Tag Archives: weight gain

Bah, humbug! It’s holiday weight gain season. Here’s how NOT to celebrate.

Posted on November 27, 2017 | 1 comment

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, the holiday season is in full swing. In addition to spending time with family and friends, the big events of the season also seem to involve shopping and eating. This will almost certainly result in big numbers on your credit card bill. And, because holiday weight gain is a reality for most people, on your bathroom scale, too!

This is the topic of my Health & Fitness column in the Aiken Standard this week.

Christmas cookies

 

Research shows that, on average, people gain about one pound between Thanksgiving and the new year. The problem is that this extra weight may not be lost during the spring or summer, meaning that holiday weight gain can be a contributor to the gradual increase in weight, about one pound per year, that most people experience over time.

The good news is that the weight gain that typically occurs during the holidays can be prevented. Since people tend to gain less than one pound, even small changes to what you eat and your activity can make a difference, without taking away from your holiday cheer. Here are some strategies:

Stay active. The average holiday weight gain could be prevented by walking about one mile, or about 20 minutes, per day. Since time may be a factor, you can turn a shopping trip into a chance to be active by taking an extra lap around the mall or parking further away in the parking lot. Go for a walk before or after a family meal or party—and take your family and friends with you.

Stay away from the food. Most holiday parties include lots of food, and usually not the healthiest choices. You can reduce the amount you eat by limiting your time near the food—literally, fill your plate and move away from the food. Using a smaller plate will reduce the amount of food you take, too. Getting rid of the candy dish on your desk at work or the plate of treats on the countertop at home are also smart ideas.

Don’t drink your calories. Alcoholic beverages, soda, and juice all contain calories and can add up to a big part of your total calorie intake. Many beverages, including hot chocolate and coffee drinks, can easily contain hundreds of calories. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite drinks, but enjoy them in moderation.

Plan ahead. If you are trying to watch what you eat, have a healthy snack before you go to a party. You will feel less hungry so you will probably be less inclined to eat as much. If you are bringing a dish to the party, make it something healthy that you like.

Focus on family and friends, not food. The holidays are a time to enjoy special meals and events with family and friends, and that should be your focus. You should enjoy your favorite foods and drinks, just do it in moderation.

Give yourself a break! Healthy eating and exercise are always important, but they are more difficult to do around the holidays. In research, even people who said they were trying to lose weight over the holidays ended up gaining about a half pound. So, do your best maintaining your healthy habits, accept that you may struggle, and make a commitment to get back on track after the holidays!

The bottom line is that you can prevent holiday weight gain by watching what you eat and staying active. It is easier to keep the weight off than it is to lose it later, so a little extra effort now is worth it in the long run. Considering that many people plan to exercise and lose weight after the holidays, you could get a jump-start on your New Year’s resolutions along with making this a happy and healthy holiday season.

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Lose, win, gain: The fate of Biggest Losers

Posted on May 9, 2016 | 1 comment

The Biggest Loser has been in the news again this week. This time, though, the focus isn’t on the remarkable transformations the contestants experience through a strict low-calorie diet combined with hours of vigorous exercise each day.  The results are impressive considering that the average weight loss of the winners is almost 170 pounds, or nearly 50% of their original weight! The show does demonstrate that hard work and dedication do lead to results, and provides inspiration for many viewers who should lose weight themselves.

But what happens when the cameras are turned off? Unfortunately, most of the contestants regain much of the weight they lost during the show and some end up even heavier than they were at the beginning. A new study published last week confirms that this is true and suggests that long-lasting changes to metabolic rate are to blame. But there is more to the story, which is relevant to anyone who has lost weight and gained it back, as I explain in my Health & Fitness Column in the Aiken Standard this week.

feet on scale

The new study followed contestants from season 8 of the Biggest Loser for six years. Only one of the 14 contestants continued to lose weight after the show ended. The others gained back much of the weight they lost and four are heavier than they were previously. The researchers also measured resting metabolic rate which tells how many calories you burn at rest, the majority of your energy expenditure each day. The results show that the metabolic rate of the contestants decreased significantly after the show ended and stayed low for years. The decreased metabolic rate was expected, but the fact that it stayed low for so long was a surprise.

