A study in 1957 showed that animals lose weight at high altitudes, and weight loss has long been known for people at high altitudes, but the subjects were all extremely fit and active mountaineers and skiers.

Obese and overweight people tend to suffer altitude sickness and resultant nausea, dizziness and heart attacks, when at very high altitudes, so the research team from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich decided to find out what would happen if overweight people spent some time at a moderately high altitude of 8,700 feet. Read the rest of this entry »

Although many people know the health risks that come with obesity, new research finds that it may increase the risk of cancer.

According to a study published in the journal Cell, obesity can lead to an increased risk of liver cancer. Researchers believe if they could curb obesity, they may be able to reduce cancer deaths by as many as 90,000 a year. Read the rest of this entry »

Sleep is essential for survival. Lack of sleep is sure to result in a laundry list of health problems. Associated with decreased physical and mental performance, sleep is the key to staying healthy.  If a person does not get enough good quality sleep daily, they are much more likely to be overweight and have difficulty losing weight and keeping it off.

The more sleep a person gets the better they feel. This rule also rings true where exercise is concerned. Read the rest of this entry »

In this five-day low fat,  eat low calorie plan is nutrient packed. If you stick to the meal plans you should be able to drop a dress size. There’s a list of snacks to choose from too.

What is it?

A low-fat, nutritionally balanced five-day plan designed to leave you feeling and looking trim. Follow it exactly and you could lose enough weight to drop an entire dress size. Read the rest of this entry »

Being overweight in middle age reduces your likelihood of gliding into your 70s without any health problems

like diabetes, heart disease, or cancer. It also reduces your odds of being able to walk up a flight of stairs or get through your day without crying. Obese women have it toughest, finds a new study published today in the British Medical Journal. They’re nearly 80 percent less likely to experience “healthy survival” when they reach age 70, compared with women who gained fewer than 9 pounds since age 18.

Are the researchers showing that thin women who maintain their weight over the years actually live longer? Well, no, but they do indicate that these women live better, not just avoiding chronic diseases but also sidestepping mental and physical health problems Read the rest of this entry »

Do you blindly turn to food as a source of comfort when you’re feeling upset? Since emotional overeating doesn’t provide any lasting satisfaction and can lead to health problems, it’s far better to find other ways to deal with the stresses of daily life. That’s the premise of a book out this month, 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food (New Harbinger Publications).

“People are often running from their emotions,” says the author, psychologist Susan Albers. “If we knew that we could cope with our feelings, we’d be less likely to turn to food.” The trick is to consciously substitute something “healthy and calorie free” for sweets when you feel the urge to soothe your nerves. Read the rest of this entry »