The JumpStart kit contains a 7-day supply of Jillian Michaels’ Triple Process Total Body Detox & Cleanse, a 7-day supply of her Probiotic Replenishment and a 7-day supply of her Maximum Strength Fat Burner(TM). In the first week, the Triple Process Total Body Detox & Cleanse is taken to help reduce bloating and body waste build-up (without harsh chemical laxatives or fasting), and help support the liver’s natural detoxification process. In the second week, the 7-Day Probiotic Replenishment is taken in conjunction with the Maximum Strength Fat Burner(TM). The 7-Day Probiotic Replenishment helps replace beneficial flora in the digestive tract, while the Maximum Strength Fat Burner is designed to aid consumers in losing actual body fat… not just body weight.

The complete Jillian Michaels supplement line is comprised of the following: Maximum Strength Calorie Control(TM), Maximum Strength Fat Burner(TM), Triple Process Total Body Detox & Cleanse Plus Probiotic Replenishment(TM), QuickStart Rapid Weight Loss System(TM), and the new JumpStart 14 Day Cleanse and Burn(TM)

For more information visit, jillianweightloss.com.

Medifast - $50 off any purchase of $275 or more! Use Coupon Code: Jan31C good until 1-31-10

The U.S. surpasses other countries in women who want their husbands to lose pounds; it’s also the country where women struggle the most with their weight. However, diet pills and smoking to control weightare not as prevalent as in other countries,but a solid 85% of American women have tried to lose weight at least once in their lives. Ironically, nearly 70% of American women believe our culture is overly focused on weight.

Reader’s Digest commissioned an exclusive global poll, interviewing approximately 16,000 people in 16 countries about their attitudes and behaviors about weight, weight loss, and obesity. It also offers a potent diet plan that incorporates tips from around the world.

Reader’s Digest VP/Global Editor-in-Chief Peggy Northrop says, “Our poll makes it clear that people around the world are struggling with their weight. But the news isn’t all bad — we also found that just about every culture has some custom that can help keep you lean and healthy. We need to look at ourselves and our neighbors to see what works in this worldwide struggle.”

Brazil feels the most pressure to be thin. The survey found that 83% of Brazilians think there is too much emphasis placed on weight, with 77% of men and 89% of women feeling the pressure. Comparatively, 62% of Americans think we care too much about weight, ranking third behind Brazil and India (68%) in this category.

Wives in the U.S. want their husbands to lose weight. More than half (51%) of married American women wish their husbands weighed less, while 47% of married American men desire the same of their mates. In India, 48% of Indian men admit to being dissatisfied with their spouse’s weight; 46% of Indian women feel the same.

When it comes to popping diet pills, China ranks number one, with 37% of the Chinese admitting that they take weight loss pills. Brazil (30%), Russia (24%), and Mexico (23%) also look to pills, while only 19% of the U.S. do.

Russia is the country where people try to puff away the pounds, with 23% of men and 18% of women admitting they smoke to suppress appetite. In the U.S., a mere 5% say they light up to lose weight.

The country most likely to blame its fat on a lack of willpower: the Philippines. Approximately half of Americans feel the same. And where do people blame their parents for being fat? Russia. An amazing 70% of Russians point to their genes as the reason they need larger jeans. Germans (61%) and Indians (50%) also use this excuse. In the U.S., 20% of Americans blame Mom and Dad.

More than any people surveyed, the French point to American eating habits and fast food as the culprits in their nation’s growing girth. It’s somewhat reassuring to note that at least the U.S. recognizes and takes responsibility, as almost three quarters of Americans admit our way of eating promotes obesity.

Mexico leads the way as the country with the healthiest approach to losing weight. Almost all (93%) Mexicans say they have tried switching to a more healthful diet in an attempt to lose weight, and 86% have tried to become more physically active. In the U.S., 86% of Americans have tried to eat healthier, and 75% have attempted to work out, but 61% still resort to dietary deprivation (compared with 55% of Mexicans).
The U.S. is also concerned with weight being an obstacle to sex, with 46% of Americans (51% of men and 41% of women) saying that fat foils frolicking.

