Workout in bed?

As a college student (better known as professional napper) I was quite interested by this article. After all, I did just spend the first half hour of my morning coaxing myself into lacing up my running shoes. Gosh, why do that when you can run in bed?

Unfortunately, the idea for the adjustable bed with treadmill attachment isn't quite made for me. The invention of a surgeon in Nebraska is to help obese patients fit in workout time with little outside assistance.

I wonder how much one of these would cost to place in a college apartment?

Slim down or pay up!

True if you're a state worker in Alabama. The down south government is looking to combat their status as second largest state by charging overweight employees.

Smoking state workers in 'bama are already getting slapped with a monthly fee; now those overweight can expect to shell out $25 per month for otherwise free insurance if they don't slim down by January 2011.

"We are trying to get individuals to become more aware of their health," said state worker Robert Wagstaff, who serves on the insurance board.

E-K. Daufin of Montgomery, a college professor and founder of Love Your Body, Love Yourself, which holds body acceptance workshops, said the new policy will be stressful for people like her.

"I'm big and beautiful and doing my best to keep my stress levels down so I can stay healthy," Daufin said. "That's big, not lazy, not a glutton and certainly not deserving of the pompous, poisonous disrespect served up daily to those of us with more bounce to the ounce."

The program will include health screenings to deem which employees need to pay up. The whole program will cost the state about $1.6 million, will apparently pay off in the long run.

Ashmore said research shows someone with a body mass index of 35 to 39 generates $1,748 more in annual medical expenses than someone with a BMI less than 25, considered normal.

What do you think? Some people are naturally overweight, or become obese due to medial conditions and medication. Is it fair to impede on the choices of employees to save money for the state?

Cigarette ad transformation

Quick post today, but food for thought-

Smoking ads have undergone a massive transformation in the past 50 years. Some current ads are speaking out against cigs and saving tons of money. Far cry from these vintage things, hm?

School blues

Today is my first day back to school. This means a few things- my bank account is dry thanks for over priced books, my workout time undergoes a make over as I figure out a way to get my run in that doesn't require skipping on shut eye and perhaps the most important- pizza and snacking season has arrived.

After hours of boring lectures, coming home to cook isn't always front and center in my mind (usually plopping on the couch in front of VH1 is). Also, my sneaky rewarding system begins. If I can answer yes to any of the following questions- did I ace that test, did I survive a difficult day, did I make it through another week of my least favorite class- I'll pick up a candy bar on campus before the bus ride home. The system does has several flaws that allow me an occasional KitKat for no good reason.

Not everyone may be gearing up with new notebooks and freshly sharpened pencils, but my question is the same- what's your go to meal when you're not even up for boiling water? How about food rewards? Leslie talked about food mood savers today, but what about when you feel you've accomplished something for the day, does that deem a Starbucks run on the ride home?

Hey young girls- come build a bimbo!

Thank goodness, it's the game we've all been waiting for! Pull your nearest 8 year old girl close, you're going to want her to hear about this. "Miss Bimbo" allows its users to create virtual bimbos and take care of them Tamagotchi style. Everything from relationships, buying a new apartment, outfitting your bimbo and even taking her under the virtual knife for implants is included.

The game is attracting very young users and raising lots of eyebrows. Check out the ABC News article about it. Creators say they didn't think about the body issue ramifications the game may have on young girls and health experts and chompin' at the bits over it. In reality, there's little to no way to age protect internet content. Miss Bimbo is definitely not appropriate for the age group it's most popular with; then again, who is it appropriate for? At 21, I could imagine the effects of moving your bimbo up the social ladder with plastic surgery and top line apartments could subconsciously be bothersome to any woman.

What do you think? Where do we draw the line between innocent games and over the time body image spoilers?

Too late to go back now...

I just signed up for my first 5k in about a year. My workouts may have taken a back seat this summer, but I've been trying to get on track, and I think this race will help. I just clicked SUBMIT for the online registration for my local Race for the Cure in September.

Part of exercising and staying healthy is the challenge. When you pass the bag of cookies for a bowl of fruit instead, you're overcoming a challenge, as big or small as that one may be for you. By signing $23 of my hard earned cash to this September race, I'm pledging I will be there and be prepared for the challenge.

I'm not ready yet, but I've got 5 weeks ahead of myself to keep to the challenge and get there.

What's challenged you lately, big or small?

Online doctors and nutrition programs- bust

The fruit juice diet, cutting carbs, only meat. These are a few of the tidbits of advice swarming around the internet for weight loss and diet plans. I was thrilled to finally the media finally raising an eyebrow about it.

