Page 10 fft?t Jarliani» (Observer July 6. 2011 Potato Chips are Piling on the Pounds Biggest demon behind weight creep And the reason is partly that old advertising cliche: You can't eat just (A P )-B lam ethepotatochip. It's plagues many of us, a major diet one. the biggest demon behind that study found. Bigger than soda, They're very tasty and they have pound-a-year weight creep that candy and ice cream. a very good texture. People gener­ ally don't take one or two chips. They have a whole bag," said obe­ sity expert Dr. F. Xavier Pi-Sunyerof the St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York. What we eat and how much of it we consume has far more impact than exercise and most other habits do on long-term weight gain, ac­ cording to the study by Harvard University scientists. It's the most SHOW DOGS G RO O M ING SALO N & comprehensive look yet at the ef­ BOUTIQUE fect of individual foods and lifestyle 9 2 6 N L< >M BA R D choices like sleep time and quitting P t >RTLANIL ( >R 9 7 2 1 7 smoking. 503-2X 3-1 177 The results are in Thursday's n TES-SAT 9 AN1-7PN1 New England Journal of Medicine. ' <) D A W O IS G O N N A Lt m >K LIKE A SH< >\V D A W U Weight problems are epidemic. A N D YO UR KITTY WILL BE PRE TTY Two-thirds of American adults are ' " c puraio cmp is me Diggest demon behind that pound-a-year weight creep that plagues many o f us, a major diet study found. Bigger than soda, candy and ice cream. overweight or obese. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades. Pounds often are packed on gradually over decades, and many people struggle to limit weight gain without realizing what's causing it. The new study finds food choices are key. The message: Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. Cut back on potatoes, red meat, sweets and soda. "There is no magic bullet for weight control," said one study leader, Dr. Frank ftu. "Diet and exer­ cise are important for preventing weight gain, but diet clearly plays a bigger role." Doctors analyzed changes in diet and lifestyle habits of 120,877 people from three long-running medical stud­ ies. All were health professionals and not obese at the start. Their weight was measured every fouryears forup to two decades, and they detailed their diet on questionnaires. On average, participants gained nearly 17 pounds over the 20-year « m period. For each four-year period, food c h o ic e s c o n trib u te d n early 4 pounds. Exercise, for those who did it, cut less than 2 pounds. Potato chips were the biggest dietary offender. Each daily serving containing 1 ounce (about 15 chips and 160 calories) led to a 1,69-pound uptick over four years. That's com­ pared to sweets and desserts, which added 0.41 pound. For starchy potatoes other than chips, the gain was 1.28 pounds. Within the spud group, french fries were worse for the waist than boiled, baked or mashed potatoes. That's because a serving of large fries con­ tains between 500 to 600 calories compared with a serving of a large baked potato at 280 calories. Soda added a pound over four years. Eating more fruits and veg­ etables and other unprocessed foods led to less weight gain, prob­ ably because they are fiber-rich and make people feel fuller. m H ealth W atch Saturday, Aug« 2Oth a t 8s3O AM in Dawson Park (at N. Vancouver & Stanton) 15 mile loop and 5K Walk! Registration : $20 1 Music, food, & fun! Children under 6 FREE (must be accompanied by an adult)! ounts available! RartMpant Numb* — Ant nom w C tort noma .............. 1 'Onefcaal toMHC I M> ) * "M )I___ m tetmoop* • kaluu per penon. sm essa» * » I UtotarA«« Cholesterol Profiles - Get the resources to help you keep an eye on your cholesterol and other indicators of heart health. Educational material provided. For more information, call 503-261-6611. B ereavem ent S u p p o rt G ro u p s - Free, safe confidential group meetings for those who have experienced the death of a loved one offered on various nights and locations. For information and registration, call 503-215-4622. M aternity W ater W orkout ~ Helping new moms regain muscle tone, strength, and flexibility, all in the support and freedom of the water. Call 503-256-4000for more information. Senior A erobics - A low-impact workout geared specifically toward seniors. Call 503-449-0783 for current schedule. O steoporosis Screening - An ultrasound bone density screening with personalized education; fee $30. To schedule an appointment, call 503- 261-6611. M in d Body H ealth C lass - Learn and practice techniques to help you im prove your mood, health and wellbeing, including effective ways to m anage difficult em otions and chronic stress or illness. R egistra­ tion is $70 for K aiser Perm anente m em bers and $95 for nonm em bers Call 503-286-6816.