The first time you hang out with a new friend, don't shove anything down their throat...

I understand that getting to know someone can be exciting, nerve-racking and also a bit daunting. I understand that people are naturally curious and that, aside from de/re-constructing something, asking questions feeds that curiosity. What I don't understand is why people feel the need to put their new friend, new neighbor or first date on the spotlight.
When you meet someone new, the command "So tell me about yourself" is akin to shoving the microphone down someone's throat. James Lipton would never ask a question like that so neither should anyone else.When you ask that type of all-encompassing question, what type of answer do you expect? I suppose the first words out of your victim's mouth will indeed give you clues to what they value. Do they talk about where they grew up or where they work? Do they talk about their birth order or their first pet?



Steven Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, addresses the different ways a person defines him or herself. People can be "work centered", "family centered", "money centered" etc. For example, being "work centered", I am what I do. When someone orders me to "tell (me) about yourself", the first words out of my mouth are usually about my job title. Who I am is based on what I do. A case could be made that "Tell me about yourself" is a straight-shot at determining what that person sees when they look in the mirror. Ambushed by that question, they will usually offer information about what they consider crucial information to who they are. 

However, make no mistake, this is not a comfortable conversation. If you REALLY want to get to know someone, start with simple, specific questions. "Where did you go to school?" "How do you like living here?" "Did you grow up having a dog?" These are easy questions to ask and even easier to answer. I highly recommend these types of questions instead of the overarching command for someone to sum up their entire existence in 30 seconds or less. This is no easy task, and not everyone knows what truly defines them. Perhaps the person they want to be is not the person they feel they are. "Tell me about yourself" assumes the person you're asking has a grasp on what attributes define them most.

"What do I stand for? Most nights I don't know..." - Fun.

One more note: When your victim stumbles and tries to turn the interrogation on you, don't give them a 5 second answer then turn the questions back on them. How about you take the spotlight for awhile and elaborate on something the two of you might have in common. If you can find something you two have in common, there's hope for this awkward interrogation to turn into a genuine exchange at least, a pleasant conversation at best. Giving an ambiguous answer then continuing the probe with commands like "Keep going - tell me more" just makes matters worse. When your victim escapes your interrogation, you can bet they will try to avoid hanging out with you again.

5-in-1 weight loss supplement combo IS effective, but thanks to WHICH combo?

This study was published April 2013 in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition:

Eight weeks of supplementation with a multi-ingredient weight loss product enhances body composition, reduces hip and waist girth, and increases energy levels in overweight men and women. Full Article - free access
 
This study was double-blind, placebo-controlled meaning neither the scientists nor the participants knew whether they were getting the real treatment or the fake until after all the data was collected. The patients were obese but otherwise healthy (remember the "thin on the outside, fat on the inside" aka TOFI complex? Yes, you can be overweight and healthy or skinny and unhealthy).

HERE'S THE INTERESTING PART:
The supplement being tested, aka the "multi-ingredient weight loss product" is composed of an interesting combo:

* Raspberry Ketones
* Caffeine
* Capsaicin
* Bitter Orange
* Garlic and Ginger Root Extracts

Here's the label for Prograde Metabo 223X

Click Here for Label Close-Up

Metabo 223X is a weight loss supplement...
Not to be confused with Metabo power tools.










Why is this interesting? 
* Raspberry ketones were made popular by a certain daytime doctor, and there's actually VERY little science behind their effectiveness (unless you count consumption of berries and other fruits and vegetables as being good for your health)


* Caffeine and capsaicin by themselves have been used in weight loss studies and they are both effective at speeding up the metabolism. 
 Capsaicinoids and capsinoids. A potential role for weight management? A systematic review of the evidence


* Bitter Orange might be an effective herbal treatment for weight loss but in a review of weight loss studies involving bitter orange, 2/3rds of the study participants ALSO consumed caffeine. So is bitter orange by itself effective for weight loss? There's not enough evidence to rule one way or another.
A review of the human clinical studies involving Citrus aurantium (bitter orange) extract and its primary protoalkaloid p-synephrine.

* Ginger root extract and garlic extract show promising effects at combating obesity and the metabolic syndrome...IN MICE, RATS AND ISOLATED CELLS.

(Boy, if I had a nickel for everything that showed anti-cancer properties in an isolated cell... I'd have enough nickels to pay the guy that said "If I had a nickel for everything that causes cancer in white lab rats...")





Let's recap: this supplement delivers two ingredients that definitely help with weight loss and three ingredients that might help with weight loss. Is it a surprise the people who took this 5-in-1 combo lost weight? No. 

But wait, there's more...

Safety and Purity: 
I work in the supplement industry - I KNOW there are less-than-trustworthy brands out there, but I'm optimistic about this supplement's compositional purity and safety*.

*Details about the supplement in the published study:
 "Capsules were produced in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) in a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) registered facility. Prior to production, all raw materials were tested for purity and potency. A sample of the lot and batch from the placebo and METABO finished product was tested by an independent third party for label claim and was shown to be within +/- 1% to 4.3% of the actual formulation for the main bioactive ingredients."

Effectiveness:
Every study participant went throught the diet and exercise regime, but the people who got the real pills got real results (as in statistically significant) compared to those who got the dummy pills. In the science world, we'd say, "Yeah, it really works."
 
