It's official: KFC is switching to oil with no trans fat, the company has announced.

The Louisville-based chain announced Monday that all 5,500 of its U.S. restaurants have stopped frying chicken in artery-clogging trans fat, according to the Associated Press. The company had said in October that it was switching to a new soybean oil believed to be less likely to cause heart disease.

Sister brand Taco Bell also said Monday that its U.S. restaurants have completely switched to an oil with zero grams of trans fat. All 4,200 single-brand Taco Bells were converted to a canola oil, and all 1,400 multibrand locations switched to a soybean oil, the fast food chain said.

Now, if KFC could just make that chicken low-calorie ...

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 5:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

This week's installment of the Dieter's Diary takes on the lower-carb South Beach Diet.

Wendy Carrington has a unique perspective as a vegetarian experiencing the plan.

Check out her thoughts, and see her food log and get more Dieter's Diary experiences.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 5:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Several recent studies throughout the U.S. have concluded that the all-about-you mentality of many mainstream diet programs doesn't resonate with black women whose focus lies in strengthening their families, communities and churches, according to an Associated Press article.

Now, there's a new approach: Rather than pushing black women to adapt to those programs, researchers are developing new programs that emphasize improving health as a pathway to better serving God.

I can attest to that. At my church, The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in Queens, our pastors constantly allude to being healthy in order to do God's bidding. But both Rev. Floyd Flake and his wife Rev. Elaine Flake put their energy where their mouths are. Rev. Elaine recently took part in the annual Breast Cancer walk.

Read the full article and see what you think.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Mayo Clinic has added a pretty cool feature to its online package on weight loss. This month's podcast is on the social, emotional and psychological barriers to weight loss.

The weight loss section also offers a wide range of articles and tools to use in your efforts, including a calorie calculator and a healthy weight pyramid tool.

Check out the site and see what you can find to support your weight-loss efforts.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

While sometimes it feels like women are the only ones obsessing over their figures, weight loss is a universal struggle, says Karen Miller-Kovach, chief scientific officer of Weight Watchers International.

The author of "She Loses, He Loses: The Truth About Men, Women and Weight Loss" chatted with amNewYork recently about the truth when it comes to gender and weight loss.

The sexes can actually teach each other a lot about health, she says. "Women are more knowledgeable about food and food preparation techniques, and also have more experience at dieting than the typical man. Having said that, men have a better understanding of the importance of exercise in terms of total weight management, and they have more experience in keeping the weight off."

Read the full interview and check out amNewYork's special section on women's health.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Overweight workers cost their bosses more in injury claims than their lean colleagues, suggests a study that found the heaviest employees had twice the rate of workers' compensation claims as their fit co-workers, according to an Associated Press report.

Overweight workers were more likely to have claims involving injuries to the back, wrist, arm, neck, shoulder, hip, knee and foot than other employees.

The findings were based on eight years of data from 11,728 people employed by Duke University and its health system. Researchers found that workers with higher body mass indexes, or BMIs, had higher rates of workers' compensation claims.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 10:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This week's Diet Diary takes a look at Tricia Cunningham's "The Reverse Diet," which allows you to "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper."

Writes Jami Suspic, "essentially Cunningham and nutritionist Heidi Skolnik maintain that by eating your largest meal in the morning and your smallest meal in the evening, your metabolism and body composition improve, promoting better health and more stable weight loss."

See how Jami did on the plan and check out her food log. And check out our gallery of Diet Diary experiences.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A lot of us don't mind heading to the gym to hit the treadmill or take a class, but our dedication ends when we come face-to-face with the weight room.

But strength training is essential, according an article on FitSugar.com.

"Your muscles need energy to work, so the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn over the day," according to the article. "For every pound of muscle you gain, you will burn 35 to 50 more calories a day."

Check out the full article, as well as a host of exercise videos.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Think you know everything there is to know about weight loss? Test your knowledge with About.com's Weight Loss Myth Busters Quiz.

Find out what fallacies you've succumbed to on everything from calories to exercise to portion control.

(I only missed one, thank you very much.)

