Weight Loss News

Obese, postmenopausal age women who decide to trim down don't need to worry that they will put themselves in danger of disability by doing so, even if they don't exercise as recommended, a new study shows.

After losing a substantial amount of weight through diet, but without exercising, 23 obese women in their 50s showed no reduction in muscle strength or fitness, even though they had lost muscle mass, Dr. Jamehl Demons of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

"There was a trend actually toward increasing physical fitness," Demons told Reuters Health. "Our supposition is really that that was due to the weight loss itself."

People lose muscle mass as they age, and some experts have been concerned that weight loss late in life may accelerate muscle loss and increase the risk of disability.

To investigate, Demons and her team had 23 obese women eat 400 calories less per day for five months. They lost an average of 11.6 kilograms (about 26 pounds), 35 percent of which was lean mass or muscle. After the weight loss, the women showed no change in their walking speed or muscle strength. Their aerobic fitness and speed in rising from a chair had improved, although the change wasn't statistically significant.

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One of the hottest weight loss trends is detoxing, which is designed to help rid the body of harmful toxins. HealthFirst reporter Leslie LoBue says the promise is that away with the toxins are supposed to go your unwanted pounds.

Most detoxes or cleanses involve switching to an all liquid diet for a set period of time, and this one is no different. Lisa Lenning's kids keep her so busy, she had to work them into her weight loss routine. "My son, who is nine, goes to school and says, 'my mommy lost this amount of weight this week.'"

Lisa lost 58 pounds in three months. Dr. Channing Bolick put Lisa on his cleanse diet. it rids the body of toxins found in our environment, our food, even our makeup. Bolick says a woman will digest four pounds of lipstick over her lifetime - most of it toxic.

"The body will naturally surround a toxin with fat. so if you get the toxin out of the fat, the body will naturally burn the fat." The first two days include aloe Vera-based mineral drinks, snack tablets to keep your blood sugar level, and water  - lots of water!

"You take half your body weight, divide it in half and put ounces at the end," Bolick said. That means a 200 pound person would need to drink 100 ounces of water a day. You gradually add a protein shake and light lunches. Then it's back to water. But nutritionist Meredith Luce, and other experts,  question the theory.  "Instead of doing the aloe Vera, and all the other various things that go along with it, that getting realistic and recognizing that you've got to eat less."

Luce says it doesn't take nine,  but 21 days to break bad eating habits. Lisa is working hard to make sure her weight loss is permanent. You can actually do your own form of deter or cleansing without buying any extras. Cut out alcohol, sugar, nicotine and processed foods,  and make sure you drink tons of water.

You should also exercise to help circulation and help your body sweat out toxins. If you do choose a more radical cleanse don't go much longer than a couple of days.  Otherwise, you are potentially robbing your body of important nutrients.

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Rehabbed singer Britney Spears has embarked on her mission to lose weight, for she has begun her rigorous dance and exercise sessions. The ‘Toxic’ singer, who made a brief comeback show in a San Diego club, has already lost 15 pounds, burning 1,500 calories a day thanks to her dance regimen. At her dance practice sessions in Millennium Dance Complex, the 25-year-old gets to choose her list of dancers, reports the Star.

Apart from the dance classes, Spears does 500-1000 crunches at one go to work on her six-pack. Mother of two is also under strict diet and is also undergoing LipoDissolve treatment, which is a less invasive type of liposuction. Spears’ efforts have already begun to show, as one of her fans, who attended her comeback gig, said that Spears looked really great, and that she has made a comeback to prove she can still give her best.

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Diet drug rimonabant (Acomplia / Zimulti) has been approved by ANVISA, the Brazilian health authority, for sale in Latin America's largest country, drug-maker Sanofi-Aventis announced on April 26th.

Acomplia was approved by Brazil for use "as an adjunct to diet and exercise for the treatment of obese patients (BMI more than 30) or overweight patients (BMI more than 27) with associated risk factors, such as type 2 diabetes or dyslipidemia."

Brazil thus joins two other large countries, Argentina and Mexico, where the diet drug already is on the market.

Meanwhile, Acomplia Report has learned that the Netherlands has become the latest European country to reject insurance reimbursement for patients purchasing Acomplia.

The German state insurance system earlier classified Acomplia a life-style drug and rejected reimbursing patients, and the French government has agreed to provide partial coverage only for obese (not simply overweight) patients who also have inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes.

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