Guest guest Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Hi, guys: I just read this article on Yahoo Health and thought you might find it interesting as well. It's TOTALLY what WW preaches, including the increased fruits and veggies. 297/229/150 Want to Lose Weight? Watch Those Portion Sizes By Charnicia E. Huggins NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New study findings suggest that controlling portion sizes may be the fastest route to weight loss. The research shows that the " direct route to losing weight is to constantly control your portions, " study author Dr. Everett E. Logue, of Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, told Reuters Health. " I am not saying exercise is not important, " Logue said. If the goal is to reduce calories, however, it's " easier to skip a brownie " than to run four miles, he pointed out. The study evaluated 329 overweight or obese 40- to 69-year-old patients using a model based on the idea that behavioral change involves five stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Study participants were categorized into stages for five target behaviors: portion control, decreasing dietary fat, increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, increasing planned exercise and increasing physical activity. Changes in all five behaviors led to weight loss among the study participants, but decreased portion sizes led to the greatest loss, Logue and his colleagues report in the journal Obesity Research. For example, portion control appeared to increase the chances of losing weight by almost four-fold, while eating more fruits and vegetables was associated with just under a three-fold increase in the chances of losing weight, the report indicates. By the end of the two-year study, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of study participants had lost five percent or more of their initial weight, and 18 percent had gained a similar amount. Those in the action and maintenance stages of behavior change for portion control -- that is, those who began controlling their portion sizes at the start of the study and continued to do so for the whole study period and those who had previously begun to limit their portions and maintained this behavior during the study -- lost nearly 38 percent of their initial weight, the report indicates. Participants who increased their intake or maintained their increased intake of fruits and vegetables for 24 months lost about 29 percent of their initial weight. Those who consistently restricted their consumption of dietary fat lost 35.5 percent of their initial weight. And, the report indicates, those who participated in more planned exercise for the duration of the study lost 27 percent of their weight, while those who consistently increased their normal level of everyday activity lost about 31 percent of their weight. Various studies point to the importance of exercise in weight management, but " probably this (portion control) was an easier way to lose weight, " Logue said. Considering the make-up of the study population, overweight and obese individuals, it might have been " hard for them to start an exercise program, " he noted. Still, Logue said, " all behaviors matter. " He added that in order to lose weight, individuals must either reduce the number of calories they consume or burn more calories, but these practices " must be done consistently, every day. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Excellent article, however...I wish that he hadn't discounted exercise so much. You can be thin and unhealthy due to lack of exercise. I don't think he is saying (if you read between the lines), just cut calories, don't exercise. But I think it would have been stronger if he'd said, " The key to losing weight is cutting calories, hands down. The key to optimal health (which should be our goal) is exercising daily. If you pair the two, the combination is a sure fire way to lose weight. " Since our goals should be to be healthy, not just to lose weight, we need to do both. I think the best thing to do is start with cutting the calories. I think one of the most sensible parts of WWers is that they don't say, " Cut calories drastically and start exercising...NOW! " Instead they cut the calories sensibly and give you for weeks of the program of JUST cutting, then add in exercise. Ultimately, though, the key for good health is what you put into your body, and what you do with your body (in just about every sense). We should strive for healthy diets, no smoking, being sexually responsible, no drug or alcohol abuse, very little alcohol use. We should strive to get OUT of our bodies daily exercise that challenges us in safe levels (don't stop with walking around the block, add a little more each week), positive behaviors, positive thoughts, and an attitude of gratitude. Excellent article! Most excellent! (Please don't think I was picking on it. I wasn't.) Thank you for sharing it! > > > Hi, guys: > > I just read this article on Yahoo Health and thought you might find > it interesting as well. It's TOTALLY what WW preaches, including the > increased fruits and veggies. > > > 297/229/150 > > Want to Lose Weight? Watch Those Portion Sizes > > By Charnicia E. Huggins > > NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New study findings suggest that > controlling portion sizes may be the fastest route to weight loss. > > The research shows that the " direct route to losing weight is to > constantly control your portions, " study author Dr. Everett E. Logue, > of Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, told Reuters Health. > > " I am not saying exercise is not important, " Logue said. If the goal > is to reduce calories, however, it's " easier to skip a brownie " than > to run four miles, he pointed out. > > The study evaluated 329 overweight or obese 40- to 69-year-old > patients using a model based on the idea that behavioral change > involves five stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, > action and maintenance. Study participants were categorized into > stages for five target behaviors: portion control, decreasing dietary > fat, increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, increasing planned > exercise and increasing physical activity. > > Changes in all five behaviors led to weight loss among the study > participants, but decreased portion sizes led to the greatest loss, > Logue and his colleagues report in the journal Obesity Research. For > example, portion control appeared to increase the chances of losing > weight by almost four-fold, while eating more fruits and vegetables > was associated with just under a three-fold increase in the chances > of losing weight, the report indicates. > > By the end of the two-year study, nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of > study participants had lost five percent or more of their initial > weight, and 18 percent had gained a similar amount. > > Those in the action and maintenance stages of behavior change for > portion control -- that is, those who began controlling their portion > sizes at the start of the study and continued to do so for the whole > study period and those who had previously begun to limit their > portions and maintained this behavior during the study -- lost nearly > 38 percent of their initial weight, the report indicates. > > Participants who increased their intake or maintained their increased > intake of fruits and vegetables for 24 months lost about 29 percent > of their initial weight. Those who consistently restricted their > consumption of dietary fat lost 35.5 percent of their initial weight. > And, the report indicates, those who participated in more planned > exercise for the duration of the study lost 27 percent of their > weight, while those who consistently increased their normal level of > everyday activity lost about 31 percent of their weight. > > Various studies point to the importance of exercise in weight > management, but " probably this (portion control) was an easier way to > lose weight, " Logue said. Considering the make-up of the study > population, overweight and obese individuals, it might have > been " hard for them to start an exercise program, " he noted. > > Still, Logue said, " all behaviors matter. " He added that in order to > lose weight, individuals must either reduce the number of calories > they consume or burn more calories, but these practices " must be done > consistently, every day. " > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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