9 January, 2017

82% of New Year resolutions fail within a week, says study by HealthifyMe app

Findings by mobile health and fitness company HealthifyMe indicated that approximately 82% of the people did not stick to their new year fitness resolution in 2016 for more than a week on the app. In fact, global trends suggest that only 8% of the New Year Resolutions are ever achieved. Gyms and fitness centres across the country receive the most memberships in the first week of the year. When the new year buzz dies down, most people lose interest and motivation to continue with their fitness regime. To tackle this problem and to encourage people to stick to their fitness goals, HealthifyMe has launched a campaign called #NewYearRevolution which proposes saying no to short-lived resolutions and instead focuses on a long-term fitness revolution.

Habit formation is the single most important factor in achieving your resolution outcomes. As per research, it takes 21 days of repetitive behaviour to form a habit. Based on the fitness resolution chosen, the HealthifyMe app, which already has over 1.2 million users, is providing a free 21-day guided-plan with daily tasks and objectives. In addition, HealthifyMe has launched a slew of new social features involving various communities focussed on the most adopted new year resolutions of weight loss, better fitness regimes and running goals. The app connects people in ‘whatsapp’ like chat groups where users with common goals motivate each other and compete with each other on a leaderboard to win rewards.

HealthifyMe claims that early indicators are looking positive. ’More than 34% of users who took their resolutions on Jan 1 are still following their resolution strongly. This is nearly double of what we saw last year. Keeping the goal achievable in the form of a 21-day plan and enhancing social gamification seems to be doing the trick,’ said Tushar Vashisht, Co-founder & CEO, HealthifyMe. What else is in store this January? A unique incentivized pricing plan for consumers to start strong! ’Resolutions last only if they are begun well. To help our consumers, we are offering 31% discount this year train with a nutritionist/coach. This exclusive discount will go down each day by 1% incentivizing consumers to buy early,’ added Tushar. 

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

09.01.2017

We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are

7 January, 2017

76% of world's population 'overfat'

About 5.5 billion people -up to 76% of the world's population -are `over fat', warn researchers. They said that the new pandemic had overtaken the planet and argued for a change in global health efforts against chronic and metabolic diseases.

The researchers, including those from Auckland University of Technology, have put forth a specific notion of overfat, a condition of having sufficient excess body fat to impair health. They argued that how, in addition to those who were overweight and obese, others falling into the overfat category included normal weight people. "The overfat pandemic has not spared tho se who exercise or even compete in sports," said lead author of the study Philip Maffetone, CEO of MAFF Fitness Pty Ltd. "The overfat category includes normal weight people with increased risk factors for chronic disease, such as high abdominal fat, and those with characteristics of a condition called normal-weight metabolic obesity," said Maffetone.

"We want to bring awareness of the rise in these risk factors, where the terms `overfat' and `underfat' describe new body composition states," said Maffetone.

The study in Frontiers in Public Health also found out that 9 to 10% of the population may be underfat. "While we think of the condition of underfat as being due to starvation, those numbers are dropping rapidly. However, an ageing population, an increase in chronic disease and a rising number of excessive exercisers or those with anorexia athletica are adding to the number of nonstarving underfat individuals."

This leaves as little as 14% of the world's population with normal body-fat percentage. While it is estimated that up to 49% of the world's population, or 3.5 billion people, are obese or overweight, the well-documented obesity epidemic may merely be the tip of the overfat iceberg.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

07.01.2017

Strong is the soul, kind, wise and beautiful

Matthew Arnold

6 January, 2017

Scientists discover a new human organ

Irish scientists have recently identified a new human organ that has existed in the digestive system for hundreds of years. Named as the mesentery, the organ connects the intestine to the abdomen and had for hundreds of years been considered a fragmented structure made up of multiple separate parts. However, researchers led by J Calvin Coffey, Professor at University of Limerick (Ireland), describe the mesentery as an undivided structure and outlined the evidence for categorising the mesentery as an organ in the paper published in the journal The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Mesentery is a fold of the peritoneum which attaches the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, spleen, and other organs to the posterior wall of the abdomen.During the initial research, the researchers found that the mesentery, which connects the gut to the body, was one continuous organ.  ‘Up till then it was regarded as fragmented, present here, absent elsewhere and a very complex structure. The anatomic description that had been laid down over 100 years of anatomy was incorrect. This organ is far from fragmented and complex. It is simply one continuous structure,’ Coffey explained.

Better understanding and further scientific study of the mesentery could lead to less invasive surgeries, fewer complications, faster patient recovery and lower overall costs. ‘When we approach it like every other organ…we can categorise abdominal disease in terms of this organ,’ Coffey said. According to Coffey, mesenteric science is a separate field of medical study in the same way as gastroenterology and others. ‘Up to now there was no such field as mesenteric science. Now we have established anatomy and the structure,’ Coffey noted.

Source: www.thehealthsite.com

06.01.2017

Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles; it takes away today’s peace

5 January, 2017

New imaging technique to detect onset of vision loss

Researchers have developed a new non-invasive retinal imaging technique that could prevent vision loss in diseases like glaucoma - the second leading cause of acquired blindness worldwide.

