Strollerderby : weight

For Goodness Sake, Leave Their Tonsils Alone

JeanneSager — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:29:00 GMT

Want another reason not to put your kids under the knife for a tonsillectomy?

Word has it, putting your kids in the hospital so a doctor can cut out those little chunks of lymphatic tissue at the back of the mouth could make them fat. And we're not talking about all that ice cream served up during recovery.

A Dutch study of almost four thousand kids determined that eight year olds who underwent a tonsillectomy when they were younger were at a heightened risk of obesity - regardless of whether doctors had also removed their adenoids. The doctors factored in kids who were already overweight when they were tots (pre-surgery) as a control, and they say they were able to determine the tonsillectomy prompted the obesity.

They're not calling for tonsil surgeries to stop - the numbers performed in the states have steadily decreased since the 1970s anyway. Instead, the researchers call for better nutrition management and education for kids who have had the surgery.

Considering I still have my tonsils, I guess that's one less chance I have to blame my big butt on someone else. Sigh. . . although, I could always blame it on the baby I had three years ago, right? Right?

Image: Kids Health

They Say: Obesity During Pregnancy Raises Risk of Birth Defects

Kate Tuttle — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:01:00 GMT

A new study looking at data from dozens of earlier research efforts has concluded that women who are obese cduring pregnancy are more likely to give birth to children with birth defects, in particular spina bifida and other neural tube defects. Other problems, such as hydrocephaly, cleft palate, and some heart and limb anomalies, are also found at higher rates when children are born to mothers who were obese during pregnancy.

The rate of spina bifida was strikingly higher in these cases, with obese mothers 2.2 times more likely to have a child with that condition; spina bifida ranges in severity but can cause paralysis, incontinence, and other serious medical challenges.

The paper, which appeared this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at the results of 39 previous studies and was authored by Judith Rankin, a researcher at the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University in the UK. Rankin told the New York Times that she and her co-authors had also found increased risk to the children of mothers who were classified as overweight, rather than obese, but that further research was needed.

Pregnant women and women planning to become pregnant are routinely advised to take folic acid to lower the risk of neural tube defects, but some doctors now suggest a link between those defects and insulin resistance and undiagnosed diabetes.

Whatever the precise mechanism, the message is pretty clear -- losing weight before conceiving is in the best interest of your future child. How that advice is played out in doctor's offices and homes is another story entirely -- we live in a time and place of mixed messages about weight and health, in which we are bombarded with advertisements for unhealthy food and at the same time urged to lose weight at all costs (and often merely to look good, rather than to improve health). I hope that studies like this can help shine a clear light onto what really matters -- women's health and healthy babies.

More By This Author:

Kittens Have Their Say (Aided by Nutty Six-Year-Old)

Twenty-Year-Old Kidnapping Solved

Little Girl with Bowel Disease Kept Alive on Donated Breastmilk

They Say: More Abuse, Neglect Among Bottle-Feeding Moms

New Mom Jessica Alba Was Totally Photoshopped - Check Out the Before & After Pics

SunnyChanel — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:30:00 GMT

Seeing Jessica Alba showing off her sleek and lithe body in the recent Campari campaign totally pissed me off. Yeah, I was jealous. After 2 ½ years I still don’t have my belly back in any semblance of it’s prebaby form. So I was partly thrilled and partly disgusted to see the leaked photos that prove that they did a total PhotoShop overhaul on Jessica Alba’s body, the new mother of a five month old.

The graphics team made some pretty drastic changes to the images taken by Mario Testino. They took off inches from her waist and hips, gave a lift to her bustline and made her skin look like flawless buttered caramel. Thing is she looks just as good in her original photos, it doesn’t seem like they needed to make the adjustments they did, or as drastically. Regardless, pre PhotoShop she still looks amazing after having a baby five months ago. And yes, I’m still jealous.

Do you think they needed to make so many changes to Jessica Alba's image?

Oh and check out Hannah's post New Mom Jessica Alba Poses in Campari Calendar here

They Say: Fat-Eating Pregos Make for Fat-Loving Kids

JeanneSager — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:39:00 GMT

Tired of hearing your mom comment on the size of your butt? Tell her it's her fault. A new study published in the Journal of Neuroscience says women who indulge in fat-laden foods during pregnancy are setting the stage for parenting a child who will constantly struggle with his or her weight.

Researchers say the developing fetus' brain is essentially being hard-wired to crave fatty foods as their moms eat for two . . . or four. The study was performed on rats rather than humans, but it makes good sense. What are kids eating when they're inside us? Exactly what we're eating. So wouldn't it make sense that they'd develop a taste for those foods?

