BMI Weightloss Blog

Herald Sun and The Age Response Article

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:57:00 GMT

Below is my response to two articles that appeared in Herald Sun, and the Age on Monday, August 1.

Dr Leon Massage
Founder of the BMI weight loss program
AMA Vic spokesperson on weight and nutrition

Weight loss a war that never ends (Herald Sun, Monday, August 1 AAP)

Obesity campaigns 'waste of cash' - Melbourne Age, Monday, August 1. by Kate Morgan, Health Reporter.

It is a sad day when the weight loss experts announce that it is impossible for the obese to lose weight. What makes the matter even more distressing is the fact that they are WRONG.

Professor of Medicine at Melbourne University, Joseph Proietto, was quoted in an article in the Melbourne Age on Monday by Kate Hagan, the Age health reporter, stating that the obese population was unlikely to benefit from health messages encouraging them to eat healthy foods and to exercise. He went on to say that the answer lay in making gastric banding more widely available.

That is a horrible defeatist thought that is likely to dishearten many obese individuals. And it is one that I totally disagree with it.

My experience, with thousands of overweight and obese patients who I have treated in my clinic, tells me that the opposite is true. Many people can succeed in losing their excess weight, while simultaneously improving their health. And they can keep the weight off - permanently.

Professor Proietto said; "You can't convince someone not to eat who's hungry." Well of course you can't. And nor should you.

In order to lose weight, it is not necessary to be hungry. This terrible stereotype of weight loss being all about pain and self-denial is totally wrong. It is disappointing to hear the experts perpetuating the myth.

The answer to successful weight loss is not new drugs. And it is not more lap-band surgery. Invasive procedures of this type should be a last resort.

The answer lies in empowering patients with the right information and the motivation to enable them to take control of their weight and their health.

Diet Traps Exposed

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:03:00 GMT

The Dieting Myths That May be Keeping You Fat

You only need to walk the streets of any large Western city to see an epidemic overload of advertisements for the latest and greatest answers to quick weight loss. The problem is, most of them don't work and some are just plain dangerous.

Dozens of new crash diets and crazy diet fads hit the market every year. Most result in causing your body to retaliate with a rebound weight gain that produces even larger fat deposits in the body. These diets are not only unhealthy but they can also end up damaging your metabolism and keeping you from losing weight.

A popular technique used by some advertisers to entice you to buy their diet, is to use bits and pieces of scientific fact to make their diet look more legitimate. The problem is that most people who follow these restrictive diets end up gaining more weight than they lost when they finish the diet.

Why Diets Don't Work?

Let's look at some of the more popular diets individually.

The low fat diet

What's wrong with the low fat diet?

The theory behind the low fat diet is that only fat can make you fat. The suggestion is that if you just eat less fat, your body will magically transform and the fat will fall off.

Unfortunately this theory is wrong.

The prime directive of the body is survival. This means that when less fat becomes available, the body responds by storing fat more efficiently. This causes an increase in fat accumulation. What this means is that your body gets fatter when placed on a low fat diet.

Another problem created by this type of diet is that it causes you to eat more. A study done at Cornell University identified the fact that total food intake increased. Volunteers ate as much as 45 percent more food when they thought the food they were eating was low in fat.

This style of low fat dieting tricks the dieter into believing that eating foods containing fat is the principal cause of weight gain is. As a result they cut back on fat but flood their body with highly refined carbohydrate foods. This raises their blood sugar and insulin levels, resulting in an even bigger urge to eat when they finally crash.

The Grazing Diet

What's wrong with eating small frequent meals?

Grazing is recommended by some so called experts as a good technique to lose weight. The theory here is that the dieter will burn more calories if they eat more often. The explanation given is that the body uses more calories to digest food, and the constant consumption of food keeps the furnace burning, while leveling out blood sugar levels to prevent hunger.

This diet is also more a fad than a reality. It is based on the premise that it works for many naturally thin people who eat small frequent meals and don't gain weight. The suggestion is that if the overweight copy this behaviour, they will also end up thin.

Unfortunately grazing does not work for people who gain weight easily. Grazing doesn't work for these people because they have a different metabolic profile from their thin counterparts.

Increasing the frequency of meals by grazing fails for the overweight. It does so for several reasons. The initially small and frequent meals don't stay small for long. They often increase in size, becoming larger and larger as the diet progresses. Suddenly the dieters find that they adjusted their eating patterns to a larger volume as well as greater meal frequency.

