tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/healthy-weight-24776/articlesHealthy weight – The Conversation2024-02-26T19:00:52Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2121142024-02-26T19:00:52Z2024-02-26T19:00:52ZI want to eat healthily. So why do I crave sugar, salt and carbs?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567024/original/file-20231221-29-wxqo9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C565%2C5973%2C3422&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/donut-with-sprinkles-1785852/">Lisa Fotios/Pexels</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We all want to eat healthily, especially as we reset our health goals at the start of a new year. But sometimes these plans are sabotaged by powerful cravings for sweet, salty or carb-heavy foods. </p>
<p>So why do you crave these foods when you’re trying to improve your diet or lose weight? And what can you do about it?</p>
<p>There are many reasons for craving specific foods, but let’s focus on four common ones:</p>
<h2>1. Blood sugar crashes</h2>
<p>Sugar is a key energy source for all animals, and its taste is one of the most basic sensory experiences. Even without specific sweet taste receptors on the tongue, a strong preference for sugar can develop, indicating a mechanism beyond taste alone.</p>
<p>Neurons <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-021-00982-7">responding to sugar</a> are activated when sugar is delivered to the gut. This can increase appetite and make you want to consume more. Giving into cravings also drives an appetite for more sugar. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/im-trying-to-lose-weight-and-eat-healthily-why-do-i-feel-so-hungry-all-the-time-what-can-i-do-about-it-215808">I’m trying to lose weight and eat healthily. Why do I feel so hungry all the time? What can I do about it?</a>
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<p>In the long term, research suggests a high-sugar diet can affect <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2382">mood</a>, digestion and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33339337/">inflammation</a> in the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aay6218?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed">gut</a>.</p>
<p>While there’s a lot of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763402000040?via%3Dihub#aep-section-id23">variation between individuals</a>, regularly eating sugary and high-carb foods can lead to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30951762/">rapid spikes and crashes</a> in blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar drops, your body can respond by craving quick sources of energy, often in the form of sugar and carbs because these deliver the fastest, most easily accessible form of energy. </p>
<h2>2. Drops in dopamine and serotonin</h2>
<p>Certain neurotransmitters, such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30595479/">dopamine</a>, are involved in the reward and pleasure centres of the brain. Eating sugary and carb-rich foods can trigger the release of dopamine, creating a pleasurable experience and reinforcing the craving. </p>
<p>Serotonin, the feel-good hormone, suppresses <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569733910700886">appetite</a>. Natural changes in serotonin can influence daily fluctuations in mood, energy levels and attention. It’s also associated with eating more <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5829131/">carb-rich snacks in the afternoon</a>. </p>
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<img alt="Woman sits at her desk, tired" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Do you get 3pm sugar cravings? Serotonin could play a role.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-holding-her-head-4064177/">Marcus Aurelius/Pexels</a></span>
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<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21985780/">Low carb diets</a> may reduce serotonin and lower mood. However, a recent systematic review suggests little association between these diets and risk for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032722013933?via%3Dihub">anxiety and depression</a>. </p>
<p>Compared to men, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4189179/">women tend to crave more carb rich foods</a>. Feeling irritable, tired, depressed or experiencing carb cravings are part of premenstrual <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29218451/">symptoms</a> and could be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560698/">linked to</a> reduced <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9928757/">serotonin levels</a>. </p>
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<h2>3. Loss of fluids and drops in blood sugar and salt</h2>
<p>Sometimes our bodies crave the things they’re missing, such as hydration or even salt. A low-carb diet, for example, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537084/">depletes</a> insulin levels, decreasing sodium and water retention. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1933287419302673">Very low-carb diets</a>, like ketogenic diets, induce “ketosis”, a metabolic state where the body switches to using fat as its primary energy source, moving away from the usual dependence on carbohydrates. </p>
<p>Ketosis is often associated with increased urine production, further contributing to potential fluid loss, electrolyte imbalances and salt cravings.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-do-we-crave-the-food-our-bodies-need-53218">Health Check: do we crave the food our bodies need?</a>
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<h2>4. High levels of stress or emotional turmoil</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4214609/">Stress</a>, boredom and emotional turmoil can lead to cravings for comfort foods. This is because stress-related hormones can impact our appetite, satiety (feeling full) and food preferences. </p>
<p>The stress hormone <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3425607/">cortisol</a>, in particular, can drive cravings for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453000000354">sweet comfort foods</a>. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453000000354">2001 study</a> of 59 premenopausal women subjected to stress revealed that the stress led to higher calorie consumption. </p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37295418/">A more recent study</a> found chronic stress, when paired with high-calorie diet, increases food intake and a preference for sweet foods. This shows the importance of a healthy diet during stress to prevent weight gain.</p>
<h2>What can you do about cravings?</h2>
<p>Here are four tips to curb cravings:</p>
<p><strong>1) don’t cut out whole food groups.</strong> Aim for a well-balanced diet and make sure you include:</p>
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<li><p><em>sufficient protein</em> in your meals to help you feel full and reduce the urge to snack on sugary and carb-rich foods. Older adults should aim for 20–40g protein per meal with a particular focus on <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jhn.12838">breakfast and lunch</a> and an overall daily protein intake of at least <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/43411">0.8g</a> per kg of body weight for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35187864/">muscle health</a></p></li>
<li><p><em>fibre-rich foods</em>, such as vegetables and whole grains. These make you feel full and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32142510/">stabilise your blood sugar</a> levels. Examples include broccoli, quinoa, brown rice, oats, beans, lentils and bran cereals. Substitute refined carbs high in sugar like processed snack bars, soft drink or baked goods for more complex ones like whole grain bread or wholewheat muffins, or nut and seed bars or energy bites made with chia seeds and oats</p></li>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-much-protein-do-i-need-as-i-get-older-and-do-i-need-supplements-to-get-enough-215695">How much protein do I need as I get older? And do I need supplements to get enough?</a>
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<p><strong>2) manage your stress levels.</strong> Practise stress-reduction techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga to manage emotional triggers for cravings. Practising <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30570305/">mindful eating</a>, by eating slowly and tuning into bodily sensations, can also reduce daily calorie intake and curb cravings and stress-driven eating </p>
<p><strong>3) get enough sleep.</strong> Aim for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33054337/">seven to eight</a> hours of quality sleep per night, with a minimum of seven hours. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9031614/">Lack of sleep</a> can disrupt hormones that regulate hunger and cravings</p>
<p><strong>4) control your portions.</strong> If you decide to indulge in a treat, control your portion size to avoid overindulging.</p>
<p>Overcoming cravings for sugar, salt and carbs when trying to eat healthily or lose weight is undoubtedly a formidable challenge. Remember, it’s a journey, and setbacks may occur. Be patient with yourself – your success is not defined by occasional cravings but by your ability to manage and overcome them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hayley O'Neill is a wellness coach for Hayley M O'Neill Enterprises.</span></em></p>We all want to eat healthily, especially as we reset our health goals at the start of a new year. But sometimes these plans are sabotaged by powerful cravings for sweet, salty or carb-heavy foods.Hayley O'Neill, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2145802023-12-26T20:30:36Z2023-12-26T20:30:36ZYou can’t reverse the ageing process but these 5 things can help you live longer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565071/original/file-20231212-19-m904rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C437%2C6500%2C3746&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/seniors-enjoying-breakfast-1105683980">Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>At this time of year many of us resolve to prioritise our health. So it is no surprise there’s a <a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/health-food-brands-ramp-up-marketing-efforts-around-consumers-new-years-resolutions/">roaring trade</a> of products purporting to guarantee you live longer, be healthier and look more youthful. </p>
<p>While an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4822264/">estimated</a> 25% of longevity is determined by our genes, the rest is determined by what we do, day to day. </p>
<p>There are no quick fixes or short cuts to living longer and healthier lives, but the science is clear on the key principles. Here are five things you can do to extend your lifespan and improve your health.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-you-cant-reverse-ageing-by-injecting-young-blood-and-fasting-but-that-doesnt-stop-people-trying-207038">No, you can't reverse ageing by injecting 'young blood' and fasting. But that doesn't stop people trying</a>
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<h2>1. Eat a predominantly plant-based diet</h2>
<p>What you eat has a huge impact on your health. The evidence overwhelmingly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8210981/#:%7E:text=According%20to%20an%20expansive%20review,13%20Given%20that%20so%20many">shows</a> eating a diet high in plant-based foods is associated with health and longevity. </p>
<p>If you eat more plant-based foods and less meat, processed foods, sugar and salt, you reduce your risk of a range of illnesses that shorten our lives, including heart disease and cancer. </p>
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<img alt="Delicious Mediterranean serving platter." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest and most studied eating patterns.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/tray-of-food-on-white-surface-K47107aP8UU">Louis Hansel/Unsplash</a></span>
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<p>Plant-based foods <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-019-0552-0">are rich</a> in nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fibre. They’re also anti-inflammatory. All of this protects against damage to our cells as we age, which helps prevent disease. </p>
<p>No particular diet is right for everyone but one of the most studied and <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/mediterranean-diet/#:%7E:text=%5B6%5D%20Those%20who%20had%20the,who%20had%20the%20lowest%20adherence.">healthiest</a> is the <a href="https://www.eatingwell.com/article/291120/mediterranean-diet-for-beginners-everything-you-need-to-get-started/">Mediterranean diet</a>. It’s based on the eating patterns of people who live in countries around the Mediterranean Sea and emphases vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish and seafood, and olive oil.</p>
<h2>2. Aim for a healthy weight</h2>
<p>Another important way you can be healthier is to try and achieve a healthy weight, as obesity <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/obesity/how-obesity-affects-body">increases the risk</a> of a number of health problems that shorten our lives.</p>
<p>Obesity puts strain on all of our body systems and has a whole myriad of physiological effects including causing inflammation and hormonal disturbances. These <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572076/">increase your chances</a> of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and a number of cancers.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-body-mass-index-cant-tell-us-if-were-healthy-heres-what-we-should-use-instead-211190">The body mass index can't tell us if we're healthy. Here's what we should use instead</a>
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<p>In addition to affecting us physically, obesity is also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6052856/">associated with</a> poorer psychological health. It’s linked to depression, low self-esteem and stress.</p>
<p>One of the biggest challenges we face in the developed world is that we live in an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6817492/">environment</a> that promotes obesity. The ubiquitous marketing and the easy availability of high-calorie foods our bodies are hard-wired to crave mean it’s easy to consume too many calories.</p>
<h2>3. Exercise regularly</h2>
<p>We all know that exercise is good for us – the <a href="https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/news/breaking-news/hcf-reveals-australias-most-popular-new-years-resolutions-for-2023-431665.aspx">most common resolution</a> we make this time of year is to do more exercise and to get fitter. Regular exercise <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">protects</a> against chronic illness, lowers your stress and improves your mental health. </p>
<p>While one of the ways exercising helps you is by supporting you to control your weight and lowering your body fat levels, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1402378/#:%7E:text=For%20instance%2C%20routine%20physical%20activity,HDL%5D%20cholesterol%20levels%20and%20decreased">effects</a> are broader and include improving your glucose (blood sugar) use, lowering your blood pressure, reducing inflammation and improving blood flow and heart function.</p>
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<img alt="Woman with grey hair does yoga outside" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Do the types of exercise you enjoy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-in-black-tank-top-and-gray-denim-jeans-sitting-on-green-grass-field-during-daytime-FGQQho5XXn4">Kelly Newton/Unsplash</a></span>
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<p>While it’s easy to get caught up in all of the hype about different exercise strategies, the evidence <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320760">suggests</a> that any way you can include physical activity in your day has health benefits. You don’t have to run marathons or go to the gym for hours every day. Build movement into your day in any way that you can and do things that you enjoy.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-afford-a-gym-membership-or-fitness-class-3-things-to-include-in-a-diy-exercise-program-206204">Can't afford a gym membership or fitness class? 3 things to include in a DIY exercise program</a>
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<h2>4. Don’t smoke</h2>
<p>If you want to be healthier and live longer then don’t smoke or vape. </p>
<p>Smoking cigarettes affects almost every organ in the body and is associated with both a shorter and lower quality of life. There is no safe level of smoking – every cigarette increases your <a href="https://theconthatkills.org.au/?utm_source=googlesearch&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=theconthatkills23&utm_content=RSA&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqP2pBhDMARIsAJQ0Czrlep6EQHC-8_9xUhpz0h9v2ZglMF-6-k7_65awq8FxVaIL5HRoivwaAqJwEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds">chances of developing</a> a range of cancers, heart disease and diabetes. </p>
<p>Even if you have been smoking for years, by giving up smoking at any age you can experience <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit/benefits/index.htm">health benefits</a> almost immediately, and you can reverse many of the harmful effects of smoking.</p>
<p>If you’re thinking of switching to vapes as a healthy long term option, <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-vaping-help-people-quit-smoking-its-unlikely-204812">think again</a>. The long term health effects of vaping are not fully understood and they come with their own <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-vapes-arent-95-less-harmful-than-cigarettes-heres-how-this-decade-old-myth-took-off-203039">health risks</a>.</p>
<h2>5. Prioritise social connection</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Older men play chess outdoors." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Don’t forget about friendship and socialising.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/two-men-playing-chess-ItphH2lGzuI">Vlad Sargu/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When we talk about living healthier and longer, we tend to focus on what we do to our physical bodies. But one of the most important discoveries over the past decade has been the recognition of the importance of spiritual and psychological health. </p>
<p>People who are lonely and socially isolated have a much higher risk of dying early and are <a href="https://healthnews.com/longevity/healthspan/social-connection-and-longevity/#:%7E:text=One%20of%20the%20biggest%20benefits,the%20following%20factors%20and%20influences.">more likely</a> to suffer from heart disease, stroke, dementia as well as anxiety and depression. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-you-part-of-a-social-group-making-sure-you-are-will-improve-your-health-81996">Are you part of a social group? Making sure you are will improve your health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Although we don’t fully understand the mechanisms, it’s likely due to both behavioural and biological factors. While people who are more socially connected are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/">more likely</a> to engage in healthy behaviours, there also seems to be a more direct physiological effect of loneliness on the body. </p>
<p>So if you want to be healthier and live longer, build and maintain your connections to others.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214580/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hassan Vally does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Don’t believe the hype about products claiming they can help you live longer. Here are five lifestyle changes to prioritise instead.Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2191142023-12-18T19:09:51Z2023-12-18T19:09:51Z5 ways to avoid weight gain and save money on food this Christmas<p>As Christmas approaches, so does the challenge of healthy eating and maintaining weight-related goals. The season’s many social gatherings can easily tempt us to indulge in calorie-rich food and celebratory drinks. It’s why we typically <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1602012">gain weight</a> over Christmas and then struggle to take it off for the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938414001528">remainder of the year</a>.</p>
<p>Christmas 2023 is also exacerbating cost-of-living pressures, prompting some to rethink their food choices. Throughout the year, <a href="https://dvh1deh6tagwk.cloudfront.net/finder-au/wp-uploads/2023/03/Cost-of-Living-Report-2023.pdf">71% of Australians</a> – or 14.2 million people – <a href="https://retailworldmagazine.com.au/rising-cost-of-living-forces-aussies-to-change-diets/">adapted</a> their eating behaviour in response to rising costs.</p>
<p>Fortunately, there are some simple, science-backed hacks for the festive season to help you celebrate with the food traditions you love without impacting your healthy eating habits, weight, or hip pocket.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-christmas-comes-so-do-the-kilos-new-research-tracks-australians-yo-yo-weight-gain-210709">When Christmas comes so do the kilos. New research tracks Australians' yo-yo weight gain</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>1. Fill up on healthy pre-party snacks before heading out</h2>
<p>If your festive season is filled with end-of-year parties likely to tempt you to fill up on finger foods and meals high in fat, salt, and sugar and low in nutritional value, have a healthy pre-event snack before you head out.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5015032/#sec-a.g.atitle">Research</a> shows carefully selected snack foods can impact satiety (feelings of fullness after eating), potentially reducing the calories you eat later. High-protein, high-fibre snack foods have the strongest effect: because they take longer to digest, our hunger is satisfied for longer.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Person pours a handful of mixed nuts" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565710/original/file-20231214-31-zsoyv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565710/original/file-20231214-31-zsoyv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565710/original/file-20231214-31-zsoyv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565710/original/file-20231214-31-zsoyv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565710/original/file-20231214-31-zsoyv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565710/original/file-20231214-31-zsoyv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565710/original/file-20231214-31-zsoyv0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Nuts are a good option.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hands-holding-jar-nuts-dried-fruits-1112521214">Shutterstock/NazarBazar</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So enjoy a handful of nuts, a tub of yoghurt, or a serving of hummus with veggie sticks before you head out to help keep your healthy eating plan on track.</p>
<h2>2. Skip the low-carb drinks and enjoy your favourites in moderation</h2>
<p>Despite the marketing promises, low-carb alcoholic drinks <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hpja.531">aren’t better for our health or waistlines</a>.</p>
<p>Many low-carb options have a similar amount of carbohydrates as regular options but lull us into thinking they’re better, so we drink more. A <a href="https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/K-013_Low-carb-beer_FactSheet_FINAL.pdf">survey</a> found 15% of low-carb beer drinkers drank more beer than they usually would because they believed it was healthier for them.</p>
<p>A typical lager or ale will contain less than 1.5 grams of carbohydrate per 100 ml while the “lower-carb” variety can range anywhere from 0.5 grams to 2.0 grams. The calories in drinks come from the alcohol itself, not the carbohydrate content. </p>
<p>Next time you go to order, think about the quantity of alcohol you’re drinking rather than the carbs. Make sure you sip lots of water in between drinks to stay hydrated, too.</p>
