That's Fithttp://www.thatsfit.comThat's Fithttp://www.thatsfit.com/media/feedlogo.gifThat's Fithttp://www.thatsfit.comen-usCopyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Obese Pet? You Could Face Jail Timehttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/12/04/obese-pet-you-could-face-jail-time/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/12/04/obese-pet-you-could-face-jail-time/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/12/04/obese-pet-you-could-face-jail-time/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Dog and WomanOverfeeding your child is fairly serious -- some even feel it's a form of abuse. Now animal rights groups are saying the same thing ... about your pets. And the government in the UK agrees -- according to the Daily Mail, new controversial rule under the animal welfare act could have serious consequences for pet owners who don't put their fat animals on a diet.

Overfeeding pets is a 'serious welfare concern' and can lead to suffering, according to the new law. Therefore, people who allow their pets to become dangerously obese can face fines of around $30,000 or even up to a full year in jail. There's no word on whether similar laws could be adopted here in North America, but maybe they should be. After all, if you can't give your pet the necessary amount of exercise, maybe you shouldn't have one.

Too harsh? What do you think?

View Poll

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]]>animalanimal welfareanimalsAnimalWelfarecatdogfinejailobesepetpetsMartha EdwardsThu, 04 Dec 2008 16:00:00 ESTFat or Thin - Which is Healthier?http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/12/03/fat-or-thin-which-is-healthier/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/12/03/fat-or-thin-which-is-healthier/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/12/03/fat-or-thin-which-is-healthier/#commentsFiled under: ,

fat man and thin man boxingObesity is a risk factor for so many conditions. Subsequently, fat has become almost synonymous with unhealthy. In addition, we live in a society that trains us to believe that thin not only equals healthy, it also equals attractive. Daily Mail has an interesting article where two men -- one who is overweight and one who is thin -- are thoroughly checked out by a doctor to see who is actually healthier.

Surprisingly, the overweight man is healthier on almost every count. His blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, lung function and liver function all fall within healthy ranges. The thin man, however, didn't fare so well. While his lung function is good, both his cholesterol and blood pressure are high. In addition, his liver function and blood sugar are approaching unhealthy ranges.

Weight is not the only difference between these two men -- they lead different lifestyles and those lifestyles have an effect on their health. The overweight man exercises regularly, eats healthfully and doesn't drink. The thinner man doesn't exercise, pays little attention to what he eats, smokes and drinks quite a bit.

Weight is an important measure of health and we should all strive to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. But, while this article is far from a scientific study, it does show that a healthy lifestyle -- including good nutrition and lots of exercise -- has a bigger impact on our health than anything else.

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]]>eateatingexercisefathabithabitshealthhealthierlifestylenutritionobeseobesityoverweightskinnythinweightMaggie VinkWed, 03 Dec 2008 16:00:00 ESTOverweight Women Face Unexpected Riskshttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/11/20/overweight-women-face-unexpected-risks/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/11/20/overweight-women-face-unexpected-risks/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/11/20/overweight-women-face-unexpected-risks/#commentsFiled under: ,

woman's eyeWomen who are overweight face many health risks, such as heart disease and type II diabetes. And Martha recently told us how overweight women tend to be more impulsive. But overweight women face some risks you might not expect:

  • Being fired. Could it be because people who are overweight have a higher rate of absenteeism? Or is it because of a prejudice? It's hard to pinpoint the reasons why, but medical research shows that overweight women run a higher risk of losing their jobs.
  • Being the victim of a crime. Overweight women run a greater risk of being victims of crimes. They're also more likely to become criminals.
  • Financial woes. Overweight women are more likely to find themselves broke.

It's a chicken and the egg situation, really. Is a woman's weight causing these negative life events or are the negative events causing stress that leads to overeating and obesity?

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]]>brokecrimecriminalfinancesfinancialfirefiredimpulsivejoblose-jobobeseobesityoverweightriskstresswomanwomenMaggie VinkThu, 20 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST5 Tips to Keep Kids in Shapehttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/11/17/5-tips-to-keep-kids-in-shape/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/11/17/5-tips-to-keep-kids-in-shape/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/11/17/5-tips-to-keep-kids-in-shape/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Last week, the Houston Wellness Association is holding their 2008 Wellness Symposium at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. This two-day health care event was designed to bring together wellness experts from across the country, to talk about how to tackle healthcare and the problem of obesity in American children. At the event, William J. Clish M.D., a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, said, "Of all the mothers I see, the majority argue with me about their kids' right to be obese ... to be 'what they are.' I argue they have the right to be their very best."