Research has shown that in the overweight population, increasing meal frequency actually increases insulin levels, and this creates greater hunger and easier weight gain.

The Low Glycemic Index Diet

What's wrong with counting carbohydrates?

The Low GI diet is another popular diet. This diet focuses on how the body responds to different quality carbohydrates. Used correctly this form of dieting can be useful. However, the use of the Glycemic Index is commonly misunderstood and can result in severely restricting the intake of some very healthy and essential carbohydrates.

There are many aspects of Glycemic Index that have a lot of merit for weight loss. Unfortunately the Glycemic Index can be easily manipulated and most people do not have any clear understanding of what the numbers really mean and how they impact on their diet.

It is important to understand that GI is only a number. It does not take into consideration the real, and slightly more complex, issue of Glycemic Load. There are some foods, like beetroot, that have a high GI and are avoided, when, in fact, they can be eaten freely because of their low Glycemic Load.

Another problem with focusing only on GI is the fact that GI can be manipulated in several ways. For example, the GI of a food can be decreased by adding fat to the carbohydrate in question. This creates a lower GI but a much less healthy and more fattening food. As a result, followers of this regime end up eating food that is not nearly as good or as healthy as they think it is when judged by the Glycemic Index only.

Crash Diets and Fad Diets

Why dieting makes you fat?

There are far too many gimmicky diets and fad diets that masquerade as healthy diets. These diets have the potential to strip your body of valuable vitamins and minerals and also to damage your metabolism.

Crash diets usually result in the creation of the 'yo-yo' pattern of weight gain followed by weight loss. This is the one of the reasons for the saying: "dieting can make you fat." Let me explain why.

When someone loses weight rapidly on a crash diet, they don't lose only fat. They lose fluid and they also lose lean muscle tissue at the same time. When they 'yo-yo' and regain the weight, they only regain the fat and fluid, but they don't regain the lost muscle. This means that after each weight-loss and weight-gain cycle the percentage of body fat increases. The dieter becomes fatter with each cycle.

For the moment, I would like to leave you with is the following message: "What you don't know about dieting can hurt you." It can keep you from losing weight. It can prevent you from getting healthy and avoiding disease.

How Manufacturers Hide Fat, Sugar and Salt Content In Foods

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 05:13:00 GMT

Avoiding fats, sugars or salt requires careful checking.
The ingredient list on any given product is obliged to specify the contents of that product. However, if you are trying to avoid fat, sugar or salt, you should be aware of the fact that they may be added in many other forms that are a little harder to identify. These ingredients can be scattered all over the ingredients list.

Fat	Sugar	Salt (sodium)
Beef fat Butter Shortening Coconut Coconut oil or palm oil Copha Cream Dripping Lard Mayonnaise Sour cream Vegetable oils and fats Hydrogenated oils Full-cream milk powder Egg (cholesterol) Mono-, di- or tri-glycerides.	Brown sugar Corn syrup Dextrose Disaccharides Fructose Glucose Golden syrup Honey Lactose Malt Maltose Mannitol Maple syrup Molasses Monosaccharides Raw sugar Sorbitol Sucrose Xylitol.	Baking powder Booster Celery salt Garlic salt Sodium Meat or yeast extract Onion salt Monosodium glutamate (msg) Rock salt Sea salt Sodium bicarbonate Sodium metabisulphate Sodium nitrate/nitrite and stock cubes.

Medications that can cause weight gain

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:30:00 GMT

It is posible that the medications you are taking are causing you to gain weight?

Unfortunately the answer is yes

There are quite a few medications that can cause you to gain weight.

For your information, these drugs, and the drug classes they belong to, are listed in the table below. Some of these classes of drugs are more notorious for weight gain than others.

But please note, you must not cease these medications without consulting your doctor.

The medications that your are taking have been prescribed for you for a specific medical reason and it could be detrimental to your health if you suddenly stop taking them.

You should always ask your doctor's advice about stopping any medication or even decreasing the dosage of a prescribed medication.

