Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Weigh In On What You Know



Weigh In On What You Know

Take this quiz to see how much you know about weight management. From calorie counting to metabolism to exercise, a little knowledge can help you go a long way.

Answer true (“T”) or false (“F”) to the following:

  1. Eating slowly can help you feel full with less.
    (T) (F)
  2. Watching television, reading or working while you eat can help distract you from eating too much.
    (T) (F)
  3. Low-fat and fat-free foods have just as many, if not more, calories as their full-fat versions.
    (T) (F)
  4. Metabolism slows with age.
    (T) (F)
  5. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator has little impact when it comes to burning calories.
    (T) (F)

______________________________________________________


ANSWERS

  1. TRUE: When you eat too fast, your brain doesn’t get the signal that you’re full until it’s too late and you’ve already overeaten. By savoring every bite, you can save yourself from too many calories.
  2. FALSE: These activities can distract you while you eat, but they have the opposite effect: If you don’t focus on your meal, before you know it, you’ve actually eaten much more than you wanted to.
  3. TRUE: Eating low-fat or fat-free foods doesn’t necessarily mean you’re consuming fewer calories. They tend to have as many calories as their fullfat counterparts, and oftentimes, fat is replaced with sugar, which drives up the number of calories.
  4. FALSE: A slower metabolism isn’t inevitable. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism, the faster you burn calories. With age, people have a tendency to exercise less, or less vigorously, meaning fewer calories burned per day. As activity levels and intensity go down, loss of muscle mass can occur. Simply put, the less muscle you have, the lower your metabolism.
  5. FALSE: Little things can mean a lot! You might be surprised to learn that it’s possible to burn more calories simply by becoming more active in your everyday life – such as by walking to the mailbox instead of driving; walking to a co-worker’s desk instead of calling or emailing; or, in this case, taking the stairs instead of using the elevator.

:: This quiz was taken from Herbalife.com.

A Growing Problem


A Growing Problem
  • In the last 20 years, the prevalence of obesity in the United States doubled in adults. – National Center for Health Statistics, 2006
  • Currently, 2 in 3 adults (66%) are overweight or obese.
    – National Center for Health Statistics, 2006
  • Only 26% of U.S. adults engage in vigorous leisure-time physical activity three or more times per week (defined as periods of vigorous physical activity lasting 10 minutes or more).
    – National Center for Health Statistics, 2005