MetaFilter posts tagged with weightloss

The Weight-Willpower Myth

dgaicun — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:35:45 -0800

Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin Whether because exercise makes us hungry or because we want to reward ourselves, many people eat more — and eat more junk food, like doughnuts — after going to the gym.

Diet Trend Smackdown--and no winners?

mecran01 — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 10:32:19 -0800

"People lose weight if they lower calories, but it does not matter how." According to recently published study in the New England Journal of Medicine, "For people who are trying to lose weight, it does not matter if they are counting carbohydrates, protein or fat. All that matters is that they are counting something." “The effect of any particular diet group is minuscule, but the effect of individual behavior is humongous,” Dr. Sacks said. “We had some people losing 50 pounds and some people gaining five pounds. That’s what we don’t have a clue about. I think in the future, researchers should focus less on the actual diet but on finding what is really the biggest governor of success in these individuals.” [full study here] As a big (no pun intended) fan of the work done by Gary Taubes, I find these results distressing. Fortunately for my wavering dietary faith, Taubes responds to the study.

"...Then I have half a banana (50)"

Acheman — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 05:08:08 -0800

Via Amazon, you can read the first few chapters[PDF] of Carol Lay's new graphic novel-cum-diet book The Big Skinny. Blogger and fellow cartoonist Ampersand/Barry Deutsch doesn't object to the weight loss she documents, he just isn't convinced that it's actually all that healthy. See Junkfood Science for more discussion of the 'Obesity Paradox' (for more articles, scroll a great way down the right-hand sidebar).

That donut I drank was delicious.

jbickers — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 07:29:19 -0800

How many calories did you drink last night? Alcohol intake, rendered in food equivalents. More on alcohol and weight loss. Dammit.

530 pounds, 240 kilograms, 38 stone.

WCityMike — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:13:01 -0800

A graphic yet poignantly written first-person account of what it is like to weigh 530 pounds. The author of this account is unflinchingly brutal in her candor, which, although it makes some graphic moments in her narrative difficult to read, also brings you deeply into her world and her perspective. (A July 2008 update.)

I wonder if Sumo Wrestlers have to lose weight also?

P.o.B. — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:50:02 -0800

We've talked about BMI as a metric for health, and possibly laws regulating health. What about waist measurment? The government initiative, which kicked in April 1, requires companies to have workers aged 40 to 74 take up the battle of the bulge by requiring waist measurements at health checkups - part of the nation's larger efforts to guard against the ballooning costs of medical care, estimated at $285 billion a year.

Stickk.com: Motivate Yourself to Reach Goals by Paying if You Don't

shivohum — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 07:05:36 -0800

Stickk.com allows people to undertake commitment bonds: promises that they will do something (lose weight, quit smoking, etc.) or else forfeit a pre-determined amount of money to a charity. Either the honor system or a referee can be used to decide if the goal is met. The idea is related to Nobel prize-winner Thomas Schelling's concept of strategic precommitment. More here, here, and here.

Thin Times

chuckdarwin — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 18:05:31 -0800

Struggling British biotech firm Vernalis reports "striking" weight loss among patients taking its new obesity drug, "V24343".

Faith-Based Weight Loss

Chinese Jet Pilot — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 12:33:01 -0800

Gwen Shamblin's faith-based weight loss program, The Weigh Down Workshop, has been so successful that in 1999 she spun off her own Evangelical church, now found in over 100 cities worldwide. Her weight loss methods are not without controversy, and her church has recently been in the news.

Who'd have thought that rice cakes could be fattening?

talitha_kumi — Thu, 25 May 2006 01:52:37 -0800

Rice cakes are one of the most fattening foods known to man, while ice cream is one of the least fattening. Though this appears illogical, it makes perfect Anthropological sense. Education is the key to controlling body fat. If we know which foods store in the fat cells and which ones do not, we can make educated food choices.