My father used to joke that he considered leaving my mother if she served one more plate of spinach during her pregnancy (she had to get that iron somehow), and wouldn't you know it - one of my favorite foods is a nice big chunk of spinach pie oozing with feta and wrapped in delicate phyllo dough.

Although my propensity to pop M&Ms would point to plenty of desserts served after those spinach-rich dinners . . .

Image: Raising Kids

They Say: Lead Bullets Make Game Risk for Pregnant Women, Kids

They Say: Text Messaging Can Fight Childhood Obesity

Save Money: Kids Eat Free at Restaurants . . . Well, Some of Them

Addicted to Food Because of Genes?

Kelly Mills — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:31:00 GMT

I've read about a quadrillion studies on obesity research, and it's rare that one actually makes me reconsider my behavior. This latest one, on a gene variant and the pleasure derived from food, actually did give me pause though. It also might make you think twice about how to feed your kids. Here's what I mean.

It might seem logical that people who are overweight or obese get more pleasure from food than skinny folks, and that's why they overeat. But the study says the opposite might be true. Researchers gave chocolate milkshakes (mmm) to 77 young women. Some were lean, some were obese, and some had a gene variant that makes them respond less to dopamine (a chemical important to the pleasure response.) Here's what they found: Obese women had less of a pleasure response to the milkshakes; this was even more so for women with the gene variant; and women with the gene variant had gained more weight a year later. In the words of one resarcher: "'If you look at the brain response when people are about to get the milkshake, obese individuals show greater activation of the reward circuitry, not less. So, ironically, they expect more reward but seem to experience less.'" Which kinda makes sense---if anticipate something will be better than it is, you might keep eating it in an effort to get satisfaction.

The researcher suggests that eating a small amount regularly of something high in fat and sugar might not be the way to go, because it could make it hard to stop eating. Perhaps cutting the food out entirely would actually do more for reducing cravings and overeating. And this applies to kids because, well, it may be easiest to build in good habits when you are young. Sigh. I'm a cupcake addict, and my kid likes her daily dessert, but this study might make me re-evaluate the frequency of our treats. Um, maybe. No promises.

Does anyone let their kids eat candy on halloween anymore?

Keep kids from getting fat - get a dog.

It's hard out there for a mom who says 'no'

5 Exercises To Tackle the "Mom-Flap" Challenge

Kelly Mills — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:02:00 GMT

You know of this mom-flap? A.k.a. the spare tire, the c-section remnant roll, the muffin top. Crabmommy, who coined the term, is tired of hers and she has issued a challenge. Five minutes of abdominal exercises daily to banish the flap for good. She put out a call to her readers, and is now on week two, but not especially happy with how it's all going. And this is where a sister wants to help a sister out.

Yeah, I'm a fitness dork and a personal trainer, so I figured it'd be good to share some evil moves and a little strategy towards her goal. But first, I really, really have to emphasize something, even though it already came up in the comments thread.

You can't spot tone. Well, actually you can, but no one will see the fruits of your hard work if there is a layer of fat over the newly strengthened muscles. And the way to get rid of fat? There's a few, but most involve a combination of cardio exercise (running, biking, swimming, etc.) and nutritional choices. Oh, and for many of us, walking 20 minutes a day is not going to be sufficient for our goals. See, many of us hold fat in our hips and thighs, and many of us hold it around our middle, and wherever you hold it, it'll be the first fat to come back and the last to go. Sorry. Life's a bitch.

But that doesn't mean you should neglect the ab set, cuz stronger abs help your cardio and your whole damn life. It's your core strength. baby. So here's five minutes of hard core. And one more thing: Since lots of us don't get the aesthetic results we want, especially in the time frame we'd like, I am a big fan of setting stuff up so you also get to see your strength progress. It's positive feedback, and I sure need it.

Sooo, I'd do these exercises for time. See how many reps you can do, and try and shoot for more reps each week, or increase your time. Oh, and ask your doctor first, and never even think of suing me because I have NO money. And if you have diastasis recti (and you probably know it because you'll see a ridge or feel a separation between your abs) then really, go for a specialized program.

1. Do 30 seconds of full sit ups. If you can't do any, try having someone hold your feet. Work up to doing them with no one holding your feet. You can also use a weighted ball and bring your arms overhead while you lay flat, then use the momentum to help you get up. I know sit ups aren't in vogue, but hey, do the Pilates version if you can then. I still like them because you can crank them out fast, elevate your heart rate, and have lots of variations (while holding weight, slow, fast, legs flat, decline, and so on.)