With the New Year come New Year’s resolutions, many of which are centered on fitness and weight loss. Reader’s Digest puts forward the basis for a potent global weight-loss plan by uncovering the varied cultural habits and customs that can keep people slim and healthy.

Highlights include:
• Thailand believes in spicy food. Hot peppers raise your metabolism and burn a few extra calories.
• Switzerland recommends muesli, a cereal that’s full of fiber and made with oats, nuts, and fruit, each of which has been linked to better health and weight control.
• Brazil enjoys rice and beans with almost every meal, and research has found that this lowers the risk of becoming overweight by 14% when compared with typical Western fare.
• The Dutch down about 85 million raw herring a year. It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
• For India, Finland, and the Netherlands, exercise is an integral ingredient, with yoga, walking, and biking, respectively, being key to weight management.

For more information, visit red.com.

Medifast - $50 off any purchase of $275 or more! Use Coupon Code: Jan31C good until 1-31-10

The survey revealed several contradictions in how Americans perceive their eating habits. While eight in 10 Americans surveyed (79%) say they are satisfied with the state of their personal eating habits, two-thirds (67%) admit to practicing poor eating habits on at least a weekly basis, such as skipping meals and eating when they’re not hungry. And, despite their satisfaction with their own eating habits, nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) said most Americans have an unhealthy relationship with food. About half (52%) believe an immediate family member has an unhealthy relationship with food, while more than four in 10 (44%) are concerned about a spouse’s eating habits.

As part of its commitment to changing the unhealthy eating paradigm, GSK Consumer Healthcare announced last week a sponsorship with The Creative Coalition, an advocacy organization of the entertainment community that uses the arts as a platform for shedding light on important social issues. The Creative Coalition will work with a director to develop a documentary project that raises awareness of mindless and emotional eating in relation to America’s obesity epidemic. The project is being sponsored with full funding by GSK Consumer Healthcare. The Creative Coalition will have complete creative control.
This is part of The Creative Coalition’s Spotlight Initiative, which uses independent film to bring attention to important issues on the national and global agendas.

For more information, visit myalli.com.

Medifast - $50 off any purchase of $275 or more! Use Coupon Code: Jan31C good until 1-31-10

In the August 9, 2009 issue of Time Magazine, the cover story, “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin,” explains how that on the average, women in a study by Dr. Timothy Church lost weight, but those that exercised did not lose significantly more weight than the control subjects. The article also mentions the 2008 International Journal of Obesity published paper by Gortmaker and Sonneville of Children’s Hospital Boston, noting that during their 18-month study of 538 students, “when the kids start to exercise, they end up eating more — not just a little more, but an average of 100 calories more than they had just burned.”

Dr. Sass identifies the problem being that when people exercise, they burn calories and feel justified in eating a little more here and there. Unfortunately, instead, they are sabotaging their efforts usually by eating more calories than they burned. He recommends eating healthy, nutritious foods, getting the weight off and then focusing on an exercise routine to keep it off.

ABOUT SMART FOR LIFE(R)
Smart for Life(R) Cookie Diet is a comprehensive weight management approach to health and wellness which utilizes natural, hunger-controlling foods to deliver visible results. The company was started by Sasson Moulavi, M.D., “Dr. Sass,” on the principle of improving people’s lives by providing a quick, safe, easy and affordable means of weight control. Smart for Life’s e-commerce program provides an accessible weight-loss management program to consumers across the country. In addition, the over 30 weight-loss centers, each staffed with a medical doctor and provide in-person counsel to consumers supporting the e-commerce program as well as the medical weight loss program. Over the past 7 years, Smart for Life(R) has helped hundreds of thousands of people lose millions of pounds — improving their health, appearance and happiness.

For more information, visit smartforlife.com.

