As a National initiative created to encourage individuals to talk to their doctor about their weight, the Your Weight Matters Campaign strives to provide you with the right information about your weight and health.
To do so, we search for new innovations, information and articles to share with you, so you know you’re getting the facts. Check out some of our favorite finds from this month to learn new nutrition tips, findings in the exercise field and more:
5 Reasons You’re Not Hitting Your Weight Goal (MyFitnessPal)
While it’s great to celebrate the successes you have on your journey with weight, you may find that right now you’re making slow progress — or maybe even no progress at all! Why does this happen? There’s many things that can explain why you’re not making your goal weight, and popular food journaling and calorie tracker app MyFitnessPal explores some of these reasons in this article.
From not logging your foods in your journal properly to not being realistic about your exercise intake, this article provides solutions to some of the every day hiccups people on their journey with weight experience.
10 Things Fit and Happy People Do Differently (Healthy Dining Finder)
Do you know that person who always seem to be fit and healthy, no matter the circumstances? Could you get to where they are yourself, and make positive changes for the better? The answer is yes!
In this article from Healthy Dining Finder, you’ll find various things that healthy people do to stay that way, such as staying hydrated, avoiding mindless snacking and more.
Are Exercise Labels a Good Idea? (ObesityHelp.com)
British researchers have proposed putting exercise labels — labels that would outline how much activity is required to burn off the food and beverages we consume throughout the day — on packaging for foods, but just how effective would this system be?
The idea is that the labels would encourage people to think about just how much exercise would be needed after eating that pizza or drinking that soda, to give consumers a more “in your face,” understanding of how the foods they’re eating affect their bodies. But will this type of system help with the growing obesity epidemic?
1 Minute of All-Out Exercise May Have Benefits of 45 Minutes of Moderate Exertion (NY Times Well Blog)
We hear all the time that the recommended amount of activity is 30 minutes per day for at least five days a week, according to the American Heart Association. But what if there was a way to make the time pass by more quickly, yet still get the full effect of your workout?
Researchers at McMaster University believe this is possible. In their research, they found that 1 minute of rigorous activity and strenuous exercise proved to provide just as much benefit as 45 minutes of a more gentle routine.
The 5 Worst Things to Say to Someone Who Is Losing Weight (MyFitnessPal)
If you or someone in your life is working to manage their weight, a conversation concerning the matter can be a touchy subject. We’re all at the different parts of our journey with weight, and some people may be more open to discussing their progress and pitfalls than others. In this article from MyFitnessPal, registered dietitian nutritionist Paige Smathers outlines some of the common phrases that her patients have heard that she wants us to avoid.
“I don’t think we should feel like we have to walk on eggshells around one another,” Ms. Smathers writes. “I do think we can increase our awareness of others’ experiences and try to focus on people, not their bodies.”
Our Gigantic Problem with Portions: Why Are We All Eating Too Much? (The Guardian)
This week, we shared a blog post with you about the History of Portion Sizes, to share with you about how the plates of food we’re eating from have grown over the years, and how you can make a change for you and your family.
In this article from The Guardian, the subject is explored again, but with a visual representation of recommended portion sizes and how they compare to common day objects, for scale. That portion of potatoes you’re eating, for example? The recommended portion size should be about as big as a computer mouse.
Junk-food Junkies Go Healthy When Rewarded (Cornell University Food and Brand Lab)
Could we be incentivized to eat healthier by being offered rewards for our food choices? Researchers at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab believe so, and in their latest research they’ve found that when customers are given rewards on a point-system for making certain food choices, the consumer was more likely to make a purchase of the better food option.
“We find that offering rewards, such as points that can be redeemed later, encourage healthy food choices, especially for consumers with bad eating habits,” says Robert Kwortnik, associate professor at Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration and one of the lead authors of the study. “So restaurants can encourage repeat patronage with reward programs and encourage healthy eating by rewarding consumers for making better choices. It’s a win-win.”
Do you have a favorite find from this month related to weight and health, or any thoughts about what we’ve found? Share what you think in the comments section below!
