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Diet pop tied to heart attack, stroke risks: Study
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Diet pop may benefit the waistline, but a new study suggests that people who drink it every day have a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke.
The study, which followed almost 2,600 older adults for a decade, found that those who drank diet pop every day were 44 per cent more likely than non-drinkers to suffer a heart attack or stroke.
The findings, reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, don't prove that the sugar-free drinks are actually to blame.
There may be other things about diet-pop lovers that explain the connection, researchers say.
"What we saw was an association," said lead researcher Hannah Gardener, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "These people may tend to have more unhealthy habits."
She and her colleagues tried to account for that, Gardener told Reuters Health.
Daily diet-pop drinkers did tend to be heavier and more often have heart risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
That all suggests that people who were trying to shed pounds or manage existing health problems often opted for a diet pop over the sugar-laden variety.
But even after the researchers factored in those differences -- along with people's reported diet and exercise habits -- they found that daily diet pop was linked to a 44-per cent higher chance of heart attack or stroke.
Nevertheless, Gardener said, it's impossible for a study to capture all the variables that could be at work.
The findings do build on a few recent studies that also found diet-pop drinkers are more likely to have certain cardiovascular risk factors, like high blood pressure or high blood sugar.
This is the first study, Gardener said, to look at actual "vascular events" -- that is, heart attacks, strokes and deaths from cardiovascular causes.
The findings are based on 2,564 New York City adults who were 69 years old, on average, at the outset. Over the next decade, 591 men and women had a heart attack, stroke or died of cardiovascular causes.
That included 31 per cent of the 163 people who were daily diet-pop drinkers at the study's start. In contrast, 22 per cent of people who rarely or never drank diet pop went on to have a heart attack or stroke.
There was no increased risk linked to less-than-daily consumption. Nor was regular pop tied to heart attacks and strokes.
If diet pop, itself, somehow contributes to health risks, it's not clear how, Gardener said.
There's research in rats suggesting that artificial sweeteners can end up boosting food intake and weight. But whether results in rodents translate to humans is unknown.
"I don't think people should change their behavior based on this study," Gardener said. "And I wouldn't advocate drinking regular pop instead."
Regular pop is high in calories, and for people who need to shed pounds, experts often suggest swapping regular pop for the diet version.
A study out this month found that the advice may be sound. Obese people who were randomly assigned to drink water or diet drinks in place of sugary ones lost about five pounds over six months.
Gardener said that further studies such as hers are still needed to confirm a connection between diet pop and cardiovascular trouble.
Ultimately, she noted, clinical trials are considered the "gold standard" for proving cause-and-effect. That would mean randomly assigning people to drink diet pop or not, and then following them over time to see if there were differences in their rates of heart problems or stroke.
A study like that, Gardener said, would be "difficult and costly" -- since it would have to follow large groups of people over many years, and rely on people to stick with their assigned beverages.
SOURCE: Journal of General Internal Medicine, online January 27, 2012.
© Copyright (c) Reuters
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Diet pop tied to heart attack, stroke risks: Study
FDA to Reconsider Diet Drug
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In the search for treatments to fight obesity, regulators are turning their attention to a diet drug that has already failed to receive government approval as a weight loss treatment.
Next week, a panel of advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider whether or not to recommend the diet drug Qnexa for approval. The move is the latest attempt to give new tools to patients and doctors to fight the obesity that currently plagues one-third of Americans. It also fans a fiery debate about the search for a “magic bullet” alternative to difficult lifestyle changes to help obese people lose weight.
Qnexa was rejected by the FDA in 2010 over concerns about potentially dangerous side effects, such as cardiovascular problems and birth defects. Now, the FDA will consider whether or not the drug’s manufacturer, Vivus, should do a larger clinical trial to investigate the potential for cardiovascular side effects.
But some obesity specialists are, in effect, already giving the drug to their patients by prescribing Qnexa’s two major ingredients, phentermine and topiramate. The practice, called off-label prescribing, is not prohibited by the FDA. Doctors who have prescribed this combination say it has helped patients shed pounds when many other paths to weight loss have failed.
Dr. Ken Fujioka, director of the Center for Weight Management at Scripps Clinic in San Diego, said he often sees obese patients who have changed their diets, started exercising more and still have not been able to lose more than a few pounds. Though bariatric surgery is a lasting, effective option for long-term weight loss, many patients either aren’t morbidly obese enough to qualify for the surgery or are reluctant to resort to such a drastic measure to lose weight. For about 30 of these patients, Fujioka has prescribed low doses of phentermine and topiramate.