The UK based Daily Mail covered the issues behind trendy online nutrition sites. They go as far as to critique several sites (although all UK based, they all sound familiar to US counterparts). Can you really expect to get a health reading without going to the doctor?

My firm belief (as is the view the Daily Mail article expresses) is NO. Even the most detailed sites that ask you to fill out hundreds of questions about family medical history and take into account your physical activity level can miss the mark completely. The only thing I do value from sites like these (detailed ones, at least) is that they ask for family history; which hopefully either brings past family illnesses to the front of your mind or involves you in conversation to discover potential dangers.

Last winter I finally gathered the guts to have an on going digestion issue looked at by a doctor. I had done a mild amount of studying up online, but in the end I realized no Google search was going to pop my CD drive out with a trial period of medication that I needed. What shocked me even more was the changes in Google search I witnessed.

Try typing in any medical condition, from headaches, to bladder control, a new feature pops up. Near the top of your search, Google categorizes information based on treatments, symptoms, cures, diagnosis, causes and more. All the sudden with one key phrase, Dr. Google can point you're naive mind in a potentially dangerous direction.

If you're looking for a diagnosis for illness, what may be lacking from your current lifestyle, or any type of medial assistance, SEE A DOCTOR. The interaction alone cannot be matched by a general online survey which will be immediately scored by a computer system and shot back to you. The human body is not a square peg that always fits into the same square hole.

Breast cancer hits Hollywood

Just to stir up the pot o' controversy a little, I believe this is all the proof needed to back up my thoughts on Friday's post.

Happy birthday to ASA!

Whoa nelly! Caught up in all the drama of moving back to school and working two too many jobs this summer, I just about missed A Sizable Apple's first birthday!

Yes girls, you've been getting all the greatest women's health news via email for 12 months now. (Wait... you're not? Check the right side of the page below the Mich Fit logo and add your address!!)

It's been a whirlwind of a year at ASA. I started off a newly declared journalism major trying my hand at the blogging world.

Thanks to blogging here, more doors have creaked open than I ever thought imaginable. I've had moments of updating daily in stride and reaching all time highs in daily page views that kept me writing strong. I've also hit the blogging bottom as I took a few weeks off to handle the regularly paying gigs and watched my readership fall to such low figures (basically family members and close friends).

Well ladies, it's been a great year, even with the highs and lows, and I look forward to another year blogging at ASA. Pass on your favorite women's health site (ahem, this one! :) ) to your sisters, daughters, mother, aunts and friends of all ages!

As always, if you have questions, concerns, ideas or feedback of any sort, I'd LOVE to hear from you at asizableapple@gmail.com. Let me know about your small or large fitness accomplishments or send me your fitness and nutrition questions I can run by ASA contributing experts! Thank you to all my loyal readers who have stuck by through the best and worst ASA days, and who keep coming back for more, and WELCOME to new readers; know you've found your new favorite site. :)

Quit self breast exams?

Ladies, lay off the ladies!


Tapping into the base of my women's health (from an overweight gray haired woman) in middle school, I can't believe I'm hearing this! The old standby statement was check on your own for first signs of any problems.

A recent MSNBC health article is saying otherwise. Specialists in the article claim self exams cause more worry than necessary.

What’s more, Thomas says BSEs (beneficial effect of screening) can be problematic because the lumps and bumps women do report often turn out to be benign.

“The price you pay for doing more thorough breast exams is you’re going to find more benign lesions and that will result in unnecessary surgical procedures,” he says.

We've all got a hidden hypochondriac in us, though. What do you think? Reading the article makes sense, but would you take the risk of passing over something unsure? One breast cancer survivor quoted in the article said she had found every cancerous lump through self exams, while another woman quoted found numerous benign tumors which led to several unnecessary surgeries.

What the article didn't cover is how to know the difference between lumpy fatty tissue and cancerous trouble. Until that guide comes out, you can bet ladies will continue running to the doctor whenever something suspicious pops up. Wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry?

Ad whitening and gym rage

More proof L'Oreal ad reps are whitening crazy? Mica Paris, an African American writer for UK's Daily Mail gives her two cents on the topic. What do you think about the Diana Ross and Eva Longoria transformations?

Has all in the world of the cardio jungle and budging triceps cooled down after this incident? Apparently not, because workout fanatics are at it again. Check yourself against the 'gym rage' described in this article.

Cullen Jones in the 4x100 relay

You caught this, right?



An amazing race, especially considering where third leg swimmer, Cullen Jones was almost 20 years ago. As a 5 year old, the only African American swimmer on the US Olympic team, almost drown at a Pennsylvania amusements park.

Jones almost added to the statistic he now is on a public mission to fight. A recent New York Times article looked at the race divider in the pool.