<h2>3. Don’t skimp on healthy food for Christmas Day – it’s actually cheaper</h2>
<p>There’s a perception that healthy eating is more expensive. But studies show this is a misconception. A <a href="https://southwesthealthcare.com.au/swh-study-finds-eating-a-healthier-diet-is-actually-cheaper-at-the-checkout/#:%7E:text=A%20recent%20study%20from%20the,does%20not%20meet%20the%20guidelines">recent analysis</a> in Victoria, for example, found following the Australian Dietary Guidelines cost the average family A$156 less a fortnight than the cost of the average diet, which incorporates packaged processed foods and alcohol.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/trying-to-spend-less-on-food-following-the-dietary-guidelines-might-save-you-160-a-fortnight-216749">Trying to spend less on food? Following the dietary guidelines might save you $160 a fortnight</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>So when you’re planning your Christmas Day meal, give the pre-prepared, processed food a miss and swap in healthier ingredients:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>swap the heavy, salted ham for leaner and lighter meats such as fresh seafood. Some seafood, such as prawns, is also tipped to be cheaper this year thanks to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/lobsters-up-prawns-stable-a-buying-guide-to-seafood-this-christmas-20231208-p5eq3m.html">favourable weather conditions</a> boosting local supplies</p></li>
<li><p>for side dishes, opt for fresh salads incorporating seasonal ingredients such as mango, watermelon, peach, cucumber and tomatoes. This will save you money and ensure you’re eating foods when they’re freshest and most flavoursome</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman holds platter at Summer Christmas lunch outdoors" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565716/original/file-20231214-17-kdrjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565716/original/file-20231214-17-kdrjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565716/original/file-20231214-17-kdrjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565716/original/file-20231214-17-kdrjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565716/original/file-20231214-17-kdrjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565716/original/file-20231214-17-kdrjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565716/original/file-20231214-17-kdrjv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Swap in healthier ingredients.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/be-jolly-fill-your-belly-cropped-2146240039">PeopleImages.com - Yuri A/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<ul>
<li><p>if you’re roasting veggies, use healthier cooking oils like olive as opposed to vegetable oil, and use flavourful herbs instead of salt</p></li>
<li><p>if there’s an out-of-season vegetable you want to include, look for frozen and canned substitutes. They’re cheaper, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157517300418">just as nutritious</a> and tasty because the produce is usually frozen or canned at its best. Watch the sodium content of canned foods, though, and give them a quick rinse to remove any salty water</p></li>
<li><p>give store-bought sauces and dressings a miss, making your own from scratch using fresh ingredients.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>4. Plan your Christmas food shop with military precision</h2>
<p>Before heading to the supermarket to shop for your Christmas Day meal, create a detailed meal plan and shopping list, and don’t forget to check your pantry and fridge for things you already have. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586574/">Eating beforehand</a> and shopping with a plan in hand means you’ll only buy what you need and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8206473/">avoid impulse purchasing</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/bring-a-plate-what-to-take-to-christmas-lunch-that-looks-impressive-but-wont-break-the-bank-196565">Bring a plate! What to take to Christmas lunch that looks impressive (but won't break the bank)</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>When you’re shopping, price check everything. Comparing the cost per 100 grams is the most effective way to save money and get the best value. Check prices on products sold in different ways and places, too, such as nuts you scoop yourself versus prepacked options.</p>
<h2>5. Don’t skip breakfast on Christmas Day</h2>
<p>We’ve all been tempted to skip or have a small breakfast on Christmas morning to “save” the calories for later. But this plan will fail when you sit down at lunch hungry and find yourself eating far more calories than you’d “saved” for. </p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32073608/">Research</a> shows a low-calorie or small breakfast leads to increased feelings of hunger, specifically appetite for sweets, across the course of the day. </p>
<p>What you eat for breakfast on Christmas morning is just as important too – choosing the right foods will <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-trying-to-lose-weight-and-eat-healthily-why-do-i-feel-so-hungry-all-the-time-what-can-i-do-about-it-215808">help you manage your appetite</a> and avoid the temptation to overindulge later in the day. </p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24703415/">Studies</a> show a breakfast containing protein-rich foods, such as eggs, will leave us feeling fuller for longer. </p>
<p>So before you head out to the Christmas lunch, have a large, nutritionally balanced breakfast, such as eggs on wholegrain toast with avocado.</p>
<p><em>At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are studying the science of obesity and running clinical trials for weight loss. You can <a href="https://redcap.sydney.edu.au/surveys/?s=RKTXPPPHKY">register here</a> to express your interest.</em> </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-make-christmas-lunch-more-ethical-this-year-218351">5 ways to make Christmas lunch more ethical this year</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nick Fuller works for the University of Sydney and has received external funding for projects relating to the treatment of overweight and obesity. He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program.</span></em></p>Many of us gain weight over Christmas and spend more than we’d like entertaining. Here’s how to keep both in check.Nick Fuller, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2158082023-12-10T19:07:34Z2023-12-10T19:07:34ZI’m trying to lose weight and eat healthily. Why do I feel so hungry all the time? What can I do about it?<p>Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, famously said nothing is certain except death and taxes. But I think we can include “you’ll feel hungry when you’re trying to lose weight” as another certainty. </p>
<p>The reason is basic biology. So how does this work – and what can you do about it?</p>
<h2>Hormones control our feelings of hunger</h2>
<p>Several hormones play an essential role in regulating our feelings of hunger and fullness. The most important are ghrelin – often called the hunger hormone – and leptin.</p>
<p>When we’re hungry, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11739476/">ghrelin</a> is released by our stomach, lighting up a part of our brain called the hypothalamus to tell us to eat. </p>
<p>When it’s time to stop eating, hormones, including <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8717038/">leptin</a>, are released from different organs, such as our gut and fat tissue, to signal to the brain that we’re full.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/chemical-messengers-how-hormones-make-us-feel-hungry-and-full-35545">Chemical messengers: how hormones make us feel hungry and full</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Dieting disrupts the process</h2>
<p>But when we change our diet and start losing weight, we disrupt how these <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4766925/">appetite hormones function</a>. </p>
<p>This triggers a process that stems from our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Their bodies developed this mechanism as a survival response to adapt to periods of deprivation and protect against starvation. </p>
<p>The levels of hormones <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23126426/">managing our hunger increase</a>, making us feel hungrier to tell us to eat more, while the ones responsible for signalling we’re full decrease their levels, intensifying our feelings of hunger.</p>
<p>We end up increasing our calorie consumption so we eat more to regain the weight we lost. </p>
<p>But worse, even after the kilos creep back on, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22029981/">our appetite hormones don’t restore</a> to their normal levels – they keep telling us to eat more so we put on a little extra fat. This is our body’s way of preparing for the next bout of starvation we will impose through dieting. </p>
<p>Fortunately, there are things we can do to manage our appetite, including:</p>
<h2>1. Eating a large, healthy breakfast every day</h2>
<p>One of the easiest ways to manage our feelings of hunger throughout the day is to eat most of our food earlier in the day and taper our meal sizes so dinner is the smallest meal.</p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32073608/">Research</a> shows a low-calorie or small breakfast leads to increased feelings of hunger, specifically appetite for sweets, across the course of the day. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man spreads avocado" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563857/original/file-20231206-16-2c5mdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563857/original/file-20231206-16-2c5mdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563857/original/file-20231206-16-2c5mdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563857/original/file-20231206-16-2c5mdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563857/original/file-20231206-16-2c5mdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563857/original/file-20231206-16-2c5mdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563857/original/file-20231206-16-2c5mdc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Prioritise breakfast over dinner.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/soft-focus-shot-man-having-delicious-759322450">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(22)00344-8">Another study</a> found the same effect. Participants went on a calorie-controlled diet for two months, where they ate 45% of their calories for breakfast, 35% at lunch and 20% at dinner for the first month, before switching to eat their largest meal in the evening and their smallest in the morning. Eating the largest meal at breakfast resulted in decreased hunger throughout the day.</p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32073608/">Research</a> also shows we burn the calories from a meal 2.5-times more efficiently in the morning than the evening. So emphasising breakfast over dinner is good not just for hunger control, but also weight management.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/should-we-eat-breakfast-like-a-king-lunch-like-a-prince-and-dinner-like-a-pauper-86840">Should we eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>2. Prioritising protein</h2>
<p>Protein helps contain feelings of hunger. This is because protein-rich foods such as lean meats, tofu and beans suppress the appetite-stimulating ghrelin and stimulate another hormone called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550413106002713">peptide YY</a> that makes you feel full. </p>
<p>And just as eating a breakfast is vital to managing our hunger, what we eat is important too, with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24703415/">research</a> confirming a breakfast containing protein-rich foods, such as eggs, will leave us feeling fuller for longer. </p>
<p>But this doesn’t mean just eating foods with protein. Meals need to be balanced and include a source of protein, wholegrain carb and healthy fat to meet our dietary needs. For example, eggs on wholegrain toast with avocado.</p>
<h2>3. Filling up with nuts and foods high in good fats and fibre</h2>
<p>Nuts often get a bad rap – thanks to the misconception they cause weight gain – but nuts can help us manage our hunger and weight. The filling fibre and good fats found in nuts take longer to digest, meaning our hunger is satisfied for longer. </p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12791613/">Studies</a> suggest you can include up to 68 grams per day of nuts without affecting your weight. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-will-eating-nuts-make-you-gain-weight-108491">Health check: will eating nuts make you gain weight?</a>
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</em>
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<p>Avocados are also high in fibre and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, making them another excellent food for managing feelings of fullness. This is backed by a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6567160/">study</a> confirming participants who ate a breakfast incorporating avocado felt more satisfied and less hungry than participants who ate a meal containing the same calories but with lower fat and fibre content. </p>
<p>Similarly, eating foods that are high in soluble fibre – such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24820437/">beans</a> and vegetables – make us feel fuller. This type of fibre attracts water from our gut, forming a gel that slows digestion. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Couple cook together" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563854/original/file-20231206-25-s2excn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563854/original/file-20231206-25-s2excn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563854/original/file-20231206-25-s2excn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563854/original/file-20231206-25-s2excn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563854/original/file-20231206-25-s2excn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563854/original/file-20231206-25-s2excn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563854/original/file-20231206-25-s2excn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fibre helps us feel fuller for longer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-man-and-a-woman-preparing-food-in-a-kitchen-hQocGyy0unQ">Sweet Life/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>4. Eating mindfully</h2>
<p>When we take time to really be aware of and enjoy the food we’re eating, we slow down and eat far less. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28718396/">review</a> of 68 studies found eating mindfully helps us better recognise feelings of fullness. Mindful eating provides our brain enough time to recognise and adapt to the signals from our stomach telling us we’re full.</p>
<p>Slow down your food consumption by sitting at the dinner table and use smaller utensils to reduce the volume of food you eat with each mouthful.</p>
<h2>5. Getting enough sleep</h2>
<p>Sleep deprivation disturbs our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1389945708700133">appetite hormones</a>, increasing our feelings of hunger and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms3259">triggering cravings</a>. So aim to get at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep a night.</p>
<p>Try switching off your devices <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1477153515584979">two hours before bed</a> to boost your body’s secretion of sleep-inducing hormones like melatonin.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-our-brain-needs-sleep-and-what-happens-if-we-dont-get-enough-of-it-83145">Why our brain needs sleep, and what happens if we don’t get enough of it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>6. Managing stress</h2>
<p>Stress increases our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18568078/">body’s production of cortisol</a> and triggers food cravings.</p>
<p>So take time out when you need it and set aside time for stress-relieving activities. This can be as simple as getting outdoors. A <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722/full">2019 study</a> found sitting or walking outdoors at least three times a week could reduce cortisol levels by 21%. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Person walks in house, next to grey dog" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563849/original/file-20231206-23-4atw7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/563849/original/file-20231206-23-4atw7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563849/original/file-20231206-23-4atw7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563849/original/file-20231206-23-4atw7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563849/original/file-20231206-23-4atw7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563849/original/file-20231206-23-4atw7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/563849/original/file-20231206-23-4atw7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Take time out to reduce your stress levels.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/gray-dog-looking-at-the-person-qqpfqFwAyDQ">Evieanna Santiago/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>7. Avoiding depriving ourselves</h2>
<p>When we change our diet to lose weight or eat healthier, we typically restrict certain foods or food groups. </p>
<p>However, this <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18568078/">heightens activity</a> in our mesocorticolimbic circuit – the reward system part of the brain – often resulting in us craving the foods we’re trying to avoid. Foods that give us pleasure release feel-good chemicals called endorphins and learning chemicals called dopamine, which enable us to remember – and give in to – that feel-good response.</p>
<p>When we change our diet, activity in our hypothalamus – the clever part of the brain that regulates emotions and food intake – <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18568078/">also reduces</a>, decreasing our control and judgement. It often triggers a psychological response dubbed the “what-the-hell effect”, when we indulge in something we think we shouldn’t feel guilty about and then go back for even more.</p>
<p>Don’t completely cut out your favourite foods when you go on a diet or deprive yourself if you’re hungry. It will take the pleasure out of eating and eventually you’ll give into your cravings. </p>
<p><em>At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are studying the science of obesity and running clinical trials for weight loss. You can <a href="https://redcap.sydney.edu.au/surveys/?s=RKTXPPPHKY">register here</a> to express your interest.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215808/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Nick Fuller works for the University of Sydney and has received external funding for projects relating to the treatment of overweight and obesity. He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program.</span></em></p>When we change our diet, we disrupt our appetite hormones. Here’s how it works – and how small changes to our diet can help us feel fuller for longer.Nick Fuller, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2052032023-10-31T19:18:21Z2023-10-31T19:18:21ZCan I actually target areas to lose fat, like my belly?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555196/original/file-20231023-17-dj2vz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C74%2C5481%2C3585&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/full-male-runs-on-treadmill-gym-1456626641">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Spend some time scrolling social media and you’re all-but-guaranteed to see an ad promising to help you with targeted fat loss. These ads promote a concept known as “spot reduction”, claiming you can burn fat in a specific body area, usually the belly, with specially designed exercises or workouts. </p>
<p>It’s also common to see ads touting special diets, pills and supplements that will blast fat in targeted areas. These ads – which often feature impressive before and after photos taken weeks apart – can seem believable. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, spot reduction is another weight-loss myth. It’s simply not possible to target the location of fat loss. Here’s why. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/using-bmi-to-measure-your-health-is-nonsense-heres-why-180412">Using BMI to measure your health is nonsense. Here's why</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>1. Our bodies are hardwired to access and burn all our fat stores for energy</h2>
<p>To understand why spot reduction is a myth, it’s important to understand how body fat is stored and used.</p>
<p>The fat stored in our bodies takes the form of triglycerides, which are a type of lipid or fat molecule we can use for energy. Around 95% of the dietary fats <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/triglycerides">we consume are triglycerides</a>, and when we eat, our bodies also convert any unused energy consumed into triglycerides.</p>
<p>Triglycerides are stored in special fat cells called adipocytes, and they’re released into our bloodstream and transported to adipose tissue – tissue we more commonly refer to as body fat.</p>
<p>This body fat is found all over our bodies, but it’s primarily stored as subcutaneous fat under our skin and as visceral fat around our internal organs.</p>
<p>These fat stores serve as a vital energy reserve, with our bodies mobilising to access stored triglycerides to provide energy during periods of prolonged exercise. We also draw on these reserves when we’re dieting and fasting.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Person does button up on tight jeans" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555199/original/file-20231023-21-rf34fu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The fat stores we use for energy come from everywhere on our bodies, not just the belly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-trying-put-on-tight-light-1521248603">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>However, contrary to what many spot-reduction ads would have us think, our muscles can’t directly access and burn specific fat stores when we exercise. </p>
<p>Instead, they use a process called lipolysis to convert triglycerides into free fatty acids and a compound called glycerol, which then travels to our muscles via our bloodstream.</p>
<p>As a result, the fat stores we’re using for energy when we exercise come from everywhere in our bodies – not just the areas we’re targeting for fat loss. </p>
<p>Research reinforces how our bodies burn fat when we exercise, confirming spot reduction is a weight-loss myth. This includes a randomised <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25766455/">12-week clinical trial</a> which found no greater improvement in reducing belly fat between people who undertook an abdominal resistance program in addition to changes in diet compared to those in the diet-only group. </p>
<p>Further, <a href="https://www.termedia.pl/A-proposed-model-to-test-the-hypothesis-of-exerciseinduced-localized-fat-reduction-spot-reduction-including-a-systematic-review-with-meta-analysis,129,45538,0,1.html">a 2021 meta-analysis</a> of 13 studies involving more than 1,100 participants found that localised muscle training had no effect on localised fat deposits. That is, exercising a specific part of the body did not reduce fat in that part of the body.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/7/3845">Studies</a> purporting to show spot-reduction benefits have small numbers of participants with results that aren’t clinically meaningful. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/does-exercise-help-you-lose-weight-198292">Does exercise help you lose weight?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>2. Our bodies decide where we store fat and where we lose it from first</h2>
