Get your healthy chocolate at: ChocolateFromGod.com

Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate two or more times a week cut their risk of dying from heart disease about threefold compared with those who never touch the stuff, a new study found.

Smaller quantities confer less protection but are better than none, according to the study, which appears in the September issue of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Earlier research had established a strong link between cocoa-based confections and lowered blood pressure or improvement in blood flow.

It also had shown that chocolate cuts the rate of heart-related mortality in healthy older men, along with post-menopausal women.

But the new study is the first to demonstrate that consuming chocolate can help ward off the grim reaper if one has suffered an acute myocardial infarction — otherwise known as a heart attack.

“It was specific to chocolate — we found no benefit to sweets in general,” said Kenneth Mukamal, a researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston and a co-author of the study, which Imre Janszky of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm led.

“It seems that antioxidants in cocoa are a likely candidate” in explaining the life-saving properties, he told AFP in an exchange of e-mails.

Antioxidants are compounds that protect against so-called free radicals, molecules that accumulate in the body over time and can damage cells. The free radicals are thought to play a role in heart disease, cancer and the aging process.

In the study, Janszky and colleagues tracked 1,169 non-diabetic men and women, ages 45 to 70, in Stockholm County during the early 1990s from the time they were hospitalized with their first heart attack.

The participants were queried before leaving hospital on their food consumption habits during the previous year, including how much chocolate they ate on a regular basis.

They underwent a health examination three months after discharge and were monitored for eight years after that. The incidence of fatal heart attacks correlated inversely with the amount of chocolate consumed.

“Our findings support increasing evidence that chocolate is a rich source of beneficial bioactive compounds,” the researchers concluded.

The results held true for men and women across all the age groups in the study.

Copyright AFP

Debbie Mormino, in connection with Elaine Iagatta, Dr. Wallach, and Youngevity, are excited to announce the debut of Tru Chocolate™ (http://ChocolateFromGod.com) starting off in the US. This is the ALTERNATIVE SUPER SNACK, that will be an important addition to help people world wide with the increasing problem of WEIGHT ISSUES.
 
Chocolate lovers all over the world are asking, “What Is Tru Chocolate”?
 
Tru Chocolate™ is: 
*Good for you and good tasting!
*GUILT FREE, SUGAR FREE / HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS CHOCOLATE!
*100% Natural, but still tastes great; it has been formulated to be compliant with the health requirements of the vegan communities
*Gluten free and Kosher
*Diabetics, hypoglycemic, and lactose intolerant individuals can all eat this chocolate with no worries or ill side effects!
*Helps with weight management/loss while promoting healthy blood sugar levels and helping to satiate your appetite
*Sweetened with ALL NATURAL Xylitol and loved by dentists for it dental health benefits
*Tru Chocolate™ kills harmful bacteria in the mouth, improving the health of teeth and gums
*Overflowing with powerful antioxidants and all natural ingredients
*Ridiculously high ORAC value (3040 per piece!) compare it to Goji or Noni per serving
*Only 36 calories per serving

Chocolate is the universal language and Tru Chocolate™ is the latest in the ALL NATURAL weight management system and whole food. It is engineered with entirely natural ingredients. In addition, it has been formulated to be compliant with the health requirements of the Vegetarian communities. This new product is focused on the main objectives to lower and control blood sugar, to increase lean body mass, and to establish a solid platform for the restoration of health.
 

  TRU Chocolate™ “WOW”  – The Razzle Dazzle After-Taste

Most people feel an amazing after-taste when they eat Tru Chocolate™. After consuming the chocolate wafer, immediately drink cold water.  “Wow,” your water just became chocolate milk!  It is wild!   This is an experiential, “must-try-to-believe” product!
 
The amazing chocolate after experience is like a sweet taste with a bit of spice added to it that stays in your palate for about 15 – 30 minutes after consuming Tru Chocolate™. This is the result of several of the ingredients in Tru Chocolate™  —  and indeed, it is an indication that it is working!
 
