5 tips to help you shed flab this New Year

Scientists have presented New Year gifts for obese people and those aiming to shed some extra pounds – five tips for losing weight.

Researchers at Temple’s Center for Obesity Research and Education (CORE) work year-round to study the treatment and prevention of obesity, and found five tips to stick to the pledge to lose weight throughout the year.

You can start with getting support as researchers say having a support system can make it easier to achieve weight loss goal – even if that support comes from the computer or your smart phone.

The research led by Melissa Napolitano, an associate professor of kinesiology and a clinical psychologist at CORE, found that college-age women who were invited to a private Facebook page and received daily, personalized text messages with tips and information on nutrition and exercise, lost more weight than their counterparts who had no extra support.

“These results show that text messaging and smart phones are powerful tools for delivering weight loss interventions, particularly since these are technologies that most college students have with them at all times,” said Napolitano.

Getting more sleep may also help - CORE researchers think less sleep could be affecting our ability to lose weight, which is why they are currently studying whether people who sleep less than seven hours a night can lose more weight by extending their sleep by just one hour.

And changing your behaviour is a must– Gary Foster, director of CORE, suggested that behavioural change should be a part of weight-loss plan.

When trying to lose weight, some will avoid carbs; others will avoid fats. Which is the best diet? But Foster says, either one works, as long as behavioural change is a part of your weight-loss plan.

“This research tells us that people wanting to manage their weight need to be less concerned with which diet they choose, and more concerned with incorporating behavioural changes into their plan,” he noted.

Also try to keep a routine – According to Robert Whitaker, a professor of pediatrics and public health at CORE, household routines can help cut the risk of childhood obesity.

Whitaker led a study, which found that children who got a reasonable amount of sleep, watched less television and often had dinner with their families were less at risk of developing obesity later in life.

And at last make weight loss a family affair – The researchers pointed out that focusing on healthy living can not only benefit adults, it can help curb obesity in children as well.