How to actually lose weight and keep it off

On the show “The Biggest Loser,” participants arrive seriously obese, then drop pounds dramatically with a combination of intense exercise and carefully planned eating. But after the show, many contestants gain it all back. So how can non-reality show people keep the weight off, then?

How much time do you spend on your phone daily? The average American spends nearly 11 hours of screen time

How often do you think you spend each day consuming media? Between your radio, TV, personal computer and devices, it may be more than you think! If you are like most Americans, you’re looking at 10 hours and 39 minutes of screen time, a recent Nielsen report shows. And because Nielsen collects data on media consumption only, that’s not even including the time you spend doing other things on your phone like taking photos or texting.

Extreme obesity may be taking years off a person’s life

Obesity is on the rise, not only in the United States but around the world. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013, more than a third of all adults are now overweight or obese. But despite how common it is to be overweight or obese, body weight can be a difficult topic to discuss. It is often discussed in the context of how you look and feel. But we would be remiss if we didn’t talk to you about your quality of life and life expectancy too. We want you to love yourself and love how you look and feel, but we also want you to enjoy a long and healthy life.

A sour truth about sweets and obesity

It’s no secret that obesity has been rising in America, and there are millions of people who want to get to the root cause of their weight gain so they can enjoy a healthy life. According to the CDC, the 2011–2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that 33.9 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 and older were overweight, 35.1 percent were obese, and 6.4 percent were extremely obese. Comparatively, in 1988, the number of overweight people was about the same, but the number of obese people was significantly lower at 22 percent. In the 1960s, obesity rates were just 13 percent. Times have changed, and it makes you wonder …

Toddlers with Type 2 diabetes?

Did you know that even 3-year-olds can get Type 2 diabetes? Chronic diseases aren’t just for adults anymore. For many reasons, pediatricians are now having to handle Type 2 diabetes, a condition that most doctors considered to be an “after-40” type of disease. So what’s contributing to the surge in diabetes in children?

Your chair may be your liver’s worst enemy

More and more research is pointing toward an unsuspected silent killer … your chair! You’ve probably heard the news about studies linking prolonged sitting and inactivity with obesity, diabetes and heart disease -- but a new study from South Korea published in the Journal of Hepatology says there’s also evidence that all that sitting may be increasing your risk for liver disease.

Proactive employers can lower health care costs, boost productivity

Americans are more likely to be overweight than not! That sobering conclusion from the latest analysis of the NHANES study, which stands for National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, has major implications for our nation’s health. Employers should pay attention, as rising insured employee health care costs can put a squeeze on businesses financially.

Two birds, one stone: Fight obesity and diabetes together

Type 2 diabetes has been on the rise in the U.S. Of the people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, about 80 to 90 percent are also diagnosed as obese. This provides an interesting clue to the link between diabetes and obesity. So, how exactly can obesity cause Type 2 diabetes? Read on to find out.

Health effects of late-night meals

Do you eat a good portion of your daily calories at night, when you finally have time to wind down? If so, you’re not alone! Most of us know that we should be eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. But we don’t. So what are the consequences if we don’t?

Does eating breakfast really help control your weight?

It may seem like skipping a meal would help you lose weight, but it turns out the opposite is true. Eating breakfast actually helps with weight loss and long-term weight management. Eating breakfast is a daily habit for members of the National Weight Control Registry. These people have maintained a 30-pound (or more) weight loss for at least a year, and some as long as six years. 78 percent of them ate breakfast every day, and almost 90 percent said they ate it at least five days a week, showing that starting your day with breakfast may be an important part of losing weight and keeping it off.

Toxins making you fat?

You have probably heard “toxins are "bad,” "toxins will cause cancer" or "toxins could be the reason for your hair loss.” But did you know toxins can cause weight gain? Yes, toxins (harmful chemicals and heavy metals in water, air, food, and household and industrial products) may very well be a cause for America’s obesity epidemic, not excess calories.

Be proactive about childhood obesity - Give your kids a chance to enjoy their healthy lives

According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in teens in the last 30 years. It has officially become an epidemic. So there is no dispute that childhood obesity is a serious public health concern.