Why I am slim despite how much I eat

I remember very well that when I was younger, however much I eat, I still remain skinny. Similarly my son, despite how much he eats, he is still slim. Perhaps this article in BBC news will answer the whys of that situation:

Five things you might be surprised affects your weight.

These in summary are the five things:

1. Gut microbes (intestinal tract microflora). Microflora diversity (having a healthy and varied diet, rich in different sources of fibre, has been shown to create a more diverse range of gut microbes and reason for you being slim)

2. The gene lottery: Some people are born with genes which tend to make them slim while others more unfortunate have genes which explain why they tend to be fat and obese.

3. The time of your meals: The later you have your meals. The biological clock is such that the body is better able to handle calories in the early part of the day. The old saying "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a lord and dinner like a pauper" has much truth in it.

4. Tricking your brain: Behavioural scientist Hugo Harper suggests a number of ways to subconsciously change your eating behaviour, such as removing visual cues. rather than rely on calorie counting.

5. Hormones

Good news for overweight or obese folks, reduced dementia risks?

That is according to the article in BBC News, Does being overweight or obese cut risk of dementia?

Brisk walking may help reduce sugar cravings for overweight people

Research done on a group of 47 overweight adults, average age 28 years by Larissa Ledochowski et al, University of Innsbruck, Austria showed that 15 minutes of brisk walking on a threadmill can reduce their sugar cravings as compared with the control group who sat passively for 15 minutes without doing anything

28 days challenge - tummy reduction

Experts says fats around the tummy (visceral fat) are the most dangerous which can increase one's chances of getting cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammatory diseases and other obesity related diseases.

Here is mine as of 10 April 2012:



and my current weight is 60kg which I want to reduce to 55kg, my weight when I was younger.

They also says that the way to cut down on waist circumference is to reduce weight by burning more calories than we eat. So let me try to cut my waistline my own way while I wait for Dr Mike Dow Diet Rehab book to arrive (and finish reading).

Update 19 April 2012: Weight now 59kg, thus lost 1kg so far just by eating less and normal exercise by doing everyday activities

Update: 2 July 2012: Weight now 57.5kg. So lost 1.5kg since last update. Haven't been exercising much, spending most of the time sitting in front of computer and getting only "finger exercises".

Lose belly fat & get flat stomach exercise

Exercise 1:
Feet a distance away from table, body slanting towards table and hands grasping side of table.
Raise knee up towards elbow and repeat with other leg many times:



Exercise 2:
Feet a distance away from table, body slanting towards table and hands grasping side of table.
Raise left leg towards right elbow, right leg towards left elbow, repeat many times



Exercise 3:
Lie on floor like doing a push-up, lift knee towards elbow, repeat other leg, alternating many times


Video: Lose belly fat & get flat stomach exercise:


Stomach exercise to lose belly fat:

PEDF cause obesity ill health

Image via Wikipedia

Australian and US researchers seem to have pinpointed the factor of ill health associated with obesity based on study of obese mice. The factor is protein PEDF (pigment epithelium-derived factor) which is secreted by fat cells (adipocytes). Obese people have more fat cells which in turn secrete more PEDF, increasing PEDF concentration in blood and in other tissues such as the muscles and the liver. This protein signals other body tissues triggering insulin resistance in the tissues thus leading to diabetes.

Increased PEDF levels also caused increased release of fats into the bloodstream which in turn lead to cardiovascular diseases such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke and heart attacks.

When researchers inject PEDF into lean mice, it was found that they developed insulin resistance plus inflammation in muscles and liver. Increased PEDF levels also raise fat levels in blood in the long term which in turn in absorbed into muscles and liver thus raising insulin resistance risks further.

A further proof that PEDF is the factor causing ill health came from treating obese mice to neutralize PEDF. When that is done, the obese mice become more sensitive to insulin (decreased insulin resistance) thus reducing diabetes risks. The blood fats level was also reduced when the obese mice were treated to neutralise PEDF.

