Exercise may help people avoid regaining weight after successful dieting, according to a new study. It shows that exercise can crucially alter the body’s response to weight loss and potentially stop unwanted pounds from creeping back on. The study, published this month in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, offers rare good news about exercise and body weight. As readers of the Phys Ed column know, the relationship between the two is tangled. Multiple past studies have found that exercise alone — without food restriction — rarely reduces weight and frequently adds pounds, … [Read more...] about How Weight Training Can Help You Keep the Weight Off

Sugar seems to have developed a reputation as the big bad wolf in relation to health. Last year, Medical News Today reported on numerous studies associating sugar intake with increased aging, cardiovascular disease, obesity and even cancer. Such research has led to many health experts around the globe calling for reductions in recommended sugar intake, with some saying we should cut out sugar completely. But is it really that bad for our health? We investigate. Put simply, sugar is a crystalline carbohydrate that makes foods taste sweet. There are many different types of sugar, including … [Read more...] about Sugar: should we eliminate it from our diet?

  People who are sedentary should focus on small increases in their activity level and not dwell on public health recommendations on exercise, according to new research. Current targets call for 150 minutes of weekly exercise -- or 30 minutes of physical activity at least five days a week -- to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Although these standards don't need to be abandoned, they shouldn't be the primary message about exercise for inactive people, experts argued in two separate analyses in the Jan. 21 BMJ. When it comes to improving health … [Read more...] about Just how little exercise does it take to get healthier?