FitBits
June 15, 2009
Exercise ETC's Review of Exercise Related Research
Compiled by Chris Marino, MS, CSCS
Director of Education, Exercise ETC
A Wake-Up Call for Americans
Over the past twenty years there has been an increased effort by both the public (government) and private sector to educate Americans on the benefits of pursuing a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, the many interventions designed to encourage better nutrition, regular physical activity, smoking cessation, and to reduce or moderate alcohol consumption may not be having the desired impact. Moreover, Americans appear to be getting less healthy on the whole.
Researchers at the University of South Carolina compared data collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The survey evaluated lifestyle based on five factors: physical activity, smoking status, alcohol consumption, Body Mass Index (BMI) and consumption of fruits and vegetables. Patients at the University Medical Center were surveyed between 1988 and 1994, and again between 2001 and 2006. All participants were between 40 and 74 years old at the time of the survey.
The troubling news is that patients are entering the hospital with poorer lifestyle habits across all five measured variables than they did more than 18 years ago. BMI increased by 8% from 28% to 36%. Participation in physical activities at least 3 times weekly on average is down 10% to 43%. The same number of adults are smoking, 26.5%, and moderate alcohol intake rose 11% to 51%. Last, fewer people are eating their fruits and vegetables as 26% currently report eating at least 5-a-day. That's down 16%.
Overall, adherence to all 5 measures decreased by nearly half, from 15% to 8%. Hence, it could be determined from this study that adults are not heeding the advice to improve their lifestyle. However, this study was limited to patients entering a medical treatment facility. The results could simply demonstrate that adults with previously poor lifestyle habits are continuing to make poor choices, and the data may not be transferable to the entire population. Regardless, as fitness professionals this information should be interpreted as an opportunity to get out and change more lives, paying special attention to those who have the greatest obstacles to overcome.
King, D.E. et al (2009) Adherence to healthy lifestyle habits in US adults, 1988-2006. American Journal of Medicine. 122: 528-34.* * * * *
Strength Training Cuts Risk of Cancer Death by 40%
Although overall cancer death rates have dropped nearly 20% over the past 15-20 years, deaths from specific types of cancer that are associated with obesity continue to rise. It turns out Resistance Exercise may further reduce overall cancer deaths despite elevated Body Mass Index (BMI), and hence impact the rate of cancer-related deaths regardless of obesity.
Researchers at the Cooper Institute tracked 8,677 men between the ages of 20 and 82 over a 23-year period beginning in 1980. The data was obtained as part of the Aerobics Centre Longitudinal Study.
Information on the participants muscle strength and adiposity were correlated with the incidence of cancer death over the study period. Strength was assessed using the 1-repetition maximum for both the bench press and leg press exercises. Body mass index along with body fat percentage and waist circumference was used to determine adiposity.
Over the study period, men with the greatest strength associated with regular resistance exercise were 30-40% less likely to die from a cancerous tumor. This benefit remained after accounting for adiposity.
Previous research has identified connections between aerobic exercise and weight loss on the incidence of cancer deaths. The researchers suggest that men regularly participate in Resistance Exercise at least twice weekly to achieve the benefits uncovered in this study.
Ruiz, J.R. et al (2009) Muscular Strength and Adiposity as Predictors of Adulthood Cancer Mortality in Men. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 18(5):1468–76* * * * *
A Healthier High Fat, High Protein Diet?
The Atkins' Plan is a popular diet that advises high-protein and high-fat, while severely restricting the consumption of carbohydrates. Although the Atkins' Diet has been shown to produce significant weight loss, either comparable or better that that achieved through conventional means, it has gained more condemnation than support amongst health professionals. One of the biggest criticisms of the Atkins' Diet is the reliance on high quantities of red meat and saturated fats, which have been shown to increase cholesterol and adiposity in addition to increasing all-cause mortality.
Canadian researchers believed that the benefits of a low carbohydrate or Atkins’-like diet might be enhanced by substituting presumably healthier plant-based proteins and fats. In a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine the effects of a low fat, low carbohydrate, high plant-based protein diet (26% C, 31% P, 43% F) were compared to those of a high carbohydrate, lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (58% C, 16% P, 25% F) in 40 overweight men and women with dislipidemia. The plant-based diet relied on vegetable oils, gluten, soy, nuts, fruits, vegetables and cereals for protein and fat.
Individuals on the vegetarian diet were permitted dairy and eggs for protein and fat. Participants received food delivery for 4 weeks. Daily caloric consumption was regulated at 40% less than total caloric needs.
After four weeks participants lost ~9 lbs on average regardless of the macro-nutrient breakdown of their diet. More important, researchers reported a significant reduction in LDL cholesterol among participants on the plant-based protein diet, a between-group difference of 0.6%.
Although total cholesterol and blood pressure were also improved, it might be determined that weight loss was more of a factor than macro-nutrient breakdown. Moreover, plant-based diets are high in fiber, which has been previously shown to improve cholesterol and facilitate weight loss. Some health professionals are optimistic about these results as they may encourage more people to explore options when seeking a low-carbohydrate nutrition plan for weight loss.
Jenkins, D.J.A. et al (2009) The effect of a plant-based low-carbohydrate ("Eco-Atkins") diet on body weigh and blood lipid concentrations in hyperlipidemic subjects. Archives of InternalMedicine. 169(11): 1046-54.* * * * *
Inability to Delay Gratification Tied to Overweight in Adolescence
In America, we live in a society that lacks patience for everything from waiting in line at the grocery store to climbing the corporate ladder. Why shouldn’t we expect that to carry-over to weight loss? In a recent study, researchers proposed that this ability to delay gratification (ATDG), may present itself in childhood where identifying this behavioral trait could prevent overweight and obesity in adulthood.
Researchers tested 805 children at 10 sites throughout the United States as part of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. The ability to delay gratification was assessed at age 4 and the results compared to anthropometric measures taken seven years later at age 11. The children were given a pass/fail grade on a validated test to evaluate ATDG, 47% of who failed at age 4. Children were classified as "overweight" if their BMI was greater than or equal to the 85th percentile for weight and height.
As expected, those who failed the task had a greater likelihood of being overweight at age 11. Two additional measures assessed were the mother's expectations of their child's ATDG for food, and the mother's weight. Although there was no association for maternal expectation of ATDG, children with mother’s who were overweight were also more likely to be overweight. The relationship of ATDG continued to persist after this finding.
In the battle against overweight and obesity, the optimal playing field that is becoming more evident is in targeting youth. By identifying factors that contribute to weight gain throughout childhood, we can adjust our strategies accordingly and experience improved outcomes in adult programs.
Seeyave, D.M. et al (2009) Ability to Delay Gratification at Age 4 Years and Risk of Overweight at Age 11 Years. Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine. 163(4):303-308.
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