Tag: exercise

Fat Thighs Big Paunch

Why Fat Thighs Are Better Than Big Paunch

Genes active in a person’s belly fat are different from those in his or her thigh fat, a finding that could shift the way we approach unwanted belly fat – from banishing it to relocating it.

Men tend to store fat in the abdominal area, but don’t usually have much in the way of hips or thighs. Women, on the other hand, are more often pear-shaped, storing more fat on their hips and thighs than in the belly.

Why are women and men shaped differently?

The research led by Steven Smith, director of the Florida Hospital – Sanford-Burnham Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes, found that the genes operating in a person’s thigh fat are hugely different from those in his or her belly fat.Smith and colleagues first took fat samples from men and women. Then they compared the genes most active in belly fat to those most active in thigh fat, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism reports.

For men, 125 genes are expressed differently in the belly than in the thighs. For women, it’s 218 genes (most unique to women, but 59 genes are the same as those that varied in male fat). That’s because belly fat is tied to higher risks of heart disease and diabetes. On the other hand, hip and thigh fat don’t seem to play a special role in these conditions, according to a Florida Hospital statement.

Smith and colleagues help explain this discrepancy by determining how belly and thigh fat differ genetically. This research might shift common thinking about fat – rather than focusing on how to banish belly fat, perhaps we need to tip the balance in favour of heart-friendly fat in the lower body.

For more information, visit http://www.in.com/news/scitech/why-fat-thighs-are-better-than-big-paunch-50166785-in-1.html

Is Thigh Gap The New Heroin Chic?

Back in college, I remember listening to two guys debate whether or not the ?thigh gap? was sexy. One guy thought it showed that women were in great shape and ? in his words ? ?took care of themselves.? The other argued that this space between the upper legs was ?gross? and made a woman look unhealthily thin. It was a stupid debate because a couple inches between a woman?s thighs does not indicate how healthy or unhealthy she is. She could have it and run marathons. She could also not have it, and also run marathons. And yet, there may be a growing obsession with the appearance of thigh gap with more of the public trying to attain it.

While there has always been a demand for surgeries to decrease the size of women?s thighs, a clinic called Lovelite (uh, nice name, guys) reported to?The Daily Mail?that it had seen a?240% increase in the number of lipoglaze procedures?done to create the thigh gap. Lipoglaze involves?freezing up fat cells?so they ?die and disappear.?

One model is being cited as part of the ?thigh look? people are attempting to emulate:?Cara Delevingne?(pictured above). The?20-year-old, size 2 model?has seen her career blow up in the past year, suddenly becoming one of the most sought-after females in the business. There are actual?Twitter accounts?devoted to her thighs (no, really), one of which has a profile that reads, ?Caradelevingne?works me out everyday so I can stay this perfect.? The thing about thighs (say that five times fast) is that there is no such thing as ?perfect? and it?s ridiculous to consider one standard of thigh shape to be the pinnacle of excellence. Your thighs are your thighs, and they do not need to look like anybody else?s to be perfect. But I digress.

Paleo Burns
According to?Huffington Post,?this is actually not a huge deal and women have been seeking upper-thigh-thinning surgeries for ages.?Dr. Robert Murphy, American Society of Plastic Surgeons president-elect, said,??So ?heroin chic? has been replaced by thigh gap, huh?? In Murphy?s, these procedures haven?t noticeably increased in demand.

That said, there doesn?t need to be a big bump in surgeries for there to be a growing obsession with thinner thighs. People have been dealing with eating disorders ? which don?t cost any money nor medical procedures ? for entirely too long, so I don?t think statistics from doctors are the only way to gauge this. With the advent of pro-ana websites, blogs, Twitters and Tumblrs, the incredible preoccupation with thinner bodies, including the ?thigh gap,? has unfortunately become a social bonding source that can be easily shared.

Whatever your body type, keep in mind that you are not the absence or appearance of a few inches between your thighs. Whether it?s fat, muscle or air, those inches are irrelevant to what kind of person you are, so don?t let them sum you up, not even for a moment.

For more information, visit http://www.thegloss.com/2013/03/01/beauty/thigh-gap/

Fat Thighs May Help Live Longer?

Why Those Fat Thighs May Help You Live Longer

People with fat in their thighs and backsides may live longer because the fat traps harmful fatty particles and actively secretes helpful compounds, according to a report.

Many studies have shown that people who accumulate fat around the abdomen and stomach are more likely to die of heart disease and other causes than bottom-heavy people, but the reasons are not clear.?This may be because several different mechanisms are involved, said Konstantinos Manolopoulos of Britain’s University of Oxford.

“It is the protective role of lower body, that is, gluteofemoral fat, that is striking,” Manolopoulos wrote in the International journal of Obesity.?”The protective properties of the lower-body fat depot have been confirmed in many studies,” he added.