Well put.

His presentation included several tips on how to help keep your kids in shape:

Continue reading 5 Tips to Keep Kids in Shape

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]]>Houston Wellness AssociationHouston Wellness SymposiumHoustonWellnessAssociationHoustonWellnessSymposiumKaren WalrondMon, 17 Nov 2008 10:30:00 ESTStraight or gay - does it affect your weight?http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/11/12/straight-or-gay-does-it-have-an-effect-on-your-weight/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/11/12/straight-or-gay-does-it-have-an-effect-on-your-weight/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/11/12/straight-or-gay-does-it-have-an-effect-on-your-weight/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Is your weight determined by which team you bat for? I'm not talking baseball here -- I'm talking your sexual orientation and its connection to the numbers on your scale. Sounds like a pretty ridiculous notion, right? I mean, we know that some races, nationalities and genders are predisposed to certain body issues due to genetics, but sexual orientation is believed to have little -- if nothing -- to do with your genetics and body, so how could it affect your weight?

Still, that didn't stop a team of researchers from looking into it. What they found is this: "Body mass index was not significantly associated with sexual orientation, age at first intercourse, frequency of heterosexual intercourse, and the number of lifetime or current male partners. Overweight women and obese women were more likely to report ever having male sexual intercourse."

So, not surprisingly, whether you're gay or straight doesn't have a significant impact on your weight -- that is, unless you're a straight woman. Then you're more likely to be overweight or obese. Lucky us, huh? Your thoughts?

(via Crabby McSlacker)

Continue reading Straight or gay - does it affect your weight?

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]]>gayheterosexualhomosexualobesitysexual orientationSexualOrientationstraightweightMartha EdwardsWed, 12 Nov 2008 12:00:00 ESTThe Good, the Fat and the Hungry - Abdominoplasty Recovery Week 1http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/15/abdominoplasty-recovery-week-1/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/15/abdominoplasty-recovery-week-1/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/15/abdominoplasty-recovery-week-1/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

karla aol memberWelcome to the Good, the Fat and the Hungry. I'm Karla and I have been -- or am -- all those things. Here, I will share with you my lifelong struggle with my weight and I hope you'll follow along on with my determined attempt to lose nearly 40 pounds. I promise to tell you every win and setback along the way every Tuesday and Friday.

I am not happy. I mean, I am happy with life overall, but I am not happy about my tummy tuck drains. I am one week post-surgery and still, I have them -- all three of them -- with removal nowhere in sight. You see, I experienced a drain blockage last week, which slowed the process considerably (I think this is atypical for most tummy tucks). I guess some gunk got stuck on the way out and clogged the drains, located between the pubic area and the bottom of my abdomen. Besides this hassle, I've got cords that, while long enough to pin to clothing, are in my way -- all three of them.

So, I saw my doc's physicians assistant today, and she said with the amount of fluid still draining, the drains should stay in place. She was actually happy about this and said we'd take a look on Thursday when I see my surgeon. I trust her completely, so they are right where she left them -- in me. I've read many stories of fortunate folks who had their drains out in a few days or even a week -- I just am not one of those lucky folks.

Continue reading The Good, the Fat and the Hungry - Abdominoplasty Recovery Week 1

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]]>abdominoplastyexcess skinExcessSkinfat removalFatRemovalgastric bypassGastricBypassKarla CarringtonKarlaCarringtonpanniculectomyrecoveryredundant skinRedundantSkinsurgerythe-good-the-fat-and-the-hungrytummy tuckTummyTuckweight lossWeightLossKarla CarringtonMon, 15 Sep 2008 16:10:00 ESTAmish not so fat, despite obesity genehttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/10/amish-not-so-fat-despite-obesity-gene/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/10/amish-not-so-fat-despite-obesity-gene/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/10/amish-not-so-fat-despite-obesity-gene/#commentsFiled under: ,

In the fight against obesity, exercise rules. New research reveals in the lands of Pennsylvania's Amish, one obesity gene has no effect if carriers are very active.

