All posts by gshort@shortfam.com

Health, Motivational

Want a 9% Raise? Hit the Gym

By Jack Hough | SmartMoney – Thu, Jun 7, 2012 1:08 PM EDT

Stagnant wages and shaky investment markets are enough to make workers want to hit the gym to forget about their money troubles. They might just find that the treadmill offers better financial returns than Wall Street.

Workers who exercise regularly earn 9% higher pay on average than those who don’t, according to a study published in the June issue of the Journal of Labor Research.

Past studies have linked exercise with higher earnings, but the direction of cause and effect wasn’t clear. If gym-goers are more disciplined than their slothful coworkers, they might earn higher pay simply because they’re better workers, not because they exercise.

In an effort to cut through the confusion, Vasilios Kosteas of Cleveland State University, the study’s author, used a statistical technique called propensity-score matching. The idea is to score each study subject on whether they fit the profile of someone who exercises, based on factors like age, education level, and whether he or she played sports in high school.

By comparing subjects with similar scores, only some of whom exercise, Mr. Kosteas says his study indicates that exercise leads to higher earnings — although he also says follow-up studies are needed to know for sure.

Exercise has been shown in other studies to boost mental function and energy levels and improve mood. In that respect, it’s possible that it makes workers more valuable to employers.

If it’s any motivation for workers, the study suggests time at the gym pays for itself, and then some.

In May, the average American worker earned $23.41 an hour, according to the Labor Department.  Assuming three hours of exercise per week, enough to satisfy the minimum level used in the study, a typical worker’s time spent huffing and puffing is valued by the labor market at $70.23. His extra pay over a 40-hour work week is worth $84.28–about 20% more.

Of course, even if the study findings hold for large numbers of people, there’s no guarantee an individual’s workouts will lead to a raise. But it may bring other financial rewards, like lower healthcare costs and the ability to remain productive into old age.

Mr. Kosteas takes his own investment advice. At 5’6” and 165 pounds, he says he lifts weights regularly–even if he has put on 10 pounds since the birth of his son. Two years ago he got a promotion and a raise.

Health

Lack of sleep: Can it make you sick?

Q: I’m having trouble sleeping lately. Does this increase my chances of getting sick?

Yes, lack of sleep can affect your immune system. Studies show that people who don’t get a good night’s sleep or who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as the common cold. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick.

During sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines. These substances increase in the presence of an infection, inflammation and stress. Increased cytokines are necessary in fighting infection and regulating deeper sleep. In addition, other infection-fighting cells are reduced during periods of sleep deprivation. So, your body needs sleep to fight infectious diseases.

How much sleep do you need to bolster your immune system? The optimal amount of sleep for most adults is seven to eight hours a night. School-aged children and adolescents need nine or more hours of sleep a night.

But be careful; more sleep is not always better. For adults, sleeping more than nine to 10 hours a night has been associated with weight gain, heart problems, stroke, sleep disorders, depression and other health concerns.

Health

Saturated Fat Hurts Your Brain, Too

By Linda Wasmer Andrews May 25, 2012

That bacon double cheeseburger may be as bad for your brain as it is for your heart. A recent study in Annals of Neurology found a link between heart-unhealthy saturated fat and worsening mental test scores in older women over time. In fact, a diet high in saturated fat seemed to speed up mental decline by five to six years, compared to a diet low in this kind of fat.

The study was led by Olivia Okereke, MD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at Harvard. It was based on data from more than 6,000 women over age 65.

Harmful Saturated Fat

Researchers identified a group of women who had the greatest mental decline during the four-year study period. Women with the highest intake of saturated fat were 60 to 70 percent more likely to be in this group, compared to those with the lowest saturated fat intake. Foods laden with saturated fat include fatty beef and pork, poultry with skin, butter, whole milk, and full-fat cheese.

Scientists are still studying how dietary fat affects brain function. But it’s known that a diet high in saturated fat can contribute to heart and blood vessel disease. And that, in turn, can restrict the brain’s blood supply, making it harder for brain cells to get all the oxygen and nutrients they need.

Helpful Monounsaturated Fat

Heart health guidelines recommend replacing saturated fat with moderate amounts of a good-for-you alternative, such as monounsaturated fat—the type found in olive oil. Monounsaturated fat helps fight high cholesterol and lowers the risk for heart disease. Based on the new study, shifting your diet in this direction could be smart for your brain as well.

