Sarah Chalke, best known for her work on Scrubs, has always been slender on-screen, but she doesn't look that way by accident, especially now.

After turning 30, Chalke says, "I had to really keep up with working out. You can't get lax about it anymore." At 32, she's looking as great as ever, so it seems she's figured out what she's got to do.

Apparently, what she has to do is mix up her workout. "If I do one thing I would get way too bored," admits Chalke. And so, she shakes it up, hiking with Lola, her chocolate lab, doing yoga, and sweating it up with boot-camp workouts.

How about you? Did you notice a change in your metabolism at a certain age?

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BMI classifications are accepted universally: 18 to 24 is considered normal, 25 to 29 overweight and 30+ obese. Correction -- BMI classifications were universal but now, one country is changing the standard.

India is re-defining what it means to be overweight or obese. Whereas the old standard classified people with a BMI of 24 as normal, anyone who ranks over 23 will be considered overweight. And those who have a BMI of 25 or over will be considered obese.

This means, of course, that hundreds of thousands of people who thought they were healthy will have to think again under the new guidelines. Kind of seems unfair, huh? The government doesn't think so. "This revision has been long overdue," said Anoop Misra of Fortis Hospital, New Delhi. "The new values will have tremendous public health implications."

What do you think? Is setting a new standard a good idea? Should the rest of us follow suit?

(via Calorie Lab)

Just had my tummy tuck one week ago. All is going well -- better than I'd anticipated, actually -- and just yesterday I went with my mom while she picked my boys up from school. I even accompanied them to the park for an afternoon play date. It was great to get out of the house and away from the recliner that doubles as my daytime resting place and my bed. It's where I sit, sleep, write, watch TV, read bedtime stories -- and worry about how all I've gained through strenuous exercise over the past year is about to be lost.

According to my doctor, I can't really exercise for six full weeks. I can walk, and I can gradually add other movements to my routine, but I can't full-out run -- my favorite fitness activity -- for quite some time. This worries me. Will I gain weight? Will I lose my muscle tone? Will I be completely out of shape by the time I lace up my running shoes? It's possible.

What ever will I do?

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According to Men'sHealth, there are 30 great gyms in this country. I'm sure there are more. These are just this magazine's top picks. Six of them happen to be in my state -- Florida. There are also six in California, three in Arizona, one in Nevada, a few scattered through Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and well, take a peek here to locate the rest of them. Just scroll over the yellow dots in your state of choice and the name of a top-notch gym will appear.

While visiting this site, stop by here and try out the Men'sHealth gymfinder, a comprehensive database of fitness clubs, gyms, health centers, and sports groups.

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Are you surprised at all when I tell you American obesity rates are soaring? Probably not. I wasn't when my husband told me about this weighty article he'd read. It revealed that not one state showed a decline in obesity during the year 2006. Mississippi was the first state to crack the 30 percent barrier for obese adults. West Virginia and Alabama were just slightly behind. Colorado was the leanest state with a 17.6 percent rate. This year's report, looking at overweight children for the first time, has the District of Columbia topping the charts with heavy kids and Utah boasting the lowest rates for little ones.

Obesity is becoming an epidemic. And we need to treat it as an emergency. First step: determine where you stand. My hubby located this body mass index (BMI) calculator. I share it with you today so you can chart your own measurement. Just enter your height and weight and then calculate your BMI with one click of your mouse. If you come up with the number 30 or higher, you fit the definition of obese. If you find yourself in this predicament, you're in the right place. That's Fit offers an abundance of health and fitness tricks that can help you whittle away at your digits. If you are below the 30 mark, pat yourself on the back. And keep on truckin' in the direction of health, fitness, and wellness.

There's just one way to fix our nation's obesity problem -- plain old hard work. Each and every one of us must eat right, exercise right, and minimize our health risks. Only then can we watch our obesity statistics, like our BMIs, melt away to more perfect numbers.

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Losing weight with no exercise and binging on junk food one day a week seems like a plan that's too good to be true. It's a fact that regular exercise has a number of benefits, but Tim Ferriss who is an adviser to more than 30 Olympic and professional world record holders has written a post about a diet which lost him 25 lbs. in 30 days. Of course no one is saying to throw away your jogging shoes, but if you already work out on a regular basis, try supplementing your regimen with this diet.

His first bit of advice says NO to "white" carbs. We've heard this one before, and many health-conscious people have already kicked this particular food. For everyone else, he classifies white carbohydrates as bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you need bread, it's not hard to get hooked on the healthier wheat alternative.

Another rule he has is to avoid drinking your calories. This is sound advice, especially for someone like myself who can be a sucker for outrageous coffees. Water, unsweetened tea, and diet sodas are perfect for getting you through the day without sneaking in unneeded calories. Tim has more to offer from his diet plan, and it seems to work well for him. Remember to find out how your body vibes with these changes, or discover your own perfect diet!

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