Beet Juice Boosts Muscle Power in Heart Patients

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Beet juice, with its high concentration of nitrates, may help boost muscle strength among heart patients, a small study has found.

Nitrates are processed into nitric oxide by the body, which helps relax blood vessels and improve metabolism. Dietary nitrate, found in beets and leafy greens like spinach, has been shown to boost muscle performance in elite athletes.

Based on studies of elite athletes, especially cyclists who use beet juice to boost performance, researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis tested the benefits of dietary nitrate among nine people with heart failure, a condition that causes the heart to gradually lose its pumping power.

The patients were given concentrated beet juice. Two hours later, they showed a 13 percent power increase in muscles that extend the knee. The researchers also found the greatest benefit when the muscles performed fast, powerful actions. Longer tests measuring muscle fatigue however, showed no performance improvement, according to the study published recently in Circulation: Heart Failure.

One to two weeks either before or after the nitrate supplement, the same nine patients were given a control drink of beet juice that had the nitrate removed, to serve as a baseline for muscle strength in each individual.

“It’s a small study, but we see robust changes in muscle power about two hours after patients drink the beet juice,” senior study author Dr. Linda R. Peterson, an associate professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, said in a university news release. “A lot of the activities of daily living are power-based: getting out of a chair, lifting groceries, climbing stairs. And they have a major impact on quality of life. We want to help make people more powerful because power is such an important predictor of how well people do, whether they have heart failure, cancer or other conditions. In general, physically more powerful people live longer.”

The researchers estimated the benefits of the beet juice supplement by comparing its effects to the results of an exercise regimen.

“I have compared the beet-juice effect to Popeye eating his spinach,” said the study’s corresponding author, Andrew R. Coggan, assistant professor of radiology, in the university news release. “The magnitude of this improvement is comparable to that seen in heart failure patients who have done two to three months of resistance training.”

The researchers said they plan to also examine the beneficial effects nitrates could have on older people struggling with weakness.

“One problem in aging is the muscles get weaker, slower and less powerful,” Coggan said. “Beyond a certain age, people lose about 1 percent per year of their muscle function. If we can boost muscle power like we did in this study, that could provide a significant benefit to older individuals.”

More information

The American Heart Association has more on heart-healthy nutrition.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1itGusU

The Best Low-Impact Workouts That Burn the Most Calories

When most of us think about a calorie-torching workout, we think of two words: hard work. We think of activities like jumping, sprinting, bootcamp, and HIIT. On the other hand, people tend to think of gentler, low-impact workouts as “easy” or just “what you do when you’re injured.”

The truth: swimming, rowing, and other easy-on-the-joints activities can be just as sweat-inducing as their more “intense” counterparts. In fact, certain low-impact activities can actually lead you to burn more calories.

Here’s how to get the most burn for you buck with my top 6 low-impact workouts that blast fat.

RELATED: The Jillian Michaels Circuit Workout

Rowing

You’ll use your legs, back, and arms simultaneously while using a rower. It’s important to have good form on this machine (or else it will blow your burn), so make sure to master the flow first. If you need help, don’t be shy about asking the gym staff for help.

What to do: Try rowing 1,000 meters as quickly as you can.

Calories burned in 30 minutes: 200-250

Swimming

There’s a reason we envy all of the swimmer’s bodies come Olympics time. Throw on some goggles and hop in the pool.

What to do: Swim one fast lap, followed by one leisurely lap for a total of 10 sets each.

Calories burned in 30 minutes:300-350

Versa Climber

What is a Versa Climber? It’s maybe the hardest piece of equipment at your gym, and yet it’s still easy on your joints. The Versa Climber mimics climbing a steep mountain or scaling a wall.

What to do: Step on to the machine, and start climbing. If you can last 5 minutes, you’re doing better than most. The key here is to pace yourself and stay on as long as you can. Rest 2 minutes and repeat for 3-5 sets.

Calories Burned in 30 Minutes: 300-350

RELATED: 4 Calorie-Torching Leg and Butt Exercises

Stairmill

The machine we all love to hate. The stairmill is not only a great tool for the health of your heart, but your legs and butt will thank you, too.

What to do: 20 minutes here should do the trick. If you get bored easily, choose one of the pre-set programs to keep it interesting.