So what's the catch?
This supplement seems promising. In a well-designed study it gave not just good results, but statistically significant results. This "statistically significant" business is rather elusive in these kinds of scientific studies. That's why scientists have to use the word "may" so much ("ABC may reduce your risk of XYZ"). This study was published in a fairly respectable journal, so that's another good sign. Furthermore, the marketing message for this supplement is well-written by a guy who claims he's a Registered Dietitian (becoming a RD is difficult so I always ask to see a diploma). 
Prograde Nutrition RD knows his stuff! Promo for Metabo 

The catch is this supplement is not magic. It's not the combo of the 5 ingredients, it's the combo of the pills, a calorie-restricted diet and an exercise program*. 

*Exercise Program Details:
 "Subjects performed three, 60-minute exercise sessions per week using a ‘boot camp’ type of training. A typical class consisted of the following format: 10 minute warm-up (i.e. walking, light jogging, or biking); 30 minutes of circuit training (upper and lower body each session) composed of the following exercises: mountain climbers, squat thrusts, jumping jacks, squat kickouts, walking lunges, push-ups, dips, resistance band elbow flexion, extension and shoulder presses; 10 minutes abdominals/core, and 10 minutes cool down/stretching. Based on pilot data monitoring heart rate, this type of training expends approximately 300-400 kcal/session."

Obesity is caused by multiple factors, so it's not surprising it would take multiple strategies to achieve a healthy weight. The trick is to knowing which combination of strategies will work for you.

A Nation in Need of Caffeine

This article for Time Magazine written by Alexandra Sifferlin is extremely well written - check it out:
A Nation In Need of A Pick-Me-Up: Our Need for Caffeine 

3 Noteworthy Points:

Wrigley spokespeople released a statement saying Alert Energy Caffeine Gum is intended for adults aged 25 and older who are looking for foods with caffeine for energy. 
 (but it's not like there are barriers to keep minors from purchasing this gum)


 In November, when news of potential risks for 5-Hour Energy drinks were reported to the FDA, Andrea Giancoli, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told TIME that drinking caffeinated products in moderation likely isn’t a problem, but consuming caffeine in excess is what nutritionists and public health defenders are concerned about.
 (this has been a valid point that is often skipped over in news stories regarding energy drinks)

 

Agency officials are meeting with  companies that are releasing new caffeinated products, and have said that if studies show that energy drinks or any other foods were linked to deaths, they would force the manufacturers to take their products off the market. Until then, it’s up to customers to get educated about the caffeine content in their favorite products, and make educated decisions about how much is enough for them.

(never underestimate the power of an informed consumer)

Kudos to Alexandra Sifferlin for writing such a well-informed and helpful article.

A Nation in Need of A Pick-Me-Up: Our Need for Caffeine: Time Magazine

Putting Caffeine in Gum is A BAD IDEA, here's why...

With new caffeinated foods popping up, the FDA is getting more pressure to reevaluate the safety of caffeine, particularly for adolescents. This is a terrific news story on NutraIngredients-USA.com:

FDA-to-probe-impact-of-caffeine-on-kids-health-following-launch-of-Wrigley-s-Alert-Energy-Caffeine-Gum

Caffeinated jelly beans and gum is not new, but this concept of adding caffeine to anything and everything is a bad idea. Here's why:

1) Adding caffeine to foods that don't normally have caffeine will make it harder, not easier, for people to regulate their caffeine intake.  If you don't believe me, try keeping track of exactly how many grams of sugar you consume in one day. Too much sugar can be just as detrimental to your health as too much caffeine, but like with "too much fiber", you won't really notice you're pushing your body too far until it's too late to do anything about it.


2) Minors are especially vulnerable to caffeine because for them the safe limit of caffeine intake is so low. It's unfortunately common for news anchors to completely neglect any reference to the limits of caffeine intake for minors. The truth is, while registered dieticians and pediatricians in the US have adopted an unrealistic "zero tolerance" standpoint, Health Canada has identified safe limits for kids of all different ages.

Ode to Heath Canada - Caffeine Safety

 Health Canada's limits on safe caffeine intake are as follows:

• For children:
  • Age 12 and under: no more than 2.5 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight
  • Age 4-6: 45 mg
  • Age 7-9: 62.5 mg
  • Age 10-12: 85 mg
• For women of childbearing age: no more than 300 mg caffeine/day.
• For healthy adults: no more than 400 mg caffeine/day.

 Please note that the 400 mg caffeine per day for healthy adults is based off the same comprehensive scientific review that the US used to set their daily maximum.

Effects of Caffeine on Human Health - Comprehensive Review

3) Putting caffeine in your product is just ASKING for FDA attention, not to mention angry letters from concerned parents. Caffeine is such a hot-button issue right now, and for good reason. Yes, of course caffeine is safe when used appropriately, but the easier your product makes it to abuse/over-consume caffeine, the brighter the target on your back.

As reported by Greenberg Traurig attorney Justin Prochnow:

FDA Deputy Commissioner Michael R. Taylor cited Wrigley's new Alert gum, which is making its nationwide debut this week, as the catalyst for studying the potential impact that readily-available sources of caffeine could have on the health of minors.

“The only time that FDA explicitly approved the added use of caffeine in a food was for cola, and that was in the 1950s,” Taylor said. “Today, the environment has changed. Children and adolescents may be exposed to caffeine beyond those foods in which caffeine is naturally found and beyond anything FDA envisioned when it made the determination regarding caffeine in cola.”

Taylor said that the FDA will take “appropriate action” it deems necessary to regulate caffeinated products following the investigation.


BOTTOM LINE: Caffeine is safe in moderation, and for kids and teens "moderation" means "almost no caffeine at all". Putting caffeine in normally caffeine-free foods creates a potentially hazardous situation because it makes it easier for someone to consume more than their body can handle.
(think multi-vitamins that look exactly like gummy bears in a jar without a child-safe lid)