Overfat youth at risk of chronic diseases
Blood markers observed in obese children — some as young as 7 — indicate their bodies host chronic inflammation, a driver of heart disease, and elevations in chemicals that promote blood clots.
The findings, reported today at the Endocrine Society annual meeting, in Washington, D.C., indicate that school-age plumpness can prove more than a social stigma. It may signal that youngsters are on their way to developing cardiovascular disease — and years earlier than even a generation ago.
Glucose metabolism: The canary in the coal mine
Altered blood sugar metabolism can help predict — and perhaps prevent, or delay — the onset of Type 2 diabetes (aka adult onset diabetes). T2D is an emerging health epidemic with close ties to cardiovascular disease. Approximately 85-95% cases of diabetes are T2D. From Medpage Today: Insulin sensitivity, beta-cell function, and blood glucose may provide […]
Slow down, you eat too fast/Got to make the dinner last
From BBC News:
Wolfing down meals may be enough to nearly double a person’s risk of being overweight, Japanese research suggests.
Osaka University scientists looked at the eating habits of 3,000 people and reported their findings in the British Medical Journal…
Energy drinks: Beverages with an unhealthy boost
You’ve seen them in the grocery store refrigerated coolers, with fancy names, like Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle, and Rockstar. They’re the so-called “energy drinks” that come loaded with caffeine, sugar, vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients.
But are they really good for you? Johns Hopkins reviews the data.
Healthy lifestyles decline in the US
Despite the well-known benefits of having a lifestyle that includes physical activity, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, moderate alcohol use and not smoking, only a small proportion of adults follow this healthy lifestyle pattern, and in fact, the numbers are declining, according to an article published in the June 2009 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Between 1988 and 2006…
Food policy: Check the ingredient list
Policies designed to improve the diet quality and health of Americans are likely to have only marginal effects on consumers’ food choices. However, policies targeted directly at consumers such as nutrition information and education programs, along with labeling regulations, can spur the reformulation of products with healthier ingredients by stimulating competition among food manufacturers to offer products that appeal to health-conscious consumers…
Yoga instructor still going strong at 83
Yoga instructor Bette Calman may be 83, but she is still bending over backwards to spread the benefits of the ancient Indian system.
With 40 years of teaching under her belt, the Williamstown wonder is living proof that a lifetime’s dedication to the healthy pursuit can keep you nimble…
Woman finally “bulks up” from weight training!
Dear readers, I report with breathless excitement that it’s finally happened!! I have finally “gotten too big” from weight training! Yes! It’s true!
Why Your Excuses Are Crap: “I’m too tired”
As part of my ongoing series of Why Your Excuses are Crap, today we examine the “I’m too tired” excuse. A new study demonstrates that lifting weights gives you energy…
Weight training increases resting energy expenditure in older women
You’ve probably heard people say that some forms of exercise “increase your metabolism”. What this often means is that after you’ve done a certain kind of exercise, your body’s energy expenditure — the amount of energy it’s spending on tasks like recovering from whatever crazy thing you’ve done — is temporarily elevated. We know that some forms of exercise do this more than others. A new study examines this phenomenon in women…