Weight loss at Christmas is extremely difficult especially when considering how many calories there are in all of Britains favourite treats. Slimmers know that the key to successful weight loss is being in a calorie deficit, so diet expert, Terri-Ann Nunns, has shared the top five treats that Britons can indulge in during this festive period that can be burnt off in 20 minutes or less of exercise - what are they?

Slimmers all know that the key to achieving successful weight loss is getting into a calorie deficit and a new study conducted recently by the Royal Society for Public Health suggested that labelling junk food with the amount of time it would take to burn off could help people nationwide to eat 200 calories less every day.

Many slimmers might be horrified to learn that a tub of Ben & Jerrys ice-cream could take up to four hours and 40 minutes of walking to burn off the calories, but luckily, slimmers can still eat some of Britains favourite treats which can be burnt off in under 20 minutes of exercise - what are they?

Terri-Ann Nunns, diet expert and founder of theTerri-Ann 123 Diet Plan, has shared the top five tasty snacks that can be burnt off in under 20 minutes of exercise.

READ MORE:Man loses175lbsusing 'life-changingdiet plan

1. Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Buttons (30g)

Its definitely a myth to think that you cant enjoy chocolate as part of a healthy balanced diet, said Terri-Ann Nunns.

If you are craving a chocolate fix, opt for something small but satisfying such as a packet of Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Buttons (30g).

It wont damage your calorie intake too much and can easily be burned off.

DON'T MISS

Number of calories: 160

According to Nunns, there are three different exercises that a slimmer can do to burn off the calories from the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Buttons.

How to burn it off in under 20 minutes:

- Go jogging for 19 minutes

- Swim for 13 minutes

- Circuit training for 17 minutes

2. Digestive Biscuits (x2)

Opting for a biscuit with a cup of tea is a classic mid-afternoon snack and if you can stick to just two Plan Digestive Biscuits, youll be in a position where you can easily burn them off and still feel like youve had a treat, explained Nunns.

Number of calories: 100

Nunns recommends walking, zumba, or most surprisingly, gardening to burn off the calories from eating two Digestive Biscuits.

How to burn it off in under 20 minutes:

- Walking for 13 minutes

- Zumba for 9 minutes

- Gardening for 19 minutes

3. Walkers Cheese and Onion Crisps

Like chocolate, theres no reason that crisps cant be part of a healthy diet as long as they fall within your daily calorie allowance and arent consumed too frequently, explained Nuunns.

A packet of Walkers Cheese and Onion Crisps isnt as damaging as you might think and can be burned off in under 20 minutes.

Similarly as with the other two treats, calories from Walkers Cheese and Onion Crisps can be burned off in under 20 minutes by participating in light exercise.

Number of calories: 130

How to burn it off in under 20 minutes:

- Walk up the stairs for 15 minutes

- Run for 14 minutes

- Go on a bike ride for 17 minutes

4. Butterkist Toffee Popcorn (20g)

If youre heading to the cinema or have a sweet craving you might grab a bag of popcorn as a snack, said Nunns.

Luckily popcorn is a surprisingly low-calorie snack and its made from whole grains a really important part of any diet, explained the diet expert.

Go here to read the rest:
Weight loss: Five tasty treats you can burn off in under 20 minutes of exercise - Express

When it comes to achieving a healthy weight, people are quick to try fad diets and weight loss supplements but underestimate the importance of eating right. It is important to understand that the journey to better health begins from a healthy diet and there is no quick fix for the same. If no amount of sweating it out is helping you lose weight, we suggest going back to basics.

If you have been looking for an all-natural way to lose those stubborn kilos, it is time to include this bitter-sweet spice in your weight loss regime. Flavourful cinnamon is not only loaded with health benefits but can also help you achieve your weight loss goal as well. This aromatic spice has a number of medicinal properties and fighting stubborn fat tops the list.

If you are worried about your bulging stomach, we suggest adding a piping hot cuppa of cinnamon tea to your daily diet. This bitter-sweet spice is known to aid metabolism, regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin function--all this collectively can help you lose weight.

According to a Japanese study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology in 2012, cinnamon may help in fighting visceral fat in mice.

However, it is important to understand that cinnamon will only help in complementing your regular exercise and a balanced diet. Ultimately, it is essential to start working out and clean eating if you are on a quest to lose weight.

Here is the simplest way to add cinnamon tea to your weight loss routine.

