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Archive for 2011

Teens who consume high amounts of added sugars in drinks and food are more likely to have poor cholesterol profiles and triglycerides that can lead to heart disease in later life.

According to a study by Emory University (USA), overweight or obese adolescents with higher levels of added sugar consumption were more signs of insulin resistance, often a precursor to diabetes. With added sugars authors refer to any caloric sweetener that is added to foods or drinks in the production process or by the consumer.

Overweight adolescents and high consumption of added sugars show more resistance to insulina.El work, published in the journal Circulation, is the first to evaluate the association of added sugars and indicators of heart disease risk in adolescents.

The results show that 21.4 percent of the total energy of teens surveyed (2157 individuals between 12 and 18 years) came from this source and that those who consumed higher levels had lower levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) , the good cholesterol, and higher triglyceride and low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol.

Increased insulin resistance

The study showed that adolescents with higher intake of added sugars had LDL levels of 94.3 mg / dL compared to 86.7 mg / dL for those taking low blood sugar levels, a 9 percent difference .

Triglyceride levels in those with a higher consumption of added sugars was 79 mg / dL in comparison, 71.7 percent of those on lower levels, a 10 percent difference.

Finally, the authors note that adolescents with overweight and obesity with higher levels of consumption of added sugars were more signs of insulin resistance.

The stress caused by economic insecurity increases the likelihood of developing obesity. “The stress of living in a competitive social system without a strong welfare state makes people eat more”, suggest researchers at the University of Oxford (United Kingdom).

Obesity policies tend only to encourage people to care for himself mismasLa research, led by Avner Offer, published in Economics and Human Biology, analyzed eleven countries rich with different economic systems. The results indicate that in countries in economic regimes prevailing free market economies very competitive and less absence or presence of the welfare state, obesity rates are tripled.

Social causes of obesity

The study compared four countries with liberal market-United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, with seven European nations that traditionally have greater social protection: Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden. The results indicate that the Americans and British are much more prone to obesity than Norwegians and Swedes.

Policies to reduce levels of obesity tend to focus on encouraging people to take care of themselves, but this study suggests that obesity has complex social causes.

To rule out other factors, the researchers took into account the availability of high calorie foods and fast food chains and supermarkets.

Insecurity affects more than junk food

In this sense, the researchers measured the impact of fast food using the price index created by The Economist, which shows international variations in the cost of the burger ‘Big Mac’ McDonald’s.

Their findings indicate that “the availability of fast food has half the effect of economic insecurity on the prevalence of obesity. The most powerful influence we have discovered over obesity levels of insecurity,” say the researchers from Oxford.

The fight against obesity, as well as body mass should be taken into consideration the amount of adipose tissue. So says biologist’s thesis, University of the Basque Country (UPV), Aline Jelenkovic, indicating that obesity is presented as the great pandemic of the century. Recent data suggest that more than one billion adults worldwide are overweight, of which at least 300 million are clinically obese.

The environment also plays an important role in the development of obesity, “Childhood obesity rates show an increasing concern, with over 155 million children and adolescents who are overweight, of which 40 million are clearly obese.

Adipose tissue and blood pressure

Therefore, the biologist Aline Jelenkovic analyzed “how much” influence of genetics on the one hand, and the environment, on the other, body morphology. To do so, has studied nuclear families of Greater Bilbao, with children between 2 and 19 years old and has confirmed that the environmental factor significantly influences the amount of adipose tissue (tissue composed of fat accumulating cells), and it is related, in turn, with blood pressure.

The study estimated that the characteristics that define the size, shape and adipose tissue of the human body are inherited in an index that is moderate to high (0.28 to 0.69).

The family was not particularly influenced

In addition, the environment, “also plays an important role,” since human morphology is partly determined by genetic and environmental factors, but “highlights the influence of both the characteristics associated with obesity, auque” genetics does not affect all them equally, “according to the thesis.

As for the relationship of body shape with the family, the study finds, “which is a significant factor, but not particularly influential.” The researcher observed that maternal age at birth of firstborn, and parental education, “are more closely linked to obesity-related phenotypes than other family factors.”

