The target behavior I chose earlier in the semester was my desire to reach my weight loss goal. With my family history of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol it is easy for me to fall into the same footsteps. Carrying around too much weight feels uncomfortable, and it can also be really damaging to my health. However I have realized the dangers of being obese and have set my mind to getting healthier so I can live longer for my sons. I recently joined a weight loss boot camp, and one of our assignments was to purchase and read “Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It”, by Gary Taubes, which brings me to my book review for the final assignment. Gary Taubes was born April 30, 1956, in Rochester, New York, is an American science …show more content…
writer. In his book Why We Get Fat, Taubes takes us through an explanatory journey as to why all calories are not produced alike, and that carbohydrates are the reason for the vast majority of the health and weight problems in obese Americans today. His views focuses on the role insulin plays in obesity, and the negative effects of excessive carb intake. Taubes proposes that the structure of fat cells is compound as well as comprises many hormones and enzymes.
He suggests that Insulin is the hormone that outdoes them all; the higher the level of insulin, the greater the tendency for a person to store fat. The types of food we eat triggers an insulin increase. He points out that Carbohydrates such as fructose, sugar, soda, cereal, bread, potato, alcohol and pasta all trigger greater insulin levels. Since the body’s insulin levels are mainly determined by consumed carbohydrates, for some the high-carb foods stimulate insulin secretion and cravings for more high-carb foods, which makes them gain …show more content…
weight. In the book Gary argued that our diet’s overemphasis on certain kinds of carbohydrates has led directly to the obesity epidemic we face today. He critiques the something that we all probably were taught at some point and that is in order to lose weight, we must consume fewer calories than we expend. He mentions numerous of studies and research that found that doing one of either exercising or reducing calories does not typically result in weight loss. In my opinion, Taubes made some valid and non-valid points.
In boot camp we learned that eating less calories and exercising more is a proven method to weight loss. So I would have to say I disagree with Taubes’ argument on that issue. However, one of his points that I agreed with would be that the types of food we eat triggers an insulin increase, which in turns lead to weigh gain. While pregnant with my both my sons I was referred to see a nutritionist because of gestational diabetes. I was asked to test my blood sugar levels 4 times a day and monitor what I ate. While visiting with the nutritionist I learned that different foods all have a different effect on our level of insulin or blood sugar levels, which may or may not lead to type 2 diabetes and weight gain. Needless to say I recently found out that I am a borderline type 2 diabetic and have high cholesterol. This is when reality really set in for me and I knew I needed a change. So I am now taking steps to a healthier me, and healthier overall lifestyle and way of thinking. This book was an excellent read for me as it totally transformed the way I look at food and nutrition. Even though the foods that are high packed with sugars and starches taste good, they are not good for
us. In conclusion, this book was a really good source for changing my target behavior and I am already well on my way. It really put things in perspective for me and will ultimately be a life changer for me as I embark on this weight loss, well on this life changing journey. This will definitely be a new way of life for me and my family.
In 1776, David McCullough gives a vivid portrayal of the Continental Army from October 1775 through January 1777, with sharp focus on the leadership of America’s greatest hero, George Washington. McCullough’s thesis is that had not the right man (George Washington) been leading the Continental Army in 1776, the American Revolution would have resulted in a vastly different outcome. He supports his argument with a critical analysis of Washington’s leadership during the period from the Siege of Boston, through the disastrous defense of New York City, the desperate yet, well ordered retreat through New Jersey against overwhelming odds, and concludes with the inspiring victories of Trenton and Princeton. By keeping his army intact and persevering through 1776, Washington demonstrated to the British Army that the Continental Army was not simply a gang of rabble, but a viable fighting force. Additionally, Mr. McCullough supports his premise that the key to the survival of the American Revolution was not in the defense of Boston, New York City, or any other vital terrain, but rather the survival of the Continental Army itself. A masterful piece of history, 1776 is not a dry retelling of the Revolutionary War, but a compelling character study of George Washington, as well as his key lieutenants, and his British adversaries, the most powerful Army in the 18th Century world. When I read this book, I went from a casual understanding of the hero George Washington to a more specific understanding of why Washington was quite literally the exact right man at the exact right place and time to enable the birth of the United States.
