America's Fattest and Fittest Cities - A Survey

Top 25 Fittest 1. Albuquerque, N.M.
2. Seattle, Wash.
3. Colorado Springs, Colo.
4. Minneapolis
5. Tucson, Ariz.
6. Denver
7. San Francisco
8. Baltimore
9. Portland, Ore.
10. Honolulu
11. Washington, D.C.
12. Omaha, Neb.
13. Tulsa, Okla.
14. Boston
15. Virginia Beach, Va.
16. Milwaukee
17. Sacramento
18. Louisville-Jefferson, Ky.
19. Columbus, Ohio
20. Philadelphia
21. Austin, Tx.
22. Nashville-Davidson
23. Charlotte
24. Atlanta
25. Oakland, Calf.
Top 25 Fattest 1. Las Vegas
2. San Antonio
3. Miami
4. Mesa, Ariz.
5. Los Angeles
6. Houston
7. Dallas
8. El Paso
9. Detroit
10. San Jose
11. Long Beach, Calf.
12. Memphis
13. Chicago 14. Arlington, Texas
15. Oklahoma City
16. Indianapolis
17. Forth Worth
18. New York
19. Fresno, Calif.
20. Wichita, Kan.
21. San Diego
22. Phoenix
23. Jacksonville, Fla.
24. Kansas City
25. Cleveland

High Salt Diet may lead To Ulcers

Hight salt diet = ulcers

Bethesda, Md--Scientists from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) have discovered that diets high in salt may increase the virulence of the pathogen Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which is the most common cause of ulcers in the stomach and duodenum.

"Apparently the stomach pathogen H. pylori closely monitors the diets of those people whom it infects. Epidemiological evidence has long implied that there is a connection between H. pylori and the composition of the human diet. This is especially true for diets rich in salt," says Hanan Gancz, Ph.D., of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, who presented the research May 22, 2007 at the 107th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Toronto. The research was conducted in the USU laboratory of D. Scott Merrell, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and immunology. High concentrations of salt in the stomach appear to induce gene activity in H. pylori, making it more virulent and increasing the likelihood of an infected person developing a severe gastric disease.

H. pylori is a spiral-shaped bacterium that can live in the acidic environment of the stomach and duodenum which is the section of intestine below the stomach. It is the most common cause of ulcers of the stomach and duodenum, accounting for up to 90% of duodenal ulcers and up to 80% of gastric ulcers.

Infection with H. pylori also causes gastritis, and infected persons also have a 2- to 6-fold increased risk of developing mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, and gastric cancer compared with uninfected counterparts.

H. pylori infection is common in the United States and is most often found in persons from lower income groups and older adults. About 20% of persons less than 40 years of age and about 50% of persons over 60 years of age are infected. Most infected people do not have symptoms and only a small percentage go on to develop disease.

Previous research has focused on the affects diet has on the stomach environment where H. pylori resides, but until now scientists have overlooked the response of the microorganism specifically to these dietary queues. Working from the epidemiological evidence that H. pylori infection combined with a high-salt diet results in an increased incidence of severe gastric maladies, Gancz and colleagues decided to look at the direct effect a high concentration of salt had on both the growth and gene expression of the bacterium.

"We noted that H. pylori growth rate shows a sharp decline at high salt concentrations. Moreover, bacterial cells exposed to increased salt exhibited striking morphological changes: cells became elongated and formed long chains," says Gancz. "We conclude that H. pylori exposed to high levels of salt in vitro exhibit a defect in cell division."

They also discovered transcription of two genes responsible for the virulence of the bacterium was increased during high-salt conditions.

"The altered expression patterns of some virulence genes may partially explain the increased disease risk that is associated with a high salt diet in H. pylori infected individuals," says Gancz.

The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is located on the grounds of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The University provides military and public health-relevant education, research, service and consultation to the nation and the world. USU is a typical academic health center with a unique focus on health promotion and disease prevention and the specialized mission of educating health care practitioners to deal with peace and wartime casualties, natural disasters, emerging infectious diseases and other public health emergencies.

This work was supported by a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Weight Loss Surgery can Brain Damage

Weight Loss Surgery Risk

Weight Loss Surgery Side Effect

After weight loss surgery, some patients risk brain damage from vitamin B-1 deficiency, researchers report.

Too little vitamin B-1 -- thiamine -- causes a syndrome called Wernicke's encephalopathy. It's most often seen in malnourished alcoholics.

If treated right away with vitamin B-1 shots, patients quickly recover. But if the syndrome isn't recognized quickly, it can result in permanent brain damage.

And that can be a problem, says Wake Forest University researcher Sonal Singh, MD. Singh and Abhay Kumar, MD, of the University of Iowa, found 32 reports of Wernicke's encephalopathy in weight loss surgery patients.

"Early diagnosis is essential," Singh tells WebMD. "Yes, thiamine shots are helpful. But you get full recovery only when it is given early. Once [advanced symptoms] develop, there is going to be neurological damage."

Singh and Kumar report their findings in the March 13 issue of the journal Neurology.

