When you think of your adolescence, what immediately comes to mind? For some, the answer is obvious: Limitless potential, high-school sweethearts, championship games, hitting the books, long summer vacations and hanging around having fun with your buddies. For others, the answer is considerably different largely because of the stinging rejection they suffered having grown up as obese. For those people, adolescence reminds them of one of the most difficult periods of life and unfortunately it seems a growing number of teens are likely to fall into this category. Worse yet, it seems that many cases of adolescent obesity appear to fly under the radar and go under-treated. Unfortunately, obesity is a growing trend for today’s youth, and one that could lead to many of them developing diabetes.

It is estimated that there are more than three times as many obese adolescents (aged 12 to 19) today than there were only three decades ago (1980). Obviously this trend requires serious attention and it has already led to much discussion and research. As a result, researchers all over the world are searching for answers and, fortunately, there appears to be some solutions. In one study, researchers at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center found that obese patients aged 14 to 21 saw significant improvements in cholesterol and blood pressure levels and lost roughly a third of their weight following the insertion of an adjustable band in their stomachs. Most impressive was that 11 out of 12 of these obese surgery patients had their diabetes completely disappear.

Regardless of your background, adolescence is the same for one and all. It’s a time for fun and it’s a time for learning. Those experiences shape who you are and what your future holds. When you’re a kid, the future should always be bright and full of big dreams and high hopes. With hope, anything is possible. And, it’s only when the possibilities are endless that you’re truly able to reach for the sky and reach your full potential.

When it comes to your health, do you think that all you have to concern yourself with is the numbers on the bathroom weight scale? If so, think again. According to a study by the American Cancer Society the larger your waist size, the greater your risk of death regardless of your actual weight.

The study, published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, was conducted on a sampling of more than 100,000 subjects over the age of 50. It found that even if your weight remains normal, just having an increasing waist size could as much as double your risk of dying. Men with a waist size of 47 inches or more doubled their risk of death as compared to those with only 35-inch waists. Women with 29-inch waists apparently had only half the risk of death as compared to those with waist sizes of 42 inches or greater. The most shocking aspect of the study was the eye-opening information that women of normal weight increased their risk of death by about 25 percent for every four inches of additional waist size.

The idea that a bigger waist size can have an impact on your health has been a well-accepted fact for generations. With a bigger waist size, your risk of dying from any number of diseases and associated health conditions is greatly increased. The most surprising part of this study is that even if you have an ideal weight, the greater your waist or stomach size, the greater your risk of death. As a result, those with already stretched out stomachs could find that even if they are successful in losing a significant amount of weight, they may still remain in the danger zone. Even study co-author Dr. Eric J. Jacobs admits that it can be very difficult to reduce waist size. Unfortunately, while a diet may result in mixed short-term results, health is a long-term, ongoing concern. Fortunately, Slimband has been able to assist thousands reduce their waist sizes and maintain that reduction. In the process, according to these recent waist-related findings, it would seem that Slimband patients have received the added benefit of reducing their risk of death by as much as 50%.

There has been a great deal of discussion in the media about anorexia and bulimia being very significant eating disorders faced by our population. Of that, there can be no doubt. However, a far more common, yet much less discussed eating disorder is binge eating. Whenever it’s mentioned it is often confused with bulimia and there’s no clear agreement from the medical community as to what the symptoms are to correctly diagnose the disorder in the first place. It’s no wonder binge eaters are left to fend for themselves with no real support to deal with this very real problem.
In a recent study conducted by researchers at the Harvard University affiliated McLean Hospital in Massachusetts, it was revealed that binge eating affects roughly 2% of men and 3.5% of women. While binge eating has been known to occur in those of average weight, it generally is more common amongst people who are obese.
So does eating a tub of rocky road ice cream in one sitting classify you as a binge eater? Not necessarily. There are a host of signs associated with binge eating, however to truly qualify as a binge eater one must experience at least 3 of the following conditions more than 2 times a week:
Eating an unusually large amount of food in one sitting.

• Eating when not hungry.
• Eating when depressed.
• Eating alone to avoid having your eating disorder discovered.
• Eating quickly and keeping it as a secret.

