GetFit.com.au

Comment from personal trainer Dean Piazza :

When you choose a '' diet food'' it doesnt mean its low in calories or in fat - it just means its less than the original version. In some cases the low fat version has more calories than the full fat product as its higher in sugar.
This is where alot of people get it wrong and still eat '' diet products'' .
This is where calorie counting books can come in handy as they teach you about the number of calories/fat
and you are more aware of what you are putting into your mouth.
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The more people eat "diet" versions of richer foods, the less they may actually like what they are tasting, a small study suggests.

The findings, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that familiarity can breed dislike when it comes to reduced-calorie foods. They may also offer some insight into the common dilemma of "yo-yo" dieting, the researchers say.

Continue reading "" »

Posted by Dean at 07:04 PM | Permalink

Visiting my site www.getfit.com.au its obvious its all about
fitness, fitness programs, working out and exercising.
But when it comes to losing weight,fitness and exercise is only Half Of what you need to do.
Eating the right food choices and good nutrition is the Other Half.

Thats why when you sign up to any of our online programs we have Jen Butler Our Nutritionist who specialises in Food for Weight Loss who will analyse what you eat and when, and recommend what you need to increase and decrease to speed up your weight loss results.

Jen will get you to complete a 4 Day Food Dairy and analyse
> Serving Size
> Brand Of Food
> Balance of Carbs, Protein and Fat Consumed each day
> Alcohol Intake
> Fibre Intake
> Time Of Eating
> Cooking Method
> How processed the food is.

You can read more about How Jen Can Help You by clicking below:
Nutritionist In Sydney

Posted by Dean at 01:24 PM | Permalink

I read this small article in Body And Soul In the Sunday Telegraph last week and it makes so
much sense I had to include it on the blog here !

We overeat because we Regard Food as our Friend ...

We can stop by Finding Better Friends.

People regard food as a friend but we need to find better friends !

Its easy for me to tell you to stop eating junk food but its not that simple to adhere to.

Resisting in this fashion only increases the cravings so you need to think about this saying before you eat it:

'' its not real food, it wont satisfy me and will make me feel disgusting''

It will take a week or so for this pattern of thinking to set in but once you master it it will
make it easy for you to ignore junk food and have the strength the make the right food choices.

Try it and let me know your results as would love to hear your feedback.

If you have any questions on the above email me @ dean@getfit.com.au

Dean Piazza
Your Online Personal Trainer
and Weight Loss Coach

Posted by Dean at 02:26 PM | Permalink

Comment from Dean Piazza your online personal trainer @ www.getfit.com.au

Its easy to put on weight without even realising it especially if you always wear loose fitting clothes.
There are 2 types of fat , fat that is stored externally on the body and fat which is stored internally on the body,
(especially around the organs which is the most dangerous type of fat.)
With most people as you put on weight it will be a combination of external and internal fat building up on the body slowly over time.

An easy way to monitor your weight gain without stepping on the scales is to regularly wear jeans or tight fitting tops as this allows you to monitor your body shape in real time - if the clothes feel tighter it can set off alarm bells to
eat better and exercise more and it gives you subtle reminders that you cant slacken off !

The article below makes you realise reducing your body fat is not just about losing weight and looking good, its also about staying healthy ,staying alive and warding off chronic disease.

dean piazza
www.getfit.com.au

Even skinny people may be carrying a mother lode of toxic fat, writes Lissa Christopher.

Haven't been getting much exercise lately? Thickening around the waist? Need a fright to get you moving more and eating better? Then look no further than visceral fat, an extremely common if lesser-known type of body fat that builds up inside the abdomen and grows around your vital organs, much like a strangler fig. It's highly chemically active - about 10 times more toxic than the pinchable, under-the-skin fat that interferes with the fit of your jeans - and it's linked to a growing list of chronic diseases.

The quickest, simplest way to check if you're carrying too much visceral fat is to look down. Do you have a bit of a belly? Are you carrying a lot more fat in your upper than your lower body? If so, then it is very likely you are also carrying too much visceral fat.

Continue reading "Overweight ?" »

Posted by Dean at 03:01 PM | Permalink

Comment from Dean Piazza : Your Online Personal Trainer:

Everybody needs inspiration and this months Woman's Weekly has a great article on how Magda Szubanski has lost 36kg and 6 dress sizes after being overweight for a very long time. Her results are inspirational so if you need a kickstart, buy the magazine and just taking a few of her ideas will help you on your way to being lighter and healthier.

