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One evening, at home. Youre sat comfortably on the sofa, watching your favourite TV show. An ad comes up, showing a scrumptious burger in its full glory. The camera zooms into each ingredient: the crisp salad; the tender meat; the rich, creamy sauce; the crunchy French fries, and one person enjoying this delightful flavour range. You think to yourself that your diet is about to take a hit. But we beg to differ.
In a series of studies published in theJournal of Public Policy & Marketing, we found advertisements showing people eating junk food prompted people on a diet to eat less. While this may seem counterintuitive, these findings are in line with previous research onmental imagery. Recent studies show merely imagining ourselves carrying out actions or experiencing emotions activates similar neural networks to those linked with their actual performance or experience.
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The images we are exposed to throughout our lives hold the power to shape our experiences to a remarkable degree. According toneuroimage studies, the mere sight of someone being hit by a hammer will fire up the neural networks in our brain that are associated with pain. As a result, these images will trigger emotions and behaviour consistent with feelings of pain.
Such effects also extend to food consumption. The field of consumption imagery refers to rich images of food consumption for example, anadshowing the close-up of a pizza and someone eating it.Some studieshave even indicated consumption imagery could cause people to wrongly recall having eaten the food on display.
Why is this important? This is important because simply thinking that we have eaten something can make us feel full. In 2010,researchersasked people to picture themselves eating either 3 or 30 M&Ms chocolates. They then handed them a bowl of sweets to eat. People who had imagined themselves eating 30 of the button-shaped chocolates ended up feeling satiated and ate fewer sweets compared to those who imagined eating only 3. With our research, we decided to take this question to the next level and test if the effect holds when people see someone else eating in an ad.
We invited 132 dieting students at our lab at the Grenoble Ecole de Management to watch an ad. Half of them saw anM&Ms advertisementbrimming with consumption imagery: sweets, colours, and a person eating them. The other half of the students saw an ad with two animatedM&Ms at a supermarket till, devoid of consumption imagery. We then gave each student a 70g cup of M&Ms and asked them to eat to their hearts content. Among the students, those who saw the M&Ms advertisement containing consumption imagery ate fewer sweets than those who saw the ad without.
We followed up this study with another one where 130 students sawan advertisement for a hamburger. Out of the volunteer pool, half were asked to visualise themselves eating the hamburger, and the other half were asked to imagine filming it. Students then received a silver bag of chocolate-coated biscuits sticks to eat. Those who watched the ad and imagined eating the hamburger ate fewer chocolate-coated biscuits than those who only imagined filming it.
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Both studies are proof that the mere sight of someone eating junk food or of junk food alone is enough to put dieters off it, at least for a time.
In the next study, we tested whether we could use these findings to promote healthy eating. We predicted that healthy eating promotion campaigns heavy on unhealthy consumption imagery would have a stronger effect on dieters. We designed four ads to incentivise healthy eating:
In total, 594 American adults were recruited to participate in our online study. Each participant was randomly selected to view one of the four ads. We then asked them to
imagine that you are about to have a snack and you open a bag of chips. There are 20 chips in the bag. How many potato chips would you eat RIGHT NOW?
People who viewed the campaign requiring them to imagine themselves wolfing down the French fries indicated a desire to eat fewer chips than those who were exposed to the French fries campaign without consumption imagery. Those who had imagined themselves eating an apple were more inclined to succumb to the potato chips than those who had visualised themselves eating the French fries.
These results go against the grain of current public policy practices that aim to promote healthy eating by relying onimages of nutritious foods. However, our research indicates that healthy eating campaigns should include and portray the consumption of unhealthy food. Indeed, dieters imagining themselves eating junk food consciously associate it with a failure to reach their weight loss goals.
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Dear Reader, Over the past four years, EastMojo revolutionised the coverage of Northeast India through our sharp, impactful, and unbiased coverage. And we are not saying this: you, our readers, say so about us. Thanks to you, we have become Northeast Indias largest, independent, multimedia digital news platform.Now, we need your help to sustain what you started.We are fiercely protective of our independent status and would like to remain so: it helps us provide quality journalism free from biases and agendas. From travelling to the remotest regions to cover various issues to paying local reporters honest wages to encourage them, we spend our money on where it matters.Now, we seek your support in remaining truly independent, unbiased, and objective. We want to show the world that it is possible to cover issues that matter to the people without asking for corporate and/or government support. We can do it without them; we cannot do it without you.Support independent journalism, subscribe to EastMojo.
Thank you,Karma PaljorEditor-in-Chief,eastmojo.com
Today people prioritize theirhealth and well-beingmore and more. If you are one of the many who set dieting and healthier eating astheir number 1 resolution for 2023, our tip to you is that you resist the urge to cover your eyes when seemingly tempting ads pop up. Instead, engage with them fully, imagining your lips reaching out to the prohibited food. As science would have it, this might just cut down your unhealthy eating habits.
Birau Mia, Associate Professor of Marketing, EM Lyon Business School and Carolina O.C. Werle, Professor of Marketing, Grenoble cole de Management (GEM)
This article is republished fromThe Conversationunder a Creative Commons license. Read theoriginal article.
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Can watching others eat junk food cut our appetite, help lose weight? - EastMojo
Youre readingLove Stuck, where trained therapists answer your dating, sex, and relationship dilemmas. You cansubmit a question here.