Researchers compared a very physical group of Amish men and women against a less active Amish group holding more conventional jobs (e.g., factory work). All participants carried FTO, an obesity-related gene. The very physical group weighed about the same as others not carrying the gene, while members of the less active group were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese. The most physically active Amish burned about 900 more calories a day than the less active group.

Hand-plowing five acres isn't exactly a realistic strategy to prevent obesity, but it does illustrate the power of daily, vigorous exercise. Researchers suspect modern living has turned genes we've been carrying for years into liabilities.

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]]>Amish and obesityAmishAndObesityBev SklarBevSklarFTOFTO obesity geneFtoObesityGeneobesity preventionObesityPreventionBev SklarWed, 10 Sep 2008 09:00:00 ESTAdolescent fatty liver disease risinghttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/07/adolescent-fatty-liver-disease-rising/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/07/adolescent-fatty-liver-disease-rising/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/07/adolescent-fatty-liver-disease-rising/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Thirty-two percent of American schoolchildren are overweight or obese. If that's not alarming enough, the American Liver Foundation and others estimate two percent to five percent of kids over the age of five have nonalcholic fatty liver disease. The common cause is too much body fat, which inflames the liver and can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.

Experts are warning many of these kids may need a liver transplant in their 30s or early 40s. Last year, two liver transplants were performed on American children with the condition -- a significant change from only three transplants performed for this population between 1990-2002.

The only treatment known to stop or reverse the disease is losing weight. Dr. Stephanie Abrams, a liver and obesity specialist at Texas Children's Hospital, sees patients succeed when the entire family commits to changing their diet and exercising. However Abrams is concerned society isn't changing. She's right. Lean may be "in" with celebrities, but it's hardly mainstream -- about two-thirds of all Americans are overweight. Fighting adolescent fatty liver disease isn't a family affair, it's a societal one.

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]]>adolescent liver diseaseadolescent liver transplantadolescent nonalcholic fatty liver diseaseAdolescentLiverDiseaseAdolescentLiverTransplantAdolescentNonalcholicFattyLiverDiseaseBev SklarBevSklarchildhood obesityChildhoodObesityDr. Stephanie AbramsDr.StephanieAbramsreverse fatty liver diseaseReverseFattyLiverDiseaseBev SklarSun, 07 Sep 2008 16:25:00 ESTKeep your metabolism fired up as you agehttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/04/keep-your-metabolism-fired-up-as-you-age/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/04/keep-your-metabolism-fired-up-as-you-age/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/04/keep-your-metabolism-fired-up-as-you-age/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

A recent trip up north took me to a quaint, seaside town in Maine. There, I enjoyed some great hikes, some nice long walks, and the benefit of crisp, fresh air. But, I also enjoyed waaaaaay to many calories at the dozens of ice cream shops that lined the streets. As a kid, I could have eaten these treats with relative impunity. These days, however, these temporary lapses in my fitness judgment can only be afforded if they remain just that: temporary.

It's a natural -- though very unfortunate -- fact that our metabolism tends to slow down somewhere around the age of 25. From there, it slows down by around five to ten percent with each subsequent decade that passes. Does this mean that you're fate is sealed and that you must accept your overweight destiny? Not at all.

By exercising regularly, you can keep your metabolism decline under a great deal of control. For the most part, if you get up and start moving every day you can very well increase your metabolism, or at least keep it to around a 0.3 percent drop, per decade.

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]]>chris sparlingChrisSparlingexercisefitnessice creamIceCreammetabolismworkoutChris SparlingThu, 04 Sep 2008 09:30:00 ESTBuild a body like a Greek godhttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/03/build-a-body-like-a-greek-god/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/03/build-a-body-like-a-greek-god/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/03/build-a-body-like-a-greek-god/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

A cup of yogurt can make for a healthy snack, but not if you reach for a sugar-filled brand. And though there are plenty of great tasting, lower-sugar yogurts out there from which to choose, an even better selection is Greek yogurt.

Two of the more popular brands of Greek yogurt, Chobani and Fage, provide ten percent of your daily need of calcium, in addition to containing probiotics for healthy digestion.

