The study involved almost eight hundred middle-aged men who were recently diagnosed with prostate-cancer, and followed the subjects for ten years. Seventeen percent of the subjects were obese and six percent of them died of prostate-cancer.

The mortality risk from prostate cancer for obese men is not related to the treatment, or prostate cancer stage at the time of the study, said Dr. Alan Kristal, senior author of the study. The risk for obese men is of 2.6 times greater compared to healthy weight men, regardless of the cancer diagnostic profile.

The results of the study are not related to whether the patient is subjected to radiation treatment, radical prostatectomy, or androgen-deprivation therapy. It does not matter if the subject suffers from a high grade cancer, or low-grade, localized, distant, or regional cancer, says Kristal.

Particularly, men with regional or local prostate-cancer have a 3.6-time higher risk of metastasis, or cancer spreading to other organs, than patients with a healthy weight.

Obesity was strongly connected with prostate cancer especially for men with regional disease, meaning cancer that has already started to spread to surrounding tissues, compared to those with early cancer.

Researchers believe that inflammation and steroid hormones are behind the connection between prostate-cancer and obesity. Obesity is considered a massive inflammatory condition, which modifies the levels of serum estrogens and increases factors that lead to cancer growth, according to Kristal.

The study`s results are the first strong evidence showing that losing weight can be benefic for men with prostate cancer, by reducing the risk of death from the disease, said the researchers.

Through hypnosis, the attitude towards food is changed. Many people overeat as a substitute for love, well-being, or safety. Hypnosis sessions help people reduce the importance of food from their perspective and enjoy their food, only in smaller amounts.
Hypnosis also identifies triggers for eating, brings more confidence and self-esteem, and increase the desire for healthy foods.

The few studies that researched the connection between hypnosis and weight loss showed positive results, but were poised by certain methodological problems that question their accuracy. In one such study, overweight subjects lost almost twenty pounds after eight sessions of hypnosis treatment and twelve weeks of self-hypnosis. However, the results of this study were questioned because of the small number of patients.

Self-hypnosis is a process in which a person is hypnotized without another person that serves as a hypnotist. It is usually used for people who need to stay on a diet, stop smoking, or overcome other addictions.

People can lose weight using hypnosis and maintain the lower weight levels for six months, other studies concluded. No difference was noticed between overweight subjects who used audiotapes as a supplement for hypnosis therapy and those who did not.

Hypnosis along with behavioral weight management may lead to small amounts of weight loss and maintain the lower weight, other studies showed. For instance, people who had hypnosis therapy beside a self-management program lost almost twelve pounds while those who didn`t lost only six pounds over the same period of time.

Several factors influence a person’s hypnosis treatment for the purpose of losing weight. Age is one of such factors. The hypnosis treatment requires weekly consultations with a specialist, as well as self-hypnosis sessions.

Organizations that advertise “hypnosis” tapes and claim that one hypnotic session may result in substantial weight loss are most likely making unrealistic claims. Fast solutions to weight loss are not always efficient, and hypnosis is not an easy way to get rid of the extra pounds.

Others use food to suppress negative emotions. Emotional eating may be caused by anger, loneliness, stress, anxiety, sadness, or boredom and may affect individual`s weight loss program. Emotional eating makes people eat too much high-calorie food or salty, fatty, or sweet foods.

Overeating may be caused by major life events such as health problems, divorce, or unemployment. The stress from work, changes in the routine, the bad weather, or other daily life hassles can make people eat more.

The addictive qualities of some foods make people eat when they feel blue. For instance, chocolate makes the body release considerable amounts of opiates that increase mood and satisfaction. This may lead to a preference for foods that offsets negative emotions.

Food may become a distraction when one remembers an earlier conflict or worries about an upcoming event. This distraction is only temporary because while one eats, it concentrates on the taste of the food. After finishing eating, one return to his or her worries, and may also feel guilty for overeating.

Food cravings may be controlled, when one recognizes whether the hunger is physical or emotional. The craving will pass if the last meal was a few hours ago and the stomach does not rumble.

Write down for a few days the food, the amount of food, the meal time, and the feelings before and after the after the meal. The negative eating patterns and triggers that must be avoided will be noticed.

