Friday, March 6, 2009

(Newton, MA, 02464 3/26/09) --- With one in three Americans obese and another one third overweight, a lot of people are asking about weight loss. But how best to do it? Currently, there are many differing dietary approaches ? some restrict carbohydrates, others fats, others focus on proteins. A new article by Frank Sacks, MD and others in the New England Journal of Medicine (360;9;859, 2009) makes it simple ? it doesn?t matter which diet you use if you count the calories.

Obesity is on of the most important health problems in the United States. It leads to an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes and can also increase the risk for sleep apnea ? a problem where breathing stops during sleep.

The people in this study were divided into groups and each group tried a different type of diet for two years. All the groups felt equally satisfied with their level of hunger and with their method of diet. All the dieters improved their blood levels of lipids (fats) and equally lowered their risk of diabetes. All the diets seemed equally effective for men and women regardless of age, income levels or part of the country they came from. One thing that helped the people who lost weight was being part of a group or getting regular instructions during the study.

?This is an important study,? states Dr. Machelle Seibel, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and founder of HealthRock (www.healthrock.com). First it shows that if we are aware of how many calories we eat at every meal and snack, and work to reduce the number of calories, people will lose weight?. ?The other important point is that people who diet need emotional support,? states Seibel. ?Those who attended regular group sessions or asked for meetings to discuss their diets were the most successful at getting the weight off.?

HealthRock® is the ?baby? of Dr. Machelle (Mache) Seibel ? a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Combining his passion for music with health education became his primary goal and he created HealthRock® that teaches health literacy through music and entertainment. HealthRock® is the recipient of an eHealthcare Leadership Award, 2 iParenting Media Awards, and a Parents? Choice Approved award among others.

The HealthRock website features songs, cartoons, games, Ask DocRock, and a blog (www.healthrock.com/blog) all about children?s health. Check out the Phat Fat Rap at http://www.healthrock.com/cartoons/phat-fat-rap

You can find more information about HealthRock® at www.healthrock.com or about Dr. Seibel at www.mseibelmd.com.

Contact Dr. Seibel at mseibelmd@healthrock.com.