Tag: weight loss

Beyond Food and Exercise: the Other Factors in the Obesity Epidemic

Everything you come in contact with, every second of every day, makes an impact on your health. It’s known as the exposome. It’s a relatively new concept, first defined in 2005. The exposome includes the food you eat, the beauty products you use, the air you breathe, your friends and family, and everything in between. Studying it, could be the key to understanding the obesity epidemic.

That was the focus of the 12th Annual Sugar, Stress, Environment & Weight Symposium put on by The Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study, and Treatment at UCSF. Popular opinion would have you believe that obesity is a simple equation of too much food and not enough exercise. But, researchers say the problem is far more complex. In this eye-opening lecture series, you will hear how polluted air has been linked to obesity in children living in California’s Central Valley. You will learn about obesogens – chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system. And, you will understand how stress can create a vicious cycle of weight gain.

The final talk focuses on how you can remove toxins from your personal exposome and the progress being made around the world. New labeling in the food and beauty industries allows you to make smarter decisions. LEED buildings are becoming more common in the United States. And, monitoring systems for exposome pollutants are getting better. There is plenty being done, and plenty you can do, to make an impact.

Browse more programs in UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment

Fit to Eat Tip – Making Solutions Stick

TCOYD’s resident nutrition expert Janice Baker has a helpful tip for eating smart and taking control of your diabetes – and your diet! “I’ve tried every diet and none of them work for me!” Have you said that? Well you are in good company. Diets do not work. Most of the time they are temporary […]

TCOYD’s resident nutrition expert Janice Baker has a helpful tip for eating smart and taking control of your diabetes – and your diet!

“I’ve tried every diet and none of them work for me!” Have you said that? Well you are in good company. Diets do not work. Most of the time they are temporary ways to get some weight off but, more often than not, our brain senses that we are restricting food and kicks in the normal human response: compensation – actually overcompensation – sooner or later.

Forget diets – whatever the label may be. Decide to make one change that you can clearly identify, and stick with it! With the help of a registered dietitian, you can identify both short-term and long-term realistic changes that will become a part of your weight management plan — changes that are realistic and sustainable. Registered dietitians don’t dictate what you should eat, they collaborate with you to get the best results.