Free Republic

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world. A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in...

Dirk Jackson says he weighed 450 pounds. His doctor does not know his exact weight because the scales in the clinic were not big enough to weigh him. But in January 2004, the North Richland Hills man made a New Year's resolution to lose weight through a disciplined regimen of diet and exercise. Since then, Jackson has lost 184 pounds. He's barely recognizable in photographs showing him wearing size 60 pants. He now wears size 38 pants and can bench press 450 pounds. He said he had always been overweight as an adult. Jackson's still a "big guy" largely because...

Looking to redeem itself after its fallout with pharmaceutical giant Merck, Nastech announced positive results Thursday for early phase trials of a nasal spray for the treatment of obesity. The spray, dubbed PPY (3-36) was well tolerated when given to a group of 24 obese patients during a testing for variables such as food intake and appetite. The study was intended to find the most effective dose of the drug for further trials. Nastech said that, when administered by IV, the PPY caused patients to reduce their calorie intake by 30 percent, which matches results from previous studies of PPY....

Many people worry about putting on a few pounds during the holiday season. But when you reach for a Christmas cookie, keep in mind that you're not the only one who's going to enjoy that tasty treat: It will also get eaten by the bacteria living in your gut. And it turns out that the kind of bacteria living there may affect how much weight you gain. Until a couple of years ago, scientists didn't have the tools to figure out exactly what lives in a person's digestive tract. But with new genetic probes, they can do a kind of...

Crash diets, plastic surgery, "miracle pills" and extreme workouts are the most common ways to shed off those extra pounds. However, a new fad is gaining popularity and due to its price and supposed success, it is sweeping the nation one ear at a time. Those who perform the acupuncture ear stapling procedure claim that by inserting a tiny, surgical staple into the ear, it will trigger certain pressure points that may curb appetites, reduce stress, relieve pain, and may even help one to quit smoking. "I must admit, I was a little skeptical at first considering all the gimmicks...

-County employees would participate in pilot program- Travis County's top officials may decide today to offer weight-loss surgery to county employees, a step that is unusual but becoming increasingly popular with local governments. Under the pilot program being considered, the county would pay for up to 15 bariatric surgeries — or trimmings of the digestive tract — per year. The program would last five years. Each procedure would cost the county $15,000 to $25,000, according to reports to the county commissioners, who will decide whether to adopt the program. Employees would have to meet requirements to be eligible, including a...

    Perfect Diet? Eat Everything Fat, Carbs, Protein Must Balance, Dietitian Says Shiloh Woolman, Staff Writer Put down the diet book that touts a carb-free, protein-rich diet and tells you all fat is your mortal enemy. Get ready to learn the mystery to permanent weight loss.  Eating everything is the magic bullet, experts say. Variety is the key to not only a good-looking exterior, but a healthy body that can fight disease, according to Ann C. Grandjean, director of Omaha's Center for Human Nutrition, Inc. Grandjean suggests three golden rules for eating: balance, variety and correct servings. Mindful...

(FOX NEWS) - Rabbi Marc Sack drank diet soft drinks, cycled about 70 miles a week, and limited sweets and he struggled with hunger, "a big issue for me was appetite control." But when the weight wasn't coming off, he saw a dietitian who told him to stop the diet soda. "that was a big surprise to me," said Sack. "I thought I was doing something great by only drinking diet coke, and she really caught me off guard with that one." Jennifer Broder Katz is Rabbi Sack's food coach. She says artificial sweeteners like those found in diet sodas...

NO VERBAL ATTACKS! NO NAME CALLING! NO BASHING! THE OVERWEIGHT! NO NASTY PICTURES POSTED! This will be a thread about getting healthy and no attacks will be tolerated. Any fitness or activity level. 100+ pounds to lose or no weight to lose. Those who have lost weight and kept it off, please share with us what has worked for you. Maybe you love a certain activity, biking, skiing, rock climbing, walking, running, whatever, tell us about how it helps you stay in shape. Share your weight loss success. Just a place to share ideas about all things exercise and diet...

A few of us were thinking of starting an on-going FReeper diet and fitness thread. It would be a place where we could discuss weight loss, diet, exercise, getting back in shape, encourage each other in our efforts to get healthy, and celebrate our successes. Any fitness or activity level. 100+ pounds to lose or no weight to lose. Those who have lost weight and kept it off, please share with us what has worked for you. Maybe you love a certain activity, biking, skiing, rock climbing, walking, running, whatever, tell us about how it helps you stay in shape....