2. Do 30 seconds of bicycle crunches. Bring your knee to your opposite elbow while you extend the other leg; then switch in a cycling motion. You should feel it in your obliques. It should be hard, and as fast as you'd go if you were actually cycling. Make it hurt. Yeah.

3. Do 30 seconds of straight leg lifts. Lay flat, and put your hands, palms down, under your back where your booty starts to support your back. Keeping your legs straight, bring them up to a 90 degree angle, then lower them almost to the floor. If this hurts your lower back, try bending your knees and decreasing the range of motion.

Repeat 1, 2, and 3.

4. Do 10 push ups, or as many push ups as you can. From your feet. Yes it is hard at first, and yes, it works your arms, but Crabmommy suggested it and I love the idea because you do have to hold your core tight for these. Consider the 100 push up challenge.

5. Hold plank for one minute. You can do this from the top of the push up position, or from your forearms. Abs tight. Have someone check you to make sure you are flat like a board, and not dipping your hips down or sticking your booty in the air. Add ten seconds every week if you can. Try side plank on alternate days for a super good time.

Extra credit: If you have a pull up bar or are at the park and see some monkey bars handy, hang from the bar and bring your knees up to your chest; then lower your legs sloooowly to avoid swinging and do the next rep without touching the ground in between. Go for 15. 20. Do the side version too. Have fun. This one is great for some folks with bad backs who have trouble with lower ab stuff.

Now go forth and dare people to punch you in the gut.

They Say: Day Camp and Cheese Fries

Adrienne Martini — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Today marks the last day of school in my Northeasterly neck of the woods. While my oldest is celebrating because she can sleep in -- I swear that I am raising a hibernating bear, I did my little dance of joy because I wasn't going to have to pack another flippin' lunch for two+ whole months. Speaking of lunch, experts caution that summertime is the right time for all kids to put on weight.

It turns out that schools aren't 100 percent to blame for the ongoing childhood obesity epidemic. It's really summer's fault. According to this study, discussed by my BFF Tara Parker-Pope, lack of supervision and easy access to snacks leads to hot weather weight gain. Chuck day camp food into the mix and you've got a recipe for a larger kid by the time school starts back again.

Like most studies, it's hard to draw absolute conclusions from one set of data but this one seems to hold intuitive water. I know I spent summers as a kid eating nothing but hot dogs and chips, chased with several dozen cups of Kool-Aid. How about you?

Illo credit: Stuart Bradford

Gasp! Childhood Obesity Not Exploding

Kelly Mills — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:10:00 GMT

Hey, remember how a little while back we were told childhood obesity was a horrific epidemic ravaging the land? And then every thirty seconds or so a study and accompanying news story would appear, saying that juice or distant mothers or text messaging was one of the causes? (Side note: News outlets almost always use one of maybe three pictures of overweight kids for these stories. I do hope those kids are getting royalties or something.) It seemed like you almost couldn't go a week without at least one "such-and-such is contributing to the fattening of our youth" story appearing somewhere.

Well, now there's more news in the kid and weight front. Apparently childhood obesity has leveled off. In fact, the rates of obesity have remained basically unchanged since 1999. The experts say it's too soon to get all hopeful, but maybe public health campaigns are perhaps responsible for the leveling. I don't know--I'd like to hear an alternative theory. Oh, but racial and economic disparities do persist, and poor folks and those in certain ethnic groups are still more likely to be obese. And we can probably in part thank the fast food industry and the dearth of healthy food options in lower income communities for that.

Best of FameCrawler: Week of May 9th

Whit Honea — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Hello, Harlow!

Sheyla Hershey's Got Big (Size FFF) Dreams

Nicole Kidman: DUMPED

Elisabeth Hasselbeck's Post Baby Bikini Bod!

Secrets of How Celebrity Moms Lost Their Baby Weight

Britney Finally Gets Her Boys

Oh My God That Britney's Shameless: Oops, She Did It AGAIN?

Pregnant Posh! Beckham Baby on the Way!

Sarah Jessica Parker's Pregnancy News!

Laura Fay Is N.Y. Rep. Vito Fossella's Baby Mama

Controversy: Weight, For Beauty Queens And New Moms

Amy S.F. Lutz — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:01:00 GMT

In this corner, Brooke Burke, gorgeous celebrity mom who still looks fab in a bikini after four babies! In this corner, Chloe Marshall, first "overweight" contestant to compete for the title of Miss England!

Okay, ladies, we want a fair fight here, so no eye-gouging, no hair-pulling, no raising false expectations, hawking useless products, or encouraging young girls to eat themselves into a diabetic coma.

