Swedish Weight-Loss Secret

By Craig Ballantyne

No, the Swedish weight-loss secret is not "Stop eating Swedish meatballs." What the Swedes have discovered is online weight-loss programs.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute wanted to find out why some people succeed at weight loss while others don't. One of the things they looked at was an Internet-based weight-loss club that happened to be used mostly by women. (Eighty-six percent of the users were female.)

The researchers found that, over time, 29 percent of the users lost at least 5 percent bodyweight. They also found something that backs up what I've been telling you in ETR for a long time: One of the strongest predictors of weight loss is social support. In this case, that social support was measured by activity in the club (as judged by the number of logins and diary entries made by users).

The conclusion: Given their low cost and 24-hour accessibility, online weight-loss clubs really do help both men and women lose weight.

Going online for social support in your weight-loss program could be one of the most effective things you can do. You might not be able to find someone to motivate you to reach your ideal weight at home or at work... but you will almost certainly find someone on an Internet weight-loss forum.

It's Fun to Know: Fruity Gifts

Would you pay $2,000 for a honeydew melon? How about $900 for a bunch of grapes? In Japan, these incredibly high prices are not uncommon. But we're not talking about your run-of-the-mill grocery store produce. These fruits have been painstakingly cultivated to be the most ideal specimens possible.

The Japanese don't buy these perfect, pricey fruits to eat them. They are extremely popular as gifts. It has to do with the ancient Japanese tradition of giving away the very best instead of keeping it for yourself.

(Source: Associated Press, Daily Express)

Word to the Wise: Egress

"Egress" (EE-gres) - from the Latin for "to go out" - is a fancy way of saying "exit."

Example (as used by Laurie A. O'Neill in The New York Times): "In order to keep the crowds moving through the exhibits in his traveling show... Mr. [P.T.] Barnum posted signs that read: 'This Way to the Egress.' Eager to view this presumably strange and exotic exhibit, the throngs would push through the door labeled 'Egress' - and find themselves in the street."

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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2445, 08-27-08], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.