<p>Factors outside of our control influence the areas and order in which our bodies store and lose fat, namely:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>our genes. Just as DNA prescribes whether we’re short or tall, genetics plays a significant role in how our fat stores are managed. Research shows our genes can account for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24632736/">60% of where fat is distributed</a>. So, if your mum tends to store and lose weight from her face first, there’s a good chance you will, too</p></li>
<li><p>our gender. Our bodies, by nature, have distinct fat storage characteristics <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11706283/">driven by our gender</a>, including females having more fat mass than males. This is primarily because the female body is designed to hold fat reserves to support pregnancy and nursing, with women tending to lose weight from their face, calves and arms first because they impact childbearing the least, while holding onto fat stored around the hips, thighs and buttocks</p></li>
<li><p>our age. The ageing process triggers changes in muscle mass, metabolism, and hormone levels, which can impact where and how quickly fat is lost. Post-menopausal <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-menopause-making-me-put-on-weight-no-but-its-complicated-198308">women</a> and middle-aged <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/sex-differences-in-fat-storage-fat-metabolism-and-the-health-risks-from-obesity-possible-evolutionary-origins/00950AD6710FB3D0414B13EAA67D4327">men</a> tend to store visceral fat around the midsection and find it a stubborn place to shift fat from. </p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-menopause-making-me-put-on-weight-no-but-its-complicated-198308">Is menopause making me put on weight? No, but it's complicated</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>3. Over-the-counter pills and supplements cannot effectively target fat loss</h2>
<p>Most advertising for these pills and dietary supplements – including products claiming to be “the best way to lose belly fat” – will also proudly claim their product’s results are backed by “clinical trials” and “scientific evidence”.</p>
<p>But the reality is a host of independent studies don’t support these claims. </p>
<p>This includes two recent studies by the University of Sydney that examined data from more than 120 placebo-controlled trials of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31984610/">herbal</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33976376/">dietary</a> supplements. None of the supplements examined provided a clinically meaningful reduction in body weight among overweight or obese people.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman takes diet pill" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/555202/original/file-20231023-29-7dt3ul.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Supplements won’t help you target ares weight-loss either.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-woman-taking-tablet-glass-water-1498026977">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The bottom line</h2>
<p>Spot reduction is a myth – we can’t control where our bodies lose fat. But we can achieve the results we’re seeking in specific areas by targeting overall fat loss. </p>
<p>While you may not lose the weight in a specific spot when exercising, all physical activity helps to burn body fat and preserve muscle mass. This will lead to a change in your body shape over time and it will also help you with long-term weight management. </p>
<p>This is because your metabolic rate – how much energy you burn at rest – is determined by how much muscle and fat you carry. As muscle is more metabolically active than fat (meaning it burns more energy than fat), a person with a higher muscle mass will have a faster metabolic rate than someone of the same body weight with a higher fat mass. </p>
<p>Successfully losing fat long term comes down to losing weight in small, manageable chunks you can sustain – periods of weight loss, followed by periods of weight maintenance, and so on, until you achieve your goal weight.</p>
<p>It also requires gradual changes to your lifestyle (diet, exercise and sleep) to ensure you form habits that last a lifetime.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-true-the-faster-you-lose-weight-the-quicker-it-comes-back-heres-what-we-know-about-slow-and-fast-weight-loss-198301">Is it true the faster you lose weight the quicker it comes back? Here's what we know about slow and fast weight loss</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><em>At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are studying the science of obesity and running clinical trials for weight loss. You can <a href="https://redcap.sydney.edu.au/surveys/?s=RKTXPPPHKY">register here</a> to express your interest.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205203/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nick Fuller works for the University of Sydney and has received external funding for projects relating to the treatment of overweight and obesity. He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program.</span></em></p>Ads for targeted fat loss, especially
for belly fat, are everywhere on social media. But is there any evidence to support this type of ‘spot reduction’?Nick Fuller, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2077232023-10-10T21:43:33Z2023-10-10T21:43:33ZWhat is the OMAD diet? Is one meal a day actually good for weight loss? And is it safe?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551627/original/file-20231003-26-odr3p8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=152%2C26%2C5838%2C3449&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-bare-feet-weight-scale-bathroom-785794792">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>What do British Prime Minister <a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/one-meal-a-day-diet-omad">Rishi Sunak</a> and singer <a href="https://theconversation.com/one-meal-a-day-diet-popular-with-celebrities-could-do-more-harm-than-good-heres-why-203086">Bruce Springsteen</a> have in common?</p>
<p>They’re among an ever-growing group of public figures touting the benefits of eating just one meal a day.</p>
<p>As a result, the one meal a day (OMAD) diet is the latest attention-grabbing weight loss trend. Advocates claim it leads to fast, long-term weight loss success and better health, including delaying the ageing process. </p>
<p>Like most weight-loss programs, the OMAD diet makes big and bold promises. Here’s what you need to know about eating one meal a day and what it means for weight loss.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-weight-set-point-and-why-does-it-make-it-so-hard-to-keep-weight-off-195724">What's the 'weight set point', and why does it make it so hard to keep weight off?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The OMAD diet explained</h2>
<p>Essentially, the OMAD diet is a type of intermittent fasting, where you fast for 23 hours and consume all your daily calories in one meal eaten within one hour.</p>
<p>The OMAD diet rules are presented as simple and easy to follow:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You can eat whatever you want, provided it fits on a standard dinner plate, with no calorie restrictions or nutritional guidelines to follow. </p></li>
<li><p>You can drink calorie-free drinks throughout the day (water, black tea and coffee). </p></li>
<li><p>You must follow a consistent meal schedule, eating your one meal around the same time each day.</p></li>
</ol>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Plate of chicken and veggies, next to a cup of dried fruit" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551622/original/file-20231003-25-n2lo07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551622/original/file-20231003-25-n2lo07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551622/original/file-20231003-25-n2lo07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551622/original/file-20231003-25-n2lo07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551622/original/file-20231003-25-n2lo07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551622/original/file-20231003-25-n2lo07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551622/original/file-20231003-25-n2lo07.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The one meal a day diet significantly restricts your calorie intake.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ZjEeMnDiq00">Ella Olsson/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Along with creating a calorie deficit, resulting in weight loss, advocates believe the OMAD diet’s extended fasting period <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2021.771944/full">leads to physiological changes</a> in the body that promote better health, including boosting your metabolism by triggering a process called ketosis, where your body burns stored fat for energy instead of glucose. </p>
<h2>What does the evidence say?</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, research into the OMAD diet is limited. Most studies have examined its impact on <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/pdf/S1550-4131(18)30512-6.pdf">animals</a>, and the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35087416/">primary study</a> with humans involved 11 lean, young people following the OMAD diet for a mere 11 days.</p>
<p>Claims about the OMAD diet typically rely on research into intermittent fasting, rather than on the OMAD diet itself. There is <a href="https://www.cfp.ca/content/66/2/117.short">evidence</a> backing the efficacy of intermittent fasting to achieve weight loss. However, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41574-022-00638-x">most studies</a> have focused on short-term results only, typically considering the results achieved across 12 weeks or less.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/does-it-matter-what-time-of-day-i-eat-and-can-intermittent-fasting-improve-my-health-heres-what-the-science-says-203762">Does it matter what time of day I eat? And can intermittent fasting improve my health? Here's what the science says</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>One <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2114833">longer-term study from 2022</a> randomly assigned 139 patients with obesity to either a calorie-restricted diet with time-restricted eating between 8am and 4pm daily, or to a diet with daily calorie restriction alone for 12 months.</p>
<p>After 12 months, both groups had lost around the same weight and experienced similar changes in body fat, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure. This indicates long-term weight loss achieved with intermittent fasting is not superior and on a par with that achieved by traditional dieting approaches (daily calorie restriction).</p>
<h2>So what are the problems with the OMAD diet?</h2>
<p><strong>1. It can cause nutritional deficiencies and health issues.</strong></p>
<p>The OMAD diet’s lack of nutritional guidance on what to eat for that one meal a day raises many red flags. </p>
<p>The meals we eat every day should include a source of protein balanced with wholegrain carbs, vegetables, fruits, protein and good fats to support <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7071223/">optimum health, disease prevention and weight management</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman shops for groceries" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551625/original/file-20231003-15-4yrdir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551625/original/file-20231003-15-4yrdir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551625/original/file-20231003-15-4yrdir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551625/original/file-20231003-15-4yrdir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551625/original/file-20231003-15-4yrdir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551625/original/file-20231003-15-4yrdir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551625/original/file-20231003-15-4yrdir.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">We’re likely to miss out on key nutrients if we eat one meal a day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-green-shirt-looking-at-her-grocery-list-8422685/">Kampus Production/Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Not eating a balanced diet will result in nutritional deficiencies that can result in poor immune function, fatigue and a decrease in bone density, leading to osteoporosis. </p>
<p>Fasting for 23 hours a day is also likely to lead to extreme feelings of hunger and uncontrollable cravings, which may mean you consistently eat foods that are not good for you when it’s time to eat. </p>
<p><strong>2. It’s unlikely to be sustainable.</strong></p>
<p>You might be able to stick with the OMAD diet initially, but it will wear thin over time. </p>
<p>Extreme diets – especially ones prescribing extended periods of fasting – aren’t enjoyable, leading to feelings of deprivation and social isolation during meal times. It’s hard enough to refuse a piece of office birthday cake at the best of times, imagine how this would feel when you haven’t eaten for 23 hours!</p>
<p>Restrictive eating can also lead to an unhealthy relationship with food, making it even harder to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. </p>
<p><strong>3. Quick fixes don’t work.</strong></p>
<p>Like other popular intermittent fasting methods, the OMAD diet appeals because it’s easy to digest, and the results appear fast. </p>
<p>But the OMAD diet is just another fancy way of cutting calories to achieve a quick drop on the scales. </p>
<p>As your weight falls, things will quickly go downhill when your <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4766925/">body activates its defence mechanisms</a> to defend your weight loss. In fact, it will regain weight – a response that stems from our hunter-gatherer ancestors’ need to survive periods of deprivation when food was scarce.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-it-true-the-faster-you-lose-weight-the-quicker-it-comes-back-heres-what-we-know-about-slow-and-fast-weight-loss-198301">Is it true the faster you lose weight the quicker it comes back? Here's what we know about slow and fast weight loss</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The bottom line</h2>
<p>Despite the hype, the OMAD diet is unsustainable, and it doesn’t result in better weight-loss outcomes than its predecessors. Our old habits creep back in and we find ourselves fighting a cascade of physiological changes to ensure we regain the weight we lost.</p>
<p>Successfully losing weight long-term comes down to:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>losing weight in small manageable chunks you can sustain, specifically periods of weight loss, followed by periods of weight maintenance, and so on, until you achieve your goal weight</p></li>
<li><p>making gradual changes to your lifestyle to ensure you form habits that last a lifetime.</p></li>
</ul>
<p><em>At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are studying the science of obesity and running clinical trials for weight loss. You can <a href="https://redcap.sydney.edu.au/surveys/?s=RKTXPPPHKY">register here</a> to express your interest.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207723/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Nick Fuller works for the University of Sydney and has received external funding for projects relating to the treatment of overweight and obesity. He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program.</span></em></p>Like most weight-loss programs, the OMAD diet makes bold promises – and comes with risks.Nick Fuller, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2096812023-07-13T20:06:13Z2023-07-13T20:06:13ZShould GPs bring up a patient’s weight in consultations about other matters? We asked 5 experts<p>Australian of the Year and body positivity advocate Taryn Brumfitt has <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/doctors-should-avoid-discussing-patient-s-weight-australian-of-the-year-says-20230707-p5dmhv.html">called for</a> doctors to avoid discussing a patient’s weight when they seek care for unrelated matters.</p>
<p>A 15-minute consultation isn’t long enough to provide support to change behaviours, Brumfitt says, and GPs don’t have enough training and expertise to have these complex discussions. </p>
<p>“Many people in larger bodies tell us they have gone to the doctor with something like a sore knee, and come out with a ‘prescription’ for a very restrictive diet, and no ongoing support,” Brumfitt <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/doctors-should-avoid-discussing-patient-s-weight-australian-of-the-year-says-20230707-p5dmhv.html">told the Nine newspapers</a>. </p>
<p>By raising the issue of weight, Brumfitt says, GPs also risk turning patients off seeking care for other health concerns. </p>
<p>So should GPs bring up a patient’s weight in consultations about other matters? We asked 5 experts.</p>
<h2>Three out of five said yes</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537232/original/file-20230713-25-ksqj6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537232/original/file-20230713-25-ksqj6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=138&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537232/original/file-20230713-25-ksqj6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=138&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537232/original/file-20230713-25-ksqj6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=138&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537232/original/file-20230713-25-ksqj6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=174&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537232/original/file-20230713-25-ksqj6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=174&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537232/original/file-20230713-25-ksqj6n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=174&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>Here are their detailed responses:</em></p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-887" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/887/8a1d47185e014ea9461db2c1880afe8687edaa14/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p><em>Disclosure statements: <strong>Brett Montgomery</strong> is a general practitioner. He does not have a specific interest in obesity, but like almost all GPs, he treats many patients who are overweight or obese. He is a fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners; the college’s position statement on obesity prevention and management is linked to from this article. However, Brett writes here as an individual, and not on behalf of any organisation; <strong>Emma Beckett</strong> has received funding for research or consulting from Mars Foods, NHMRC, ARC, AMP Foundation, Kellogg, and the University of Newcastle. She works for Nutrition Research Australia and member of committees/working groups related to nutrition or the Australian Academy of Science, the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Nutrition Society of Australia. Emma has lived experience of GPs bringing up her weight; <strong>Liz Sturgiss</strong> receives funding from NHMRC, RACGP Foundation, National Centre for Healthy Ageing, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation. She is an appointed committee member of the Guidelines Development Committee for the review and update of the Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, Adolescents and Children in Australia and is the co-founder of the RACGP Specific Interest Group in Poverty; <strong>Nick Fuller</strong> works for the University of Sydney and has received external funding for projects relating to the treatment of overweight and obesity. He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program; <strong>Helen Truby</strong> has received funding from the NHMRC, the MRFF, the Commonwealth Department of Health, Health and Wellbeing Qld, Clinical Therapy Research in the Specialist Health Services (KLINBEFORSK, Norway), the Andrea Joy Logan Trust, the Victorian Cancer Agency Health Services Scheme.</em> </p>
<p><em>Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include Helen Truby’s final sentence, which was erroneously cut off during layout.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209681/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
Australian of the year Taryn Brumfitt has called for doctors to avoid raising the issue of weight in consultations about other matters. We asked the experts if they should – or not.Fron Jackson-Webb, Deputy Editor and Senior Health EditorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1804122022-05-01T20:06:32Z2022-05-01T20:06:32ZUsing BMI to measure your health is nonsense. Here’s why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459217/original/file-20220422-11512-xe7de8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=40%2C10%2C6760%2C4527&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>We’re a society obsessed with numbers, and no more so than when managing our health.</p>
<p>We use smartwatches to count steps and track our daily activity, creating scores for our fitness, and monitor our heart rate and sleep quality to measure our health and well-being.</p>
<p>Doctors can be just as obsessed with numbers, relying on measurements and equations to create scores for our health, one of the most popular of which is the Body Mass Index (BMI).</p>
<p>But BMI – a measure of the relationship between your weight and height – is increasingly under scrutiny. More and more experts are questioning its accuracy and health practitioners’ fixation on using it as a single indicator of health and healthy weight. </p>
<p>Here’s everything you need to know about BMI – and why using it as the sole measure of your health is nonsense, starting with a quick history lesson.</p>
<h2>Where did BMI come from, and why is it associated with health?</h2>
<p>The concept of BMI was developed in 1832 (yes, almost 200 years ago!) by Belgian statistician <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17890752/">Lambert Adolphe Quetelet</a>, who was called on to create a description of the “average man” to help the government estimate obesity numbers among the general population.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459220/original/file-20220422-26-jv9qcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Black and white scene of workers in 1895" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459220/original/file-20220422-26-jv9qcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459220/original/file-20220422-26-jv9qcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459220/original/file-20220422-26-jv9qcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459220/original/file-20220422-26-jv9qcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=370&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459220/original/file-20220422-26-jv9qcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459220/original/file-20220422-26-jv9qcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459220/original/file-20220422-26-jv9qcn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">BMI started as a way to describe the average white man in the 1800s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Fast-forward 100 years to the United States, where life insurance companies had started comparing people’s weight to an average population weight for similar individuals to calculate insurance premiums based on a predicted risk of dying.</p>
<p>Annoyed by this somewhat unscientific approach, US physiologist Ancel Keys completed <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0021968172900276">research</a> with 7,000 healthy men using Quetelet’s measure, finding this method was a more accurate and simpler predictor of health that was also inexpensive.</p>
<p>Quetelet’s calculation was subsequently renamed BMI and adopted as a primary indicator of health, thanks to subsequent studies confirming increased risks of heart disease, liver disease, arthritis, some cancers, diabetes and sleep apnoea with increased BMI.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-overweight-obese-bmi-what-does-it-all-mean-7011">Explainer: overweight, obese, BMI – what does it all mean?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Its use soon became widespread, and today, BMI is found everywhere, from the doctor’s surgery to the gym.</p>
<h2>How is BMI measured, and what do the scores mean?</h2>