According to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) roughly 1 in 5 obesity sufferers engage in binge eating. The NEDIC adds that there are two primary reasons for binge eating. One reason is that people over-eat in an effort to feel more comfortable in otherwise uncomfortable situations. Another reason is that “they are very hungry because they have been dieting or restricting their eating in some way.”
While binge eaters may eat a lot of tasty foods and snacks that are high in fat, sugar and salt, those foods generally lack the proper nutritional value (vitamins and minerals). As a result, they become prone to various illnesses including certain types of cancer, heart disease, depression, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels and a risk for type 2-diabetes. Generally those with binge eating disorders work hard to control their overeating, going so far as to avoid social settings so that they’re not in situations where they are prone to eating until they are uncomfortably full.
This feeling of being uncomfortably full is one shared by many who have sought the assistance from Slimband. The Slimband solution works to ensure that this feeling of being full occurs long before you ever have a chance of overeating. The minimally invasive Slimband surgical procedure ensures that your stomach sensors more quickly experience the feeling of being full and subsequently causes you to control your eating. By controlling binge eating, you not only greatly reduce your risk of suffering from any of the associated diseases, but you also give yourself the opportunity to once again resume your life and not miss any more of the social scene.

There’s a new TV show about teens that have been sent to a fat-camp and is raising some eyebrows. The show is called HUGE and stars Hayley Hasselhoff, the daughter of actor/singer David Hasselhoff and Nikki Blonsky, who played the lead in the film version of Hairspray. This new show is based on the young adult novel “Huge”, by Sasha Paley.

At camp “Victory,” these teens are subjected to very strict meals and drill-sergeant type “camp councilors” who are more like trainers. None of the teens have come to the camp voluntarily; instead they were forced there when their weight got out of control. In a familiar turn to many who have struggled with their weight most of their lives, Hayley’s character Amber has been dieting since she was 10. The diets got her nowhere, a common story that many can relate to in real life.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 are obese. The show promises to not pull any punches but addresses the serious health issues involved, such as diabetes. An example of this is of a character shown checking their blood sugar. Other obesity related health issues for people in this age group are hypertension and heart disease.

An interesting thing about that camp is that many of the teens end up feeling deprived on their restricted diet, and an illicit “underground” trade is begun in candy, chocolates and other junk food. Many who have tried to lose weight on diets will be familiar with the cycle of feeling deprived and then breaking the restrictive diet, only to gain back any weight they lost. Because, diets don’t work!

Overweight teens also face the psychological issues of obesity, such as low self-esteem, depression and lack of social acceptance. These issues will also be explored in the TV show and will be especially poignant, as the characters face the double-whammy of pressures growing up and being ostracized by peers for their weight.

This show has just begun, so time will tell how the series plays out. It will be interesting to see how well the episodes cover the complex issues surrounding obesity, and it seems like they are on the right track with their approach. The issues faced by overweight teens are not all that different to the issues faced by overweight adults, so the series should be relevant to many teens and adults alike who suffer from the trails and tribulations of obesity.

Many people overlook hidden calories in liquid form when on a weight loss program. Pop is one of the main culprits, but there are many other excessive forms of liquid calories.

Tim Horton’s sells an ice cream shake that contains over 2000 calories and 68 grams of saturated fat! While this falls into the “dessert” category, it is a dramatic example of calories in a liquid form.

Salad dressings are another source of significant hidden calories. Their ingredients are usually unknown when dining out, unless explicitly asked for, as is the case with restaurants like McDonald’s.

If you are not counting liquid calories, you are ignoring a potentially significant source of your daily caloric intake. Not paying attention to liquid calories could have a significantly negative impact on your weight loss efforts.

Our bodies don’t seem to detect, or process, calories in liquid form like they do in solid foods. So, you may be consuming calories in liquid form that are substantial, at the same time you are eating solid food, greatly increasing your caloric intake in a single meal. Drinking liquid calories won’t make you feel any more full, but they will fill out your waistline!

