Weight loss plan, Diet plan - Vice Busting Diet Program: diet program

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Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Health Spending Exceeded Record $2 Trillion in 2006

WASHINGTON — National health spending soared above $2 trillion for the first time in 2006 and has nearly doubled in the last decade, amounting to an average of $7,000 a person, the government reported on Monday. With the advent of a prescription drug benefit in 2006, Medicare spending grew at its fastest pace since 1981, the report said. Private health insurance spending grew at the slowest rate since 1997, and spending on Medicaid, which covers low-income people, declined for the first time since creation of the program in 1965. Over all, the report said, health spending increased 6.7 percent in 2006, slightly faster than in 2005, and now accounts for 16 percent of the total output of good and services, a slightly larger share than in 2005. Introducing the Medicare drug benefit for older Americans and people with disabilities caused changes that rippled through the entire health care sector. Health spending by businesses grew 5.7 percent in 2006, to $496.8 billion, the slowest rate of increase since 1997.

Aaron C. Catlin, an economist at the Health and Human Services Department, said the “deceleration in employer payments for private health insurance” resulted, in part, from the fact that Medicare now subsidized drug costs for many retirees. Employers lobbied for such subsidies when Congress created the benefit. Retail spending on prescription drugs shot up 8.5 percent in 2006, to $216.7 billion, in part because more prescriptions were filled by Medicare beneficiaries, especially those lacking drug coverage in the past. The increase was much greater than the 5.8 percent increase in 2005, but well below the average increase of 13.4 percent a year from 1995 to 2004. Other factors that drove up drug spending included the use of existing drugs for new purposes and the increased use of high-cost biotechnology products, the report said. National health spending first exceeded $1 trillion in 1995. Since then, even when adjusted for inflation, health spending has grown at a rapid clip, increasing 64 percent in 11 years. The data, published in the journal Health Affairs, showed that spending on hospitals, doctors and nursing homes grew more slowly in 2006 than in 2005. But administrative costs increased more than twice as fast. read on...

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Comments: It wasn't that long ago that health care costs were around the 1 Trillion mark - in 1995. To double in 10 years means that, yes in fact, health care costs are ballooning out of control. This should be more of a reflection of the poor health that Americans are experiencing, and while that is true, it is not all that is going on. The advancement of equipment, drugs, and procedures that keep a patient alive longer has to be the brunt of the rise in costs. The unfortunate thing about our health care is that it is not health care at all, but sick care. If we can start with the upcoming generation and start teaching life's lessons at an early age, and instill the habits of healthy living in the early years, then we have a chance of reducing costs in the decades to come, on a per capita basis. In other words, assuming the population continues to grow at the current rate, costs will continue to rise, but can be reduced as a percentage of the total. Start with your own weight loss and diet plan and live healthy. Teach those in your family the importance of a healthy lifestyle for the survival of the generations to come.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

The #3 Diet Vice TV Should be Off During Family Meals

If you've been reading the last few blogs, you will see that the theme has been family, and the importance of a close family to the bringing up of a secure, healthy, happy, productive individual. One of the 3 biggest diet vices that have contributed to the overweight and obesity problem in this country and around the world is the television. A diet vice is broadly defined as anything that gets in the way of living at a healthy weight. Specifically, a diet vice can be a food or drink that is consumed on a regular basis that contributes the most calories to a diet and keeps the "dieter" from living at a healthy weight. The three biggest diet vices are soft drinks, fast food, and television - all based on statistics. The amount of soft drinks and fast food consumed per capita supports the conclusion that they are the 2 top diet vices. And, according to statistics, television is the third diet vice that contributes to the number of overweight and obese individuals. In this day, we can add anything that the TV can be used for - all computer games, specifically, not just television shows. The recommendation that The Health & Wellness Institute gives to those who seek to lose weight, is that no TV may be watched (or used for games; hey, even 40 year olds use PlayStation!) until at least 30 minutes of exercise is done. OR, exercise may be done while watching TV - like a treadmill or piece of cardio that may be in front of the TV, or an exercise video. This puts healthy actions ahead of those that are sedentary, or let's face it, unhealthy considering the quality of so much of the programming these days (I'm not referring to the History Channel here!). Here's some information given about the importance of turning the TV off during family meals. Without reading the article, you can ascertain that the TV will distract family members from the time that should be used for productive communication, the foundation for healthy relationship among all individuals. And the lessons learned during family meals far exceed any entertainment or history lesson that can be learned from TV. This article comes from Science Daily --

ScienceDaily — September and October mark the start of television’s new fall season as the premieres of new shows and old favorites hit the airwaves. But, University of Minnesota researchers found that watching television while eating family meals may have a negative impact on children’s diets.