“The weight loss with this combination rivals bariatric surgery and I see using these meds in the seriously obese patient as an alternative,” Fujioka said.
Dr. Jana Klauer, a New York City-based doctor specializing in weight management, said her patients lost an average of 40 pounds when taking the drugs along with improved diet and exercise plans.
“The drug combination gives great results, providing diet and exercise are part of the plan,” she said.
Vivus, the company that developed Qnexa, said in a statement that the drug is a combination of low doses of both drugs and it is intended for use in combination with improvements in diet and exercise. Vivus said it does not support the off-label use of phentermine and topiramate.
The drugs work by suppressing appetite, and both have been approved by the FDA for other uses. Phentermine, a stimulant, is already approved for weight loss, but only for short-term use. Topiramate is an anticonvulsant, for which weight loss is a side effect.
But a laundry list of side effects has many experts concerned about the safety of the drugs, if taken over a long period of time. Topiramate creates feelings of mental fogginess, memory lapses and a lack of concentration.
Phentermine, one of drugs that made up the failed diet drug Fen-Phen, can lead to a range of cardiovascular side effects, such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and heart palpitations. Dr. David Katz, co-founder of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, noted that these side effects are the very problems caused by obesity.
Dr. Charles Clark, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Indiana University, said the potential side effects are enough to keep him from prescribing phentermine and topiramate to his patients, particularly in light of the failure of Fen-Phen, which was withdrawn from the market in 1997 after causing fatal blood pressure and heart valve problems in patients.
“Given our experience with Fen-Phen, we should be cautious in our use of these agents until larger and longer-term trials are completed,” Clark said.
Others say concerns about side effects of both drugs and their offspring Qnexa are legitimate, but could be managed or avoided if doctors carefully monitor patients while they’re taking the drug. For example, the FDA’s concerns about potential birth defects caused by Qnexa could be resolved by not prescribing the drug to women who could get pregnant. Many doctors say the risks of these drugs may be outweighed by the benefits for some patients with disabling health problems caused by obesity.
In the past 20 years, a parade of diet drugs have come before the FDA, representing an effort by drug companies to give obese patients and their doctors alternatives to difficult, often unsuccessful lifestyle changes. Most of the drugs have failed to meet the agency’s standards for safety and effectiveness. Many come with a list of embarrassing side effects, such as anal leakage, and only one, Alli, is approved for long-term use. A handful of drugs, such as Metabolife and Meridia, were removed from the market because of heart safety concerns.
Some doctors say there is no evidence that Qnexa will perform better than the diet drugs that have already flopped.
“I have made selective use of some weight loss drugs, but have not to date found much reason for enthusiasm for any of them,” Katz said. “I don’t have much for Qnexa.”
Others are more hopeful that Qnexa is different, including Dr. Chip Lavie, medical director of cardiac rehab and prevention at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans. He cites evidence from previous clinical trials that Qnexa helps patients lose a modest amount of weight, which improves their risk factors for diabetes, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular problems. He said cardiovascular and birth defect risks that the FDA cited in its first look at the drug were very slight and “clinically unimportant.”
“Considering the dismal results that many experience with attempted weight loss with diet and exercise, which is always the first choice, and the explosion in the need and use of bariatric surgery, this combination drug should be a major advance, and I hope that it gets approved this time by the FDA,” Lavie said.
ABC News’ Dr. Richa Shukla contributed to this report.
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FDA to Reconsider Diet Drug
Daily diet soda tied to heart attack, stroke
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Diet soda may benefit the waistline, but a new study suggests that people who drink it every day have a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke.
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The study, which followed almost 2,600 older adults for a decade, found that those who drank diet soda every day were 44 percent more likely than non-drinkers to suffer a heart attack or stroke.
The findings, reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, don't prove that the sugar-free drinks are actually to blame.
There may be other things about diet-soda lovers that explain the connection, researchers say.
"What we saw was an association," said lead researcher Hannah Gardener, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "These people may tend to have more unhealthy habits."
She and her colleagues tried to account for that, Gardener told Reuters Health.
Daily diet-soda drinkers did tend to be heavier and more often have heart risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
That all suggests that people who were trying to shed pounds or manage existing health problems often opted for a diet soda over the sugar-laden variety.
