Can Your Job Help You Lose Weight?

Study Shows Wellness Programs Are Useful Tools for Weight Loss

By Kelley Colihan
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD

June 30, 2008 -- Workplace wellness programs are effective in helping employees lose weight, a research review shows.

Researchers sifted through 11 studies published since 1994, some which were updated in 2006. Most of the programs involved education and counseling to improve diet and increase physical activity.

Some programs offered a health risk assessment and lab work; others provided one-on-one and email counseling. Only one included on-site

exercise sessions, and another added healthy menu items in the cafeteria, along with nutritional information.

The work-site intervention programs lasted a minimum of eight weeks and involved workers aged 32 to 52.

Before and after the start of the work-site intervention the participants had their BMI (body mass index) or weight taken.

Workplace Weight Loss

On average participants lost 2-14 pounds compared to employees not involved in the work-site weight loss intervention programs.

The workers that did not participate either lost an average of 1 and 1/2 pounds, or gained an average of 1 pound.

So do on-the-job weight loss programs work? "For people who participate in them, work-site-based programs do tend to result in weight loss," researcher Michael Benedict, MD, from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, says in a news release.

What seems to matter most when it comes to dropping the pounds? The in-your-face approach, according to Benedict. "Programs that incorporated face-to-face contact more than once a month appeared to be more effective than other programs."

However, since the follow-up was slim it was hard to draw conclusions about whether the weight would stay off, Benedict says. From 56% to 100% of the participants finished the studies, which ranged from two to 18 months. "People who participate in these programs can lose weight, but we aren't really sure what happens after that."

In an article that runs alongside the review, authors point out that "65% of adults in the U.S. are classified as overweight or obese."

The researchers add that work-site weight loss programs can provide "unique opportunities for decreasing adult obesity."

The pros:

• Emotional support from colleagues.
• A structured program can offer opportunities to learn about nutrition and exercise.

The researchers write that employees have been offering more work wellness programs.

According to the researchers, a separate 2003 study showed that "approximately 6% of all U.S. health care costs ($75 billion dollars) were related to excess body weight."

It's not clear how much money employers could save if they offered weight loss programs. "Employers want to know that what they're doing will have a positive return on investment," Benedict says.

Benedict writes that efforts to curb obesity at work can look for success to similar workplace programs, including a drive to help people quit smoking and lower their blood pressure, a win-win for employers.

The researchers admit the data have limits; they call for "vigorous, controlled studies of work-site-based interventions that integrate educational, behavioral, environmental and economic supports."

The research is published in the July-August issue of American Journal of Health Promotion.

Are fat moms to blame for fat kids? Answer unclear

Tue Mar 11, 2:28 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - British researchers who tried to show why overweight mothers tend to have overweight children said on Monday they had filled in one small piece of the puzzle.

Their reassuring finding: women who are too fat when pregnant are probably not somehow driving the obesity epidemic by programming their children to be fat.

But there is a strong link between overweight mothers and overweight children that still needs to be explained, Debbie Lawlor of Britain's University of Bristol and colleagues said.

Lawlor's team looked at the developmental overnutrition hypothesis -- the idea that if a woman is overweight during pregnancy, the higher levels of sugar and fatty acids in her blood would affect the developing fetus, dooming or at least predisposing the child to poor appetite control and a slower metabolism.

"The offspring of these mothers would be expected to be programmed to become more obese themselves," Lawlor's team wrote in their report, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine.

They studied 4,091 mothers, their children born in 1991-1992 and the fathers of these children. They also studied the DNA of everyone, height, weight and body mass index, which is a measurement of obesity, as well as smoking, education and other factors.

They did find that if a child became overweight by age 9 or 11, the mother was more likely to have been overweight or obese than was the father.

Then they looked at one gene that may explain this association -- the "fat mass and obesity associated," or FTO gene. FTO has been shown to predispose people to type 2 diabetes if they are overweight.

They found that people with certain variants of FTO are more likely to become overweight. Inheritance from the mother appeared to have a stronger effect, although why was not clear.