The article “Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance” is written by Mary Ray Worley, a member of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance. She writes of her firsthand experience as a “fat person” in society. Throughout the article, Worley explains what it is like to be obese and describes the way society treats those who have a weight problem. She attacks the idea of dieting, criticizes medical professionals for displaying an obscured view of health risks, and defends the idea of exercising to feel good rather than exercising to lose weight. Unfortunately, her article seems to reflect only own opinions and emotions rather than actual facts and statistics.
When it comes to the topic of eating healthy, most of us will readily agree that we all need to. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of how and why. Whereas some are convinced that we don’t need to all be eating healthy foods that are over priced to stay healthy, and others maintain that there is no other way. Bill Gifford talks about a proper diet throughout the book, but one chapter in particular really stands out when it comes to how diet affects our bodies and ultimately our heath. In the chapter Phil Vs. Fat, Gifford tells a story about a man who beats all odds when it comes to changing his life. Our new friend Phil was morbidly obese and had become highly diabetic. Through exercise and eating a more refined diet, he was able to completely reverse his body and his health. Gifford continues to emphasis on Phil’s great feat when he writes, “The doctor was astonished: Bruno’s insulin resistance was gone, his blood values
...pened my eyes to the health risks of the food I consume. There is a lot of health risks associated with the foods on the shelves at the supermarket. A food product I ate as a child was Lunchables. At the time I just thought the food was good. Although, now that I am aware of what I put in my body I try to look at the ingredient and the food products I consume before I consume them. The book also informed me of the deceitfulness of people in order to make a profit. A prime example in Chapter eleven is the Kraft Company. The Kraft Company state they want to decrease the amounts of salt, sugar and fat in their products. On the other hand, Kraft creates new products with an increased amount of these ingredients. Many companies state that they try to fulfill the desires of consumers. This idea is wrong. The consumers study what our body craves and uses it against us.
However, the outcome was different from his desired result due to strong protest from the dairy and livestock industry, so the Congress instead urged people to buy lean meat and less fat food so the dairy and livestock industry do not go out of business. This created the fat-free boom in the market in the 1980s. However, food companies began to put more sugar in their products because the taste was bad when they reduced fat in the food. Now, the sugar intake of Americans has doubled compared with before. In the American market, there are approximately 600,000 different food products, and 80% of those include sugar. Although sugar is written in various forms and names, one suggests that it’s bad in any form, especially if taken too much. Sugar consumed naturally through fiber-rich fruit or vegetable should be fine, but the added sweeteners stimulate the hormones that increase insulin. High insulin prevents people from thinking they are full, and thus crave more food. This causes many diseases. Of course one meal high in sugar will not kill them, but the problem is that people generally exceed daily sugar intake in one meal alone when consuming process food. We eat more processed and convenient food instead of fruits, vegetables, and
Obesity is a serious epidemic that majority of Americans face. The dangerous of obesity should not be taken lightly and addressed admittedly. However, the big question is how or why do some individuals stay skinny or become fat. The movie Weight of The Nations, Part 2: choice helps us explore this unanswered question to give us a better understanding of how this problem has gotten so out of control. This movie targets the obese society in America. This documentary uses scientist to research and address techniques to help people prevent weight gain and loss unhealthy weight. Most Americans want quick fixes to this problem, but have to realize big changes take time, but offer big results. Over all, the idea is to get people motivated by positive results to live a healthier live style.
Markus Zusak reads as, Death, he watches over everyone during the time of World War Two, taking souls when the time comes for them to be set free. He tells us a little inside scoop of what's going on in the destruction that was happening outside of Liesel's story.
