Category Archives: Health Headlines

Articles pertaining to health, fitness, wellness, and obesity..

How U.S. Obesity Compares With Other Countries

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bellymeasurementsmallFrom Your Health Journal…..”A very interesting article from PBS Newshour that I had to promote called How U.S. Obesity Compares With Other Countries written by Franco Sassi. We know that obesity is on the rise in many parts of the world, as well as obesity related illnesses such as heart disease, asthma, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and weak joints. Sedentary lifestyle, along with less physical activity and more technology is creating a planet of overweight humans. But, how does the United States compare to other countries with regards to obesity. New data is stating that in the U.S., Canada and Ireland, obesity is still on the rise, but the pace is slowing. Childhood obesity rates are slowing in the U.S., as well as in England, France and Korea. Obesity has become one of the biggest threats to public health in developed countries and increasingly so in emerging economies, especially in urban areas. Please visit the PBS Newshour web site (link provided below) to read the complete article. It was well written and very informative.”

From the article…..

New data is providing a gleam of hope in an otherwise fairly dark picture. After decades of rapid growth, adult obesity is stabilizing in many developed countries.

In the U.S., Canada and Ireland, obesity is still on the rise, but the pace is slowing. Childhood obesity rates are slowing in the U.S., as well as in England, France and Korea.

Despite these encouraging trends, obesity has become one of the biggest threats to public health in developed countries and increasingly so in emerging economies, especially in urban areas. At least one in two people are now overweight or obese in more than half of the 34 OECD countries — and numbers are set to rise further.

In most countries, obesity is strongly linked to gender and socioeconomic standing, with poorly educated women two to three times more likely to be overweight than those with more schooling. For men, disparities are less prominent and almost non-existent in many countries.

In the U.S., however, obesity is more likely to be linked to race than to income, with African-Americans and Hispanics more likely to be overweight than non-Hispanic whites or Asian-Americans.

Hover over the bars on the graphic below to see how U.S. obesity rates compare with other OECD countries. Click ‘Next story’ to see how self-reported obesity figures compare with measured rates in each country.

Why do we need to halt the epidemic? Obesity and the chronic diseases associated with it are killers, with severely obese people dying eight to 10 years earlier than their peers.

There is also a financial loss. In Sweden, for example, obese people earn some 18 percent less than others.

But the financial impact itself is mixed. During their life-span, an obese person costs the health care system 25 percent more than a person of normal weight, or up to 3 percent of total health expenditure in most OECD countries (5 to 10 percent in the U. S.). However, due to a shorter life expectancy, overall heath care costs for obese people are not higher than for a non-obese person.

To read the full article…..Click here

Obesity Pill That Re-Wires Brain Into Feeling Full

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overweightmanFrom Your Health Journal…..”An interesting article from the Times of India entitled Soon, obesity pill that re-wires brain into feeling full. Scientists have gotten closer to developing a diet pill that can prevent obesity by “re-wiring” appetite control in the brain. A recent study has identified a population of stem cells capable of generating new appetite-regulating neurons in the brains of young and adult rodents. Scientists investigated the hypothalamus section of the brain – which regulates sleep and wake cycles, energy expenditure, appetite, thirst, hormone release and many other critical biological functions. The study looked specifically at the nerve cells that regulate appetite. This entire investigation could lead to many positive results in people who have a hard time reducing their calorie intake. In a day and age where obesity is causing people to become ill, and the worries about the rise in the cost of healthcare, this could lead to something positive. Let’s watch this closely to see how it turns out, and if it is entirely safe for humans. Please visit the Times of India web site (link provided below) to read the complete article. The Times of India is an excellent publication with many quality health articles.”

From the article…..

No more toiling hard in the gym to shed flab!

Scientists have inched closer to developing a new diet pill that can prevent obesity by “re-wiring” appetite control in the brain.

A new study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, has identified a population of stem cells capable of generating new appetite-regulating neurons in the brains of young and adult rodents.

The discovery by researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) could offer a long-lasting solution to eating disorders such as obesity.

Scientists investigated the hypothalamus section of the brain – which regulates sleep and wake cycles, energy expenditure, appetite, thirst, hormone release and many other critical biological functions. The study looked specifically at the nerve cells that regulate appetite.

