My new venture

I have truly enjoyed contributing to this blog. I want to thank those of you who have taken the time to absorb my opinions, and I hope they have had a positive effect on your health and life.

I am now a frequent contributor to Examiner.com as their running expert for the Washington, D.C. area. Please click this link to read my entries.

Thanks again, and I wish happiness and health to you all.

Allie

Like mother, like fetus

There is so much focus on turning this nation around. We are the most powerful, but we have become somewhat of a joke during the previous administration. To get the nation, and our health, back on track, we need to step up our game and take care of ourselves.

On that note, recent research has shown that obese women who become pregnant are more likely to lose their children shortly after childbirth than pregnant women who are at a healthy weight. High infant mortality rates are related to obese and even slightly overweight mothers. This study only concentrated on women with high body mass indices before becoming pregnant.

If you're trying to conceive, adopting a healthy lifestyle is the a great starting-point decision. Not only will nutrition and exercise help you learn new habits for your own life, but you will be able to pass these habits on to your offspring.

For more information on healthy pregnancies, visit the March of Dimes Web site.

A family gain

A stressful family life can lead to a heavy family gain. According to a study, a child who grows up in a home with stressors such as divorce, illness, death, or violence can foster overweight children. The article never mentions exactly how these children become obese, but binge eating and absence of motivation to exercise may be the culprits. Nevertheless, children learn a lot from their elders, so if you know a child who is struggling at home, reach out as a healthy role model.

In other "news" from 2006, obesity can be contagious. Granted, this is an older article, but the overweight epidemic has only grown in the past three years. The Journal of Physiology, Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology reported that some cases of obesity are caused by the human adenovirus Ad-37, which also causes obesity in chickens.

Research has shown that the amount of fat carried by our fat cells cells can increase when we are infected with such a virus. The team of researchers even planned to create an "anti-obesity" vaccine to offset the progression of the virus. (Ha.)

The doctor who oversaw this study commented that some people may carry the virus but are not necessarily obese. A healthy lifestyle of exercise and a sensible diet are still the best antidotes for the disease. (Go figure! Pun intended.)

Three years later, I wonder how much attention has been given to this matter. Yes, obesity is hereditary, but the epidemic has become so widespread that it is hardly and issue of familial genetics and more a concern for poor dietary decisions and lack of physical activity.

Doom on a plate

"Surprising" new results: a study has revealed that simply seeing a certain food can heighten your desire for it. While this certainly is not a shock to consumers, it is something of which to take note.

It explains why we have such high obesity rates and a growing concern for nutritional consumerism. Advertising is everywhere, and people are easily-influenced, especially the time-crunched, multitasking adults of America. Fast food chains want people to see how inexpensive and simple it can be to obtain a dinner for five without washing one dish.

These cheap and easy dinners, however, are contributing to expanding belts across America. Solution? Revamp your will power. See the ads as art, not decision-makers. As an adult, you're free to make your own decisions on virtually anything. Why not decide to treat your body respectfully and give it the nutrients it deserves?

Hail to the Sloth

Yesterday (Inauguration Day) was celebratory not only for America, but for the world. Hopefully, the swearing-in of this new man with new ideas and hope for this tarnished nation will cause foreigners to re-examine their views of the U.S. and restore our disheveled pride. As an avid exerciser, newly-sworn-in President Barack Obama has the opportunity to reinvigorate the lazy Americans among us.

Our friends at Fitness Magazine have decided to focus on the unhealthiest presidents in history, bringing to light the importance of health when running a country. While I must argue that a man's physical condition has much to do with his quality of life, I find it a bit vain to zoom in on these leaders' physical appearances. Nonetheless, the tally is quite intriguing. Take a peek for yourself.

With new medicinal remedies and more preventative measures, the Presidents of the 21st century can anticipate better health and set an example for a new way of life for every American family.

Biggest dishes in the U.S.

The contents of this list do not surprise me; however, the amount of people who consume these dishes daily does shock me a bit. It was my understanding that food companies only construct dishes this large for dreadful all-you-can-eat contests or world record entries. Unfortunately, I am wrong, and these meals are cooked up on a frequent basis, thus contributing to our already obese society.

Please join me in boycotting these establishments. America is embarking on a new era, with new leadership and a new outlook on life. It's our duty as citizens of this country to take part in this generational change and start focusing on the importance of taking care of ourselves.

I am honored to be living in D.C. as my pride is restored in this nation. I may need a new name for this blog, though...

Child health study

The largest-ever child health study is currently recruiting participants (expectant mothers) in North Carolina and New York. This "National Children's Study" will follow 100,000 children from conception to age 21. Hopefully, scientists will be able to seek out the roots for certain ailments such as allergies, chronic diseases, and autism, and they will be able to separate the genetic causes from the environmental causes.

There are, of course, ethical considerations involved with this study. The subjects (children) must submit to frequent physical exams and the home environment will be monitored every three years. The scientists hope to begin studying their first child by July 2009, with data on premature birth and birth defects as early as 2012. They plan to have nationwide enrollment by 2010.

My main hope for this study is that they will be able to monitor nutrition and possible causes for childhood obesity. Fortunately, other news comforts my worry for the youth of America: 1 in 200 children is a vegetarian.

While I believe that the nutritional benefits of meat are vital for children's growing muscles, there are alternative sources for those who find meat products nauseating. The study finds that most vegetarian children follow the diet because of animals rights beliefs rather than nutritional concerns.

Adopting healthy eating habits as a child is important and I believe they should be counseled closely by parents. A vegetarian diet may mean skimping on meat, but children can still go overboard on sugars, like candy and soda.

Regardless of a child's nutritional beliefs, an awareness of moderate consumption and the freedom to try new things can lead the way to a healthy-decision-making adult.