Want to reduce obesity and the diseases that go hand-in-hand with it? Get moving! That’s the advice of the Global Energy Balance Network, a new non-profit organization funded, in part, by Coca-Cola.

Now, it’s always a good idea to get up, get out and get going, but that’s only part of the equation. As The New York Times recently noted, health experts contend Coca-Cola is using the group to convince consumers that physical activity can offset a poor diet. But as nearly everyone knows, that’s just not so—diet plays a critical role in weight management and ultimately, a healthy appearance. Diet also plays a role in maintaining healthy skin.

No doubt about it, you are what you eat … and what you don’t eat, too. As Dr. Mark Menolascino, founder of the Meno Clinic Center for Advanced Medicine notes in this issue of Beauty Inside & Out, the only proven technique that extends life is calorie restriction. But for those of us who like to eat, there is increasing evidence that the gut’s microbiome is key to properly processing nutrients from foods and vitamins. And a diet that’s rich in antioxidants is an effective way to reduce the damage inflicted by free radicals.

Free radicals play a critical role in wrinkle formation as well. That’s why foods loaded with antioxidants like green tea, berries and pomegranate can prove to be so beneficial. At the same time, there is mounting evidence that antioxidants play a role in effective skin care formulation.

But what can one do about that stubborn layer of fat just below the skin? Shyam Gupta details the benefits of adipose-management cosmetics that are both natural and effective.

As this issue of Beauty Inside & Out demonstrates, getting and staying healthy is an inside and outside job—regardless of what the folks in Atlanta would have us believe.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Beauty from the Inside & Out. We welcome your comments and suggestions for future editions.

Tom Branna
VP/Editorial director
tbranna@rodmanmedia.com