With the media so focused on body shape, from profiling the diets of skinny celebrities to covering the obesity epidemic, the demand for innovations in diet and fitness is rising significantly. The following articles highlight new diets, fitness and exercises as well as showcase some great awareness campaigns. The gallery includes everything from “miracle” foods to robotic weight loss coaches, weight-loss shoes and the 8 awesome innovations in Yoga.
Weight Loss Tech
Scientific research has found blue to be the least appetizing color. This is the basis behind these blue shaded sunglasses. Supposedly, the person who wears these shades sees an ugly hue of blue that brings… [More]
The geniuses at MIT are helping those who have a little trouble shedding pounds. They’ve come up with a sociable robot dog to help coach you slim. The electronic coach is designed to work as a motivator… [More]
Soaking under the lights on the world’s first LED spa capsule is even better than bathing in the glow of a rainbow sounds. The LED pods, known as Oxy-LED Light Spa Capsules, are designed for weight loss.… [More]
Nike is releasing the next version of the Nike+ Sportband, their high tech training assist tool. The Nike+ Sportband has a removable USB which can be directly plugged into your computer allowing you to… [More]
Phone fitness is a new workout program to be download and stored on your mobile phone. PumpOne’s Pumped for Summer 2008 is a line of simple workouts to cover strength to Pilates to yoga to flexibility.… [More]
How would you like the convenience of a personal trainer in your pocket? The Playtrainer is a program you can upload to your iPod, so you can keep on top of your fitness goals on the go. “Playtrainer… [More]
It seems as though we have all become diet maniacs. We’ve become accustomed to calculating every bite and monitoring every drop of water. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but for those of you who can relate to… [More]
Samsung created a phone for the fitness buff called the FIT. This cellphone comes outfitted with a tracking devise for your heartbeat. But that is just the beginning. The FIT offers a computerized trainer… [More]
Slim-Easy is a new diet mobile software. This software functions on all mobile phones and allows customers to monitor what they eat, how many calories they consumer, and how many calories they burn exercising.… [More]
If the reflection in the mirror of your ever-expanding waist line wasn’t depressing enough, now a new mobile, the “Fitness Phone,” will leave you second guessing that tub of Ben & Jerry’s. The phone from… [More]
Toshiba is targeting the health-conscious with its W62T Sportio mobile phone. The handset features an integrated acceleration sensor and GPS that enable it to keep track of how many steps you take, and… [More]
20% percent of North Americans own an iPod or MP3 player, with 55% of those living in urban cities using their MP3 players while they exercise. Now, imagine having your very own personal fitness coach… [More]
Panasonic ‘s JOBA Horse Riding Fitness Equipment is actually a form of exercising. The advanced 3-D virtual reality technology imitates horseback riding and claims to help build strength and endurance.… [More]
Diets
Celebrity diets are one of the most trusted go-to guides for people looking to trim a few pounds because they can see the effectiveness and outcome of the supposed regimes. Through tracking the evolution… [More]
In a post on his MySpace profile, Musician Jason Mraz shared a picture of his lean body in bikini briefs along with information on the food lifestyle experiment he’s been doing since April 1st. What started… [More]
“So you can stick to your diet!” This is the catchphrase for Dr. Sanford Siegal’s Cookie Diet. Back in 1975, he supposedly monkeyed around in his home lab until he found the perfect hunger-blocking recipe… [More]
Here’s an eating disorder that might not look so bad at first glance. Unfortunately, just like over-eating, anorexia or bulimia, this eating disorder can take a spin for the worse when it becomes excessive.… [More]
Eat like an infant! That’s the trick for Marcia Cross, Jennifer Aniston, and Reese Witherspoon. Maybe they find some satisfaction in being able to eat an entire little jar of mush. Maybe they have assistants… [More]
“Support Local” is an emerging theme in the Green Movement. This diversely interpreted concept translates usually into activities and lifestyle that support the local economy - which, then, is the linchpin… [More]
