3 fold increase of obesity patients going to hospital

According to the papers this week in only the last 5 years there has been a triple increase of people going to hospital and being diagnosed with obesity. The medical conditions which obesity was the main contributor included, breathing problems, bedsores and heart conditions. There were 11,740 such admissions last year with 3 times more women admitted than men according to the findings from the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Their findings found that fewer than 2 in 5 (37%) of adults in England are classed as 'normal' weight according to Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is the comparison of a person's height to their total body weight. A BMI of 25-29 would be considered as overweight with 30+ as obese. While in 1993 half of women were considered a healthy weight, the proportion has now dropped to 39%. The proportion of men dropped from 41 to 31% over the same period. Hospitals are also performing more weight-loss surgery with 8,790 operations carried out last year including stomach stapling and gastric bypass. This compares with only 1,950 procedures 5 years ago. Most operations were performed on women, 6,710 compared with 2,080 men. A toxic environment of easy available ready meals, high fat and sugary foods, take-aways and fast foods, which often are loaded with high saturated fats and salt and fizzy drinks, which are filled with sugars and less activity in our daily lives are to blame for this obesity epidemic. But the power of reversing this tide of ill health is in your hands. By making some small changes you can make a huge difference to your health. Start off with cutting down on foods which are loaded with saturated fats such as fried chicken and chips and replace with grilled chicken and jacket potato. Aim to have your 5 a day of fruit and veg and only have a take-away treat once a week. Cut out or down on chocolate, sweets, crisps and biscuits. Cut out the fizzy drinks for water or squash. Aim to do activities that are enough to make you sweat and be out of breath for 150 mins per week-this works out as 30 mins, 5 days per week. You can even break this down to 3 x 10 mins sections if you are time restrained or not fit enough to do moderate exercise for 30 mins in one go. Drag your family away from the computer and t.v and out for a walk in the woods or play a ball game in the park. Start taking these small steps and see how you can make a difference to yours and your families health in next to no time. Let me know your experiences and how you're getting on.

New Boxercise Class starts soon

I'm starting a new Boxercise class at Simply Studio, 120 North Street, Romford on Wednesday mornings at 10.00-11.00 am. This fun and dynamic fitness class starts on 27th Feb and brings effective drills and techniques taken from the worlds of martial arts and boxing to help burn fat, tone muscle, increase stamina, flexibility and combat stress. This non-sparring circuit class will use pads and shields and help tone and strengthen muscles like never before. Price per class is £5.00. Why don't you tell all your friends and come along.

High Sugar Diet Can Kerb Learning

A study of rats by the University of California found that too much sugar can prevent learning, while omega-3 is thought to boost it. Two groups of rats were fed drinking water laced with a sugar solution. One group was also given flaxseed oil, which contains omega-3, the fatty acid that is found in oily fish. The rats were all given standard rat food to eat for five days before consuming the sugared water. Twice a day the rats were placed in a maze, fitted with markers to help them remember their route. After 6 weeks of testing and feeding them the solution, the study concluded that the rats that were given the flaxseed, navigated the maze much quicker than those that did not receive the omega-3 fatty acids. The rats that were on the sugar solution had a reduced ability to think clearly and to recall the route that they'd learned 6 weeks earlier. They also started to display insulin resistance, which was the most likely cause of their memory loss. This is because insulin helps to regulate how brain cells use and store sugar for the energy that is needed to process thoughts and emotions. So if you want to think more clearly, rather than grabbing an energy drink grab yourself a tuna sandwich or some susi instead!

Benefits of wearing a sports bra during exerise

Up to 72% of women who exercise report breast discomfort while exercising, which can be caused by too much movement and skin chaffing, both of which can reduce performance. Research carried out has reported that 44% of women train in an ordinary bra rather than a dedicated sports bra. In a survey, 85% of women who wore a sports bra said it helped to improve their enjoyment of exercise. With the average 36C sized breast weighing in at 300 grams, uncontrolled movement caused by training in an ordinary bra may not only cause discomfort during exercise but could be damaging the fagile breast tissue, which over time can cause sag. Research has shown training in a sports bra helps to reduce breast movement by up to 38%. Sports bras are often made with performance enhancing materials such as breathable fabric that allows the skin to breath properly while exercising. This allows air to circulate to cool the body down and take sweat away from the skin to reduce rubbing. Often the material and fastenings are made stronger and are more durable than an ordinary bra. So if you are training regularly or are thinking of doing so soon, than investing in a sport bra could be a wise decision and help improve your sports performance.