The research, conducted with the aim of identifying risk factors in heart disease, agree that there is an “obesity pandemic” that is a result of more and more countries adopt Western lifestyles.

In 2008, more than 500 million people worldwide were clinically obese, meaning they had a Body Mass Index (BMI)-the measure obtained by dividing the weight of the individual in kilos by your height in meters squared-over 30.

The incidence was higher among females, as there were 297 million obese women, compared to 205 million obese men.

U.S. figure in the top of the list of obesity, with a mean body mass index of 28

This means that 9.8% of men and 13.8% of women of this planet were obese in 2008 compared with respective percentages of 4.8% and 7.9% in 1980.

The highest rate of obesity was recorded in the nations of the Pacific Islands, with average levels of BMI between 34 and 45, 70% higher than some countries in Southeast Asia and Africa.

Among rich countries, the U.S. was on the top of the list of obesity with a Body Mass Index through 28 for both men and women, which means, in other words, that being overweight is now the norm in that country.

The Lancet published three studies examining jointly the overall levels of obesity, cholesterol and blood pressure, sharing their results.
Hypertension decreases

The other notable finding is that, in contrast to the increase in obesity, the proportion of the world’s population has blood pressure problems declined between 1980 and 2008.

Rich countries were those that achieved the greatest advances in the control of hypertension and those who managed, through its health benefits, which in this period regress average cholesterol levels among the population.

However, this good news was accompanied by the realization that there are emerging and poor countries faced problems that were not detected earlier.

Is the case of the Baltic nations or countries of East and West Africa, which recorded blood pressure levels highest in the world, matching those in some parts of Western Europe three decades ago.

“Obesity has moved to countries with low and middle income, becoming a global problem”

The presence of these health problems “has been moved to countries with low and middle income, making them global problems,” said Professor Ezzati, director of the study.

Gretchen Stevens of the World Health Organization said it was already known that changes in diet and physical activity have contributed to the worldwide increase in obesity, but said “it remains unclear what policies would help more effectively reduce obesity. ”

“We need to identify, implement and evaluate rigorously interventions that aim to reverse these trends or limit its harmful effects,” he said.

Dr Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation, described as “amazing” the escalation of obesity in the last 30 years and considered that “we face a global challenge to cope with increased BMI, cholesterol levels and hypertension, all these major risk factors in coronary artery disease. ”

“It’s a worrying trend, but can be reversed with effective policies and changes in lifestyle, with the help of important advances in medicine,” said Knapton, who stressed that the improvement in cholesterol levels and hypertension in developed countries are proof that no solution.
Childhood obesity in Spain

Moreover, in Spain, Thao Child Health Foundation has presented a study revealing that one in three Spanish children, aged between 3 and 12 years, suffers over Spain is among the European countries with the highest rate of overweight weight children and concludes that prevention before 3 years is one of the key elements to curb childhood obesity.

The study, presented in Barcelona, places Spain among European countries with the highest rate of overweight children, with a percentage close to 30 percent, bringing the rate of 21.1% overweight and obesity in a 8.2%.

The Institute of Obesity warning of the risk of overweight appears to leave the habit of snuff as a result of restrictions on law reform and notes that various studies put between two and four kilos that usually wins a person to stop smoking .

A bad habit is replaced by another drifting in obesity and sobrepesoSegún difficulties to experts, this increase, which occurs during the physical phase of dependence that covers the first four months, is due to an eating disorder in the anxiety caused by derived from the absence of snuff.

A bad habit to another

The problem arises when, once overcome the physical phase of addition, maintaining the progressive increase in weight caused by poor nutrition. Thus, a bad habit, such as snuff, is replaced by another drifting in obesity and overweight problems.

To prevent this risk, the Institute of Obesity recommends eating habits take special care, making available to those interested a team of professionals to work as much food as necessary as proper physical and psychological therapy.

Multidisciplinary treatment

Not surprisingly, explain its officers, any treatment should be designed for a multidisciplinary, nutritional and psychological criteria intervening. In this way, ensure that there is greater adherence to therapy and maintenance of lost weight.

By contrast, opt for a balanced diet that contains all the nutrients needed to achieve optimal nutritional status. To do this, suggest a number of nutrients provide energy sufficient to carry out metabolic processes and physical and psychological work.