Whether we want to admit it or not, we all want to look good for our partners.
When you first start dating your partner, you dress to the nines to make sure your other half has the hots for you. We can put make-up on and play around with our style but what happens if you put on a little bit of weight?
Wed expect our partner to still feel attracted to us regardless of our body weight but this isnt the case for this weeks reader, Maddie.
My husband of 6 years revealed to me recently that he has spent our entire marriage hoping I would lose weight, and that he doesnt find me attractive, Maddie tells HuffPost UK.
Ive struggled with weight loss my entire adult life, and Im not certain Ill ever be as skinny or in shape as hes hoping for. My friends are telling me this is abusive and I should leave him. I dont know what to do, she adds.
It must be heartbreaking for Maddie to hear how her partner feels about her appearance. What should she do? Counselling Directory member Georgina Sturmer is on hand to give Maddie some advice.
What would you say to this reader?
Sturmer says it sounds like this has been a shocking and hurtful revelation that has left Maddie questioning herself and her marriage. Your friends have piled in with their support and advice. But this has left you floundering and unsure, she says.
She wants Maddie to think about herself and how she feels about her marriage.
Are you feeling happy and satisfied, with this criticism coming as a bolt out of the blue? Or does this criticism feel familiar, is it something that you have got used to? she adds.
Sturmer continues: Its hard to identify or label a pattern of behaviour based on a very short snippet of information.
Its possible that this relationship is one that is characterised by conflict or miscommunication. But its important to acknowledge that criticism is a hallmark of controlling behaviour, of emotional abuse.
How can these comments affect the reader?
Low self-esteem and boundaries
As Maddie has shared that shes struggled with her self-image, these comments have probably triggered feelings of shame and embarrassment, feeding into her low sense of self-esteem.
Perhaps also anger, frustration, or sadness, Sturmer says.
Unexpected criticism and trust
It sounds like this criticism was unexpected, which may have shaken the readers sense of security in the relationship, Sturmer says. If he has hidden these feelings for so long, what else might he be keeping from her?
If a partner is critical, controlling, or abusive, its common for people to minimise or deny what has happened.
They might blame themselves, justifying their partners behaviour, Sturmer explains.
It seems that Maddie has a supportive group of well-meaning friends who are urging her to leave her husband.
They will certainly help her to feel less isolated at such a difficult time.
But its not always easy when friends offer their advice. Everyone has their own agenda. Its important for the reader to make decisions based on what she really needs and wants, Sturmer says.
What practical advice would you give this reader?
Sturmer suggests that Maddie should explore what you want and need from this relationship. This might involve self-reflection, discussions with a friend, or working with a counsellor.
Are your needs being met? Do you feel that you deserve for your needs to be met? And how can you communicate all of this to your husband? she adds.
Sturmer continues: What would you say to a friend in this situation? Sometimes we need to take a step back and imagine that we are offering support to someone we love. What would you suggest that they do?
If Maddie does decide to stay, Sturmer thinks she should seek support.
What do you need to help you in your relationship? she asks. Though it seems like she has a great set of friends, she should explore counselling.
Counselling could help you to explore your self-esteem and your relationship with your body image, without fear of judgement or someone elses agenda, Sturmer explains.
If criticism and self-doubt feel familiar, then you might benefit from exploring the other relationships in your life. Do you put yourself down, and do you accept it when other people put you down too? she asks Maddie.
However, if she decides to leave she should still seek support.
Rebecca Zisser/HuffPost UK
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My Husband Doesn't Find Me Attractive And Wants Me To Lose Weight - HuffPost UK
In most cases, it's best to stick to a cup or two of coffee to maximize the potential health benefits without going overboard on caffeine.
"For performance benefits8, 2-6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight is recommended," says Jones. To put this into perspective, if you're 150 pounds, this translates to around 204-408 mg of caffeine, or around two to five cups, per day.
Keep in mind that more is not always better when it comes to caffeine. The Food and Drug Administration9 recommends capping your caffeine intake at around 400 milligrams per day, which equals about four to five cups.
Too much caffeine can cause a slew of negative side effects, including anxiety, digestive issues, jitters, and insomnia. (It can even contribute to weight gain in some cases.) Certain people may also need to dial their intake back even further, including those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or extra sensitive to the effects of caffeine.
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How To Use Coffee To Lose Weight: The Top Do's & Don'ts - mindbodygreen
The Ozempic craze shows no signs of slowing. Demand for the drug, popularly used for weight loss, is so monumental that it is already changing the diet industry and spurring a marketing bonanza among the dozens of telehealth start-ups that now prescribe it. A highly public ad campaign from one start-up, Ro, banks on the drugs simple premise: A weekly shot to lose weight.
Never before has a weight-loss treatment been hyped this way and been able to deliver on its promise. Ozempic itself is technically a diabetes drug, but its active ingredient, semaglutide, has been approved by the FDA for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy, and can reduce a persons body weight by up to 20 percent through a weekly injection. An even more powerful drug, known as tirzepatide, or Mounjaro, may soon be approved for weight loss, and a host of new medications are coming down the pipeline. All signs suggest that America is on the verge of a weight-loss revolution.