Medical Condition	Action of Drug	Drug Group	Generic Name of Drug Group	Generic Name of Drug	Brand Name of Medication
Diabetes	Decreased blood sugar levels	Oral Hypoglycemics	Metformin Sulfonylureas Glitazones Insulin	Metformin Glibenclamide Gliclazide Pioglitazone Rosiglitazone Insulin Isophane-Insulin	Diabex Daonil Diamicron Actos Avandia Protaphane Novorapid
Anxiety	Treat stress Decrease anxiety	Anxiolytics	Benzo-diazepines	Diazepam Oxazepam Alprazolam	Valium Serepax Xanax
Depresssion	Decrease depression	Anti-depressants	SSRI's Tricyclics MAO Inhibitors	Fluoxetine Sertraline Amitriptyline Doxepin Nardil	Prozac Zoloft Endep Sinequan Phenelzine
Psychiatric	Use in major psychosis	Anti-psychotics	Phenothiazines	Chlorpro-mazine Fluphenazine	Largactil Modecate
Inflammation Allergy	Use in inflammatory or allergic conditions	Anti-inflammatories	Gluco-corticosteroids	Dexamethasone Flurocortisone Predsone	Dex-methasone Florinef Predsone
Fertility	Used for Contraception	Contraceptives	Oral contraceptives	Ethinyl-oestrodiol, levo-norgesterol Norethisterone, mestranol Drospirenone, Ethinlyl-oestradiol	Microgynon 30 Norinyl 1 Yasmin

Should We Really Feed the Man Meat?

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:29:00 GMT

Those of you who reside in Australia would have seen the television advertisement that promotes meat eating with the slogan: “Feed the man meat”. The question we need to ask is whether this recommendation to eat more meat is a good idea in the first place? And, the question that follows next: is eating meat a healthy food choice?

Meat is often promoted as a food that is an excellent source of protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12. This is basically correct. Meat does contain high concentrations of these nutrients.

Does it mean, however, that there are no other ways, or even better ways, of getting these nutrients? No. I don’t think it means that at all.

Does it mean that because meat has high levels of these nutrients, it is healthy and good for you? No, it does not mean anything of the sort.

There are many other sources of these nutrients in the food that we eat. Iron, for example, can be found in high concentrations in many other sources of animal proteins. Examples include: liver, eggs, salmon, tuna and oysters.

White meat also contains some iron but, admittedly, not nearly as much as red meat.

Most people immediately think of beef or lamb when considering red meat; however kangaroo meat is a much better source of iron, zinc and vitamin B12 than either lamb or beef.

Iron can also be found in many non-animal sources, such as lentils, grains, beans, soy and green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli.

Other excellent sources of iron include whole wheat bread and soy products such as tofu, as well as dried fruit.

What are the adverse health effects of red meat?

The World Cancer Research Fund released a very important report in 1997. That report said: “Diets containing substantial amounts of red meat probably increase the risk of colorectal cancer”.

The report went on to say that there is a possibility that such diets also increase the risk of other cancers, such as cancer of the pancreas, breast, prostate and kidney.

The World Cancer Research Fund released a further report in 2007. This report was even more damning of red meat. The report stated the following: “The evidence is now convincing that red meats and processed meats are a cause of bowel cancer”.

The report also recommended avoiding processed meat. It stated that there was no level of intake of processed meat that could be confidently shown not to increase risk.

What constitutes red meat?

According to the World Cancer Research Fund the following are classified as red meat: Lamb, beef, pork or goat meat.

The World Cancer Research Fund defines processed meat as: Any meat that is preserved by: salting, curing, smoking or adding chemical preservatives Examples include: ham, bacon, hot dogs and sausages.

There is even more bad news for red meat eaters who are concerned about its impact on health. Recent studies show that eating red meat increases mortality rates. The increase in mortality was mainly due to an increase in heart disease and cardiovascular risk, but cancers were not far behind.

It is important to emphasise that these problems have not been found with white meats such as chicken and fish.

How much red meat is too much?

It appears that the body can cope with small quantities of red meat, and most health authorities have not recommended that you have to give up red meat all together.

The current Australian healthy eating guidelines recommend 3-4 servings per week of red meat. But it is important to note that the size of these servings is quite small. The recommended amount is 65–100 gm, after cooking. Personally, I would recommend less.

The popular CSIRO weight loss diet recommends 200 gm portions of red meat, 4-5 times per week for dinner, and allows even more processed red meat for lunch, up to 4 times per week. I believe that these are dangerous and excessive levels of red meat intake.

Red Meat and weight loss

When considering red meat intake for a weight loss diet, it is important to take into account the energy density of the meal. Red meat has a very high energy density.

A high energy density means that there are a lot of calories in a small piece of the food concerned. For example, a 120 gm serving of red meat contains 340 Calories, or 1420 Kilojoules. That is an enormous amount of energy when you consider that the average male would easily consume a 375-500 gm steak in one sitting.

That is one reason why, in my BMI Boost Metabolism System, I highly recommend a significant decrease in the intake of red meat for anyone trying to lose weight.

