While we could list many the opposite of the 50 traits and characteristics of those who are healthy and fit in every area of their life and have 50 mistakes of those who are overweight and unhealthy, let's at least narrow it down to 25 as presented by The Daily Star ---

1. Having a negative defeatist attitude. If you think there is no way that you are going to succeed this time, lose the weight and keep it off, then you will be right!

2. Going on any diet that is NOT a manner of eating that you can adhere to for the rest of your life. Be careful when deciding what nutritional plan you want to follow, as it should be a manner of eating that matches your tastes, budget and lifestyle.

3. Believing that you will eat cabbage soup — or any other low-cal, monotonous fare everyday for the rest of your life. It is not realistic to think you will eat that way for the entire time it takes to lose all the weight. It certainly will not teach you much about how to live healthfully for the long-term.

4. Weighing in too frequently, letting the scale rule your mood and actions. Pack the scale up, put a big red bow around it, and unwrap it after six months of consistent healthful living. It might actually show you something you want to see!

5. Not drinking enough water. Water is all that you need to drink, and you MUST drink at least 64 ounces of it a day!

6. Drinking sugar-laden drinks — including "fruit" drinks. Fruitopia is neither a fruit nor a Utopia! Try putting your favorite non-water beverage in your pet's bowl, and see if they will drink it.

7. Consuming processed foods more often than fresh foods. Eating as close to natural is the best way to ensure that your body is as healthy as possible.

8. Not having a plan. "We never plan to fail, we fail to plan." Get a plan and stick with it, but make sure each step is realistic and change is gradual!

9. Not being aware of the nutritional benefits or detriments of what you consume. Lettuce is a great choice to eat, but spinach and other darker leaves have more nutritional benefit than the iceberg variety.

10. Finishing every last bite of a meal, even after you are full. Mother was wrong! Don't clean your plate, let the dishwasher do that! Read more...

Comments: The Health & Wellness Institute likes to help a dieter focus on what's good, instead of what's bad - the positive not the negative. Although we have to point out the unhealthy and fattening products that are responsible for the demise of the health of the world, we're better putting our focus on the good of being healthy instead of the bad of not. Focus on the ways you will improve your life by being healthier and fit and you'll find the motivation to do it much greater than the motivation to just avoid being unhealthy. If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

This should be part of the focus of 'rehabilitating' a convicted criminal - learning to live with a healthy diet and healthy lifestyle. One meal plan suggested could be Medifast, but there are others that would work just as well. Apparently, there should be good results when proper nutrition is received by inmates. Here is a study that will be done in prisons because of some successful results seen in a previous study... (Economist.com)

SUPPLEMENTS are all the rage: evening primrose oil; St John's wort; fish oils; glucosamine; selenium; zinc; iron; molybdenum; probiotics. And don't forget those old standbys, multivitamin tablets. It is hard to walk through a pharmacy without seeing a promise of clearer skin, a stronger immune system or less squeaky joints. But what about a pill or potion to make you better behaved?

That is exactly the intention of a study led by John Stein, a professor of neuroscience at Oxford University, that is about to start in three British prisons. Not only is there a growing body of evidence that good nutrition can improve behaviour, there is also a theoretical basis for supposing that a lack of essential nutrients has an impact on the way the brain works.

Dr Stein believes that the proper functioning of nerve-cell membranes and signalling molecules depends on adequate supplies of minerals, vitamins and fatty acids. To test the idea, his team will recruit 1,000 prisoners. Half of them will receive these supplements, while the others receive a placebo. Neither prisoners nor experimenters will know who got what until the trial is over.

The trial will replicate, on a larger scale, a study carried out by Natural Justice, a British charity, and published in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 2002. Then, 231 volunteers were given either capsules containing their official daily requirements of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids (such as omega-3s) or placebos. The trial lasted for nine months and during that time the number of offences committed by each prisoner was recorded. Those who received the extra nutrients committed an average of 26.3% fewer offences than those who got the placebo. For violent offences, the reduction was 37%. read on...

Note: Good nutrition is at the heart of every bit of health - mind and body. Let's get back to focusing on the basics of good health: plenty of fruits and vegetables and nutrient-rich foods. If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

HWI

Weight loss surgeries are only successful if the patient starts making proper diet changes and lives by healthy choices. Otherwise, some serious side effects can be the result depending on the type of gastric surgery performed. Well isn't this the way to a healthy weight anyway? A weight loss plan that focuses on healthy eating and a lifestyle that supports a healthy weight? Interestingly these surgeries do not guarantee anything, except problems.  That's right. Why would the body not have problems after being cut, stapled, re-routed, or banded on the inside? Patients not only face the dangerous side effects of the surgical procedure, but what is now showing up more and more is the extreme weight loss that can occur, and the weight gain that is also possible. This story comes from WKYC.com---

Thousands of Americans have achieved dramatic weight loss thanks to surgical techniques. We often hear about the success stories, but rarely do people speak of the failures. Eight years ago Jennifer Charlton ran out of options. Diets failed her and a leg injury prevented her from exercising. At 5'3 she weighed 300 pounds. She researched bariatric surgery for a year and decided it was the right choice for her. In 2001 a doctor surgically made her stomach smaller. The procedure was a success and in a few months Jennifer lost nearly 150 pounds.

But instead of embracing her new look, Jennifer felt disconnected. "It was just strange to look in the mirror and not recognize myself and not feel like I was in my own body." Two years after surgery a personal crisis spiraled her into a deep depression. Unable to cope, Jennifer sought comfort in unhealthy food and alcohol.

A chronic insomniac, she used the wine to help her sleep. Eventually the weight crept back on. She needed help but didn't know where to turn. She's not alone. When Jennifer had her surgery bariatric programs were relatively new. They've learned much since then including how to help patients cope with problems years after surgery. However, it only works with a willing patient.

Courtney Holbrook, Ph.D. is a psychologist for St. Vincent Charity Hospital's Center for Bariatric Surgery. She encourages patients not to feel ashamed or alone. On average a bariatric patient may regain about ten percent of their weight after two to five years. For those who gain much more, most programs offer intervention. Karen Schulz, R.N. is the Executive Director of St. Vincent's program, "the first thing we tell them is not to be embarrassed we just want to help them and many people have just forgotten the behaviors and the choices that they need to make to be successful for a lifetime." read more...

Comments: If you are considering surgery for weight loss, you may want to try going right to the requirements that are put on you after the surgery - healthy eating. Only with the right weight loss and meal plan, will you gradually make changes to build a lifestyle of health and fitness. If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your weight loss and health, Medifast provides a diet that makes it easy to plan the foods and meals you will eat. Click here - Medifast - to try the Medifast diet meal plan to help you get started losing weight. Medifast is physician-developed.

HWI