<p>The BMI formula is simple, and easy to calculate thanks to the many free BMI calculators available online. </p>
<p>To calculate BMI:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>take your weight in kilograms</p></li>
<li><p>to get your index, divide your weight by the square of your height in metres.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Your result classifies you into one of four categories describing your body weight in a single word:</p>
<p>• underweight – a BMI of less than 18.5 </p>
<p>• normal – a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 </p>
<p>• overweight – a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 </p>
<p>• obese – a BMI of 30 or above.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-numbers-dont-have-it-why-measuring-wont-lead-to-better-health-41178">The numbers don't have it: why measuring won't lead to better health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So is BMI an accurate measure of health?</h2>
<p>In short: no.</p>
<p>While BMI is an accessible and affordable way to screen a person’s health, it shouldn’t be relied on as a single measure of health.</p>
<p>Here’s why.</p>
<p><strong>1. BMI misses a more important measure – body fat percentage</strong></p>
<p>BMI is based on body weight, but a person’s disease risk is linked to body fat, not weight.</p>
<p>While body weight can be a proxy for body fat, there’s an important reason it doesn’t always tell an accurate story: muscle is much denser than fat.</p>
<p>Because BMI calculators can’t differentiate fat from muscle, people can be easily misclassified. At the extreme, BMI has classified <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-bmi-an-accurate-way-to-measure-body-fat/">athletes in peak fitness condition</a>, such as sprinter Usain Bolt, as almost overweight, and American footballer Tom Brady as obese.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Usain Bolt on the running track" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459221/original/file-20220422-18-bgxtyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459221/original/file-20220422-18-bgxtyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459221/original/file-20220422-18-bgxtyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459221/original/file-20220422-18-bgxtyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459221/original/file-20220422-18-bgxtyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459221/original/file-20220422-18-bgxtyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459221/original/file-20220422-18-bgxtyw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People with lots of muscle mass are often classed as overweight according to BMI.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>2. BMI does not measure body fat distribution</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/95/4/1777/2597063?login=true">Numerous studies</a> have found people with the same BMI can have very different disease risk profiles, primarily driven by where fat is distributed in their bodies. This is because not all fat is equal.</p>
<p>If you have fat stored around your stomach, your risk of chronic disease is much higher than people who have fat stored around their hips, because this is an indicator of how much visceral fat you have – the type of fat deep inside the belly that <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1464-5491.2011.03503.x">increases your risk</a> of stroke, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.</p>
<p>In white populations, a waist circumference of more than 80cm for women and more than 94cm for men is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease, and for Asian populations it is more than 80cm for women or 90cm for men.</p>
<p><strong>3. BMI does not account for demographic differences</strong></p>
<p>The BMI is something none of us like – racist and sexist.</p>
<p>When Quetelet created and Keys validated BMI, they studied largely male, middle-aged Anglo-Saxon populations. Their method prevails, even though BMI’s calculations and classifications are used universally today.</p>
<p>Our bodies, by nature, have some distinct characteristics driven by our gender, including that females generally have less muscle mass and more fat mass than males. We also know muscle mass decreases and shifts around the body as we age.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/too-fat-too-thin-how-do-you-work-out-your-ideal-weight-52810">Too fat, too thin? How do you work out your ideal weight?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Research has also confirmed significant differences in body weight, composition and disease risk based on ethnicity. This includes <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14726171/">findings from the early 2000s</a> that found on measures for optimum health, people of Asian ethnicity should have a lower BMI, and people of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10578208/">Polynesian ethnicity</a> could be healthier at higher BMIs. </p>
<p>This issue has led to suggested redefined BMI cut-off points for people of Asian ethnicity (where a healthy BMI is less than 23) and Polynesians (where a healthy BMI is less than 26).</p>
<h2>So what should we be using instead?</h2>
<p>To be clear: weight and health are related, with countless studies demonstrating people who are obese or overweight have an <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/648604">increased risk of disease</a>.</p>
<p>But while BMI can be used as a screening tool, it shouldn’t be the only tool relied on to assess a person’s health and healthy weight. </p>
<p>Instead, we need to focus on measures that tell us more about fat in the body and where it’s distributed, measuring weight circumference, waist-to-hip ratios and body fat to get a better understanding of health and risk. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459223/original/file-20220422-22-cal7vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Doctor measuring woman's waist" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459223/original/file-20220422-22-cal7vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459223/original/file-20220422-22-cal7vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459223/original/file-20220422-22-cal7vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459223/original/file-20220422-22-cal7vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459223/original/file-20220422-22-cal7vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459223/original/file-20220422-22-cal7vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459223/original/file-20220422-22-cal7vw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Waist circumference is a better predictor of health than BMI.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We also need to consider the many other ways to measure your health and likelihood of disease, including levels of triglycerides (a type of fat found in your blood), blood pressure, blood glucose (sugar), heart rate, presence of inflammation, and stress levels.</p>
<p>As a single measure, BMI is not a good measure of health – it lacks accuracy and clarity and, in its current form, misses measuring the many important factors that influence your risk of disease.</p>
<p>Although BMI can be a useful starting point for understanding your health, it should never be the only measurement you use.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180412/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Nicholas Fuller works for the University of Sydney and has received external funding for projects relating to the treatment of overweight and obesity. He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program.</span></em></p>BMI was created to describe the average man in the 1800s. It shouldn’t be used to predict health.Nick Fuller, Charles Perkins Centre Research Program Leader, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1300602020-08-04T14:06:06Z2020-08-04T14:06:06ZAre we over weight yet? New guidelines aim to reduce obesity stigma in health care<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/350525/original/file-20200730-35-1be9ksh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=165%2C33%2C4388%2C3643&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">New guidelines for health-care providers advise supporting every individual to achieve their best health, rather than focusing on weight status. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The 2019 report from Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam focused on <a href="https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/corporate/publications/chief-public-health-officer-reports-state-public-health-canada/addressing-stigma-what-we-heard/stigma-eng.pdf">addressing different forms of stigma</a>. Included in the report was one form of stigma — obesity or weight stigma — that has proven remarkably difficult to overcome. We are hoping to change that. </p>
<p>As a <a href="https://obesitycanada.ca/about/everybody/">team of researchers from across Canada</a>, we have previously written about <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-weight-bias-is-harming-us-all-107352">the harm that weight bias causes</a>. Now, and for the first time, we are ensuring that the newly updated <a href="https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.191707">Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines</a> for obesity management include <a href="https://obesitycanada.ca/guidelines/weightbias/">explicit guidance to reduce weight bias and obesity stigma</a> among health professionals and policy-makers. The newly released guidelines also provide information for the public on advocating for change.</p>
<h2>New guidelines reframe weight debate</h2>
<p>With recommendations and key messages aimed at health professionals, policy-makers and people living with obesity, we hope that this guidance will help to reframe the weight debate. Shifting the emphasis from weight to health will help us reduce the prevalence and impact of weight bias and stigma.</p>
<p>The guidance is an important step forward because of the systemic nature of stigma and how different stigmas intersect, as highlighted in Dr. Tam’s report. In the United States, the prevalence of <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.nurpra.2016.05.013">weight-based discrimination has increased by 66 per cent over the past decade, and is comparable to rates of racial discrimination, especially among women</a>. </p>
<h2>Our health-disrupting environment</h2>
<p>Misrepresentations abound that frame obesity as a problem arising from a <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2105%2FAJPH.2009.159491">lack of willpower, or from laziness or greed</a>. We use the language of war, viewing obesity as a battle, or something that needs to be fought. </p>
<p>The danger with this language is that it demonizes obesity and by extension, those experiencing obesity-related complications. This, in turn, affects their care. The new guidance seeks instead to humanize people with obesity, and ensure that they receive appropriate support. </p>
<p>The thing is, it’s not just about obesity. It is now well established that a complex web of factors affect every single one of us, regardless of weight status. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-789x.2009.00611.x">We are all exposed to a health-disrupting environment</a>. This manifests as excess body fatness in some, or as chronic disease markers in others. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Digital blood pressure monitor and cuff" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346998/original/file-20200712-62-qg86xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/346998/original/file-20200712-62-qg86xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346998/original/file-20200712-62-qg86xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346998/original/file-20200712-62-qg86xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346998/original/file-20200712-62-qg86xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346998/original/file-20200712-62-qg86xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/346998/original/file-20200712-62-qg86xo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Recommendations include focusing on positive outcomes such as lower blood pressure, rather than lack of weight loss.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay/Peter Holmes)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>None of us is immune to these powerful environmental prompts. Just like Sisyphus in Greek mythology was doomed to keep pushing a rock up a hill, only for it to roll back down again, our health-disrupting environment means that, as individuals, we are constantly pushing a boulder of health hazards up a ramp of social determinants. </p>
<p>It takes an enormous amount of cognitive effort to adopt and maintain healthy behaviours, such as being active or eating healthy foods, when everything around us is modelling the opposite. In essence, <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-why-child-obesity-rates-have-soared-85638">healthy behaviours are abnormal behaviours within our modern environment and unhealthy behaviours the default</a>.</p>
<p>Furthermore, body weight and energy regulation are <a href="http://obesitycanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/3-The-Science-of-Obesity-v5-with-links-FINAL-1.pdf">significantly controlled by genetics and neural networks, more so than our personal food and exercise choices</a>.</p>
<h2>Supporting health</h2>
<p>Rather than focusing on a person’s weight status, we should turn our attention to supporting every individual to achieve their best health.</p>
<p>Health-care providers, and others, need to: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Become more aware of the biases they hold towards individuals living in large bodies, and ensure that individuals are not defined by their weight status but as a whole person with physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Use <a href="http://obesitycanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Weight-Bias-Person-First-Language_Brief.docx.pdf">person-first language</a> when communicating, as this avoids labelling people by their disease. For example, use “people with obesity” rather than “obese people.” </p></li>
<li><p>Recognize that obesity is a complex chronic disease, that people experience challenges with their weight for many different reasons, and that a one-size-fits-all approach to addressing chronic diseases like obesity is not only unhelpful, it is also harmful.</p></li>
<li><p>Counter the social narrative that consistently conflates health and weight. Weight is not a behaviour and should not be a target for behaviour change interventions.</p></li>
<li><p>Focus on positive changes in health status (such as lower blood pressure or improved mood), or health behaviours that can be modified (e.g., increased vegetable intake) instead of the negative (such as no weight loss).</p></li>
<li><p>Learn to appreciate improvements in health regardless of weight status. Obesity management should not be about how much weight a person can lose or how fast a person can lose weight, but about improving health and well-being.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Dr. Tam notes in her 2019 report that “stigma affects us all. We are all vulnerable to the slow and insidious practice of dehumanizing others and we are all responsible for recognizing and stopping it.” We hope that, by including explicit guidance on reducing weight bias and stigma in the Canadian context, we can help make obesity stigma a thing of the past.</p>
<p><em>The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of Dr. Ximena Ramos Salas, Director of Research and Policy for Obesity Canada, to this article</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130060/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sara FL Kirk receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada. She is a member of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, a board member of Velo Canada Bikes, a not-for-profit that promotes everyday cycling in Canada, and an academic member of Obesity Canada, a national obesity charity, made up of health-care professionals, researchers, policy makers and people with an interest in obesity. She is lead author of the Weight Bias chapter of the revised Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines featured in this article.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Angela Alberga receives funding from les Fonds de Recherche du Québec- Santé, Concordia University and MITACS (in partnership with Obesity Canada and Dairy Farmers of Canada). She is an academic member of The Obesity Society and Obesity Canada, a national obesity charity, made up of health-care professionals, researchers, policy makers and people with an interest in obesity. She is an author of the Weight Bias chapter of the revised Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines featured in this article.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shelly Russell-Mayhew receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). She is an academic member of Obesity Canada, a national obesity charity, made up of health-care professionals, researchers, policy-makers and people with an interest in obesity. She is an author of the Weight Bias chapter of the revised Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines featured in this article.</span></em></p>New Canadian clinical practice guidelines for obesity aim to help reduce the prevalence and impact of weight bias and stigma in clinical care, and also encourage the public to advocate for change.Sara F.L. Kirk, Professor of Health Promotion; Scientific Director of the Healthy Populations Institute, Dalhousie UniversityAngela Alberga, Assistant Professor, Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, Concordia UniversityShelly Russell-Mayhew, Professor and Registered Psychologist, Werklund School of Education, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1340892020-04-01T11:39:24Z2020-04-01T11:39:24ZBe kind to your body on lockdown, look to the diversity of people in the real world<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/324606/original/file-20200401-66148-ddrgol.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C13%2C3055%2C1791&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Looking at diverse images can make people less critical of their bodies.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/multiracial-women-different-height-figure-type-713100184">GoodStudio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the past 30 years, there has been a dramatic increase in body criticism. Most women, and many men, feel dissatisfied with how they look. They feel too small, round, short, spotty, lined… the list goes on. Unsurprisingly, this has lead to an increase in poor self-esteem and low levels of confidence. </p>
<p>One key source of this body criticism is the media (from TV and billboards to social media), which – despite more body diverse campaigns – continues to promote the “thin ideal”. As we all are spending more time at home consuming media and less time moving our bodies, we need to show ourselves more body kindness for the sake of our mental health. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thank-you-bikini-terrorists-for-moving-us-on-from-throwback-diet-ads-now-eachbodysready-40973">Thank you bikini terrorists for moving us on from throwback diet ads – now #eachbodysready</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Thankfully, in recent years there has been a welcome backlash against this approach and a call for greater body diversity in the media.</p>
<p>In our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13548506.2020.1734219">latest study</a> 106 women aged 16 to 30 rated how they felt about their bodies before and after seeing one of three sets of 26 images. The first set was of neutral images of household objects, the second set was of images of a women’s bodies and faces that were far more diverse in terms of size and shape than we usually see, and the third set reflected the more traditional thin-ideal images of women we are so familiar with. </p>
<p>The results showed that seeing the body diversity images made participants less critical of their bodies but more critical of the media’s use of “thin-ideal” images. Simple exposure to greater body diversity had an immediate impact on how they felt about themselves.</p>
<h2>The power of the media</h2>
<p>The media is all-pervasive and bombards us with images through the TV, billboards, films, our computers and our phones. This can result in two key processes without us even knowing it. The first is social comparison as we make unfavourable comparisons between ourselves and the media world. This makes us feel like we have failed, underachieved and are destined to be nobodies. The second is internalisation, whereby we internalise the images and change our mindsets to believe that these are “normal”. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4BKwk8q4H0Y?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p>For body criticism, when we view the all-pervasive and narrow range of “thin-ideal” images of women in the media, our social comparisons tell us we are not good enough and our internalised new normal enables this upward comparison to continue even when the images are no longer there. </p>
<p>Yet the power of the media goes beyond its all-pervasiveness and is exacerbated by a clever sleight of hand. Because the media is everywhere, we think that what we are seeing is everything there is to see. That the news is all the news, the science is all the science and that the culture is all the culture. There is so much of it that it must be all of it. But without knowing it, we are all trapped inside our little echo chambers that simply feeds us more of what we are used to. So we see a very narrow range of images of women because this is what the media uses. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-problem-of-living-inside-echo-chambers-110486">The problem of living inside echo chambers</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>On top of this, we’ve all noticed how the internet watches what we look at and suggests more of the same. This narrows the range of what we consume down even further to create an even more restrictive echo chamber. And, as we never see anything to contradict this media controlled world, we believe that these images are normal – so the downward spiral continues. And when could be a worse time for this to happen, than when the world is in lockdown and our worlds have become the narrowest they have ever been?</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iVJDs9nVbsY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<h2>Exit the echo chamber</h2>
<p>The media needs to promote body diversity more and stop championing one body shape over others. The images we used were from <a href="https://www.theindustry.fashion/rankin-steven-tai-and-stephen-bell-challenge-perceptions-of-beauty-with-portrait-positive-initiative/">Portrait Positive</a>, developed by event organiser Stephen Bell and fashion designer Steven Tai, in 2018. This project aimed to defy traditional beauty perceptions by photographing 16 females with visible body and facial differences and was in support of the leading Changing Faces charity.</p>
<p>Together with the <a href="https://www.bustle.com/articles/165804-15-definitions-of-body-positivity-straight-from-influencers-activists">body positivity movement</a> – and recent campaigns such as those by <a href="https://www.dove.com/uk/stories/campaigns/be-real.html">Dove</a>, <a href="https://www.thisgirlcan.co.uk/">#ThisGirlCan</a> and womenswear company <a href="https://www.elle.com/fashion/shopping/a22658721/aerie-body-positive-customer-experience-store-aeriereal/">Aerie</a> – initiatives like this have challenged the media to move away from their narrow ideals of beauty. </p>
<p>We could also simply look elsewhere for our norms. The media may well bombard us with a narrow idea of beauty, but when we look up from our phones or computers the real world does a wonderful job of body diversity. Out there, there are fatter, thinner, older, younger, balder, hairier, wrinklier, wobblier, bigger-nosed and smaller-mouthed people than anything we will ever see on our screens. </p>