Obesity in Australia and the Western World

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:28:00 GMT

I was interviewed on Dr Ross Walker’s program, on radio station 2UE in Sydney, a few weeks ago and they asked me a few interesting questions that I thought I would share with you.

The first question I was asked was about the current statistics on overweight and obesity in Australia. And, I suspect, you will find the statistics quite astounding. So here they are, for your information:

The percentage of overweight females in Australia is 55% and the percentage of overweight males is a staggering 67%. It is also worth making a note of the fact that this year Australia has had the unique privilege of overtaking the USA as the fattest country in the world. There goes the image of the athletic, bronzed, Australian male.

Another question was: Why do we have such a problem with the obesity in our country?

I believe that there is not one simple answer to that question. There are many reasons why obesity has become such a problem, not only in Australia, but all across the Western World. The three main reasons are:

We have become a very inactive society. We walk less, we have too many labour saving devices and we exercise less. In the last 100 years the daily energy output by the average office worker has decreased by about 60%.
Our energy intake, that is the number of calories we consume in the food we eat, has not dropped at all; and in many cases it has probably increased. This has caused an energy imbalance that has created a tendency towards weight gain and obesity.
We eat the wrong foods. We eat too much fast-food and junk food. Too many of the foods we eat are high in fat and energy density. The food is too highly processed and the quality of the ingredients in our food has diminished.

Another question related to why most weight loss programs are initially effective but after following most people for up to three years, they are either the same weight or are even heavier.

The short answer to this is that most diets go for the quick fix and focus on only one minor aspect of a very complex problem. Many people are given a very simple diet to follow for a short period of time. They either cut portion size or they provide some meal substitutes, such as protein powders, to eat instead of a meal.

These techniques result in short term weight loss but they are always doomed to failure in the long term. No one has taken the time to learn what they were doing wrong in the first place or to determine their underlying metabolic profile and any metabolic problems. The end result is that when the majority of people stop following the written instructions or stop drinking the meal substitutes, they go back to their old eating habits.

Every cloud has a silver lining

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:26:00 GMT

At last, I can deliver a bit of good news to those people who are always bemoaning their body shape and keep complaining that their pear shape body fat distribution is less than ideal.

If that is something that you can identify with, you will be pleased to learn that recent Danish research has revealed that if you have larger thighs than the average, you finally have a reason to celebrate. The Danish study found that having bigger thighs than the average person protects you against cardiovascular disease and premature death.

The research, which was performed on 2800 men and women, found that people with a thigh circumference of 60 centimetres or less had an increased risk of premature death, as well as heart and cardiovascular disease. As a matter of fact, those with the smallest thighs – measuring 46 cm or less in circumference – had double the mortality risk of those with a thigh circumference of 55 cm. According to the researchers, having too little muscle or subcutaneous fat in the lower limbs, is likely to cause a problem with sugar and fat metabolism and this leads on to chronic disease and higher risk.

We have known for quite some time that extra fat, when it is deposited mainly around the waist and causes the so called ‘apple shape’ obesity, is bad for you and increases your risk of heart disease and of cardiovascular disease. But although this was never shown to be the case in people with the more ‘pear shape’ distribution of body fat, there was no research, until now, to suggest that it was actually beneficial.

Further research will be necessary to see if increasing the thigh muscle mass through exercise creates similar health benefits.

Lose weight by preventing emotional eating

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:25:00 GMT

Successful weight loss is not just about calories. Nor is it just about focusing on healthy foods and exercise. There is often a significant emotional basis to losing weight and keeping it off.

There are many people who have read all the weight loss books and believe that they have all the knowledge they need to lose weight, but all that knowledge just never seems to be quite enough to get them to succeed at losing weight. They seem to be lacking some vital ingredient to keep them on track and focused.

The truth of the matter is that in order to lose weight effectively and successfully, you need certain mental and emotional resources to help you stay focused, optimistic and committed. Although it is likely that you have the potential to do this, the potential is often buried somewhere deep inside and most people need help to bring this potential out.

If you are looking for some guidance and help to deal with emotional eating or binge eating, the Body Metabolism Institute has created 3 powerful audio CDs, with accompanying books and worksheets to help you succeed with preventing emotional eating and putting a stop to binge eating.

Now there is a way you can do just that.

If you are a BMI Member you already have access to these modules.

