Breakfast, cereal keep girls slim

[Bill Glasheen]

Your mother was right!

Be careful with the details of this study, partially funded by General Mills. However if you stay away from high glycemic index cereals (any kind of sugar or corn syrup, which is most cereals) and look for higher fiber cereals, you're likely to maximize this effect.

Study: Breakfast, cereal keep girls slim

BALTIMORE (AP) — Girls who regularly ate breakfast, particularly one that includes cereal, were slimmer than those who skipped the morning meal, according to a study that tracked nearly 2,400 girls for 10 years.
Girls who ate breakfast of any type had a lower average body mass index, a common obesity gauge, than those who said they didn't. The index was even lower for girls who said they ate cereal for breakfast, according to findings of the study conducted by the Maryland Medical Research Institute with funding from the National Institutes of Health and cereal-maker General Mills.

"Not eating breakfast is the worst thing you can do, that's really the take-home message for teenage girls," said study author Bruce Barton, president and CEO of the Maryland Medical Research Institute.

The fiber in cereal and healthier foods that normally accompany cereal, such as milk and orange juice, may account for the lower body mass index among cereal eaters, Barton said.

The results were gleaned from a larger National Institutes of Health survey of 2,379 girls in California, Ohio and Maryland who were tracked between the ages of 9 and 19. Results of the study appear in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Nearly one in three adolescent girls in the United States is overweight or obese, according to the association. The problem is particularly troubling because research shows becoming overweight as a child can lead to a lifetime struggle with obesity.

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- USA Today

The paradox here is one that dieters never get. The more you starve yourself, the more the genetically-programmed aspects of your metabolism set out to defeat your intent. You just slow your metabolism down, which in the end causes you to gain weight with the least amount of consumption. And you end up eating more fast food and convenience food, where all the bad fats and surgar can be found.

The goal should be to eat the right foods, and eat to keep your blood sugar level steady. Then add exercise. If the body knows that the food supply isn't an issue, it will crank up the basal metabolic rate.

- Bill

[Dana Sheets]

It seems that fructose may be a real evil with regards to fat. See study below. Wouldn't it be ironic if the government subsidies of corn farming in this country have paid for America's widening waistlines?

http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=2930

A UC study provides new evidence that drinking large amounts of beverages containing fructose adds body fat, and might explain why sweetening with fructose could be even worse than using other sweeteners.

Researchers allowed mice to freely consume either water, fructose sweetened water or soft drinks. They found increased body fat in the mice that drank the fructose-sweetened water and soft drinks—despite that fact that these animals decreased the amount of calories they consumed from solid food.

This, said author Matthias Tschöp, MD, associate professor in UC’s psychiatry department and a member of the Obesity Research Center at UC’s Genome Research Institute, suggests that the total amount of calories consumed when fructose is added to diets may not be the only explanation for weight gain. Instead, he said, consuming fructose appears to affect metabolic rate in a way that favors fat storage.

“Our study shows how fat mass increases as a direct consequence of soft drink consumption,” said Dr. Tschöp.

The research appears in the July 2005 issue of Obesity Research, the official journal of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO).

Consumption of sweetened foods and beverages containing sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup―particularly carbonated soft drinks and some juices and cereals—has been thought to be a leading cause of obesity. A widely used sweetener derived from corn, high-fructose corn syrup is similar to sucrose (table sugar) in its composition, about half glucose and half fructose.

Dr. Tschöp’s lab used novel body composition analyzers that use magnetic resonance technology to carefully monitor body fat in mice.

All the mice began the study at an average weight of 39 grams. Those consuming the fructose-sweetened water showed significant weight gain over the course of the study, with an average final weight of 48 grams—compared with averages below 44 grams for the other groups—and had about 90 percent more body fat than the mice that consumed water only. {emphasis Dana}

Total caloric intake was lower in the mice that consumed the fructose-sweetened water than in the other groups, except for the control animals provided with water only.

“We were surprised to see that mice actually ate less when exposed to fructose-sweetened beverages, and therefore didn’t consume more overall calories,” said Dr. Tschöp. “Nevertheless, they gained significantly more body fat within a few weeks.”

90% more body fat gained? Who's going to be the first to call for this substance to be outlawed? How much more unhealthy can you get? And it is in almost everything that's not a whole food. No wonder Americans have trouble losing weight.

[Bill Glasheen]

I avoid "high fructose corn syrup" like the plague. It is the king of high glycemic index carbohydrates. Yes, it is in almost everything. Note how lean and mean my boys look.

It's a tough battle to fight with the crapola they serve in school cafeterias and treats that outsiders give. This is all the more reason to make sure the tummies are full with good food before they go out the door.

- Bill

[jorvik]

problem is , it's all motivated by profit and the folks making the profit fund the government
I think that we are creating frankenstein crops with all this genetically modified stuff...but I guess folks haven't learned, it'll be genetically modified fructose that makes you fat.............then kills you ..but hey!!....good profit margins.

[Bill Glasheen]

From AOL dot com News and Trends. This story confirms my statements about how one needs to stay away from the high sugar (corn syrup, etc.) cereals. It also makes a few interesting points about the convenience factor - something highly relevant to those of us who hate to get up in the morning and actually DO anything.

- Bill

Everyone knows breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But when you're watching your weight, that mantra doesn't give you license to gorge on pancakes, bagels and muffins. When it comes to staying slim, cold cereal eaters have the edge.

Not All Created Equal
Two new studies support the notion that a regular morning meal of cereal and milk wards off weight problems. But even though the studies were funded by two major cereal manufacturers, leading nutritionists agree with their findings. "Cereal with milk is quick and easy, and if you chose the right cereal you get calcium, fiber, and plenty of nutrients," says American Dietetic Association spokeswoman Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD.

Of course, eating a sugar-laden cereal straight from the box can create a diet disaster. Taub-Dix recommends a cereal with no more than 3 grams of sugar per serving and roughly 5 grams of fiber, topped with skimmed milk and berries. If you can't live without your Cocoa Puffs, which has 13 grams of sugar per serving, try cutting the sugar by mixing it with a low-sugar option like Cheerios or Kix.

Smart Snacking
Cereal is also often touted as a healthy snack. The best choice would be a whole-grain variety that's high in fiber and protein. Again, portion and sugar control are key if you choose this as your between-meals treat.

[f.Channell]

Breakfast?

I like stale beer and cold pizza myself.

Breakfast of champions. Maybe that's why I never make "Sanchin on the beach".


F.