These cells are vital in terms of blood vessel function, controlling the ability of the vessel to contract and dilate to keep blood flowing in the body. Any trouble for these cells increases the risk of high blood pressure and a number of other health problems according to researchers.

High blood pressure is often called the “silent killer” because early on there are no symptoms, and by the time you do see them, untreated hypertension has caused damage to the heart, the kidneys, the arteries themselves, perhaps even your eyes and brain. The American Heart Association estimates that this condition affects one in three adults (71 million people) in the U.S.

When your doctor (or more likely the nurse) takes a blood pressure reading they get a picture of the pressure in the arteries at two different points – systolic (top number) for when the heart is pumping blood, diastolic (bottom number) for when the heart is at rest, getting blood from other parts of the body. A normal blood pressure reading is considered anything less than 120/80, with numbers over this increasing your risks of complications.

In this most recent study, the team randomly assigned 43 healthy, normal weight adult volunteers to either gain almost 9 pounds or stay at their current weight.

The researchers measured endothelial function in the brachial artery in the arm, looking for the ability of the artery to dilate. Measurements were taken at the start of the study, after eight weeks of weight gain, and again after 16 weeks of weight loss for those who had gained weight. Weight gainers demonstrated a decrease in the ability of the artery to dilate, though when they lost the added weight, the ability went right back to normal.

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Proven: Belly Fat Damages Blood Vessels & Ups Disease Risk… Continued…

The research shows that even the modest amount of weight we might gain after a vacation or over the holidays, has an impact on the body and potentially harmful affects on the blood vessels. Losing the weight gets things back to normal, if you manage to drop the pounds.

Lead researcher for this study, Dr. Virend K. Somers, a medical professor at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, believes that when people put on weight in the belly area, they have more trouble with endothelia function, which is a well known marker of the health of the blood vessels in the body. Fat in the belly area is especially troublesome, a belief that is increasingly supported by more and more experts.

The good news is that excess belly fat can respond to diet and exercise. Research has learned that eating a very specific kind of fat is an entirely natural way to fight both types of belly fat, subcutaneous (what you can see) and visceral (what you can’t). Add a few lifestyle changes and some targeted exercises and you can be on the way to getting your belly back down to size.

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1. Thyroid Problems

The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the way your body uses energy. If this organ is underactive (hypothyroidism) your metabolism is disrupted which has many effects on the body. More common in women, the condition is usually diagnosed in the 40s and 50s. There are estimates that a full 10% of adults have hypothyroidism.

Besides that inability lose weight (or even gaining some) you might notice fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, muscle weakness and joint pain, heavy periods, increased sensitivity to cold, perhaps even depression. You can have a low-grade hypothyroidism and just feel “off” without any obvious sign of illness.

Ask your primary care physician for a TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) screening. While traditional levels are between .45 and 4.5, if you’re above 2.0 you probably will struggle to lose weight according to Dr. Jamie Kane, M.D., medical director of Park Avenue Medical Weight and Wellness in New York. Ask your doctor to look at T-3 and T-4 levels too. Some patients do well with a low dose thyroid hormone (Synthroid).

2. Hormone Imbalance

As many as 1 in ten women of childbearing age are believed to have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is known to cause ovulation problems and infertility, while also being linked to insulin resistance.

This is a possible explanation for your lack of weight loss success if you also have irregular periods, extra face and body hair, acne, some male pattern balding as well as the expected trouble getting pregnant. Not everyone with PCOS has weight issues.

Your gynecologist can test your levels of sex hormones, look at your blood sugar and insulin levels or order an ultrasound to look for cysts on your ovaries. Treatment involves lifestyle changes (eating healthy, exercising regularly) and watching your intake of refined carbs and added sugars. Your doctor might prescribe a medication known as Metformin that can treat insulin resistance and help you get pregnant.

3. Food Intolerances

Anyone with a food allergy knows what food they must avoid, but few of us are aware of the food intolerances that affect an estimated one I in ten people. An intolerance can be caused by a lack of a certain digestive enzyme (lactose intolerance, for example) or sensitivity to food additives (sulfites, for example). These intolerances (most commonly dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, corn and nuts) tend to show up over time and can bring on bloating and water weight gain, along with other symptoms.