"At this stage, the exact mechanisms by which FTO results in increased BMI are not known. Consequently, we cannot discount it having an effect via dietary and physical activity behaviors," Lawlor's team wrote in the report, available online at http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document& doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050033.

What they did conclude was that obese mothers are unlikely to be driving a growing obesity epidemic by having babies who are metabolically programmed to get fat as they get older.

But mothers are somehow involved in other ways, they added.

In a commentary, Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health said the study was unable to disprove the overnutrition hypothesis.

Hu said the obesity epidemic is clearly alarming and other researchers should be doing studies like Lawlor's to make sure that a "vicious cycle" of obese mothers, children and thus grandchildren is not somehow causing it.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox, Editing by Philip Barbara)

Plan Your Day to Lose Weight

Making lifestyle changes doesn't come naturally. To change your eating and exercise habits, you've got to plan - to make it happen.

By Jeanie L. Davis
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD, MD

You're running late, flying out the door. You might skip breakfast: the cereal box is empty, and the milk's gone sour. Forget taking lunch: there's peanut butter in the jar, but you are out of bread. Exercise before work? You've got to be kidding. It's a typical hectic morning, at the beginning of a typical jam-packed day. What happened to those resolutions to exercise more, eat healthier, lose weight? It's easy for them to get lost in the daily shuffle.

In a perfect world, we could accomplish all this by the time our busy day starts:

• Jump out of bed by 6:30 (or earlier).
  
• Get a good chunk of exercise, 20 minutes or more.
  
• Eat a satisfying but healthy breakfast: fresh fruit, high-fiber cereal, low-fat milk.
  
• Brown-bag a wholesome lunch: more fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt, whole-wheat bread, homemade vegetable soup (maybe that you prepared last night).

It's true -- with a little planning, this could be your reality. Your morning rush would go more smoothly, and your weight loss efforts would stay on track. You bounce out of bed, knowing what your next move is - all day, all week, all year.

"If you leave exercise and healthy eating to chance, it's not going to happen," says Milton Stokes, RD, MPH, chief dietitian for St. Barnabas Hospital in New York City. "You're responsible for you. Use your personal digital assistant to set your day - gym time, dinner. Make these things pre-meditated - so it's not like a surprise, you've got an extra hour, should you go to the gym or watch TV. If you don't plan it, you won't do it."

Planning for Weight Loss

Planning helps you build new habits, says Barbara J. Rolls, PhD, the Guthrie Chair in Nutrition at Pennsylvania State University in Pittsburgh and author of The Volumetrics Weight Control Plan. "Without planning, you're always going to be struggling - trying to figure out how to eat what you should. You'll end up making yourself eat things you don't want to eat. Eating will always feel like work."

Indeed, planning involves discipline - and that is a key trait that is evident among the "successful losers" who belong to The National Weight Control Registry. They have maintained a 30-pound weight loss for at least a year - and many have lost much more, and kept it off for much longer.

"It is very difficult to lose weight and keep it off - and people who succeed must have discipline," says James O. Hill, PhD, the Registry's co-founder and director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. "People who are most successful plan their day to ensure that they stick to their eating plan and get regular physical activity. It takes effort to be successful in long-term weight management."

Goal No. 1: Plan Your Daily Food

First, take note of every bite of food you have during the day. Don't forget that run through the supermarket - all those tasty samples you couldn't pass up. "A food journal is the single best thing you can do," says Gary Foster, PhD, clinical director of the weight and eating disorders program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. "You become more conscious of what you're doing. It helps you monitor yourself, and make corrections in mid-course."

Dietitians call it a food journal. But really, it's research for your plan of action, he explains. You'll see where you need improvement. "Plans work better than platitudes," Foster tells WebMD. "Instead of 'I'll exercise more,' make it 'I'll walk tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.'"

Keep it simple. Journals don't have to be labor-intensive, he says. Focus on your high-risk time slots when you're most likely to get off course. Example: You know you eat junk at night, or that you snack after 3 p.m., or between lunch and dinner. Just keep notes during that time period. You'll quickly see problem habits: banana split vs. banana, the whole container of nuts vs. a handful.

