Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource - October 2003

Wednesday, October 01, 2003

Here are highlights from the October issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. You may cite this publication as often as you wish. Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource attribution is required. Also, you may reprint up to four articles annually without cost. More frequent reprinting is allowed for a fee. Include the following subscription information as your editorial policies permit: Call toll free for subscription information, 800-876-8633, extension 9PK1.

For Immediate Release

Low-Carbohydrate Diets: Do They Work?

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Atkins diet, the Zone diet, the Carbohydrate Addict's Diet. Are these diets the secret to losing weight?

These diets focus on limiting carbohydrates — grains, beans, fruits, rice, potatoes, pasta and starchy vegetables. And, the Atkins diet allows you to eat as much meat, eggs, cheese, butter and cream as you want. Follow it and you'll likely lose weight quickly, probably faster than people following a low-calorie diet. How can that be?

Researchers believe that weight loss from a low-carbohydrate diet comes largely from a loss of water and muscle. When you don't have enough carbohydrates, your body begins to burn stored carbohydrates for energy, which releases a lot of water weight. The body then breaks down lean body tissues in an effort to provide glucose for energy and brain function.

But fast weight loss doesn't make it an effective or safe diet, says the October issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource. Dieters who stick with either a traditional low-calorie diet or a low-carbohydrate diet have similar results over the long term. And there's no research on the long-term health effects of a low-carbohydrate diet.

Bottom line: Be wary of diets that promise a quick fix. While the traditional approach to weight loss — cutting calories, eating more fruits and veggies, and increasing exercise — isn't quick, it is a proven path to improved health and lasting weight control.

What To Do When the Scale Won't Budge

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — If you're like most women — 85 percent by one survey — you're either trying to lose weight or trying not to gain weight. If you're stuck at a stubborn weight, or can't seem to lose weight at all, don't give up. Here are tips from the October issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

Keep a food diary. Write down every bite, morsel and lick for a week. Then you'll have an accurate picture of your calorie intake.

Learn about serving sizes. Super-sized restaurant portions are not reality.

Go for foods that are less calorie dense. Most vegetables, fruits and whole grains contain a small amount of calories in a large volume of food. You can eat more than when you have calorie-dense foods like cake, cookies, butter and salad dressing.

Don't eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day. You'll feel hungry and deprived, which can lead to overeating.

Don't eat fewer than three meals a day. Skipping meals slows your metabolism and may lead to excessive snacking or overeating at the next meal.

Read labels. Low fat doesn't mean low calorie.

Use a pedometer to measure your steps. Build up to 10,000 a day.

Adjust the frequency, intensity and duration of your exercise. Work up to 60 minutes over the course of a day.

Pick a time of the day for exercise you're most likely to exercise. The time of day doesn't matter, as long as it works for you.

Hypochondriasis: An Intense Health Anxiety When You Aren't Ill

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — You're calling the doctor — again — positive that today's abdominal pain and cramping are signs of a serious illness. Once again, after a thorough check, the doctor reassures you that spicy food was probably the culprit.

What you may have is hypochondriasis, an intense anxiety about your health. The October issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource says that hypochondriasis can begin at any age, but is most common in early adulthood. Symptoms often appear during times of increased stress, after recovering from a serious illness, hearing of a friend or family member's illness, or experiencing the death of a close friend or relative.

Treatment generally focuses on helping to correct mistaken assumptions about your health. The best treatment for health anxiety is usually cognitive behavioral therapy, a specific type of psychotherapy that helps you to identify unhealthy negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, productive ones. It's based on the idea that your own thoughts — not other people or situations — determine how you feel and behave. For some people, medications to treat anxiety and depression also may be needed.

Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource is published monthly to help women enjoy healthier, more productive lives. Revenue from subscriptions is used to support medical research at Mayo Clinic. To subscribe, please call 800-876-8633, extension 9PK1.

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