If you often have bloating, gas, diarrhea and constipation as well as symptoms that aren’t related to digestion such as mild asthma, eczema, headaches, muscle and joint pain or fatigue, you need to talk with your doctor, and perhaps get a referral to a gastroenterologist. An elimination diet can start you on your way to figuring out what foods you can eat. Start by removing gluten and dairy and move on to the others. You can then systematically re-introduce foods and watch for your reactions.

You may need to say good-bye to a favorite food you can’t tolerate forever, but in milder cases you can first try using a daily probiotic supplement that brings back the good bacteria (yes there are good bacteria) to your digestive tract. Look for one with at least 10 billion live bacteria per capsule.

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4 Unexpected Reasons Women Can’t Lose Weight… Continued…

4. Medication

While many prescription medications do you a world of good, there are some unwelcome side effects, weight gain often being one of these. Estimates have as many as 50 commonly used drugs that have weight gain as a side effect. Antidepressants, antipsychotics, anti-seizure medications, diabetes drugs, high blood pressure pills, steroids and birth control pills can all be at fault.

If you notice you’ve gained weight within a few weeks of starting a new medication, keep and eye on your progress, stick to your diet and fitness goals and discuss this with your doctor if you aren’t better by the first month. Often there’s an alternative medication that can be prescribed.

Never just stop taking a medication just because it may be one of the reasons for not losing weight. Talk with your doctor first. Treating the condition you’re taking the drug for is your main concern. Side effects, while unpleasant, are still better than the condition the drug is managing for you.

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No one wants to admit they’re carrying more pounds than is good for them, yet if the steadily rising obesity rates are any clue, we’re all only getting heavier. And this added weight is upping the risk of not only cardiovascular disease, but many other acquired diseases.

Experts warn that obesity isn’t just a problem on its own, those extra pounds are exacerbating other risks to our hearts as well. Carrying more weight than you should plays a part in almost all the coronary risk factors – boosting levels of bad cholesterol, raising blood pressure and increasing the chances of developing diabetes. All three are considered risk factors for heart disease.

All three respond readily to sustained weight loss.

A study just presented at an annual meeting of American Heart Association found that blood pressure and blood sugar levels keep going up in adults, driven mainly by increases in obesity. This overwhelms improving heart health trends like the drops in bad cholesterol and lower rates of smoking. And while we can replace the machines in our lives with new ones, our body, a truly fantastic machine, can’t be traded for new, its ours for life.

With childhood obesity rates also on the rise, the experts don’t hold out much hope for improvement in the coming years. Today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every three kids and teens in the U.S. is obese. These children are far more likely to develop dangerous heart disease as they get older.

The answer isn’t one we want to hear, but if you’re concerned about heart disease, a hard look at your weight (or BMI number) is in order. Once you recover, you’ll want to start making some changes including …

- Eating more fruits and veggies, adding a serving a day and building from there.

- Choosing lean meats, try to eat fish more often.

- Choosing whole grain breads/pastas or brown rice over white.

- Eliminating sugary drinks and fruit juices, go for the diet version or water instead.

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Experts Warn: More Weight, More Heart Risk Continued…

What you eat is only part of the picture… to lose weight you’ve got to be more active.

When it comes to exercise, start slowly and build over time, especially if you’ve been inactive for a long while. Before you begin, talk with your doctor to be sure being active is safe for you. Once you get the okay, start by walking (or doing another enjoyable activity) three times a week and build from there.

Keep in mind that every pound equals almost 3,500 calories, so to lose a pound each week you’ll need to burn 500 more calories a day than you take in.

Remember successful weight loss takes time… after all, that weight didn’t appear overnight, losing it won’t happen that fast either. Experts recommend you start by setting a weight loss goal of 10 pounds in 6 months, and build from there. Losing just 10% of your body weight can have impressive benefits on your heart disease risks, and get you on the track to losing even more.

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So rather than putting off to “tomorrow” what you can do now, set a date on the calendar when you will begin your diet and mark it for all to see. By doing this you’ll be making your plans more specific, yourself more accountable so when the date arrives, you’ll be ready, and motivated, to get going.

Another important part of starting any diet plan is to see where you stand now. That’s right, get on the scale and look at the number… hard. Or, you might prefer to use one of the many BMI calculators on the internet to see where you fall. Then define where you want to be, understanding that in the end what you weigh is just a number, and your body can be perfectly healthy a few pounds over this number.

