What surrounds you on a daily basis helps shapes who you are. From the check out counter to the doctor’s office, what you read influences what you believe. Should you be selective in the magazine you pick up? Yes.
A recent UK study found that food and food ads in magazines are made up mostly of foods high in sugar, fat and salt. Magazines that are more desperate and less selective of the type of advertising and articles they run are going to be more likely to land you toward higher calorie and less nutrient rich foods. They also lead you to bad information and dogmatic beliefs about “scientific” information. This encourages unhealthy lifestyle activity, eating, and training practices.
From all of the data and with the selection of magazines available at this time I have gathered the best (and worst) magazines to read to achieve a healthy lifestyle and encourage weight loss.
The Best:
*These magazines were chosen based on content and ease of availability and purchase cost.*
I don’t always agree with everything they say when it comes to why to eat the things they list. However, they provide great recipes and ideas on how to put together healthy, tasty, and sensible caloric meals.
2. National Geographic Adventure
While the original is great, this one provides a map and explanation to different places you can explore, and how to do that with ease. Even if you aren’t ready for travel yet, warm yourself up to it with the thought of fun and adventure that can await.
They aren’t perfect, but among all of mainstream diet and health magazines they are leagues ahead of the rest. There are fantastic authors and contributors, and the material is entertaining. The only mainstream fitness/health magazine I read and respect.
It is a fun magazine that explores everything from robots to psychology. Sure to entertain, but in ways that make you think and get amazed by the simple things we see everyday.
A life is about more than just the jeans you can fit in. Art, music, and the people that make up our world of beauty and emotion can help you tap into something that can break the mundane, and enlighten untapped creativity.
The Worst:
1. People Magazine
I find it to be the worst because for some reason readers still think that the magazine carries integrity. I can say for certain it doesn’t. Month after month it delivers the worst in diet, nutrition, and training information.
2. Us Weekly
While it is just another of many in the gossip magazine pile, it seems to go that extra step to put horrible “facts” out on what to do to achieve a fit and beautiful body. Please stick to paying stalkers okay US Weekly?
3. Flex
The number one magazine for trying to hide the massive amount of steroid usage, ever.
4. Southern Living
I live in the south, you don’t want to eat and live like us. We are the fattest people there is in the world.
5. National Enquirer
If you actually take the information in there seriously, you should check if something is rattling in your brain. They also aren’t nearly funny enough to take down Weekly World News.
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Socio-economic and gender differences in nutritional content of foods advertised in popular UK weekly magazines.
Adams J, White M. Eur J Public Health. 2009 Jan 18. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 19151418 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Aww, Juxtapoz Mag didn’t make the list of the best?? It’s all about art and kulture.
Cool info! I haven’t seen NG Adventure yet, but love the original!
I could not agree more with the Worst list. You hit a good span; celebrity gossip rags, to unhealthy cooking, to unhealthy supplementation. As far as the good list goes I think it is a great start. I would like vote in Outside magazine as an addition.
The “worst” list is perfect, especially US weekly – they are the ones who have been running the articles on the “great personal trainer Tracy Anderson” and her philosophy that women should not lift weights over 3 pounds. Yep, there is some real fine scientific dogma! Anyhoo, as far as the best, I also like “Cooking Light”, it has good recipes, or it used to. I have not seen one in a while. And “Women’s Health” is good too to me!!
Thanks Leigh, awesome ideas for other magazines!
I couldn’t agree more with your statement: “What surrounds you on a daily basis helps shape who you are.” I have encountered many folks who get all of their advice from magazines, whether it be flex, GQ, lifestyle etc. They are so engulfed in what these magz are telling them that they forget to look at the real world around them.
I’d never heard of Eating Well Magazine, thanks for the tip, Leigh!
I couldn’t agree more with your inclusion of Flex Magazine as one of the worst magazines to read for healthy lifestyle. Too bad many young people get caught up by the promotion of this “lifestyle”.
Oh, I like Cooking Light, too. Their recipes are often higher in sodium, but I’ve made some pretty great tasting stuff that is lower in fat, etc., than the original.
I’m a big fan of Men’s Health; in fact, my husband has to hide his copy from me every month until he’s done reading it.
Every week when I’m in the checkout line at the grocery store I have to laugh at the “women’s” magazines where “Lose 20 Pounds Fast” and a big picture of cake share a cover!
Sinead, NG Adventure is good.
Mike-I suck, what can I say.
Sinead-It really is a neat mag. Though usually less African boobies.
Ryan- I do like Outside too, good call.
To be honest it was really hard to keep it to five, I see another one in my future.
Missy-Did you have to bring “her” up?
JC-Actually you know something could be said about reading any in the first place. However, I know if you are in a choosing position, those are good options to have.
Jeff-Awesome, glad to turn you on to it.
Krispy-You know its funny because I usually enjoy Men’s Health a little more. I am so butch.
The Onion has some very informative articles.
[...] around the horn, Ross has re-stocked his beanies (no longer baby-sized), Leigh ranks some reading material, the FitCast launched an exercise video database (useful stuff, not Jazzercise), Vern finished a [...]
Can I just vote for “First” as the “worst”? I have never once seen that magazine without 2 things on the cover:
1)a decadent dessert
2)a “look like a supermodel in 5 minutes a day” type of thing
gets my blood a boilin’ it does.
LMAO
“I live in the south, you don’t want to eat and live like us. We are the fattest people there is in the world.”