05 October 10 - 00:52Study: Obesity Linked to Decreased Seatbelt Use
obesity with seatbelt
Obese people are less likely to use their seatbelts than the rest of the population, according to a new study by U.S. researchers released on Wednesday.
The connection was made by Vanderbilt University psychologist David Schlundt and his colleagues at Meharry Medical College in Tennessee.
"We found that when weight goes up, seatbelt use goes down," Schlundt said. "This is an additional public health problem associated with obesity that was not on the radar screen."
"We hope these new findings will help promote awareness campaigns to encourage people to use their seatbelts and that additional resources, like seatbelt extenders, will be made more readily available." the release quoted Schlundt as saying.
The study result showed that approximately 30 percent of individuals with a body mass ...
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30 September 10 - 00:56One of America's 'Fattest' Cities Goes on Diet
OKLAHOMA CITY-With a button-popping spread of cornbread, sausage and gravy, chicken fried steak and pecan pie designated as Oklahoma's official state meal, it's no surprise that Oklahoma City's mayor wants to put the city on a diet.
Mick Cornett has challenged the city to shed 1 million pounds as its New Year's resolution.
Prompted in part by his own struggle to lose weight, Cornett wants to end Oklahoma City's dubious distinction as one of America's fattest cities.
"The message of this obesity initiative is that we've got to watch what we eat," Cornett said Thursday. "Exercise is part of it and the city is trying to change into a city that is less sprawling, has more density and is more pedestrian friendly, but you're not really going to take on obesity unless you acknowledge that we eat too much and don't eat the right foods. ...
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29 September 10 - 00:47Girls Who Feel Unpopular Gained More Weight than Girls Higher on Social Ladder
Where a teenage girl sees herself on her school's social ladder may sway her future weight, a study of more than 4,000 girls finds.
Those who believed they were unpopular gained more weight over a two-year period than girls who viewed themselves as more popular. Researchers said the study showed how a girl's view of her social status has broader health consequences.
The girls in the study were still growing - their average age was 15 - and all of them gained some weight. However, those who rated themselves low in popularity were 69 percent more likely than other girls to increase their body mass index by two units, the equivalent of gaining about 11 excess pounds. (The body mass index, or BMI, is a calculation based on height and weight.)
Girls who put themselves on the higher rungs of popularity also gained some (more)
28 September 10 - 00:45Acupuncture Treatment and chinese Herbs for Obesity
Obesity refers to accumulation of fat in the body due to changes of the biochemical and physiological functions. Clinically body weight increase by 20% more than the standard level is regarded as obesity, usually accompanied by abnormal changes of appetite and sleep, sweating, dry mouth and disorder of stool. TCM believes that obesity is mainly due to disorder of the spleen and stomach as well as dyfunction of defensive qi. The pathological changes are blood sthenia and qi asthenia, exuberance of yin and
deficiency of yang as well as disorder of qi and blood. In-sufficiency of primordial qi in the triple energizer affects metabolism of water and transformation of qi, conse-quently leading to
obesity.
Treatment
1. Body acupuncture
Prescription: Quchi (LI ...
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27 September 10 - 01:48A Few Extra Pounds may Harm Kids' Heart Health
Even "chunky" kids who aren't obviously overweight have changes in their heart and blood vessel function that could increase their risk of
cardiovascular disease, a new study shows.
The findings are "a wake-up call for parents, for caretakers for the community and for pediatricians," lead researcher Dr. Yanbin Dong of the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, told Reuters Health. He and his colleagues are now following the adolescents in the current study to determine if these changes do indeed lead to worse heart health.
Dong and his team conducted the study when the term "at risk for overweight" was used to refer to a body mass index (BMI), the ratio of height to weight, that would currently be classified as "overweight," but not obese.
While the increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with being overweight is well known, Dong noted, it hasn't been clear ...
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25 September 10 - 00:46Splish-splash Your Way to a Slimmer Waistline
In 1993, water aerobics were only for senior citizens or patients who needed rehabilitation therapy. Nowadays, it encompasses a variety of trendy underwater sports, all of which are healthy.
"The body has 90 percent support when underwater. That means the joints only have to offer 10 percent support," says Theodor Stemper, a sports scientist at the Bergischen University in Wuppertal.
The buoyancy adds comfort and alleviates pressure on the joints. "That lets a person participate in a lot of aqua-training, even if they're overweight or have never done it before," says Stemper. Aqua-fitness is also great for pregnant women or people suffering from joint injuries.
Aids like the "noodle" or an aqua-jogging belt add to the benefits of buoyancy.
"An aqua-jogging belt with a high back is ideal for beginners, since it helps balance the body better," ...
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24 September 10 - 00:55Acupuncture As A Viable Weight Loss Option
Dieting only to have the weight come back, bringing along a few more pounds to keep it company, can be quite stressful. For many people dieting has become too stressful. This may be why there are so many people who are using
acupuncture to handle their long term weight issues. Acupuncture involving standard practices, including hair thin needles being inserted into the body in selected areas, is used to help enhance proper functioning of the body.
A release of endorphins by the body is stimulated by acupuncture. These endorphins are used by the body to relieve pain and for appetite control, thereby giving the patient increased willpower. For those who are obese, the cause of obesity may have to be evaluated through a questionnaire administrated by the acupuncturist. Both behavioral patterns and psychological reasons can be the cause of weight problems.
Whatever the reasons behind the ...
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23 September 10 - 01:10obesity Surgery Seen As Diabetes Cure
A new study gives the strongest evidence yet that
obesity surgery can cure diabetes.
Patients who had surgery to reduce the size of their stomachs were five times more likely to see their diabetes disappear over the next two years than were patients who had standard diabetes care, according to Australian researchers.
Most of the surgery patients were able to stop taking diabetes drugs and achieve normal blood tests.
"It's the best therapy for diabetes that we have today, and it's very low risk," said the study's lead author, Dr. John Dixon of Monash University Medical School in Melbourne, Australia.
The patients had stomach band surgery, a procedure more common in Australia than in the United States, where gastric bypass surgery, or stomach stapling, predominates.
Gastric bypass is even more effective against (more)