Weight control at Amazon

Be overweight to live longer

Here is good news for those who are overweight. You have better chances of outliving those who are underweight and obese. But first the criteria for classification of underweight, normal, overweight, obese and morbidly obese:

BMI Criteria	status
18.5 or less	underweight
18.5 to <25	normal weight
25 to <30	overweight
30 to <35	obese
35 or greater	morbidly obese

Formula for calculating Body Mass Index (BMI):

BMI (kg/m² = (weight in pounds X 703)/(height in inches)²

Now the report: According to a study by researchers at Statistics Canada, Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, Portland State University, Oregon Health and Science University and McGill University published in the online journal Obesity, overweight (extra few pounds) people lives longer. This was based on studying the relationship between the BMI (body mass index) and death among 11,326 Canadian adults, the data extracted from Canadian National Population Health Survey over a 12-year period. The study reported that underweight people has a 70% higher chances of dying than people of normal weight while those morbidly obese people has a 36% higher chances of dying. The surprising finding is that overweight people have 17% lower chances to die as compared with people of normal weight.

Weight control tip - drink soup

Scientists says if you want to lose weight, drink soup instead of eating solid food. According to them, drinking soup instead of eating solid food makes you feel full and keep the hunger pangs longer.

Here is the theory confirmed by scientific study. When you eat a meal consisting of solid food plus water eaten separately, the pyloric sphincter valve at the bottom of the stomach closes to hold the food. Water however will pass through the sphincter valve to pass on to the intestine. Thus even though you drink water, the water do not contribute to you feeling full. However, if you put the solid food and water into the blender to blend it thus making soup, when you drink the soup and the mixture goes into the stomach, the mixture remains in the stomach thus contributing to the full feeling for longer and postpone the hunger pangs. Thus you will eat less and thus will lose weight.

Bet dieting and weight control

Here is the latest fad - bet dieting. Want to lose weight? Take a bet on losing a certain amount of weight and if you lose the bet, you will have to donate a certain amount of money to a charity, preferably a charity you do not really want to donate money to.

Weight control - drink water before meal

Are you struggling to reduce weight by eating less and having problems? Here is a tip. Drink water before eating. This will curb your appetite and you will eat less. According to study by Virginia Tech researchers published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (a US trade magazine), overweight and obese people who drank a half-litre water before breakfast ended up eating 75 calories less. This is equivalent to 27,375 calorie over a year which is equivalent to 3 kilogrammes of fat. If one is to drink water before every meal, the calories intake will be drastically reduced leading to weight loss over a long period.

Green tea miracle drink

Green tea leaves are the unfermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Green tea has a very high polyphenols content. The polyphenols in green tea is classified as catechins. There are six primary catechin compounds in green tea - catechin, gallaogatechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and apigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Of the six, the most active is EGCG. Polyphenol is a powerful anti-oxidant (anti-oxidant scavenge free radicals which are damaging compounds which alter cells and damage DNA). It is believed that the anti-oxidant property of polyphenol is more potent than vitamin C.

Drinking green tea is a very healthy practice. Traditional Chinese medical practioners use green tea as a stimulant, diuretic (increase the flow of urine, which causes the body to get rid of excess water) and astringent (draw together or constrict tissues). It is also used to treat flatulence (excessive gas in the alimentary canal), regulate body temperature and blood sugar and promote digestion.

Studies showed that green tea lowers total cholesterol and raises LDP (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol which are the good cholesterol and reduces LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol which are the harmful cholesterol. Some clinical studies also showed that green tea may prevent cancer because it is believed that the polyphenols in green tea kill cancer cells and stop their growth.

Studies on animals showed that green tea prevents Type 1 diabetes. It can also slow the progression of Type 1 diabetes once it has developed.

Clinical studies also indicated that green tea increase metabolism and burn fat and thus help weight loss. It may also reduce inflammation and is thus helpful for athritis patients.

Easy weight control tip: eat slowing

Obesity is a major health problem giving rise to ill health like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases like hypertension (high blood pressure), heart attacks and strokes. Many go to great length to control weight like dieting, going to gym for exercise, etc. There is one easy thing weight control tip - eat slowly.

