Every year, US News & World Report ranks trending diets for the year ahead. Despite its overwhelming popularity, the report ranked the ketogenic diet as the worst for healthy eating and the second to last overall.

For those who don’t know, the ketogenic diet is a very rigid regimen for rapid weight loss. The plan essentially tricks your body by depriving it of carbohydrates. Eventually, this lack of carbohydrates triggers a metabolic state called ketosis, which causes your body to burn fat for energy instead of storing it.

Proponents of the diet say that it has evidence of success, plus it allows you to eat high-fat foods like red meats, fatty fish, butter, and cheese while still helping you lose weight. Furthermore, the diet can help people with Type 2 diabetes improve their blood sugar levels and help people with epilepsy reduce the frequency of their seizures.

However, the diet also requires that you consume no more than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, and if you mess up, your body will simply start storing fat again. This can have dangerous results since the diet suggests that you consume fat for upwards of 80 percent of your daily caloric intake.

For its evaluation, US News & World Report evaluated 35 of the most popular diets based on seven categories. These categories included nutritional completeness, ease of dietary plan, weight loss potential, and likelihood of disease prevention. Not surprisingly, the high-fat, low-carb trendy diet plan performed low in nearly every category.

Because the keto diet heavily relies on saturated fats, it can enhance a person’s risk of heart disease. Therefore, it scored poorly in the area of disease prevention. Because of the aforementioned potential for errors that undo the diet just from eating things like fruits and whole grains, it also scored poorly in the area of ease and sustainability.

In fact, the keto diet only excelled in one area: rapid weight loss potential. In this category, it tied with Atkins, Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig for third place.

However, experts caution that a diet’s ability to help you rapidly lose weight doesn’t make it healthy. Nutrition specialists affirm that nutritionally unbalanced diets like keto and Atkins almost guarantee short-term losses but the very nature of their restrictive plans make long-term adherence all but impossible.

In addition to the long-term disbenefits, the keto diet’s rapid weight loss technique can pose numerous other consequences as well. Quick, significant jumps in weight can cause stretch marks, changes in taste perception, interruptions in your menstrual cycle, and even depression. Furthermore, most experts still advise that slow and steady weight loss is the best method for overall health and long-term maintenance.

If you’re looking for a regimented weight loss plan that cuts out some of the negative aspects of the keto diet, some health advocates recommend a hybrid version of the keto diet with either vegan meals prepared at home or Mediterranean diet aspects.

This diet cuts out high-calorie, processed foods for more nutrient-dense items. These vitamin-rich foods provide nutrients that help prevent diabetes, cancer, and other diseases.

What’s more, US News & World Report awarded this easy-to-follow diet as the top choice for a third year in a row.

While fad diets tempt us all, it’s important to research any diet and consult your doctor before jumping on the bandwagon. A medical professional or experienced dietitian can help you plan eating habits that will provide the best results and health benefits for your body without major negative side effects. The biggest lesson we can take from US News & World Report’s study is this: Just because plans like the keto diet have massive followings and promise rapid weight loss, that doesn’t mean they’re safe or even remotely beneficial in the long term.

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An Australian woman has opened up about how being overweight ruined her sex life – and how she lost a staggering 63kg to change her life.

Kaitlyn Gonzalez, 27, from One Mile, NSW, developed an unhealthy relationship with food as a child – often skipping breakfast and eating regular McDonald’s meals.

As an adult she tipped the scales at 145kg – a size 22 – and was often reduced to tears by her reflection.

“Being 145kg was hard, but I was in denial about it. I honestly didn’t realise how big I actually was,” Kaitlyn said.

“Whenever I saw myself on security cameras or in windows walking past shops, I felt my stomach sink. I would look at myself and cry, feeling depressed and like I wasn’t worth being treated right because I mistreated myself.”

Explaining the toll her weight took on her life, Kaitlyn said it affected her in many ways.

“I couldn’t run, I wouldn’t wear skirts as my thighs rubbed so badly they would bleed, I wouldn’t go shopping with friends, I couldn’t ride a rollercoaster and I even struggled putting on socks and shoes,” she said.

“Although it didn’t cause extreme issues in my love life I was limited to one position because other positions hurt my knees and I worried about my stomach touching them.

“When I went to a uni day I remember standing there and a guy about ten metres away pointed at me and yelled ‘oh my god, she’s so fat!’ I cried but thankfully he did apologise after. I’ve also had men tell me they would date me if I wasn’t so big,” she added.

“I was always going out with my tiny and pretty friend and all the boys wanted her, I got no attention and felt out of place. I literally woke up one morning and said I’m done with being fat and I booked an appointment with my doctor to see a surgeon.”

In May 2017 Kaitlyn chose to have vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) surgery.

But knowing it wasn’t a miracle cure, she put a large emphasis on fitness after that and worked out every day.

She also started eating more lean meats and lots of vegetables and within just one year she lost 68kg and now weighs just 77kg and wears a size eight.

Kaitlyn also struggled with excess skin and had two operations to have 3kg removed in February 2019 and a breast lift in October 2019.