You will need:

A cup of water

A teaspoon of honey

A dash of lemon to taste

1 cinnamon stick

Boil a cinnamon stick in water till its gets fragrant. Squeeze a dash of lemon in it and add one teaspoon of raw honey to it. Your weight loss drink is ready. You can also include some other spices like ginger, pepper, cardamom and mint to make the concoction even healthier and tastier. The combination of lemon, honey and cinnamon is great for weight loss.

Originally posted here:
Cinnamon for weight loss: How to make cinnamon tea to lose weight - Times of India

SAN ANTONIO Food and activity trackers are becoming increasingly popular. But just because many of the apps associated with them are free it doesn't mean they are always helpful. They can lead to major health problems few people expect.

There are many kinds of activity and food trackers on the market such as MyFitnessPal, Fitbit, and even Garmin. They can all be helpful but only if used the correct way. Landry Weatherston-Yarborough, the Clinical Director of the Eating Recovery Center of San Antonio, and licensed professional counselor -- as well as a certified eating disorder specialist - told us they are best used, "When the data that is being collected or gathered by these apps is being evaluated by someone who has the training and the education to support the person."

A growing number of wearable devices are flooding the market claiming to track and help improve your diet, exercise, sleep, and even stress. A 2013 Pew report said 60 percent of U.S. adults track their diet, exercise, and weight. A 2017 study found over 40 percent have used a wearable health tracker, with sales of devices expected to more than double over the next five years.

Weatherston-Yarborough says dieting is the most common cause of eating disorder development. She added, "That doesn't mean everyone who diet is going to have an eating disorder, but dieting starts for many people with monitoring their exercise monitoring their calorie intake and potentially trying to lose weight or get healthy."

Some of the signs of an eating disorder or overuse of a health tracker include over-exercising, severe restriction of caloric intake, fear of food or excuses for not eating, binging combined with purging, and anger, fear, anxiety, shame, or depression.

One of our senior producers, April Young, took part in our KENS 5 Fitbit Challenge last year. She only wore it for that month but can see how these trackers can take over someone's life. Young told us, "I can definitely see how people can just take too much time being obsessed about their Fitbit."

If you do realize you may be taking it too far Weatherston-Yarbourough said, "Get connected with a mental health professional to seek out an assessment for an eating disorder or disordered eating and to get treatment as quickly as possible."

To get in touch with Eating Recovery Centers, call (877) 711-1690.

Go here to see the original:
The pitfalls of calorie and activity trackers that lead to eating disorders - KENS5.com

The Blood Type Diet which focuses on eating right according to each individuals blood type has been found popular for quite some time now. Upholders of this diet suggest that the blood type determines which foods are best for an individuals health.

There are many people who swear by this diet including Dr K J Yesudas, the eminent singer par excellence, and claim that it has saved their lives. But naturally several questions are bound to rise for most people about the details of the blood type diet, and if it is based on any solid evidence. Lets have a brief analysis here.

What is the Blood Type Diet?

The blood type diet, also known as the blood group diet, was popularized by a naturopathic physician, Dr. Peter D'Adamo in the year 1996; through his book titled Eat Right For Your Blood Type. He described in the book, how people could be healthier, live longer, and achieve their ideal weight by eating according to their blood type. Ones choice of condiments, spices, and even exercise should depend on ones blood type according to him.

The book which went on to become a best seller claimed that the optimal diet for any individual depends on the person's ABO blood type. It also states that each blood type represents genetic traits of our ancestors, including which diet they evolved to thrive on.

Recommended diet plans for each blood group

Type A: Called the agrarian, or cultivator. People who are type A have sensitive immune system; should eat a diet rich in plants, and completely free of red meat. This closely resembles a vegetarian diet.

Type B: Called the nomad. These people can eat plants and most meats except chicken and pork, and can also eat some dairy. However, they should avoid foods like wheat, corn, lentils, tomatoes.

Type AB: Called the enigma. Described as a mix between types A and B. Foods to eat include seafood, tofu, dairy, beans and grains. They should avoid kidney beans, corn, beef and chicken.

Type O: Called the hunter. This is a high-protein diet based largely on meat, fish, poultry, certain fruits and vegetables, but limited in grains, legumes and dairy. It closely resembles the paleo diet.

