We updated the site today to improve:
More on the updates here. Take a look and let us know what you think.
iChangers — Get 5 Friends to join iChange before the end of the first day of summer
We just received a new shipment of iChange T-Shirts. They come in two cuts: the standard T-Shirt cut (shown) and a fitted, shorter sleeve cut.
Earn one for yourself by recruiting 5 of your friends to join iChange before the end of the first day of summer (midnight on June 21).
After your friends have signed up, just send us their names or iChange user names, your T-Shirt size, and your address to jen@ichange.com.
Great article from Dr. Mercola on the effects of corn in the diet. Some insights:
More on Mercola.com.
The FDA warned yesterday that the popular diet drugs alli and Xenical can cause serious liver damage. From the data published — 13 documented cases among millions of people that have taken the drugs — this is an extremely rare occurrence and not something that should cause alarm if you are on either medication. However, it is an important reminder that any drug can have serious side effects and should only be taken as a last resort or at least after giving other, safer solutions a serious try. Alli has been criticized my many for other lesser side effects including what must be a very inconvenient problem of anal leakage.
My friend slaps his belly, claiming to have no idea why he can’t lose the last 15 pounds. ”I run, I watch what I eat, what’s going on?” he laments, while a glass of wine sloshes in his hand.
With the reported health benefits associated with wine, it’s easy to justify a glass or two with dinner. But wine contains a lot of sugar and alcohol, which equals calories. A lot of them.
Depending on the wine, a single 5 oz serving will contain anywhere from 100 to 250 calories. If your serving size is bigger, which is likely if you are using the larger glasses that have become popular in recent years, then your calorie intake is going to be that much more. My belly-slapping friend, who was sipping a Cabernet out of a large Riedel glass, probably only had two glasses at dinner that evening. Even though the glass looked less than 1/2 full, each glass probably contained at least 7 oz. In total, he consumed anywhere between 350 and 550 calories on top of his normal food intake for the day. At that rate, several times a week, it won’t take long before he’s packing on pounds. From a calorie standpoint, he might as well be eating an extra Big Mac after dinner every night.
I love wine with dinner and am a big believer in not only the health benefits, but the social benefits that come from sharing a bottle of wine with friends. But if you are trying to lose weight, wine may be your enemy.
If you want to learn more about how wine, and alcohol in general can fit into a weight loss plan, you can always ask our nutrition specialists on iChange. It’s free.
I did some research this week on the evolution of weight loss programs. We often refer to iChange as the “next generation” of program, using internet and mobile technology to be a “virtual support system.” But to make a claim about next generation, I wanted to understand the older generations that we are building upon. Here’s what I learned:
The Weight Loss Stone Age (before 1960). Prior to the founding of Weight Watchers and the emergence of many of the popular diet programs we know today, the concept of dieting and weight loss was at best, unsophisticated, and at worst, absurd. If you needed to lose weight, you were pretty much on your own, or in extreme cases, you would receive help from the family doctor. There were a few “fad” diets that started as early in the 1800’s, many of which are laughable today (although many of today’s diets are still laughable). Some favorites:
Support Systems (Started with Weight Watchers in 1961). In the 1940’s and 1950’s the concept of group counseling and support emerged as a highly effective means of helping individuals with health-related issues. The Mayo Clinic began using group therapy for patients and Alcoholics Anonymous emerged as a gold standard for addiction recovery. Weight Watchers adapted the support system model into their group weight loss programs in the 1960’s. Since then, millions of people have participated in Weight Watchers groups, and it continues to be a $1 billion/year business for the company.
Popular Diet Books (starting in late 1960’s). The 1960’s saw the emergence of diets that look familiar to us today. The low-carb dieting fad became popular with the Stillman Diet (published in 1967), and followed up in 1972 with Dr. Robert Atkins’ book, Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution. While moderately popular at the time, Dr. Atkins’ book was roundly criticized in the medical community for a lack of scientific evidence. Of course, many doctors embraced his theories several decades later. Other popular diets included the Scarsdale Diet (1978) and The Cambridge Diet (1980s).
Self-Managed Web Programs (starting in late 1990’s). Over the last 10-12 years we’ve seen amazing growth in online programs that make dieting a more convenient exercise. Many programs offer online meal plans as well as online trackers to record and monitor progress. Some have migrated to mobile devices giving people the ability to track progress on the run. Although Weight Watchers was founded on the principal of group interaction, their popular Weight Watchers Online has focused on giving individuals tools to manage themselves.
