Entries by Chet Zelasko

Eat Less, Eat Better, Move More—for Life

In Tuesday’s Memo, Dr. Donal O’Shea suggested that there’s compelling evidence that eating less and moving more won’t result in permanent weight loss because the set point theory is just too strong and will defeat the effort of 90% of the people. However, he didn’t provide any evidence that’s true. I’ll give him the benefit […]

Should You Forget “Eat Less, Move More”?

Eat less. Eat better. Move more. If you’ve been reading the Health Memo for any length of time, you know that’s my simplified solution, my mantra, to the problem of excess body fat we face in the U.S. and around the world. That’s why an article about an endocrinologist from Ireland who said “Eat less, […]

Nobody Got It Right

The topic of the last Memo came from an article co-written by writers from The Examination and the Washington Post. The “exposé” was that credentialed nutritionists and registered dieticians (RDs) were accepting sponsorships and payments from industries they covered, especially the cereal industry. The “angle” was that the influencers were using the anti-diet movement to […]

What Should You Believe?

What happens when you mix: You get up to 40% of the social media influencers saying, “Why diet? Love yourself and eat whatever you want!”—especially cereals or other highly sweetened grain products. You get partial truths that bastardize the original concepts of loving yourself and end up with people confused and, in some cases, fatter […]

Obesity and Prenatal Omega-3s: Premature Conclusions

Women frequently ask about prenatal supplementation, and omega-3 fatty acids are always part of prenatal recommendations; that’s why this study attracted my attention. Did they come to the right conclusions? I think the best place to begin is by reading the conclusion statement of the abstract, and then examine the data from the paper to […]

Obesity and Prenatal Omega-3s

Scientists continue to research the causes of obesity. For many, as we’ll see, it’s not as simple as eating less and moving more; in the study I’m going to review this week, the researchers are going prenatal. The Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2010 (COPSAC) is an ongoing longitudinal study to examine the […]

The Ridiculous: Obesity and Weight Loss Scams

As I planned this series of Memos, I wrestled with using the word “obesity” because everyone appears to hate that term—especially when directed at themselves. I decided to stick with it because it afflicts close to 40% of us in the United States. Before I get to ridiculous weight loss plans people are hawking, how […]

Nature in Motion

There are just some events in nature you don’t want to miss: Niagara Falls, glaciers in Alaska, the Grand Canyon. Those are relatively stable. A total eclipse of the sun is something fleeting that you have to see on its timetable. That’s why, with his mom’s blessing, Paula and I took Riley out of school […]

The Look of Success

With this being a holiday weekend, the Memo comes a day early. We hope that your holiday weekend is filled with safe travels and good times with family and friends, plus at least one chocolate bunny, whatever your beliefs. As motivation to get up every time you stumble and fall, here’s the look you make […]

Your Last Resort

Did you ever have one of those days where you just didn’t have it? What do you do? Here are some ideas: It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do, but get that one thing done and you’ve done something positive you can feel good about. It may do wonders for you mentally and […]