Jessica Simpson Slams Weight Obsession in Allure

In the March issue of Allure magazine , Jessica Simpson seems to have come into her own. Fresh off the heels of filming the reality show The Price of Beauty , the actress gives the finger to America’s obsession with weight: “It’s disgusting. My job is to be creative, and I’m not weighing in for anybody.” Over the years, she’s endured a ton of scrutiny for her weight. There was of course the infamous Jeansgate scandal , which was cause for the media to pounce on her like a starved lion. Talking about that time in her life, Jessica says, “I would not wish on my worst enemy what I went through.” But Jessica gets the last laugh. She’s looking better than ever in her cover shoot: poised, svelte (no doubt from all that boxing she’s been doing ), and calm. She’s also traded her sweet side for a bit of snark: “When I walk through an airport and people go, ‘You’re not fat!’ I’m like, ‘Thanks. Thanks. That’s great. Good to know I’m not fat today. Thank you!’”

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Jessica Simpson Slams Weight Obsession in Allure

Are You an Organ Donor?

Except for my visits to the DMV, organ donation is not something I think about that often. Luckily, I’ve never needed an organ and neither has anyone close to me. I do have the organ donor sticker on my license though - if the possibility exists that I can give someone a second chance at life, then I’m all for it. This month, a new law went into effect in Israel that encourages more of the county’s citizens to become organ donors. If you become an organ donor, then you receive priority treatment if you ever need a transplant yourself. Israel has an alarmingly low rate of donors - about 10 percent of its adults. In America, a recent survey showed that although 95 percent of Americans support organ donation, only 40 percent are registered donors . These numbers are only a reflection of deceased donors - people who donate their organs after they die. There is also a growing need for living organ donors - people who are willing to donate their kidney, or a portion of the liver, lung, intestine, or pancreas while living. And while we may have more organ donors than other countries, there are still over 100,000 people in the United States waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. I’m curious . . . Are You an Organ Donor? Yes, and I would consider being a live organ donor too. Yes, but only after my death. No, but I’m going to register to become one. No, and I’ll tell you why in the comments section below.

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Are You an Organ Donor?

New Surgeon General Criticized For Being Overweight

On Monday, Dr. Regina M. Benjamin was sworn in as our country’s 18th surgeon general. She’s now America’s top doctor and the face of the country’s public health policy. She’s also one of a growing number of Americans considered overweight. When the announcement of Obama’s pick came in late July, it didn’t take long for critics to question whether or not Dr. Benjamin was the right choice for the position. What was startling was that they weren’t judging her based on her resume or merits but felt she should be disqualified from the position because of her weight . Having an overweight surgeon general, in critics’ minds, was irresponsible when America is in the midst of a major obesity epidemic . Dr. Benjamin took these criticisms gracefully, and in a recent interview with Good Morning America , she admitted that even though the comments hurt, her weight should be an “open dialogue.” She went on to say that even though she is struggling with her weight, being fit is “more than just a dress size.” Dr. Benjamin’s plans are to fight obesity in this country both generally as well as personally alongside the 67 percent of obese Americans : “So I understand [what it's like to be overweight]. And I want to have them help me, and I’ll help them. And we’ll work together to try to become a healthier nation.” Do you think Dr. Benjamin’s credibility is undermined because she is overweight? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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New Surgeon General Criticized For Being Overweight

How to Start Running: Galloway Method

I have come to love running, but must admit it took me a long time to really warm up to the sport. It is truly the most convenient workout - lace up your shoes and go - and it creates a serious calorie burn. Last week I told you about the Couch to 5k training plan, which helps turn walkers into runners, but there is another way: the Galloway method . Running coach Jeff Galloway’s philosophy is to run injury-free, no matter the distance, by alternating running with walking. His training plans are low mileage, consist of running three days a week, and he strongly encourages cross training - cycling, elliptical, water running, basically anything that doesn’t pound your joints. The plans start with larger portions of walking than running, and Galloway urges runners to take it slow. You can check out his training plans for all distances here . If your get fit goal for 2010 is to start running, find a 5k race near you that is four months away, then follow Galloway’s 5k plan . Be sure to take advantage of the FitSugar Community and join RunningSugar and our Get Fit For 2010 group as you work on meeting your fitness goals for the new year.

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How to Start Running: Galloway Method