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 10:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While most of us toil at weight loss at home on our own, more dieters are luxurious spas to help them drop some pounds.

Forbes.com gives readers a look at 11 places to lose some weight and get some sun at the same time.

Make sure you check out the photo gallery. Even if you can't afford to go away, at least you can dream.

Sigh.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Bonjour, dear readers! This week, the Dieter's Diary helps you say au revoir to fat with the French approach to eating.

Nicole Zerillo took on "French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Dieting for Pleasure," by Mireille Guiliano.

Read about Zerillo's experience and take a peek at her food journal.

If you're hungry for more, check out our gallery of the Dieter's Diary.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 10:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Trans fat may be coming off menus across the country, but what replaces it may not be much healthier for you, according to an Associated Press report.

"Right now the public has to be very careful ... if something says 'trans fat-free,' what else is in it?" warns Dr. Robert Eckel, past president of the American Heart Association.

That "what else" is our old pal saturated fat, which isn't great for your arteries either.

Check out the Associated Press article and see what fats you should avoid.

And while you're at it, check out the AHA's Face the Fats campaign for a breakdown on healthy fat choices.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I'm sure you've heard of the 10 Commandments. Well, Dr. Matthew Anderson, an EDiets contributor, has put a diet spin on them with his 10 laws for losing weight.

First and foremost is exercise, then eat healthy and eat less.

Check out EDiets for the full list and his rationale behind it.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A pair of Kentucky doctors say they have come up with a novel way to spur people to diet and exercise: Change the vocabulary in making the suggestion.

"We suggest that "weight loss," "diet" and "exercise" be dropped from your vocabulary and no longer prescribed by physicians," write Drs. Peggy and Terry McDannold in the Doctors in the House column.

"What?! That's right. We are suggesting that those of you who struggle with the negativity of going on a diet or starting an exercise program should never try them again. Instead, we feel strongly that you should improve your nutrition program and increase your level of physical activity for the rest of your life."

Read the rest of the article on TheCincinnatiPost.com and see what you think.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Technorati Profile

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Having trouble fitting into your jeans? Researchers say your genes may be to blame, but they're not totally sure why.

A team of British scientists have discovered that people who carry two copies of a variation of the FTO gene weighed, on average, 7 pounds more than people who lack it, according to an Associated Press report.

But research published in Friday's edition of the journal Science shows strong evidence of a link. Using blood samples provided by more than 38,000 people, scientists found that those who had one copy of the gene variation had a 30 percent increased risk of obesity, and carriers of two copies had almost a 70 percent increased risk.

Sounds good to me. Now can I get a pass on the other pounds on my hips and thighs?

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Weight loss may be good for your body, but it can also be good for your career, as one Virginia woman showed.

Carolyn Allen, who is featured in an article by the Washington Post, used a seminar program called First Class to lose weight on Weight Watchers and become a team leader.

But she didn't stop there. Allen created a website called Myweightlossfriend.com, complete with inspirational thoughts and eventually the "One Minute Weight Loss Inspiration System," which is slated to compete in Oprah's Big Idea Product Search.

Now, that's what I call making every moment count.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nassau County is set to become the the latest downstate community to take up the battle of the bulge with a plan to pay a bounty for the county employee who loses the most weight, Newsday has learned.

County Executive Thomas Suozzi is set to announce Friday a 10-week contest with the winners receiving up to $300. The unions are providing prize money for their winners and Suozzi for unrepresented workers.

The contest dovetails with Suozzi's "Healthy Nassau" campaign, his effort to promote a clean environment and healthy living.

In December, The Board of Health for neighboring New York City voted to make Gotham the first city in the nation to ban artificial trans fats in restaurant food.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 7:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A new study has confirmed what many of us already know: diets are not a good way to lose weight in the long term.

Researchers at UCLA found that although dieters can lose significant amounts of weight in the first few months, most will return to their starting weight within five years, according to a report by Britian's Guardian Unlimited.

