Many people in the United States will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime, whether it’s a temporary or chronic issue. However, a great percentage of individuals with this debilitating complication are overweight or obese.
Fortunately, research has demonstrated that weight loss can have a considerable effect towards relieving symptoms of back pain. Weight loss programs can be very helpful for patients with weight problems and back pain. While there are a variety of programs available, not every program is the same and it may be difficult to find the best one for each individual. Some are commercialized and others are managed by a physician. Some weight loss programs recommend the use of supplements while others prescribe medications. Others may or may not be covered by insurance companies.
What to Look for in a Weight Loss Program
Considering all the differences in weight loss programs, it’s ultimately essential for Americans to first do some research in order to find the most appropriate program for them before signing up and spending any amount of money. Several weight loss programs may even provide practices that your healthcare professional may have advised you to avoid participating in if they would have been consulted first.
A recent study evaluated 191 different weight loss programs in the Maryland, Washington, DC and Virginia region of the country. From the wide array of programs, their websites provided little to no relevant information regarding they type of weight loss program. Important details, such as the type of diet, the amount of exercise and physical activity, types of behavioral therapies, and the use of medications, were all missing online, factors which were heavily considered for the study. Most websites had not been designed to offer details of each program, but rather offer contact information for clients.
Several of the weight loss programs also incorporated weight loss supplements and medications, an important piece of information which they also failed to mention on their websites. Individuals must be cautious of taking products which have not been approved by the FDA. There are U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved medications and supplements available to help treat excess weight and obesity, however, these must be prescribed by a licensed and qualified healthcare professional.
Three essential factors to an effective weight loss program, as recommended by the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and the Obesity Society, which should be featured include:
a moderately reduced caloric meal plan;
a regimen for increased physical activity;
and a behavioral therapy strategy.
Seeking Professional Advice
Because many weight loss programs are commercialized products or services, these can most commonly offer practices which may not meet professional standards. According to Dr. J Michael Gonzalez Campoy, MD, PhD, FACE, a specialist in obesity medicine, people seeking a weight loss program to participate in should primarily seek advice and guidance from a healthcare professional who specialized in treating weight issues and obesity.
�With the epidemic of overweight and obesity in this country, two-thirds of Americans will seek help managing their weight. The point is well taken that there is too much commercialism, or selling products with a promise of unrealistic achievements. It is best for each patient to address weight management with their personal healthcare professional first,” stated Dr. Gonzalez Campoy.
When it comes to finding the best weight loss program for your own needs, speaking to a licensed and qualified expert can be the most suitable alternative, as this option can often be safer and more effective than other weight loss programs. Patients can find obesity medicine doctors through the website of The American Board of Obesity Medicine, abbreviated as ABOM.
When Back Pain is an Issue for Weight Loss
Although many people with excess weight and obesity seek weight loss program alternatives to lose weight, it can often be difficult for them to engage in the practices due to back pain. Studies have shown that back pain is most prevalent on individuals with weight issues and that can play a huge role on their inability to engage in a proper weight loss program. However, inactivity can also ultimately lead to muscle weakness and stiffness, particularly affecting core strength, which is necessary for supporting the spine and its surrounding structures.
Aquatic therapy, or physical activity in a pool, is a low-impact form of exercise that can be a good choice for people with back pain, helping them reduce weight and strengthen the muscles. Additionally, people with obesity and excess are more likely to experience muscle weakness and stiffness along their lower back, making it difficult for them to walk on a treatmill or step mill. Although overweight or obesity complications can contribute to back pain, consulting a healthcare professional is a good approach to learning the best possible way for them to stay active and avoid further injury.
If symptoms of back pain worsen and/or they are accompanied by tingling sensations, numbness and/or weakness, it may be advised to obtain a proper diagnosis to determine the source of the symptoms and adjust or stop physical activity and exercise immediately. Furthermore, regular physical activity and exercise can help prevent aggravating back pain during intense or prolonged workouts. Over time, regular exercise and physical activity will help increase the individual’s strength, flexibility and endurance, improving their overall health and wellness.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .�
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Additional Topics: Weight Loss Eases Back Pain
Back pain and symptoms of sciatica can affect a majority of the population throughout their lifetime. Research studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight or obese experience more back complications than people with a healthy weight. A proper nutrition along with regular physical fitness can help with weight loss as well as help maintain a healthy weight to eliminate symptoms of back pain and sciatica. Chiropractic care is also another natural form of treatment which treats back pain and sciatica utilizing manual spinal adjustments and manipulations.