Recognizing the struggle getting underway can be, here are a few other helpful tips from the experts on how to get your diet plan underway.

- Know your goal: just how much do you want to lose? If you’ve got a lot, you’ll benefit best from a structured, supervised program according to Brian C. Jacobson, MD, MPH at Boston University Medical Center. If you’re only slightly or moderately overweight, think about controlling portion size, as this will cut calories. To get the latest on correct portion sizes, meet with a registered dietitian or review the new food pyramid.

- Know your weight loss personality: this has a role in our attitude to food according to Thomas R. Przybeck, PhD at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He advises that you take the time to know your tendencies and create a weight loss plan that fights any unproductive inclinations you might have. Types to choose include Impulsive, Oblivious, Uptight, Tenacious and Sociable.

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4 Simple Steps to Kickstart Your Diet… Continued…

- Do both diet and exercise: a combination of the two is most likely to lead to weight loss according to Lauren Gerson, MD, MSc, director of the Esophageal and Small Bowel Disorders Center at Stanford University School of Medicine.

- Make a commitment: but first, ask yourself some hard questions… Are you ready to do this? Is your motivation coming from inside yourself? Can you deal with occasional setbacks or a lack of progress? Can you fully focus on weight loss? You need to be losing weight for yourself, understand this may be a long term process and have the resources to focus all your efforts on your goal.

With some planning and careful preparation, the best way to lose weight is to make this diet your last diet. Once you get your momentum going, it will get easier to stay on track. You’ll be rewarded for your efforts by looking, and feeling, better. This in turn will have you making healthier decisions going forward.

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Fortunately many fast food chains, as well as more traditional restaurants, are getting the message and offering foods that look more like what we’d cook at home, if we had the time. There are now soups and salads as well as veggies and fruits. Fast food icon McDonald’s even offers a surprisingly tasty yogurt and granola parfait.

If fast food places are an unavoidable part of your routine, here are five smart ways to make healthier, less diet defeating choices when you pull up to the window.

1) Keep portion sizes in line - always get the smallest size of a sandwich or side you can and you’ll save calories and fat. Often single portions in these restaurants are enough for two meals.

2) Choose a healthy side – now more than ever, there are healthy options on those fast food menus. Opt for a side salad with low fat dressing, a baked potato, apple or orange slices, corn on the cob, steamed rice or baked potato chips.

3) Add greens - get a salad for the entrée and add grilled chicken, shrimp or veggies and have the dressing on the side. Consider McDonald’s Southwest Salad, Burger King’s Chicken Garden Salad and Wendy’s Chicken Caesar Salad. Avoid breaded or fried toppings, as well as extras like bacon bits, croutons or cheese.

4) Go for grilled – fried and breaded foods are loaded with calories and fat. Avoid anything labeled deep-fried, pan-fried, basted, batter-dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy, scalloped, Alfredo, au gratin or in cream sauce. Your best bets are turkey or chicken breast, lean ham or roast beef.

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Five Steps to Healthier Fast Food… Continued…

5) Choose drinks wisely - a surprising source of calories, the beverage you choose to go with your meal can make a difference. Regular soda is loaded with calories, while diet soda, unsweetened ice tea, sparkling or mineral water are low calorie, thirst quenching choices. Skip the shakes, as you can imagine, they’re loaded with calories and your saturated fat allotment for an entire day.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to settle for what’s regularly offered with a sandwich. Ask for alternatives like low fat mayo or mustard, dressing served on the side or salsa instead of cheesy, calorie-laden sauce. Or order your sandwich without its usual toppings and add your own ketchup or mustard instead.

In the end, if you know you’ll be tempted after a late meeting or on the way home from soccer practice make sure you chose healthy fast food choices and that what you eat before and after is super healthy. It won’t hurt on days like this to make an extra effort to get your workout in as well.

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The current study included more than 18,000 pre-menopausal female nurses (part of the Nurses’ Health Study II) between the ages of 25 and 42 who were followed for a total of 16 years, staring in 1989. The authors looked at medical history, body weight patterns, exercise habits and lifestyle data for the subjects.

