As obesity rates continue to climb, new research finds some obese people do not realize they have a weight problem. The study says one in ten people classified as obese do not understand they are overweight, and believe they are healthy.

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Congrats to FatFighterTV member – Angie – for winning last week’s giveaway for the set of Kim Lyons’ new DVDs, Start Fitness Now: Beating Type 2 Diabetes. Enjoy! And if you didn’t win, here’s another chance for you to try for the DVDs again – good luck!

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Remember the book, French Women Don’t Get Fat? Sadly, things have changed. A new report shows 15.1 percent of France’s women are obese and another 26 percent are overweight. Researchers say the average French person has gained almost 7 pounds over the past 12 years, and part of the reason is a change in eating habits and more fast food restaurants in the country.

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You’ve seen her whip contestants into shape on The Biggest Loser. Now celebrity personal trainer, Kim Lyons is taking on diabetes with her new workout DVD series, Start Fitness Now: Beating Type 2 Diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes now affects nearly 24 million people in the U.S. – up more than three-million in about two years – and obesity is a major risk factor for the type 2 diabetes epidemic. I recently spoke to Lyons about all this. She tells FatFighterTV, it’s time to turn things around now.

Diabetes-friendly workouts
One of the first things I wondered about these DVDs was how these workouts were different than others. What makes them specifically for diabetics? Lyons says they eliminate the exercise intimidation factor.

“A lot of the workout videos that are out there right now are very high intensity, and they’re the kind of videos that are going to draw in people that already exercise, whereas people that have diabetes or are struggling with obesity issues or both are going to really be intimidated by that,” Lyons tells FatFighterTV. “This is kind of a way to get people started and help them get off the couch. There are even workouts where they can sit down and get moving. A lot of people don’t even know they can exercise while they’re sitting down.”

Can you really get a good workout if you’re sitting down? Yes and no, says Lyons. The DVDs are designed for beginners, so while they may not benefit someone who already exercises, working out while sitting down may be just the right place to start for someone who’s new to physical activity.

Doctor’s orders
The workouts were developed with the help of Dr. Shaila Singh, a Diplomat of the American Association for Family Physicians (AAFP) who has managed type 2 diabetes and weight loss in patients for over 22 years.

“Recent research has really brought to light that you can almost halt the disease progression; you can change it, even,” says Dr. Singh. “People who have type 2 diabetes really can [stop being] type 2 diabetic just by exercise and healthy diet modification.”

Lyons adds, “I think it’s just really important to give those people hope and let them know that, yeah, you absolutely can change your life – just 20 minutes a day.”

Beyond the DVDs
Along with the DVDs, there is also an online support program that includes nutrition tips, recipes, and Q&As about diabetes with Dr. Singh, all at StartFitnessNow.com.

Giveaway
To tie in with American Diabetes Month, The Start Fitness Now: Beating Type 2 Diabetes 3-DVD set is giveaway #2 in FatFighterTV’s Winter Workouts (indoors) giveaway series. Again, the workouts are designed for diabetics who need to start a fitness routine, or other exercise beginners.

To enter for a chance to win, just tell me why you want to try these workouts… or if you want to give them to someone as a gift, why you think that person would enjoy them.

See you in the comments!

Contest runs through midnight EST this Friday, November 13, you have to have a U.S. mailing address to enter, and we will use random.org to pick the winner.

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Just how much do city kids eat at corner stores after school? A new study looked at the snacking habits at K-8 Philadelphia schools where half of the students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Results show children usually buy chips, candy and sweetened drinks, spend an average of $1 each time, and eat 350 calories worth of snacks at each visit. Researchers say 42-percent of the kids went to the corner stores twice a day which adds up to eating more than 3,500 calories – the number of extra calories it takes to gain a pound.

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Cancer is one of the many health problems linked to obesity. Now, a new report finds being overweight could become the number one cause of cancer in women in Western countries in the future. Obesity or overweight make up about eight percent of cancers in Europe. Experts say that’s expected to go up significantly as the obesity epidemic continues, and other big cancer causes like smoking and hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women go down dramatically.

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Pregnant women may want to get moving. New research finds regular exercise during pregnancy can lower a first time mom’s chances of having an overweight baby. The report shows working out at least three times a week cuts the odds of delivering a newborn that weighs too much (more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces), by about one-fourth.

Other pregnancy studies have linked a mom’s weight to an increased risk of birth defects.

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In June, it was all about athletic seals helping to get kids moving. Now, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services hopes characters from the classic “Where the Wild Things Are” can help fight childhood overweight and obesity. You’ll soon see and hear new ads with characters and scenes from the movie, which comes out next month. The campaign promotes the benefits of exercise and encourages children to move and play every day.

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We’ve talked about how easy it is to put on “recession pounds” during this tough economy. Now, a new report finds people who are badly in debt are more likely to be overweight or obese. Researchers say “overindebted” people – those who can’t pay off debts in a reasonable amount of time – are about twice as likely to be overweight as the general population and they are more than 2.5 times as likely to be obese.

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Just a few months after a report showed obesity may speed up dementia, a new study finds obese people have eight percent less brain tissue and their brains look 16 years older than those of people who are lean. Researchers say those who are classified as overweight have four percent less brain tissue and their brains seem to have aged prematurely by eight years, which puts them at a much greater risk of Alzheimer’s. The report adds you can greatly reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s if you eat a healthy diet and keep your weight under control.

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