Dr. Chet’s Health Memos

If it’s in the health news today, I’ll be writing about it as soon as I read the research, both old and new. With my email Health Memos, you’ll know more about making lifestyle choices that will help you get and keep good health. These free, concise updates on health are emailed to subscribers twice a week. Subscribe today and get a free MP3, in English or Spanish, of Dr. Chet’s Top Ten Tips—Small Changes for a Healthier Life.

Today

Today!

I’ve said before that in my opinion, the single most important thing you can do to limit the problems of aging is to get to a normal body weight and maintain it. If you’ve been overweight most of your life, as I have been, that can be a real challenge. While the research on what’s […]

TheFuture

I’m Alive: V2.55

When I opened my eyes this morning, I knew I had another year to do what I was created to do: teach people how to be healthy and fit. For those of you who are new readers or those who need a refresher, here’s the story: when I wake on May 10th every year, my […]

Don&RuthJones

Reflections on Family

I’m going to tell you a story you’re going to find hard to believe. My in-laws, Don and Ruth Jones, were married for over 70 years. Mom died on May 7, 2014, ten years ago; we got the call about 9:30 p.m. Exactly three years later on May 7, at the same time, Dad passed […]

SETU-OShea

Eat Less, Eat Better, Move More—for Life

In Tuesday’s Memo, Dr. Donal O’Shea suggested that there’s compelling evidence that eating less and moving more won’t result in permanent weight loss because the set point theory is just too strong and will defeat the effort of 90% of the people. However, he didn’t provide any evidence that’s true. I’ll give him the benefit […]

WhatToDo

Should You Forget “Eat Less, Move More”?

Eat less. Eat better. Move more. If you’ve been reading the Health Memo for any length of time, you know that’s my simplified solution, my mantra, to the problem of excess body fat we face in the U.S. and around the world. That’s why an article about an endocrinologist from Ireland who said “Eat less, […]

Influencer

Nobody Got It Right

The topic of the last Memo came from an article co-written by writers from The Examination and the Washington Post. The “exposé” was that credentialed nutritionists and registered dieticians (RDs) were accepting sponsorships and payments from industries they covered, especially the cereal industry. The “angle” was that the influencers were using the anti-diet movement to […]

Influencer

What Should You Believe?

What happens when you mix: You get up to 40% of the social media influencers saying, “Why diet? Love yourself and eat whatever you want!”—especially cereals or other highly sweetened grain products. You get partial truths that bastardize the original concepts of loving yourself and end up with people confused and, in some cases, fatter […]

Omega-3s-and-Kids

Obesity and Prenatal Omega-3s: Premature Conclusions

Women frequently ask about prenatal supplementation, and omega-3 fatty acids are always part of prenatal recommendations; that’s why this study attracted my attention. Did they come to the right conclusions? I think the best place to begin is by reading the conclusion statement of the abstract, and then examine the data from the paper to […]

Pregnancy-Omega3

Obesity and Prenatal Omega-3s

Scientists continue to research the causes of obesity. For many, as we’ll see, it’s not as simple as eating less and moving more; in the study I’m going to review this week, the researchers are going prenatal. The Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2010 (COPSAC) is an ongoing longitudinal study to examine the […]

Ridiculous

The Ridiculous: Obesity and Weight Loss Scams

As I planned this series of Memos, I wrestled with using the word “obesity” because everyone appears to hate that term—especially when directed at themselves. I decided to stick with it because it afflicts close to 40% of us in the United States. Before I get to ridiculous weight loss plans people are hawking, how […]