BEST DIET : LOSE WEIGHT WITH BEST TRICK

next time your alarm rings, you can hit the snooze button in good conscience: sleeping in can help you lose fat a study published Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine compared two groups of people who have tried to lose weight .. were randomly was assigned to sleep 5.5 hours each night for two weeks, while the other was able to sleep 8.5 hours. The study found that the group lack of sleep has higher levels of ghrelin - a hormone that drives appetite. The New York Times reports

"The bottom line is that if people are trying to diet and lose weight for health reasons, it makes sense to get an adequate amount of sleep, "said Dr. Plamen Penev D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and lead author of the study ." If they do not get enough sleep as they diet, they may have higher levels of hunger and be struggling to adhere to the plan. "

both groups lost about 6.5 lbs. over experience, but the well-rested group lost more weight fat, not muscle. ( more about Time.com: See a special report on overcoming obesity)

. note: the participants had to spend their hours of nightly sleep assigned to bed, but not necessarily sleep resting, it turns out, worked just as well.

The study was an insignificant sample size (only 10 adults), but the results were significant enough to warrant further investigation.

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people the Biggest Loser would probably agree that watching the weight loss show fulfills the inspiration. Seeing the fight obese candidates should encourage us to eat better, exercise and lose weight too. Turns out, however, that premise is that the right half -. At least according to a new study concluding that people can actually eat more after seeing overweight people

"Seeing someone drives overweight a temporary reduction in own felt commitment of a person to the health goal, "wrote the study authors Margaret C. Campbell and Gina S. Mohr of the University of Colorado Boulder (which is d Besides the most active city in the United States).

But why? It has to do with the "activation" stereotype, the study says. When people are exposed to group members that stereotypes attached to them, good or bad - as people eat a lot of fat, or Asians are good at math -. they become more likely to act in a manner that is consistent with the stereotype "for example , "the authors write," the results of college students on general knowledge questions increased after exposure to a teacher, but decreased after exposure to a dummy. "This is true even if the stereotyped behavior negative, even if it goes against the human values.

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This theory falls in line with a phenomenon that recent studies have called the "contagion effect" of obesity, suggesting that people who have fat friends are more likely to gain weight too. TIME reported the seminal 2007 study by Dr. Nicholas Christakis, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and James Fowler, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego:

According to their analysis when a friend of a study participant became obese, that first participant had 57% more likely to become obese themselves. In pairs of people in which each identified the other as a close friend, when a person became obese the other had a 171% more likely to follow suit. "You are what you eat is not the end of history," says Fowler. "You are what you eat and your friends."

...

The obvious question is?. Why spouses share meals and a backyard, but the researchers found a much lower risk of gaining weight - a 37% increase - when one spouse became obese siblings share genes, but their influence, too, was much lower, which increases the risk of 40% of the other Fowler believes the effect has much more to do with social norms. we seek to considering appropriate social behavior. Having fat friends makes being fat seem more acceptable. "Your spouse may not be the person you look when you decide what kind of body image is appropriate, how much to eat or how much exercise, "says Fowler. And we do not necessarily compare to our brothers and sisters. "We can choose our friends," said. "We do not choose our families."

(Moreover, the contagion effect also works with weight loss, quitting smoking and happiness, Christakis and Fowler found.)

the current study suggests another reason for the effect - activation of social stereotypes with respect to the confirmation of social standards - which means you do not have overweight people in your social network near to influence your behavior. Even a fleeting glance of a person unknown overweight - which happens more than you may notice, given that 67% of the population of the United States meets the clinical definition of overweight or obesity. - Could trigger behaviors stereotypically as overeating overweight

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Campbell and Mohr developed a series of five experiments to determine the impact of the mere sight of an overweight person. In the first, researchers recruited people walking in a lobby on campus, and showed them pictures of a woman is overweight or normal weight, or a lamp. The respondents, average age 25, were asked to evaluate the photos for future studies (a fictitious task), then were allowed to use a candy bowl as a "thank you" for their time.

Those who saw the photo of the overweight woman took a lot more candy (on average 2.2 pieces) than those who saw the weighted normal woman or the lamp (on average 1.5 rooms ).

Subsequent experiments because researchers "taste tests cookies". As in the first experiment, participants were first primed with pictures of either the overweight or normal weight, or a neutral image as a tree. Then they were asked to assess the cookies by tasting of at least one (but up to eight) presented biscuits on a plate. People who looked at pictures of overweight woman eating a lot more witnesses than those who were exposed to the thinner woman. The difference held up regardless of sex or weight of the participants.