Governments could boost the consumption of healthy food by making it cheaper, as well as requiring that unhealthier food be more expensive, a new review suggests.
The findings are based on an analysis of 30 studies. Eleven studies looked at what happened when unhealthier foods were taxed. Nineteen studies explored what people choose to eat when subsidies lowered the price of healthier food. The collection of studies found that food prices really do matter.
“Our results show how 10 percent to 50 percent changes in price of foods and beverages at checkout could influence consumers’ purchasing behaviors over a relatively short period of time,” said study co-first author Ashkan Afshin, a former postdoctoral fellow at Tufts University in Boston. He is now at the University of Washington.
Researchers found that consumption of produce jumped by 14 percent for each 10 percent drop in price. A similar increase in consumption occurred when other healthier foods became cheaper. People also became slightly thinner when produce prices went down, the review reported. On the flip side, a 10 percent price increase in sugar-sweetened beverages and unhealthier fast food translated to decreases in consumption by 7 percent and 3 percent, respectively.
“The global food system is causing a staggering toll on human health. And this is very costly, both in terms of real health care expenses and lost productivity,” said study senior author Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts.
“Our findings suggest that subsidies and taxes are a highly effective tool for normalizing the price of foods toward their true societal costs. This will not only prevent disease but also reduce spiraling healthcare costs, which are causing tremendous strain on both private businesses and government budgets,” Mozaffarian said said in a Tufts news release.
The study was published March 1 in the journal PLOS One.
News stories are written and provided by HealthDay and do not reflect federal policy, the views of MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
Additional Topics: Weight Loss Eases Back Pain
Back pain and symptoms of sciatica can affect a majority of the population throughout their lifetime. Research studies have demonstrated that people who are overweight or obese experience more back complications than people with a healthy weight. A proper nutrition along with regular physical fitness can help with weight loss as well as help maintain a healthy weight to eliminate symptoms of back pain and sciatica. Chiropractic care is also another natural form of treatment which treats back pain and sciatica utilizing manual spinal adjustments and manipulations.
Proponents of specific food class-centric diets such as paleo, vegan, gluten-free, ketogenic, or the Mediterranean diet often but not always tend to prescribe their plans for everyone. Not so fast, says a group from the University of California, Berkeley. Biologists at UC Berkeley and other institutions around the world have published research that shows genetic differences from natural selection based on dietary changes in Europe, Ars Technica reports.
According to the research, for example, if you live in Europe, and particularly in southern Europe, your body is optimized to digest and process plant-based diets. Natives of Greenland, specifically the Inuit, are better at processing meat fat.
The researchers compared genomes from hundreds of contemporary humans and 101 genome sequences from Bronze Age humans who lived in Europe 5,000 years ago. They found DNA changed significantly in the last 5,000 years.
The science behind the studies is based on examining two genes that regulate how fatty acids in foods are converted into the �long-chain� form used by humans for tissue health, including the brain and muscles. Plants such as wheat and vegetables�provide �short-chain� fatty acids and must be converted to the long-form type in order for the human body to use them.
In its genome studies, the researchers found that southern European genomes mutated to produce more long-chain fatty acids from the shorter variation. This change, they argue, is due to evolutionary �pressure��from a diet that changed to accommodate more plant-based foods.�The Inuit genome, however, had no such influence, which means Inuit genes�aren�t equipped to convert as great a quantity of long-chain fatty acids because they don�t as much need it.
The general take on this research: There is no one best diet or nutritional bias for all people. If your ancestors are all from the 10 countries that make up northern Europe, for example, the study indicates you could be more likely better equipped to thrive on a diet having a higher proportion of meat. People of southern European ancestry, however, might do better with diets that lean toward plant-based foods.
We can deny it until the mad cows come home, but we start deteriorating even before middle age. It�s not going to get better and we�re not going to start remembering where our keys are. The good news is that a healthy diet, akin to the famous Mediterranean one, can significantly protect our memory performance, say Canadian scientists who helpfully published a Brain Health Food Guide to help adults over 50 preserve their thinking and memory skills.
While about it: Dietary patterns similar to the Brain Health Food Guide are associated with a 36 percent decrease in the risk of developing Alzheimer�s disease, the scientists add.
No, there is no such thing as a superfood for superlative memory. The brain diet is less about specifics and more about generally eating healthy, focusing on classes of foods, explains the team from Baycrest�s Rotman Research Institute.
Legumes are key. Green beans don�t count in that category, though they do count as a vegetable, so they�re good. Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts are good too.