Medifast - $50 off any purchase of $275 or more! Use Coupon Code: Jan31C good until 1-31-10

Whether through television ads or walking the mall, food manufacturing companies have become experts at getting consumers to salivate over their food via tempting, hypnotic advertising. Consumers often choose these products without understanding that not only do they cost more, but they do not use healthful ingredients. Ultimately, choosing high-sugar, high-fat, poor-quality food, consumers develop weight issues, illness and health care expense.

Dr. Sass realizes that there is no easy solution to the destructive cycle this problem creates. Instead, he urges companies and organizations to create healthy foods to routinely advertise and educate. Consequently, if companies begin to produce food manufactured with healthy, good fats, low sugar, more fiber and nutrients, perhaps the public will become aware of the differences and wake up from the trance the unhealthy products and habits have created.

Ultimately the change will have to come from consumers; they have to decide if their health and weight are important and worth protecting. Should consumers choose to spend hard-earned money on poor-quality food, then the giant companies monopolizing the airwaves will continue manufacturing. Dr. Sass encourages a change that will take longer to achieve: Public education, awareness and better choices will lessen the demand for unhealthy food choices. In turn, major companies will have to cater to what consumers want.

For more information, visit smartforlife.com.

Medifast - $50 off any purchase of $275 or more! Use Coupon Code: Jan31C good until 1-31-10

The report is part of “Get Fit In 2010,” a do-it-yourself Web guide. The Web site includes new ratings of bathroom scales, fitness tips for a variety of workout styles, and low-cost ways to stay healthy in bad weather.

The top tasting prepared meals offer a range of options in four categories: chicken, beef, pasta/bean, and shrimp. Non-meat eaters, you’re in luck: the pasta/bean category outshines the others, offering the most meals deemed Very Good in taste by Consumer Reports’ tough testers. Consumer Reports Health recommends four meals in this category based on taste and sodium count: Lean Cuisine One Dish Favorites Santa Fe-Style Rice & Beans ($2.57); Kashi Black Bean Mango ($4.10); Kashi Garden Vegetable Pasta $3.95); and Healthy Choice All Natural Entrees Portabella Spinach Parmesan ($2.51) (the manufacturer says the product and packaging have changed since Consumer Reports’ tests).

Other recommended meals include Kashi Chicken Florentine ($3.96); Healthy Choice Cafe Steamers Roasted Beef Merlot ($3.45) (the manufacturer says the product and packaging have changed); Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Steak Tips Portabello ($3.26); and Lean Cuisine Cafe Classics Shrimp Alfredo ($3.24).

Tips for Getting The Most From Your Diet Entree:

• Read sodium labels. Consumer Reports Health identifies eight meals with more than 600 milligrams of sodium, the benchmark that testers set as a maximum. Most healthy people should get no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day. People who have high blood pressure, African Americans (whose blood pressure tends to be especially sensitive to sodium), and older adults should get no more than 1,500 mg.

• Make it a meal. Even if you’re trying to lose weight, products with less than 400 calories may be inadequate by themselves as a full meal. On a typical 1,500-calorie-a-day diet, you should consume 400 to 500 calories for each meal to safely lose weight. “Luckily, these meals readily lend themselves to augmentation with healthful, easy-to-prepare side dishes,” said Hirsh. Consumer ReportsHealth recommends some easy add-ons to turn portion controlled entrees into full, satisfying meals without raising the calorie count too high.

• For dieters looking to boost calcium intake, there are lots of meal options with 20 percent of the Daily Value for that mineral, including these entrees: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Classic Favorites Creamy Rigatoni with Broccoli & Chicken ($2.32), Lean Cuisine Spa Cuisine Classics Butternut Squash Ravioli ($3.22), and Lean Cuisine One Dish Favorites Santa Fe-Style Rice & Beans ($2.57).

For more information, visit consumerreportshealth.org.

Medifast - $50 off any purchase of $275 or more! Use Coupon Code: Jan31C good until 1-31-10

The innovative program focuses on retraining eating behavior, along with educating patients about nutrition and increasing physical activity.