The Next Generation: Virtual Support Systems (today). We believe the next big wave in weight loss, and health management in general, will be to use technology to help people connect with practitioners, counselors, and support groups to get the help they need to be successful. Weight Watchers revolutionized the offline version of group support for weight loss in the 1960’s which continues to be effective to this day. But having to go to a remote strip mall every Tuesday at 7pm for your weigh-in and group meeting seems out-of-date in an age where technology can help bring the support to you. Our belief is that as individuals have become more comfortable socializing with others online, it only makes sense that they will quickly evolve to the point that receiving advice and support for health-related issues will become second nature. We hope that iChange will be a leader in this next phase of evolution.
The clown in the yellow and red jumpsuit is getting some heat from a Boston group called Corporate Accountability International (also responsible for Joe Camel’s demise). They claim that the clown has too much influence on children’s eating habits. Their position seems to be backed up by a majority of American parents.
While not a fan of the McDonalds, I have trouble attacking Ronald himself who, ironically, rarely pushes junk food these days. You’re more likely to see him promoting the Ronald McDonald houses which do tremendous good for underprivileged children and families.
I have to admit a certain attachment to the clown. He was a part of my childhood when he frequented our television sets during Saturday morning cartoons. While he frightened my younger sisters, he impressed me with his ability to laugh off the unruly Hamburgler and befriend the mutant-blob, Grimace. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with such a good guy?
Let’s not blame Ronald. He’s a vestige of the past, before clowns starred in horror films, and McDonalds was an infrequent treat for otherwise fairly healthy kids. Let him enjoy his less public role of entertaining children at Ronald McDonald houses, and instead focus on the real reason our kids eat Big Macs. We, their parents, let them do it.
The New York Times published an article on research that suggests that lifelong obesity can start at infancy or even in the womb. By the time a child is in kindergarten, it may be too late to intervene.
The new evidence “raises the question whether our policies during the last 10 years have been enough,” Dr. Taveras said. “That’s not to say they’ve been wrong — obviously it’s important to improve access to healthy food in schools and increase opportunities for exercise. But it might not be enough.” Much of the evidence comes from an unusual long-term Harvard study led by Dr. Matthew Gillman that has been following more than 2,000 women and babies since early in pregnancy.
But do we risk stigmatizing someone under the age of 5 as overweight or obese if we try to intervene at such a young age? As a parent, I’d rather suffer the uncomfortable conversation with my pediatrician that we change my 2 year old’s eating habits now than address it during elementary school or later.
Welcome to the Community
We had an interesting forum discussion on iChange about Weight Watchers Online bullies. One person’s comment:
“Not a reflection on WW themselves, but I was in the online community there and there were a group of bullies that seemed to make it their goal to make fun of and point out the weaknesses of others. They would get kicked off but then make a new user profile and be right back on again. I don’t know if that’s still happening but it was a major reason why it didn’t work for me to do the online program with them.
Community is definitely important. Encouraging folks to lean on each other and form support groups is crucial-especially because some of us are in situations where we have saboteurs in our home environments.”
Others chimed in that this is a problem they also have seen on Weight Watchers Online.
iChange is structured so that our experts and Group Leaders ensure that the online conversations are productive and encouraging. As we grow, we will continue to refine our systems to keep iChange a safe place to control weight and stay healthy. Our hope is that we can keep the bullies at bay.
Marcia was one of the first people to sign up with iChange when we launched last year. We are so proud of her progress since then. Here’s a post from her iChange Nutritionist, Linda Miner:
MARCIA IS DOWN 40 POUNDS: One of our great success stories here is Marcia. If you haven’t read her blog about her journey here, you really should. http://myweighback.wordpress.com/ She tells a story that many of you are going to relate to. She is a woman who tried every diet under the sun, was totally skeptical, asked a million questions but agreed to follow the plan and the results speak for themselves. The most important thing is all the awareness Marcia has gained about how her body responds to food and what she really needs to feel good. I just told Marcia that she has done something else incredible for her body – she has potentially eliminated the need for an extra 12 MILES OF BLOOD VESSELS. For each 10 pounds of fat, the body builds 3 miles of blood vessels. This is why obese people have high blood pressure, the heart has to work extra hard to get blood through all these extra miles of vessels. Most of us would have trouble walking 12 miles so think about how much extra pressure has been taken off her heart. It’s very exciting. Congratulations Marcia and keep up the good work. Linda Miner
Nice job Marcia. And you too Linda!
: Success Story -- I don't have anything against billboards or lap-band surgery for people that need it. I prefer that people do their homework, especially [...]
: Not sure what your "beef" is iChange-there's no law against billboards is there? It's America-and you have the right to voice your opinion, but not [...]
: Whoa, nice post. I just found your site and I am already a fan. :]
: You can get more information on the programs and sign up at iChange.com.
: This site sounds amazing, I've been looking for something like this and haven't been able to find it. where can I sign up?
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