I’ve written a great deal about The Biggest Loser over the years – none of it good. Today you’re bound to read a lot of headlines about The Biggest Loser and its dramatic, devastating, and likely permanent damage to contestants’ metabolisms (more on that from the author of the recent study in a few days), but that’s not what I’m writing about today. Today I want to talk to you about a different sort of lasting Biggest Loser damage, and to illustrate, the story of Ali Vincent. Vincent is The Biggest Loser’s first female “winner”. Back in Season 5 she lost 110lbs, and now they’re back, and so is Vincent – she’s been on a media tear and she’s joined Weight Watchers in a bid to again lose weight. Now …
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The Lasting Damage of The Biggest Loser (Part II) – Lawsuit Edition
By Fayerollinson – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17999473Yesterday saw the publication of an unbelievably damning paper that unequivocally condemned The Biggest Loser as a show that permanently damages contestants’ metabolisms, and that it does so in a manner far greater than would have been expected by mathematical models based on contestants’ ages, heights, weights, sexes and body compositions. Now I know from chatting with former contestants, the show requires them to sign massive indemnity and non-disclosure agreements, and while I’m no lawyer, I wonder what legal standing former contestants might have to launch a class action lawsuit in response to the show’s trashing of their metabolic futures? Certainly, for consent to now be informed, participants must be told …
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Does Your Mom Even Text?
Mine doesn’t. But today’s Funny Friday video Moms sure do. Hope you have a great Mother’s Day weekend! ; ; ; ; ; ; Related StoriesIf The Weather’s Nice, Julia Roberts Enjoys Wearing Pink Fuzzy HandcuffsRube Goldberg’s Passover SederPunctuation Matters – Even When Reading The News ;
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Saturday Stories: Howard Jacobson, Marlene Carter, and Kristopher Pena
Source: Clive JamesA truly incredible video of Man Booker prize winning author and journalist Howard Jacobson discussing anti-Zionism and Antisemitism (hard to believe there are people this eloquent out there). Kenneth Jackson in APTN News on the pending death sentence of Marlene Carter. Matthew Teague in The Guardian on Kristopher Pena and the story of his solitary confinement in Florida ; ; ; ; ; ; Related StoriesSaturday Stories: Magic Leap, "Helena", and HIVSaturday Stories: "Functional Medicine", Slavery, Shame, and SugarSaturday Stories: Sugar Conspiracies, Abortion, Nature, and Aging ;
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Why I’ll Never Prescribe a Very-Low-Energy Diet
A VLED is a “very low energy diet”, and it’s defined as one providing fewer than 800 calories per day. These programs are generally administered by physicians, are expensive, often take the form of meal replacement shakes, and usually last for around 12 weeks. Multiple meta-analyses on VLEDs have been conducted, and generally their findings haven’t been particularly exciting. Either they’ve concluded they aren’t worth prescribing, or they’ve concluded that there isn’t sufficient information for a conclusion. Well add another meta-analysis to the pile. This one, published in March in Obesity Reviews, had what I found to be a very odd conclusion, and I’ll get there in a bit. Ultimately the researchers findings were that when compared with a standard, and non-extreme, behavioural weight loss program, 3-5 …
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Top Ten Changes I’d Like to See in Canada’s New Food Guide
While Canada’s Food Guide’s revision has yet to be announced, all signs point to soon. The department has gone on record multiple times over the course of the past few years stating that changes were required, and with our new Liberal government and its terrific appointment of Dr. Jane Philpott to Minister of Health, I’m confident that change is coming. Though there are many things I’d like to see change with the Guide’s next iteration, here are ten things (in no particular order) that I see as its most important to-dos:A revision process that is insulated from the food industry. Sure, let industry submit their recommendations, but make sure those submissions are made public, and as opposed to last time around, don’t give the food …
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When Should You Feed Your Kids Exactly What They Want?
