The Fitness Guru

Two big studies came out last week, one from the good folks at Yale and the other from equally as noble folks at Columbia, in partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Boston.

Both studies took a look at the importance of infancy on obesity in adults. As I have mentioned, and as I am sure you know, the obesity epidemic continues to climb, with the new numbers released last week showing that over 30% of the residents in nine states are obesity– much higher figures than just ten years ago. Doctors, scientists and fitness gurus are all trying to figure out what can be done to stem the tide of unhealthy weight gain.

According to the Yale University study, an individual’s weight is set in the brain before birth. In other words, our size is being wired into our brains in utero. For many people, portions of the brain that would trigger satiety are just not firing properly, causing those individuals to eat more.

“It appears that this base wiring of the brain is a determinant of one’s vulnerability to develop obesity,” said Tamas Horvath, chair and professor of comparative medicine and professor of neurobiology and obstetrics & gynecology at Yale School of Medicine, who is also co-director of the Yale Program in Integrative Cell Signaling and Neurobiology of Metabolism. “These observations add to the argument that it is less about personal will that makes a difference in becoming obese, and, it is more related to the connections that emerge in our brain during development.”

Horvath also mentions that this cerebral wiring leads to other problems. “Those who are vulnerable to diet-induced obesity also develop a brain inflammation, while those who are resistant, do not,” he said. “This emerging inflammatory response in the brain may also explain why those who once developed obesity have a harder time losing weight.”

Meanwhile, over at Columbia, researchers studying births over a period of 14 years (and over a half a million births) found that babies who were heavier at birth were much more likely to become obese adults. The researchers worked with the premise that a healthy weight increase while pregnant was about 18-22 pounds. As the expectant mothers would put on more weight, so too grew the chances that the baby would be large, with the likelihood one and a half times with a gain of 40 pounds and more than doubled with a gain of 52 pounds.

“These are the most important nine months of life from the standpoint of development,” said Dr. David Ludwig of Children’s Hospital Boston. “Our cells, tissues, even brain structures are being formed and fine-tuned so that having too high blood sugar and other abnormal metabolic influences can affect that infant not just at the moment but potentially throughout life.

“For an adult to gain an extra 10 pounds and then maybe lose it doesn’t cause permanent changes in that individual’s biology,” Ludwig said. “But, for a fetus to gain too much weight during key [moments] may permanently alter the brain circuits that affect appetite and metabolism, fat tissues or other parts of the body that have a permanent role in body weight regulation.”

In Santa Clara County, California, there is a new proposal to remove all toys from fast food meals that are deemed unhealthy. Believing that the toys help to lure children to meals that are high in calories, fat and/or sodium, the County Supervisor Ken Yeager wants the toys removed.

“People ask why I want to take toys out of the hands of children,” said Yeager, who is president of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. “But we now know that 70% of the kids that are overweight or obese will be overweight or obese as adults. Why would we want to burden anybody with a lifetime of chronic illness?”

But the California Restaurant Association, which is against the ban, has run a series of newspaper ads, including one with a little girl with her hands cuffed behind her back as she clutches a stuffed bear. If County Supervisor Yeager “wants to take away the toys that are making kids fat, take away Xboxes, take away PlayStations, take away flat-screen TVs,” said Daniel Conway, spokesman for the industry group.

So what do you think?

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And now……the Top 10 Lamest Happy Meals….

I mentioned it yesterday in passing but apparently, I am behind the trend: how is it that Camel has to retire Joe Camel because of the ill effects he has on children, but McD’s can pitch fast food with Ronald McDonald? Corporate Accountability International, a watchdog group that helped retire Joe Camel, has now set its sights on Ronny. “For nearly 50 years, Ronald McDonald has hooked kids on unhealthy foods spurring a deadly epidemic of diet-related diseases,” said Deborah Lapidus, the senior organizer at Corporate Accountability International, as reported to CNN. “Ultimately the report makes the case that it’s time that McDonald’s stop directing fast food to kids. Really, Ronald deserves a break and so do we.”

McDonald’s counters that, not only does Ronald give talks to children about the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity, but he is also the ambassador for many of the company’s charities.

But therein lies the problem: though Ronald may make appearances at all these functions, his presence also drives kids (and their parents) to fast food outlets. And, in an age of increasing childhood obesity and related problems, that creates a paradox. It’s not unlike the tobacco companies spending billions on anti-smoking campaigns.

…….though the tobacco companies have been forced to do that by the courts…….and almost always choose to keep their names out of the campaigns.

Corporate Accountability International will be holding a mock retirement luncheon for the clown. No word yet on what they will be serving.

As a parent, I want what’s best for my kids. And I am pretty sure that almost all parents would agree with me. The idea of our children becoming unhealthy is, at best, terrifying. But, as the percentage of children battling weight-related problems continues to increase, weight itself is a harbinger of problems that can occur later in life. And, according to new studies and reported in the LA Times, major factors in children’s weight-related issues may be in place prior to birth.

According to a study from 2008 published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the odds of a 7-year old being overweight were 48% higher if his or her mother exceeded recommended weight gain guidelines during pregnancy. Another more recent study found that obesity risks rose with a weight to length ratio in the first year of life: if a child was in the 75% for length but 95% for weight, the risks for later weight-related problems increased. The  reasoning is that as the brain is developing, it may be programmed to expect more food in order to feel sated. And the study team found that obese children as young as three had higher levels of a protein marker for the inflammation that leads to heart disease.

