Family, Friends, Social Ties Influence Weight Status In Young Adults

Does obesity tend to "cluster" among young adults? And if so, what impact does it have on both their weight and weight-related behaviors? That's what researchers from The Miriam Hospital's Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center set out to answer to better understand how social influences affect both weight status and weight loss intentions in this difficult-to-reach age group.

According to the study, published online by the journal Obesity, overweight and obese young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 were more likely to have overweight romantic partners and best friends and also had more overweight casual friends and family members compared to normal weight peers. Also, overweight and obese young adults who reported having social contacts trying to lose weight had greater weight loss intentions.

Why is this an important issue? Forty percent of young adults age 18-25 are considered overweight or obese, and young adults experience the highest rate of weight gain per year - typically one to two pounds - of any age group. While previous research has consistently demonstrated the powerful impact of social influence on health behaviors, especially for younger individuals, no previous study has examined whether social ties influence weight status and weight loss intentions among young adults.

Lead author Tricia Leahey, PhD, a researcher with The Miriam Hospital's Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, also points out that young adults are less likely to participate in behavioral weight loss interventions, and when they do, they tend to lose less weight than older adults. "Identifying the factors that influence both weight status and weight control in this high-risk age group can help us develop appealing and effective obesity treatment and prevention programs for this population," she said.

The study included 288 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25; 151 individuals were of normal weight, while 137 were considered overweight or obese (BMI of 25 or greater). The majority of participants were female and Caucasian. All participants completed questionnaires to determine their weight and height, number of overweight social contacts (including best friends, romantic partners, casual friends, relatives and colleagues/classmates) and perceived social norms for obesity and obesity-related behaviors.

Overweight and obese study participants completed additional questionnaires to assess how many of their overweight social contacts were currently trying to lose weight, perceived social norms for weight loss (such as how frequently social contacts encouraged them to lose weight or whether the people closest to them would approve if they were to lose weight), and intentions to lose weight within the next three months.

Compared to normal weight young adults, those who were overweight or obese were more likely to have an overweight romantic partner (25 percent vs. 14 percent) and an overweight best friend (24 percent vs. 14 percent). "Our data suggests that obesity 'clusters' in this population. But interestingly, social norms for obesity did not differ between the two groups and did not account for the clustering," said Leahey. "Both groups reported similarly low levels of social acceptability for being overweight, eating unhealthy foods and being inactive."

The study also showed overweight and obese young adults who had more social contacts trying to lose weight were more likely to want to lose weight themselves. Social norms for weight loss, such as encouragement and approval from social contacts, account for this association, researchers say.

Leahey is also assistant professor of psychiatry/human behavior at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. The study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Co-authors included Rena Wing, PhD, Jessica LaRose, PhD, and Joseph Fava, PhD, all of the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center at The Miriam Hospital and Alpert Medical School.

Wing is leading an innovative new study to help young adults avoid gaining the weight in the first place. The Study of Novel Approaches to Prevention (SNAP), funded by the National Institutes of Health, will compare two different behavioral approaches to weight gain prevention in 18- to-35-year-olds. One is focused on small lifestyle changes, such as walking an extra mile each day, while the other involves larger changes, like going on a periodic diet, as a buffer against future weight gain. For more information, please visit http://www.snapstudy.org.

Source:
Jessica Collins Grimes
Lifespan

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He Shed, She Shed: Herbalife Surveys How Men And Women View Weight Loss

Couples making a joint New Year's effort to shape up may be surprised to find that they don't see eye-to-eye when it comes to tackling weight loss. A recent nationwide survey* of 1000 adults revealed that men and women differ not only in their strategies, but also in what motivates them to shed excess flab.

The survey, sponsored by Herbalife, shows that the main factor driving weight loss efforts for women is appearance - nearly 40 percent were motivated to lose because "I don't like the way I look." Looks matter to men, too, but feeling out of shape also ranked high - "not feeling healthy" was the top reason that drove 27 percent of the guys to take action.

Even though the prevalence rates of overweight are about the same in men and women, the survey showed that women get dissatisfied with their weight much earlier in the game than men do. A gain of five pounds or less was enough to motivate nearly 18 percent of women to step up their shape-up efforts, while nearly the same percentage of men said it would take a gain of more than 20 pounds or more before getting serious. The tipping point for the majority of both sexes is 10 pounds.

Portion control was equally important to both men and women, but a higher percentage of men focused on more frequent exercise as their main tactic. On the flip side, a higher percentage of women in the survey focused on healthier food choices, suggesting that men might be choosing to eat less, but not necessarily better.