Low Cal Inventions & Fitness Foods
Weightloss lollipops?! It sounds almost too good to be true, but they really exist. Thanks to a company called Fun Unlimited, anyone can now enjoy a candy treat and still lose weight. The Power Pops Weight… [More]
Enviga is a breakthrough calorie burning soft drink that lives by the slogan, “Be Positive. Drink Negative.” It’s being promoted by Coca Cola, so you’re going to hear a lot about it starting early in… [More]
The Italians have long been famed for their luxurious foods and fine wines and they can now claim a new area of expertise – fat-burning milk. Though the concept of yogurts and milk drinks used as an… [More]
Enhance your performance and stamina with… sport beans. Finally, what you always wanted! The beans contain a number of vitamins and electrolytes so you can produce extra power while enjoying the motivational… [More]
New for 2006 is the all new ‘All Natural’ nasal spray which uses the power of Cayenne Pepper and Licorice Root to reduce your appetite instantly while increasing circulation and metabolic activity. A sniff… [More]
With all the confusing nutrition info out there, no one is sure what they can eat anymore. People have altered their diets and lifestyles in an attempt to shed pounds and maintain a healthy weight. Cutting… [More]
One of the first items dieters have to give up, and also one of the most difficult to let go of, is alcohol, as it’s loaded with calories and slows the metabolism. Good news for those watching their waistlines… [More]
A while back I featured the bizarrely refreshing flavors of Metromint, a drink I’d come across at the health food store. Joining their Peppermint, Spearmint, Lemonmint and Orangemint is their craziest… [More]
Next month, Coca Cola will officially launch Diet Coke Plus (announced in December). The drink is actually going to be similar to the current Diet Coke, but it will be fortified with vitamins and minerals,… [More]
Carlsberg tries to appeal to the health-conscious consumer with this TV spot for Carlsberg Lite. Naturally, since we’re talking about guys, any approach won’t just cut it. It must feature lots and lots… [More]
I think most of us have some flab around our waists, and from time to time, we all wonder how to achieve magazine-worthy abs. Unfortunately, there’s no magic bullet. It basically boils down to eating less… [More]
Weight Loss Support
According to the researchers at Purdue University, 65% of church-goers are in the overweight and obese categories. So while most church pastors will look glumly at their dwindling congregation numbers,… [More]
At 700 pounds, Nancy Makin was in despair and had not left her home in 12 years. She believed that she was in a never ending cycle of emotional ups and downs and eating binges. Her sister gave her a… [More]
A new calculator lets people determine how pedestrian-friendly their neighbourhoods are. The tool is effective for the health-conscious in the housing market who wants to know the fitness factors involved… [More]
For anyone out there with children, you know how quickly they can grow out of an outfit. The window of opportunity can be only a few months. The same is true of adults who have successfully lost weight.… [More]
Exercise
Don’t you just wish you had a Wii waist? So do the celebs; just look at Jessica Alba. The secret behind her killer bod is the fun and interactive workouts she does from the privacy of her own home. “Fashion… [More]
The Nintendo Wii really is breaking the mold of gaming systems, and is now moving from the realm of couch potatoes to the arena of jocks, the gym. A Vancouver club has installed a station where clients… [More]
The Expresso Fitness is not, by any means, an ordinary exercise bike. The stationary bicycle has an LCD screen that lets cyclists compete with other Expresso users, whether they’re in the same gym, or… [More]
A Physical Education class sure to get the attention of children, skateboarding in school - the skateboard today, is not frowned upon as it was in my years (which saw its invention), but is being positively… [More]
This is one innovative all-in-one exercise machine! The water-resistant Hydro Physio Lifeststyle treadmill lets you get your jogging done while simultaneously soaking in a hot tub. The English invention… [More]
Forty-something women are just not inspired by shiny happy hard bodied twenty-somethings. They want women they can relate to get them moving, harking back to Jane Fonda’s successful video aerobic series.… [More]
