“Army Strong” or Army, tad pudgy?
They’re increasingly turning to starvation diets, weight-loss pills, laxatives and even liposuction.
No, these aren’t the antics of models or even housewives on reality cable shows. The Army Times reports that soldiers are turning to extreme diet measures to meet the military’s weight requirements.
About 24,000 soldiers were discharged between 1992 and 2007 for failure to comply with weight standards, according to a military fitness report. Weight can kill military careers making them ineligible for promotions, leadership positions or professional military schools.
The comments are equally interesting as soldiers write about wrapping themselves in Icy-Hot, Preparation H treatments, popping stool softeners, going to saunas to meet the Army’s requirements. Many of the comments say the military should reassess its weight standards.
Sports not great exercise for kids
Team sports are great. But they might not give kids the amount of recommended cardio, according to a study published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
This was based on 200 kids who played for soccer, baseball or softball teams. Overall, only 24 percent of the kids got the optimal 60-minutes of physical activity during practice. Read more on Time’s Healthland.
Can energy drinks give athletes wings?
Sorry, wing-seekers. But energy drinks aren't your best bet.
“The evidence that energy drinks can make you a better athlete is sketchy at best,” according to the Well blog.
Dr. John P. Higgins, the director of exercise physiology at Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute in Houston made the following points to the New York Times. A study of collegiate runners showed that those who drank a sugar-free version of Red Bull did not improve their run times. Also, caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it could contribute to dehydration and the high amounts of sugar in energy drinks could give you diarrhea and gastrointestinal upset too.
What’s inside energy drinks anyway?
Walking to school ups your test scores
A study of 1,700 urban teens in Spain suggested that girls who walk to school do better on tests.
According to Reuters, girls who rode a bike or walked to school scored an average of 53 points in cognitive tests compared with girls who took a car, who scored about 49 points.
Girls whose active commute lasted longer than 15 minutes did better on the tests than girls whose commute time was less – meaning there could be a relationship between active commutes and test performance.
Post by: Madison Park - CNNhealth.com Writer/Producer
Filed under: Fitness • Obesity • Weight-loss
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