Sleep deprivation disrupts the hormones that regulate appetite such as leptin and ghrelin, so that short sleep duration is a factor that contributes to an increased risk of obesity both in childhood and adults.

Our current lifestyle leads to a slowly but surely to obesity, “This is reflected in the book Obesity in which more than 30 international researchers, which reflects the latest knowledge on obesity, from its causes to its prevention and treatment. The work shows that at long periods of sleep deprivation, there is a hormonal change that increases appetite and calorie intake.

In addition, studies indicate that babies who sleep less than 12 hours (including night and daytime naps) increases adiposity and the chances of becoming overweight at age 3.

The importance of prenatal

The book also points out that more and more evidence pointing to the relationship between the prenatal period and the risk of obesity. “In its growth in the womb the baby senses the external environment and physiology interprets and prepares it for outdoor conditions after the birth of more or less metabolic stress and psychological,” says Dr. Ordovas.

Also, the book emphasizes that breastfeeding is a protective factor against later development of obesity.

An environment “obesogenic”

According to Dr. José María Ordovas, director of the Laboratory for Genomics and Nutrition at Tufts University (Boston) and scientific collaborator of the National Cardiovascular Research Center, “our current lifestyle, which includes not only food but also the activity physical and sleep, leads to a slowly but surely to obesity. ”

Thus, the experts who participated in the book describe the current environment in which we operate as “obesogenic”, so insist on the importance of returning to a healthy lifestyle.

If you participate in weight training, you want to ensure that you are doing all you can to get all possible benefits. A University of Michigan study showed that many weight lifters simply aren’t lifting as much weight as they should be. It seems as though most people simply choose a weight below what’s needed to stimulate muscle growth and fat loss.

But why do people tend to lift a weight that’s less than what they should be lifting? There are many reasons:

• It feels strange.
• You’re afraid of hurting yourself.
• You’re afraid that if you lift more, you’ll get too big and bulky. But this isn’t true!

Now, how can you tell if you’re not lifting enough weight?

• If you can lift your weight sixteen to twenty times, then you’re probably not lifting enough weight.
• You don’t feel challenged when lifting your weight. The point to weight training is to push your muscles so that they can get stronger. If you don’t feel as though your weight is challenging at all or as challenging as it used to be, then it’s probably time to increase your weight.
• If you’re no longer seeing any progress, then it’s probably time to increase the amount of weight that you’re lifting.
• If you’ve never increased the amount of weight that you lift while weigh training, then chances are that it’s time.

If you’ve determined that you need to increase the amount of weight you’re lifting, remember this: Start out by increasing the weight by no more than 10%. This will decrease the risk of an injury. Now, with your new weight, aim for two sets of twelve repetitions. Once you can complete two or three sets of fifteen repetitions, it’s probably time to increase your weight once again.

What other tips can you think of to share with fellow weight trainers that will help them determine if they’re lifting enough weight?

According to the survey in HealthDay News, February 27 indicates that more vitamin D than was initially thought to dramatically reduce the risk of several serious diseases, including breast cancer.

“We found that adults need to consume daily between 4,000 and 8,000 IU to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce the risk of several diseases such as breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis and diabetes type 1, half, “said study co-author Dr. Cedric Garland, professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California at San Diego, in a news release from the university.

Garland admitted he was surprised that the required levels were much higher than the 400 IU per day necessary to overcome rickets in the twentieth century.

Vitamin D supplements often come in pills or capsules containing between 1,000 and 2,000 international units. But taking between 4,000 and 8,000 IU a day is still much lower than the range considered safe by the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, the researchers said.

The study, which also involved the Faculty of Medicine at Creighton University in Omaha, was based on a survey of several thousand people who took supplements ranging from 1.000 to 10.000 IU per day. The volunteers also underwent blood tests to determine levels of metabolites of vitamin D circulating in the blood.

Some studies suggest that only 10 percent of the U.S. population has the appropriate level as related to vitamin D in the blood that prevents the disease associated with a deficiency of this vitamin. They tend to work outside, so their vitamin D levels increase with sun exposure.

