One of the stranger stories of 2008 comes from California, where a doctor used fat from liposuction to power an SUV. While we suggest a diet and meal plan like Medifast for healthy weight loss, apparently those who get liposuction can contribute to the energy solution (although it's illegal, at least in California!). This may get more people thinking about the energy stores available in their fat cells if this is true. The doctor performing the liposuction was using the fat to power his girlfriend's SUV. Wow! All this time we've been walking around with the solution attached to us! Here's the story from The Washington Post --

L.A. Liposuction Doc Investigated for Alleged Use of Patients' Fat to Fuel SUV

A Beverly Hills doctor specializing in liposuction is under investigation by California officials who say he converted his patients' unwanted body fat into biodiesel to power his and his girlfriend's SUVs.

Dr. Alan Bittner, who had advertised nationally for patients to travel to Beverly Hills for liposuction, faces an investigation by the state's public health department because of several lawsuits that allege he allowed his assistant and his girlfriend to perform liposuction without a medical license, removing too much fat and leaving patients disfigured, Forbes reported Wednesday.

It's unclear when Bittner started and stopped making fat fuel or how he made it, but Forbes reported that the science was valid. Animal or vegetable fat contains triglycerides that can be extracted and turned into diesel. Some poultry companies are looking into powering their trucks on chicken schmaltz, and biofuel start-ups are mixing beef tallow and pig lard with other sources like soybean oil to brew biodiesel, Forbes reported. (Reference...)

Comments: First, I'd like to know who came up with the idea, because it couldn't possibly be something not considered, talked about, or even experimented with before. Secondly, who wrote a law in California that human medical waste is not to be used to power vehicles. If there's a law, chances are it originated in CA no matter how bizarre it may be. This technology sure could motivate a lot of people to go under the knife if they were going to get compensation for their fat. Not that we condone lipo for fat loss (unless it's just a reshaping procedure done for those last 1 or 2 pounds!), but how could a doctor who has access to so much of it resist? All kidding aside, this may be one of the stranger stories of 2008.

The Health & Wellness Institute

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.

While children may be too young for the Medifast diet and meal plan, they can learn from adults to properly manage their weight through healthy meal choices. Medifast can be a solution for not just weight loss, but understanding the balance of nutrition in a healthy diet.

Here's an interesting report on how schools in Kentucky are taking action to improve the diets and health of students. This is where we need to start taking massive action because it will not only help the health of the kids, but their future as well. Story ---

Dec 22, 2008 (The Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- More than 1.7 million lunches were served in Warren County schools last year. A recent report card compiled by the district's food services department shows that those lunches, in addition to the more than 600,000 breakfasts served last year, are on target in providing less than 30 percent of calories from fat and less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat.

Gina Howard, director of food service and nutrition for the district, said the report card is compiled annually and returned to the state to show how schools are emphasizing not only good nutrition, but physical activity.

In the report, 54 percent of elementary schools are meeting the Center for Disease Control's target of providing 150 minutes of physical activity per week.

Medifast

Get medifast for weight loss, health, a healthy diet, and a diet plan. Medifast is a product that helps you lose weight. There are benefits to using Medifast in your diet, and can be used for weight loss. Phase 1 - 5 & 1 Program for Weight Loss 5 Medifast Meals per Day Over 50 meals to choose from - shakes, bars, drinks, oatmeals, chili, soups, pudding and more. 1 "Lean and Green" Meal per Day Lean Meat: 7 ounces of chicken, turkey of fish, or 5 ounces of lean beef, pork or lamb. Grill, bake or poach meats using non-stick spray. Salt, pepper, herbs and spices may be added if desired. You may also use 1 - 2 teaspoons of condiments such as ketchup, mustard or barbecue sauce. Salad or Vegetables: Either 2 cups of salad greens (any kind) and up to ½ cups raw vegetables, or up to 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables.

