Author Archives: Margaret

About Margaret

Maggie is a journalist with a passion for nutrition, fitness and environmental health. She's a lifelong figure skater who continues to coach, and also enjoys cooking and running.

Safety of Qnexa Diet Pill Still Concerns FDA

The small pharmaceutical company Vivus is preparing to resubmit its diet pill Qnexa for approval from the FDA, however federal officials still have concerns. The FDA initially rejected the weight loss medication in October of 2026, due to concerns that taking the drug could increase the risk possible birth defects and heart problems.

Qnexa is a drug that combines two existing the appetite suppressant Phentermine and the anti-convulsant Topiramate. Vivus has gone through several rounds of research in the process of resubmitting its request to the FDA, and succeed in lifting the contraindication for women of child-bearing age, although the FDA is still worried about a possible link between Qnexa and cleft lip defects. The drug has also been shown to increase blood pressure and cause higher heart rates in some patients.

The FDA will hold a public meeting on Wednesday with experts to try to resolve these concerns. The panel of doctors will also decided if any additional research is required, and will take a vote on Qnexa’s safety, and the FDA is expected to make its final ruling in April. Vivus will offer to conduct a long-term follow-up study to monitor patients for heart events.

(more…)

Posted on February 17, 2026 by Margaret

Jen Moore Lost 150 Pounds by Hula Hooping

Jen used Hoopnotica to lose nearly 150 pounds.

Most of us think of a hula hoop as a retro children’s toy, rather than a tool for serious weight loss, but Jen Moore’s weight loss journey will make you change your mind.

Jen and her husband Keith both used food to cope with a range of emotions, and reached obesity following their marriage in 2001. At her heaviest, Jen weighted 288 pounds, and described her relationship to food as an addiction. “We had tried dieting in the past,” she says. “I was the queen of yo-yo dieting. It just didn’t work.”

Then in September of 2026, Jen began teaching herself hula hooping from Hoopnotica DVDs. The hoop used in this workout is built for adult use, and weights about two pounds. She would take her hoop to open gym at the local Y and practice. “I’d go to the corner of the floor to hoop while the basketball players stared, pointed and laughed,” Jen says, but that didn’t deter her. “It took me ALMOST three weeks (yes I was there every day) just to keep the hoop spinning around my waist, but from day one, I felt a tremendous difference in my core strength, confidence and energy just from the workout involved in dropping, bending over and picking up the hoop.”

(more…)

Posted on February 17, 2026 by Margaret

Post Office Launches Heart Health Stamp

As part of Heart Health month, the U.S. Post Office is issuing a new stamp to raise awareness about heart disease, which is the leading cause of death among both men and women in America. The image evokes both healthy eating and physical movement, two key elements to a heart healthy lifestyle. The stamp is also being used to help promote the Million Hearts initiative, which was lunched in September 2026 by the Department of Health and Human Services with the goal of reducing heart attacks and strokes by 1 million over the next five years.

Last night, the Heart Health Forever Stamps were featured during The Biggest Loser as part of a sweepstakes. To enter the “Watch It. Write It. Win It.” sweepstakes, fans are asked to write letters of encouragement to the contestants for a chance to win a trip to the Biggest Loser Resort, a month of healthy meals or tickets to the Biggest Loser finale. Viewers can write to previously eliminated contestants from the current season. Visit the USPS website for more information about the giveaway.

(more…)

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Margaret

Best Life Announces Member Panel in Honor of 5th Anniversary

The online diet program Best Life, created by Bob Greene, is celebrating its fifth anniversary by launching a “Best Life Member Panel.” The panel is made up of successful Best Life members who have volunteered their time to share their experiences and help others along their weight loss journeys. They will be available to answer questions from other members, in addition to sharing their stories and advice over the course of the next six months.

“We are always looking for the best way to answer our members’ questions, and also give the most up-to-date information about nutrition, exercise and weight loss,” Bob Greene told DietsInReview. “We thought the best way to do that is with a format like this, where it incorporates the voices of the experts.”

Combined, the ten members have lost nearly 440 pounds, and many have maintained weight loss for a number of years while others are still working towards their goal weights. “It really is a nice mix of people,” says Susan Rubio, who is joining the panel. She has been a member of The Best Life for five years, and runs an exercise thread on one of the community boards. “I really feel like the program has done so much for me that I really want to be able to pay it forward,” she says.

(more…)

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Margaret

Overeating Linked to Higher Risk of Memory Loss

New research from the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ has found that elderly patients who eat higher levels of calories are more likely to suffer from memory loss. Researchers found that patients who overeat the most were twice as likely to suffer from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as patients who ate less than 1,526 per day. MCI is a form of memory loss that is more severe than normal age-related memory loss and less severe than Alzheimer’s. The study was led by Yonas Geda and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s conference in April.

The survey analyzed the eating habits of 1,233 dementia-free participants between the ages of 70 and 89. The participants self-reported their daily eating habits, and were divided into three groups depending on their caloric intake. The lowest group consumed less than 1,526 calories per day, the middle group ate 1,526 to 2,143 calories, and the highest group ate between 2,143 and 6,000.

The results were adjusted to account for other factors that have been shown to affect memory, including level of education, diabetes and a history of strokes. Although researchers do not understand the biomechanics that link higher levels of calories to brain function, they theorized that unnecessary calories stimulate stress hormones in the brain that may contribute to memory loss.

(more…)

Posted on February 13, 2026 by Margaret

Recipes for National Cherry Month

Although there not exactly in season, February is National Cherry Month, and we couldn’t let an opportunity to talk about some of the health benefits of this fruit pass. Cherries, particularly tart cherries like the Montmorency variety, are an excellent source of the antioxidant anthocyanins, which also gives the fruit its red color. In addition to antioxidants, cherries also contain vitamin A, vitamin E, melatonin and beta carotene.