You’ve probably heard, even from me, that you shouldn’t let your kids dictate what they eat. Don’t be a short-order chef!!! While that sounds simple, teaching kids to eat right isn’t! And, there are always exceptions to every rule! © illustrart/DepositPhotosIf you’re unsure about whether or not to give in to your toddler’s feeding demands, here’s what you need to consider before making your decision. When to Say Yes to Your Child’s Food Requests (Demands?) 1) Your child is generally a good eater and she just has a hankerin’ for something. 2) Grandma likes to indulge your child and she only visits occasionally. 3) It’s the holidays and some other special event. 4) You share menu planning in your house, kind of like a …
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How to Communicate Effectively with a Toddler
You’re forgiven for thinking I’m nuts because there’s no way to communicate with a toddler. Source: cteconsulting /depositphoto.comThey’re ornery. Opinionated. And taken to saying, “NO!” – a lot. And I agree. But no matter how you look at it, you’ve still got to talk to them. And when it comes to teaching healthy eating habits, communicating effectively is the key. Read Table Talk. Children can’t cooperate if they don’t know how eating decisions are made. When it comes to eating, many parents either don’t talk to their kids at all (read Surprise! Surprise!) or they talk to their children about the wrong things. As a result, eating decisions seem arbitrary. Read You Can’t Make Me Eat It! 1) Be open about your goals. I am …
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My Psychology Today Post re: Kids Who Don’t Eat Dinner
One of the most vexing problems parents have is kids who don’t eat—or don’t eat enough—at dinner. It can make you tear your hair out. In my recent Psychology Today post, I take a look at how parents often inadvertently teach their kids NOT to eat dinner—and what you can do to turn things around. I hope you’ll take a moment to read it. ~Changing the conversation from nutrition to habits.~
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STUDY: High Protein Intake Related to Weight Gain in Young Children
If you’re a pediatrician you’re probably familiar with the “Early Protein Hypothesis.” But if you’re a parent, you’re probably saying, “huh?” The Early Protein Hypothesis tries to explain the relationship between high protein intake in toddlers and later BMI and obesity risk. Yes, too much protein early in life can be a bad thing. Who knew? This research supplies yet more evidence that habits matter. Start your kids off early on too much protein and the impact probably won’t be what you expect. The solution: Rather than focus on getting protein—or any particular nutrients—into your kids. Teach your children the three habits of healthy eating. Proportion – Read Slackers Rule Variety – Read Variety? But My Kids Won’t Eat It! Moderation – Read Size Matters Most …
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STUDY: Teen Boys Eat More Protein Than They Need
Teenage boys are hungry. They eat a lot of food. And, it turns out, according to research reported in The New York Times, teenage boys eat too much protein. What do the experts recommend? Source: ronleishman/depositphotos.comThe answer probably won’t surprise you. Teenage boys, like the rest of us, should eat more fruits and vegetables. Read The New York Times article Last week I wrote about the Early Protein Hypothesis, which tries to explain the relationship between high protein intake in toddlers and later—at age 5— BMI and obesity risk. Read that post. Most young children get more than enough protein from milk. Children 1-3 years old need about 13 grams of protein daily. Milk and yogurt contain 8 grams of protein per cup. Two cups=16 grams of …
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Quit These 10 Crippling Parenting Habits Before Your Child Turns 2
Research shows that many kids have their healthiest eating habits before age 2. And it makes sense. During the weaning phase, parents feed their kids primarily fruits and vegetables…not chicken nuggets! Enter Toddler Kingdom and the world gets turned upside down. Toddlers are notoriously difficult eaters. It’s time to adopt the right habitude. (Like that word?) If you don’t change how you parent around food, you can’t change how your kids eat. Keep doing the same thing and you’ll continue to get the same results. Source: iqoncept /depositphotos.com10 Crippling Parenting Habits 1) Habit: Making your kids eat the last bite. Lesson: Other people know how much you ought to eat. It’s important to be full when you eat dessert. 2) Habit: Following your toddler around …