But even after the researchers factored in those differences -- along with people's reported diet and exercise habits -- they found that daily diet soda was linked to a 44-percent higher chance of heart attack or stroke.
Nevertheless, Gardener said, it's impossible for a study to capture all the variables that could be at work.
The findings do build on a few recent studies that also found diet-soda drinkers are more likely to have certain cardiovascular risk factors, like high blood pressure or high blood sugar.
This is the first study, Gardener said, to look at actual "vascular events" -- that is, heart attacks, strokes and deaths from cardiovascular causes.
The findings are based on 2,564 New York City adults who were 69 years old, on average, at the outset. Over the next decade, 591 men and women had a heart attack, stroke or died of cardiovascular causes.
That included 31 percent of the 163 people who were daily diet-soda drinkers at the study's start. In contrast, 22 percent of people who rarely or never drank diet soda went on to have a heart attack or stroke.
There was no increased risk linked to less-than-daily consumption. Nor was regular soda tied to heart attacks and strokes.
If diet soda, itself, somehow contributes to health risks, it's not clear how, Gardener said.
There's research in rats suggesting that artificial sweeteners can end up boosting food intake and weight. But whether results in rodents translate to humans is unknown.
"I don't think people should change their behavior based on this study," Gardener said. "And I wouldn't advocate drinking regular soda instead."
Regular soda is high in calories, and for people who need to shed pounds, experts often suggest swapping regular soda for the diet version.
A study out this month found that the advice may be sound. Obese people who were randomly assigned to drink water or diet drinks in place of sugary ones lost about five pounds over six months.
Gardener said that further studies such as hers are still needed to confirm a connection between diet soda and cardiovascular trouble.
Ultimately, she noted, clinical trials are considered the "gold standard" for proving cause-and-effect. That would mean randomly assigning people to drink diet soda or not, and then following them over time to see if there were differences in their rates of heart problems or stroke.
A study like that, Gardener said, would be "difficult and costly" -- since it would have to follow large groups of people over many years, and rely on people to stick with their assigned beverages.
Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
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Daily diet soda tied to heart attack, stroke
One man's crazy diet: Nothing but beer and water
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It may seem like a dream diet: Substitute beer for food for two weeks, and never have to worry about a hangover.
Well, it’s because you only drink three beers a day, and snack on lots of water.
Paul Fierro, owner of Primo’s Craft Beer in El Paso, Texas, underwent a beer and water diet, inspired by Bavarian Monks who drank only beer during their fasts in the 16th Century.
“I started to see it as a personal challenge and a personal journey when I can kind of cleanse my body, cleanse my mind and see how I would reexamine things,” said Fierro.
Fierro and his friend Albert Salinas started the diet over a week ago, drinking beers with heavy calories and carbohydrates -- one for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
A nursing student agreed to check on Fierro’s and Salinas’ heart rate and blood pressure every other day.
“The first few days you get a big pain like in your stomach. Then after the third day it stops, but you still have mental cravings. You’re always thinking of food,” said Salinas.
On day seven, Salinas had to quit the diet as he picked up a bad cold. In total, Salinas lost 13 pounds. So far, Fierro has lost nine.
“These past few days I’ve woken up with a lot of energy. No hunger pains yet,” said Fierro, on day eight of the diet. He said that he feels great.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a general practitioner and member of the Fox News Medical A-Team, said there are no medical benefits to this diet.
“There’s no way of knowing what someone’s underlying health issues are. You don’t know if you strain the body to this extent what’s (going to) happen,” said Siegel.
Siegel also said there are no real nutrients in beer. There is no protein and no fat.
“I would urge them, if they are going to do this crazy thing, to at least have fluids with electrolytes in it, not just plain water,” Siegal said.
Salinas said his sense for smelling became a lot stronger during his fast. At his desk job, where he works as an insurance agent, he could smell foods at a greater distance than before.
He said he also experienced what it’s like to live in an area of the world where food is not so readily available.
“[You take] food for granted and you’re realizing other things in your life you’ve taken for granted,” said Salinas.
Fierro finished his diet on Super Bowl Sunday. He broke the fast by eating wings, burgers, and what he was most excited for--his grandmother’s cooking.
Patrick Manning is apart of the Fox News Junior Reporting Program.
