health

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Americans Lose Love for Dieting
Americans Lose Love for Dieting
Sep 21, 2008 4:39 PM CDT

Americans Lose Love for Dieting

More people accept their extra weight, focus on eating better-quality food

(Newser) - Americans are obsessed with dieting, right? Well, not anymore. A new survey indicates that only 26% of US women and 16% of men are on diets, the Boston Globe reports—the lowest numbers in 2 decades. And there are plenty of reasons why.

Cell Phones Hike Cancer in Kids 5-Fold

Researchers fear future epidemic, urge immediate precautions

(Newser) - Children under 20 using cell phones are five times more likely to get brain cancer, a Swedish study has found, stoking fears of an upcoming cancer epidemic. Kids’ undeveloped brains and nervous systems, as well as their thinner skulls and smaller heads, put them at higher risk from radiation, the...

Low B12 Levels Tied to Brain Shrinkage, Memory Loss

Many adults deficient in crucial nutrient

(Newser) - Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause memory loss, particularly in the elderly, reports the BBC. People short on the nutrient were 6 times more likely than individuals with normal levels to experience brain shrinkage, which is strongly linked to dementia, a new study shows. Forty percent of people are believed to...

Teen Obesity Can Cause Liver Disease, Cancer

Condition may lead to organ failure; weight loss can help: experts

(Newser) - In a new and disturbing twist on the obesity epidemic, some overweight teens have severe liver damage caused by too much body fat, and a handful have needed liver transplants, the AP reports. The condition, which can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure or liver cancer, is being seen in...

Busy Brain May Mean Big Belly
 Busy Brain May Mean Big Belly 
Sep 5, 2008 12:50 PM CDT

Busy Brain May Mean Big Belly

(Newser) - Does thinking make us fat? Researchers say that intellectual activity just might cause us to pig out, LiveScience reports. Volunteers who performed a series of problem-solving tasks in a study consumed almost 30% more calories afterward than those who just sat around and took it easy. One theory: The body...

Turf-Makers Sued Over Lead
 Turf-Makers Sued Over Lead 
Sep 4, 2008 12:50 PM CDT

Turf-Makers Sued Over Lead

As fake grass ages, toxin levels 20 times legal limit

(Newser) - California has sued three top turf-makers, claiming they are deliberately hiding the fact that their products contain lead, the Los Angeles Times reports. State law requires labeling of products containing the metal, which gives a "natural" green color to fake grass. Lead can cause cancer, birth defects, and damage...

Om My! Meditation Lowers Blood Pressure

Study shows daily time-out may reduce medication needs

(Newser) - An Om a day might just keep the blood pressure medication away, reports NPR. Daily meditation helped lower the blood pressure in two-thirds of patients in a recent study who were striking out on the medication front. Participants used the “relaxation response” technique, of sitting quietly for 15 minutes...

10 Factors That Affect Memory
 10 Factors That Affect Memory
Aug 6, 2008 1:52 PM CDT

10 Factors That Affect Memory

From diet to depression, here's what to watch

(Newser) - New research suggests our lifestyle choices affect memory loss almost as much as aging. Forbes looks at 10 surprising factors, positive and negative, that determine how sharp you'll stay:  
  1. Tofu—eating too much can increase dementia in the elderly.
  1. Carbs—likewise, too many derail Alzheimer's-fighting enzymes in the brain.
...

Brewhaha Over Coffee Muddies Health Facts
Brewhaha Over Coffee Muddies Health Facts
ANALYSIS
Aug 5, 2008 11:19 AM CDT

Brewhaha Over Coffee Muddies Health Facts

While caffeine has some risks, cups of joe pack a jolt of benefits

(Newser) - Coffee’s health risks and benefits have been widely debated, often with contradictory “facts” emerging simultaneously—but can they all be right? Yes, Jane Brody writes in the New York Times. For instance, below 550 milligrams of caffeine, beverages are not diuretic (though they are beyond that); and while...

Every American Will Be Fat by 2048: Study

And 86% by 2030. That means you. And you. And you.

(Newser) - The US will face a health disaster by 2030 when 86% of Americans will be overweight, with every single resident tipping the scales by 2048, according to a new study. Skyrocketing metabolic diseases will cost some $950 billion more annually, accounting for $1 in every $6 spent on health care,...

Anti-Bubba: Is Obama's Bod Un-American?