Set specific goals. You can't just tell yourself to eat less junk food after 8 p.m. Be specific - 'I'm going to substitute popcorn for potato chips.' That way you know exactly what to do. There's no question.

Use weekends wisely. "When things are a little quieter on weekends, you can think about the upcoming week," says Stokes. "Decide what you're going to eat. Go to the market, so you're a little ahead of the game. You can even prepare food on the weekend and freeze it, then pull it out during the week."

Consider your options. Keep lists of healthy foods and meals you love, and plan accordingly, adds Elisabetta Politi, RD, MPH, nutrition manager at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center at Duke University Medical School. "I advise people to think of five different breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. Then you'll have some freedom - you can choose from your favorites. But your eating will be more structured. That's what's important."

Shop wisely. A well-stocked fridge and pantry can make it easier to grab a healthy snack or prepare delicious meals that are also good for you. Keep basics like these on hand: low-fat milk and yogurt, eggs, peanut butter, a variety of fresh fruits (include berries and grapes) and vegetables (include carrots and celery), soybeans, garlic, whole grain pasta/bread, fish, and high-fiber cereal.

Plan healthy treats. Low-fat cheese or yogurt, hummus with veggies, and fresh fruit are great choices. Keep them at home; take them to the office. That will help you eat the right foods when you're starving - especially in the late afternoon, during drive time -- and when you finally get home at night.

Do it yourself. These are great prepare-ahead healthy meals that will keep you feeling full and help you control your weight:

• Make a dried-fruit-and-nut mix for emergency snacking. (Be wary of granola, since it typically has lots of sugar, says Stokes.) Pack small amounts in a little plastic bag - great for the car or office.
  
• Cook a big pot of homemade vegetable soup, which can be frozen for several lunches or dinners.
  
• Try smoothies - blend low-fat yogurt and fruit - for a grab-and-go meal.
  
• Mix up big salads or a pasta primavera with lots of veggies and whole-wheat pasta. Prepare large quantities so you can have a moderate-sized helping for dinner and then have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Buy healthy frozen entrées. "These have really improved," says Rolls. "They have more whole grains in them now, and they seem to be getting tastier. If I'm traveling and can't get to the grocery store, I make sure I have frozen entrees on hand."

Don't limit yourself. It's OK to eat breakfast food for snacks, lunch, or dinner. "You can eat a hard-boiled egg or cereal any time, not just breakfast," Stokes advises.

Goal No. 2: Plan Your Exercise

First, talk to your doctor - especially if you are overweight or are at high risk for heart disease, advises Thompson. Your doctor may suggest that you ask a fitness trainer to develop a workout plan that best suits your needs.

Analyze your morning schedule. "You'll find there's a lot of free time there," says Gerald Endress, ACSM, fitness director at Duke Diet & Fitness Center at Duke University Medical Center. "People tell me it takes them two hours to get ready for work. It's not that they're prettying themselves up - they're basically just wasting time. But when they start exercising in the morning, they find they use their time better. One guy told me he got to work 20 minutes earlier on days he exercised. If you've got a structured period of activity, you know to keep things moving."

Set your program. Decide what works best for you, such as 8 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. "You don't let anything interfere with that," advises Thompson. "That's not to say once a month something comes up you can't exercise. That's OK. It's when you're making excuses three, four, five days in a row -- that's a problem. It's got to be the highest priority because it's your health."

Know your options. What kind of exercise - or physical activity - will get you out of bed in the morning? A yoga video, walking, a workout session at the YMCA? Figure out what will motivate you.

Tackle roadblocks. Is inertia a problem for you in the morning? "When the alarm clock sounds, it's easy to hit the snooze button," says Bryant. A workout buddy can provide motivation. "If you know someone is waiting for you, counting on you, you'll go. Once you go, you're happy you went. Once you get past that inertia, you're glad you did the workout."

Don't think of it as "early". It's a mindset issue, says Foster. Setting the alarm 30 minutes early should not be a negative in your day. Give it a positive spin. "Quit thinking of it as getting up early. Your day starts when the alarm goes off. That's how you should think of it."

Remind yourself. Put yellow sticky notes on the fridge or the computer - like "get off the bus four stops early - Mon., Wed., Fri."