Proposed Link of Lectins between diet and blood type

One of the central theories of the blood type diet involves lectins, which are a diverse family of proteins that can bind sugar molecules. These substances are considered to be antinutrients, and may have negative effects on the lining of the gut.

According to the blood type diet theory, there are many lectins in the diet that specifically target different ABO blood types. It is claimed that eating the wrong types of lectins could lead to agglutination of red blood cells.

There may be evidence that a small percentage of lectins in raw, uncooked legumes, can have agglutinating activity specific to a certain blood type, like raw lima beans may interact only with the red blood cells in people with blood type A. However, it appears that the majority of agglutinating lectins react with all ABO blood types.

In other words, according to studies, lectins in the diet are not blood-type specific, with the exception of a few varieties of raw legumes. This may not even have any real-world relevance, because most legumes are soaked and/or cooked before consumption, which eliminates the harmful effect.

Is there a scientific evidence behind the Blood Type Diet?

Research on ABO blood types has advanced rapidly in the past few years. There is now strong evidence that people with certain blood types can have a higher or lower risk of some diseases. However, there are no studies showing this to have anything to do with diet.

In a large observational study of 1,455 young adults, eating a type A diet was associated with better health markers. But this effect was seen in everyone following the type A diet, not just individuals with type A blood.

In a major 2013 review study where researchers examined the data from over a thousand studies, they did not find a single well-designed study looking at the health effects of the blood type diet. They concluded: "No evidence currently exists to validate the purported health benefits of blood type diets."

Of the 4 studies identified as somewhat related to ABO blood type diets, they were all poorly designed. One of the studies that found a relationship between blood types and food allergies actually contradicted the blood type diet's recommendations.

Limitations

Restrictions: Depending on the blood type, one might need to severely restrict the foods he eats. Since the diet dictates that you eat very specific types of food based on your blood type, it doesn't allow much for personal tastes. Your blood type will determine your shopping list and your choices when eating out.

There are even recommendations about the types of spices and condiments you can use which might cause more inconvenience. Another interesting fact is that this diet doesn't ban gluten.

Exercise: The Blood Type Diet recommends specific exercises based on your blood type. For instance, it suggests yoga or tai chi for type A, and vigorous aerobic exercises like jogging or biking for up to an hour a day for type O.

Cost: D'Adamo recommends a lot of speciality and organic foods, which can be pricey. Vitamin and herbal supplements are also part of the diet which may be costly and difficult to find.

Is it good for certain health conditions?

The Blood Type Diet makes recommendations based solely on the blood type. So, if you have a chronic condition say, diabetes, you may be told to eat high protein, while another person with diabetes may have to avoid dairy or chicken. This may conflict with your diabetes treatment plan.

The American Diabetes Association recommends a more practical approach to a persons day-to-day eating. It also cautions against focusing on specific foods. In most cases it doesn't recommend cutting out any major food groups.

The Blood Type Diet also fails to address other conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure or cholesterol. Any needed weight loss achieved by following this diet is sure to have a positive impact on these conditions though. But no matter what your blood type is, it is highly recommended to strictly adhere to medical advice before starting a new diet plan.

Bottom Line

A reasonable conclusion from these is that not a single well designed study has been conducted to either confirm or refute the benefits of the blood type diet.

Different diets work for different people. Some people do well with a lot of plants and little meat like the type A diet, while others thrive on plenty of high-protein animal foods like the type O diet.

If one could find great results from the blood type diet, then chances are that he has simply found a diet that happens to be appropriate for his metabolism. It may not have anything to do with his blood type. Also, since this diet removes the majority of unhealthy processed foods from a persons diet, he shifts automatically to a healthy lifestyle. Perhaps that is the single biggest reason that it works, without any regard to the different blood types.

Advocates of blood type diets say that while the ideal study has not yet been performed, the absence of evidence doesnt prove the theory is ineffective. And theres also no proof that these diets are harmful unless there exists a medical condition.

Also, on The Blood Type Diet, when processed food and simple carbs are avoided, that may be enough to help you lose some weight. But any weight loss on this diet has not been linked to the blood type in any of the studies. Theres also no research proving that this diet can aid in digestion or provide more energy. Though welcoming the positive effects of the diet may not cause harm but actually benefit an individual, it is worth remembering that science is stacked behind traditional recommendations for healthy eating- not restrictions based on the type of blood.