Of course if you need motivation and more of a personalised day by day plan then email me with any questions !
dean@getfit.com.au

Funny lady Magda Szubanski has triumphed in her weight loss battle, reducing from a size 26 to a fit and healthy 14.

Szubanski has revealed she's shed 36kg to reach her target weight of 85kg.

She has shown off her new figure on the cover of today's Australian Women's Weekly, wearing a figure hugging black dress and pink trench coat.

The Kath and Kim and Guys and Dolls musical star signed up to a weight loss program with Jenny Craig last year after a series of health problems.

Szubanski has not been this light since the late 1980s and said she couldn't believe how far she'd come.

AAP

Posted by Dean at 11:09 PM | Permalink

By Rosie Squires 5/07/09

Online diet programs are a more effective way to lose weight and keep it off than dealing in person with a dietician, experts say.
Newcastle university associate professor of nutrition and dietetics , Clare Collins said such programs were effective because participants felt more comfortable discussing their issues behind the veil of anonymity online forums provide.
Professor Collins who provides the dietary advice for contestants on the hit show The Biggest Loser said the internet allowed dieters ready access to support forums and nutritional suggestions at the time of their choosing.
'' Some people feel too ashamed to return to a face to face meeting if they are not reaching their expectations but online you can go back to the site as much as you like '' Professor Collins said.
A three year study bing conducted by the University of Newcastle will for the first time evaluate the effectiveness of online weight loss programs and take a comprehensive look at weight management.
'' To date the studies on the effectiveness of programs are limited, we want to change that '' Professor Collins said.

Posted by Dean at 05:15 PM | Permalink

A little self promotion below :)

I was asked to the contribute to this story below which appeared in The Sunday Telegraph Body and Soul Section last weekend (6/07/09).

Dean Piazza - Your Online Personal Trainer

Intensive training

Dean Piazza, Sydney-based celebrity personal trainer and Fitness NSW Trainer of the Year, says the biggest mistake he sees people making in the gym is “long, slow, boring cardio workouts”. If you want results, says Piazza, you need to ramp up the intensity.

Asked what he would prescribe for a star who had just a few weeks to slim down for a premiere, he advises:

• High-intensity interval-training cardio workouts.
• Body-weight exercises such as chin-ups, push-ups and crunches.
• Restricting kilojoule intake in the evening.
• Complete ban on all white and processed foods.

Piazza, who often finds himself trying to motivate the unmotivated, says it can often help to pull out a few books from the self-help section of the bookstore, to find a “story” that will inspire you.
Visit www.getfit.com.au for more.

Continue reading "Slimming Secrets of the Stars" »

Posted by Dean at 04:44 PM | Permalink

Comment from online personal trainer dean piazza

Do you fall into this category ? You work long hours sitting with a desk bound job and then sit on the way to and from work and then sit down again when you get home to have dinner and watch TV .
If so you need to schedule in some regular exercise to burn a few more calories and give you more energy .
It seems to simple but the simple things are what work when it comes to weight loss and throw in some motivation,
healthy food and regular activity and you will be on the way to a lighter,fitter, more energetic YOU !
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YOU had better sit down for this. But then again you probably are - and it may not be doing you any good.

Experts have revealed diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity are all linked to long periods of sitting down. And research shows most people spend just one hour of their waking day not seated.

For the first time, Australian researchers will attempt to track just how much lounging around people do and whether simple tasks, like standing up to turn the TV off, can improve health.

Experts predict that time spent between watching the TV, working and travelling can add up to 14 hours a day - with most people only awake for 15 hours.

Continue reading "Is Your Weight Gain Linked to Sitting Too Much ?" »

Posted by Dean at 05:20 PM | Permalink

Comment From Dean Piazza - Your Online Personal Trainer :

This article below is a good wake up call to people who seriously need to lose weight.
Even though you may be able to extend your lifespan by approx 10 years through regular exercise and good nutrition they also forgot to mention the quality of life you have when you are fit and healthy.
Lets take a look at a few of these

* Confidence - Being fit and healty gives you confidence to achieve things in life whether they be business or personal related

* This confidence leads to increased happiness and self worth within yourself

* It gives you more energy each day and even though you still get tired - yopu can bounce back each day
with enthusiasm and a good attitude

* It reduces your need for medication for such things as high blood pressure, depression, high cholesterol, anxiety and the list goes on. The long term risk to your body and mind for using these medications is unproven but common sense tells us it may fix one problem but it will definately cause another problem down the track.