The use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contributes drastically to obesity. In the normal process of glucose consumption the pancreas responds by producing insulin to transport sugar to the body cells to use as energy. It then stimulates the production of the hormone leptin, which regulates appetite and fat storage, and suppresses production of the hormone ghrelin. When properly functioning, these hormones serve to regulate food intake and cause hunger to dissipate. However, fructose (the most commodious substance in HFCS)
I use to think the people became obese at older ages, but I realized that’s not the case because in society now days all one hears is a six year old being obese before their even six-teen. President Obama and his wife Michelle have tried to stop obesity by fixing the matters at school. I believe that it’s good to know that they care, but that’s not solving the problem being that that many don’t eat at school so they go home and eat whatever they want. Two articles that I have previously read Don’t Blame the Eater by David Zinczenko and What You Eat IS Your Business by Radley Balko have strike my attention, but Don’t Blame the Eater by David Zinczenko would be better than What You Eat Is Your
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an intolerance of glucose documented for the first time during pregnancy. It is usually a short-term type of diabetes and the most common health problem with pregnant women. GBM is caused by the way the hormones in pregnancy affect the mother. GDM accounts for 5-7% of all pregnancies (American Diabetes Association, 2010). During pregnancy the placenta develops and becomes the main bond between the mother and the baby. It is used to make sure the baby has and gets enough nutrients. The placenta makes several hormones which make it hard for insulin to control blood glucose and block the action of the mother’s insulin in her body (American Diabetes Association, 2010). Hormonal changes during the pregnancy causes the body to be less sensitive to insulin. Insulin has the job of opening up the cells so that the glucose can get inside regulating the amount of glucose in the blood while glucose is the amount of sugar in the blood stream. In pregnancy, the body needs to make three times more insulin for control of the blood sugar. GDM is usually found within the second trimester of a pregnancy and increases until the end of the pregnancy. Usually within a few hours of delivery the condition resolves itself (American Diabetes Association, 2010).
...r their child’s risk of being overweight or obese, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. (NDEP, 2013) Breastfeeding also helps you lose the weight gained during pregnancy.
Their researchers, reported in JCI, discovered a particular form of a gene, previously linked to obesity, is known as FTO. FTO is a gene that is traced to increasing the crave for high-fattening foods. In addition to the studies linked to obesity and the various tests, scientists have also found recent genes that have been linked to obesity. The first gene that is related to obesity is leptin. Leptin is considered to be the "obesity hormone", leptin is made by fat cells and is the thermostat for the body 's energy needs. In each individual their own leptin entrance, if for any reason the leptin levels fall below the correct amount, the brain understands that the body is starving, and needs more calories, if maintained or exceed the correct amount,, the brain knows that it does not need any more food. In obese patrons, they have higher leptin levels in their blood. However, researchers have confidence that obese people are not getting the signal to stop eating. Another gene is ghrelin. Ghrelin is the gene that is the appetite hormone, making the food look more desirable. Studies have shown that people who are sleep-deprived have increased ghrelin levels, The final gene that is allegedly relates to obesity is neuropeptide Y. Neuropeptide Y triggers eating by manipulating the appetite, resulting in mood swings and high stress levels (Health). According to the bariatric surgery source, obesity
Healthy living is a huge step in life, especially in this day and age. This whole course focuses on having healthy lifestyle, making the changes necessary to maintain one, and gives the learner step-by-step instructions of where to start. There are multiple reasons why someone should make a behavior change. Some could include health reasons, to support family members, or some decide to make the change because he or she wants to live healthy. Personally, my family affects a lot of the decisions in my life. Growing up, I was used to taking care of my older sister and I was used to changing my diet to fit what plan my mom had for the week. My behavior change was always dependent on them. During this course, I learned a lot of how the social cognitive
This theory declares that every person has a set body fat level and any change in that body fat will trigger the feeling of hunger to rebalance this level. Foods such as eggs, yogurt, and milk are all high in fats that will give you more health benefits that the previous high sugar food counterparts. The Lateral Hypothalamus was less active when I ate foods high in lipids. Glucostatic homeostasis is considered a short term hunger regulation while lipostatic has longer lasting effects and I see these theories reflected in my eating behavior. Lipids provide your body with energy, serve as an insulator, and serve as a carrier for vitamins A, D, E, and K. In contrast, simple sugars, which are in many of the foods I consume, serve as an immediate source of
The United States is one of the most obese countries in the world. This shows us that many people look towards food to fill voids, to de-stress themselves, for convenience, and for various other reasons. This also shows that countless Americans do not try to stop their bad habits until it is too late. This highlights that many of them have the mentality of “it won’t happen to me”. When they do develop a disease, or become obese they wish they would’ve done something about it. This also brings up the issue of many generations acting and thinking this way due to their parents’ lack of knowledge and understanding. This causes their children to grow up thinking and acting the same way towards food and potentially walking the same path as their parents did with food. Obesity has become a growing infection plaguing the world and its children. A simple forty-five-minute exercise everyday can reduce the risk of heart disease, a disease in which I struggle with daily and has become a never ending battle. If American’s would make eating properly and exercising regularly a priority, their lives would be