Your BMI weight loss tip

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:25:00 GMT

We are all familiar with our own coping strategies – they are the techniques we use to get us through whenever we are under stress or just having emotional problems and not coping very well. Unfortunately, the strategies that we use are often the wrong strategies; they can be ineffective strategies or, worse still, totally inappropriate strategies.

When the strategies we use don’t work or end up causing a bad outcome, doctors call these "maladaptive strategies". This means that we have adapted to a situation, but the adaptation is causing more trouble and was therefore a poor choice.

At these times we need to change or modify the strategies we are using. An excellent way to do this is to highlight the trigger points that motivate you best, write them down and review them on a regular basis. If you keep returning to them, you will often find something new and powerful enough to trigger a change in your attitude.

Here is a useful fact to remember:

It takes 3 weeks to break a habit
It takes 3 months to establish a new one
So persevere. Do not be discouraged.

I hope you are enjoying and getting benefit from this newsletter. If you are looking for more in depth information you can get it by becoming a member of the BMI Boost Insider’s Club.

In the meantime, if you have any special topics you would like me to cover in future newsletters, please contact me at: info@bmiweight.com.au

Best Wishes for Your Continued Success
Dr Leon

Your Guide to Choosing Healthier Food Products

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:23:00 GMT

As a general guide, you should look for foods that contain the following:

Total Fat	Less than 3g of total fat per 100g
Saturated fat	Less than 1.5g of saturated fat per 100g
Sugar	Less than 10g of sugar per 100g
Sodium	Less than 120mg sodium per 100g, or look for 'no added salt' varieties
Fibre	More than 3g fibre per serve. Note: this is the only nutrient where it is more appropriate to compare amount per serve.

How to compare nutrient content

To compare nutrient content in products, you should look at the 'per 100g column' in the nutrition information panel, on the food package.

Serve size is not as useful. This is because the manufacturer determines the serve size and this may not be the same as your serve size, and can vary across products.

Daily Intake Guide

You may have noticed new labels on foods in supermarkets and food outlets called Percent Daily Intake or %DI. This shows you the percentage of energy and nutrients in a serve of the product. It is present on the front of the food packaging and therefore it is easy to see, and can be a useful guide to choosing foods to best meeting your nutrient needs.

What is the Daily Intake Guide?
The Daily Intake Guide, or %DI, is a set of reference values for an acceptable intake of a set of nutrients including:

Energy; Fat; Protein; Saturated Fat; Carbohydrate; Sugars; Sodium & Dietary fibre.

%DI is based on the recommended amounts of energy and nutrients needed for an average adult diet to meet their nutritional needs. The percentages are calculated based on the below figures:

Nutrient	Reference Value used in %DI
Energy	8700 kJ
Protein	50 g
Fat	70 g
Saturated fatty acids	24 g
Carbohydrate	310 g
Sodium	2300 mg
Sugars	90 g
Dietary fibre	30 g

For adults only
As these figures are based on an average adult diet, you may need more or less than the above figures and this will vary based on your age, height, weight, sex and how much activity or exercise you do.

How do I use the Daily Intake Guide
You can use %DI labels to find out what is in a serve and the percentage that the serve will contribute to your daily intake. You can also use the %DI to compare similar products so that you can choose the product that more closely matches the nutrients that you need. For example, if you were trying to lose weight, you would choose the product with the lowest percent for energy, highest fibre and lowest saturated fat.

What is Low GI?

Glycemic Index (GI) is a ranking given to foods to describe how quickly the carbohydrate they contain is digested and absorbed and raises blood sugar levels.

Carbohydrates are an important energy source for the body and carbohydrate containing foods are an important part of a healthy diet.

Foods that are quickly digested and absorbed have a high GI whilst those that are slowly digested and absorbed have a low GI. Foods with a high GI lead to glucose being absorbed into the blood quickly while those with a low GI have the opposite effect.

Recent studies also show that eating low GI foods may help to prevent some diseases.

Some foods contain the Glycemic Index symbol. Glycemic Index Ltd runs the GI Symbol program. It is a non profit organisation formed by the University of Sydney, Diabetes Australia and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. For more information on the GI Symbol Program go to: www.gisymbol.com.au

Resources and further reading in Australia:

Food Standards Australia New Zealand – www.foodstandards.gov.au

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is an independent statutory agency established by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991. The website has an Interactive Label Poster to explain the NIP and product packaging, as well as poster version and a recorded explanation from Lydia Buchtmann, Communications Manager from Food Standards Australia and New Zealand.
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/_srcfiles/Food%20Labels%20Posterfinal%20.pdf

Food for Kids is produced by Choice, Australia's leading consumer organization. Choice uses a smiling face rating system to help parents make informed choices about food for their family. www.choicefoodforkids.com.au

Dietitians Association of Australia: Food Labeling Page - www.daa.asn.au

The Heart Foundation: Reading Food Labels - www.heartfoundation.org.au

Healthy Kids School Canteen Association, South Australia - www.healthy-kids.com.au

How To Read Food Labels – What They Really Mean

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:22:00 GMT

It is easy to become confused by the claims made by food manufacturers regarding their products. Below is a list to help you to overcome the confusion and to demystify some of the food label claims.