(The author is the Director -TGL Foundation, Chairperson CSA, Editor- The Intl Journal, Sr Director FWO)

See the rest here:
Eat according to your blood type - Mathrubhumi English

Nuts: Roasted chestnuts are a great suggestion. And nuts too as long as not salted are a good snack.

If youve had a big lunch, whats a better alternative to a turkey sandwich supper?

Give your body time to rest and recover. What I find is that its not the meal itself that is usually the biggest problem, its the cravings it creates following the meal. So opt for a lighter meal. Maybe soup, scrambled eggs with spinach and avocado, or some smoked salmon, poached eggs and asparagus, which is enough to keep you satiated but not to trigger the cravings at the next meal.

Lastly, if you fall off the diet wagon over the festive period, knowing that you can climb back on it is the most important thing. Dont beat yourself up and find the balance between indulging and overindulging. To get back on track, I would suggest:

1. Set fresh goals for 2020

2. Clean out the pantry

3. Get on top of your social calendar

4.Adopt a Mediterranean style of eating

Visit link:
How to have a merry 5:2 Christmas - the dos and don'ts of festive fasting - The Telegraph

Not all fat is created equally and as opposed to subcutaneous fat, which describes the fat you can pinch, visceral fat lies deep under the surface, near vital organs such as the liver, stomach and intestines. A build-up of visceral fat therefore poses grave health risks, leading to chronic complications such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

READ MORE:Best supplements for weight loss: Expert recommends key nutrient to help you lose weight

Luckily, making positive changes to your diet can help to curb visceral fat, keeping the associated health risks at bay.

One simple dietary tweak shown to reduce the harmful belly fat is to take probiotics - live bacteria that can boost your gut and digestive health.

Probiotics can be taken in supplement form and studies investigating the link between probiotic consumption and visceral fat loss suggest that probiotics may reduce dietary fat absorption in the gut, causing the body to expel more of it out.

In addition, probiotics may help promote higher levels of GLP-1, a fullness hormone, and ANGPTL4, a protein that may help reduce fat storage

Studies have revealed that consuming a particular strain of probiotic supplement may help to reduce belly fat.

Evidence links a certain strain of probiotic bacteria from the Lactobacillus family, such as Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus amylovorus, and especially Lactobacillus gasseri to visceral fat loss.

For example, a study in 210 healthy Japanese adults investigated the effects of taking Lactobacillus gasseri over a 12-week period.

It found that people who took Lactobacillus gasseri lost 8.5 percent visceral fat.

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However, as soon as participants stopped taking the probiotic, they gained all of the visceral fat back within a month.

Exercise also plays a key role in reducing visceral fat and certain exercises have proven to be more beneficial than others in reducing the harmful belly fat.

Harvard Health recommends engaging in regular moderate-intensity physical activity at least 30 minutes per day (and perhaps up to 60 minutes per day) to control weight and lose belly fat.

Extensive evidence supports this claim, showing that aerobic exercise can help you lose visceral fat, even without dieting

For example, an analysis of 15 studies in 852 people compared how well different types of exercise reduced visceral fat without dieting.

They found that moderate and high-intensity aerobic exercises were most effective at reducing visceral fat without dieting.

Aerobic exercise is any form of exercise that gets your heart pumping and makes you breathe faster, such as walking, bicycling or swimming.

Strength training (exercising with weights) may also help fight abdominal fat, according to Harvard Health.

Diet also plays a key role in reducing visceral fat, with numerous studies promoting a low-carb diet to combat the harmful belly fat.

In an eight-week study including 69 overweight men and women, scientists found that people who followed a low-carb diet lost 10 percent more visceral fat and 4.4 percent more total fat than those on a low-fat diet.

Furthermore, the ketogenic diet, which drastically reduce carb intake and replaces it with fat, may also help reduce visceral fat.

A study including 28 overweight and obese adults found that those who followed a ketogenic diet lost more fat, especially visceral fat, than people following a low-fat diet.

See more here:
How to get rid of visceral fat: Best supplement to reduce the harmful belly fat - Express

While there are plenty of fad weight loss diets available on the Internet for free chances are that most of these diet plans will not be able to help you achieve your target weight loss goal. Why? Well, most fad diets are time bound eating practices, which essentially suggest starving yourself or cutting down a major chunk of healthy food from your life in order to lose weight.