Last year, a committee of the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) announced to take 4.000 IU per day of vitamin D seems safe for adults and children ages 9 and older.

However, the daily minimum recommended by the IOM is 600 IU; the Institute also noted that there were early signs that there could be some damage associated with consuming high levels of vitamin D a day, even in amounts below the recommended upper limit as insurance.

Garland and his colleagues suggested that 4,000 IU a day is a safe level.

“Now that we have the results of this study, taking 4000 IU per day will become commonplace for most adults,” Garland predicted in the press release. “This is below the 10,000 IU per day that the IOM Committee Report considered as the lower limit of risk, and the benefits are substantial.”

Studies claim that delaying the arrival of the first child is a predisposing factor for developing this type of tumor. A leading expert explained why this happens and how to prevent disease.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide. Because of this, all over the world are carried out prevention campaigns, trying to raise awareness about the importance of consulting the specialist routine to prevent the development of this disease.

Nevertheless, beyond the annual realization of complete gynecological studies, there are social factors that influence the onset of the disease. Within this group is motherhood.

The prestigious Italian physician Umberto Veronesi, surgeon breast cancer and founder of the European Institute of Oncology, spoke with Infobae.com about the negative consequences that come with the arrival of a child as it is currently facing.

He explained that in the world the incidence of breast cancer increased because, in general, the postponement of motherhood.

“Women now have a greater risk, and the reasons are that they have fewer children and pregnancy protects against breast cancer. Also, start having children at older ages, “which also adversely influences, Veronesi said.

In that sense, specified that “women when they have young children do not have breast tumors, as has the number of children also suffer.”

Other factors that influence the development of the disease is feeding the baby, more and more away from the natural and closer to the milk bottles and industrialized. “Now breastfeeding is very low, contributing to this increase,” said the specialist.

The Key: Early Detection

Veronesi said that “unable to apply preventive therapies, science has focused on early diagnosis of this disease.”

In this regard, said the current utilization of mammography, ultrasound through ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, which allows “detect tumors up to five millimeters in diameter” very effectively.

“The appropriate age to start this type of detection is 30 years with ultrasound, the woman over 40 years, making mammograms, and those with genetic background or considers its genetic test or placed in a group high risk should begin before the age of 20 should have an MRI every five years “, stated the doctor.

Then, it is essential that women take charge of their breast health. To Veronesi, the best way is through three simple steps:

1 – That each knows best or depth within it.

2 – Acknowledge that this is a special disease, to cure if detected early and kills if it is discovered late.

3 – To deal with this with optimism, determination and will. “Many times the woman discovers or suspects that may have this condition and pretends not to have, so delay its consideration. And with that all you are doing is aggravating the situation, “he said.

“Women are the ones now in hand the management of this situation. No longer is a medical problem, a problem of the woman the one to use to make the diagnosis early, “he concluded Veronesi.

Olive oil colesterol lowering a person is diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia, it is necessary to implement a series of lifestyle changes that you will not only lower cholesterol but also allows you to improve your quality of life, reducing the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. These changes in behavior, it is imperative increasingly replacing animal fats with vegetable oils. This change has a why. Know the reasons.

Why do it?

* While animal fats and vegetable oils provide the same amount of calories, the difference lies in the quality of their component fatty acids.
* The animal fats, with the exception of fish and fish products, are mainly comprised of saturated fat, cholesterol, triglycerides and trans fats instead of vegetable oils containing unsaturated fatty acids such as omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 .
* When you eat saturated fats from animal foods, these are metabolized in the body causing an increase in LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. This type of fat may be deposited in artery walls, forming a plaque, which will reduce the gauge pressure, resulting in ischemia or severe cardiovascular problem.
* In contrast, the fatty acids of vegetable origin, such as unsaturated fats, act as precursors of a hormone called prostaglandin, which regulates the formation of atheromas by reducing their formation and hence avoids a reduction in the caliber of the arteries.

Importantly, there are foods such as fish and its derivatives, although they are of animal origin, in its chemical composition containing omega 3 and omega 6.

Keep in mind that simply changing the habit of consuming animal fatty acids, fatty acids substituting vegetable, and you will not only help reduce your cholesterol and / or triglycerides in your blood, but also reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.