The obesity epidemic may be slowing, but don’t take in those pants yet.

Today, just over a third of U.S. adults are obese. By 2030, 42 percent will be, says a forecast released Monday.

That’s not nearly as many as experts had predicted before the once-rapid rises in obesity rates began leveling off. But the new forecast suggests even small continuing increases will add up.

“We still have a very serious problem,” said obesity specialist Dr. William Dietz of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Worse, the already obese are getting fatter. Severe obesity will double by 2030, when 11 percent of adults will be nearly 100 pounds overweight, or more, concluded the research led by Duke University.

That could be an ominous consequence of childhood obesity. Half of severely obese adults were obese as children, and they put on more pounds as they grew up, said CDC’s Dietz.

While being overweight increases anyone’s risk of diabetes, heart disease and a host of other ailments, the severely obese are most at risk — and the most expensive to treat. Already, conservative estimates suggest obesity-related problems account for at least 9 percent of the nation’s yearly health spending, or $150 billion a year.

Data presented Monday at a major CDC meeting paint something of a mixed picture of the obesity battle. There’s some progress: Clearly, the skyrocketing rises in obesity rates of the 1980s and ’90s have ended. But Americans aren’t getting thinner.

Over the past decade, obesity rates stayed about the same in women, while men experienced a small rise, said CDC’s Cynthia Ogden. That increase occurred mostly in higher-income men, for reasons researchers couldn’t explain.

About 17 percent of the nation’s children and teens were obese in 2009 and 2010, the latest available data. That’s about the same as at the beginning of the decade, although a closer look by Ogden shows continued small increases in boys, especially African-American boys.

Does that mean obesity has plateaued? Well, some larger CDC databases show continued upticks, said Duke University health economist Eric Finkelstein, who led the new CDC-funded forecast. His study used that information along with other factors that influence obesity rates — including food prices, prevalence of fast-food restaurants, unemployment — to come up with what he called “very reasonable estimates” for the next two decades.

Part of the reason for the continuing rise is that the population is growing and aging. People ages 45 to 64 are most likely to be obese, Finkelstein said.

Today, more than 78 million U.S. adults are obese, defined as having a body-mass index of 30 or more. BMI is a measure of weight for height. Someone who’s 5-feet-5 would be termed obese at 180 pounds, and severely obese with a BMI of 40 — 240 pounds.

The new forecast suggests 32 million more people could be obese in 2030 — adding $550 billion in health spending over that time span, Finkelstein said.

“If nothing is done, this is going to really hinder efforts to control health care costs,” added study co-author Justin Trogdon of RTI International.

Need help losing weight? Contact the office at 215.364.1112 to get information on our Weight Loss Program.

It’s spring! Time to pull out your running shoes, road bike, and basketball—not to mention our shovel and wheelbarrow—and take your workouts outside. If you haven’t been particularly active over the winter, be careful: Asking too much of your neglected muscles is asking for an injury as well.

1. SHOULDER OR ARM PAIN

Maybe you tweaked it shooting three-pointers. Or maybe you just slept on it wrong. But if the pain lingers . . .

The hidden cause: Nerve roots at the top of your spine supply motor and sensory function to your upper arms. When you bend or twist your neck, the nerves can be pinched.

The simple fix: As the pain lessens, stand with your hands interlaced behind your neck. Bend your neck back and squeeze your shoulder blades. Pause and return to the starting position. Work up to 10 reps. Once you’re pain-free, build neck strength by doing shrugs.

2. LOWER-BACK SPASMS

You threw out your back spreading mulch. Herniated disk? Maybe. But don’t visit your doctor just yet.

The hidden cause: Weak or tight hamstrings, core muscles, glutes, or hip flexors can mess up your alignment and mechanics, forcing your back muscles to compensate and overextend.

The simple fix: Stay mobile, use ice in the first 48 hours and heat after that, and take aspirin or ibuprofen. As the pain eases, begin gentle hamstring, glute, core, and hip-flexor stretches. When you’re pain-free, add multidirectional lunges, core exercises, and body-weight squats.

3. HEEL AND ARCH PAIN

You’re ready to blame your shoes or too much running for the pain.

The hidden cause: Your plantar fascia is connected to your heel bone—and so are your calf muscles, by way of the Achilles tendon. Tight calves can stretch and strain the fascia.

The simple fix: Sit on the floor and place a foam roller under your right ankle with your leg straight. Cross your left leg over your right ankle. With your hands flat on the floor, roll forward so the foam is under your knee. Roll back. Repeat for 3 minutes; switch legs.