* Its an investment in your health - too much emphasis is given on wealth investment and people forget about health!

PEOPLE who are overweight or obese are lopping up to a decade off their lives, a major international study shows.
British researchers have pulled together studies encompassing almost a million people, including Australians, to look at how a person's Body Mass Index (BMI) can be a predictor of early death.
Almost 70,000 of the test subjects died during the study, and the fewest of these came from the group with a healthy body shape (BMI of 22.5 to 25).

At the other end of the scale, people with a BMI indicating they were overweight (30 - 35 BMI) were shown to have died up to four years earlier than expected.

Continue reading "Being overweight or obese 'costs you 10 years'" »

Posted by Dean at 11:24 AM | Permalink

Comment from online personal trainer Dean Piazza :

This is a great article and certainly holds alot of truth. Alot of articles talk about counting calories and following the same eating patterns while this is completely different.

Bodybuilders have been into fasting to accelerate results for over 50 years as its a great way to speed up your metabolism as is adjusting your food intake on different days to make your metabolism work harder rather than consuming the same intake every day which can make your metabolism lazy.

The best meal to skip if you are not hungry is dinner for losing weight so read on below for some interesting tips and research

Dean Piazza
www.getfit.com.au

Dennis Brooks, 60, became interested in nutrition during the last two years of his 20-year army career. For years, he had struggled to keep his weight down and then, after retiring, he was in a car accident and gained even more. To address his frustration, Brooks began skipping breakfast. Then, pleased with his modest weight loss, he began forgoing lunch as well. Now he eats on alternate days (soup, salad, fish or lean meat, vegetables, nuts and occasional desserts) and only drinks water on the other days.

Continue reading "The new appetite for fasting" »

Posted by Dean at 04:28 PM | Permalink

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper, and studies suggest you could lose weight, says Terry Robson.

Each week, a new diet offers you the ultimate weight loss miracle. But, finally, one that is achievable has arrived. Having a big breakfast every day is the way to lose weight and keep it off.

If you can live off clear vegetable soup (or gruel for that matter) for three meals per day, every day, then you will lose weight. The question is how long can you eat that way?

Continue reading "Breakfast of slimming champions" »

Posted by Dean at 09:05 AM | Permalink

Where do you go for help if overeating has become a habit that's hard to control?
Overeaters Anonymous www.oasydney.org with its 12 Steps approach is one option, but now there's another.
SMART Recovery, a free self help group program established in Sydney three years ago by St Vincent's Hospital Drug and Alcohol Service, is now open, not just to people wanting to overcome problems with alcohol and other drugs, but also to overeaters and those with other addictive behaviours. SMART (it stands for Self Management and Recovery Training) has meetings in a number of locations in Sydney and NSW, and began its first Melbourne program this month at Turning Point, the drug and alcohol service based in Fitzroy.

Continue reading "SMART help for overeating" »

Posted by Dean at 09:50 AM | Permalink

Eating smaller meals does not help shed kilos any faster, according to research that debunks a popular
dieting myth.

Dieticians have tested the theory that splitting meals into 5 or 6 snacks speeds up fat burning.

In a study of 180 obese people they found no weight loss advantage from such a diet.

''there seems to be little benefit to changing how often or how regularly you eat'' said researcher Michelle
Palmer of University of Newcastle

Ms Palmer says this should end the debate on snacking and focus Australians back on keeping dieting simple.

Comment From Online Personal Trainer Dean Piazza :

This is interesting article and research as most people were led to believe you needed to eat less but more often in order to speed up your metabolism but what was happening for most people that were overweight was they were eating more often but couldnt control the small portions and so ended up consuming alot more calories than if they were to just eat 3 meals a day.

