Women who live with a partner put on more weight than those without a partner or a child, according to a new study.
The study conducted by Wendy Brown, Annette Dobson, U-Q both professors and Richard Hockey of University of Queensland (U-Q), also found that women also experience a larger weight gain after having their first baby.
Researchers surveyed more than 6,000 women over a 10 year period to assess the factors associated with weight gain in young women.
Women with a baby and partner gained the most weight, followed by those with a partner and no baby. Women without a partner or children also gained weight, but at a lower rate.
Dobson and co-authors suggest that the weight gain among all women may be explained by changing social and behavioural factors, said an UQ release.
"This is a general health concern as obesity rates continue to increase," said Dobson.
These findings were published in the January edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Women living with partners put on more weight
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Now, a chocolate that helps you lose weight!
Want to shed flab? Well, you can now gorge on a special chocolate to lose weight, provided you don't mind its green tinge.
Sounds strange, but scientists have produced a new kind of chocolate, called Lola, which contains chemicals that trick one's brain into believing that one is not hungry and stops one from over -eating, the 'Daily Mail' reported.
However, the scientists from Spanish manufacturer Cocoa Bio claim that though the chocolate tastes just like regular bars, they have a slight green tinge because of the unusual extra ingredients.
"People should eat one or two chocolates around one hour before a meal. They'll feel pleasantly full and less like eating to excess. The chocolate has an intense flavour and extremely high antioxidant properties," lead scientist Armando Yanez, was quoted as saying.
He said the green tinge is because the chocolate contains the dietary supplement spirulina, a microscopic algae with a high level of nutrients such as vitamin A and B12, which also have weight loss benefits.
The scientists also claim that amino acids in the recipe stimulate the production of a hormone in the brain which suppresses the appetite.
The chocolates, priced about 5 pounds for a box of five will initially be sold only in Spain, but may come to Britain if there is enough interest.
It is not the first time that the potential health benefits from regularly eating chocolate, especially dark chocolate, have been identified.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Drink green coffee 'to lose weight'
Want to shed flab? Drink green coffee daily, says a new study.
Researchers have carried out the study and found that chlorogenic acid from green coffee causes significant levels of weight loss -- the drink works by reducing sugar absorption from the gut and speeding up the rate at which fat is burned.
In a four-week trial assessing Coffee Shape, the researchers found that those who drank one cup a day lost 3.5 pounds in two weeks, and 4.45 pounds in a month. That compares to drinkers of standard coffee, who on average lose just 0.3lb in two weeks compared to those who drink no coffee at all.
Laurent Fresnel, of ATP Life, makers of Coffee Shape, was quoted by the 'Daily Mail' as saying: "Green coffee is similar to green tea. In its raw, unroasted form, it is rich in plant molecules that speed metabolism and aid weight loss.
"These molecules of chlorogenic acid are strong antioxidants that appear to have other health benefits too. Unfortunately, they are destroyed in the roasting process, so are not found in high levels in regular coffee."
The findings of this study have been published in the 'American Journal of Clinical Nutrition'.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Blame your brain for weight gain
The brain prods you into splurging on an extra ice-cream scoop or that second burger, practically sabotaging your efforts to get back into shape, a new study says.
Findings from a new University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre (UTSMC) study suggest that fat from certain foods we eat makes its way to the brain. There, these fat molecules cause the brain to send messages to the body's cells, directing them to ignore the appetite-suppressing signals from leptin and insulin, hormones involved in weight regulation.
Researchers also found that one particular type of fat - palmitic acid, is particularly effective at instigating this mechanism. It is a common saturated fatty acid, occurring in butter, cheese, milk and beef.
"Normally, our body is primed to say when we've had enough, but that doesn't always happen when we're eating something good," said Deborah Clegg, assistant professor of internal medicine at UTSMC. Clegg led the study on rodents.
"What we've shown in this study is that someone's entire brain chemistry can change in a very short period of time. When you eat something high in fat, your brain gets 'hit' with the fatty acids, and you become resistant to insulin and leptin," Clegg said. "Since you're not being told by the brain to stop eating, you overeat."
In animals, the effect lasts about three days, potentially explaining why many people who splurge on Friday or Saturday say they're hungrier than normal on Monday, added Clegg.
Clegg said that even though the findings are in animals, they reinforce the common dietary recommendation that individuals limit their saturated fat intake. "It causes you to eat more," she said.
The next step, Clegg averred, is to determine how long it takes to reverse completely the effects of short-term exposure to high-fat food.
