Health Archives

How to Track Your Weight Loss With EWMA Formula

What is the EWMA formula? Why shouldn’t you rely on raw, weight loss measurements to track your progress? EWMA stands for the Exponentially Weighted Moving Average. In The Hacker’s Diet, John Walker suggests using this formula for tracking your weight loss progress rather than focusing on the daily weight fluctuations which can be caused by a number of variables. The EWMA formula, on the other hand, tracks the trend of your weight loss. Here is how to use the EWMA formula to track your weight loss.

What Is the Link Between Depression and Obesity?

What is the link between depression and obesity? Why is it so difficult for depressed people to shed weight successfully? Establishing the link between depression and obesity requires an understanding of why depressed people put on weight. They put on weight as a subconscious effort to protect themselves from feeling vulnerable again. Shedding weight becomes very difficult because they will lose the sense of safety that comes with it. Read on to learn more about the relationship between depression and obesity.

John Walker: Why Is Losing Weight So Hard?

Why is losing weight so hard? If the concept of weight loss is so simple—burn more calories than you eat— then why isn’t everybody a healthy weight? Although the concept of weight loss is simple—calories in/calories out—it isn’t easy to implement in practice. Many people lack the motivation or willpower to eat less food, to pass up that donut, or to pay attention to the number of calories they’re putting in their body. Here is how John Walker explains the struggle of weight loss in his book The Hacker’s Diet.

The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Depression

What is the relationship between childhood trauma and depression? How can the effects of childhood trauma be reversed? Childhood trauma and depression are interrelated because trauma can create a deep emotional wound that has a lasting impact on the life of the victim. Trauma can lead to a deep sense of guilt that triggers depression. It can be confronted by acknowledging your emotional scars, and recognizing that you never deserved what happened to you. Read on to learn more about how childhood trauma and depression are interrelated.

The Hacker’s Diet: The Simple Guide to Weight Loss

What is The Hacker’s Diet about? What is the key, according to its author John Walker, to successful weight loss? The Hacker’s Diet was written by John Walker, founder of software company Autodesk. This is an engineer’s approach to weight loss, described in terms of control systems, feedback loops, measurement noise reduction, and practical problem-solving. Here is a breakdown of Walker’s advice from The Hacker’s Diet.

Why Socioeconomic Status and Depression Are Linked

What is the relationship between socioeconomic status and depression? Why are highly unequal societies more likely to have higher rates of depression? Socioeconomic status and depression are intertwined because an individual with a low or threatened social status is more likely to feel depressed. This problem is particularly acute in highly unequal societies. Those at the lower rung of the ladder are depressed because of their status, while high-status people feel depressed from the thought of falling down the ladder. Read more about the relationship between socioeconomic status and depression.

The Loneliness Epidemic: Alone in a Connected World

The Loneliness Epidemic: Why We Feel Disconnected

What is the loneliness epidemic? Why isn’t social media the solution to the problem? The loneliness epidemic is a modern phenomenon where many people in densely populated cities report feeling disconnected from others. The explosion of social media hasn’t done much to fix this problem because having meaningful relationships often requires connecting with someone in the same physical space as you. Read on to learn more about the loneliness epidemic.

Acceptance of Reality Is a Key to Mental Health

How is acceptance of reality related to mental wellness? What if you have a distorted perception of reality? You live according to what you believe to be true. If you have a distorted perception of truth, you live out of sync with reality. According to psychiatrist M. Scott Peck, living according to a belief system that doesn’t align with reality is the basis of most mental illnesses. That’s why acceptance of reality is so important. Continue reading to learn how acceptance of reality is a key to mental health.

Advantages of Laughing, Singing, and Dancing

What are the advantages of laughing, singing, and dancing? Can engaging in these playful activities actually impact your mental and physical health? Brené Brown’s last step for living Wholeheartedly is to engage in laughter, singing, and dancing—and for a good reason. Studies show that there are many health benefits of engaging in this behavior including strengthening your immune system, reducing depression, increasing fitness, and more. Keep reading to learn about the various advantages of laughing, singing, and dancing and how to overcome the problem of self-consciousness.

The Effects of Feeling Disconnected From People

What can happen when you are feeling disconnected from people? What can trigger such a disconnection from others? Feeling disconnected from people creates loneliness which can trigger the onset of depression. Humans evolved as social animals that banded together to survive—loneliness triggers fear of survival which leads to depression. Our modern society encourages independence and self-sufficiency, which is at odds with our evolutionary need for community. Read more about the dangers of feeling disconnected from people.