Reads kind of nutty right? It indeed does. Not only is this approach to weight loss extremely unhealthy, it is also unreliable as once you stop following it, youll regain all the weight youve lost in a matter of days/months. So, what can one do to lose weight in a sustainable manner? To take a page from 22-year-old Sumeet Manohares book, you can first: not starve yourself and second: not put a timeline on your weight loss journey.

Sumeet tells us that it took him 3 years to trim from a whopping 106 kgs to 78 kgs. Being obese never felt good to me. I always imagined myself as a really fit and confident person, who could wear fit clothes. So, in 2015 I decided to join the gym, he says.

But during my transformation journey, I lost hope so many times! Until, I came across a friend's Super Fat to Super Fit transformation. At that time, I had given up on my own journey but after looking at her before and after pictures, and also just talking to her about the whole process, I was motivated to get back to the gym and try once again, he adds.

By 2018, Id lost 28 kgs and heres the real deal, I didn't lose any weight by following a strict diet, starving myself or by taking any fat burners. My weight loss journey has been a slow yet effective ride. Below is the weight loss routine that helped him lose 28 kgs.

I joined a gym in May 2015 and started working out. It was disheartening to find out that I couldn't even do a single push-up. I had to do it by resting my knees on the floor. In fact, initially, I struggled with many simple exercises.

As I got comfortable with exercising, I started making changes in my diet as well. I reduced eating junk food though I never ate excess of it and also made these changes:

- Walk for 20 minutes after dinner or perform Vajrasana after eating (it aids faster digestion)

- I stopped sitting and watching TV as soon as I finished eating as well

He also charted a new diet plan for himself, minus the junk food.

My diet was and still is centered around homemade Indian food. I have never consumed any kind of supplements.

Early Morning: Warm Water with Lemon juice

**Breakfast: Oatmeal (Oats + Milk + Apple/Banana + Homemade Peanut Butter) / Poha / Upma with Oats / Oats Apple/Banana Pancakes / Omelette

Lunch: Vegetables with 2 Rotis, Daal & Salad

Evening Pre-Workout: Chana Chaat (Homemade) / Any Fruit / Brown Bread with Peanut Butter

Post-Workout: 2 or 3 Egg Whites

Dinner: Vegetables + 2 Rotis, Salad and Daal / Rice with veggies or Biryani.

Snacks (through the day): Nuts / Peanuts / Homemade Peanut butter (Without Sugar)

During the initial period, I followed a basic workout routine which was mostly just cardio.

I did Cardio which included Treadmill, Cross trainer, Cycling for 15 min each. And other exercises such as Push ups, Body Weight Squats, Skipping, Bending with Stick, etc.

ALSO READ: The best cardio machine for every type of workout

After a month of doing only cardio, my trainer included weight training in my workout schedule. This was the routine that I followed:

Monday - Chest & Shoulders

Tuesday - Biceps & Triceps with Cardio

Wednesday - Legs & Back

Thursday - Chest & Shoulders

Friday - Biceps & Triceps with Cardio

Saturday - Legs & Back

Even though this was an effective workout routine, I couldn't lose much weight. I was hardly consistent at gym and skipped twice or thrice a week. Also, I believe that my mind was not at peace at that phase. I left the gym multiple times and lost all hopes to get in shape. It was in July 2017 when I decided to give one more try. However, this time even my parents thought that gym isn't the right option for me as they saw my progress over the years. But, I was pretty sure that I'm gonna prove everyone wrong this time.

In 2017, I started following the below Full Body Exercise regime. And I exercised twice a day for three months, at home in the morning and at the gym in the evening (not advisable to everyone).

Morning - Exercises for Abs which included overall core strength exercises (With the help of an Android app)

Evening - Gym

Monday - Chest, Shoulders and Biceps

Tuesday - Cardio and Full Body Exercises

Wednesday - Legs and Back

Three sets of each exercise with 12-15 reps.

1. Plate & Dumbbell (12 3)

2. Burpees (12 3)

3. Superman + Burpees (12 3)

4. Jumping Jack (30 2)

5. Skipping (100+)

Stay consistent. This is the only advice or tip I could give to anyone trying to get fit by losing weight or even gaining it. Do not just focus on losing weight. Do not check weigh scale every single day instead focus on your workout. Because once you start loving and enjoying working out, you won't need to check your weight. You could feel being healthy, light and much happier than before. Also, don't join gym just because I or someone else did. Do what you really enjoy doing. Go run, do Yoga, play a sport or whatever activity that you enjoy.

