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Wednesday, May 5, 2021
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Obesity Causes Early Death

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obese people

A recent study found that obesity-related deaths affect three times more men than women.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – A recent study found that obesity-related deaths affect three times more men than women. The study was conducted worldwide and found that the risk of dying before reaching 70 years of age was 19 percent for men and 11 percent for women of average weight.

The risk increased to thirty percent and fifteen percent for obese men and women. Smoking is the only thing that kills more people than obesity, in America. Lead researcher Richard Peto from the Oxford University believes that we should try to lose around 15 percent of our weight, to achieve a 10 percent reduced risk of dying before reaching 70 years of age.

Until now, the question of why obese men have a greater risk of premature death than obese women wasn’t clear.

The study could not offer an exact answer, but previous observations have shown that obese men have bigger levels of insulin resistance, fat levels, and diabetes risk than women. A US researcher said that more research needs to be done, to explore the link between obesity and mortality.

Avoiding obesity has great perks for both men and women. Other studies confirm that physical activity can reduce the risk of death.

Strong associations between increased body weight and early death have been reported all over the world. This made scientists confident in the results.

Even being slightly overweight or “fat in popular terms, poses health threats and increases chances of early death by 10%. For obese adults that risk is triple.

The current obesity epidemic continues to advance, putting people at risk of dying early, developing cancers, liver problems or diabetes. Scientists call for global collective action.

Roughly 1.3 billion adults worldwide are overweight, with a further 600 million obese people. The occurrence of adult obesity is 20% in Europe and 31% in North America. These two developed regions are among the worst affected by the epidemic. Child obesity is another growing concern, as today’s obese children are tomorrow’s obese adult, with huge changes in life quality, for the worse.

On the average, being overweight takes a year off someone’s life expectancy, and ten years off for obese people. This large scale study is just the latest of the alarm signals coming from health authorities.

Image Source – Wikipedia

Regular Exercise Cuts Risk of 13 Cancers Even in Smokers and Obese

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'Young Woman Jogging'

A recent study shows that regular physical activity can curb the risk of developing 13 types of cancers.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – A new study confirms that regular workout is an effective cancer-preventive. A group of researchers found that physical activity can shield people from 13 different types of cancers regardless of their smoking habits and overweight problems.

According to the study, people who engaged the most in moderate to intense exercise had 20 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with seven types of cancers and 42 percent lower risk of developing esophageal adenocarcinoma than their inactive peers.

Liver cancer risk was also reduced in the first group by 27 percent, while lung and kidney cancer risk dropped by 26 percent and 23 percent respectively. Exercisers also had a diminished risk of endometrial cancer of 21 percent and were less likely to develop myeloid leukemia by 20 percent.

Researchers also found that the more exercising the better. Participants who exercised the most had their risk of developing six types of cancers trimmed by 10 percent to 20 percent as compared with participants who exercised the least. Furthermore, the first group’s chances of developing skin cancer, colon, neck and head cancers were lower by 16 percent on average. Plus, their risk of breast cancer was also reduced by 10 percent.

The research team also found that regular physical exercise is tied to a lower risk of small intestine and gall bladder cancers.

The latest study is a review paper of a dozen comprehensive studies conducted by U.S. and European researchers. The studies involved more than 15 million participants who had their physical activity levels and cancer risk tracked over nine to 21 years.

In seven of the 12 studies, exercise levels were based on self-reports which greatly varied from one study to another. The latest study’s authors sought a universal method to track the level of fitness, so they used a scale from 0 to 100.

The median level of activity was 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise per week such as walking. But cancer risk dropped proportionally with the increase of exercise levels, researchers noted. The most obvious positive results were visible when the most physically active group was compared with the least physically active one.

Surprisingly, even study participants who were seriously overweight or obese saw their cancer risk reduced if they stayed very active. There were, however, three exceptions: risk of endometrium, gastric cardia, and liver cancers didn’t drop in this particular group. But smokers and former smokers also benefited from regular physical activity in the long run.

Image Source: Wikimedia

New Study Reveals Heart Attacks Hit Younger Patients

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"New Study Reveals Heart Attack Patients are Younger "

Cleveland Clinic cardiologists pointed out that the average age of patients suffering from heart-related conditions has decreased from 65 to 60 years old.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – A new study performed by the Cleveland Clinic points out that the average age of people suffering from heart attacks has decreased by nearly five years. Moreover, as the study would suggest, most of the patients experiencing heart attacks are much younger and more overweight than they were a decade ago.

