**Health & Fitness Articles Archive** - Page 3

Drink campaign 'has wrong focus'

A recent study suggests 74.4% of Britons drink at home Alcohol awareness campaigns focus too much on young binge-drinkers rather than older people drinking at home, senior doctors have said. The Royal College of Physicians believes adult alcohol intake is a much bigger health hazard - fuelled by an abundance of cheap alcohol. The college wants alcohol prices raised and its availability decreased. Health minister Lord Hunt said advice on sensible drinking was aimed at all drinkers - wherever they were. "I know that the recommendation is that people don't drink every night so the body does have a chance to recover," he said. "We're doing everything we can and I know that the colleagues I work with in this area want to get these sensible drinking messages out and, wherever you drink, it is important that you take note of that." Advertising plea Professor Ian Gilmore, head of the college, expressed concern over the number of adults turning to drink because of stress at work or difficulties at home. ADULTS WHO DRINK AT HOME UK 74.4% France 66% Germany 64.3% Spain 44.5% Source: Mintel He called on the government to changed the "regulatory framework". "We're incredibly liberal in this country. You go 20 miles across the Channel to France, there's a ban on broadcast advertising, there's no sports sponsorship in France. "Their drinking is falling, their cirrhosis rates are falling." He said alcohol had "never been cheaper in real terms in our lifetime that it is now" and it had never been more available. 'Educating' drinkers Drinks firms said they were doing their bit to encourage responsible drinking. The industry has been looking at education for the general consumer Kate Coleman Wine and Spirit Trade Association David Poley, of the Portman Group, which speaks for the industry, Britain's drinking culture needed to be changed through a "co-ordinated programme including education". "That's why the drinks industry is supporting the Drinkaware Trust to carry out this consumer education over the next three years." And Kate Coleman, from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said the industry was committed to giving customers the relevant information about safe drinking levels. "The industry has been looking at education for the general consumer in terms of unit labelling and the government's sensible drinking messages for some time," she said. Recent research by Mintel suggested more Britons drink alcohol than Germans or Spaniards. Their study also concluded that Britons were far more likely to drink at home than their counterparts in mainland Europe.

Source: BBC News

Call to stop children's drinking

The charity wants alcohol education in the National Curriculum Parents who give alcohol to children aged under 15 should be prosecuted, a charity has said. The call comes in an Alcohol Concern report on the government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy. The study highlights figures that suggest a large increase in the amount of alcohol being drunk by 11 to 13-year-olds. Public Health Minister Caroline Flint told the BBC she did not think the proposals would be enforceable. Alcohol Concern also wants a 16% rise in alcohol taxes, a ban on brewers selling to retailers at a loss, and a crackdown on under-age alcohol sales. It is currently illegal to give an alcoholic drink to a child under five except under medical supervision in an emergency. The report's figures, published by the Information Centre (IC) last November, showed boys aged 11 to 13 who had drunk the previous week drank an average of 12 units of alcohol in 2006 compared to eight in 2000. The figure for girls increased from just under five units in 2000 to just over eight in 2006. Our report shows that we are simply not doing enough to protect our children from alcohol Srabani Sen Alcohol Concern Children, alcohol and the law Doubts over drink laws A spokeswoman from the IC, which is a special health authority that provides information to the NHS, said: "It would be too early to say whether this most recent data was a blip or a genuine increase in drinking among this age group." Alcohol Concern chief executive Srabani Sen said: "Our report shows that we are simply not doing enough to protect our children from alcohol. "Binge drinking by children can have serious consequences for brain function, significantly raises the risk of alcohol dependency in later life and diminishes their life chances." Sensible message Ms Flint said there would be difficulties in enforcing a ban on drinking in the home. "I don't think passing a law to ban alcohol for those under 15 would be enforceable or necessarily effective. "But certainly one of the things that we do need to think about is how we all, as parents with families, do what we can do to have a sensible drinking message within our own homes." She also said the government was serious about tackling alcohol-related harm and that levels of binge drinking were no longer rising. "Recent figures showed there has been a 5% drop between 2001 and 2006, of young people aged between 11 and 15 who had drunk alcohol in the previous week. "The new alcohol strategy to be published this summer will continue to drive reductions in alcohol related offending and harmful behaviour through a combination of education, treatment and tough penalties." Ms Flint's views are supported by a Scottish charity which fears that putting alcohol completely out of bounds could make it more tempting. Alcohol Focus Scotland is in favour of the continental approach of educating children responsibly about drinking and thinks that the ban proposal is a step too far. 'New social reality' Alcohol Concern would include meal times at home in the ban on giving alcohol to young people. Frank Soodeen, a campaigns officer for Alcohol Concern, said: "We are facing a new social reality where children seem to be adopting older behaviour at a younger age. HAVE YOUR SAY It's better to introduce alcohol at a young age, remove its mystery Hannah, Market Harborough Send us your comments "One of the things we need to do is get parents on board." He also suggested there was a need to consider new legislation regarding the issue. The charity would like to see a ban on alcohol advertising before the 9pm television watershed and non-18 certificate films in cinemas. The National Curriculum should include alcohol education to teach about the dangers of binge drinking, it added. Alcohol Concern said the drink-drive limit should be lowered from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood. The charity's Glass Half Empty report looked at the government's strategy which was published three years ago. Meanwhile, the BBC's Helen Neil said there were calls for alcohol education to be included in the national curriculum in order to raise awareness about the dangers posed by drinking. She said tighter control on drinks advertising have also been suggested by campaigners. Source: BBC News

