• AgriLife.org
• Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Mick’s Picks:
Health and Fitness

Weight Maintenance

• Aim for a Healthy Weight Patient Booklet
  This popular booklet for adults contains practical, easy-to-use information for losing and maintaining weight – including tips on healthy eating and physical activity, other options such as weight loss medications and weight loss surgery, setting weight loss goals, and rewarding success…
• Aim for a Healthy Weight Primary Care Provider Education Kit
  This kit is designed to offer health care providers tools to help them identify, assess, and manage their overweight and obese patients and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease.
• American Dietetic Association (ADA)
  Site maintained by the American Dietetic Association. There are links to various educational services, membership information, news releases, that one can explore for up to date information on health related subjects.
• Consumer Nutrition and Health Information
  Find information about the food label and package survey, new consumer tools to help consumers use the nutrition facts for various medical conditions, and understanding the nutrition facts information on the label.
• Diet, Fitness, Health and Medical Cartoons by Randy Glasbergen
  Add humor to your presentations related to nutrition, health and fitness through this web site.
• Do You Know How Food Portions Have Changed in 20 Years?
  Take the online interactive quiz.
• Foodandhealth.communications – Weight Loss Improves Blood Lipids and Other Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) Risk Factors
  This news article focuses on weight loss and this site offers products such as healthclips, 21st Century heart, eat your herbs, low-carbohydrate fad diet kit, and many other resources.
• Food Reflections: Lots of Tips, Health Calculators, Goodies for a Happy Healthy New Year (2010)
  You’ll find LOTS of online calculators, widgets, videos, recipes, fact sheets and MORE! Some of the coolest stuff is in the “Want more information” sections.
• Healthy Weight, American Dietetic Association Website
  A healthy weight, the best path is a lifelong combination of eating smarter and moving more. For a personalized plan tailored to your lifestyle and food preferences, consult a registered dietitian with expertise in weight management.
• Healthy Weight Network
  Healthy Weight Network provides a critical link between research and practical application in weight and eating issues.
• How to Find Health Information Online
  Recommends reliable websites and offers tips to search for valuable health information to get quality results.
• MyPyramid.gov – U.S. Department of Agriculture for Kids
  The following MyPyramid materials were designed specifically for children aged 6 to 11. MyPyramid Blast Off Game is included.
• NHLBI Diseases and Conditions Index (DCI)
  Learn all about overweight and obesity
• NIDDK Health Information: Nutrition and Obesity
  The NIDDK Health Information: Nutrition and Obesity home page provides on-line publications. The topics include: weight control; low calorie diets; exercise and much more. The topics are in-depth and give excellent health information for children, women and men.
  • Weight-control Information Network (WIN) – An information dissemination service of NIDDK-NIH.
• Obesity Epidemic “Deadly” Result of Societal Shifts in 20th Century
  Article on obesity
• The Practical Guide: Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults
  This highly rated guide was developed cooperatively by the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) and the NHLBI.
• Shape Up America!
  Web site is designed to provide you with the latest information about safe weight management, healthy eating, and physical fitness.
• Spot the Block: Cartoon Network and the FDA Encourage Kids to SPOT THE BLOCK – The award-winning outreach campaign that challenges tweens (ages 9 to 13) to use the Nutrition Facts Label to make healthy food choices. With engaging content from Cartoon Network plus hands-on parent information and grassroots outreach, kids and families across the U.S. can Spot the Block.
• TEAM Nutrition Initiative and Program – U.S. Department of Agriculture http://www.shapeup.org/ Team Nutrition's Goal is to improve children's lifelong eating and physical activity habits by using the principles of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
• US Obesity in Adults
  US Obesity trends in the US.
• Ways to Get Healthy from the “Keep the Beat(TM) Healthy Choices for 2010 Calendar”
  Cook heart healthy recipes, like roasted beets with orange sauce or cinnamon-glazed baby carrots from the “Keep the Beat(TM) Recipes: Deliciously Healthy Dinners” recipe book. These recipes, and others, are also available inside the calendar!

Weight Loss Misinformation

• Boca Raton Man Sentenced for Nutritional Supplement Scam
  In this article is an example of a weight loss product which promises quick and easy result without scientific evidence or demonstrated results from the product promoted.
• FDA 101 Health Fraud Awareness
  Lists common types of health fraud, tips on preventing fraud and ways to report it.
• Consumer Updates: Dietary Supplements
  Timely articles that cover product approvals, safety warnings, and other health information for you and your family. Consumer Updates related to dietary supplements are featured on this page.
• Dietary Supplements, Federal Trade Commission
  Defines dietary supplements, explains FDA requirements and answers common questions.
• HealthHints Newsletter, Texas AgriLife Extension Service (PDF)
  Health Claims and Realities, Recommended Resources, and Guide to Credible Food, Supplement & Alternative Medicine Information
• How Do I Know if a Weight Loss Product’s Claims are Valid?
• More Weight Loss Products Added to Consumer Alert
  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) further expanded its nationwide alert about tainted weight loss products containing undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients. The alert now lists more than 70 weight loss products that may be harmful.
• Most Annoying Weight Loss Scams of 2009
  Every few months some new weight loss gimmick comes along. It gets marketed like crazy across the Internet, then in another year or so, everyone forgets about it.
• National Council Against Fraud
  National Council Against Health Fraud web site provides factual information to help consumers discern fact from fiction.
• PSA – Worst Diet Scams of 2009
  Weight research is not without publishing bias, controversy and challenges. We encourage writers in the field to look beyond the press release, special interest groups and individuals with vested interests, and investigate what may lie deeper.
• Quack Watch
  This web site authored by Stephen Barrett, M.D. provides information on health fraud, quackery and intelligent decisions about health fraud.
• SCAMwatch – Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
  Weight loss scams are identified, warning signs given, how to protect yourself against weight loss scams, doing your homework to protect yourself and your family, decisions and how to report health scams.
• The Slim Chance Awards are part of the lead-up to “Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day” during Healthy Weight Week, which falls on January 17 to 23 in 2010. For more information: www.healthyweight.net/hww.htm.
• Weight Loss Promises, Federal Trade Commission
  Provides tips on knowing when to be skeptical toward certain weight loss claims and promises.
• Weight Loss Scam
  In 2004, an estimated 4.8 million Americans bought bogus weight-loss supplements, patches, creams or other products – making it the top rated scam according to the Federal Trade Commission.

Eating Disorders

• Doctor’s Guide (DG), DG Dispatch – ENDO 99: Anorexia Nervosa linked to Serious Bone Loss
• Eating Disorders
  A detailed booklet that describes the different types of eating disorders, symptoms, and treatments (2008) is now available on the National Institute of Mental Health.
  
  
  • What Are Eating Disorders?
  • Eating disorders are treatable diseases
  • Anorexia Nervosa
  • Bulimia Nervosa
  • Binge-Eating Disorder
  • FDA Warnings on Antidepressants
  • How Are Men And Boys Affected?
  • How Are We Working To Better Understand And Treat Eating Disorders?
• National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) – Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention
  This web site provides information to the prevention and awareness of eating disorders.
• Something Fishy Website on Eating Disorders
  This web site provides extensive information on eating disorders and eating disorders related to other diseases/problems.

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Last updated: 26 July, 2010

Educational programs of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin.