In This Issue
Would you like to gain weight instead of lose it? Some people would, you know. I'm not talking about body builders trying to increase muscle mass, but those few individuals who consider themselves to be too thin, and would like to add some weight. Being underweight can be the result of body-wasting diseases such as Aids or Multiple Sclerosis, genetics, improper eating habits, or other medical problems including eating, metabolic, or digestive disorders.
Roughly 55% of Americans are overweight, about 41% are at a healthy weight, which leaves about 4% underweight.
You can pretty much determine whether you are underweight by just looking in a mirror, but if you like numbers, use the Body Mass Index (BMI). To determine your BMI use the formula:
A BMI less than 20 indicates underweight; from 20-25 is "normal;" 25-30 indicates overweight; and a BMI over 30 indicates obesity.
One's disease risk is thought to be related to BMI as follows:
If you have determined that you need to add a few pounds, there is a standard to follow: diet and exercise. These two factors apply to everyone whether underweight (need to gain), overweight (need to lose), or normal (need to maintain). Note that "diet" refers to what you eat, not a formal "Diet."
But before you embark on a weight gain program, talk to your doctor (especially if being underweight is due to unexpected weight loss), to rule out conditions such as malnutrition, cancer, celiac disease or other digestive tract disorders, or diseases that interfere with swallowing.
To gain weight, increase your food input by 500 calories a day, which theoretically will add a pound of body weight a week.
To help you with this task, you may want to know how many calories you "burn" at rest -- basal (or "resting") metabolic rate (BMR/RMR). Do so using the following formulas:
To BMR, add calories for your activities, then add 500 more calories to promote weight gain.
The 500 calories are not just junk food -- Twinkies and Ding Dongs; but should be nutritious foods from the Basic Four (on Department of Agriculture Food Guide Pyramid). In addition, it may help to eat three squares a day rather than to graze or skip meals. Try to concentrate on the least processed foods to get the maximum nutrients and fiber. Also snack on dried fruits, but they are quite high in sugar (hence calories), so don't get carried away with this. A diet of up to 30-35% fat is acceptable, but make it mostly monounsaturated, with some lesser amount of polyunsaturated fats, but limit saturated and trans fats, which aren't included on food labels, but the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" in the ingredients list indicate their presence. Limit saturated fat to about 8% of total calories. If you don't already eat fish, add some cold water varieties (they're fattier) like salmon or mackerel.
As for exercise, indulge in weight training to build some muscle. You don't want those extra calories to become added fat weight, or to be burned up by excessive aerobic exercise.
To summarize, if you want to gain weight, first see a doctor to be sure you are generally healthy. If you get a green light, add 500 quality calories to your normal perfect diet, and start a weight training program to increase your muscle mass.
Following is a potpourri of short, disconnected health and fitness articles summarizing information originally presented on the Internet by a group called "Nutrition News Focus."
New Vitamin K Recommendations
Vitamin K is critical in helping your body's blood clotting function. That importance is manifested in the fact that all newborns receive an injection immediately after birth to prevent bleeding. A common source of vitamin K is leafy green vegetables, and it is formed by bacteria in the intestine. Newborns do not have bacteria present in their systems, necessitating vitamin K supplementation.
An Adequate Intake level of 120 micrograms for men and 90 micrograms for women has been set. Since no adverse effects have been reported for vitamin K, no upper limit was set by the committee.
Note that this nutrient is most important for those taking anti-coagulants or blood thinners. Varying levels of sources of vitamin K can interfere with proper function of your medication.
New Copper Recommendation
Copper is required for proper development of connective tissue, skin pigment and the nervous system. Good food sources are organ meats, seafood, nuts, and seeds. Other foods that contain lower amounts, but are eaten more often are: milk, chicken, potatoes, and tea.
The new RDA for copper is 900 micrograms daily for both men and women., but excess copper can be highly toxic to the liver, resulting in an upper limit being set to 10 milligrams daily.
Note that copper deficiency does not normally occur in adults. Excess copper is of more concern, so don't put acidic foods in copper utensils (e.g., orange juice in copper pitchers has been identified as the source of more than one outbreak of acute copper poisoning).