Last Updated: Tuesday, 16 October 2007, 23:01 GMT 00:01 UK

Obesity 'not individuals' fault'

It is said we live in an 'obesogenic' environment Individuals can no longer be held responsible for obesity so government must act to stop Britain "sleepwalking" into a crisis, a report has concluded. The largest ever UK study into obesity, backed by government and compiled by 250 experts, said excess weight was now the norm in our "obesogenic" society. Dramatic and comprehensive action was required to stop the majority of us becoming obese by 2050, they said. But the authors admitted proof that any anti-obesity policy works "was scant". Nonetheless every level of society, from individual to the upper echelons of government, must become involved in the campaign against a condition which carries such great social and economic consequences, they said. In 2002, those who were overweight or obese cost nearly 7bn in treatment and state benefits and in indirect costs such as loss of earnings and reduced productivity. In 40 years time, that figure could reach nearly 46bn, as health services struggle to cope with the ill health such as diabetes, cancer and stroke which can be associated with excess weight. "There is a danger that the moment to act radically and dramatically will be missed," said Sir David King, the government's chief scientific advisor and head of the Foresight Programme which drew up the report. "It is a problem that is getting worse every year." So hard Obesity, the authors concluded, was an inevitable consequence of a society in which energy-dense, cheap foods, labour-saving devices, motorised transport and sedentary work were rife. BMI SCALE Underweight: Less than 18.5 Normal: 18.5 to 24.9 Overweight: 25 to 29.9 Obese: 30 or more In this environment it was surprising that anyone was able to remain thin, Dr Susan Jebb of the Medical Research Council said, and so the notion of obesity simply being a product of personal over-indulgence had to be abandoned for good. "The stress has been on the individual choosing a healthier lifestyle, but that simply isn't enough," she said. From planning our towns to encourage more physical activity to placing more pressure on mothers to breast feed - believed to slow down infant weight gain - the report highlighted a range of policy options without making any concrete recommendations. Industry was already working to put healthier products on the shelf, the report noted, while work was advanced in transforming the very make-up of food so it was digested more slowly and proved satisfying for longer. But it was clear that government needed to involve itself, as on this occasion, the market was failing to do the job, Sir David said. Shock tactics? Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said the government would be holding further consultations to decide how to proceed. She said it was too early to say whether the same "shock" approach seen in public health warnings against smoking would be adopted with obesity, or whether a tax on fatty foods, highlighted in the report but widely dismissed as unworkable, would be considered. "The most important thing is there has to be public consent and understanding of the issues you're trying to challenge," she said. "A mandate for change will be difficult because it has to be preceded by an understanding of the dangers of obesity." The Royal College of Physicians said the report was "encouraging". "The emphasis on cross-governmental initiatives is particularly welcome, as is the importance of addressing issues across society whilst avoiding blame," said its president, Professor Ian Gilmore. The Food and Drink Federation said it understood its role in tackling the problem. "Our industry is now widely recognised as leading the world when it comes to reformulating products; extending consumer choice; and introducing improved nutrition labelling," a spokesperson said.

