“Am I Overweight?”: Teen Body Troubles

Growing up is tough! Especially in today’s society with more and more pressures being put on children and teenagers. One of such pressure is ‘looks’ with the focus on body weight.

Around junior highs and high schools, girls (and sometimes boys!) often talk about their weight, and dieting almost becomes a trend. The media has a lot to do with it. Magazines that are often read by teens, such as Cosmo or Shape, put out a lot of dieting tips and suggestions that are often taken out of context, or abused by the younger readers. More often than not, teens compare themselves to their role models: actors, athletes, or models. These role models are usually very fit, thin, and some on the verge of underweight. When one person decides they’re “fat”, and tries to lose weight, it causes others to assess themselves and think “Well, maybe I’m fat too, and maybe I need to lose weight too”.

A study done by Janet Leichty showed that many teens who believed they were overweight were in fact of a normal and healthy weight for their height. Leichty obtained these findings not by measuring body dissatisfaction, but by observing body-image distortion. Those with a poor body-image are at greater risk for using unsafe weight-loss techniques; once the techniques for weight-loss are used, the odds that those same techniques will be used again increases by 11 times.

From: http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ar-Bu/Body-Image.html

The need for early prevention in unsafe dieting and disordered eating is quite obvious, but it’s a touchy subject for most. Doctors generally address weight-loss with those that are overweight, but for those of a normal weight, the topic gets brushed off. It is important to address body-image with children and teens of all shapes and sizes, whether it be a doctor, nurse or parent who does the talking.

The most important thing to remember is to respond appropriately. Encourage the child or teen toward more positive lifestyle changes rather than “healthy” dieting, as any type of diet can easily spiral out of control. Suggest going on walks or bike rides, and eating more fruits and vegetables with every meal. Remind them that feeling good is what’s important, and it will help them see their body in a better light.

Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat

Is it possible to eat what you want without gaining weight? Many people, especially those who are chronic dieters are afraid this is not possible. Breaking away from the rigid set of dieting rules feels scary, and dieters are comfortable with the “restrictive” state diets teach. How can we learn to reshape our relationship with food, and respect our hunger?

Michelle May, MD is the  author of “Eat what you love, love what you eat: How to break your eat-repent-repeat cycle.“ Her website Am I Hungry? describes many of her eating philosophies. In her own words:

“Most diets are restrictive and unsustainable, leaving the dieter feeling guilty and disappointed. My goal is to help people recognize and cope with their triggers for overeating, rediscover joy in physical activity, and effectively nourish their body, mind, heart and spirit.“

After reading her article on the blog “Dieting and You” entitled Paint-by-Numbers or a Masterpiece, I decided to reach out to her for an interview. Michelle was kind enough to take the time out of her busy schedule to answer some of my questions. Eloquently and kindly she spoke about how we can turn our relationship with food around and answer the question “What are you hungry for?”

Q: You don’t advocate “Dieting,” So tell us, Why don’t diets work?

A: They do work-temporarily. But they fail to address the root cause, and for many people, result in feelings of deprivation. This causes them to crave food more, and feel more out of control when they are around food. Restriction drives overeating. People think they don’t have enough willpower. Restriction also leads to obsession which is bad. Our body is wise, but people are skeptical because we are so diet-focused as a society. we think that we need to diet chronically to maintain are weight. But, we are all born with the instinctive ability to eat what our body needs. Instinctive eaters eat what they love, when they’re hungry, stop when they’re full and don’t worry about food in the between times.

Q: It can be very difficult and scary for chronic dieters to look at this approach to eating. They believe being intuitive is impossible and they will never know when they are really hungry and full. How do we separate cravings/hunger for love etc. from real biological hunger

A: This is a deceptively simple step. Ask yourself the question “Am I hungry?” Before you eat. Before starting to eat, focus on what’s going on inside. Do a Mind-body scan for the physical sign/symptoms (such as a drop in blood sugar) and also notice emotions/feelings. If your not sure you’re hungry, you’re probably not. If you decide to eat even if you are not physically hungry, notice this, and try to gain insight on why you want to eat. This question, “Am I hungry” must not become a rule to abide to, instead look at it as a way to pause, and reflect, being more mindful of your eating habits.

