Contrary to what diet experts have now been telling us for over a decade, researchers from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh have reportedly found that it is not necessary to cut simple sugar (sucrose) from our diets in order to lose weight. In fact, the researchers posit that diets are more strictly adhered to when the dieter consumes small amounts of sucrose on a regular basis.

Writing in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, the researchers stated that the results of their study on the topic showed the greatest reduction in body weight and BMI loss to come from dieters who included sugar in their diet. The researchers further stated that their results "contribute to the growing body of evidence that an effective way to lose weight is by adhering to a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet and by being physically active." They also added "it also provides evidence that the exclusion of sucrose, as is normally advocated in a weight loss diet, is not necessary to achieve weight reduction."

Personally, I feel that that more investigation into these claims need to be made before I start breaking out a Tootsie Roll Pop and washing it down with a Mountain Dew. And, regardless of whether or not there is any merit to this claim, the impact that sucrose has on the blood sugar of people with diabetes remains undesirable. To offer my final two cents, I think that what the researchers discovered is that people who are able to indulge in sweets once and a while are more apt to adhere to their diets. This occasional indulgence (or "reward") satisfies their cravings, making it far easier to stick to their healthy food regimen for the remainder of the time. However, to go as far as to basically imply that it is healthier to regularly consume sucrose than it is to not do so is bit of a stretch.

If you are a woman in your 20s, 30s and early 40s, invest regularly in a healthy lifestyle. Keep the weight off -- a payout awaits you in middle-age.

Researchers reveal a woman's Body Mass Index (BMI) in her late 40s is the strongest predictor for risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the next eight years. An Australian research team from the University of Queensland followed 7,239 women for eight years between 1996-2004. Participants ranged in age between 45-50 at the start of the project, and they completed four health surveys over the duration of the study.

Women identifying themselves as overweight or obese, with BMIs of 25 or greater, were at the highest risk for developing type 2 by the year 2004. The worst risk lie with very obese women carrying BMIs of 35 or more, they were twelve times more likely to develop type 2 than normal-weight peers. Surprisingly, weight gained or lost during the eight-year study window did not alter a woman's risk for diabetes. Physical activity reduced risk for only the most active women.

Authors recommend public initiatives to prevent weight gain before and during early adulthood, as risk for type 2 is more closely related to BMI between 45-50 years than subsequent short-term weight change. While it is never too late to lose weight and reap a myriad of health benefits, it could be too late to lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. Read more about the study in Reuters or the abstract in Diabetes Care.

A Swedish study has found that elevated blood sugar in women is linked with increased risk of developing cancer.

Researchers identified 2,478 incident cases of cancer from records of 33,293 women and 31,304 men who participated in the study. Participants were recruited in the mid-1980s at age 40, 50 and 60 and the study covered a 13-year period. The records included levels of glucose in the blood when fasting and after receiving an infusion of glucose. Researchers calculated the cancer risk relative to blood glucose while adjusting for: age, year of enrollment, fasting time and smoking status. Women with blood sugar levels higher than normal have a total higher risk for cancer while for men the risk was unchanged at higher blood sugar levels. The overall risk of developing cancer for women in the top 25% of fasting blood glucose levels was 26% higher than those in the bottom 25%. Women with high fasting glucose levels had a higher risk of pancreatic, breast and endometrial cancers, while the increase in risk for malignant melanoma was two times higher.

While previous studies have shown that cancer risk for some cancers is higher for people with type 2 diabetes, this study suggests that something could be happening to trigger cancer much earlier, as glucose levels begin to rise. The scientists also found that the blood sugar levels gradually rose over the period of the study, which they suggest means that cancer risks would also continue to rise unless glucose levels were brought down by some means. The results were no different when they took Body Mass Index (BMI) into account.

The study provides further evidence for an association between abnormal glucose metabolism and cancer. If you ask me - I think this has to do with the pH levels of the blood. It is well known that cancer manifests in blood levels of higher acidity. Poor diabetic control can result in higher acid levels in the blood. The catch 22 is poor diabetic control leaves your entire blood chemistry off kilter and it cannot defend any rogue cells - especially those associated with malignant growth (i.e. cancer!)

Good question. For as long as I can remember the frequented phrase has always been over weight. However, I would like to dispel the rumors and revamp the truth to reflect to a more suitable measure of beefcake (or not so much). The longstanding mantra has been that heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure are all linked to being over weight. Until recently...

Studies are now showing that the Body Mass Index (BMI) is a more accurate gauge of health risk. The BMI is a measure of your body composition based on your weight and height. A BMI greater than 27 indicates a risk for developing type 2 diabetes, and other health problems like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and premature death. Keeping your BMI in normal range will help stave off insulin resistance, helping to make diabetes more manageable. What's your BMI? Simply enter your height and weight to see.

One of the best selling instruments to help monitor your BMI and body fat percentage is the Omron HBF-306C Fat Loss Monitor. Omron is a company best known for product reliability, ease of use and overall customer satisfaction. This easy to use tool will help pre-diabetes candidates prevent the onset of diabetes. Those of us who already have diabetes can use the Fat Loss Monitor in controlling our BMI. It takes 7 seconds for an accurate body mass calculation - just hold on tight. This is not a lot to ask when you know the results are invaluable for your overall health and diabetes care. Nothing says I love you like a Fat Loss Monitor. Merry Christmas!

I believe one of the most humiliating moments in my life was having my body mass index (BMI) calculated while in high school. Ugh. Talk about child abuse. I still cringe when I see BMI turn up in the news. However, it may be worthwhile to undergo the BMI test because it can be an awareness-raising tool. According to Dr. K. M. Venkat Narayan of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it is especially useful as regards diabetes.

Dr. Narayan, who works with the division of diabetes translation at the CDC, believes BMI can be used to calculate your risk of developing diabetes. He has devised a statistical model for tracking health probabilities for a given individual's lifetime. In the case of diabetes, Narayan takes the BMI of a person at age eighteen and then uses that to estimate diabetes risk, in the form of percentages. For example, a woman who is overweight at age eighteen has a thirty-five percent chance of developing diabetes later in life. In contrast, a woman whose BMI is normal at age eighteen has only a seventeen percent chance, while a very obese eighteen year old has a seventy-four percent chance.