Plus, Greek yogurt contains more protein than regular yogurt (13g versus the typical six to nine grams). Reach for the zero fat kind and you'll get all this healthy goodness for under 80 calories!!

It's no wonder the Greek gods always had such great physiques.

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]]>chris sparlingChrisSparlingdietexercisefitnessGreek yogurtGreekYogurtprobioticsChris SparlingWed, 03 Sep 2008 21:00:00 ESTAsk Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered -- Quickie Traininghttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/03/ask-fitz-your-fitness-questions-answered-quickie-training/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/03/ask-fitz-your-fitness-questions-answered-quickie-training/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/03/ask-fitz-your-fitness-questions-answered-quickie-training/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I'm 26 years old and have never been happy with my upper body. My arms are lanky and my chest is soft. I have a demanding job as an attorney, and simply don't have the time nor the know how to get involved in a complicated training regiment. I know I have to "earn" a good body, so I was hoping you could dumb things down for me. A simple routine I can do in a hurry. P.S. I love your fit tip videos! Thanks. Tim

A. Hello Mr. Tim! Training for a guy with "no time" huh? That' my specialty! Glad you asked. Look pal, I wish I could pull off the persona as a rocket scientist, because I'm on top of this stuff ... but I can't. Fitness is painfully simple, and you can achieve your goals without much complexity.

Continue reading Ask Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered -- Quickie Training

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]]>absask-fitzattorneybackbicepchestdeltoidexerciseexpertfastfitzfitznesslatmusclepulluppushupqaqiuckshouldersimpletrainingtricepvideoworkoutFitz K.Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:00:00 ESTDon't cha knoooow? Chocolate covered bacon is nasty!http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/02/dont-cha-knoooow-chocolate-covered-bacon-is-nasty/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/02/dont-cha-knoooow-chocolate-covered-bacon-is-nasty/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/02/dont-cha-knoooow-chocolate-covered-bacon-is-nasty/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Yuck! I just watched a little news bit about Minnesota on Fox News. They were featuring the state as it is hosting the Republican Convention in St. Paul. (That title is meant to be read with an adorable accent.)

Apparently all the folks in Minnesota aren't in "the know" about health. On display in this feature was an obnoxious amount of fried food being carried around on sticks. Mmmmm. Heart disease. Corn dogs, fried chips, fried meat and to top it off, chocolate covered bacon!

Would you ever even consider eating this? It looked pretty fowl to me, though I am fairly particular about what I put in my mouth. I can only imagine some guy sitting in a diner one day thinking, "how could I improve on this strip of pig fat? I know! Let's dip it in chocolate!"

Continue reading Don't cha knoooow? Chocolate covered bacon is nasty!

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]]>baconbadchocolateconventioncoveredfatfitzfitznessfoodfriedmeatminnesotaobeserepublicanst. paulSt.PaulstickunhealthyFitz K.Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:00:00 ESTFitz's Low Calorie Power Packed Potato Skin Recipehttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/02/fitzs-low-calorie-power-packed-potato-skin-recipe/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/02/fitzs-low-calorie-power-packed-potato-skin-recipe/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/09/02/fitzs-low-calorie-power-packed-potato-skin-recipe/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I'm so excited to share with you the recipe for my Protein Power Potato. It's something I've been eating several times a week, and it really has served me well. I insist that my food be: low cal, low fat, high fiber, often high in protein and overall nutritious. This Protein Power Potato fills me up, and gives me the energy to get through tough workouts or wild days with my kids. (It keeps me really trim too.)

I've included an option for making this a vegetarian or carnivorous option as well. Since I understand food, and know what I want out of it ... sometimes I just look in my fridge and concoct something that's going to give me what I need. That's how we got this meal. Did I mention this thing is delicious too? Mmmmm. I could eat it every day!

To give it a try, visit the Recipe section available at Fitzness.com, page 42.