Calories Burned in 30 Minutes: 250-300

Kettlebell Class

If you haven’t jumped on the kettlebell bandwagon, now’s the time. This versatile piece of equipment gets your heart rate up, improves strength, and in the process, burns a ton of calories.

What to do: Kettlebell classes are trending right now, with most gyms offering them. You can also try my workout for beginners at home.

Calories Burned in 30 Minutes: 300-350

RELATED: 11 Exercises That Build Muscle Without Bulk

TRX

This gym tool is a must. Usually found in the weight room, the TRX handles may look intimidating at first. But mostly that’s because it’s unclear what to do with them unless you’re taking a class or have a personal trainer with you. Here are three basic moves to get you going.

TRX rows

While holding the TRX handles, walk yourself down as far as you’re comfortable with. Keep your hips high and allow your body to hang with your arms straight. While maintaining this position, pull yourself up until your hands are next to your chest. Make sure to keep your body moving as one unit. Lower yourself back down and repeat for 10-12 reps.

Photo: Jennifer Cohen

TRX push-ups

While holding the TRX handles, lean into the TRX with straight arms and hover over your hands, keeping your body at a diagonal angle. Slowly lower your body down and then push yourself back up using your arms and chest. Repeat for 8-10 reps.

Photo: Jennifer Cohen

RELATED: 4 Exercises to Beat a Fitness Plateau

TRX squats

Stand up straight holding the TRX handles. Using the TRX as a counter-balance, squat down as low as you can and then come back up to standing. Repeat for 12-15 reps.

Photo: Jennifer Cohen

Calories burned in 30 Minutes: 200-250

Calorie counts are estimates and were taken from the MyFitnessPal app.

Want to make sure all your hard work pays off? Check out 7 Ways to Keep Your Summer Body in the Fall

Jennifer Cohen is a leading fitness authority, TV personality, entrepreneur and best-selling author of the new book, Strong is the New Skinny. With her signature, straight-talking approach to wellness, Jennifer was the featured trainer on The CW’s Shedding for the Wedding, mentoring the contestants’ to lose hundreds of pounds before their big day, and she appears regularly on NBC’s Today Show, Extra, The Doctors and Good Morning America. Connect with Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, G+ and on Pinterest.

 

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1QUPXW1

Back Pain Patients Seek Pain Relief First, Mobility Second

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Pain relief is a greater concern than mobility for people with a common form of lower back pain known as lumbar spinal stenosis, a new study indicates.

When asked to choose between a treatment that would reduce discomfort and one that would help them stand and walk, the vast majority of patients wanted to ease their pain, the researchers found.

“There has long been a debate in the medical community over striking the right balance between pain relief and physical function,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. John Markman, director of the Translational Pain Research Program in the University of Rochester Department of Neurosurgery in Rochester, N.Y.

“While physicians have leaned toward the need to increase mobility, this study shows that patients have a clear preference for pain relief,” Markman said in a university news release.

The researchers explained that lumbar spinal stenosis occurs when the vertebrae, discs, joints and ligaments of the spinal column break down, causing the spinal canal to narrow. This compresses nerve roots, which leads to pain, tingling and numbness in the lower back, buttocks and legs. Most patients with this condition are in pain when they stand or walk.

Surgery can help reduce pain and help people move around with greater ease, but not all patients are candidates for a surgical procedure. Steroids injected into the spinal column can bring pain relief, but only temporarily.

The study’s authors focused on nearly 270 patients who had trouble standing and walking and suffered from chronic back pain associated with lumbar spinal stenosis. The participants were asked to choose between a therapy that reduced their pain and one that would enable them to stand and walk. Nearly 80 percent of the patients said they would rather have relief from their pain than greater mobility, the study published recently in Neurology found.

“Even the patients who could not stand long enough to pick up a letter from their mailbox or wash the dishes after dinner chose pain relief,” said Markman.

The authors pointed out patients are playing a greater role in setting new standards for pain relief, demanding new medications that are both safe and effective.

“This study convincingly demonstrates the need to prioritize pain relief because that is what patients want,” Markman said.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke provides more on lower back pain.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1j3M5Xq

Distractions Make Alcohol Even More Dangerous for Drivers

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Just a bit of alcohol coupled with a distraction, such as a text message or changing a radio station, can double the odds of trouble on the road, new research suggests.