School of Public Health Project EAT researchers found that children in families who watched TV while eating meals together had a lower-quality diet than the children of families who ate together, but turned the TV off. Boys watching TV while eating family meals consumed fewer vegetables and grains, and more soft drinks, than those who did not watch TV; girls watching TV ate significantly fewer dark vegetables and more fried food.

Dianne Neumark Sztainer, Ph.D., principal investigator of the Project EAT study, suggests more than one reason for why this occurred. “The television may be influencing the types of foods that adolescents choose to eat because of the advertisements they see. Alternatively, meal situations and foods served within homes where the television is on during meals may be different. Further research is needed to explore our findings,” she said. read on...

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Regular Family Meals Promote Healthy Eating Habits

It's time to get back to family values - a family that eats together, shares the day's struggles, successes, and questions; a time for family to discuss together what is important in life - what's needed to be healthy physically, mentally, spiritually; a time to emphasize the importance of education, goals, and character. And all is done while eating a well balanced meal. The effects of regular meals as this puts the focus on goals that are bigger than any one individual, while instilling the habit of healthy actions to support the efforts of such goals. We have gotten away from the importance of health in all areas of life, and the discipline it takes to build that character, and it all starts at home, and the best time for life's lesson start at the breakfast and dinner table (assuming everyone's at school or work during lunch!). Not only do family meals promote healthy eating, but the ripple effect carries over into every other aspect of life. Here is an article that reveals one aspect of the importance of family meals from Science Daily --

ScienceDaily — MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL -- It's not only the routine of sitting down to dinner as a family, but the importance, structure, and atmosphere of family meals that may help steer adolescent girls from eating disorders. University of Minnesota researchers found that girls who ate regular family meals in a structured and positive environment were less likely to exhibit extreme weight control behaviors such as diet pill use, vomiting, and chronic dieting. Their research was published in the November issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.

The meal itself provides an opportunity to model healthy eating habits to children, and it also gives parents the chance to check in with their children, said Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., professor of epidemiology and primary author of the article. She recommended parents keep the conversation positive and non-confrontational, especially if their children have issues surrounding food. "Since society has so much influence on adolescents because of the high prevalence of obesity and the pressure to be skinny, many girls are read on...

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Weight loss and diet plan starts with family meals

On a previous blog it was mentioned that a healthy lifestyle should be a family affair, with all members of the family participating in activities, exercise, and healthy eating - the latter of which is best done together in order to instill the habit of a healthy diet. And now it seems that disordered eating is less common among teens when they are having meals with their family. Looking back at my own family life, I can weight loss plan, diet plan, weight loss coach, Dr. Patrick Havey attest to this fact, having grown up in a home where dinner together was expected and prior approval for missing better have been cleared with the cook. In other words, I didn't know anything else. And the six of us sat together and had dinnder more nights than not - meals with lean meats or fish, a vegetable, a carb, maybe some gravy to go with it, and milk or water, and sometimes (not that often that I can remember - maybe it was somebody's birthday only) a dessert. The psychological, emotional, habitual, familial, social benefits that ultimately resulted from years of eating together as a family far outweighed (by miles!) any other benefit that us kids as teens back then could ever have received from any of our own activities outside the home. Read this report from Science Daily about some of the eating behaviors of teens who eat meals with their families vs. those that don't --

Science Daily — Adolescent girls who frequently eat meals with their families appear less likely to use diet pills, laxatives or other extreme measures to control their weight five years later, according to a new report.

As youth progress from adolescence into adulthood, disordered eating behaviors--including binge eating and self-induced vomiting--become more common, according to background information in the article. "Disordered eating behaviors are associated with a number of harmful behavioral, physical and psychological consequences, including poorer dietary quality, weight gain and obesity onset, depressive symptoms and the onset of eating disorders," the authors write. "Thus, it is important to identify strategies for the prevention of disordered eating behaviors."

Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., and colleagues at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, studied 2,516 adolescents at 31 Minnesota schools. Participants completed two surveys--an in-class survey in 1999 and a mailed survey in 2004--regarding how often they ate with their families as well as their body mass index, feelings of family connectedness and eating behaviors.

Among teen girls, those who ate five or more meals with their families each week in 1999 were significantly less likely to report using extreme measures (such as self-induced vomiting and diuretics) to control their weight in 2004, regardless of their sociodemographic characteristics, body mass index or family connectedness. However, among adolescent boys, regular family meals did not predict lower levels of disordered eating behaviors five years later. Read on...