Maybe the typical American will have trouble identifying with a 'beanpole'

(Newser) - No matter how long the 2008 campaign drags on, we'll never see Barack Obama as we did Bill Clinton in 1992: drenched in sweat and jogging into a McDonald's. Obama's fit—skinny, even—and a bit of a gym rat. The Wall Street Journal takes a look at the notion...

Missing DNA Sheds Light on Roots of Schizophrenia

Scientists disocover 3 genetic hot spots

(Newser) - Missing chunks of DNA increase a child's chance of developing schizophrenia by up to 10 times, say to two major international studies. Scientists are calling the data from more than 3,000 schizophrenia patients a huge step toward finding the genetic source of the disease, which could ultimately help doctors...

LA Backs Fast Food Moratorium
 LA Backs Fast Food Moratorium
Jul 30, 2008 6:35 AM CDT

LA Backs Fast Food Moratorium

City Council bans junk food in area where 30% of adults are obese

(Newser) - Los Angeles city officials have voted to ban fast food restaurants from opening in an impoverished section of the city where 30% of adults are obese, AP reports. The City Council unanimously approved an ordinance that places a year-long moratorium on fast food restaurants in South Los Angeles, where the...

10 Health Scares to Forget
 10 Health Scares to Forget
OPINION
Jul 29, 2008 8:14 AM CDT

10 Health Scares to Forget

From hot dogs to cell phones, many summer pleasures are just fine

(Newser) - Each passing day seems to bring a new story about how something seemingly innocuous will ruin your health, or else ruin the planet. Not all of it's true, though, insists John Tierney of the New York Times, who lists 10 things it's not worth fussing about.
  1. Deadly hot dogs. The
...

5 Facts About Pain
 5 Facts About Pain
Jul 28, 2008 5:55 AM CDT

5 Facts About Pain

And why it's hard to treat

(Newser) - Electrical signals carry pain impulses to the brain—that much scientists know. But how to treat pain remains a question, LiveScience reports. Here's the scoop:
  1. It "is a complex mixture of emotions, culture, experience, spirit, and sensation," one expert said. In other words, it's hard to even define.
...

Pharma Under Fire Over Pricey Drugs for Kids
Pharma Under Fire Over Pricey Drugs for Kids
GLOSSIES
Jul 27, 2008 7:37 AM CDT

Pharma Under Fire Over Pricey Drugs for Kids

Lawmakers lash astronomical hikes in drugs for rare diseases

(Newser) - In the face of astronomical hikes in the price of drugs used to treat children, a congressional committee is looking into why companies have increased prescription costs as much as 18-fold when related research and marketing expenses are stable, according to lawmakers. One such company charges $69,000 for a...

More Kids Take Grown-up Drugs in Obesity Fight

Critics say it's a poor substitute for good diet and exercise

(Newser) - Doctors are prescribing drugs to more and more children to treat conditions related to obesity, the New York Times reports. Data released by pharmacy plans show that medication for Type 2 diabetes has seen the biggest increase—151% from 2001 to last year. And this month, a pediatricians group recommended...

A Possible Cure for BlackBerry Thumbs
A Possible Cure
for BlackBerry Thumbs
product review
Jul 25, 2008 3:23 PM CDT

A Possible Cure for BlackBerry Thumbs

Gizmo comes complete with claims about treating geeks' aches

(Newser) - If your thumbs ache after hours of texting and gaming, a new gadget may be able to whip your digits back into shape. The Xtensor "exercise device" helps geeks strengthen their wrists and hands or rehabilitate injuries, reports Laptop Magazine, but reviewer Joanna Stern acknowledges that she hasn't had...

Reasons You're Losing Snoozes
 Reasons You're Losing Snoozes 
Jul 24, 2008 12:01 PM CDT

Reasons You're Losing Snoozes

Forbes explains why Americans aren't getting enough sleep

(Newser) - The health benefits of sleep are well-documented, but catching Zs isn't so easy in a society all about hard work and an active lifestyle. Forbes runs down some reasons Americans aren't getting enough quality time with their pillows.
  • Marital problems: A bad marriage makes for poor shut-eye. Happy wives fell
...

Athletes Got Nothin' on Rock 'n Roll Drummers

Sports scientists say they're like Olympians

(Newser) - Sure, the lead singer gets all the attention, but how about a little respect for the drummer? Sports scientists are taking up the cause with a new study that says the rockers are as fit as Olympic athletes, the Times of London reports. The best of them lose 2 quarts...

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