In simulated driving conditions, either alcohol or a distraction affected driving ability. But researchers found that the chances of impaired safe driving went up twofold when someone who had been drinking alcohol had to deal with a distraction while driving.

And, this was true even for people whose alcohol levels were below the legal limits for drunk driving, the study found.

The findings were published online recently in the journal Psychopharmacology.

“A clearer understanding of how common distractions impact intoxicated drivers, especially at blood alcohol concentrations that are currently legal for driving in the United States, is an important step to reducing traffic accidents and fatalities and improving overall traffic safety,” study co-author Mark Fillmore, from the University of Kentucky, said in a journal news release.

About 28 alcohol-related traffic deaths occur daily in the United States, the researchers said.

For the current study, 50 adult drivers participated in a six-minute driving simulation after having one drink. All were asked to take a virtual drive of nearly six miles through terrain that replicated a typical urban environment. During the test, drivers were monitored for how well they handled the steering wheel and how well they stayed in their designated lane.

During some of the tests, drivers also had to handle information that appeared in the form of red circles on the windshield of their virtual car. These distractions were similar to drivers receiving text messages or having to deal with dashboard controls, the researchers said.

The study authors pointed out that some lawmakers are thinking about lowering the legal alcohol limit for drinking and driving. The current limit is 0.08 percent alcohol concentration in the blood. Lawmakers are considering lowering the limit to 0.05 percent. However, lawmakers haven’t taken into account the potential effect of distractions combined with alcohol when considering new limits, the researchers added.

“With continuing advancements in technology and the omnipresence of distractions while driving, it is becoming increasingly important to study the interaction between alcohol and distraction on driving,” study co-author Nicholas van Dyke, also from the University of Kentucky, said in the news release.

More information

There’s more on drunk driving laws at the U.S. Governors Highway Safety Association.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1j3M3Pq

Pregnancy Complications May Be Linked to Later Heart Disease

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A complicated pregnancy may increase a woman’s risk of dying from heart disease later in life, new research suggests.

The risk is particularly high for women who’ve had more than one health problem during pregnancy, said senior study author Barbara Cohn, director of child health and development studies at the Public Health Institute in Berkeley, Calif.

“We discovered there were some combinations of pregnancy complications that were associated with as much as a sevenfold increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease death,” Cohn said.

For example, the risk of fatal heart disease prior to age 60 doubled or even tripled in women who developed pre-eclampsia, a sudden increase in blood pressure late in pregnancy. But a woman’s risk escalated six times if she developed pre-eclampsia on top of high blood pressure she already had earlier in her pregnancy, the researchers found.

However, the new study could only show associations between pregnancy complications and later heart problems; it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

The findings were published online Sept. 21 in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.

Heart disease is the number-one killer of American women, according to the American Heart Association.

In this study, researchers analyzed decades of data gathered from about 15,000 women who became pregnant in the Oakland, Calif., metropolitan area between 1959 and 1967. Overall, 64 percent of the mothers had no complications, 31 percent experienced a single complication, and 5 percent had two or more complications.

The most common complication was gestational high blood pressure, followed by preterm delivery, low-birth-weight delivery, and hemoglobin decline (a problem with red blood cells).

As of 2011, 368 women in the study had died of heart disease. The researchers compared the women’s heart health history to the complications they experienced during pregnancy, to see whether any complications provide a warning of future heart problems.

Additional dangerous combinations found in the study included:

• A seven times higher risk for mothers with pre-existing high blood pressure and a preterm delivery.
• A five times greater risk for women with pre-existing high blood pressure and delivery of a low-birth-weight baby.
• A five times higher risk for mothers with high blood pressure that developed as a result of pregnancy, and a preterm delivery.

The researchers also reported an unexpected result — gestational high blood pressure was associated with heart disease death only in black women. Black women made up 22 percent of the study population. And, the study found black women were 1.7 times more likely to die from heart problems, while white, Asian and Hispanic women had no increased risk due to gestational high blood pressure.

The researchers also identified two new pregnancy complications that may increase a woman’s risk of heart disease death. High levels of sugar in a woman’s urine were associated with a four times increased risk of later heart disease death, when compared to women who experienced normal pregnancy.

And, women were almost twice as likely to die from heart disease if they had an abnormal decline in their levels of hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen throughout the body, the investigators found.