Medifast Diet

You may also use 1 - 2 tablespoons of Media low-fat or non-fat dressing.Phase 2 - BeSlim™ Philosophy of Lifelong Weight Control Once you have reached your healthy weight, your Health Advisor will help transition you to the BeSlim™ philosophy of lifelong weight control. The BeSlim™ philosophy is a part of the Take Shape for Life program that incorporates key behaviors mastered by those who lost significant amounts of weight and kept their weight off for years. These key behaviors include: Breakfast (eating Breakfast every day) - High quality fuel, such as our delicious Medifast oatmeal, cappuccino, or chai latte, is essential to start your day the right way. Exercise - Continued exercise increases metabolism, provides strength, flexibility, and mental clarity.

Medifast Nutrition

Support - Your Health Advisor is here to help you reach and maintain your goals, providing the coaching, tools, education, and caring support you will need along the way. Low-fat meals 5-6 times a day - Eating frequently, controlling portion and total calories, especially those from fat, are critical for success. Individual Plan - Create an individual plan to help you achieve an optimal healthy lifestyle and build the skills and strategies you need to cope with modern life. Monitor your weight - Weigh yourself on a regular basis to maintain optimal weight. Catch it before it becomes a challenge! Join the BeSlim™ Club today and set your life in motion! Introducing the New BeSlim Club & Rewards Program! Optimal Health is its own reward, but how about earning a bonus or two along the way? You’re on a journey to Optimal Health. You’ve made a commitment to lose weight and keep it off! You’ve earned the right to celebrate your success! The new Take Shape For Life BeSlim Club & Rewards Program is your ticket there. The BeSlim Club & Rewards Program is Take Shape For Life's progressive savings program, offering clients and Health Coaches an easy way to obtain their Medifast Meals at a savings, with exciting rewards you can earn along the way! The longer you are member of the BeSlim™ Club, the more significant your savings are and the more rewards points you’ll earn. When you join the Take Shape For Life BeSlim Club & Rewards Program, you: Enjoy your favorite Medifast Meals all month long, with orders conveniently shipped right to your door Save on your meal purchases and enjoy increased savings the longer you’re on the program Earn points towards exclusive rewards that promote healthy living Receive coupons for special savings. Enrich your life as you achieve Optimal Health Available to all, the BeSlim™ Club is a great way for individuals learning and practicing the BeSlim™ philosophy. Every time you order, you earn points towards healthful rewards. Here’s how: There’s no minimum purchase required. Redeem your reward points* for exclusive Take Shape For Life merchandise, including: Apparel, Exercise Equipment, Spa Trips, And more! Join the BeSlim Club today! Simplify Your Life -- — Receive automatic monthly shipments of your favorite Medifast Meals; Save Your Money — Enjoy savings that increase the longer you are a club member; Earn Just Rewards— Select from an array of rewards that promote healthy living and a healthy lifestyle.

Other links: Medifast Blog
Meal Plan from Medifast
Medifast Ordering and Info
Medifast Blog
Medifast Success Stories
Official Medifast Site
Medifast Diet

Howard said while that number is the same as last year's report, the schools not meeting the goal are in the 149-minute a week category, and are "just shy" of meeting the goal.

Some schools, such as Oakland and Natcher elementaries, have even started before and after school clubs for running and walking to encourage physical fitness, Howard said.

The report card breaks down the target number of calories, fats and nutrients verses the actual average served over the course of a week in the school's lunch menus.

According to the graphs in the 2009 report, Warren County aims to serve 664 calories a week, but is seeing a slight difference with 696 calories. Read the full report

Bottom line: The diets and meal plans that are provided for children at most schools falls well short of the proper nutrition they need. Too much emphasis is put on the calorie count, while the quality of the food being served is ignored. The most important part of the diet is the number of fruits and vegetables that any individual consumes, especially a growing child. Proper nutrition translates into healthy cells, tissues, muscles, even the brain, not to mention the grades and behavior as well. Feed yourself and your children a diet filled with good nutrition. The best step for school lunch? - pack it yourself, and be sure no soft drinks or sugary or fatty foods be included.

The Health & Wellness Institute

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.

Medifast is a healthy diet and meal plan with the Take Shape For Life program.

