Scientific
Scientific
On Stress and Belly Fat
Writer and runner Haruki Murakami has a great line in his book Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: Walking behind a beautiful young fat woman, the narrator speculates, "There must be as many paths of human fat, as there are ways of human death."
Well, some Wake Forest researchers have found an exception to Murakami's rule: The searchers fed monkeys an "average American diet," and the monkeys got fat. Shocker! But here's the wrinkle: The researchers also found that if the monkeys ate American food and experienced prolonged stress, they got fat in a particular, common way. They developed belly fat.
That's bad news because belly fat is linked to heart disease in monkeys and in humans. People with larger waistlines -- over 40 inches in men, and over 35 inches in women -- are at significantly higher risk for all sorts of trouble: Diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, among others.
Yet another reason to manage your stress: Lose the belly, and nurture your own, natural, even literary, fat profile.
Scientific
Another FDA-Approved Diet Bites The Dust
In 1997, the FDA approved a daily appetite suppressant pill called Meridia. Unfortunately, a new study of nearly 10,000 people taking the pills found that the medication increased risk of nonfatal heart attacks by 28 percent and nonfatal strokes by 36 percent compared to a placebo. Granted, these were individuals already at high risk for cardiovascular trouble, but those numbers are still pretty bad. The editors of the New England Journal of Medicine, which published the study, are calling for Meridia to be pulled from the market. Just one more reason I won't be the first one signing up for the new get-you-out-of-your-chair pill.
Scientific
Up Next, Drugs That Make Your Chair Painful
How much "voluntary activity" you engage in is a highly heritable trait, says new research. In other words, if you like to exercise, thank your genes. If you hate it, curse your genes. In the latest study on the topic, scientists bred thousands of rats to prove that engagement in recreational running was a trait offspring inherited from their parents. Not a huge shocker. But what's interesting is the leap the researchers then made. In the words of the study's lead author: "Down the road people could be treated pharmacologically for low activity levels through drugs that targeted specific genes that promote activity. Pharmacological interventions in the future could make it more pleasurable for people to engage in voluntary exercise." Okay, okay, I'm maybe on board. But then he goes on. "Such interventions could also make it less comfortable for people to sit still for long periods of time." Woah, drugs that make it uncomfortable to sit?! Maybe we start with less comfortable chairs before we go all Brave New World on ourselves.
Scientific
Why Your Mom May Rain On Your Fitness Parade
Turns out, people over 55 just love it when young people f**k up. In a recent study, a group of adults between 55 and 60 were unleashed on an online news magazine and told to read whatever articles they found most interesting. They gravitated toward negative stories about young people. And here's the clincher: After doing so, they reported big boosts in their self-esteem. Granted, rooting for the downfall of young people in the newspaper is different from being a negative cheerleader for young people you actually know and love. Your mother is probably very supportive. But just saying, maybe she bakes you all those cookies because she loves you, or maybe they're actually laced with evil.
Scientific
Should You Stretch Before You Run?
Yes, said my high school track coach. It'll help prevent injuries. No, said my dad. It'll actually lead to more injuries. So who's right? Turns out, no one (as unsatisfying as that is). USA Track and Field has just published the results of an extensive new study of almost 1,400 runners ages 13 to 60 assigned to either stretch before running or not stretch before running for a three-month period. Bottom line: Stretching didn't matter. Regardless of which group they were in, the stretchers or the non-stretchers, runners sustained injuries at about exactly the same rate. No higher, no lower. So stretching before doesn't cause injuries and it doesn't prevent injuries. So do it if you like it, and skip it if you don't. Now, stretching after exercise, that's a whole nother story... (via NYTimes)
Scientific
Don't Ask For Directions, Waste $3100 A Year
Because they're too proud to stop and ask for directions, British men waste $3100 on needless fuel consumption while driving around lost, according to a new study by a British insurance company. It's tempting to say ha ha, those silly men! And believe me, I would, except that I'm exactly like them. With driving yes, but with everything else too. Like, everytime I go to a new gym or yoga studio, I refuse to let on that I don't know what's up and instead furtively wander around casing the joint for like ten minutes, finding the location of the hidden cardio machines and extra towels all on my own. If you're like me, here's the lesson from the study: All those silly prideful minutes add up. Not that that means I'm going to start asking for help or anything...
Scientific
Women Not As Good at Skipping Calories After Soda As Men Are
The fact that Americans swallow gallons of corn syrup in the form of soda on a regular basis undoubtedly contributes to our collective obesity. But new research shows that we're remarkably good at compensating for our liquid calorie intake in the short term. In the study, men and women who drank milk, orange juice, or a sugary fruit drink mid-morning, consumed fewer calories when unleashed on a lunch buffet than they did after consuming a calorie-free drink. So, good for us — our bodies recognize liquid calories and our appetites adjust. But here's the catch: Women weren't as good at compensating for the caloric drink calories as men were.
More...Practical Eating
The Newly Discovered Antioxidant Powers Of Black Rice
Blueberry season, sadly, is on its way out. So where are you going to get your antioxidants? Black rice! New research shows that black rice bran is packed with more antioxidant than blueberries, plus black rice has less sugar and more fiber. Eat up! Four tasty black rice recipes — from breakfast to dessert — after the jump.
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Walking Makes Your Brain Work Better
Walking does awesome stuff to your brain, a new study shows. In particular, it increases the connections in your brain networks. Researchers used fMRIs to scan the brains of adults who were sedentary before the study but then started a walking program. A year after starting their 40-minutes three-times-a-week walking regimen, the study participants did significantly better on cognitive tests. They also showed significantly elevated connectivity in their "default mode network" (DMN is the network that dominates when you're passively observing or day dreaming) as well as in their fronto-executive network (that's the network that engages for complex tasks). In sum, walking: Good for you legs, heart, brain...pretty much everything.
Scientific
Food Benders Have Long Term Consequences
On Monday we shared the good news that once you get in shape, it's a lot easier to get back in shape if you lapse. Well, sadly, today there's a little bad news to rain on our parade. New research shows that if you go on a real bender and overeat copiously, even for a short period of time, it can have lasting impact on your health. Individuals in the study were required to eat about 70% more than their usual diet, to eat lots of bad stuff (think fast food), and to severely limit their exercise for four weeks. The average weight gain over the month was 14 pounds. A year later, many of the feasters still hadn't gotten back to the weight they were before the study, but that's not the really bad news. The really bad news was their body composition. Even after two and a half years, they had much higher percentages of fat mass than the control group. Just a little thought for next time you're tempted to throw your hands up and stop taking care of yourself for a while.