Shaq's Biggest Challenge

Shaquille O'Neal takes the stage working with six overweight school kids to tackle the biggest challenge of their lives ... restructuring their lives and lifestyles to lose weight and be more healthy. In the process, by their example, many other children and teens are affected positively. That's the beauty of working with children and teens -- they will bring a friend and they together will better their world and their lives for tomorrow.

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" book by Eric Carle

I recently came across this gem, originally published back in 1969. Here is an excerpt from the book with an important concept behind it:
"On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate, one ice-cream cone, once slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon. That night he had a stomach ache! (turn page). The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf, and after that he felt much better."

alli™

A bit about alli™ orlisat 60 mg capsules ...
alli™ is the first and currently only FDA approved, over-the-counter weight loss product for adults ages 18 and over.
I was just at a local retail store that sells this product, recently released on February 2007, and I could see it virtually flying off the shelves. It is a neatly-packaged "Start Pack" including 90 pills (1 month supply taken as indicated 3 times a day) and a full set of instructions including a meal plan based on a "...reduced-calorie low-fat diet". This fact is extremely important to know since this medication's mode of action is blocking the absorption of fat (reportedly blocks about 1/4 of the ingested fat) and if too much fat is ingested, one of the side effects is fecal soiling. The key is to limit daily fat intake of 15 grams. You also need to take a multivitamin every day.
In addition, you should not continue to take this medication indefinitely. Resesarch studies have been conducted lasting 6-12 months only. Not much is known regarding its use beyond this time frame.
One final important point is that it may affect certain medications that you may be currrently taking, making their levels higher or lower in your body, leading to potentially serious consequences. Therefore, consult your physician and have them follow with you.
Be sure to read all of the fine print before using this and any weight loss medication.
Whether or not you choose to use a medication to aid with weight loss, it is vital that you remember that longterm success will come only if you incorporate the basics -- a total lifestyle change involving healthy eating and exercise / activity habits.

BMI Calculator

Check out this simple BMI calculator from the New York Times. These calculators can be a useful tool from time to time. Remember that this is a tool which doctors use as an indicator of your current weight status and not a reflection of your total picture. What's your BMI?

Teen Diet May Affect Pulmonary Function, Respiratory Symptoms

This article from Medscape demonstrates the importance of a sound healthy diet consisting of plenty of Vitamins C and E (multivitamin daily, fruits and vegetables) and omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, flax seeds, or over-the-counter supplements). This is especially true of all patients with asthma, bronchitis or respiratory issues.