The best advice i can give from training my clients and seeing people get good results is eating a good size healthy breakfast and lunch and making sure you reduce the size of dinner as this is where your body stores fat alot more easily .
Also try to eat a protein based dinner and eat your carbohydrate based meals for breakfast and lunch.
Snacks are fine but just light food such as fruit, handful of nuts, low fat yoghurt, smoothie.
Its all about being sensible and if you are not hungry - dont eat !

PS you also need to know the diffference between boredom and hunger !

Need some guidance ? support ? motivation ?

I can also design a personalised workout program and meal plan for you and coach you online as
your online personal trainer.

Just complete the form here to get started

https://www.getfit.com.au/registration.html

Posted by Dean at 12:27 PM | Permalink

If you are what you eat, what you eat has a lot to do with how you think about yourself, says a QUT PhD researcher whose study is part of an international research project on the healthy ageing of women.

Queensland University of Technology nursing researcher Rhonda Anderson said self-efficacy had emerged as a strong influence on women's decision to do more exercise or eat more healthily.

Continue reading "Weight Loss Possible When Self-belief High" »

Posted by Dean at 12:13 PM | Permalink

With most of us eating on the run, finding healthy packaged foods on the supermarket shelves can be a hit and miss affair.

Sharon Natoli is a dietician with Nutrition Australia. Together with Women's Health magazine, she has put every packaged food item to the test.

"We know the healthy foods are the ones with the single ingredient," Sharon said.

"You know your apples, your pears, your berries and your eggs and meat and that sort of thing.

"It certainly can make it quick and easy if you combine fresh food with packaged foods.

"You can throw together healthy foods very quickly

Click Below for the Top 100 pre packaged foods

http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/3307429/consumer/healthy-foods

http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/3307429/consumer/healthy-foods

Posted by Dean at 02:11 PM | Permalink

The majority of Australian men are fat but only half of them know it, according to new research showing an alarming number are in denial about their weight.

Obesity experts say men's acceptance of the beer belly and the `bigger is better' approach to size are behind results of a new national analysis showing perception problems with male weight.

More than 60 per cent of men have a body mass index (BMI) over 30, making them clinically overweight, yet only 36 per cent perceive themselves to be

Continue reading "Men overweight and oblivious: study" »

Posted by Dean at 08:53 AM | Permalink

Hold that super-size tropical blend with added calories, there's less sugar in red cordial, writes Melissa Kent.

Juice is packed with calories, and experts say it's helping to make us fat.

"Juice is a good, nutritious way to gain weight," says Melbourne dietitian Melanie McGrice

Continue reading "When fruit juice is not your friend" »

Posted by Dean at 04:02 PM | Permalink

Using an artificial, no-calorie sweetener rather than sugar may make it tougher, not easier, to lose weight, US researchers have said.

Scientists at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, studied rats that were fed food with the artificial sweetener saccharin and rats fed food with glucose, a natural sugar

Continue reading "Artificial sweetener tied to weight gain" »

Posted by Dean at 11:28 PM | Permalink

We like to think that taking regular exercise means we can eat what we want, when we want. If only it were that simple, says Rebecca Hardy.

Many of us believe that exercising gives us a licence to eat fattening foods with no adverse effects. Surely that's the whole point of physical exertion? Not so, say the experts. Any effective exercise regime must be supported by the right food. "It's like fuelling a car," says sports scientist Dr Garry Palmer, fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. Bad nutrition, he says, can hinder performance, leaving you sluggish and nauseous

Continue reading "Eat Yourself Fit" »

Posted by Dean at 03:07 PM | Permalink

BE CAREFUL whom you hang out with - your friends can make you fat. Researchers have found that the company you keep has a huge influence on the size of your waistline

Continue reading "Why Fat is a Friendship Issue" »

Posted by Dean at 08:11 AM | Permalink

They claim to be "lite" and easy on the hips, but many popular low-fat yoghurts have more kilojoules than their full-fat counterparts, a study has shown.

Two of them even have more fat

Continue reading "Beware, the low-fat yoghurt" »

Posted by Dean at 02:19 AM | Permalink

MILLIONS of weight-conscious consumers believe it is a healthy choice: low in kilojoules and sugar-free.

But diet cola can make you fat and rot your teeth, according to new research.