Tru Chocolate™ is a “Functional Super Food,” i.e. it has a nutraceutical function in addition to its nourishment value. The razzle dazzle after-taste arises from three ingredients:
 Bio Flavenoids (from the citrus extract)- are 2000 times sweeter than sugar. It is strong enough for a few molecules to stay in the palate to create that sweet after-taste
Bioperin – is a black pepper derivative enhances the perception of taste. Anything you eat or drink after Tru Chocolate™ will taste stronger
Fabenol – is a lentil derivative blocks the absorption of sugar and, therefore, increases the sensation of sweetness.
The after-taste is an advantage. It induces an individual to drink water, which is very important for weight loss and the body.  Because it makes water taste sweet, one can drink simple water, hydrate the body, and be satiated, instead of filling-up on soda or juice (which are generally high in calories, carbs and sugar).

Known as the “Guilt-Free Chocolate,” Tru Chocolate was created as a healthy and tasty treat for calorie conscious people (who still have taste buds).  Today, it is a delicious treat everyone can enjoy.
All Natural, Toxin Free Ingredients: Organic Cocoa Liqueur, Organic Cocoa Butter, Xylitol, Proprietary Herbal Formula, Natural Vanilla Extract and Organic Lecitin. A proprietary blend containing Momordica Charantia, Dehydrated Noni Fruit, Bioflavonoids (Citrus Extract), Ellagic Acid (from pomegranate), Green Tea Extract, Fabanol®** and Bioperine®** (from black pepper).Note:  These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This is not intended to diagnose, cure or prevent any disease.

A few weeks ago, my GYN wanted me to have some routine blood work. It came back that my liver enzymes were high along with my cholesterol and triglycerides. She told me to IMMEDIATELY see my internist and have further tests done. It alarmed me since it involved my liver, so I followed her advice and saw my internist immediately. They ran further tests and eliminated fatty liver disease, which I thought I might have. All was perfect EXCEPT for my cholesterol and triglycerides. Just with watching what I’m eating and riding my bike a few times a week, my cholesterol has already dropped 80 points. I’ve started a very low carb/good carb, hardly no sugar diet and have to incorporate exercise into my everyday life. Finding the time is not always easy, but we’ve found something simple that will work for ANYONE, ANY WEIGHT, ANY AGE, ANYWHERE!

go here: http://www.healingdaily.com/exercise/rebounding-for-detoxification-and-health.htm

Bart and I bought one over the weekend at K-Mart for $39. It took 10 minutes to put it together with NO TOOLS and we can do it while watching TV. I’m starting it this morning. Will let you know how it works out.

* Medical News from
AACR: American Association for Cancer Research Meeting

By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today
Published: April 20, 2009
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Earn CME/CE credit
for reading medical news
DENVER, April 20 — Some cancer patients who take green tea to fight the disease may have it backward: the popular dietary supplement actually blocks the effect of bortezomib (Velcade) and similar anticancer drugs, a researcher said here.
Action Points

* Explain to interested patients that there is wide interest in the potential anticancer effects of green tea extracts, so that many cancer patients self-medicate with them.

* Note that this study suggests that — at least when cancer is being treated with bortezomib (Velcade) — such use is contraindicated.

* Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented orally at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Green tea supplements are being widely investigated for possible anticancer effects and many patients already self-medicate with them, according to Axel Schönthal, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California.

But if they’re also taking bortezomib — a proteasome inhibitor used in multiple myeloma — green tea supplements can ensure that the drug is ineffective, Dr. Schönthal said at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research here.

“We expected the opposite — that it would enhance the therapeutic effect of bortezomib,” Dr. Schönthal said.

The implication of the findings, he said, is that physicians should tell patients taking the drug that green tea supplements are completely contraindicated, although “one cup probably would not be harmful.”

Bortezomib, approved in 2003, blocks the activity of proteasomes, cellular complexes that break down proteins when they are no longer needed. Over time, the blockage leads to apoptosis by preventing the breakdown of pro-apoptotic factors.