This finding is an important reason why the contestants gained weight back: they were burning hundreds of calories less each day! Considering that a difference as small as 100 calories per day can lead to weight gain over time, it is no surprise the Biggest Losers became big gainers. Even if they were careful to maintain a low calorie diet and exercise every day, weight regain was almost inevitable.  This change was so dramatic because of the extreme weight loss; people who lose more reasonable amounts of weight would have a much smaller change in their metabolism.

While the change in metabolic rate is important in explaining weight regain in Biggest Loser contestants, it is far from the only factor. In order to lose weight and keep it off, people need to learn a whole new lifestyle involving what, when, why, and how to eat and exercise. These lifestyle changes are difficult to make and can take months or years to fully adopt. Participating in any weight loss competition, whether that is the Biggest Loser or a team weight loss program at work, leads to quickly losing weight by following and inappropriate diet or participating in exercise that is too intense instead of learning new skills and behaviors.  Again, maintaining that weight loss is difficult, to say the least.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that losing weight rapidly, especially under the watchful eyes of doctors, nutritionists, and personal trainers (not to mention millions of viewers), would be difficult to sustain upon returning home without that support. This is consistent with prevailing wisdom that the quicker someone loses weight, the quicker they are likely to gain it back.

The lesson here is that there are powerful biological changes that occur following significant weight loss that make it challenging to keep the weight off. Add to that a focus on losing weight quickly rather than developing long lasting habits only makes it more difficult.  Being a “successful loser” requires realizing that the effort must be sustained long after the diet ends.

Nutrition, exercise, and health information can be confusing. 
But it doesn't have to be that way.
What can I help you with?
 drbrianparr@gmail.com | http://twitter.com/drbrianparr

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Just in time…tips to prevent holiday weight gain.

Posted on November 25, 2015 | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving is this week which means the holiday season is upon us. It is a time for spending time with family and friends, shopping, and eating. The bad news is that weight gain between Thanksgiving and the new year is a very real possibility. The good news is that the typical holiday weight gain is less than you might think. The even better news is that this weight gain can be prevented.

First, the bad news. Research shows that, on average, people gain about one pound during the holidays. Even subjects who said they were trying to lose weight over the holidays ended up gaining about 0.5 pounds on average. The problem is that this extra weight is not lost during the spring or summer, meaning that holiday weight gain is a major contributor to the gradual increase in weight, about one pound per year, most people experience over time.

Now for the good news: The weight gain that typically occurs during the holidays can be prevented. Since people tend to gain less than one pound, even small modifications to activity or diet can make a difference. Here are some strategies:

  1. Stay active. The average holiday weight gain could be prevented by walking about one mile, or about 20 minutes, per day. Since time may be a factor, you can turn a shopping trip into a chance to be active by taking an extra lap around the mall or parking further away in the parking lot. Go for a walk before or after a family meal or party—and take your family and friends with you.
  1. Stay away from the food. Most holiday parties include lots of food, and usually not the healthiest choices. You can reduce the amount you eat by limiting your time near the food—literally, fill your plate and move away from the food. Using a smaller plate will reduce the amount of food you take, too. Getting rid of the candy dish on your desk at work or the plate of treats on the countertop at home are also smart ideas.
  1. Don’t drink your calories. Alcoholic beverages, soda, and juice all contain calories and can add up to a big part of your total calorie intake. For example, egg nog can contain over 300 calories per glass. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite drinks, but enjoy them in moderation.
  1. Plan ahead. If you are trying to watch what you eat, have a healthy snack before you go to a party. You will feel less hungry so you will probably be less inclined to eat as much. If you are bringing a dish to the party, make it something healthy that you like.
  1. Focus on family and friends, not food. The holidays are a time to enjoy special meals and events with family and friends, and that should be your focus. You should enjoy your favorite foods and drinks, just do it in moderation.

