FitSugar

Health Headlines: Stuttering, Binge Eating, and Death by Boredom

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:00:14 PST

Unlocking a Medical Mystery: Stuttering - CNN
Experts believe we have been stuttering as a species for as long as we have been talking - there is even an Egyption hieroglyph for stuttering. The speech disorder appears to be caused by a genetic mutation that interrupts a cell's ability to process waste material. Previous studies pointed toward a genetic component, but now there are three specific mutations pegged for further research.

Binge Eating Officially Defined as a Mental Disorder - NPR
The American Psychiatric Association released a draft of the latest version of its diagnostic manual and a new addition appears on its pages; binge eating is now classified as an eating disorder. The APA believes there is now enough evidence to label binge eating as a mental disorder, and it joins anorexia and bulimia in the eating disorders group.

To learn if boredom can kill you,

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Chronic Boredom May Bring an Early Death - Cleveland Leader
According to a survey of 7,500 British civil servants, boredom is linked with an early death. Survey participants who answered that they were bored at work in the previous month were two and half times more likely to die of heart problems than their co-workers who found work interesting. No, boredom won't kill you, but it can lead to unhealthy behaviors like drinking, smoking, and using drugs.

Extra! Extra! Health Headlines From 2009

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:30:28 PST

Have you kept up with healthy news from the last year? No worries, we've got you covered. Here's a little review of the health headlines you need to know from 2009, including how diet soda treats your kidneys and how exercise affects weight loss.

Source: Jupiter Images

Health Headlines: Cancer, Brain Tumors, and Public Health

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:30:00 PST

For Black Women, Breast Cancer Strikes Younger - NPR
The discrepancy between death statistics for African-American women and white women diagnosed with breast cancer is startling. Black women are twice as likely to die of cancer as white women.

Mobile Phones "Have Not Increased Brain Cancers" - BBC
Danish researchers have concluded that cell phones do not increase brain cancer risk, since there has been no large rise in reported brain tumors since mobile phones became a mass market item. But researchers added that more research is needed.

Not Smoking But Still Dying - Science
The public health gains from the anti-smoking crusade of the past 15 years - a 20 percent decrease in smokers - may be eclipsed by the increase in obesity.

Health Headlines: Exercise, Aging, and Turning Silver

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:00:50 PST

I must admit I get excited when the word exercise appears in news headlines, and I've found several so far this week that caught my eye. Here are a few news stories that take us on a journey through life, from fitness to gray hair.

The Claim: Exercise More During the Day, and You Will Sleep Better at Night
- New York Times
Falling asleep on the coach at 9 p.m. last night, a few hours after an intense workout, I wouldn't question the notion that rigorous exercise makes for better sleep. If you're incredulous, check out the article. If you suffer from insomnia, chances are high the studies quoted in it will have you lacing up your sneakers.

Exercise Prevents Aging of Cells
- LiveScience
Regular exercise is known to help prevent many age-related health issues, but it looks like working out works on a cellular level too. The manner in which exercise protects DNA has been likened to "turning back the biological clock."

Genes Rather Than Stress "Makes Women's Hair Go Gray"
- BBC
Aging and gray hair go together, and I always thought that stress unfortunately helped the process along. After looking at the heads of many twins, both identical and fraternal, researchers concluded that that genes, not lifestyle, are the main factor in turning silver.

Health Headlines: Shame, Sanitizer, and Fit Immune Systems

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:00:47 PDT

After nursing two sick children last week, these headlines caught my attention, since staying well is always on my mind.

Shame "Boosts Hand Washing Rate" - BBC
"Is the person next to you washing with soap?" This is the shaming message used to scare Brits using public restrooms into washing their hands . . . with soap. This big brother-like query was more effective than, although not as cute as, in my opinion, the phrase, "Don't be a dirty soap dodger."

Does Exercise Boost Immunity? - New York Times
According to a couple of studies, the answer is a qualified yes. It is regular, moderate exercise that helps you fight off bugs. Too much vigorous exercise seems to suppress the immune systems, leaving endurance athletes at a disadvantage as marathon season wraps up and flu season begins.

Flu Worries Pump Up Sales of Hand Sanitizer - NPR
The stock market might be making a slow turnaround, but hand sanitizer sales are bumping. In the US, we spent over $117 million on the gel-based cleaners last year. Fear of the H1N1 virus and the back-to-school season made for a 50 percent increase in hand sanitizer sales in August 2009 over the same month the previous year.

Health Food Headlines

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:00:44 PDT

I love food. Not just eating it, but reading about it too. Here are three food-driven headlines that caught my eye.

Calorie Postings Don’t Change Habits, Study Finds - New York Times
Remember all the controversy about chain restaurants in the Big Apple being forced to post calorie counts? Well, it looks like you can post the calories, but consumers will consume what they want. A study performed in NYC neighborhoods where obesity rates are high found that although folks said the calorie counts helped them make healthier food choices, they actually ordered higher calorie items than before the calorie counts were posted.