A new study shows that will increased weight, obesity, the taste buds of those who suffer from the condition are numbed, causing them to eat sweeter foods or meals. This is one reason that a meal plan like Medifast works for weight loss and weight management. But is Medifast or any type of healthy meal plan too little and too late? Maybe. This is why such diet plans like The Vice Busting Diet Plan from Julia Havey has been very successful for those who have more than 50 pounds to lose - because it takes into account that change for those who are obese is much more difficult than for those who have 20 to 40 pounds to lose. Not that those people have it any easier all the time, but imagine gaining weight for 10 years, a LOT of weight, and then suddenly switch everything you've been consuming to an entirely different eating plan. It's next to impossible. For diet plans like The Vice Busting Diet, the 'dieter' is asked to make one simple change at a time - learning to crawl before running, if you will. Here's more on how your taste buds may be getting numb if you're gaining weight and your diet is filled with too many high-sugar items (from Mercola.com) --

According to neuroscientists, obesity gradually numbs the taste sensation of rats to sweet foods, and drives them to consume larger and sweeter meals. There is apparently a critical link between taste and body weight.

Previous studies have suggested that obese persons are less sensitive to sweet taste, but little is known about the specific differences in sense of taste between obese and lean individuals. Researchers investigated these differences by studying the taste responses of two strains of rats.

Medifast

Get medifast for weight loss, health, a healthy diet, and a diet plan. Medifast is a product that helps you lose weight. There are benefits to using Medifast in your diet, and can be used for weight loss. Phase 1 - 5 & 1 Program for Weight Loss 5 Medifast Meals per Day Over 50 meals to choose from - shakes, bars, drinks, oatmeals, chili, soups, pudding and more. 1 "Lean and Green" Meal per Day Lean Meat: 7 ounces of chicken, turkey of fish, or 5 ounces of lean beef, pork or lamb. Grill, bake or poach meats using non-stick spray. Salt, pepper, herbs and spices may be added if desired. You may also use 1 - 2 teaspoons of condiments such as ketchup, mustard or barbecue sauce. Salad or Vegetables: Either 2 cups of salad greens (any kind) and up to ½ cups raw vegetables, or up to 1 ½ cups cooked vegetables.

Medifast Diet

You may also use 1 - 2 tablespoons of Media low-fat or non-fat dressing.Phase 2 - BeSlim™ Philosophy of Lifelong Weight Control Once you have reached your healthy weight, your Health Advisor will help transition you to the BeSlim™ philosophy of lifelong weight control. The BeSlim™ philosophy is a part of the Take Shape for Life program that incorporates key behaviors mastered by those who lost significant amounts of weight and kept their weight off for years. These key behaviors include: Breakfast (eating Breakfast every day) - High quality fuel, such as our delicious Medifast oatmeal, cappuccino, or chai latte, is essential to start your day the right way. Exercise - Continued exercise increases metabolism, provides strength, flexibility, and mental clarity.

Medifast Nutrition

Support - Your Health Advisor is here to help you reach and maintain your goals, providing the coaching, tools, education, and caring support you will need along the way. Low-fat meals 5-6 times a day - Eating frequently, controlling portion and total calories, especially those from fat, are critical for success. Individual Plan - Create an individual plan to help you achieve an optimal healthy lifestyle and build the skills and strategies you need to cope with modern life. Monitor your weight - Weigh yourself on a regular basis to maintain optimal weight. Catch it before it becomes a challenge! Join the BeSlim™ Club today and set your life in motion! Introducing the New BeSlim Club & Rewards Program! Optimal Health is its own reward, but how about earning a bonus or two along the way? You’re on a journey to Optimal Health. You’ve made a commitment to lose weight and keep it off! You’ve earned the right to celebrate your success! The new Take Shape For Life BeSlim Club & Rewards Program is your ticket there. The BeSlim Club & Rewards Program is Take Shape For Life's progressive savings program, offering clients and Health Coaches an easy way to obtain their Medifast Meals at a savings, with exciting rewards you can earn along the way! The longer you are member of the BeSlim™ Club, the more significant your savings are and the more rewards points you’ll earn. When you join the Take Shape For Life BeSlim Club & Rewards Program, you: Enjoy your favorite Medifast Meals all month long, with orders conveniently shipped right to your door Save on your meal purchases and enjoy increased savings the longer you’re on the program Earn points towards exclusive rewards that promote healthy living Receive coupons for special savings. Enrich your life as you achieve Optimal Health Available to all, the BeSlim™ Club is a great way for individuals learning and practicing the BeSlim™ philosophy. Every time you order, you earn points towards healthful rewards. Here’s how: There’s no minimum purchase required. Redeem your reward points* for exclusive Take Shape For Life merchandise, including: Apparel, Exercise Equipment, Spa Trips, And more! Join the BeSlim Club today! Simplify Your Life -- — Receive automatic monthly shipments of your favorite Medifast Meals; Save Your Money — Enjoy savings that increase the longer you are a club member; Earn Just Rewards— Select from an array of rewards that promote healthy living and a healthy lifestyle.

