Fitness Pudding - Where The Proof Is

Some recent headlines: How could dust cause obesity? Could house dust be making children FAT? Dust at home could be the major cause of obesity. Can house dust make us fat? Before the idea of fats lurking in the dusty shadows of your floorboards (or belly button lint) goes any further, I wanted to provide a quick clarification of what is really going on. I also wanted to provide a comment from my friend and topic...

Fat in food is, and might always be a hot and controversial topic. We learn something new everday that expands our understanding, allowing us to make educated decisions in our healthy eating lifestyles. Of course any change in our knowledge fuels controversy and debate amongst fat-inspired amateurs and aficionados, alike. If you are one of the many who are enthusiastic about fat in food, you might be interested in  a recent compilation by NutritionAction.com dedicated to...

The common idea that 1 pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories most likely comes from original research in the late 1950's on the effects of fasting in obese individuals. Well, it stuck, and is the basis for our current, simple prescriptions for weight loss. The subsequent rule, then, is to expend, 'burn', and/or reduce intake of 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat. Commonly, this deficit is accomplished by expending and/or cutting 500...

I have personally come across a proposed fallacy that being obese actually has a puzzling protective effect in diabetics, call the "obesity paradox". I am not quite sure where this belief has come from, but have heard several women with diabetes mention this to me. Perhaps it is wishful thinking? A recent article by a prestigious group of researchers has provided some solid evidence against the idea of this "obesity paradox" notion. Marilynn Marchione's, AP's chief...

There is thought that if we stop exercising, our muscle will turn to fat. Or if we start exercising again, our fat will turn back into muscle. Just as we cannot turn apples into oranges, we cannot turn muscle into fat (or vice versa).

This one drives me bananas. I have done the research, but am not 100% sure where this fallacy came from. Maybe someone saw a monkey with a big belly eating a banana, and made the connection? I once saw an overweight man eating a salad, and have not touched one since. In all seriousness, there is one theory as to why this fallacy may exist, and understanding it will help you with similar fallacies in other...

Fat is a wonderful thing. It aids in nutrient absorption, hormone regulation, thermic insulation, cognitive/mental functioning, and much more. However, too much of a wonderful thing, can begin to harm us. When stored in large quantities inside our body (particularly around our waist), fat can lead to several health problems, such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. There has been much research investigating how to expedite weight loss and cure the obesity epidemic, and the answers...

As normal, I was handling the boredom of the grocery store line by catching up on my celebrity news and gossip from the tactful magazine covers (sarcasm). I recognized one of my favorite tactics to get us to pick up the magazine...exposing celebrities' cellulite, but blocking their face. Whether it is to feel more normal or empathize with these celebrities, we open the magazine to quench an insatiable urge to see which celebrities fall into the...

If I had to rank the most common fallacies in the health and fitness industry, "spot losing fat" would be at the top. Also, millions of dollars are spent every year on products that claim to do it. So, let's learn why we can save our money. What is Spot Loss? The theory of spot loss (aka. 'spot reduction' or 'targeted fat loss') states that if we exercise a specific muscle, then the fat that sits...

What goes around, comes around…body wraps are now popular again!  Body wraps have been common in spas or salons for years, utilizing linen sheets, blankets, bandages, plastic, cellophane or rubber wraps. Originally, the wraps were full body, with the goal of trying to induce as much water loss as possible through perspiration, much like a sweat or sauna suit, which comes from the same idea. The desire for spot-reduction of inches encouraged use of smaller wraps...