Interestingly, however, there were some factors that interfered with overfeeding induced fat person. In one case, using pictures of overweight people actually eat. Although participants ate more cookies after seeing overweight people simple portraits, they ate less when shown overweight people eating. The difference is that the first active condition only a stereotype - probably subconsciously - while the latter establishes a more open relationship between diet and weight. "It may be necessary to pay attention to be distracted person's weight," the researchers write. "If a consumer considers belonging to a stereotype (eg," this person is overweight "), the effect of stereotypes of behavior ... can be mitigated. "

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Another way researchers stopped people from eating more: simply remind them of their own health goals. When asked study participants to write for three minutes about their health goals (in relation to their country of origin) before eating cookies, they ended up eating the same amount regardless of they watched a portrait of a woman overweight or thin.

"The fi our research findings are compatible with the spread of overweight through social networks," concluded the researchers, whose study was published in the Journal of Consumer Research. "people see in person and in photos, the people with whom they have close social ties. When other nearby are overweight, our research suggests that the activation of the stereotype could lead to an increase food consumption compared to when others nearby are from a healthy weight simply see someone overweight can increase the power. "

back to the Biggest Loser . The show helps healthier behaviors in rapid viewers can depend on which segment they watch. If you just tuning in to the end of weighing show, maybe not. But if you also look at the competitors eating and exercise for weight loss, it might actually be a good motivation.

Advice authors to stay on track: be aware. Consciously think about your personal health goals before starting to eat can help to refrain from overindulging.

When it comes to maintain your weight, a new study by Harvard researchers suggests that the quality of your food is more important than the number of calories.

Intuitively, we know that gorging on burgers and French fries and slurping down soda leads to more weight gain than eating fresh fruits, vegetables and brown rice . But in the most comprehensive and detailed study of its kind, researchers have understood exactly how much weight gain is associated with the consumption of certain foods.

The worst offenders were chips, which leads to more weight gain per serving than any other food, the study found. The best food for your waistline? Surprisingly, yogurt.

It is important, of course, how many total calories you take each day, but the authors say the age-old advice simply "eat less and exercise more" may be naive. For weight control over the long term - adults gain about a pound a year on average - the study suggests that people benefit more by focusing on diet right rather than less

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"In diet, conventional wisdom often recommended by" everything in moderation ", putting emphasis only on calories consumed, "said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, associate professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Harvard medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, and lead author of the study. "Our results demonstrate that the quality of the diet - the types of foods and beverages we consume. - Is strongly linked to weight gain "

For each additional serving of potato chips eaten in a day, for example, people gained 1.69 pounds every four years Baked, boiled, mashed.. or fried french, each additional serving of potatoes was associated with an average of 1.28 lbs weight gain (considered separately, the fries were particularly unhealthy, linked to more than 3 lbs. of only gain). for complete the top five most fattening foods were sugary drinks, red meat and processed red meat, each associated with about 1 pound of weight gain every four years.

So why apples land particularly fattening? it's not clear. their next meal. other starches and refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white rice, low in fiber breakfast cereals, sweets and desserts can affect the body the same way, he said. (On average, the study showed that foods that have fallen into the "refined grains" and "sweets and desserts" categories were associated with slightly less of a weight gain half a pound.)

the results are based on data from three large trials, long-term government-funded research to diet, lifestyle and health in adults: study on the health of nurses nurses, who followed 121.701 women since 1976; health Study II nurses, which followed 116.686 women since 1989; and healthcare professionals follow-up Study, which includes 51.529 people registered in 1986. the new analysis includes . 20 years of data on 120.877 men and women in these three cohorts researchers tracked changes in lifestyle and food habits of the participants - and weight -. Every four years

in overall, participants gained 3.35 lbs., Or 2.4% of their body weight, in each four-year interval. In the 20 years of follow up, which amounted to a nearly 17-lb. hiking to scale.

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The data also showed that the consumption of high quality specific foods has been linked to a gain less weight over time ?. In fact, more daily servings people ate fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and yogurt, less weight they gained. The discovery of yogurt - each additional day portion prevented 0.82 lbs. weight gain - was unexpected, Mozaffarian said:

While the plan was the "It deserves much more attention to determine if this is the cause and effect and, if so, why." more strongly associated with weight gain, lifestyle mattered too. The exercise was a great; those who most increased the amount they exercised gained 1.76 fewer pounds than those whose exercise habits changed the least. Sleep is also a factor: people who slept less than six hours or more than eight hours a night were more likely to gain more weight. And alcohol appeared to be an effective fattening, with each additional drink per day associated with 0.41 lbs of weight gain every four years.