Inmates are stretching in unison behind bars? Kids have the patience for deep breathing and stillness? You bet! Yoga isn’t just for adults looking for a healthy way to unwind, ground themselves, or connect… [More]
The average person doesn’t have time to stop for lunch, let alone work out for an hour and a half each day. Well, now you can workout in less time then it takes for your coffee break! H.I.T FIT is… [More]
Remember the Icelanders that drive on water? Well, now Nordic walking on water is an option too. A new sport called Tu Fin invented by four students at the Technical University in Munich. They designed… [More]
Fitworld, a Dutch gym has launched “Naked Sunday.” Media were invited to attend the first session in Heteren, a town 60 miles east of Amsterdam. Those in attendance were males in their middle ages… [More]
Ride your way to fitness with iGallop™! The OSIM® iGallop™ is the revolutionary exerciser that can help you shape and tone your tummy, hips, seat and thighs. Best of all, iGallop™ is fun to ride!… [More]
Exercise is boring. But sadly for many us who dont want a BFA (big fat arse) then its also a necessary evil. So lets all drop down on our knees, get some carpet burns and thank the exercise gods for reintroduncing… [More]
This new wheely good US based fitness trend is based on the principle that your singing is a good gauge of your heart rate is at the optimal level. So If you’re too out of breath to handle Spice Up My… [More]
Forget indoor gym classes, the trend-obsessed Brazilians of the leisure class have introduced the world’s first outdoor spin class on wheels. Taking the concept of exercise to new levels, this totally… [More]
How to generate electric power by human body? The world wide chain California Fitness has an idea. The human power project at California Fitness was set in motion by Doug Woodring, a 41-year-old extreme-sports… [More]
We’ve heard about hybrid cars, electric cars, solar cars, and etc. How about human powered car? Honda R&D;team came up with the idea called “the Running Bus”, a human-powered bus. This may sound… [More]
Get rid of your good-old treadmill and cable exercise machines, here’s the Endless pool. It is perhaps the best designed and best engineered pool which generates adjustable current that allows you to… [More]
Pole dancing is becoming the latest form of exercise. A year ago we already posted that you can buy a pole dancing kit, but fitness schools are offering pole dancing across the globe, from Toronto to… [More]
This is too funny! Can you imagine all of your office mates with these? Apparently physical activity while you work at your computer improves blood flow and increases oxygen to all parts of your body.… [More]
Innovations for Children & Youth
Kids won’t even realize they’re getting a workout with NexGym. The fitness facilities combine the interactivity kids love with the exercise they often resistant. The exergaming gyms turn workouts into… [More]
FABS is an innovative state-of-the-art CyberFitness internet service for those who want to exercise at their convenience, in the privacy of their own home. FABS CyberFitness broadcasts directly to you… [More]
It should come as no surprise that an increasing number of parents are paying for personal training sessions for their kids. After all, we’ve already seen articles about the rise of obese children and… [More]
A new UK law might bar parents from driving onto to campus to drop their little ones off for school. The policy is meant to encourage kids to walk a little more, with the hope that encouraging even a little… [More]
Weight Loss Shoes & Exercise Fashion
Chung Shi is the maker of an innovative new footwear promising to aid in weight loss. The fitness shoes have a built-in “Pilates System,” and promise to stimulate and build new muscles, thereby boosting… [More]
Just in time for summer, here’s a sandal that helps you tone up your gams. FitFlop recreates the feeling of walking barefoot in the sand, working the calf, hamstring, thigh and gluteus muscles. The multi-density… [More]
How much walking can a woman do in this pair of sleek-as-none-of-your-business stiletto shoes? Not a whole lot, I’ll tell you that much. However, if you do manage to walk in them, they’ll keep track of… [More]
Still searching for those shoes that were really meant for walking? Your answer to difficult foot-related problems is finally here. Actually, the MBT shoes, designed in Switzerland as orthopedic shoes,… [More]