Although the research is very preliminary, one study suggested that concentrated cherry juice may reduce soreness after workouts, and cherry anthocyanins have been shown to reduce pain in animal studies.

Research aside, the best way to celebrate National Cherry Month is obviously by incorporating some cherries into a meal this month. Here are a few of our favorite picks from our own recipes collection around the web.

(more…)

Posted on February 11, 2026 by Margaret

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Audition Casting Calls this Weekend

The casting team of Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition is making its way to several locations across the U.S. for an open casting calls this weekend. They will be looking for candidates to appear on the show’s third season under the guidance of trainer and host Chris Powell. On Saturday, February 11th, they will be in New York, Chicago and San Diego, below are the location details.

New York City, NY
Time: 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Address: Dave and Busters, 234 W. 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036

Chicago, IL
Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Address: Dave and Busters, 1030 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60610

San Diego, CA
Time: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Address: NTC Promenade – Command Center at Lierty Station, Point Loma, 2640 Historic Decatur Rd. San Diego, CA 92106

Addtionally, the following open calls will be held on Saturday, February 18th.

(more…)

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Margaret

Cake for Breakfast Can Curb Cravings Study Claims

A new study from the Tel Aviv University found that eating dessert with breakfast may keep you from craving sweets later in the day. Many studies have shown the importance of eating breakfast for good metabolic function, in addition to showing that a bigger morning meal aids in weight loss. How can starting your day with chocolate or cake possibly help you reach your weight loss goals?

Researchers Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz, Dr. Julio Wainstein and Dr. Mona Boaz argue that cutting sweets entirely out of one’s diet makes it much harder for people to stick to their diet plans. However, the timing of your indigence is also important. The morning is the best time to eat a high-calorie meal, because it helps the body regulate the hunger hormone ghrelin. Gherlin levels always rise before meals, but they will rise less after eating a balanced breakfast.

The researchers, however, aren’t saying that you should abandon calorie counting. The 32-week study placed obese participants on calorie-controlled diets, with 1600 calories for men and 1400 calories for women. The subjects were then divided into two groups. One group of participants was placed on a low-carb diet that ate a 300 calorie breakfast. The other group was given a 600 calorie breakfast that was high in protein and carbohydrates, and also included a dessert item such as chocolate, cake or cookies.

(more…)

Posted on February 9, 2026 by Margaret

Raspberry Ketone Touted as Miracle Fat-Burner by Dr. Oz

Dr. Oz featured the weight loss supplement raspberry ketone on yesterday’s show, touting it as a “miracle fat burner.” We’re always leery of any diet pill that promises “miracles,” but we’re also willing to find out if it does what it claims.

Weight loss expert Lisa Lynn was a guest on yesterday’s show, and explained that the supplement comes from red raspberries so it has “no side-effects.” She recommends taking 100 to 200 milligrams at breakfast or lunch. Dr. Oz demonstrated the effects of the ketone by showing balloons representing fat cells shrinking in tub of liquid nitrogen. The balloons shrink in the liquid but expand again when they’re taken out.

Dr. Sarah G. Khan, our resident pharmacist, gives a more in-depth explanation of how the supplement affects the body:

“Raspberry ketones appear to increase the body’s release of norepinephrine and this causes a rise in the body’s temperature which helps burns fat and increase metabolism. Raspberry ketones also increase levels of adiponectin, which is a hormone that helps with lowering glucose levels. The less circulating glucose, the less likely it will be converted into a stored energy source like glycogen. Adiponectin is found least frequently in obese people and may have a possible role to play in insulin resistance and diabetes.”

(more…)

Posted on February 8, 2026 by Margaret

Perez Hilton Launches FitOrbit with Celebrity Trainers

Perez Hilton is promoting the online trainer program FitOrbit in a big banner on the top of FitPerez today. The infamous celebrity blogger flexes his biceps in the ad spot, under the tagline “FitPerez Says…Personal Attention Gets You Better Results.”

The FitOrbit is a service that matches clients with personal trainers who provide guidance online. For $40.00 per month, clients receive a diet and fitness plan, in addition to other resources on the FitOrbit site, such as a food journaling tool, exercise finder and progress tracker. Your trainer will help you set goals and devise a workout plan.

Perez explains the program in a video, saying that he’s brought on the same trainers that work with the Hollywood stars he blogs about. “You all know that I got so much happier when I got healthy, now I want to share these secrets that work for me with you,” he said, referring to his own 80 pound weight loss. Perez isn’t promising a quick fix, but says that the support provided by his team are a blueprint for success. He adds that you can “train with A-list trainers without the A-list prices.”

(more…)

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Margaret

How to Choose a Medically Supervised Weight Loss Program

Deciding on a medically supervised weight loss program is an important decision. Many people find that a doctor-supervised plan to lose weight helps them stay accountable for their progress. At the same time it is less risky than weight loss surgery. The fact that part of the cost may be covered by insurance is also often a reason some people choose the option of losing weight at a medical facility.

However, the range of medical clinics that offer weight loss services can vary widely, from centers that offer some of the best weight loss advice available to storefront offices that tout downright dangerous practices. Before you sign up, there are several things you should consider.

“Definitely do your research,” says Shawna Biggars, who has lost over 100 pounds at a Medi-Weightloss clinic, which has locations throughout the U.S. “We talked to a family friend who was on the program. We talked to our personal physician about the program. We did research online. We tried to get as much information as possible, so that we were consumers making an informed choice.” Talking with your family physician is a particularly important piece of this process, as they may already have a weight loss program to recommend to you.

(more…)

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Margaret

Author Archives: Margaret

About Margaret

Advertising Disclosure