Dieting is a principal health topic in the U.S. and rightfully so. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, almost two thirds of American adults (age 20 years and older) qualify as overweight. That's slightly over 127 million people, sixty million of whom qualify as obese, or seriously overweight. It's a major problem for our population - and therefore, naturally, a major topic on the Internet.
There are dozens of sites that are more or less informative on the issues of weight loss and dieting and dozens more that pitch one diet program or another, or provide commercial content on several diets. There's lots of money being devoted to web advertising to steer you to one diet or another, many of which have become names familiar in most households.
Of the informative sources, perhaps the most thorough on the issue of weight is the American Obesity Association (www.aoa.org) which treats the affliction as a disease and has extensive educational material available. Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) does an excellent job discussing the basics of dieting. Their material addresses types of diets (as opposed to brands); the relationship of exercise and dieting; how calories are counted and how they work; and some of the dangers inherent in misguided attempts at dieting.
Diets are also the core of a major American industry. Millions are spent annually on specialty diet programs - on books, prepared food programs, and hands-on therapy that involve both diet and exercise. If you're looking for an analysis of the online resources for dieting, there's a fairly extensive body of material at www.freedieting.com. The title itself illustrates the mercenary nature of most diet web sites; however it's a place to start if you want to learn about the more popular online diet programs.
Freedieting.com provides recommendations on programs, rankings based on popularity, and lots of content on the ancillary items such as workout plans and calorie counters. It is unclear, however, what criteria their recommendations are based on: it could be advertising, or it could be truly objective analysis. Given the title of the site, it may be a combination of the two.
An openly commercial site that provides comparisons of fourteen online diet programs can be found at http://www.diet-plan-offers.com. While it's clear that the programs found there paid for positioning, it provides you with an opportunity for some quick comparisons of diet program models.
In November the Department of Health and Human Services in conjunction with the FDA, announced two online tools to assist consumers in dieting. The tools are Make Your Calories Count, a Web-based learning program, and a new Nutrition Facts Label brochure. These tools combine an online diet program with a detailed explanation of how to use the nutritional facts posted on every food item sold publicly. It is the government's attempt at countering the rising tide of obesity in this country and it is possibly the only truly cost-free program you'll find online. You can find the details at http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01508.html.
For an overall look at the health issues and diet programs, there is a good list of specific sites found at http://www.medsurfer.com/library/diet.htm. This page contains a list of web sites that are mostly products of government agencies or non-profit organizations. The sites address particular issues such as types of fats; nutrition guides and includes archival resources on dietary management.
There is a vast amount of information online about nutrition and dieting. There are also vast numbers of online diet programs, of various designs, that are paid services. If you are interested in an online diet and exercise program, choosing among them is the second biggest challenge you will face. The number one challenge, of course, will be mustering up the discipline to follow it.
Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for ApolloHosting.com. She brings years of experience as a small business consultant to helping prospective clients understand the ways in which a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting, ecommerce hosting, vps hosting, and web design services to a wide range of customers. Established in 1999, Apollo prides itself on the highest levels of customer support. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Madison_Lockwood |
New Data On Fructose-Sweetened Beverages And Hepatic Metabolism
According to figures published by the World Health Organitzation (WHO), in the year 2015 some 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will suffer from obesity, a pathology which is increasingly being seen in children. In addition, for some time now the high incidence of obesity in developed countries has coincided with an increase in the consumption of beverages sweetened with fructose, a powerful sweetener. [click link for full article]
Americans Still Not Eating Enough Fruits And Vegetables, According To Two Recent Studies
"Eat your vegetables" has been heard at the dinner tables of America for a long time. Has the message gotten through? Since 1990 the Dietary Guidelines for Americans has recommended consuming at least two servings of fruits and three servings of vegetables daily. However, two studies published in the April issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine clearly show that Americans are not meeting the mark. [click link for full article]
Spain Removes Skinny Mannequins From Stores
Last year during Fashion Week, Spain banned models with a BMI under 18 from participating. This year, the Health Ministry in Spain is charging ahead with a new program that will prevent mannequins under a size 6 (a Spanish 38) from being displayed in store windows. Womens' sizes are also being standardized. 85,000 women across Spain, ages 12 to...
Research In Childhood Obesity In Children Highlights Physical Activity Levels
A British study, involving 5,500 children and published in the latest issue of PLoS Medicine, used accurate methods to measure the 'fat mass' of the children and the amount of physical activity they were taking. The researchers, based at the University of Bristol, concluded that low levels of activity, particularly moderate and vigorous activity, play an important role in the development of obesity. [click link for full article]
Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie: Fat Camp Counselors?
We truly live in the age of the airhead. The next season of 'reality' show The Simple Life will have Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie as camp counselors. "The girls[...] will be guiding the children through a week of weight loss and fitness exercises." (src)...
Philips 598: The Phone For Weight-Conscious Women
Philips are releasing a cell phone targeted towards women. What's intriguing about the phone is the feature set. The features include both a Body Mass Index calculator and a Basal Metabolic Rate feature. Apparently women need to be able to calculate their BMI anywhere anytime....