As every Western nation struggles with child obesity, the Swedes are puzzled by an unusual blip in the data: Why are little girls more likely to be fat than little boys? A recent study by researchers at Sweden’s Uppsala University showed that today’s 4-year-old girls were six times as likely to be obese compared to [...]
A common virus, believed to be transmitted during oral sex, is the cause of a rare throat cancer in both men and women, US researchers said Wednesday. The study is the first to prove the link between the human papillomavirus or HPV — the leading cause of cervical cancer — and oropharyngeal cancer, according to [...]
About 90 percent of U.S. children under age 2 and as many as 40 percent of infants under three months are regular watchers of television, DVDs and videos, researchers said on Monday. They said the number of young kids watching TV is much greater than expected. “We don’t know from the study whether it is [...]
Scientists have identified a gene which helps to explain how drastically reducing food intake can extend lifespan. The discovery suggests that calorie restriction, which has been shown to work in animals, may also be beneficial to humans. It also opens the door for the development of drugs which could mimic the advantages of eating less [...]
Green tea is good for you, but only if drunk in moderation. While the polyphenols in green tea are credited with preventing heart disease and cancer, it seems they can cause liver and kidney damage if consumed in very large quantities, a review of studies into the toxicity of polyphenols has shown. “People shouldn’t be [...]
SATURDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) — Fathers’ parenting styles have a major influence on children’s weight, says an Australian study that looked at almost 5,000 children, ages 4-5, and their parents. The researchers found that fathers with permissive (no limits on their children) or disengaged parenting styles were more likely to have overweight or obese [...]
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Users of marijuana (also called cannabis) who vaporize the drug have fewer lung symptoms than those who smoke it, researchers report. Based on his research, Dr. Mitch Earleywine said: “The argument that the medical use of cannabis is inappropriate because of its potential to create (lung) problems is now clearly [...]
A good night’s sleep may be as simple as flipping a switch, say scientists. By sending magnetic pulses through the skulls of sleeping volunteers, US researchers were able to stimulate the slow brain waves seen in deep sleep. Such a machine-generated “power nap” could one day be an insomnia treatment, the Proceedings of the National [...]
Postmenopausal women who like barbecued and smoked meat would be wise to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables too, a new study suggests. Dr. Susan E. Steck of the University of South Carolina in Columbia and her colleagues found that postmenopausal women who consumed the most grilled, barbecued or smoked red meat over their lifetime [...]
Drinking coffee can help ward off type 2 diabetes and may even help prevent certain cancers, according to panelists discussing the benefits — and risks — of the beverage at a scientific meeting. “We’re coming from a situation where coffee had a very negative health image,” Dr. Rob van Dam of the Harvard School of [...]
LESBIANS are twice as likely as heterosexual women to be overweight or obese, which puts them at greater risk for obesity-related health problems and death, US researchers said. The report, published in the American Journal of Public Health, is one of the first large studies to look at obesity among lesbians. Ulrike Boehmer of the [...]