The researchers used ‘genetic fate mapping’ techniques to make their discovery – a method that tracks the development of stem cells and cells derived from them, at desired time points during the life of an animal.

They established that a population of brain cells called ‘tanycytes’ behave like stem cells and add new neurons to the appetite-regulating circuitry of the mouse brain after birth and into adulthood.

“Unlike dieting, translation of this discovery could eventually offer a permanent solution for tackling obesity,” lead researcher Dr Mohammad K Hajihosseini, said.

To read the complete article…..Click here

Beating Childhood Obesity

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obeseboyvectoreatingFrom Your Health Journal…..”I had to promote an article by Angela Mollard in the Telegraph from Australia entitled Love the key to beating deadly child obesity epidemic. Childhood obesity is not just a problem in the United States, but all over the world. We are worried this could be the first generation of children whose life expectancy may be shorter than their parents. Obesity related illness such as heart disease, asthma, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and weaker joints are all on the rise. Changes is needed, education of families on healthy lifestyle is critical. The author points out how things have changed for children, as they even need their tonsils removed to breathe, as the states that ‘fat is the new normal’ in her article. She states that the love of our children should be the driving force to keep them healthy – getting them involved in sport, making sure they reduce sedentary lifestyle and technology, get them an hour of physical activity each day, and promote healthy eating. Please take the time to visit the Telegraph web site (link provided below) to read this full article. It is well written, honest, and direct! I found her article refreshing and sincere.”

From the article…..

Not much makes me cry but tears of quiet despair roll as I write.

Our children are so fat they’re having their tonsils removed just to breathe. Hips – once the curse of the elderly – are being replaced, worn out under the sheer weight of these kids’ bodies.

We are supposed to protect children. Instead, we’ve shackled them with this hideous, life-destroying condition we seemingly have no power to halt. We are flailing with obesity, unable to turn the tide because, fat, frankly, is the new normal.

And who wants to hear from a woman who isn’t?

But if we don’t talk about it – and God knows I’m tiptoeing here – then we might as well close the door on everything that is awkward and confronting: sexual abuse, immigration, domestic violence. We owe our children solutions to this crisis but in the absence of any we should at least be having a conversation. Only through the kernels of shared thoughts will come answers.

People are not fat by choice.

Something within them aches; something so private and – in many cases – undetectable that food is the only thing that soothes. Bread becomes a pillow, butter a blanket to wrap yourself in against the sharp edges of life.

I know because friends have been brave enough to tell me.

One eats to stave off the hunger of childlessness; another numbs her rotten childhood with the warmth of doughnuts and the unquestioning hug that is cake.

Overeating, as author Caitlin Moran points out, is the addiction of choice of carers and, therefore, women. Unlike drink or drugs, food abuse allows you to function.

“Fat people aren’t indulging in the ‘luxury’ of their addiction making them useless, chaotic or a burden,” she writes. “Instead, they are slowly self-destructing in a way that doesn’t inconvenience anyone.”

To read the complete article…..Click here

Is Self-Help the Secret To Reducing Childhood Obesity?

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femalestrainingFrom Your Health Journal…..”A very educational article from Time magazine written by Bonnie Rochman entitled Is Self-Help the Secret to Reducing Childhood Obesity? Childhood obesity is growing all over the world, and in the United States, one in three children are considered overweight, while one in seven are considered obese. Along with this, obesity related illnesses are up – including weak joints, heart disease, asthma, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Education is a key ingredient to reducing childhood obesity, but some families do not have access to this! Studies at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine indicate that a self-help treatment program for overweight children and their parents, guided by clinical experts, may be an effective solution to help children lose weight. The researchers state parents can help their kids lose weight without such costly and time-consuming intervention by relying on a self-help “coaching” method that requires only bi-weekly guidance from a pediatrician. Please visit the Time magazine web site (link provided below) to read this complete article. It was very interesting, well written, and well thought.”

From the article…..

There is no shortage of strategies to lose weight, but which work best for children?

One in three U.S. kids weighs too much, according to the latest government statistics, but parents don’t have too many appealing options when it comes to helping their children slim down. The gold standard treatment for childhood obesity that’s typically endorsed by weight-loss specialists involves six months of weekly clinic visits lasting 90 minutes each during which families learn the basics of nutrition and are introduced to ideas such as ”stimulus control” — or bringing only healthy food into their homes lessen the temptation from more calorie-ridden, unhealthy products. But many parents can’t afford the time or money that requires.

