With recent outbreaks of salmonella from tainted eggs there is a decline in egg consumption across America.  Symptoms of salmonella poisoning last around a week and they include debilitating stomach cramps and severe dehydration.  When I was at the grocery store last week I noticed flyers on the egg’s refrigerator door stating that their eggs were safe and not a part of the recall.  It’s been expressed that the salmonella outbreak has affected around 550 million eggs.  It’s amazing to me how that many eggs can get out without detection by food inspectors. 

Have you ever had salmonella poisoning?  Are you avoiding eating eggs right now? 

A recent study in Sweden examined the idea that briefly overeating (or eating in excess for several weeks) can actually have a significantly negative long term effect.  In a four week study participants limited their physical activity and increased their calories to around 5,000 a day, Yikes!   One year after the study was done, the participants were analyzed again and they were still holding on to some of the excess body weight they gained during the study and their body fat percentage had not lowered a statistically significant amount. 

More surprisingly, two and a half years later these participants had gained on average nearly 7 additional pounds.  The control group for the study had gained no additional weight over the two and a half years.  This study also make me think about the idea that having more weight on your body may make it more difficult to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

This research suggests that there is a long term effect on fat mass even after short bursts of massive food consumption and laying around on the couch.  MSNBC recently highlighted this study if you would like to take a look for yourself: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38840913/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

So my question is, do you ever fall off the health food wagon for a few weeks and feel ok about it?