4 November, 2015

Don’t want to become obese? Do this for 25% of your day!

A new study has found a simple way to reduce the obesity risk. All you have to do is spend at least one-quarter of the day standing. Standing for at least one-quarter of the day has been linked to lower odds ofobesity in the study led by the American Cancer Society in collaboration with The Cooper Institute, the University of Texas and the University of Georgia. While sedentary behavior (such as watching TV and commuting time) has been linked to negative health effects, it is unclear whether more time spent standing has protective health benefits. The study found that among men, standing a quarter of the time was linked to a 32 percent reduced likelihood of obesity (body fat percentage). Standing half the time was associated with a 59percent reduced likelihood of obesity. But standing more than three-quarters of the time was not associated with a lower risk of obesity.

In women, standing a quarter, half, and three quarters of the time was associated with 35 percent, 47 percent and 57 percent respective reductions in the likelihood of abdominal obesity (waist circumference). No relationship between standing and metabolic syndrome was found among women or men. Researchers found that men meeting physical activity guidelines and standing a quarter to half of the time had a 57 percent reduced likelihood for abdominal obesity, whereas those meeting guidelines and standing three quarters of the time or more had a 64 percent lower odds for abdominal obesity.

These findings are cross-sectional, meaning they capture a ‘snapshot’ in time, so it is unclear whether less standing leads to more obesity or whether in fact obese individuals stand less. Additional prospective studies are needed to determine whether standing has protective health benefits. Finally, it should be noted that some studies have found adverse health effects to prolonged standing, such as increased risk for varicose veins. Therefore, additional research into the effects of standing on health is definitely suggested. The study appears in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

04.11.2015

Don’t exercise regularly? You are likelier to become an alcoholic

Men and women who hardly exercise or never do it at all have a higher chance of becoming alcoholics than the ones who exercise regularly, says a new study. In the study, researchers surveyed 5,002 African-American men and women and found that those who did not engage in physical activity at all or only occasionally had between 84 percent and 88 percent higher odds of abusing alcohol. Survey participants were drawn from the National Survey of American Life (NSAL), a study that took place between 2001 and 2003 and aimed to identify racial and ethnic differences in mental disorders and other psychological distress, including those used by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The study used the DSM-IV definition of alcohol abuse, which is defined as drinking that has negative social, professional and/or legal consequences.

Study author April Joy Damian of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said that because the NSAL study was essentially a snapshot that was taken at one point in time, they cannot say that engaging in physical activity would prevent people from developing alcohol use disorder or that alcohol use disorder could be treated with physical activity. Damian added that given that alcohol use disorder had a high rate of co-occurrence for depression and anxiety, it merits further study all around, for African Americans as well as others.  

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

04.11.2015

Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep

Denis Waitley