The new technique called multi-offset detection, which images the human retina -- a layer of cells at the back of the eye that are essential for vision -- was able to distinguish individual retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which bear most of the responsibility of relaying visual information to the brain. The death of these RGCs causes vision loss in glaucoma, the researchers said.

Glaucoma is currently diagnosed by assessing the thickness of the nerve fibres projecting from the RGCs to the brain.

However, by the time retinal nerve fibre thickness has changed detectably, a patient may have lost 100,000 RGCs or more.

"You only have 1.2 million RGCs in the whole eye, so a loss of 100,000 is significant," said David Williams from the University of Rochester in New York, US.

"The sooner we can catch the loss, the better our chances of halting the disease and preventing vision loss," Williams added.

For the study, the team modified an existing technology -- known as confocal adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO). They collected multiple images, varying the size and location of the detector they used to gather light scattered out of the retina for each image, and then combined those images.

The results showed that the technique not only enabled to visualise individual RGCs, but even the structures within the cells like nuclei could also be distinguished in animals.

If this level of resolution can be achieved in humans, it may be possible to assess glaucoma before the retinal nerve fibre thins -- and even before any RGCs die -- by detecting size and structure changes in RGC cell bodies.

"This technique offers the opportunity to evaluate many cell classes that have previously remained inaccessible to imaging in the living eye," Ethan Rossi, Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburg in the US, noted in the paper appearing in the journal PNAS.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

05.01.2017

Life is better because you know more, not just because you have more

4 January, 2017

Increasing heart attacks in young Indians

India is seen as the diabetes and coronary heart diseasecapital of the world. According to current estimates, India will soon have the highest number of heart disease cases in the world. According to the Indian Heart Association, "50% of all heart attacks in Indians occur under 50 years of age and 25% of all heart attacks in Indians occur under 40 years of age. Population living in cities are three times more prone to heart attacks than people living in villages”.

Heart disease is increasing in younger generation with a significant risk in both males and females. More and more number of young Indians are suffering from coronary artery disease, owing to their poor lifestyle, and if this continues the future looks even more dangerous.

Problems faced by young Indians that increases heart risk are:

• No preference given to Health

• No time to exercise

• Stress

• Junk food

• Obesityand smoking

Such conditions can be avoided by taking proper precautions. In order to avoid it, we need to adopt a healthy life style. Eating healthy food, reducing stress levels and regular work outs will work as the pillars against the risk of heart attack. Walking is one the best way to keep your heart healthy.The risk of heart diseases is more in men when compared to women. Such gender differences and even the genetic impact cannot be avoided.

In case of a heart attack, it has been seen that the lack of knowledge often causes a delay in handling the situation, which could aggravate the damage and in some cases prove to be fatal. So to identify the early symptoms of heart attack is very essential.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

04.01.2017

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything

Mark Twain

3 January, 2017

Did You Know Biting Your Nails Can Make You Sick?

Nail biting can leave you with more than just unsightly fingernails -- it can have long-term consequences on your health, scientists say.

Researchers at the Texas A&M University Health Science Center offer five reasons why you should try to kick the habit.

·         Fingernails have lots of dirt and germs. Chewing your fingernails means those germs get into your mouth and body, where they significantly raise your risk of illness.

·         Painful nail infections. The symptoms of an infection called paronychia include a red, swollen area around the nail. If the infection is bacterial, you may develop pus-filled blisters.

·         Nail biting is bad for your smile. The habit can cause your teeth to shift out of place or cause them to chip or break. Moreover, germs on your fingers could infect or irritate your gums, and cause bad breath.

·         Biting your nails boosts the risk of hangnails or ingrown nails. Hangnails are open sores that can easily become infected. An ingrown nail occurs when a nail grows under your skin.

·         Toxins are present in nail polish or gel polish. If you paint your nails, you also put yourself at risk of poisoning from the chemicals in the polish if you chew your nails.

Pay extra attention to your nails when you wash your hands, the researchers suggested in a university news release. And remember, "if you constantly bite at your nails, chances are you'll bite off a bit more than you expected," the researchers said.

Source: www.medicinenet.com

02.01.2017

Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave

2 January, 2017

Iron deficiency anaemia may elevate risk of hearing loss

New Delhi: A new study conducted by scientists says that iron deficiency anemia may increase the risk of hearing loss.

This finding will in turn open new possibilities for early identification and appropriate treatment of the condition.

For the study, researchers from Pennsylvania State University in the US determined iron deficiency anaemia by low hemoglobin and ferritin levels for age and sex in 305,339 adults ages 21 to 90 years; associations between hearing loss and iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) were then evaluated.

Of the patients in the study population, 43 per cent were men; average age was 50 years.

Combined hearing loss is defined as any combination of conductive hearing loss (which is due to problems with the bones of the middle ear), sensorineural hearing loss (when there is damage to the cochlea or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain), deafness and unspecified hearing loss.

Source: www.zeenews.india.com

02.01.2017

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself

George Bernard Shaw