Q: So if we learn to appreciate and respect our hunger we can end yo-yo dieting and the eat-repent-repeat cycle?

A: Instead of a yo-yo I like to think of this as a Pendulum between excess and restriction.  Find the flexible arc in the middle of the pendulum where you still have freedom. We need to get away from this hopeless pursuit of trying to be perfect. Accept where you are. Everyone overeats, undereats, over exercises, underexerises sometimes. Its just important that we find a Balance.

Q: How can we move away from the “perfect” “skinny” mindset and learn to appreciate ourselves and our bodies, our health?
A: For too long now, we’ve tried to measure things by physical attributes-health is just a trophy that everyone seeks.
We need a balance of body, mind, health and spirit.  Health is  more than a number on a scale. Numbers like BMI, blood pressure, are easy to get obsessed with, and we need to take a step back and look at the whole picture of health.

Q: How can we fit fitness into this pictures without it becoming obsessive?

A: Often we look at exercise as punishment for eating or we need to exercise to earn the right to eat, which creates a very negative relationship with exercise. It turns into a penance for eating a “bad” food, and often you feel guilty if it is missed. This becomes an obsessive behavior which strips all of the joy from exercise. I think we need to not discuss exercise at the same time as weight loss. Exercise is good for everyone! Not just for those people that need to lose weight. It is also important to pay attention to the positive aspects of exercise, and find something you love doing.

Q: How do we create an atmosphere where food is not viewed as an enemy but can be savored and enjoyed without going overboard?

A: We need to put food back into perspective. When you are eating, EAT. Eat with abandon and joy, not to pay penance or seek to be virtuous. When you are not eating, let it go. Don’t think about it. Enjoy what you are doing at the time. Approach life fully engaged in the present moment. Mindfulness is not only a form of eating, but also a life skill.

Thank you Michelle for your wonderful insight and tips! Check out her website Am I hungry?, read her new book “Eat what you love, love what you eat” and follow her on twitter @eatwhatyoulove

How Fit is Your City? D.C. is Healthiest City in America

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recently published their 2010 list of the fittest major cities in the United States. The full list ranks 50 major metropolitan areas in America – where does your city fit in with fitness?

The ACSM has listed the following cities as the top ten healthiest in the United States: Washington D.C., Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle, Portland (Oregon), Denver, Sacramento, San Francisco, Hartford, and Austin.

According to the press release from ACSM, ”characteristics of the D.C. area that helped it achieve the top ranking are a relatively low smoking rate, a higher-than-average percentage of folks eating the recommended daily serving of fruits and vegetables, and lower-than-average rates of chronic health concerns such as obesity, asthma, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”

The press release also goes on to say that “D.C.-area residents also use public transportation regularly, meaning they are likely to walk to and from their places of work or transit stations. Also, the area of parkland as a percentage of the city’s land area is significant, providing residents with lots of space to run, bike, play sports or take a leisurely walk.”

ACSM ranks metropolitan areas based on their AFI – or American Fit Index – which takes into consideration access to healthcare, health insurance coverage, education, parks and recreation systems and programs, prevalence of chronic disease (such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes), public policy dedicated to healthcare and prevention, and economic situations.

The lowest cities ranked on the list were New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Louisville, Detroit, Memphis, and Birmingham, with Oklahoma City ranking last. These cities have traditionally higher rates of obesity and high unemployment rates in the recent economic climate.

Regardless of where you live, you can make the most out of your health and fitness goals by following the tips below. While it may be inspiring to those of you residing in one of the top ten fittest places in America, do not be discouraged if your city ranks at the bottom of the list. Here are some tips for staying healthy despite your living conditions.