You can prevent holiday weight gain by watching what you eat and staying active. It is easier to keep the weight off than it is to lose it later, so a little extra effort now is worth it in the long run. Considering that many people plan to exercise and lose weight after the holidays, you could get a jump start on your New Year’s resolutions along with making this a happy and healthy holiday season.

Nutrition, exercise, and health information can be confusing. 
But it doesn't have to be that way.
What can I help you with?
 drbrianparr@gmail.com | http://twitter.com/drbrianparr

 

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New reasons why it is so easy to gain weight. And what you can do to stop it.

Posted on October 12, 2015 | Leave a comment

If you have been gaining weight or find it more and more difficult to maintain your weight, you are not alone. According to current statistics, one-third of U.S. adults are obese and two-thirds are considered overweight. Being overweight is now the norm in America, since only about 3 in 10 people are at a healthy body weight.

This is consistent with other reports that show that the waistlines of Americans are expanding. One recent study looked at the percentage of adults who had a high waist circumference (over 35 inches for women and over 40 inches for men). Overall, the average American added over one inch to their waist circumference over the past decade. As of 2012, over half of U.S. adults meet the criteria for abdominal obesity. This is bad news, since excess fat, especially around the waist, increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

It wasn’t always this way. As recently as the 1980s the prevalence of obesity was much lower, around 15%. There has been much interest in figuring out why this widespread weight gain has occurred. While there is no single cause, there are a host of factors that contribute to the obesity epidemic. This is the topic of my Health & Fitness column in the Aiken Standard this week.

Obesity

Among the forces that seem to be working against you are your genetics and our environment, specifically as it relates to eating and activity behaviors.  Over the past several decades our “food environment” has changed so that now low-quality, high-calorie food is readily accessible and more nutritious food is harder to find and more expensive. Our “activity environment” has changed, too. For most of us, the physical activity that was common at work and home years ago has been replaced by lots of sitting. While there are genes that influence our eating and activity behaviors, these genes have not changed enough over time to explain the obesity epidemic.

A practical explanation for weight gain, both for individuals and the population as a whole, is that we are eating more and expending less energy through activity. Indeed, even small changes in energy balance can add up to increased weight over time . A new study, however, suggests that there may be other factors that may have contributed to the rise in obesity beyond eating and activity.

Among these factors are exposure to certain chemicals in the environment, the use of prescription drugs that cause weight gain, and how our current diet has changed the bacteria in our intestines, that we now know regulate our physiology in surprising ways. For example, bisphenol A (BPA), still found in some plastics, food containers, and receipts, alters normal hormone activity in a way that may increase fat storage.

There is some good news, though. Eating a healthy diet and being active everyday can help you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. This is true whether your concern is changes in your own eating and activity habits or these other potential causes of weight gain. Indeed, regular exercise may help treat many conditions, like depression, for which prescription medications that may cause weight gain are often used. And a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and low in added sugar may help restore more normal gut bacteria which might help with weight control.

Until we know otherwise, eating smart and moving more is still your best approach to weight control and good health.

Nutrition, exercise, and health information can be confusing. 
But it doesn't have to be that way.
What can I help you with?
 drbrianparr@gmail.com | http://twitter.com/drbrianparr

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Aside

We have known for a long time that kids who spent more time watching TV were more likely to be obese. This was thought to be due to the fact that sedentary time in front of the television replaced physical … Continue reading →

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Posted on July 8, 2015

Are your pants making you fat?

Posted on June 8, 2015 | Leave a comment

If you have purchased new pants recently you may have noticed that they have an adjustable or expandable waist. Some men’s pants include up to two extra inches to allow you to “flex” or “move more freely.” Women’s pants might have elastic hidden in the waist band for extra “stretch.” While these pants are designed to be comfortable, they could be making you fat!

This is the topic of my Health & Fitness column in the Aiken Standard this week.