Metabolism Boosters: A Waste of Money
Unscrupulous companies have sold pills and dietary supplements over the years using the claim that they boost metabolism, but there are no known foods that do that. To boost your metabolism, EXERCISE. Fevers and significant physical stress like surgery also increase metabolism, but these methods are not particularly desirable as ways to lose weight.
There actually is a thermogenic effect of food. This means that your body produces heat as a result of the digestion process. The thermogenic effect is greatest after intake of carbohydrates. This does not mean; however, that very high carbohydrate diets will result in weight loss because your body makes more heat. In fact, your body temperature is regulated fairly closely.
Note that virtually everyone in nutrition research supports the concept that a balance between calorie intake and physical activity (calories in/calories out) determines weight. But this message seems to have been lost on most people. So, obviously metabolism boosters will continue to be a hot item for the legions of overfat people in the U.S.
New Iron Recommendation
Iron is a critical element for transport of oxygen in red blood cells (in hemoglobin). Therefore, iron deficiency can cause anemia, and many young women are at risk of this because of blood loss from monthly menstrual cycles. It is estimated that one in six young women have low blood counts because of inadequate iron intake. The best sources include meats, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, and some fruits and vegetables.
The new RDA is increased to 18 milligrams daily for pre-menopausal women and 8 milligrams for post-menopausal women and for men. For pregnant women, 27 milligrams a day are recommended. Infants who are breast-fed beyond six months require foods or formula supplemented with iron.
Note that for vegetarians it is recommended that they consume twice as much iron as listed above because absorption of minerals from plant foods is low compared with that from animal foods. An upper limit was set at 45 milligrams.
Nuts in Your Diet
Scientists have discovered that nuts are good for you. They are high in fat and calories, but nut consumption is associated with a better quality diet.
Two-thirds of the nuts eaten in the U.S. are peanuts. Although not true nuts (they are legumes), peanuts contain similar nutrients and are used much like other nuts. Annual consumption of peanuts (including peanut butter) per person is about six pounds, and consumption of all tree nuts combined is less than three pounds per year.
Note: This report points out that nut eaters have a slightly better diet than those who don't eat them; however, both groups could use some improvement. But this report shows that adding high-fat foods to your diet isn't necessarily unhealthy.
Childhood Obesity Doubled
The percentage of children between 8 and 16 years of age considered obese in the U.S. has doubled in less than 30 years, according to a study published in the March 2001 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. The definition of "obese" used in this study (it isn't always the same in research studies) was the heaviest 5% during the 1960's.
The number of hours spent watching television was directly proportional to the number considered obese. Those watching 4 hours of TV daily were 2.5 times more likely to be obese. Not surprisingly, the more time spent watching TV, the more calories were consumed. But what was surprising was that there was no connection between time watching TV and amount of vigorous physical activity.
Note that the association between TV watching and overweight was stronger in girls than in boys, perhaps because girls typically participate in less exercise than boys. This study sampled minorities out of proportion to their make-up in the population because Blacks and Hispanics are more apt to have dietary problems. It was determined that 65% of black children, 53% of Hispanics, and 37% of whites watched more than three hours of TV a day.
Protein Needs of Older Adults
A study, which appeared in the June 2001 edition of the Journal of Gerontology, has suggested that the dietary protein needs of healthy adults from 55 to 77 years of age are greater than previously thought. Ten healthy people were studied for 14 weeks on precisely controlled diets. Two measures of protein adequacy were unchanged, but two others were reduced when people ate the RDA for protein, which is 0.8 grams per kg body weight per day.
A measure of protein metabolism is production of nitrogen in the urine. This decreased, as did muscle area of the thigh, when the subjects consumed the RDA for protein. Those results are alarming, but these findings need to be confirmed in a larger study.
Note that this study appears to have been very carefully done, and it suggests that older adults need more protein than is generally recommended. Older people need fewer calories (due to less activity and lower muscle mass), which challenges them to eat foods that provide more protein without increasing overall calories.
New Zinc Recommendation
Zinc is a cofactor for many enzymes in the body and is vital for normal gene function. Zinc is found in red meat, some seafood and whole grains, and in fortified breakfast cereals. The new RDA was set at 11 milligrams for men and 8 milligrams for women. It is recommended that vegetarians get one and a half times those amounts because plant sources are not as well absorbed.