We have many women pass through the Guru during pregnancy. Without question, they take the idea of health and nutrition very seriously and, with the help of their doctors, seek to maintain balance in their food choices. Yet there is always temptation and many women might choose to go crazy with “cravings”, reaching for the Snickers bar instead of a piece of fruit.

This pic has been photoshopped for dramatic effect. Don't bother sending me evil notes

I recall about ten years ago, I had a wonderful woman, then in her 70′s, who used to come to my aerobics classes. Blanche. Blanche would casually regail us with stories of the three children she had and her wonderful pregnancies. She was able to keep her weight down by using speed. Hey, she would say, it worked, and the kids were alright. This was the same period that expectant moms could also be found lighting up their ciggies if they were stressed out. It took a little time, but both speed and tobacco fell out of favor with expectant mothers.

I hope that the new trend will be the development of healthy eating habits, throughout pregnancy and infancy, allowing kids the opportunity to start off on the right foot.

We visited 5 year old Guiliano Stroe a few months ago. He is a Romanian Strong….ummmmm……Boy. Here he is on the Romnian Mike Douglas Show showing incredible feats of strength and breaking the record for push ups without the use of feet (incredible feet-less push ups!)

I’m not sure what the adults are saying but I think its along the lines of “oh my, you frighten me.”

Enjoy!

As you kick back with your cup of coffe this morning, check out some of these top stories from the week in health and fitness.

Tiny tattoos could help diabetics ditch needles-Scientists are starting to test a kind of high-tech tattoo that changes color with rising blood sugar levels

Buying Cigarettes and Stop-Smoking Aids from the Same Company?- Conflict of interest? Ponzi scheme? What are they up to?

The Best Exercises for Healthy Bones- Where do cycling and running rank?

Would you drink Coke or Pepsi for breakfast?- It’s hard to believe but maybe that glass of juice for breakfast isn’t all that great for you…..

Should Parents of Obese Kids Lose Custody?- Is it reasonable to remove children from parents’ care if the paretns can’t help them maintain reasonable and healthy weight goals?

With the new H1N1 vaccine supposedly right around the corner, there has been a great deal of talk around the studio regarding whether or not to get the flu vaccine. As a parent, I already feel like I am neck deep in the debate. We want to feel like we are doing all the right things for our kids and we are told that these vaccinations will make the world a safer place. But what are the long term ramifications of any particular vaccine? What if you don’t get the vaccinations and your child becomes sick? As if we don’t have enough to keep us up at night and draw us to refilling our Ambien prescriptions, this whole topic is a constant cycle of doubt for me.

Bill Maher brewed himself a little bit of trouble a couple of weeks ago when he spoke out against the H1N1 vaccine. Now here’s an article about doctors who feel they should “fire” the parents when the parents decide not to inoculate.

So let me know what you think. I want comments from everyone, not just the parents out there. Do you get the vaccine and risk the long term repercussions, or skip the vaccine and risk illness?

Do you ever wonder about the difference between fruits and vegetables labeled “Organic” and those that don’t carry the label? When something is labeled “100% Organic” it must contain only organically produced ingredients, whereas something simply labeled “Organic” only needs to contain 95% organically produced ingredients. The other 5% can include anything on a list of US approved non-organically produced agricultural products. Hmmmmmm…….. that doesn’t quite seem organic, does it? I would think a “Kinda Organic” label would be a better choice.

Now we are exposed to so many pollutants and and toxins throughout the course of our days, is that tiny 5% really going to matter? Well, for many people, particularly parents, that Organic label means that we are doing the right thing for ourselves and for those we love. And even trace amounts of pesticides– US-Approved non-organic agricultural products– can be especially harmful to kids and expectant moms.

Many fruits and vegetables are more likely than others to carry pesticides with them to the local market. To simplify the witch hunt for the villianous produce, here is a list of the Dirty Dozen– the fruits and vegetables most likely to soak up pesticides: apples, bell peppers, spinach, celery, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, raspberries and strawberries.

So do we stop eating all those items? Probably not. But a good choice would be to seek out the 100% Organic label when shopping for those items. Keep in mind that the sticker (and the way the fruit or vegetable is raised) may increase the price by as much as 50%. So here’s today’s question:

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Don’t fret, whether they tell you about it or not, every woman’s stomach looks like a pouch without the papoose after having a child. It took 40 weeks for it to get that way, give it at least half that time to come back- and that’s if you really bust your butt with the exercise and watch your diet carefully! Most doctors say you must wait 6 weeks after having a vaginal birth and 10 weeks after a C section to exercise. Always check with your Dr. first before you begin exercising again. I know it’s a pain, but be a grown up- you have a child now so you’re forced to behave.

After you get the green light start back slowly doing only 75% of your pre-baby workout. As your strength builds you’ll be able to get back to your normal routines. A healthy mixture of cardio, strength and flexibilty work will yeild results. Pilates is a must if you want your abs back. I recommend starting with some private sessions on the Pilates apparatus with an instructor who has experience dealing with post pregnancy. It may sound like a splurge, but you can drop to down to taking Pilates Mat classes with so much more information and understanding of your body which translates to results! Everything, including your cardio and strength sesssions will be more effective and have a deeper mind/body connection. You just had a baby, you’re worth it!

Lawson