And: Eat fish, beans, beans, beans and nuts several times a week, and choose healthy fats from olive oil, nuts and fish. Did we say beans? Add the legumes to everything but your vanilla shake.
Eat lots of berries, and yes, strawberries do count in that context, Dr. Carol Greenwood�reassures Haaretz. That is fortunate because Israel doesn�t really have many other berry types. (Mulberries are endemic but never did catch on here culinarily.)
While the recommendations were penned for Canadians, they apply to everybody, Greenwood also reassures.
�Our work was, in part, to address the �holy grail� that the Mediterranean diet has in Canada � it is absolutely a healthy diet, but does not necessarily meet the cultural needs of all individuals,� she wrote in an email interview.��Rather, we position the Mediterranean diet as one example of a brain healthy diet, but argue that there are fundamental principles which can be adopted across all cultures and ethnic groups.�
She also wanted to debunk the reams of misinformation out there about �brain food,��says Greenwood, co-author of the Brain Health Food Guide. �In Canada, there are lots of claims around supplements and individual foods, where there really is no data to support the claims.�
Go Gentle Into That Good Ice Cream
It�s hard to pinpoint �brain foods.� By the same token, removing a single component from the diet � such as sugar or wheat � isn�t going to solve the problem of a deteriorating memory, Greenwood believes. �The answer will never be as easy as pointing to an individual food which is either harmful or helpful � it is the global qualities of the diet which are important.�This cannot be packaged into an individual pill/supplement or individual food.�
That said, she elaborates, there is a general consensus that diets and lifestyles that lead to the development of insulin resistance and other chronic disorders, such as hypertension, will contribute to poor cognitive retention and increased dementia risk.
What causes insulin resistance? Foods in that category include highly processed offerings, especially foods with lots of refined sugars. Steak and other red meat are in this category too, she says.
�I think the important message is that we need to limit our intakes of these foods and not promote abstinence � making something a �forbidden fruit� only makes people crave it more and we don�t have the evidence to argue that small quantities are harmful,� Greenwood says. �You can still enjoy a small scoop of ice cream on special occasions as long as you don�t make it a daily item or eat the entire container at once.�
Do Or Dash
The Baycrest recommendations draw primarily on two randomized control trials, a Spanish one using a diet intervention based on the Mediterranean diet, and a U.S. trial using a diet intervention based on the �DASH� diet, which is a long-term approach to healthy eating designed to help prevent or treat high blood pressure.
The team set out to see where these two dietary approaches overlapped (for instance, legumes) and diverged (the Mediterranean diet places much more emphasis on fish), to form the basis of the dietary intervention.
Fats were a puzzler. �There is no consensus across the epidemiological studies as to the negative contribution of a high-fat diet per se, rather the consensus is across fat quality � hence these recommendations focus more on fat quality rather than quantity,� Greenwood explains.�And finally, data across a number of different international epidemiological studies was also used to inform the recommendation, Greenwood told Haaretz.
Apropos fats, fatty fish are generally considered to be best for the brain diet because of the high content of omega fats. �In Canada, the intake of fish is so low, that getting individuals to consume any type of fish is better than consuming no fish at all.�This may not be the case in Israel,� Greenwood says, and she�s right � Israelis eat a lot of fish.� �For instance, in the Spanish study, it was difficult to show benefits of meeting our recommendation for fish intake simply because most individuals were already naturally consuming relatively high levels of fish in their diet before entering the study.� And so it is in Israel too.
A good attitude about weight loss will go a long way in helping you to achieve success. Whether your weight problem has resulted from eating the wrong foods, lack of routine physical exercise, using food to resist anxiety, age, or genetics �you can help defeat that by setting reasonable goals and expectations that are realistic.
The initial step to take would be to discuss your set for weight loss and general health by means of your physician. Your physician can assist you to make informed choices about treatments that contain weight loss plans and exercise suitable to your needs.
Therapies include dietary, behavioral, drug, and for some patients, surgical alteration of the digestive system to reduce the quantity of food consumed. A safe and realistic weight reduction plan may result in success.
Evaluating your body weight is more involved than stepping on the scale. This info is assessed to find out your risks due to extra weight (eg, high blood pressure).
Nutrition Means To Feed Your Body
In the event you haven’t detected, the ‘D’ word (Diet) hasn’t been used in this post as it relates to weight reduction. Granted, caloric reduction will be required by a weight loss program. Yet, for many overweight or obese folks, a weight loss program means exercising, handling anxiety, and making lifestyle changes, which might comprise relearning how to eat.