Just like iron, human milk does not contain enough zinc for older infants, so babies over six months require supplemented food or formula to provide adequate zinc. The upper limit for zinc was set at 40 milligrams daily, primarily based on interference with copper absorption at high intake levels.
Note that zinc is one of the nutrients that many Americans do not get in sufficient quantity. Despite this, there is concern about use of zinc lozenges for treating colds. Even following directions when using these supplements, they can provide over 100 milligrams daily; and while their use is not intended to be long-term, there still can be adverse effects, including lowering of HDL-cholesterol and temporary suppression of the immune system, not exactly what you want when fighting off a cold.
This issue's Exercise Corner readdresses the Torso Trainer, which is becoming one of my favorite exercise gadgets. While reading an article about the effectiveness of training the abdominal muscles in a prone position, I was reminded of having mentioned this benefit of push-ups -- that they require serious contraction of the muscles surrounding the abdominal cavity (the so-called "ab" muscles: rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques, and transverse abdominis; as well as the erector spinae group in the back) for trunk stability. The Torso Trainer (described in the April 2001 MAF Fitness Newsletter Supplement) adds extra intensity to the training of the ab and back muscles, as well as the chest (pectoralis major), shoulders (anterior deltoids), arms (triceps), and more.
Start from a hands-and-knees position -- put a thick mat, folded towel, or a pillow under your knees -- and then move the roller forward while maintaining fully extended arms. Start with a relatively short forward movement, and then extend as far forward as you can as you warm up. Try to "lay out" as far as you can, to maximize effort.
A variation is to do this exercise in a so-called "men's" pushup position to maximize intensity (plus you get the bonus of adding glute, thigh, and leg muscles to the exercise). In either position, if you have trouble with a full, or even a partial, layout position, simply put yourself in the "men's push-up" position and hold it. Remember that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your heels -- no butt up in the air or sagging mid-section. In this position you will need to maintain your body in the straight line position, as well as maintain lateral balance while holding onto the handles of the Torso Trainer.
(Q) "Lycopine" seems to be mentioned every time I see anything about healthy foods. What is it, and where does it come from?
J.G., Anaconda, MT
(A) "Lycopene" is an antioxidant found in tomatoes. It is actually what makes them red; hence, the redder, the more lycopene. It is even stronger as an antioxidant than beta carotene even though it has much less name recognition. Some potential health benefits of lycopene include:
(Q) I am using canned tuna for its omega-3 fat benefit, but does it matter whether I use "packed in water" or "packed in oil" tuna?
O.G., Sacramento, CA
(A) Good question, O.G. Tuna packed in water is your best choice, since draining the water causes no omega-3 loss, but draining off oil results in the loss of roughly 1/4 of the fish's omega-3s.
(Q) I have been having some back pain for awhile now, and think I'll try some inversion therapy since I see so many claims that it will cure my problem. What do you think?
L.R., Scotsdale, AZ
(A) If you have heart disease, hypertension, glaucoma or other eye diseases (inversion can cause bleeding into the eye), or if you're pregnant -- forget it.
If you don't have any of the above conditions, and want to try it, you should know that there is no substantial evidence that it actually works, except possibly as a short-term palliative.
According to Dr. Gary Brazina, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in LA, inversion therapy does not counteract the effects of gravity by increasing spaces between vertebrae that tend to decrease as we age. [As reported in the Sep 2001 issue of the U.C. Berkeley Wellness Letter.]
In addition to the previously mentioned problems, hanging upside down can possibly make your back problems worse.
(Q) I have heard that there are a new set of guidelines for a healthy heart, in terms of cholesterol and lipids, but I don't know what they are. Can you help?
D.F., Palo Alto CA
(A) Yes, there is a new set, and it is recommended that those found to be outside the new guidelines be aggressively treated.
Even if you have been tested before, if the test was not under the new guidelines, you should be retested. Some of the most significant changes are:
The guidelines stress lifestyle changes, even for those on medications: lose weight (by reducing calories, not weight loss drugs), stop smoking, start exercising, and pursue a cholesterol lowering diet.
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