Tricky Symptoms

Wernicke's encephalopathy has three classic symptoms: jerky, uncoordinated movement; uncontrollable eye movements; and mental confusion.

That sounds easy to recognize. But not all weight loss surgery patients who develop the syndrome get all three symptoms. And some patients have unusual symptoms, such as hearing loss, weakness, convulsions, and tingling or numbness in the arms and legs.

Symptoms of Wernicke's encephalopathy most often occurred four to 12 weeks after weight loss surgery. However, one case began a year after surgery, and another started only two weeks after surgery.

There's one major warning sign for weight loss surgery patients: frequent vomiting. Twenty-five of the 32 reported patients were vomiting after their surgery.

However, not all the patients had this symptom. And many developed vitamin B-1 deficiency even though they were taking oral thiamine supplements, suggesting that deficiencies in other nutrients may also play a role.

How often do weight loss surgery patients get Wernicke's encephalopathy? That isn't yet known. Singh says it's an issue that clearly needs study.

"Maybe giving shots of thiamine after surgery would prevent this," Singh says. "We might do it preventively rather than waiting for symptoms to appear. That, too, needs to be studied."

Bariatric surgeon Ioannis Raftopoulos, MD, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, says he regularly monitors thiamine levels in his patients and routinely gives his patients thiamine supplements, either orally or by monthly injections.

The result: Raftopoulos says he has never had a patient develop Wernicke's encephalopathy.

"This kind of thing only happens when a patient has been vomiting for weeks," Raftopoulos tells WebMD. "That kind of neurological impairment means a patient has had a lot of problems for a long time. That is why the key here is patient follow-up. All my patients have my personal beeper number so they can contact me immediately, before there is a serious problem."

Singh says patients should immediately call a doctor if, after weight loss surgery, they have coordination problems -- especially changes in their gait -- or any changes in their hearing or vision.

Top 10 antioxidants for Weight Loss

1. Blackberries
5,75 millimoles per 100g serving

This wonderfully delectable summer fruit came out tops. Blackberries give an antioxidant kick of 5,75 millimoles per serving.

Blackberries are also fat-free, and a source of folic acid and vitamin C, so there's no holding back. Whip them into smoothies, make a wicked fruit coulis to serve with desserts, or simply have them fresh.

You can freeze blackberries and use them all year round. This can be done by coating the berries with a mixture of sugar and ascorbic acid (ask your pharmacist), but it is generally better to freeze lightly boiled berries to which sugar has been added.

2. Walnuts
3,72 millimoles per 100g serving

Nuts are great health foods – they're cholesterol-free, generally low in sodium and a great source of vitamins and minerals. But in terms of antioxidant content, walnuts seem to beat the rest of the nut family with 3,72 millimoles per serving.

Toss these nuts into salads, mix them into muesli, or include them in rice pudding or apple tart.

Just make sure that you have no more than a handful of walnuts per day. If you're overweight, cut this amount to a handful no more than three times per week.

3. Strawberries
3,58 millimoles per 100g serving

Strawberries are sexy, fun and – best of all – so low in calories that you can eat as much as you like without giving your weight a second thought.

These fruits should also form part of your diet for another reason: they're packed with antioxidants and clock in at 3,58 millimoles of these health-boosting components per 100g serving.

There's no need to tell you that strawberries are a great addition to desserts, smoothies, salads, and even cocktails – just make sure you eat them as fresh as possible.

4. Artichokes, cooked
3,56 millimoles per 100g serving

The humble artichoke also made the top-10 list. Apart from the 3,56 millimole/100g antioxidant punch, artichokes are a good source of iron.

These veggies also help to reduce bowel upsets and help to let good bacteria flourish in your gut.

Cook artichokes for 20 minutes with a slice or two of lemon, a bay leaf and salt. The leaves and the heart can then be eaten.

5. Cranberries
3,13 millimoles per 100g serving

The cranberry really is a super-food. Numerous studies have shown that the anti-inflammatory properties of this fruit can help to prevent and treat urinary tract, and possibly other, infections.

One reason why cranberries are so healthy, is because of their high antioxidant content (3,13 millimoles per 100g).

As cranberries are generally too tart to eat fresh, go for the canned varieties and use these in both sweet and savoury dishes.

6. Raspberries
2,87 millimoles per 100g serving

Raspberries have a long history of being used to treat conditions ranging from tonsillitis to stomach aches and also to strengthening the womb in pregnancy.

Now we know that these berries are not only a good source of antioxidants (2,87 millimoles per 100g serving), but are also high in vitamin C.

Ask your grocery store if they stock fresh or frozen raspberries, and use them in fruit salads, deserts or eat them with yoghurt for breakfast.

7. Blueberries
2,68 millimoles per 100g serving

Another berry, this time the blueberry, made the list. This only goes to show that berries really are super foods.

Apart from the high antioxidant content (2,68 millimoles per serving) there is also preliminary evidence that berries can thwart cholesterol and help prevent liver cancer.

Blueberries are not sour and can be eaten raw. This will preserve their vitamin C content.

8. Cloves, ground
2,64 millimoles per 100g serving

Who would have thought that cloves, a great addition to anything from chicken dishes to Christmas mince pies, could have magic health-boosting properties?

