HLife | Healthy Living Redefined

Parenting: Time to make some changes, minority mommies. Efforts to prevent childhood obesity should begin far earlier than currently thought – perhaps even before birth for some populations, according to a study. Research that tracked 1,826 women from pregnancy through their children’s first five years of life found that this was a key period for childhood obesity prevention, especially for minority children. “Almost every single risk factor in that period before age 2, including the prenatal period, was disproportionately higher among children,” said Elsie Taveras, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School. Looking at risk factors, researchers found that African-American and Hispanic infants were more likely than their Caucasian counterparts to be born small, gain excess weight after birth, begin eating solid foods before 4 months of age and sleep less. The good news: most of these can be modified by getting updated information, not just “wisdom” handed down through generations. The study was published in the online edition of the journal Pediatrics.

Hearing: According to a new study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Medicine, regular use of aspirin, acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) increases the risk of hearing loss in men. This is particularly the case for younger men, below age 60, say a group of investigators from Harvard University, Bringham and Women’s Hospital, Vanderbilt University and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Hearing loss is the most common sensory disorder in the US, affecting over 36 million people. Even mild hearing loss can compromise the ability to understand speech in noisy environments or with multiple participants in a conversation, leading to social isolation, depression, and poorer quality of life. “Given the high prevalence of regular analgesic use and health and social implications of hearing impairment, this represents an important public health issue,” said the researchers.

Weight-loss: A low-carb diet, a low-fat diet and the Mediterranean diet were equally effective in helping obese people to reverse carotid atherosclerosis, reports a study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. To reverse atherosclerosis – a slow, progressive condition in which the arteries thicken with plaque buildup, increasing risk of heart attack and strokes – the key is a diet that supports sustained, moderate weight loss. “Long-term adherence to weight-loss diets is effective for reversing carotid atherosclerosis as long as we stick to one of the current options of healthy diet strategy,” said the lead author of the study. A lifestyle change to a vegan diet is our favorite long-term weight-control diet option here at HLife.

Brain: Find your purpose and preserve your mind. According to a report in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, individuals who say they have greater purpose in their lives are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.  “Purpose in life, the psychological tendency to derive meaning from life’s experiences and to possess a sense of intentionality and goal directedness that guides behavior, has long been hypothesized to protect agains adverse health outcomes,” said the researchers. Fortunately, purpose in life is a factor that can potentially be modified, through effort and specific tasks. Identifying purposeful behavior and a specific goal on which to work on a consistent basis is important, as well as reinforcing thoughts like “I feel good when I think of what I have done in the past and what I hope to do in the future.” Another brain-booster: service.  Doing things that benefit others has been shown to generate feel-good chemicals in the brain.  Find your purpose – and share it with others.

Obesity: Obesity and depression are birds of a feather. According to a meta-analysis of various studies, obese individuals have a higher risk of developing depression, and depressed individuals have a higher risk of becoming obese. As to why this is, the theories are: Obesity may be considered an inflammatory state, and inflammation is associated with the risk of depression. Because thinness is considered a beauty ideal in both the United States and Europe, being overweight or obese may contribute to body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem that places individuals at risk for depression. Conversely, depression may increase weight over time through interference with the endocrine system or the adverse effects of antidepressant medication. The study appears in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

Psychology: Looks like if we’re going to lose weight as a nation, instead of helping us buy broccoli we should be penalized for buying junk. The results research published in the journal Psychological Science demonstrated that taxes imposed on unhealthy foods were more effective in reducing calories purchased over subsidies offered to buy healthy foods. For the study, consumers were given “lab dollars” to buy groceries and feed their family on a specific budget. When faced with a tax for food like chips and soda, they opted for healthier purchases. But when the store offered incentives like a subsidy for healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables, more consumers used the money they saved to buy more junk food instead.  A much better idea? Being conscious of how much junk food will cost you later on – in health care dollars.

Men: Bachelors beware. According to a large study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference, single men may have an elevated risk of fatal stroke in the coming decades.  But you’re not alone: The same goes for unhappily married men. The research reports that single men had a 64% higher risk of fatal stroke than did married men, compared to the risk of fatal stroke faced by men with diabetes. The same goes for men who reported dissatisfaction in their marriage, 64% higher risk compared to men who considered their marriages very successful. The best case scenario: Being happily married.