4 . Many of us start exercising in the hope of losing unwanted pounds. Unquestionably, aiming to be more active is a good thing. But if the main reason is to lose weight, your resolution could very well come to nothing.

For starters, exercise is typically futile for weight loss. Take walking for example. A 150-pound person who walks for 30 minutes will burn, on average, around 140 calories. That’s equal to one can of soda— not exactly a great return on your investment of time and effort. It’s much easier just to skip the soda.

When exercise is added to a diet, the results are equally unimpressive. Researchers found that a combination of dieting and exercising generated no greater weight loss than dieting alone after six months. At 12 months, the diet-and-exercise combination showed an advanced, but it was slight about 4 pounds on average.

In studies where exercise has produced meaningful weight loss, participants burned at least 400 to 500 calories per session on five or more days a week. To achieve that, a 150-pound person would need to walk a minimum of 90 minutes or run 30 minutes per day. In short, sessions need to go well beyond what most of us are willing or able to do. And even if we manage to make that much effort, our bodies often compensate by boosting appetite and slowing down metabolism (新陈代谢), which over time limit how many pounds we lose.

When exercise fails to meet our weight-loss expectations, we often stop working out. Perhaps the biggest problem with exercising to drop pounds is that it turns physical activity into punishment — a price we have to pay for a slimmer body. How many times have you heard someone say “I’ll need to do extra exercise” after eating too much? We treat exercise as a form of self- punishment for being “bad”. In this case, we’re unlikely to keep doing it for very long. The conclusion is that we’re more likely to treat exercise positively and actually do it when we focus on our well-being rather than our weight.

7 . Teen faints after skipping meals

STONECHESTER — A teenage girl fainted yesterday at Stonechester High School after skipping meals.

Jennifer Jones, 15, told friends in her EMERGENCY class that she was feeling unwell. She then passed out in her morning PE lesson and was rushed to hospital.

Jennifer was found to have dangerously low blood sugar levels and was treated immediately. Her worried parents told the doctor that their daughter missed breakfast that day and hardly touched her dinner the night before. Fortunately, she is now out of danger. Her doctor says that she will make a full recovery in a day or two.

Jennifer’s classmates hope to see her back at school soon. They say that she has struggled with eating problems for a long time. “Jennifer thought that skipping meals would be a simple way to reach her target weight,” her friend Laura Williams told our reporter. “She has not eaten breakfast for the last few months. She told me she had trouble concentrating in class. I warned her that skipping meals was unhealthy, but she wouldn’t listen.”

Jennifer’s case is a reminder of the dangers of the unhealthy weight-loss habits that have become common among teenagers of both sexes. In a society where being thin is often seen as being beautiful, teenagers sometimes turn to extreme methods to slim down quickly. According to a recent survey of senior high school students’ lifestyles, almost one fifth of teenagers regularly skip meals, one in ten over-exercise and four per cent even take weight-loss medicine. Health experts are concerned about these figures. They are increasing their efforts to educate teenagers about the side effects of losing weight too quickly. They have also warned them against using such extreme methods.

“These so-called ‘quick-fix methods’ prove to be harmful to teenagers. It is normal for teenagers to be slightly overweight and there is no reason why they should be worried. However, for those who are dangerously overweight, it is very important that they try to lose weight properly,” said an expert.

She pointed out that it is important to have a healthy balanced diet since teenagers are still growing and their bodies need a lot of nutrition to function well. If they do not take in enough food, they may feel weak and get ill easily. She added, “What’s more, they should keep regular hours and get plenty of exercise to stay energetic and fit. We strongly encourage all teenagers to follow these lifestyle tips, because living well is the safest and most effective way to get into shape.”

【课本原题】

I was very frightened when I woke up in hospital last Thursday. Then my mum told me what happened. She said I fainted in my PE class because of low blood sugar levels. Fortunately, I was rushed to hospital ________. The doctor helped me and I ________ within two days. My experience ________ what a bad idea it is to try to lose weight by skipping meals. Now I know this extreme weight-loss method has serious ________. I also understand that being healthy and ________ is more important than being slim. From now on, I’ll pay more attention to my health rather than my weight. I’ll eat a balanced ________ to make sure I have enough nutrition. Exercising regularly is also an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. My doctor tells me that it’ll help me ________ better in class. So, I’ll play sport with my friends every other day after school. I hope these lifestyle changes can help me ________

9 . At my heaviest I weighed 370 pounds. I had a very poor relationship with food: I used it to _______ bad feelings, to make myself feel better, and to celebrate. Worried about my health, I tried many different kinds of _______ but nothing worked. I came to believe that I could do nothing about my _______.

When I was 50, my weight problem began to affect me _______. I didn’t want to live the rest of my life with this extra weight any more.

That year, I _______ a seminar where we were asked to create a project that would touch the world. A seminar leader shared her _______ story — she had not only lost 125 pounds, but also raised $25,000 for homeless children.

_______ by her story, I created the As We Heal (痊愈), the World Heals _______. My goal was to lose 150 pounds in one year and raise $50,000 in support of a movement founded 30 years ago to end hunger. This combination of healing myself and healing the word _______ me as the perfect solution.

As I began my own personal weight program, I was filled with the fear that I would ________ the same difficulties that beat me before. While the ________ hung over my head, there were also signs that I was headed down the right path. I sent letters to everyone I knew, telling them about my project. It worked perfectly. Donations began ________ in from hundreds of people.

Of course, I also took some practical steps to lose weight. I consulted with a physician (内科医生), I hired a fitness coach, and I began to eat small and ________ meals. My fund-raising focus also gave me new motivation to exercise ________.

A year later, I ________ my goal: I lost 150 pounds and raised $50,000! I feel that I’ve been given a second life to devote to something that is meaningful and enormous.