Will giving kids weight screenings at school help stop childhood obesity?

Starting this year, Massachusetts schools will be sending home report cards that are a matter of life or death. According to the Boston Globe, comprehensive BMI (Body Mass measurements) will be issued to parents of students that will gauge whether their child is at a safe weight. The state hopes the scorecards will assist parents in combating childhood obesity.

But the dissemination of this information isn’t getting high marks from health professionals.

“Focusing on body image is the wrong way to go,” says Haylie J. Pomroy, nutritional counselor. “The focus should not be on body image but  lifestyle choices.”

Although Pomroy is wary of the repercussions of sending these kind evaluations to parents, she does understand the thinking behind it. “Childhood obesity is a crisis, and any time there’s a program to raise awareness it’s a good thing.” Ultimately, Pomroy thinks the BMI testing is unnecessary. “Most parents know if their child is struggling with weight issues,” she says.

If parents really want to keep their kids at a healthy weight, says Pomroy, mother of two, they need to instill in kids the empowerment of healthy food choices and not focus on fat or thin.
Pomroy says she practices what she preaches too. “I tell our kids about foods that make them run faster and build their immune system and which foods are ‘brain foods.’ Like if they have a test coming up, I tell them to eat carrots to get ready.”

Haylie Pomroy provides nutritional counseling and wellness consulting for clients who wish to actively enhance their health. She is an accomplished practitioner, speaker, writer, consultant, product developer, and researcher who has been featured several times on national television. Haylie practices in CA and CO and resides in Los Angeles with her two beautiful children.HayliePomroy.com

See Also:

• Study Finds 1 in 5 Obese Among 4-year-olds!
• Wake Up! Our Kids Are FAT … Fix It!
• Can You ‘Catch’ Obesity?!
• Obese Kids Have Arteries Like 45-Year-Olds

Momlogic’s nutritional counselor gives you the skinny.

Haylie Pomroy: In my 15 years of practice as a nutritional counselor, I have seen diet trends come in and out of favor. There are a few that are actually pretty sound in their approach. Then there are some that are wacky in their philosophy as well as their outcome. Some get the weight off fast, only to leave it and double the pounds lurking as soon as you eat again. And then there are some that are downright dangerous.

Let’s see if we can merge urban myth with clinical experience and explore some “crazy” diets that can actually work.

HCG Diet
It is a clean, healthy food-based diet coupled with a trace of the pregnancy hormone HCG. It is extremely low in calories, but the theory is the HCG stimulates rapid fat metabolism, providing the fuel for the body. I have seen clients lose 25 pounds in a month, reverse diabetes, lower cholesterol, and avoid gastric bypass surgeries with this one. Some extreme dieters follow this diet and try to save their money by not purchasing the HCG — a monthly supply runs $500-$1,700. This is where this diet can go very wrong. On the diet without the HCG, I have seen many young women come in with elevated cholesterol and in a very poor state of health.

Optimal Cleanse
This has been billed as the “Lose 10 pounds in 10 days” diet on national television and is endorsed by many A-list celebrities. The craziest thing about this diet is how much it changes people’s lives. It is like boot camp for those that want to become a health nut and make lifelong weight changes. There are shakes involved, but grocery lists, recipes, and meal plans make this program easy to integrate into a new lifestyle. Clinically I have seen this diet significantly reduce cholesterol, lower blood sugar, and go after the fat in those hard-to-get-to places.

The Cabbage Soup Diet
I actually kind of like this diet and I have seen many individuals have pretty good success. Basically you make a cabbage soup, eat as much of it as you can every day, and each new day you add specific foods and only those foods. For example, you have a day with bananas and skimmed milk, and the soup of course. This diet seems to fade in and out of popularity over the years; I have even seen it handed out in cardiovascular clinics across the country. Clients get some weight off and then can migrate to a healthy, well-balanced diet and keep it off.