<p>And this is where we should be looking for both our social comparisons and internalisations. Our friends, colleagues, family members and passersby present us with the perfect set of body diversity norms. So when this lockdown ends, if we could remember to look up, rather than down, our range of normality could quickly become broad, unrestricted, healthy and positive again.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/134089/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jane Ogden does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>On your daily walk take in real people. It might make you kinder to your own body during the Coronavirus lockdownJane Ogden, Professor of Health Psychology, University of SurreyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1249942019-10-15T18:58:41Z2019-10-15T18:58:41ZThese 3 factors predict a child’s chance of obesity in adolescence (and no, it’s not just their weight)<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/296995/original/file-20191015-98674-gln5an.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The mother's education level is also a factor.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-mother-boy-portrait-578217337?src=dCwqXkU4i5Hc2wqArE3FgQ-1-51">Brainsil/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Three simple factors can predict whether a child is likely to be overweight or obese by the time they reach adolescence: the child’s body mass index (BMI), the mother’s BMI and the mother’s education level, according to our new research. </p>
<p>The study, published in the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-019-0457-2">International Journal of Obesity</a>, found these three factors predicted whether children of all sizes either developed weight problems or resolved them by age 14-15, with around 70% accuracy. </p>
<p>One in four Australian adolescents is overweight or obese. This means they’re <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-019-0461-6">likely to be obese in adulthood</a>, placing them at <a href="https://www.who.int/gho/ncd/en/">higher risk</a> of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer. </p>
<p>Combining these three factors may help clinicians target care to those most at risk of becoming obese in adolescence.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-one-in-four-aussie-kids-are-overweight-or-obese-were-failing-them-and-we-need-a-plan-114005">More than one in four Aussie kids are overweight or obese: we're failing them, and we need a plan</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Targeting care to those who need it</h2>
<p>GPs are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18953227">well placed to both prevent and treat</a> excess weight and obesity. But time constraints make it difficult. Few parents make appointments to address concerns about weight, so most counselling occurs in the context of a visit for something else.</p>
<p>It’s also difficult for GPs to know which children might need this counselling. GPs don’t want to offer treatment to the overweight or obese child who is going to <a href="https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/135/2/e292">grow out it</a>. Nor do they want to raise the topic of excess weight to a child who is in the normal weight range, without good reason. </p>
<p>Targeting care, whether treatment or prevention, to those who really need it avoids wasting resources and harm from over-treating children who will grow out of their weight issues. But until now, we haven’t been able to predict on the spot who these children are.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/weighing-kids-at-school-has-more-pros-than-cons-but-the-reasons-may-surprise-you-100387">Weighing kids at school has more pros than cons but the reasons may surprise you</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Our study</h2>
<p>We set out to determine whether simple factors, such as those available to GPs in a standard appointment, could accurately predict which normal-weight children were likely to become overweight or obese, and which heavy children were likely to resolve to a normal weight by adolescence. </p>
<p>By drawing on the <a href="https://growingupinaustralia.gov.au/sites/default/files/tp1.pdf">Longitudinal Study of Australian Children</a>, we considered this question in close to 7,000 children. Children were recruited in 2004 at 0-12 months or four to five years of age and followed up every two years, across six time points, to age 10-11 and 14-15 years respectively.</p>
<p>At each time point, interviewers measured children’s height and weight (except 0-12 months), and parents reported their height and weight, allowing us to calculate their BMI.</p>
<p>We also selected 23 other obesity-related factors clinicians could readily ask in a routine appointment. These included historical factors – such as the child’s birth weight, duration of breastfeeding, mode of delivery and the mother’s education levels – and questions about how often they ate high-fat foods and sugary drinks, their enjoyment of physical activity, and levels of disadvantage in their neighbourhood. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297017/original/file-20191015-98653-cq4opd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297017/original/file-20191015-98653-cq4opd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297017/original/file-20191015-98653-cq4opd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297017/original/file-20191015-98653-cq4opd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297017/original/file-20191015-98653-cq4opd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297017/original/file-20191015-98653-cq4opd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/297017/original/file-20191015-98653-cq4opd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The researchers also looked at how often the children ate high-fat food.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/two-years-old-boy-eating-french-143265838?src=iWBJf5n4eZ_ujohkR_vV6A-1-13">Romrodphoto/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other studies have tended to look at these factors in isolation or to examine predictive factors at a single time point. We were able to look at the combined effects of all the questions across all the time points throughout childhood.</p>
<h2>What did we find?</h2>
<p>Three consistent factors in both age groups predicted the development or resolution of weight problems by adolescence: the mother’s BMI, the child’s BMI and the mother’s level of education. </p>
<p>For every one unit increase in the child’s BMI at age six to seven, the odds of developing weight problems at 14-15 rose three-fold. It also halved the odds of the weight issues resolving. </p>
<p>Similarly, for every one unit increase of the mother’s BMI when the child was aged six to seven, the chance of the child developing weight problems by 14-15 increased by 5%. The odds of weight issues resolving decreased by 10%. </p>
<p>In addition, at two to five years of age, children whose mothers had a university degree had lower odds of being overweight or obese. For children who were already overweight or obese at two to five, those whose mothers had a university degree were more likely to have their weight issues resolved by adolescence.</p>
<p>Together, these three factors were around 70% accurate in predicting both the development and resolution of weight problems. </p>
<p>Only 13% of normal-weight six to seven year olds, with none of these three risk factors, became overweight or obese by age 14-15. </p>
<p>In contrast, 71% of those with all three risk factors became overweight or obese. </p>
<h2>How could these findings improve care?</h2>
<p>Unlike genetic information or blood tests, these three factors are available on the spot. And despite their apparent simplicity, they include a complex mix of genetic, environmental and lifestyle information about our health. This data is impossible to measure accurately in a brief – or even long – doctor’s appointment. </p>
<p>These three questions may help health practitioners target treatment to high-risk children.</p>
<p>Of course, even if we can accurately identify children at risk of becoming overweight or obese, we still lack effective prevention methods. Lifestyle interventions, such as counselling to improve the quality of their diet and increase physical activity, remain the first choices. However, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27621413">effectiveness of these interventions is limited</a>. We urgently need more effective tools to prevent and manage excess weight and obesity in children. </p>
<p>If you’re concerned about your child’s weight, <a href="https://www.rch.org.au/weight-management/management/#children-familes">speak to a professional</a> such as a dietitian, GP or paediatrician. They can also help manage other conditions that can accompany obesity, such as anxiety and high blood pressure.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/five-things-parents-can-do-to-improve-their-childrens-eating-patterns-95370">Five things parents can do to improve their children's eating patterns</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/124994/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Lycett receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the National Heart Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anneke Grobler receives funding from the Thrasher Research Fund, MRFF and RCH foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Markus Juonala and Melissa Wake do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>One in four Australians is overweight or obese by the time they reach adolescence, but it’s difficult to predict who is at risk. These three questions can help.Kate Lycett, Senior Research Officer, Deakin University; Honorary Fellow, The University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children's Research InstituteAnneke Grobler, Statistician, Murdoch Children's Research InstituteMarkus Juonala, Professor of Internal Medicine, University of TurkuMelissa Wake, Paediatrician and Director of Generation Victoria (GenV) , Murdoch Children's Research InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1237552019-10-08T18:58:14Z2019-10-08T18:58:14ZNo, serving sizes on food labels don’t tell us how much we should eat<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295918/original/file-20191007-121056-1rczji9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Standard serving sizes are anything but standard.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines.pdf">Australian Guide to Healthy Eating</a> sets out how much we should eat from each of the food groups. If we eat the recommended number of “standard serves” from each food group for our age and sex, it puts us in a good position to have a healthy, balanced diet. </p>
<p>But what is a <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/serve-sizes">standard serve</a>? And does it match what’s on our food labels?</p>
<h2>Standard serves</h2>
<p>Despite the name, standard serves are not very standard, even in the <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/n55_australian_dietary_guidelines.pdf">Australian Guide to Healthy Eating</a>. Serves can be described by energy (kilojoules or kJ for short) contained in a serve, units of food such as “one medium apple”, or “one slice of bread”, by weight, or by volumes like a cup. </p>
<hr>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/food-as-medicine-why-do-we-need-to-eat-so-many-vegetables-and-what-does-a-serve-actually-look-like-76149">Food as medicine: why do we need to eat so many vegetables and what does a serve actually look like?</a>
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<p><a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/serve-sizes">A “serve”</a> is also different between each of the food groups and even within the food groups.</p>
<p>One serve of grains is about 500kJ. That’s one English muffin but only half a bread roll. Or it could be half a cup of porridge, one-quarter of a cup of muesli, or three-quarters of a cup of wheat cereal flakes. </p>
<p>One serve of dairy is 500-600kJ, which could be one cup of milk, but is only three-quarters of a cup of yoghurt, or a half cup of ricotta cheese. Hard cheeses are defined by slices, with two slices to a serve, assuming each slice is about 20g. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295929/original/file-20191008-128705-npf3zt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295929/original/file-20191008-128705-npf3zt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295929/original/file-20191008-128705-npf3zt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=704&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295929/original/file-20191008-128705-npf3zt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=704&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295929/original/file-20191008-128705-npf3zt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=704&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295929/original/file-20191008-128705-npf3zt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=884&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295929/original/file-20191008-128705-npf3zt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=884&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295929/original/file-20191008-128705-npf3zt.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=884&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Australia’s Guide to Healthy Eating outlines the number of serves we need each day to stay healthy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/The%20Guidelines/n55g_adult_brochure.pdf">eatforhealth.gov.au</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Serves on food labels</h2>
<p>Nearly all packaged foods in Australia have nutrition information panels. These include information meant to help us make better food choices. </p>
<p>The exact information depends on the food. But they have to at least include how much energy (kJ), protein, fat (total and saturated), carbohydrates (total and sugars) and salt (sodium) is in the product. These contents are always listed twice, per 100g (100mL for liquids) and <em>per serving</em>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295920/original/file-20191007-121060-1i5byfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295920/original/file-20191007-121060-1i5byfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295920/original/file-20191007-121060-1i5byfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295920/original/file-20191007-121060-1i5byfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295920/original/file-20191007-121060-1i5byfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295920/original/file-20191007-121060-1i5byfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295920/original/file-20191007-121060-1i5byfh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The manufacturer sets the food label’s serving size.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/1480983944?size=huge_jpg">Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>But the serving on the label has nothing to do with the standard serves in the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. The serving size on the label is not a recommendation on how much you should eat – it is decided by the manufacturer. It’s based on how much they expect a person to typically eat, or the unit size the product is eaten in. </p>
<p>This could be <em>very</em> different to a standard serve. For example, the labelled serving size on a chocolate bar might be “one bar” – 53g of chocolate containing 1,020kJ. But the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating says a serve is <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/nhsc-guidelines%7Eaus-guide-healthy-eating">half a small bar</a> (25g) or about 600kJ, and it’s recommended we limit discretionary food (junk food) to <a href="https://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/australian-dietary-guidelines-standard-serves">one serve per day</a>.</p>
<h2>Comparing serving sizes between brand and package sizes</h2>
<p>In Australia, there are no rules about how these serving sizes are set. A serving might not be the same in similar products, or in different brands of the same product. </p>
<p>This can make products hard to compare. The serving size of a soy sauce in one brand, for example, could be one-tenth of a soy sauce made by another company. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fat-free-and-100-natural-seven-food-labelling-tricks-exposed-25143">Fat free and 100% natural: seven food labelling tricks exposed</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>To add to the confusion, a serving also doesn’t necessarily reflect portion size: how much a person consumes in a meal or sitting.</p>
<p>A 250g packet of microwave white rice, for example, might be labelled as having two 125g servings. This is because the manufacturer expects it to serve two people. But one of those labelled servings is almost two standard serves of grains.</p>
<p>To make it even more confusing, in the same brand of rice, a 450g family pack could be labelled as having four serves, with each serve 112g. That’s 10% smaller than the serving size in the smaller packet. But it assumes a family of four could split the pack between them in a meal. So, in this package, one labelled serving size would be the equivalent of about 1.7 standard serves of grains. </p>
<h2>How serves on labels impact our food choices</h2>
<p>Even though labelled serving sizes are not related to standard serves or the recommended amounts that should be eaten, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666315003785">research shows</a> consumers often interpret the labelled servings as being recommendations for portion size or for following dietary guidelines.</p>
<p>Studies show the listed serving size impacts how much people choose to eat. Larger serving sizes on labels can make it appear that a large serve is recommended, leading to people eating or serving themselves more. This has been shown with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666315003785">several foods</a>, including cookies, cereal, lasagne and cheese crackers. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295921/original/file-20191007-121065-r43p37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/295921/original/file-20191007-121065-r43p37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295921/original/file-20191007-121065-r43p37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295921/original/file-20191007-121065-r43p37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=353&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295921/original/file-20191007-121065-r43p37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295921/original/file-20191007-121065-r43p37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/295921/original/file-20191007-121065-r43p37.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A larger serving size on the lasagne label might mean you’re likely to eat more of it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/736145572?size=huge_jpg">Stockcreations/shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>But for some foods, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666316300848">like lollies</a>, larger serving sizes can make them look less healthy, leading to reduced consumption or smaller portion sizes. This is likely because the large number of kilojoules stands out in the per serving data.</p>
<h2>So what should you do?</h2>
<p>Because serving sizes can vary by product and manufacturer, it’s easiest to use the per 100g or 100mL information, instead of the per serve information when comparing products. But think about the actual weight or volume you will consumer when you consider how it fits your daily intakes. </p>
<p>The recommended diet for the average adult is based on <a href="http://www.mydailyintake.net/daily-intake-levels/">eating 8,700kJ</a> of energy per day. To get this much energy from a balanced diet, that’s 50g protein, 70g fat and 310g carbohydrates. We also want to aim for 24g or less of saturated fats, and 30g or more of fibre. </p>
<p>But needs will differ by life stage, activity level, sex, your current weight and your weight goals. There are <a href="https://www.8700.com.au/kj-explained/your-ideal-figure/">online calculators</a> to estimate your requirements. </p>
<p>Memorising serving sizes and guidelines can be hard. To make it easy, you can print a copy of the <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/guidelines/australian-guide-healthy-eating">Australian Guide to Healthy Eating food groups</a> and <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/serve-sizes">serving sizes</a> to keep where you can see them when preparing food. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-how-to-work-out-how-much-food-you-should-eat-30894">Health Check: how to work out how much food you should eat</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123755/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Beckett receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the AMP Foundation. She has consulted for Kelloggs Australia. She is a member of the Nutrition Society of Australia, the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology and the Early and Mid Career Researcher Forum Executive. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tamara Bucher has received research funding from government and non-government organisations and industry. Funding sources include the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Foundation for Nutrition Research, the European Commission, the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Walter Hochstrasser Stiftung, Nestlé S.A., SafeFood UK, Goodman Fielder and Rijk Zwaan Australia. She is a member of the Nutrition Society of Australia and the International Society for Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity.</span></em></p>When a manufacturer lists a serving size on their food label, it’s based on their expectations of what you’ll eat, not what the dietary guidelines recommend.Emma Beckett, Lecturer (Food Science and Human Nutrition), School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of NewcastleTamara Bucher, Senior Researcher, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1200802019-08-27T20:12:51Z2019-08-27T20:12:51ZThe science behind diet trends like mono, charcoal detox, Noom and Fast800<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289561/original/file-20190827-184234-oxa0m3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C7348%2C4912&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mono dieters restrict their intake to one food or food group per day.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/247502347?src=-1-90&size=huge_jpg">Alliance Images/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every year a new batch of diets become trendy. In the past, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/blood-type-pioppi-gluten-free-and-mediterranean-which-popular-diets-are-fads-104867">blood group</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/do-ketogenic-diets-help-you-lose-weight-81810">ketogenic</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/blood-type-pioppi-gluten-free-and-mediterranean-which-popular-diets-are-fads-104867">Pioppi and gluten-free</a> diets were among the most popular. These have made way for the mono diet, charcoal detox, Noom, time-restricted feeding and Fast800. </p>
<p>So what are these new diets and is there any scientific evidence to support them? </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-six-tips-for-losing-weight-without-fad-diets-52496">Health Check: six tips for losing weight without fad diets</a>
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<h2>1. Mono diet</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monotrophic_diet">monotrophic or mono diet</a> limits food intake to just one food group such as meat or fruit, or one individual food like potato or chicken, each day. </p>
<p>The mono diet has no scientific basis and no research has been done on it. It’s definitely a fad and should not be followed.</p>
<p>It leads to weight loss because your food intake is so limited (one food per day) that you get sick of that food very quickly and so automatically achieve a reduced kilojoule intake. </p>
<p>If you ate three apples at each main meal and had another three as between-meal snacks then your total kilojoule intake from the 12 apples would be about 4,000 kilojoules (950 calories). </p>
