ALABAMA A&M and AUBURN UNIVERSITIES

THIS IS HEALTHY WEIGHT WEEK

AUBURN, JAN. 20---Healthy Weight Week celebrates healthy lifestyle habits that last a lifetime and help prevent weight problems.

By the third week in January, most New Year's resolution diets are dumped, rebound binges are over and most people are looking for a dose of balance and good sense to get back on track.

Healthy Weight Week is a time to say, "I'm okay and so are you. Let's stop dieting and get on with living our lives in healthy ways and feeling good about it," says Francie M. Berg, chair of the week and editor of the Healthy Weight Journal.

Eating a wide variety of foods, limiting serving sizes and starting a regular exercise program are good goals to set during Healthy Weight Weight.

Healthy Weight Week promotes a national shift toward the concept of good health at every size, toward respect, acceptance and an appreciation of size diversity.

The Healthy Weight Journal, in cooperation with the Weight Realities Division of the Society of Nutrition Education, presents two sets of awards during Healthy Weight Week. The Women's Healthy Weight Awards honor businesses that portray size diversity in women. This year's winners include "All That" a children's sketch television comedy on Nickelodeon which portrays a positive image of girls and boys in all sizes; Mervyns fashion catalog, which integrates several larger young women into its ads; and plus-size model Emme, a vocal advocate of health and fitness for women of all sizes and ages.

The Slim Chance Awards spotlighted the widespread fraud and questionable nature of the weight loss field. This year's awards went to Chitosan, Dr. Atkins' low-carbohydrate diet, Metabolife and Cellulift. Winning the title of "Worst Claim" was Chitosan or chitin products. Its is being sold under names such as "Fat Magnet," "Fat Blocker," "Fat Trapper" and "Fat Absorb." Chitosan is an indigestible fiber of crushed crab or lobster shells that supposedly causes weight loss by binding fats in the stomach.

Two studies show no differences in weight or cholesterol reduction between Chitosan and placebo groups. Side effects also have not been studied for more than two weeks. Risks can include fat-soluble vitamin depletion and increased calcium excretion leading to loss of bone density.

Dr. Atkins' ketogenic, low-carbohydrate diet was first published in 1972. It is being recycled as "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution." The diet's popularity stems from the rapid weight loss that comes from water depletion of the cells and a breakdown of lean body tissue. Since Atkins'diet is deficient in many nutrients, he recommends an extensive list of vitamin and mineral supplements, which he also sells. He admits his dieters may experience constipation, fatigue and insomnia. Other complications associated with low-carb diets are dehydration, electrolyte loss, calcium depletion, weakness, nausea and kidney problems.

Named "Most Outrageous" is the herbal weight loss product called Metabolife. It is a caffeine and ephedrine combination pill that claims to increase metabolic rate while increasing your energy level. The Food and Drug Administration has warned against consuming dietary supplements containing ephedra or ephedrine alkaloids because of the more than 800 adverse events and nine deaths reported between 1994-97. Taking more than the recommended serving may result in heart attack, seizure, stroke or death. Other effects include nervousness, headaches, tremors, high blood pressure, heart rate irregularities, chest pain, stroke and psychosis.

Products selected for The Slim Chance Awards were nominated by health professionals and consumers.

Voted the "Worst Gadget" is Cellulift. This electrically-powered gadget glides over skin, flattens the appearance of cellulite by means of heat and vacuum from front and rear rollers. In reality, cellulite is a quack term for ordinary fat that appears texturized, especially on the upper legs. It's an inherited condition that appears more with age as skin becomes thinner and connective tissue less elastic.

SOURCE: DR. BARBARA STRUEMPLER, Extension Nutritionist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-2217