Simply not having enough awareness about eating could be the culprit. A recent study designed to examine the attitudes of middle aged American women toward food, found that those who tended to eat impulsively or who were described as "guilt-ridden dieters" were the most obese among a group of 200 women who participated in the study. Those who weighed least were women who were concerned about nutrition and were determined to eat well and those who were creative cooks focused on healthy food for their families. In the middle was a group of women who led busy lives and were preoccupied with responsibilities and activities other than food, and therefore tended to avoid cooking. The average age of the women in the study was 46. This was a well-educated group - two-thirds of the participants had four-year college degrees. The researchers compared the groups of women by percentage of body fat, waist size and body mass index. The study was published in the December 2009 issue of Health Education & Behavior. My take? It’s not surprising that impulsive eating was linked to weight problems in this study. When you reach for chocolates, snack foods or other "comfort" foods, it's often because you're stressed, depressed, or bored. When you eat in response to social cues - such as having lunch or dinner when you're not hungry - or when you eat unconsciously, you're not really tuned in to your nutritional needs or your body’s signals of hunger and satiety. To successfully control your weight, you have to pay attention to what you eat - both quality and quantity - and carve out the time to think about your nutritional needs and prepare healthy meals.

Overcoming Exercise Obstacles

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An Apple A Day … Boosts Beneficial Bacteria Here’s a possible explanation for the old saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." Danish researchers looked into the question of why apples are good for us by analyzing the microbial content of the digestive systems of rats. The study animals were put on a diet rich in apples, apple juice, and apple purée and their gastrointestinal flora was compared to the microbial content of animals on a regular rat diet. They reported that rats eating a diet high in pectin¸ a component of dietary fiber in apples, had increased amounts of beneficial bacteria - the kind known to improve intestinal health. The investigators concluded that as a result of eating apples regularly, the friendly bacteria "help produce short chain fatty acids that provide ideal pH conditions for ensuring a beneficial balance of microorganisms." They also found that the good bacteria produce butyrate, a chemical that is an important fuel for cells of the intestinal wall. More research is needed to see if pectin has the same effects in humans. The study was published Jan. 20, 2010 in BMC Microbiolog