A recent study finds Americans getting fatter sooner than their parents. As we look at the years when people are born, we find each decade group reaching a level where 20% or more are obese at younger and younger ages: It wasn’t until they reached 50-59 years old that 20% of those born between...
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Archive for May, 2010
Outliving Our Children?
Only Women Suffer From Eating High-GI Foods
Women beware. Some things in life just aren’t fair and the way we process our food is one of them. Consider the fact that “carbohydrate intake from high-GI foods increase the overall risk of CHD (coronary heart disease) in women but not men.” High GI (Glycemic Index) foods are foods whose carbohydrates convert quickly...
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Less Sleep = More Snacks
The more you lose sleep, the more you pack on the pounds. People who sleep less than 6 hours a night tend to make up for it with more snacks, according to a recent study. The authors noted that reduced sleep “can modify the amount, composition, and distribution of human food intake,” and that...
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Seniors Must Walk Faster to Decrease Cardiovascular Mortality
While walking is a good exercise for older adults, walking slowly doesn’t do the job when it comes to heart health. A study of senior adults (65 years and older) looked at the impact walking speed has on mortality. Specifically the study found that “participants with low walking speed had about a threefold increased...
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Chocolate Reduces Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Some good news for chocolate lovers: A study from Germany found that “Chocolate consumption appears to lower CVD (cardiovascular disease) risk, in part through reducing BP (blood pressure).” And while the risk reduction was modest, it is in keeping with other recent studies that suggest weekly consumption of chocolate results in a significant reduction...
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The Danger of Hospital Acquired Infections
The risk of a “health care-associated infection” is much greater than you might think. These are infections you can get while in the hospital as a result of your stay. Annually, approximately 1.7 million hospitalizations involve some sort of infection, the most common being pneumonia and sepsis (an infection causing whole-body inflammation). If you...
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Increase Your Life Expectancy at Middle Age
Want to find a way to increase your longevity? Just take a look at some of the critical numbers. A recent study quantifies ways to increase your life expectancy three different ways: Never Smoking – increased life expectancy: men – 4.3 years, women – 4.1 years Physical Activity – increased life expectancy: men – 3.5...
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Circulating Vitamin D Reduces Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Vitamin D has a range of benefits and one of them has to do with colorectal cancer. Another study on the benefits of vitamin D looked specifically at colorectal cancer. This study found that higher concentrations of circulating vitamin D reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 40%. Using a midlevel...
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