Stuff Worth Noting, Again

February 11, 2010 @ 12:02 pm

More articles, news, stories, things of note from around the web and other blogs I've saved recently.

News & Science 

Couple Accused of Starving Baby So She Doesn't Get Fat (Faux News)
People are stupid. That's all I'm really going to say around this one.

Food Deserts Could Bloom if City Hall Helps (Gotham Gazette)
i should finish reading this one .

Spam E-Mail Appeals to Young, Overweight (NYT)
As a web technology practitioner, I will never understand why so many people actually click on spam. But apparently, college-aged overweight people are more apt to click on spam that promises the next great weight loss solution. My armchair psychology degree wonders if the same instant-gratification culture that helps lead to the obesity problem encourages college kids to try to instantly gratify they're desire to be thin. If Only.

Are Childhood Obesity Screening Guidelines Misguided (Dr Sharma)
We need to be careful how we address child obesity. These kids get enough humiliation everyday at school, they don't need it to be institutionalized as well. Nevertheless, we need to do something.

Mayor challenges citizens to lose weight, get fit, in town-wide Biggest Loser competition (Pasadena Star-News)
I used to live next door to Duarte - it's a beautiful little town with big sidewalks, perfect for walking around town to get fit. I hope this is a success and a model for more towns.

Tips & Tricks

What You Eat After Working Out Matters (WebMD)
Your body needs fuel after a work out or it will freak out and shut down. It needs to know that despite the fact you just ran for your life from the tiger, you don't actually need to conserve energy for future runs. But what's the best thing to eat just after working out? Not carbs. Low-carbs are best, so avoid breads and shoot for nuts or vegetables.

Inspiration

Kepa is No Longer Obese (TFLB)
Many congrats to Kepa at The Fat Lazy Guy's blog who has been trucking along in his intrepid journey to lose weight and live fit - and he just passed through the barrier between obese and overweight. Inspiration to know it is indeed possible.

1 comment | Topics: inspiration, news, stuff worth noting, tips

Stuff Worth Noting

January 26, 2010 @ 09:10 am

As I read and study up on obesity and learn all I can to enrich my weight loss journey, I find a few key things I want to remember. Every so often I'll post them up here to share and remember down the line.

News & Science

Eating Junk Food Will Spoil Your Mood (Diet Blog)
Writing in The British Journal of Psychiatry, experts found that consuming a lot of processed food--such as desserts, fried food, refined grains, processed meat, and high-fat dairy--actually raised the likelihood of depression. It's more than sugar highs and lows or crashing - it's the chemicals that go into the processing of food, turning it from something wholesome and fresh to something preserved. I'm not sure we really know what we're doing to ourselves.

Play, Then Eat: Shift May Bring Gains At School (NYT)
Schools that rearrange recess to be before lunch see marked increase in attention, better eating habits. Could this be another tool to systematically beat back child obesity?

Obesity System Influence Diagram
Just in case you thought obesity was a simple matter of being too lazy. An attempt to chart the various influences and feedback loops that trap so many in this plight.

After a Year of Learning, the First Lady Seeks Out A Legacy (NYT)
And that legacy will be child obesity prevention and reduction. Finally some attention from the White House on a major issue affecting the health care issues they value so highly.

American Obesity Rates have Plateaued (NYT)
Likely because we've hit the limit of those genetically predisposed to obesity, not because of any good effort to educate and improve health.

Tips & Tricks

Super Slow Weight Training (MizFit)
MizFit discovers strength training very slowly (10 seconds up, 10 seconds down) makes her workouts faster and more effective. Because her muscles mutiny sooner.

Inspiration

Kepa & Mary went bungee jumping! Hoooly crap. I don't even do ladders well - I don't think there's any chance of getting me to jump off a perfectly good platform, no matter how skinny I am. But seriously you two, rock on.

Weight Loss Success Story: Max Fargotstein
Dieting here, exercising there, but never simultaneously, nor with any results, Fargotstein had all but thrown in the towel. While celebrating the Super Bowl last year, a friend's father showed up minus his spare tire ... That was enough to inspire him to give it another shot, this time combining new eating habits with regular exercise at the gym twice a week.

0 comments | Topics: inspiration, news, stuff worth noting, tips