Dr. Bill's Tips On Avoiding Weight Gain On The Holidays
GRIFFIN: Our top story this hour. The U.S. Senate approving legislation allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. The final vote to repeal "don't ask, don't tell", 65-31. Eight Republicans joining Democrats to vote for that; President Obama expected to sign the measure in the coming week. Five years after cracking up audiences as an electronics store clerk in the movie "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," the actor Shelley Malil sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. He was convicted in California for stabbing his former girlfriend. During the trial, he claimed it was the knife that stabbed her, not him. Triple-A says the number of Americans planning trips during the holiday season is expected to jump 3 percent. In all, 93 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from their home by car or air. The snow out west could hamper a lot of those folks' plans, though. With Christmas just around the corner, lots of us are going to be shopping this weekend. Technology is being used, security cameras, to give retailers an edge. CNN's Mary Snow tells us how these devices are tracking you, in an effort to boost sales.</s>MARY SNOW, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This scene seems pretty ordinary, a woman browsing through a shirt rack. But for retailers keeping a watchful eye, this is considered valuable information. (</s>On camera): You wouldn't be surprised to know there are security cameras like this one videotaping you. What you might not know is what's being done with those images. (</s>Voice over): As soon as you walk through the door, your movements are tracked.</s>KATHRYN HOWE, BVI NETWORKS: It's like getting really close without touching, right? I want to understand as much as I can without invading your space.</s>SNOW: Kathryn Howe provides technology to retailers hoping to boost sales by studying shopper's behavior. American Apparel allowed us to get a look at how it works.</s>HOWE: I want to say, all right, bring it a little further out and track people coming in who go to the coat display.</s>SNOW: Howe will look to see who goes to that coat display and for how long. Her job is to convert videos into information. Like this map, showing the stores' most trafficked areas. She also shows us how a camera captured shoppers inside a convenience store looking at a promotion sign.</s>HOWE: I could click on each of these and I would get a little video clip that would show me exactly their behavior as they approached it.</s>SNOW: Armed with that information, stores might move displays or change how merchandise is presented. In addition to cameras, this store attaches RFID, or radio frequency tags on clothes. John Brooks, with American Apparel, says his store uses them to track inventory, and insists they aren't followed once an item leaves the store. He sees another purpose for them in the future.</s>JOHN BROOKS, AMERICAN APPAREL: Where somebody may go into a change room, we will have run-well, the system will have run a log rhythm that says with this particular item you're likely to also be interested in these items, and our sales assistants can then move to efficiently provide those products.</s>SNOW: As retailers try to gain an age on competitors, Paco Underhill, a pioneer in consumer behavior says there's an infinite amount of technology.</s>PACO UNDERHILL, AUTHOR, "WHY WE BUY:  THE SCIENCE OF SHOPPING": I can put sensors on a shopping chart to track where that shopping cart goes and how long it stays for. I can key in to your cell phone and if it is turned on, be able to pinpoint where you are.</s>SNOW: What remains unclear, he says, is whether all this information is leading to something useful. But that is not the only question. (</s>On camera): How aware are consumers about how much they're being watched? (</s>Voice over): John Brooks says most people know about security cameras, but has this message for consumers worried about their privacy.</s>BROOKS: At the end of the day, our technology is driven towards creating a more rich and efficient in-store experience. And that is our primary concern. Information outside of that is really of no interest to us. And is unactionable, in terms of our business model.</s>SNOW: But the use of all this technology has made privacy advocates increasingly uneasy. As one attorney at the ACLU put it, analytics being collected are being dwarfed the information about you obtained online. Mary Snow, CNN, New York.</s>GRIFFIN: Of course, a lot of us will be attending holiday events, parties this weekend and beyond, with plenty of food to eat and stuff to drink, and that means a lot of weight to gain. Dr. Bill joins us. Dr. Bill, I was reading ahead. You've got some very, very specific tips on how you can actually avoid putting on those pounds as soon as you walk in the door of a party.