Fat_pants

Most people gain weight as they age, typically a slow process that may not be immediately noticeable. If you have pants with a two-inch expandable waist you could easily gain weight while still wearing the same pants size. In fact, you could gain two inches of fat around your waist before you noticed. For many people, tight-fitting pants are a signal that they may have gained a few pounds. If you miss that cue you could easily gain significant weight, which requires a significant effort to fix.

This might sound like a minor issue, but external cues like this are important to help us recognize weight gain. In a classic example, a man puts on his favorite suit for the first time in over a year to find that the pants are too tight. Immediately he realizes that he has gained weight since he last wore the suit. Imagine, though, if his suit pants stretched to accommodate his larger waist. He might still think that, since the pants still fit, he hasn’t gained any weight.

This is important since people typically gain weight little by little over time, which may not be appreciated without these external cues. One way to prevent surprise weight gain is to weigh yourself regularly so that you can make adjustments to your diet and activity to prevent further weight gain. In fact, one common characteristic of the “successful losers” in the National Weight Control Registry is that they weigh themselves at least once a week. This is important because it’s easier to make adjustments to lose weight that’s gained in a week versus weight that is gained over a month or more.

This is also why people who lose weight should get rid of their “fat clothes.” Typically, these clothes get pushed to the back of the closet. But they are still readily available, so when the person regains some of the weight, it is easy to reach for a larger size. If those clothes had been packed away in a box in the attic, retrieving and unpacking them would be a noticeable sign that they had gained weight and may motivate them to get back on track.

Even small changes to our diet and activity patterns can lead to weight gain over time. Since this weight gain can often go unnoticed, it is important that we pay attention to external cues. The way our clothes fit is one such reminder, but there are others. Do you notice that you feel more out of breath doing routine activities, like climbing a flight of stairs? Is it more difficult to bend over and tie your shoes? These are both signs that your fitness may be declining and that it is time to start exercising.

These cues are easy to ignore, but they are important signs that it is time to make changes to your diet and activity habits. It is even easier to prevent weight gain or to stay fit than it is to lose weight or get in shape. So, don’t let your pants trick you! Pay attention to how your clothes fit and how you feel and use these cues to guide you to maintain good health.

Nutrition, exercise, and health information can be confusing. 
But it doesn't have to be that way.
What can I help you with?
 drbrianparr@gmail.com | http://twitter.com/drbrianparr

 

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School gets out, weight goes up. Why now is the time to focus on preventing childhood obesity.

Posted on May 25, 2015 | Leave a comment

Obesity is a major concern for adults, linked to several leading causes of death and numerous other health problems. What you may not know is that obesity is also a serious health issue for children. It is troubling to note that nearly one-third of school-aged children and teenagers are over a healthy body weight and nearly 20% are considered obese. Remarkably, 10% of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, are also considered obese.

This is important because the common combination of poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and obesity has physical, psychological, and social consequences for children that frequently persist into adulthood. There are many reasons why childhood obesity occurs and much that can be done to prevent it. Now that school is almost out for the summer, this is a critical time of year to focus on good nutrition and activity to help prevent unhealthy weight gain in kids. This is the topic of my Health & Fitness column in the Aiken Standard this week.

Childhood obesity cartoon

Overweight and obese children are at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and even stroke – conditions usually associated with adulthood. Even if an overweight child does not have these conditions now, he or she is likely on that path. Many experts predict that children born today will be the first generation in history to have a shorter lifespan than their parents due to obesity-related diseases that begin in childhood.

Children who are overweight are also more likely to suffer other consequences including lower self-esteem, social functioning, and academic performance. Overweight children are also less likely to play sports or participate in other forms of physical activity. Considering that the consequences of obesity are made worse by low levels of activity, this creates a cycle leading to poorer and poorer health.

There are numerous potential causes of obesity in children, but the most likely suspects are too little activity and excessive calorie intake, largely because of added sugars. Fewer than half of all kids meet the minimum recommendation of 60 minutes of activity each day and many children spend as much time watching television or playing video games as they do in school. We shouldn’t be surprised that we have a childhood obesity problem!