Like many previous studies, the Harvard research found an association between television viewing and weight ballooning. "Watching TV has closer links with weight gain than other sedentary activities," says Mozaffarian, probably because it encourages snacking at once while watching and then, due to the influence of advertisements . food "Turning off the TV is very important - especially to improve the diet If the television is to be monitored, then it should be done without eating any food advertising or drink"

the study found that while individual food choices have had modest effects on weight, diet and lifestyle changes as a whole accounted for large differences in the long term: people who made the least dietary changes gained nearly 4 lbs. more every four years than those who made the most of these changes them. "Small dietary lifestyle changes and others may well make a big difference - for bad or good." Said Mozaffarian "This makes it very easy to gradually gain weight unintentionally, but also means that little attention a handful of dietary lifestyle and other changes can prevent this. "

the point is that you should think about your diet and lifestyle in a holistic manner. changes in health should not be large, but they should be many would be unwise to assume that simply cutting chips, and do nothing else magically make you thin -.. but it's a good start

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the finding chips, Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University and author of Food Policy noted that the weight gain associated with chips and potatoes did not follow closely with what we know about how typical American eats. For example, how is it that the potatoes have been associated with more weight gain as desserts such as cakes, cookies and pies, which are the main source of calories in the average diet?

She says she may have less to do with chips in itself and more to do with the fact that people who eat chips can eat more calories and more comprehensive undesirable; Conversely, people who eat foods like fruit and yogurt are probably more health conscious. "I think it is likely that chips and fries are markers for diets of junk, and yogurt is a marker for a healthy diet," says Nestle.

The study limitations, including that it relied on the statements of portion sizes and use different serving sizes between foods. it also included a fairly homogeneous population :. white, educated adults

But generally, Nestlé said the findings echo the advice of nutrition experts to eat well "the study has a clear and consistent message. if you want to gain weight, eat junk food and soft drinks. If you want to maintain a healthy weight, eat healthy foods. This means following the basic dietary recommendations and the selection of relatively unprocessed foods - vegetables, meat, dairy products, cereals, fruit. And not drinking too much alcohol.

"It is not that calories do not count, in fact, they do, but it is much easier to control calories by eating healthily and avoiding junk food and sodas to deceive you. thinking you can count them accurately, "she said.

The study appears in Thursday's edition of New England Journal of Medicine .

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If cannabis causes the snack foods, how is it possible that pot smokers are thinner than nonsmokers?

a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology is an interesting connection between marijuana use and body weight, indicating that rates obesity are lower by about a third in people who smoke pot at least three times a week, compared to those who use marijuana at all.

The researchers analyzed data from two large national surveys of the US population, which together included some 52,000 participants. In the first survey, they found that 22% of those who do not smoke marijuana were obese, compared to only 14% of regular smokers of marijuana. The second survey found that 25% of non-smokers were obese, compared to 17% of regular users of cannabis.

The association between smoking pot and the lowest risk of obesity remained strong even after adjusting for other factors that might affect body fat and health, such as smoking , age and sex. But the correlation between the weeds and the weight does not mean that marijuana actually causes weight loss.

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Many other factors could explain the connection. For example, some research finds that highly religious people are less likely to take drugs, but more likely to be obese - perhaps because they are substituting compulsive behavior (overeating) to the other ( smoking marijuana). Thus, some obese people in national surveys can be religious people, who might otherwise be heavy marijuana smokers, but overeating instead. This could make it look like marijuana is slimming.

also consider that one of the most popular uses of medical marijuana to stimulate appetite in people with cancer, AIDS or other diseases. These patients are far less likely to be obese than the general population -. In this case, weight loss precede or require the use of marijuana

Whatever the explanation for the link between marijuana and less obesity, it is unlikely that cannabis could be used as an effective food aid. For one, pot smoking has been shown to increase appetite in several studies, at least in the short term, so it probably would not help dieters resist.

Second, a drug that has the opposite effect of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, has itself been shown to help dieting. rimonabant called, at high doses the drug almost tripled the weight loss achieved by those taking a placebo. He also often caused severe depression and suicidal thoughts, though, so he was briefly approved by the European authorities, it was finally withdrawn.