Master Cleanse
A crazy diet article would not be complete without mention of the master cleanse. Many people also refer to it as the maple syrup or lemon juice diet. It is not at all food-based. You drink approximately 160 ounces daily of lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, salt water, and herbal stool softening teas. This is not typically a diet I endorse, but there is a time and place for most things. A male client had a torn meniscus in his knee and was in significant pain. His insurance company would not approve his knee surgery until he lost 20 lbs. Pain, medical necessity of the surgery, and very limited financial resources motivated us to dust this “crazy” diet off and successfully take it for a spin.

Although this diet has been around for over 50 years, Beyonce brought it into fashion again when she used it to lose a quick 20 lbs while preparing for her roll in the movie “Dream Girls.”

I really try to keep up on fad or “crazy” new diets. Many are merely recycled ideas with a new name and new promises of glory. There is the Chocolate Diet, Apple Cider Vinegar Diet, Russian Air Force Diet (I see this one making a comeback soon), and, believe it or not, there is even a diet where you drink your first morning urine, yuck!

Many of my clients walk through the door having tried one or many crazy diets. I have to tell you that I am truly a purist at heart and I advocate high-quality, nutrient-dense foods that enhance the metabolism and nourish the body. I will also tell you that under the right clinical setting, I have used many crazy diet concepts to jiggle loose a few pounds fast for clients in need!

Haylie Pomroy provides nutritional counseling and wellness consulting for clients who wish to actively enhance their health. She is an accomplished practitioner, speaker, writer, consultant, product developer, and researcher who has been featured several times on national television. Haylie practices in CA and CO and resides in Los Angeles with her two beautiful children. HayliePomroy.com

See Also:

• Note from School: Your Kid’s Fat!
• Hollywood Diet Diaries
• Getting Fat? It’s Your Guy’s Fault!

Haylie Pomroy: My son and I had the unique opportunity to attend an amazing premiere of the movie “Food Inc.” Thursday night in Hollywood. In attendance were the movie stars Michael Pollan, who wrote “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” and Eric Schlosser, author of “Fast Food Nation,” along with many other inspirational Americans. Shot in a documentary format, the film sheds light on the way the American food system works and its impact on Americans’ health.

First, we attended a relatively intimate, celebrity-filled pre-party where my son and I had the opportunity to visit with the creators, producers, and directors of the film. There was such a profound energy of passion given off by these people whose blood, sweat, and tears went into making this film. Then it was off to the theater to watch the movie.

Another genius documentary by Participant Media (which also made “An Inconvenient Truth” and, more recently, “The Soloist”), “Food Inc.” was not only incredibly informative but downright inspirational. The movie is a must-see for anyone who eats! I have to say, though, the highlight of the evening was when my son and I were asked if we could be photographed signing the petition poster to bring healthy foods into America’s schools.

As we were signing, my son leaned over to me and said, “Mom, I feel like I could change the world.” Our children truly are our future. 

Haylie Pomroy provides nutritional counseling and wellness consulting for clients who wish to actively enhance their health. She is an accomplished practitioner, speaker, writer, consultant, product developer, and researcher who has been featured several times on national television. Haylie practices in CA and CO and resides in Los Angeles with her two beautiful children.HayliePomroy.com

East West Essentials Delivers Successful Female Fertility Kit to Hopeful Mothers

LOS ANGELES, July 22, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) — East West Essentials, a leader in optimal fertility supplements, is offering their highly successful Female Fertility Kit online to customers worldwide. The 30-day supplement program, developed by renowned fertility specialist Dr. Jeanne Wilson, Ph.D, L.Ac., is now available through the company website at www.eastwestessentials.com.

In the United States this year, between seven to nine million couples will confront infertility related issues. East West Essentials’ Female Fertility Kit provides women with a safe, natural, high quality supplemental program that achieves real clinical results. It can help women retain reproductive health, create an environment to enhance fertility, reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy and support the growth of healthy babies.

Dr. Wilson’s approach combines proven Eastern and Western medical techniques to enhance a patient’s reproductive health and chance for a healthy baby. With success rates between 60 and 70 percent in her clinics, she has created a supplemental program that supplies specific nutritional assistance that is designed to increase each patient’s ability to conceive.

“I’ve been in practice for a long time, and I take the success of my patients very personally,” said Dr. Wilson. “The East West Essentials’ Female Fertility Kit has been developed for patients that struggle to have a family.”