[Forum] 5 Essential Tools of Proper Dieting

Every activity requires some kind of tools to go with it. For example: sports, whether tennis or football need proper sport equipment and a playing field. Activity like cooking requires kitchen appliances and food to be excuted. Diet also needs proper tools to be done correctly and to insure that it will have long lasting results. There are as many diets as varieties of flowers. Each one is more unique as one before it. However, one secret about diets is that FAD DIETS DONT WORK in a long run. The key words here are “in the long run”. Yes, you might see pounds melting from your booty in the first couple of weeks, but in reality you are doing more harm to your body then any good. “Why is this so?”, you make ask. Well, fad diets like Atkins, Zone Diet, and South Beach Diet deprive your body of one or more macronutrients such as carbohydrates or fats. Nevertheless, our bodies were not designed to survive on grass or smoothies alone. WE NEED ALL MACRONUTRIENTS TO FUNCTION PROPERLY Yes, you heard me right, ALL! That means fat, carbs, protein, sugars, etc. Yummy ha? Well the problem in America is that many of us like to stick particularly to some macronutrients more than the others. Carbs and Sugars are Specials on American Diet Menu. Thus the BEST DIET is the most simple one: Eat a bit of everything! When starting a diet it is very important to equip yourself with tools of the trade. These tools will help you not only stay at the top of your game, but also help you get the most out of your diet. Here are some must haves!! #1. Measured Food Containers These containers are great way to store food in small or big measured portions. You can usually find these at kitchen appliances isle. If not, you can use some measuring cups ,water, and a permanent marker to mark where a measured amount of water would be at. #2. A Colorful 9 inch Plate A lot of experts agree that if one uses a smaller plate, then one will eat less. Different plate colors like green, pink, and orange have been proved to make the food taste better. So go to closest store, and get yourself the most craziest 9 inch color plate. I am getting mine on Sunday #3. Food Journal Keeping a Food Journal is a MUST! Last time I tried dieting, I didn’t go so far because after some while my food habits turned from bad to just ugly. Journal serves as a motivation booster. I got my journal from a Wal Mart. Its a pocket size one, that I can take with me anywhere I go. I will write what I eat for breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner and how much I exercised. (Yes, I said will..I am starting my diet on 1/11/2010) To stay motivated I designed a reward system that will work for me. As a kid, little things like medals and awards pushed me to my limit and kept me motivated. So I decided to use the SSSS. SSSS stands for SHINY. STAR. STICKER. SYSTEM. This means that I went to my closest Michaels ( Art Store) and got me star stickers of two different colors…red and gold. If for a whole day I eat good and exercised for reasonable amount of time, I will put a GOLD sticker on the page of my Food Journal. If I sinned and ate some kind of junk food, then I will put a RED star sticker on my page. At the end of semester I will count the numbers of both, and see how well I did. If my ratio of Gold:Red is good enough for me, then I will reward myself with a small portion of something that I like. [Note: Diet does not have to be cruel. You can allow yourself to have something sweet once in a while. Just not too often and not in a big portions] #4. Measuring Tape Ditch that stinky weight scale, and get your self a measuring tape. From previous experience I have found out that checking my weight too often and seeing no results make me anxious, which is not good at all. Weight has a tendency to fluctuate during a diet. One day you might be 2 lbs lighter, and the next day you might be 1 lb heavier. This can be due to your water weight. However, tape measurements are more precise. You cannot possibly have your waist measurement be 38, and then the next day measure at 41…unless you are really bloated. The only time you should weight in, which a lot of experts agree, is at most once a month. This way, when its time to weight in, you will see some actual results that hopefully will satisfy you. Seeing a difference will keep you motivated and in track of your goal. Nevertheless, weight loss can also be tracked through tape measurements. I will measure myself before I start my diet, and every two weeks after that. #5 Naughty and Nice List Before starting your diet, it is important to make a list of good foods, foods that you will dedicate yourself to eating, and bad foods that you will keep of your menu. For example: chips, burgers, candy bars, soda…etc. As a visual person, I made a small poster of foods that I will eat more often, and foods that I will avoid at all cost. This little piece of artwork I put right on my fridge, so the next time I reach for my roommate’s cheesecake at 3 in the morning, I will think twice before taking a bite.

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[Forum] 5 Essential Tools of Proper Dieting

World’s First Junk Food Tax May be Introduced in Taiwan

We’ve heard proposals of “junk food taxes” in America and other countries over the past couple of years, but none have yet been introduced. Taiwan may be set to become the first country with an extra levy on unhealthy food. Continue reading…

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World’s First Junk Food Tax May be Introduced in Taiwan

Burger King’s 7 Patty Windows 7 Whopper

Electronista And they call us fat in America. Well, we are, but that’s beside the point! No, your eyes don’t deceive you–that’s a 7 meat patty Burger King Whopper. So, why does it exist? To help promote a new computer operating system, duh! In October, Microsoft launched Windows 7, and to promote its release in Japan, they came up with that 7 meat patty, a 2,120 calorie artery bomb. Continue reading…

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Burger King’s 7 Patty Windows 7 Whopper

[Forum] The 5 Bite Diet

So after 13 pages on the 5 bite diet , it got shut down! It’s a shame because we had started a really cool little support group. Are any of you out there by any chance? Let’s not drop this!!! It was so motivational! EDITORS NOTE: Comments are now closed on the original 5 Bite Diet entry, as the size of the entry was so big it was causing performance problems. Please continue your discussion below…

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[Forum] The 5 Bite Diet

[Forum] The 5 Bite Diet

So after 13 pages on the 5 bite diet , it got shut down! It’s a shame because we had started a really cool little support group. Are any of you out there by any chance? Let’s not drop this!!! It was so motivational! EDITORS NOTE: Comments are now closed on the original 5 Bite Diet entry, as the size of the entry was so big it was causing performance problems. Please continue your discussion below…

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[Forum] The 5 Bite Diet

13 Ways to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

In America, a woman has a one in nine chance for developing breast cancer. While that statistic is extremely depressing, here are some lifestyle choices you can make to help decrease your risk. Source: Getty View Slideshow ›

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13 Ways to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

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