You can initially lose 5% to 10% of your weight on any number of diets, but then the weight comes back. We found that the majority of people regained all the weight, plus more," said Traci Mann, a psychologist. "Sustained weight loss was found only in a small minority of participants, while complete weight regain was found in the majority."

However, the picture's not all bleak. It just needs a little attitude adjustment. Experts said thinking of your plan as a lifestyle change and making incremental moves to improve your health is key to losing weight and keeping it off.

What do you think? Do you agree?

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you're in the market for a new way to lose weight and don't want to spend time and money trying all the diet books out there, amNewYork has a new feature for you: the Dieter's Diary.

Each week, deputy features editor Daisy Carrington and her helpers will try out a new plan, then report back on their experiences with different diets.

The first entry focused on The Glycemic Index Diet, which theorizes that you can lose weight eating foods with a low glycemic index, a tool which measures the speed at which foods are digested and converted into glucose (the body's source of energy). Read Alexis Korman's report.

This week, Daisy Carrington kept her hunger window short and sweet with The 3-Hour Diet. Get Daisy's report and her food journal.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

If you're battling against the bulge, listen up: A new study has found that calories, not the types of food you eat, determine how much weight you lose.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture-Tufts University study shows that after a year, overweight people on a low-carb low-glycemic-index diet lost just as much weight — 8% of their original weight — as people on a reduced-fat, high-glycemic-index diet, according to a CBS News/Web MD report.

The findings appear in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Much is being made these days of childhood obesity, but only in the past few years have we gotten to hear kids' perspectives.

In 2003, Brooklyn's Samr “Rocky” Tayeh shared his live as an overweight teen in a radio documentary, "My Struggle with Obesity" on “Radio Rookies,” WNYC's youth journalism program.

Rocky spoke about his how he tried to fit in, how he lost the battle to control his eating and revealed the ceaseless teasing he endured from his family.

After undergoing lap-band surgery, Rocky lost 200 pounds. He shares the story in a new piece called “Saying Goodbye to Food.” It will air tomorrow on NPR's “All Things Considered" at 4 p.m. on 93.9 FM and AM 820.

Make sure you check it out.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Despite the flurries that have been falling this week, spring is definitely on the way.

The proof is in the bicycle tours are revving up around the city. Two I am especially interested in are the Cross Island YMCA's Queens Bike and Brunch and the Bike New York Commerce Bank Five Boro Bike Tour.

The Cross Island event, part of the Y's Strong Kids Campaign, will be help April 28. It consists of a leisurely 20-mile ride around Queens.

The five boro ride on May 6 offers a 42-mile tour of the boroughs, ending in Staten Island. About 30,000 riders take part. Check out BikeNewYork.org for details on this ride and many others.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

African-Americans plan to take over the Mall in Washington on Saturday, not for civil rights, but to fight obesity.

The tone of the gathering on the Mall will be more pep rally than demonstration, reports The Washington Post, the goal more to inspire than incite. But the 50 Million Pound Challenge is calling for nothing less than action: The extra weight has got to go.

"The numbers are unimaginable," said the campaign's founder and leader, Ian Smith, a prominent black physician, author and television commentator who wants the issue taken up on a national scale. "It's not just [an individual's] problem. It's a problem for all of us."

Check out the full story and head over to http://www.50millionpounds.com for a personal weight tracker, diet tips and healthy, culturally sensitive recipes.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 7:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Okay, call me tip happy, but I couldn't live without passing on 20 tips for permanent weight loss from the Mayo Clinic.

They include: exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day, eating at home, walking during your lunch hour and having meals together as a family.

Get the full list and see which ones you can incorporate into your diet.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 5:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Alexis Korman, a writer for amNewYork, recently took a trip into our Dieting Corner with a week on the Glycemic Index Diet.

On this plan, you consume foods with a low glycemic index, a tool which measures the speed at which foods are digested and converted into glucose (the body's source of energy). Foods with a high glycemic index, such as white bread, candy and potatoes, get a red light.

Check out the full article and see if this plan is right for you.

-- Amanda Barrett, amNY.com

Posted by The Skinny on Fat at 5:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)