During the study, the participants gained an average of 20.5 pounds each. At the start of the research, half the subjects reported walking slowly; 39% said they walked briskly; 48% said they biked, including doing a workout on a stationary bike. By 2005 the subjects had significantly decreased the amount of time they were active each day.

The team found that women who started biking (a great, non impact exercise) for just 5 minutes each day gained about 1.5 fewer pounds over the course of the study than those who didn’t bike. Those who biked up to 30 minutes kept even more weight off, gaining about 3.5 fewer pounds than those whose activities didn’t include biking on a regular basis.

Dr. Anne Lusk, Ph.D. out of the Harvard School of Public Health believes biking is one answer to controlling your weight. Walking, unless it’s truly brisk enough, isn’t going to do it. In fact, women who increased the time they spent at a brisk (3.0 miles or more per hour) walk gained about 4 pounds less than those who didn’t up their walking. If they walked slowly, subjects didn’t prevent the weight gain.

Subjects who were considered overweight or obese at the start of the study got far better results than normal weight women when they were more physically active. An overweight woman who biked 30 minutes a day gained about 7 pounds less than those who didn’t. So while women of normal weight certainly get something from activities like biking or brisk walking, a woman who’s carrying extra weight will really see a benefit in terms of her weight.

The take home message – don’t give up on exercise, no matter what your weight or fitness level today.

Biking just two to three hours a week is all it takes to keep the weight at bay. Biking is not expensive, and is easy for almost anyone, at any fitness level, to engage in. What’s more, if you make fitness and maintaining your weight a priority you’ll find you do have the time to fit it into your daily routine. After all, if you don’t take care of yourself… who will?

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Women: Ward Off Weight Gain With This… Continued…

The current guidelines for exercise from both the CDC and the American College of Sports Medicine call for adults to get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on most days of the week. Many women in the study fell far below this. The exercise regularly message has also likely been missed by the two thirds of American adults and 16% of children who are overweight or obese today.

Of course the U.S. is also basically a car-centric nation. Our distances are so vast that walking or biking isn’t always practical. Only 9% of U.S. commuters walk to work, and just 0.5% bike to the office. In the Netherlands where the roads are more bike friendly, and the distances smaller, 22% of commuters walk to work, another 27% use pedal power to get there. Lusk is hoping that someday this country makes biking to work more accessible for more of us, using the Netherlands as a model.

Even if you can’t bike or walk to work, make an effort to get cycling (to lose weight) or brisk walking into your routine. Don’t worry about your heart rate… your clothing or the distance you go. Just do it.

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One of the biggest shortcomings to BMI is that it doesn’t give an accurate measure of central body fatness. And since the pounds that come from excess body fat (not the larger muscles) are the trouble, experts have been looking for more precise and practical ways to measure levels of fat in the body.

Measurements of the neck can do this.

A new study appearing in a recent issue of the journal Pediatrics examined the idea that measuring neck circumference might have value in screening youngsters for extra pounds. Earlier studies have focused on exploring the connection between the neck circumference and potential obesity as well as heart problems in adults.

In this latest work, study lead Dr. Olubukola Nafiu and his team assessed a group of 1,102 children and teens who were undergoing surgery at their center, recording standard measures like height, weight and neck circumference in an effort to see if this measurement could be a way to determine obesity in the young.

They saw that neck circumference correlated with BMI and waist size in both sexes and all age groups from 6 to 18. As an example, a 6 year old boy with a neck measurement over 11.2 inches was 3.6 times more likely to be either overweight or obese using BMI than a child of the same age who had a smaller neck circumference. Using these measurements the researchers pinpointed optimal cutoff points at which children could be considered at risk for added weight.

Neck circumference was also found to be helpful in identifying kids at risk for sleep apnea. Obesity, and particularly weight in the upper body, are risks for this condition.

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BMI Accuracy Questioned… Continued…

Research has found that regional adiposity, also known as fat around the middle, is a solid indicator of the risk for obesity related complications like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. The correlation between this type of fat deposit and neck circumference is strong according to Nafiu who is an assistant professor of pediatric anesthesia at the University of Michigan School of Medicine Health System. Used with BMI, it gives a doctor good clues about a child’s fat deposits. What’s more, the measurement is quick, easy and comfortable for the patient.

