| Waist size key in new obesity guidelines
Doctors across Canada are being urged to screen every adult and child over age 10 for weight-related health problems using the simplest measure of all: waist size. A girth greater than 94 centimetres (37 inches) in men and 80 cm (31.5 inches) in women significantly increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes and should be considered a "new vital sign" as important as blood pressure and heart rate, according to the first Canadian guidelines on the prevention and treatment of obesity. Based on those limits, nearly 50 per cent of adult Canadians have abdominal or central obesity, the worst kind of fat. .
The Weight of the World
Despite the obsession with weight loss in America, the rate of obesity has skyrocketed over the past 50 years. One cannot turn on the television without being bombarded with commercials for the latest weight-loss pill, exercise machine or fad diet. Yet, according to Andrew Wolf, associate professor of medicine at the University, one-third of American adults are obese and another third are overweight. According to Student Health nutrition educator Melanie Brede, "the medical definition for obesity is based on the body mass index, which is an equation of height to body weight." A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese, while a BMI greater than 25 is considered overweight. According to Joel Schectman, associate professor of medicine at the University, the use of BMI to define obesity is an arbitrary definition used for the sake of convenience.
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CARING boss Frank Lynch is a coast-to-coast celebrity in the USA after winning a bet that helped save the life of an employee. Millionaire expat Scot Frank, 68 - who once owned the legendary Glasgow Apollo - feared Antonio Douglas's 23.5 stone weight would kill him at 42. So he encouraged Antonio, manager of one of a string of car washes he now owns in the USA, to lose weight. And to top it off, he challenged him to a 100 metre sprint - in which he was billed as The Ferret and Antonio as The Teddy Bear - in front of 30 million TV viewers on the top-rated Today show. Veteran Frank beat Antonio through the tape but the 42-year-old did not mind as he says he is in tip-top health thanks to his boss's challenge. Frank said: "It all started with me trying to motivate Antonio to do something to improve his health.
Investigators: The Star Treatment
Once a larger woman, gastric bypass surgery has made Star Jones much smaller—but still a “hero" to many young girls right here in Detroit. Chief Investigator Steve Wilson went to bat for a group of youngsters who have found their Star is not quite as bright as they'd hoped.That would be putting it mildly. You don't have to be a celebrity to realize that disappointing people who look up to you is not a good thing.Star Jones: …and I think what's important is I acknowledge that a lot of women look up to me. There's a responsibility there for me.The Star we're talking about is Star Jones…once a court reporter at the O-J trial, a host on The View…and now with her own afternoon talk show said to be struggling in the ratings. You may not recognize her here because she's changed, now literally just a shadow of her former self after gastric by-pass surgery…Yet to young women who struggle with their own weight and issues of self-esteem…Star Jones has been a hero of sorts.Ethel McIntosh, Full and Fabulous Member: She's Star Jones Reynolds! I mean this woman knows more influential people than, people I meet every day!Ethel is one of a number of young ladies in Detroit in a group called Full and Fabulous to better themselves with weight loss, good nutrition, and stronger self-esteem.
Messi accuses Rangers of playing 'anti-football' and vows revenge
LIONEL Messi has accused Rangers of playing "anti-football" in the goalless Champions League clash at Ibrox on Tuesday night and warned they will suffer at the Nou Camp next month. Barcelona dominated for large spells in the Group E match, but failed to break down a stubborn Rangers defence. Walter Smith's men held on for the point which keeps them joint top of the group ahead of the return leg in a fortnight's time. .
2001 operation forever changes 2 obese women
Lydia Cook of Yuba City was a bit of a pioneer back in 2001, when she checked into a Roseville hospital for weight-loss surgery. At the time, many insurance plans refused to cover the operations, labeling them risky and unproven. But Cook and her sister-in-law, Nita Kurtz, who were both about 100 pounds overweight, convinced their carriers that gastric bypass operations would be a good investment. And they are living proof, Cook said, that the decision was the right one. "We're doing great," Cook said, responding to new studies showing that the operations sharply reduce deaths and serious illnesses related to obesity. "I'm a much healthier person now than I was back then." In 2001, Cook was just 24 years old; Kurtz was 31. Yet both had serious health issues related to their weight, which hovered around 270 pounds.
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