A study by consumer group Choice warns drinking artificially sweetened soft drinks can stimulate the appetite, triggering cravings for sweet foods

Continue reading "Study shows Diet drinks lead to weight Gain" »

Posted by Dean at 08:26 AM | Permalink

For a while, Chuck Duncan was a big loser.

After eight months on a low-carbohydrate diet, he'd shed nearly a quarter of his body weight and was down to a lean, mean 178 pounds. Then, like a yo-yo, his weight shot back up.

Now, a year after starting the diet, he has regained all but a few of the 50 pounds he lost.

"Once you start cheating it's a slippery slope," said Duncan, 44, a public television producer from Dundalk. "You get lazy and it starts coming back."

Duncan's dietary recidivism is a common tale - and now it has some solid scientific credence, thanks to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Continue reading "Dieting: Battling the yo-yo effect" »

Posted by Dean at 08:39 PM | Permalink

DRUG giant Roche has been banned from advertising its weight-loss pill Xenical direct to consumers because of the risk of unsafe use.

The move comes after controversial advertisements for the drug were screened during the popular youth program Australian Idol, prompting criticisms that Roche was targeting teenage girls.

Continue reading "Weight-loss pill gets heavied" »

Posted by Dean at 12:04 AM | Permalink

They make big claims but with many diet supplements the only thing lighter will be your wallet.

An hour or so spent trawling the shelves of pharmacies, health food stores and supermarkets leaves you wondering why Australia has a weight problem. With so many products claiming to suppress appetite, boost metabolism and promote weight loss, dropping a dress size should be easy.

Continue reading "The Latest News On Diet Supplements" »

Posted by Dean at 04:36 PM | Permalink

DIETS and exercise may not be the future for weight loss.

A pacemaker-like device, which blocks hunger nerves, has been successfully trialled at Adelaide's Flinders Medical Centre, with stunning results.

The first person to be implanted with the device lost 20 kilograms in a year without changing her dietary habits or exercise regime.

The Adelaide medical centre was one of three in the world to trial the new device, developed by EnteroMedics Inc.

Continue reading "Implantable pacemaker future of weight loss" »

Posted by Dean at 06:16 AM | Permalink

A REVOLUTION in weight loss is about to hit Australia after scientists devised a workout that burns three times the amount of fat.

They found their specific brand of interval training prompts the body to click into a metabolic response that allows more fat to be burned under the skin and within the muscles.

Researchers at the University of NSW and the Garvan Institute studied 45 overweight women over 15 weeks, putting them through a 20 minute cycling regime in which they sprinted on a stationary bike for eight seconds followed by 12 seconds of cycling lightly.

Continue reading "8 seconds key to weight loss" »

Posted by Dean at 08:37 PM | Permalink

A new study provides the first ever scientific proof that if you eat slowly, you will eat less and enjoy the meal more.

Women consumed about 70 fewer calories when they were told to take their time eating a meal of pasta and sauce, compared to when they were instructed to eat it as quickly as possible.

Continue reading "Eating slowly really does make people eat less" »

Posted by Dean at 11:18 PM | Permalink

ALMOST two-thirds of Australians who try to lose weight by improving their eating habits fail because they rely on willpower, research has revealed.

A national survey by the Australian Psychological Society showed that 61 per cent of people trying to change their diet failed to make lasting changes. One in five lapsed back into old habits within a matter of weeks or months.

Many of those who made changes - 63 per cent - relied on willpower, while 26 per cent joined a gym or sports club. More than half (55 per cent) sought no professional help to change their eating habits

Continue reading "Willpower not enough in diet battle" »

Posted by Dean at 09:54 AM | Permalink

The latest instalment of the biggest selling diet in Australian history is here.

Following on from the phenomenal success of The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet, comes Book 2. This companion volume contains over 80 delicious new recipes to keep you on track with your new healthy eating habits, as well as advice on eating out, taking your lunch to work and an exercise program.

Continue reading "Best Selling Diet Is Back" »

Posted by Dean at 04:11 PM | Permalink

Getting fatter around the middle? Have a family history of heart disease or diabetes? You could be headed for the same trouble, especially if you're over 40 and female.

There are no obvious symptoms from high blood sugar or the condition called insulin resistance, so few people realize it is creeping up and putting them on the path to diabetes, heart disease or both.

But insulin resistance, a type of pre-diabetes, is a growing national problem: Some experts believe half of all overweight or obese adults are insulin-resistant.