In the green tea-bortezomib drama, the main villain of the piece, Dr. Schönthal said, is a polyphenol compound called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Using nuclear magnetic resonance, he and colleagues showed that this polyphenol — and others in green tea having so-called 1,2-benzene-diol moieties — chemically interacted with bortezomib, which is based on boronic acid.

The two compounds formed stable cyclic boronate adducts that were unable to act as a proteasome inhibitor, he said.

Because of that missing first step, in multiple myeloma cells treated with both green tea and bortezomib, the drug did not cause endoplasmic reticulum stress or caspase activation, and did not induce tumor cell death, he said.

The researchers found the same effect when they treated mice — which had been given human tumors — with both substances, he said. With just bortezomib, the tumors underwent necrosis and shrank.

But when both compounds were present, the tumors continued to grow.

The report illustrates the potential for drug interactions in patients who turn to alternative medicine, said Peter Shields, M.D., a clinical oncologist at Washington’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Americans love alternative therapies,” he said, and in many cases physicians don’t have enough data to counsel patients on which are safe and which should be avoided.

Green tea, he said, is a “challenging thing — the human studies are all not supportive of each other.”

That said, in this narrow situation — a single a single drug indicated for only a few diseases — Dr. Shields said he now has some data that might allow him to give patients some guidance.

Dr. Schönthal said various studies have shown that humans taking green tea supplements can very easily reach the doses that he and colleagues used in their research.

Another issue, he said, is that patients drinking green tea may find themselves feeling better, because the supplement blocks the side effects of bortezomib, too.

“So then they consume more [supplements],” he said, progressively blunting the benefits of the anticancer drug.

Researchers did not see the effect in proteasome inhibitors that aren’t based on boronic acid, such as nelfinavir (Viracept), Dr. Schönthal said. (Nelfinavir is best known as a protease inhibitor used to treat HIV, but recent studies have shown it also blocks proteasome activity.)

A peer-reviewed version of the study appeared in February in the journal Blood.

Dr. Schönthal did not report any external support for the study or any conflicts.

Primary source: American Association for Cancer Research
Source reference:
Schönthal AH, et al “Green tea products extinguish therapeutic efficacy of proteasome inhibitors, such as bortezomib, in vitro and in vivo” AACR 2009; Abstract 819.

Scientists have developed a fast new method to identify food additives that act as “xenoestrogens” — substances with estrogen-like effects that are stirring international health concerns.

They used the method in a large-scale screening, and discovered two additives with previously unrecognized xenoestrogen effects.

Xenoestrogens have been linked to a range of human health effects, including reduced sperm counts in men and increased risk of breast cancer in women.

The scientists used the new method to search a food additive database of 1,500 substances, and verified that the method could identify xenoestrogens. In the course of that work, they identified two previous unrecognized xenoestrogens — propyl gallate, a preservative used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling, and 4-hexylresorcinol, which is used to prevent discoloration in shrimp and other shellfish.

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

I’ve written about the dangers of endocrine disruptors such as bisphenol A, PFOA and phthalates many times. I like to consider xenoestrogens fake estrogens but their name literally means “foreign estrogens.” Either way they are synthetic chemicals that mimic natural estrogens, and have been linked to a wide range of human health effects.

There are so many of them, and they’re used in so many common consumer products that trying to avoid them may seem like a fruitless struggle.

For example, you come in contact with hormone disrupting chemicals through:

* Pasteurized dairy, which commonly contains bovine growth hormones
* Soy products, which are loaded with hormone like substances
* Plastics – many of which contain bisphenol A
* Personal care products that contain phthalates
* Cooking with Teflon-coated pots and pans

Now you can add certain food additives to the list – and some very common food additives at that.

Hormone-Mimicking Food Additives Recently Discovered

In the U.S., more than 3,000 substances can be added to foods for the purpose of preservation, coloring, texture, flavor and more. While each of these substances is legal to use, whether or not they are entirely safe for long-term consumption – by themselves or in combination – is a different story altogether.

The analysis published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology actually found not just two, but 31 potential estrogen-mimicking food additives during their search.