But for people with obesity, semaglutide isnt even the most effective weight-loss treatment aroundnot even close. Bariatric surgery, which has existed for many decades, is still significantly more potent. This class of procedures, which, broadly speaking, reconfigure the digestive system so people feel less hungry and more full, is considered to be the gold standard for treating obesity, Holly Lofton, an obesity-medicine physician at NYU, told me. Most people experience weight loss of 50 percent and, with one procedure, up to 80 percent, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Despite the impressive abilities of the new crop of weight-loss drugsand bold assertions that such drugs could someday replace surgery outrightseveral doctors told me that surgery will likely continue to be the top-line treatment for obesity, even as the medications improve. People may seek out treatment with the new drugs because theyre so popular, but long term, there will be an increase in surgery, Shauna Levy, a professor specializing in bariatric surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine, told me. The new drugs, however potent, may be less a revolutionary fix for obesity and more a powerful tool for treating itone of many that already exist.
Unlike semaglutide, bariatric surgery, first introduced in the 1950s, took several decades to become accepted by the medical community. Initial attempts made people so sick that, at times, the surgery had to be reversed. The term bariatric surgery refers to several different procedures that reshape the gastrointestinal tract so that it absorbs fewer nutrients, holds less food, or both. These days, the most commonly performed surgery is called a Roux-en-Y, which shrinks the stomach to the size of a walnutso people need less food to feel satisfiedand then reconnects it to the small intestine in a Y shape, rather than linearly. This gastric bypass lets food circumvent most of the stomach, leaving fewer opportunities for the body to harvest nutrients. In another common procedure, surgeons sculpt the stomach into a banana-size sleeve and toss the rest; another common type involves rerouting the intestines in a way that minimizes the area where calories can be absorbed.
But bariatric surgery does more than shrink gastrointestinal real estate. It exerts a less visible but equally powerful effect on the many different hormones that control hunger. Some procedures remove the part of the gut that produces the hunger hormone, ghrelin, while the rerouting of food through a Roux-en-Y ramps up the release of incretin hormones that create the feeling of fullness after eating.
In a sense, the new weight-loss drugs are essentially trying to re-create the effects of bariatric surgery: The success of these drugs is due to their ability to mimic the incretin hormones and get people to feel satisfied with less food. Semaglutide masquerades as the hormone GLP-1, whereas Mounjaro poses as both GLP-1 and GIP. But these are just two hormones; bariatric surgery touches on multiple different hormones and different pathways and, as such, is more comprehensive, Levy said. In one study, Mounjaro, considered the most powerful of the current crop of medications, led to 20 percent or more weight loss in 57 percent of people who took the highest dosean impressive feat, but still a far cry from what is possible with surgery. Similarly, Ozempic and Mounjaro, both technically diabetes drugs, have powerful effects on blood-sugar levels over time, but many surgery patients leave the hospital already in remission from their diabetes, Levy said.
In addition to sheer potency, surgery is also much more affordable than these weight-loss drugs. Unlike the drugs, bariatric surgery is covered by Medicare if the patient meets certain criteria, including having a BMI equal to or greater than 35 and at least one comorbidity related to obesity. Many private insurers cover it too, albeit to varying degrees. Out of pocket, surgery costs $15,000 to $25,000not cheap, but still cheaper than shelling out more than $1,000 a month indefinitely. The patient must understand that they have to continue taking medication forever, Lofton said. People who stop taking semaglutide generally regain the weight they lost. Lofton told me about one patient who had to forgo rent just to pay for the drugs: Factoring in insurance, you can pay for three months of medicine and then have surgery at the same price.
Neither treatment, of course, is without its potential downsides. Semaglutide can cause temporary but nasty side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrheaand though it is considered safe for treating obesity, long-term data on this usage span just two years. Because many surgeries are done laparoscopicallyusing only tiny incisionsmortality is vanishingly low, and many patients go home after two or three days; full recovery usually takes four to six weeks. In the long term, complications such as hernias, gallstones, and low blood sugar can develop.
But theres a reason bariatric surgery has not led to a weight-loss revolution of the kind that now gets associated with semaglutide. Despite its dramatic effects, and obesitys prevalence across America, only 1 percent of people eligible for surgery actually get it. People hesitate for many reasons, medical and otherwise, but the most pervasive issue is a lack of awareness that surgery is even a safe or realistic option for weight loss. Bariatric surgery is plagued by stigma even within the medical community: In the 1990s, it was dismissed as a barbaric way to address an issue that, many believed, could be treated with diet and exercise. There are a lot of primary-care doctors who are not talking enough about surgery because they were trained with that old mindset, Levy said. It doesnt help that bariatric surgery hasnt exactly been a media sensation, with few high-profile patient advocates beyond Al Roker and Mariah Carey. In contrast, stories of celebrities on weight-loss drugs abound. Unlike surgery, semaglutide has the potential to be taken recreationally.
The advantages that surgery has over weight-loss drugs may change as the drugs become more potent and eventually cheaper. But for now, semaglutide wont dramatically shift the way obesity is treated, doctors told mein fact, these new drugs may act as a conduit to surgery itself. Levy predicts that their sheer popularity will trigger a brief dip in the bariatric-surgery rate, but as price remains an issue, and people with obesity are unable to reach their weight-loss goals on the drugs alone, they may start opening their mind to surgery.
Certainly, in some patients, weight-loss drugs alone could lead to lasting weight loss. And they can benefit those who are overweight but dont qualify for surgery. But more widely, these drugs will likely be used in tandem with bariatric surgery to produce more dramatic, longer-lasting results, experts told me. I dont see this as an either/or, Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity-medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told me. I see it as surgery plus medicine.