I Love My 'Real Job.'

Today I was doing my rounds around the gym, chatting to the various members who have come early this fine Sunday morning to burn off a few calories before the food and drink binge which is the Christmas celebrations. I was chatting to one of my client's whose complaining that he works long hours and spends most of the working day chained to his desk. While I was advising him that he could try getting up from his desk and walking to a work mate's desk, rather than sending an e-mail and taking a walk after lunch rather than eating at his desk and other helpful tips, he asked me, 'and what do you do for a real job?' I replied that I considered what I do as a real job and a very rewarding one at that, as there are not many professions that can make a huge difference to people's health, quality of life, general wellbeing, the pretential to extend somebody's life and saving the NHS money in preventing or reducing the risks of diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and obesity. There seems to be an attitude in this country that leisure is seen as just a hobby and you should only do it if you can afford it or have the time, rather than consider exercise as an important part of life that should be included somewhere in peoples busy lives. A lot of other countries consider exercise as an important part of life and wouldn't dream of it as just an 'add on.' We will continue to have an obesity problem in this country unless we shake off this attitude and consider exercise and being active in general as a must, rather than merely a hobby.

Royal College of Physicians Report on Exercise

The Royal College of Physicians recently published a report that outlined several recommendations to ensure exercise and physical activity is a routine part of prevention and management of chronic conditions. The report called for a development of a medically driven national strategy to use exercise in the prevention and treatment of disease, the recommendation of training medical students in how exercise can be used as a preventive measure against diseases and the regulation of exercise therapists who treat patients. I see this as a big step forward which will benefit the patients as well as the fitness industry. Working as a exercise on referral instructor I am starting to see a lot more clients whose GP have sent them to me to help reduce their blood pressure or cholesterol levels naturally, rather than giving them pills to take. Doctors are slowly coming round to the thinking that in some cases, exercise can be a truely beneficial alternative to medicine, which can make a huge difference to the health and well-being of their patients and this report can only help to encourage more GPs to do the same.

Six ways to stay healthy this Christmas

Oh no it's Christmas! All those mince pies, Christmas cake, party food and booze, not a good time for our waistlines. However it doesn't have to be as bad as you may think. There are plenty of healthy things you can do over this period to counter balance the not so good. Below are six of the best ways to keep yourself healthier this year. 1) Fill up your fruit bowl:- Studies show that only 30% of U.K adults eat the recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day. Clementines are in season now and are packed full with essential nutrients including vitamin C, that can boost your immune system and help reduce the chances of getting a cold. So fill up your bowl with these and other fruits in season such as , pears, apples and cranberries. 2)Eat some nuts:- Walnuts, cashews, Brazil nuts and almonds are all a great source of calcium, which helps build strong bones and teeth. The British Heart Foundation recommends we eat a handful a day and there's evidence that they can even reduce cholesterol. Just ensure they are the unsalted variety. 3) Get Dancing:- With the success of 'Strictly' there's never been a better time to go dancing. Ballroom, disco or salsa it doesn't matter what it is as long as you move that body. Depending on intensity and your weight you can burn over 400 calories dancing. If you're dancing you consume less booze and party food as well. Now the party season is here, why not take advantage and burn some extra calories on the dance floor. 4)Tuck into that Turkey:- Turkey is a great low fat source of protein, which helps build and repair muscle. Use leftovers to make a healthy and tasty dish like turkey stew or curry. 5)Eat your sprounts:- These little vegetables are a good source of vitamins A and C, folic acid and fibre. Also believed to protect the body against colon cancer. 6)Stay active:- During the slump between Christmas and New Year's Day, why don't you keep active and go for a walk, jog or a bike ride to burn off some of that Chrismas dinner, rather then sitting in front of the t.v. and going through yet another box of chocolates.