StrongWomen Newsletter
Issue 111, December 2007
I hope you find this newsletter helpful, and that you share it with your friends. Feel free to forward, post or reprint it – but please credit strongwomen.com for the information and don’t change the content.
By Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
Author of
Strong Women Stay Young
Strong Women Stay Slim
Strong Women, Strong Bones
Strong Women Eat Well
Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis
The Strong Women’s Journal
Strong Women, Strong Hearts
Strong Women, Strong Backs
Founder of www.StrongWomen.com
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
- Clarifying the new research on body weight
- Upcoming StrongWomen Workshops
- Reader Questions and Answers
- Is the Strong Women Stay Young available as a DVD?
- Where can I find a StrongWomen program in my area?
- Success Stories
- Recipe– Gingered Hermits
CLARIFYING THE NEW RESEARCH ON BODY WEIGHT
A new research study has come out that suggests being overweight may actually protect you from dying. This finding is very controversial on the surface; however, if you dig a little deeper you find there's a lot more to the story than what's told.
The purpose of the study was to understand whether a person's body mass index (BMI), a measurement of obesity using height and weight, is associated with a specific cause of death. The study's authors used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and 2004 vital statistics for the U.S. to answer this question
The authors used the following categories for BMI:
18.5 or less = underweight
18.5 to less than 25 = normal weight
25 to less than 30 = overweight
30 or more = obesity.
They also established three major categories for cause of death: cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and all other causes (i.e., non-cancer, non- CVD deaths). Then they compared the data.
Overall, the results of this comparison weren't too surprising. The data suggest that people who are obese have a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and obesity-related cancers (i.e., breast, colon, esophageal, uterine, ovarian, kidney and pancreatic) and people who are underweight have a higher risk of dying from non-cancer, non-CVD causes. However, there was one particularly surprising finding: the overweight category was associated with lower death rates from non-cancer, non-CVD causes (except diabetes and kidney disease). This finding suggests that being overweight may actually lower your risk of dying from a non- cancer, non-CVD cause. This finding seems to question the purpose of maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle, but I feel this isn't exactly the case. Keep in mind this study looks solely at death statistics; there is no information available about a person's quality of life or health condition before death. The purpose of leading a healthy lifestyle isn't simply to prolong the years of your life―it is to prolong the years you are able to lead a full, active, quality life. We know from other research that fitness levels may be even more important than body weight in helping you to lead an active, full life!
We are just beginning to learn about the relationship between BMI and cause of death. There is still a long way to go before we truly understand this relationship. In the meantime, don't consider this study as a reason to give up a healthy lifestyle! Specifically there's a lot of data available showing maintenance of a healthy weight and lifestyle full of physical activity, as well as good nutrition being the best way to lead a healthy life―no matter what your weight!
Lifting women to better health,
Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D.
(Flegal et al. Cause-specific excess deaths associated with underweight, overweight, and obesity. JAMA, November 7, 2007. Vol. 298, No.17.)
UPCOMING STRONGWOMEN WORKSHOPS
Several upcoming StrongWomen Program workshops are scheduled for the next few months. In order to be eligible for StrongWomen training, you must be actively strength training right now, and you must have a firm commitment to starting a program in your community. This training is to teach you how to “lead” a StrongWomen Program, and should not be attended simply for informational/personal purposes.
Date: January 8
Location: Ebensburg, PA
Contact: Nancy Wiker
Phone: 717-394-6851
Email: nwiker@psu.edu
Registration deadline: December 18
Date: Wednesday, January 9
Location: Abilene, KS
Email: mweaver@ksu.edu
Phone: 785-263-2001
Registration deadline: December 17
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I have been working with a StrongWomen class for 7 years. We follow the Strong Women Stay Young VHS tape. We love it so much that we keep wearing out the VCR tapes! Is the Strong Women Stay Young program available as a DVD?
A: Stay tuned! I have two new DVDs coming out in March of next year. As soon as they are available, I will let you know. I have seen the rough versions of them and they are really wonderful!
Q: How can I find out about StrongWomen programs in my area?
A: You can log on to http://jhcpan.nutrition.tufts.edu/programs/strongwomen . On the right-hand side of the page you will find a link called "Find a StrongWomen program near you". Click on that link and you will find a list of programs that are currently being offered in each state.
FROM THE MAILBOX: SUCCESS STORIES FROM INSPIRING WOMEN
I have followed many different strength training programs in the past with no success. Your Strong Bones program is the first one that has allowed me to stick with exercise, injury-free for over one year. I am thrilled with the results!
-- Beth
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
| Gingered Hermits |
Click Here for a Printable Version of the Recipe
I love Christmas cookies, and among my most favorite are these gingered hermits. My family loves them too, so it's a good thing this recipe makes plenty for all! Eat them fresh or store them in the freezer. This recipe comes from the fabulous Christmas Cookie Book (A Fawsett Columbine Book, 1990) written by my collaborator Judy Knipe and Barbara Marks. I hope you enjoy them! Makes 85 to 100 cookies.
For other deliciously nutritious recipes, be sure to go to http://strongwomen.com/recipes/
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