The 10 Biggest Diet and Health Stories of 2008

Those are all good, Mike.

Here's another candidate for top 10 stories of 2008.

The July issue of Archives of Internal Medicine reported on the role of exercise in maintenance of weight loss in women. Those women who successfully kept the lost pounds from returning exercised an average of 55 minutes on five days a week. Didn't matter if exercise was moderate or vigorous intensity.

We knew exercise had an important role, but didn't know how much it took.

Details are at my blog:
http://advancedmediterraneandiet.com/blog/?p=73

-Steve

Here's a hope for the New Year: less obesity hysteria, more emphasis on health. We need to learn that exercise, healthy living (not abusing drugs/alcohol/less stress), and a decent (not perfect) diet, including lots of whole foods and less meat and sweets, are desirable and achievable, regardless of weight. And while we're at it, I wish the media would try to distinguish between obesity and poor eating and exercise. They're not always interchangeable. When I read a headline "Obesity Leads to Horrible This and That), and the first line says "Poor diet and lack of exercise blah blah", I can't read the article. How many thin folks I know with poor diet/exercise habits, and larger folks who exercise regularly, etc. I hope we can learn some moderation and good scientific judgement about these issues.

I'm curious to see whether or not the economy will have some health benefits that might come along with it. People may start walking/biking more often to save money on gas, restaurants and other food vendors may actually start cutting back on their monstrous portions to save themselves money AND help consumers monitor their calorie intake. I wonder if maybe we'll return to a culture that emphasizes frugality and health in our foods rather than just thinking of it as a cheap source of energy.

Spectra, I'm hoping with you on this one. Wouldn't it be great if this time next year Mike wrote an article which didn't have to mention some ridiculous-sounding diets, magical exercise pills, bad role models blah blah! Hey, Mike, get that pen ready! Wouldn't it be great if we dusted off our bikes/walking dhoes and rode past all those fast food joints. Um.... now could we get design more walker/biker friendly cities!

I have been enjoying reading your blog and wanted to wish you a Happy New Year...

Good ideas for books. My favorite is "Keep it Simple, Diet and Exercise" by Luigi Gratton

At last the books Peter D'Adamo writes get (and keep!) higher ratings! The Bloodtype Diet and since one year we know the Genotype Diet, are fabulous way to get and stay healthy.. I live in Holland and integrate BTD and GTD in my Foodadvice and Coachingpractice with great success. There is no One-Size-For-All diet.. Everybody is unique and Peter D'Adamo has made this clear to us. Thanks to the research and books Peter and his father wrote, millions op people have regained their health and wellbeing! I am on the BTD/GTD since 1999, type A, Teacher, and I have never looked back.. Kidneyproblems, high bloodpressure, eczema, all ailments vanished since then.
My gratitude towards Peter D'Adamo is great: he enabled laypersons to be responsible themselves for their health!
May I advise you all to have a look on www.dadamo.com to increase your knowledge on food and health!
Take good care of yourselves and have a great and healthy 2009!!
Cocky van Hesteren, nutritionist
Master of the Institute for Human Individuality (K-150)

Here's another suggestion for "top 10 headlines of 2008":
_______________________________________________

An article in the July 28, 2008, issue of Archives of Internal Medicine teaches us the role of regular physical activity in keeping lost weight from returning to once-overweight women.

Methodology:

201 overweight women (body mass index 27-40) aged 21 to 45 wanted to lose excess weight. They were sedentary at baseline, exercising fewer than three days a week for under 20 minutes. Sound familiar? Depending on baseline weight, the participants were assigned to eat either 1200 or 1500 calories per day, and to exercise according to one of four different exercise programs. Exercise recommendations were to burn a certain number of calories per week (1000 or 2000 calories) at either moderate or vigorous intensity. There were weekly group meetings for discussion of eating and exercise for the first six months, twice monthly meetings during the next 6 months, and monthly for the next six months. There was telephone contact for between months 19 to 24. This is pretty intense contact. Each participant was given a treadmill to use at home, but my impression is that other forms of exercise were permitted and discussed.

Participants self-reported their physical activity levels.

At 24 months into the study, 170 of the original 201 participants were able to provide objective weight loss data.

Findings:

Of the 170 subjects available for full analysis at 24 months, 54 either gained weight or lost none. Thirty-three lost 0 to 4.9% of initial body weight, 36 lost 5 to 9.9% initial body weight, and 47 (24.6%) lost 10% or more of initial body weight. [Who says diets don’t work?]

People who lost 10% or more of initial body weight at 24 months reported performing more physical activity - 275 minutes a week - compared with those who lost less than 10% of initial body weight. This amount of exercise equates to 55 minutes of exercise on five days per week above the baseline level of activity, which was sedentary as you recall.

We've known for years that exercise is important for most people who want to prevent weight regain. Now we know how much it takes.

-Steve

And don't for get the Israeli study (New England Journal of Medicine, July) showing better weight loss with Mediterranean and low-carb diets compared to a low-fat diet.

-Steve

The dangers of the Kimkins Diet Scam certainly highlighted the need to watch out for fraud in the field of diet and health.

With Kimkins, it is easy to see why it was awarded the title of Worst Diet Product of 2008.

A diet that worked for me was the Banana diet. I lost almost 30lb in not even two months. It's the easiest diet I've ever been on.

To get consistent weight loss, don't go too extreme here. You should develop healthy habits that you can keep up with for a long time. Not some quick fix diet that helps you to lose weight but then you blow right back up.