Reward yourself. "Establish a goal for your workouts - daily, weekly, monthly goals," Bryant advises. "When you've done those workouts, accomplished those goals, pat yourself on the back." He suggests going out and buying a favorite DVD or CD, or even getting yourself that iPod you wanted! "Rewards help keep you motivated," says Foster.

"Planning helps you overcome the unpredictability of daily life," says Foster. "Having any plan, even if it's a bad or ineffective plan, increases your confidence in accomplishing the task at hand. Just the fact that you've thought it through means it will have some effect."

Detox Diets: Purging the Myths

Detox Diets: Purging the Myths
'Cleansing' diets may be worthless or even dangerous, experts warn.
By Richard Sine WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Molly Davis lives a healthy lifestyle, but she decided recently that she wanted to help her body "perform optimally." What she needed, she thought, was a flush of her system. So the Atlanta-based advertising director chose what might be the most popular "detox" regimen, the Master Cleanse.

For 10 days, she ate no solid food. Instead, she drank at least eight glasses a day of a concoction combining lemon juice, water, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. In the mornings, she drank two full quarts of salt water. In the evenings, she drank a laxative tea.

The results were as dramatic as would be expected: "I felt like hell," Davis tells WebMD. She suffered from headaches,

acne, and irritability. A strange whitish film covered her tongue.

She also lost 10 pounds. "My mom said I looked like skin and bones," says Davis, 25. "She was really mad at me."

Davis quickly regained the weight, but nonetheless decided to try the diet again a few months later. This time she felt none of the adverse effects and a boost of energy -- though she didn't lose as much weight and didn't follow the diet as strictly. She remains a detox fan. "I think it's important we let our body heal itself once in awhile," Davis says.

Dozens of books and hundreds of web sites promote "detox" regimens. Spas invite dieters to spend thousands of dollars to starve themselves in exotic locations. But many dietitians and medical experts say these diets are pointless at best and dangerous at worst.

Like other fad diets, detox regimens promise quick weight losses that are ultimately unsustainable, critics say. They're based on "junk science" rather than a true understanding of how the body works. Worst of all, extreme diets like the Master Cleanse can cause serious side effects in vulnerable groups.

"These diets can give people a false sense of security, a feeling that they've been protective of their health," Dawn Jackson-Blatner, a dietitian at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Wellness Institute and American Dietetic Association spokeswoman, tells WebMD. "Then, when the diet's over, they go back to their normal way of eating."

Toxins, Toxins Everywhere?

Detox proponents say the body is under constant assault from toxins such as smog, pesticides, artificial sweeteners, sugar, and alcohol. Without a periodic cleansing, these poisons accumulate in the body and cause headaches, fatigue, and a variety of chronic diseases.

But the science behind the detox theory is deeply flawed, says Peter Pressman, MD, an internal medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The body already has multiple systems in place -- including the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract -- that do a perfectly good job of eliminating toxins from the body within hours of consumption.

"There's no evidence at all that any of these approaches augment the body's own mechanisms," Pressman tells WebMD.

Most detox regimens urge dieters to strip down their diets to the basics of water and raw fruits or vegetables. Some diets also recommend laxatives, enemas, or colonic irrigation to speed up the detox process.

There's a grain of wisdom in detox diets, Jackson-Blatner tells WebMD. It's true that the average person doesn't drink enough water or consume enough fruits and vegetables. The problem is most detox diets are so restrictive that they're ineffective for long-term use. And any

weight loss that occurs during the diet is likely to be temporary.

"When people think about losing weight, they think about losing fat," she says. "But this is water lost and water gained."

Detox dieters may report a variety of benefits, Pressman notes, but none can be traced to the idea of detoxification. Fewer headaches can be traced to other lifestyle changes such as reduction in alcohol and caffeine intake. Clearer skin can result from improved hydration, and less bloating could be a result of eating less food.

Some detox dieters report a boost in energy and even a sense of euphoria. Pressman says the feeling -- also commonly reported by people who are fasting -- is actually a reaction to starvation. It likely evolved as a way to help a person evade threats and locate food, he says.