Men and women might have much to gain - and more weight to lose - by borrowing some ploys from one another. "Men might be wise to think more like women in deciding to tackle their weight early on," said Dr. Luigi Gratton, vice president, nutrition education at Herbalife. "For one thing, it's easier to lose a little than to lose a lot, and as weight goes up, so do the risks to health," he noted. And while increased exercise is critical in the weight loss struggle, long-term success is more likely when healthier food choices are part of the package.

Women could take a tip from the guys by focusing more on the end result, to avoid feeling frustrated if they don't see results early on. A shift in focus - noting that better dietary choices and more exercise makes them feel healthier - might help women to stay on track. And, said Gratton, "Feeling stronger and healthier may help women to focus less on their appearance, and to be more accepting of their body's natural shape."

*Survey of US adult population, conducted by Synovate eNation, 12-06-2010 through 12-08-2010, margin of error +/- 3 percentage points.

Source: Herbalife Ltd.

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American Women Speak Out About Weight Loss And Their Thoughts On Healthy Eating

On average, more than a third of American women think about their weight at least three times per day, and many think that achieving their weight loss goals or maintaining an 'ideal' weight requires overly strict and drastic lifestyle changes, according to a recent survey conducted by McNeil Nutritionals, LLC, the marketer of SPLENDA® Sweetener Products, with the support of SHAPE Magazine. Eighty-one percent of women surveyed do not think they are at their ideal weight; still, almost half are optimistic they will achieve their ideal weight in 2011. The survey, which polled women across the country ages 25-54, returned thoughtful feedback on the state of weight loss in America today and the things women are doing to stay healthy.

The survey revealed that when it comes to achieving or maintaining their ideal weight, most women are ill-informed on the most effective and/or healthy ways to do so. For example, 91 percent of women were unaware of the amount of calories one needs to burn in order to lose a pound of fat (3,500 calories). Women surveyed cited stresses, demands on their time, family obligations and financial problems as the reasons their weight loss efforts have been difficult. With so many other factors on their minds, the survey also found that women tend to overlook nutritional value in their food purchases, ranking price, taste and quality higher. Only 17 percent of women ranked nutritional value as the most important factor when purchasing food.

"We found that many women are implementing major lifestyle changes to lose weight. Oftentimes it's small, simple changes that are not only crucial to the weight loss process, but are also healthy and effective in the long run," said SHAPE magazine senior health and nutrition editor Sharon Liao. "We want to spread the message that it doesn't need to be really difficult to make a difference and get on the right track."

The survey went on to reveal some detailed information on the steps women believe are necessary to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Many women surveyed believe that in order for an average woman to lose 20 pounds in one year, she would need to cut something like sweets or snacks out of her diet entirely (35 percent) or reduce her caloric intake to fewer than 1,000 calories per day (39 percent). In reality, an average woman can successfully lose weight if she follows a calorically-appropriate diet and stays active. The survey revealed that 70 percent of women currently add sugar to foods and beverages, most often adding it to their coffee (48 percent). By making smart substitutions with their food choices and by watching their portion sizes, women can continue to enjoy the foods they love with fewer calories from added sugars.

"If women have unrealistic ideas of what it takes to reduce calories and eat healthfully, they are more likely to become derailed in their weight loss efforts," said Fred Tewell, group product director for SPLENDA® Sweetener Products. "We want to educate women who are trying to manage their weight and let them know that a good place to start is by simply incorporating healthier habits into their daily routines, such as using SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener in place of sugar. If you replace 3 tablespoons of sugar each day with SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, you'll save 100 calories. It's important for women to know that they can carry out their goals in simple, delicious ways that won't disrupt their daily lives."

Source:
McNeil Nutritionals, LLC

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Pound For Pound Challenge Fights Hunger Through Weight Loss

NBC's "The Biggest Loser: Couples," General Mills, SUBWAY® and Feeding America are partnering on the Pound For Pound Challenge, a national initiative encouraging Americans to lose weight to combat hunger in their local communities. The weight participants pledge to lose will help Feeding America secure groceries on behalf of local food banks. Pound For Pound Challenge updates will air throughout season 11 of NBC's "The Biggest Loser: Couples".

In its third year, the Pound For Pound Challenge re-emerges at a crucial time. According to recent statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture, roughly 50 million people in the United States struggled with hunger at some point in 2009.

"Hunger continues to be a daily struggle for millions of families across America," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO, Feeding America. "By simply participating in the Pound For Pound Challenge, Americans can support our network of more than 200 food banks by helping us secure much needed groceries."