Drugs can help fill in any gaps that surgery leaves behind. Weight can rebound after a procedure, because the body has a way of rebalancing itself; hormones that were tamped down due to bariatric surgery, Stanford said, can start to reemerge with a vengeance. About a fifth of people, and perhaps even more, regain a significant amount of weight15 percent or moretwo to five years after surgery. All of the doctors I spoke with said that medication could be a powerful tool to prevent post-surgery weight reboundsthough to keep that weight off, the medication would still have to be taken in perpetuity. Stanford estimated that more than 90 percent of her patients are on weight-loss drugs after surgeryand not necessarily semaglutide; older medications often suffice. Drugs could also be used to help people prepare for surgery, Lofton said. Some doctors encourage patients to lose weight beforehand to decrease the risk of complications such as blood clots, heart attack, and infection.
Despite the hype, weight-loss drugs were never a perfect treatment for obesity. Neither is bariatric surgery, for that matter. It is not a cure, Lofton told me. A cure, she explained, would ensure that hunger doesnt return and that fat cells dont get bigger, a hallmark of obesity: We have nothing that does thatnot even more potent next-gen drugs will provide a permanent fix. But the effect of combining surgery and medication could come close, she said.
That no cure for obesity exists is evidence of its complexity. All of the experts I spoke with pointed out that obesity has long been misunderstood as a failure of personal will, as laziness or gluttony. That misunderstanding has led to inadequate care: Many people who regain weight after a bariatric procedure are made to feel by their doctors like they wasted the surgery, even if human biology is to blame, Stanford said. Ozempic and other weight-loss medications frame obesity as a condition that can be treated with drugsin other words, a disease. Patients on those medications may realize, Hey, maybe its not just me being lazy this whole timemaybe there is science to it and an actual disease here, said Levy. Collectively understanding of obesity as an illness that exists alongside heart disease and cancerdiseases routinely treated with medication and surgeryinstead of as a matter of personal inadequacy will have far more profound impacts on people with obesity than any drug alone.
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Weight-Loss Surgery Still Beats Ozempic - The Atlantic
"Gains" is the buzzword in fitness right now a trend to ditch the cardio and focus on strength training as a way to lose weight and build muscle. Doctors say there are real benefits to focusing on strength training but caution against stopping the cardio altogether.
"Doing more strength training will help you have more muscles and will help your bones and muscle mass," said ABC15 Health Insider Dr. Shad Marvasti.
He says a focus on strength exercises becomes more important as we get older.
"As we get into our 50s, 60s, 70s, we actually need more protein and need more strengthening exercise because that protein, lean muscle mass, is actually what helps us prevent premature aging," said Dr. Shad.
With age, our decline in muscle mass leads to falls and is linked to dementia.
For someone younger, you'll see gains with weightlifting but if anything, he says you should be increasing your cardio as well not cutting it.
"Telling someone in their teens or 20s, 30s that they don't need cardio is setting them up for a heart attack or stroke," he said. "You have no heart health. Your blood vessels will stiffen, your blood pressure will go up, your heart won't be able to adapt."
Strength training is recommended twice a week for adults. You don't have to lift like a bodybuilder you can use free weights, machines, or your body's own resistance. The recommendation from the American Heart Association is to get your heart rate up at least two hours a week.
Dr. Shad reminds anyone looking to manage weight with weightlifting that you can't outwork a bad diet.
Continued here:
Is doing a weights-only workout the best way to lose weight? - ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix
Research shows that strength training also protects the midlife brain, and improves memory, cognitive function and decision-making, and a 2018 study from the University of Limerick found that resistance training had a significant impact on those with mild to moderate depression.
Yet despite this wealth of evidence, research also shows that most people still value aerobic exercise over lifting weights.
And this is particularly true of men, says Roberts. If you look around any gym, youre more likely to find women in Pilates or body-pump classes, and men on the treadmill, he says.
Flexibility exercises are often seen as not being intense enough, but, ironically, men tend to be less flexible than women, especially as they get to midlife and beyond, so they should work more on their mobility and see things like yoga and Pilates as a necessity, rather than a bolt-on exercise or as some gentle class to help you unwind.
So, can running play any part in a healthy fitness routine? Absolutely, says Lowery. I enjoy running myself, and it can be a really useful exercise for staying fit, improving heart health and boosting your mood. The key is to start slowly and build up, to reduce the risk of injury.
Last year, a study found that more than six million runs were completed using the NHS Couch to 5K app in 2022. Designed for people with little or no running experience, the app provides guided commentary and helps users track their progress.
Ultimately, any type of exercise and movement is good for us, says Lowery. But the fact is, lots of people dont like running, which is still held in such high regard, and they shouldnt feel bad about not enjoying it.
Because while running, as part of a routine that also includes walking, stretching and lifting weights, is good for us, too much can put a lot of stress on your body, and impact mobility and flexibility as you get older, when those things start to really become important.
And remember, if anybody watching todays London Marathon is thinking of taking up running to help them lose weight, theyre probably going to be sorely disappointed.
More here:
Why running is the worst way to lose weight - The Telegraph
This is part of a series about new obesity drugs that are transforming patients lives, dividing medical experts, and spurring one of the biggest business battles in years. Read more aboutThe Obesity Revolution.
