Mental Attitude: Teasing Kids About Weight May Lead to Weight Gain.
A study that included 110 middle school students who were either overweight or at risk of being overweight found that those who reported high levels of weight-related teasing were more likely to experience an increase in their body mass index than participants who were not teased about their weight. Study author Dr. Natasha Schvey explains, “Weight-based teasing is associated with a bunch of unhealthy behaviors. Teasing about weight can prompt unhealthy eating. Kids may also avoid physical activity because of teasing. There might also be some biological mechanisms. Being stigmatized for your weight is a stressful experience, which might lead to an increase in stress hormones, which might make you crave unhealthy foods.”
Pediatric Obesity, May 2019
Health Alert: Chronic Inflammation and Late-Life Depression…
An analysis of data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study suggests that individuals with chronic inflammation in the decades leading up to old age have an elevated risk for late-life depression.
American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, May 2019
Diet: Highly Processed Foods Linked to Heart Disease.
Researchers monitored the health and dietary behaviors of over 100,000 adults for five years and identified an association between ultra-processed food consumption and an elevated risk for both heart attack and stroke.
BMJ, May 2019
Exercise: Exercise Apps Help Boost Activity Levels.
Exercise apps and fitness trackers have become very popular, but do they really help users become more active? In a study involving 210 inactive women, researchers observed that those who used the combination of an exercise app, an activity tracker, and personal counseling increased the number of steps they took per day, as well as the number of minutes per day they engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity—and these increases persisted up to three months after the end of the study!
JAMA Network Open, May 2019
Chiropractic: Connective Tissue Manipulation Benefits Those with Chronic Low Back Pain.
Among a group of 66 chronic low back pain patients, those who received connective tissue manipulation in addition to physiotherapy modalities reported greater improvements with respect to pain, mobility, and overall wellbeing when compared to participants treated with sham manipulation or just physiotherapy alone. Doctors of chiropractic often use a combination of manipulative therapy and other treatments to help chronic low back pain patients achieve a successful outcome.
Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, April 2019
Wellness/Prevention: How to Stop Nail Biting.
Biting your nails is unsanitary and can damage the skin around the nail, increase the risk of infection, and harm teeth. To stop nail biting, the Mayo Clinic recommends the following: avoid factors that trigger nail biting; take steps to manage stress and anxiety; keep your nails neatly trimmed; occupy your hands or mouth, such as by chewing gum; and apply a bitter-tasting lacquer to nails. If you’re concerned about nail biting, consider talking to a doctor or a mental health professional.
Mayo Clinic, June 2019