High levels of sugar could indicate that a woman is experiencing diabetes during pregnancy, and diabetes is a risk factor for heart disease, Cohn said. Low hemoglobin levels could lead to increased stress on the heart, since it must pump faster to supply oxygen to the body, she suggested.

Obstetricians and family doctors should use these “warning signs” to identify women who carry a heavier risk of heart attack, stroke and heart failure, Cohn said. These women can be counseled to follow a heart-healthy lifestyle, and possibly be given treatment to help control high blood pressure or other heart risk factors.

“Pregnancy really is a stress test for the cardiovascular system. If these physicians could take note of whether their patients had some of these complications, they might be able to intervene early,” she said. “It’s a low-cost way of finding women who might be able to benefit from the dramatic advances in cardiovascular medicine that have occurred over the last few decades.”

Dr. Rita Redberg, a professor and director of women’s cardiovascular services at the University of California, San Francisco, said these findings present a great opportunity to identify women at a young age who are more likely to die of heart disease.

“Obviously, we’re catching women younger when we’re doing it during pregnancy,” Redberg said. “While it’s never too late, we like to start young.”

Young mothers might be more motivated to take their doctor’s advice about a heart-healthy lifestyle, Redberg added.

“These are women now who have young children and are thinking how they need to be healthy and stay around for their kids,” she said. “It’s an opportune time to teach them how to reduce their risk factors.”

More information

For more on common pregnancy complications, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1j3M3z5

These Soft Cheeses Are Linked to Listeria

Photo: Getty Images

Soft cheese is currently under investigation as the possible source of an ongoing outbreak of listeria.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently investigating a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis—a serious infection caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes—that’s linked to soft cheese. So far, 24 people in nine states have been infected in this outbreak, which experts have been following since 2010. Among those 24 people, 21 were hospitalized and one death reported in Ohio. In five of the cases, the women were pregnant, and one lost her fetus.

The CDC maintains a national database of the DNA fingerprints of bacterial strains from infected people in order to identify possible outbreaks. The agency noticed an increase in one rare DNA fingerprint of listeria popping up in the system in August, and, using whole genome sequencing technology, discovered that four other DNA fingerprints were also closely related genetically and possibly connected to infections that were reported five years ago.

So far, cases of sickness have been reported in California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Tennessee and Washington. The CDC says it has not conclusively determined the source of the outbreak but that the majority of sick people said they ate soft cheese before they became sick. Four out of the seven people who were ill and named a specific brand of cheese that they ate referred to brands that were distributed by Karoun Dairies, which has now launched a voluntarily recall and is no longer producing certain cheeses due to possible contamination.

The names of the brands that the cheese was sold under are Karoun, Arz, Gopi, Queso Del Valle, Central Valley Creamery and Yanni. The types of cheeses affected include goat, fresco, cotija, feta, mozzarella, paneer, string cheese and more. You can see a detailed list of affected products here.

“Karoun Dairies was made aware of a possible association of their cheese products with several recent cases of listeriosis by FDA and CDC,” the company said in a statement. “The company has ceased distribution of above cheeses and is working closely with FDA to continue to investigate the problem further.”

This article originally appeared on Time.com. 

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1FbEEYp

How to Copy Amy Schumer’s Smoky Eye From the Emmys

Photo: Getty Images

An Emmys acceptance speech is the perfect place for a winner to thank their loved ones, team members, mentors, and anyone else who has contributed to their success, but a makeup artist? That’s new. Leave it to comedian Amy Schumer to do just that.

After winning for Best Variety Sketch Series, an excited and rambling Schumer took the stage and remarked, “Thanks everybody who has helped me… and the girl who gave me this sort of smoky eye, I really love it.”

Naturally, the audience found this disorganized speech and delightful shoutout hysterical. It was just so Amy of her. The “girl” responsible for Schumer’s award-winning smoky eye is makeup artist, Andréa Tiller, and it’s safe to say all eyes (pun intended) are now on her.

RELATED: 15 Red Carpet Beauty Tips for Real Life

Thankfully, following Schumer’s win, Tiller gave her Instagram followers the inside scoop on the products she used to achieve the funny woman’s now-famous smoky eye. Here’s how to get the look.

The golden gleam on Amy’s lids that matched her Emmy ever so perfectly was from a swipe of Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Copper ($26, sephora.com). It was used as a base allover the lid and smudged on the lower lash line to brighten those baby blues.