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One man's crazy diet: Nothing but beer and water
Diet soda tied to heart attack, stroke risks: study
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Diet soda may benefit the waistline, but a new study suggests that people who drink it every day have a heightened risk of heart attack and stroke.
The study, which followed almost 2,600 older adults for a decade, found that those who drank diet soda every day were 44 percent more likely than non-drinkers to suffer a heart attack or stroke.
The findings, reported in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, don't prove that the sugar-free drinks are actually to blame.
There may be other things about diet-soda lovers that explain the connection, researchers say.
"What we saw was an association," said lead researcher Hannah Gardener, of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "These people may tend to have more unhealthy habits."
She and her colleagues tried to account for that, Gardener told Reuters Health.
Daily diet-soda drinkers did tend to be heavier and more often have heart risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
That all suggests that people who were trying to shed pounds or manage existing health problems often opted for a diet soda over the sugar-laden variety.
But even after the researchers factored in those differences -- along with people's reported diet and exercise habits -- they found that daily diet soda was linked to a 44-percent higher chance of heart attack or stroke.
Nevertheless, Gardener said, it's impossible for a study to capture all the variables that could be at work.
The findings do build on a few recent studies that also found diet-soda drinkers are more likely to have certain cardiovascular risk factors, like high blood pressure or high blood sugar.
This is the first study, Gardener said, to look at actual "vascular events" -- that is, heart attacks, strokes and deaths from cardiovascular causes.
The findings are based on 2,564 New York City adults who were 69 years old, on average, at the outset. Over the next decade, 591 men and women had a heart attack, stroke or died of cardiovascular causes.
That included 31 percent of the 163 people who were daily diet-soda drinkers at the study's start. In contrast, 22 percent of people who rarely or never drank diet soda went on to have a heart attack or stroke.
There was no increased risk linked to less-than-daily consumption. Nor was regular soda tied to heart attacks and strokes.
If diet soda, itself, somehow contributes to health risks, it's not clear how, Gardener said.
There's research in rats suggesting that artificial sweeteners can end up boosting food intake and weight. But whether results in rodents translate to humans is unknown.
"I don't think people should change their behavior based on this study," Gardener said. "And I wouldn't advocate drinking regular soda instead."
Regular soda is high in calories, and for people who need to shed pounds, experts often suggest swapping regular soda for the diet version.
A study out this month found that the advice may be sound. Obese people who were randomly assigned to drink water or diet drinks in place of sugary ones lost about five pounds over six months.
Gardener said that further studies such as hers are still needed to confirm a connection between diet soda and cardiovascular trouble.
Ultimately, she noted, clinical trials are considered the "gold standard" for proving cause-and-effect. That would mean randomly assigning people to drink diet soda or not, and then following them over time to see if there were differences in their rates of heart problems or stroke.
A study like that, Gardener said, would be "difficult and costly" -- since it would have to follow large groups of people over many years, and rely on people to stick with their assigned beverages.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/widyUV Journal of General Internal Medicine, online January 27, 2012.
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Diet soda tied to heart attack, stroke risks: study
Health and fitness agenda: ISPO Beijing
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Germany's massive ISPO trade show heads to Beijing, while Barcelona welcomes the GSMA Mobile World Congrees.
12th ISPO Beijing
February 22-25
Beijing, China
Germany’s ISPO is one of the biggest events in the world for sports goods manufacturers and suppliers, and its sister event in China draws more than 17,000 visiters and 350 brands to the burgeoning sports retail market in the region. This year the event has grown by nearly 40 percent and expanded to four days and will highlist an Action Sports Village and sports fashion events. ISPO On Snow Demo will take place February 26-27 at the Duolemeidi Ski Resort in Chongli.
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27th GSMA Mobile World Congress
February 27 - March 1
Barcelona, Spain
GSMA Mobile World Congress, a four-day event dedicated to cutting-edge mobile technology, will feature a GSMA Mobile Health program, focusing on remote monitoring, wellness, and assisted living technologies. A full program of conferences, keynotes, and panel discussions runs alongside an exhibition of the hottest new products and concept designs from the top mobile companies in the field. More than 60,000 industry members from 200 countries are expected in 2012. Tickets range from €4,999 for a platinum executive pass to €699 for an exhibitor pass. A standard gold pass, allowing access to all exhibitions, conferences, and networking opportunities, is priced at €2,699.