You can now buy caffeine laced tights which allegedly help you lose weight. Wow. From Tights Please: Body temperature causes the release of caffeine microcapsules into the skin increasing the metabolic… [More]
Recently, we are seeing more and more fashology that incorporates technology into fashion and clothing. The latest addition is the Vital Jacket by Biodevices, an intelligent wearable garment that continuously… [More]
Innovative Scales
The Overall Health Balance Scale from Japan’s National Electric is fitness gadgetry at its very best. This devise measures your weight and BMI, the amount of fat under your skin, organ fat, how muscular… [More]
Now here would be an easy way to lose weight: just stand on vibrating scales. Scientists at State University of New York in Stony Brook have apparently discovered that slight vibrations will prevent fat… [More]
Scales can be pretty intimidating. Sometimes, you want to get off them as soon as you step on. Also, when it comes to its usability, most scales are not very universal or user friendly, in the sense that… [More]
Alice Wang is one of my favourite concept artists. Everything she does is interesting and thought provoking. This also is the case with her newest project, that is called Asimov’s First Law. Let’s… [More]
There are three electronic scales in the Alice Wang designed Asimov’s First Law range that highlights the fixation and psychological harm people can have with their (what they believe to be) ideal bodyweight.… [More]
Since we already compare ourselves to celebrities, why not purchase the Celebrity Weighing Scale–a scale? I mean there’s no need for numbers, all you need to know is are you the same as Paris Hilton… [More]
Anti-Obesity
The world’s first boarding school for overweight children, teens and young adults has started a novel college weight loss program, and according to recent reports, it’s been a huge success. In fact, it’s… [More]
Most doctors will agree that breast feeding your baby is better than giving it formula. Some doctors are going as far as to say that it could also be the difference between being overweight as an adult… [More]
Extreme Focus on Being Thin
Our young women don’t have enough to worry about it seems. A Web site in England is causing a stir, upsetting many parents and others. MissBimbo.com is a “game” of fashion and hairstyles, and it also… [More]
Apparently, skinny isn’t so spicy anymore. Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has been asked to put on a few pounds for the group’s world tour. Beckham, or Posh Spice, has been the source of many anorexia rumors,… [More]
Miss England has been told by the pageant director to put on some weight if she wants to win the world crown. She is a size eight and weighs 126 pounds. By the typical model standard, she is considered… [More]
Superwoman Syndrome is striking teenage girls and young women in our society at an alarming rate. Females are increasingly pressuring themselves to be perfect, taking on more roles than they can juggle,… [More]
Half a year ago Trend Hunter was delighted to see Madrid banning skinny models from their catwalk. However, reality TV does not appear to be following suit. Specifically, Alice Burdeu is receiving a… [More]
A raft of high-profile Hollywood women have bitten back after claims about their slender frames. Winslet has won a “substantial donation’’ to an eating disorder charity from Grazia magazine over a claim… [More]
Eating disorders don’t just target women; in fact, 10% of anorexics are male, and that number is on a steady increase. “One might assume there would be great differences between the male and female versions… [More]
Super Foods
Zrii is the perfect summer drink for those who don’t want to sabotage their diets while bathing suit season is in full swing. The juice is based on the 5,000 year old practices of Ayurveda and is packed… [More]
If that feeling of really being alive has been missing for you, you might want to try starting your day with Alive Yogurt. The creamy new treat is chock full of antioxidants from natural sources like green… [More]
Wouldn’t it be so much easier if healthier foods tasted like candy? That you could load up on sweet treats and eat as much sugary goodness as you want without worrying about an expanding waist line or… [More]
Random Diet Tips & Innovations
Fight no more about whose slice is bigger. The fair share Cake Plate shows the exact measurement right on the circumference of the round plate.In addition to ensuring everyone is happy and satisfied,… [More]