Now researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) say parents can help their kids lose weight without such costly and time-consuming intervention by relying on a self-help “coaching” method that requires only bi-weekly guidance from a pediatrician. In a study published in the journal Pediatrics, the scientists found that using the self-help model resulted in a 12-year-old of average height losing five pounds over the five-month study period compared to children who received no guidance about weight loss. Those kids who got no treatment during the study period actually gained weight: a 12-year-old of average height put on five pounds. “We saw significant losses in the guided self-help kids while the control group continued to gain weight,” says Kerri Boutelle, lead author and a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at UCSD.

The more flexible approach — which reduced face-to-face treatment time from about 36 hours over six months to less than five hours over five months — could potentially help more families and broaden the reach of childhood-obesity treatment, say the study authors. “This is the first time this kind of model has been tested and it looks promising,” says Boutelle.

To read the complete article…..Click here

Many U.S. Teens Have Poor Health Habits

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vectorboysleepFrom Your Health Journal…..”A very good article from Philly.com via HealthDay that I wanted to promote called Many U.S. Teens Have Poor Health Habits written by Steven Reinberg. A new study suggests that more than 80 percent of U.S. teens eat unhealthy diets and many are sedentary, which raises the odds they’ll develop heart disease in adulthood. Now, before you say, DUH, please understand studies like this are important to help support the fight against childhood obesity. One in three children are considered overweight in the United States, while one in seven are considered obese. Obesity related illnesses are also on the rise, including weak joints, asthma, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Most children are born in a state of ideal cardiovascular health, but the poor lifestyles many U.S. children exhibit are leading to a loss of this important asset earlier and earlier in life. It is very important that healthy lifestyles start at an early age, as the carry over into adulthood. Please visit the Philly.com web site (link provided below) to read the complete article.”

From the article…..

More than 80 percent of U.S. teens eat unhealthy diets and many are sedentary, which raises the odds they’ll develop heart disease in adulthood, a new study suggests.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 4,600 teenagers, aged 12 to 19, and assessed their health behaviors based on criteria set by the American Heart Association. The poor health habits they uncovered translate into obesity and overweight, which in turn raise risk factors for high blood pressure and other predictors of cardiovascular trouble, the study authors noted.

“Most children are born in a state of ideal cardiovascular health, [but] the poor lifestyles many U.S. children exhibit are leading to a loss of this important asset earlier and earlier in life,” said lead investigator Christina Shay, an assistant professor of biostatistics and epidemiology in the College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.

Childhood levels of cardiovascular disease risk factors strongly predict their threat in adulthood, Shay said. And the length of time young people live with elevated risk factors also has an impact on their heart health as adults, she added.

Based on the current findings, the United States may witness “increasing rates of heart attacks and strokes as the current generation of children reach adulthood compared to previous generations that had more favorable risk factors,” she said.

The students, who participated in one of two National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, are said to represent about 33 million teens nationwide. Their health behaviors were rated as poor, intermediate or ideal.

To read the full article…..Click here

Childhood Woes

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friendFrom Your Health Journal…..”I had to promote a great article in the New York Post written By Dr. Allen Frances entitled A disease called ‘childhood’. Do 1 in 5 NYC preteens really suffer a mental woe? Recently, The New York Post reported that more than 145,000 city children struggle with mental illness or other emotional problems. n the last 20 years, rates of attention deficit disorder have tripled, while autistic disorder and childhood bipolar disorder have each increased by a remarkable 40-fold. In the article, Dr. Allen makes a very important statement by declaring human nature just doesn’t change that quickly, but the labels follow fashion and can escalate dramatically without there being an actual increase in symptoms. Our kids haven’t suddenly become sicker, it’s just that diagnoses are applied to them more loosely. This article is a must read. I encourage all of you to visit the New York Post web site (link provided below) to read the complete article.”

From the article…..

Do 1 in 5 NYC preteens really suffer a mental woe? A psychiatry expert argues we’re overdiagnosing —and overmedicating — our kids

Last week, The Post reported that more than 145,000 city children struggle with mental illness or other emotional problems. That estimate, courtesy of New York’s Health Department, equals an amazing 1 in 5 kids. Could that possibly be true?

