The rates of obesity in adults and children in the U.S. have doubled since the 1970s, and it’s considered one of the leading public health problems in the country. We have a strange relationship with food: on one hand, we need it to survive; but, for some individuals, it can be the subject of one…
You know that getting too little exercise is bad for your health. What you might not realize is that sitting too much in itself, even if you never miss a daily workout, carries significant health risks. Research shows that spending hour upon hour in a chair is associated with an increased risk for: Obesity Cardiovascular…
From the brilliant color of turning leaves to the enticing aroma of pumpkin muffins, there’s a lot to love about fall. Yet the season brings its share of health challenges as well. Some — such as those bags of mini candy bars that never make it to Halloween — are obvious. Others are a bit…
An alarming decrease in exercise rates may be to blame for an increase in obesity, Stanford research shows.
For some, certain foods like chocolate or chips have a strong attraction. So-called “chocoholics” talk about their affinity for chocolate in ways that incorporate terms usually reserved for addiction to drugs or alcohol. Those that believe that they really cannot eat just one potato chip may feel that this food has a particular hold on…
Television ads don’t do the holidays justice when it comes to healthy eating at Thanksgiving – and Christmas and New Year’s. The image of a plump Thanksgiving turkey on a banquet table filled to overflowing may serve as a trigger to over-prepare high-fat, high-sugar foods and overeat at the table.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced steps that would ban trans fat, the unhealthy preservative in processed foods such as chips, crackers and microwave popcorn, effectively ridding it from the American food supply. Eliminating the ingredient, added to extend a product’s shelf life but packing the worst fat for heart health, is expected…
Anorexia nervosa is an unusually deadly mental disorder centered on a fixation with thinness and weight loss. Current guidelines allow doctors to diagnose the disorder in individuals whose body weight falls below 85 percent of expected norms. However, according to the results of a new report published in September 2013 in the American Academy of…
Over the last 50 years, sugar has become a staple in the American diet. In a newly released interactive infographic called America’s Sugar Addiction: How Our Need for a Sweet Fix Has Expanded Our Waistlines, Promises Behavioral Health and Addiction Treatment Magazine capture the steady decade-by-decade climb of sugar in all its forms, including cane…
If you’re struggling with weight gain and depression, you know how difficult life can be. Perhaps your depression symptoms make it hard to get out of bed, much less exercise. Maybe you’ve experienced feelings of sadness, shame, self-loathing, or guilt about your body since the pounds have been slowing accumulating. Depression all-too-frequently occurs with both…