Let's get ready to RUMBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Given how preoccupied we as a society are with weight (especially women's weight), it's hardly news that two of the most popular posts this week questioned what it means to be healthy. And I have to say it was nice to read so many comments on both Jen's and Kelly's posts defending Kelly's claim that "a diversity of shapes and sizes are lovely," including Katrina's note, "A young woman who eats well, exercises regularly, and has a body type that is larger than the average super model is exactly who I want my daughter to recognize, respect, and relate to!"

There also seemed to be a general consensus that body shape is a product more of nature than nurture, and that it's unrealistic for most women to think they can diet into a size 0 - except for Treespeed, who accused Jen of being "bitter" and "catty," in her post on Brooke Burke, stating, "Just because you can't make it happen doesn't mean it can't be done."

I hate to engage in any reductive, feminist rhetoric, but did anyone else think Treespeed's point of view made a lot more sense once he revealed that he is a man?

What I'm wondering is how deep this embrace of Chloe Marshall goes. That is, we may be all rooting for her on principle, but how many of us, despite Katrina's comment, really want our daughters to be the overweight contestant at the beauty pageant? My daughters are beautiful and smart, but Brooke Burke's genes don't inform even one branch of the family tree. And I have to admit, although I don't let them know it, I'm monitoring their weight very carefully. It has nothing to do with health, because, as Kelly notes, recent research suggests that being somewhat overweight isn't as much of a health problem as it's been made out to be by the press. It's all about the social angle. I don't want any of my kids to be the "fat kid" in the class. Kids are cruel enough without giving them obvious targets.

Does that make me a hypocrite? I'm just trying to protect my kids and boost them as much as I can. After all, their last name is Lutz - as in, rhymes with "klutz" and "sluts." They're going to need all the help they can get.

Should an "Overweight" Beauty Pageant Contestant Be a Role Model for Young Girls?

Kelly Mills — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:02:00 GMT

Monica Grenfell is horrified. Why? Well, see, this year's Miss England contest has a fairly unique finalist: Chloe Marshall, a size 16 (about a size 14 in U.S. sizes.) Seventeen-year-old Marshall has been quite outspoken about wanting to be "an ambassador for curves" and demonstrate to young girls that it isn't necessary to be a size zero. She says she eats healthy food and exercises regularly. Grenfell, however, is a dietician and she hopes Chloe doesn't win. "It would send an appalling--and very dangerous--message to other young women that it's OK to be fat." She adds that Chloe is a terrible role model and says charmingly, "Who on earth does she think she's kidding? What she's demonstrating isn't bravery but a shocking lack of self-control. Instead of flaunting her figure, Chloe ought to own up to the truth. She is fat and she got that way by over-eating." Nice.

Grenfell makes the point that we don't have an anorexia epidemic, we have an obesity epidemic, and that the last thing girls need to hear is that it's okay to be overweight because it puts you at risk for health problems like Type 2 diabetes and heart attacks. Mmm hmm. Well, we could debate that one all day, but there is certainly no consensus among researchers that obesity itself is the cause of the problems. In other words, the real issue is poor eating habits and a lack of physical activity, not the weight itself. And we certainly have a plethora of extremely thin role models for girls right now, role models whose bodies are not a realistic goal for many of the most active, healthy-eating girls in the world.

But beyond that, do girls really need the message that a diversity of shapes and sizes are lovely? You've probably already guessed what I think about that. Hell yes. And while we may not have an anorexia "epidemic" (curse that word) the extremely adverse health effects of eating disorders are well-documented. And by the way, most eating disorder stats only deal with the most obvious examples, while plenty of researchers are discovering that even young girls are using extreme measures to try and get thin, often unsuccessfully, with lord knows what long-term health consequences. I guess that's why I think Monica Grenfell should go f*ck herself for tearing into a brave teenage girl, and while I don't love beauty pageants, I'll be cheering for Chloe.

Your Girls Can Be "Bimbos" Online!

Kelly Mills — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:02:00 GMT

Sometimes you see stuff and think, "Is this fer real?" When I read about the Miss Bimbo game, I kept thinking, "Oh, in a minute they'll say the game is for adults." But no, in fact the majority of the 200,000 players are between the ages of 7 and 17. But let me back up: There's a virtual "fashion" game for girls where they get a "Bimbo" and have to navigate her through boob jobs and diets and so on to make her the coolest bimbo of all. Girls can dress their dolls in sexy outfits for clubbing, and are encouraged to keep them waif thin through diet pills and plastic surgery. Niiiice.

