Skinny Models Get Rejected

Models that are too skinny to be healthy are being banned from next week's prestigious fashion show in Spain. Being too skinny to qualify for this show is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.

The government in Madrid has decided to take the lead in breaking the dangerous cycle of excessively skinny models being role models for young girls who then go on to starve themselves and endanger their health.

About a third of the models who took part in this fashion show last year were rejected this year because their BMI was less than 18.

As an example, if a model is 5'9", she would be banned from working at this show if she weighed less than 122 pounds.

The fashion show organizers say they want to "help ensure public opinion does not associate fashion, and fashion shows in particular, with an increase in anorexia, a disease which, along with bulimia, is considered ... as a mental and behavioral problem".

Pound to Kilogram Calculator

I've added this handy pound to kilogram (and kilograms to pounds) converter on the sidebar of this site.

It would be much simpler for all of us if the whole world converted to kilograms, but for now I don't think in kilos, can't visualize them and always have to convert kilo weights into pounds.

The photo here is 'Parmesan cheese by the kilo'. It's taken by Jyri.

Check out the instant calculator on the sidebar below.

A Virtual Model for Weight Loss

I've just added this virtual model to my sidebar. It's based on your body mass index (BMI) which is a function of your height and weight. Given your height, what you see at different weights is what you might look like at different body mass index (BMI) ranges. It's fun to see and quite motivating.

To see how overweight I was and how I could look if I ever reached my goal weight, scroll over the 'start' and 'goal' buttons' you see on the right.

Celebrity Makeovers have just released this virtual model and I'm guessing it could be a popular weight loss tool for people to add to their personal sites.

Sardines are a rich source of Omega 3's

It's harder to eat less when the food you eat leaves you nutritionally starved or even somewhat deficient.

This is a key premise of a new book, The Sardine Diet. Here we learn that sardines are one of the richest sources of Omega-3 essential fatty acids.

Most people are not eating enough Omega-3 and this type of fat is far more important in fighting obesity and even depression than many people realize.

We are getting depressed and fat partly because the Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acid ratio in our diet is so out of whack. The typical person consumes thirty units of Omega 6 for every one unit of Omega 3. But the healthy ratio is four to one.

Many people know that the highest sources of Omega 3 are in salmon and flaxseed. But sardines actually have almost twice as much omega 3 as salmon per ounce. And they can be a lot cheaper and easier to eat on a regular basis.

My cupboard is stocked with sardine tins. Now I just have to get into the habit of eating them.

Examining those Pesky Vices

Julia Harvey (pictured here) used to be a 290 pound single mother. She went on to lose 130 pounds and has kept the weight off for over ten years.

She's just published her second book, The Vice-Busting Diet: A 12-Week Plan to Break Your Worst Food Habits and Change Your Life Foreverand it promises to be an interesting read.

Instead of prescribing a rigid diet with only certain foods, she discusses how it's more effective in losing weight in the long run to examine our vices and let go of these. For example, a very common vice for people is soda or soft drinks. Some people drink three or more liters a day. It is quite easy to lose weight if one can only drop a vice such as this. Other common 'vices' are fast food and television.

Her book focuses on a 12-week plan for eradicating your vices. It also includes an exercise plan and a nutritious recipes section.

The World's Fattest Man

The world's fattest man weighs 1,210 pounds. Manuel Uribe, 40, says, "People think that I can eat a whole cow, but it's not just overeating, it's also a hormonal problem."

Uribe is scheduled to have weight-loss surgery in Italy soon. He's been bedridden for the past five years. The english version of his website is at Manuel Uribe. He updates it with his laptop while lying in his iron bed.

A Super Fit Body

Here's some visual motivation to help me stick to my fitness and weight loss goals over this Labor Day long weekend:-).

The photo is titled "Material Girl" and was taken by Ryagalesie.