"There's something to be gained from avoiding large quantities of alcohol, smoke, junk food, or anything to excess," Pressman says. "Moderation is best, but these regimens are anything but moderate."

When Detox Turns Dangerous

The Master Cleanse -- also known as the Lemonade Diet -- dates back to the 1970s. But it got a publicity boost recently when pop star Beyoncé Knowles lost 20 pounds in 10 days on the diet to slim down for a role in the upcoming film Dreamgirls. The news caused a sales upswing of the pricey maple syrup that's used in the lemonade.

But Knowles soon regained the weight after she finished shooting the film. In interviews, she warned ordinary dieters away from the regimen.

A healthy, young woman like Knowles may be able to endure even the strictest diet for a short while, Pressman tells WebMD. The problem is that some groups may suffer severe adverse effects from highly restrictive diets. They include children and teenagers, pregnant or

breastfeeding women, seniors, and people with heart disease, diabetes, or other chronic conditions. These groups are especially vulnerable to intestinal and even cardiac problems stemming from malnutrition, Pressman says.

The use of laxatives in detox diets also raises red flags among dietitians, as laxative abuse is commonly associated with eating disorders. The belief that laxatives are useful for weight control is a myth, the National Eating Disorders Association notes. In fact, laxative abuse can cause severe

dehydration and heart or colon damage, the association says. Colonic irrigation, another fixture of some detox diets, carries the risk of bowel perforation or infection, both of which can cause death.

Detox diets promise a quick fix, but in fact are just another round on the diet treadmill, Jackson-Blatner says. You can change your life in 10 days, Jackson-Blatner says -- but not through the Master Cleanse. Instead, use those 10 days to make the transition to a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables -- and then stick to that diet for good.

Mother's Diet After Birth

Mother's Diet After Birth

Eating right after delivery isn't that complex. Just continue eating a good-quality diet just as you did during pregnancy. If you are not breast-feeding, your nutrient and calorie needs are the same as they were before you became pregnant. If you are breast-feeding, or if you are anemic or recovering from a cesarean delivery, you require special nutritional management.

Keep It Simple

Take a creative approach to nutrition, choosing foods that require little or no preparation. Quick, nutritious foods include fresh fruit, raw vegetables, melted cheese on toast, cottage cheese, and yogurt with raisins, sunflower seeds, nugget-type cereal, or low-fat granola. Broiled meats and fish are faster to prepare than casseroles.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are quick, easy, and nutritious meal that you can sneak in between your many responsibilities as a new mom.

Let friends and family help you by providing nutritious meals during the early months after childbirth. Meals you can freeze are especially helpful because you can pull them out of the freezer for use on those occasional difficult days.

Nurture yourself by taking time to sit to eat your meals. Eating on the run or standing to eat makes you feel you have not had a meal; this habit contributes to fatigue and may even contribute to overeating. It's also not very good for your digestion. Place your baby in a swing or in an infant seat so your hands are free. If your baby needs to be close to you, an infant backpack or sling is helpful. Or you may wait to eat until your baby's quiet time or when she is asleep.

Constipation

Constipation is a common and unpleasant post-partum complaint. The following advice can help relieve it:

· Get some form of daily exercise, such as walking.
· Make sure you have adequate dietary fiber. Bran muffins, high-fiber cereals, and lots of fruits and vegetables are good fiber choices. (Be sure to increase your fluid intake as you increase your fiber intake.)
· Drink to fulfill your fluid needs. Two to three quarts of fluids a day is generally recommended-drink even more if you breast-feed.
· Drink four ounces of prune juice on an empty stomach followed by several cups of hot water, decaffeinated tea, or other hot beverage.
· Avoid the regular use of laxatives. If you use a laxative more often than every third or fourth day, you may have problems moving your bowels without the use of the laxative.
· Try fiber-containing stool softeners such as Meta-mucil, Fiberall, and Fibercon. They can help relieve constipation without the problems associated with laxative use.

Dealing With Fatigue

No foods actually relieve fatigue. A good-quality diet helps you to feel well but is not a substitute for rest and sleep.