Women in the study with the highest intake of monounsaturated fat were 40 to 50 percent less likely to be in the greatest mental decline group, compared to those with the lowest monounsaturated fat intake. In addition to olive oil, foods rich in this type of fat include canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, and sesame oil. Other sources include avocados, peanut butter, and many nuts and seeds.

Hearts and Minds

As people get older, many notice that they’ve become a little more forgetful or that it takes a bit longer to remember names. But for some, the changes grow more pronounced. When thinking ability and memory slip enough to be an increasing concern, but not enough to limit day-to-day activities, a person may have mild cognitive impairment. This condition can be worrisome in itself. But the biggest issue is that it can be an intermediate step between normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

There’s not enough evidence yet to say conclusively that limiting saturated fat helps prevent or delay mild cognitive impairment. But research suggests that it might. And what have you got to lose? Replacing saturated fat with a healthier fat helps protect your heart. If it helps keep your brain younger, too, that’s a two-for-one deal you don’t want to pass up.

Health, Shopping

Another magic weight lose gimmick exposed

The FTC (Federal Trade commission) reported on May 16th that Sketchers has agreed to pay out 40 million dollars for false advertising, this is after Reebok paid out 25 million last fall.  This is all over their Shapeup Shoes.

They had claimed that you could lose weight and tone your muscles from wearing these shoes but the trade commission reported that some people actually gained weight.

If you purchased a pair, you can learn more about the settlement and file for a refund at ftc.gov/Skechers.

Environment, Health

Does This Chemical Make Me Look Fat? ‘Obesogens’ Lurk All Around Us

Researchers are finding connections between everyday chemicals and the bulging-belt-line epidemic.

By Leah ZerbeRODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—There’s more to the obesity epidemic than eating too many hot wings and excess sitting. Certainly, poor food choices, particularly too much sugar and sweeteners, and a lack of exercise are major pieces of the obesity puzzle.But a landmark 2002 study, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, found the obesity epidemic paralleled the increase of industrial chemicals in the environment. Now researchers are finding that exposures to certain common endocrine-disrupting chemicals—not just lifestyle choices—could be programming us for weight gain, diabetes, and related problems. “We have to acknowledge the fact that obesity is not just about will power, that it’s not just all someone’s fault,” says developmental biologist Retha Newbold, MS, CT, of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Animal studies suggest that exposure to certain substances—found in everything from shampoos and soaps to vinyl flooring and pesticides—during fetal development or early in life can disrupt the normal development of an organism’s hormonal system, promoting the development of fat cells and hampering the body’s ability to send and receive signals that allow it to operate in good health. This sets the stage for metabolic diseases like diabetes as well as a lifetime of weight problems.

Which is why attention to reducing pre-natal exposure is so important. A new study just published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found suspected obesogens in the bodies of many pregnant women, who can pass them along to their developing fetuses. Young children may also be vulnerable to the effects. “It appears that exposure to certain chemicals during critical windows of fetal and early development could permanently program a person for obesity or diabetes, which may not show up for decades down the line,” says Newbold. “We’re talking about different modes of action. Chemicals could be interacting with the brain, pancreas, or liver, or the fat cells themselves. The end result is going to be obesity.”

Suspected obsoegens come in many different forms—here are some of them.

Pesticides
Previous studies have found an increased rate of diabetes among farmers and pesticide applicators, but it appears that even the low doses that the general public encounters can mess with our hormones. For instance, organochlorine pesticides, such as DDT (now banned, but its harmful breakdown product is persistent in the environment) have been linked to obesity, along with organophosphate pesticides and carbamates (the popular household insecticide Sevin is a carbamate pesticide).”Pesticides are designed to interfere with a lot of hormonal processes that insects require to replace themselves,” explains world-renowned researcher Theo Colborn, PhD, president of The Endocrine Disruption Exchange. “The same chemicals that affect insects affect us.”

How to avoid exposure:

Eat organic! Researchers have found that it takes just five days of eating organic to rid the body of virtually all pesticide residues. If the obesity link isn’t compelling enough to go organic, consider that other pesticides have been linked to certain cancers, ADHD, autism, Parkinson’s disease, and other health issues. And instead of using foggers and insecticide to combat household bug issues, adopt natural pest-control measures in your home.

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Studies in the lab find that BPA has the ability to accelerate fat-cell differentiation, disrupt pancreatic functioning, and cause insulin resistance, leading to obesity problems. In addition, other studies have linked BPA exposure to neurological development problems and sexual reproductive problems, including male infertility, in humans.