Overeating may be caused by the lack of comfort, so go to a movie, read, call a friend, or do something enjoyable instead of eating. Going for a walk, listening to music, or talking to someone may also help.

High-calorie foods should not be kept around. Don`t go for shopping if feel hungry or upset, so that decisions at the store are not influenced by feelings. The snack should be a healthy one. Choose low-calorie and low fat food, like fruits, vegetables, fat-free dip, or popcorn.

Eat regular meals and enough to satisfy daily energy needs. Fighting stress is more efficient when the body is in shape and well rested, so regular exercise and plenty of sleep help.

If overeating is a cause of the mood, see how it can be prevent in the future.

The Nutrition Facts are printed on most packaged food and show how many calories, fat, sodium, or carbohydrates are in one serving of food. Sometimes a portion size may include two or three standard servings.

Put the serving size on a plate before eating it. This way, the standard serving can be compared to the actual amount of food you usually eat.

Serving sizes may be associated with everyday objects. For instance, the serving size of a cup of cereals or a baked potato should be as big as a fist. A medium fruit should be of the size of a baseball.

Half a cup of fresh fruits, ice cream, or the same amount of cooked rice, potato, or pasta should be like half of a baseball. The serving size for peanut butter is the size of a ping pong ball while the one for chips is one ounce.

This doesn`t mean portion sizes should be measured all the time. After a while serving size will be easily recognized. Portion size can be controlled by eating slowly and not in front of the TV. Enjoy the taste of the food and realize when it`s time to stop by eating only during meal times.

Portion size may be influenced by irregular meals. If the meals have large intervals between them, or are skipped, people may be tempted to eat more at the next meal. The best solution is to have regular meals.

When eating out, be precautious, stop when feel full, or share the meal. Large beverages and “supersize” sugar-sweetened drinks should be also avoided.

It is essential to choose the right portion size as well as nutritious foods. This way a healthy weight can be maintained.

Green vegetables. Broccoli, asparagus, and spinach have vitamin B, magnesium, and iron. Eat them at lunch or dinner instead of fries.

Peaches. They have large amounts of water and a laxative effect. Peaches also help eliminate the toxins. The diet with peaches where you eat 2 oz. of peach per day is also recommended for two or three days when you want to clean your system.

Sunflower seeds. They are rich in magnesium, iron, copper, vitamin B, proteins, and zinc.

Grapes. Because of their large amount of magnesium, grapes are involved in the first stage of transforming glucose into energy. They also have a laxative effect and clean the body. However, in large amounts they may cause heart burns.

Pumpkins. A food with pumpkins, some salt, and vegetables is perfect to stay in shape and get some energy.

Researchers collected data from over 2,000 children with ages between three and eighteen. The results are based on the diaries kept by parents or children themselves where they kept a record of bedtime, hours of sleep, or time of waking up.

An extra hour of sleep may help young children by reducing the risk of becoming overweight from thirty-six to thirty percent. For older children, an extra hour of sleep reduces the risk from thirty-four to thirty percent, according to the study’s lead author, Emily Snell.

The results were not influenced gender, ethnicity, income, or race. They showed that late bedtime for children with ages from three to eight are strongly connected to weight gain. Unlike the other children, those with ages between eight and thirteen are more predisposed to weight gain if they wake up too early.

Specialists showed that American youngsters don`t get enough sleep. Children by the age of seven sleep almost ten hours per night, those by the age of fourteen sleep about eight hours and half while children with ages of thirteen to eighteen sleep less than seven hours per night.

Children with ages of five to twelve should sleep ten to eleven hours per night while teenagers need to have nine hours of sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. The study concluded that later wake up times and earlier bedtimes are a low-cost strategy to help reduce the weight problems for children, said Snell.

Vegetable juices:

The carrot juice: It contains vitamin A, important for the skin. Always add a teaspoon of cream or sunflower oil. You need nine or ten medium carrots for a portion of carrots juice. Avoid large carrots because they usually have a wooden middle.

The tomato juice: It has a large amount of potassium, beside vitamin C. It stimulates metabolism, clears your body of toxins, and helps burn calories faster. Use six ripe tomatoes for a portion.