Low Fat
This food must contain 3g of fat per 100g, or less. However, you should read the label carefully because it may be high in sugar instead.

Fat Free
This food must contain no more than 0.15g of fat per 100g of food.

Lite or Light
This descriptive nutrition label on foods doesn't have much meaning at all. Lite could mean that the food is 'lite' in colour or some other ingredient. It does not necessarily mean that the food is lite in fat. For example, 'lite' potato chips have the SAME AMOUNT OF FAT as other chips but they have just been cut more thinly.

No Added Sugar
This food indeed has no 'added' sugar but it could still be high in sugar that has been added in another form; so make sure that you check the label.

Diet or Low-joule
Foods with this label usually have artificial sweeteners added to them instead of sugar. This makes them lower in calorie content; for example diet soft drinks.

No Added Salt
This food has no 'added' salt but that does not mean that it is not high in salt. It could easily be high in salt content despite having no further salt added. So make sure to check the label for the total salt content.
Salt Reduced Food containing this label has 25% less salt than a similar product. Having a lower salt content than a similar brand is a good thing, but the food may still be high in salt. So check the label.
Low Salt or Low Sodium
This food must have less than 120mg sodium per 100g. It is therefore a good choice.

High Fibre
This food must have more than 3g of fibre per 100g. It is therefore a good choice.

No cholesterol or cholesterol free
This label can be misleading. Low cholesterol does not mean low fat. Many people make the mistake of assuming that cholesterol is the same as fat. It is not. There are many foods that contain no cholesterol but are still high in fat content. A good example is vegetable oil, which has no cholesterol but is 100% fat.

90% fat-free
This label does not mean that this food has 90% less fat than the standard product. It simply means that this food has a fat content of 10%.

Toasted
This usually means that fat has been added to this food during cooking or preparation. For example, toasted muesli will always be higher in fat than un-toasted muesli.

Oven Baked
This is another of those labels that does not have to mean anything at all. Sometimes the product is lower in fat than the standard product that may not specify oven baked, but this does not have to be the case. Reading the nutrition information panel will help you determine the fat content.

Reduced Fat
This does mean that the food has less fat than the standard product but it does not necessarily mean that this is a low fat food. For example, tasty cheese that is fat reduced is better than its full fat counterpart, but it is still quite high in fat.

All Natural
This is another label that can be easily misinterpreted. Most people believe that if a food is 'all natural' it must by definition be good for you. Sadly, this is not necessarily the case. For example, fat and oil are all natural but not necessarily good for our health because they are so high in fat content. Heart Foundation Tick

Foods that receive the tick are healthy food choices amongst other foods of a similar type. They meet Heart Foundation guidelines for total fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar and, where appropriate, fibre. However that does not necessarily make them healthy foods. You should also be aware that a product is inferior because it does not have the 'tick'. There are many companies that do not make use of the tick, for financial or other reasons, even though their products may qualify.

How to Easily Interpret Food Label Ingredients

All ingredients must be listed in descending order by weight, including added water. As a result:

The ingredient listed first is present in the largest amount
The ingredient listed last is present in the least amount

Where there are very small amounts of multi-component ingredients (less than five per cent), it is permitted to list 'composite' ingredients only. For example, the label may say 'chocolate' rather than cocoa, cocoa butter and sugar, in a choc chip ice cream.

This does not apply to any additive or allergen – these must be listed no matter how small the amount.

If it's called a meat pie, it must contain meat.

The 'characterising ingredients' are usually mentioned in the name of the product or highlighted on the label. A characterising ingredient is the main ingredient you would expect to find in the food. For example, the characterising ingredient in a 'meat pie' is meat and the food label must state the percentage of meat in the pie.

Food additives

All food additives must have a specific use and they must be assessed and approved by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). They must be used in the lowest possible quantity that will achieve their purpose. Food additives are given in the ingredient list according to their class, which is followed by a chemical name or number. For example:

Colour (tartrazine)
Colour (102)
Preservative (200)
Emulsifier (lecithin)

The same food additive numbering system is used throughout the world. Vitamins and minerals are also listed under food additives.