How to avoid exposure:

Scientists still don’t know the number one exposure source of BPA, but because the chemical is produced in such high volumes, it’s been found virtually everywhere. Until more data is collected about how BPA gets into our bodies, one prudent step to take is to minimize your handling of cash-register receipts—some have a high BPA content—so tell cashiers you don’t need a receipt for minor purchases. Also, choose food that’s fresh, frozen, or sold in glass jars over canned food, since most metal cans contain varying levels of BPA.

Personal care products

Phthalates are hormone-disrupting chemicals tied to obesity, and they are ubiquitous in the personal-care product industry, particularly due to the chemicals’ use in synthetically fragranced products. A 2010 study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that children with higher phthalate levels in their bodies experienced stunted growth.

How to avoid exposure:

Avoid personal care products that list “fragrance” or “parfum” as an ingredient, and nix air fresheners and scented candles. They are likely laced with phthalates and a host of other hazardous materials. (Choose beeswax if you need candles.)

Vinyl

Chemicals in vinyl chloride plastics called organotins persist in the environment, and are strongly linked to obesity. Exposure of mice to the organotin tributyltin (used on ship exteriors to prevent the buildup of crustaceans) before birth created permanent changes that pre-disposed the animals to weight problems. PVC plastics, such as pipes, vinyl flooring, and other vinyl products, contain dibutyltin, another organotin. Adding insult to injury, vinyl is also laced with phthalates, an obesogen listed above.

How to avoid exposure:

Avoid bringing vinyl products, including flooring, shades, purses, and shower curtains, into your home, and practice effective cleaning—PVC breaks down and can lurk in household dust.

Nonstick products

In a 2010 review article of published literature on the subject, Newbold links IDs perfluoroctanoic acid (PFOA) to obesity. PFOA (sometimes called Teflon) is used in many nonstick cookwareand kitchenware lines, along with stainproof coatings on furniture, greaseproof food wrappers, microwavable popcorn bags, and waterproof materials.

How to avoid exposure:

If you already own nonstick kitchenware, don’t freak out. But when you start to see scratches and chips, replace it with American-made cast iron or untreated stainless steel cookware.

PCBs

Polybrominated biphenyls (PCBs) were used widely as flame retardants in the electricity industry, but they’re no longer made because of the compound’s environmental and health effects. Newbold says the obesity-inducing mechanism of PCBs could be similar to that of BPA and some pesticides, working through estrogen receptor pathways. (The same company that made the bulk of PCBs is now behind the push for a chemical farming system and genetically engineered food.)

How to avoid exposure:

Since people are exposed to PCBs by eating contaminated fish, meat, and dairy products, eating lower on the food chain more often can help reduce your exposure. That doesn’t mean you necessarily have to go completely vegan, but you could ease into a more plant-based diet by giving Meatless Mondays a try.

 Soy

Soy is low in fat, but it’s also a phytoestrogen, meaning it has plant-based estrogenic properties. Doses comparable to those eaten in the Western diet have been shown to promote fat-cell growth. Newbold says parents should be especially wary of feeding soy to babies or children. “Studies have shown that kids on soy formula have a tendency to gain weight,” explains Newbold, who notes that soy affects developing children differently than adults. Babies born small for their gestational age who are put on high-calorie “catch-up diets” also face an increased risk of obesity later in life.

How to avoid exposure:

Since developing babies and young children seem to be most sensitive to soy, Newbold suggests that women breastfeed, if possible, and parent avoid giving young kids soy products.

Nicotine

Not only do babies born to mothers who smoked throughout pregnancy face an increased risk of being born prematurely and underweight, but strong research also suggests that those same babies face an increased risk of being obese as they grow older. Nicotine (or nicotine plus some other component of cigarette smoke) could tinker with the child’s metabolic system; researchers just aren’t sure yet of the mechanism. Perhaps compounding the problem, low-birth-weight babies born to smokers could also be put on a “catch-up diet” referenced above, further increasing their risk of obesity later in life.

How to avoid exposure:

Don’t smoke if you’re pregnant, and do your best to eliminate second- and third-hand smoke.

Original Article: http://www.rodale.com/obesogens?page=0,8&cm_mmc=TheDailyFixNL-_-908122-_-05092012-_-does_this-Chemical_make_me_look_fat_obsogens_lurk_all_around_us