Google Hangout: U.S. News Talks With Apolo Ohno

Apolo Ohno had the symptoms, but not the diagnosis: Shortness of breath. Wheezing. An overall decrease in athletic performance.

Ohno, of course, is an eight-time speedskating gold medalist, and the most decorated American winter athlete of all time. But as he was wowing the world on the ice, he was suffering from exercise-induced bronchospasm, or a temporary narrowing of the airways that produces extras mucus.

"I thought it was a byproduct of me being out of shape or not training enough," Ohno says, adding that he experienced a 35 percent decline in his normal breathing ability. "When I was diagnosed, I immediately saw an improvement in my performance and daily activities. It gave me internal confidence ... I didn't let it hamper me in any way."

Today, Ohno says he's passionate about staying active. In addition to two stints on Dancing With the Stars, he completed the New York City Marathon in 2012 in 3 hours, 25 minutes, and 14 seconds. And he counts skiing, mountain bike riding, and cycling among his favorite pastimes.

Now, he's deciding exactly what role he wants to play in the 2014 Winter Olympics. "You will see me in Russia—I just don't know in what capacity," he says. "I'll probably still have my skates on me. I just don't know if I'll be skating in them or not."

In the Google Hangout above, U.S. News Health + Wellness chats with Ohno about his respiratory condition, how it's affected his career, why he's speaking out now, and what else we can expect from him in the coming months.

For more on his efforts to raise awareness about EIB, see eiballstars.com.

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Al Roker's Gastric Bypass and Weight Loss

"Dense morning fog, followed by gusty winds with temperatures soaring to a potentially record-breaking 60 degrees by this January afternoon, followed by drenching rain and a flash flood watch by this evening with temps dropping to the 30s." That's what the morning news reported, and wow—what a perfect day to meet with a weatherman!

For 27 years, viewers have been relying on Al Roker, Today show co-host and weather reporter, to tell them whether to carry an umbrella or leave their jackets at home. What Roker's audiences may not have realized, though, was that his eating habits were as turbulent as his forecasts—laden with erratic weight patterns and unpredictable clothing sizes.

Roker's newest book, Never Goin' Back, uncovers the weight battle he has fought since childhood up until now, when he stopped fighting and learned to compromise through the use of a balanced diet and lifestyle. Here's a slice of the conversation I had with Roker, and a taste of what it's like to get off the roller-coaster approach to dieting:

BTD: We actually have a lot in common. In addition to sharing a favorite childhood memory of dipping into a bowl of bananas and sour cream, I also grew up overweight, and when I dropped 30 pounds in adolescence, I knew in my heart I was "never goin' back." Aside from the pressure of the title of your book, what makes you so sure?

AR: Do I really know for sure? No, but I've never felt more strongly about this than I do now. I know I need to exercise. For some people, exercise is like breathing; for others, like me, it takes effort. Exercising is what I need for my metabolism and for a better sense of well-being.

[See 10 Excuses for Not Exercising, and Why They Won't Fly]

BTD: You often talk about your past binge eating experiences, including "a couple of Quarter Pounders, two large orders of fries, and a vanilla shake," or "a dozen Krispy Cremes." Does this now sound surreal to you, to think that you ate that way, or are these habits something you have to fight every day?

AR: That doesn't even sound like the same person! When you're in the midst of it, whether an alcoholic or a drug addict, that secondary voice inside you is not loud enough. It almost feels like the "devil and angel" sitting on your shoulders, like in a sitcom.

BTD: One of my patients once said that if he wanted to hide a gift for his wife, he'd "hide it in the oven … because she never looks there!" I cried at the story you told in your book about how you stocked Deborah's previously bare kitchen while you were apartment sitting. I know you love to cook—do you find that you're cooking more or less often since you're following this new way of clean eating?

AR: My cooking habits haven't changed that drastically. I never really got into trouble at home; that was more in restaurants. I always did the cooking at home, and we always tried for balance. We've been vigilant about how and what our kids eat. For example, my son would just as soon go for the grapes as he would the chips … and the chips are baked. Last night we had sushi, and tonight it's salmon and quinoa.

[See A Romantic, Heart-Healthy Valentine's Day Meal]

BTD: You mention a few times that "the weight started to come back," as if it were alive and coming back to you. I hear that same expression often. Would you say that one of the biggest changes in the way you view your weight now is that it's something YOU are responsible for? You seem empowered now.

AR: I used to look at a pint of Häagen-Dazs and call it a serving size. Now I know that I can have a couple of spoonfuls and I'm done. I'm more in control—and I'm controlling food.