If you’re starting to feel yourself craving sweets, there may a holistic approach to avoid excess poundage over the holidays. Not only are more people are beginning to analyze their diets, more people… [More]
You know how they say Swiss chocolate is the best in taste? Well I think French chocolate is the best in presentation. The chocolatier Jean-Paul Hévin launched the first chocolate bars without sugar.… [More]
The Yamaha BODiBEAT’s sensor measures your pulse and selects music to match it or choose Fitness mode (one of four preset modes) and it will guide you through a musical workout up to aerobic to a cool-down.… [More]
30% of Americans are now considered obese, compared to only 15% about 30 years ago. In that same amount of time, food portions have also doubled in size, making the relationships directly proportional.… [More]
In Brazil, there’s a new strategy for the battle against cellulite: coffee rubs. The Brazilian anti-cellulites coffee massage is executed with great force in the areas where the fat molecules are concentrated.… [More]
Fitness Campaigns & Obesity Awareness Ads
Encouraging words sometimes aren’t enough to get someone to work out—sometimes, a good visual is a lot more powerful. In my opinion, this ad for Gold’s Gym could have been drawn with the signs reversed… [More]
Guys can be stubborn, no matter how much you tell them that obesity is bad for their health, they don’t care. So you have to use ‘their language’. Tell them that their big fat belly is what is keeping… [More]
Sex has been used to sell for decades, but in recent years, some companies have really cranked up the raciness in their ads, raising a lot of controversy. That’s the whole point of ads though; if it gets… [More]
When I think of construction sites, I can’t help think the guys are muscular and manly—which is why the placement of this gym ad is so perfect! It covers up the eye sore of the not-yet-completed high… [More]
It seems sex is the most effective way to persuade guys to join gyms or buy sports equipment. While the gym ads that Trend Hunter recently featured implied to men that losing weight gets them the girls… [More]
This creative advertising campaign lets you experience what the product does hands-on. Dermasolutions wanted to show you that, “When there’s excess, get rid of it,” using their fat-reducing patches. In… [More]
Child obesity is fast becoming a global epidemic. The Health Promotion Switzerland foundation has come up with a creative guerilla campaign to raise the awareness of this serious issue. The campaign… [More]
Viral ads seem to be the best way to capture the attention of the demographic deemed the “MySpace generation,” which is why ParticipAction, a Canadian non-profit organization, feels a new series of viral… [More]
Random
The traditions of Christmas are undergoing some major changes. Yah, “ho, ho, ho” is offensive to some women, and Hugh Hefner is the only old guy that can get away with wearing red velvet pajamas and… [More]
It’s no secret America is battling an obesity epidemic, but reports are usually pretty generalized. Fried chicken in the south, McDonalds on every major street, and donuts at every truck stop along the… [More]
Are heavy airline passengers going to be fined a tax for the extra weight they bring on board plane? It’s a possibility according to the Telegraph! “Calls for the tax - which would be determined per extra… [More]
If having more energy and extending your longevity isn’t enough incentive, perhaps a little mullah could get your rear in gear. Mayor Gianluca Buonanno is offering residents in the Italian town of Varallo… [More]
Being thin won’t win you the crown at Thailand’s Miss Jumbo Queen beauty pageant; you have to be big-bodied with an even bigger personality! A refreshing change to the usual skinny models that have received… [More]
Fatworld, a web game designed to portray the harsh realities of nutrition and obesity, is set to launch this fall. It was created by Ian Bogost, a 30 year old Georgia Tech Professor, who has designed other… [More]
A growing number of kids are resorting to surgery to rid themselves of excess weight. In a world where slimness reigns supreme, kids are bombarded with images of supermodel waifs and lifestyle advertising… [More]
Obesity is no longer just a weighty issue for adults—children now make up an increasing percentage of the growing number of overweight Americans. According to 1999-2002 survey data from the National Center… [More]