Patient comfort is one of this method’s of measuring body fat strongest points. Unlike the waist-to-hip ratio, there’s no question where to put the tape, no awkwardness for the patient and no variation in readings. For these reasons, plus the invaluable information on fat placement in the body, neck circumference is likely to become another initial screening tool, alongside BMI and waist-to-hip ratio, that can give a medical professional a more accurate picture of weight and the location of fat in the body. It’s important to remember that like obesity itself, a wider neck measurement is associated with things like sleep apnea, hypertension and diabetes. All unpleasant, life-altering conditions best prevented.

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Regular exercise is a critical part of keeping your body healthy, your mind sharp. Those who are active not only live longer, but they feel better.

Exercising regularly has been known to delay (or even prevent) diabetes, some cancers and problems with your heart. Most of us need 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise, at least five day a week to stay fit and healthy.

It’s just that if the workout isn’t fun, you’re not likely to stick with it, no matter how good you know it is for you. Here are ten tips to put some much-needed fun into getting active and eating better.

1) Banish the word “exercise” from your vocabulary, think “activity” instead. Find something you really like to do and go for it. Hiking, biking, urban walks, playing outdoor sports or games are all great ways to have fun and be active too.

2) Choose the right intensity level right from the start. If you’re overweight, out of shape and have been doing nothing for a good while now, even moderate level intensities will make you feel bad. Instead start by walking at your own pace suggests Dave Williams, PhD at Brown Medical School and the Miriam Hospital in Rhode Island. More research is underway on self-paced exercise, it’s a good bet that anyone will feel better afterward.

3) Use music as this makes the workout more enjoyable and more tolerable. In a recent study at Brunei University in London, music enhanced endurance by 15% and helped the exercisers enjoy it more to boot. Best of all, the kind of music doesn’t matter – choose whatever makes you want to get up and move.

4) Find a friend for support and this is likely to make your workout more fun and more regular. A friend, a spouse, a group… all that’s needed is for the people to be ones you like to spend time with, and you’re good to go.

5) Aim for a little bit every day instead of an “all or nothing” approach, try not to get hung up on the length of each session, instead keep yourself active most days of the week, especially at the start. Make a deal with yourself, that no matter how little you feel like being active, give it five minutes, and if you still feel bad then you can stop.

6) Double up on your goals so that if you start out thinking you’ll just get fit; try to put some effort into losing weight or eating better as well. There is some research that suggests it’s easier to make whole scale changes in your behavior rather than one or two small ones.

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Ten Fun Ways To Get Fit and Shed Extra Pounds… Continued…

7) Try cutting the fat content of your meals according to Victor J. Stevens, PhD, at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, but do so gradually. Enjoy your favorite recipes but slowly reduce the fat you use… less butter, fat free milk instead of 2%, healthier oils. Watch total salt and sugar, too. You’ll be surprised at how little the taste changes, and how quickly you become adapted to the new, lighter flavor of your favorites.

Plan meals as a family allowing your spouse and children to make suggestions for healthier meals. Make a game of it and let everyone get a chance to pick favorite foods or dishes. Make the preparation less about the food and more of an activity you can all share.

9) Watch portion sizes if you start out with what you consider a typical size portion, then take away 5-10% of it and go with that. Eat slowly, enjoy the company and conversation and drink plenty of fluids with your meal. Teach your family, and yourself, how to eyeball portions according to the American Dietetic Association guidelines.

10) Appoint your kids as assistants and let them help you read labels and choose foods. Maybe it’s a healthy foods treasure hunt. Be sure to read labels on all you buy so you are able to spot hidden fats or sugars.

You see, getting healthy can be enjoyable with fun ways to exercise – it’s all in how you look at it. The good news is that once you start getting fit; you tend to want to eat better, to take better care of yourself. Eating better also helps your body make the most of the activity it’s getting. It’s a win-win.

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In the first study, researchers out of the University of Ulm in Germany examined the biological behavior of resveratrol in human fat cells. This is the substance, found in the skin of red grapes, that’s been shown to be a potential protection against heart disease, cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. The hypothesis of the researchers was that this substance might cut obesity by preventing young fat cells from maturing while also activating sirtuin 1, a protein that protects our heart from inflammation.

