Should the Fast Food Industry Be Next to Pay the Piper?

A friend of mine was telling me about two young ladies he stood behind in line at Dairy Queen a few weeks ago. They were young, not more than twenty-five years old, and they were extremely overweight. My friend’s jaw dropped as he listened to their order… “Two double-cheese burgers, a large fry, large Coke, and a large Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard please.”

That wasn’t the total order….that was what each of them ordered!

Let’s summarize that meal in nutritional terms and compare it to the recommended daily intake (RDI) of a 25-year old woman.

Total Calories = 4,080 (RDI = 1,800)

Total Fat = 191g (RDI = 60g)

Trans Fat = 20g (RDI = 0g)

Sodium = 4,620mg (RDI = <2,300mg)

Carbs = 464g (RDI = 225g)

Sugar = 268g (RDI = <35g)

Fiber = 9g (RDI = 25g)

Protein = 138g (RDI = 90g)

Based on a recommended 1,800 calories per day and a dietician-recommended 4-6 meals, an average meal would contain 300-450 calories. These ladies consumed ten times that much….4,080 calories in one meal! This meal also contains over three times the recommended daily intake of fat (with 20g of health-destroying trans fat), double the recommended sodium and over seven times the recommended sugar! Incredibly, with ten meals worth of calories, the meal only provides about one-third of a day’s requirement of fiber.

There are those that would laugh and make fun of these ladies. There are those that would criticize them for their poor decisions and judgment. “It’s their own fault,” they might say. “They’ve got choices. They could have ordered the Chicken Caesar Salad (at the bottom of the menu in fine print) or eaten a healthy meal at home.”

Personally, I feel deep sorrow for these young women. It saddens me that their chances of enjoying a long, healthy life are slim at best. I place the blame squarely on a fast food industry that has targeted these young ladies since they were 3 years old; an industry that did everything it could to get these two ladies addicted to fast food before they had a fighting chance.

Is what’s happening to these ladies any different than what happened to millions of people who were duped by big tobacco from the time they were children? Fast food targeted these young ladies just like big tobacco targeted our young people, inundating them with commercials on TV and radio, in magazines, in schools and on billboards. Brilliant marketing? Yes. Ethical? No.

You may say to yourself, “Well, the fast food industry has changed. They have healthy choices on the menu these days.“ Did fast food start to put healthy foods on the menu out of the goodness of their heart? Not likely. They started to put healthy foods on the menu when they saw the $35 billion settlement against big tobacco.

Why do we care? Have you noticed your health care costs climbing 10% annually? Have you noticed more of your friends and relatives developing chronic illnesses, even fatal illnesses, in the prime of their lives? At least part of the reason, in my opinion, is our nation's addiction to fast food.

We nailed big tobacco to the wall for getting our young people addicted to cigarettes years ago and filling up our hospital beds and morgues. I think "Fast Food" should be next in line to pay the piper. What do you think?

The 3 Best Reasons for Hiring a Personal Trainer

Personal trainers have been getting a lot of attention in the media lately with shows like “The Biggest Loser” and Oprah’s latest fall from the fitness wagon, so perhaps you’ve been thinking about hiring one to help you get back in shape. One question you should be asking yourself is, “If I hire a personal trainer, what should I be getting in return for my hard-earned money?”

Before we answer that question, let’s define what a personal trainer is. This is important, because anyone can print a few business cards and call themselves a trainer. There is no state licensing requirement and personal trainer certifications range from one-day online courses to rigorous theoretical and practical exams from accredited institutions. Before you even consider spending your hard-earned money, ask a potential trainer about their level of fitness-related education, which certification they have, how much practical experience they have, if they are insured, and if they have references. A top-notch fitness education and certification is no guarantee you are hiring a quality trainer, but it greatly improves your chances.

There is a never-ending debate about which certifications are the most reputable, but practically every list I see includes the following:

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
National Academy Of Sports Medicine (NASM)
International Sports Science Association (ISSA)

Now that we’ve defined a personal trainer, let’s talk about your investment. Here are the three most important things you should be getting when you hire a trainer.

#1 - Expert Knowledge

I want to tell you a story to illustrate an investment I made recently in expert knowledge. Recently, three faucets in my house began leaking simultaneously! It was horrific. My wife and I are permanently scarred from the sound of dripping water. Taking great pride in trying to fix these things myself, I talked to some friends, spent some time and money, tried a few things on my own; but the leaks kept coming back. I even talked to the “experts” at the local home improvement store, spent more time and money, and the drips kept dripping.