Fat on the bottom and thighs appears to store excess fatty acids, said Manolopoulos, who reviewed published scientific studies for his report.

Pear-shaped people also appear to have lower levels of compounds called inflammatory cytokines — signaling chemicals involved in the body’s response to infection that also can play a role in heart disease and diabetes when they are inappropriately active.

Fat on the legs may also absorb fats from the diet, keeping them from overwhelming the body when people overeat, Manolopoulos said.

Cholesterol levels reflect a tricky balance between high density lipoprotein, the HDL or “good” cholesterol that removes harmful fats from the blood, and low-density lipoprotein, the “bad” LDL cholesterol that can harden and block the arteries.

Fat in the thighs may also be more stable, he said, with studies showing abdominal fat breaks down quickly during fasting or stress, releasing potentially harmful components from the fat.

“The exact regulatory mechanisms of fatty acid release and storage and their effect on short- and long-term fatty acid metabolism remain to be analyzed,” Manolopoulos wrote.

Leg fat may also be better at producing hormones such as leptin, which are made by fat and affect appetite and metabolism — although Manolopoulos said this is poorly understood.

Understanding all this could lead to better drugs for treating obesity and related disease such as diabetes and heart disease, Manolopoulos said.

(Reporting by?Maggie Fox, Editing by Sandra Maler)
For more information, visit http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/01/12/us-fat-hips-idUSTRE60B4H920100112

 

Natural Herbal Medicine And Weight Loss Potentials

Herbal Medicine And Weight Loss

As well as using herbal products for treating common health related problems and diseases, herbal products can also be used in the fight against being overweight. Herbal products are being integrated into?weight loss?programmes, helping the body to function correctly, whilst shedding the pounds and excess fat, achieving a slimmer, leaner you.

Certain plants are used as dietary supplements. These help to reduce your waistline without the need to take fat-burning pills using synthetic compounds . Some herbal products contain ingredients which help to reduce unwanted fat. If you are prone to eating too much, you may opt for a herbal product that contains hunger suppressants. Alternatively, you may choose a herbal product that helps you to burn fat easily. For the best results in your weight loss programme, you should combine fat reducing herbal products of your choice with an exercise programme that will help reduce your body fat and eat up the calories.

The use of herbal medicines in herbal?weight loss?programmes are considered safe to use and have no side effects. Synthetic weight loss pills however are often restrictive and may prove to be a problem for people who have a certain lifestyle or diet. They can be very expensive to buy and may limit meals and physical movement.

Healthy Facts About Herbal Medicines

Herbal medicines found in health food shops and fitness shops are made from plants which contain 100% natural ingredients that will help certain health conditions. Certain plants contain ingredients and extracts that are highly beneficial to the human body, promoting normal bodily functions, stimulating hormones for breaking down cholesterol, burning calories and improving metabolic functioning. As a natural healing method, herbal medicine will help to boost the body’s immune system, unlike synthetic chemicals that if pumped into your body may cause harm to your health.

In order to function normally our bodies need a specific amount of nutrients. Vitamins bought from your local chemist will help your energy levels on a daily basis but can only do so much. On the other hand herbal medicines are formulated to provide you with the vitamins and nutrients you need to function as well as being designed to enhance every area of your body to perform better.

The Use and Safety of Herbal Products for Weight Loss

The use of herbal products in a weight loss programme will depend on the strength and quality of the medicine. These herbal medicines are often taken before or after meals. Those termed as food supplements can be used to enhance the bodies performance during a workout at the gym.

As herbal medicines are not without danger, before even considering using herbal medicine for weight loss, it is important to consult an expert for advice, as the problem isn’t necessarily about the ingredients that the product is made from, but in the administration of the medicine where problems may arise. Most herbal medicines are self medicated and therefore you need to be careful that the dosage indicated on the label is the correct dosage for your use. This is why consulting an expert is essential to avoid complications.

As with all medicines, there is the possibility of an allergic reaction, which in turn could lead to other health problems. Also, never increase the dosage. It is assumed that because herbal medicines are classed as safe to use and there are no side effects, that there is no problem taking more to increase the effect and speed up the process, but this is wrong. It will not be of benefit to the body and will result in further health problems.

Always check the label of your herbal product so that you know the exact ingredients that would help in your weight loss programme. If you have no idea what an ingredient does, then either consult an expert or research the ingredient on the internet.

Some Herbal Ingredients Useful for Weight Loss

With the different types of weight loss herbal medicines on the market, each varies according to the ingredients used in it. No herbal product can deliver a complete answer to your weight problem. They work to encourage a specific function to help get rid of excess weight.

To learn more, visit http://suite101.com/a/herbal-medicine-and-weight-loss-a361492.