BTD: I love your quote, "Anyone who has ever been on a diet knows that boredom is the breeding ground for bad habits." What do you do now to take the place of eating in those food-centric circumstances, like social situations or watching TV or just hanging out?

AR: Unless there is breaking news, we don't allow TV watching at home while we're eating. I also try not to read and eat, and interestingly, since I stopped that habit, my comprehension is even better. I have not made any 'replacements' for food during those times.

[See 6 Ways to Make Time for Your Health]

BTD: "You can't lose weight for your wife, your mother, your father, or anyone else except yourself. It HAS to be for YOU." Why now? What makes this time different, since YOU were there all along? Has something changed in you that makes you feel more deserving of this self-care and attention?

AR: After gastric bypass surgery they make you go through therapy, but a realization that came to me after writing my book was that I should have gone to the support group they offered. As mentioned in my book, I knew I needed to make some very basic changes in my life ... for me.

BTD: You mentioned an incident when someone who came over to your house put some avocado in your salad and you said, "I didn't want any fats!" I notice that now, in your meal plan, you readily include almonds, avocado, and olive oil. Was it hard for you to make the transition to trusting fats?

AR: When it comes to dieting, I'm the kind of person that likes to be told what to do. I don't like to count points, etc. I don't want to have a lot of choices. After my detox cleanse, my choices were more limited, but now I've expanded my diet to include a variety of healthy foods.

[See Best Diets for Healthy Eating]

BTD: What's next for you? Have you been courted by food companies or popular diet plans?

AR: I wrote this book to share my personal journey and what I went through, and I hope it will be helpful to whoever reads it. I am not advocating gastric bypass surgery; you can eat through a bypass. I did—I lost 140 pounds and gained 40 back. Nor am I promoting going on a detox cleanse or doing slow workouts.

I strongly agree with Roker, who told me that "Most people make the mistake of having the typical dieting mentality— thinking that the diet has a beginning, a middle, and an end." Although Al Roker may be at his "fighting weight," he's not fighting his weight and this process is far from its end. For those of us who have lost weight by following a plan we could live with, that feeling of well-being and pride is only the beginning ... not the end.

Hungry for more? Write to eatandrun@usnews.com with your questions, concerns, and feedback.

Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, has been owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants, LLC, for more than three decades and she is the author of Read It Before You Eat It. As a renowned motivational speaker, author, media personality, and award-winning dietitian, Taub-Dix has found a way to communicate how to make sense of science. Her website is BetterThanDieting.com.

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There's No Cure for Obesity

Despite what you may see in breathless advertisements, or read from the latest diet book guru, or hear from celebrity diet spokespeople, there simply is no cure for obesity. Although you probably already know that in your bones (after all, if there were a cure, the world would certainly not be struggling with weight), I'm guessing that you may still approach weight-management efforts as if a cure was possible.

In my experience working with thousands of people, the majority seem to believe that there are two phases to weight management—the weight-loss phase and the weight-maintenance phase—and that the losing phase will require far more restriction than the maintaining phase.

And therein lies the rub: If the ability to gain weight in our modern environment is considered the condition, it's one that never goes away, which means weight-management efforts are treatments, and when treatments stop, conditions recur. So if you've lost weight following a strict approach, only to relax it once the weight is lost, you might be unpleasantly surprised to see your weight return.

[See Easiest Diets to Follow]

Two weeks ago, the New England Journal of Medicine published a piece highlighting the myths, presumptions, and facts that surround our current understanding of obesity. Among the facts mentioned is this one: "Continuation of conditions that promote weight loss promotes maintenance of lower weight." The point can be expanded upon by some of my favorite weight-management truisms:

• The more weight you'd like to permanently lose, the more of your life you'll need to permanently change.

• If you can't happily eat less, you're not going to eat less.

• If you can't happily exercise more, you're not going to exercise more.

• Your best weight is whatever weight you reach, when you're living the healthiest life you actually enjoy.

[See Diets That Don't Work—And A Look At What Does]

So remember, whatever you choose to do to lose the weight, if you stop doing it, the weight's going to come back. What that means, of course, is that if you don't like your life while you're losing weight, you're going to gain your weight back. Putting this another way, whatever strategy you choose for weight management, if you see the strategy as a temporary means to an end, the end will likely only be temporary.

[See Finding Support For Your Health Goals]

If you're on a diet that leaves you regularly hungry or having cravings, you're going to quit. If you're exercising beyond the point of liking it, with the hours or the effort a source of dread, you're going to quit.

