Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Binge Eating

I know there are lots of people out there (myself included) who overeat on some occasions.  I think everyone if guilty of this once in a while (think Thanksgiving).  For many people though, overeating is a regular occurrence due to many factors, one of which is depression.  Binge eating on a regular basis is actually a disorder that can have long-term negative effects on your health.  People who binge eat feel a compulsion to do this and can't resist the urges.  Binge eating is actually the most common eating disorder there is.  To give you an example of binge eating compared to regular eating take a look at this:

A normal diet consists of 1,500-3,000 calories per day
A binge diet can consist of 10,000-20,000 calories per day

Unless you exercise as much as Michael Phelps you should be nowhere near 10,000 calories per day.  Eating this many calories per day can lead to gaining weight extremely quickly which can do a lot of damage to your organs, especially your heart.  Typically binges do not last all day.  In reality, they typically last about 2 hours.  But just take a look at how many calories you can consume on a typical day when binge eating is involved.  Here are some behavioral and emotional signs and symptoms of binge eating:

■Eating large amounts of food


■Eating even when you're full

■Eating rapidly during binge episodes

■Feeling that your eating behavior is out of control

■Depression

■Anxiety

■Frequent dieting without weight loss

■Frequently eating alone

■Hoarding food

■Hiding empty food containers

■Feeling depressed, disgusted or upset about your eating
 
No one knows what exactly causes a binge eating disorder but some factors include:
 
■Biological. Biological vulnerability may play a role in developing binge-eating disorder. Both genes and brain chemicals may be involved. In addition, researchers are studying appetite regulation of the central nervous system for clues, along with gastrointestinal changes that might shed light on causes.


■Psychological. Psychological and emotional characteristics may also contribute to the condition. You may have low self-worth and trouble controlling impulsive behaviors, managing moods or expressing anger.

■Sociocultural. Modern Western culture often cultivates and reinforces a desire for thinness. Although most people who have binge-eating disorder are overweight, they're acutely aware of their body shape and appearance and berate themselves after eating binges. Some people with binge-eating disorder have a history of being sexually abused.
 
If you suffer from binge eating and find you can't control it I strongly urge you seek medical advice.  This can lead to serious health conditions if it isn't treated which includes high blood pressure, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, heart disease, stroke, and many other conditions.

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Saturday, October 24, 2009

Healthy Eating Programs at Schools

I recently read an article about how the American Dietetic Association and the Institute of Medicine are continuously working to launch healthier eating campaigns in schools across the country.  This has been a topic for years.  When I look around I see so many overweight and obese children and their parents do nothing to make their kids eat healthier or encourage them to be more active.  While I think it's great that the ADA and IOD are continuously working to make meals at schools healthier I'm wondering if it will really do any good.  I think educating kids on eating healthy is great but parents have to play a more active role in this cause as well.  Lunch is only one meal a day.  Most kids eat breakfast and dinner at home and eat all their meals at home on weekends.  Parents are responsible for doing grocery shopping and if parents continue to buy foods high in sugar and saturated fat I'm wondering if implementing healthy meal programs at schools is really going to be of much benefit without parents doing anything on their end.  What do you think?

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Thursday, October 22, 2009

Understand Your Risk of Developing High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a very common condition.  In all reality, most people who have it aren't even aware of it.  The most important thing you can do to control your blood pressure is to make sure your lifestyle is a heart-healthy lifestyle.  This includes eating healthy and getting the right amount of exercise.  A diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is very important in maintaining a healthy heart.  Many sources say that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day is good enough to maintain good cardio health.  I recommend talking to your physician before starting any kind of regimen though.

Different people have varying degrees of risk for high blood pressure.  Several factors go into determining your risk of high blood pressure which include:

1) Family History-If your parents or close relatives have high blood pressure you're more likely to develop it at some point and you may also pass this risk factor onto your children.  Lifestyle choices have a huge impact on your blood pressure so don't think just because it runs in your family there is nothing you can do about it.
2) Age-As we get older our blood vessels lose flexibility which can contribute to high blood pressure.
3) Gender-Up until the age of 45, a higher percentage of men have high blood pressure compared to women.  From 45-64, the percentages are the same and after age 64, women make up the highest percentage.
4) Lack of physical activity-Exercising on a regular basis is good for your heart.  Being inactive makes it easier to gain weight and become obese which are major factors for developing high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke down the road.
5) Poor diet-Not eating healthy can lead to someone becoming overweight and even obese.  A Body Mass Index, also referred to as BMI, of 25-30 is considered overweight.  A BMI over 30 is considered obese.  Excess weight can raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglyceride levels while also decreasing your good cholesterol (HDL).  You are also more likely to develop diabetes if you're overweight which is why it is so important to eat healthy.
6) Alcohol-Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, and irregular heartbeat.  It is recommended that men drink no more than 1-2 drinks per day and women no more than 1 drink per day.
7) Stress-We all have stress in our lives sometimes but it is important to control this stress.  While there is no scientific evidence that stress causes high blood pressure in the long run, controlling it is still very important.  People sometimes overeat, drink excessively, or smoke under stress which can lead to several unhealthy conditions.
8) Smoking-Smoking temporarily raises your blood pressure and can damage your arteries after several years of use.  We all know that smoking can have many negative effects and high blood pressure is just one of several conditions you can get from smoking and even second hand smoke.

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