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New U.S. research based on data from a national survey on health confirms again that a sedentary lifestyle – not just eating behaviors – is a significant contributor to the obesity problem in this country. The research shows a major decline in physical activity and a sharp increase in body mass index (BMI) over the last two decades. The number of U.S. adult women who said they did not exercise jumped from 19.1 percent in 1994 to 51.7 percent in 2010. The number of men who did not exercise went from 11.4 percent in 1994 to 43.5 percent. By 2010, BMI had increased among both men and women, most dramatically among women aged 18-39. Though the obesity rate rose continuously over those 20 years, total daily intake of calories, fat, carbohydrates, and protein did not change significantly.
"Move More, Eat Less: It’s Time for Americans to Get Serious about Exercise. ", The American Journal of Medicine, July 17, 2014
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A new wellness program that focuses more on the mental side of weight loss has gained the approval of scientists at the University of Missouri. This “non-diet” intuitive eating method involves paying attention to internal cues, such as hunger and fullness, rather than external cues, such as calorie counting and weight scales. In their testing of the “Eat for Life” approach, which focuses on mindfulness and intuitive eating as a lifestyle, participants improved their view of their bodies, and decreased eating behaviors – e.g., binging, purging and fasting – that often led to regaining weight lost in traditional diet programs.
"Eat for Life: A Work Site Feasibility Study of a Novel Mindfulness-Based Intuitive Eating Intervention. ", American Journal of Health Promotion, July 17, 2014
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New research on non-human primates suggests that weight management programs focusing too much on calorie intake ignore the complex interaction of carbs, fats and proteins that is so important to appetite regulation and energy intake. Primates – whether spider monkeys, orangutans or humans – “prioritize protein” over carbohydrates and fat. If we eat too little protein, we compensate by eating too much fat and carbs. According to Australian nutritional ecologist David Raubenheimer, obesity in the West has soared over the past 60 years because the proportion of protein in our diet has dropped considerably. Which, he says, is probably why high-protein diets like Atkins have been shown to aid weight loss.
"High-protein weight loss diets can work, scientists show", News release, Society for Experimental Biology, July 17, 2014
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U.S. researchers who clinically tested four isocaloric diets that included different amounts of beef as a protein source among 36 adults (aged 30 to 65) found that the one providing the highest amount of lean beef each day was most effective at reducing blood pressure. Diets tested over five weeks – and alternated among the participants – included 20 grams of beef a day, 28 grams of beef, 113 grams of beef, and153 grams of beef. The latter diet, known as BOLD+, was more effective at reducing blood pressure when compared to the other tested diets. The researchers concluded that “increasing total dietary protein (or decreasing dietary carbohydrate) in combination with a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fiber and low-fat dairy appears to play an important role in reducing systolic blood pressure”.
"Effects of a DASH-like diet containing lean beef on vascular health. ", Journal of Human Hypertension, July 17, 2014
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