My hips don’t lie…Think you’re fat?…and the 1-Page Health News

Some people object to the idea of squatting. They say it’s bad for you, not something anyone ever does, blah, blah, blah. I can tell you from 15 years of experience that the hips don’t lie: People who can’t drop into a full-range unweighted squat sooner or later will have back problems. It’s that simple.

The picture is me cleaning my grill before my dad arrived last weekend. If I couldn’t get into this squat easily, I’d be standing there stooped over at the waist. When stooping instead of squatting becomes a habit, something bad eventually happens. This is the person who blows out his or her back tying a shoe or picking up an empty dog food bowl.

Next time you’re in ask either myself or Dr. Stripling to check your squat for you. IF you can’t do it, we can probably teach you.

Mental Attitude: Think You Are Fat? Researchers found that normal weight teens who perceive themselves as fat are more likely to grow up to be fat. 59% of girls who felt fat as a teen became overweight in adulthood while 31% of girls who did not consider themselves fat during adolescence were found to be overweight. Normal weight girls were more likely than boys to rate themselves as overweight (22% of girls vs. 9% of the boys). One reason for weight gain in later years may be due to psychosocial stress, which can be associated with gaining weight. Under this scenario, the psychosocial stress related to having (or not having) an ideal body type, along with the perception of oneself as overweight, can result in weight gain. Another explanation may be that young people who see themselves as fat often change their eating habits by skipping meals, which can

lead to obesity. Also, a diet you can’t maintain over time will be counterproductive, as the body tries to maintain the weight you had before you started to diet. Norwegian University of Science and Technology, July 2012

Health Alert: Depression Is A World-Wide Problem. It’s widely believe that depression is a phenomenon of Western culture, but researchers who analyzed studies involving over 480,000 people across 91 countries have found the opposite is true. They estimate the rate of depression in Middle Eastern and some Asian countries (~9%) is twice that found in countries like the United States and Australia (~4%). World Health Organization, 2010

Diet: Bad BBQ News! Barbecue can sabotage your waistline. A 20 ounce T-bone steak can weigh in at 1,540 calories, with

124 grams of fat.  A corn-fed 85% ‘lean’ cheeseburger has 750 calories and 45 grams of fat. Pork or beef ribs come from the fattiest part of the animal. Healthier options include pork tenderloin, skinless chicken breast, and lean ground beef. American Heart Association

Exercise: Good Reasons. Regular exercise maintains or improves joint flexibility, improves your glucose tolerance and reduces workdays missed due to illness. Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996

Chiropractic: Motion and Nutrition. Cartilage is avascular, meaning it does not receive nutrition via blood vessels. Like a sponge, it takes in fluid and releases the fluid when compression is applied. This alternating compression and re-expansion allows it to receive its supply of nutrients and remove metabolic waste. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 1984

Wellness/Prevention: Lose To Gain? People who are overweight or obese could gain ten years worth of health benefits by simply losing 20 pounds. Modest weight loss (average 14 lbs) reduced the risk of individuals developing Type 2 diabetes by

58%. Weight loss of just 10% of a person’s body weight has been shown to have long-term impact on sleep apnea, hypertension, quality of life, and to slow the decline in mobility that occurs as people age. American Psychological Association, July 2012

Quote: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” ~ Albert Einstein