But the most worrisome statistics involve black children and teens ages 5 to 19, who are 2.3 times more likely to drown than whites in this age group. For children 10 to 14, the rate is five times higher.

Nearly 6 out of 10 African-American and Hispanic children are unable to swim, nearly twice as many as their Caucasian counterparts.

Why is there such a drastic racial difference when it comes to water safety? The issue is addressed in a Wall Street Journal article profiling Cullen Jones and his unusual choice of sport.

...Mr. Jones will provide the African-American community with a champion swimmer it can hold up as a symbol of the absurdity of old biases about blacks and swimming. Anthony Ervin's gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle race in Sydney didn't resonate in that way; he is one-quarter African-American.

The outdated stereotype remains powerful. Mr. Jones said members of his own family still ask him why he chose the sport.

"They'll say, 'Don't you know blacks don't swim?'" Mr. Jones says.

This New York Times article looks at reasons why African Americans are less likely to be involved in water sports than other races. Segregation at public beaches and pools in the 1950's played into the current stereotype that Cullen's family still plays into.

Why does race play a role at all in athletics? It's apparent outside the pool as well. Table tennis, track and field and swimming are a few sports that carry stereotypical ideas of participants. What do you think? Is the NYT article's reasons for lack of African Americans in swimming true?

LA to jump on board with calorie tattle tail

Sounds like folks on the west coast don't want to be passed up by skinny competition in the Big Apple.

In late July, I posted on the new law in New York forcing restaurants to come clean about their calories. Los Angeles is considering following suit with their proposed food fine.

The topic is still generating mixed reviews; let me down my donut in peace! although mostly from the restaurant owners themselves. Seems to me this is just the slap in the belly our fast pace society needs to get on board with healthy living.

As a college student, aka master-snacker, I can relate. Nothing erks me more than realizing I'm stuck on campus all day without a meal card. When you're hungry and on the go, you're at the mercy of whatever fast food chain or convenience store meets your grumbling stomach quicker.

If you're looking to keep in shape, you can forget about these options, as even the healthiest usually packs a mean gut growing punch. New York has the right idea forcing these shops to own up to the damage they're doing to our bodies. Once LA follows suit, we can only hope the same law finds its way to our own backyard breakfast bakeries.

Just as a note, love the last quote on the article I linked to above. California Restaurant Association spokes person Daniel Conway says to solve the problem, we need to teach people about basic nutrition. Kudos sir, and I agree until you hide 200 extra calories in a blueberry muffin which looks damn good next to the double chocolate chip scone. He finishes off by adding-

"We recognize our customers do want this information, but most of the customers don't want this information forced on them every time."

Mr. Conway has obviously never met a 30 year old woman still trying to loose an extra 5 pounds in the week before her wedding.

Going pale?

You can catch America's favorite bootylicious babe celebrated in glamourous magazines. Beyonce Knowles has got a voice to die for, a rockin' body and a studly hubby to boot; so what's there to alter?

According to some, nothing a little brightening on a computer can't fix. A L'Oréal hair highlighting advertisement in Elle Magazine is being scrutinized for its less than accurate portrayal of the diva B.

The photos, which I've yet to see in the magazine, but only on online coverage of the story, speak for themselves. The change in lighting is obvious from the ad on the left to a regular photo of Miss B on the right.

Beyonce is a celebrated figure and embraced for her stunning looks. What L'Oréal felt they had to gain by brightening your skin color is beyond me.

Our views of beauty continue to be distorted as the media resorts to fake computer alterations. The hair highlighting product Beyonce signed the L'Oréal ad deal with is obviously being pushed and then some. The hair highlighting product is obvious in Beyonce's straight, long, unnatural looking hair.

My guess is that to push the change in hair color among consumers while keeping Beyonce's sex appeal, her skin was altered. Beauty products are pushed to the public as ways to physically transform yourself and mask flaws.

Beauty ads continue to push the envelope by altering past the product and selling consumers sometimes not so blatant portrayals of "new beauty".

What do you think? Why did L'Oréal deem altering Beyonce's skin a necessary step for their advertisement? What should be the result of this measure?

Back to blogging!

I'mmmm backkkk!

It has been a very VERY busy summer on my end, by I've finally wrapped up all the work I've been committed to this summer, and back to A Sizable Apple to continue the quest to bring all the greatest health and fitness buzz your way!

Starting Monday I'll be back full time to ASA. If you just can't quite wait that long, check out my MLive blog (where I usually cover women's health for Michiganders) for loads of posts regarding the Olympics during the month of August!

What have you been up to while I've been MIA? Fill me in on your workout progress, goals and accomplishments!