Weight Loss News: Eyesight, Yogurt and Kids

SEE IT THROUGH

Anatomically speaking, our eyes are not bigger than our stomachs, but they regularly undo our diets. A recent University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign study showed that people who spooned soup from bowls equipped with unseen refilling devices ate 73 percent more than their counterparts, whose bowls emptied normally as they ate. This exercise in overindulgence does, however, illustrate a way to use your eyesight to help prevent weight gain. "Do something that will remind you of how much you've eaten," says study author Brian Wansink, Ph.D., "like keeping candy wrappers on the desk instead of throwing them away, or breaking off the tabs on cans of cola and keeping them visible."

 

MOO FOR YOUR MIDSECTION

The Dow might be bearish, but we predict a bull market for dairy producers. Recent research at the University of Tennessee found that eating yogurt can help you lose weight and zap the flab from your gut. In the 12-week study, people who consumed three 6-ounce servings of fat-free yogurt daily lost 81 percent more fat from their midsections than those who ate a variety of dairy products containing less total calcium. The mineral appears to help curb production of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to the accumulation of abdominal fat, says lead researcher Michael Zemel, Ph.D. Our favorite fat-free yogurt: Stonyfield Farm.

 

THE SON ALSO RISES

Kids grow up too fast--but with boys, that growth is often on the horizontal plane. Boys are nearly twice as likely as girls to become overweight and six times more likely to develop high blood pressure as they age, according to a 12-year Harvard medical school study of 314 children. "It's possible [boys are] more likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as watching television and drinking sugary beverages," explains Allison Field, Sc.D., the study author. So what can a dad do? First, keep your tone light. "Promote activity as a fun thing to do or as a general health issue, like brushing your teeth, rather than as a weight-control behavior," Field says. Then rein him in on the concentrated calories, whether the sources are obvious (soda and cookies) or healthy (fruit juice and peanut butter).

1. Prev:Belly Off: All Star Weight Loss Success Stories  
2. Next:Weight Loss: Abs Diet Workout Worksheet