Weight Loss & Weight Issues

Sleep apnea is a period of reduced or no breathing. This period must be 10 seconds or more for the period to be defined as apnea. Hypopnea is defined by a reduction in the normal airflow. Oxygen is usually reduced by 4% or more for either apnea or hypopnea. Therefore, there are health implications, due to the significant decrease in oxygen with both apnea and hypopnea. The formal diagnosis of sleep apnea is when there are 15 or more periods in an hour. NOTE: In some patients who are already at high risk of health consequences, this number may be lowered.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, the German Institute of Human Nutrition, and the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School have reported that soda and sweetened fruit drinks are adding to weight gain (and probably the risk of diabetes, fractures, and dental caries) in children and adults. Because obesity has become a major health problem, drinking water, low-fat milk, and small quantities of fruit juice would be a better choice than sweetened beverages.

Editor's Note:

"Race" is sometimes mentioned as a risk factor in the development of certain cancers and a number of other diseases. When you read this in a discussion about an illness, note that the explanation seldom refers to anything biological. Instead, it usually refers to behavior, such as eating habits. The kinds of behavior usually mentioned as risk factors are culturally determined. They are not genetic or biological.

High fructose corn syrup, according to Dr. Mercola, is the cheapest ingredient in the American food chain (profit factor) after air, water and salt. Small wonder that it's found in so many prepared foods and beverages. Its use parallels the increase in obesity, but is it one of the causes?

New studies from the University of Tennessee find that calcium, particularly when in milk products, may help shed unwanted pounds and body fat.

This is doubly important news because many people slash milk products from their diets to lose weight.

"... metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular disease risk factors which include high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), impaired fasting glucose and excess abdominal fat. A diagnosis of metabolic syndrome is made if you have three out of five of these risk factors. Having metabolic syndrome increases the risk for cardiovascular disease," according to a study by Amy Z. Fan, M.D., Ph.D. and Marcia Russell, Ph.D. conducted at the Prevention Research Center, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, Berkeley, Calif.

An investigation by the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Clinical Nutrition Research Center suggests that there are possible causes of obesity not due to lack of exercise or over-eating that have been overlooked.

Diabetes prevention is proven, possible, and powerful. Studies show that people at high risk for type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay the onset of the disease by losing 5 to 7 percent of their body weight. You can do it by eating healthier and getting 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. In other words: you don't have to knock yourself out to prevent diabetes. The key is: small steps that lead to big rewards. Learn more about your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and the small steps you can take to delay or prevent the disease and live a long, healthy life.

HOW MANY AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE DIABETES?
• 3.2 million African Americans ages 20 years and older (or 13.3 percent) have diabetes, one-third of whom are undiagnosed.
• On average, African Americans are 1.8 times more likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age.

Contrary to popular belief, a new study has found that lean body mass is positively associated with high bone density, while added weight from fat is postively linked to osteoporosis.

The study recommends that people build bone strength by building muscle, not by gaining weight through fat accumulation.