Usually, a healthy lifestyle translates into having a healthy body and a sound mind. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of our health is taking care of our hearts. A healthy and balanced diet along with plenty of physical exercises are crucial in terms of preventing the onset of various heart diseases.

A new study on heart diseases revealed that although doctors have stressed out the importance of prevention, their patients are even younger and fatter than before.

The paper, which shall be presented during the 65th Annual Session of the American College of Cardiology, stressed that the average age of a patient being diagnosed with a heart condition has decreased from 65 to 60 years old.

Furthermore, most patients diagnosed with heart diseases usually display more than one additional conditions such as diabetes or obesity. Hypertension and smoking are also considered factors that increase the risk of suffering from heart diseases.

Doctor Samir Kapadia, the lead author of the study, who is also an interventional cardiologist, declared that although doctors have done a marvelous job in informing their patients about the dangers of heart attacks, the mortality rate is higher than even.

Moreover, the cardiologist stressed out that along a healthy diet and plenty of physical exercises, patients should also think about going in for regular check-ups. This is perhaps the most important aspect of preventing the onset of a heart condition.

As for the study, doctor Kapadia and his team of medical examiners have analyzed the medical records of over 4000 patients admitted and treated for various heart conditions, including heart attacks, at the Cleveland Clinic.

Between 1995 and 2014, all of the patients mentioned above were admitted after suffering from an ST-elevation myocardial infarction, broadly considered to be the most dangerous and deadly forms of heart attacks.

As the doctors explain, an STEMI happens when the patient’s coronary artery gets blocked. Once the blood flow gets obstructed, the circulatory system will be unable to supply a heart portion with blood, thus going into shock and eventually shutting down.

Moreover, the average age of patients suffering from an STEMI has decreased over the years from 65 to 60 years old. Obesity also seems to have become a game-changer since 31 percent of the patients who have suffered a heart attacks had weight-related problems. Diabetes accounts for 7 percent of patients who experience heart attacks, while COPD and hypertension account for 7, respectively 22 percent of patients.

Smoking also shifted the risk of suffering from an STEMI from 28 % to 48 %.

At the end of his study, doctor Kapadia said that the results of this study will help physicians to counsel better their patients on the dangers of heart attacks.

Photo credits:wikipedia

Obesity May Lead to Memory Issues

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"Obesity May Lead to Memory Issues"

According to a new study, obesity may affect our short and long-term memory.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Once again we are regaled with another tale about the dangers of obesity. And this time, the tale as old as time is told by a small team of British scientists. According to the plot of this story, obesity may lead to memory issues among other things such as diabetes and cardiovascular problems.

So, how’s this study any different than the others? Well, for starters, it addresses another aspect of obesity, one that has been overlooked: memory and brain power. According to the team of British scientists, obese individuals, or people who have a high score on the BMI scale, tend to be more forgetful than those with lower BMI.

Basically, what they are saying is that people with weight issues have the tendency of not being able to recall the little things, such as the gargantuan Subway tuna sandwich they just ate, or if they settled or not for another side of greasy French fries for dinner.

Bottom line idea is that the more pounds you have, the less likely it is for you to recall past events. Or so the study says. Picture this scenario: Saturday morning, sunny day, birds are chirping and you wake up feeling rested and refreshed.

Wouldn’t it be great to do something really healthy today like taking a few laps around the block or maybe quick stroll downtown? Well, no quite. Not as long as your fridge is filled with culinary delights such as leftover pound cake or pop-tarts or some pizza. Add a Coke and some cookies, and you already ate more calories than you can burn off in a single day.

That’s not a biggie for those with a fast metabolism, but it’s bad news for those who are already overweight.

According to this new study, which was published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Phycology, those who indulge in sugary and fatty treats are more likely to have short-term memory issues. And we are not talking about misplaced car keys or forgetting to turn off the light in the bathroom. We are talking about severe issues like forgetting what you had for lunch or dinner.

How was this study conducted? On a voluntary basis, of course. The team asked the help of approximately 50 volunteers, with ages between 18 and 35 years old. As we expected, some of them had a low BMI, while the others were overweight. Each of the volunteers received a quick memory test in order to assess the condition of their short-term and long-term memory.

And lo, and behold, those who were not overweight had a high score in comparison with those who had a higher BMI. Of course, the leading author of the study, by the name of Doctor Lucy Cheke, said that we shouldn’t take the results for granted.

Even though the initial results of the study pointed out that those extra pounds may impose on our capacity of remembering small stuff like not to eat more after a hefty meal, the results may or may not be subjected to generalization.