The glycemic index (GI) is a ranking of carbohydrates on a scale from 0 to 100 according to the extent to which they raise blood sugar levels after eating. Foods with a high GI are those which are rapidly digested and absorbed and result in marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels. Low-GI foods, by virtue of their slow digestion and absorption, produce gradual rises in blood sugar and insulin levels, and have proven benefits for health. There has been an explosion of books and diet plans based on the glycemic index, But while many popular diet books make it sound as if the glycemic index is an accepted theory, in truth, there are very real problems with this system. Some dieticians believe that a Satiety Index may be a better approach to reducing caloric intake whilst minimising cravings.

The Anorexia Debate: Biology v Culture

peacay — Sun, 05 Jun 2005 09:52:28 -0800

A recent study of 60 people with anorexia suggests that a biological mechanism may be a causative factor. It was found that there was a reduction in blood flow to a specific area in one of the temporal lobes in those with the eating disorder. The author of the study believes that sociocultural factors have been over emphasized. Not all agree. By way of contrast, another research group has just published findings which purport to show that "even small amounts of exposure to thin bodies can have a short-term negative effect on body image." And adult anorexia rates are said to be rising.
There's associated debate too, regarding the contributing role played by therapy that seeks to personify eating disorders. Flourishing underground online communities derive some thinspiration by referring to their 'lifestyle choices' as 'Ana' (for anorexia) and 'Mia' (for bulimia). Argentina is responding to the body image controversy by enacting a size law. previous mefi threads [via + via ]

NutritionData.com

callmejay — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 10:57:17 -0800

NutritionData.com is a free and very useful website for detailed nutrition information, including the in-vogue Glycemic Index; their own Fullness Factor, a measure of how filling foods are per calorie; and others. Their Better Choices Diet makes use of the Fullness Factor to make consuming less energy than you use easier to do without going hungry. Previously mentioned in response to this AskMe question.

The magic pill

Juicylicious — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 13:26:34 -0800

Want to lose weight, but don't want to exercise? How about quitting smoking? And, what about those other little nasty addictions? Well Rimonabant is the magic pill for you. It's so great that it can even cure your Doritos craving, commonly known as the munchies. It works by blocking the endocannabinoids/cannibas receptors in your brain. This latest and greatest cure-all even has it's own blog.

accoutrements

the fire you left me — Mon, 29 Mar 2004 19:03:22 -0800

The Great Citizens Campaign to Lose Three Kilograms. Okinawans have closely adopted the U.S. lifestyle of cars, suburban malls and fast food, and have become Japan's fattest people ?

Lose, you losing loser who loses!

Wulfgar! — Fri, 20 Jun 2003 16:44:20 -0800

The biggest losers in the Blogosphere. Metafilter does not do the discussion of weight very well. However, I'd like to introduce you to a group of online folk who have found a way to help each other in losing weight. Meet mtpolitics. He had a moment of body based angst. Da Goddess had an idea. And so a project was born. (Have a care for the pipe, 'cause it ain't real big.) The blogs of the people involved in this contest might offer a unique diversion as well.

twine42 — Tue, 29 Oct 2002 07:46:58 -0800

Which is more scary: that this girl is 20 stone at the age of 11 or that the reporter thinks her friends are an ideal weight at 1/4 of her weight? Take her to 5 stone and a BMI of 11 would put her well below the anorexia threshold BMI of 16.

But would her friends accept they could have a problem? Probably not. What causes Anorexia? Strep? Genetics? Models? Something else?

kirkaracha — Sun, 28 Jul 2002 12:01:11 -0800

Lose 15 Lbs. in 20 Minutes a Day! by playing the flute during sexual intercourse, square dancing while stacking wood, and other easy methods.

Kevin Sanders — Thu, 11 Apr 2002 06:29:16 -0800

Move over, Jared... there's going to be a hot new way to lose weight. Scientists have "found the chemical pathways that muscle cells use to build strength and endurance," making it possible to have a fitness pill.

hijinx — Tue, 31 Oct 2000 06:50:27 -0800

This is the true story of what happens... when seven strangers... are picked to live in a house and have their lives taped... to see what happens when people stop being ~~polite~~ fat and start being ~~real~~ skinny. America's obsession with weight loss continues on ABC. It's the anti-Fat Project.