last year and are still at it.  Not every one comes every time but there is someone there almost every evening.  I plan to go some myself even though I don’t have a dog.  I felt welcome, had some good exercise and met fun people.

This article was on Yahoo Health news AFP

US child obesity may be stabilizing after huge rise: study                                                                                             
The obesity rate among American children and teenagers may have stabilized after a dramatic rise in the 1980s and 1990s that has been described as an epidemic, according to a US study on Wednesday.

The study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), based on a national health survey, found no significant change in the obesity rate between 1999 and 2006.

Led by Cynthia Ogden of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers reviewed the survey of more than 8,000 children and teens aged between two and 19 conducted between 2003-2004 and 2005-2006.

The study found that 31.9 percent of the children were overweight, while 16 percent were obese and 11 percent extremely obese. The rates were nearly unchanged compared to 1999.

The obesity rate had tripled between 1980-1999, creating an epidemic blamed on a poor diet heavy on fat and sugar with little consumption of fruits and fresh vegetables and lack of exercize.

Obese children are at a higher risk of developing heart diseases, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. They are also more likely of becoming obese adults.

The study also shows racial and ethnic disparities, with 23 percent of children of Mexican origin considered obese, compared to 17 percent of blacks and 16 percent of whites.

Among girls, 24 percent of blacks were obese compared to 19 percent of those of Mexican origin and 14 percent of whites.

In an accompanying editorial, doctors Cara Ebbeling and David Ludwig of Children’s Hospital Boston warned that it was too soon to tell if child obesity has really leveled off.

“Perhaps recent public health campaigns aimed at raising awareness of childhood obesity and improving the quality of school food have begun to pay off,” they wrote.

“However, it is too early to know whether these data reflect a true plateau or a statistical aberration in an inexorable epidemic, and pre-existing racial/ethnic disparities show no sign of abating.

“On one point there is no uncertainty: without substantial declines in prevalence, the public health toll of childhood obesity will continue to mount, because it can take many years for an obese child to develop life-threatening complications.”

Walking for Exercise.

Now that spring is here and the days are warmer you can go for walks.  If you are in one of the hotter areas you can walk in the morning or evening.  Be sure your health is good enough for walking and the area you walk in is safe.  Start small and gradually work up to a 2-3 mile walk daily.

You should have good walking shoes and use good posture.  Pump your arms and carry small weights if you like.  Listening to music or a CD may be of help.  Be sure to listen to your body and do not over do the exercise.  Take your time to build up to a good routine for  you.  Drink plenty of water and enjoy.  

Weight loss and good sleep habits are directly related.  Recent studies show that there is a connection between loss of sleep and weight gain.  That could explain why people with sleep apnea gain weight at a higher rate than normal.  Loss of sleep is usually under six hours and is considered less than ideal.  Too much sleep can also cause weight gain, over nine hours daily.  The duration of sleep should be adequate to let you feel refreshed upon waking.  You should feel alert and able to function normally throughout the day.