According to an Osaka University research which studied the relationship of eating speed, feelings of "fullness and being overweight, they found fast eaters to be 84% more likely to be overweight than those who eat slowly. This tendency is even more remarkable for women where women who eat fast are two times more likely to be overweight. For those who wolf down their meals are 3 times more likely to be overweight. So if you want to slim down, eat slowly and take your time to chew your food thoroughly.

Source: BBC News (Health)

Health benefits of drinking plenty of water - controversy

There are many natural remedies advocates which says that it is healthy to drink plenty of water as it help cleanse the body and get rid of toxins and other waste products from the human body. Some also claims that it help control weight and improve the tone of the human skin, both of which are likely to be effects greatly wanted by appearance conscious women. Many health enthusiast recommend drinking 8 glasses of water a day.

Scientific review of benefits of drinking a lot of water

Kidney specialists, Dr. Stanley Goldfarb together with Dr. Dan Negoinu, has debunk the theory that drinking lots of water is beneficial health wise. According to Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, it is a myth that drinking water has health benefits. In a review published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, they have debunked 4 myths:

1. Drinking lots of water suppresses appetite and thus help control weight. Conclusion: no conclusive evidence


2. Drinking lots of water helps flush toxin from body. Conclusion: That is not how the kidney works. Drinking lots of water only result in larger volume of urine but does not increase excretion of the various components of urine


3. Drinking lots of water reduces headaches. Conclusion: not true


4. Drinking lots of water improves tone of skin. Conclusion: No data to support this view.

The two kidney specialist are of the view that there are circumstances where drinking lots of water can be harmful. The practice of carrying plastic containers of water to drink may be harmful as harmful substance may leach from the plastic bottles into the drinking water.

Plastic baby bottles leach toxic bisphenol A into milk, infant formula and other liquids

Why use glass baby bottles (feeding bottles)

According to GreenLivingOnline, the Environmental Defense in a study on plastic baby bottles (feeding bottles) sold in Canada, found that 90% of them leach Bisphenol A into liquids such as milk, infant formula, etc. I would suppose that also include natural expressed mother's milk and I think that working mothers who expressed their milk, refrigerate them and caretakers heat up the milk to be put into baby bottles should be warned about this. They should use glass baby bottles (feeding bottles) instead of plastic baby bottles of those under their charge. The study mentioned showed that heating the feeding bottles resulted in exponential increase in leaching of Bisphenol A.

Glass baby bottles from Amazon

A graph of something increasing in an exponential way is shown below. Note that this is a logarithmic graph, and the increase shown is not in equal steps, but in multiple of 10. If plotted on normal graph paper, the rate in increase will look even more frightening:

Image of graph is property of Indi Samarajiva

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an organic compound with the formula (CH3)₂C(C₆H₄OH)₂. According to Wikipedia on Bisphenol A, there is a current controversy over BPA's effect on health. While it stated that Bisphenol A has a low acute toxicity and negligible skin permeability and widely used in cosmetics and foods as antioxidants. Wikipedia also mentioned about the growing concern that exposure to Bisphenol A may induce adverse effects in humans, citing some hormone disrupting effects in studies on animals and human cancer cells.

According to Wikipedia on Bisphenol A, recent studies have confirmed that bisphenol A exposure during development has carcinogenic effects and produce precursors of breast cancer, have developmental toxicity, carcinogenic effects, and possible neurotoxicity (toxicity on brain cells). Exposure to Bisphenol A may also be linked to triggering fat-cell activity, thus leading to obesity. Other research also endocrine disruptors like BPA may be implicated in schizophrenia pathogenesis (progression of a disease).

GreenLivingOnline went even further and mentioned association of exposure to Bisphenol A to early puberty in girls, Attention Deficit Disorder (AHDH) and hyperactivity disorder.

In the Canadian study which studied 3 branded plastic feeding bottles, leaching of bisphenol A produced concentration of Bisphenol A within a range of 5 to 8 ng/ml (parts per billion). Recent scientific research shows that bisphenol A can be harmful at doses below the levels found in the study.

