13 Mar 2006 - Biggest Loser Newsletter - when logic gets in the way of the facts

Here's an excerpt from tonight's Australian Biggest Loser email newsletter:

"Have you set a cut-off time for eating each night? It makes perfect sense when you consider the body's functions. How can your digestive system cope with those late night snacks? Logic tells us that the digestive system will struggle with the task of processing food while you're unconscious."

You've probably heard that food eaten late at night is more likely to turn into body fat. It's one of the most common stories going around the fitness and weight loss industries. You may however be surprised to hear that there is little if any evidence to support this claim.

Let me explain... when you are unconscious (asleep at night) your digestive system keeps on going about its business of processing food. Digestion occurs 24 hours a day and we have no control over it. That means you'll digest your food just the same whether you are awake or asleep.

Those late night snacks will be processed just the same as they would be earlier in the day. If in fact your digestive system 'struggled' to process food late at night it would be an advantage for weight loss. That's right - the extra struggle and effort to digest food at night would cost you more energy and help you burn more fat. That's logical and if it actually worked like this eating late at night would be recommended as part of any weight loss program.

But as I said, it just doesn't seem to matter what time of the day you eat in terms of digestion. The real issue related to eating late is consuming calories that you just don't need. Avoiding those late night snacks helps you cut calories, so the recommendation is useful but not for the reason given in the Biggest Loser newsletter.

The sluggish digestion at night story has made its way into dietary folklore and like all good stories, this one is retold again and again without any logical criticism.

For some practical advice on how to manage night time eating, read Can I eat carbs at night? and subscribe to my monthly newsletter to receive your Free Report - Meal Timing & Metabolism".

13 Mar 2006 - Beware excuses to indulge

The label on the Disney - Pixar Fresh Strawberry Milk Drink on the right says it "contains real fruit". But just how much fruit is in this 300 mL carton? Only 0.2% strawberry juice, according to the ingredients list on the back of the packet. That's around half a millilitre (0.6 mL) of juice per carton. Hardly enough to warrant the claim on the front of the label.

In Australia food manufacturers can make claims for ingredients, like juice or fruit on the front of food labels as long as they show the percentage of the key ingredient in the ingredients list. This allows consumers to check the claims for themselves.

But who takes the time to look? From a marketing viewpoint, a shopper may be more likely to say, "It's got fruit in it... it must be healthy and I can eat it!" The same applies to "97% fat free" claims. The words are powerful and can provide an excuse to eat a product that may not be low in calories.

The important question here is... do people look for objective information on food labels or do they look for excuses to eat what they rationally know they should cut back on?

To stay in best shape, develop a rational view of the claims on the front of food packages.

8 Mar 2006 - McDonalds V Subway - Who wins the calorie count? Download your Nutrition Placemat

As a sponsor of the Biggest Loser program, Subway Australia is heavily promoting its fast food options as a lower calorie option to the burger outlets. But how do the calories stack up? See for yourself by downloading the SmartShape Nutrition Placemat. It shows you a simple visual comparison of selected menu items from McDonalds and Subway, based on their nutrition fact sheets. You'll also read some quick tips for choosing meals and snacks.

SmartShape Nutrition Placement - Click to download
(300kb PDF) Right click > Save As > Open saved copy

Feel free to copy and share this!

7 Mar 2006 - More choices means more calories

The line on the billboard I passed on the weekend said, "With over 14 new food outlets, you'll be spoilt for choice." Terminal 2 at Sydney domestic airport will soon feaure an array of burger, kebab, doughnut, pancake and other fast food stores. But do we really need more food choices?

Research shows that people consume more calories when they are presented with a greater number of foods. The proliferation of food outlets is contributing to obesity rates and making it more challenging to limit calories outside the home.

At a forum I attended late last year, hosted by Weight Watchers Australia, Professor Ian Caterson from Sydney University said one consideration in combating obesity rates is to legislate to limit the number of food outlets at shopping malls.

Whilst the government will be reluctant to intervene to do this, the prospect highlights the need use simple strategies to avoid filling up on calories at the mall, airport or elsewhere.

Many know my mantra... "Never leave home without a banana!" It's one simple way to reduce the temptation of choice we are faced with.

Learn more about what affects our food choices and how to achieve meal timing success at Matt's Meal Timing : Science to Success Workshops around Australia from March 2006.

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