Most new mothers find themselves feeling tired from time to time. Getting adequate rest is important for your recovery from birth, for making milk, and for enjoying your baby.

How do you get rest? Take time to rest every time your baby rests or sleeps instead of using the time to clean house or wash clothes. During your rest times, take the phone off the hook so you are not disturbed. Let your family and friends help you by doing laundry and other household chores. Avoid caffeine to improve your rest and sleep.

Restoring Your Iron Reserves

Some women learn they are anemic after childbirth. This means they have fewer red blood cells than is ideal to adequately supply their body with oxygen. Postpartum anemia may result from having been anemic during pregnancy, from blood loss during childbirth, or from giving birth to more than one baby.

Your doctor evaluates your blood during the post-partum period. If laboratory tests confirm you are anemic, treatment begins immediately. If blood loss was heavy during childbirth, you may have received a blood transfusion. Otherwise, treatment aims at restoring iron levels through diet and supplements.

If your doctor prescribes an iron supplement, you need to help your body absorb it. To do this, eat a meal that includes a food rich in vitamin C when you take your iron supplement. Excellent sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, tomatoes, baked potatoes, and steamed broccoli. It also helps to include a food that contains iron.

Food sources of iron include lean red meats, organ meats, spinach, egg yolks (limit to three to four a week), and cream of wheat. Avoid taking your iron supplement with any significant source of calcium because calcium interferes with iron absorption. Calcium sources include milk, yogurt, cheese, and antacids. Since low-fat dairy products are of significant nutritional importance, don't cut these out altogether; include them in meals other than the ones that accompany your iron supplements.

Recovering From a Cesarean Delivery

Undergoing a cesarean section temporarily upsets the passage of food through the digestive tract, resulting in gas production and constipation. Both of these early discomforts can be treated by walking, which increases bowel activity and aids you in passing gas.

Be sure to eat, too. There is a temptation not to eat when you feel so bloated, but consumption of food helps restore normal bowel action, thereby relieving constipation and gas.If you are anemic after delivery, treating the anemia with the recommendations for restoring your iron reserves helps speed your recovery from surgery.

Nutritional management after surgery includes increasing the vitamin C and protein in your diet. Vitamin C contributes to wound healing, and protein helps your body repair itself.

While nutrition should be the most important concern, many new mothers are worried about losing the weight they gained during their pregnancy. We'll look at realistic expectations for this goal in our next section

5 Easy Ways to Lose Weight and Improve Your Health

5 Easy Ways to Lose Weight and Improve Your Health
Sure-thing resolutions: Simple changes that can make a big difference.
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Almost as soon as the Times Square ball drops and the confetti is thrown, many of us start making resolutions to improve our health and our lives. Then, within a few weeks, our resolve often fades -- and we go back to our old, bad habits. But what if, instead of trying to make sweeping changes, we resolved only to tackle a few easy ways to lose weight and boost health?

The health and

weight loss resolutions that stand the best chance of lasting are the ones that call for minor, doable changes, experts say.

"The key is to take small, positive steps and move ahead consistently," says Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, a nutrition professor at Penn State University. "People need to be realistic about the changes they can achieve."

David Katz, MD, director of the Prevention Research Center for Yale University, says that one key to making resolutions that last is to do more planning and less proclaiming.

"Resolutions tend to be the stuff of inspiration, but lasting behavior change is the stuff of planning, sustainable motivations, and careful consideration of the pros and cons," he says in an email interview.

For example, he says, more important than "willpower" are skills like learning to interpret food labels, and to identify the best choices when eating out.

5 Easy Ways to Lose Weight and Improve Health

Beyond that, experts say, resolutions that offer some sort of noticeable result within a couple of weeks can also help keep you motivated to keep going. That said, here are five easy ways to lose weight and improve your health -- many of which may bring you positive results by mid-January!

