An eight-month study of dieting women found that eating a large breakfast with plenty of proteins and carbohydrates helped control hunger, reduce their cravings for carbs, and maintain weight losses.

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University put a group of 46 women on a very low-carb diet of less than 1100 calories per day. Another group of 48 women went on a diet of 1240 calories, with half their calories coming during breakfast.

Four months after going on their diets, the first group had lost 28 pounds and the breakfast group lost 23. However, four months after that, the low carb dieters had regained 18 pounds, while the breakfast group had lost another 16 pounds.

Dr. Daniela Jakubowicz, who presented the study at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, said low-carb diets are not good ways to lose weight because "they exacerbate the craving for carbohydrates." Only 5 percent of such dieters are successful after two years, she said.

Labels: breakfast, diet, long_term_weight_loss

Children at risk for Type I diabetes might benefit from a diet rich in omega-3 fats, according to a new study from the University of Colorado.

Dr. Jill Norris and her colleagues followed 1,770 children up to 3 years old for six years. The children had risk factors for diabetes such as having a parent or sibling with the disease. The children who consumed foods high in omega-3 fats such as tuna, mackerel, and salmon had less evidence of an antibody associated with the development of Type I diabetes.

Dr. Norris, writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, believes that some children may benefit from omega-3 supplements.

Labels: diabetes, diet

Telling your overweight child to diet may backfire, according to a new study from the University of Minnesota.

Professor Dianne Neumark-Sztainer wanted to find out if sending parents "obesity report cards" from school did any good in helping overweight children win the battle of the bulge. Such reports are required by law in certain states.

Prof. Neumark-Sztainer used data on 300 overweight middle and high school students that had been collected by Project EAT. Sixty percent of the boys' parents and 46 percent of the girls' parents wrongly believed that their children were at their ideal weight. Of the rest of the parents who knew their children were overweight, 60 percent encouraged dieting.

Five years later Prof. Neumark-Sztainer reassessed the children. The ones who were encouraged to diet were more likely to still be overweight. The figures were 75 percent of boys whose parents encouraged dieting compared to 52 percent whose parents ignored the issue. Among girls, the figures were 66 percent compared to 44 percent.

Prof. Neumark-Sztainer believes the important thing for parents to do is to set a good example of healthy eating and appropriate exercise. She also indicated that "school obesity report cards" might be counterproductive.

Her study appears in Pediatrics.

Labels: advice, diet, parents

The health risks associated with childhood obesity are well-documented and well-known. What many parents don't know is how much simple dietary changes can reduce a child's risk of becoming obese.

"In Philadelphia, five schools revised their cafeteria menus. They got rid of the sodas and replaced them with water, low-fat milk and 100 percent fruit juice. They also made sure that the snacks in the vending machines and cafeterias met certain nutritional requirements. Parents were also encouraged to give their children more fruits and vegetables."

A team of researchers then tracked Philadelphia students from fourth through sixth grade. They found that twice as many students became obese in the schools that did not revise their menus and snacks. Source: OnHealthyLiving.com.

Labels: diet, health_risks, nutrition

Researcher Phoenix Gilman refers to low-fat diets as "myths". She cites not only the benefits of eating healthy fats like fresh cheese and eggs, but also the fact that healthy fats don't trigger insulin - which has to be present in order for the body to store fat.

"Though the low-fat diet has clearly not worked, the fear of eating healthy fat still runs rampant... However, those who follow Gilman's research are proving where the truth really lies. Her clients are losing weight - and keeping it off; reversing their type 2 diabetes; improving thyroid function... and achieving healthier cholesterol panels..."

Gilman goes on to say that low-fat diets often include too many carbs and too much sugar. Yogurt, low-fat milk, and even some fruits contain only 'simple carbs' - the same kind of sugar that's found in most candy bars and triggers insulin production. Read more at SnackandBakery.com.

Want to learn more about diets and weight loss programs? Visit the Weight Loss Help Directory for resources and information on how to lose weight and get healthy.

Labels: diet, fats, healthy_eating

For over fifty years, nutritionists and doctors have depended on studies that prove adolescent acne is not related to adolescent diet.

Now an Australian study from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology found that teens who consume a healthy diet experience less acne.

Dr. Neil Mann and his colleagues had 22 males ages 15 to 21 years old follow the usual teen diet of white bread, potatoes, sugary drinks and snacks. A second group of 21 males was put on a healthy diet of whole grain breads and pasta, legumes, lean meat, fish, and lots of fruits and vegetables. Three months later, the boys on the healthy diet reduced their acne lesions in half and had no new lesions or infections.

"These results were astounding," Dr. Mann said.

This study appears in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Labels: acne, diet, research

All of the talk about childhood obesity is causing some parents to panic. Their panic is leading to extreme food restrictions and criticisms of their children that may be making the problem worse.

"Food restrictions, pressuring and criticism don't work at any age, but especially not during adolescence, said [David] Ludwig, who believes such coercive strategies can have negative consequences. 'These methods teach children what not to do instead of what to do,' he said. 'They can leave a child feeling upset, erode self-esteem and take a toll on the parent-child relationship.'"

Studies have shown that restricting a child's food actually has the reverse effect. A child who's denied certain types of food, is more likely to become preoccupied with food and more like to overeat when given the chance. Read more at TheOlympian.com.

More important that rapid weight loss, are learning how to make healthy lifestyle choices. Learn how to make small, but important changes, in the Guide to Behavior Change.

Labels: criticism, diet, parenting

One of the best ways to help your child make changes in her diet is to have her keep a food diary so that she is more aware of what she's presently eating. This may sound silly, but how many times have you grabbed a handful of pretzels while passing the kitchen, or nibbled on cheese while cooking? It's easy to consume a lot of extra calories before you realize it.

A diet diary can also be a useful tool for figuring out personal triggers for unhealthy eating, such as snacking while watching TV, or eating when feeling stressed.

The diet diary should be kept for 3-7 days without changing normal habits. Everything that is consumed should be recorded, including snacks, drinks, and extras such as dressing and condiments. Some of the things to include in a diet diary are:

Time of day
Type of food
Amount of food (approximately 1 cup, a handful)
Where you are when eating
Who you are with
Mood or feelings at the time of eating (happy, stressed out, angry, neutral)

It's important for the food diary to reflect normal eating patterns rather than an attempt at eating correctly. This way you and your child can look at the diary and see what kinds of changes can be made to improve the diet. For example, if she tends to munch on snacks when feeling stressed, you can discuss other options, such as taking a walk with the dog, calling a friend, or taking a bath.

Labels: diet, fast food, food diary, nutrition