Some other surprising numbers:

• The average 12 ounce serving of soda (can) contains about 150 calories
• A large 16 ounce blended coffee drink has over 700 calories (with whipped cream) and over 25 grams of fat
• A glass of wine or beer has from 100 to 150 calories and mixed drinks 300 calories (eating while drinking can easily double your caloric intake)
• Fruit juices can be a hidden source of calories and many are artificially sweetened

When embarking on a weight loss plan, it’s best to cut out calorie rich liquid calories entirely. Water is the best choice, as it has zero calories and is a natural choice for the body. Water has the added benefits of being a hunger suppressant, and it also helps the body flush impurities and improve organ function.

Low-calorie liquid drink alternatives:

• Water, alone or with some added lemon or lime slices, or a small amount of non-sweetened juice for taste, like cranberry, orange, etc.
• Have a herbal or green tea
• Use a natural low-calorie sweetener like Stevia for your coffee, tea, to flavour your water-based drinks

Remember 3,500 calories = 1 pound, so if you cut out one can of regular pop a day, you will lose over a pound a month.

It’s called weight cycling, or yo-yo dieting, but no matter which name you call it, one thing is certain: it’s all bad for you. It happens like this: people get on a diet, loose a little weight and then shortly after gain the weight back (usually even more). They become depressed at their failure, feeling even worse about themselves, only to go through the same cycle again with another diet, somehow hoping this one will be the answer to losing weight. But, when that new diet fails to produce the results they want, they get their hopes up and try another diet, only to fail again, and then just keep on repeating the negative cycle over, and over again.

It’s clear that diets don’t work: people feel deprived and won’t stick to it. Then why are they tried time and time again? The diet industry spends big money on advertising to convince you that their diet is the one that is going to work for you this time. But, chances are it will be just like the last diet that didn’t work. Perhaps it’s a case of not knowing any better way and hoping for different results. But, serial dieting can be very counterproductive to long-term weight loss goals, and also damaging to your health.

How does one step off the merry-go-round of endless dieting and break the cycle?

For thousands of people, the combination of a Slimband® and a new approach to weight management has been the real solution they have been seeking – and failing to find – during their frustrating years trapped in the viscous cycle of yo-yo dieting.

How to Stop the Negative Cycle of Diets:

• Eat smaller meals more frequently, consisting of whole, natural foods, nutrient-rich, which should be lower in calories and fat. More than 3 small meals a day is good, so aim for about 6. This will keep your metabolism working at peak efficiency.
• Getting enough sleep is one of the often-overlooked factors in maintaining a healthy weight. Deep, restful sleep regulates hormones in the body responsible for weight control.
• Exercise regularly to burn extra calories. Include strength training to build muscle, which will take more calories to maintain and get you into a health positive cycle! Don’t forget about cardio exercise, which is essential for good heart/lungs/circulatory health.
• Drink plenty of water and avoid dehydrating caffeine drinks.
• Make moderate, long-term weight loss your goal.

A consultation with a Slimband® representative will outline how you can put these steps into practice in conjunction with a Slimband®, and whether Slimband® is right for you.

You have likely heard about sleep apnea and how greater awareness of this dangerous condition is leading to more diagnoses and treatments. But, what you may not understand is the correlation between sleep apnea and weight gain.

According to Science Daily: “…a link exists between the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and weight gain.”

What is Sleep Apnea? It is a disorder in which a person’s airway is obstructed, or blocked during sleep, and can cause the sufferer to stop breathing. This can lead to serious health consequences, such as lack of deep restful sleep, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and weight gain.

The weight gain is due to the fact that sleep apnea causes a person to awaken many times during the night, thus causing interruptions in the deep Rapid Eye Movement (REM) dream sleep that is needed for the body to properly repair itself. Part of the body’s nighttime maintenance routine is to release the hormones Leptin and Grehlin, which regulate weight loss or gain, and appetite. With sleep apnea, the body is not able to regulate these hormones in an effective manner, which leads to weight gain.

Risk factors for sleep apnea include being overweight, which puts more pressure on the neck. Other risks factors include having a history of sleep apnea in your family and being over 40 years old.

Once sleep apnea starts, it can cause a vicious cycle, as the more overweight one becomes, the more severe sleep apnea can become, which leads to more weight gain, which leads to more sleep apnea – and round and around it goes.