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]]>beefbocaburgercaloriecheeseenergyfatfitzfitznessgroundloselowmusclepotatopowerproteinrecipeskinnythintrimturkeyvegetarianweightFitz K.Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:00:00 ESTTeens buying what they're soldhttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/29/teens-buying-what-theyre-sold/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/29/teens-buying-what-theyre-sold/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/29/teens-buying-what-theyre-sold/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Parents are always trying to get their teens to eat healthfully, serving them healthy breakfasts and dinners as often as they can. But what about the hours in between? It's during those times, which typically fall around the normal school lunch period, that many kids make their own dietary choices. And, as a recent CDC study discovered, most high schools aren't offering the type of healthy choices you are at home.

A CDC study of 36 states found that in some states, it's very easy for teens to get unhealthy junk food both in their lunch lines or throughout the day in vending machines.

Amazingly, this is actually an improvement over recent years. In a related study, the percentage of high schools selling junk food during lunch periods dropped from 53 percent in 2004 to about 37 percent in 2006. However, there was not any change in the percentage of high schools selling junk food during non lunchtime hours, such as candy in vending machines or in the school store.

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]]>chris sparlingChrisSparlingdietfitnesshigh schoolHighSchoolobesityteensweight gainWeightGainyouthChris SparlingFri, 29 Aug 2008 21:30:00 ESTFitz's Cool Tools: LesserEvil Snacks - Kettle Corn and Potato Stickshttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/29/fitzs-cool-tools-lesserevil-snacks/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/29/fitzs-cool-tools-lesserevil-snacks/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/29/fitzs-cool-tools-lesserevil-snacks/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Remember how happy we all felt when Lay's introduced Baked Potato Chips? I do. It was a feeling of relief for me. I had given up chips in lieu of a hard fit body. Fair exchange I thought! But then, there was this company telling me that they weren't going to fry all of their chips anymore, and yes ... there would be a healthier version for people like me. Yahoo!

Once again, snack lovers get to rejoice. The LesserEvil brand snack company has created an amazing variety of popcorns and krinkle potato sticks to make just about everyone drool. Most single servings contain about 110 calories of which about 20 come from fat. Not bad!

The Classic Kettle Corn is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, and thank goodness my bag was a single serving. If it weren't, I could have devoured nine! It was better than any of the junky stuff they sell at carnivals for sure! The Black and White Kettle Corn made my children's "movie night" here at home an even more special event. Good news for me ... I didn't feel the slightest bit bad about giving it to them. The Zesty Pizza Krinkle Sticks were odd to my husband and I though. Why? Because we could not figure out how they made them taste exactly like pizza! It was both weird and wonderful at the same time.

Continue reading Fitz's Cool Tools: LesserEvil Snacks - Kettle Corn and Potato Sticks

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]]>bakedblack and whiteBlackAndWhitecaloriechipschocolateevilfatfitzfitznessgluten freeGlutenFreehealthykettlecornkidskrinklekyserlesserlesserevillowlunchnaturalpizzapopcornpotatosmart choiceSmartChoicesnacksnack packSnackPacksnacktasticsour cream onionSourCreamOnionsticksvarietyzestyFitz K.Fri, 29 Aug 2008 07:00:00 ESTMSG linked to weight gainhttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/msg-linked-to-weight-gain/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/msg-linked-to-weight-gain/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/msg-linked-to-weight-gain/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

As we've mentioned many times before here on That's Fit, most Chinese take-out menu items can be a disaster to your diet. Many are high in sugar and sodium, while some also contain a great deal of unhealthy fat. But could there possibly be something else in Chinese food that causes weight gain? There is indeed, say researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and it may be something you were aware of.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer frequently used in Asian cuisine, can cause you to gain weight, new research published in the journal Obesity suggests. Rural Chinese men and women who consumed the most MSG were more than twice as likely to be overweight than their peers who didn't use the additive.

In the past, no definitive connection between MSG and weight gain in humans could be made, primarily because it was considered to difficult to measure the intake of the additive from processed foods. However, the UNC research team devised a method of analyzing certain data, which for the first time provided a clearer picture on the possible MSG/weight gain link. To read more about their findings, click here.

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]]>chinese foodChineseFoodChris SparlingChrisSparlinghealthmsgweight gainWeightGainChris SparlingThu, 28 Aug 2008 19:30:00 ESTStatins may raise prostate cancer risk in obese menhttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/statins-may-raise-prostate-cancer-risk-in-obese-men/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/statins-may-raise-prostate-cancer-risk-in-obese-men/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/statins-may-raise-prostate-cancer-risk-in-obese-men/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

If you are an obese man, using statins to help lower cholesterol may not be the safest method to employ, a new study in the American Journal of Epidemiology reports.