http://www.mobileworldcongress.com
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32nd Natural Products Expo West
March 8-11
Anaheim, California, US
Now in its 32nd year, Natural Products Expo West is one of the largest natural, organic and healthy products trade shows and conventions in the world, alongside Vivaness, with more than 55,000 industry professional attending last year's event. More than 3,000 exhibits from over 1,900 different companies showcasing the newest products in natural and specialty foods, organic, health and beauty, natural living, supplements and pet products. Its sister show, the 26th Natural Products Expo East, ran September 21-24, in Baltimore, Maryland, and drew a crowd of 25,000 with 1,300 exhibits. Natural Products Expo Asia, in its tenth year in 2012, is being held in Hong Kong on August 23-25. In 2011, the event attracted some 10,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors.
http://www.expowest.com
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101st International Women's Day
March 8
Worldwide
This year marks the 101st anniversary of International Women's Day, a global day celebrating the economic, political, and social achievements of women past, present, and future. In some countries, such as China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, it is a national holiday. Hundreds of events will be held around the world to mark the occasion, including talks, discussions, exhibitions, workshops and a range of local events. This year's theme is "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures." To celebrate, CARE USA, a humanitarian organization that fights global poverty, will host the CARE Conference & International Women's Day Celebration, March 8, in Washington DC.
For more about the conference: http://www.careconference.org
Find out what is happening near you: http://www.internationalwomensday.com
31st IHRSA Convention
March 14-17
Los Angeles, California, US
A rival to the IDEA World Fitness Convention and FIBO, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association annual convention is another top, long-standing fitness trade show held in Los Angeles, drawing a crowd of some 7,000 industry pros every year to swap ideas and flaunt new techniques and products. Four-day passes are $795 for nonmembers/$595 for members. Two-day passes are priced at $559 (nonmembers)/$395 (members) and a one-day pass costs $450 (nonmembers)/$250 (members). http://www.ihrsa.org
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25th Salon Mondial Body Fitness Form’expo
March 16-18
Paris, France
Similar to Canada’s Canfitpro and the US’s IHRSA, France’s massive Salon Mondial Body Fitness Form’expo expects to draw some 20,000 visiters and 100 international companies representing more than 200 brands. For three day, fitness professionals can swap ideas, check out the latest products and trends, or take classes in a range of techniques offered by Leaderfit, Reebok, Les Mills and Crossfit, among others.
http://www.vivelaforme.com
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8th International Fitness Showcase (IFS)
March 23-25
Winter Gardens Blackpool, UK
The 8th annual program packs more 200 different fitness sessions into three days, designed for fitness instructors, trainers, and the public. Comparable to Inner IDEA in the US, IFS is one of Europe's biggest fitness conventions and expects around 6,000 participants from Asia and Europe with fitness and health champions leading classes on The Fit Zone, Gravity, Modern Pilates, and much more. A three-day ticket is priced at £199.
http://www.chrysalispromotions.com
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Health and fitness agenda: ISPO Beijing
Fitness experts offer healthy advice on shedding 10 lbs.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
As warmer weather and swimsuit season is quickly approaching, many throughout the country are hitting the gym to get in shape and shed some unwanted pounds.
Nashville's News 2's Lauren Murphy consulted with health and fitness experts who offered healthy ways to lose 10 pounds.
Health officials said one of the best ways to ensure weight lose is to get a good night's sleep each night and skip that extra cup of coffee to help boost energy.
"People will reach for food or for another cup of coffee. They would just be so much better off if they would just get that recommended eight hours of sleep," explained Maryanne Brockett, a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at 5 Gym in east Nashville.
Another way to help shed the pounds is split meals with friends or co-workers and to eat slowly. Experts say it takes around 30 minutes for a person's brain to register satiety and that by sharing a meal won't be quite as detrimental to a diet since you are only consuming half of the calories.
Experts also suggest that brushing your teeth can help cure a craving.
To help ease mindless eating, health officials suggest painting your nails, organizing your desk or other activities to distract yourself.
Brockett told Nashville's News 2 that it is ok for a person to indulge occasionally.
"Instead of having that one cookie when you really, really wanted it, you're going to eat that whole bag [if you deprive yourself]," she said.
Another tip to help shed the pounds is to substitute soda and alcohol for sparkling water.
"I'll put a lime in it and you'd never know the difference," said Mark Magnuson, who has successfully lost 13 pounds of fat and kept it off.
