Though we all know about the importance of watching what we eat and going to the gym regularly, we tend to neglect these things, thanks to our busy lifestyles! But managing your weight and staying healthy is not as hard as you think. With just a little more attention to your eating habits, you can make a lot of difference.

Accepting food cravings and keeping them in check may be an important component of weight management, according to findings from the first six-month phase of a calorie-restriction study conducted at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University.

Children who participated in a family-based weight management program designed for inner-city minority children had better outcomes regarding weight gain, body fat, body mass index (BMI) and insulin sensitivity compared to children who received traditional weight counseling in a clinic, according to a study in the June 27 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on chronic diseases of children.

The effectiveness of the "Energy Up" program developed by lifestyle and fitness leader Kathie Dolgin known to her students as High Voltage, has recently been evaluated in an article published in the May issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health (www.adolescenthealth.org/journal.htm). The health brief titled,"Energy Up" A Novel Approach to the Weight Management of Inner-City Teens," describes the positive results of this school-based, nutrition and fitness pilot program.