Teens weight self-perception affects health
American teenagers who incorrectly perceive their weight are more likely to have unhealthy eating habits and be less active overall. Teenagers who accurately perceive their weight are more likely to make healthy choices and not take part in risky diets.
The study analyzed data from over 12,000 American teens, 32% of which were obese or overweight.
- “Nearly 23 percent of the teenagers studied, misjudged their weight.
- 11.6 percent incorrectly believed they were overweight, and
- 11.3 percent believed they weighed more than they should while thinking it’s healthy and underestimating their weight.”
- Researchers also found the girls were more likely to misperceive their weight then boys.
Teens who incorrectly believed they were overweight were less likely to drink fruit juice or milk, eat fruits, or have breakfast on a regular basis.
Teens who were actually overweight or believed they were overweight were least likely to get 60 minutes of physical activity a day, five days a week, the researchers noted.
This misperception of weight strongly correlated with adult obesity later in life. “Early childhood interventions to promote appropriate weight-related perception and weight management could have a lasting impact on chronic disease burden, in addition to preventing unhealthy diet and physical inactivity in youth,” he suggested.
Weight perception has also been linked to eating disorders, which are a leading cause of morbidity in American teens. Schools are now encouraged to provide education on eating disorders, weight misperception and providr examples of healthy behavior.
Researchers also believe that developing a regular exercise routine early can help a child maintain health habits into adulthood.
To learn more: Teens Often Off the Mark About Their Weight, With Unhealthy Results – HealthDay
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]Vegetarian diets seem to boost insulin sensitivity
According to studies published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, adults who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, may improve their insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function, even when controlling for BMI.
“It has been suggested that vegetarian diet may have a potential protective effect on the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications,” Xiuhua Shen, MD, PhD, of the department of nutrition in the School of Public Health at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, and colleagues wrote.
Researchers were trying to answer the question whether vegetarian diets increase insulin sensitivity due to weight loss or is it a result off the plant based diet itself?
279 vegetarians and 279 matched omnivores, were gathered for the study. The group was further divided to include those observing a vegan diet. Fasting blood samples were collected to assess glucose and insulin levels. The vegetarians had a overall lower percentage of obesity and average BMI. “Vegetarians also had a 1.4% proportion of insulin resistance compared with a 4.7% proportion in omnivores (P < .05), the researchers reported.”
“A plant-based diet with a variety of foods rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, which may have a direct effect on alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress, may account for the higher insulin sensitivity in vegetarians, and especially vegans,” the researchers wrote. “Vegetarians, especially vegans, may be in a healthier insulin sensitivity status than omnivores, which is not completely accounted for by the difference of BMI.” – by Phil Neuffer
Please enjoy other Plant Based Resources here
To learn more: Vegetarian diets show potential for boosting insulin sensitivity – Healio
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]Don’t like exercise? – High-intensity incidental physical activity is HIIT
The commonly held wisdom is that activity had to last for at least ten continuous minutes to be beneficial, although there was no credible scientific evidence to support this.
New evidence, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, shows regular, incidental activity that gets you huffing and puffing is likely to produce health benefits, even if you do it in 30-second bursts, spread over the day.
Incorporating more “high-intensity incidental physical activity” or HIIT, whether by vigorously sweeping the floor or carrying groceries, could be the key to getting high quality exercise each day. Even if this incidental physical activity only lasts for a few minutes, it can result in significant health benefits. In this study, simply by adding more incidental activity, described as, “any activity that is part of one’s daily living that is not done with the purpose of recreation or health and requires no discretionary time” improved overall health.
Some examples of HIIT may include walking or cycling to the grocery store, performing daily chores with intensity, or using the stairs instead of the elevator. This kind of activity prevents far fewer barriers than the concept of “exercising” which is physical activity that is both structured and planned. This study answers the question of how incidental physical activity can be maximized to improve health conditions.
The length of time for incidental PA can vary and is not structured. It can be just a few seconds such as climbing the stairs, “or several minutes or even hours of active commuting.”
This focus on short bursts throughout the day, offers the opportunity to incorporate vigorous physical activity into a busy lifestyle while receiving major health benefits. Incidental vigorous physical activity has been shown to be synonymous with partaking in exercise lasting 20-30 minutes.
These new research has,”opened new horizons for physical activity and exercise medicine practice by recognizing that any bout of physical activity count toward better health.” It is highly recommended to work on incorporating a short bout of HIIT to experience numerous health advantages and outcomes.
To learn more: THE MOST EFFECTIVE FORM OF EXERCISE ISN’T “EXERCISE” AT ALL – Quarizy
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New Question of the Week – April 16th, 2019
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The question of the Week – April 16th, 2019
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]Mindful Monday | Want success? Start with exercise first
The idea of a “lifestyle” overhaul can be intimidating. Getting healthier includes so many variables such as healthy
eating, exercise, better sleep and reduced stress. A recent study suggests that developing an exercise routine first results in a preference for healthier foods.