Our shared affliction, the human condition, simply isn't good at letting us live lives of unnecessary, perpetual suffering. So even if you do manage to lose boatloads of weight through misery, since suffering through under-eating and over-exercising is wholly unnecessary, the suffering, and the losses, won't last.

If you're planning a weight-management effort, or if you're in the midst of one, make sure you ask this one all-important and straightforward question: "Do I like the life I'm living?" If the answer's no, I'd recommend you try something else, because if you don't like the life you're living, you're not going to keep living that way. And for obesity, there is no cure, only ongoing treatment.

[See Use These 8 Foods to Help You Lose Weight]

Hungry for more? Write to eatandrun@usnews.com with your questions, concerns, and feedback.

Yoni Freedhoff, MD, is an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, where he's the founder and medical director of the Bariatric Medical Institute—dedicated to non-surgical weight management since 2004. Dr. Freedhoff sounds off daily on his award-winning blog, Weighty Matters, and is also easily reachable on Twitter. Dr. Freedhoff's latest book Why Diets Fail and How to Make Yours Work will be published by Random House's Crown/Harmony in 2014.

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CDC: Leafy Greens Lead Culprit for Food-Borne Illnesses

Produce Accounts for 46 Percent of Food-Borne Illnesses, CDC Says

We've been told our whole lives to load up on leafy greens, as they're packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. But a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that leafy greens are also the riskiest foods in terms of causing food-borne illnesses. The report, released today, uses the data of 4,589 food-borne illness outbreaks reported between 1998 and 2008 to determine what caused them. As it turns out, produce, such as fruits and vegetables, was responsible for 46 percent of the outbreaks. And among specific food categories, leafy greens accounted for the most illnesses, many of which were caused by norovirus. While meat and poultry didn't make as many people sick, when they did, the results were deadlier. Meat and poultry, which includes beef, game, pork, and poultry, accounted for 29 percent of deaths, and poultry alone caused 19 percent of deaths. The report stresses that, no, the findings don't mean you should avoid leafy greens and meat. Continue reaping the many benefits of fruits and veggies, it says, so long as they're "properly cleaned, separated, cooked, and stored to limit contamination." And as for meat, be sure to cook it to the proper internal temperature, and use a thermometer to check. That means 165 degrees Fahrenheit for poultry, 145 degrees Fahrenheit for whole meats, and 160 degrees Fahrenheit for ground meats, the report says.

Jack Lew's Signature and Yours: What We Learn from Handwriting

On the heels of the hullaballoo surrounding Jack Lew's penmanship—should the treasury secretary nominee be confirmed, U.S. currency will feature his cartoonish loop-de-loop of a signature—and National Handwriting Week (yes, you read that correctly), U.S. News wondered what, if anything, can be learned from chicken scratch.

The short answer: depends on whom you ask.

Graphology, the craft of deducing one's character traits by handwriting analysis, holds that tremendous insight can be gleaned about a person by taking the sum total of myriad variables like letter size, stroke pressure, the slant of the script, and its position on a page.

"There's about 5,000 different things that handwriting can reveal," says Kathi McKnight, a Colorado-based graphologist. Among them, she says, are everything from "who is wounded in love, to who has high self esteem and determination, to who is wracked with self doubt." Psychologists, for example, work with McKnight to help them "get to the heart of things with a patient more quickly and deeply," and teachers can use graphology to spot signs of depression in children, she says. [Read more: What Can We Learn from Handwriting?]

What to Serve on Game Day

If you've held fast to your New Year's resolution to eat healthier so far, you may want to steer clear of any Super Bowl parties to keep it that way. As we all know, traditional Super Bowl fare ranges from fried chicken wings and pizza to chips with high-fat dips, writes U.S. News blogger Tamara Duker Freuman.

For those of you determined to enjoy the big game AND keep your healthy eating momentum going, however, there are lots of ways to make it through the night without gaining too much yardage … around your waistline. Hosts and hostesses: Take note!

Capture the flavors, not the calories. Love nachos? Buffalo wings your thing? Why not recreate their signature flavor profiles, and use them to adorn a variety of more nutritious, lower-calorie carriers?

1. Forget the chicken wings; even if they're not fried, their high skin-to-meat ratio makes them a super fatty carrier for the buffalo seasoning you're after. Why not try broiled buffalo shrimp instead? A single, 1-ounce, raw chicken wing has about 65 calories; an equivalent portion of raw shrimp—about four large ones—has only 25 calories. [Read more: What to Serve on Game Day]

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