1. Take advantage of annual medical physicals and preventative healthcare. If you are insured, make sure to visit your doctor annually and follow through with any preventative measures he or she may suggest for your age group

2. Use your environment to your advantage. Bike along forest trails, climb mountains, stroll along the beach, run along the city streets, kayak in the river, or walk your dog at the park. Utilize whatever you can in your environment to get and stay active – whether you live in a bustling city, a small rural town, a mountain village, or down by the beach.

3. Eat a healthy and nutritionally-balanced diet. You are what you eat, and you have the power to control what you consume. Your eating habits and body weight play a major role in the onset of chronic disease such as – but not limited to – cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.

Summer BBQs Vegetarian Style

Whether you’re a vegetarian full time or have started dabbling in cutting back on animal meats, it’s easy to have a BBQ full of flavor and good nutrition. Why not fill up your summer BBQ with some healthy vegetarian dishes?! Take advantage of the summer harvest of fresh vegetables to please all palates-from those who love their burgers rare to total herbivore!

• Vegetarian burgers-either store bought or homemade
• Corn on the cob
• Whole Wheat buns
• Healthy coleslaw
• Red potato salad
• Veggie Kabobs
• baked beans

Need a dessert? Throw some peaches or pineapple on the grill, and serve with yogurt or ice cream!

Enjoy the company of good friends in the sun! Here’s to your health! What’s your fave BBQ dish?

American Culture and Diet: Why Some Immigrants Become Unhealthy

By: Carlene Helble- Elite Nutrition Intern

One of my favorite things to do is learn about foods from other cultures…and try them too! Different cuisines not only broaden your palate’s horizons, but they allow you to try some great produce that is uncommon to US grocery stores. Many immigrants residing in the US are having problems meeting the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables because what they are comfortable with is just not there. Imagine being in a foreign country looking for your favorite fruit and never seeing it. Ho-hum.

Dragon Fruit From the Veggie Gardener.com

The May 2010 American Dietetics Association Journal published a study that looked into the availability of culturally specific fruits and vegetables available in African American and Latino communities in Chicago. The study found that stores located in these neighborhoods were more likely to carry culturally relevant fruits and vegetables to the dominant group. But hardly! Only one out of the sixteen culturally specific foods studied was found in the majority of African American grocery stores. The food? Dried pinto beans, but no fruits or vegetables. Latino neighborhoods faired better with seven out of sixteen culturally specific foods available in the majority of stores. The seven foods included more fresh produce but no where near the variety of their normal choices: avocado, mango, papaya, chayote squash, tomatillo, black beans, and garbanzo beans. This restricted availability to culturally specific produce may be a barrier to adequate fruit and vegetable consumption.

Another study the ADA published in the journal was on the dietary quality among Latinos in the US. With a population of roughly 44 million, figures show that the Latino population as a whole is disproportionately affected by obesity and chronic conditions like type two diabetes. Obesity and type two diabetes are both diet related. The poor dietary quality the study speaks of includes low fruit and vegetable intake, consumption of high fat, and high sugar foods. As evidenced by the first study, fruits and vegetables commonly used in Latino cooking that make the native diet nutrient dense, are extremely difficult to obtain in most US grocery stores. The study also found that sodium intake was related to the level of acculturation. The more assimilated to mainstream US culture the participant was, the higher the sodium intake.

So what can be done? The findings suggest the best way to increase fruit and vegetable intake is to provide a greater selection of culturally common produce to grocery stores. Imagine being able to walk into your grocer to be met with the most enormous selection of interesting, different, and delicious produce you have ever seen. A diverse and larger produce section benefits everyone. Make it your goal this summer to try a new fresh fruit or vegetable that is a staple in another culture. Think of it as a wallet friendly vacation! Use City Search to locate an ethnic grocer near you.

Four Keys to Wellness, Just for Women

How many women do you know who put themselves last? Probably a zillion. We can’t help it. We’re women. We nurture. But the reality is that we really can’t take care of others unless we take care of ourselves first. That’s a tough pill to swallow because we feel so guilty when we think about ourselves and put our needs before others we care about. But putting yourself last day after day will eventually leave you at the end of your rope – all worn and frayed.

