>>> WE’RE BACK, 8:10, "TODAY’S TALKER" AND NEW WAYS TO THINK
ABOUT DIET AND EXERCISE.
>> IN RECENT YEARS THE NATIONAL
FOCUS ON HEALTH HAS SKYROCKETED.
THE QUESTION IS, IS IT MAKING A
DIFFERENCE?
DIFFERENCE? EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, PROMISES OF
A NEW, HEALTHY START.
>> I NEVER FELT LIKE THIS.
>> Reporter: THE ADS, APPS AND
DEVICES, TRYING TO GET YOU TO
EXERCISE.
EXERCISE. WELL, THEY ARE WORKING,
ACCORDING TO FITNESS INDUSTRY
DATA FROM AXIOS.
GYM MEMBERSHIPS WERE UP 21% FROM
2007-2017.
2007-2017. BUT SO WERE OBESEITY RATES, UP
17% OVER THE SAME TEN-YEAR
PERIOD.
PERIOD. THE PROBLEM?
THE PROBLEM? EXPERTS SAY THE FOOD WE EAT.
>> THERE’S NOT A LOT OF PLACES
TO GET HEALTHY FOODS.
>> Reporter: ONLY ONE IN EVERY
TEN ADULTS EAT THE RIGHT AMOUNT
OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES EACH
DAY.
DAY. AND ONE-THIRD OF AMERICANS EAT
FAST FOOD DAILY.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE AREN’T
COOKING AT HOME.
THEY DON’T HAVE TIME TO BE AT
HOME.
HOME. >> Reporter: THERE IS GOOD NEWS,
THOUGH.
THOUGH. DATA FROM THE CDC, SHOWS A
DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CULTS
OF PEOPLE WITH HIGH CHOLESTEROL
AND A DROP-OFF OF CASES OF
DIABETES.
DIABETES. BUT EXPERTS SAY THAT MAY BE DUE
TO INCREASED MEDICAL TREATMENT
NOT BETTER EATING HABITS.
LAST MONTH, WEIGHT WATCHERS
ADOPTED A NEW NAME, W.W.,
WELLNESS THAT WORKS.
A CHANGE THAT IS A SHIFT AWAY
FROM THE DIET CULTURE AND TOWARD
A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH TO
HEALTH.
HEALTH. AND THEY’RE NOT THE ONLY ONES.
>> WHOEVER SAID WORKING OUT
CAN’T BE FUN.
>> Reporter: WITH SO MANY
MESSAGES BOMBARDING US DAILY,
IT’S NO SURPRISE THAT AMERICANS
ARE CONFUSED AND HAVE DIET
FATIGUE.
FATIGUE. AND THEY SAY, MANY OF US ARE
PLAIN TIRED.
PLAIN TIRED. LACK OF SLEEP AND STRESS ARE
SHOWN TO CONTRIBUTE TO WEIGHT
GAIN, AS WELL.
LOSEING WEIGHT AND ACHIEVING
OVERALL HEALTH WILL NOT WORK OUT
UNLESS YOU WATCH WHAT YOU EAT.
WITH ALL THAT IN MIND, WHY DON’T
WE BRING IN NBC NEWS MEDICAL
CONTRIBUTOR, DR. NATALIE AZAR.
YOU LOOK AT THE HEADLINE AND YOU
THINK, I’M SWEATING AT THE GYM
AND IT’S ALL FOR NOT?
>> IF YOU THINK YOUR END POINT
IS WEIGHT LOSS, EXERCISE IS NOT
THE KEY DETERMINATE.
IF YOU EXERCISE A LOT, IT CAN
INCREASE YOUR APPETITE.
WE KNOW IT CAN REALLY BURN
CALORIES MORE QUICKLY BUT THAT
CAN PLATEAU.
CAN PLATEAU. BUT THE IMPORTANT MESSAGING HERE
IS THAT EXERCISE IS STILL
OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT.
OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT. BUT IT MIGHT JUST NOT BE THE KEY
THING WHEN IT COMES TO WEIGHT
LOSS AS YOUR END POINT.
>> WHAT ARE THE HIDDEN THINGS
THAT ARE CAUSING WEIGHT GAIN?
OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU EAT TOO MUCH
OR DRINK TOO MUCH.
GUILTY.
GUILTY. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THERE’S
OTHER THINGS THAT MIGHT BE
CAUSING IT.
CAUSING IT. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS THAT
PEOPLE CAN GAIN WEIGHT IS
ACTUALLY STRESS.
ACTUALLY STRESS. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, RIGHT?
STRESS RELEASES A HORMONE CALLED
CORTISOL
CORTISOL CORTISOL.
CORTISOL. IT’S NOT THE SAME FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT IT CAN INCREASE YOUR
APPETITE.
APPETITE. AND WE TALK ABOUT SLEEP A LOT.
A HORMONE ISSUE.
IF YOU’RE NOT SLEEPING ENOUGH,
IT CAUSES A SHIFT IN THE
HORMONES THAT CAUSES INCREASED
APPETITE AND MEDICATION.
SIDE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN
MEDICATIONS CAN RESULT IN WEIGHT
GAIN.
GAIN. >> THE DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH
OBESITY, AND THAT SHOWS DIABETES
GOING DOWN, HIGH CHOLESTEROL,
HYPERTENSION, BUT WEIGHT GAIN IS
INCREASING.
INCREASING. HOW CAN THAT BE?
>> WE EXPLAIN THAT BY SAYING
THESE CONDITIONS ARE BEING
MEDICALLY TREATED.
MEDICALLY TREATED. YOU WOULD THINK THERE WOULD BE A
RISE IN THOSE CONDITIONS WITH
OBESITY BUT THAT’S NOT TRUE.
LET ME BE THE FIRST -- NOT THE
FIRST PERSON TO SAY THIS.
BUT ASK ANY OF MY PATIENTS,
THERE’S NEVER A REASON I TELL
PEOPLE NOT TO EXERCISE.
AND WE CANNOT DENY THE IMPACT IT
HAS ON HEALTH AND INCREASING
MOOD AND SLEEP.
IF YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT WEIGHT
LOSS, EXERCISE IN ADDITION TO
DIETARY CHANGES -- IT’S MORE
IMPORTANT WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR
BODY THAN WHAT YOU’RE DOING WITH
YOUR BODY.
YOUR BODY. >> IS THERE A BETTER TIME TO
EXERCISE THAT HELPS YOU WITH
WEIGHT LOSS?
WEIGHT LOSS? >> THAT’S AN EXCELLENT AND
UNANTICIPATED QUESTION.
UNANTICIPATED QUESTION. >> WHAT’S THE ANSWER?
>> I DON’T -- I’M NOT GOING TO
ANSWER THIS IN TERMS OF A
PHYSIOLOGICAL ANSWER OR A
SCIENTIFIC ANSWER.
SCIENTIFIC ANSWER. A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY EARLIER
IN THE MORNING IS A BETTER TIME
TO DO PIT.IT.
IT’S NOT GOOD TO SLEEP TO