Metabolism and weight loss:

Metabolism and weight loss: How you burn calories.

Find out how metabolism burns calories, how it affects your weight and ways you can burn more calories for greater weight loss.

You likely know your metabolism is linked to your weight. But do you know how?

Common belief holds that a slim person's metabolism is high and an overweight person's metabolism is low. But this isn't usually the case. Metabolism alone doesn't determine your weight.

Rather, weight is dependent on the balance of calories consumed versus calories burned. Take in more calories than your body needs, and you gain weight. Take in less and you lose weight. Metabolism, then, is the engine that burns these calories and is the scale that regulates your energy needs.

Metabolism: Converting food into energy

Stated simply, metabolism is the process by which your body converts food into energy. During this biochemical process, calories — from carbohydrates, fats and proteins — are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function.

The number of calories your body burns each day is called your total energy expenditure. The following three factors make up your total energy expenditure:

* Basic needs. Even when your body is at rest, it requires energy for the basics, such as fuel for organs, breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, plus growing and repairing cells. Calories expended to cover these basic functions are your basal metabolic rate. Typically, a person's basal metabolic rate is the largest portion of energy use, representing two-thirds to three-quarters of the calories used each day. Energy needs for these basic functions stay fairly consistent and aren't easily changed.

* Food processing. Digesting, absorbing, transporting and storing the food you consume also takes calories. This accounts for about 10 percent of the calories used each day. For the most part, your body's energy requirement to process food stays relatively steady and isn't easily changed.

* Physical activity. Physical activity — such as playing tennis, walking to the store, chasing after the dog and any other movement — accounts for the remainder of calories used. You control the number of calories burned depending on the frequency, duration and intensity of your activities.

Metabolism and your weight

It may seem logical to think that significant weight gain or being overweight is related to a low metabolism or possibly even a condition such as underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). In reality, it's very uncommon for excess weight to be related to a low metabolism. And most people who are overweight don't have an underlying condition, such as hypothyroidism. However, a medical evaluation can determine whether a medical condition could be influencing your weight.

Weight gain is more likely due to an energy imbalance — consuming more calories than your body burns. To lose weight, then, you need to create an energy deficit by eating fewer calories, increasing the number of calories you burn through physical activity, or preferably both.
Influences on your calorie needs

If you and everyone else were physically and functionally identical, it would be easy to determine the standard energy needs. But many factors influence calorie requirements, including body size and composition, age, and sex.

* Body size and composition. To function properly, a bigger body mass requires more energy (more calories) than does a smaller body mass. Also, muscle burns more calories than fat does. So the more muscle you have in relation to fat, the higher your basal metabolic rate.

* Age. As you get older, the amount of muscle tends to decrease and fat accounts for more of your weight. Metabolism also slows naturally with age. Together these changes reduce your calorie needs.

* Sex. Men usually have less body fat and more muscle than do women of the same age and weight. This is why men generally have a higher basal metabolic rate and burn more calories than women do.

Burning more calories

Your ability to change your basal metabolism is limited. However, you can increase daily exercise and activity to build muscle tissue and burn more calories.

Regular aerobic exercise, such as walking daily for 30 minutes or more, is an excellent way to burn calories. Strength training exercises, such as weight training, also are important because they help counteract muscle loss associated with aging. And since muscle tissue burns more calories, muscle mass is a key factor in weight loss.

Even though regularly scheduled aerobic exercise is best for weight loss, any extra movement helps burn calories. Look for ways to walk and move around a few minutes more each day. Lifestyle activities, such as gardening, washing your car and even housework, burn calories and contribute to weight loss. Taking the stairs more often and parking farther away at the store also are simple ways to burn more calories.

Don't look to dietary supplements for help in burning calories. Products that claim to speed up your metabolism are likely to offer minimal benefit and may produce undesirable or even dangerous side effects. Dietary supplement manufactures aren't required by the Food and Drug Administration to prove their products are safe or effective, so view these products with caution and skepticism.

Your metabolism influences your energy needs, but it's your food intake and physical activity that ultimately determine your weight.

Children coming back home to live ???

Back to the nest



Article By: Jennifer Gruden

You've got plans to turn your child's former bedroom into a sewing retreat, but when you get back from negotiating over the price of that new table for your serger, there's a message waiting: "Mum... Rachel and I just broke up. Can I come live at home for a few months?"


If you have an adult child who wants to live at home with you, you're not alone. Statistics Canada provides the proof after the 2001 census: "Over the last two decades, one of the trends for young adults in Canada is their growing tendency to remain in (or return to) the parental home. The census showed that 41% of the 3.8 million young adults aged 20 to 29 lived with their parents in 2001, a large increase from 27% in 1981."


The reasons may be economic, with jobs scarcer and rents higher. They may also be social, with more common-law and marital relationships ending, often casting one or both members of the relationship back to their parents' homes. And some analysts have speculated that it may just be that kids are accustomed to luxury: why would a 24 year old live in a small dingy apartment when he or she can live in a beautiful home with an in-ground pool - and enjoy home-cooked meals.