If you snore, or wake up feeling tired, or with a headache, or suffer daytime sleepiness, then you may have sleep apnea. This is a serious condition in regards to weight gain and it can also be life threatening.

Consult your doctor, as there are treatments for sleep apnea that can help you break the apnea/weight gain cycle.

After being banded for amost 4 years now, I came to the conclusion that it’s finally time to say goodbye to the “Big Girl Inside”. What’s the “Big Girl Inside”? Everyone who has ever struggled with weight has one. Either  Big Girl or  Big Boy.

Now granted, that “Big Girl Inside” is that voice that keeps me humble. It’s the voice that reminds me that I need to take care of my body. That I need to laugh more, dance more and slow down and appreciate my body and it’s changes, every step of the way.

However, The Big Girl Inside can also work against me. It is the voice that sometimes whispers bad things in my ear and tells me that I’m not good enough, not slim enough, not pretty enough.  That Big Girl inside compares me to others and often sees me much differently than others see me.

A year after my procedure with Slimband, I found myself walking into a clothing store and heading straight for the plus size section. The lady currently working on the floor approached me with an akward smile as I piled clothes over one arm and headed to the change room. “Excuse me Miss, did you realize you were in the plus size section”..I looked at her like she had two heads. Of course I did. I had been shopping in this section practically my whole life. That was the first day I realized that I needed to say goodbye to “The Big Girl Inside”. With a weightloss of over 50 pounds at that point, I decided not only was it time to let her go, but it was also time to let go of the idea that I was living in a body that just didn’t exsist anymore.

So that night, it went. The clothes, the bad self talk, the attitude. . I am walking a lot taller, making more eye contact, smiling confidently at those that smile at me,but, there will always be the good part of the “Big Girl Inside” that will keep me who I am today.

And does she sometimes come back to visit me? Sure! Every time I walk past a plus size store I remind myself to keep walking.

Rachael.

Marriage, coffee deprivation, and not being breast-fed as a child – these are just some surprising reasons for being overweight, according to a recent blog post from the University of Phoenix’s Nurse Practitioner School.

The list goes on to include sleep deprivation, prescription medication, stress, liquor intake, starving oneself, menopause, and pesticides. These are of course, aside from the obvious reasons like overeating and immobility.

Among the ten, there are quite a few that are logical. Stress, for example, can cause one to gain weight because many people are “stress eaters” – they turn to food to calm themselves down. Usually, if one is stressed and time-starved, he or she also reaches for instant meals, fast food, or junk food. All of which are unhealthy choices.

That your marital status can also affect your weight also makes sense. Apparently, “many couples gain an average of 5 pounds within the first two years of marriage.” That’s because eating habits and food choices change. Not to mention, added stress from the first year of marriage.

However, there are some that are a little questionable. For example, that breastfeeding directly affects obesity is not entirely true. According to the blog post, “…bottle-fed babies (who grow into adults) have an increased obesity rate.” However, there are some contradictory studies about this so it’s best not to believe too quickly, and look into other studies and opinions about this issue.

The bottomline is, even if there may be many things to “blame” for weight gain and many factors that contribute to obesity, one should act upon these factors. Avoid stress, exercise regularly, make healthy food choices, and simply stay healthy. Everyday, every single one of us is given a choice about how we live and what we eat. Do we choose to be healthy or not? In the end, even if there are things we can “blame” for our weight gain, we only have ourselves to “blame” if we don’t do anything about it.

DWTS star Niecy Nash and her dancing partner

 When is a joke funny and when does one call “foul”?

The April 26^th episode of Dancing with the Stars crossed that fine line, when judge Len Goodman made some comments about contestant Niecy Nash’s physique.

After performing the tango with her partner (using a cookie as a prop), Len commented, “the Argentine tango is the story of a lady of the night trying to get money from the man … you were trying to get food… It’s obvious that you’re an enthusiastic eater — so why wouldn’t you go for a cookie?”

Niecy did not seem to be offended, saying she has always been proud of her body and her “jiggly parts.” As a regular panelist on The Insider, she even confirmed she took it as a joke because she is after all a comedienne.

However, the viewers of The Insider do not seem to agree. On their online poll, 55% of viewers think that Len Goodman went too far, while only 45% think it was okay.

What do you think?