4. INNER-THIGH PAIN

It feels like (and could be) a groin strain, brought on by your re-introduction to a bike seat. But groin strains improve. If yours doesn’t . . .

The hidden cause: You might have a sports hernia—a strain or tearing of muscles or tendons, usually caused by an imbalance between your adductors and abdominals.

The simple fix: Unfortunately, surgery is the only fix for most sports hernias. But you can prevent a hernia in the making. The key is to address the muscle imbalance by training your core. Shoot for 5 to 6 minutes of daily plank time on top of your regular training.

5. KNEE PAIN

Pain around your knee makes you think tendinitis, arthritis, or a meniscus tear.

The hidden cause: If your core, hips, quads, and glutes are underconditioned or out of balance, your pelvis will wobble, stressing your knees when you run.

The simple fix: Focus on dynamic rest. As your pain lessens, try squats, jump squats, multidirectional lunges, planks, and glute bridges to stabilize your pelvis. Start slowly and, over several weeks, work your way to 10 to 12 reps and 2 or 3 sets. Do them every other day.

Article Credit: By Bill Phillips and the Editors of Men’s Health

For more on treating injuries and your overall health visit lavangachiropractic.com

With spring delivering warmer temperatures across the country, no doubt many of us will be putting away our winter clothes and spending more time outside. The changing seasons provide a great opportunity to lose weight, get fit and stay healthy.

1. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods.

2. Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it’s easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy. Did you know the recommended serving of cooked meat is 3 ounces, similar in size to a deck of playing cards? A medium piece of fruit is 1 serving and a cup of pasta equals 2 servings.

3. Start your meals off with vegetables, such as a small side salad or steamed vegetable dish. Don’t use too much salad dressing, sauce or gravy, which can add calories and fat to a healthy, low calorie dish.

4. Choose healthier food options. Reach for leaner meats like skinless chicken, turkey, pork, or fish. These contain less fat and calories than a piece of prime rib, for example.

5. Be sure to get enough calcium, which offers protection against osteoporosis and may also help prevent some types of cancer. Some research shows that calcium can help with weight loss. Good Sources of calcium include low fat dairy products, deep green vegetables, and calcium fortified foods: breads, cereals, and 100% fruit juice.

6. Drink enough water. The average adult loses about 2 ½ quarts (about 10 cups) of water each day. Therefore, drinking approximately 8–12 cups throughout the day is sufficient. Heat, activity and diet (high protein intake, caffeine, and alcohol) increase your need for water. How can you make sure you get enough water? Check your urine – it should be clear and light-colored.

7. Be mindful of your eating and learn to be aware of physical hunger and satiety cues. This will guide your decision to begin eating and to stop eating. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to recognize your belly is full.

8. Calories Count. Eliminate liquid calories by drinking more water,

9. Rain or shine? Watch an exercise video, briskly walk around inside the mall, or dance to some music – either on your own or with someone else!

10. Wear a pedometer. This handy tool counts your steps and can motivate you to be active. Aim for at least 10,000 steps daily (start slowly and increase gradually) – this activity level is recommended for good health.

written by Kelly McBride

The next time you sneeze, it may be a good time to visit a chiropractor. Yes, a chiropractor. Most people never think about it, but chiropractic care can help provide allergy relief.

That’s because chiropractic care, often thought necessary for only back and neck problems, can help with keeping the body operating at peak performance. The body’s immune system helps with preventing disease and infection, dealing with stress and overall well being. The immune system also tackles the invasion in a body of foreign substances such as pollution, dust, dead cells, etc. Current research is showing that there is a direct link between the nervous system and the immune system. Chiropractors remove nerve interference and allow the immune system to work optimally.

The immune system is affected by nerves and hormones. An immune system not operating effectively can:

• Fail to recognize and remove abnormal cells such as those that are cancerous.
• Be unable to fight infections.
• Overreact to things such as bee stings, penicillin, certain foods, pollen etc.
• Become depressed making you more vulnerable to disease.

Allergic reactions are the most frequent immune disorders and happen when the body’s immune system overreacts to allergens such as dust, pollen, pet dander, etc. The response is that the body overproduces neutralizing chemicals such as histamines to correct the problem.

What causes allergies? No one knows for sure. Some theories say it’s our increasing sterile environment. Others suspect the overuse of antibiotics and vaccinations. The idea here is our immune system is at its best when fighting off disease, parasites, and bacteria all by itself. The more we try and help it, the weaker it becomes. It is proven that children who live on farms and are exposed to different animals and the outdoors have fewer allergies than those who are not exposed.