The sauerkraut juice: This juice contains a lot of natural lactic acid which stimulates digestion and metabolism. It`s highly indicated for sedentary people or when you feel too satiated. It has large amounts of vitamin K and C.

The broccoli juice: Broccoli is said to have benefic actions against osteoporosis, to reduce fats, and clean the body of toxins. Put the washed broccoli in a blender and drink the juice with some water and lemon three times a day.

The red beet juice: It`s rich in potassium, magnesium, folic acid, and vitamin C. It accelerates the metabolism and makes stronger muscles. For a portion of beet juice three oblongs roots are enough.

The cucumber juice: It has the effect of eliminating the water retained in body tissues. It also adjusts the intestinal transit and thanks to a substance similar to insulin is also recommended for diabetics. The cucumber juice may be obtained in a blender, or grated and pressed. Because it doesn`t taste that good, you may mix the juice with tomato juice or apple juice.

Fruit juices:

The apple juice: This juice is excellent for fast weight loss and a better intestinal transit. It also cleans of the toxins from your body. The juice is prepared from well washed apples, cut in slices and pressed. If you add two or three teaspoons of lemon juice at a glass of apple juice you may increase the effect of the juice.

The grapefruit juice: This fruit has large amounts of vitamin C and an enzyme that accelerates the digestion and metabolism. Cut the fruits in half and squeeze them. Drink a glass in the morning before breakfast, and the other two glasses within half an hour before your main meals. The pink grapefruit is less bitter and also lower in calories.

The plume juice: . Plumes have a well-known laxative effect . Try to drink the juice with some water and three or four teaspoons of lemon juice.

The lemon juice: the large amounts of vitamin C that lemons contain are said to protect the heart and help cell regeneration. You may drink five glasses of water per day with two teaspoons of fresh lemon juice. Drink the first glass in the morning on the empty stomach, the next two between the main meals and the last two glasses after lunch and dinner. You can also make an infusion in 0.2 gallons of water and the peal from three lemons. Let it boil and when it cools use it instead of water. To each glass, you may add two or three drops of fresh lemon.

The lemon and orange juice: Boil for ten minutes in 0.2 gallons of water two oranges and six lemons cut in slices. Add four spoons of honey and boil them for another five minutes. Drink five glasses per day. You may add a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice in each glass.

The diet below is only one possibility. You may replace the juice with one of the juices mentioned above.

In the morning: one or two cups of rosemary tea. It’s said to lower the blood pressure.
9 am `: 8,7 ounces of carrots juice mixed with a teaspoon of olive oil.
11 am : 8,7 ounces of sauerkraut juice with small-cut parsley, lovage (seseli), or dill.
12 pm : a large glass of mineral water.
1pm: 8,7 ounces of red beet juice.
4 pm: a cup of hawthorn tea (try to leave the hawthorns for two or three hours in cold water, then boil them).
5 pm: 8,7 ounces carrot juice with basil and a teaspoon of cream.
6 pm: a large glass of mineral water.
7 pm : 8,7 ounces of tomato juice.
8 pm: o cup of tea of lime tea or jasmine.

This diet only has about 320 calories. Use this in addition to a moderate breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Always seek for a dietitian`s advice before starting a diet.

Some people say that belly fat can be removed with crunches. That`s not true because you can`t pick the area where you want to burn fat. To burn fats you may follow a workout program that includes elements from strength training or cardiovascular training and so, you may decrease overall body fat content, says Tyne.

The fact that it`s essential to stretch before exercising is false. Studies showed that stretching may increase the susceptibility of the muscle to injury because the muscle fibers become destabilized and less prepared for exercise. It`s good to warm-up before running, but try to stretch after the workout if you`re lifting weights, says Tyne.

Even if you`re having a morning workout, you may have a small meal with one to three hours before exercising. You may choose whole wheat toast, yogurt, or fruits because they provide energy for your muscles and helps you work efficiently, according to Bender.

Women become bulky because of lifting weights. That`s false because most women don`t produce enough testosterone to become bulky and if you`re getting bigger, you should use less weight, says Tyne.

