Photo: Courtesy of Rodale

That's Fit: In your book you say "people get fat because they eat more than people who are lean." What about genetics, exercise and metabolism? And what about the quality of food versus the quantity of food?

David A. Kessler: Genetics, metabolism and exercise do influence a person's weight to a certain extent. For the majority of people, however, the amount of food they eat is the chief culprit in weight gain. Because food has become so energy dense, the traditional "calories in, calories out" balance is tipped on the side of intake. You can't separate quality and quantity -- foods that are highly processed and loaded and layered with sugar, fat and salt are much more likely to be eaten to excess.

Hungry Girl, aka Lisa Lillien, laughs in the face of that common piece of nutrition advice: Shop the perimeter of your grocery store. "People are hypocrites," she recently told the Washington Post. "They say 'shop the perimeter of the store, never eat anything that's not organic,' but it's B.S., because people can't live like that forever." Instead, Lillien shows them how to enjoy their favorite -- mostly processed -- foods without the extra calories (or guilt).

It's a formula that seems to work for a lot of people. With her Hungry Girl website, Lillien has done for processed diet foods what Oprah did for books. Her email list is 700,000 strong, and when she recommends something sales go through the roof. "I know exactly what people will like," Lillien says. "I just know. I'm that way. When I taste something, I can say, 'You know what? I like it okay, but only 20 percent of the people will like it,' or 'If I really like it, then 99 percent of people will like it, too.'"

But should fit and healthy girls really follow Hungry Girl's lead? Take a look at her latest book, "200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories." On the cover are cupcakes and rolls, french fries and donuts. They might be under 200 calories, but are they really the slim secret to success? After all, that advice to shop the perimeter of the store (organics aside, because I don't think everyone has access to or can afford organics) isn't just for weight loss ... it's for nutrition.

Source

Dr. Thomas R. Frieden isn't afraid to step up to the front lines of the nutrition wars. In the past, he has helped to affect change with reducing trans fats and posting nutrition information in restaurants. Now, Dr. Frieden is fighting the war against salt.

Around 80 percent of sodium in the average American's diet comes from processed foods. Dr. Frieden met with some of the big-wigs in the world of food processing to suggest a plan of action. He wants the sodium in processed foods cut by 25 percent in five years, and another 25 percent in a decade.

To me, on the health and wellness side of things, that seems like a generous time frame. But can't you just imagine the reactions the food processing execs had? After all, salt is an important ingredient for the food processors. Not only does it add flavor, it reduces dryness in some products, covers up metallic/chemical tastes in drinks, and even helps make cookies and cakes sweeter.

Dr. Frieden estimates that a 50 percent reduction in the sodium content of processed foods could potentially save 150,000 lives in America each year. That's a pretty big incentive, don't you think?

Source

Marisa Miller, a Victoria's Secret Angel and cover girl for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, has a ridiculous body. I mean, she might actually strike the perfect balance of looking fit but curvy, making her body the type that women dream of having and men dream of seeing in person. And, she has a really simple diet tip.

"My main thing is not eating a lot of processed food," says Miller.

Huh, that sounds familiar -- she's not the only celebrity singing the praises of a diet full of fresh foods. For other simple diet tips, be sure to check out America Takes It Off by clicking on the banner below. And, check out the gallery to see which types of food you should be avoiding if you want a body like Marisa's!

As Jacki pointed out yesterday, it's pretty unusual to find a coupon for bananas or lettuce or Granny Smith apples.

Eating well doesn't have to burn up all of your fun money, but it does take careful planning. On the other hand, eating cheap is a no-brainer ... just walk down any of the inside aisles of the grocery store and you'll find mac and cheese, frozen pizza, and all manner of prepared foods at bargain basement prices.

Experts worry that as incomes fall and stress levels rise, people may turn to these less expensive and less nutritious foods to save money. But that shift comes with a price ... a rise in obesity.

Source

Can you laugh your way thin? You'll need to change your diet and exercise habits too, but Laura shares why laughter isn't just the best medicine, it's also good for weight loss.

Sure, we usually call them New Year resolutions, but Jacki has a very good argument for not tying your diet and fitness goals to the calendar.

Even when you're avoiding the inside aisles at the grocery store, sometimes processed foods are a necessity. Here are the 20 worst packaged foods, so you can make a mental note that reads: AVOID.

Alanis Morrisette went vegan to lose 20 pounds and claims that giving up animal products changed her life. Could you make such an extreme lifestyle choice?

Tragic Exercise Face -- Do you suffer from it? And what the heck is it? Kristen has the scoop.

Don't want to spend all day at the grocery store reading food labels? Bev has some quick tips for picking out the most nutritious foods.

Oh, Oprah, Oprah, Oprah. There's nothing more frustrating than having to face weight loss again. Do you think she can slim down one more time and keep it off this time?

So you're sniffling and sneezing ... should you work out? Bev tells you when to hit the gym, and when to stay home under the covers.

Are you having trouble teaching your parents healthy habits? Fitz has advice for adult children whose parents struggling with their weight.

You're eating right and exercising, but still can't seem to squeeze into those skinny jeans? Try cutting back on salt to see if you can shed some water weight.

Speaking of skinny jeans, That's Fit readers lost a whopping 102 pounds this week in our America Takes it Off: Shrink a Size challenge! You rock!! Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for next week's challenge.

Have a great week, everyone!

Welcome to Walking the Walk, a feature that takes a deeper look at commonly shared diet and fitness advice. Every other week, I'll choose one piece of advice and practice it for seven days. Then I'll report back on what I discovered about making it work in real life and how it affected my own personal fitness -- and how it ultimately can affect your own efforts.

January is the perfect time to try something new, isn't it? That's why I was clicking around over at AOL Health's America Takes it Off, looking for something inspiring to try this week on Walking the Walk. I've created a pretty good routine for myself -- limit my calories, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and be as active as possible -- but still, there's always room for improvement, right?

When I saw this tip from Jillian Michaels, I was intrigued. To get cut, she says, cut the salt ... and that doesn't mean just removing the salt shaker from your dining room table. Instead, she says, to beat the bloat, get your sodium intake down under 500 mg a day.

But salt makes things so tasty, you're thinking (or am I the only one?). Is it really that important to keep an eye on it? According to Jillian, yes. And her take on sodium has the support of top health organizations such as the American Heart Association. Our bodies need about 200 mg of sodium a day, but in reality, most of us eat much, much more than that.

Jillian's 500 mg a day is considerably lower than the 1,500 to 2,400 mg a day that most health organizations recommend. Because my blood pressure tends to fall into the "wow that's low, are you sure you aren't feeling dizzy" category, I've decided to split the difference and stick to 1,000 mg a day this week.

Source