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Of course, none of this explains why the marijuana smokers in the samples of the national survey did not get bigger? taking a drug that can clearly stimulate appetite. One factor may be the tolerance :. Many of the effects of marijuana are reduced in frequent users, as the body adjusts to it

Another may be the substitution - smokers could be looking for comfort by smoking more marijuana, rather than eating more. Or, perhaps other ingredients in cannabis such as cannabidiol (CBD) may reduce the effects of the growing appetite of THC in the same way they reduce his paranoia-inducing properties.

Whatever the case, looking for marijuana never fails to surprise

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Maia Szalavitz is a health writer at TIME.com. Find her on Twitter at @maiasz . You can also continue the discussion on TIME Healthland the Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIMEHealthland .

They say that old habits have a hard life . A new study in the Journal of Clinical Investigation ( JCI ) suggests that prolonged obesity can cause structural changes in the brain, altering responsible for maintenance of healthy weight parts and ultimately undermine your weight loss plans.

The result is consistent with a number of recent studies that suggest that each person can have a natural "set point" weight that our bodies are trying to maintain. But it was difficult to understand why overweight and obese should have their "set points" so high. The new JCI study is among the first to suggest physiological mechanisms that could prevent heavy people too heavy, even after they have started to make changes in healthy lifestyle.

"To explain a biologically elevated body weight 'set point' field investigators have speculated about the existence of fundamental changes to neurocircuits the brain that control energy balance," lead author the study, Michael Schwartz, told reporters. "Our results are the first to provide direct evidence of such a structural change, and include evidence in humans and in mice and rats."

Although Schwartz cautions that its results are not the final word, this is what the new study found:

Rodents who became obese in a diet rich in persistent developed fats " neuronal injury "in the hypothalamus - part of the brain that regulates many metabolic functions, including hunger and fatigue As mice and rats continued to eat junk food, their brains began to show. damage in the area that controls the weight control.

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Schwartz and colleagues then examined MRI scans of 34 obese humans, and found the same kind of injury among hypothalamus unusual raising the possibility that a common culprit may be at work in the promotion of obesity in speices.

The idea of ​​a body weight "set point" has promising implications for the treatment of obesity. Although it is well known that people will lose weight when they burn more calories than they consume, our bodies have many ways to adjust the calories we use during normal office day to day, as muscle repair. This means that even if someone can control his calorie consumption exactly, it can not control its total energy balance - or how much he eats less how it burns. - With the same kind of precision

In addition, changes in hormone levels can also promote or suppress appetite. A 2011 study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that when obese people lost weight, they usually known hormonal changes that lead to hunger, making it much more difficult to reduce calories and maintain the new lower weight.

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For obese then it seems like a vicious circle. Excess weight now means that if you manage to lose weight in the future, you still face potential challenges when trying to maintain that healthy weight. It is unclear from the study whether the change is reversible in the hypothalamus, but alterations may explain why people who were once heavy may struggle with hunger and find that the books slide back on so unexpected - and fast frustrating. Many studies confirmed that successful dieters often find much of their lost weight within one year of the diet - even when people are able to stay long-term diet. Seeing that weight back in turn can cancel the motivation for the future weight maintenance, and add to the vicious circle.

So is a diet a futile effort for those who are overweight? Not necessarily. You might be fighting not only your eating habits, but some very powerful biological signals to eat, eat, eat.

But even if you struggle with your weight, there is no reason to lose hope just yet. Lose all the weight is better than now lost eight, and Fitness and a good diet can make you feel energetic, healthier and happier even if you shed as much as you intended.

is that the second time is the charm for drug Qnexa diet? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review the data on the weight loss drug, again - an advisory group will meet on Wednesday - after rejecting the drug for approval once already in 2010.

Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted the agency initially 10-6 against Qnexa's approval over concerns that it may increase heart rate and cause birth defects - concerns the FDA still has the second time. According to the FDA's disclosure documents, the Advisory Committee will be asked Wednesday to consider whether the manufacturer of Qnexa, Vivus, should conduct a clinical trial on cardiovascular risk before approval - a move that could delay significantly its reach in the market. Vivus proposes to post-approval study.

The key question for the panel is whether Qnexa is effective for weight loss - clinical trials suggest that it is, although in the second year of a trial, participants regained some of the weight they lost within the first year - but if its potential side effects outweigh its benefits.