Their previous research revealed that obese people tend to eat at an increased rate and do not recognize satiety, regardless of the amount of food they ingest, a situation leading to overeating.

The Mandometer® was developed by Cecilia Bergh, Ph.D., and Per Sodersten, Ph.D., two researchers at the world-renowned Swedish academic health center, the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

The device is a portable electronic scale connected to a small computer that can generate a graphic representation of a patient’s eating rate during a meal. With the help of feedback from the Mandometer®, patients learn to eat normally by adapting the normal eating speed and development of satiety of normal-weight individuals that is also shown on the Mandometer(®) screen.

Health care workers at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children learned about this revolutionary treatment and asked to conduct a study comparing the outcomes of that new treatment to the outcomes of their standard weight-loss protocol. The result of that study is the basis of the report in today’s British Medical Journal.

The Mandometer®( )method is revolutionary because it ignores the standard approaches for treatment of eating disorders and obesity, focusing instead on eating behavior rather than on psychological issues. Its outcomes have been dramatically successful, resulting in a growing worldwide demand for the services provided by Mandometer® clinics.

Currently, there are already four Mandometer® clinics in Sweden, two in Australia and one in San Diego. Drs. Bergh and Sodersten plan to open another on East 78(th) Street in New York in April of this year.

For more information, visit mando.se

Medifast - $50 off any purchase of $275 or more! Use Coupon Code: Jan31C good until 1-31-10

To kick-start the New Year–and the diet–consumers can now register on Atkins.com to receive three free nutrition bars, along with a quick-start guide and carb counter book. By March 2010, Atkins expects to give away more than 1 million bars, offering more consumers the chance to sample the delicious and nutritious snacks packed with protein and fiber but low in sugar and other carbohydrates. Also on the bar front, Atkins will add exciting new flavors to its popular Advantage®, Day Break(TM) and Endulge(TM) product lines in February 2010.

In 2010, Atkins spokesperson and actress Courtney Thorne-Smith will appear in her first Atkins commercial, as well as in more than 2,500 in-store displays on Wal-Mart Smart TVs. Thorne-Smith has followed the Atkins lifestyle for the past 10 years. Before Atkins, she was unable to find a way to maintain her weight, going up and down on the diet rollercoaster. This experience gives her a unique understanding of the weight-loss struggles most people have experienced. Thorne-Smith will also be featured on the revamped Atkins.com website, welcoming visitors with a web video that acquaints them with the four phases of the Atkins Diet.

For more information, visit atkins.com.

Medifast - $50 off any purchase of $275 or more! Use Coupon Code: Jan31C good until 1-31-10

Each year 40-45% of adults make a resolution. Research shows that 75% make it past the first week and 46% make it past 6 months. The Smart for Life(R) team of experts are gearing up for a boost to those willing to commit to achieving these goals. The company offers support group calls twice weekly as well as one-on-one support in participating centers in the U.S. and Canada.

Typically, those following the Smart for Life(R) Cookie Diet program will lose weight quickly, stay motivated and see the health benefits (e.g. lower cholesterol) in a matter of weeks. The affordable program is available online, as well as other affiliate retailers.

For more information, visit smartforlife.com.

Medifast - $50 off any purchase of $275 or more! Use Coupon Code: Jan31C good until 1-31-10

Humans interact with the world primarily through sight. Figwee.com seeks to take advantage of this by employing a photographic means of planning and recording meals and activity. Using a series of incremental food portion photos, they have greatly simplified the task of portion control. A mere tug on a slider changes the displayed portion and updates nutrition information in real-time. When the user sees and accepts the amount that was consumed, the information is added to a food diary for reporting. Everything is done with pictures; search, portion selection, even activity entry. Detailed charts and graphs round out the interactive experience.

Figwee was created by two brothers with a history of weight struggles. All of the web site’s features are free of charge, making it available to anyone with a high-speed internet connection.

For more information, visit figwee.com.

Medifast - $50 off any purchase of $275 or more! Use Coupon Code: Jan31C good until 1-31-10