The myth that fats are bad isn`t completely true. Small amounts of “good” fats may help you feel full and therefore eat less. The “good” fats are those from avocado, fish, or nuts. Some may be helpful for disease prevention, according to Bender.

Calorie restriction is a good way to lose weight. That`s false. Both calorie restriction and practice help you lose weight and maintain metabolism. Drastic measures like radically reducing the daily calorie intake may slow metabolism and provide only temporary results, says Bender.

You may eat healthy foods as much as you want. That`s false. You should limit the calorie intake and portion size no matter if you`re having a healthy food or not, says Bender.
Another myth says that fats are turned into muscles by exercise. Since muscle tissues and fats are made up of different types of cells, “fat will never turn into muscle” says Tyne.

The “magic hours” myth is false too. Some people say that if you`re eating late at night, you`re gaining weight. Weight gain was associated to late snacks because people usually don`t eat healthy during the first half of the day and consume more calories at night. However, a late small snack isn`t dangerous, says Bender.

An efficient workout means sweating. That`s not completely true because there are activities that make you burn calories without sweating (a walk, a light weight training, or the workout from the swimming-pool). Sweating is not the indicator of an efficient workout, says Tyne.

The study involved almost two hundred four-year old children, and supervised their insulin levels, dietary intake, lifestyle, and eating habits. After the Body Mass Index (BMI) measures, twenty-three percent of them were considered overweight and two percent obese.

The results showed a connection between the fat intake and the BMI. Children with high BMI were gaining weight but they were not the ones who consumed the biggest amount of fat. More fats were consumed by children with normal or low BMI. The problem with overweight children was that their bodies stored too much fat.

A third of the children who participated to the study had a deficiency of unsaturated fat in the diet, especially omega-3 fat, according to a researcher who led the study. Researchers also found that children who gained weight had the highest insulin level, girls in particular. Girls who consumed a lot of unsaturated fat had the lowest insulin level.

The study showed unhealthy eating habits since twenty percent of the children ate “junk” food like candies, sweets, soft drinks, cookies, ice cream, or biscuits and the daily amount of fruits and vegetables was of only 140 grams per day compared to the recommended 400 grams.

An iron deficiency was registered for seventy percent of the children, while twenty percent of them had calcium problems. However, further studies are needed to prove that fat may not cause an increased level of insulin, according to the researchers.

The study showed that unsaturated fat, omega-3 fat in particular, may be a key to preventing child obesity.

The good fats that can lower the level of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are found in nuts, olive oil, and canola while the polyunsaturated fats are in salmon, fish oil, soy, corn, sunflower oil, and safflower. Omega-3 fat belongs to this group.

- Find a trainer who shows you good techniques for lifting weights and how to exercise correctly;
- Set goals according to your age, built, and trainer`s advice. Establish the weight you`re starting with, how much and when you’ll increase it, how often you need to practice, and which exercises are best for you;
- It`s good to wait until you`re fifteen or older to start lifting weights. The major lifts include the power clean, squat, clean and jerk, snatch, the bench, and dead lift. Major lifts may cause injury if you don`t follow a proper technique for lifting heavy weights;
- Try to keep your back straight when you practice;
- Make sure you`re wearing shoes with good traction and the equipment is in good shape;
- Use spotters when lifting weights;
- Warm up for five or ten minutes before starting to work out and include jogging or calisthenics. After the workout cool down by stretching;
- Don`t spend more that an hour lifting weights. This way you can avoid fatigue or boredom;
- Take a day off between weight lifting sessions;
- You may want to work only certain muscle groups during a session. For example, one day you can work your back and biceps muscles, on the next work your leg muscles, and the last day of practice from the week use it for triceps, shoulders, and chest muscles;

You may want to hold your breath while lifting weights. Don`t breathe fast or you may faint. Stop exercising for a few days if you feel any kind of pain, or use less weight. Avoid injury by exercising a set of muscles for no more than three times a week.

Specialists recommend an hour per day of aerobic activity, only in the days when you`re not lifting weights. Aerobics help your heart and lungs work better.

Weight lifting helps you burn calories, reduce the level of fat, or increase your muscle mass, but you need to take safety precautions to enjoy these benefits.