Odds and Ends

Bigger than Brand X One of the explanations for an increase rate in obesity in any country is the change in portion sizes of meals away from home, drinks and individual food items.  Research suggests that when we have more food in front of us, we will eat more.  A bigger serving means more calories (unless they just add water).  So increased portion size = more calories = weight gain.  (of course, we could have all started to be more physically active when the food portions got bigger but we know THAT didn't happen).  My dismay should be easy to understand then.  This week I noticed a new veggie burger.  A company that sells other frozen meals has joined the veggie burger fray.  The package said something like, "10% more pattie than the leading brand."  I flipped the package over because there was no front of pack nutrient information and noted that it also has 70 more calories per serving.  We have got to stop this.  More food, whether you are a customer or the food provider is NOT what we need right now.

Mammograms and 5 Year Survival For some time, the utility of regular breast cancer screenings with mammogram have been questioned.  The mammogram can detect smaller lumps than a self breast exam, but the lumps are often (not always) harmless. The harmlessness of the lump is not known until subsequent invasive tests and months of  increased stress are endured.  Furthermore, the mammogram does not appear to reduce the risk of breast cancer death. An observation piece written in the online version of the British Medical Journal is quite informative.  When considering the effectiveness of a test or treatment, we often use 5 year survivability as a measure.  The five years begin at the time of diagnosis.  Drs. Woloshin and Schwartz provide a great example in the article.  If a group of women are all diagnosed at the age of 65 and die before they are 70 than the 5 year survival rate is 0.  If those same women were diagnosed at age 63, the survival rate will be increased if they die after age 68.  HOWEVER, they will all still be dead at age 70.  It is a matter of how long one is living with a diagnosis more than whether or not an early diagnosis changed thins.   The important part is what happens AFTER the diagnosis.  The treatment.  You have to make an informed decision about mammograms but I will tell you this - examining your breasts  (feeling them) and looking for lumps IS an effective screening tool. 

McDonalds - Look Here

P&G Snacks Save the Day -  The consumer products company reported a 45% increase in sales from Q4 2011 to Q4 2012 and gives all the credit to its snacking business.  (dratz)

Fruit V Fruit Juice  Dr. Robert Lustig continues to educate people on the problems with fructose as found in sucrose and HFCS.  In a radio interview, he closed his presentation by addressing the issue of fruit.  "YES" he said, People should absolutely eat fruit but just as certainly, avoid fruit juice.  He said that the most important thing that fruit offers us is fiber. He noted that most people will not over consume oranges.  They will eat one.  But think of how easy it is to drink 2-3 glasses of orange juice which has many more calories minus the fiber.

Shower Scene As I was going from the pool area to the locker room one day last week, a younger student(20s) was behind me.  She asked, out of nowhere "How do you stay so thin?"  OF course this turned into a long conversation (I exercise a lot and do not eat too many calories) and a referral to my You Tube channel where she could learn about Volumetrics.  But I also shared some personal info with my young enquirer.  At one time I weighed much much more than I do now, and I have weighed the same lower weight for over ten years. During our conversation I was either in a swim suit or a towel - so yeah - no hiding under clothes.  And she said, "But your skin looks so young."  Awesome right?.  What I think that she meant was that it had elasticity and tone.  Nice. (exercise, use lotion, don't smoke).