Of those, propyl gallate was found to act as an antagonist, and 4-hexylresorcinol as a potent transactivator. Antagonists block the binding of an agent at a receptor molecule, and transactivators increase the rate of gene expression. In conclusion the authors’ state:

“Some caution should be issued for the use of propyl gallate and 4-hexylresorcinol as food additives.”

However, I don’t think we’ll see any of them removed from the market any time soon. Propyl gallate, for example, has been used since 1948 as a preservative to stabilize cosmetics, food packaging materials, and foods containing oils and fats. It can also be found in:

* Hair products
* Adhesives and lubricants
* Processed meat products and potato products
* Chicken soup base
* Chewing gum and candy
* Dried milk
* Baked goods, and more

Propyl gallate is frequently used in conjunction with BHA and BHT, which come with their own set of health hazards. These two additives also keep fats and oils from going rancid and are commonly used in processed food products such as cereals and potato chips, even though some studies have found they too, cause cancer in rats.

The other food additive mentioned above, 4-hexylresorcinol, is commonly used as an anti-browning agent in shrimp and other shellfish.

But it’s also used as a starting material to produce synthetic catecholamines, which have important physiological effects as neurotransmitters and hormones (such as epinephrine, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and dopamine).

Additionally, you can find it in common consumer products such as:

* Pharmaceutical acne treatments
* Anti-dandruff shampoo
* Sunscreen lotions
* Antiseptic mouthwashes
* Skin wound cleansers
* Throat lozenges

Potential Health Dangers of Propyl Gallate

In addition to being an endocrine disrupter based on this latest analysis, the results in a previous study by the National Toxicology Program (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) showed that propyl gallate caused various types of cancer and other health problems in rats, including:

* Thyroid tumors in male rats
* Rare brain tumors in low-dose females
* Prostate inflammation
* Mostly benign tumors of the preputial gland (glands that produce pheromones)
* Pancreatic tumors
* Adrenal gland tumors in low-dose males

As you can see, in some instances the health effect only showed up in the low-dose groups but not in the high-dose groups, and only in either males or females – a perfect example of just how little anyone really knows about how these types of chemicals might affect your body, or the body of an infant, for example.

Potential Health Hazards of Common Anti-Browning Agent

The anti-browning agent 4-Hexylresorcinol is applied to shrimp and other crustacean seafood to prevent the development of black spots which may occur naturally.

A toxicology study by the School of Biological Sciences, University of Surrey, England, discovered that 260 mg/kg was lethal to all cats used in the study. Granted, that is a very high dose; however, based on their data, the researchers also concluded that 4-Hexylresorcinol was carcinogenic in both the 13-week and 2-year studies, and also caused a high incidence of nephropathy in mice (an autoimmune disease that affects your kidneys).

A 1984 study determined the probable lethal dose for humans to be anything above 500 mg/kg.

How to Protect Your Family

If you have children xenoestrogens are clearly something you will want to avoid. Here are some measures you can take to protect you and your children from common toxic substances that could cause them to go into puberty more than a decade before they were designed to:

* Store your food in glass containers whenever possible, as it is the most inert container you can use.
* Only use natural cleaning products in your home. Most health food stores will have these available or you can search online for them.
* Buy and eat, as much as possible, organic foods, especially mik which is frequently contaminated with bovine growth hormone.
* Avoid processed foods.
* Avoid artificial food additives of all kind, including artificial sweeteners and MSG.
* Avoid all varieties of unfermented soy.
* Switch to natural brands of toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, antiperspirants and cosmetics. Same sources as above for these, either your local health food store or you can search online.
* Review Our Stolen Future, probably the best resource on this topic

More than a third of common adult cancers may be preventable in the U.S., and this does not even count cancers that could be prevented by not smoking OR factor in the benefit of optimizing vitamin D levels.

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and its sister organization, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), estimate that in the U.S. eating a nutritious diet, being physically active, and keeping body fat under control may prevent:

• 38 percent of breast cancers
• 45 percent of colorectal cancers
• 36 percent of lung cancers
• 39 percent of pancreatic cancers
• 47 percent of stomach cancers
• 69 percent of esophageal cancers

• 63 percent of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, or larynx
• 70 percent of endometrial cancers
• 24 percent of kidney cancers
• 21 percent of gallbladder cancers
• 15 percent of liver cancers
• 11 percent of prostate cancers

Diet, physical activity, and limited body fat could prevent 34 percent of those 12 cancers overall in the U.S., and 24 percent of all cancers.

