By, Alan Jackson, Director of Discovery Learning and Weight Management Centre

I wanted to share my experiences of writing this course with others and in particular weight management students and practitioners. I hope that it is both helpful and interesting for students to understand the process of developing a new training course; after all without the student this organisation is nothing.  Developing this course has been perhaps the most interesting, challenging and technically complex piece of work that I have ever undertaken and has been an enormous learning experience for me.  I consider myself still to be a student of weight and obesity management and I don’t expect this to change whilst I continue to work in this arena.

The subject of obesity is enormous and the large amount of established data alongside the vast emerging new information at times has seemed overwhelming.  Deciphering all of this information, putting it into the context of current scientific opinion and then converting it into manageable and usable information for the weight management practitioner, has been and remains an absolute mission for me and the many other superb researchers and practitioners that have worked on the development of this course with me – I salute them all.

In terms of the rapidly emerging data, some of the animal models are providing perhaps the most intriguing insights into the biology of the adipocyte and its function and interaction with the brain, central nervous system and other tissues.  Glimpses into the development of obesity in the very early programming years (first few weeks of life) also offer very real opportunities for human behavioural intervention into the obesity epidemic.  The whole social, economic, cultural, political, environmental matrix presents an enormous challenge to society – where to we want to go with this, and how far are we prepared to change the landscape?

I continue to wait with baited breath as Obesity Reviews and International Journal of Obesity drop through the door with the latest collection of reviews and journals, and consider how this month’s offerings will impact what has been previously written and hypothesized. Invariably it leads to alterations, additions, amendments, updates and sometimes a complete review of a previously established understanding. There are still some huge questions to be answered and it is this that keeps me burning the midnight oil and as interested now as 10 years ago when I set up Weight Management Centre Ltd.

I suppose this represents the ‘living’ nature of this course and in particular the student reference manual.  It is exciting to work on something so dynamic, and researching, writing and delivering this course has often felt like a race – often a sprint, always a marathon.  It really is a work in progress and it absolutely must remain this way if it is to be relevant to the student and weight management practitioner.  The most enjoyable aspect of putting this course together by far has been converting all of the experiences and interactions gained into bite sized manageable learning packages.  For myself and the other weight management practitioners that work with me on delivering obesity and weight management programmes to thousands of adults and children I know that I speak for the entire team when I say that there is nothing more rewarding that to receive a Xmas card from a family who will forever be in your debt because of the difference that your work has made to their lives.

This piece of work represents a ten year labour of love and the more I have learned, the more I appreciate how little I know; and how little is known about this fascinating and absorbing subject.  I hope that this piece will stimulate a similar hunger in you to join me on this exploration into the relative unknown and that together we can help to ameliorate the terrible burden that obesity is placing upon our communities and most significantly on our children.

I hope that more than anything this course represents a small opportunity for turning back the obesity epidemic in the UK, and that perhaps you will become one of the foot soldiers in this monumental battle. Above all else, keep looking, keep learning and keep asking why – because knowledge matters!

By, Martina Spencer, Discovery Learning Assessor

Recently, I came across really interesting book. Ok, I had to steal it from Alan’s (our director) desk but it was definitely worth the trouble!!

The book is called Mindless Eating and it’s so addictive, I finished the book within 5 days. I wasn’t planning to sneak around Alan’s desk and steal his precious book, but the headline caught my eye and I was hooked. The cover of the book said: you make more than 200 food related decisions today – 90% of which you won’t even be aware of.

Coming from fitness industry, I am quite clued up about Nutrition and Weight Management and I know what to eat. What I wasn’t aware is psychology of eating!

This brilliant book explains all the tricks the food industry is trying to trap us into buying more and eating more. Who knew that so many cues – container size, placement and even type of people we are dining with are all it takes to get us to eat more than we need or should.

I couldn’t stop laughing at the stories and case studies – I totally see myself in all those situations

This book will show you why you may not realize how much you are eating, what you’re eating or why you’re even eating at all. It also explains how we get tricked by supermarkets (special offers – 3 for 2 or buy one get one free) restaurants (I was amazed how we get influenced by lighting, mood, music and also choice of menu)

If you’re counseling your clients about their Nutrition and Weight Management, then I would suggest telling them about this book so they can get clued up of all the traps now and not give in to temptation!

By, Alan Jackson, Course Director of Discovery Learning and Weight Management Centre

A recent article on Times Online http://bit.ly/14g9li looked at the relationship between exercise and obesity and suggested that the exercise element was not that important. I suggest you read this and then read the article online and make your own judgement.