Exasperated, I called in a professional plumber to assess the situation. I nearly fainted when he handed me his $300 invoice to repair one faucet; but he also took the time to show me how to repair the other two faucets, saving me hundreds of dollars. More importantly, he diagnosed the root cause of the problem, our old water heater, something I would have never figured out on my own. Without his expert knowledge, the problem would have persisted no matter how many repairs I did on my own.

A qualified personal trainer can save you from similar experiences when trying to reach your fitness goals. Whether you are new to exercise or have been training for years, a personal trainer can help determine the root causes for why you are not in the kind of shape you would like to be. Trial-and-error can be frustrating, time-consuming and even dangerous when it comes to fitness. Look at an investment in a personal trainer’s expert knowledge as an “upfront” cost that will pay dividends for a lifetime.

#2 - A Kick-Start

Unless you are self-motivated to exercise 4-6 times per week and eat right, you may need a personal trainer to push you a little. When you’ve laid down your hard-earned money, scheduled a time for your workout and your personal trainer is waiting, it’s tougher to come up with reasons to back out. Your personal trainer should be pushing you to do a little more than what you would do on your own.

Setting and tracking goals, designing and recording workouts and documenting nutrition plans are administrative details most people prefer not to deal with. A personal trainer should be doing these things for you and giving you the tools to do them yourself if you choose.

A qualified trainer should also introduce you to exercise variety. There are practically an unlimited combination of exercises and techniques that provide effective workouts while staving off boredom. Your trainer should have the knowledge and experience to introduce you to them.

Finally, a good trainer should give you a positive attitude about exercise. They should be an enthusiastic role model encouraging you to exercise, eat sensibly and constantly pursue a healthy lifestyle.

#3 - Customization

This is where the “personal” in personal training comes in. A qualified personal trainer should do a thorough assessment of your unique situation and provide creative ideas on how to implement a fitness program based on your abilities, goals, needs and preferences. If you have special concerns, like a chronic illness or an old sports injury, a qualified trainer should be able to design a custom program that is safe and effective. The fitness program that scored big results for your neighbor Linda may not work for you at all. A qualified trainer should design a program that fits your needs, not a cookie-cutter routine you can copy off the internet.

The Truth About Weight Loss

This is the most important fitness article you will read all year. I’m going to lay it all on the line about weight loss. I am going to share my “weight-loss secret” with you right now. I’m not even going to try to sell you a book or video or diet program, I’m just going to give it to you for free! Here goes.

If you create a negative energy balance by burning more calories than you consume, you will lose weight.

It’s really that simple. Based on the conflicting information you get bombarded with every day in the media, you wouldn’t think it’s that simple, but it is.

Now that I’ve shared my “weight-loss secret” with you, let’s discuss both sides of the energy balance equation. Burning calories is a function of your resting metabolism (the number of calories you burn at rest), your physical activity (the number of calories you burn through activity) and the digestion of food (yes, digesting food burns calories).

You can help yourself in several ways on the “burn more calories” side. Resistance training is a double-bonus as it not only burns calories while you are doing it, it develops muscle, which elevates your resting metabolism. Cardio exercises like walking burn hundreds of calories in only 30 minutes a day, and certain foods, like green vegetables, will burn more calories to digest than others. So there is plenty you can do on the “burn more calories” side of the equation.

On the consumption side, there are 3500 calories in a pound of fat. Assuming your current weight is stable, and you create a negative calorie balance of 3500 calories (500 per day) over one week, you will lose one pound. You could achieve this by burning 250 calories per day through increased physical activity and consuming 250 calories per day less.

If you’ve been gaining weight, you may need to create a negative balance of greater than 3,500 calories in one week to lose a pound. That is why you may hear a friend say, “I’m eating fewer calories and I’m not losing weight!“ All that means is they have leveled off. They are not gaining, which is great, but they have not quite created a negative energy balance.

Do you need to count calories? Not necessarily. I think it’s a good idea for a few days to log your consumption and get a feel for the calorie level your are at; but, if you are gaining weight or are leveled off, and you are not willing to become more physically active, you have to reduce your calorie intake.