<p>The mono diet is nutritionally inadequate. The nutrients most deficient will depend on the individual foods consumed, but if you follow the mono diet long term, you would eventually develop vitamin and mineral deficiencies.</p>
<h2>2. Charcoal detox</h2>
<p>The charcoal detox diet claims to help people lose weight by “detoxing” them. It involves periods of fasting and consumption of tea or juice drinks that contain charcoal. </p>
<p>It is definitely <em>not</em> recommended. </p>
<p>Medical professionals use <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482294/">activated charcoal</a> to treat patients who have been poisoned or have overdosed on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3766051">specific medications</a>. Charcoal can bind to some compounds and remove them from the body. </p>
<p>There is no scientific evidence to support the use of charcoal as a weight loss strategy. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289564/original/file-20190827-184207-14mp4xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289564/original/file-20190827-184207-14mp4xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289564/original/file-20190827-184207-14mp4xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289564/original/file-20190827-184207-14mp4xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289564/original/file-20190827-184207-14mp4xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289564/original/file-20190827-184207-14mp4xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289564/original/file-20190827-184207-14mp4xl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Avoid the charcoal detox diet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/699336109?src=-1-0&size=medium_jpg">Andasea/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/five-supplements-that-claim-to-speed-up-weight-loss-and-what-the-science-says-89856">Five supplements that claim to speed up weight loss – and what the science says</a>
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<p>Charcoal detox plans also include dietary restrictions or fasts, so people might lose weight because they’re consuming fewer kilojoules. </p>
<p>Charcoal is not selective. It can bind to some medications and nutrients, as well as toxic substances, so there is the potential for charcoal to trigger nutrient deficiencies and/or make some medications less effective. </p>
<p>Side-effects of using charcoal <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10584586">include nausea and constipation</a>.</p>
<h2>3. Noom diet</h2>
<p>The Noom diet isn’t actually a diet at all. It is a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27819345">smartphone app called Noom Coach</a> that focuses on behaviour change techniques to assist with weight loss. It allows users to monitor their eating and physical activity, and provides support and feedback. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/xpGKfFJZrA","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>The Noom diet does not provide a diet plan, but it gets users to record within the app, all foods and drinks consumed. It then uses a traffic light system (red, yellow, green) to indicate how healthy the foods are. </p>
<p>One advantage of Noom is that is doesn’t eliminate any foods or food groups, and it encourages healthy lifestyle behaviour change to assist with weight loss. </p>
<p>A disadvantage is that while you can download the app for a free short-term trial, membership is <a href="https://web.noom.com/support/support-question-topic/my-account/2018/03/what-are-my-purchase-options/">about A$50 per month for four months</a>. And additional services cost extra. So consider whether this approach suits your budget.</p>
<p>One study has examined the app’s effectiveness. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27819345">In a cohort of 35,921 Noom app users over 18 months</a>, almost 78% reported a reduction in body weight. About 23% of these people reported losing more than 10% of their body weight. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-should-you-weigh-yourself-regularly-92177">Health Check: should you weigh yourself regularly?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<p>Although the data are observational and don’t compare Noom app users to a control group, the results are promising. </p>
<p>In other weight-loss interventions in adults at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, researchers found losing 5-10% body weight and being active for about 30 minutes a day <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22020084">lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than 50%</a>.</p>
<h2>4. Time-restricted feeding</h2>
<p>Time-restricted feeding is a type of intermittent fast that involves restricting the time of day that you are “allowed” to eat. This typically means eating in a window lasting <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27304506">four to ten hours</a>. </p>
<p>While energy-restriction during this period is not a specific recommendation, it happens as a consequence of eating only during a shorter period of time than usual. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289568/original/file-20190827-184252-16v3nre.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289568/original/file-20190827-184252-16v3nre.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289568/original/file-20190827-184252-16v3nre.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289568/original/file-20190827-184252-16v3nre.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289568/original/file-20190827-184252-16v3nre.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289568/original/file-20190827-184252-16v3nre.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289568/original/file-20190827-184252-16v3nre.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It’s unclear whether weight loss results from changes in the body after you fast, or if it’s just because you can’t eat as much in a short period of time.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/1278900526?src=-1-49&size=medium_jpg">Best_nj/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The difference between time-restricted feeding compared to other intermittent fasting strategies is that recent research suggests <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31023390">some metabolic benefits are initiated</a> following a fasting period that lasts for 16 hours, as opposed to a typical overnight fast of ten to 12 hours. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-whats-the-best-diet-for-weight-loss-21557">Health Check: what's the best diet for weight loss?</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<p>Researchers have reported <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31023390">some promising effects on the amount of body fat, insulin sensitivity and blood cholesterol</a> with time-restricted feeding windows, although some studies have reported benefits for weight <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29951594">but not for fat mass, blood cholesterol</a> or markers of type 2 diabetes risk. </p>
<p>Further research is required to determine whether any health effects of time-restricted feeding are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31023390">due to regular 16-hour fasting periods</a>, or simply because eating over a small time window reduces energy intake. </p>
<p>If this approach helps you get started on a healthy lifestyle and your GP gives you the all clear, then try it. You will need to follow up with some permanent changes to your lifestyle so your food and physical activity patterns are improved in the long term.</p>
<h2>5. Fast800</h2>
<p>The Fast800 diet by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Mosley_(broadcaster)">Dr Michael Mosley</a> encourages a daily intake of just 800 calories (about 3,350 kilojoules) during the initial intensive phase of the <a href="https://thebloodsugardiet.com/">Blood Sugar Diet</a>. </p>
<p>This lasts for up to eight weeks and is supposed to help you rapidly lose weight and improve your blood sugar levels. You can buy the book for about A$20 or pay A$175 for a 12-week online program that says it includes a personal assessment, recipes, physical and mindfulness exercises, tools, access to experts, an online community, information for your doctor and advice for long-term healthy living. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289571/original/file-20190827-184229-1nfgbs2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289571/original/file-20190827-184229-1nfgbs2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289571/original/file-20190827-184229-1nfgbs2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=305&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289571/original/file-20190827-184229-1nfgbs2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=305&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289571/original/file-20190827-184229-1nfgbs2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=305&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289571/original/file-20190827-184229-1nfgbs2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289571/original/file-20190827-184229-1nfgbs2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289571/original/file-20190827-184229-1nfgbs2.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Michael Mosley’s diet program is based on a very low daily energy intake.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://thefast800.com/">Screenshot of https://thefast800.com/</a></span>
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<p>Two recent studies provide some evidence that supports these claims: the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29221645">DiRECT</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30257983">DROPLET</a> trials. </p>
<p>In these studies, GPs prescribed patients who were obese and/or had type 2 diabetes an initial diet of 800 calories, using formulated meal replacements. This initial phase was followed by a gradual reintroduction of food. Participants also received structured support to help them maintain the weight loss. </p>
<p>Both studies compared the intervention to a control group who received either usual care or treatment using best practice guidelines. </p>
<p>They found participants in the 800 calorie groups lost more weight and more of the adults with type 2 diabetes achieved remission than the control groups. </p>
<p>This is what you would expect, given the intervention was very intensive and included a very low total daily energy intake. </p>
<p>But the low energy intake can make the Fast800 difficult to stick to. It can also be challenging to get enough nutrients, so protocols need to be carefully followed and any recommended nutrient supplements taken. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-fasting-diets-and-do-they-help-you-lose-weight-76644">What are 'fasting' diets and do they help you lose weight?</a>
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<p>Fast800 is not suitable for people with a history of eating disorders or health conditions such as liver disease. So if you’re considering it, talk to your GP. </p>
<p>When it comes to weight loss, there are no magic tricks that guarantee success. Have a health check up with your GP, focus on making healthy lifestyle changes and if you need more support, ask to be referred to an <a href="https://daa.asn.au/find-an-apd/">accredited practising dietitian</a>.</p>
<p><em>If you would like to learn more about weight loss, you can enrol in our free online course <a href="https://www.edx.org/course/the-science-of-weight-loss-dispelling-diet-myths-2">The Science of Weight Loss – Dispelling Diet Myths</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/120080/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clare Collins is affiliated with the Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, the University of Newcastle, NSW. She is an NHMRC Senior Research and Gladys M Brawn Research Fellow. She has received research grants from NHMRC, ARC, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Meat and Livestock Australia, Diabetes Australia, Heart Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, nib foundation, Rijk Zwaan Australia and Greater Charitable Foundation. She has consulted to SHINE Australia, Novo Nordisk, Quality Bakers, the Sax Institute and the ABC. She was a team member conducting systematic reviews to inform the Australian Dietary Guidelines update and the Heart Foundation evidence reviews on meat and dietary patterns.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lee Ashton is affiliated with the Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Williams is affiliated with the Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia. </span></em></p>Diets like mono, charcoal detox, Noom, time-restricted feeding and Fast800 are growing in popularity. Here’s what the evidence says about them.Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of NewcastleLee Ashton, Postdoctoral research fellow, University of NewcastleRebecca Williams, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1089942019-01-17T02:49:37Z2019-01-17T02:49:37ZHow to feed a growing population healthy food without ruining the planet<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/253485/original/file-20190112-43529-sfajtu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">For many of us, a better diet means eating more fruit and vegetables.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">iStock</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If we’re serious about feeding the world’s growing population healthy food, and not ruining the planet, we need to get used to a new style of eating. This includes cutting our Western meat and sugar intakes by around 50%, and doubling the amount of nuts, fruits, vegetables and legumes we consume. </p>
<p>These are the findings our the <a href="https://eatforum.org/eat-lancet-commission/">EAT-Lancet Commission</a>, released today. The Commission brought together 37 leading experts in nutrition, agriculture, ecology, political sciences and environmental sustainability, from 16 countries. </p>
<p>Over two years, we mapped the links between food, health and the environment and formulated global targets for healthy diets and sustainable food production. This includes five specific strategies to achieve them through global cooperation.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-conserve-half-the-planet-without-going-hungry-100642">How to conserve half the planet without going hungry</a>
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<p>Right now, we produce, ship, eat and waste food in a way that is a lose-lose for both people and planet – but we can flip this trend. </p>
<h2>What’s going wrong with our food supply?</h2>
<p>Almost <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)33179-9/fulltext?utm_campaign=tleat19&utm_source=hub_page">one billion people</a> lack sufficient food, yet more than two billion suffer from obesity and food-related diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. </p>
<p>The foods causing these health epidemics – combined with the way we produce our food – are pushing our planet to the brink. </p>
<p>One-third of the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change come from food production. Our global food system leads to extensive deforestation and species extinction, while depleting our oceans, and fresh water resources. </p>
<p>To make matters worse, we lose or throw away around one-third of all food produced. That’s enough to feed the world’s hungry four times over, every year. </p>
<p>At the same time, our food systems are at risk due to environmental degradation and climate change. These food systems are essential to providing the diverse, high-quality foods we all consume every day.</p>
<h2>A radical new approach</h2>
<p>To improve the health of people and the planet, we’ve developed a “planetary health diet” which is globally applicable – irrespective of your geographic, economic or cultural background – and locally adaptable. </p>
<p>The diet is a “flexitarian” approach to eating. It’s largely composed of vegetables and fruits, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and unsaturated oils. It includes high-quality meat, dairy and sugar, but in quantities far lower than are consumed in many wealthier societies. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254251/original/file-20190117-24622-1kfgfu7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254251/original/file-20190117-24622-1kfgfu7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254251/original/file-20190117-24622-1kfgfu7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254251/original/file-20190117-24622-1kfgfu7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254251/original/file-20190117-24622-1kfgfu7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254251/original/file-20190117-24622-1kfgfu7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254251/original/file-20190117-24622-1kfgfu7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=536&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many of us need to eat more veggies and less red meat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/66444844?src=DWsZglmLcVdyYvBkzI_fYw-2-53&size=huge_jpg">Joshua Resnick/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The planetary health diet consists of:</p>
<ul>
<li>vegetables and fruit (550g per day per day)</li>
<li>wholegrains (230 grams per day)</li>
<li>dairy products such as milk and cheese (250g per day)</li>
<li>protein sourced from plants, such as lentils, peas, nuts and soy foods (100 grams per day)</li>
<li>small quantities of fish (28 grams per day), chicken (25 grams per day) and red meat (14 grams per day)</li>
<li>eggs (1.5 per week)</li>
<li>small quantities of fats (50g per day) and sugar (30g per day).</li>
</ul>
<p>Of course, some populations don’t get nearly enough animal-source foods necessary for growth, cognitive development and optimal nutrition. Food systems in these regions need to improve access to healthy, high-quality diets for all.</p>
<p>The shift is radical but achievable – and is possible without any expansion in land use for agriculture. Such a shift will also see us reduce the amount of water used during production, while reducing nitrogen and phosphorous usage and runoff. This is critical to safeguarding land and ocean resources.</p>
<p>By 2040, our food systems should begin soaking up greenhouse emissions – rather than being a net emitter. Carbon dioxide emissions must be down to zero, while methane and nitrous oxide emissions be kept in close check. </p>
<h2>How to get there</h2>
<p>The commission outlines five implementable strategies for a food transformation:</p>
<p><strong>1. Make healthy diets the new normal – leaving no-one behind</strong></p>
<p>Shift the world to healthy, tasty and sustainable diets by investing in better public health information and implementing supportive policies. Start with kids – <a href="https://theconversation.com/lessons-for-australia-from-us-reversal-of-childhood-obesity-17895">much can happen by changing school meals</a> to form healthy and sustainable habits, early on. </p>
<p>Unhealthy food outlets and their <a href="https://theconversation.com/lets-untangle-the-murky-politics-around-kids-and-food-and-ditch-the-guilt-108328">marketing</a> must be restricted. Informal markets and street vendors should also be encouraged to sell healthier and more sustainable food.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lets-untangle-the-murky-politics-around-kids-and-food-and-ditch-the-guilt-108328">Let's untangle the murky politics around kids and food (and ditch the guilt)</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>2. Grow what’s best for both people and planet</strong></p>
<p>Realign food system priorities for people and planet so agriculture becomes a leading contributor to sustainable development rather than the largest driver of environmental change. Examples include:</p>
<ul>
<li>incorporating organic farm waste into soils</li>
<li>drastically reducing tillage where soil is turned and churned to prepare for growing crops</li>
<li>investing more in <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/agroforestry-28625">agroforestry</a>, where trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland to increase biodiversity and reduce erosion</li>
<li>producing a more diverse range of foods in circular farming systems that protect and enhance biodiversity, rather than farming single crops or livestock. </li>
</ul>
<p>The measure of success in this area is that agriculture one day becomes a carbon sink, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254252/original/file-20190117-24610-c2mry9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254252/original/file-20190117-24610-c2mry9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254252/original/file-20190117-24610-c2mry9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254252/original/file-20190117-24610-c2mry9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254252/original/file-20190117-24610-c2mry9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254252/original/file-20190117-24610-c2mry9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254252/original/file-20190117-24610-c2mry9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Technology can help us make better use of our farmlands.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/444821332?src=8kjUOSQVrONtC72COeVR1w-1-27&size=huge_jpg">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>3. Produce more of the right food, from less</strong></p>
<p>Move away from producing “more” food towards producing “better food”.</p>
<p>This means using sustainable “<a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/agroecology-8461">agroecological</a>” practices and emerging technologies, such as applying micro doses of fertiliser via GPS-guided tractors, or improving drip irrigation and using drought-resistant food sources to get more “crop per drop” of water.</p>
<p>In animal production, reformulating feed to make it more nutritious would allow us to reduce the amount of grain and therefore land needed for food. Feed additives such as algae are also being developed. <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)33179-9/fulltext?utm_campaign=tleat19&utm_source=hub_page">Tests show</a> these can reduce methane emissions by up to 30%.</p>
<p>We also need to redirect subsidies and other incentives to currently under-produced crops that underpin healthy diets – notably, fruits, vegetables and nuts – rather than crops whose overconsumption drives poor health.</p>
<p><strong>4. Safeguard our land and oceans</strong></p>
<p>There is essentially no additional land to spare for further agricultural expansion. Degraded land must be restored or reforested. Specific strategies for curbing biodiversity loss include keeping half of the current global land area for nature, while sharing space on cultivated lands.</p>
<p>The same applies for our oceans. We need to protect the marine ecosystems fisheries depend on. Fish stocks must be kept at sustainable levels, while aquaculture – which <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)33179-9/fulltext?utm_campaign=tleat19&utm_source=hub_page">currently provides more than 40%</a> of all fish consumed – must incorporate “circular production”. This includes strategies such as sourcing protein-rich feeds from insects grown on food waste.</p>
<p><strong>5. Radically reduce food losses and waste</strong></p>
<p>We need to more than halve our food losses and waste.</p>
<p>Poor harvest scheduling, careless handling of produce and inadequate cooling and storage are some of the reasons why food is lost. Similarly, consumers must start throwing less food away. This means being more conscious about portions, better consumer understanding of “best before” and “use by” labels, and embracing the opportunities that lie in leftovers.</p>
<p>Circular food systems that innovate new ways to reduce or eliminate waste through reuse will also play a significant role and will additionally open new business opportunities.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-communities-are-fighting-food-waste-with-circular-economies-64424">Australian communities are fighting food waste with circular economies</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>For significant transformation to happen, all levels of society must be engaged, from individual consumers to policymakers and everybody along the food supply chain. These changes will not happen overnight, and they are not the responsibility of a handful of stakeholders. When it comes to food and sustainability, we are all at the decision dining table.</p>