My hope is that this blog post will help women find some simple ways to achieve better wellness by being a tad “selfish” with no regrets. My hunch is if you trust the power of nurturing yourself, the rewards you get will empower you to do what comes natural – and care for your loved ones with more intensity than you ever thought you could muster.

Nutrition

There is no shortage of information about what to eat – books, magazines, websites, blogs. What really matters for women’s nutrition? I think its shifting the focus from choosing foods for what they don’t have to looking at foods for what they do have. Low fat. Low sugar. Low carb. Yawwwwwn…. You can go crazy in the grocery store keeping up with the products touting they’re the next best thing you need to be healthy.

Instead, why not try to make one positive nutrition change:

• eat a power-breakfast daily like oatmeal with walnuts and fat free milk
• get your fruit fix by making a fruit and yogurt smoothie or adding fruit to lunch
• try something different like an unusal veggie (jicama) or cooking with beans

Exercise

If your ideas of exercise include time on the “dreadmill” and “personal draining”, you need to change up your exercise regime! No pain, no gain is so 1990′s. In today’s world, there’s no time to loathe what little personal time we get to sweat it out.

• Try yoga – a moving meditation! Power yoga classes involve using your personal strengths to tone up. Heated classrooms bump up the sweat factor.
• Dance your butt off. More than a popular summer tv show on Oxygen, people are into dancing like never before. Try Zumba or just google a dance studio in your area. Bellydancing, bollywood, ballroom, broadway jazz. Whatever your flavor, take a risk and shake it.
• Sign up for a race. You don’t need to run a marathon to experience the exhileration of getting a race number and crossing the finish line.

All these exercise ideas involve some kind of commitment – and that’s what it takes to really nurture yourself toward wellness. Find something that sounds good. Then tell your spouse or family how important it is to you and ask for their support. Whether it’s relieving you of dinner duty or giving you a ride back and forth, take the help and enjoy your new exercise endeavor!

Stress Management

Maintaining emotional health is so important for wellness. Most women tend to think they strive under stress, but they don’t realize the harm that comes with it when the walls close in. You take on the burdens of others and then you become overwhelmed yourself.  Stress triggers changes in our bodies and makes us more likely to get sick. You get tight in your neck, shoulders, and back. You have trouble sleeping. Stress can also make problems we already have worse. Maybe you had a bad day at work, but because your family members had a bad day you keep it in. Then the food comes calling and you’re in for a night of emotional eating.

The key to healthy stress management is to let it all out. Every day.

• talk to someone, and let others know if you can’t take on the burdens of their stress (give yourself permission to be selfish and not listen once in awhile)
• find a quiet corner, lay down, and breathe to a slow count
• remind yourself that food didn’t cause your stressful situation and it won’t solve it either
• have some sex – what can I say, all those lovely endorphins will drown the stress out of your body and mind

Relationships

Relationships are one of the core human needs. The reason you are such a nurturing person is that you value relationships. But boy can they suffer if you are stressed, eating poorly, and not exercising. This is the part where you can’t really care for others (relationships) if your life is not in order.

Take a minute and think about your relationships today:

• How strong are your personal relationships?
• How much effort do you put in them?
• Are you getting out of them what you need or do you give too much with little in return?

Let go of what you don’t need and transfer the newly available attention to the relationships that really matter most. Those relationships allow the other keys to wellness fall into place. You can lean on people to support you in your nutrition and exercise efforts and when life’s stresses get to be too much, they can help you deal with it.

Healthy Women Are (a Little) Selfish

Everything is connected, nutrition, exercise, stress management, and relationships all have a role in contributing to your wellness. While I spend most of my waking hours educating people about nutrition and exercise. I have come to realize that you can’t really tackle behavior changes without the strong foundation of healthy stress management and the social support that comes with stable relationships.

My personal opinion is that being a little selfish is one of the most selfless things you can do. If you’re going to spread your nurturing qualities to those around you, don’t you want to give the best of yourself?

This post is part of the Women’s Health Blogfest. Please check out the posts from other dietitians blogging about Women’s Health! (Thanks, Renata for organizing!)