Disclaimer: The diet and workout routines shared by the respondents may or may not be approved by diet and fitness experts. GQ India doesn't encourage or endorse the weight loss tips & tricks shared by the person in the article. Please consult an authorised medical professional before following any specific diet or workout routine mentioned above.

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How to lose weight like this guy who lost 28 kgs with a unique approach to weight loss instead of dieting - GQ India - What a man's got to do

(CBS4) Who is the most popular doctor in America? Why, Dr. Google of course.

In 2019, more than 93 million of us turned to the good doctor for medical advice and information.

So, what did we want to know?

This week, Google shared the ten health questions people searched for the most from January 2019 to early December 2019.

Now comes the tricky part. Dr. Google can be a fine source of health care information, but you still need to be careful youre not referred to a quack. Avoid sites that want personal information, want to sell you something, or offers a magic remedy. And by all means, EXTREME black box warnings about going to a chat room, or a social media group for info or advice.

Here are a few of my favorite health sites for patients:

my.clevelandclinic.org/health

hopkinsmedicine.org/patient_care/

mayoclinic.org/symptom-checker/

nationaljewish.org/health-insights(Especially good for asthma and other respiratory conditions.)

There are many, many more great sites. Ask your doctor for a recommendation. A nurse line is an added resource for advice.

And dont forget, when it comes to Dr. Google, a second opinion is always a good idea.

Originally posted here:
The Top 10 Health Questions We Asked Dr. Google In 2019 - CBS Denver

Opinion As an NHS dietitian, I know this is not a healthy approach to food

Thursday, 12th December 2019, 12:09 pm

Updated Thursday, 12th December 2019, 1:50 pm

Nutrition is not as simple as calorie content. Oversimplifying it is dangerous

Food is so much more than its calorie content. It should be enjoyed, balanced and taste good.

Labelling food with how much walking or running it equates to, as proposed on Wednesday, will further damage society's relationship with food, demonising calories and promoting compensatory exercise. All, while not taking into account the calories required for our bodies to survive.

Calories are a measure of the energy our bodies need to function. It is wrong and potentially damaging to imply that each calorie consumed needs to be "burnt off". We use 60 to 75 per cent of our daily calories at rest, known as our basal metabolic rate. This can vary hugely from person to person and is affected by a multitude of factors including body composition, gender and health.

Exercise is framed here as a punishment for eating (Photo: Henning Kaiser/DPA/AFP/Getty)

We need these calories to perform basic functions like breathing, digestion, and temperature regulation. Being encouraged to use every calorie consumed - which I believe this physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) food labelling would insinuate - is wrong and dangerous.

Beat, the eating disorders charity, estimates 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder. Exercise is a common compensatory behaviour seen in patients with eating disorders and this proposal has the potential to trigger and hinder their recovery. I would even go as far to say that this calorie demonising labelling could increase the prevalence of disorders such as orthorexia - an unhealthy obsession with eating "pure food".

As an NHS dietitian, I consider having a healthy relationship with food to be the most important element of a balanced diet. A low-calorie diet does not equal a healthy or balanced one and focussing purely on the calorie content of food disregards its value from other important nutrients including protein, fibre, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

I spend most of my time helping patients find ways to increase the nutritional value of their diet, often by choosing calorie-dense foods to help ensure they are getting enough energy for their body to efficiently function and recover. A healthy diet is not one size fits all and PACE labelling could increase feelings of guilt and punishment around foods high in calories.

Read More

The study behind this labelling recommendation found that when foods were displayed with exercise, fewer calories were selected when compared to comparative food labelling methods. There are many flaws to the practical application of this studies results.

The study did not look at long term results of this labelling method, consider the effect of PACE labelling on the participants relationship with food, assess if this had any effect on physical activity level, or measure participant weight changes. So it seems like a stretch to imply that this labelling method can improve health.

Exercise is framed here as a punishment for eating. We all know exercising is beneficial for health, it should be something that we enjoy and encouraged for all its great benefits for physical and mental health, not something to make up for food consumption or to shrink our bodies.

It is also misleading as an 18-year-old girl will not use the same amount of calories running for 20 minutes as a 50-year-old 100kg man. Furthermore, the PACE labelling method completely excludes anyone unable to walk or run. If this method was to be widely used it discriminates against anyone with mobility problems.