New this year, participants can enter the Challenge by pledging to maintain their current weight for a contribution equal to five pounds of weight loss. Additionally, this year marks the introduction of a team option on http://www.pfpchallenge.com. In the spirit of NBC's "The Biggest Loser: Couples," teams can compete online and will be ranked nationally.

The Pound For Pound Challenge hopes to help Feeding America secure up to 9.4 million pounds of groceries on behalf of local food banks. For every pound Americans pledge to lose, the Pound For Pound Challenge will donate 11 cents to Feeding America, up to a maximum donation of $1,040,000. Eleven cents is enough to secure one pound of groceries on behalf of a local food bank.

"As one of the largest food companies in the world, General Mills recognizes our responsibility to give back," said John Haugen, vice president, Health and Wellness at General Mills. "We've helped Feeding America deliver more than 9.7 million pounds of groceries to its local food banks through the Pound For Pound Challenge over the past two years, and we are pleased to continue the program to help in the fight against hunger."

General Mills offers a number of healthy food options to help keep dieters on track, including; Yoplait Light, Yoplait Greek, Yoplait Frozen Smoothie, Fiber One Original Cereal, Fiber One 90 Calorie Bar, MultiGrain Cheerios, Progresso Soup and Lärabar.

"The Pound For Pound Challenge gives Americans an extra incentive to get in shape and make healthy changes to their lives," said Alison Sweeney, host of NBC's "The Biggest Loser: Couples." "I love this program because it inspires people to fight the hunger crisis by improving their own health."

Each person who pledges will be matched with a local Feeding America food bank nearest to their residence. To ignite friendly competition, the pounds pledged by individual cities and states will be tracked and ranked.

"As we enter season 11, NBC's 'The Biggest Loser: Couples' is more passionate than ever to not only help Americans develop a healthy relationship with food, but also to call attention to the number of Americans who go without food," said Chad Bennett, Vice President of Reveille, the production company behind NBC's "The Biggest Loser: Couples."

"Whether it is for breakfast, lunch or dinner, SUBWAY® is a brand that supports consumers' desire to be healthy and active. The Pound For Pound Challenge is a natural strategic fit with our approach and it benefits both consumers and their communities," said Tony Pace, Chief Marketing Officer of the SUBWAY® Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust.

To learn more about the Challenge, visit http://www.pfpchallenge.com or http://www.biggestloser.com.

Source:
General Mills

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Your Resolution To Lose Weight - Write It Down And Succeed

The first step to reaching your ideal weight in the New Year may be as simple as writing it down.

Putting a pen to paper and keeping a daily journal of meals and snacks is one of the best strategies of successful dieters, says Dr. Christopher J. Mosunic, a specialist in weight management and diabetes at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut.

"Keeping a food diary is like exercise, it will always help you lose if you do it consistently," says Mosunic, a licensed clinical psychologist and registered dietitian who trained at Duke University's famed weight loss clinic. More importantly, the writing habit "is one of the top predictors of weight loss success," Mosunic adds. No wonder some of the country's major commercial diet plans strongly recommend the write-what-you-eat journaling practice to their clients.

Journaling about food intake on a regular base seems to function as a form of cognitive behavioral therapy for Dr. Mosunic's patients, many of them Type 2 diabetics for whom weight management is critical to their health and well-being.

"I can split my patients into two groups. The food diary keepers and the non-keepers," says Dr. Mosunic. "The people who keep diaries are usually very successful and I work with them for about 12 weeks. The people who don't are people I sometimes see for years." In terms of the diary keepers' success he explains, "It's not much different than taking notes in class. The more your write, the better you perform."

The reasons for the success of journaling dieters have a lot to do with their willingness to acknowledge every bite of food they consume. "It can help you realize how many calories you are consuming each day really quickly," he says.

Honest journals also help weight loss experts such as Dr. Mosunic track patterns in eating and behaviors. "One of the key behaviors we can identify and address is how binge eating happens," he explains. "You can see by looking at something as simple as what people ate for breakfast, why their blood glucose goes low and they end up binge-eating in the afternoon. "

Ideally, a food diary is best shared with an expert on weight loss and nutrition, such as Dr. Mosunic, who can help patients identify overeating triggers and flaws in their nutrition.

Still, the practice can be helpful to a more casual dieter who just has a few pounds to lose or wants to break-thru a stubborn weight-loss plateau.

Here are some of Dr. Mosunic's food diary tips:

- Keep it simple: "One of the worst mistakes I see my patients make is using these complex, computerized Internet-based programs," he says. The best journals are easy to keep and understand. Some of the most straightforward computer-based programs can be found at Livestrong.com and Dailyplate.com. Dr. Mosunic keeps his own journals on Microsoft Word documents.