BLOGFEST LINKS:
Angela White at Blisstree’s Breastfeeding 1-2-3 – Helpful Skills of Breastfeeding Counselors
Angie Tillman, RD, LDN, CDE – You Are Beautiful Today
Anthony J. Sepe – Women’s Health and Migraines
Ashley Colpaart – Women’s health through women
Charisse McElwaine – Spending too much time on the “throne?”
Danielle Omar – Yoga, Mindful Eating and Food Confidence
Diane Preves M.S.,R.D – Balance for Health
Joan Sather – A Woman’s Healthy Choices Affect More Than Herself
Laura Wittke – Fibro Study Recruits Participants
Liz Marr, MS, RD – Reflecting on Family Food Ways and Women’s Work
Marjorie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT – Healthy Women, Healthy Business: How Your Health Impacts a Powerful Business
Marsha Hudnall – Breakfast Protein Helps Light Eaters Feel Full
Michelle Loy, MPH, MS, RD – A Nutritionista’s Super Foods for Super Skin
Monika Woolsey, MS, RD – To effectively work with PCOS is to understand a woman’s health issues throughout her life
Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog – How breastfeeding helps you, too
Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RD, LD – Four Keys to Wellness, Just for Women
Renata Mangrum, MPH, RD – The busy busy woman
Robin Plotkin, RD, LD – Feeding the Appetites of the Culinary, Epicurious and Nutrition Worlds-One Bite at a Time
Sharon Solomon – Calories, longevity and do I care
Terri L Mozingo, RD, CDN & D. Milton Stokes, MPH, RD, CDN of One Source Nutrition, LLC – Crossing the Line: From Health to Hurt
Wendy Jo Peterson, RD – Watch Your Garden Grow

Tune In to Biggest Loser and Look for Bernie

Chances are if you have “discovered” my website, you may have done a search on “The Biggest Loser” and found my post on the science behind the biggest loser diet or one of the other gagillion posts I wrote about the show.

Well, I’m asking you to tune in today May 5th, 2009 to watch me on the show! Hahahahaha…. just kidding…. I wish! But… you will watch Bernie Salazar and several other previous contestants. I have no idea how long Bernie will be on, but it will be great to see him doing his thing.

Only now, what’s even more great is that I can proudly call him my collaborator and more importantly — friend. We met doing some volunteer work on The Hill for physical education in schools and we just bonded – big time.

After many conversations and discussions about health, life, wellness, and sharing all our honest, personal stories about struggle and change, we felt a “calling” to do something and share our experiences with the world – and several months later – The Nurture Principles was born!

Here’s a sneak peek at what we have going on: www.nurtureprinciples.com

You can follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter today on the Nurture Principles website.

Let me know what you think! I’m very excited about the future…

Corporate Wellness is the Way to Go

If you are a benefits decision-maker for a company and you don’t have a wellness program, you should get one… STAT!

This article charges that while companies are talking about wellness, most are doing only that — talking.

As in vogue as wellness is in corporate America today, many companies do little more than pay lip service to it, says Houston’s new health guru, William Baun. He’s incoming chair of Mayor Bill White’s Wellness Council in addition to his day job managing employee wellness at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

“People don’t have time to be healthy at home anymore, which is why wellness has to be addressed in the workplace,” he says.

It’s time to flex some corporate muscle and take care of your dedicated employees. Make it easier for them to follow good exercise and eating behaviors. If you build it, they will come. Make it simple and convenient. Speaking of simple and convenient. You may just want to find a company to do it all for you, such as D.C.-based Wellness Corporate Solutions. I had the pleasure of volunteering with them on a few health fairs as part of my dietetic internship. It was a top-notch experience.

I think if you asked your staff if they want their employer to do more to promote health and wellness, you’d get a resounding “yes”. Of course you’ll be protecting the bottom line with returns in increased productivity, job satisfaction, and decreased stress and health care bills. So, if you work with a bunch of cranky people and your company doesn’t have a wellness problem maybe you should find out if one is on the way. If you have an amazing wellness program, brag about it here!