Well, this spice made the top 10 antioxidant list – and with good reason. It contains 2,64 millimoles of antioxidants per 100g serving.

While it's more difficult to get your daily antioxidant injection from this spice – simply because we generally use it in small quantities – you should still try to incorporate it in your diet.

9. Grape juice
2,56 millimoles per 100g serving

You already know that a daily glass of wine can kick-start your health. But plain old grape juice seems to be even better – at least when it comes to levels of antioxidants (2,56 millimoles per serving).

Research shows that red grape juice can improve cholesterol levels and inflammatory markers associated with heart disease. This action has been linked to the antioxidant content of the juice.

But be warned: grape juice has a high sugar content and can add quite a few calories to your diet. Don't drink more than one glass of juice, diluted with water, per day.

10. Cranberry juice
2,47 millimoles per 100g serving

As mentioned above, cranberries have strong anti-inflammatory effects and are particularly useful in preventing urinary tract infections.

As fresh, raw cranberries are too tart to eat, cranberry juice is the ideal way to tap the benefits of this fruit.

Try to drink a small glass of cranberry juice every day – especially if you're prone to urinary tract infections. Or combine cranberry juice with iced Rooibos tea for a refreshing summer drink.

Is the weight loss program that you have chosen safe?

Since the awareness about obesity has increased widely. There is also mushrooming of weight loss solution companies .It has become an industry owing to the inquisitiveness of people to turn slim overnight .Even those who are little obese are also joining the bandwagon. But caution must be employed while choosing the weight loss solutions Read on.This article covers

• Why people join weight loss programs?
• What all are the options available for them?
• Which is the best weight loss program?

With the percentage of obesity and overweight rising in the world, especially drastically in the United States, it comes as no surprise that people have started to opt for one or the other weight loss solutions available today.

Many people gain weight due to stresses in lives and very little exercise combined with a high-fat and on-the-go diet. However, whatever the reason may be, it is always good and healthy to lose weight and with so many options available today, losing weight has become easier than never. However, be aware of any program or supplement which promises magical results to you.

Weight Watchers

One of the most common and fast weight loss solutions available on the market today is Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers offer individuals looking for weight loss, a complete range of weight loss solutions, along with corporate solutions as well, which can be tailored according to requirements of any company, or individual. You can sign up for Weight Watcher's online program, attend their meetings, or find about other e-tools which the company offers. By subscribing to their web site, you can also receive their newsletter and low-fat recipes. The program never claims that it is possible to lose weight by simply a magical solution and stresses the importance of a healthy lifestyle in order to lose weight. Weight Watchers has been established for quite some time now and has proved to many customers about the efficiency of their weight loss solutions.

NutriSystem

Another popular weight loss solution is NutriSystem. A commercial weight loss program, NutriSystem also provides a host of services for people who are looking for weight loss solutions. Similar to Weight Watchers, NutriSystem also provides consultation online, through meetings, and other e-tools which are available on their website. NutriSystem focuses on the consumption of a low-caloric diet which stresses the importance of balanced nutrition. The diet follows the Food Guide Pyramid and follows the basic 60% carbohydrates, 20% fat, and 20% protein diet theory. However, NutriSystem also focuses on the "glycemic index". This index measures the quality of carbohydrates and divides them as good or bad carbohydrates. For an individual who is following the NutriSystem weight loss solution, the program will stress on the consumption of their pre-packaged meals which are supposedly containing food in the correct portion size. However, the drawback being that once the program ends, dieters usually have no idea about which food items to take or how to prepare low-caloric food items. The dependency on packaged food increases drastically. NutriSystem does not claim to be a fast healthy weight loss solution and emphasizes a healthy lifestyle along with a regular workout session.

eDiets

eDiets is an online weight loss program which promotes itself as a program which understands that every person requires a different dietary program, and the site sells customized eating plans to people who are willing to invest. With very reasonable prices for their eating plans, eDiets also offers information on caloric consumption, food items to eat and not to be eaten, lifestyle changes required, and also informs individuals about various types of exercises which are good for weight loss.

The latest weight loss advice

Latest weight loss advice

Feeling fat? Forget the diet and dump your tubby friends instead. That's the conclusion of a study reported widely today that looked at the social networks of 12,067 people researchers followed for 32 years. The American research found that obesity can spread from person to person, much like a virus.

"People were most likely to become obese when a friend became obese. That increased one's chances of becoming obese by 57%," reports the IHT.

"There was no effect when a neighbour gained or lost weight, however, and family members had less of an influence than friends. It did not even matter if the friend was hundreds of miles away - the influence remained. And the greatest influence of all was between mutual close friends. There, if one became obese, the other had a 171% increased chance of becoming obese too.

"The same effect seemed to occur for weight loss, the investigators say, but since most people were gaining, not losing, weight over the 32 years, the result was an obesity epidemic."

The researchers say that they do not want people to drop their fat friends, because friendship is good for overall health. Instead, they suggest, "why not make friends with a thin person, and let the thin person's behavior influence you and your obese friend?"