Fitness Pudding - Where The Proof Is

Vinegar has numerous health benefits. 2,3 One claim is that it promotes weight loss through the effects of acetic acid. Studies have been done on rats and mice, and most show an effect on weight loss – although several studies do not find any effects. The most recent review on the subject concludes that, “Based on the data available from several animal studies, and 1 double-blind, placebo-controlled human trial, there is scarce evidence for a beneficial action...

At the request of Ms. Rachel Nanez, we are tackling this question. Here was her text to me: “Heard this on the radio this morning...'whole body vibrators, the new way to lose weight without exercising!’ Apparently there was a study done using rats, and they lost all this weight with body vibrators.” Vibrating Mice Once I shook the visual of vibrating mice, I looked into it. The buzz was most likely related to this study that...

As many of us struggle with the time change today - we can keep in mind that at least 13% of Americans report regularly having "excessive daytime sleepiness" (EDS), which has increased from 10% in 2002. 2 Much of the problem comes from insufficient sleep and associated sleep disorders, of which 50 to 70 million people suffer. 4  Also, many of us do not get the recommended amout of quality sleep each night . Subsequently, "short...

We still hear it all the time – that 3500 calories is equal to one pound of body weight. The thought might be appealing, that one can simply create a 500 calorie per day deficit by either cutting 500 calories from their diet, adding 500 calories per day of exercise, or a combination of both. After one week, the deficit of 3500 calories (500 calories x 7 days) should result of 1 pound of weight loss....

A CNN blog recently revisited the tantalizing myth that sex is a workout. It must be circulating pretty well right now on social media, as I have been asked by several people if this is true or not. The article is referring to a 2013 publication from the New England Journal of Medicine entitled Myths, Presumptions, and Facts about Obesity , written by a prestigious group of experts. Myth #7 states "A bout of sexual activity...

A recent study finds that if you drink more water, you can lose more weight and stay slimmer. Wait, does it say that? Well, you would believe so, if you depended on these internet breaking news headlines. Drinking More Water Could Help with Weight Loss 8 Secrets Of Drinking More Water, Including Weight Loss The New Secret to Losing Weight? Water I love the last one, as if water - the magical cure for weight gain...

I came across the headline, 'Pooping your way to weight loss' . I could not resist, as I must investigate on any potential myth. It is my 'duty'. Weight Loss Through Pooping Low fecal weight (i.e. poop) and slow bowel transit times are a health risk, being positively associated with cancer risk. 1 This concern is why dietary fiber is so important (see below), to increase the fecal weight – leading to less 'poop' being leftover...

Here is an interesting article examining a historical and scientific perspective on if skipping breakfast is really that bad (for weight loss). A few notes to add: The Largest Study on Breakfast and Weight Loss The web article does refer to the largest breakfast and weight loss study to date , led by Dr. David Allison's wonderful research team at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 1 In this study, 283 participants classified as overweight or...

I am sure you have already noticed the many internet articles and ads popping up about keeping your New Year’s Resolution.  But, what about why we break and abandon our resolutions? I came across a really cool 1972 study by Drs. Marlatt and Kaplan. 4  They examined 135 people and their resolutions over a 3-month period. The majority of resolutions were a desire to lose weight – interestingly, with an average starting weight of only 138 pounds...

If you were interested by our previous post, Exercise Doesn't Help with Weight Loss  – a review of a controversial editorial, "It is time to bust the myth of physical in activity and obesity: You cannot outrun a bad diet,"  – you might also be interested to read some recent comments and responses by other experts regarding this article, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (click below). It is Time to Bust the Myth of...