Does Feeling Fat Make You Fat?

We have all those days.  The ones where you feel fat and frumpy.  But just because you "feel" fat, does that make you fat??  According to a recent study published in the Journal of Obesity by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, normal-weight teens who felt fat were more likely to grow up to be fat.  This study was an eleven-year follow-up that tracked 1196 normal-weight teens as they progressed into adulthood (between ages 24 and 30).  

According to the results of this study, researchers found that half of the participants still maintained a healthy weight as an adult.  Unfortunately, the results also showed that 59 percent of the girls who felt fat as a teen later became an overweight adult (based on body mass index, or BMI).  This is in comparison with 31 percent of girls who did NOT feel fat as a teenager but developed into overweight adults.  This study also showed that normal-weight girls were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight in comparison to normal-weight boys.  Twenty-two percent of the girls in the initial study felt they were overweight whereas only nine percent of boys felt this way.

Why is this??  According to the researchers, psychosocial stress is most likely the main culprit.  The need (or the want) for maintaining an ideal body weight according to social pressure can cause people, especially teenage girls, to gain weight as they progress into adulthood.  This psychosocial stress can cause poor habits such as improper dieting and skipping meals.  Both of these result in weight gain.  Unfortunately, teenage girls are affected more by this psychosocial stress due to media pressure for girls to be thin.

The media's notion of the "ideal" body type for women is based on celebrities and super models.  Young people, both female and male, need to have positive (and healthy) role-models, not ones who severely restrict their calorie intake or engage in unhealthy dietary habits.  Make sure you spend time with your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews to ensure they understand what the "ideal" body type is and how to properly achieve healthy results.  Keep kids active and limit time spent in front of the television, video games, and computers.  Schedule family "play-time" to get everyone involved and active so you can help young adults improve their self-esteem.

Need help with getting your teen involved and active?  Check with your school or local government to see what programs or assistance is available to you.  Also, check at local gyms or health clubs for after-school activities or sports for your teens.  Set an example by being active yourself and make appropriate food choices.  Together, we can help turn these statistics around and make the future for our children brighter, happier, and most importantly, healthier!!

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (2012, August 8). Feeling fat may make you fat, study suggests. ScienceDaily.

Exercising with Chronic Back Pain

Do you suffer from a chronic ailment or pain?  Well, take comfort in knowing you’re not the only one out there!  One of our long-time members, Sally Blake, wanted to share her story in hopes that it will inspire others also dealing with chronic pain.  Here's a Q&A session between Sally and her trainer, Amanda Tovar.

• Describe the issue you are currently having with your back.
• I have chronic back pain.  My back is very tight and I constantly feel a dull ache in my lower back.  I must take Advil every morning to deal with the pain.
• How long have you dealt with chronic back pain?
• About a year.
• How has this affected your workouts?
• I definitely have more limitations than I used to.  It can be very frustrating at times.  I feel like my body is older than my age. 
• What has helped you stay motivated through this?
• Maintaining a healthy body weight is very important to me.  That is a major motivation in itself.  Also, I know that not exercising will worsen my condition.
• In what ways has your trainer helped you out?
• You (Amanda) always gear my workouts towards gaining strength in my back.  You also do exercises with me to help loosen my back muscles.  We work a lot on my balance to prevent injuries.  You keep me motivated to keep coming to the gym!!
• What would you say to someone with chronic pain who wants to start (or restart) exercising?
• To really put forth an effort even though it will not be easy and most likely be uncomfortable.  It is definitely worth the effort.  It will help you in the long run!! 

 
If any of this rings true in your life, don’t let it get you down!  Take control by learning exercises that are right for you and be consistent in doing them!  Take a lesson from Sally Blake, “it’s worth the effort"!

 

 

Need more help getting started?  Come in a talk with a trainer here at PROMATx Health Club to find out how we can get you on the path to controlling your pain through exercise and stretching.

Should You Get Rid of Your Skinny Jeans?

Skinny jeans...yes we are talking about those skin tight, ankle-length jeans that are all the rage today.  Do you have a pair of jeans in the back of your closet or drawer that you have deemed your "skinny jeans"?  You know, the pair you wore 10 or 15 years ago when you were "skinnier"?  Do you dream of being in a pair of skinny jeans just like the actresses on television?  Maybe you even bought a pair in a size, other than your current size, just to hold onto for "motivation" to lose weight.

Did you ever wonder if skinny jeans can be detrimental?  I began to think this when I overheard a gym member talk about wanting to fit into a new pair of skinny jeans she just purchased.  She stated the jeans were 3 sizes smaller than her current size.  To give you a little background, she was approximately 10 pounds from her goal weight and approximately 3-5% from her ideal body fat percentage.  Dropping 3 pant sizes would have put her well under her ideal body weight.  I stepped in to talk to her about this and she told me she saw an ad in a magazine with the cutest pair of skinny jeans on a model.  She even had the ad taped to her refrigerator.  So I asked her to bring it in so I could see it.  This model was probably 5'11" and weighed about 115 pounds.  The member was 5'4".  Big difference, huh?

Skinny jeans in this example are detrimental to the member's body image.  She was wanting something that wasn't healthy and she was determined to obtain it.  We have all heard the warnings of media and the pressure to be "skinny".  There's only a small population of women 5'10" and taller who weigh less than 130 pounds.

Even keeping an old article of clothing because you wore it when you were skinnier can be detrimental.  What happens if you don't return to that body weight?  It can make you feel like a failure because you can't wear those jeans, regardless of the progress you've made to become healthier.  It also keeps you living in the past.  Embrace yourself today, not how you were 20 years ago.  Empower yourself to live in the present and work towards improving the current "you". 

So go through your closet and purge the items you are keeping "just in case".  Donate those clothes to someone who really needs them.  Sell them at a consignment shop to get a little extra cash in your pocket.  Take charge of your life and your health.  Be realistic and don't live in the past.  Set attainable (and healthy) goals and improve your health one step at a time.  You will build greater confidence and improve the chances of greater success.

Live on...and live healthy!