
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]