Shira Rosenbluth went on her first diet at 10 years old. It was her own idea: Shed learned that a neighbor was doing some sort of junior WeightWatchers program, and her parents encouraged her to stick with it even after Rosenbluth changed her mind. It took only weeks for her to develop an eating disorder.
For the next four years, she purged but her symptoms mostly went unaddressed by adults, perhaps due to her weight. I wouldnt say I was fat at that point, but I was in a non-thin body, said Rosenbluth, now a 34-year-old licensed clinical social worker living in West Hollywood, Calif.
She remembers leaving a Passover seder to purge multiple times in one night. And that was the first time my mom was like, Oh wait, I think she actually does have a problem.
At 14 years old, Rosenbluth was admitted to the first of many treatment programs that she would experience throughout her adolescence and adulthood. In retrospect, she says, every treatment center was steeped in weight stigma. That first time she went to an inpatient program, a doctor noticed that she wasnt eating much, and congratulated her on the weight shed lost during her time in treatment. She remembers he framed it as: Look what happens when you dont binge and purge! But the message that Rosenbluth received was: Your body is different from other patients here. You are supposed to feel a little hungry.
People with larger bodies who struggle with eating disorders frequently face bias from the people who are supposed to help them, according to experts. Ive had so many patients who have come to us that have experienced so much weight stigma in treatment centers and outpatient [care], said Cheri Levinson, a psychologist and the founder and clinical director at the Louisville Center for Eating Disorders.
The issue may be about to get even more pressing for teenagers and young adults. Some experts fear that even more kids will develop eating disorders in the wake of the current frenzy over weight loss drugs, as well as new American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on obesity treatment that recommend weight loss drugs for kids as young as 12 and bariatric surgery for kids as young as 13.
There is little consensus about how to protect young people seeking treatment for eating disorders from harmful ideas about weight, or whether treatments for obesity and eating disorders can safely coexist at all within the medical system. And while the vast majority of eating disorder professionals would never prescribe weight loss to somebody recovering from an eating disorder, each clinicians approach to treatment is affected by their individual beliefs about, and understanding of, obesity. The strong disagreements within the profession about how to best address obesity and weight stigma may leave patients susceptible to inappropriate or harmful care.
STAT spoke to 11 eating disorder clinicians and researchers about the way those in the field approach this disagreement, and how it may affect the care young people receive for eating disorders.
It is a longstanding tension in our field thats been around for decades, said Christine Peat, the director for the National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders and a clinical associate professor at the University of North Carolina. But as popular cultures wave of body positivity threatens to become engulfed by a renewed focus on explicit weight loss tactics, there is something unique about this current moment that were in.
Clinicians often fail to identify eating disorders in larger patients to begin with. One study found that patients with atypical anorexia (which means they have the same disorder as anorexia, but dont appear extremely underweight) suffer for over 11 years on average before receiving a diagnosis.
Eating disorder professionals know that, once diagnosed, people with active eating disorders should not be counseled to lose weight, no matter their size. But weight bias still exists among eating disorder professionals, and it can have unintended consequences for people trying to recover.
Rosenbluth continued struggling with disordered eating as she grew up: bulimia at first, and later anorexia. At 29 years old 15 years after her first attempt at treatment, and after years of continuous outpatient care with a therapist and dietician she sought serious help again. At a treatment center that she believed would take a weight-neutral approach, she recalls being treated differently by staff because of her size. Every patient was asked to weigh and measure their own food, a practice that felt damaging to Rosenbluth. When thinner patients were hungry for more, they were praised for listening to their bodies, while staff labeled Rosenbluth noncompliant if she wanted more food.
It wasnt until I left treatment where I started to look at all the things that happened and I was like, Oh, you never actually had the chance to even have a shot at recovery, Rosenbluth said. Theres a huge fatphobia problem in the eating disorder world.
Weight restoration is a key part of eating disorder treatment for people who are extremely sick, often from anorexia. But in standard clinical guidance, patients who have a higher body mass index arent necessarily given the goal of returning to their previous weight. Rosenbluth says she never gained weight while in treatment.
When I started training, we thought everybody should get back to the 50th percentile, said Tracy Richmond, a physician and director of the Eating Disorder Program at Boston Childrens Hospital. This means that regardless of whether a child or teenager was at a much higher BMI before their eating disorder, their weight restoration would stop at the median BMI for all people their age. And thats just crazy, right?
If a patient has always landed in a higher weight percentile for their age cohort, then they need to bring their weight back up to that same percentile, according to eating disorder experts. Thats because some bodies are always going to be bigger. With parents and children, Richmond uses a metaphor with dog breeds to explain.
If you are born into a Saint Bernard body and you starve yourself, youre not a whippet, youre a starved Saint Bernard, she said.
A teenage girl, for example, could gain most of her weight back enough to start menstruating again and be seen as physically recovered but her brain would remain in starvation mode, and unable to eradicate the thinking that underpins disordered eating, Richmond said. There is just something about a well-nourished brain versus an under-nourished brain, in the way that they take things in and where their thoughts land.
When the goal for weight restoration is the median BMI, research suggests, that can lead clinicians to underestimate patients level of malnutrition. Patients then reach their underestimated goal weight faster than they would an individualized goal, and are discharged too quickly, which puts them at higher risk for relapse.