In conclusion, obesity may lead to memory issues, when the hypothesis is tested on a small group of participants.

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Cardiovascular Diseases are on the Rise among Children

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"Cardiovascular Diseases are on the Rise among Children "

Obesity and lack of physical exercises are contributing to the development of cardiovascular issues in children.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – A new study reveals that even children are at risk of developing heart issues. As most of us believe that this age group cannot develop a heart-related condition, it would seem that the new evidence says otherwise. Cardiovascular diseases are on the rise among children and the main culprits are obesity, lack of physical exercise and high sugar intake.

Well, it’s of little wonder that obesity is, in fact, the disease of the century. Many of us choose to ignore the signs of it or consoling ourselves with the thought that it either runs in the family or that our thyroid gland is backfiring. Whatever the reasons, it would seem that one of the most serious condition associated with obesity (heart disease) has begun to surface at younger and younger ages.

According to another study concerning heart disease, it would seem that this condition has been detected even in 3-year olds. Mind you that this is an extreme case indeed, but obesity among older children is not.

Unfortunately, there are many children out there who have high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Moreover, most of them even have a family history of heart disease. As usual, the main culprit for their condition is a lack of physical exercises associated with a higher sugar intake.

It’s ok to indulge once in a while in sugary treats if you exercise and eat healthy meals. Unfortunately, this is not the case of many children from the US, who choose sugary treats over a well-balanced meal.

But the overall situation isn’t quite as tragic as it would seem because many health centers have begun to identify those children who are overweight and at risk of developing a heart condition.

In light of this development, the American Academy of Pediatrics has updated its guidelines regarding the testing for high cholesterol. Moreover, the prestigious institutions recommend that all children with ages between 9 and 11 should get tested for high cholesterol.

Cardiovascular diseases are on the rise among children, and it would seem that the most common factors involved are a lack of physical activity, high sugar intake and obesity.

Furthermore, another study performed by the Emory University proved that even teenagers are at risk of developing a heart condition in later life. By studying the dietary habits of over 2000 teenage patients, the medical researchers have discovered that the daily average sugar intake of a teenager was 30 teaspoons of sugar (20 percent more than the daily recommended dose of sugar).

Moreover, their blood tests performed on the candidates revealed that the teens were more inclined to have increased levels of LDL cholesterol ad triglycerides.

Photo credits:www.pixabay.com

People Aren’t Getting enough Sleep

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"People Aren’t Getting enough Sleep "

Approximately 35 percent of US citizens are having sleep-related issues.

BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Are you feeling sleepy all the time, yet you couldn’t get a decent night’s sleep? It seems that you are not the only one, according to a recent study published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. People aren’t getting enough sleep and usually end up feeling groggy in the morning.

Everyone knows that sleep is important. In fact, that’s the first thing you learn as a child. Get enough sleep in between and you will feel fresh as a daisy. But with all these modern day conveniences like smartphones, tablets or laptops it’s pretty hard to get a decent night’s sleep, taking into account that half of your brain is asleep while the other is still aroused.

Well, it seems that even the CDC agrees with the statement that quite a lot of US citizens aren’t paying attention to their sleep habits. And they even have the papers to back up their statement.

First we should say that this is the first nationwide sleep study performed by the health institute. The study took the form of a phone survey. According to the CDC, more than 400.000 candidates responded to the phone questionnaire.

Second, the scientists in charge of this project took into account every known factor, like race, ethnicity, gender, marital status, geographical position and yes, even employment.

With these aspects in mind, let’s take a closer look at the numbers provided by the sleep study. According to the results of the phone survey, approximately 65 percent of respondents declared that they get enough hours of sleep per night (seven hours per night) while 35 percent of them declared that they have serious issues calling in the Sand Man.

According to the study performed by our beloved CDC, the most affected by sleep issues are unemployed citizens and some racial and ethnical groups. The CDC noted that multiracial citizens or African-Americans have more trouble sleeping than others.

On the other hand, married citizen and those with a higher education have no issues in the area. Moreover, the study pointed out that marriage does have a positive effect on sleep. And those with a higher degree in something seem to sleep quite well, maybe due to the fact that they realize the importance of a good night’s sleep.

People aren’t getting enough sleep, according to a new study performed by the CDC, via phone surveys. Sleep deprivation can up the risk for all sort of diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular issues, obesity, strokes and occasional mood swings.

Photo credits:www.pixabay.com

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