People who tell you, “I can’t lose weight no matter what I do” are lying to themselves. Everyone can lose weight. If you were thrown into prison for a year, fed nothing but chicken soup and forced to do 8 hours of hard labor every day, do you think you would lose some weight? OK, insane example, but you get my point. When I hear this statement, I instantly translate it to, “I am not yet willing to change the things in my life I need to change to create a negative energy balance.”

Weight loss supplements? There are weight loss supplements that work. If a weight loss supplement can speed up your metabolism (burn more calories) or suppress your appetite (consume less calories) or give you the psychological kick-start you need to make permanent lifestyle changes, it will help you lose weight. The problem with supplements is, what happens when you stop taking them? I’ll tell you. Your body, being the amazing machine that it is, will overcompensate to “correct” the condition you have created by taking supplements.

Can you lose weight without exercising? Yes, but your calorie consumption has to be low; and exercise offers so many other benefits, it is well worthwhile even if you are not losing weight.

What if I eat 1,200 calories worth of chocolate ice cream per day and burn 1,300 calories, will I lose weight? Yes, because you have created a negative energy balance. Of course, you will be damaging your health in a number of other ways as chocolate ice cream alone contains limited nutrients and a poor mix of carbohydrates, proteins and fat. To have optimum health, you must eat a balanced diet.

It‘s not all about weight loss, gang. Your body needs nutrients, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, water, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fiber to function efficiently. “Thin” doesn‘t automatically translate to “healthy.”

Losing weight is simple, but not easy. Creating a negative calorie balance requires lifestyle changes. If you are not willing to make the lifestyle changes necessary to create a negative calorie balance, that means increasing your current level of activity (assuming the same calories consumed) or consuming fewer calories (assuming the same level of activity) or both (a double bonus), losing weight will be a constant struggle.

Chronic Illness and Exercise - Arthritis

Has the pain and stiffness of arthritis kept you from being as active as you would like? Perhaps those morning jogs in the middle of winter are not as enjoyable as they used to be? Have you been wondering how you’re going to keep up with your children or grandchildren? Here are seven ways to help you stay fit without aggravating your arthritis.

Seek Warmth - Warmth is very soothing to arthritic joints. It relaxes the surrounding muscles and helps to lubricate thinning cartilage. Consider taking a warm shower before exercise. Always exercise in a warm environment, if possible; and if it’s cold outside, bundle up. Use heat rubs or wraps to provide additional warmth.

Build Up Slowly - Be realistic. You have arthritis. It’s time to slow down a little. Ease into exercise and build gradually to a moderate intensity. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, start with a 5-minute workout and add one minute each day until you get to 20 minutes per day. Personally, I like doing core exercises first (ab crunches, side bends, etc..) because they are low-impact and provide a great warm-up for your entire body.

Avoid Impact - If your favorite activity is sprinting out the door in your old running shoes wearing nothing but shorts and a tank-top in the middle of January, you may have to compromise a little. High impact activities like running, basketball and most contact sports wreak havoc on joints that are already compromised by arthritis. Try a 15-20 minute ride on a stationary bike while sipping coffee and watching the morning news in your toasty-warm exercise room. Also, try water aerobics, walking, weight-training or circuit training for an effective low-impact workout.

Coordinate Exercise with Your Medication - If you are taking something for pain, time the dosages so peak pain relief occurs during your workout. Take enough pain medication to be comfortable, but don’t overdo it. Too much pain medication can make you drowsy and increase the risk of injury by blocking your body’s natural warning signals.

Use the 2-hour rule - If you are still in pain 2 hours after exercise, chances are the intensity is too high. Listen to what your body is telling you. Your body is extremely efficient at letting you know when you are overdoing it. Excess joint pain, fatigue and stiffness are all indicators to slow down.

Use Exercise Aids - Make exercise less painful with padded gloves and dumbbells. Wear high-quality shoes to reduce impact and improve body mechanics while walking. Wear a comfortable warm-up suit and warm wraps for soothing warmth. Learn how to work around problem areas by choosing different exercises, stances, grips and body positions.

Lose Excess Body Weight - Simple biomechanics are at work here. The heavier you are, the more stress on your joints. Make your best effort to be physically active at least 30 minutes per day and eat sensibly to normalize bodyweight. Seek out a reputable dietician or nutritionist if you have a difficult time losing.

Always remember there will be good days and bad. Arthritis is a disease of “flare-ups”. On good days, take advantage and raise the intensity a little; on bad days, shorten your workouts and make them light, relaxing and fun.