According to a story ran by The New York Times, the study was done on over 11,000 Canadian adults. The results showed that people who are a bit overweight, but not obese, are less likely to die than those who are not overweight (READ: NORMAL weight). The category of overweight covers people who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9. In addition to this, people who are underweight – those who have a Body Mass Index of less than 18.5 – are more likely to die than the people who weigh normally.

Obviously, this finding is going to be well-received by many. The common way of thinking, prior to this study, is that being overweight automatically means more health problems, higher chances of dying earlier than normal. I guess this study gives us something new to think about.

Of course, we also have to take into consideration our lifestyles. Just because you have a BMI of anywhere between 25 to 29.9, it doesn’t mean that you can automatically say that you are going to be fine and that you have a lower risk of dying early. Smoking, drinking, no exercise, and other similar factors should be considered as well.

At least, when you get picked on because of a little extra padding, tell them that it just might be your insurance!

Morning sickness would usually be such reactions that would occur when a person would wake up after a good night’s sleep. This habit is considered to go on and on for years to come. While there is no clear explanation on how to cure such, they usually would last for an hour or two and would suddenly disappear as fast as it came.

For pregnant women, this is normal since their immune system is a whole lot delicate. Their morning sickness can go to as much as a day in the process of their current state of pregnancy.

How can this happen? In the winter, houses need to be warm and insulated. Windows are most often closed to keep the cold out and the heat in. As a result, there is usually poor ventilation within. The air is not naturally replenished inside. Molds can be a complication as well due to the dampness in the air. To make matters worse, if there is a smoker in the family and he smokes within the house, the air is definitely more polluted.

As such, you should not take the matter of indoor health care lightly. At this time of the year when many people spend a lot of time inside the house, you should take care to ensure that the conditions inside the house contribute to your health and not the contrary. First thing you must consider are activities that pollute the air. Smoking was already mentioned. Avoid smoking within enclosed premises.

Using air fresheners and deodorizers may seem like a good idea but if not used properly, you may contribute to adding allergens inside the house. If you do need to use such products, make sure that there is at least a short period of time wherein you can get fresh air inside.

I am at the point where I am beginning to see the negative effects of this habit. I am always short of breath – I can’t even climb the several flights of stairs to my apartment without gasping for breath! I know I have to do something about it. It’s not an easy task though. The other day I decided to try and quit. Yet even as I am writing this I am smoking my 3rd cigarette for the day (with coffee of course!) – and it’s not even noon yet!

Smoking is not healthy, that is a given. Yet how does one go about getting rid of this habit? I believe it all starts in the mind. There are all sorts of advice and help for those who want to quit smoking. They are useless though, unless the will to quit is there. I believe it is a decision that you have to make. Once your mind is set, then you are almost there. Otherwise, all the nicotine patches in the world will not do you any good.

-I can quit anytime. I am not addicted.
-I don’t want to quit because I will get fat.
-I can’t quit because I am not ready.
-I can’t quit because it’s my only vice. After all, it is not that expensive of a habit.

Hold there for a second – the last reason is about to go down the drain. Tobacco taxes are going up this Wednesday, and they increase is touted to be the largest increase ever. This means that smokers are going to get hit big time. In this time of economic troubles, even a small increase is bound to affect purchasers of tobacco. The Associated Press reports:

Tobacco companies and public health advocates, longtime foes in the nicotine battles, are trying to turn the situation to their advantage. The major cigarette makers raised prices a couple of weeks ago, partly to offset any drop in profits once the per-pack tax climbs from 39 cents to $1.01.

Other tobacco products, from cigars to pipes and smokeless, will see similarly large tax increases, too. For example, the tax on chewing tobacco will go up from 19.5 cents per pound to 50 cents. The total expected to be raised over the 4 1/2 year-long health insurance expansion is nearly $33 billion.

While we are all focused on the finances, and smokers are concerned about their habits, I see one good thing here: possible cutback on smoking. And that, in my book, is good for the health. My health included.