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

Girls Who Feel Unpopular May Gain Weight

From Associated Press --

CHICAGO (AP) — Where a teenage girl sees herself on her school's social ladder may sway her future weight, a study of more than 4,000 girls finds. Those who believed they were unpopular gained more weight over a two-year period than girls who viewed themselves as more popular. Researchers said the study showed how a girl's view of her social status has broader health consequences.

The girls in the study were still growing — their average age was 15 — and all of them gained some weight. However, those who rated themselves low in popularity were 69 percent more likely than other girls to increase their body mass index by two units, the equivalent of gaining about 11 excess pounds. (The body mass index, or BMI, is a calculation based on height and weight.)

Girls who put themselves on the higher rungs of popularity also gained some excess weight, but less — about 6 1/2 pounds.

Both groups, on average, fell within ranges considered normal. But a gain of two BMI units over two years is more than the typical weight gain for adolescent girls, the researchers said. Read on...

Comments: This is one of the most common occurences in young women - social unacceptance leading to poor dietary habits, or food being used as comfort. This is a very important stage in the development of any person - male or female. The habits that they are exposed to on a daily basis set the stage for what they will expect of themselves in their own life when out on their own. Then once they have really grown up and get wise, an understanding of the importance of health has a higher chance of setting in, to some degree. Otherwise, life will continue without much concern about weight, health, fitness...until the middle age years start exposing the body's weaknesses through regular sickness, other health problems with higher concern, or even disease. This is not meant to be sound cynical. The opportunity for a healthy and fit lifestyle is there, and may afford so many more opportunities for happiness, productivity, adventure, and creativity. The body functions much better and so does the mind, when the right nutrition, discipline, and exercise are adhered to on a daily basis. A good diet plan can make the difference in the early years. And certainly some parental recognition of such a potential problem, so to head off unhealthy decisions before they happen, will help in the long run. Make health a family affair so you can pass it on to the next generations.

The Health & Wellness Institute, DC PC

How Expensive Is Your Diet?

From ABC News --

There are fewer things more dreaded than the New Year's resolution.

For millions of Americans each year, that means deciding to drop a few--or tens --of pounds. It also means picking a diet from a number of confusing programs: low-fat, low-carb, high-protein, pre-made, points-counting, and so on. The options can be exhausting and once committed, it is hard to start over if the diet is less than compatible with your habits--and your bank account. That's why we evaluated the first-week costs of seven popular weight-loss programs. After all, the initial week often requires the greatest personal and financial investment.

We found that consumers on such diet programs as NutriSystem, the Zone, The Abs Diet, The 5-Factor Diet, South Beach, Weight Watchers and the Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox can expect to spend as little as $100 and as much as $385 during the first week.

Surprisingly, the diet with the fewest menu choices--the Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox--costs as much as Weight Watchers: Both totaled about $385. The 5-Factor Diet, engineered by celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, came in a close third at $380. The price of supplements and a juicer were included for the detox diet, while the cost of membership added to the bottom line of joining Weight Watchers. At $98, NutriSystem was the cheapest option, but included only pre-packaged foods and no fresh fruits or vegetables.

Food Facts

The average American household spends $5,781 a year on food, not including alcohol and fast food items, according to the Census' latest Statistical Abstract, which surveyed 5,000 households of varying sizes. Assuming that purchasing habits remain relatively steady, a weekly household grocery bill likely averages about $111, though this may be significantly higher or lower given income and family size.

At any given time, millions of Americans are on a diet--and their dollars are in demand. The weight-loss market is fiercely competitive and reportedly exceeds $40 billion a year in revenue. As high-profile brands move away from identifying their plans as diets and instead as a lifestyle, companies will increasingly offer more options for personalization and taste preferences. In our roundup, there's room for everything from quesadillas to Canadian bacon to chocolate shakes. Read on...

Comments: There is no doubt that

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Trigger Foods May Ruin Diet

At 290 pounds, Julia Havey was morbidly obese and desperate to lose weight. “I tried diet after diet and pill after pill,” she recalls. “But nothing worked.” Her turning point came after a cruel comment from a stranger while shopping. When she got home, she vowed to get serious about her health, and she knew that meant getting rid of the food most responsible for her weight gain – ice cream. Could a trigger food lurking in your home be keeping you from your goal weight, too?

“At my heaviest, I used to eat half a gallon of ice cream a night,” Havey admits. But she hasn’t had a bite of it since 1994. Now, 130 pounds lighter, Havey was the “Master Motivator” to 14 million readers at eDiets, has now joined the leader in online weight loss, SparkPeople.com, find her team at http://teams.sparkpeople.com/vicebusting and author of The Vice-Busting Diet (St. Martin’s, 2006). Let her experience help you overcome your own diet vice once and for all.

