36 minutes ago
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Commercially available portion control plates and bowls can help obese individuals with type 2 diabetes lose weight and reduce their need for blood sugar-controlling medications, according to a Canadian study published today.
Most cases of type 2 diabetes are directly related to obesity, note investigators, and the obesity epidemic is paralleled by increasing portion sizes in the marketplace.
In a study of 130 obese type 2 diabetic adults, Dr. Sue D. Pedersen and colleagues from University of Calgary, Alberta, randomly assigned roughly half of the subjects to use a portion-control dinner plate and a portion-control breakfast bowl for six months. The other half, serving as a control group, received usual care, which consisted of dietary assessment and counseling.
The portion control dinner plate used in the study has clearly marked sections for carbohydrates, proteins, cheese and sauce, and vegetables and provides roughly an 800-calorie meal for a man and a 650-calorie meal for a woman. The cereal bowl provides a 200-calorie meal of cereal and milk.
Pedersen's team found, based on 122 subjects completing the study, that those using portion-control dishes lost an average of 2.1 kg (5.6 lbs), or 1.8 percent of their body weight - significantly more than control subjects who shed an average of just 0.1 kg (0.27 lbs), or 0.1 percent of their body weight.
Moreover, a significantly greater proportion of subjects using portion-control dishes achieved at least 5-percent weight loss (16.9 percent versus 4.6 percent for controls). "This is important," the authors note, because this level of weight loss has been shown to significantly decrease illness and death associated with obesity-linked disorders such as cancer and heart attack.
The weight loss achieved with portion control dishes is comparable to that achieved with drug therapy for weight loss in type 2 diabetic patients.
In addition, after six months, 26.2 percent of subjects using portion control dishes were able to decrease their need for diabetes medications compared with only 10.8 percent of control subjects.
The authors conclude that portion control dishes "hold promise for use in overweight populations with and without diabetes."
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine June 25, 2007.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Health Tip: Sleeping During Pregnancy
19 minutes ago
(HealthDay News) -- While it's important to get plenty of sleep during a pregnancy, that's often easier said than done. Difficulty getting comfortable, the need to urinate frequently, leg cramps and backaches often make it difficult for pregnant women to get a good night's rest.
Here are some suggestions, courtesy of the Nemours Foundation:
* Cut out caffeinated drinks. If you have to have them, limit them to the morning or early afternoon.
* Limit all food and drink in the hours before bed. Have bigger meals and drink more fluids earlier in the day.
* Put yourself on a sleep schedule, where you wake up and go to bed at the same time each day.
* Avoid exercise right before bed, but relax yourself with a warm bath.
* Get plenty of calcium to help prevent leg cramps.
* Try taking yoga (with your doctor's permission) or a similar class to help you unwind. Enroll in a childbirth class if you are anxious about becoming a parent.
(HealthDay News) -- While it's important to get plenty of sleep during a pregnancy, that's often easier said than done. Difficulty getting comfortable, the need to urinate frequently, leg cramps and backaches often make it difficult for pregnant women to get a good night's rest.
Here are some suggestions, courtesy of the Nemours Foundation:
* Cut out caffeinated drinks. If you have to have them, limit them to the morning or early afternoon.
* Limit all food and drink in the hours before bed. Have bigger meals and drink more fluids earlier in the day.
* Put yourself on a sleep schedule, where you wake up and go to bed at the same time each day.
* Avoid exercise right before bed, but relax yourself with a warm bath.
* Get plenty of calcium to help prevent leg cramps.
* Try taking yoga (with your doctor's permission) or a similar class to help you unwind. Enroll in a childbirth class if you are anxious about becoming a parent.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Ariz. cyclist, 81, to ride 2,000 miles
YUMA, Ariz. - An 81-year-old man has set off on a 2,000-mile bicycle ride around Arizona's perimeter.
Bill Anderson of Yuma plans to complete the trip in 14 to 16 days. He is riding to raise money for Yuma's Crossroads Mission, which provides shelter, meals, showers and clothing to the homeless.
Last year, Anderson rode from the Mexican border to the Canadian line and back again to raise money. In 2004, he made two trips for the mission: one from Canada to Mexico and another from San Diego to Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
Anderson left Yuma on Tuesday in his most recent ride. He planned to arrive in Page on Saturday before continuing the trip to Eagar, Safford and then along the Mexican border.
"It's so awesome. I'm having a blast," Anderson said over the phone on a stopover. "I'm seeing a lot of new country and taking lots of scenic photographs."
Bill Anderson of Yuma plans to complete the trip in 14 to 16 days. He is riding to raise money for Yuma's Crossroads Mission, which provides shelter, meals, showers and clothing to the homeless.
Last year, Anderson rode from the Mexican border to the Canadian line and back again to raise money. In 2004, he made two trips for the mission: one from Canada to Mexico and another from San Diego to Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
Anderson left Yuma on Tuesday in his most recent ride. He planned to arrive in Page on Saturday before continuing the trip to Eagar, Safford and then along the Mexican border.
"It's so awesome. I'm having a blast," Anderson said over the phone on a stopover. "I'm seeing a lot of new country and taking lots of scenic photographs."
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