Whichever theory seems right, it's small consolation if you're trying to navigate a child's return to the nest. While some parents see welcoming a child back into their home as natural and something to celebrate, others feel a sense of failure, or annoyance that their hard-earned new lifestyle as empty nesters is disrupted. And many feel something in between. "I've been glad to help out my daughter," says Bea, 56, whose daughter, Laura, 29, has just moved out following two years of condo-sharing after a difficult period of unemployment. "But I also feel like I've put my own life on hold. I haven't wanted to invite friends over for dinner or travel as much, because I didn't want her to feel left out or like I was rubbing her limited income in her face."


"Mom's been great," says Laura, "But some months I felt like I was losing IQ points. It was hard to go into an interview and take charge, knowing that my mother was paying the bills - I felt like such a screw-up." It's hard to know what's likely to help and what might create problems. And oh, the problems that can arise when an adult child returns home - at times you may feel like they're teenagers again, and they may feel like they are as well!


What to consider
Old patterns can be hard to break. If your adult children return home you may find yourself leaning towards the role of advice giver/disciplinarian, and your child may begin to behave as if he or she is 13 all over again. This can raise everyone's stress levels tremendously! Also, if your child is returning home for difficult reasons such as unemployment or a divorce, he or she may feel angry and frustrated, or depressed and needy.


Depending on when the request arrives, you may find you have to change plans to downsize or give up privacy and time and energy. On the other hand, you will have a renewed chance to build strong family ties and enjoy the company of your child on a regular basis. Here are some things that you should keep in mind when you decide whether to say yes or no:


Does this mean giving up my own goals (to travel, to downsize)? Am I willing to make this sacrifice, and for how long?

Am I prepared to respect my child's autonomy? Am I ready to avoid giving advice or treating my adult child like a child - refrain from commenting on things such as clothing, leisure time activities, and choice of friends?

What do I expect from my child in return? Expecting your child to share in responsibilities as another adult member of the household will help in two ways - to lower resentment and also to prepare them for eventually moving on.

House rules are key
The best way to set all of you up for success is to sit down and agree on all the ground rules from the start. Some important areas to consider:


Privacy - how will each of you ensure that there is a reasonable degree of privacy for everyone? It's not just adult children who have concerns - parents too can have grown used to their business no longer being family business. Included in the idea of privacy is what kind of notification you expect if your child is staying out late or all night.

Chores - everyone who lives in the home should contribute to the chores around the house. It's best to lay out clear responsibilities and timelines.

Groceries and food - this can be especially important if grown children arrive with grandchildren in tow. How will the grocery bill, meal preparation, and meal scheduling be handled?

Rent or utilities-sharing - for most adult children, charging some rent is a good idea. It encourages responsibility for the child, acknowledges that having another person in the house has an impact on the bills, and can keep resentment to a minimum. Of course there may be circumstances that make this difficult, but it's best to at least talk about it. Also discuss whether you expect your child to pay for his or her own phone line, Internet access, cable television, etc.

Guests, overnight and otherwise - it's important to make clear what your expectations are about guests and dating while your child lives at home. It is important not to judge your child's choices, but equally important that you do not have to live with people in your home with whom you are uncomfortable.

Regular check-ins - have a family meeting once a month to discuss how things are going, so that any problems are addressed in a timely way and don't build up until there are bitter feelings. This is also a good time to express appreciation for extra help.

Grandchildren are wonderful - and complicate things
It can be especially hard when a divorced or separated child arrives with grandchildren. It can be difficult to know where to step in, and how to approach joint childrearing. Some of the tools are the same - sit down and negotiate in advance some of the boundaries. But what is more important is to always keep in mind that you are the grandparent - not the parent. You will have to step back and let your child remain the head of his or her own family. Some things to consider in advance:


Babysitting - moving in with you should not mean getting you become a free nanny service. You decide when and if you are willing to provide free child care, and beyond that charge a reasonable rate, or say no.

Discipline - you will have to follow your child's wishes for what methods of discipline are appropriate - time-outs vs. spanking, for example. At the same time it will be important to set the rules for the house - if it is not all right with you if the kids eat on the couch, talk to your child about it.

United front - don't contradict your child in front of your grandchildren, and don't sneak them treats or other forbidden privileges (except perhaps every great once in a while).

Space - be clear on how much baby or childproofing is possible in your home. Obviously safety is the first consideration, but is there a way to maintain adult space by keeping several rooms off-limits?

Re-launching into the world
One of the most important aspects of bringing adult children back into the home is setting a goal for their eventual move back into their own space. You should set a clear time limit on your help, even if it is several years into the future - unless you intend to make the arrangement permanent.


Think hard before you renegotiate this date - certainly it may be that your child needs a little longer, but if you change it more than once it is the same as not having a deadline at all. It may be more helpful in the long run, if you can afford it, to pay your child's first and last month's rent (deposit) on a new place than to give them a little more time to save up.