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Obesity is a complex issue affected by an individuals socioeconomic status, food environment, genetics, and education.

Ultimately, increased numbers of specialist health professionals, including psychologists and dietitians, and improved access to these services by the patients are whats required to support this issue.

Eloise Garbutt is an NHS dietitian.

See the article here:
Labelling food with exercise to 'burn it off' could increase obesity and eating disorders - inews

Back, neck, wrist or neuropathic pain, sciatica, restless-legs syndromeIn France, one person out of three suffers from chronic pain. According to academic research, 15% to 20% of the adult population suffers from mild to severe chronic pain. Long-term chronic pain can lead to disabilities, handicaps, and major alterations in peoples quality of life.

Given that the reference study was conducted over a decade ago, we decided to address the issue as part of the Apicil Chair of Health and Performance at Work at EM Lyon Business School.

Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. It becomes chronic when lasting beyond the usual duration of the underpinning health issue. Permanent and recurring pain is said to be chronic when lasting more than three months.

In France, 31.7% of the population suffer from such pain, but prevalence is higher among women 35%. It also varies depending on professional status 20.4% among managers, 29.5% among workers and increases with age up to 52% in people over 75 years old. Average pain intensity is of 4.5 points on a 10-point scale. Prevalence of intensive pain superior or equal to four point is 20%. For 6% of people between 25 and 64 years of age, and 15% of those between 65 and 84, pain causes significant limitations on professional or domestic activity.

In the study carried out by the Apicil Chair, Health and Collective Performance at Work, 29% of the 2,154 respondents, working in 22 companies of different sizes and sectors, reported suffering from chronic pain. This is similar to national statistics. Those suffering from chronic pain are less engaged at work, have poorer health capital, and can be prone to a greater feeling of unfairness.

On a number of significant dimensions of health and performance at work, those suffering from chronic pain exhibit marked differences. It should therefore rank among the top priorities of human resources directors, as well as be a board level issue more generally, as there are significant corporate social responsibility implications.

Pain is usually assessed subjectively, simply by asking: On a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means no pain and 10 means the most excruciating pain you can imagine, how do you rate your pain? In the study, the average pain is 4.7, and the median is 5.

Pain is often described as intermittent 65% of the times and more rarely as permanent 35%. In 56% of the cases, it occurs both day and night, only during the day in 42% of the cases, and only at night in 2% of the cases. 94% of the employees who suffer from chronic pain say their performance at work is hindered for 30% of them, hindrances are described as significant.

Employees with chronic pain have poorer health capital, such that their physical health, subjective well-being and mental health are diminished. Consequences on performance are numerous and significant.

These employees experience low energy and are less committed at work. Energy is insufficient to support organisational changes and maintain cooperative behavior on a regular basis. Furthermore, they feel like they are not treated fairly by their employers and generally share a more negative perception of their management. They also say they are more exposed to physical and emotional risks.

It is difficult to distinguish between what is objectively a difference in treatment or exposure to stress factors at work, and what may be generated by chronic pain when it comes to individual coping resources, stress appraisal, and perception distortions. Our observations indicate that work-induced stress is more severe among employees with chronic pain. Even more disturbing, the same employees report perceiving more violence at work.

Additionally, they benefit from less social support, and experience more severe work-life balance tensions. Taken all together, these elements paint a clear picture: employees suffering from chronic pain are more vulnerable and prone to higher risks at work.

In terms of personality and state of mind, those suffering from chronic pain are less self-assured and have a more negative view of stress. The only areas where no significant difference was observed were physical activities, the quality of food intake and over-connectivity.

Employees with chronic pain also seem to have a healthier lifestyle, characterised by lower alcohol consumption and less smoking. They also state that they are better informed about security standards at work, which may have to do with heightened vigilance.

The results of the study are preliminary and have yet to be confirmed. However, the effects observed are clear and numerous. Chronic pain is a major stake for health and performance at work. Although one person out of three in France suffers from chronic pain, only 400,000 sought specialised treatment in medical structures with dedicated chronic pain management capabilities. Consequently, it is essential to significantly raise the awareness of chronic pain in the workplace and to broaden the range of multidisciplinary care.

Guillaume Soenen is a professor of management and Apicil Health and Performance at Work Chair at EM Lyon Business School.

This article first appeared on The Conversation.

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