Now Kaitlyn shares tips to her friends and family on how she managed to transform her body and life.

“Losing weight has changed my life because if I hadn’t have had the surgery to kick start me, I’d probably have diabetes or be close to dead now. I can walk into any clothing store, pull something off the rack and it fits me. I’m more active, people definitely respond to me better and I get more enjoyment out of every day,” Kaitlyn continued.

“I love how far I’ve come I love how much effort I’ve put in to coming this far. I do still look at myself sometimes and see the bigger girl however I now look in the mirror and be like ‘damn, skinny!’. Every day is different, but I know inside I’ve done so well.

“People are shocked when I tell them how much I’ve lost. They say ‘wow that’s a whole person’ I work in retail and get lots of regular customers who say I look amazing but that they didn’t think I was that big before.

“To those who don’t know where to start, I really suggest thinking about where you want to be. Don’t look at models but do look for people whose shape and fitness levels you like. It’s not going to be about being skinny, but it is about being fit, strong and healthy.”

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Modern lifestyle has altered our diet to a great extent. Unhealthy and untimely eating habits are almost the norm now, which are causing many lifestyle-related diseases; obesity being one of them. Obesity cannot be managed overnight. It requires a great amount of dietary reform and adaptation of a physically active routine to bring some difference. The present day anti-obesity strategies largely focus on limiting calorie intake and absorption, and replace such foods with healthier foods with low calorific value. Many people are also opting for more natural and herbal ways to manage the condition. For those, the findings of this particular study might be helpful. A team of researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences claim to have discovered a herb that may be beneficial in combating obesity.

Ginseng is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb that may be used as an alternative strategy for managing excessive weight and obesity. The scientists revealed that ginseng extract may activate the brown adipose tissue (BAT), which in turn may burn energy. The ginseng extract can induce enterococcus faecalis, which can produce myristoleic acid (MA), an unsaturated long-chain fatty acid (LCFA). The results of the study were published in the journal ‘Gut’.

Some studies in the past discovered that brown adipose tissue (BAT) aids in weight loss by countering the effects of obesity. By propelling the functioning of BAT, obesity could be targeted effectively and this could prove to be a viable therapeutic strategy for managing obesity and related diseases.

JIN Wanzhu, lead author of study said, “As a novel anti-obesity probiotic, enterococcus faecalis and myristoleic acid can reduce adiposity via BAT activation and beige fat formation.”

This study is the first one to find out that enterococcus faecalis LCFA (specifically myristoleic acid) axis can bring down the symptoms of obesity by increasing BAT activity and limit fat formation and calorie absorption.

“The study demonstrates the important role of myristoleic acid in reducing obesity and improving related metabolic syndrome as well as its tremendous application prospects,” concluded JIN Wanzhu.

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One in five women of childbearing age has high blood pressure, according to a new study that found few of these women are on a diet that could help them—and their babies—reduce their risk for health problems.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, in pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal death. Nearly 40% of maternal deaths from any cause are associated with hypertension.

“We need to have more of a focus on how we teach lifestyle factors to women even before they are considering pregnancy,” said Dr. Lara Kovell, an assistant professor of cardiology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester who led the study. “This is the time to talk to women about evaluating their diet, looking at their risk factors and trying to get high blood pressure under control.”

Kovell presented the preliminary findings at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions, which wraps up Monday in Philadelphia. She and her colleagues analyzed data collected on 8,740 women ages 20 to 50 taking part in a national health and nutrition study from 2001 to 2016. They found that 22.4% of the women had high blood pressure.

Researchers scored how healthy the women ate and how much salt they consumed compared to guidelines set out in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH, diet. It is recommended for all adults with high blood pressure

They found that 7% of the women who had high blood pressure were adhering to a DASH-like diet, while 10% of women with normal blood pressure were.

People who follow DASH eat foods low in salt and that contain high levels of nutrients to help lower blood pressure, such potassium, magnesium and calcium. These foods include fresh fruit and vegetables, beans and lentils, and whole grains.

“We have a lot of opportunities to improve the nutrition of American women,” said Dr. Lisa Hollier, chief medical officer in obstetrics and gynecology for Texas Children’s Health Plan. “This study really highlights the need to take advantage of those opportunities to ensure that women who have a diagnosis of hypertension know that they can lower their blood pressure with the right diet.”

High blood pressure occurs when the force of blood flowing through the blood vessels is consistently too high. Managing the extra force causes the heart muscle to become stiff and thick, keeping it from working properly. This, in turn, increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and heart failure.

Women who go into a pregnancy with high blood pressure are at risk of having a baby who has a low birth weight or is born premature.

“I think our findings are a wake-up call for all doctors to be mindful about addressing cardiovascular risks with women,” said Kovell. “We don’t want women to start taking medications when they are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant, which makes diet and exercise the best approach to lower blood pressure.”

In the U.S., cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death during and after pregnancy. In May, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released new guidelines on managing heart disease in women before, during and after pregnancy.