Most of the accounts I read focused on the weight and cosmetic horrors of the game, but I personally was more disturbed by the fact that the bimbos are supposed to find a rich boyfriend so they don't have to work. Like, it's one of the goals of the game. Now that is just creepy. For god's sake, we don't even read "Cinderella" without some irritable commentary about how Cinderella ought to stand up for herself instead of waiting to be rescued. So the idea of having girls finding a sugar daddy through the game is icky. It simultaneously asks them to identify with and look down on the bimbos, and frankly, it seems strangely angry to me.

Here's the best quote from the game's creator: "It is not a bad influence for young children. They learn to take care of their bimbos. The missions and goals are morally sound and teach children about the real world." Frigging excuse me? But it goes on: "The breast operations are just one part of the game and we are not encouraging young girls to have them, just reflecting real life." Well, that's a relief. For a minute there I was worried. Yeah, these are totally the lessons I want my kids to learn. Why does it smell so strongly of misogyny in here?

Firefighter's Wife: I Killed Him Because He Called Me Fat

Brett Singer — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 23:00:00 GMT

Ah, the New York Post. Where would we be without you? This story isn't exactly "Headless Body in Topless Bar," but it's still quality tabloid fodder.

Here's the scoop: in December of 2007, Janet Redmond-Mercereau called 911 and reported that her husband, Staten Island Fire Marshall Douglas Mercereau, was dead. Two days later, the Post referred to her as "the elephant in the room" because of suspicions that she had murdered Douglas because of "humiliating fat jokes he made at her expense." On Saturday (3/22/08) she was charged with murder.

Now comes the defense. Her lawyer says that "her husband had been verbally abusive after she gained weight because of a thyroid condition." The prosecution says, "We believe [the abuse] not to be true."

I know it's just a quote and could be out of context. But let's say, just for a moment, that it was true. That her husband had called her "Fatty McFatso." That she was wearing a t-shirt from Guess and he said, "I don't know, 245? 260?" (That last line I swiped from a comedian whose name I can't remember.) If he did that, she can kill him?

Well, no. But Andrea Peyer has a column warning guys to "be careful" when they poke fun at the little woman for not being so little. Still, to me it seems like a pretty thin defense strategy. (Pun intended.)

It does seem that the accused is a tad, shall we say, unhinged. A The New York Times story says that she had an oak tree in their yard chopped down because Douglas' family compared him to it at the funeral. The Staten Island Advance quotes Janet as saying, "I feel like a model," to a photographer when he arrived at her home to get a photo. And The Post describes her as "winking" to her family at the arraignment.

For the record, Janet is listed at 5' 3" and 240 pounds. But I'm not saying a word about that. Just in case she's acquitted.

Girl Scout Cookies--Now With Calorie Burning Tips!

Kelly Mills — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:06:00 GMT

Hey, guess what? The Girl Scouts are going to start putting out cookies in 100 calorie packs. That's okay, right? I mean, that's like one Samoa per package... Oh, but wait: The 5 Resolutions Blog just alerted us that the packs are also going to have tips for girls to burn calories. Well, thank god, because I so want my daughter to know exactly how to obliterate the potential weight she might put on from those Thin Mints. Never to young to start counting calories, right?

Sigh. Think I'm overreacting? Well, the packages say things like, "Girls can burn calories and have fun with 30 minutes of activities like these: Ice Skating—126 calories. Gymnastics—72 calories…" Hmmm, I like gymnastics, but maybe I should take up ice skating because when you compare the caloric burn potential of each... How much would I hate it if my child thought, "Wow, skipping rope. That's worth an apple and half a pack of cookies, as long as I do it for 22 minutes." Look, I'm not against encouraging healthy eating and moderation, but good lord, we need to start doing this one differently. Do we have to turn our little girls into calorie-conscious weight-obsessed wrecks at every turn? Repeat after me: Being active and playing and participating in sports are great because they are fun and make your body feel good. Oh, and f*ck the calories. Now put that in your 100 calorie pack and eat it.

Newsflash: Public Weigh-ins Not So Comfortable

Madeline Holler — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 14:32:00 GMT

Turns out, women tend not to like being weighed in public. Oh wait, you already knew that. Because you hate it too!

The side effects of public weighings -- and we're talking at the doctor's office, not reality shows -- may be causing more than moments of humiliation or heads whipping around to give you the once-over.

The problem is, some women, particuarly those who are really tipping the scales, may avoid necessary tests and treatments so that they can avoid stepping on the scales in front of the entire medical reception staff and/or waiting area.

Results of a new study from the University of Pennsylvania, which found that women hate it more than men, include the recommendation for some inexpensive changes in clinic policies. Namely, not weighing patients in front of others. (Brilliant!)