<p><em>The EAT-Lancet Commission’s Australian launch is in Melbourne on February 1. Limited <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/global-launch-of-the-eat-lancet-commission-presented-by-eat-foundation-tickets-53798890931?aff=ebdssbdestsearch">free tickets are available</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108994/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Alessandro R Demaio is Chief Executive Officer of the EAT Foundation and an Honorary Fellow with the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at The University of Melbourne.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Fanzo receives funding from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Professor Jessica Fanzo and Dr Mario Herrero were Commissioners on the EAT-Lancet Commission.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mario Herrero is Chief Research Scientist at CSIRO Agriculture and Food. He receives funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Australian Department of Foreign Aid and Trade (DFAT) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). </span></em></p>We need to change how we produce, ship, eat and waste food to improve our health and that of the planet.Sandro Demaio, Australian Medical Doctor; Fellow in Global Health & NCDs, University of CopenhagenJessica Fanzo, Bloomberg Distinguished Associate Professor of Global Food and Agriculture Policy and Ethics, Johns Hopkins UniversityMario Herrero, Chief Research Scientist, Food Systems and the Environment, CSIROLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1009692018-08-07T04:12:40Z2018-08-07T04:12:40ZWill the government’s new ‘Move It’ exercise campaign move us or lose us?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230825/original/file-20180807-191013-qj9b8h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It isn't enough to just tell us to Be Active or Move It.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ljoCgjs63SM">Arek Adeoye</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We need to get off the couch, put down our phones and get 30 minutes of heart rate-raising exercise per day. That’s the message of the government’s <a href="https://www.cmo.com.au/article/644638/how-sport-australia-plans-build-new-national-sporting-agenda/">Move It AUS</a> marketing campaign, which launched on Sunday. </p>
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<p>There is no doubt we need to get the nation moving. In <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4364.0.55.001">2014-15</a> only slightly more than half of us met the weekly physical activity recommendations – 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. One in eight of us did no exercise at all.</p>
<p>But the big question is, how will this “marketing initiative” succeed where many others have not? </p>
<p>This isn’t the first national marketing campaign designed to get us on our feet. Australians have been asked to be “Active Australia” (1997), “Get Moving (2006), ”<a href="https://www.jsams.org/article/S1440-2440(09)00278-3/abstract">Unplug and Play</a>“ (2008), ”<a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1090198112459515?journalCode=hebc">Find Thirty</a>“ (2002) and "Life, Be In It!” (1975) – to name just a few. </p>
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<p>The Australian Sports Commission <a href="https://www.cmo.com.au/article/644638/how-sport-australia-plans-build-new-national-sporting-agenda/">described Move it AUS</a> as “Life. Be in it 2.0” and will encourage people to “Find your 30”, calling to mind some of these previous campaigns that failed to get us moving. </p>
<p>In 2016, I wrote for The Conversation on the launch of the government’s Girls Make Your Move campaign, designed to encourage young women aged 12 to 19 to be more active. I noted that reviews of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23079180">physical activity media campaigns</a> have generally found that we see them and remember them, but they don’t change our behaviour. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/girls-make-your-move-exercise-ads-look-good-but-are-unlikely-to-deliver-on-their-own-55638">'Girls Make Your Move' exercise ads look good but are unlikely to deliver on their own</a>
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<p>So, <em>did</em> Girls make their moves? </p>
<p>The <a href="https://campaigns.health.gov.au/girlsmove/campaign-evaluation/evaluation-research-report-phase-1">first</a> and <a href="https://campaigns.health.gov.au/girlsmove/resources/publications/report/evaluation-research-report-phase-2">second wave</a> evaluations found the campaign reached more than 80% of the target group. There was an increase in positive attitudes in wave one (for example, more young women agreed that physical activity was fun) but a decrease in wave two (for example, fewer young women agreed there was a type of physical activity or sport to suit everyone). </p>
<p>One in five self-reported that they had done more physical activity due to seeing the campaign. But the average number of times they participated in 30 minutes or more of physical activity a week didn’t change. </p>
<p>This finding – that a mass media physical activity campaign achieved high awareness and (largely) positive attitudes, but no meaningful behaviour change – is not a surprise. The outcome isn’t unique to Girls Make Your Move, or to young women as a target group. <a href="http://www.getmoving.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/263172/Evaluation_of_the_Find_Thirty_Every_Day_Campaign_Research_Report_June_2014.pdf">Find Thirty</a> had high awareness but did not noticeably change the time spent walking or engaging in vigorous physical activity.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230819/original/file-20180807-191041-1nqi8jq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230819/original/file-20180807-191041-1nqi8jq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230819/original/file-20180807-191041-1nqi8jq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230819/original/file-20180807-191041-1nqi8jq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230819/original/file-20180807-191041-1nqi8jq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230819/original/file-20180807-191041-1nqi8jq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230819/original/file-20180807-191041-1nqi8jq.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The campaign might’ve changed attitudes but it didn’t change behaviour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://campaigns.health.gov.au/girlsmove">Screenshot of the Girls Make Your Move website.</a></span>
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<p>Nor is this finding unique to Australia. A review of stand-alone mass media campaigns to increase physical activity <a href="https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(12)00542-9/fulltext">in the United States from 1980 to 2008</a> found very small and inconsistent changes in physical activity.</p>
<h2>It takes more than a slick ad</h2>
<p>Back when I was an undergraduate, my health promotion lecturer drummed into us that mass media is only useful for getting people to change their behaviour when it is accompanied by on-the-ground support. </p>
<p>Physical activity is complex. People want to know: How much exercise should I do? What type of exercise is best? How can I motivate myself to go running when I’d rather watch TV?</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/research-check-do-we-really-need-to-do-five-times-as-much-exercise-as-weve-been-told-63942">Research Check: do we really need to do five times as much exercise as we've been told?</a>
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<p>It isn’t enough to just tell us to “Be Active” or “Move It”. Consistently, <a href="https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(12)00542-9/fulltext">reviews of interventions</a> around the world conclude mass media campaigns need to be part of a multi-component community-wide interventions. On their own, they <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02640410410001712467?journalCode=rjsp20&">don’t get us off the couch</a>. </p>
<h2>No quick fixes</h2>
<p>A <a href="https://livelighter.com.au/Assets/resource/researchevidence/Social-Marketing-Review-Bauman-Bellew-Heart-Foundation-WA.pdf">review of Australian mass media campaigns</a> for physical activity, nutrition and obesity found that, on average, about two-thirds of target groups recall the main message but fewer change their attitudes or knowledge, and fewer still change their behaviour. </p>
<p>The most effective campaigns were those that involved a sustained, multi-phased effort over five years or more. But sadly, governments tend to launch big national campaigns with splashy PR, big budgets and optimistic targets – all with a short-term focus. </p>
<p>Effective campaigns have consistent and clear branding. There’s a reason Coca-Cola comes in a red can and McDonald’s doesn’t change the colour of the arches each year. Governments promoting healthy lifestyles could learn a thing or two from the opposition. </p>
<p>I’m not sure most Australians perceived a clear and consistent message in the two phases of the national lifestyle campaign – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dL4lN6GKi4">Measure Up (2008-2009)</a> with its real people gaining weight before our eyes, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFWM97GelPc">Swap It, Don’t Stop It (2011)</a> with its cute animated balloon people.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The Measure Up reminded us ‘the more you gain the more you have to lose’.</span></figcaption>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Eric, the balloon man, is a swapper: ‘I just swap more for less, or swap inside for outside.’</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Are you talking to me?</h2>
<p>The most effective interventions are those that focus on a specific target audience. This is particularly important for a behaviour such as exercise, where the most effective interventions are targeted by <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/nvsm.323">gender</a>, <a href="https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(12)00542-9/fulltext">age and other factors</a>. The types of exercise that are appealing, and even achievable, are not the same for a 15-year-old boy as for an 85-year-old woman. </p>
<p>So it’s surprising the Move It AUS campaign will move away from this “fragmented” approach and target the whole population.</p>
<p>It’s also counter-intuitive to emphasise Australia as a “sporting nation”. We might watch a lot of sport, but only one-quarter of us <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4177.0">play organised sport</a> and only half of us meet the physical activity recommendations.</p>
<p>The Move It AUS campaign’s presumably big budget is a definite plus, and there are <a href="https://www.cmo.com.au/article/644638/how-sport-australia-plans-build-new-national-sporting-agenda/">encouraging references</a> to building partnerships, providing infrastructure and providing “nudges” in the community.</p>
<p>If the government is serious about making us more active, let’s hope it listens to the evidence and develops a sustained multi-component intervention. Australians don’t just need to be told to “Move It” – we need to be provided with resources, information, incentives and extensive on-the-ground support to help us be more active.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-you-walking-your-dog-enough-100530">Are you walking your dog enough?</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100969/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sandra Jones has received funding from the Australian Research Council, Cancer Australia, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Healthway, Movember Foundation, Cancer Institute NSW, VicHealth and NSW Health. </span></em></p>The government’s new exercise campaign encourages us to get 30 minutes of physical activity a day. But while ads can get us to change our attitudes, they’re unlikely to change our behaviour.Sandra Jones, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Engagement, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1003872018-07-25T07:00:01Z2018-07-25T07:00:01ZWeighing kids at school has more pros than cons but the reasons may surprise you<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229193/original/file-20180725-194140-13pocfa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The key concerns is that kids will develop body image problems and adopt unhealthy behaviours to lose weight.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/75942880?src=fMPJINO0WF_Num8z3kez3g-1-1&size=huge_jpg">AGorohov/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>A <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-21/obesity-plan-to-weigh-and-measure-children-at-school/10021260">Deakin University proposal</a> to measure the height and weight of all Australian school children has understandably generated controversy. Some commentators have <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/the-proposal-to-weigh-kids-at-school-is-misguided-20180722-p4zszh.html">labelled it misguided</a>, fearing it could encourage kids to “pursue weight loss at any cost”.</p>
<p>While there are benefits and downsides of measuring kids’ height and weight at school, the pros outweigh the cons.</p>
<p>But <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/school-kids-height-weight-measured-plan-tackle-obesity-000701006.html">some reports</a> have confused the purpose of the scheme, which is intended to generate data to inform obesity research and policy responses, rather than provide feedback on the individual child’s health status. </p>
<p>Let’s start at the beginning at look at the difference between <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00249.x">screening and surveillance</a>, and what the Deakin team has proposed. </p>
<h2>BMI report cards</h2>
<p>Screening programs weigh kids to identify those who are at risk of health problems associated with their fatness. This is generally based on BMI (body mass index), which measures weight in relation to height. The results of the screening – “BMI report cards” – are sent to parents, and sometimes to the kids and schools as well. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/does-my-bmi-look-big-in-this-and-does-it-really-matter-35156">Does my BMI look big in this? And does it really matter?</a>
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<p>Screening programs are rare in Australia, but are widely used <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00249.x">in several US states</a>, notably Arkansas and California.</p>
<p>The logic behind screening is that obesity is a health issue like ADHD or movement disorders, and schools have a duty of care to report these conditions to parents. There is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12728143">strong evidence</a> that parents are not very good at identifying the weight status of their children.</p>
<p>Screening programs are controversial. In the US, they are generally <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12912782">well-received by parents</a>, who claim to take action if their child is identified as overweight. </p>
<p>But there is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3206196/">growing evidence</a> that these programs are <a href="https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(15)00223-2/abstract">ineffective</a>. </p>
<h2>Collecting data for research</h2>
<p>The Deakin group is not recommending BMI screening or BMI report cards. They are arguing for a system of surveillance, which is quite different.</p>
<p>Surveillance is the systematic collection and analysis of data on kids’ fatness from a representative sample, or from a census. </p>
<p>For surveillance purposes, neither children, nor the teachers, nor the parents are told the child’s BMI. Children may be identified by coded numbers which are known only to the researchers. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229199/original/file-20180725-194134-hbd05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229199/original/file-20180725-194134-hbd05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229199/original/file-20180725-194134-hbd05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229199/original/file-20180725-194134-hbd05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229199/original/file-20180725-194134-hbd05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229199/original/file-20180725-194134-hbd05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229199/original/file-20180725-194134-hbd05u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The Deakin proposal doesn’t include reporting on the child’s BMI to parents, teachers, or students themselves.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/21375247?size=huge_jpg">Belinda Pretorius/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Parents can opt out by ticking a box, and no measurement can be made without the verbal assent of the child. </p>
<p>Measurements are done by trained clinicians, in private. </p>
<p>No child, parent or teacher is made aware of any measurement, and any questions about the results are defused by comments such as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Kids of your age come in all shapes and sizes, and anyway, they change so quickly. If you’re worried, why not ask your mum or dad to measure you?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These procedures are now standard practice in research settings.</p>
<h2>Downsides of weigh-ins</h2>
<p>The biggest concern is that overweight (or underweight) kids may feel sensitised to weight issues, and may adopt unhealthy weight management practices like purging or extreme dieting. </p>
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<p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-should-you-weigh-yourself-regularly-92177">Health Check: should you weigh yourself regularly?</a>
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<p>A review of the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00249.x">Arkansas program</a> found that 7% of kids were embarrassed about being weighed at school. It is likely that some kids will be <a href="https://www.bustle.com/articles/103297-arkansas-schools-bmi-report-cards-just-made-me-my-classmates-self-conscious-so-its-no-surprise">distressed</a> by the procedure. </p>
<p>In one <a href="https://www.babycenter.com.au/thread/3779534/weighing-children-at-school-?startIndex=10#ixzz5M4SfTYNW">discussion forum</a>, a mum said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I experienced eating disorders in high school and if I knew there were weigh-ins (even occasionally) it’d send me into a near-constant state of panic and restricting and purging.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Other kids may find the “normalisation” of weighing reassuring. </p>
<p>The Arkansas review found that kids were not more likely to be teased about their weight, or go on diets, or have more concerns about body image after the introduction of the measurement program.</p>
<p>Some people feel that obesity is not a disease, that kids can be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3935663/">healthy at any weight</a>, and that we should be focusing on behaviours such as healthy eating and physical activity, not fatness. </p>
<p>However, there is a strong association between fatness a wide range of diseases, notably diabetes, and pretty powerful genetic and experimental evidence that <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/135/24/2373">the relationship is causal</a>. </p>
<h2>So what are the benefits?</h2>
<p>The main benefit is that BMI surveillance will provide a rich source of accurate data. </p>
<p>At the moment, we only collect data on samples of kids who put up their hands to be measured. As you would expect, fatter kids are less likely to do this, so our data underestimate, and by a pretty large margin, how many kids are overweight or obese. </p>
<p>In <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/4/747/htm">one study</a>, an opt-in method estimated obesity prevalence at 10%. The opt-out method estimated 14%. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229235/original/file-20180725-194134-zui5dz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229235/original/file-20180725-194134-zui5dz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229235/original/file-20180725-194134-zui5dz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229235/original/file-20180725-194134-zui5dz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229235/original/file-20180725-194134-zui5dz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229235/original/file-20180725-194134-zui5dz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229235/original/file-20180725-194134-zui5dz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some find weigh-ins traumatising, while others find the normalisation of it reassuring.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/education-boy-hand-pen-writing-english-1078743548">kwarkot/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Having regular, opt-out, population-level surveys of kids’ height and weight allows us to chart historical trends, geographical distributions, and, if measurements can be linked to de-identified personal data, associations with socioeconomic status, environments, and health outcomes. </p>
<p>All this helps to direct resources where they are needed, and to plan more effective interventions.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-real-reasons-why-parents-struggle-with-childrens-portion-sizes-85882">The real reasons why parents struggle with children's portion sizes</a>
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<p>The potential uses of data of this sort are enormous. Here are two examples. </p>
<p>Some recent studies have linked obesity to <a href="https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1476-069X-13-49">air pollution</a>. By looking at the associations between where kids live, their exposure to pollution, and fatness, we can test this theory.</p>
<p>Another recent study in the US found that the <em>entire</em> increase in children’s fatness in the first three years of primary school occurred during the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27804271">summer holiday period</a>. By weighing kids at the start and end of each school year, we could see if the same thing is happening in Australia.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/100387/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tim Olds receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>The proposal is very different to schemes in the US where BMI report cards are sent to parents. Instead, the data would feed into obesity research and prevention programs.Tim Olds, Professor of Health Sciences, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/930612018-04-03T19:43:01Z2018-04-03T19:43:01ZSix things you can do to reduce your risk of dementia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210755/original/file-20180316-104676-16z3z9v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Challenging and training your brain is important to prevent dementia risk.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/eilPz30MSUo">Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>An ageing population is leading to a growing number of people living with dementia. Dementia is an umbrella term for a group of symptoms including memory impairment, confusion, and loss of ability to carry out everyday activities. </p>
<p>Alzheimer’s disease is the <a href="https://www.dementia.org.au/about-dementia/types-of-dementia/alzheimers-disease">most common</a> form of dementia, and causes a progressive decline in brain health. </p>
<p>Dementia affects <a href="https://www.dementia.org.au/statistics">more than 425,000 Australians</a>. It is the second-ranked <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/3303.0%7E2016%7EMain%20Features%7EAustralia's%20leading%20causes%20of%20death,%202016%7E3">cause of death</a> overall, and the leading cause in women. </p>
