FitSugar

4 Reasons to Stop Weighing Yourself Every Day

Leta Shy — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 14:40:22 PDT

Whether it's looming in the corner at the gym, blinking up at you on your bathroom floor, or hiding in the corner at a friend's house, the scale seems to always be there, ready and waiting for you to hop on. But if weighing yourself has become part of your daily routine, here are some reasons why it may be time to ease up on the frequent weigh-ins.

Fluctuations are normal. Our weight changes constantly; fluctuations in that number on the scale every day, or even in the same day, are normal. Spend too much time worrying about how you've changed from one weigh-in to the next and any slight increase can be demoralizing and can turn a good day into a bad one.

Read more reasons to stop the daily weigh-in (and what to do instead) after the break.

New Studies Say You Can Be "Healthy Obese"

Leta Shy — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:33:26 PDT

New studies show that weight shouldn't be the only factor when determining whether or not someone is unhealthy. In fact, the studies show, certain obese people may actually be healthy.

The first study surveyed 8,000 Americans and found that not all those who qualified as obese - over 30 on the BMI scale - had health problems. It found that 20 percent of obese participants were what one of the study researchers described as "pretty healthy despite being large."

Your BMI, or body mass index, is determined by calculating your weight relative to your height. But many experts agree that a BMI number doesn't always correlate to how healthy you are.

Read on for more about the new findings after the break.

The Skinny on Fat: Should You Only Be Able to Pinch an Inch?

Self — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:00:31 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Someone recently reported to us that their doctor told them they shouldn't be able to pinch more than an inch of fat anywhere on their body.

We've heard that old saying - "pinch an inch!" - but if that's true, boy, are we in trouble!

To find out if this is a legit way to judge body composition and what our other options are, we called on exercise physiologist Fabio Comana, spokesman for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

The verdict: Good news, ladies . . . pinching an inch is NOT an accurate marker of your body composition. Deep exhale! Phew.

To learn why keep on reading!

Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:30:23 PDT

Mangia, mangia! Italian recipes minus the guilt, and all under 400 calories - Shape
21 marathons that will have you running into Fall - Active.com
Black rice: the super food of kings and queens - DailySpark
Easy ways to avoid wrist pain in your yoga practice - lululemon
You give us four weeks, and we'll give you a fab set of gams - Health
Straight from the mouths of doctors: forget BMI - Lemondrop

A Big Waist Means Big Health Troubles

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:30:32 PDT

When it comes to measuring your overall health, a simple measuring tape proves to be a more important tool than the scale. While neck circumference is gaining popularity as a new way to gauge a person's health and fitness level, a new study sponsored by the American Cancer Society again confirms waist size is the leading indicator for health risk beating out body mass index (BMI), the standard measurement for obesity. Excessive abdominal fat increases your risk for a wide variety of chronic and deadly health problems, including respiratory illness, heart disease, and cancer.

The new study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that folks with large waists have a greater risk of death than others with normal waist measurements - nearly double - even when those with a large waist circumference have a normal BMI. The upper end of healthy waist measurements is 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women. The study followed 100,000 subject for 10 years and found that even with a normal BMI, four extra inches around the waist increased the risk of dying from between 15 percent to 25 percent.

American's middles have been steadily growing, with the average waistline increasing around one inch every 10 years since the 1960s. Grab a measuring tape and check your health. Use our hip-to-waist ratio calculator to assess your risk level.

Bye-Bye BMI, Hello . . . Neck Circumference

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 03:00:52 PDT

Citing a flawed formula to determine a person's BMI, a new study suggests an alternate measurement to determine whether a person is overweight or obese: neck circumference. According to the study, measuring a person's neck circumference could be a worthwhile method to help determine a person's overall fitness when used in conjunction with BMI. The study, conducted on 1,100 children, measured height, weight, and neck circumference to determine whether or not this method could be used to detect obesity, and at the conclusion of the study researchers were able to set specific measurements in children that could be associated with a higher risk of obesity.

The author of the study says that, "BMI does not accurately define central body fatness," whereas neck circumference is an inexpensive way to determine the body's fat composition. Additionally, he feels that telling someone their BMI is high does not have as lasting of an effect as telling them that their neck is too wide.

