Richard Simmons...Congressman? Talk About Sweating "with" the Oldies...

You think I'm joking...but I'm not....completely...

Simmons spoke to the House Education and Labor Committee today about expanding physical education in public schools to combat childhood obesity. Simmons described his approach to the hearing, stating, "I want to have the respect of a congressman, I want to talk like a congressman, and maybe, someday, I'll be a congressman."

Here's what the Washington Post had to say:

This could be the most high-energy week Congress has seen in a very, very long time. The man who is arguably America's most famous fitness icon of all time is coming to Capitol Hill to shake things up -- literally.

And while he still has his loud helium balloon-like voice and big hair, unfortunately, Simmons is hinting he won't be wearing his signature short shorts and tank top at the hearing.

Simmons won't say whether he's leaning toward Barack Obama or John McCain in the 2008 presidential race. His publicist, Tom Estey, says Simmons is "undecided."

Hey, maybe instead of an Obama/McCain town hall meeting, we can have a dance off with Richard Simmons. That would make for interesting television.

Keeping a Food Diary Leads to Extra Weight Loss

Imagine that! According to a new study, if you keep a diary of what you eat each day, you can actually lose more weight! This will be good for those of us who need to drop a few extra pounds for summer.

From the article:

In the study, which is in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, they followed almost 1,700 men and women who were either overweight or obese. The average weight was 212 pounds. The participants attended 20 weekly group meetings and were encouraged to eat about 500 fewer calories a day, to engage in moderate intensity physical activity 30 minutes or more a day, and to follow the low-fat, low-sodium DASH dietary plan, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods.

Participants in the study were asked to record daily food intake and their total exercise minutes. After 20 weeks, the total average loss was approximately 13 pounds. It may take a bit of extra work taking notes of what you eat during the day but the benefits seem to be very positive.

To learn more about a food diary to analyze eating habits, visit the American Academy of Family Physicians.