In a population-based, case-control study, researchers discovered that the use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, especially long-term use, appears to raise the risk of prostate cancer among obese men (defined as a body mass index of 30 greater)..

Speaking to Reuters Health, a lead investigator in the study stated that "Among obese men, current use of a statin was associated with a 50 percent increase in risk of prostate cancer; and use for 5 or more years was associated with an 80 percent increase in risk of the disease; both of these risk estimates were statistically significant."

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]]>chris sparlingChrisSparlingfitnesshealhhealthobesityprostate cancerProstateCancerChris SparlingThu, 28 Aug 2008 18:30:00 ESTOlder house, lower numbers on the scalehttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/older-house-lower-numbers-on-the-scale/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/older-house-lower-numbers-on-the-scale/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/older-house-lower-numbers-on-the-scale/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Here's a random-sounding connection: The older your house, the healthier you are. Confused? I know what you're thinking: How does one factor have anything to do with the other? Don't worry; there's a perfectly reasonable explanation.

It's not so much about the age of your house--it's about the age of your neighbourhood. You see, old neighbourhoods tend to be more walkable, whereas newer neighbourhoods tend to be built around this unfortunate habit we've developed of driving everywhere. And not so surprisingly, how walkable a neighbourhood is has a direct impact on the levels of obesity in the area.

So next time you're in the market for a house, consider buying into a older neighbourhood--or at least one where you can walk to the store.

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]]>agecityhouseneighborhoodneighbourhoodobesitywalkableweightMartha EdwardsThu, 28 Aug 2008 11:36:00 ESTFour fitness moves to start your day off righthttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/four-fitness-moves-to-start-your-day-off-right/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/four-fitness-moves-to-start-your-day-off-right/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/28/four-fitness-moves-to-start-your-day-off-right/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Women's Health magazine just sent me a release with some fun tips entailed, and I thought I'd share this one with you. Four fabulous moves useful for those of you guilty of missing morning workouts to sleep in late, and then missing the gym after work due to fatigue. As your online trainer I want to make this clear to you: skipping your workouts on a regular basis is detrimental to your health!

Of course, early morning workouts can be tough. They're also what keeps you full of the energy you need to get through each day with vigor! Check out this gallery, and next time you go to hit the snooze button ... get your fanny up and do the Cat Cow pose instead. (No moo-ing necessary!) These four easy moves will give you the energy to get to the gym and start your day off right!

Gallery: Morning Moves

Cat Cow PoseSplit SquatSquat ThrustsLeaning Side PlankWomen's Health Magazine

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]]>cat cowCatCowenergyfatiguefitfitzfitznessgymleanmagazinemorningmovesmuscleplankposesnoozesquatstressstretchthrustwomens healthWomensHealthFitz K.Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:54:00 ESTFitness for every bodyhttp://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/27/fitness-for-every-body/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/27/fitness-for-every-body/http://www.thatsfit.com/2008/08/27/fitness-for-every-body/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

In what by this point seems like a past life, I was at one time a personal trainer. And it was during those couple of years that I met some truly inspirational people, many of which had never before stepped foot in a gym. Why? Because they felt as though they were too heavy to work out. Seems almost counter-intuitive, doesn't it? Yet, when you factor in the greater difficulty and the understandable feelings of insecurity, reluctance of this kind begins to make perfect sense.

So for those you remarkable folks out there who are looking to start a workout, but wonder if there are any tips a heavier person should be aware of, here are I few I feel are worth mentioning:

Don't starve yourself. Heavier people tend to burn calories more quickly than skinny people, so you do not want to deny yourself the fuel you need to complete your workouts.

Drink plenty of water. Bigger people tend to sweat quite a bit, which means that they are losing plenty of water. Be sure to replenish that lost water and then-some.

Continue reading Fitness for every body

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]]>chris sparlingChrisSparlingexercisefitnessobesityoverweightweight lossWeightLossChris SparlingWed, 27 Aug 2008 15:30:00 EST