Brockett said she encourages everyone to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
"Your body is made up of water," she explained, adding, "If you don't have enough, none of [your body] functions correctly. It also helps stave off hunger so you really need to get at least 64 ounces."
Melony Barnett told Nashville's News 2 she successfully lost 10 pounds by enlisting in an exercise partner.
"It's kind of become a competition," said Barnett. "We try to outdo each other!"
Another tip that Brockett offers to those working out is to keep it fun.
"If you get bored, you're going to quit, so you always need to change it up," she explained.
According to Brockett a few other ways to shed pounds include instead of emailing co-workers drop by their office, during commercial breaks of your favorite television show perform quick workouts focusing on different areas of your body and keep healthy snacks available.
The fitness trainer also said many health and fitness magazines offer workout plans online and to place a photo of you looking your best on the refrigerator so you will be reminded of how healthy you were at that time.
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Fitness experts offer healthy advice on shedding 10 lbs.
Worst and Best Fitness Equipment
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Choosing the best fitness equipment can be tricky these days. So many great ads for fitness gear promise to transform our bodies from fat and flabby to fit and fabulous but so few products deliver. The main reasons for this epic fail is most fitness equipment is unsafe, or boring or lame or all the above. Here's the truth about what fitness gear will burn a hole in your wallet and what fitness equipment can help you burn more fat and improve your body.
Most Over-Rated: Cardio Machines
Most Under-Rated: Interval Bodyweight Workouts
Sure cardio machines burn calories and they're easy to use but that's the problem. Easy calorie burning is no match for challenging bodyweight workouts that burn calories and fat plus strengthen, tone, boost endurance and so much more. No machine beats the after-burn effect you get from interval bodyweight workouts that are dynamic, fun and best of all free!
Most Dangerous: Kettlebells
More Safe: Sandbags or Dumbbells
There is no doubt that kettlebell exercises are dynamic and very effective for fitness and fatloss. The problem with kettlebells is they are very easy to get wrong. It takes a lot of time and some guidance to master kettlebell moves. That's both time and money most people would rather not spend waiting for results. If you like the idea of kettlebells but aren't too keen on the learning curve or the injury factor then try sandbags or sandbells (featured in video) instead. They're easy to use, fun, and more affordable than a rack full of kettlebells. Dumbbells are also a good substitute for many kb moves which saves money and time.
Most Boring: Resistance Bands
More Dynamic: Suspension Trainer
Resistance bands are cheap, portable, and great for general fitness and full body workouts but they are no match for a dynamic suspension trainer (featured in video). The suspension trainer is also portable, comes in various price ranges and is excellent for both general fitness and more advanced workouts and exercises such as suspended knee tucks and pikes, rowing, pushups and modified pull-ups as well as cardio intervals and flexibility too.
Most Unusable: Ab Wheels or Ab Rollers
Most Effective: Gliding Discs
Not only are most ab gadgets overpriced and unusable by most people they are extremely dangerous for anybody with a dysfunctional core which happens to be most people these days. A more effective piece of gear to strengthen your core and flatten your abs is gliding discs (featured in video). They can be used for dozens of core exercises and upper/lower body exercises that also target your core and just like those furniture moving sliders they will save your back!
Most Absurd: Shake Weight
More Realistic: Speed Blender
Never before has a piece of fitness gear inspired so many hilarious parody infomercials which speaks volumes about what a piece of junk the shake weight is. It's been ridiculed on South Park, Ellen, RuPaul's Drag Races and Saturday Night Live. If you're looking to shake up your fitness results you're better off speed blending some weight loss shakes because as every fitness trainer loves to say "great abs are made in the kitchen not in the gym" and not with a shake weight either.
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Worst and Best Fitness Equipment
Personal Training Franchise Fitness Revolution Wins 2012 Franchisee Satisfaction Award
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Fitness Revolution, a fitness franchising organization, has been awarded Franchise Business Review’s 2012 Franchisee Satisfaction Award.
Elizabethtown, KY (PRWEB) February 17, 2012
Fitness Revolution, a fitness franchise chain, has won the 2012 Franchisee Satisfaction Award. The awards were given out by Franchise Business Review, a leading market research company. This is the first such win by Fitness Revolution.
2012 marks the 7th year Franchise Business Review has given out the Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. After surveying more than 22,000 franchisees from over 300 different franchise chains, the company ranked the top 50 franchises according to data on actual franchisee satisfaction.