</s>DR. BILL LLOYD, SURGEON & PATHOLOGIST: You're absolutely right, Drew. When you think of the holidays, if you want to preserve a healthy weight, you have think about it like an obstacle course. So between now and let's say, January 2, you've got to navigate your way around these parties. The first important tip that you think about is never arrive hungry at a party. A lot of people try to starve themselves before a reception, saying they can munch away when they get to the party, but it works the opposite. Follow your normal nutritional schedule and have a snack before the party and you won't eat as much. Here is another important one, Visualize yourself eating. Big research this week in "Science" magazine, researchers in Pittsburgh said if on your way to the party you think about eating those cheese cubes, you think about eating those shrimp, you actually go through the maneuver of eating those M&Ms;, when you go to the party, you'll already be full and you won't want to eat as much. Try that one, Drew, and let me know if it works. Also, arrive late. If you get there early, you have more time to graze. And think about using smaller plates when you're in line for that buffet. Take the smaller plate. Research has shown you'll eat less. And between every bite, put the fork down. When you force yourself to pick up the fork, you eat less. And limit the amount of alcohol you drink and you'll keep that calorie count down.</s>GRIFFIN: Bill, I got to tell you, every time I visualize M&Ms;, I want to eat them. So that's not going to work for me. I'm going to try something else. You said something interesting, the 30 minutes you arrive, the first 30 minutes are the danger zone.</s>LLOYD: Absolutely right. Because people want to be hospitable to their guests and they lay out all the good stuff. Again, if you arrive hungry, you'll get right in there. You know there is a kind of survival mentality that, you know, those shrimp may not last, those meatballs may go away, I better eat them now. When in fact, most good hosts, like you, will put the food out in stages throughout the party. Hosts need to be very sensitive to their guests. Make sure there's low-calorie dishes as well as the regular fair as well. So by getting their later and choosing the smaller plate, you'll consume far fewer calories. And start the new year at your target weight.</s>GRIFFIN: There's an emotional problem wrapped up in a lot of people's Christmases, too. Their moods kind of go sour. Why does that happen?</s>LLOYD: Well, Drew, we're not talking about somebody that has a diagnosis of a clinical mood disorder. These people need to be in the hands of health professionals. But a lot of healthy people do get down in the dumps when the holidays come. The answer is simple, too little sun and too much anxiety. Anxiety is linked to depression. If you're buried with woes about gift wrapping, going to the mall, and the economy, you're really not going to enjoy the holidays. Of course, there's always triggers that can bring you down. You have to be alert about your feelings. Now, don't wait till next weekend, now how are you feeling about the holidays?</s>GRIFFIN: Let me ask you something else, Doctor Bill, because this was news to me. It was a great idea, that I had just never thought of. You say that holidays are a good time to get together with your families and try to assess, or organize a family health history.</s>LLOYD: I think everyone should do this, Drew. Because we know that an accurate family history is one of the most powerful steps that physicians can use to get to a correct diagnosis. Now and in the future, for yourself, and for your children. So if you're having a family reunion, take a few minutes sit down and collect some information. Go ahead and build that family tree. And of course, with so many blended families, now that tree is going to have many, many branches. Get the names of all the family members and for those that have passed on, get the age when they passed away. Here's something very important. For those where you know an individual had a health problem, get the age of their diagnosis. Aunt Lucy went crazy. Well, maybe she went crazy when she was 90. But if she started having memory problems and started acting funny when she was 65, then maybe we ought to be thinking about that she had dementia or Alzheimer's disease and we can track that in the family. So the age of diagnosis is very, very important. And it is the holidays, so you want to probe gently. This is not the conversation to have over the dinner table. Find some time with the older relatives, get them aside, and see how much they can remember about your family health.</s>GRIFFIN: You know, they generally like talking about their history, no matter what, good or bad, don't they?</s>LLOYD: That's an important point. We don't know how anybody in the Lloyd family died. I ask my parents all the time. Hey, how did Uncle Bob die? We don't know. So this is a great opportunity to get that information. The reason is, if you have this information, and there's a family trait, you and your doctor can decide if there's a role for preclinical treatment, diseases like Alzheimer and Parkinson's disease. They're offering therapies now to people even before their earliest symptoms, if they have a strong family history. So by having this information for yourself, and for your children, the next generation of health care is going to change tremendously. This information will put you in the best place to have a healthier life and longer survivorship, as well.</s>GRIFFIN: Dr. Bill Lloyd, always great, good advice. Thanks so much and happy holidays.</s>LLOYD: We'll talk again soon.</s>GRIFFIN: OK. Take care.</s>LLOYD: Same to you.</s>GRIFFIN: We'll be right back.