prevention and fitness – Page 37 – watercress words by Dr Aletha

updated June 17, 2026

I watched the final game of the Women’s World Cup between Japan and the United States. Tuning in a few minutes late I was stunned to see I missed the first 2 goals! Believe me, I paid attention the rest of the game and was not disappointed. I admired the skill, talent and energy of both teams and with other Americans cheered the United States team’s victory clinching the world champion title 5-2.

Besides enjoying the action I was more impressed by the class and grace demonstrated by both teams as winners and as losers. That is the greatest lesson we can teach children and I hope parents used that as a “teachable moment”.

I observed the superb fitness level of these and the other participants in the World Cup. Running up and down a field , kicking a ball and outmaneuvering opponents for 90 minutes is exhausting, but they made it look almost easy. We can’t all be world class athletes but we can be physically active in some way.

How to get active

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

moderate-intensive physical activity for 150 minutes or more per week
vigorous-intensity activity for at least 75 minutes per week
engaging in muscle strengthening activity at least twice per week.

Why to get active

Medical studies show that exercise can prevent or improve many chronic health conditions and lack of exercise contributes to many diseases.

Physical activity may reduce the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, uterus, prostate and pancreas.

Regular exercise may help prevent diabetes and heart disease.

Exercise can relieve joint and back pain due to arthritis.

Depression is treated successfully with physical activity

With proper guidance, anyone can perform some exercise or other physical activity regularly. I stay active with walking, ballroom dancing, gardening, and have recently tried yoga and tai chi.

I have more energy and stamina when I am active regularly, and get sluggish if I don’t.

What do you do to stay active, fit and moving? Please share and encourage someone else.

Exploring the HEART of Health

I’d love for you to follow this blog and follow me on social media.

I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Dr. Aletha

Dancing is not just active and fun, it can be competitive.

reviewed June 16, 2026

This post needs review and update. For now, be aware that this was researched and written before the development of the GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, which have changed weight loss more than anything else in my career.

In another post about obesity, I described a woman who lost weight by some fairly simple yet effective lifestyle changes.

6 steps to losing weight and gaining hope

But some people like and do better with something structured. Therefore, commercial weight loss programs are plentiful and popular. But do they work?

a tape measure wrapped around an apple — Do structured weight loss programs help people lose weight?

A group of internal medicine specialists reviewed 45 studies which evaluated the effectiveness of several commercial weight loss programs, including Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Medifast, Nutrisystem, Slim Fast, The Biggest Loser Club, eDiets and Atkins. They looked at amount of weight loss as well as possible harms. The studies compared the use of these programs to doing nothing, or minimal counselling and support.

I think this study is helpful because it looked at sustained weight loss at one year. People often can lose weight short term, but then gain it back. Successful weight loss must be maintained. Of the programs evaluated, Jenny Craig performed best, with almost 5% greater weight loss than the control group; Weight Watchers was next with 2.6% greater loss.

There are other factors which may have impacted the results. People who use these programs may be more motivated in the first place. Also, most of the participants were female, so the results may not apply to males.

These programs often involve some amount of counselling, education and group support, which helps some people stay committed to the process. Some involve purchasing food plans or meal replacement products which make it easier to eat healthy food but are sometimes cost prohibitive.

If you have used these or other structured weight loss programs, please leave a comment about your experience. Was it helpful, and for how long? Was it easy or hard to stick to? Was it worth the money you paid?

via Efficacy of Commercial Weight-Loss Programs: An Updated Systematic ReviewEfficacy of Commercial Weight-Loss Programs | Annals of Internal Medicine.

Books featuring recipes from these two successful programs (these are affiliate links)

Weight Watchers Cook It Fast

Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook

The Jenny Craig Cookbook: Cutting through the Fat

Jenny Craig Diabetes Cookbook

Go here for a true story about one woman’s success using Weight Watchers- “Breaking up with junk food”

Exploring the HEART of Health

I’d love for you to follow this blog and follow me on social media.

I share information and inspiration to help you transform challenges into opportunities for learning and growth.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.