Obesity and inactivity is becoming a major drain on the state's economy, according to a report released this morning.
The problem of gynecomastia, or enlargement of the male breasts, is often the subject of laughter, especially by other males. Often referred to as "man boobs" or "moobs", they are usually considered the result of male obesity. (NOTE: this is NOT male breast cancer, although certainly tumors are possible, but herein we are only discussing swollen or enlarged breasts.) While certainly this is often the result of general overweight, especially in older men who have gotten out of shape, obesity is not always the culprit. There are sometimes female hormones that are the cause of this dilemma, especially in teenage boys. In that event, labeled Type I, it may often be a condition that can be "grown out of." Often such youths will have a need as well for some counseling due to the embarrassment experienced from teasing and bullying by less-endowed peers. Encouraging them to develop physical skills in sports, especially weightlifting, often helps by development of other muscles and raising self-confidence.
In updating statistics from 2000 with data collected in 2006, the study shows a 33 percent rise in obesity rates contributed to sharp increases not only in health care costs but also in lost productivity, according to the Sacramento-based California Center for Public Health Advocacy.
Analysis of data from an international diet study shows that a 4.72 percent higher intake of glutamic acid as a portion of total dietary protein correlates with a 1.5- to 3-point reduction in average systolic blood pressure (the higher of the two blood pressure readings, when the heart beats) and a 1- to 1.6-point lower diastolic pressure (the lower reading, when the heart rests between beats). The report appears online July 6 in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the journal Circulation.
"It" just keeps getting worse. And "it" is robbing our adolescents of the sleep they need to learn, be healthy, and probably feel good about themselves. What is "it"? A combination of things:
Gulp! What you're gulping down may be killing you. Literally.
A rash of recent studies have brought to light the damage to our waistlines (not to mention, our overall health) wrought by our consumption of "junk" drinks -- both sugared and artificially sweetened beverages, from traditional carbonated sodas, to "healthy" juice drinks, to newfangled "energy" concoctions.
A new survey put out by the American College of Sports Medicine polled fitness and health experts. They were asked to identity the top trends. "The ACSM, a nonprofit sports medicine and exercise science organization, tracks trends for the fitness industry and gives the public a heads-up about what they are likely to face at the gym, the doctor's office and the workplace."
The Newburgh woman, now 54, had her jaws wired, but the apparatus broke in the middle of the night, and she was forced to make an emergency visit to the dentist.