For more information and the full list of additives see the FSANZ website at www.foodstandards.gov.au/foodmatters/foodadditives.cfm

The Difference Between 'Use-By' and 'Best Before' on Your Food Labels

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:21:00 GMT

Foods with a shelf life of less than two years must have a 'best before' or 'use-by' date. These two terms mean different things.

The 'best before' date refers to the quality of the food – food stored in the recommended way will remain of good quality until that date. It may still be safe to eat certain foods after the 'best before' date, but they may have lost quality and some nutritional value.

By contrast, foods that should not be consumed after a certain date for health and safety reasons must have a 'use-by' date and cannot be sold after that date. You will find 'use-by' dates on perishables such as meat, fish and dairy products.

Some foods carry the date they were manufactured or packed, rather than a 'use-by' date. This allows you to tell how fresh the food is. For example, bread and meat can be labeled with a 'baked on' or 'packed on' date.

You should always do the following:

Check the 'use-by' or 'best before' date when you buy food.
Keep an eye on the 'use-by' or 'best before' dates on the food in your cupboards.
Don't eat any food that is past its 'use-by' date, even if it looks and smells okay.

Strategies for Avoiding Weight Gain When Traveling

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:15:00 GMT

It is the common practice for the majority of people to just take for granted that any holiday or travel away from home is going to end up with extra kilos on board. This does not have to be the case. As a matter of fact, if you want to achieve long term success with your weight, it should never be the case.

Going on a holiday should not be treated as a licence to overindulge. Just because you are away from home and out of routine does not mean that all of the unhealthy fattening foods are suddenly acceptable.

There is one essential step that you have to take before you leave home and that is to make a commitment to yourself. It is important to decide, prior to departure, that the good eating and exercise habits that you have developed recently not going to fly out the window just because you are away from home. And if you think about it logically, why should they?

Forgive But Don't Forget
Of course, there may be times when it is more difficult to avoid eating the wrong thing or over-indulging. It may be a social function that you have to attend or it may simply be an irresistible dish that is not available to you at home. That is not a problem. It is ok to permit yourself to let go occasionally.

But that does not mean that this behavior must continue or, worse still, become a pattern during your whole trip. One or two days of excess is only human, and it is an acceptable diversion from disciplined eating. But it must be followed by a similar period of reduced intake to make up for the indiscretion. And if it is not a reduction in food intake, it should at least be a return to good healthy eating and avoiding the junk.

Avoid Hunger
It is sometimes easy to forget or to skip meals when one is busy. However you must not allow yourself to become ravenously hungry when out and about, especially in a strange city or town. This is only likely to lead to giving in to temptation. Getting hungry and not having too many choices, usually results in poor choices. Plan ahead. Do not skip breakfast. Carry some fruit or nuts in your bag if you are uncertain of your destination.

Avoid Thirst
Always carry a bottle of water or a low calorie beverage. You may not have the benefit of choosing what you can drink later in the day.

Make sure you stay hydrated and drink plenty of water, especially in countries with hot climates and dubious quality drinking water.

Thirst can often be confused for hunger. This is also very important to remember during long distance flights. Water - not alcohol - is the preferred drink. If you drink alcohol during your flight, be certain to drink at least one glass of water for each glass of alcohol. This prevents dehydration.

Pre Dinner Drinks
If you are away on business and have functions to attend, pay particular attention to the pre dinner drinks. It is best to avoid these because they to increase your appetite and decrease your willpower.

Avoiding pre dinner drinks may not always be possible or desirable, so at least keep your pre dinner drinks to a minimum. Using the BMI water rule, described above, of drinking one glass of water or mineral water for each glass of alcohol consumed is a good technique to help you moderate the amount of alcohol consumed. At the same time, do not forget to be very careful with the finger food. Unconscious eating at a party can be deadly.

Don't Stress Out
Don't stress out if you have a 'bad day' or even a 'bad weekend'. This is not the end of the world or the end of your diet. You can forgive yourself. You are only human. If you have significantly over-indulged, it is not a bad idea to cut back on your eating for the following day or, at least, for the following meal. For example, if you have had a very large lunch, it is not a must to have another large meal for dinner. A soup, some fruit or a sandwich may be more than enough. Exercise and Activity Exercise or activity is definitely something that you should plan for while away. Use your trip as an opportunity for planning more activity (LINK).Maintaining your activity level is important, so try not to simply go from hotel room to taxi. Walking or using the subway is an excellent way to get to know a new city. Be sure to pack a good pair of walking shoes or running shoes.