Qnexa is a combination of two existing drugs - phentermine, an appetite stimulant suppression, and topiramate, an antiepileptic drug that is usually prescribed to control epilepsy, but also affects the appetite.

To address these concerns, the manufacturer of Qnexa, Vivus, suggested the drug is approved only for use in men and in women of childbearing potential not. This type of labeling work around did not meet the FDA, however, and the agency has asked the company to find a way to prevent pregnant women from using it.

Qnexa is not the first, it will not be the last weight loss pill to get approval from the FDA. The market is ripe for a new drug to help Americans lose weight, "We're really going to Weight Watchers to bariatric surgery regarding treatment options," said Joseph Nadglowski, president of the Obesity Action Coalition , an advocacy group for patients in Tampa, Fla., in an interview with Bloomberg. "For many, this is a pretty big difference."

But the FDA has an uneven history with diet drugs and an ever growing bar for new weight loss remedies. After a brief history of the success of the diet drug industry, failures and near misses.

Amphetamines
The original diet of drugs date back to the 1950s Amphetamines simply worked by stimulating the metabolism around, cause the body to burn more calories faster. The problem - as with any energy system pushed to its limits - was that the cells are not made to burn, burn, burn. They eventually burn, leading to heart problems, chest pain, palpitations, insomnia and other health problems.

Amphetamines, which stimulate energy and mood are as addictive as they tap into the brain's reward system. After their potential for abuse occurred, US and European officials have banned most amphetamine based drugs, but the drug is still available, often hidden in the diet remedies in South America.

Fen-phen and Redux
A new drug combination fenfluramine appetite suppressant and existing phentermine, fen-phen was all the rage in the mid-1990s, leading to a loss of weight in hundreds of thousands of Americans. In 1996, after media attention, the FDA approved a related drug, dexfenfluramine as Redux, which was the same as fen-phen, but with fewer side effects. However, the side effects were always serious: in the summer of 1997, the FDA revealed that 82 patients had developed defects in their heart valves while on fen-phen, and seven patients came down with the same condition on Redux. Other patients developed pulmonary hypertension, a potentially fatal lung disease, and JAMA study confirmed previous reports that both fen-phen and Redux caused brain damage in laboratory animals . After millions of prescriptions written in 1997 both fenfluramine and Redux were withdrawn from the market.

sibutramine (Meridia)
Since amphetamines made too much risk of addiction and other side effects, researchers have begun to focus on ways to trick the brain into want less food. Sibutramine, approved in 1997, worked on brain chemicals that affect appetite by blocking the reuptake of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and serotonin, the drug may suppress the desire to eat and convince the body that it was full, helping dieters to lose 5% to 10% of their body weight in a few months. After studies showed users were more likely to develop heart problems and stroke, however, the drug was withdrawn from the market in 2010.

Lorcaserin (Lorqess)
Because sibutramine, lorcaserin focused on changing brain chemicals, especially serotonin, convincing the body it was full. But an FDA panel recommended in 2010 against the approval of the drug because studies in which female rats taking the drug developed an alarming number of mammary tumors. The committee also asked the manufacturer to Lorqess, Arena, to perform additional tests on the drug's effect on users with diabetes and heart disease, conditions that commonly affect those who are overweight.

Contrave
A combination of two drugs already approved the antidepressant drug bupropion and naltrexone anti-addiction pill, Contrave has got the nod of an advisory committee to the FDA, which voted 13-to 7 for approval in 2010, but was ultimately rejected by the body itself over concerns that the drug increased the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular problems. The FDA said the minimal weight loss experienced by users (4.2%) does not justify the potential cardiovascular risks.

In another sign of FDA high threshold is set for diet drugs, the agency said Orexigen Therapeutics, the manufacturer of Contrave, would need to conduct further studies and long-term possible cardiac risks associated with Contrave, before approval would be considered. Such a trial would cost the company hundreds of millions of dollars -. enough to kill further development if Orexigen decides the diet market expected pill does not justify the cost

Orlistat (Alli, Xenical)
Currently, the only drug approved scheme on the US market, orlistat is available in two (Xenical) formulations over-the-counter (Alli) and prescription. Orlistat works not in the brain but in the intestine, promoting weight loss by preventing the body from absorbing the fat in food. The drug, which is intended to be used in combination with a low-fat diet and exercise program can help users lose 50% more weight than they would with diet and 'exercise. In this case, excess gas, oily or fatty stools and even oily stains

Alice Park is a writer at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @aliceparkny. You can also continue the discussion on TIME's Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.