Easy Resolution No. 1: Strap on a Pedometer

Let's be honest: Seeing a number at the end of the day can make getting more walking in a lot more fun (talk about instant gratification). Not bad for an investment of around $15.
Striving to reach a goal, such as 10,000 steps at day's end, can be just the motivation you need to keep moving. Researchers affiliated with Stanford University looked at the results of 26 studies involving the use of pedometers in adults. They found that the study results showed that people who used pedometers significantly increased their physical activity -- and took more than 2,000 steps per day more than study participants who didn't use pedometer. Further, the researchers noted two physical benefits as a result of wearing a pedometer -- a decrease in the volunteers' BMIs (

body mass index) and their systolic blood pressure.

After just two weeks of walking more, you might see some measurable health benefits, too. Walking even 30 minutes every day for two weeks should be enough for people with hypertension to see better blood pressure, and people with diabetes or elevated blood sugar to see better blood sugar levels, says Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN, nutrition advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Easy Resolution No. 2: Drink 2 Cups of Tea a Day

With each sip of green or black tea, you get health-promoting substances: two potent flavonoids -- anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin -- and a healthy dose of catechin. Green tea in particular is loaded with the catechin called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which is suspected of having some anticancer properties.

Try buying some flavored green (and black) tea bags, and keep some at work and at home near your hot water kettle. Figure out when you're most likely to want some tea, be it midmorning, afternoon, or before bed. Then you can get yourself into the habit of making yourself a cup of tea at that particular time of day. If you're sensitive to caffeine, choose decaf teas.

This habit can be particularly healthful if tea takes the place of other beverages that contribute calories without any beneficial nutrients.

Easy Resolution No. 3: Switch to Whole Grains

Switching to 100% whole-wheat or whole-grain bread is easy, especially now that so many 100% whole-wheat products are available in supermarkets -- from hot dog buns to breakfast cereals to pasta.

Whole grains are naturally low-fat and cholesterol free; contain 10% to 15% protein; and offer loads of fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and more. Whole grains can help to protect you against cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, and some cancers. And you may see a difference quickly, some experts say.

"Two weeks should be enough time to see a benefit with a higher-fiber diet in terms of constipation [as long as fluid consumption is adequate]," says Collins. She says this may also be enough time for people with diabetes or insulin resistance to see improved blood sugars.

The trick to switching to whole grains is to keep trying products and brands until you find one that works for you and your family. Once you find brands of whole-grain hamburger buns, sandwich bread, hot and cold breakfast cereals, crackers, and pasta you like, sticking to this resolution will be a snap!

Easy Resolution No. 4: Switch to Healthier Fats

When cooking, it's best to replace butter, margarine, or shortening with an oil that has more of the "better" fats and less of the "worst" fats -- like saturated fat -- whenever possible. If a bakery recipe calls for adding melted butter, shortening, or margarine, that's your clue that you can probably switch to canola oil without any change in texture.

Canola oil contributes two "smart" fats -- monounsaturated fat and plant omega-3s. It also has a neutral flavor that doesn't compete with other flavors, and is reasonably priced and widely available.
Olive oil is also high in desirable monounsaturated fat and low in saturated fat. Further, it contains more than 30 phytochemicals from olives -- many of which have antioxidants and prompt anti-inflammatory action in the body. Just remember to drizzle, not drench, your food in oil because even healthy oils add more than 100 calories per tablespoon.

Katz also suggests switching from margarine or butter to a spread with added plant sterols, like Benecol or Take Control. "They are designed to help lower cholesterol and could do so within weeks," he says

Easy Resolution No. 5: Cut Down on Sodium

Sodium is a problem for lots of Americans, especially those with high blood pressure. And the key to cutting back, says Collins, is to eat fewer processed foods.

"People need to realize this is largely meaning a change in processed food use," says Collins. "Just using the salt shaker less won't touch the source of excess sodium for most Americans."
Eating fewer processed foods could also make room in your diet for more fruits and vegetables, which increase potassium -- a mineral that has been linked to lowering blood pressure.

According to Collins, people with salt-sensitive high blood pressure who cut down on sodium may see a drop in blood pressure within two weeks. Some people with hypertension are not salt-sensitive, however, so they may not see results so quickly (though cutting sodium will benefit them in the long run).