Dr. Smith, the Environmental Defense Executive Director recommended that the Canadian federal government must act immediately by banning Bisphenol A from baby bottles and other food and beverage containers.

Herbalife Nutrition Network

Herbalife was founded by Mark Huges in 1980 who started selling his original Herbalife weight loss product from the trunk of his car. He was hugely successful for by 1982, Herbalife sales had reached $2 million and had also opened a distributorship in Canada. By 1986, Herbalife became a publicly listed company via NASDAQ. Herbalife placed an initial public offering of 14,500,000 shares at $14 per share on the New York Stock in December 16, 2004. Its net sales was then reported to be $1.3 billion. The company continued to grow and in April 2005, it celebrated its 25th anniversary attended by 33,000 Herbalife Independent Distributors from all over the world. Herbalife is obviously a successful company although it has its detractors.

Now if you want to join in the success of Herbalife and offer its weight loss program and products, fitness products and skin care products, and you happen to be a resident of the United States of America, United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand, you can apply to become a Hebalife Independent Distributor via Herbal Nutrition Network and get a free website set up for you. Not only that, the website will enable to accept online payment via credit cards and Paypal. And if you chose to upgrade your free account to a premium account, you can have a choice of templates for your website, you will get a shorter URL plus your website will be listed in the Locate Map where potential customer can just enter the ZIP code and locate the nearest distributor to where they stay. This will increase your chances of your website being found by potential customers.

If you are already a Herbalife Independent Distributor, you can still join Herbal Nutrition Network and get your free or Premium website.

If you have no interest in becoming a Herbalife Independent Distributor, but just want to try out its products, you can request for a free sample at Free Herbalife Sample

Almond is good for your heart, reduce diabetes risks and help maintain a good weight

Almond is rich in healthy, monounsaturated fats (the same kind as found in olive oil), a good source of protein and fiber, potassium, calcium, phosphorous and iron and an an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium.

Studies have shown that almonds help lower LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or bad cholesterol, and contribute to the prevention of diabetes and heart disease. Researchers are discovering that almonds may also help maintain your desired weight.

All about almonds

Fat man and thin man. Who goes first?

"Do not overeat. Thin, lean, hard-muscled men attend the funerals of the fat ones."

US Navy

Health and body weight

It is wise to control one's body weight as being overweight or obese may bring health problems. People who are overweight are more prone to Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure), certain type of cancer such as bowel cancer, etc.

Being overweight or obese can also cause psychological problems such as low self esteem. Teasing about their appearance may affects an overweight person’s confidence and self-esteem and can lead to isolation and depression.

Obesity and being overweight are not exactly the same thing. An obese person has a large amount of extra body fat, not just a few extra pounds. People who are obese are very overweight and at risk for serious health problems.

A measurement called body mass index (BMI) is used as a guide. BMI is the ratio between your weight and the square of your height, using metric measurements. That is,

BMI = weight in kg/(height in metre X height in metre)

You can use the embedded table below to calculate your BMI. Just enter the weight (kg) and height (m) in the appropriate cell and the BMI will be displayed in the third cell:



If you are more used to Imperial units, use the table below:



Use this table below to estimate how you are faring:

Less than 15	Starvation
Less than 17.5	Anorexic
Less than 18.5	Underweight
18.5 to 25	Ideal
25 to 30	Overweight
30 to 40	Obese
over 40	Morbidly Obese

Source: Wikipedia: Body Mass Index

If you fall into the less desirable range, here are Ten Easy Ways to Lose Weight

Loosing weight is not easy without a guide as to how to go about it, and Ten Easy Ways to Lose Weight gives you some handy tips on how to lose weight naturally.

A seemingly logical way of loosing weight would be to subtract (that is, eat less), but Ten Easy Ways to Lose Weight gave a tip to add (eat more) instead. Surf over to that site to find out how this seemingly contradictory tip can help you lose weight.