Yet, even many women with a family history of heart disease or diabetes don't know they need to eat a healthier diet and get more exercise to avoid those problems -- two of America's top killers.

"We think this is a very important new issue for women," said Audrey Sheppard, chief executive of the National Women's Health Resource Center. "There's very little awareness."

Continue reading "Over 40, female and fat around the middle?" »

Posted by Dean at 11:35 AM | Permalink

A combination of supplements readily available in health food stores can double the rate at which an exercise program builds muscle and sheds body fat.

It's all a matter of timing, according to Melbourne researchers.

The researchers found that people who consumed the supplements immediately before exercising with weights gained much more muscle and strength than those who took the same supplements at other times of the day. The supplements used were whey protein, isolated from milk, and creatine monohydrate, extracted from plants.

“This study is the first to demonstrate that timing the consumption of these supplements promotes better results from exercise,” said Dr Paul Cribb the lead researcher, from Victoria University. “This is a simple strategy that most adults could incorporate into their exercise programs.”

Continue reading "More Muscle, Less Body Fat Without Dieting" »

Posted by Dean at 11:32 AM | Permalink

FIFTY per cent of British children have a pack-a-day crisp habit and are consuming the equivalent of five litres of cooking oil a year, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has warned.

The foundation released the figures as part of a campaign to educate the public about the amount of "hidden" salt, fat and sugar in common foods.

"I am concerned we are a nation drowning in excess oil, salt and sugar as we and our children continue to ignore the warnings and consume excessive amounts of unhealthy foods. Crisps (potato chips) are just the tip of the iceberg," said Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the charity.

A typical 35 gram packet of chips contains 12.5 teaspoons of oil.

Continue reading "Packets chip away at good health" »

Posted by Dean at 12:07 PM | Permalink

Think you think got your diet under control? You may be gulping down hundreds of unwanted calories without even knowing it.

"Believe it or not, more than 20 percent of our daily calories come from the things that we drink," says Susan Aaronson, M.S., R.D., wellness coordinator for the M-Fit Health Promotion Division at the University of Michigan Health System. "In fact, the World Health Organization recommends that people consume only about 10 percent of their calories from liquids. So those extra calories from liquid beverages are adding to American's obesity epidemic, making it more difficult for people to lose weight

Continue reading "The Beverages You Drink Could Be Ruining Your Diet" »

Posted by Dean at 11:47 PM | Permalink

Girls whose families criticize their weight or eating habits may develop lasting problems with body image and self-esteem, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that of 455 college women with poor body image, more than 80 percent said their parents or siblings had made negative comments about their bodies during childhood.

Many believed the comments reflected a general lack of love and support or were even part of a pattern of emotional abuse - with some saying family members also called them "ugly," "stupid" or "lazy."

Continue reading "Weight Comments Do Lasting Harm" »

Posted by Dean at 12:25 PM | Permalink

THE most effective diet for weight loss and cardiovascular health is a high carbohydrate plan based on low glycaemic index (GI) foods, especially for women, Australian researchers have found.

The world's first 12-week trial of its kind compared the relative effects on weight loss and cardiovascular risk of low GI and high-protein diets.
The theory behind low GI diets is that rapidly digested, high GI carbohydrates cause fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels, contributing to hunger and preventing the breakdown of fat.

Foods with a low GI include breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran, wholegrain and sour dough breads and Basmati or Doongara rice.

Foods with a high GI include potatoes and white bread.

Continue reading "Low GI Diets '' the best''" »

Posted by Dean at 06:27 AM | Permalink

With excess weight a greater problem than ever, the question of whether changing eating habits or exercise is more likely to produce weight loss is vital.

A new study confirms the overall research findings that dietary change, specifically eating less fat, produces more weight loss than changes in exercise. But it also shows that changes in one kind of behavior may help promote changes in the other, especially among women.

Continue reading "Diet vs. exercise for losing weight" »

Posted by Dean at 10:28 AM | Permalink

Losing a couple of kilograms and keeping it off has far greater health benefits than any single preventative drug on the market, researchers have found.

A study by science agency the CSIRO has revealed that even a small sustained weight loss can be more effective than pharmacological approaches to disease prevention.