Some quick tips to help you cut sodium include:

· Read the labels on processed and package foods.
· Switch to sodium-free herb blends for seasoning food in cooking and at the table
· When you have a choice at the supermarket, buy lower-sodium choices in soups, crackers, salad dressings, canned tomatoes, and other products

Nine surprising slim-down tricks

Looking to slim down but not ready for an intense workout? Try these nine small changes to everyday behaviors that can actually help you lose weight.

1. Get a Good Night's Rest
According to a study from Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Stanford University, the less you snooze, the less leptin (a powerful hormone) your body is likely to produce. What's that got to do with shedding pounds? Leptin helps promote weight loss in two ways: It discourages you from eating (by sending the message Hey, stop munching — you're full! to your stomach), and it rouses you to expend energy. More evidence that sleep deprivation interferes with dropping pounds: The hormone ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, is higher in people who don't get enough zzz's. (If you don't sleep soundly one night, try to squeeze in a nap the following day — the hormones are affected by how much shut-eye you get in a 24-hour period.)

2. Turn Off the Radio
When a restaurant wants its customers to finish their food and go, it plays fast music — as quick as 120 to 130 beats per minute (which is the tempo used in most step classes). And for good reason: The speedier the tune, the faster (and the more) you'll tend to eat. So before any meal, either switch off your stereo or put on a slow, soothing album.

3. Never Skip a Meal
Ever. Ignoring breakfast, say, isn't going to save big calories. Trust me. You'll become so ravenous, you'll likely gobble down whatever you can get your hands on at the following meal. The reasons: Physically, your blood sugar plummets, making you feel famished; emotionally, you may feel entitled to consume more. Plus, when you deprive yourself of food, your body thinks there isn't a source of nourishment readily available. As a result, your metabolism moves at a snail's pace. And we all know — the slower your metabolism, the harder it'll be to lose weight.

4. Leave the Car Behind
The numbers say it all: Your risk of obesity increases by 6 percent for every hour you spend in your automobile each day. Similarly, every mile you walk on a daily basis translates into an 8 percent reduction in the risk of obesity. How to get that exercise in? When you're on the phone (especially with your chatty mother-in-law), pace back and forth. To really knock off some calories, throw in a few lunges or squats. And when you're watching TV, make sure you get up and move around during the commercial breaks. Climb up and down a flight of stairs or speed-walk from one end of the house to the other. Going to the mall? Follow my shopping rule: no escalators, no elevators. Period

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5. Get Some Sun
Your body needs sunlight to produce a very essential feel-good hormone called serotonin, which may lessen your cravings for sugar and other carbs. So when you start longing for sweets, go outside instead, even in the cold weather. It's also a good idea to keep the drapes and shutters open during the day.

6. Don't Store Cookies and Other Treats in Glass Jars
If you keep fatty foods out of sight, it'll be much easier to keep them out of mind. Experts at Cornell University determined that women ate more Hershey's Kisses when the candies were on their desks than when they were in opaque containers or placed farther away.

7. Set Your Fork Down After Every Bite
It takes around 20 minutes for your stomach to send signals to the brain that it's full. So when you eat too quickly, your body doesn't have time to recognize that it's satiated. The consequence: You consume a lot more. To slow down, you can also try switching to chopsticks (they make it much harder to eat huge bites). Or try this experiment in food appreciation: Using a 30-second timer, take a bite only when the bell rings. You'll see how eating slowly will perk up your taste buds.

8. Flick on All the Lights
The dimmer the room, the more you'll eat. Why? One theory is that low lights make you feel more relaxed and less self-conscious. On the flip side, research suggests that the brighter your dining area, the less food you'll likely consume. So consider adjusting the lighting in places where you eat most often.

9. Lose the Anger
If you don't keep this emotion under control, it can make you fat. How? Getting riled raises levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in your body, and that increase can cause you to gain weight. Plus, research suggests that the angrier you get — and the more frequently you get angry — the more likely you'll be to put on pounds around your waist. (Hostility also ups your risks of cardiovascular problems.) So the next time someone pushes your button, take 10 deep breaths and ask yourself, Is this really that big a deal? Another trick I teach my clients: Close your eyes, slowly press your thumbs into your temples, and massage the frustrating moment away.