What is a Diet Vice?
According to Havey, a diet vice is any habitual action that keeps you from reaching a healthy weight. You may even have multiple vices. Maybe it’s a habit, like serving yourself huge portions or snacking after dinner. Or maybe it’s a single food, like chocolate or chips, that’s wreaking havoc on your waistline.

Fast food and soda are two major diet vices in America, in Havey’s opinion. But even if you’re a water-drinking, Big Mac-shunning, health-conscious consumer, you may not be in the clear. Diet vices are different for everyone, and not all are junk food. If you can you eat the whole jumbo-sized bag, carton or box of anything in one sitting, it qualifies as a trigger food.

Deprived and Depressed

Once you’ve identified your trigger food – be it potatoes, pie or root beer – how can you resist it? Give it up forever. “It’s easier to go without a food you can’t control than to try to have it in moderation,” says Havey.

If you think your life will be miserable without chocolate, crackers or fast food, ask yourself this: How miserable does this food make me now? Is it preventing me from looking good, having energy and feeling confident?

“Deprivation is not living without certain foods but living with them and being deprived of your true health and happiness,” Havey says. Trigger foods may make you happy temporarily, but if they make you sad in the long-term, it doesn’t make sense to keep them in your life.

Havey promises that if you eliminate your trigger food altogether – whether you implement other diet and exercise goals or not – you’ll lose weight. Not only will you curb calories, but you’ll avoid the binge the food usually inspires.

Painless Elimination
If you’re used to eating huge quantities of a certain food, living without it probably seems impossible. But, actually, giving up the food entirely will eventually make you crave it less. To help you along the way, follow these tips:

Make healthy substitutions
- If your vice is sweet and creamy, like ice cream, try a bowl of low-fat plain yogurt with fresh berries when your craving hits.

- If you love the crunchy texture and salty flavor of potato chips or crackers, swap them for popcorn sprinkled with a little garlic salt (hold the butter). Toasted whole-wheat pita chips also substitute well.

- If you love comfort food like baked lasagna or mashed potatoes with gravy, have a meal that’s just as hearty and filling, but that delivers fewer calories. Warm up with a bowl of steaming lentil soup sprinkled with mozzarella cheese.

Sometimes it’s not the food itself, but the act of eating that we crave. Havey found that snacking on baby carrots when a craving hit not only saved her calories, but reduced her appetite and left her with more energy at the end of the afternoon.

Find another way to have fun
“When you remove something from your life, especially a habit, you need to fill that space with something else,” explains Havey. One woman who took this advice to heart is Jayme, 52, a systems analyst in San Diego. Her afternoon cookie break used to be her favorite part of the day. “I was stressed out, and chowing down on cookies was how I relaxed,” she says.

But all that sugar and processed white flour left her tired and sluggish an hour later. One day, after she fell asleep at her desk, she vowed to make healthier choices. “I still look forward to my midday break,” she says, “but now I use the time to read my favorite magazine instead of eating junk.”

If you’re bored, lonely or in need of a treat, “replace the feeling of satisfaction that comes from eating with other things,” says Havey. Some suggestions from her book: Get your hair done, see a movie, buy a great pair of shoes, take a bubble bath, or call a friend.

Trading Up
Havey hasn’t had ice cream in 12 years. Doesn’t she miss it? “Absolutely not,” she says. The trick is she doesn’t consider the food “forbidden.”

“There’s nothing telling me I can’t have it,” she says. “I could get in the car right now and buy some at the grocery store if I wanted.” But she doesn’t. She knows that it won’t make her feel good or give her the satisfaction it once did. Besides, her readers are counting on her.

A bowl of ice cream can’t compare to having a body you love and a life filled with energy, happiness and confidence.

For more help on busting your diet vices, check out www.ViceBustingDiet.com.

Are You Addicted to Food?
There’s nothing wrong with giving into indulgences from time to time. But have you crossed the line from feeding your body to feeding a food addiction? Find out with this food addict quiz.

Weight loss plan, Diet plan - Vice Busting Diet Program

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Health Spending Exceeded Record $2 Trillion in 2006

The #3 Diet Vice TV Should be Off During Family Meals

Regular Family Meals Promote Healthy Eating Habits

Weight loss and diet plan starts with family meals

Girls Who Feel Unpopular May Gain Weight

How Expensive Is Your Diet?

Food Facts

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Trigger Foods May Ruin Diet

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