There is nothing tougher in psychiatry than accurately diagnosing a mental disorder in a pre-teenager. It is so easy to make mistakes both ways — to miss problems that desperately need attention and to attend to problems that are better left alone.

Getting the right diagnosis and predicting its future course is especially difficult in kids because their symptoms have such a short track record and are often heavily influenced by transient factors like developmental differences: family, school and peer stress; and the use of drugs.

It usually takes a while before an illness declares itself — and often, it turns out that no diagnosis is necessary because the symptoms go away without intervention.

That said, there’s been a massive mislabeling of psychiatric diagnosis among children because of recent medical fads.

In the last 20 years, rates of attention deficit disorder have tripled, while autistic disorder and childhood bipolar disorder have each increased by a remarkable 40-fold.

Human nature just doesn’t change that quickly, but the labels follow fashion and can escalate dramatically without there being an actual increase in symptoms. Our kids haven’t suddenly become sicker, it’s just that diagnoses are applied to them more loosely.

Some of the broadening usefully captures missed cases, but there has been a big overshoot because of aggressive drug-company advertising. Once the adult market was saturated, pharmaceutical manufacturers turned their greedy attention to kids and began a sometimes illegal campaign to convince doctors, parents and teachers that every childhood problem is a mental disorder, the result of a chemical imbalance that requires a pill solution.

To read the full article…..Click here

Are Fit Kids Smarter?

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boygirlplayFrom Your Health Journal…..”A very informative article by Bruce McDougall of The Daily Telegraph that I wanted to promote entitled Fit children are running, climbing and jumping to smarter conclusions. We know that obesity is prevalent among the youth of the world, as well as obesity related illnesses on the rise including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, weak joints, and asthma. Research has shown the physical activity also improves cognitive skills. Today’s article points to the fact that physically fit children achieve better results in class than unfit students as exercise becomes a major indicator of academic performance. Researchers also found that the more physical exercise or structured sport that students do, the better they perform with their classwork. I encourage you all to visit The Daily Telegraph web site (link provided below) to read the complete article. It was very well written and informative.”

From the article…..

Physically fit children achieve better results in class than unfit students as exercise becomes a major indicator of academic performance.

The most active children are out-performing those who do not take part in regular physical exercise or organised sport, a study has found.

Researchers also found that the more physical exercise or structured sport that students do, the better they perform with their classwork.

Sedentary children are at risk of their academic results falling away, the researchers have told the federal government in a landmark report.

The government will spend $120 million this year promoting grassroots participation in sport to fight obesity and improve children’s health and performance. About a third of the budget has been allocated to children in after-school care providing them with free sport and physical activities up to three times per week.

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Research by a specialist team at the University of Wollongong, which has presented its findings to the federal Department of Health and Ageing, shows “30 to 40 minutes of physical activity per day has demonstrated benefits for kids’ cognitive and academic development”.

The report titled A Systematic Review to Inform Physical Activity Guidelines for Children and Young People has not yet been released to the public, but it shows a clear link between physical exercise and academic achievement.

To read the complete article…..Click here

Why You Should Hire A Trainer This Spring

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girljogFrom Your Health Journal…..”An excellent article I wanted to promote on a great web site called EmpowHer written by Joanne Sgro entitled Why You Should Hire A Trainer This Spring. March was National Athletic Training Month, and many people do consider hiring a personal trainer to begin a healthier Spring. Fitness has gone main stream, with people from all walks of life, seeking to look and feel their best. Many people do not want to consider using a trainer, but I really feel that hiring a trainer can ‘jumpstart’ many people into a healthier lifestyle. A good trainer will work with individuals on exercising properly in a proper/safe time frame, discuss healthy eating, healthy sleep patterns, as well as how to hydrate properly. Please visit the EmpowHer web site (link provided below) to read the complete article.”

From the article…..

Do you like to workout? Do you hate to workout? Believe it or not, both are good reasons to hire a personal trainer.

As you reflect back on March, designated National Athletic Training Month, you may want to rethink your fitness game plan.

According to NATA.org, “National Athletic Training Month is held every March in order to spread awareness about all that athletic trainers do.” The organization’s motto is “Every Body needs an athletic trainer.”

As a trainer I have trained hundreds of people with different goals and motivations or in some cases with a lack thereof, which is another reason they hired me.