Source: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/headache-relief.html

10 WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT DURING HOLIDAYS

You need food for fuel for energy for life. Starving yourself is ridiculous. Your body is a machine and needs to be treated like one. Here's 10 reasonable tips to help shed those 10 extra pounds.

1. Be Realistic-Experts advise against yo-yo dieting and so do I. It is ridiculous and dangerous to your health to slow down your metabolism or try cleanses or starvation diets to drop the weight. It has taken awhile for you to gain that weight and it will take you time to lose it. You have to give yourself time.

2. Remember food should always be pleasurable-Small indulgences are important even when you're trying to lose weight. If you have a favorite snack..no, you can't eat it everyday but allowing yourself to have a treat once in awhile is healthy and helps you actually stay on track. Opt for whole grains and smaller portions ofcarbs like pasta and rice. Don't ' be too restrictive or you wont stick to your change in diet. Being too stringent leads to binges. Healthy weight loss doesn't mean giving up foods welove . If you love chocolate..have a dark chocolate Hershey's Kiss every day. It satisfies that urge and then you don't feel the need to overdo it.

3. Have Breakfast as soon as you get up-You want to jump-start your metabolism right away-eat within the first hour of waking up. You have to put fuel in your tank. Woman who eat a low-fat morning meal packed with proteinand some whole grain carbohydrates lose weight quicker and may keep it off better than those who eat smaller low-carb or low-protein morning meals.

4. Cut back on alcohol-No one is saying you should axe booze during the holidays but after New Year's you may want to consider cutting quite a bit out. Those alcoholic calories can really add up fast. If you can't stop after just one, don't start.

5. Eat two small snacks a day-You are too busy to go hungry. You never want to be so hungry that you get a headache! Sometimes even a few crackers can serve the purpose. Snacking is good..it keeps your metabolism going. If you want to starve yourself and lie in bed all day and just drink Tabasco and lemon water, that's fine but I'm too busy for that andI'm sure you are too. So, in addition to three moderate meals, have one or two healthy snacks. I have a new addiction to a grapefruit topped with Agave nectar and cinnamon! You can sub the Agave for honey but I'm a Vegan so that's why I came up with this combo and it is soooo good. Aside from simply making your life more pleasant, eating low-calorie meals and snacks throughout the day keeps your metabolism running on high so you keep burning calories.

6. Cook at home most days-It's hard to do in party filled holidays but eating at home is a smart weight loss tool year round. Restaurant dishes usually have more calories and fatthan what you make yourself. People often say they don't have the time to cook at home, but it can actually take more time to order and go pick up take out than it does to cook. To make things easier and faster during the busy workweek, do most of your chopping and prep on weekends, or whatever your day off is. Cut up yourvegetables and put then in Tupperware in the refrigerator so that when you're cooking during the week you don't have to sit and chop onions and peel garlic…they're all ready to go. This way when you come home starving from work, life is much simpler when things are ready to be cooked. There's also a nice physical aspect when you cook…instead of watching TV, waiting for your food to come, you're actually moving around while you're cooking.

7. Use spices-add a lot of spices to your food. You want to feel like you're eating a wonderful meal-not something bland or spartan. Cayenne, ginger, sumac and thyme are my favorites. Texture is also great! Adding sunflower seeds or walnuts to a salad suddenly makes it not a 'salad' anymore…it's something much more wonderful.

8. Go heavy on the veggies-Learn to pile your plate with low-calorie, high volume foods like vegetables, fruits and lentils. The fiber from all of those plant foods takes longer to chew and digest than most processed foods; that extra time allows your stomach to fill up so you feel fuller. fiber also triggers the release ofcholecystokinin, a hormone that makes you feel satisfied, so you may end up eating less later on.

9. Go for single-serving sweets-I am a desert person and as far as I'm concerned dinner is not complete until I have something sweet after. Go for a delicious lo-calice cream sandwich..I recommend the non-dairy ones. They are low in calories and already pre-packaged so the portion part is already done for you.

10. Exercise, exercise, exercise-think you're too busy to workout? Go for a quick run when you get off work, run up and down some stairs or grab your free weights. Even 30-45 minutes ofcardio three to five days a week will help most women drop pounds. Adding a couple of hours a week of sweating is going to help blast fat!