Fitness Mantra del.icio.us pageA couple of days late this week, but nevertheless, welcome to “FitnessMantra Weekend”, your once-a-week health news update. As always you can also stay updated with the latest in fitness news by subscribing separately to the Fitness Mantra del.icio.us feed.

In February of this year, I asked if Shrek could really come across genuinely as an anti-obesity mascot given that he is an obese monster who likes nothing better than stuff stuff down his throat! Add to the fact that Shrek is already being used to promote a variety of junk and sugar-laden foods such as M&Ms and McDonalds’ foods and this was just a disaster waiting to happen and happen it did: Is Shrek bad for anti-obesity campaign? questions the decision of the Department of Health and Human Services to use Shrek as an anti-obesity mascot and pretty soon we’ll know if he’s still got the job!

shrek

“Surely Health and Human Services can find a better spokesperson for healthy living than a character who is a walking advertisement for McDonald’s, sugary cereals, cookies and candy,” said Linn, an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

What do you feel? Would using Shrek to promote healthy eating confuse rather than educate young minds? Pen your thoughts off in the comments while I rush out to reserve tickets to Shrek The Third (hey, at least acting is one thing he can do, can’t he?!)

Here are the week’s top health and fitness stories:

  1. ‘Gym pill’ trips fat-burning gene: US scientists have devised a drug that can switch on a gene to burn body fat, offering hope of an exercise pill.
  2. Veggies may ward off pancreatic cancer: A look at the eating patterns of 183,518 California and Hawaii residents has found evidence that a diet high in flavonols might help ward off pancreatic cancer.
  3. Is Shrek bad for anti-obesity campaign?: A children’s advocacy group wants the Department of Health and Human Services to oust Shrek, the animated ogre, from his role as spokesman for an anti-obesity drive.
  4. The new school food — fewer chips, more carrots?: Whole-grain crackers, low-fat yogurt and fruit could become the school snacks of the future, driving out fattening fancies such as cola and fried chips.
  5. Meat can be murder on long-term health - Forbes.com - MSNBC.com: “Would we all be better off if we dramatically reduced meat to the point of one meal a week? I would say yes,”
  6. Got heartburn? Check your waistline: Are you suffering with serious heartburn? If so, your weight might have something to do with how you’ve been feeling — and how you can feel better.
  7. Breast-fed babies don’t grow up to be skinnier: While breast-feeding has many benefits, it won’t prevent a child from becoming fat as an adult, says a new study that challenges dogma from U.S. health officials.
  8. Obesity rising in Europe: The number of overweight people in Europe is rising and there is an especially worrying trend of increasing childhood obesity
  9. Cardio vs. Weights: The Battle Is Over: Which is better for scorching up calories: cardio workouts or weight training?
  10. Sally Squires - Give Kids a Chance to Eat Wisely - washingtonpost.com: Our tendency to accept what we’re offered may have value when it comes to encouraging children to choose — and eat — healthier food at school.
  11. Mother’s puberty ‘obesity clue’: The age at which a woman had her first period can help predict her children’s risk of obesity, say UK researchers.
  12. Success for child obesity scheme: A community programme which aims to encourage obese children to be more healthy has proved highly successful, a study has found.
  13. Exercise May Help Prevent Parkinson’s: People who exercise regularly may be less likely to develop Parkinson’s disease — but leisurely strolls may not be enough.
  14. Obese File Twice as Many Workers’ Comp Claims: “Given the strong link between obesity and worker’s compensations costs, maintaining healthy weight is not only important to workers but should also be a high priority for employers,”
  15. Single high-fat meal drives up blood pressure: Eating a single high-fat meal can cause a spike in blood pressure, researchers in Calgary say, a finding that suggests another way fat consumption may lead to heart damage.
  16. Fat-fighting baby milk criticised: Plans to add a hormone which suppresses hunger to baby formula food are unlikely to work say experts.
  17. Dieting most always fails in the long run: “As much as I would like to have a magic bullet, I knew the only way to lose weight was eat less and exercise more,”
  18. Winning the Nutrition Game, With Help From a Coach - New York Times: MARIAM NOORZAI of Camarillo, Calif. tried weight programs from Atkins to Weight Watchers, but it wasn’t until she hired a personal nutrition coach last fall that she finally lost the excess weight, dropping to 128 pounds.
  19. Lose weight by vegging out: Maybe you can’t learn to like vegetables, but you can trick yourself by sneaking them into your diet.

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Have a great weekend!

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