Other links: Medifast Blog
Meal Plan from Medifast
Medifast Ordering and Info
Medifast Blog
Medifast Success Stories
Official Medifast Site
Medifast Diet

Compared to the lean and healthy LETO rats, the taste responses in OLETF rats mirror those in obese humans. These rats tend to chronically overeat due to a missing satiety signal, and they become obese and develop diabetes. The obese rats also show an increased preference for sweet foods. Read more...Read more...

Bottom line: It is much easier to either prevent a problem from happening - i.e. eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly - and even turn a small problem around before it escalates to a major one, than it is to deal with a severely obese conditions, especially if the report above is true. Wherever you are in your weight or your overall health, it is important to take steps to be healthy, to be fit, so that you can get the full life out of your years and years out of your life!

The Health & Wellness Institute

If you aren't morbidly obese, you may find great benefit from using the Medifast meal plan that is referred to as Take Shape for Life. You can learn about Medifast here.

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.

While studies continue about how a healthy diet and plenty of fruits and vegetables may or may not prevent or add some relief of certain conditions or diseases, we at The Health & Wellness Institute continue to spread the message that a balanced diet (like Medifaset) that includes plenty of nutrients from a variety of fruits and vegetables, is the foundation of good health. This new report has been released about the effect a healthy diet has on breast cancer specifically --

Washington (dbTechno) - According to a new study, a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables can actually keep breast cancer from coming back. The study was carried out by Ellen Gold of the University of California Davis, and looked at breast cancer patients who have already beaten the disease. The findings were only effective for women who did not have hot flashes after their cancer therapy.

What they found was that those who eat more fruits and vegetables can actually cut their risk of breast cancer recurrence by one-third. It is believed that this result, which was based on 3,000 breast cancer patients, had a lot to do with estrogen in women. All of those who took part in the study were on average 53-years old, with half doubling how much fruits an dvegetables they consumed. Read more...

Comment: There is no substitute for good nutrition and a healthy diet. Vitamins supplements don't do it; nor does any combination of synthetic (man-made) pills or powders that claim to have the latest discovery of nutrition from a plant. You need whole food nutrition from a variety of plant sources. And if you're overweight, chances are you're consuming too much food, and probably a lot of it unhealthy. If you need to drop weight, you may want to consider Medifast, and specifically the Take Shape for Life plan. Make your choices wisely. Your health depends on it.

The Health & Wellness Institute

Medifast is an easy meal plan for weight loss that is great for adults who are dealing with weight issues. However, it is best to prevent the problem in children so that it doesn't become a burden to them as adults, as studies show there is an 80% chance they will be obese as adults if they're overweight as kids. This is why there are so many diets and meal plans, yes Medifast is one, that are offered to adults because the problem is almost as common as a headache. Here's more on how a ban on fast-food advertising could translate to an improvement in the overweight and obesity rate of children (Mercola.com) --

According to a new study, a ban on fast food advertisements in the United States could reduce the number of overweight children by as much as 18 percent. In addition, the study reports that eliminating the tax deductibility of television advertising would also result in a reduction of childhood obesity.

The study’s authors found that a ban on fast food television advertisements during children's programming would reduce the number of overweight children ages 3-11 by 18 percent, and would lower the number of overweight adolescents ages 12-18 by 14 percent.

