Young women are becoming dangerously set on achieving the “thigh gap” – a visible gap between the thighs – idolized by the fashion industry.

(h/t Grozz, Flickr)

Social media sites are flooded with fan groups and images dedicated to thin thighs. Incredibly, Facebook and Twitter accounts praising the thigh gap have 700,000+ followers.

University of Miami body consultant, Tammy Sifre, voices her concern, “It’s sending the message the body is objectified. The body is something that needs to be changed, that needs to be fixed and it’s not good enough the way it is.”

A Berkeley licensed clinical social worker Debra Milinsky of the Feminist Therapy Connection adds, “Girls are at a developmental stage where their bodies are changing, and when it comes to what they’re supposed to look like, they’re most likely to listen to their peers. That’s what the Internet is all about. Seeking community.”

To fight this troubling trend, experts recommend parents remind their young girls that pictures of models in the media are digitally altered and real women can’t look like that.

Also, in response to the growing online trend, an anti-thigh gap group has emerged. Tumblr pages like Touching Thighs and No Thigh Gap fight back.

(h/t daniellehelm, Flickr)

With summer around the corner, most people want to get back in shape. Unfortunately, some people will go to dangerous lengths to drop the pounds. An eating disorder called “Orthorexia” is on the rise in the U.S.

Orthorexia is an eating disorder in which entire food groups are eliminated from one’s diet. Avoiding one or two types of food may not be problematic. But removing all grains or fats until the only thing left to eat are fruits and vegetables … that’s dangerous.

Here’s how Boston University Nutritionist Jenn Culbert defines Orthorexia: “What it essentially means is that someone is obsessed with eating only healthy food that they consider to be pure.”

It seems to be an eating disorder motivated by the best intentions but fueled by misinformation. They may think they’re following the healthiest diet possible, but they end up missing out on essential nutrients and vitamins.

How can you spot Orthorexia in yourself or in friends? “When you are no longer able to enjoy any of the foods that you once did, and you are no longer able to participate in a family meal, or going out with a friend,” explains Culbert.

(h/t dboy, Flickr)

Public elementary school 244 in Queens, New York became the first in the nation to serve all-vegetarian meals to its students. And the kids actually love it.

The elementary school teamed up with nonprofit New York Coalition for Healthy School Food to whip up delicious plant-based meals that kids would want to eat.  Among the menu options is black bean and cheddar quesadillas with salsa and roasted potatoes. “This is so good!” exclaims 9-year-old Marian Satti.

Chancellor Dennis Walcott explains, “I don’t eat fried foods. I don’t drink soda. I try not to have sweets too often. And that’s what we want for our students … to make sure they eat healthy both at home and school.”

The Chancellor believes the vegetarian model should be replicated in schools across the country.

Since Mayor Bloomberg took office, public schools in New York have readily switched to whole-grain breads and pastas over less healthy foods. Salad bars have been installed in 1,000 schools, and will be installed in 1,800 schools by the end of the next academic year.

(h/t Janine, Flickr)

Skinny is everywhere. The obesity epidemic plaguing the U.S. has spurred the media to promote an extreme vision of what we should look like.

Apparently, it’s not enough to be a “healthy weight”. No. That’s not sexy enough. Now you need to be “skinny”.

One look at best-selling weight-loss books highlights this trend:

• Side Effect: Skinny: Denise Austin’s Fat Blast Diet by Denise Austin
• Jumpstart to Skinny: The Simple 3-Week Plan for Supercharged Weight Loss by Bob Harper and Greg Critser
• The Skinny Rules: The Simple, Nonnegotiable Principles for Getting to Thin by Bob Harper and Greg Critser
• Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

And it’s not just books. Take a stroll down your grocery store’s snack aisle and you can find:

• Skinny Cow ice cream
• Skinny Water
• Skinnygirl Cocktails

The problem with this rhetoric is the health problems that can arise from being too skinny, or underweight. A Body Mass Index (BMI) that is too low has been associated with reduced immunity, bone loss, cardiac problems and anemia.

The obsession with skinny could lead to eating disorders in people who feel like they can’t live up to the media’s expectations.

We should all focus on “fit & healthy” when it comes to weight loss. Not “skinny”.

(h/t Ryan Somma, Flickr)

You probably wouldn’t lump “weight-loss” and “video games” in the same category. But a new study from The University of Kansas Medical Center suggests the online game “Second Life” might help people shed the extra weight better than in-person weight-loss clinics.

The researchers gathered twenty obese or overweight participants and assigned them a three-month weight loss program. Some of the participants were required to visit a weight-loss clinic while others were required to virtually meet with nutritionists in the game “Second Life”.

“Second Life” is an online virtual community that allows users to create an “avatar”. They can then interact with other users within the virtual landscape.

The findings are surprising. The “Second Life” group lost a similar amount of weight to the weight-loss clinic group. And when compared to data from other weight-loss maintenance studies, the “Second Life” group actually lost more weight on average than people who go to weight-loss clinics.

Considering this was such a small study, more research is needed. But the researchers note that virtual-reality games that teach nutrition and weight loss could be an effective alternative for people who don’t have access to an in-person weight-loss clinic.

The researchers hypothesize the reason “Second Life” helps people lose weight is because it allows people to practice healthy habits virtually before they do it in the real world.

(h/t pinprick, Flickr)

A soda a day might do more damage than you think.

People who drank one 12 ounce can of sugar-sweetened soda per day were 18% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes over a 16-year period than people who abstained, finds a new European study.

People who drank two sodas per day were 18% more likely to suffer a stroke than people who only drank one. What’s more, risk of suffering a stroke rises 18% for every soda consumed thereafter.

These new European findings agree with studies in the United States linking type 2 diabetes to soda consumption.

It’s important to note the study does not prove soda causes type 2 diabetes, only that there’s an association.

The researchers believe the resulting spike in blood sugar after drinking a sugar-sweetened beverage may play a role in the increased risk.

To complete the study, the researchers compared and analyzed information from 12,000 people who developed type 2 diabetes between 1991 and 2007. They also analyzed information from a group of 15,000 people who did not develop type 2 diabetes.

The new study is published in the journal Diabetologia.

(h/t isante_magazine, Flickr)

Women who eat Mediterranean-style diets (high in fruit, certain vegetables, pasta and red wine) are 20% less likely to suffer hot flashes and night sweats during menopause, finds a new Australian study.

On the other hand, women who ate diets high in sugar and fats were 23% more likely to suffer hot flashes and night sweats.

Vegetables in general, meat and dairy were not linked to a higher or lower chance of having menopausal symptoms.

The researchers say don’t get too excited yet. They can’t prove certain foods prevent or trigger hot flashes, and the biological mechanism behind the results is unclear. Considering this is the first study to link general dietary patterns to menopause-related symptoms, more research is needed.

The researchers hypothesize that low-fat, high-fiber diets may help stabilize estrogen levels and ease hot flashes and night sweats. Or, eating a Mediterranean-style diet may keep blood sugar within the optimal range.

As of now, hormone therapy is the only known effective treatment for hot flashes. However, alternative treatments are needed because the drugs have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer in the Women’s Health Initiative study.

The researchers conclude that even though they don’t know the biological reasons behind their results, menopausal women should eat a Mediterranean-style diet anyway because it’s a healthy way of eating.

(h/t Gregg Deguire, WireImage)

After announcing in February that he had lost 40 pounds, Chaz Bono now tells People he’s dropped over 60 pounds.

When asked how he did it, he’s quick to diss dieting. “Diets don’t work. You just have to change what you eat, and I have.”

He says that he’s still slowly losing the extra weight.