Then, on top of the cream shadow, Tiller used Urban Decay Shadow in Baked ($19, ulta.com), a golden bronze color with subtle shimmer, on the center of the lid, extending it to the inner corner.

Tiller created the smoked out effect and added dimension by blending the rich brown shade in the Dior #796 palette ($62, sephora.com) and the bronze shade from Charlotte Tilbury’s Golden Goddess palette ($52, nordstrom.com) along the outer corner and in the crease, stopping about midway on the lid. For a pop of color on the bottom lash line, Tiller used Laura Mercier’s Black Turquoise liner ($25, sephora.com), a smoky blue-green that matched the hue of Amy’s Zac Posen gown. Finally, she applied Velour Lashes in ‘Strike a Pose’ ($35, amazon.com) for full on fringe.

RELATED: 29 Expert Beauty Tips Every Woman Should Know

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1itsDCR

Study: Lowering Beta-Blocker Dose May Boost Survival After Heart Attack

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — People treated with low-dose beta blockers after a heart attack may fare better than those given the standard dose of this commonly prescribed medication, a new study suggests.

Heart attack patients given just one-fourth of the dosage used in clinical trials lived just as long as patients on a higher dose, according to researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago.

And in some cases, those on a low dose lived even longer, with a 20 percent to 25 percent increase in survival. To maximize effectiveness, beta-blocker dosage should probably be personalized for individual patients, the study authors advised.

“We set out on a mission to show if you treat patients with the doses that were used in the clinical trials, they will do better. We expected to see patients treated with the lower doses to have worse survival,” lead investigator Dr. Jeffrey Goldberger said in a university news release. “We were shocked to discover they survived just as well, and possibly even better.”

Goldberger is a professor of medicine at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine and a cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He also directs the cardiac arrhythmia program at Feinberg’s Center for Cardiovascular Innovation.

Based on these findings, Goldberger said new studies should be conducted to determine the effects of different beta blockers and which are most effective for individual patients.

“There is probably not one right dose for every single patient,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense that the same dose will work for an 80-year-old frail man who had a small heart attack as a burly 40-year-old man with a huge heart attack,” Goldberger explained.

The study included information on nearly 6,700 heart attack patients. Ninety percent of them were prescribed a beta blocker. Every patient on a beta blocker lived longer than those who were not given this medication, the investigators found.

Among those who received a full dose, nearly 15 percent died within two years, compared with just under 13 percent who got a half-dose of the drug. Meanwhile, 9.5 percent of the patients on a quarter-dose and 11.5 percent of those on a one-eighth-dose died during this time period, according to the study published Sept. 21 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

“We now need to figure out how to dose it in individual patients. That’s something no one has considered in the decades that we have been using this medication,” Goldberger said.

“This huge gap in knowledge has been completely unexplored. Since this is medicine we use in every single heart attack patient, we ought to figure out how to use it properly,” he said in the news release.

Roughly 90 percent of people treated for a heart attack are given a beta blocker, the study authors noted. This class of medication, which includes metoprolol (Toprol XL) and acebutolol (Sectral), is used to improve survival and prevent future heart attacks.

Beta-blockers work by blocking the effects of adrenaline on the heart. They also reduce irregular heartbeat and help prevent heart failure. Some patients are treated with low doses of the drug if there are greater concerns about possible side effects, such as fatigue, sexual dysfunction and depression, the study authors said.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more about treatment for heart attack.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1OqhksI

Heart Attack Shouldn’t End Your Sex Life

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — If you’ve had a heart attack, you don’t have to avoid sex for fear of having another one, researchers report.

Many people who’ve had a heart attack worry that too much physical activity could trigger a repeat event. But after reviewing data collected on 536 heart disease patients between the ages of 30 and 70, the researchers found sexual activity requires about the same amount of exertion as climbing two flights of stairs or taking a brisk walk.

The patients completed questionnaires about their sexual activity. In the months leading up to their heart attack, nearly 15 percent did not have sex during this time, almost 5 percent had sex less than once per month, about 25 percent had sex less than once a week, and 55 percent had sex at least once weekly.

The researchers analyzed the sexual activity the patients experienced in the 12 months before their heart attack and estimated the link between the frequency of their sexual encounters with future events, such as having a fatal heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death.