Always remember the following: We are focusing on a long term solution. A commitment to healthy eating and lifestyle and not to just weight. It is not just what you ate for your last meal that counts. Enjoy yourself but use your common sense.

How the Agricultural Revolution Destroyed Our Diet

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:19:00 GMT

The original caveman diet consisted mainly of protein, in the form of meat and fish. This constituted approximately two thirds of the average intake. The rest was in the form of carbohydrates, but these were only fruit and vegetables.

It is important to remember that this was the diet for our species for centuries, if not millennia. The change in food intake came only recently. It came with the advent of the agricultural revolution, when man could finally grow his own food, in the form of grains such as wheat, rye, corn, and so forth. He could then grind them, store them and bake them, to be eaten when his heart desired.

In the early stages, the food produced was still very high in fibre and roughage, allowing a slow absorption of glucose into the blood stream. However, as the milling process became ever more efficient, the flour that resulted became whiter and finer, and more easily digested and absorbed. The fibre and the roughage were discarded, used for sale to the poor, or used as animal fodder.

Fashionable Food
Over the years it became more fashionable to eat the white and refined flour products. As a matter of fact, it virtually became a status symbol. So the farm animals got the good stuff - the fibre, the roughage and most of the vitamins, and humans got the empty calories.

Extracting the taste and losing the value, was a phenomenon that was not restricted to the grain industry. As technology advanced we became better and better at extracting sugars and fats and adding them, in a very attractive and tasty way, to a plethora of food products, much of which is junk food.

One only needs to go to a supermarket or a petrol station to see row after row of chocolates, sweets, bars, gums and just about everything you can possible imagine that can masquerade as real food.

The real problem is that these products are very tasty. Much time, research and money have been spent on making sure that they are attractive to our palates. If you then add clever marketing and eye-catching packaging, you end up with a product that is almost irresistible.

In the days when products like these were considered a treat, the problem was not so significant. Almost anyone could afford to have a taste treat every so often and not do much damage. But now these products are cheap and very affordable and they are to be found everywhere you turn. There is no escape.

The sad fact is that many people consider these junk foods to be so much part of normal eating, that to be without them is considered to be the height of self-denial. Add to this the cheap and accessible fast food industry, and you have a problem of catastrophic proportions that is just around the corner.

Obesity Epidemic and Food Manufacturers
It is no surprise that we have an epidemic of obesity in the Western world, one that is being closely followed by an emerging epidemic of maturity onset diabetes mellitus.

In order to appreciate some of the forces that are driving this epidemic we need to look at the economics of food in this country. Of the $75 billion that is spent on the food industry in Australia, 5.0% is spent on producers and more than 90.0% is spent on refiners.

This ratio says it all. A significant driver of the change in our eating habits is the mighty dollar. The manufacturers who make most of the profits need to market more aggressively and advertise more in order to sell more products.

One popular technique used by manufacturers and their advertising companies, is to target a food or nutrient that is considered healthy or advantageous for weight loss, and then create a new product utilizing that particular nutrient as an ingredient.

For example, protein is considered to be healthy and useful for weight loss, so a protein bar is created and marketed as a snack food for those who want a protein snack. The problem is that the manufacturing process and many of the ingredients and preservatives used in the process create a product that is far removed from the original protein snack. It is much more likely that the end product is relatively unhealthy, and often fattening.

Unless we educate and inform consumers about the foods they are treating as staples, the problem will only get worse. In Australia the prevalence of overweight doubled between 1985 and 1995, while the rates of obesity have trebled. Currently 20-25% of children and adolescents in Australia are overweight or obese. In the USA the situation is even worse, with the rate of obesity in some states, classified as a BMI of more than 30, and is affecting approximately one out of every three people in the state.

The consequences for the health of the population are so adverse that actuaries are now predicting that unless something is done soon, the lifespan of the current generation of youngsters is likely to be at least 10 years less than their parents.

New Blog

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 14:45:00 GMT

I am thrilled to announce our new Blog - here I will be giving you the latest medical and scientific information on many health related issues focusing particulary on weight loss, health and prevention. You will get the inside story on what is really going on, without the sensationalism and media spin.

The important thing will be for you to get the facts so that you have the knowledge to maximise you health. If you have any specific questions or any topics you think are of special interest, please contact me at this blog.