A study published by the International Journal of Obesity, concluded that starting an exercise routine often leads to healthier food choices. Instead of taking something away, you can add a physical activity. The researchers recruited 2500 college students who said they did not diet or exercise for more than 30 minutes a week. They were asked not to change their eating habits.
However, many of the exercise participants changed their eating habits without being told to. The 2000 who stuck with the exercise plan, were more likely to eat more nutritious foods and less “junk” food. The more a participant exercised, the more their diet improved.
“Longer exercise duration was associated with a decrease in preference for foods characteristic of the standard western diet, such as red meat, fried foods and snack foods. Meanwhile, high-intensity exercise was associated with an increase in preference for healthy foods. Overall, Bray says, this means “compliance with the exercise program was associated with a move toward eating healthier overall.”
The diet didn’t delve deeper into why exercise fuels healthy eating, but likely biology and psychology are responsible.
However, scientists believe there is something more “I really do think exercise is altering neural processing in your brain. The stimulation of your brain that occurs with high-intensity exercise is what changes lots of things about your body,” Bray says.
To learn more: Exercising Might Help You Make Healthier Food Choices, Study Says – Time
To get started, see our Exercise Resource Page
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Free Resource Friday | Plant-Based Resources
“The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologist recommends a plant-based diet for people with diabetes, yet many people and educators are unsure how to get started.” – Coach Beverly
This Free Resource Friday, we want to share all of our Plant-based Resources.
Check out our resource page full of ideas, recipes and more!
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]“Most U.S. kids not meeting sleep, exercise and screen time targets”
A new study suggests that only 1 out of every 20 teens in America is getting the physician recommended amount of sleep, exercise and screen time (time spent on devices).
The recommended amount of exercise for a teenager is 1 hour of moderate to vigorous exercise per day. Screen time should be limited to 2 hours per day. “Kids ages 6 to 12 old also need 9 to 12 hours of sleep, while teens need 8 to 10 hours nightly.”
The study concluded that too little sleep and exercise and too much screen time can lead to chronic health issues such as obesity, mental health problems, poor academic performance and unhealthy behavior such as smoking and drinking.
However, these recommendations have been increasingly difficult for children and teenagers to meet. Similar to adults, it can be hard to meet all three requirements at the same time, versus focusing on one.
For the study, 59,000 kids were surveyed over four years. “Overall, just 3 percent of girls and 7 percent of boys spent the optimal time sleeping and being physically active while limiting screen time.”
The three factors seem to support each other. More exercise led to better sleep and less screen time. However, less exercise led to more screen time and less sleep.
The study urges parents to encourage their children to engage in physical activity that can help with sleep patterns. Schools also impact sleep due to early start times.
“Sleep and physical activity are two pillars that should not be sacrificed in childhood,” said Jonathan Mitchell of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania.
Sleep is often sacrificed for other activities including spending time on cell phones, computers and watching TV. Teens and parents should be more cognizant of bedtime and focus on finding a balance between, sleep, exercise and screen time.
To learn more: Most U.S. kids not meeting sleep, exercise and screen time targets – Rueters
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Less beef, more beans. New world diet.
A report attempting to overhaul the universal “diet” says a hamburger a week is about as much red meat you should be consuming. Eggs should be limited to less than four a week and dairy, one serving per day.
A panel of nutrition, agriculture, and environmental experts recommend a plant-based diet. This recommendation stems from many published studies that link red meat to health problems and livestock farming to environmental issues.
The report highlights the deadly effects meat production is having on the environment. “Producing red meat takes up land and feed to raise cattle, which also emit the greenhouse gas methane.”
The report was organized by a Swedish-based nonprofit seeking to improve the food system. They believe a “great food transformation” is necessary by 2050. They also believe their recommended diet could be inclusive to all cultures around the world.
Of course a major obstacle is convincing cultures who are traditionally meat and cheese heavy, to make the shift.
“The diet encourages whole grains, beans, fruits and most vegetables, and says to limit added sugars, refined grains such as white rice and starches like potatoes and cassava. It says red meat consumption on average needs to be slashed by half globally, though the necessary changes vary by region and reductions would need to be more dramatic in richer countries like the United States.”
Scientists
Advice to limit red meat isn’t a new concept and has been linked to lowering high saturated fats. However, the meat and dairy industries argue that their products carry important nutrients necessary for a healthy diet.
A report conducted by the United Nations, concluded that livestock is responsible for 15% of gas emissions that warm the climate. International Climate Researcher, Robbie Andrew, believes that utilizing practices that help the animal to grow bigger faster may help decrease emission, however the animal will still produce methane, which is a powerful greenhouse gas.
People could replace beef with chicken or pork, which do have few emissions, however plants have one of the smallest carbon footprints over all.
The report itself does lay out the “optimal” diet for both environment and health. However, researchers understand the battle it may be to convince policy makers, food companies and those set in traditional cuisine.
Enjoy our Plant Based Resources Library
To learn more: Less beef, more beans. Experts say world needs a new diet – AP
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