. . . a misleading new study from CanadaAmericans keep getting fatter. In the past 15 years adult obesity has approximately doubled in 17 states according to a survey sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Twenty years ago, not one state had an obesity rate of more than 15%. Now, only Colorado, with 19.8% obese, has an obesity rate of less than 20%. In twelve states, the obesity rate is above 30%.As obesity becomes more normal, it's become more socially acceptable and less cause for concern. In the same way that many people consider themselves healthy even though they're taking several different medications, the overweight and even the obese now tend to see themselves as fundamentally healthy. A new study from Canada feeds this misperception.Published last August in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism, this study used a new rating system called the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) to categorize the obese. It puts them into five categories according to the prese…

We all want to get the most out of our diet and there has been much talk about supposed Superfoods that are more nutritionally dense then other foods. For most, these fruits and vegetables, with a few meats and dairy, are the Holy Grail of foods.People expect them to turn their lives around, but these so-called superfoods aren’t the miracles they appear to be. Many people don’t understand what a superfood is and how vitamin and mineral supplements can be just as good.What Are Superfoods?There aren’t any criteria put forth by the Food and Drug Administration on the definition of a superfood. It is commonly assumed they contain high levels of vitamins and minerals without a lot of calories. People get more bang for their buck. One of the most important aspects of superfoods is the number of antioxidants. Free radicals are negative biological elements in the body that can lead to a number of issues from heart disease to cancer.Antioxidants can decrease or even reverse the impa…