Here's something else they found (this, you may not actually know already):

... [O]bservers generally overestimate women’s weight while women tend to believe that people are underestimating their weight due to slimming clothes or cosmetics. This means that, while women in the study demonstrated they do not want people to know their weight, their true weight was lower than others’ estimates and a public weighing would correct the misperception.

It's always surprising to me when the scale at the doctor's office is in a high-traffic area. Or when the say your weight out loud in front of others. Can't they just jot it down, lips sealed?

Tell us your embarassing weigh-in stories, including those from your younger, more delicate years. Or, if you're skinny, this is an opportunity to gloat.

Photo: ScienceDaily.com

Weekly Check-Up: Messy House Making You Fat?

Kelly Mills — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:31:00 GMT

Hmmm, is it just a coincidence that two of the first things to go when many people have kids are standards of house cleanliness and, well, the ass? Oh please. Apparently one of Oprah's special friends believes an untidy home can keep you fat. "Clutter expert" (do you need a Master's degree for that) Peter Walsh says he was stunned to discover that when people got organized, they also started making healthy food choices. I suppose a skeptical person could point out that our society's current fixation with obesity might make "it helps you lose weight!" a key selling point for all kinds of stuff, like, say, a book on home organization, but we can't find our skeptics under all these piles of papers and empty fast food containers.

So, how exactly does clutter keep you heavy? Well, er, that part isn't real scientifically clear, something about loving yourself and clearing room to do away with emotional eating and having a nice, clean space to cook healthy foods and exercise. Totally. Did anyone mention that housework burns calories? Why, it's all so clear! Feel lighter when you do away with extra junk in your house, and those extra pounds won't be far behind at all. They will just fall away. Now, if only my habit of exercising somehow made my house neater, I'd be stoked. And incidentally, I could go a million years without ever having to hear the phrases "healthy food choices" and "the real you" again.

Parents and Teens Don't Recognize Weight Problem

Kelly Mills — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 20:32:00 GMT

Yet another study found that parents of overweight teens don't identify the kids as being overweight, and the kids don't see a problem either. There's been a whole slew of these "parents don't know kids are fat" things lately. When both groups were asked if they thought the adolescents, who all have type 2 diabetes, were "very overweight, slightly overweight, about right, slightly thin, or very thin?" only 41 percent of the parents and 35 percent of the kids reported 'very overweight', even though 87 percent were considered overweight by accepted standards. The researchers say this is a problem because recognition of a weight problem is the first step in making lifestyle and diet changes. But, well, I gotta cry "bullshit" on this one.

Frankly, I do still have some trouble accepting the premise that in this weight-obsessed society, the teenagers involved don't have any idea they might be overweight, even if the parents are blind to it. But let's assume this study is valid: Is it in fact necessary for the kids and parents to acknowledge weight problems in order to make changes? Personally I don't think so, and I believe focusing on weight as a measure of health is foolish anyway. After all, this is a group who has type 2 diabetes (linked with being overweight) and you're telling me that explaining diet and exercise are crucial to diabetes management and even reversal is not good enough? These kids have a disease that gives them incentive and reason to make lifestyle changes that would almost certainly result in weight loss. That's more important than highlighting weight, and trust me, they'll get the weight message from many different sources for the rest of their lives.

Strollerderby Playdate: Doggie Style

Adrienne Martini — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 18:29:00 GMT

Show of hands - how many moms looked at their post-baby belly and immediately started to sob? How many were doing the same thing a year later? How many are making peace with how things in the boob-and-belly region are now? How many of you find keeping your hand in the air is aerobic exercise enough?

You are not alone. You know this, of course, but sometimes it's nice to read about someone going through the exact same issue who is able to eloquently express the struggle. Which is why we're playdating with Hillari Dowdle, a former Managing Editor of Cooking Light and Yoga Journal, who now blogs for Fit Pregnancy.

You know when she gets here we're all going to sit down and chat about House reruns, Hershey's Kisses, when baby weight just becomes weight, regression and downward dogs. I'll bring a yoga mat, my wobbly glutes and mojitos.

Phobic Kids Fear Fat

Karen Murphy — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:26:00 GMT

Thin is in, and even kids know it. How could they not? The messages are undeniable, and they're everywhere, even in their own homes. After all, kids are fatter than ever before, right? And there's been a huge outpouring of time, energy, and money into programs to save our fat kids from getting fatter. But there's also the flip side, that all this fat-o-phobia is turning regular-sized kids into mini stick insects.