Certainly there are issues with the current BMI formula; a measurement does not differentiate between the weight of muscle and fat so the number can be skewed high in some cases - just ask these celebrities. But with a lack of other options for measuring a person's weight status, resorting to measurements like the one in this study may be the answer. For now, more research is needed to determine the effectiveness of this practice in adults, but the study's author concludes that a measure of neck circumference in adults is a healthy and effective supplement to a traditional BMI measurement.

The Bigger the Person, the Smaller the Discount

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:00:58 PST

In a controversial new program, Whole Foods will be rewarding its healthiest workers with larger employee discounts. According to a Whole Foods memo: "The goals of this voluntary program are to encourage and reward Team Members for making healthy, positive lifestyle changes and to reduce the costs of our health plan." I guess the overpriced fish counter, 365 Everyday Value root beer, and chocolate fountain aren't enough to cut costs.

Currently, Whole Foods employees are given a 20 percent discount to use throughout the store. Under the new plan, participating employees will undergo a free screening to measure blood pressure, cholesterol, BMI, and nicotine use. Depending on their test scores employees will be assigned to one of four categories with corresponding discount rates: bronze (22 percent), silver (25 percent), gold (27 percent), and platinum (30 percent).

Even though bronze level employees still receive a larger discount than those opting out of the new plan, the incentive program still reeks. In order to qualify for the bronze level an employee must be tobacco free, have a blood pressure of 140/90, total cholesterol count of 195 or less, and a BMI of 30 or less. If you don't meet these minimum qualifications, you are stuck with the original 20 percent discount. Measuring someone's health by their BMI is highly questionable, as is just judging someone wholly based on numbers alone.

If Whole Foods really wants to send a message of health to its workers, why not get rid of the bakery, aisles of prepackaged, prepared, and processed foods, and the huge soda selection. No matter how you fry it, a package of "all-natural" doughnuts is still a box full of bad-for-you, oil-soaked bread. To me, this just seems like another move by Whole Foods to give the appearance of being a model of health, when it's anything but. John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, even went so far as admitting that his store sells a "bunch of junk." From his proposed plan to fix health care, to posting on Whole Foods message boards under a fake name, Mackey is no stranger to controversy. It remains to be seen what fallout will come from his latest move.

Are You in the Know About BMI?

FitSugar — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:00:07 PST

There are some buzz words floating around when it comes to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle, and BMI is way up there on the list. I'm sure you've heard the term, but do you know what it means in terms of your body? Take this quiz to find out.

Take the Quiz

If You Want to Graduate, Lose the Weight: Cool or Not?

FitSugar — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:30:12 PST

After years of midterms, finals, and all-nighters, a group of students at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania are being told they are too fat to graduate. The private college's core curriculum states that students must have a body mass index (BMI) that falls below 30 to graduate. If not, they must take steps to lose the weight by enrolling in a physical education class that meets three times a week for one semester - a requirement that has been part of the school's curriculum for the last three years.

While some students are upset over the school's judgment call on their weight and say it's discriminatory, school officials say that "no student should ever be able to leave Lincoln and not know the risks of obesity." Because Lincoln University is a private college, it is wholly within its rights to develop its curriculum in this manner.

What do you think of Lincoln University's policy?

Measure Up: BMI vs. Body Fat Percentage

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:50:59 PDT

BMI and body fat percentage are weight-loss terms thrown around with little explanation, so if you're confused about what they mean or which you should pay more attention to, you're not alone. Here's a brief primer to help.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It's a simple measure of the weight of a person scaled according to their height. You can use Fit's Calculator to determine your BMI, or follow these steps:

Multiply your weight in pounds by 703.
Divide that answer by your height in inches.
Divide that answer by your height in inches again.

A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9.

Body fat percentage is the weight of a person's fat divided by the person's weight. It lets you see how much of your body is made up of fat, and how much is bone, muscle, blood, and organs. There are several ways to calculate your percentage. Your skin folds can be gently pinched with calipers, some high-tech scales can measure body fat, and there's also underwater weighing. Many people get their body fat percentage measured if they are into sports or trying to measure their progress while losing weight. Fit women should have 21 to 24 percent body fat. Female athletes have between 14 and 20 percent.

To find out which one you should be concerned with

read more. Body fat percentage is a much more accurate measurement in determining if you are healthy. BMI doesn't take into consideration how much of your weight is muscle and bone and how much of it is fat. So that means a person can have a healthy BMI, but still carry weight in their belly, which can increase their risk for heart disease. So if you're trying to lose weight, or just wondering if your current weight is healthy, it's worth seeing someone to have your body fat percentage measured.