Get Control of Sugar Cravings
Most people have good intentions when it comes to eating well, and some people even succeed at sticking to a resolution for a few months. However, at some point or another it seems that everybody succumbs to one of the greatest sabotage-artists out there in regards to food; I’m talking about cravings.
Using Exercise to Balance the Nervous System
It is generally accepted that if you need to lose weight, are stressed out or want to put on muscle mass, you need to hit the gym and hit it hard! While this approach will work for some people, most people’s eating habits and lifestyle choices will cause high intensity workout sessions to have a detrimental influence on their health. That’s because of the effect these sessions have on a person’s nervous system.
Motivation 101: Giving and Getting a Swift Kick in the Pants
“Getting healthier” is one of the most common resolutions made as we start the New Year, but that’s usually where it stalls out. “Getting healthier is too vague, too overwhelming and/or just not motivating enough to get most of us going. And then there are those that think they are already doing everything they can to be healthy; unfortunately, this confidence is usually an illusion.
Many Americans are just plain lost and confused when it comes to healthy lifestyle. There is so much misinformation and marketing out there, it can be difficult to find real, sound information and advice. It is difficult, but it isn’t impossible.
You Can’t Count Calories Your Whole Life
This post comes to us courtesy of Sarah Droege, Nutritionist at Optimal Body Balance.
Counting calories doesn’t work. How many times have we said it? We like to talk about it though, because so many people still believe that if you just eat less calories or burn more calories, weight loss will happen. If it were that simple, losing weight would be much easier. And we probably wouldn’t be in business. The truth is that losing weight (and gaining weight) happens differently for everyone.
How Are Those New Year’s Resolutions Coming Along?
This is the time of year when most people, whether they have given it there all or not, drop many of their New Year’s commitments to change. Most people chalk it up to lack of will power, not having enough time or some other excuse to make themselves feel better about falling back into the same old routine. However, if those resolutions are calling to you, if you feel a twinge or guilt or despair about your inability to reach your goals or if you simply want some good ideas on how to get and keep going, read on.
A Novel Way to Improve Your Mental Health
We talk a lot about using amino acid therapy to help correct underlying neurotransmitter imbalances to help people overcome disorders such as depression, anxiety, OCD, ADD/ADHD, trichotillomania, migraines, obesity, fibromyalgia and insomnia. However, recent research has shown that you may be able to fine-tune your mental and emotional states by using the right combination of probiotics.
Vegetarian Protein Sources
Proteins are necessary to sustain life, repair body tissues and promote cell renewal, to manufacture hormones, enzymes and blood cells as well as put on muscle and increase and maintain one’s metabolism. It is one of the most plentiful substances in the body second only to water, totaling approximately one fifth of a person’s body weight. Lack of protein in the diet will result in fatigue, weakness, poor performance, inability to lose weight and increased susceptibility to colds, flu’s and infections. Continue Reading »
What Do You Gain by Losing Weight?
We have all heard it time-and-time again – the number one reason to lose weight is not to fit into your ‘skinny’ jeans, but to protect your health. Every pound you shed can lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, amongst other diseases. Let’s outline exactly what you stand to gain by losing (weight).
Go Big or Go Home At the Gym
Many of us added ‘losing weight’, ‘getting healthy’, or ‘getting in shape’ as a New Year’s Resolution. Let’s face it, many of us add that resolution each and every year. So now that you’ve bought that gym membership, how do you get the most out of it?
Childhood Obesity Part 3 of 4: Social & Emotional Consequences
Childhood Obesity and Mental Health
The societal message about being fat is clear: it is bad to be fat. But why is it bad? As we discussed in the previous post, there are serious medical consequences of childhood obesity. However, this fact often clouds the clear bias and discrimination against obese kids. In fact, few problems in childhood may have as significant an impact on childhood emotional and mental development as obesity.
Seeing through fat-colored glasses
Try as we might, there is a pervasive, underlying prejudice against obese people, including children. Much press and media coverage is given to the astounding medical costs due to obesity. However, the majority of obese people are not discriminated against because they are medically compromised. They are stigmatized because their obesity is viewed as a reflection of poor character. Studies have shown that common stereotypes associated with obese people include attitudes that they are lazy, incompetent, lacking in self-discipline, self-indulgent and emotionally unhealthy. 1,2 Nowhere is this more prevalent than with children.
Negative attitudes towards obese children develop very early. Studies have found that kids as young as 3-years old associate overweight children with being mean, stupid, ugly, unhappy, lazy, less desirable as friends and as having fewer friends.3,4 Interestingly, children held these negative stereotypes for both obese children and adults regardless of the child’s own weight, age or gender.5 This means that overweight and obese children hold these beliefs about other overweight and obese children and adults. Eventually, they turn these negative views inward and research shows that these attitudes only grow in breadth and magnitude as children age.
Blame, fault and judgment
“I hate myself for being fat.” These words came out of an obese child’s mouth in my office and reflects a pervasive underlying belief that leads to blame and judgment. Even amongst children, it is believed that obesity is under personal control, leading to many judgments about obese children (and their parents) as well as obese adults. Because of this, as children age, they begin to internalize these negative messages and become more and more dissatisfied with their own bodies. This often results in persistent disturbances in body image and greatly reduces self-esteem as these children age.
The psychological impact of this can be huge – studies have shown that obese children have lower self-esteem; more dissatisfaction with their bodies; higher rates of loneliness, sadness and nervousness; increased risk of depression; and increased rates of suicide.6,7,8,9 What’s worse is that children internalize these messages and assume that it is their fault that they are overweight and subsequently blame themselves for the negative social experiences that they confront because of being obese.10 This sets into motion a downward spiral that is usually incredibly difficult to break.
The Road to Recovery
Obese children need help. They need help from their parents, educators, health care providers and society at large. It’s unlikely that food advertisers and fast food marketers are likely to change their bombardment of our kids with messages about consuming nutritionally devastating foods, so we need to do everything we can to help our kids not only understand what they need to do, but do it. Part 4 of this series will outline several ways this can be done, as well as outline a program that can be used to help both children and adults get on the road to recovery.
References
- Puhl R, Brownell KD. Bias, discrimination and obesity. Obesity Res 2001; 9:788-805.
- Paul RJ, Towsend JB. Shape up or ship out? Employment discrimination against the overweight: Employees Responsibilities and Rights Journal 1995;8:133-145.
- Cramer P, Steinwert T. Thin is good, fat is bad: How early does it begin? J Appl Dev Psych 1998;19:429-451.
- Brylinskey JA, Moore JC. The identification of body build stereotypes in young children. J Res Pers 1994;28:170-181.
- Tiggermann M, Anesbury T. Negative stereotyping of obesity in children: The role of controllability beliefs. J Appl Soc Psych 2000;30:1977-1993.
- Strauss RS. Childhood Obesity and Self-Esteem. Pediatrics 2000; 105;1:1-5.
- Eisenberg ME, Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M. Assoications of weight-based teasing and emotional well-being among adolescents. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003; 157: 733-38.
- Sheslow D, Hassink W, Wallace W, DeLancey E. The relationship between self-esteem and depression in obese children. Ann NY Acad Sci 1993;699:289-291.
- Wallace W, Sheslow D, Hassink W. Obesity in children: a risk for depression. Ann NY Acad Sci 1993;699:301-303.
- Pierce JW, Wardle J. Cause and effect beliefs and self-esteem of overweight children. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 1997;38:645-650.