Adults everywhere are focused not only on looking good but on feeling good, too, but this focus on food consumption, health, and exercise trickles down to the kids who distill it and concentrate it into their own personal anorexia-making mantras. And while dropping 15 or 20 pounds in even a thin Mom or Dad won't make a huge overall difference, weight loss in kids can easily escalate into malnutrition and illness. When my older son was 8 he had a stomach virus that kept him from eating for a few days; a 5-lb loss on most kids wouldn't have been a big deal but on my already stick-thin kid it turned him nearly skeletal (he gained it back easily after he began eating again, but it was a huge wakeup call that let me know that my kids just don't have much latitude for such things). And other regular-sized or thinner kids are rapidly becoming too thin when they try to eat less or even lose weight.

Signs your kid may be obsessed with weight and heading into eating-disorder territory:

1. Avoiding eating with the family.

2. Constantly complaining their stomach hurts or they aren't hungry.

3. Being cold and tired most of the time.

(here's a list of warning signs associated more with teens)

Sadly, most weight-obessed parents don't realize that all kids need is to eat a good amount of quality foods, avoid a lot of junk, and play a lot. Period. Oh, and that their own obession is sending their kids a message.

Photo: www.gospellightbc.com

Don't Say This Stuff To a Pregnant Woman

Kelly Mills — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:34:00 GMT

People like to go on and on about how pregnancy makes women crazy (knowing wink) but in fact, I think it must have some sort of impact on people in the vicinity of the burgeoning mama, perhaps a hormonal contact high of sorts. My evidence for this theory is the sheer number of dumbass things people say and do to pregnant women. It's like all social filters fall away and people feel real comfortable in commenting on things like weight and sex--not to mention the grabby manhandling of the belly. The Poop tackled some of the ways significant others can "open mouth, insert foot" but we all know strangers and family are equally guilty of the obnoxiousness.

Judging by the comments, weight and size remarks are among the most common of crimes (my fav: saying someone looked like she was carrying a litter) as are queries about conception and the amount of barfing taking place. Birth horror stories are also right up there, and probably should be outright banned, as should any advice about what a women should or should not consume during her baby-building time. Really, if you wouldn't say it to a women when she wasn't pregnant, it's probably wise to keep your yap shut, and then some. Just not a good time to think about future siblings, projected weight loss, or whether pregnant ladies should be designated drivers.

Share anything particularly heinous you heard as well.

Unpopular and Fat: A Scientific Fact

Madeline Holler — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 18:43:00 GMT

Which came first, the social isolation or the excess pounds?

A new study looking to, I don't know, dredge up the deeply buried insecurities of grown women and/or convince parents to homeschool their kids has found that the less popular a girl perceives herself to be the more weight she'll gain during the teenage years. Conjuring images, no doubt, of the lonely sophomore eating a pint of ice-cream in a darkened kitchen while her cellphone never rings. Ugh!

The study: researchers recorded a pack of 15-year-olds' BMIs and had them determine which rung on the picture of 10-rung ladder they might be standing. A few years later, they calculated the grown girl-now-woman's BMI. Those who rated themselves along the bottom half of the ladder were 69 percent more likely to gain an excess of 11 pounds (there were allowances made for expected weight gain for the still-growing group of girls).

But here's what I find pretty interesting:

The researchers put the girls into two groups: the 4,264 who said they were on rung 5 or above, and the 182 who said they were on rung 4 or below. The weight gain link was based on those two groups.

That's a pretty small group who ranked themselves so low, isn't it? What I'd like to know is whether the lower your rank yourself the more you gained or more likely you were to gain, that kind of thing. And does the 182 number represent the expected percentage to be clinically depressed or whatever? I mean, is popularity the key here?

Of course, there is more work to be done.

Clea McNeely of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health called the study strong. She said she wanted to know more about the 4 percent of girls who rated themselves below average in popularity, particularly whether they already were gaining weight faster before they rated themselves as unpopular.

Now, what I'd really like to know is whether anyone who ranked herself at the top of the ladder wound up super obese. Because I'm bitter like that.

Be All Healthy In Pregnancy and Your Baby Might Grow Up To Be A Cowboy. Or Healthy. One of the Two.

Kelly Mills — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:08:00 GMT

I'm sure there are many pregnant women out there thinking to themselves, "Should I eat well, exercise, and take care of this little life growing in my womb, or should I only eat Pringles and sit on my behind all day?" If so, there's a piece here that might tip the scales. Turns out that eating well in pregnancy might not only result in a healthy baby, but might also help your child grow up to be a healthy adult. Why, Rachel made a list of reminders for herself should she ever get knocked up again: "1. leave off crack smoking, 2. stop running more than 15 miles per day in the 8th month, and 3. avoid kickboxing and bikram yoga." And I told myself, "Froot Loops over JD and Coke is not a nutritious breakfast." See, we help with the hard choices here.