Although the issues and concerns can seem overwhelming, keep in mind that a family is a unit which supports all the individuals within it. If your child is asking to come back, chances are good that you have provided them with a sense of a safety net, which is a gift at any age - whether they stay for six months, or not at all.

Mayo Clinic Study on Optimists

Article By: Cynthia Ross Cravit

Aspiring centenarians may want to take a look at their attitude, according to a Mayo Clinic study.

A person's outlook on life may not only improve longevity but quality of life, according to researchers. Optimists are said to experience a higher level of both physical and mental functioning than their pessimist counterparts.

Further, optimistic people decreased their risk of early death by a full 50 per cent compared to those who were more pessimistic.

“The wellness of being is not just physical, but attitudinal,” said Dr. Toshihiko Maruta, principal author of the study. “How you perceive what goes on around you and how you interpret it may have an impact on your longevity, and it could affect the quality of your later years.”

Ideas about the associations of personality and health are not new, but have their roots in the bodily humors of ancient Greece.

While the exact mechanism of how personality acts as a risk factor for early death or poorer health is unclear, Maruto says it likely has to do with the fact that pessimists have an increased chance for future problems with their physical health, career achievements, and emotional stress – particularly depression.

“Yet another possibility could be more directly biological, like changes in the immune system,” he adds.

Researchers found that pessimists scored below the national average on physical functioning, bodily pain, perception of general health, vitality, mental health, and social functioning.

Besides looking at the world through rosier-colored glasses, living a long and healthy life may also mean paying attention to friends and family.

Loneliness in people over age 50 greatly increases their risk of high blood pressure, according to a new study at the University of Chicago.

The loneliest people studied had blood pressure readings as much as 30 points higher than those who were not lonely, suggesting that loneliness can be as bad for the heart as being overweight or inactive, said the study.

“The magnitude of this association is quite stunning,” said University of Chicago scientist Louise Hawkley, the study's lead author. For those who lack companionship or feel isolated, Hawkley said the findings indicate that one strategy for treating high blood pressure might be to become more involved, “do volunteer work, make yourself useful.”

The bottom line: living longer – and better -- may come down to having a healthy attitude and social life, as well as following more traditional wellness practices such as stopping smoking, eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight. Research shows that obesity, for example, contributes to diabetes, heart disease and various cancers.

Here are other steps you can take to live longer:

1. Don't sleep too much. Sleeping more than eight hours per night can reduce life expectancy, according to a February 2002 study in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Night owls, however, should take note: researchers say that sleeping less than four hours also increases death rates. People who sleep between six and seven hours per night were shown to live the longest.

2. Stick to a low-calorie diet. A recent study by the National Institute on Aging found that a calorie-restricted diet led to decreased insulin levels and body temperature, both considered signs of longevity. A diet low in calories but high in nutrients also led to a drop in DNA damage.

3. Have more sex. Researchers say that having intimate sex makes you happier, better rested and less stressed, which in turn can lower blood pressure and protect against stroke and heart disease. A study published in the April 2004 Journal of the American Medical Association found that "high ejaculation frequency was related to decreased risk of total prostate cancer."

4. Get a pet. People who own pets, especially dogs, have been shown to be less stressed and require fewer visits to their physicians than non-owners. Survival rates for heart attack victims who had a pet were found to be 12 per cent longer than for those who did not have one, according to researcher Erica Friedmann. Pet owners have also been shown to have lower blood pressure and are less likely to be lonely or depressed. Another healthful benefit? Pet ownership stimulates exercise.

5. Quit smoking. Middle-aged men who are long-term, heavy smokers face twice the risk of developing more aggressive forms of prostate cancer than men who have never smoked, according to a study that appeared in the July 2003 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. And according to a recent study in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, cigarette smoking has been clearly linked to the most common causes of death in the elderly. "Smoking is--for all but some exceptional subjects--incompatible with successful aging and compromises life expectancy even in extreme longevity," the study states.

6. Manage your anger. A study led by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2002 found that men who responded to stress with high levels of anger were over three times more likely to develop premature heart disease when compared to men who reported lower anger responses. Furthermore, because anger is associated with high blood pressure, they were over six times more likely to have a heart attack by the age of 55.

7. Eat your antioxidants. Found in foods such as blueberries, artichokes, beans, cinnamon and cloves, antioxidant molecules scavenge free radicals, compounds whose unstable chemical nature accelerates the effect of aging on the cells. Cellular damage contributes to an array of degenerative diseases, including atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and cancer. Research shows that certain types of beans are among the best sources of antioxidants, while blueberries and other berries follow close behind.

8. Stop nagging. Married couples who engage in heated arguments are more likely to have health problems than those who do not, according to a study at the University of Utah. Based on 150 healthy, older married couples, researchers found that women who are hostile toward their husbands are more likely to have hardening of the arteries. Men who are controlling in their relations – or are married to someone who is – are more likely to have atherosclerosis, a very serious condition of the coronary arteries.