Richmond said that its only been in the past 10 years or less that this practice changed at Boston Childrens Hospital. There isnt data on how many treatment centers still limit weight restoration by using the median BMI method, but Levinson estimates that there are plenty that continue the practice.
It perpetuates the eating disorder, said Levinson, who is working with her team on a paper about how weight stigma persists within eating disorder treatment.
Many clinicians say they take a case-by-case approach. If a patient once gained weight suddenly, perhaps due to a binge eating episode or in response to trauma, they may not need to be brought back to that peak weight, but rather to whatever their typical weight was outside of that rapid gain.
However, this practice can be challenging with bigger patients, as insurance companies do not always cover inpatient treatment for people at higher weights. Many will only cover hospital care until somebody is at what insurance companies determine to be a minimally safe weight, said Colleen Schreyer, a psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. That means larger patients and their families may have to choose between paying out of pocket for further treatment or leaving treatment before theyve sufficiently recovered.
Not only can weight stigma threaten the recovery of eating disorder patients who happen to occupy larger bodies, many eating disorder experts worry that any clinical attempt at weight loss puts people, especially adolescents at higher weights, at risk for eating disorders. Recent research has shown that almost a quarter of children and adolescents from 16 countries display disordered eating habits. That increases among those with higher BMIs.
Some eating disorder experts see any treatment aimed at weight loss as a form of weight stigma. I dont think that there should be any form of treatment for obesity. And I realize that I am at the extreme of this opinion, Levinson said.
But others see a clear difference between clinical treatment for obesity and other, potentially harmful practices. Obesity is associated with a wide range of diseases, and clinicians broadly see much reason to pursue weight loss treatment for youth.
I think you have to make a distinction between evidence-based interventions and dieting. When people put themselves on diets, they often are not healthy approaches to eating, said Jennifer Wildes, an associate professor and director of the Eating Disorders Program at the University of Chicago. Practices like skipping meals, cutting out entire food groups, or exercising excessively should not be recommended by clinicians, she said.
When the AAP guidelines for obesity treatment came out, reactions revealed a longstanding rift within eating disorder communities around obesity and weight loss. While some believe that managing weight loss and treating eating disorders are completely in opposition, others disagree.
Its probably the hottest controversy in the field, said Wildes.
Some experts, like Wildes, say that there are actually similarities between eating disorder treatment and behavioral weight management. Behavioral weight management often involves counseling from multiple clinicians on lifestyle topics like nutrition, exercise, problem-solving, and more.
Some of these basic building blocks of what we do in eating disorder treatment early on and also in what [the AAP guidelines] referred to as behavioral weight management have a lot of those same tenets, UNCs Peat said.
Both clinicians treating eating disorders and those treating obesity will also recommend patients self-monitor their eating, said Wildes. That doesnt mean paying attention to calories, she noted, but to context what time a person is eating, where they are, and how they feel. Peat and others noted that behavioral weight management, a core recommended therapy in AAPs new obesity guidelines, has been shown to modestly help people with binge eating disorder.
Yet Lisa Kilpela, an assistant professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and eating disorder specialist who works mostly with older women, said she has also seen too-restrictive daily goal intakes recommended to patients with binge eating disorder or even higher weight patients with bulimia, pushing them toward the other end of the disordered eating spectrum.
For people who are more vulnerable, it can really set off a chain effect of bad circumstances, said Kilpela.
The stakes can get higher when screening youth for potential surgical weight loss interventions. Schreyer of Johns Hopkins works both with youth struggling with eating disorders and those age 16 and older who are considering bariatric surgery. When teens come in for potential bariatric surgery, she meets with them for six months beforehand, as does a nutrition team and a psychologist. If Schreyer detects symptoms of disordered eating, shes firm that any weight loss treatment is not appropriate for the person.
She is lucky, she said, that the team she works with respects these decisions. Its a sign that, theres a possibility to make this work, she said.
But outside of her own clinic, at centers where theres less awareness about eating disorders or fewer resources available to screen and spend time with patients, I hear the horror stories, Schreyer said.
As someone who received harmful, stigmatizing treatment as a patient, Rosenbluth is cautious as a therapist who now works with clients dealing with eating disorders. Its hard for her to know if a given clinician or treatment center will provide care that inadvertently reinforces weight stigma, further harming patients. She had one teenage client, she said, who was put on a low-calorie diet while in the hospital for an eating disorder, just to make sure they did not gain weight.
While theres still a risk that her patients will encounter weight bias with other approaches, Rosenbluth prefers to recommend more creative solutions like hiring a recovery coach to eat meals and go grocery shopping with clients, or enlisting their family and friends to provide meal support.
Rosenbluth herself never got better in residential or inpatient care for her eating disorder. She credits her recovery to a friend, who is also a psychologist, who let Rosenbluth stay with her and reassured her that getting thin is not the same as getting better.
It was very much like, We want you to have a full life and wherever your body ends up, it ends up, Rosenbluth remembered. Were not scared of it.
Other parts of this series examine how pharmaceutical makers arepromoting a new message about obesity; assess attempts topersonalize obesity treatment; explain the origins of a flawed weight metric, the body mass index; and delve into the debate over new childhood obesity guidelines. Read more about The Obesity Revolution.
STATs coverage of chronic health issues is supported by a grant fromBloomberg Philanthropies. Ourfinancial supportersare not involved in any decisions about our journalism.
