It's just about that time...New Year's Resolution time! Many resolutions revolve around diet and exercise, and rightly so. The end of every year brings with it a plethora of holiday treats, parties and alcohol, and steals away your extra time for exercise. This year, why not skip the holiday weight gain and get a jump on a healthful resolution by changing one small habit: the time you exercise?

Researchers in Belgium recently published the results of a study in which they showed that exercising in the morning, before breakfast, prevented weight gain among the participants. Healthy male volunteers ages 18-25 years old, consumed a high-fat diet that contained about 30% more calories than the men needed to maintain their weight. The group was then divided into three smaller groups. One small group did not exercise at all. The second group exercised intensely and ate a carbohydrate-rich breakfast before and during their workout. The third group exercised intensely but did not eat anything before or during their workout; they exercised in a fasting state. The researchers found, that at the end of six weeks, the men who did not exercise at all had gained six pounds and had developed an increased risk of developing diabetes. The men who exercised and had the carbohydrate-rich breakfast gained about three pounds and developed an increased risk of developing diabetes. But the men who exercised while fasting, gained no weight and did not have any markers of increased diabetes risk!

Bottom Line: While this information may be useful in planning your exercise strategy, take these results with a grain of salt. The participants in this study were a select few; only 28 already healthy 18-25 year old men. That said, any exercise is better than no exercise, so if the early morning routine doesn't fit your lifestyle, just find another time to move. Exercise not only helps you maintain your weight, but it can also help boost your immunity, brain power and cardiovascular health no matter what time of day.

For some children, going to McDonald's is a treat; fried food and a toy equals fun! However, for many children, going to McDonald's is just another Tuesday; they end up eating there (or somewhere similar) nightly. This over-consumption of fast food, among other factors like inactivity, are a big reason that so many American children are overweight.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer advocacy group, has decided to do something about the ubiquitous Happy Meal; they are suing California McDonald's over the toy that comes in all Happy Meals. CSPI claims that under California's consumer protection laws, McDonald's toy advertising is deceptive. It targets children under 8 years old who don't have the ability to understand advertising. They are asking McDonald's to remove the toy. While this lawsuit may not even make it to court, CSPI is accomplishing the goal of raising awareness and making a strong statement about protecting children's health from the powerful forces of advertising.

Source: www.npr.org