While poor nutrition and a lack of activity in schools is thought to contribute to the problem, many children get more activity and eat better at school than they do at home. A recent report suggests that children gain more weight over the summer than during the rest of the year. Furthermore, for many kids, fitness gains made during the school year are frequently lost over the summer. Since summer vacation is rapidly approaching, this is a critical time to help our children stay fit and healthy.

The good new is there is much we can do. Ensuring that children get plenty of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, reducing the consumption of added sugars, and eating appropriate portion sizes will go a long way to addressing the diet aspect of obesity. Making sure that kids of all ages have opportunities to be active while limiting time spent sitting, especially in front of a screen, are equally important.

Since children don’t make most of the decisions about their activity and diet, it is important to recognize the role that parents, grandparents, and other caregivers play. More often than not, obesity is a family issue. This means that  solving the problem is a family issue, too. Adults should model healthy behaviors by making diet and activity changes themselves. A good place to start is by turning off the TV and going outside to play or for a walk. It’s something all of us—adults and children—will benefit from.

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Calories Still Count!

Posted on June 30, 2014 | 1 comment
The debate about whether diet and exercise are the cause of or good treatments for obesity has been going for some time. A familiar point of argument is the role of total calories vs. the source of those calories.A new model of how obesity illustrates how calories in, calories out may not be the initial step in the cascade of physiological and behavioral factors that lead to significant fat gain. But this doesn’t change the fact modifying eating and activity behaviors are a key step in the development of obesity—and the key to weight loss.This is the topic of my Health & Fitness column in the Aiken Standard this week.

Eat less, exercise more. Calories in, calories out.

These phrases are probably familiar to you if you have tried to lose weight. This is because these concepts make up the traditional explanation for why people gain weight and the most common method of losing weight.

More and more research suggests that gaining and losing weight might involve more that the simple math of counting calories. It may be that the source of the calories matters as much as the total amount that you eat.

However, this doesn’t mean that you can ignore the calories you eat and expend through exercise and other activity. While it may be true that the quality of the food we eat is important, calories still count.

A recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association proposes an alternative to the classic model of how weight gain occurs. Traditionally, an imbalance between calories in and calories out causes obesity. According to this model, eating too much and not being active enough results in increased fat storage.

The new model suggests that diet quality, especially the type and amount of carbohydrates, combined with genetics and lifestyle factors including getting enough sleep and excessive stress leads to fat accumulation. The excess fat alters levels of hormones and other factors that stimulate hunger and inhibit energy expenditure, including physical activity.

In the new model, increasing fat mass comes first and excessive food intake and inadequate activity follows. The end result is the same, though: a small increase in body fat turns into obesity.

This seems to suggest that carbohydrate intake, especially from refined grains and sugars, is the main culprit. This is good news for people who follow and promote low-carb diets! It also gives the impression that exercise isn’t as important as previously believed.

But a closer look at the new model shows that obesity—storage of excessive body fat—really is the result of too many calories in and too few calories out. The difference is that the eating and activity behaviors is driven by other factors.

The fact of the matter is that diet quality, genetics, and factors such as stress and sleep do play a role weight gain. Changes in hormones, sugars, and fats in the blood are real and powerful physiological signals that certainly contribute to obesity.

But so do changes in how much we eat and how active we are. It would be wrong to disregard these behavioral factors and the important role they play not only in body weight regulation, but in health in general.

Furthermore, the traditional calories in, calories out model of weight gain leads to a sensible treatment for obesity: Eat less, exercise more. Even though these simple recommendations can be challenging to implement, certainly in the long term, people who follow this advice do lose weight.

Even in the new model, calories in must be greater than calories out to lead to the significant fat gain that characterizes obesity. Additionally, the focus on the food quality is also consistent with this idea. People who get more of their calories from refined grains and sugars tend to consume more total calories.

As of now, the only treatments we have for obesity focus on changing energy intake and energy expenditure. This almost always involves altering eating and activity behaviors and frequently includes other lifestyle changes including stress management and getting enough sleep.

Given this new model of obesity, the best way to lose or maintain weight is not new at all: Eat less, move more, chill out!

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