<p>The main risk factor for dementia is older age. Around <a href="https://www.dementia.org.au/statistics">30% of people aged over 85</a> live with dementia. Genetic influences also <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/261/5123/921.long">play a role</a> in the onset of the disease, but these are stronger for rarer types of dementia such as <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/expert-reviews-in-molecular-medicine/article/presenilininteracting-proteins/18AE48632AC07669FF98F9D5069D8C68">early-onset Alzheimer’s disease</a>.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-causes-alzheimers-disease-what-we-know-dont-know-and-suspect-75847">What causes Alzheimer’s disease? What we know, don’t know and suspect</a>
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<p>Although we can’t change our age or genetic profile, there are nevertheless several lifestyle changes we can make that will reduce our dementia risk. </p>
<h2>1. Engage in mentally stimulating activities</h2>
<p>Education is an important determinant of dementia risk. Having less than <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1474442206705373">ten years of formal education</a> can increase the chances of developing dementia. People <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)31363-6/fulltext">who don’t complete</a> any secondary school have the greatest risk.</p>
<p>The good news is that we can still strengthen our brain at any age, through workplace achievement and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3025284/">leisure activities</a> such as reading newspapers, playing card games, or learning a new language or skill. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212881/original/file-20180403-189795-14truua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212881/original/file-20180403-189795-14truua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212881/original/file-20180403-189795-14truua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212881/original/file-20180403-189795-14truua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212881/original/file-20180403-189795-14truua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212881/original/file-20180403-189795-14truua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212881/original/file-20180403-189795-14truua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212881/original/file-20180403-189795-14truua.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Even playing cards can strengthen your brain.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/DYM_vBsosVA">Photo by Inês Ferreira on Unsplash</a></span>
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<p>The evidence suggests that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4055506/">group-based training</a> for memory and problem-solving strategies could improve long-term cognitive function. But this evidence can’t be generalised to computerised “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK436397/">brain training</a>” programs. Engaging in mentally stimulating activities in a social setting may also contribute to the success of cognitive training.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-cognitive-reserve-how-we-can-protect-our-brains-from-memory-loss-and-dementia-76591">What is 'cognitive reserve'? How we can protect our brains from memory loss and dementia</a>
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<h2>2. Maintain social contact</h2>
<p>More frequent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S156816371500046X">social contact</a> (such as visiting friends and relatives or talking on the phone) has been linked to lower risk of dementia, while loneliness may increase it.</p>
<p>Greater involvement in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3025284/">group or community activities</a> is associated with a lower risk. Interestingly, size of friendship group appears <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S156816371500046X">less relevant</a> than having regular contact with others. </p>
<h2>3. Manage weight and heart health</h2>
<p>There is a strong link between heart and brain health. High blood pressure and obesity, particularly during mid-life, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647614/">increase the risk</a> of dementia. Combined, these conditions may contribute to <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(11)70072-2/fulltext">more than 12%</a> of dementia cases. </p>
<p>In an analysis of data from more than 40,000 people, those who had <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22372522">type 2 diabetes</a> were up to twice as likely to develop dementia as healthy people.</p>
<p>Managing or reversing these conditions through the use of medication and/or diet and exercise is crucial to reducing dementia risk.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212887/original/file-20180403-189804-waow1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212887/original/file-20180403-189804-waow1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212887/original/file-20180403-189804-waow1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212887/original/file-20180403-189804-waow1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212887/original/file-20180403-189804-waow1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212887/original/file-20180403-189804-waow1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212887/original/file-20180403-189804-waow1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212887/original/file-20180403-189804-waow1v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Exercise is protective for heart health and diabetes, as well as against cognitive decline.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/G8OyN_tOIwY">Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash</a></span>
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<h2>4. Get more exercise</h2>
<p>Physical activity has been shown to protect against <a href="https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/report.aspx">cognitive decline</a>. In data combined from more than 33,000 people, those who were highly physically active had a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1365-2796.2010.02281.x">38% lower</a> risk of cognitive decline compared with those who were inactive. </p>
<p>Precisely how much exercise is enough to maintain cognition is still <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/51/8/636">under debate</a>. But a <a href="http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/3/154.long">recent review</a> of studies looking at the effects of taking exercise for a minimum of four weeks suggested that sessions should last at least 45 minutes and be of moderate to high intensity. This means huffing and puffing and finding it difficult to maintain a conversation. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/could-too-much-sitting-be-bad-for-our-brains-79413">Could too much sitting be bad for our brains?</a>
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<p>Australians generally don’t meet the target of <a href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines#apaadult">150 minutes</a> of physical activity per week. </p>
<h2>5. Don’t smoke</h2>
<p>Cigarette smoking is harmful to heart health, and the chemicals found in cigarettes trigger inflammation and vascular changes in the brain. They can also <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11065-007-9035-9">trigger oxidative stress</a>, in which chemicals called free radicals can cause damage to our cells. These processes may contribute to the <a href="http://www.alzheimersanddementia.com/article/S1552-5260(14)00137-X/fulltext">development of dementia</a>. </p>
<p>The good news is that smoking rates in Australia have dropped from <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mediareleasesbyCatalogue/E6DE72422D16BBB4CA258130001536C2?OpenDocument">28% to 16%</a> since 2001. </p>
<p>As dementia risk is <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/166/4/367/96440">higher in current smokers</a> compared with past smokers and non-smokers, this provides yet another incentive to quit once and for all. </p>
<h2>6. Seek help for depression</h2>
<p>Around one million Australian adults are currently living with <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4326.0">depression</a>. In depression, some changes <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrneurol.2011.60">occur in the brain</a> that may affect dementia risk. High levels of the stress hormone cortisol have been linked to shrinkage of brain regions that are important for memory. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212893/original/file-20180403-189830-2zo27n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/212893/original/file-20180403-189830-2zo27n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212893/original/file-20180403-189830-2zo27n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212893/original/file-20180403-189830-2zo27n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212893/original/file-20180403-189830-2zo27n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212893/original/file-20180403-189830-2zo27n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/212893/original/file-20180403-189830-2zo27n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=446&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">High blood pressure can increase the risk of dementia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/w9YHKTK-wLo">Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Vascular disease, which causes damage to blood vessels, has also been observed in both depression and dementia. Researchers suggests that long-term oxidative stress and inflammation may also contribute to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584616300070">both conditions</a>.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/youve-been-diagnosed-with-depression-now-what-44976">You've been diagnosed with depression, now what?</a>
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<p>A <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2627700?redirect=true">28-year study</a> of more than 10,000 people found that dementia risk was only increased in those who had depression in the ten years before diagnosis. One possibility is that late-life depression can reflect an early symptom of dementia. </p>
<p>Other studies <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22566581">have shown</a> that having depression before the age of 60 still increases dementia risk, so seeking treatment for depression is encouraged.</p>
<h2>Other things to consider</h2>
<p>Reducing dementia risk factors doesn’t guarantee that you will never develop dementia. But it does mean that, at a population level, fewer people will be affected. Recent estimates <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)31363-6/fulltext">suggest that up to 35%</a> of all dementia cases may be due to the risk factors outlined above.</p>
<p>This figure also includes management of hearing loss, although the <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2665726">evidence</a> for this is less well established.</p>
<p>The contribution of <a href="http://n.neurology.org/content/89/12/1244">sleep disturbances</a> and <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(17)31363-6/fulltext">diet</a> to dementia risk are emerging as important, and will likely receive more consideration as the evidence base grows. </p>
<p>Even though dementia may be seen as an older person’s disease, harmful processes can occur in the brain for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235287371500013X">several decades</a> before dementia appears. This means that <em>now</em> is the best time to take action to reduce your risk.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93061/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Helen Macpherson receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the Dementia Australia Research Foundation. </span></em></p>Although we can’t change our age or genetic profile, there are fortunately several lifestyle changes we can make that will reduce our dementia risk.Helen Macpherson, Research Fellow, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/524962016-02-15T03:19:14Z2016-02-15T03:19:14ZHealth Check: six tips for losing weight without fad diets<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111426/original/image-20160215-22545-mfzgan.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Don't limit yourself to grapefruit – increasing the amount and variety of fruit and vegetables can help you lose weight.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/danzen/4283381883/">Dan Zen/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Monday – start diet. Tuesday – break diet! Wednesday – plan to start again next Monday. </p>
<p>If this is you, it’s probably time to get off the diet roller coaster and make some bigger changes to the way you eat, drink and think about food. </p>
<p>Here are six tips to help you get started. </p>
<h2>1. Improve your diet quality score</h2>
<p>When trying to lose weight, it might be tempting to quit carbs, dairy or another food group altogether. </p>
<p>But to stay healthy, you need to meet your requirements for important nutrients like iron, zinc, calcium, vitamins B and C, folate and fibre. These nutrients are essential for metabolism, growth, repair and fighting disease. </p>
<p>Our review of diet quality indexes used to rate the healthiness of eating habits found that eating nutritious foods was <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13668-014-0115-1">associated with</a> lower weight gain <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26084363">over time</a>. </p>
<p>Improving your diet quality means <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/">eating more</a> fruit and vegetables, lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds, legumes, dried beans, wholegrains and dairy (mostly reduced fat).</p>
<p>Rate your diet quality and get brief feedback using our online Healthy Eating Quiz <a href="http://healthyeatingquiz.com.au/">www.healthyeatingquiz.com.au</a>. </p>
<h2>2. Mum was right – eat your veggies</h2>
<p>Fruit and veg are high in fibre, vitamins and phytonutrients, but low in total kilojoules. So eating more can help you manage your weight.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001878">study of more than 130,000 adults</a> found that those who increased their intake of fruit and vegetables over four years lost weight. For each extra daily serve of vegetables, there was a weight loss of 110 grams over the four years. It was 240 grams for fruit. Small, but it all adds up.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111432/original/image-20160215-22545-fth4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111432/original/image-20160215-22545-fth4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111432/original/image-20160215-22545-fth4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111432/original/image-20160215-22545-fth4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111432/original/image-20160215-22545-fth4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111432/original/image-20160215-22545-fth4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111432/original/image-20160215-22545-fth4vh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Not all vegetables are equal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/michigancommunities/15168955986/">Michigan Municipal League/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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<p>Drilling down to specific fruit and veg gets interesting. Increasing cauliflower intake was associated with a four-year weight reduction of about 620 grams, with smaller reductions for capsicum (350g), green leafy vegetables (230g) and carrots (180g). The reduction was 620g for blueberries and 500g for apple or pears. </p>
<p>It was not good news all round, though. Corn was associated with a weight gain of 920g, peas 510g and mashed, baked or boiled potatoes 330g. </p>
<h2>3. Limit your portion size</h2>
<p>If you are served larger portions of food and drinks, you <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25033958">eat more</a> and consume more kilojoules. That sounds obvious, yet everybody gets caught out when offered big portions – even when you’re determined to stop when you’re full. </p>
<p>Research shows offering larger portions <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26368271">leads adults and children to consume</a> an extra 600 to 950 kilojoules (150-230 calories). This is enough to account for a weight gain of more than seven kilograms a year, if the kilojoules aren’t compensated for by doing more exercise or eating less later. </p>
<h2>4. Watch what you drink</h2>
<p>A can of softdrink contains about 600 kilojoules (150 calories). It takes 30-45 minutes to walk those kilojoules off, depending on your size and speed. </p>
<p>Children and adolescents who usually drink a lot sugary drinks are <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23763695">55% more likely</a> to be overweight. </p>
<p>Switch to lower sugar versions, water or diet drinks. A meta-analysis of intervention studies (ranging from ten weeks to eight months) found that adults who <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0051979/">switched</a> had a weight reduction of about 800 grams.</p>
<h2>5. Cue food</h2>
<p>Our world constantly cues us to eat and drink. Think food ads, vending machines and chocolate bars when trying to pay for petrol or groceries. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26644270">Food cues trigger</a> cravings, prompt eating, predict weight gain and are hard to resist. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26640451">They can make you feel hungry</a> even if you are not. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111427/original/image-20160215-22550-m6du1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111427/original/image-20160215-22550-m6du1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111427/original/image-20160215-22550-m6du1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111427/original/image-20160215-22550-m6du1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111427/original/image-20160215-22550-m6du1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111427/original/image-20160215-22550-m6du1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111427/original/image-20160215-22550-m6du1d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=500&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ditch the oily popcorn and take your own snacks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpb1001/257368762/">rpb1001/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Try to minimise the time you spend in highly cued food environments. Avoid food courts, take a list when you go to the supermarket and take your own snacks to places where highly palatable food is advertised, like the movies. </p>
<p>This will reduce autopilot eating, which sabotages your willpower. </p>
<h2>6. Resist temptation</h2>
<p>A treatment for food cue reactivity is called <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26649466">exposure therapy</a>. With the help of a psychologist or health professional, you <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26640451">expose yourself</a> to the sight and smell of favourite foods in locations that commonly trigger overeating, like eating chocolate when watching TV. But, rather than eat the chocolate, you only have a taste <em>without eating</em> it. </p>
<p>Over time, and with persistence, cravings for chocolate reduce, even when cues such as TV ads or people eating chocolate in front of you are present. </p>
<p>You can also draw on your brain’s own self-management skills to resist temptation, but it takes conscious practice. Try this food cue acronym, RROAR (remind, resist, organised alternative, remember and/or reward), to train your brain to resist temptation on autopilot. </p>
<p>When you feel yourself pulled by cues to eat or drink:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>R</strong>emind yourself that you are the boss of you, not a food cue.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>R</strong>esist the tempting food or drink initially by turning your back on the cue. (This gives you time to think about next steps.) </p></li>
<li><p>Have a pre- <strong>O</strong>rganised** A**lternative behaviour to use against food cues. Grab a drink of water, walk around the block, check your phone messages, read, take a walk in the opposite direction. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26375358">Diversion works</a>.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>R</strong>emember what your big-picture goal is. Do you want to eat better to help you feel better, reduce medications, lower blood pressure, improve diabetes control or manage your weight? </p></li>
</ul>
<p>You can add another <strong>R</strong> for** R**eward. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25843244">Financial incentives help change behaviour</a>. Each time you complete your <em>organised alternative</em> behaviour put $1 in a jar. When it builds up, spend it on something you really want. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111433/original/image-20160215-22545-5usmb5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/111433/original/image-20160215-22545-5usmb5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111433/original/image-20160215-22545-5usmb5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111433/original/image-20160215-22545-5usmb5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111433/original/image-20160215-22545-5usmb5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111433/original/image-20160215-22545-5usmb5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/111433/original/image-20160215-22545-5usmb5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Swap to small plates to reduce your portion sizes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/booleansplit/3335103177/">Robert S. Donovan/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>You need a plan</h2>
<p>The journey off the diet roller coaster needs a cunning plan. Here’s how you can put it all together. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Start by <a href="http://healthyeatingquiz.com.au/">assessing your diet quality</a> using the Healthy Eating Quiz. </p></li>
<li><p>Next, plan weekly meals, drinks and snacks. Write a grocery list and buy extra fruit and vegetables.</p></li>
<li><p>Swap to small plates, cups and serving utensils. You’ll serve and eat less without thinking. </p></li>
<li><p>Aim for half your plate covered with vegetables and salad, one-quarter lean protein (trimmed meat, chicken, fish, legumes) and one-quarter grains or starchy vegetables (potato, peas, corn). </p></li>
<li><p>Change your food environment to avoid constant prompts to eat.</p></li>
<li><p>Minimise the places you allow yourself to eat and drink to reduce food cue exposure (not in front of TV or computer, at a desk, or in the car). </p></li>
<li><p>Keep food out of sight (unless it is fruit and vegetables). Store in opaque containers. </p></li>
<li><p>Remove workplace food displays, such as food fundraisers. </p></li>
<li><p>Plan driving and walking routes that do <em>not</em> take you past fast-food outlets or vending machines. </p></li>
<li><p>Prerecord TV shows and fast-forward food ads.</p></li>
</ol><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/52496/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clare Collins is affiliated with the Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, the University of Newcastle, NSW. She created the online Healthy Eating Quiz and Australian Eating Survey. She has received funding from a range of research grants including NHMRC, ARC, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Meat and Livestock Australia. She has consulted to SHINE Australia and Novo Nordisk. Clare Collins is a spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia on specific nutrition issues, including Australia's Healthy Weight Week. </span></em></p>Monday – start diet. Tuesday – break diet! Wednesday – plan to start again next Monday. Sound familiar?Clare Collins, Professor in Nutrition and Dietetics, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.