Perhaps this article isn’t as skewed as it would first appear. The author rightly points out the enormous health benefits of regular moderate intensity physical activity (even in the absence of weight loss).  The morgues are full of lean people who died of coronary artery disease because they took no exercise.   The article also rightly acknowledges that the best predictor of maintenance of weight lost is an increase in physical activity, a feature of exercise that is well documented.  I would also tend agree with the inference of the article that the calorie value of exercise in terms of long term weight management is probably not that relevant, and in fact for obese people the American College of Sports Medicine (a leading authority on obesity and exercise) concur that for obese people it is not at all relevant.

A major omission however is the psychological impact that an increase in levels of exercise has on an individual, and its subsequent impact on lifestyle choices.  These changes are driven by biological adaptations alongside changes in brain chemistry, and there is some evidence that exercise has a positive impact on energy regulatory systems and appetite control.  Is the inverse relationship with physical activity and BMI related to the calories burned or is it the more highly tuned appetite and energy regulatory systems that these people develop – the answer is not known!

The general sense of wellbeing, high self esteem and increase in self efficacy brought about by exercise are powerful drivers of judgement, and I believe are far more effective in managing weight than the actual calorie value of the workout.  If you feel good about yourself, you make better decisions in all aspects of your life, if you feel lousy about yourself, you make poor choices.

This brings me onto the flip side of the coin.  I live in London, perhaps one of the most obesogenic environments in the world, where continuous and increasing pressures bear down on the population that make the unhealthy choice the easy choice at every turn. On top of this we know that there is a genetic susceptibility to weight gain for some people, a powerful fragment of evolutionary insurance that offers the “thrifty genotype” a better chance of surviving a famine – they use less energy and need less food to gather body fat than say an ectomorph (the traditional skinny person that can apparently eat plenty and not gain weight).

And finally, I am fairly convinced that the underpinning element of the obesity epidemic (wow this is a big call) is a consistent increase in the energy density and palatability of our food over the past 30 years.  Food processing means that food is now cheaper, more calorie dense and tastes better than ever before, it’s also ubiquitous. In the face of 500kcal snacks, that are being consumed in vast quantities, alongside a society that is habitually persuaded to be sedentary, population obesity is inevitable.

The obesity debate is at the early stages and we are far from any real conclusions, it’s a massive subject.  If anyone is really interested in learning more, you could do a lot worse than enrol on a Level 4 Obesity Management Course.

My advice for what it is worth is to take regular daily exercise at a moderate intensity level for at least 30 minutes, and try to eat more fresh food.

By, Alan Jackson, Weight Management Practitioner and Director of Weight Management Centre and Discovery Learning

So here I am, with fifteen or so parents in this small room, all of their children are overweight or obese (mainly obese) and most, if not all, of the parents are likewise. I can tell by their belligerent stares and negative body language that they will be a tough crowd.  I’m there to put it to them that the reason that their children are overweight is due mainly to the job that they are doing as parents.  Their children’s weight won’t reduce just because the wind changes and, as the saying goes: ‘If you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always got!’

I cast an eye around the room and pick out the ones that I know are spoiling for a fight. The mum with the unruly four year old that has not stopped whinging and carrying on since we arrived is a dead cert.  I can read their minds: “Look at old lanky, here no doubt to bring me another pious lecture about how to bring up my kids. Probably some health & fitness freak with a cabbage obsession, living in a mews house in Kensington.  Well I’ll let him know what being a single mum bringing up three kids on a council estate in Mitcham teaches you, and that is that you get your revenge in first!”

Feebly and with breathtaking insincerity I introduce myself; I know now for sure they can see straight through it.  These guys are street wise, they are first class honours graduates of the University of Hard Knocks; I don’t stand a chance!  The silence is deafening, it lasts forever; meanwhile, their stares turn to scowls.  Just as I contemplate feigning a seizure, the silence is shattered by the crashing of a flinging door.  In blusters the obligatory late comer, complete with flailing umbrella and soaking coat.  Cursing the traffic, and furious at the inconvenience of being dragged along to another pointless nanny state social project.  Her entrance further agitates the by now palpably hostile audience.

It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it I tell myself!

As usual it’s all in my head, and of course they are a great bunch of people, mums and dads just like anyone else, trying to make headway against a strong opposing tide.  We have a laugh, get acquainted and each of them talks about their experiences and the challenges that they face. We share ideas and exchange snippets on how to outsmart the kids, how to draw upon our knowledge and resolve when the going gets tough, and hopefully how to make a few better choices for ourselves on route.

