It was like brain surgery

Ellen lost 300 lbs after gastric by-pass and people started treating her like she had a brain.

Story here from Quick and Simple.

There is no crisis

says Junk Food Science, who has carefully analyzed the recent report in JAMA on moderate to vigorous activity in children.

This week’s study found no correlation between changing activity levels and BMIs. Nor did it find that young people are less active today than they’ve ever been. Nor did it find poorer kids were more sedentary than richer kids. Nor did it even look at if activity levels during adolescence were related to adult levels or had any relationship to future health problems.

Sandy finds and reports some connections between the authors and various causes, but I would suggest that reporting we are healthier than ever just wouldn't make a good story for the nightly news, nor would it be a good reason for the government agencies and think tanks to promote one more regulation or law to intervene in our personal lives.

Exercise the natural way

Although I see some vigorous joggers and walkers, most of us here at Lakeside, Ohio, for vacation or the summer just get more exercise than usual because we don't use our cars. I might walk 10-12 blocks a day or ride my bike several miles and not even think about it. I'll ride my bike to a friend's house, rather than call on the cell phone. I think this is why our parents and grandparents didn't carry as much weight. During the day I might walk 3 blocks and back to the little grocery store, or 2-3 blocks to the little business district, or stroll a mile along the lakefront and not even notice it. It's a wonderful way to get around--when the weather's good.

But even exercise won't help poor eating. Yesterday I noticed an overweight mommy buying tickets for her three overweight children to a "craft" event that included building your own sundae!

Walking at sunrise along Lake Erie

Low-carb wins in 3-way battle

The full story is at the New England Journal of Medicine.

Here's the AP account, a bit easier to read, but it means that low carb works better than low fat, and Mediterranean, and this study was much better controlled and over a 2 year period, so it included initial and maintenance. Women and diabetics did better with the Mediterranean diet.