Fainting dieters a top cause of NYC subway delays
Posted January 9th, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Gina Pellrine
Section: News & Results, Health & Fitness, Weight Loss
According to New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), fainting passengers, dizzy from dieting, are one of the top reasons for delays on the NYC subway lines.
AM New York recently reported that the MTA found that between October 2005 and 2006, an average of 395 subway delays per month were caused by sick riders. Although the MTA does not keep official records of the sick riders’ specific ailments, transit emergency medical technicians, such as Asim Nelson, confirmed that a very high percentage of those who fainted did so because they had missed meals and/or not eaten enough.
These crash dieters, who were mostly women, far outnumber those who were sick from flu symptoms, anxiety attacks, hangovers and heat exhaustion. MTA’s Nelson told AM New York:
“You have women trying to get their bodies tight for the summer and they won’t eat … Not eating for three or four days, you are going to go down. If you don’t eat for 12 hours, you are going to get weak.”
As part of the MTA’s Sick Customer Response Program, when a rider becomes ill, a conductor must stay with the person until paramedics arrive. This ties up train service, especially during AM/PM rush hours and at stations with only two tracks.
Those looking to lose weight need to realize that fasting, skipping meals and/or eating insufficient calories will actually lead to weight gain because they weaken your body and slow your metabolism.
To shed a few pounds in a healthy and safe manor, consult your doctor and eat more frequent (but smaller) meals throughout the day to prevent binging. In addition, focus on lean proteins (i.e. - salmon, soy, grilled chicken), complex carbohydrates (i.e. - brown rice, wheat bread, sweet potatoes), dark green vegetables (i.e. - broccoli, spinach, kale), fruits, reduced fat dairy products (i.e. - skim milk, low-fat yogurt) and foods that are high in fiber.
Research sources and for more information: [MSNBC], [AM NY]
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: AM New York, diet, dieter, dieting, fainting, fasting, healthy eating, lose weight, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA, New York City, new york city subway, NYC subway, unhealthy eating, weight loss
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