Hollier, ACOG’s past president, said the new study “highlights the critical importance of OB-GYNs and other health care providers working together to help women understand—before and after a pregnancy—options they have to reduce their risk for cardiovascular disease.”

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SYDNEY — No one needs a scientific study or trip to the doctor to know that being overweight or obese is generally unhealthy, but a recent study has illustrated just how detrimental that excess weight can be. According to a study by Australian researchers at the George Institute for Global Health and the University of Sydney, young adults who are classified as obese are more likely to die up to 10 years earlier than those who aren’t obese in their 20s.

Taken as a whole, the study estimated that 36.3 million years of life will be lost over the lifetime of present-day Australia’s adult population due to excess weight and obesity. Men are expected to lose 27% more years of life expectancy on average than women.

“We know that excess weight has an impact on your health, but to have excess weight as a young adult is really significant on life expectancy. We are talking about losing up to 10 years of your life,” says lead author Thomas Lung, of the George Institute of Global Health, in a statement.

The statistical model used by Dr. Lung calculated the expected amount of weight adults will add each year depending on their age, gender, and current weight. It also took into account current life expectancy in Australia, along with a higher mortality rate among people with excess weight.

The model predicted the remaining life expectancy for Australian individuals in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s in four weight categories, ranging from healthy to severely obese. The model also calculated the number of years lost for overweight people in each age group compared to individuals with a healthy weight.

While these statistics are only regarding Australia, researchers say they can conceivably apply to to other high-income countries like the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom.

Among the study’s key findings:

• Men and women currently in their 20s with average to healthy body weight can expect to live another 57 to 60 years. However, individuals in their 20s in an obese weight category will lose an average of six years among women and eight years among men. Those who are severely obese have even shorter projected lifespans; severely obese women will lose eight years of their lives, and men will lose 10 years.
• Differences among genders mean that Australian men in their 20s today will lose 5.6 million years of life due to excess weight, while women in the same age bracket will lose 3 million years.

There has been a threefold increase in obese Australians since 1995, and researchers say their findings emphasize the urgent need to institute better public awareness, education, and support facilities in order to combat this growing problem.

“There is the assumption that overweight and obesity is a problem for people in middle age, and that people in their 20s and 30s are in the prime of their lives. Yet currently, only 43% of Australian men in their 20s and 34% in their 30s are in a healthy weight range, which is worrying.” comments co-author Associate Professor Alison Hayes.

“Our model predicts adult obesity prevalence will increase to 35% by 2025. We need to act now and have an obesity prevention strategy targeting adults at all ages and in particular young adults,” Dr. Lung concludes.

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(Reuters Health) – Behavior changes could potentially reduce a large part of the risk for developing gout, a U.S. study suggests.

Based on data from more than 14,000 people, researchers calculated how much factors like being overweight, following a diet that isn’t heart-healthy, drinking alcohol or taking water pills known as diuretics contribute to high levels of uric acid, known as hyperuricemia, which is a precursor to gout.

The findings “support the hypothesis that the majority of hyperuricemia and resulting gout cases could be prevented by modifying key risk factors in the U.S.,” said Dr. Hyon Choi, lead author of the study and a researcher at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

“Blood uric acid levels go up when people are obese, drink too much, eat certain things, or take diuretics, which leads to the increased risk of gout,” Choi said by email. “In contrast, blood uric acid levels go down if people lose weight or change their diet or drinking habits or stop taking diuretics, which would reduce the risk of developing gout.”

Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that can cause severe pain and joint tenderness. Previous research has linked several modifiable risk factors to gout including: a diet with too much meat and sweets; obesity; diuretics to treat high blood pressure; and alcohol consumption.

To see how much each of these factors might contribute to the development of gout, the study team analyzed data on a nationally-representative sample of 14,624 U.S. adults who completed a series of health surveys from 1988 to 1994.

People who were overweight were 85% more likely than those with a healthy body mass index (BMI) to have hyperuricemia, while obese people were 2.7 to 3.5 times more likely to have the condition, the researchers report in Arthritis & Rheumatology.

They calculated that 44% of the hyperuricemia cases were attributable to excess weight alone. They also concluded that 9% of hyperuricemia cases could be prevented by following a heart-healthy diet, 8% were attributable to alcohol use and 12% to diuretic use.

The study did not actually examine whether eliminating those risk factors prevented gout cases in a real population.

Still, the results may point patients with gout in the right direction to do what they can to ease their symptoms or reverse the condition, said Dr. Michal Melamed, a researcher at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York, who wasn’t involved in the study. There’s a lot people can do even if they’re obese or overweight and struggling to shed excess pounds.

“The take-home message is that the risk factors that they examined are modifiable – some of them are easier to modify than others, so individuals can decide what they think they are able to do,” Melamed said by email.

“Some can start with eating less red meat or drinking less alcohol,” Melamed said. “If patients are on a diuretic, they can discuss the risk of high uric acid levels with their physician and see if a different blood pressure medication may be better for them.”

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