Love handles...

Carrying extra weight around your middle decreases the efficiency of your lungs, say scientists

Love handles are not as innocent as their rather reassuring name suggests, a study reveals.It found that carrying excess fat around your middle makes breathing more difficult and impairs lung function.

The study, by the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, looked at the medical histories of 120,000 men and women.

Each had their lung function measured in relation to their body mass index and waist circumference, and their smoking history recorded.

The team also looked to see if there was an association between lung function and metabolic syndrome - a collection of health problems including high blood pressure and cholesterol which are strongly linked to carrying excess weight around the middle.

During the study, abdominal obesity was defined as having a waist circumference of greater than 35ins (89cm) for women and 40ins (102cm) for men.

Study leader Dr Natalie Leone said: 'We found a positive independent relationship between lung function impairment and metabolic syndrome due mainly to obesity.'

The results were independent of a person's smoking history and their overall body mass index, she told the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Dr Noemi Eiser, of the British Lung Foundation, said: 'It is widely known that obesity and a lack of exercise is detrimental to your health but this research highlights how being overweight affects your lungs.(Read the press release...)

'A reduction in lung function was not just recorded for the morbidly obese, but women who had a waist of 35ins had an 8 per cent reduction. This reinforces the need to lead a healthy lifestyle and how a small accumulation of fat can have a significant effect on your lung health.'

In a commentary Dr Paul Enright of the University of Arizona said there is now enough evidence to include waist measurements as part of routine assessments of lung function.

'Abdominal obesity could then be highlighted on the printed report so that the physician interpreting the report could take the effect of obesity into account,' he wrote.

My waist is 44" and yes, I do sometimes find it difficult to breathe...

Exercise and the Brain

It's important to be fit.

It's also important to be up to date.

A recent circular from Jon Benson prattles on about exercise and the brain and how it's in the March 26th edition of Newsweek.

His information is TWO YEARS OLD!

Are Americans really that stupid that they regard an article two years old as being exciting new information?

Here's what Jon said in his newsletter:

"FIT OVER 40
Success For Life e-Zine
March 4, 2009"

"Exercise And The Brain"

The cover went on to say that exercise is now proven to make us smarter. It may help fight
breast cancer and Alzheimer's in the process. These benefits were obtained in one study
with only three months of vigorous exercise. Twelve weeks! Are you kidding me?

Oh, and one more thing -- This same exercise plan did was was thought to be impossible: it grew new nerve cells in the brain.

Let me tell you what that means --

You could get smarter as you get older. You could reverse or stop mind diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia. You could think 'faster' as well as clearer. And, according to this same study, these results happen "no matter your age."

The conclusion?

"A strong and active body is crucial for building a strong and active mind."

This is nothing new to the great thinkers and philosophers in history. The Greeks believed in a marriage of the mind and body. Without a healthy body, a healthy mind was
impossible. Their artwork reflects this belief, as do the works of Plato and Socrates.

But now we can measure this belief and turn it into scientific fact. That's exactly what
scientists as Harvard and UCLA are doing. One of the key players in this mind/body
boon is IGF-1, a protein responsible for the production of hormones, namely human
growth-hormone. This is called the "anti-aging" hormone. Perhaps now we know why.

The higher the levels of IGF-1, the greater the level of another nifty chemical: Brain-
Derived Neurotrophic Factor, or BDNF. BDNF appears to prompt the brain's nerve
cells to spread out and communicate more
efficiently with one another.

So, vigorous exercise, like I describe in Fit Over 40, stimulates IGF-1, which in turn
creates more BDNF...which makes you smarter.

Wow.

And it gets better.

Exercise has been demonstrated to improve memory. This should be a major "ah-ha!" moment for any of you concerned about age-related memory loss. Exercise was shown to increase blood volume in an area of the brain known as the dentate gyrus. This suggests new cells were formed. New "memory cells", if you will.

This is TRUE "anti-aging" folks. We're talking new cells in our brains and greater levels of
the youth hormones...namely IGF-1. The article went on to say this:

"Unlike neurogenesis, which can take weeks to occur, these results (with exercise) appear
almost immediately. Get off the treadmill...and within 48 minutes your brain will be in better shape."

Don't just read newsletters from out of date lazy hacks - keep up to date and exercise!

Glycaemic Load and Dax Moy

I like Dax.

I like his blog.

But that does not always mean he gives the best information.

Take his most recent blog:

(extract)

"Go for low GI (Glycemic index) carbs and reduce the overall carbohydrate intake and make sure that those consumed are spread throughout the day to avoid insulin 'spikes' that will command your body to store fat. Maintain a steady protein and fat intake and be sure to supplement your diet with a high quality fish oil too."

Dax's blog

The advice above is both wrong and incomplete.

Let's look first at 'high quality fish oil'.

Firstly it should be Krill.

Why?

Read this.

Now let's look at the Glycaemic Index.

What's GI?
There has been much talk about the Glycemic Index (GI), the measurement of how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar, by many low-carb dieters and diabetics alike. Not all carbohydrates are created equally. Some turn to sugar more rapidly then others, causing a spike in insulin, while others are slower, causing an equally slower rise in insulin. The GI measurement is based on a reference of 50 grams of glucose (or some tables use white bread). The higher the GI value, the faster it turns to sugar.