But one thing I want to point out amidst all the obesity-very-bad news items: you don't do your baby any favors if you don't get enough to eat. Insufficient diet or nutrient-poor diets are just as bad as gaining too much weight. (Somebody tell key neighborhoods in Los Angeles!) And the article also points out that your best bet is to be in top shape pre-baby. So it pays to take care of yourself on every level for your whole darn life. Yes, health is actually good, or so the experts say, anyway.

Trimming Your Mummy Tummy, the Witty British Way

Patti — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 13:01:00 GMT

A friend of mine once swore that her weight issues were a direct result of being raised to clean her plate. When she had children of her own and swore she'd never lay that trip on them, she found herself cleaning their plates instead, and the next thing you knew she had fifteen pounds she couldn't shake. It took her forever to figure out where they came from and why the treadmill wasn't helping.

Me, my kids eat like birds and I only put three bites on their plate at a time in order to avoid having to throw anything out. But I'm not immune: if they snub half of their cookie because it's oatmeal and not chocolate chip, I'm gonna eat that. If I put out a bowl of Goldfish for a playdate, it's a sure bet I ate half the bag while I was waiting for our friends to arrive.

This, according to British experts as well as pretty much every parenting magazine I have ever had the misfortune to read, is not good. But fear not: you can trick yourself out of all the bad snacky habits that you risk forming when you live in a house of kids, and form some better habits along the way, and maybe say goodbye to that half-bag of Goldfish that's spilling out over your waistband.

I must say though, the upside of Bay Area parenting is the pressure to feed your children primarily "good" snacks, which tend not to be very appetizing to me. I can't remember the last time I ate an organic fruit-and-cereal bar in order to save it from the bin, and I'd rather have bamboo shoots shoved under my finger nails than eat Booty. If I would just commit to buying the vastly inferior Annie's Bunnies instead of the delicious and oh-so-salteriffic Goldfish, I'd probably be muffin-top free and ready to rock.

Strollerderby Playdate: Attack of the Fitness Blogs, Part Deux

Kelly Mills — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 11:02:00 GMT

We had so much fun playing with the fitness bloggers last week, so let's make another date. Dude, that baby weight is so coming off! Well, at the very least there's folks to commiserate with when it stubbornly sticks. Nothing better than sitting on your behind and reading about healthy living. By the way, you may have heard the term "fat bloggers" for people who chronicle weight loss stories or just write about nutrition and stuff. I'm campaigning to change the term to "floggers".

The Diet Blog always breaks down the fads and fictions that circulate in the health world. Vet through them before you start the "Only-Parsley-and-Chicken-Breast" diet.

Back in Skinny Jeans would never tell you to do anything she wouldn't do herself.

Crabby at Cranky Fitness never fails to crack me up. Someday we'll eat cake together.

If you feel like watching some folks just like you do some really extraordinary things, visit the Ice Chamber blog. Plus there's lots of sweeties there.

Or check out the great craziness at Straight to the Bar. Superhuman people doing the impossible.

Courtney Love Gets Welcomed Back Into the Fold by Celebrity Parents

Kelly Mills — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:06:00 GMT

There are very few sins that can get you kicked out of the superstar parents club: stints in rehab won't do it, dressing your kids inappropriately gets the green light, and even neglecting to properly restrain your little angels is no big thing. However, parent Courtney Love really slipped up when she committed the ultimate celebrity sin: she gained a lot of weight. Now all that sordid business is behind her, and she’s dropped almost 50 pounds. The red carpet mamas and papas wasted no time welcoming her back into the fold. Gwyneth Paltrow, a.k.a. Moses and Apple's mama, enjoyed a nice meal of maybe one raw piece of asparagus and a sprig of organic parsley with her at the restaurant Cut. They bonded over yoga, the weight loss workout of the stars. As a fitness fanatic, I have yet to see anyone shed pounds with lightening speed by doing sun salutations. Perhaps "yoga" is actually the secret celebrity code word for gastric bypass?

Even TomKat, presumably out on date night, stopped by to gush about her weight loss triumph. The Tom half squeezed Love and said, "You look like a movie star!" (Hey, wasn't his wife going to be one of those before she married him?) I assume the Kat half beamed her glassy-eyed smile and said, "I love my life, I love my child, I love my daughter, I'm not even the slightest bit unhappy or suffocated or brainwashed. Happy, happy, la la la. No need to rescue me from this golden prison, no sir..."

Does anyone know if Courtney is still sober? Is she taking good care of Frances Bean? Who cares! She's really thin now. That's all you need to know. Take this lesson to heart, Tori Spelling, there's no excuse for holding onto the baby weight.