Should the U.S. pursue this path, they would be following Sweden, Norway and Finland, which are thus far the only countries to have banned commercial sponsorship of children's programs.

Research indicates that there is an 80 percent chance an overweight adolescent will be an obese adult. Over 300,000 deaths can be attributed to obesity and weight in the United States every year. States Mercola - Did you know that each week, the typical American child takes in some 38 hours (yes, a full work week) of commercial media, with its endless ads and deceptions? This study, the largest of its kind, measured the number of hours of fast food messages were viewed by children on a weekly basis, and was able to directly tie childhood obesity to fast food advertising on American television.

They concluded that banning fast food TV ads during children's programming would reduce the number of overweight children ages:

3-11 by 18 percent
12-18 by 14 percent

Comments: This is what many authors and advocates have been preaching for years, especially with the problem getting worse over the past decade. The authors of The Vice Busting Diet specifically state that soft drinks and fast food are the two biggest contributors to obesity. And the third biggest 'diet vice' is television - too many hours sitting and watching the tv while doing nothing (except eating, typically). These are the three top diet vices responsible for 95% of the overweight and obesity problem.

When you get rid of just those first two things in your diet, such a major improvement occurs to the health of the individual that a healthy weight (and body) soon is within reach. Now if you make a rule to exercise before watching any tv each day - or, as the authors suggest can be done, exercise while watching - then you have the trifecta. There is no room for moderation for things that are unhealthy, have little to no nutritional benefit, and by many authorities are considered addictive! This is one reason why The Healthy & Wellness Institute recommends Medifast. If everyone would eat mostly a plant based diet, the problem would be solved (and so would many others, i.e. the environment, water shortages, etc... but we won't take that up here). However, Medifast is an excellent example of a healthy meal plan that provides a proper balance of nutrition.

Focus on eliminating those things that aren't good, and start loading up on good, healthy nutrition like fruits, vegetables, water, fiber. And add daily exercise. Your weight, body, mind, energy, passion for life... will all improve!

The Healthy & Wellness Institute

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.

References for this Post -- The Journal of Law and Economics
Mercola.com

If you are interested in a meal plan to assist with your diet plans and weight loss, 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.

Why is your diet and health plan important?...and I'm not talking about your insurance, but your own personal plan to stay healthy - your diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits. Here's an interesting look at the history of health care -- (WSJ)

Not many people are buying cars built 60 years ago. No one is watching TV on a set manufactured in the 1940s. Patients are not lining up to see a doctor who hasn't cracked a book since before the polio vaccine was discovered. Why, then, do millions of Americans get their health care through an employer-based system from the 1940s?

Employers didn't start offering health benefits roughly 60 years ago because they were experts in medical decisions. It was a way of circumventing the World War II wage and price controls. Barred from offering higher salaries to attract workers, employers offered health insurance instead. Aided by an IRS ruling that said workers who received health benefits did not have to pay income taxes on them, and by the fact that employers could write off the cost of the health benefits as a business related expense, this accidental arrangement became the primary way most Americans access health care.

The report goes on...

Today, health-care costs are increasing at twice the rate of inflation. To stay in the black, companies are forced to raise their employees' premiums and deductibles, opt for cheaper insurance plans, or worse yet, drop health benefits altogether. Since 2000, the percentage of employers providing health insurance has declined by nearly 10%.

For too many, the employer-based system is inefficient. Each employer purchases health insurance separately. According to a recent estimate by the McKinsey Global Institute, this adds more than $75 billion in underwriting, marketing, sales, billing and other administrative costs that offer no health benefits. More than half of all American employers who offer health-care benefits don't offer their employees a choice. Consequently, most Americans don't have the option of giving their business to insurance companies that treat them well and only cover what they need. This prevents the usual market forces from holding down costs. Read more...

Comment: Considering the costs associated with coverage, the best insurance you can provide yourself is done on a daily basis - your diet and exercise habits. That is your insurance plan. Otherwise you need full coverage insurance so you can smoke, eat fatty foods, clog your arteries, and let your mind go to mush so that other people, machines, facilities, and procedures can increase your life's duration due to the improper care you put on yourself. Your health. Your choice.

The Health & Wellness Institute