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Weight bias in eating disorder treatment complicated by new weight ... - STAT
Protein-rich diets are an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Not only do they help in maintaining healthy muscles and tissues, they also aid in weight loss by encouraging calorie burns. A protein-rich diet helps in reducing the levels of hunger hormones, making you feel full for longer periods. Therefore, if youre looking to lose weight, incorporating protein into your diet is crucial.
Why is a protein-rich diet crucial for weight loss?
Protein is an essential macronutrient that plays a significant role in maintaining overall health. It is an essential component of muscles, skin, hair, and other body tissues. When you consume protein-rich foods, your body breaks it down into amino acids, which are then used to build and repair body tissues. Additionally, consuming protein also helps in building lean muscle mass, which is more active than fat, boosts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories. Amino acids are crucial for the functionality of several hormones such as thyroid hormones and insulin.
A protein-rich diet helps in reducing the levels of hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin, which are responsible for making you hungry. When you consume protein, it ensures reduction in sarcopenia, stimulates the release of satiety hormones, such as peptide YY and cholecystokinin, which make you feel full and satisfied for longer periods. Optimal protein intake keeps the sugar cravings away. As a result, you tend to consume fewer calories throughout the day, leading to weight loss.
How much protein should you have daily?
Sedentary adults under the age of 65, who have no health conditions, should aim to consume 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight. Healthy adults under 65 should consume 1.0-2.0 grams of protein per kg of body weight. Adults over the age of 65 should be consuming 1.2 to 2.0 grams per kg of body weight.
What are the best protein choices for summers in India?
In India, summers are hot and humid, and it is essential to consume foods that are light and easy to digest. Here are some of the best protein choices for summers in India:
Lentils and legumes: Lentils and legumes are an excellent source of plant-based protein. They are also high in fibre, which helps in keeping you full for longer periods. Lentils and legumes are low in fat, making them an ideal protein source for weight loss. Some of the best lentils and legumes to consume in summers are moong dal, chana dal and kidney beans.
Yogurt: Yogurt is a source of protein and probiotics, which helps in maintaining gut health. Yogurt is low in calories, making it an ideal protein source for weight loss. Greek yogurt, in particular, is a great choice as it is higher in protein and lower in sugar than regular yogurt.
Eggs: Eggs comprise high-quality protein. They are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin D, which helps in maintaining healthy bones. Eggs are low in calories, making them an ideal protein source for weight loss. You can consume eggs in various forms, such as boiled, scrambled, or as an omelette.
Chicken and fish: Chicken and fish are the best sources of lean protein. They are low in fat, making them an ideal protein source for weight loss. Chicken and fish are rich in essential nutrients, such as Omega-3 fatty acids, which help in maintaining a healthy heart. Grilled or baked chicken and fish are excellent choices for summers.
Nuts and seeds: Nuts and seeds are the go-to source for plant-based protein. They are high in healthy fats, fibre and antioxidants, making them an ideal protein source for weight loss. Some of the best nuts and seeds to consume in summers are almonds, walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseeds.
A protein-rich diet is crucial for weight loss, as it helps in reducing hunger hormones, boosts metabolism and aids in building lean muscle mass. In summers, it is essential to consume protein sources that are light and easy to digest.
First published on: 26-04-2023 at 07:30 IST
Your hormones do a lot for your body, from helping regulate your sex drive to impacting how stressed out you feel. Theres also been a lot of chatter about "hormonal belly"the idea that you are gaining weight in the stomach area due to a hormone imbalance.
With the hormone-weight buzz also comes the supposed solutions, often in the form of diet plans that claim to help you lose weight by targeting said imbalances, such as the Galveston diet and the so-called Hormone Diet (which was coined by a naturopathic doctorall the details coming up!). So...is it legit?
It's true that your hormones can affect your weight. Hormonal fluctuations play a significant role in weight for women over the life course, says Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, an obesity medicine physician and clinical researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Hormonal shifts during [certain life stages] may influence hunger signals in the body, Dr. Stanford says. There are three major times where you might see weight changes:
Several hormones have been linked to weight gain, says Jessica Cording, RD, a nutritionist and the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. The biggies youve probably heard of include the stress hormone cortisol, estrogen, insulin, serotonin, melatonin, and testosterone. They way they all work is a little different, but, in a nutshell, the hormones either impact how hungry you feel or signal to your body to hold onto weight, Cording says.
There are female hormones like estradiol and progesterone that may influence weight, Dr. Stanford says. They act upon hunger hormones like ghrelin, which tells us to eat and store more, and leptin, which helps us feel full to influence eating behaviors and fat storage in the body.
Meet the experts: Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, is an obesity medicine physician and clinical researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital. Mir Ali, MD, is a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center. Jessica Cording, RD, is a nutritionist and the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers.
But its important to state this upfront: The relationship between hormones and weight is complicated, and weight loss isnt necessarily as simple as getting your chemicals in lineunless you have a condition like hypothyroidism, says Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.
So, what can the Hormone Diet really do for you? Heres what experts have to say about it.
The Hormone Diet is an eating plan and book by Natasha Turner, a naturopathic doctor. (The full book title is The Hormone Diet: A 3-Step Program to Help You Lose Weight, Gain Strength, and Live Younger Longer.)
Turner believes regulating your hormones can help you lose weight. In her book, Turner suggests going on an anti-inflammatory detox, along with taking nutritional supplements and focusing on working out, sleeping well, managing stress, and using clean skincare to help manage your hormones.
