February 8th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
Tags: International, Weight Loss
2 Comments »
I was surprised to find that Kuwait has just edged out the USA in the percent of its population that is reported as “overweight:” 74.2%. Forbes has an interesting visual flag display of the world’s fattest nations.
So what happened to Kuwait? One fairly unhelpful press release suggested that the increase in overweight and obesity was due to changes in diet and exercise habits. Thanks for that insight.
A recent study concluded that the risk of being overweight in Kuwait was positively influenced by income levels and yet the risk of obesity was inversely related to income levels. So, if you’re wealthy you’re more likely to be chubby, but if you’re poor, you’re at risk for obesity? Not sure I understand why that’s so. Maybe everyone has plenty to eat, but only the wealthy can afford gym membership?
Another study correlated increased weight with frequency of dental visits. Does that mean that the more dental work you need the more likely you are to be overweight/obese? I guess Kuwaitis don’t brush their teeth.
What really happened to Kuwait? This happened.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
February 8th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
Tags: Fitness, Food and Nutrition, Personal, Relationships, Research, Weight Loss
3 Comments »
My friends in the Revolution Weight Management Center asked me to blog about weight and relationships… at first I wondered if they were trying to stage an intervention or something: have I gained that much weight since I started working here? Ha ha. No, I haven’t… but maybe that’s because I have such a skinny husband?
As it turns out, research suggests that married couples are influenced by one another’s dietary habits. If you marry a person with poor eating habits, you are much more likely to adopt them yourself. Also, they say that marriage leads to more regular (read frequent), larger meals and increased financial pressures, stress levels and decreased exercise frequency.
Well, I guess choosing the right spouse has never been more important for weight control? Marriage doesn’t automatically lead to weight gain, but you should eye your boyfriend/girlfriend/fiancé(e) with suspicion at the dinner table. When I was dating my husband I noticed that he ate small portions, never finished his plate, and didn’t like dessert. He liked to run, had good sleeping habits, drank in moderation, and wouldn’t notice a super model if she fell in his lap. Sound too good to be true? I still ask myself that every day. They don’t make too many like Steve, I’ll tell you!
Anyway, I must confess that before our wedding I was in the best shape of my life, running about 20-25 miles a week, shunning all products containing high fructose corn syrup, and taking good care of my health. Now I exercise irregularly, sneak in rich dining experiences, and skip meals. I weigh about the same, but have (I’m sure) exchanged fat for muscle.
What do I make of this? Well, I need to force myself to go running again with my husband (he patiently runs at my pace as I lumber along next to his gazelle-like frame) and be more mindful of my eating habits. This is a never-ending battle for me, but it is made so much easier by having a supportive spouse who never deviates from good health practices.
So as Valentine’s Day approaches, observe your loved one’s eating and exercise habits with a critical eye. You are likely to be influenced by them more than you know. And for those of you who have a “Steve” in your life, thank your lucky stars, put down the box of chocolates, and show him how much he’s appreciated!
P.S. Steve would like to tell you that he (thanks to me) now enjoys dessert and craves ice cream from time to time. I guess my influence on him hasn’t been as positive.
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
February 5th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
Tags: International, News, Parenting
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Makes being a nurse in the US seem like a cake walk, right?
“The son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi said five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor condemned to death by a Libyan court had received unjust verdicts and that they would not be executed, a Bulgarian newspaper reported on Monday.
A Libyan court last month convicted the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor of intentionally infecting more than 400 Libyan children with HIV, despite scientific evidence that the youngsters had the virus before the medical workers arrived in Libya. It sentenced all the medical personnel to death.
‘The original files were manipulated and there were many mistakes, but it was the fault of the police officers and investigators who handled the case at the initial stage.’”
As I was thinking about how these relief workers were “ambushed” I imagined that the parents of the HIV positive children were looking for a scapegoat – there is a lot of stigma associated with HIV, and in a country where mere finger pointing can result in the death penalty… taking care of those infected with the virus can be more deadly than the virus itself.
The article also hinted that if it weren’t for the Bulgarian embassy publicizing the unjust executions, they would have occurred without a second thought.
Let’s hear it for the healthcare workers out there who put their lives in harms way to treat the innocent and helpless. Do you know of other examples?
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
February 4th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
Tags: Animals, Illicit Drugs, News, Research
5 Comments »
Gone are the days of Beaver Cleaver – and apparently the days of Mickey & Minnie mouse are numbered as well.
In this new study, humans give LSD to the little rodents:
“Of course, we don’t know what the mice experience when they are treated with these drugs,” Sealfon said. “But we do know that there is a head twitch response in the mice that provides a good correlation with drugs that are known to be hallucinogenic in humans.”
So um… why are we doing this?
The Onion spoofed animal research very nicely, picturing an obesity study lab rat nestled among snickers bars and M&Ms.
And in another recent study, we gave mad cow disease to our furry friends:
“As expected… at 9 weeks of age they developed sponginess in the brain tissue, all the mice developed behavior and memory problems, for example they stopped burrowing.”
Hey, I have an idea for a new study – let’s see what mice infected with mad cow disease do if we also give them LSD?
I feel a bit sad for the tiny critters, don’t you?This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
January 30th, 2007 by Dr. Val Jones in News
Tags: Research, Sleep Medicine, Weight Loss
2 Comments »
Yes my friends, I’m afraid it’s true… lack of sleep can pack on the pounds! In 2004 a couple of researchers were analyzing the NHANES database, and noticed that sleep deprivation was an independent risk factor for obesity. Since that observation, more studies have confirmed that sleep debt is associated with weight gain. It’s not completely clear how this works – but one writer summarizes:
“Sleep causes changes in the brain, leading to abnormal secretion of hormones which can result in several body disturbances that include excessive daytime sleepiness, mood changes such as depression or anxiety, altered hunger and eating patterns, and ultimately further sleep disturbances. It’s a vicious cycle!… Throw out the diet bars, and fluff up the pillows.”
I bet my sleep expert colleague, Dr. Steve Poceta, has some further thoughts on this. Let’s ask him!
This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
