Weighing in on Sizeism: Fear, Self-Loathing & Our Nation's Battle of the Bulge
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By Glenn Mueller
eDiets Senior Writer/Editor
In case you missed it, the last issue of the UTNE Reader included an extremely provocative series of articles about America's war on obesity. In spite of the health risks associated with being overweight, the editors of this alternative publication argue that our approach to fatness is at least as unhealthy as being fat. "Sizeism remains the only truly socially acceptable form of discrimination on the planet," writes Courtney E. Martin, author of Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body.
While the authors make some alarming generalizations about the dieting industry as a whole, they definitely bring up an insightful point about our cultural bias against fat. "To be fat in our culture is to be labeled not only a glutton, but also a vessel of disease," writes associate editor, Hannah Lobel.
"Short of burning obese people in effigy, it's hard to imagine how we could stigmatize fat more in this culture. Body hatred is regarded as a feminine virtue."
Now, I have worked at eDiets for over five years, and I honestly believe we provide a valuable public service. We help countless numbers of people to transform their lives. But the most important reason to eat nutritious foods and exercise is to protect your own health. It is really all about looking and feeling your personal best-- not trying to meet some unrealistic expectation.
The magazine cites a poll of 10,000 ELLEgirl readers, in which 30 percent said they would rather be thin than healthy. That's downright disturbing! In our superficial culture that often values form over substance, I don't doubt that people are often discriminated against because of their size and appearance. However, I hope that doesn't deter people making the ever-important decision to exercise and adopt a healthier lifestyle.
Do you agree that we have an unfair bias against fat in this culture? Have you ever felt discriminated against because of your size? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Breaking News: Diet Found to Reduce Heart Attacks
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By Glenn Mueller
eDiets Senior Writer/Editor
According to the results of a recent study, following a diet that is high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat really does protect your heart. If you are following a meal plan like this, you'll love the latest breaking headlines: You may be less likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
A report published in the April 14th issue of Archives of Internal Medicine provides compelling evidence that sticking to a meal plan similar to the one the government already recommends for lowering blood pressure can help reduce your risk for having a heart attack or stroke. The team of researchers, led by Teresa T. Fung, Sc.D., of Simmons College in Boston, monitored more than 88,000 healthy women between the ages of 34 and 59 for almost 25 years. Subjects kept track of the foods they ate during that time period and were given scores based on how closely their eating habits resembled the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) meal plan recommended by the government.
The so-called DASH scores increased for fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes and low-fat dairy products. Points were subtracted from the scores for red and processed meats, sweetened beverages and sodium. Ultimately, the women with the highest DASH scores were found to be 24 percent less likely to develop heart disease and 18 percent less likely to have a stroke.
Though Fung's study tracked women and their eating habits rather than randomly assigning different diets to members of the sampling population, the research findings may provide the best evidence yet of the benefits of so-called heart friendly diets due to the size of the sampling population. According to statistics from the American Heart Association, heart disease kills 32 percent of our nation's female population -- making it the leading cause of death for American women. And, as if those numbers aren’t alarming enough, the fact is 8 million women are currently living with heart disease.
"This study helps to reinforce how important it is to avoid saturated fats, lower sodium intake, and keep our blood glucose levels in check," says eDiets Director of Nutrition Services Pam Ofstein. "Following such a meal plan can help prevent many health problems, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease."
Pam notes that the eDiets Heart Smart plan resembles the DASH diet and includes whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts. All the meals are low in fat and saturated fat but include healthy monounsaturated fat in olive oil and small servings of nuts and avocado.
"These research findings help members of the public see that making small changes over your lifespan can improve your health," Pam says.
If Meds Caused Weight Gain, Would You Take Them?
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By Dorian Wagner
eDiets Senior Copy Editor
If you had to choose between your life and your weight, which would you choose? It's a tough question, but one that some people find themselves facing...
A 2004 study in General Hospital Psychiatry showed that 5 percent of patients surveyed would never take medication that caused weight gain… even if it was for a life-threatening condition.
It really made me think. In our world, a huge amount of emphasis is put on how people look -- oftentimes, I think, too much. Because, when it comes down to it, I personally would rather be alive and breathing than thin and dead. But apparently, some people disagree.
The choice seems simple to me, but what do YOU think? If a medication you needed would cause you to gain weight, would you take it? Comment here and share your view.
Top 10 Healthiest Jobs
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By Carolina Diaz-BordoneDiets Contributor
Wake up, nine-to-fivers: You spend 2,080 hours a year at work... Is your career healthy? High stress, low physical activity, little motivation and depleted morale levels are signs that your daily work environment is suffering and in need of some serious adjustments.
Given that you spend more than half your weekday waking hours on the job, your work surroundings can have an immense impact on your health. When you are engulfed in an unsound ambiance day in and day out, it can take a major toll on your emotional and intellectual well-being.
Chances are, your work will suffer and affect your ability to cope and be productive in the workplace. While you may not be able to throw away your computer and put a stair master in its place, you can transform your individual work conditions by making minor modifications.
Workplace stress is one of the biggest problems you cannot afford to ignore. Stress can lead to absenteeism, high health care costs and loss of performance, all of which can impact your company's bottom line. One way to help reduce stress is through breathing exercises. If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a few seconds to breathe deeply through your nose. Do this several times before getting back to work.