But that’s not the whole story. GI doesn’t take into account the amount of the particular carbohydrate in a serving of food. It simply compares 50 grams of carbohydrate “X” against 50 grams of glucose. So, carrots for example have an extraordinary high GI of 131% (50 grams of the carbohydrate in carrots turns to sugar 131% faster than 50 grams of glucose). Does that mean a low-carber should avoid carrots? Absolutely not.

What's GL?
Enter the Glycemic Load (GL). This takes into account the serving size of a particular food. For instance, a ½ cup of carrots has a high GI of 131%, but the amount of carbohydrate in this serving size is only 8 grams. Therefore, the GL is 10.48 (1.31 x 8 = 10.48). This is relatively low, compared to a baked potato, which has GL of 45, or a ½ cup of cooked white rice, which has GL of 28.

The GI is a useful number, but the GL number is a more practical number. See how Team A has a high GI, but it actually has the lowest insulin impact. That's because the GL is the lowest. The GL just doesn’t look at the individual carbohydrate, it looks at the total amount in a serving. This would be similar to carrots -- high GI, but not a lot, so it has a low GL.

In fact, a lower GI carb could have a higher impact on insulin simply because there is more of it per serving, like in Team B. This would be like rice. Rice has a GI of 81% (less than a carrot), but the same 1/2 cup has GL of 28 (more then 2.5 times greater then a carrot).

The above is cut and pasted from here but I could have used another site such as this or this one or indeed many many others.

So - the best oil and the glycaemic LOAD - be wary of what you read elsewhere!

Gastric band? I prefer the Spice Girls!

Obese children with weight-related diabetes should be given gastric band surgery as young as 15, an expert claims. Paediatrician Julian Shield says the extreme measure will help save lives after an alarming rise in the condition.

Rates of type 2 diabetes - a condition linked with obesity - have soared across all age groups in a decade as Britain struggles to control its weight problem.

Seventeen per cent of British children - 900,000 in total - are classed obese or so fat that their health is in danger.

Around 1,400 of these have type 2 diabetes, with around 100 new cases a year. The condition is usually diagnosed in those over 40 but rates in children are rising.

Obese children's health is at risk

Experts say it can knock up to 20 years off a child's life expectancy. In addition, 60,000 children under 16 are thought to have weight-related metabolic syndrome - a combination of conditions including high blood pressure and raised cholesterol- which is said to be a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

Losing weight can help control the illness but many children cannot stick to the necessary healthy diet and exercise regimes.

Professor Shield believes gastric banding - in which an inflatable silicone ring is fitted around the top part of the stomach to make it smaller - could be the answer.

'The children we see with type 2 diabetes who really struggle to lose weight with other methods have all the health issues that adult diabetics have,' he said yesterday.

'They are suffering high blood sugars, they are hypertensive and they have high blood fats. Their health is seriously at risk.' Professor Shield, of Bristol University and Bristol Royal Hospital, said diabetic adults can lose 60 to 70 per cent of their excess weight with gastric banding.

'I am talking about gastric banding for these adolescents. I think we now have to consider this for the most severe cases.

'We have reached the point where it is necessary because of the significant threat of mortality and the morbidity of this disease.

'There needs to be a formal scientific trial of this method in adolescents.'

Gastric banding was preferable to gastric bypass surgery which was a more complex operation with greater potential complications, he said.

Banding, which leaves the patient able to eat only the smallest amounts, costs the NHS around £2,500.

Professor Shield said evidence from the U.S. suggested banding was 90 per cent effective when used on teenagers aged 18 to 19.

Here doctors steer clear of using gastric banding in obese children, preferring diet and exercise and weight loss drugs.

However, Professor Shield said the risk to diabetic children needed urgent action. 'We are tinkering around the edges and we potentially have got a cure for all these patients,' he said.

Last night GP Dr David Haslam, of the National Obesity Forum, said he supported the move. 'The epidemic of obesity has reached a desperate place when we are talking about a 15-year-old having surgery but that is the situation we are in, because having type 2 diabetes will knock at least 20 years off their lives.'

Gastric banding for obese children under 18 has been available on the NHS since 2006 but only in extremely rare cases.

Such surgery has a less than one per cent risk of fatality although up to 10 per cent of patients can suffer complications.

A spokesman from the medical watchdog NICE said: 'Operating on children does carry risks and this is why it is only performed very rarely at the moment. We always review our guidance to incorporate new evidence.'

Here come the obesity police

An army of health visitors is to make house calls to check whether babies or toddlers are too fat.

The 'obesity police' will drop in on parents when alerted by teachers or nursery nurses.

They will advise on healthy eating and even hand out specially marked placemats that show healthy portion sizes.

Parents will be given story books featuring characters called The Glugs who explain the benefits of watching TV in moderation and sitting down to dinner as a family.

They will also get reward charts to encourage them to feed their children properly.

Other parents will be invited to attend local anti-obesity classes. Ministers say such hands-on visits are vital if Britain's growing obesity is not to bankrupt the NHS.

But campaigners say it is an example of 'nanny state' interference in family life.

The scheme - called HENRY, or Health, Exercise and Nutrition for the Really Young - is run by a charity and has been tested in a number of areas with government funding.

Now it is expected to be expanded nationwide.

A spokesman from the Tax-Payers' Alliance said: 'The NHS has got much better things to spend taxpayers' money on than the obesity police.'