Just last month, during the holiday break, I noticed that my younger cousins – aged from 16 to 20 – were all dealing with weight issues. And when I read a feature article on MSN about teenagers and weight loss, my interest was really aroused. Basically, the article says that a psychotherapy program may work better to help teenagers deal with weight issues and avoid obesity. This is in comparison with traditional health classes.

I agree with the idea of the program mentioned, which “focuses on improving interpersonal relationships by targeting the underlying social and interpersonal difficulties that influence individuals to engage in maladaptive behaviors.”

If you think about it, the factors mentioned above – interpersonal relationships and social difficulties – also come into play even when you’re in your 30s (or 40s for that matter). These are even more critical during the teenage period as teenagers are more susceptible to their effects.

If you think about it, the bottom line is dealing with the person with weight issues using a holistic approach. The same goes for us – if we want to lose weight for good, then we ought to take a look at more than what and how we eat. At the very least, this is something to think about, don’t you think?

But what about the economic crisis that we have been experiencing all over the world? Could it bring about something good as well? According to researchers, life expectancy increased during the time of the Great Depression – by 1.9 years to be exact. On the other hand, a 5 percent rise in the GDP lowered life expectancy by one or two months. Other studies have yielded similar results, not only in the United States but also in other countries.

So why is this the case? One possible reason is that people tend to drink and smoke less during a recession. More so, people also tend to eat out less and cook at home more. Another possible reason is that people tend to bond together and help out each other more in times of need. This level of social cohesion and support may actually help promote better overall health, hence the increase in life expectancy.

It does make sense, and you probably have had similar experiences in the past several years. Bottom line? Take control of what you can – your lifestyle and health habits – and make the best of the situation!

The exact cause of PCOS remains a mystery to doctors and researchers. However, the symptoms are clear and some researchers believe that it is closely linked to an over active sympathetic nervous system. This system is what controls involuntary bodily functions such as the dilation of pupils.

A group of Swedish researchers conducted a study recently, wherein women with PCOS were divided into three groups. The first group underwent electro-acupuncture (a weak electric current is passed through the needles). The second group underwent a guided exercise routine (at least three times a week). The third group had no additional treatment or instructions. The findings? The activity of the sympathetic nervous system of the first two groups was considerably lower and the women who had acupuncture had a plus: more regulated menstruation. More than this, they also had lower levels of testosterone.

If you have PCOS or know anyone with PCOS, you might want to consider acupuncture.

There is something that you should know about chewing gum, though. According to a recent study conducted jointly by the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, chewing gum may help people lose weight! The study had people chew gum and offered an eat all you can snack table. The snacks were categorized into simple sugars and sweetened food. The results showed that the intake of the people who chewed gum was considerably lower than those who didn’t chew gum.

So how can you use this piece of information? It is pretty obvious, isn’t it? If you are the kind who likes to munch on snacks, then you might want to consider an alternative – sugar free gum. Personally, I think that I will try this method starting tomorrow. I do have this propensity for snacks all throughout the day. Oftentimes, I feel hunger pangs. Sometimes, I just have a severe case of the munchies. If chewing gum is going to help me get rid of these cravings, I would rather chew some sugarless gum, wouldn’t you?

Brown fat is actually the informal term used to refer to brown adipose tissue. This type of fat is what babies, young children, and other young mammals use to keep warm. It works by burning calories in order to release heat, and the action is triggered by low temperatures. Now you can see how brown fat can be used to burn off those extra calories, can’t you?

The question is whether or not adults have brown fat, and the good news is YES, we do. In fact, the recent research points to this – adults have brown fat, which is used in temperature regulation. At the same time, this type of fat could also be playing a role in determining whether a person is lean or on the pudgy side.

The not-so-good news is that not all adults have brown fat. Even worse, it seems that those who are already overweight tend to have no brown fat stored in their bodies. On the other hand, people who are leaner and younger tend to have brown fat stored.

Given that, how can brown fat be used to combat weight problems? This is what researchers are working on right now. In the meantime, we are still urged to eat right and get a healthy amount of exercise.

Photo courtesy of http://www.trudicanavan.com/

Want to lose weight? Stuck on deciding which diet to go with?

According to the latest study published in the New England Journal of Medicine it doesn’t really matter which diet you choose to go with as long as you choose one and stick to it. The study, Comparison of Weight-Loss Diets with Different Compositions of Fat, Protein, and Carbohydrates (whew that is a long title!), all participants of the different diets tried lost and average of 6kgs in 6 months though and by the end of the study (2 years) those that stayed on lost more than 10% of their original body weight. Though that might not seem much the point is not how much weight was lost but that the important thing is to reduce the calorie intake. In short, you can go low fat, low carb, high protein or whatever you choose to do to lose weight and it will work as long as you COUNT YOUR CALORIES.

The bigger question now is not which diet you should go with but to stick to it. Losing weight is easy…at least compared to keeping off that lost weight.

One such breakthrough is the discovery of the potential of vitamin B3 to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. In lab trials, researchers infused mice with high doses of the vitamin and they found out that it had positive effects in retarding the disease. Now, they are ready to try the vitamin on humans. The Guardian has this report:

A vitamin pill that could slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease is to enter human trials after scientists found it protected animals from memory loss associated with the condition.

High doses of vitamin B3 will be given to 70 people who have recently been diagnosed with the disease as part of the trial due to begin in the new year, which is open to volunteers over the age of 50.

If the six-month trial is a success it could have a dramatic impact on the treatment of an estimated 417,000 people in Britain who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s or any other type of dementia.

Delaying the onset of the disease by five years would halve the number of deaths from the condition, saving 30,000 lives a year, according to the Alzheimer’s Society.

Though this is by no means a cure to the disease, it does look like the researchers are headed toward the right direction.

At this stage, though, the vaccine has only been tested in mice. According to Dr. W Martin Kast of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, “By early vaccination, we have basically given these mice life-long protection against a disease they were destined to have. This has never been done before and, with further research, could represent a paradigm shift in the management of human prostate cancer.”

So what does the vaccine do? The most significant factor in prostate cancer is PSCA, or prostate stem cell antigen. It is very much expressed in prostate cancer cells while the healthy tissue does not show significant amounts. The vaccine works by stimulating an immune response against PSCA. In the study, the vaccine was administered to mice which were already affected by the cancer. The results showed that the mice who had the vaccine responded well and had extended life spans.

Though the testing has been limited to mice and there is no solid proof that it would work on humans, researchers are quite excited over the promising results. Indeed, if this vaccine ever finds it way into the market, we should all line up for shots.