According to IDEAFIT.Com, “There’s a reason movie stars and financial moguls use personal trainers: The benefits of working with a personal trainer is one of the fastest, easiest, most successful ways to improve your health and fitness.”

But now, fitness has gone main stream, with people from all walks of life, seeking to look and feel their best.

Philadelphia based certified trainer, Jim Ferris of GymFerris.com said, “There are a few reasons why people need a trainer, some of which are laziness, need a push or to have a person there with them.”

His philosophy on training is, “to prevent injury, enhance performance, and educate as much as I can. I believe in science, I believe in application of theories and practice, I believe in doing things the right way.”

To read the complete article…..Click here

Podcast: The Obesity Epidemic – What Can Be Done?

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The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention has some great resources on their site for sharing. Periodically, I will post material here to share with my audience. Today, I wanted to share an interesting Podcast entitled The Obesity Epidemic – What Can Be Done? This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC – safer, healthier people.

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podcast

Summary

This podcast is based on the August, 2010 CDC Vital Signs report which promotes policies and programs in the community and at school and work that make the healthy choice the easy choice to reduce obesity. Created: 8/3/2010 by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Thank you to the CDC for providing this excellent resource

Parents, Overweight Kids, Junk Food, And Education

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healthychoiceFrom Your Health Journal…..”A very interesting article written by Norman Byrd in Huliq which discusses how a study has concluded that the parents with a better education tend to have children who eat healthier food. A multi-nation study of over 14,000 children between the ages of 2 and 9 found a link between the level of education of the parents of the children and the level of foods likely to be deemed unhealthy and lead to obesity. Succinctly, found that parents with better educations were more likely to have children who ate more fruits and vegetables and less foods containing sugar and fats, prime contributors to obesity. Data from the study suggests that the lower the parental education level, the more likely they were to feed their children (or allow them to eat) food rich in sugars and fats. Parents with higher levels of education were more likely to introduce their children to vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice and wholemeal bread — foods of a greater nutritional value. As I have been saying for years, it is important that we help ALL parents be educated on good nutrition and the importance of physical activity, in an effort to reduce obesity among children. Obesity is on the rise, along with obesity related illnesses! Change is needed, and education is a powerful tool in the fight to reduce unhealthy lifestyle. Please take the time to visit the Huliq web site (link provided below) to read the complete article. I have included a short ‘snip’ below, but wanted to promote their site and the great work by Norman Byrd presenting this valuable information.”

From the article…..

An eight-nation study of over 14,000 children between the ages of two and nine found a link between the level of education of the parents of the children and the level of foods likely to be deemed unhealthy and lead to obesity. Succinctly, the study, according to Science Daily, found that parents with better educations were more likely to have children who ate more fruits and vegetables and less foods containing sugar and fats, prime contributors to obesity.

The Identification and prevention of dietary- and lifestyle-induced health effects in children and infants (IDEFICS) study took place in eight European countries — Italy, Estonia, Cyprus, Belgium, Sweden, Hungary, Germany and Spain and published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.

Data from the study indicated that the lower the parental education level, the more likely they were to feed their children (or allow them to eat) food rich in sugars and fats. Parents with higher levels of education were more likely to introduce their children to vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice and wholemeal bread — foods of a greater nutritional value.

Juan Miguel Fernández Alvira, the author of the work and a researcher from the University of Zaragoza in Spain, wrote: “The greatest differences among families with different levels of education are observed in the consumption of fruit, vegetables and sweet drinks.”

Fernández Alvira and his colleagues concluded that there was a greater risk of obesity in children and young adults in households where the parents were less educated. The group suggested programs targeted at areas of populations more socio-economically deficient (often the case with populations exhibiting lower education levels).

The study is also comparable to findings in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control’s annual study on obesity in America that ranks the most obese states found the American South predominated the list in 2012, with the states of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama numbers 1, 2, and 4 (with West Virginia third, a state considered a “border southern state”). States with the least number of bachelor’s degrees (as a percentage of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau) constituted eight of those top ten states (with West Virginia and Mississippi first and second, respectively). And in a four-criteria survey (from The Street) that included high school graduation rate and average SAT scores, Mississippi and Louisiana made the list once more (fifth and fourth, although it should be noted that all five states were southern, with Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina rounding out the list in descending order).

To read the complete article…..Click here