Traditional allergy treatments only deal with the symptom without addressing the cause. This is because western medicine has no cure for allergies. Worse yet, antihistamines used over time or combined with other medication can be deadly. More recently, Canadian researcher Lorne Brandes, in an article published in the May 1994 Journal of the National Cancer Institute, has produced research showing that certain antihistamines (Claritin, Hismanal and Atarax) make cancerous tumors grow faster in lab rodents.

But just how can chiropractors help with such problems?
The answer is simple, chiropractic care releases stress on a patient’s nervous system. This allows the immune system to operate more effectively, which is beneficial to anyone and especially those suffering from allergies.

The chiropractic approach is to remove subluxations, a term for a misaligned spinal vertebra pinching a nerve. Subluxations place stress on the nervous system. Free from nervous system stress, your body will work more effectively to neutralize the allergy-causing chemicals in your environment.

No matter what disease or condition you have, you can benefit from a healthy spine. Spinal health can be as important for your overall healing as proper nutrition. Are you and your family carrying the vertebral subluxation complex in your spines? Only a chiropractic spinal checkup will tell. A healthy spine can improve your life – see your chiropractor for periodic spinal checkups.

All the food and beverages served at Super Bowl parties can make it a challenging day for people who made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight.

“We know January is the start of lots of new diets. But, then February starts and the first weekend is Super Bowl Sunday, one of the biggest eating days all year,” Alenka Ravnik-List, a registered dietitian and diabetes program coordinator at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, said in a center news release.

“Hours in front of the television can test our willpower. Too often people with good intentions will fail,” she added.

However, by following a few rules you’ll be able to limit the impact Super Bowl Sunday has on your diet plans, Ravnik-List said.

Start by making sure you eat breakfast on game day. Research has shown that people who skip breakfast tend to eat more food than usual at the next meal and munch on high-calorie snacks to ward off hunger. It’s also a good idea to have a light lunch so you won’t be famished by the time the game starts.

The game doesn’t begin until after 6 p.m., so that gives you plenty of time to get out for some exercise that day. During half time, take a walk around the block or toss a football around in the yard.

Use a medium-sized plate, about eight to nine inches wide, in order to limit the amount of food you eat. Half the plate should be loaded with colorful vegetables and the other half with lean protein and whole grain starches. If you suspect your Super Bowl party hosts won’t offer vegetables or other healthy snacks such as popcorn, bring your own, Ravnik-List suggested.

If you drink alcoholic beverages, choose those with fewer calories and carbohydrates, such as light beer, champagne or dry wine. For mixed drinks, use sugar-free mixes such as diet soda, diet tonic, club soda or seltzer.

Instead of chips, use nutritious choices such as broccoli, carrots, celery and tomato grapes for dips. Try lighter versions of your favorite dips. Don’t sit within an arm’s length of the chip and dip bowls or other snacks that you can’t resist.

When schedules get packed with holiday obligations, running frequently gets pushed off your to-do list. That’s a shame because investing just a little time in exercise can reap big rewards. In fact, even if you have just 10 minutes a day, three days a week, you can maintain some running fitness. Plus, these sessions will help offset stress and provide the consistency that makes it easier to resume your regular training when the craziness abates.

You have 10 minutes

Warm up with one to two minutes of brisk walking, then alternate two minutes running with 30 seconds walking. If you feel good, gradually increase the speed of your run segments. Repeat three times. Jog easy for one minute to cool down. If you’re stuck in the house, walk briskly from room to room and up and down stairs. Every minute, jog in place for 20 steps.

You have 15 minutes

Walk gently up and down a flight of stairs two or three times to warm up. Then run up one flight and walk back down. Repeat four times, take a one-minute walk break on a flat surface, then continue the sequence as time allows. If you’re in a stairwell, run up two flights of stairs, walk down, repeat, then take a walk break.

You have 20 minutes

On an out-and-back route, walk for one minute, then alternate 30 seconds walking with 30 seconds running for three minutes. For the next six minutes, run/walk using any ratio you wish. At the 10-minute mark, turn around. For the next nine minutes, run/walk whatever ratio you’d like, but pick up the pace during the run portion. Cool down for one minute.

You have 30 minutes

Walk for two minutes, then alternate 30 seconds walking with 30 seconds running for six minutes. For the next 20 minutes, alternate jogging for one minute, running a faster pace for one minute, jogging one minute, walking one minute. Repeat the sequence five times. Walk or jog two minutes to cool down.