Leading nutritionist Manny Noakes investigated the benefits of three to four kilograms of weight loss, sustained for four years.

"There is compelling evidence showing sensible weight loss that incorporates healthy eating as well as a small amount of resistance training has significant benefits in reducing disease morbidity," Professor Noakes said.

"In essence it would take many pills to achieve what a four-kilogram weight loss can achieve."

She said losing excess weight could improve cholesterol levels and delay the development of arterial deposits which lead to stroke and heart attack.

It lowers blood pressure, which reduces stress on the kidneys, and lowers glucose and insulin response, which prevents diabetes and stress on the pancreas.

"It can also reduce DNA damage, which leads to degenerative diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease," she said.

There was also emerging evidence that eating less but still eating a nutritious diet could delay the ageing process and prolong life, she said.

Presenting her findings to the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology Incorporated Convention in Adelaide tomorrow, the nutritionist will also tackle the contentious issue of weight loss in older people.

Some studies have proven that weight loss can be detrimental to the health of the elderly, but Professor Noakes said this was only true if the person shed their kilos without meaning to.

"Unintentional weight loss might be the result of existing health problems ... and can mask beneficial changes in cardiovascular risk and other diseases,"

Sensible, intentional weight loss, on the other hand, can be extremely beneficial, she said.

AAP

Posted by Dean at 01:36 PM | Permalink

A bulging midriff could indicate an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Forget bathroom scales and body-fat monitors. One of the best gauges of weight gain or loss is in every wardrobe - the waistband of a skirt or pair of pants that fits too snugly when your waist gets wider.

For the past few years, our love of low-slung jeans has made it easy to ignore an expanding waistline. But with winter fashion putting belts back where they used to be, some of us may find we've become wider around the middle.

There's always the camouflage option - such as Empire-line tops with gathers of fabric to mask a midriff bulge - but losing the weight is a smarter option. Carrying an excess around the middle is a potential health problem and can indicate you have a troublesome type of fat called visceral fat.

Continue reading "Don't let fat go to waist" »

Posted by Dean at 03:51 PM | Permalink

The "super-size" deals at fast-food restaurants aren't such a bargain once the costs of weight gain are considered, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that while the average "upsized" fast-food meal costs a mere 67 cents more than a regular meal, those bonus calories could translate into substantial daily costs due to weight gain.

When people put on weight, the study authors say, their grocery bills, healthcare costs and even gasoline expenses climb as well.

Continue reading "'Super-size' not a super deal" »

Posted by Dean at 12:18 AM | Permalink

More than half of Queensland's adult population is overweight or obese, with men much more likely to be too fat than women, new research shows.
The statistics determined by the Central Queensland University's Centre for Social Science Research (CSSR) come in the lead-up to the state government's Obesity Summit in Brisbane this week.

CSSR director Kerry Mummery said today an estimated 51 per cent of Queensland's adult population were too large, based on a study of more than 1,+200 men and women statewide.

Continue reading "More than half of Queensland adults overweight" »

Posted by Dean at 11:47 AM | Permalink

Scientists are changing their minds about the best way to monitor body fat. Body mass index, or BMI — long considered the gold standard for evaluating an increased risk of health problems due to weight — is far from a perfect measure, says Dr. Arya M. Sharma, an obesity researcher at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

The BMI doesn't take into account the amount of muscle a person has, and is less accurate in older people, who lose muscle and bone and gain fat with age. It is also less accurate in certain ethnic groups, such as Asians, because their body fat percentage at various BMIs differs from that of Caucasians.

It also doesn't measure visceral fat, which may be more significant to overall health than knowing one's BMI.

Continue reading "Find Out How You Measure Up" »

Posted by Dean at 05:15 PM | Permalink

An American study throws doubt on the benefits of a low-fat diet.

Confused by recent news that a low-fat diet may not help prevent cancer and heart disease after all?

Beth Hobson is.

"I've been on a low-fat diet for four years now," says the 44-year-old part-time worker at a fitness centre. "Does that mean I can go back to eating full saturated fats? I should go home and eat a pizza tonight?"

By no means, say scientists.

The real culprits in our diets, they say, are the hardened fats in margarine and shortening as well as saturated fats in meat.

Continue reading "How Low Can You Go ?" »

Posted by Dean at 05:00 PM | Permalink