Fitness Revolution took home First Place among all midsize franchise systems. It also rated highest in franchisee satisfaction among all Fitness franchise chains. Fitness Revolution ranked 2nd overall among franchises of all sizes.
This came as welcome news to the first-year company. “To receive this honor in our first year of operation is a testament to our company’s dedication to providing our franchisees with the tools to be successful,” said Fitness Revolution Co-Owner and President Nick Berry.
Founded in December of 2010, Fitness Revolution began offering its first territories in January of 2011. By the end of the year, it had expanded to over 100 different franchises and had been registered in over 40 different states – most recently Illinois.
To win the award Fitness Revolution beat out a diverse field which included real estate, technology, and retail companies. The purpose of the awards, according to Franchise Business Review, is to show to potential future franchisees which franchises are meeting its customers’ needs.
“The goal of Fitness Revolution, since the beginning, has been to create results-driven, sustainable businesses,” said Co-Founder and CEO Pat Rigsby. “We do this by finding passionate fitness professionals, and providing them with successful business systems.”
Indeed, Fitness Revolution is quickly gaining the confidence of its franchisees. In a field of hundreds of potential nominees, the personal training franchise came in at the head of a pack of 39 new companies to make the list.
In its first year of operation, Fitness Revolution has provided a number of benefits to its franchisees: preferred pricing from vendors, payment processing software, training equipment, SEO, and deals for nutrition and supplements.
Speaking on the topic of Fitness Revolution’s remarkable first year, Berry said, “We knew immediately that we offered the tools to create profitable fitness franchises, but even we were a little surprised at how quickly word has gotten out about Fitness Revolution.”
Fitness Revolution's success comes as no shock to its franchisees, who appreciate the company's client-centered approach. In fact, the award serves to validate the company's strategy of meeting individual needs within its successful business models.
“2011 was such an amazing year for signing new franchisees and helping them grow their personal training businesses,” Rigsby explained. “But I think we have even bigger things in store for 2012.”
About Pat Rigsby and Nick Berry: Pat Rigsby and Nick Berry are the co-owners of Fitness Consulting Group, a leading business development consulting firm within the fitness industry. Fitness Consulting Group is the parent company to Fitness Revolution, and a number of other fitness businesses.
Fitness Revolution is a member of the Fitness Consulting Group family of companies. Fitness Revolution franchises focus on providing clients with the best fitness coaching available today, using a training staff made up of nationally certified fitness professionals.
To learn more about acquiring a Fitness Revolution franchise, visit: http://www.fitnessrevolutionfranchise.com/franchise/
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Personal Training Franchise Fitness Revolution Wins 2012 Franchisee Satisfaction Award
Health & Fitness-Exercise Facility-Peak Health & Wellness
Exercise Programs Comments Off on Health & Fitness-Exercise Facility-Peak Health & Wellness
Posted: Friday, February 17, 2012 2:59 pm | Updated: 3:10 pm, Fri Feb 17, 2012.
Locations: Coeur d'Alene-Hayden-Post Falls
What started as a dream nearly 30 years ago, PEAK Health and Wellness Centers are still of serving our community keeping people active, healthy and energized! With their challenging and exciting programs in full swing, they strive every day to guide and motivate their members to fulfill their dream.
When you arrive at the PEAK you will be greeted by their friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable staff that is always available to accommodate your individual needs. Joining their community whether you are a swimmer, tennis or racquetball player or enjoy weight lifting and group fitness classes, they have what you need. Their facilities are always updated with the latest equipment and programs/classes such as TRX, Reformer, Gravity/Kinesis, Biggest Loser, Insanity, X-Fit, Zumba and top-notch nutritional training.
PEAK'S new lower dues and affordable childcare make this the perfect time to join. Being a member of PEAK also affords you the luxury of attending your choice of 8 different reciprocal health clubs in the northwest with no additional fees.
Since PEAK values community involvement, they are active supporters of Toys for Tots, St. Vincent de Paul, School District #271 and #272, Special Olympics swim, basketball and hockey programs just to name a few.
Let the dream that started 30 years ago be your dream today.
Posted in Best of north idaho on Friday, February 17, 2012 2:59 pm. Updated: 3:10 pm.
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Health & Fitness-Exercise Facility-Peak Health & Wellness