She also says that your body is trying to give you signals that your hormones are out of whack, like when you have mid-afternoon sugar cravings, chronic headaches, and a lack of energy.
The Hormone Diet is a three-step program designed to last six weeks.
During the first stage, theres a two-week detox where you avoid gluten, dairy, alcohol, most oils, caffeine, peanuts, sugar, artificial sweeteners, red meat, and citrus fruits. The diet encourages you to consume gluten-free grains, most vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, poultry, fish, eggs, plant milk, and goat or sheeps milk products.
At the same time, youre supposed to take supplements like probiotics, turmeric, and fish oil.
At this time, you'll want to incorporate some foods back into your diet and seeing how your body feels, says Cording. Youre supposed to also steer clear of high-fructose corn syrup, products that arent organic, fish high in mercury (think: sea bass, mackerel, and tuna), raisins, dates, peanuts, processed foods, refined grains, and foods that contain nitrates.
As a whole, Turner says that her approach is a mix of the Mediterranean diet and foods that wont spike your blood sugar.
Finally, you are encouraged to continue the second phase while focusing on cardio and strength training.
There isnt direct scientific evidence linking the Hormone Diet to weight loss or that shows it can even have an impact on your hormones. But experts say some concepts within the eating plan can potentially help you lose weight.
For one, it's always better to eat a minimally processed diet, Dr. Stanford notes. However, if you only follow a plan for six weeks, you will likely find that any weight you may lose will return once you start eating within your normal pattern. So, if you commit to a diet that works for you, you must continue it, she adds.
The Hormone Diet is very similar to other diets that people find success with decreased sugar intake and carbohydrates while sticking to more organic and healthier foods, Dr. Ali says.
Overall, she thinks the nutrition guidelines within the diet seem generally safe for a healthy adultbut the hormone-focused name doesn't mean much. I dont see anything wrong with it, but I dont see how it will have much effect on your hormones, she says.
If you believe hormones are the culprit behind your inability to lose weight or weight gain, it's better to consult with your doctor to first confirm that's the case and then come up with an action plan.
As a whole, experts say focusing on foods that arent processed is a good idea. Eating a minimally processed diet is good for the body, and it can lead to better health, Dr. Stanford says.
When someone eats a lot of highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and processed meats, its not beneficial to their health, research bears out. In fact, the opposite: These foods have been linked to type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer. So, avoiding them may lower your risk.
There are a few things experts dont love about this diet. This diet may be costly, time-consuming, and not work for some, Dr. Stanford says.
The beginning phase is also pretty restrictive, Cording adds, noting that can be triggering to people with a history of disordered eating.
Bottom line: Experts say that trying to minimize processed foods in your diet is a good ideabut you dont necessarily need to follow the Hormone Diet to make that happen.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Mens Health, Womens Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a masters degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.
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What Is The Hormone Diet And Can It Help You Lose Weight? - Women's Health
When it comes to weight loss, there are many options available in the market. From fad diets to intense exercise programs, people are always on the lookout for the next best thing to help them shed those extra pounds.
However, not all weight loss solutions are created equal, and some may even be harmful to your health.
This is where the Spatz3 Adjustable Gastric Balloon System comes in as a game-changer for individuals who have struggled to lose weight with traditional methods. You can find more info here or on our website.
You will feel satisfied with smaller portions of food, which will lead to a reduction in calorie intake and, consequently, weight loss.
Unlike traditional gastric balloons, the Spatz3 is adjustable, meaning that it can be modified to fit your specific needs.
The balloon can be inflated or deflated during the treatment period to adjust its size and shape, making it a truly personalized weight loss solution.
The Spatz3 can remain in your stomach for up to 12 months, and it has been proven to help individuals lose an average of 37.5 pounds.
The Spatz3 Adjustable Gastric Balloon System works by creating a feeling of fullness in your stomach, reducing the amount of food you can eat in one sitting.
This leads to a reduction in calorie intake, which is essential for weight loss. Additionally, the Spatz3 helps change your attitude towards food, making you more mindful of what you eat and when you eat it.
The Spatz3 is inserted into your stomach through your mouth using an endoscope, which is a flexible tube with a camera attached to it.
This creates a feeling of fullness, making you eat smaller portions of food. Over time, the balloon is gradually deflated to help your stomach adjust to smaller portions of food.
Highest Success Rates: The Spatz3 has been proven to have the highest success rates among all gastric balloons on the market. This is because it is adjustable, making it a personalized weight loss solution that can be modified to fit your specific needs.
Personalized Treatment: The Spatz3 is adjustable, meaning that it can be modified to fit your specific needs. This makes it a truly personalized weight loss solution that can be tailored to your requirements.
Weight Maintenance: The Spatz3 has been designed to help you maintain your weight loss after the balloon is removed. This is because it helps change your attitude towards food, making you more mindful of what you eat and when you eat it.
No Surgery Required: The Spatz3 is inserted into your stomach through your mouth, which means that there is no surgery required. This makes it a safe and minimally invasive weight loss solution.
Short Treatment Period: The Spatz3 treatment period lasts for up to 12 months, which is shorter than other weight loss solutions like bariatric surgery.
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Spatz Medical: Lose Weight with the Only Adjustable Gastric Balloon ... - Medgadget