10 Foods Most Likely to Make You Sick - Web MD
Oh, the irony. The Center For Science in the Public Interest researched food-borne illnesses and found that some health foods topped the list, including eggs, tomatoes, and sprouts.

Starting Good Food Habits in Kids From the Womb - Time
As a baby is being formed in utero, so is its sense of taste. A fetus in the second and third trimester has a highly sensitive palate, and what the mother eats helps determine the child's early flavors of choice. All the more reason to eat a variety of foods when pregnant and nursing.

Health Headlines: Breakthroughs, Happiness and Hannah Montana

FitSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 02:00:00 PDT

There are some health headlines that are worth sharing. Often the stories behind the headlines live up to their tag lines. I wish I could say there was a method to the madness, some theme that connects these stories, but there is not. These stories just caught my eye and were oddly entertaining.

Appendix Removed via Patient's Mouth – WebMD
Having watched my husband heal slowly after having his abdominal wall cut to reach his "smoldering" appendix, this headline caught my eye. It seems like with enough tubes and cameras anything is possible! The man who had his appendix removed through his mouth was doing sit-ups two days post surgery!

Money can buy happiness - if you give it away – MSNBC
This headline has got to make some non-profits happy. New research reveals that when individuals give money as gifts to friends or charitable donations, they get a boost in happiness. Conversely, those who spend on themselves get no such cheery lift. Nice way to lift your spirits!

Hannah Montana Toys Tainted With Lead? – CBS News
The "tween" idol might shine on, but some of her toys and accessories contain unsafe levels of lead. Many Hannah Montana products and the worst offenders seem to be a Girls Rock backpack from Wal-Mart and a Secret Star wallet found at Toys 'R Us that had lead content of 1,800 parts per million-to-8,300 parts per million. The federal standard of safety for lead in paint is 600 parts per million. The Consumer Products Safety Commission has yet to comment on the story and recalls have yet to be announced.

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Love and Hearts in Headlines

FitSugar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:00:00 PST

It is Valentine's Day (as if you didn't already know that after the barrage of hearts and flowers), but it is also heart-health month. The confluence of these two events has lead to many health headlines containing hearts and love. So check these stories for your V-day health news hit.

I love you, but you eat meat - The New York Times
Can a carnivore and a vegan find and sustain love? Opposites attract but since sharing meals is a significant part of the dating ritual all bets are off.

Heart attacks drop after Italy's smoking ban: study – Reuters
In 2005, Italy banned smoking in public places. A recent study found a sharp decline in heart attacks. Nice to see a public-health measure making a significant difference.

Cleveland gorillas have heart disease - Associated Press
It is not just the human heart that suffers, gorillas can develop heart disease, too. Who knew? Could it be all that beating on their chests? Just kidding.

Surprising reasons you're not having sex - CNN
It is said that today's woman is having less sex than her 1950s counterpart. If you find that a little surprising, then the reasons you're not getting might surprise you, too.

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Health Headlines: Sex, Marriage and Tears

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 03:00:00 PDT

There are some health headlines that are worth sharing. Often the stories behind the headlines live up to their tag lines. Check out these three stories, on marriage and gender differences, all caught my eye and I had to share.

Sex lessons for 'cranky' miners – The BBC
To increase productivity, miners are given "tool box talks" on how to spice up their sex lives with their menopausal wives. Company bosses say giving their predominantly male employees lessons on menopause and foreplay gives them a healthy sex life, which in turn makes them happy, productive workers. Maybe folks will start saying, "Let's play miner."

Holy matrimony! That's a lot of pounds – Canada.com
Relationships often lead to weight gain – living together (or "living in sin" as granny likes to say) and marriage both seem to cause weight gain. If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, this can't really come as much of a surprise, right?

The crying game: male vs. female tears – Yahoo News
Ellen's tearful plea sparked a controversy on crying in public. Seems that as a culture we think it is OK for men to cry but not women. The crying men are perceived as sensitive while crying women are seen as out of control. Now that makes me want to cry.

Health Headlines

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 02:00:00 PDT

There are some health headlines that are worth sharing. Often the stories behind the headlines live up to their tag lines. Check out these three stories with "double take" deserving headlines.

Nutrition: An Up Side to Hard Times – New York Times
An interesting analysis of the health benefits of Cuba's economic crisis. The average daily calories consumption per person dropped by almost 1000 calories and people started walking more. There were significant decreases in the rates of obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke.

Sales Call Leads to Kidney Donation – CNN
A door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman donated one of his kidneys to a potential client too broke to use a vacuum cleaner due to his illness.

And this just in time for Halloween...

Hair-Raising Ideas to Cure Baldness – USA Today
Could scalp transplants, donated from corpses, be the next cure for baldness? Hair restoration specialists explore the possibilities.

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