As always they come up with great solutions to the recurring themes, and realise that they are not alone in their struggle to rear healthy weight children in modern Britain.  I too as always learn a few more tips from them for the next programme.  Following a really productive 30 minutes, everyone is really motivated and I can feel their renewed enthusiasm for tackling the many challenges that they face.

We move next door to where the fitness team is working with the children.  As always I am genuinely moved to see these young children, who despite in some cases their severe obesity, exude the vitality and exuberance that is innate in every child.  The children and the staff inspire me; together they remind me why I love this job so much.

By, Louise Court, Discovery Learning Tutor

In 2005 I decided to enter a bodybuilding competition.  For many years I had been training hard in the gym lifting weights.  For a woman, I was lifting quite good weights (bench pressing 65kg, deadlifting 80kg, squatting 85kg and pushing oult 6-8 reps on these exercises).  Someone suggested I should enter a competition.  I went and saw a competitive bodybuilder who had been Mr Great Britain, and he was also a judge.   He gave me advice and sorted out my diet plan.

I had six weeks to diet down and get in shape for the competition.  Most competitors take at least 12 weeks to diet, if not more.  I had the muscle, just had to decrease my body fat percentage.  I think I was about 20 -21% body fat when I started the diet.  At this stage I had told all my friends about the competition and they had bought tickets to the show, so there was no turning back.  I had a very short period time to cut down (get lean), but I was committed and stuck to the diet.

The diet was very strict, cooked egg whites, tuna, turkey, lots of vegetables and before I did weight training I had a small jacket potato with my protein.  I was having 5-6 small meals a day with high protein and vegetables for my carbs.  At the start, the diet was very easy because I had the fat reserve to keep me going, when that went it was tough!  My target every day was to burn 1000kcal (through weight training and cardio), and eat a strict diet.

All my hard training and focus had paid off; I managed to drop my body fat to 14%.  I won the Southern Championships for the Miss Physique class.

I was invited to the Great Britain finals.  I had 6 weeks to train hard, and that I did.  I was working as a freelance personal trainer and aerobics instructor at the time.  It was very hard to work as I had no energy, motivating my clients was a big struggle.

When you compete you have to be 100% focused, otherwise you will not do well.  This means family, friends and relationships are sacrificed.  No Sunday roasts, BBQ on the beach, drinking alcohol, movie with popcorn or chocolates and no takeaways.  My focus was only on training and preparing my food.

I got in very good shape for the Great Britain Championships and got down to 9% bodyfat, which is extremely low for a woman.   I did very well for my first national competition; I did not win but was in very good shape and gave the other competitors a run for their money!

I loved being on stage showing off, doing my routines and I had lots of fun.  But the diet was harsh and I would not recommend anyone doing it, as I lacked energy and became very weak.

After the competitions I got my health back on track, I had a healthy body fat % and my personal training business soared.  I don’t suggest you doing a bodybuilding competition, but training for an event or sport will inspire people, and that will increase your personal training clientele base.

Stuart, one of the tutors from Discovery is training for a bodybuilding competition.  So watch this space…

By, Natalie Randell, Nutritionist

From personal experience and backed by scientific research, I truly believe that being fully hydrated before and during exercise has the greatest positive influence on peak performance.

As a regular middle distance runner I can identify my personal signs of dehydration and often feel tired with heavy legs when running in this state. Therefore, I aim to drink the recommended 2 litres of water every day…this is harder than it sounds and some days I don’t even manage 1 litre! I put this down to the feeling of fullness that I experience with this volume of liquid but this could very well be an individual effect and not the case for everyone. When combining your dehydration tactics with the training it is important to not overcompensate and carry too much water.  Therefore, understanding the importance of being hydrated before exercise encourages me to drink through this feeling of fullness so that I can achieve peak performance in my predominantly evening exercise sessions.

Here’s the science bit:

A 2% drop in body weight water loss will affect your ability to exercise, and your maximal aerobic capacity will fall by 10-20% causing your performance to deteriorate (Bean, 2006). This is even more apparent if you are dehydrated prior to exercise which can lead to further dehydration if no additional fluid is drunk during exercise. At a 5% loss your aerobic capacity will decrease by 30%, while an 8% drop will cause dizziness, weakness and confusion (Bean, 2006).

Part two will look at how much fluid is recommended during and after exercise based on the duration and intensity of the exercise carried out so watch this space for more information.