It’s vitally crucial that you feed your body the nutrients it needs to be healthy and live. No one food contains all the essential nutrients �it takes combining a wide variety of foods to help meet your body’s needs. If you have been heavy or obese for a long time, your body may really be starving for necessary nutrients!
Nutrients Their Food Sources & Activities In The Human Body
*Fats are essential in taking the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. There are just three types of fats:
Saturated Fat will raise blood cholesterol levels. These fats are found mostly in meat and diary products.
Polyunsaturated Fat tends to lower blood cholesterol levels. It’s mainly found in plant sources such as safflower, sunflower, soybean, corn, and cottonseed.
Monounsaturated Fat tends to lower the bad cholesterol or LDL (low density cholesterol). Examples include canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, and avocados.
Although this amount is exceeded by most Americans, dietary ingestion of fat shouldn’t exceed 30% per day.
Remove the skin from poultry, trim visible fat from meat, an easy method to cut back fat consumption is to choose lean cuts of meat, choose water-packed tuna, and pick dairy products made from skim or low-fat milk.
Back pain is one of the most common complaints reported by a majority of the population. Affecting many people temporarily or for an extended period of time at least once throughout their lifetime, back pain is generally the result of trauma from an accident, injury or due to an aggravated medical condition. But, can an improper diet based on refined sugar and processed fat cause back pain?
Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Icahn School of Medicine believe that consuming an excess amount of these foods can cause inflammation in the body which may gradually degenerate the intervertebral discs, cartilaginous joints found between each vertebrae that act as shock absorbers and ligaments for all the movements of the spine. The degeneration of these structures may lead to back pain and other spinal complications.
Furthermore, an improper nutrition is also associated with the development of type 2 diabetes, another factor which may cause changes to the spine that could also lead to back pain and other painful symptoms.
�We hope to identify reasons why diabetes and poor diet can result in age-accelerated spinal pathologies,� declared co-investigator Deepak Vashishth, PhD, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Center for Biotechnology & Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY. �If we identify specific molecules necessary in this process, we can use this information to develop future treatments to slow or prevent these degeneration processes.�
Poor Nutrition Damages Essential Molecules
The researchers developed the research study because there are several safe, effective and minimally invasive treatments available to help improve the symptoms of back pain. The purpose of the evaluation was to determine what exactly happens in the body, as a result of an improper diet, to cause the degeneration of the intervertebral discs and eventually back pain. The study was also designed to provide them with additional information on how they could prevent or avoid this process from occurring in the first place.
Investigator James Iatridis, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Orthopaedics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City explained, “Basic science studies on mice suggest a possible connection between diets high in advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, type 2 diabetes and spinal degeneration but this association has never before been proven.”
Advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, are proteins or lipids which become damaged as a result of being coated in excess sugars. Evidence suggests that a diet high in processed foods, such as fried foods, plays a huge role in the development of AGEs. In addition, research has demonstrated that the formation of advanced glycation end products over a period of time can cause tissues and other structures of the body to deteriorate, increasing inflammation which could lead to the degeneration of the intervertebral discs in the spine as well as contribute to the development of other diseases, including diabetes, atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
Type 2 Diabetes and Back Pain
Moreover, Investigator James Iatridis, PhD, and his team began investigation the relation between type 2 diabetes and spinal degeneration. The disease is commonly referred to as an age-related condition, because it is believed to accelerate the cell aging process in many humans. “Studies have also shown that individuals with diabetes experience poorer recovery outcomes after spine surgery than those without diabetes,” he added.
In the first section of the project, researchers at Mount Sinai raised a group of mice on a diet focused on foods high in AGEs, similar to a human’s fast food diet. The research study also included both regular mice and mice genetically modified to reduce their ability to get rid of AGEs in their body. This was utilized to allow researchers to see whether the mice experienced disc degeneration or developed changes in the vertebrae of the spine to prove if advanced glycation end products play a key role in these degenerative alterations.
At Rensselaer, researchers would analyze how tissue and other structures from healthy intervertebral discs compared to that of degenerated intervertebral discs. Essentially, they were to study whether a drug that blocks the effects of a diet high in AGEs could provide protection against the degeneration of the structures of the spine in mice.
In conclusion, studying the tissue of humans can be challenging because people lead very complicated lifestyles with a variation of more than simply a diabetes status. These differences make it difficult to directly identify whether an improper diet and type 2 diabetes can actually cause back complications using only human research studies. Findings in both mice and human studies would support a link between diet, diabetes and spinal degeneration.
The study is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Findings will be published periodically over 5 years with the study concluding in 2021.