Physical activity is the best natural stress reliever. Try to save some time during your lunch break to take a 10-minute walk. Get up every hour and walk down the hall and stretch your legs. Even if you can only get up for a few minutes, it's important to take the time to move.
Another way to increase your health environment is by coming to work nutritionally prepared. Pack healthy snacks to munch on throughout your day and try to avoid drinking large amounts of caffeine.
You should also make adjustments to your personal space to make it more conducive to a satisfying and pleasant workday. Organize your clutter and make your area functional. Also, try to smile and not take things too seriously. Rather than getting upset, listen; be assertive but remember you can't control everything.
You can, however, control the way you deal with others and situations. Don't waste your time listening to negativity. Surround yourself by optimistic people. This will help keep you motivated and inspired.
Here's a list of the top 10 healthiest jobs, according to Monster.com. The jobs don't include professional athletic sports, but they do include athletics-related careers and jobs that promote a balanced, wholesome workplace environment.
2. Chiropractor
3. Choreographer
4. Florist
5. Massage Therapist
6. Nutritionist
7. Personal Trainer
8. Professor
9. Running Coach
10. Yoga Instructor
Got any great tips you use at work to help reduce stress and keep you in shape? Let us know by commenting below!
Body Language for Lovers
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Jennifer DrapkineDiets Contributor
Need a therapist? Click here to find one in your area.
We should not hunt our mates, but rather lure them. After all, a mate is prey to be captured alive.
Anthropologist David Givens has provided a practical guide to the body language of seduction in his book,Love Signals. The key for both men and women, he says, is to appear harmless and vulnerable. Be the deer by the watering hole, waiting for the wolf to pounce.
Whatever you do, you don't want to appear guarded. Crossing your arms over your chest and lowering your head are signs of defensiveness that will keep potential mates at a distance. Shirts buttoned all the way to the top and, even worse, turtlenecks keep away the cold, but they also keep away lovers.
The way you dress should be appetizing. Black may be chic, but wearing vibrant, natural colors -- cherry red, forest green, lemon yellow -- will make you seem ripe for the picking.
Once you've attracted a mate, what you say isn't so important. Ninety-nine percent of courting is nonverbal.
Research on opening lines has shown that with the proper body language, "Hello" works most of the time for men and all of the time for women. What's more important is to communicate openness and interest with your whole body. Here are a few ideas:
Build Familiarity:
How to do it: Walk within arm's reach of your target on your way to the bathroom, the kitchen or the bar. Repeat several times.
Why it works: Studies prove that we like things simply because we've seen them before.
Open Up:
How to do it: Use open-palmed gestures as you talk.
Why it works: Because palms-open exposes the tender part of your hand. Palms-up gestures are a universal sign of friendliness and availability. Palms-down gestures say stay away.
Display Your Interest:
How to do it: Lift one shoulder and cock your head to the side.
Why it works: Anthropologists call this the "cute response." For both sexes it says, "I'm interested." It also says, "I'm adorable."
Be Vulnerable:
How to do it: Wear an open shirt, and touch your neck and collarbone.
Why it works: A neck-touch is as appealing to men as it is to women. You are literally pointing out a weak spot.
Follow Your Partner:
How to do it: If he scratches his head, you scratch your head. If he does the funky chicken, you do the funky chicken.
Why it works: Isopraxism, the technical term for moving in unison, is based on a deep-seated instinct to copy the actions of those we find attractive.
Draw Attention to Yourself:
How to do it: When you are near your prey, drop something -- a napkin, a glove or a watch. Bend down and pick it up.
Why it works: We notice moving objects, even when we can see them only out of the corners of our eyes. Also, you are more vulnerable when you bend over.
Our closest animal relative, the Bonobo chimpanzee, practices the object-dropping technique in courtship. After a male Bonobo notices a female, he will pass by her and climb up the closest tree. From a comfortable height, he will drop twigs around her body, almost hitting her. After a while, the female may become sufficiently charmed to climb up the tree and present her hindquarters to her new mate.
Jennifer Drapkin is an intern at Psychology Today.
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Labels: fun, relationships, study, tips
Get Paid for Weight Loss?
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How much weight would you lose for 7 dollars?
Well, according to a new study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, $7 is enough incentive for most people to drop at least a few pounds. Really?!? All it takes is seven bucks?
The survey was based on 200 employees at several North Carolina colleges. Participants were paid for weight loss -- either $14, $7 or no incentive at all to lose weight over three months. The outcome? Those who were paid more obviously lost more, but those offered just $7 lost an average of 3 pounds!
This is all part of research being done to see how companies can reduce health care costs -- and obesity is a HUGE health care problem.
Isn't it amazing what the power of money can do? People generally want to lose weight, but most need that little extra push. Imagine if the payouts had been even larger...
So we want to know: Would $7 motivate you to lose weight? How much moolah it take to inspire you to drop pounds? Comment below and let us know!
And if your company won't pay you to lose weight, here's 10 ways to save money and drop pounds on your own!
Labels: study, weight-loss
Atkins Diet Study
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