- Write everything down: "Even the handful of chips or pretzels," says Mosunic. "It's part of the practice of just being responsible for what you consume."

- Share your journal: "It's always best to have someone who reads it," says Mosunic, noting some of his favorite food diaries have "junk food all over the pages." The reason? "I know the patients are being honest!"

Source: Greenwich Hospital

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Not All Infant Formulas Are Alike; Differential Effects On Weight Gain

New findings from the Monell Center reveal that weight gain of formula-fed infants is influenced by the type of formula the infant is consuming. The findings have implications related to the infant's risk for the development of obesity, diabetes and other diseases later in life.

"Events early in life have long-term consequences on health and one of the most significant influences is early growth rate," said study lead author Julie Mennella, Ph.D., a developmental psychobiologist at Monell. "We already know that formula-fed babies gain more weight than breast-fed babies. But we didn't know whether this was true for all types of formula."

While most infant formulas are cow's milk-based, other choices include soy-based and protein hydrolysate-based formulas. Protein hydrolysate formulas contain pre-digested proteins and typically are fed to infants who cannot tolerate the intact proteins in other formulas.

In adults, pre-digested proteins are believed to act in the intestine to initiate the end of a meal, thus leading to smaller meals and intake of fewer calories. Based on this, the authors hypothesized that infants who were feeding protein hydrolysate formulas would eat less and have an altered growth pattern relative to infants feeding cow's milk-based formula.

In the study, published online in the journal Pediatrics, infants whose parents had already decided to bottle-feed were randomly assigned at two weeks of age to feed either a cow's milk-based formula (35 infants) or a protein hydrolysate formula (24 infants) for seven months.

Both formulas contained the same amount of calories, but the hydrolysate formula had more protein, including greater amounts of small peptides and free amino acids.

Infants were weighed once each month in the laboratory, where they also were videotaped consuming a meal of the assigned formula. The meal continued until the infant signaled that s/he was full.

Over the seven months of the study, the protein hydrolysate infants gained weight at a slower rate than infants fed cow milk formula. Linear growth, or length, did not differ between the two groups, demonstrating that the differences in growth were specifically attributable to weight.

"All formulas are not alike," said Mennella. "These two formulas have the same amount of calories, but differ considerably in terms of how they influence infant growth."

When the data were compared to national norms for breast-fed infants, the rate of weight gain of protein hydrolysate infants was comparable to the breast milk standards; in contrast, infants fed cow's milk formula gained weight at a greater rate than the same breast milk standards.

Analysis of the laboratory meal revealed the infants fed the protein hydrolysate formula consumed less formula during the meal.

"One of the reasons the protein hydrolysate infants had similar growth patterns to breast-fed infants, who are the gold standard, is that they consumed less formula during a feed as compared to infants fed cow's milk formula" said Mennella. "The next question to ask is: Why do infants on cow's milk formula overfeed?"

The findings highlight the need to understand the long-term influences of infant formula composition on feeding behavior, growth, and metabolic health. Future studies will utilize measures of energy metabolism and expenditure to examine how the individual formulas influence growth, and how each differs from breastfeeding.

Also contributing to the study, which was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, were Monell scientists Gary Beauchamp and Alison Ventura.

Source: Monell Chemical Senses Center

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Fruta Planta Weight Loss Products Recalled Because They Contain Withdrawn Sibutramine

Fruta Planta and Reduce Weight Fruta Planta have been voluntarily recalled because they contain sibutramine, a medication that was taken off the market because of a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular events and strokes. Sibutramine, an oral anorexiant (appetite suppressant), was withdrawn from the US, UK, EU, Australian, Canadian, Hong Kong, Thai and Mexican markets for the same safety reasons.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, several reports have been received of adverse events linked to Fruta Planta and Reduce Fruta Planta use, including a sizeable number of cardiac events, and even one fatality.

The sibutramine in the Fruta Planta products may raise blood pressure and/or heart rate, presenting a serious risk for those with a history of coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, stroke or arrhythmias. Sibutramine can also interact with other medications, with serious, and even fatal consequences, the FDA informs.

If you have bought any of the recalled products you should stop consuming them immediately, the FDA has announced. If you have taken the product and experience any negative side effects, see your doctor straight away.

Throw the product away in a sealed container so that other humans, as well as pets and animals are not at risk, or return it to the company.

You may contact the company by telephone on 877-225-1009 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4.30pm).

The FDA encourages both patients and health care professionals to report adverse events related to these recalled products to the MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

Both products - Reduce Weight Fruta Planta and Fruta Planta - come in 30-capsule boxes. They are sold online.

Source:FDA

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
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