Sources:

WebMD February 26, 2009

From Dr. Mercola:
Cancer surpassed heart disease as the number one killer in America in 2005 and now causes nearly 560,000 deaths in the United States each year. Worldwide, by 2030 over 26 million people a year may be diagnosed with cancer, with 17 million people dying from it.

In other words, cancer is growing at alarming rates, which is particularly frustrating since the vast majority of cases could be prevented by lifestyle changes that include exercise, losing weight, eating healthy and optimizing vitamin D levels.

And though this article doesn’t mention it, well in excess of half of the cancers worldwide would simply disappear if vitamin D levels were optimized.

What is Fueling the Cancer Epidemic?

A large part of what is fueling the rise in cancer rates has to do with the food many are using to fuel their bodies: sugar. Soda is actually the number one source of calories in the United States, and processed junk foods make up a large portion of the rest.

This is a major problem because cancer cells require sugar to thrive AND when you eat sugar (or refined carbs that are rapidly broken down into sugar) it causes your body to release insulin.

Over time, if you eat too many grains and sugars, your insulin production increases, which over time contributes to insulin resistance. This means you will require even more insulin to produce the same effects, and it starts you on a vicious cycle.

Normalizing your insulin levels is one of the most powerful physical actions you can take to lower your risk of cancer, which is good news because controlling your insulin levels is relatively straightforward.

First, limit your intake of processed foods, grains and sugars as much as possible to prevent your insulin levels from becoming elevated in the first place. Next, exercise regularly, as this will drive your insulin levels down.

Sunlight: The Often Overlooked Cancer Fighter

If people around the world optimized their vitamin D levels, about 30 percent of cancer deaths — which amounts to 2 million worldwide and 200,000 in the United States — could be prevented each year.

On a personal level, you can decrease your risk of cancer by MORE THAN HALF simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with sun exposure.

The notion that sun exposure actually prevents cancer may still be a new one for some of you, so I highly recommend you watch my one-hour vitamin D lecture to clear up any confusion. But here is a brief primer … vitamin D has a protective effect against cancer in several ways, including:

• Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (which, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer)
• Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells
• Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)
• Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous

You typically need enough sun exposure to turn your skin the lightest shade of pink. If you have enough skin exposed you will produce about 20,000 units of vitamin D this way. Exposures any longer than turning your skin the lightest pink will not produce any additional vitamin D and potentially lead to premature skin aging and increase your risk of skin cancers.

When sun exposure is not an option (such as during the winter), a safe tanning bed or oral supplementation can be used, but again, to find out the details on how to use vitamin D therapeutically, and doses to take if you already have cancer, please watch my very important one-hour lecture.

The 11 Top Changes You Can Make Right Now to Prevent Cancer

The most powerful cancer-prevention methods are available to you right now, with no prescription or doctor’s visit needed. In fact, reducing your cancer risk is more about taking control of your health than perhaps any other factor. With that in mind, here are the simple steps you can take to virtually eliminate your cancer risk:

1. Normalize your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure, and monitor your vitamin D levels to make sure they’re in the therapeutic range.

2. Control your insulin levels: Make certain that you limit your intake of processed foods and sugars as much as possible.

3. Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats, such as those from krill oil.

4. Get appropriate exercise. Again, one of the primary reasons exercise works is that it drives your insulin levels down, and controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.

5. Eat according to your nutritional type. The potent anti-cancer effects of this principle are very much underappreciated. When we treat cancer patients in our clinic this is one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies we have.

6. Have a tool to permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. My particular favorite tool for this purpose, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

7. Only 25 percent of people eat enough vegetables, so by all means eat as many vegetables as you are comfortable with. Ideally, they should be fresh and organic.

