|
The Fat-Free Truth
Real Answers to the Fitness and Weight-Loss Questions You Wonder About Most
By Liz Neporent, M.A., and Suzanne Schlosberg
The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth
Is it true? That's the question that probably comes to mind every time you read or hear a claim about a new diet plan, metabolism-boosting pill, exercise device or workout regimen. You wonder: Has the Atkins diet really been vindicated by scientific research? Will Pilates give you "long, lean muscles - no bulk," like some of the Web sites promise? If you pack on three pounds of muscle, will you actually burn an extra 10,000 calories a month?
Of course, your own common sense tells you the promises can't all be true. Indeed, there's no shortage of exaggerations and misconceptions floating around the media and the gym, and there's plenty of conflicting advice. That's why Liz Neporent and Suzanne Schlosberg, authors of Fitness for Dummies and Weight Training for Dummies, have teamed up for the third time. In The Fat-Free Truth, to be published in January 2005 by Houghton Mifflin, they offer straight-shooting answers to the workout and weight-loss questions that you wonder about most - some 240 questions in all.
They've ignored the hype, scrutinized the studies, and quizzed top researchers, not settling until they've gotten to the bottom line. Among the questions they tackle: How can I boost my metabolism? What's the best way to get rid of a paunchy middle? What are the chances of regaining weight after liposuction? Will I sweat more - or less - as I become more fit? And just in case you find yourself stymied for conversation at a cocktail party, they've also tossed in some fitness trivia questions. Next time you need an ice-breaker, try this one out: "Say, does anyone know how the marathon came to be 26.2 miles?"
From The Pages Of The Fat-Free Truth
Low-carb diets, weight-loss surgery, Pilates, weight training, home exercise equipment, metabolism, postpartum weight loss - these are just some of the topics covered in The Fat-Free Truth. Here's a sampling of the questions you'll find in the book.
Question #16: I seem to weigh more when my scale is on a carpet than when it's on tile. Am I imagining this?
The short answer: Nope. A scale's fulcrums - internal gizmos that resemble mini-suspension bridges - don't bend as much on carpets as they do on hard surfaces, so your weight may appear to be slightly higher on your shag rug.
Physicists from a British university positioned six standard analog scales on different surfaces and discovered a whopping 10 percent increase in weight when the scale was placed on a thick carpet compared to a wood or tile floor. That 's because on a hard surface, the base of the scale bows inward, which shortens the distance between the scale 's fulcrums, the tiny levers placed at each corner to transmit weight to the spring-loaded metal plate on the back of the scale.
Place the scale on deep carpet, and the scale sinks into it. Because the base is supported, it doesn't bend, thereby increasing the distance between the fulcrums. Even a small increase can add several pounds to the weight registered on the display. Most manufacturers calibrate their scales on hard surfaces.
Question #80: I heard that obesity be caused by a virus. Could this possibly be true?
The short answer: As farfetched as it sounds, there is mounting evidence that in some cases, obesity can be caught like the common cold. At this point the idea is theoretical in humans. However, scientists have isolated at least seven viruses that definitively cause obesity in birds, dogs, and monkeys, and some of those viruses are also known to infect humans.
Back in the 1970s, scientists in India began studying a viral disease that was killing chickens by the thousands. Infected birds didn't waste away as they got sicker; instead they packed on pounds as they recovered - up to 50 percent more fat tissue than uninfected birds. Oddly, the sick chickens also tested low for levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (fat in the bloodstream). Normally, obesity is associated with high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Even stranger, the infected birds did not seem to eat more as they gained weight.
The researchers isolated the cause of the birds' sickness as Adenovirus-36, or Ad-36, a highly infectious microbe that causes colds, diarrhea, and pink eye in humans. Dozens of human and animal adenoviruses are known to exist. Researchers wondered, could Ad-36 as well as other, similar viruses contribute to the obesity epidemic in humans?
"We're 100 percent certain that viral infections cause obesity in animals but can only infer that it causes obesity in people, since we can't ethically test the theory on human subjects," says Nikhil Dhurandhar, Ph.D., obesity research chair in the department of nutrition and food sciences at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
Still, the case for an obesity-causing human virus is bolstered by nearly 100 studies done over the last 35 years or so and has recently piqued the interest of mainstream obesity researchers.
Question #82: How do Sumo wrestlers get so fat and how unhealthy are they?
The short answer: Sumo wrestlers get fat the same way other people do - by eating enormous portions of high-calorie fare. The life expectancy of a Sumo wrestler is less than 60 years, far lower than the Japanese-male average of 80 years. Many are plagued with weight-related problems such as difficulty walking, osteoarthritis, and high blood pressure. However, in spite of their belt-popping girth, Sumo wrestlers are healthier than you might expect.
Top Sumo wrestlers are among some of the weightiest individuals on earth. On average they tip the scales at 400 pounds - some weigh in at more than 600 pounds - with an average body mass index of 36.5 and body-fat percentage of 30.
By virtually every standard measure, these large men in diapers are considered obese. But they probably aren't as unhealthy as your typical burger-and-fries-addicted couch potato. Studies show elite Sumo wrestlers tend to have normal cholesterol, glucose, and triglyceride levels. As a group, they don't suffer inordinately from heart disease, they rarely develop Type 2 diabetes, and they have relatively modest amounts of fat deep within the abdomen, the type of fat linked to heart disease and other health problems.
Medical experts speculate that Sumo wrestlers enjoy comparatively good health because they exercise. A lot. Although you don't see too many Sumo wrestlers jogging in the park, their training regimen calls for grueling four- or five-hour workouts six or seven days a week. The problem is that when Sumo wrestlers retire, they continue eating the same way they did when they competed and begin to develop lifestyle-related diseases.
Lately there has been growing concern that Sumo competitors have grown too fat. In 1953, the average Sumo stood 5'11" and weighed 317 pounds. Today, the average wrestler is just 3 inches taller but 95 pounds heavier.
Question # 83: How can I tell if my dog is overweight?
The short answer: When you can't see or feel his ribs or when you look at him from above and he has no waist, you're the owner of a pooch that could lose a few pounds.
Considering that the average housedog is basically a glorified throw rug with a pulse, it's not surprising that more than 50 percent of the 60 million dogs in America are considered overweight; 25 percent of them are considered obese. Why your little Snuffle Pumpkin is overweight should come as no surprise: too much food and too much time spent curled up on the couch.
He's susceptible to many of the same obesity-related diseases as humans are, such as diabetes and heart disease. Compared to their slimmer pack mates, fat dogs are also more prone to injury and complications in surgery, and experience more stress on their heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and joints. A study done at the University of Pennsylvania found that overfed Labradors had their lifespans shortened by 1.8 years and developed chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis at a younger age than Labs of normal weight. While this study did not factor in other doggy lifestyle factors such as amount of exercise, it does suggest that a fat pooch is an unhealthy pooch.
Once a dog weighs 15 percent more than his ideal weight, he's considered clinically obese. Veterinarians use a 9-point rating system to evaluate a dog's weight, with a score of 1 given to a dog that is extremely thin and a score of 9 given to a dog that's a real porker. Ideally, your dog should fall right in the middle, with a score of 5.
|
