Just last month, during the holiday break, I noticed that my younger cousins – aged from 16 to 20 – were all dealing with weight issues. And when I read a feature article on MSN about teenagers and weight loss, my interest was really aroused. Basically, the article says that a psychotherapy program may work better to help teenagers deal with weight issues and avoid obesity. This is in comparison with traditional health classes.

I agree with the idea of the program mentioned, which “focuses on improving interpersonal relationships by targeting the underlying social and interpersonal difficulties that influence individuals to engage in maladaptive behaviors.”

If you think about it, the factors mentioned above – interpersonal relationships and social difficulties – also come into play even when you’re in your 30s (or 40s for that matter). These are even more critical during the teenage period as teenagers are more susceptible to their effects.

If you think about it, the bottom line is dealing with the person with weight issues using a holistic approach. The same goes for us – if we want to lose weight for good, then we ought to take a look at more than what and how we eat. At the very least, this is something to think about, don’t you think?

Recently, an article about how Santa Claus is a negative model for children around the world spread like wildfire. Titled “Santa Claus: A Public Health Pariah?,” the article was published in the leading health journal of the UK. It was written by Nathan Grills, an Australian epidemiologist. Here are some points raised in the article, courtesy of Newsweek:

“Epidemiologically there is a correlation between countries that venerate Santa Claus and those that have high levels of childhood obesity.” The researcher warns that the British tradition of leaving brandy along with the cookies means that Santa would be drunk-driving his sleigh. Santa’s behind-the-reindeer malfeasance also includes “speeding, disregard for road rules, and extreme sports such as roof surfing and chimney jumping. Despite the risks of high speed air travel Santa is never depicted wearing a seatbelt or a helmet.”

It doesn’t take a genius to predict how people would react to this sort of article. From the four corners of the world, Grills has been grilled (no pun intended). People have made him the butt of all sorts of jokes.

The question that concerns me is this: based on Grills’ article, is Santa really a bad model (at least health-wise)? I’ll leave you with this: the article was a JOKE, alright? So get off your high horses, folks, and laugh it off. In the meantime, make sure you don’t get his girth over the Christmas holidays!

The exact cause of PCOS remains a mystery to doctors and researchers. However, the symptoms are clear and some researchers believe that it is closely linked to an over active sympathetic nervous system. This system is what controls involuntary bodily functions such as the dilation of pupils.

A group of Swedish researchers conducted a study recently, wherein women with PCOS were divided into three groups. The first group underwent electro-acupuncture (a weak electric current is passed through the needles). The second group underwent a guided exercise routine (at least three times a week). The third group had no additional treatment or instructions. The findings? The activity of the sympathetic nervous system of the first two groups was considerably lower and the women who had acupuncture had a plus: more regulated menstruation. More than this, they also had lower levels of testosterone.

If you have PCOS or know anyone with PCOS, you might want to consider acupuncture.

But did you know that some drinks contain way too many calories for your own good? Some drinks in the market actually contain enough calories to serve as a full meal! Yahoo Health recently featured some of the worst drinks there are. Let’s take a look at them, shall we?

Baskin-Robbins: Large Ice Cream Soda with Vanilla Ice Cream Float. This drink won the “Worst Float Award.” With 960 calories, 40 g of fat, and 136 g of sugar, a 32-ounce float can replace your lunch. I think that they’ve taken this out of their menu, though.

For the worst ice blended coffee drink, Così Gigante Double OH! Arctic (23 ounces) takes home the prize. A whopping 1,210 calories, 19 g of fat, and 259 g of carbohydrates – that’s what’s packed into this coffee drink. A strong caffeine jolt PLUS tons of sugar will certainly make you high.

And you thought that was bad? Here is the winner of the “Worst Drink in America Award” – Cold Stone Creamery Gotta Have It PB&C Shake. The name itself should give you an idea what it’s all about. Yes, it is so GOOD but it is BAD as well: 2,010 calories, 131 g fat, and 153 g sugar.

Not turned off? Well, you should be; unless you really do not care about your health.

But what about taxing soda in order to help fight fat? Well, if the U.S. health authorities are to be followed, we will soon be paying a lot more for sodas and other similar sugary drinks. According to a report by the AFP, the authorities think that getting these drinks out of the Americans’ menus would solve the problem.

Thomas Frieden, the head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, says that the average American today consumes about 250 more calories as compared to twenty or thirty years ago. Of the 250 calories, he says that about 120 come from sugared drinks and food.

So why is the government proposing taxation? Shouldn’t people be allowed to decide for themselves? For one, obesity and other health problems related to it are costing the government a whole lot of money in health care. I guess this is enough reason for the authorities to find ways to lessen the obesity figures – about 2/3 of the American population.

Take note – these drinks and food are already being taxed. The argument, however, is that the tax is not high enough to affect consumption. It’s like the taxation argument on tobacco.

So what do you think about the issue? Would you stop (or lessen) your consumption of soda and other sugar rich foods because of higher taxes?

According to a story ran by The New York Times, the study was done on over 11,000 Canadian adults. The results showed that people who are a bit overweight, but not obese, are less likely to die than those who are not overweight (READ: NORMAL weight). The category of overweight covers people who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9. In addition to this, people who are underweight – those who have a Body Mass Index of less than 18.5 – are more likely to die than the people who weigh normally.

Obviously, this finding is going to be well-received by many. The common way of thinking, prior to this study, is that being overweight automatically means more health problems, higher chances of dying earlier than normal. I guess this study gives us something new to think about.

Of course, we also have to take into consideration our lifestyles. Just because you have a BMI of anywhere between 25 to 29.9, it doesn’t mean that you can automatically say that you are going to be fine and that you have a lower risk of dying early. Smoking, drinking, no exercise, and other similar factors should be considered as well.

At least, when you get picked on because of a little extra padding, tell them that it just might be your insurance!

Want to lose weight? Stuck on deciding which diet to go with?

According to the latest study published in the New England Journal of Medicine it doesn’t really matter which diet you choose to go with as long as you choose one and stick to it. The study, Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates (whew that is a long title!), all participants of the different diets tried lost and average of 6kgs in 6 months though and by the end of the study (2 years) those that stayed on lost more than 10% of their original body weight. Though that might not seem much the point is not how much weight was lost but that the important thing is to reduce the calorie intake. In short, you can go low fat, low carb, high protein or whatever you choose to do to lose weight and it will work as long as you COUNT YOUR CALORIES.

The bigger question now is not which diet you should go with but to stick to it. Losing weight is easy…at least compared to keeping off that lost weight.

In their web site, the Mayo Clinic makes it clear that diet and exercise are the best breast cancer prevention strategies. Let’s look at some of the things that you can do specifically to help lower the risk of getting breast cancer.

Limit your alcohol intake
Though just because you drink a lot does not mean that you will definitely get breast cancer, there is a strong relationship between high alcohol consumption and cases of breast cancer. The best route to take would be to limit your alcohol intake or avoid it completely. Even if you are not worried about breast cancer, limiting alcohol will also bring about other benefits to your health anyway.

Watch your weight
This does not mean that you should go on crash diets and aim to be the thinnest person in the world. Just keep within the normal or average weight for your height and built. The reason behind this is that there is a link between obesity and breast cancer. Moderation is the key here – just like with everything else.

Exercise
No harm will come out of exercising at least moderately. Since regular physical activity will help you maintain a healthy weight, you can also avoid being at risk for breast cancer due to the obesity-cancer link.