Mental Attitude: Do You Think Your Child Is the Right Weight for His or Her Age?
Most parents of overweight children misperceive their children as being “the right weight” for their age. According to a study involving nearly 7,000 overweight boys and girls, nearly 96% of mothers thought their overweight sons were the right weight for their age and almost 90% of mothers considered their overweight daughters to be the appropriate weight for their age group. The authors believe that ineffective communication between the medical community and parents accounts for a significant part of the ongoing problems with weight misperception in society. Senior author Dr. Jian Zhang adds, “We need effective strategies to encourage clinician discussions with parents about appropriate [the] weight for their child. This will be critical for childhood weight management and obesity prevention.”
NYU Langone Medical Center, May 2015
Health Alert: Global Oncology Costs Increasing.
While early diagnosis and more effective cancer therapies have increased the survival rates of many cancers, costs related to cancer treatment have also risen. A new report reveals that average cancer treatment costs-per-month in the United States have increased 39% over the past ten years, and global spending on cancer medicines surpassed $100 billion dollars in 2014, nearly $25 billion dollars higher than was observed as recently as 2009!
IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics, May 2015
Diet: Secrets to Choosing Healthier Foods.
An analysis of 112 studies found that people choose healthier foods when restaurants, grocery stores, school cafeterias, and/or their spouse make foods like fruits and vegetables more visible, convenient, and attractive.
Psychology and Marketing, April 2015
Exercise: New Treadmills May Be Better at Duplicating Outdoor Running.
Researchers have developed a new treadmill that automatically changes speed to match the pace of the runner. The machine uses sonar to tell where the runner is on the treadmill and then speeds up if the runner is moving towards the front of the running belt or slows down if the runner is moving toward the back of the running belt. Dr. Steven T. Devor, an associate professor of kinesiology at Ohio State University writes, “If you’re running outside and you want to speed up or slow down, there is no button to push. It is the same with this new automated treadmill.”
Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise, April 2015
Chiropractic: Heavy Smartphone Use Can Lead to Hand and Wrist Problems!
If you are a heavy smartphone user and experience wrist pain, you may want to reduce your reliance on handheld devices. Researchers examined the wrists and hand complaints of 102 adults and found that those who spent the most time interacting with their devices had enlarged median nerves in their dominant hand, reduced pinch strength, and reduced hand function when compared with low/non-smartphone users.
Muscle & Nerve, April 2015
Wellness/Prevention: Heart Attacks Could Be Diagnosed with a Thermometer-Like Device.
Scientists have developed a simple, thermometer-like device that may help healthcare providers diagnose heart attacks with minimal materials and cost. The technology works by detecting a protein called troponin, which rises when blood is cut off from the heart and the muscle is damaged. Current methods to detect this protein are expensive and often not practical for point-of-care in low and middle-income countries where up to 75% of cardiovascular disease-related deaths occur.
Analytical Chemistry, April 2015