The Sum of Their Equation

Even as a teenager, I knew something was just not right with the equation.

As I grew ever heavier over the years, and would work to get it off, then watch it come back, over and over for over 30 years, I knew something in the equation was off.

They told me, everyone knows it, that it is nothing more than calories in vs calories out when it comes to weight gain and loss.

If that was so true, why, oh why, did I sometimes subsist on so little, and lose almost nothing, even with exercise, and others I knew never bothered to be very active, ate all they wanted, and they never gained an ounce?

Also, they told us over and over that the time of day you ate had nothing to do with it.

Now, comes a new study out of Northwestern University in Illinois.

Researchers put groups of mice that had the exact same genetic background, in other words, bred specially for this kind of test, so you are comparing apples to apples, on the same number of calories a day, and the same exercise regimen. The only difference between the two groups is that one was fed most of their calories during the day. The others were fed the majority of their calories during the hours when they would usually be in a sleep cycle.

Result? The group of mice, fed the same number of calories and getting the same exercise, fed at night, gained twice the weight of the other group.

Translation according to scientists? I can hear it now -- it's just mice, it doesn't matter, it won't translate to humans, calories in vs calories out is the only equation, you just eat too much.

But. The calories in vs calories out equation does not take into account that some people's metabolism is slower than others. It doesn't take into account the fact that your calorie needs vary from day to day, even from hour to hour, depending on how much sleep you got, what your hormone levels are, your current activity level, and a whole bunch of other etceteras.

Everything matters. What you eat. When you eat. Hormone levels. How you eat it (mindfully or mindlessly). How fast. How much. How much your body needs at that hour on that day.

It has always been more than just simple math, because the human body is more than just the sum of an easy equation. No two people react exactly the same to the exact same medications, procedures, or stimuli. Our bodies are more tremendously complex than we could ever imagine.

The study was reported in the journal Obesity, and a report about it can be seen here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8234386.stm

They are starting to see what those of us who gain weight so easily, and take so long to lose it, have known for years.

We are not just the sum of their equation.


Today is:

Carnegie Library Day, Scotland

Carrie Nation Festival

Death Day

Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary -- Catholic Christian

Festival of Durga (goddess of Engergy and the World)

Fiesta de Santa Fe

Google Commemoration Day

Grandad's Day

Grandma Moses Day

His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Birthday -- Buddhist

Independence Day, Brazil

Kielbasa Festival

Labor Day

National Napoleon Day

Neither Snow Nor Rain Day

Onam Festival

Snow Ridge Scots-Irish Festival, Turin, NY

St. Cloud's Day

United Tribes International Pow-Wow

Welsh Fairies Nonnet-Hurling Competition -- Fairy Calendar


Birthdays Today:

Gloria Gaynor, 1949
Richard Roundtree, 1942
Cuneyt Arkin, 1937
John Phillip Law, 1937
Buddy Holly, 1936
Don Messick, 1927
Peter Lawford, 1923
Anthony Quayle, 1913
Elia Kazan, 1909
Michael E. DeBakey, 1908
Grandma Moses, 1860
Elizabeth I, Queen of England, 1533


Today in History:

Traditionally, the solar eclipse date that marks the birth of Heracles of Thebes (Latin Hercules), BC1251
The Roman army under Titus occupies and plunders Jerusalem, 70
The "Troy Post" of NY first uses "Uncle Sam" to refer to the US, 1813
Last hold-up of Jesse James, 1881
Edith Eleanor McLean becomes the first baby in the US to be put in an incubator for premature infants, 1888
The first day of the first Miss America Pageant is held in Atlantic City, NJ, 1921
Philo T. Farnsworth demonstrates the first use of television in San Francisco, 1927
Integration begins in Washington, D.c. and Baltimore, MD public schools, 1954

In scanning health news this morning, I've come across yet another study that gives people a good reason to lose weight.

It seems being overweight or obese damages your brain, causing what researchers called "severe brain degeneration."

Overweight people have about 4% less brain tissue than average weight peers, and their brains appear to have prematurely aged about 8 years. The figures are doubled if you are obese, with 8% less brain tissue and premature aging of the brain of about 16 years.

The areas of the brain most affected were those associated with planning, long and short term memory, attention, movement, and executive function. All of this, of course, increases likelihood of Alzheimer's and probably of other things they didn't mention as well. One I could think of is the risk of falling, getting hurt, and getting into that vicious circle of weighing more, so you don't move as much, so you gain weight, and on it goes.

Granted, they only did brain scans on 94 people in their 70's. Still, if you are 73 years old and obese, and your brain is behaving as though it is already somewhere in its 80's, do you really think you are going to make it to the average life span in this country of 80 years? It does seem less likely. If you do, how much of "you" will be left?

This was published in the online edition of the journal Human Brain Mapping.

On a lighter note (terrible pun intended), they say inside every 90 year old is an 18 year old wondering "what in the world happened?" when he/she looks in the mirror.


Today is:

Crackers Over the Keyboard Day (Are we supposed to go crackers over our keyboard, or tempt fate by eating crackers over our keyboard?)

Dream Day

Festival of Neon Revolution

Liberation Day, Hong Kong

National Cheese Sacrifice Day (Now you know why you purchased the cheese for the sacrifice! To let it age properly before the actual sacrifice. Still doesn't answer why we sacrifice it, anyway, or to whom.)

National Cherry Turnover Day

Nativity of Nephthys (Egyptian goddess of Love)

Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day

St. Augustine of Hippo's Day (Patron Saint of Brewers and Printers)

St. Hermes' Day

World Sauntering Day (So saunter somewhere.)


Birthdays Today:

LeAnn Rimes, 1982
Jack Black, 1969
Jason Priestley, 1969
Shania Twain, 1965
Scott Hamilton, 1958
Ben Gazzara, 1930
Charles Boyer, 1899
Leo Tolstoy, 1828
Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774
Johann von Goethe, 1749


Today in History:

The Western Roman Empire is formally disbanded and its emperor, Romulus Augustus, is ousted, 476
The Third Crusade begins with the seige of Acre, 1189
St. Augustine, FL, founded, making it the oldest city in the US, 1565
The first locomotive in the US, the "Tom Thumb", runs from Baltimore to Ellicotts Mill, 1830
James E. Casey begins the United Parcel Service in Seattle, WA, 1907
WEAF in NYC airs the very first radio commercial, for Queensboro Realty, at a cost of $100 for ten minutes, 1922