Research conducted at Loyola University Chicago suggests that people who have overweight friends tend to have difficulty dropping fat. Likewise, the study also found that those who have thin friends tend to maintain slimmer figures.

What it Means

In conducting their study, researchers looked at groups of high school students throughout suburban Chicago neighborhoods. Ultimately, they found that thinner students tended to have thinner friends and vice versa.

The researchers were quick to suggest their findings indicate that social pressure aids in dropping fat; however, according to our in-house health and fitness expert, the study is likely a result of something else.

“The study isn’t really all that interesting, when you consider the common sense reality of adolescence,” said health and fitness expert, Paul A. Achoa. “In my opinion, the researchers falsely attribute their results to social pressure. For instance, the lead researcher suggests that the study proves that friends can help friends lose weight. While this may be somewhat true, the reality is that high school students are prone to associating with like individuals. In other words, thin, popular students have no desire to associate with overweight students.”

Do You Need a Friend?

While Achoa doesn’t discount the value of working out with a friend, he believes weight loss is usually an individual goal.

“It’s a fine idea to think that you and a close friend will lose weight together,” he said. “In a perfect world, you would help push each other, with one motivating the other in times of weakness. Unfortunately, what is more likely to happen is that one will either quit or cheat, and the other will follow suit.”

Achoa says dropping fat is about making individual long-term lifestyle changes that promote a trimmer figure.

“If you want to look and feel better, you have to make your own choices,” he said. “In the end, you are going to be alone the majority of the day and night, and this is when temptation is going to hit. The vast majority of weight loss happens when no one is looking; so relying on a friend to help see you through isn’t really all that practical.”

For years, weight loss centered on simple math: if you burned more calories than you ate, you would inevitably shed unwanted fat. While this basic principle may still be true, recent studies have demonstrated that getting and keeping a lean body could be more complicated than once thought. Most of these studies focus on how certain foods affect the body’s metabolism. Now research suggests even zero-calorie diet soda may prevent weight loss for this reason.

Diet Soda Prevents Weight Loss: Study

According to a research paper published in Obesity Reviews, scientists believe that artificial sweeteners may prompt gut flora to adapt in unhealthy ways which promote weight gain. The study found that this adaptation could cause the body’s metabolism to slow down, which may lead it to burn fewer calories. Additionally, a slower metabolism can lead to unexplained fatigue and an increased appetite, all of which tend to promote weight gain.

This latest study is especially interesting, especially since past studies have also found that probiotics may have the ability to enhance stomach fat loss by balancing the body’s natural gut flora.

Healthy Weight Loss Takes Time

This latest study is just another in a long line proving there’s no shortcut to weight loss. Although sugar substitutes may drastically reduce the amount of calories a dieter consumes on any given day, research suggests they still promote weight gain by slowing the body’s metabolism.

If you want to successfully lose unwanted fat and keep it off, you should focus on eating healthy natural foods that speed the metabolism, while providing plenty of energy to help fuel exercise. This includes lots of lean meats, fibrous vegetables and whole grains, as well as foods rich in healthy omega fatty acids. In the end, because diet soda has shown a propensity to prevent weight loss, dieters are likely to see much better results when they stick to drinking boring old water.

Human chorionic gonadotropin has become a popular topic in the dieting community, thanks to aggressive Internet marketing, which has targeted overweight men and women who are desperate to drop unwanted fat. If you’ve been considering HCG injections for weight loss, learn what some reputable experts are saying.

FTC Warns Against HCG Injections

Recently, the Federal Trade Commission warned consumers against using human chorionic gonadotropin as a weight-loss supplement. According to the federal agency, the hormone has only been approved for very specific medical uses and won’t help dieters drop unwanted fat. Additionally, the FTC warns that using human chorionic gonadotropin could potentially lead to health problems. Recently, I participated in an interview detailing HCG diet dangers and side-effects, which explains why the FTC is unable to successfully regulate companies who market the hormone as a diet drug. I encourage you to read this piece before considering this type of weight-loss strategy.

Oprah Winfrey’s Doctor Speaks Out

Many experts have warned dieters against using drugs or supplements that target hormones; however, recently, one notable doctor gained attention by publicizing his concerns on Oprah Winfrey’s website. In a Q&A piece, David L. Katz, MD told fans of the show that he is firmly against the use of HCG injections for weight loss.

According to Katz, no study has demonstrated that the hormone has any effect on fat loss. What’s more, he warns that, because human chorionic gonadotropin stimulates the ovaries, it has the potential to cause hormonal imbalances in females, which could lead to the development of ovarian cysts.

What Dieters Should Know

Unfortunately, because the FTC’s power and budget is limited, it doesn’t have the ability to stop companies from promoting HCG injections for weight loss. Instead, it has engaged in a campaign to educate consumers about the potential risks associated with the hormone. If you are thinking about purchasing HCG drops or injections, review the following video from the FTC to get a better understanding of the risks associated with drugs that affect the body’s hormones.