In the lab, resveratrol was found to influence fat cells’ form and function. It was not only able to stop the young cells from maturing; this kept them from differentiating and in turn affected their ability to function. While earlier work has used animals to look at the effects of resveratrol, this is the first research to be done on actual human fat cells.

The team also noticed that resveratrol did other things – stimulating glucose uptake into the fat cells and blocking molecules from changing into fat. It also helped the Sirt 1 protein and the secretion of adipokines, the fat cells that actually do the cell-to-cell talking. It may be that resveratrol prevents obesity to some extent, maybe by acting on that all-important cell signaling, while also supporting other metabolic effects that lead to a healthy heart.

Obesity, a major, well known risk factor for heart disease, could be treated with this substance according to researchers who point out that the World Health Organization estimates there are 1.6 billion people over the age of 15 who are overweight (BMI of 25.0-29.9), and at least 400 million people who are obese (BMI over 30.0). These numbers are expected to grow in the years to come.

The second of the two studies comes from the Israel Institute of Technology and finds that red wine enhanced the health of blood vessel cells.

The work involved 15 healthy adults (mean age 29) who consumed 250 mL (8.5 ounces) of red wine each day for three weeks in a row. The subjects gave blood samples at the beginning and end of the study period.

The team found that drinking red wine significantly enhanced vascular endothelial function – in other words, it improved the health of blood vessels, which in turn improves blood flow and the health of the heart itself.

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How Red Wine Might Help Your Weight and Heart… Continued…

Drinking the red wine each day also seemed to reduce apoptosis, or cell death.

In populations where red wine is a mainstay, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease is low according to the researchers.

Drinking moderate amounts does provide some protection to your heart. It may be that red wine increases nitric oxide availability and triggers a cellular communication process that’s needed for blood vessels to work properly. The endothelial cells in blood vessels rely on nitric oxide to tell the vessel tissue to relax, and this helps blood flow. The red wine appears to facilitate the communication that gets this process going.

In an editorial published along with the two studies, experts from the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland call for clinical trials to measure the effect of drinking red wine and assess the compounds ability to reverse existing cardiovascular disease. The new insights are welcome, though questions linger regarding red wine’s biological properties and mechanism of action.

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Asthma and obesity have both been rising over the last few decades, and many studies have found an association between obesity and asthma according to Dr. Jun Ma of California’s Palo Alto Medical Research Institute.

To study the link, Ma led a team that examined 4,500 men and women who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during the years 2005-2006. The survey was designed to get an assessment of the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the U.S. and is unique in that it combines interviews with physical examinations.

One third of the NHANES respondents used for this work were overweight, another third obese – holding true to the obesity epidemic identified in the United States.

In terms of health status, 41% of the subjects had some type of allergy; another 8% had been diagnosed with asthma. These two factors are important because allergy and asthma are considered to be related in certain individuals.

The team found that 12% of the obese subjects had asthma, compared to 6% of the normal weight subjects. The likelihood of asthma went up as the body mass index, BMI, rose and waist circumference got larger.

In fact, the risk of asthma was more than tripled for the heaviest of the subjects compared to those of normal weight.

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Have Belly Fat? Chances Are You’ll Get Asthma… Continued…

No one knows why the association exists. Some experts believe that the system wide, low-grade inflammation that happens to the obese may be a part of the picture. Others believe that resistance to blood sugar regulating insulin (it goes up the more weight you carry) is the explanation for the link. It’s true that insulin resistance often comes before the onset of diabetes. Incidentally, 37% of the subjects were either diabetic or had insulin resistance, though researchers stress that insulin resistance is not responsible for the relationship, nor was allergy related to this condition or even carrying extra weight.

Dr. Ma is quick to point out there are many other potential reasons for the link between obesity and asthma. The relationship is complex and researchers are just starting to understand it.

Losing fat in the midsection area is tough… but not impossible. The good news is that the dangerous visceral fat that you can’t see responds well to a program of diet and regular exercise.

A diet rich in unprocessed, natural foods as well as a daily, moderate intensity exercise program is the effective way to do the trick. Spot exercises such as sit ups can’t work alone, you’ll still need to make changes in your overall intake of calories to reduce obesity health risks that include being an asthma trigger. Remember, that fat took a while to accumulate, and it will take some time to lose, but even dropping a few pounds makes a huge difference to your health.

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