During 10 years of follow-up, the researchers found 100 adverse heart events occurred among the patients in the study. Sexual activity, however, was not a risk factor for future problems, the research letter, published Sept. 21 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, revealed.

After evaluating the timing of the last sexual activity before the heart attack, only 0.7 percent of the participants reported sex within an hour before their heart attack. More than 78 percent, however, reported that their last sexual activity occurred more than 24 hours before the heart attack.

“Based on our data, it seems very unlikely that sexual activity is a relevant trigger of heart attack,” study author Dr. Dietrich Rothenbacher, chair of the Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry at Ulm University in Ulm, Germany, said in a news release from the American College of Cardiology.

“Less than half of men and less than a third of women are getting information about sexual activity after heart attack from their doctors. It is important to reassure patients that they need not be worried and should resume their usual sexual activity,” Rothenbacher added.

But the researchers said that various heart drugs could cause sexual side effects, including erectile dysfunction. When used in combination, certain heart drugs and medications used to treat erectile dysfunction can cause a drop in blood pressure. The study authors said that patients should be made aware of these risks.

More information

The American Heart Association has more about risk factors for heart attack.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1OqhlwK

Adult Obesity Rate Tops 30 Percent in Half of States

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Sept. 21, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Obesity still plagues millions of Americans, as rates remain high in most states, a new report finds.

The South and Midwest have the highest adult obesity rates, making up 23 of the 25 states with rates now topping 30 percent.

In 42 states, blacks have obesity rates of 30 percent or more, as do Hispanics in 30 states. Obesity rates of 30 percent or more among whites are found in 13 states, the findings showed.

“The obesity epidemic is one of the nation’s most serious health crises,” Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America’s Health, said during a Monday morning media briefing.

Levi said that stemming the obesity problem is a complex challenge. On the one hand, obesity involves personal responsibility, he said. On the other hand, the scope of the problem makes it clear that it can’t be treated as a problem of personal failing, he added.

“Success requires finding ways to make healthy choices easier in our daily lives,” Levi said. “Children need the chance to grow up at a healthy weight, and all adults need the opportunity to be as healthy as they can be, no matter what their weight.”

On the plus side, obesity rates have remained the same in all but five states, Levi said. Although the obesity rate has not dropped in any state, he sees the leveling off as a hopeful sign.

“We view this as a sign of progress, and the efforts made to help curb the epidemic over the past few years are having an impact and are evidence that if we invest in effective programs, we can make a difference,” Levi said.

“But to date, the investments made have been limited and haven’t been sufficient to turn the tide,” he added.

In 2014, obesity rates increased in Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio and Utah, according to the report released Monday from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The highest obesity rate was posted in Arkansas, at 35.9 percent. Colorado had the lowest rate, at 21.3 percent.

In three states — Arkansas, Mississippi and West Virginia — the obesity rate was greater than 35 percent.

The obesity rate was at or above 30 percent in 22 states and was not below 21 percent in any state, the researchers found.

In contrast, no state’s obesity rate was above 15 percent in 1980 and no state had a rate above 20 percent in 1991, the researchers added.

Now, more than 30 percent of adults, nearly 17 percent of 2- to 19-year-olds and more than 8 percent of children aged 2 to 5 are obese, the report found.

As a consequence, nearly 78 million Americans are at increased risk for a variety of obesity-related health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer, the researchers warned.

Levi said that prevention is crucial to ending the obesity epidemic. “It is easier and more effective to prevent obesity than it is to reverse trends later,” he said.

This means promoting good nutrition and physical activity at an early age, so that kids start school at a healthy weight and stay that way as they age, Levi said.

“Small changes that make it easier to afford to buy healthy foods and beverages and be physically active can lead to big differences,” Levi said.

Programs that can be effective include improving school meals, making streets safe for walking and increasing preventive health services, he suggested.

“We do know a lot about what works, now we just have to invest in these approaches,” Levi said.

Other findings from the report include:

• Among states with the highest rates of type 2 diabetes, nine of the 10 are in the South.
• Rates of diabetes have increased in eight states: Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
• Racial groups with the highest obesity rates include American Indians and Alaska Natives, at 54 percent.

Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center and president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, called the new report a “reminder that obesity is among the great urgencies of modern public health.”

But, he added, “Nowhere will that effort be easy. This report indicates it will be harder in some places than others, and those are the places where the need for change is most acute.”

More information

Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on obesity.

---

from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1MmuYKi