Are You Ready For This Jelly?

I looks like Beyonce is now involved with Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move' campaign.  The singer recorded a video of her dancing w/ junior high school students to a remake of one of her songs.  Apparently the song will be distributed to students around the country in an effort to make exercise more fun.  I'm not sure how well this will actually work, but celebrity endorsements can surprise you.  Either way it's a fun idea and I'm always up for a good dance!

Plus Size Acceptance

 There's an article that asks Is Plus Size The New Hollywood Ideal?  Simply put, no.  But the article does talk about how there are numerous shows around now that feature plus size actors and actresses.  Here are their examples:

Gabourey Sidibe's Oscar nomination in 2010, Lifetime's Drop Dead Diva show cast a plus size actress in the lead role, ABC Family's new show Huge boasts a curvy cast and a storyline focused on plus size teens, and last but not least, the hit series Glee is receiving buzz about its plus size character and her increased story line that includes a love interest.

There does seem to be a lot more of a plus size presence in the past few years, and they are all different people to boot. I do think that this is a good step to fat acceptance.  My favorite part of the story was this quote:

But the real message isn't that being heavy or thin is the ideal. Its self acceptance that's ideal. Its being healthy that is ideal.

This is ultimately what we need to be focusing on.  Health instead of weight.  The article even states that a healthy weight varies between people and their frames.  And the best option for all people is not the leanest variation that is usually seen in the media.  It also states that there are studies suggesting that people with a BMI in the overweight range actually have a survivial advantage over people above or below that range.

I feel that on this topic, I have to mention something that happened in my office last week.  Two fellow co-workers were talking to each other in the cube next to mine.  One girl started to talk about a girl that her ex-boyfriend thought was really attractive.  She then proceeded to say that she has met this supposed beauty in person and said to my other co-worker 'I just don't get it...she was heavy.  I guess it's a British thing'.  I hope her snarky demeanor comes across as much as it did in person.  Needless to say, it was the end of the day, so I packed up my things and walked right past her while looking her in the eye.  Of course I then heard whispers and giggles, but instead of feeling defeated for what these girls had said, I let it motivate me to try to change peoples perceptions. 

Have any of you every had real life experiences like this?  What did you do and how did it make you feel?

Too Much Sitting, Not Enough Movement

I don't know if any of you have heard about the articles going around about how even if you exercise regularly, if you have a job where you sit all day, it might not be enough.  This has sparked talk of standing desk and the like.  This article not only explains the health issues of sitting all day, but also offers advice on how to insert a little more movement into your day.  Apparently just standing up a few times a day will help a great deal.  I'm particularly fond of the animation of the man disco dancing at his desk.  Because that wouldn't garner any odd looks...

I personally like to keep things moving a bit by listening to music on my iPod and tapping my feet around. What do some of you do to keep moving throughout the day?

The Soda Tax: Yay or Nay?

Obama tried to tax sodas as part of his health care reform package, but it got destroyed by lobbyists.  Now some states are debating putting a tax on soda.  Honestly, at 1 cent per ounce it's not going to break anyone's bank (an extra 12cents per can...go check your couch!), but it could bring in millions of dollars to help fund various healthy initiative programs.  I, for one, think this a great idea.  Some naysayers think this is a slippery slope, that we could start taxing bread and milk next.  But really, soda has absolutely NO nutritional value.  In the scheme of our daily nutritional needs, soda is a luxury...and not a particularly healthy one.  What do you think?

Two Myths Debunked

Eating low-fat foods will make you healthy
Verdict: False

A low-fat diet and a healthy diet are not, surprisingly, one and the same. As mentioned above, low-fat foods are often deceptive, containing marginally reduced levels of fat in exchange for a high dose of sugar. You’ll often see it in the office environment: People concerned with their weight will stick with microwaved low-fat meals and never lose an ounce. If you are trying to become healthier through your diet, the rules are simple: Eat fresh, unprocessed foods. Get enough fruit and vegetables in your diet. Remember to balance. An all-protein diet might be the diet of choice for a weight lifter but not for your average Joe. You need to reduce your calorie intake (and sugars contain fats alongside calories). Eating simple, unprocessed food that you have prepared yourself is the best way to take control of your health.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/04/19/6-health-myths/#ixzz1K5BVgxaW

The fatter you are, the unhealthier you are
Verdict: False
If we think about the opposite of this statement (the thinner you are, the healthier you are), we’d be a nation of anorexics. It’s pretty obvious that people who are morbidly obese are unhealthy -- but so are those at the other end of the scale, who suffer from malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, among a host of other health problems. It’s worth pointing out that if you are eating "low-fat" products regularly, you should be checking the nutrition labels. These are usually packed with sugar, often more than regular products. Sports fans will have known this from day on. Those linebackers are just as fit as the rest of the players on the field and yet they’re about three times their size. There are, however, a number of illnesses associated with being overweight, so if you are piling on the pounds, get yourself to the gym and dismiss this health myth.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/04/19/6-health-myths/#ixzz1K5BZe7s0

Our Eyes Deceive Us

So apparently now just seeing an overweight person can make others eat more.   Unless they see them eating and then they eat less.  I can just envision a world where are the fat people are hidden away from the rest of society and the only way to see one is behind glass while they're eating.  I jest of course.  I find the psychology of it all fascinating, but I do also hope that this doesn't cause more unfair judgement of overweight people.  It also begs the question of how helpful watching reality shows like the Biggest Loser, Shedding for the Wedding or Ruby really are to overweight people.  Do I need to change my DVR now to help me lose weight?

Great New Online Comparison App

I just found out about this great new site that lets you compare items in hundreds of catagories.  It's called http://www.findthebest.com/ and I'm sharing because they have an entire section dedicated to health comparisons.  They have things like Diet Plans (which only a handful were medically sound), Snacks, Exercises, Frozen Dinner Nutrition, etc.  Check it out and maybe you'll learn something!