I mentioned this superb list of rules/suggestions for fitness and weight loss in another thread, and my FReepmail box filled pretty quickly. :) To keep this brief: The Lovely Wife and I got into weight lifting (strength training) a few years ago, and one of the companies from whom we purchased sports supplememts (whey protein, etc.) issues a monthly email newsletter. This particular one I kept, because to my mind, it is the best......by FAR........encapsulation of the things we should all do to lose weight and keep fit. Anything and everything I have learned about fitness fit in these "rules"...

Losing a little weight can do wonders for your sex life. So says Duke University psychologist Martin Binks, who presented a study Monday at a meeting of The Obesity Society showing that shedding a few pounds can improve things in the bedroom by making people feel better about their bodies. "You reap a lot of benefit from a moderate weight loss of 10 percent," Binks said. "It's a wonderful message. You don't have to reach some ideal weight to be healthy and happy." It is one of the few studies to examine the mental and emotional problems that obesity can...

Maverick film-maker Michael Moore has enrolled on a crash course at a $3,800-a-week celebrity fat farm in a bid to loose weight. The Fahrenheit 9/11 director has booked into the Pritikin Longevity Center And Spa in Aventura, Florida, where he is learning to cook healthy meals and will undergo "life re-education", according to PageSix.com. Moore is reportedly aiming to loose 12 pounds during the first three weeks.

In their battle against the bulge, desperate dieters have tried drugs, surgery, exercise, counseling, creams and even electrical fat-burning belts. Now some psychologists have a new idea: Lying. A team led by psychologist Elizabeth Loftus of the University of California, Irvine, found that it could persuade people to avoid fattening foods by implanting an unpleasant childhood memory about the food -- even though the event never happened. In a paper published in today's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team said it successfully turned people off strawberry ice cream. In earlier studies, the team has...

Overweight people who are otherwise healthy may increase their risk of dying by intentionally losing weight, according to provocative new research.A study of 2,957 twins in Finland found that those who were overweight who lost weight on purpose were about 86 percent more likely to die for any reason over the next 18 years compared with those whose weight remained stable.The researchers cautioned, however, that only 268 people in the study died, a number too small to justify any firm recommendations about whether overweight people should try to lose weight.Skeptics who think health authorities have exaggerated the risks of being...

Man does not live on bread alone, but Americans have become increasingly reliant on doughy carbohydrates in their diet. Now many in a rapidly expanding country are asking: "What Would Jesus Eat?" That is the title of one of a growing number of Christian diet plans crowding the lifestyle shelves of mainstream bookshops. Other bestsellers include The Maker's Diet, The Hallelujah Diet and Body by God. For the persistently overweight, they hold the promise of spiritual and bodily redemption. The selling strategies vary. Stephen Arterburn, the host of a Christian radio show and author of Lose it For Life, says:...

Little Rock - "Quit Digging Your Grave With A Knife and Fork" In the words Governor Huckabee, that's the key to becoming healthy and the name of his new book. The book is not a guide on how to lose weight, it's advice on how to get healthy and for the Governor, it's the beginning of a new adventure. Friends of the Governor gathered at the mansion to celebrate the upcoming release of his new book. (Governor Mike Huckabee) "I think it does have an appeal. People say what? Quit digging your grave with a knife and fork? But really...

SLIMMER Vicki Jervis has celebrated losing seven stones by conquering her fears and taking to the skies. Mrs Jervis, 43, of Green Road, High Wycombe, has now reached her target weight of 9 stone 7lbs. To mark her achievement she took the plunge and flew in a fixed wing microlight plane despite having never previously flown in any type of aircraft. Mrs Jervis, who runs a Slimming World class in Hazlemere, said: "It was a bumpy flight with a lot of wind turbulence, but the views were spectacular. "I flew over the Wiltshire downs, where you can see the Isle...

Fat, But not an Actress Tomorrow is the big premier of Kirstie Alley's new show "Fat Actress." I'm excited because I too, am fat. But to clarify, I'm NOT an actress. However, I'm starting another "Big Diet" tomorrow, maybe even inspired by this show. It's one of many diets I've been on over the years. My last one was successful, having lost about 50 pounds in, oh, about 6 months. But alas, after a few years, back surgery, and a new boyfriend (who claims he loves "all" of me) I gained it all back. I consider him responsible for 99...

  Exercising, even moderately, can significantly reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, a condition that increases heart disease and diabetes risk, among older adults, according to a study.The six-month study involved over 100 people between the ages of 55 and 75. Half were "prescribed" exercises ranging from weightlifting to walking, which were performed for one hour, three times a week. The other participants were given a booklet that encouraged increased activity to promote good health.Some 43 percent of participants had metabolic syndrome when the study began. At the end of six months, the following results were observed among the...