Yep, two people by the names of Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg, have donated a total of USD 500 million in between them. Their aim is to help promote a worldwide anti smoking campaign. The U.S. News reports:

Billionaires Bill Gates and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced yesterday that they’ll contribute a combined $500 million to a worldwide antismoking campaign, the New York Times reports. The new campaign, dubbed Mpower, will receive $250 million from Bloomberg’s foundation during the next four years, in addition to $125 million already donated. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans to give $125 million during a five-year period. Bloomberg has spoken out against smoking for years, but this is a new effort by the Gates Foundation, the Times reports. The campaign will encourage governments to raise tobacco taxes, ban smoking in public places, outlaw cigarette giveaways and kid-directed advertising, start advertising campaigns against smoking, and offer people help in quitting.

I have to admit, I admire these two people for giving this much to such a worthy cause. Smoking is a dirty habit and a very unhealthy one at that. I smoke and I know how hard it is to quit. I also know that quitting would largely depend on the individual himself. Then again, one would need all the help he can get to quit this nasty habit. Here’s one to Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg!

In their web site, the Mayo Clinic differentiates between people who have heart disease and those who do not. Just because a person has tachycardia does not necessarily mean that he has a heart disorder. This comes as a relief to me because while I am open to the possibility that I may have tachycardia, I really do not want to have any trouble with my heart (who does, anyway?).

Here is the list that I found at the Mayo Clinic’s site:

• An overactive thyroid or other metabolic imbalance
• Damage or microscopic abnormalities in the muscles of the atria (upper heart chambers)
• Abnormalities within individual heart cells
• Abnormal electrical properties of groups of heart cells
• Emphysema or other lung diseases
• Exposure to heart stimulants, such as caffeine, tobacco, or alcohol
• Rapidly firing triggers, (“hot spots”) often located in the veins that return blood from the lungs to the heart (pulmonary veins) — that cause atrial fibrillation.

I am no doctor – obviously – but if I am barring any heart problems at this point, I am left with the second to the last possible cause, which is exposure to heart stimulants. I really should quit smoking.

Now I am not advocating smoking here but here’s something to think about. There are people who are heavy smokers for most of their lives and yet live to a ripe age. Then again, there are people who maybe light or moderate smokers and develop lung cancer. So what gives?

A new study at the Harvard Medical School offers an explanation. According to Dr. Howard Levine:

Different versions of genes increase the risk of both lung cancer and smoking addiction, according to the new research. Smokers who get the gene variants from one parent have a 30% greater risk of lung cancer. The risk goes up 80% for smokers who get the genes from both parents. Another study found that people with these genes get addicted more easily and smoke more. Three different studies found the variant genes on chromosome 15. They were published in the journals Nature and Nature Genetics.

In short, there is more to the equation than simply smoking and lung cancer. There is a determining factor as well – one’s genes. This finding is certainly not an excuse to keep on smoking but it does bode well for those who may not have those genes as well.

Anyhow, did you know that smoking an affect our sleeping patterns too? According to a study conducted at the Johns Hopkins University, it does!

Here’s another good reason to put away those cigarettes – a new study shows that smoking can lead to unhealthy sleep patterns, making you feel groggier the next day. Scientists have long speculated that smokers have poorer sleep quality than nonsmokers because of conditions associated with the habit, such as sleep apnea and lung disease. Now, research from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine led by Dr. Naresh M. Punjabi, shows that smoking might be the culprit for decreased sleep quality.

Aha! I know I have been smoking a lot lately as well. I know I shouldn’t but it is hard not to. I have a whole range of excuses for that. So maybe that is why I still feel groggy in the morning. Maybe that is why I cannot seem to be full of energy despite a long night’s sleep. What about you? Do you smoke? Do you experience this as well?

Smoking is a known vice where people simply take satisfaction in blowing of some inhaled fumes of tobacco. These fumes are acclaimed to be able to relax the tense body and mind but there has been no actual medical proof that smoking does actually relax the pressured person today. Many would say that is psychological in nature but overall, many have been drawn more towards believing that it indeed does soothe the battered mind today.

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