However, please understand that, frequently, fresh conventionally grown vegetables are healthier than organic ones that are older and wilted in the grocery store. They are certainly better than no vegetables at all, so don’t use that as an excuse. If you are a carb nutritional type you may need up to 300 percent more vegetables than a protein nutritional type.

8. Make sure you are not in the two-thirds of the population who are overweight and maintain an ideal body weight.

9. Get enough high-quality sleep.

10. Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution.

11. Boil, poach or steam your foods, rather than frying or charbroiling them and try to eat a good portion of your food raw.

About 6,000 middle-aged or older women in the UK develop cancer each year because they are obese or overweight, a Cancer Research UK-funded study says.

The study, which looked at 45,000 cases of cancer in 1m women over seven years, says this is about 5% of such cases.

It is published online by the British Medical Journal and blames excess fat for 50% of cases of womb cancer and a type of esophageal cancer.

Last week an international study warned of the link between cancer and weight.

‘Bigger impact’

The World Cancer Research Fund warned that carrying excess weight significantly increased the risk of cancer.

Figures indicate that about 23% of all women in England are obese and 34% are overweight.

The latest study looked at how often cancers occurred in 1.2m UK women aged 50 to 64 over a seven year period. More than 45,000 cases of cancer and 17,000 cancer deaths occurred during that time.

Lead researcher Dr Gillian Reeves, from Oxford University, said: “We estimate that being overweight or obese accounts for around 6,000 out of a total 120,000 new cases of cancer each year among middle-aged and older women in the UK.

“Our research also shows that being overweight has a much bigger impact on the risk of some cancers than others.

“Two thirds of the additional 6,000 cancers each year due to overweight or obesity would be cancers of the womb or breast.”

Age difference

The research found that the link between weight and risk of cancer depended on a woman’s stage of life.

For example, being overweight increases the risk of breast cancer only after the menopause and the risk of bowel cancer only before the menopause.

Sara Hiom, from Cancer Research UK, said: “This research adds to the evidence regarding the impact of being overweight or obese on developing cancer and dying from the disease.

“While most people readily associate carrying extra weight with being a general health risk, many do not make a specific link with cancer.”

Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of the charity Weight Concern, said: “Whereas it was once thought there was little one could do to prevent cancer, it’s now clear that lifestyle impacts greatly on overall cancer risk.

“The message is clear. Invest in a healthier lifestyle today and we can reap the benefits of reduced disease risk and longer life tomorrow.”
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7079799.stm

It is a known fact that our environment and the toxins in it affect our health. So many people with cancer today have no family history of the disease. How are so many getting sick?

We need to take better care of our health and that means changing some of our bad habits. We need to be more aware of toxins in our home and how they affect our bodies! Our cleaning products, personal products, even our clothing could be making us sick! The chemicals, pesticides, hormones and poisons in our foods contribute to toxicity, obesity and diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

To find some healthy and natural alternative products, please visit:

http://ShopToEarth.net/DebbieMormino

Not long ago, obesity was seen mainly as a cosmetic problem. The purpose of dieting was to improve your appearance, especially in time for bathing-suit season. Exercise was a way to tighten bulges around the stomach and thighs. As a last resort, there were diet doctors, although they were regarded with suspicion — even within the medical community — for popularizing fad diets and preying on people’s vanity.

In just the last few years, however, the medical view of overweight, or excess body fat, has undergone a sea change. No longer just a cosmetic problem, it is now known to be a public health problem of the same magnitude as smoking. Indeed, government statistics list overweight as the second-leading cause of preventable death in the United States, after smoking. By increasing the risk for a variety of serious diseases — for example, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, and several forms of cancer — overweight and its more severe form, obesity, cause 280,000–325,000 deaths in this country each year. For many people, losing weight is not an act of vanity; it’s a struggle for survival.

The dangers of excess weight have come to light at a time when the rates of overweight and obesity are soaring. More than half of all adults in the United States are overweight, and 26% are obese — an increase of more than 50% in the last three decades. Obesity rates are rising dramatically among children, too, an ominous sign for the future health of our population.