The Fertility Kit has enjoyed success in the lives of medical professionals as well. “I was introduced to East West supplements by an Ob/Gyn who recommended it for my pregnancy,” said Dr. Shadiar Ohadi, a Family Practitioner from Burbank, California. “I recommend it to my patients quite often because I had such a wonderful experience.”

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Free Seminar - “Ask the Experts” Presented by: Dr. Wilson LAC, Haylie Pomroy WC, Dr. Boostanfar MD and Dr. Feinman MD…
more information

Below are five easy ways to supercharge  your fertility. (As seen on the EXTRA TV show with Haylie Pomroy)

1. Take East West Essentials female fertility kit. The ingredients in this complete comprehensive supplement program are clinically proven to produce results.

2. Take East West Essentials male fertility kit. In the United States, male factor accounts for 50% of couples’ infertility. Enriching the male component, in any case, enhances a couples success. Even though the men take this product, the thank you notes come from the women on the receiving end!

3. For women, lower your exercise program to three to four times per week. Eat 60-90 grams of non-soy based protein per day. Be good to yourself, get rest and relax.

4. Men, hydrate! Drink one half of your body weight in ounces of water per day and an additional eight ounces for every alcoholic beverage consumed.

5. Take the Fertility Fast Track. When you are ready to get pregnant Haylie recommends a 10-14 day intensive nutrition based fertility cleanse to rid the body of toxins, balance the hormones, and create an environment to conceive. Both partners should participate in this protein, vitamin, and mineral packed program to “kick start” their fertility.

This is a practical guide to nutrition for fertility. If you are looking for facts and stats on fertility or citations from peer-reviewed journals, you won’t find them here. This book is written as if you were my client, and I keep the jargon and the fancy talk to a minimum. I answer common questions, give you shopping lists, and include supplementary information where necessary. Ultimately the purpose of this book is to help you take concrete, positive action that will enhance your chances of conceiving.

In short this book will teach you how to unlock the power of nutrition for fertility when you are craving conception.

Haylie Pomroy BS, WC

Written By: Haylie Pomroy BS, WC

Much attention is given to women and their level of nutrition before, during and after pregnancy.  This focus on women making proactive choices to impact their reproductive health is rapidly being be matched by an emphasis on influences on male fertility such as nutrition, lifestyle, and supplementation.

Many studies have shown that fertility is 40% male factor, 40% female factor, and 20% unexplained.  These facts quickly place the importance of male fertility on equal ground.  Many of my male clients are referred to me so that we might attempt to make a change in their sperm count, quality, and motility.  Although sperm is produced 24 hours a day 7 days a week it can take 72-90 days to generate mature sperm.  I like to see men make proactive changes as early on in the game as possible.  Even in men who receive the green light on their semen analysis, there is cause for making healthy, and at times aggressive, changes in their diet and lifestyles in order to conceive. 

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Written By: Dr. Jeanne Wilson 

Chinese Medicine is based on Daoist thought.  And Daoist thought is based on basic observations of nature.  In nature we find two major energy forms - that of Yin and Yang.  We see these forms expressed in electricity (positive and negative charges) in physiology and chemistry (male and female, acid and alkaline, electrons and protons) every facet of our universe is ruled by observable Yin and Yang energetic forces. 

In Chinese Medicine our bodies are a manifestation of the relationship of these two energies. The male energy, (Yang) and the female energy, (Yin) meet when the female egg is fertilized by the male sperm and the female body acts as a transformer to produce a new relationship of yin and yang energy – a “baby” yin/yang relationship!

When we talk about this Yin and Yang of reproductive health, we can say the Yin represents the substantive – blood, tissue and bone and is of the “Earth”. It is first derived genetically from our parents and then maintained and enhance by partaking of the earth through foods.  The yang is the male aspect, and is the functional, active part of the energy and can be describe as the hormonal part of the process and is of “Heaven” and taken in by the breath.  Our role in this reproductive process is that of a free flowing, enriched, well functioning conduit between these fluctuating energies of heaven and earth.  We are literally a conduit BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH.

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