{"id":54164,"date":"2016-09-05T03:12:39","date_gmt":"2016-09-05T08:12:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=54164"},"modified":"2017-04-27T09:24:13","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T14:24:13","slug":"likely-gain-weight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/likely-gain-weight\/","title":{"rendered":"Most likely to gain Weight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Much of my writing focuses on strategies to improve our health.\u00a0 <\/span>I also like to differentiate between what we can call either hearsay, or myths, and what science knows to be true.\u00a0 <\/span>When it comes to weight loss, the science is always evolving and we know more and more.\u00a0 <\/span>We also know what isn\u2019t true and what won\u2019t help.\u00a0 <\/span>Recently someone came in to our clinic to inquire about our weight loss program and before we got very far, he was asking me about weight loss teas, crazy diets of less than 700 calories a day, and asking about highly advertised weight loss herbs and supplements.\u00a0 <\/span>Obviously, none of those are avenues to real and permanent healthy weight loss.\u00a0 <\/span>But in order to turn around our weight gain and create a trend to lose weight, it is important to understand what it is exactly that causes us to gain weight.\u00a0 <\/span>Science has narrowed down 6 behaviors that if not tackled, will increase our weight and ultimately cause a deterioration in our health.<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. You eat high-calorie foods often.\u00a0 <\/span><\/b>A study in 2011 by Mozaffarian and his colleagues found that over any four year period, people gained weight if they had regular consumption of: potato chips, French fries, and mashed potatoes, red processed and unprocessed meats, sweets and desserts, and refined grains like white bread, white flour products and white rice.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Drinking sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages. <\/b>Malik, Shultz, and HU concluded in a study in 2006 that sugar sweetened beverages accounted for 8-9% or total caloric intake in adults and children alike.\u00a0 <\/span>What to look for when you read the ingredients?\u00a0 <\/span>High-fructose corn syrup, sucrose and of course, and artificial sweetener.\u00a0 <\/span>Yes it\u2019s true\u2014ironically, artificially sweetened drinks don\u2019t help you lose weight.\u00a0 <\/span>They actually make you gain.\u00a0 <\/span>You can drink a lot and still be hungry too, so you always want more. <\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Are you sleeping enough\u2014or too much?\u00a0 <\/span><\/b>In a study done my Marshall, Glozier, and Grunstein done in 2008 showed that getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night or more than 8 contributed to weight gain.\u00a0 <\/span>The study showed that people who sleep too little can develop impaired glucose metabolism, which on a steady basis contributes to obesity.\u00a0 <\/span>In addition, people who are chronically overtired secrete too much of the hormone cortisol and that increases their appetite, especially for fatty and sugary foods.\u00a0 <\/span>If you find yourself hunting for food late at night, go to sleep instead of eating! Given today\u2019s ability to be connected to the whole world, try not to fall into someone else\u2019s time zone by not sleeping at normal hours. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. Too much Screen Time.\u00a0 <\/span><\/b>Here is a pretty startling statistic.\u00a0 <\/span>Almost 60% of Americans watch more than 2 hours of television on a daily basis.\u00a0 <\/span>And by the way, roughly a third of that country watches 5 hours a day or either television or computer screens.\u00a0 <\/span>Aside from the Bitul Zman <\/i>and other dangers involved with that behavior, people who use the computer or television for entertainment snack more while watching their screen, have a higher overall calorie intake from foods, and consume more energy-dense foods.\u00a0 <\/span>Older studies have even shown that just watching slows your metabolism and even without the eating, you will gain. Certainaly sitting instead of being active also leads to weight gain.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Overconsumption of Alcohol.\u00a0 <\/span><\/b>The dangers of drinking alcohol are well known.\u00a0 <\/span>But beside the commonly known risks and hazards, it is also very calorie-dense. There are 7 calories per gram.\u00a0 <\/span>That is more than protein or carbohydrates, although less than fat.\u00a0 <\/span>Also, similar to sugars, these calories don\u2019t seem to fill you up, so you are still hungry.\u00a0 <\/span>So let\u2019s keep the alcohol to Kiddush<\/i> on Shabbos<\/i> and Yom Tov, <\/i>and the occasional L\u2019Chaym<\/i> in small amounts, don\u2019t make regular alcohol intake part of your daily eating.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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      1. Inactivity! <\/b>There is a huge relationship between being inactive and weight gain. In studying 15 years trends, Gorden, Larasen, and colleagues saw that the more people walk the less likely they are to gain weight.\u00a0 <\/span>These researchers suggested adding 2-4 hours of walking per week is an attainable goal for most people.\u00a0 <\/span>You don\u2019t have to run a marathon or be an Olympic athlete in order to benefit from exercise.\u00a0 <\/span>Merely daily brisk walking for about 30-35 minutes can make a huge difference. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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        1. Too Much Too Fast Too Easy. <\/b>Stay away from short cuts, gimmicks, diets, quick-fixes, supplements and herbal remedies.\u00a0 <\/span>None of them do the job!\u00a0 <\/span>And if you cut too many calories too quickly and you lose a lot of weight too fast, it WILL come back on.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Now that we know what the problems are, let\u2019s take a look at the solutions.\u00a0 <\/span>Troy Purdom, an exercise scientist and Dr. Len Kravitz, an exercise physiologist have suggest 9 positive tips to help you lose weight.\u00a0 <\/span>Interestingly enough, their first suggestion is to include stress management activities in your daily life.\u00a0 <\/span>Others are:<\/span><\/p>\n