Pretty much every fitness professional now knows that the body will go to great lengths to ward off starvation. Clients who are intent on dieting are routinely advised to get off a very-low-calorie diet after just a few days so the body does not compensate by slowing its metabolism, conserving energy and defeating the attempt to burn fat.

But new research indicates that energy deficits of only hours, not days, appear to set the body up to retain fat. A number of recent studies have associated dietary restriction or poorly timed eating with such unwanted changes as lower metabolism, higher body fat, higher injury rates, menstrual disfunction and reduced bone density.

An ambitious study at Georgia State University analyzed female athletes’ energy intake and expenditure hour-by-hour for 24 hours of a typical training day. (Reported in Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise, March 2000.) Those individuals who had energy deficits greater than 300 Calories at times during the day tended to have a higher percent body fat.

We in the exercise profession like to think that regular intensive exercise will keep up the resting metabolism rate and protect the exerciser from any depression in metabolism that might be triggered by a little dieting. Not so in this study. The subjects were all world-class athletes in training in four disciplines involving different mixes of aerobic and anaerobic exercise: artistic gymnasts, rhythmic gymnasts, middle-distance and long-distance runners.

Exercise will increase metabolism, but eating too few calories to replace those burned will depress resting metabolism, nevertheless.

The proportion of body fat retained by the athletes was related to the magnitude of their energy deficit.

Athletes experiencing the largest calorie deficit within the day tended to have the higher body fat percentages.

Athletes with the most calorie deficits of greater than 300 Calories tended to have higher body fat percentages.

Athletes with the most total hours of energy deficits in the day tended to have higher body fat percentages.

Athletes with the greatest total calorie deficit for the whole day tended to have higher body fat percentages.

In brief, the body seems to respond to quite small and short-term deprivations of food by preparing to store fat. On the other hand, the athletes in this study who ate enough, often enough, to replace the energy burned in life functions and exercise had the lowest body fat ratios.

This is new support for your message: Exercise is good. The right amount of good food at the right time is good. Going hungry in an effort to burn fat is futile.

Many accidents occur at work, home so it is significant to become prepared and to care for your family, children and friends. Choose safe, reliable and appropriate individual first aid kits from a wide assortment of professional first aid resources.

In a 19-month study, published in the February 17th issue of The Lancet, researchers examined the effects of soft drink consumption in 548 children between the ages of 11 and 12. They found that, for every soft drink consumed, the children’s body mass index (BMI) and risk for obesity increased 60 percent. Researchers also found that soft drinks were the leading source of added sugars in the children’s diets, adding about 36 grams of sugars for girls and nearly 58 grams of sugar for boys.

Researchers speculate that the added calories in soft drinks may cause children to consume more calories than they burn off, thus increasing the risk for obesity.

While researchers believe that soft drink consumption may contribute to obesity, they noted that it is not the sole cause of obesity and not all children who consume soft drinks regularly will become obese. The rate of obesity has increased by more than 50 percent in children between the ages of six and 11, and by 40 percent in adolescents since the 1960s.

Scientific evidence suggests that social support can foster successful weight management. Colleagues at Stanford studied women who lost a substantial amount of weight, comparing those who regained the weight (“relapsers”) to those who kept it off (“maintainers”). The study shows that social support helps individuals maintain their weight losses. Seventy percent of the maintainers, but only 38 percent of the relapsers, sought help from friends, family members, or professionals when experiencing problems. Further, the maintainers reported having more social support available than the relapsers. Eighty percent of the maintainers had three or more people available for social support, while only 30 percent of the relapsers had this many people available. In fact, nearly 25 percent of the relapsers reported having no social support.

Description:Pumpkin is in the squash family of watermelons, cucumbers, and gourds. Sylvia A. Johnson, author, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Corn, and Beans says that “Native Americans cooked pumpkins whole in the ashes of a fire, scooped out the soft flesh, and ate it sweetened with maple syrup. Europen settlers in North America at first used this same cooking method and later combined pumpkin with milk, eggs, and molasses to make a filling for a European-style pie.” Pumpkins are used for Halloween Jack-o-Lanterns for centuries which is a story in itself.

Nutrient content Contains vitamins A and C, some B vitamins, potassium, iron and calcium. A cup of pumpkin contains 40 calories. Pumpkins, like carrots, are rich in the antioxidant, beta-carotene which offers protection against heart disease, other diseases, and other degenerative aspects of aging.

Peak season: Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply is available in October. A few can be found in September and November.

Selection: Look for firm pumpkins and heavy for its size. Skin should be a bright orange, glossy color and not dull in appearance. Avoid any blemishes or soft spots. Look for pumpkins with 1 to 2 inch stems. A stem less than that size could indicate decay. One pound of raw pumpkin will yield a cup of pumpkin puree.

Storage: Store in cool, dry area. Possible to keep for several months if stem is attached.

Preparation: Methods include boiling, steaming, baking and microwaving.

You must remember that commercials seen on TV and online for weight loss items are not researched or verified. You must be extremely careful when deciding whether or not to use diet pills. Your problem with weight might not be solved by the use of these diet pills.

The diet pills will assist with short term weight loss, however the struggle will be keeping the weight off. You should eat healthily and exercise regularly even if you opt to use these diet pills. Diet pills are effective in supporting your weight loss, but they don’t work magic. So if you make the decision that these diet pills are what you need, be sure to use them combined with a good diet and exercise.

Consumers can find a large variety of diet pills on the market. There are three main kinds of diet pills, which are prescribed medications, OTC medicines and herb supplements.

You can only receive prescription diet pills from your doctor. Your physician will also watch how you are doing with your weight loss and your health when you are using these diet pills.

OTC diet pills can be found at your town chemist, grocery store or on the Internet. The FDA monitors these pills. Their effectiveness is carefully watched as well as the allegations about the items. Nearly all of these pills function by raising your metabolism and making you have more energy.

The third kind are herbal diet pills which you can find in health food and nutrition shops. It’s easier to get these pills, as a prescription is not needed. Herbal diet pills contain several substances that are extremely potent and, if used the right way, can do more than prescription diet pills can.

So if you desire to lose weight and be thin, you can make the effort and try these amazing pills. It is vital that you do some research to make sure that you choose the one that is best for you. Prior to beginning use of a diet pill, you should see your physician.