A new study says that Americans are exercising more - but senior writer Alexandra M. Haller has a few questions to ask the brains behind the study. Read on for her take on the new findings, before you get too pumped up about the apparent rise in physical activity.
If someone doing a research study called and asked about your level of physical activity, how truthful might you be? Maybe you’ve had a gym membership for years, but how often are you getting there? Perhaps you cut your lawn with a push mower. Would you say you dutifully do that for 2 hours each week when, just maybe, two times a month is a more representative answer?
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I’ve often wondered, who is the worse gas guzzler, you or your car?
My dependable 1999 Saturn SL-1 according to the Marketplace Fuel Survey Data (read the full story here), gets about 52 miles per gallon highway, and about 32 miles per gallon city driving with air conditioning and traffic.
Let’s take the human body for example.
Recently, I had no choice but to eat at McDonalds during a business trip. I had 2 Egg-Sausage-Cheese-McGriddle sandwiches for breakfast and a meduim orange juice. That’s about 1270 food Calories (or kCal) and it cost me $7.28. Here is the breakdown:
If you add the 3 items above, that’s 55% Carbs, 18% Protein, and 26% Fat! No wonder North America has an obesity problem!
Since an average human body burns about 100 kCal per mile, whether you walk or run, that’s 1300 kCal for 13 miles.
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As runners, we are often conscious of healthy eating habits. Even if the occasional fast food lunch gets us off track, we remain generally aware of what we put into our bodies. But why then do we concern ourselves with the hamburger and fries we had for lunch? In most cases, we witness the negative consequences of these dietary “slip-ups” in the prevalence of obesity and cardiovascular problems.
However, a recent study suggests that perhaps our diet affects more than just our weight and cholesterol. According to Dr. Varraso, a researcher at Inserm, a French research institute, there is a direct correlation between diet and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD—a condition that inhibits regular respiration and in its later stages, physical activity.
The American Lung Association recognizes COPD as an emerging killer in the United States. The disease, which refers specifically to emphysema and chronic bronchitis, now ranks as the fourth cause of death in America and claims over 120,000 lives each year. Although most commonly the result of smoking, Dr. Varraso’s research identifies diet as an additional contributor to the development of respiratory problems.
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For the average American, dinner probably means sitting down to a plate of meat, rounded out with sides like white bread and potatoes, and polished off with an after-dinner bowl of ice cream in front of the television. If this sounds familiar, Dr. Kerrie K. Saunders has written a book you need to read. A practitioner of integrative medicine, Dr. Saunders penned The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention to argue that a diet based on “the new four food groups” can prevent or cure the epidemic ailments, from obesity and diabetes to cancer, that are increasingly prevalent across North America.
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There are many studies that demonstrate alcohol’s negative effects on health and physical performance, but the good news is that avoiding it may not be the best idea either.
Believe it or not, athletes used to consume alcohol prior to competition to improve performance. The thinking behind this idea is that alcohol could alter energy metabolism, improve physiological processes, or modify psychological factors to help the athlete. Unfortunately this idea no longer holds as more research is demonstrating that alcohol by no means should be considered a performance-enhancing supplement.
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Eat too much this holiday season? You’re most likely not alone. However, eating too much on a daily basis takes a toll on your body, especially your heart. Make this New Year’s resolution a healthy one for you and your family.
You can start by checking out some different online opportunities, including the Discovery Health Channel’s National Body Challenge, and the American Heart Association’s Choose to Move program.
Programs such as these have been established due to chronic public health problems in the United States associated with poor diet and lack of physical activity. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death for all people in the United States, currently affecting nearly 12 million people.
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This is the final installment of a four part series. Part 4 is entitled: “Type 2 Diabetes and the Benefits of Resistance Training”.
Attention type 2 diabetics: studies show that adding resistance training to your exercise program can enhance its benefits and improve insulin control. With a total change in lifestyle (through education about type 2 diabetes, adherence to a strict diet, aerobic exercise and resistance training) you can restore you body’s sugar to a non-diabetic level.
The treatment goal for type 2 diabetic individuals is to achieve and maintain near to normal blood sugar levels and optimal fat levels in the body. With exercise the body becomes less resistant to insulin. Aerobic exercise is commonly prescribed.
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This is the third installment of a four part series. Part 3 is entitled: “Type 2 Diabetes: How Aerobic Exercise Can Save Your Life “.
Attention Type 2 diabetics: studies show that a change in lifestyle can restore the body’s sugar levels to a non-diabetic level. Understanding how this happens could save your life.
The treatment goal for type 2 diabetic individuals is to achieve and maintain near to normal blood sugar levels and optimal fat levels in the body. With exercise the body becomes less resistant to insulin. Therefore, aerobic exercise is a very effective treatment modality and is commonly prescribed.
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This is the second installment of a four part series. Part 2 is entitled: “Type 2 Diabetes and Nutrition”. To check out Part 1: “Understanding Type 2 Diabetes”, please click here.
Attention Type 2 diabetics: recent studies show that a nutritional diet combined with physical can restore the body’s sugar levels to a non-diabetic level. Understanding the importance of the nutritional diet could save your life.
When diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, patients are commonly prescribed an immediate change in lifestyle which includes a very strict nutritional diet. The purpose of this diet is to maintain a quality level of glycemic control. This means that a carefully monitored diet can manage the amount of sugar in the blood. Because obesity is very common with those suffering from type 2 diabetes, the most important component of diet therapy is weight loss.
This is the first installment of a four part series. Part 1 is entitled: “Understanding Type 2 Diabetes”.
Do you or someone you know suffer from type 2 diabetes? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. Recent studies show that a nutritional diet combined with physical exercise such as aerobic exercise and resistance training can restore the body’s sugar levels to a non-diabetic level. Understanding how this happens could save your life.
Diabetes mellitus is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. There are currently 20.8 million people in the country suffering from diabetes, which is 7% of the population (1). Approximately 90-95% of these cases are categorized as type 2 diabetes. (3,4) Type 2 diabetes is strongly related to being overweight and obese, which has become a very serious public health problem of the past 25 years. Read the rest of this entry »
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