Driving To Work Is Bad For Your Health

We know that sedentary lifestyles contribute greatly to our national obesity epidemic but daily commuters face some of the biggest health risks of all. Between stress, sleep deprivation, and road fatalities, long drives each morning are no picnic; But tack on that extra hour of sitting while driving to and from the office and it amounts to approximately ten sedentary hours every day!

In this same vein, the act of driving to work (and nine out of ten commuters do) contributes to urban congestion, air pollution, and, studies suggest, global warming. The amount of physical space required for people to drive to work is more than ten times the space needed for a more compact bus or train. Research shows that employees who take public transportation to work weigh less than their driving counterparts. Several minutes of walking to the bus stop or down into the subway translate to that much less sitting and that much more moving for an individual. Americans should be motivated to take public transportation not only for environmental reasons, but to protect their waistlines as well.

But, we can take this one step further and look at the amount of street space bikes take up in comparison to vehicles. A biking (or walking!) commute is not only the most eco-friendly method of transportation but the undeniable winner when it comes to individual health and well-being.

Biking to work isn’t an option for everyone, but a trip by public transit holds a clear second place.

Georgia's Stop Childhood Obesity Ad Campaign

If you haven’t yet seen a clip from Georgia’s haunting childhood obesity ad campaign, check it out here.

In perhaps the most persuasive call to action to address childhood obesity in recent years, the state of Georgia unveiled a series of stark public service announcements meant to raise awareness and highlight the negative consequences of excess pounds for children. Every time I watch this one, my heart breaks for the little boy.The individual advertisements vary in their storylines but each one concludes with the harsh one-liner: STOP SUGARCOATING IT, GEORGIA.

Children in Georgia suffer from obesity at disproportionately high rates (40% of kids in the state qualify as overweight or obese versus the national average of 17%). But whose fault is it really? Food deserts, a global recession, and hearty southern cooking contribute to a diet of convenient food and a serious lack of nutritious vegetables and whole grains. Combine these eating habits with overweight parents who lead by example, and it’s no wonder childhood obesity has escalated into an epidemic.

But, are these ads effective marketing tools? Do they raise awareness about childhood obesity or merely overstate a known issue?

Lastly, do the ads demonize Georgians by suggesting that parents of obese kids are “bad” parents?

Click here to learn more about childhood obesity. Education is the first step towards prevention.

An Unorthodox Theory for Weight Gain

We can’t deny the increased prevalence of obesity the world over, but experts continue to debate the leading factors behind this epidemic. Most everyone agrees that when “calories in” exceed “calories out”, an individual will gain weight, however, the biological underpinnings of overeating and food cravings are worthy of examination.

Melinda Sothern, a fitness and nutrition expert at LSU believes that the American obesity surge that began in the 80’s could link back to a trifecta of pregnancy-related factors in the 1950’s and 60’s. At this time in American history, pregnant women were instructed by their physicians to restrict weight gain (to about 10 lbs) and advised to smoke or diet to stay within this limit over the course of their pregnancy.

At the same time, breast feeding became increasingly unpopular so many bottle fed babies missed out on valuable nutrients from their mother’s breast milk. Studies show that children who are fed formula have a greater risk of obesity in adulthood when compared with breast fed infants.

Finally, the lack of breast feeding led to babies being born closer together, which meant each fetus had access to fewer nutrients in the womb and was subsequently at risk for low birth weight.

This bundle of factors primed individuals for nutrient cravings in infancy and beyond.

Sothern notes that these “nutrient-craving” babies grew up into “nutrient-craving” adults who then passed genes along to the next generation. It should come as no surprise that food cravings coupled with ubiquitous fatty/salty/sugary fare, plus increasingly sedentary lifestyles, would lead to the obesity epidemic we are dealing with today.

Is this plausible? Can eating habits and behaviors from expectant mothers in the 1950’s have such a profound effect on future generations? And if so, how do we proceed in our national fight against obesity?

Nix the New Year's Resolution! Opt for New Year's Goals to See Success

As we kick off another year, most of us have finalized our New Year’s Resolutions. The first couple weeks tend to start off with high hopes and intense dedication, but by the time spring rolls around, odds are we will have long abandoned those newfound behaviors and slipped back into old routines.

Maybe it's time to approach things differently! Instead of resolving to make rigid changes or focusing on vague aspirations, set goals that you can quantify, make progress towards, and achieve.

Resolution: A firm decision to do or not do something.
Goal: The result or achievement toward which effort is directed.

Not sure if you’ve made a resolution or set a goal? Ask yourself these 4 questions to find out!

1. Are you focused on something specific? While resolutions are often vague and undefined, goals should be clearly measurable. A resolution is usually something like "Lose weight" or "Save more money". A goal should be specific, such as, "Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity, four days per week" or "Put $100 per month in a savings account".

2. Do you have a plan for progress? Goals are something we work to achieve and typically involve creating a plan for progress. For example, a training schedule for an endurance event, or a weekly meal plan when shopping for groceries. The plan offers steps to follow and allows habits to develop to keep you on track.

3. Will you feel a sense of accomplishment? Resolutions tend to be very firm, set-in-stone behaviors - "Go to bed by 11 pm every night", "Stop eating junk food", "Exercise more during the week" - whereas goals allow for baby steps and small successes along the way. Once you begin recognizing these accomplishments, feel proud of them! Let that excitement fuel the growth toward continued success.

4. Do you want to do this? Generally, when goals are set, we take something from our "bucket list"' and are finally prepared to work for it. On the other hand, resolutions are usually behaviors we think we should adopt, but may not necessarily be ready to commit to.

So take 5 minutes (or 10 or 20) and revamp your resolutions into goals. Once you do this, you'll find yourself on a much better path for success in 2012!

What's on your list of New Year's Goals?
What tips would you suggest for staying motivated to achieve these goals?

Unified School District's Students Unimpressed with Healthy Lunch

Well this is disappointing. In an effort to revamp the outdated school lunch program in LA’s Unified School District, school officials launched a massive overhaul to the current system. Corn dogs and chocolate milk were ditched in favor of quinoa and Caribbean meatballs.

Despite an updated menu that sounded both varied and exotic, students were less than enthused. Principals reported massive waste, hungry students, and a thriving “underground food market” offering chips, candy, and burgers to anyone willing to pay. Thousands unenrolled from the lunch program and opted to bring in their own fare instead.

Why was the healthy lunch program such a bust? Teenagers are a rebellious bunch by nature. They don’t like being told what to do or how to act and they like things that taste good, feel good, look good. So, it seems only natural that a district-wide school lunch switch-up would create at least some push back by the students.

How could this have been a more effective campaign? Studies show that even adults resist dietary tweaks such as reduced sodium when the change is abrupt. The most effective way to alter an individual’s palate in favor of healthy foods is to slowly introduce new flavors into the diet so nothing taste bland or unsatisfying at the start. Change is hard, so it’s important to move slowly and subtly.

Hopefully, the LA school district will re-evaluate the healthy lunch campaign and create a menu with some balance.

Everyone can take this advice to heart! If you’re looking to revamp your own life as we approach the New Year, remember – don’t try to change everything at once. Results will be longer lasting and far more likely to stick if changes are instituted bit by bit.