Well, it’s finally happened. As Jay Leno so aptly joked about, we humans have finally found a way to avoid being scanned by even Superman! Radiologists around the country are reporting that they are seeing increasing cases of obese Americans who are not getting the medial attention they need because they are either too fat to fit into the scanners or their fat is too dense to allow the X-Rays or sound waves to pass through.

Wow - we’ve got a problem here!

Radiologists claim that body images are limited by “Body Habitus” a term coined to describe the problem. Over the last 15 years the number of such cases has doubled.

“It is a major issue because … the patient may still have a tumor, the patient may have appendicitis, the patient may have other inflammatory processes. In an obese person, because the ultrasound beam does not get to the organs or get to them adequately enough, we cannot get a picture. It looks like a snowstorm — I don’t know if you have seen those televisions where it is just whiteout? It looks like that.” says Dr. Raul Uppot, a radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Of course this is great news for medical equipment manufacturers, who are now making special MRI machines with larger-bore holes and higher Tesla strength (read: better fat penetration) for obese and claustrophobic patients.

“For the patient, not knowing what is going on is a big issue. If you tell a patient ‘I am sorry — we just can’t sit you on our CT scanner,’ that is devastating to hear.”

-Via CNN Health

BBC also reports that the problem is spreading in the U.K. too. Already hospital beds are being strengthened to accept heavier patients and airlines around the world are being designed to carry heavier passengers (I can already see one immediate effect - the weight limit for luggage is being reduced and I am guessing that is to compensate for the increased weight of the travellers!)

Let’s do a favor to the world in general (and radiologists in particular) - let’s keep our sizes in check so we atleast fit in MRI machines.

Technorati Tags: health, fitness

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At Fitness Mantra you have read a lot about sensible, portion-controlled diets. You know it’s no shame to count and measure calories and by now you can also recognize portion sizes for fruits and veggies. But from a meal perspective, is there an easy way to estimate portions that you can consistently use everyday?

(You already know that I am going to say “Yes there is!” so I’ll skip saying it. Wait… too late!)

The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) presents: The New American Plate

What is The New American Plate?

According to the website, it’s no crazy, difficult-to-follow, food-group-banning diet (already regular readers of this blog are perking up their ears!). It’s a simple proportion and portion based system that divides your plate into the right proportions of carbs, proteins and fat (now, now … be reasonable with the size of the plate … unless, of course, you are an NFL Offensive Tackle).

Typically the right proportions suggested is 2/3rds of fruits/veggies/whole grains and 1/3 (or less) of animal based protein (vegetarians could easily substitute this with plant-based sources like lentils/beans). This is based on AICR’s landmark expert-report “Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: a global perspective“ which suggests that eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans coupled with increased physical activity can reduce cancer risk by 30 to 40 percent.

As for portions, the site has a “Standard Serving Size Finder” that lists easy-to-visualize serving-sizes for common foods by using everyday items as cues (for example the serving size for dried fruits is 1/4 cup and when you roll your mouse over, you see the picture of a golf ball; eating cheese? it should be about 4 dice worth!)

Additional Resources:

The AICR site also contains some useful additional resources like brochures that you can download or order. These include the New American Plate and the superb “One Pot Meals (there is only one pot to dishwash!)”. You can also order health aids like serving size finder “wheel”s, posters and placemats (to make control that much more easy). Also check out out their recipes section and the “New American Plate CookBook“.

This section of the AICR site will change the way you look at your plate and serving sizes. You can now get a good understanding of not only what is good for you, but also how much of it you should eat. Remember too much of a good thing… turns to fat!

Stay healthy and remember our mantra: make fitness a way of your life. The New American Plate just made it a little easier.

Technorati Tags: health, fitness, nutrition, new american plate, serving size, portion control

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