Make sure to consult a healthcare professional regarding any nutritional and/or medical concerns you may have before attempting and/or following any of the techniques listed above to avoid injury and/or complications.
For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
Whole Body Wellness
Overall health and wellness can be achieved by following a proper nutrition and engaging in regular exercise and/or physical activities. While these are some of the most common ways to ensure whole body health and wellness, visiting a qualified and experienced healthcare professional can also grant your body additional benefits. Chiropractic care, for instance, is a safe and effective alternative treatment option utilized by people to maintain well-being.
The Global Health Index results are in, and Italians rank first as the world’s healthiest people, according to Bloomberg.
The secret to their longevity�seems to reside in their approach to nutrition, as a Mediterranean diet�based on pasta, bread, cheese, lean meat, and wine has them living well into their 80s.
The Italians’ high consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, which make it to the plate every day, also accounts for the nation’s vigorous health and low mortality rates. Another magical ingredient found in abundance in Italian cuisine in olive oil, which has great benefits for cardiovascular health.
Surprisingly enough, although studies have shown a balanced diet can make us happy, Italy didn’t fare so well in the United Nations’ World Happiness Report�for 2017, where the country only managed to rank in at No. 48 out of 155.
The Italians’ unhappy disposition may be caused by their stagnant economy and high youth unemployment rate. Nevertheless, the stress of financial struggles doesn’t seem to affect their longevity.
US Came In At No. 34 Because Of Obesity
The Global Health Index, calculated each year by Bloomberg, assessed population health in 163 countries. The index�bases its ranking on a “health score” that evaluates life expectancy�at different ages, mortality rates due to illness or injury, and survival contingency at critical times.
Each country also received penalty points determined by unhealthy factors – such as smoking, overweight and obesity, and improper childhood nutrition – as well as environmental conditions, for instance pollution�and limited access to potable water.
The overall calculations led to a “health grade.” Italy scored the highest, with a grade of 93.11. The second ranking position was claimed by Iceland with a health grade of 91.21, while third place went to Switzerland, which scored a total of 90.75 points. Singapore and Australia also made it to the top five, managing to accumulate 90.23 and 89.24 points respectively.
At the opposite pole stand Slovakia (65.10), Barbados (64.14), Oman (62.89), and Panama (62.39), while Albania ranked at the bottom of the index, with 62.01 points.
The United States managed to score a total of 73.05 points, ranking in at No. 34. According�to Bloomberg, the nation’s “ranking for prevalence of overweight people�is 67.3 – tipping the scale as one of the world’s heaviest nations.” The country’s health score was also affected by maternal mortality rates, which – although curtailing worldwide – are increasing in the United States.
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6 Food Habits That Keep Italians In Shape, Despite Pizzas & Pasta
You must be wondering how a diet of pizzas, pasta among other indulgent items boasts of being one of the healthiest in the world.� Well, there are certain secrets about the Italian diet that are both, unique and relatable–some of which, have been revealed over the years.Recently voted as the healthiest country on earth by the Bloomberg Global Health Index, Italy apparently has a lot to thank its cuisine for.
But wait, aren’t food items like cheese-laden pizzas contributing towards making nations like America overweight? Not really.�A post shared by Best Food, Chef And Restaurant (@italian_food) on Italian lifestyle is dominated by fresh produce, adequate exercise, authentic cuisine, beneficial oils like canola and olive, besides occasional glasses of red wine. Please pay attention.
The keyword here is, ‘authentic’.Also Read: Italy is World’s Healthiest Country; India doesn’t feature in top 50The skewed form of Italian food served around the world (including in India) barely does justice to its original form. For example, by adding processed meat to a pizza instead of the vegetables Italians use, you’re piling on calories for yourself–the calories Italians choose to ignore.So, here are some things Italians do differently than the rest of the world and ensure their delicious doesn’t make them gain weight.1. According to Mayo Clinic, the
Mediterranean diet comprises of using natural herbs and spices instead of salt for adding flavour.�A post shared by Best Food, Chef And Restaurant (@italian_food). Red meat is a rarity, whereas fish and poultry is consumed at least twice a week.3. Italians also believe in consuming healthy amounts of red wine that contains its fair share of benefits.4. Butter is replaced by oils like Canola and Olive.5. Many Italians replace dessert with fresh fruits.6. Besides laying emphasis on homemade food, Italians are huge fans of fresh vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts–each of which are packed with health benefits.Researches over the years have shown how resorting to the Mediterranean diet might actually keep you away from cholesterol and subsequently, heart diseases. Also linked with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, the diet is believed to alter the risk of breast cancer among women.
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