Archive for the ‘Health’ Category
Posted by Ted Hopton on February 12, 2008
Sometimes the “science” stories in mainstream media just re-hash old news, re-packaging it in ways that non-scientists can more readily appreciate. And I, for one, do appreciate that and like learning in this way.
But here’s an article that is new news: “Finding May Solve Riddle of Fatigue in Muscles.” Personally, I didn’t even know this was a riddle. I thought it was well understood that lactic acid causes the pain in tired muscles. Turns out I am at least six months behind the times on that one:
For decades, muscle fatigue had been largely ignored or misunderstood. Leading physiology textbooks did not even try to offer a mechanism, said Dr. Andrew Marks, principal investigator of the new study. A popular theory, that muscles become tired because they release lactic acid, was discredited not long ago.
Instead, here’s the latest theory: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Health, Research, Science, Sports | Tagged: calcium leaking, lactic acid, muscle fatigue, Research, Science, Sports | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Ted Hopton on February 12, 2008
I find science news stories fascinating, and there’s one in the NYT that explains research that’s been done on a rather commonly known phenomenon, but digs into how it works: “You Remind Me of Me.” We’ve all heard before that people tend to like other people who are similar to themselves. It may even seem obvious why (we’re all narcissistic to some degree).
But what kind of cues or behavior make us feel this way? And how do these feelings affect what we think and do? It turns out the researchers found that it can be pretty superficial stuff that gets us to “identify” with someone else. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Health, Human Interest, Research, Sales, Science | Tagged: flattery, human behavior, imitation, mimic, Research, Sales, Science | 1 Comment »
Posted by Ted Hopton on February 8, 2008
That’s an attention-getting headline, isn’t it? Even though the date by which the billionth death would take place is the year 2100, it’s still an appalling prospect. But that’s the point the World Health Organization wanted to make, of course, in their report issued today, “WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2008.” I read this AP article about it on Wired: “Tobacco Could Kill 1 Billion by 2100.”
The World Health Organization warned in a new report Thursday that the “tobacco epidemic” is growing and could claim 1 billion lives by the end of the century unless governments dramatically step up efforts to curb smoking.
Governments around the world are complicit in this travesty, it’s clear: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Ethics, Health, Human Interest, Politics, Research, Science, Trends | Tagged: cigarettes, epidemic, smoking, tobacco, WHO Report, world health organization | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Ted Hopton on February 6, 2008
Here’s the headline from the NYT article: “Feel Like a Fraud? At Times, Maybe You Should.” Sometimes when I read these articles about studies that probe into the way people think, feel or act, I wonder if there’s anything really new or significant in them. Is this stuff already obvious? Apparently not, since there was a “study” about it. Did you already know this, for example?
“Particularly when people think that they might not be able to live up to others’ views of them, they may maintain that they are not as good as other people think,” Dr. Mark Leary, the lead author, wrote in an e-mail message. “In this way, they lower others’ expectations — and get credit for being humble.”
Well, now you *know* since it’s an outcome of a study. Similarly, this conclusion: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Health, Human Interest, Research, Science | Tagged: fraud, Health, Research, Science | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Ted Hopton on February 6, 2008
I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with toddlers any more, but this article about completely different approaches was quite interesting. I’m sure I would try these techniques out if I had occasion to encounter a toddler tyrant again. Click the read more link to go to the NYT article.
Dr. Karp notes that in terms of brain development, a toddler is primitive, an emotion-driven, instinctive creature that has yet to develop the thinking skills that define modern humans. Logic and persuasion, common tools of modern parenting, “are meaningless to a Neanderthal,” Dr. Karp says.
read more | digg story
Posted in Health, Parenting | Tagged: Parenting | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Ted Hopton on February 4, 2008
Is there a medical link between mind and body? A Harvard professor examines the history behind the idea in The Cure Within. I have not read the book, but based on the ideas put forth in the NYT review, “Faith and Healing,” it might be worth looking at.
In “The Cure Within,” her splendid history of mind-body medicine, Anne Harrington tries to explain why we draw connections between emotions and illness, and helps trace how today’s myriad alternative and complementary treatments came to be. A professor and chairman of the history of science department at Harvard, Harrington has produced a book that desperately needed to be written. Some 60 million Americans use these therapies in the effort to combat serious diseases like cancer and AIDS, as well as the normal physiology of aging. In the United States, office visits to providers of complementary and alternative medicine now outnumber visits to primary care physicians. The costs of such care approach $40 billion dollars a year. Books, talk shows and Web sites present riveting testimonials of clinical benefits from Eastern breathing techniques, dietary supplements, positive thinking and prayer.
read more | digg story
Posted in Books, Health, Research, Science | Tagged: Anne Harrington, Books, review, The Cure Within | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Ted Hopton on January 31, 2008
I guess that would be everyone, then? So, check out this NYT article, “Staying a Step Ahead of Aging.”
You know what is supposed to happen when you grow old. You will slow down, you will grow weak, your steps will become short and mincing, and you will lose your sense of balance. That’s what aging researchers consistently find, and it’s no surprise to most of us.
As the article explains, however, those assumptions no longer need to be true. You’ll have to read the article to get the details, but here’s one point it makes about new research that offers hope: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Health, Research, Science | Tagged: exercise, Health, Research, Science | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Ted Hopton on January 30, 2008
This post on the Customers Are Always blog is fair warning: “Blogging Causes Stress?” Can’t say I have experienced that. More like the opposite, as I find blogging to be a satisfying creative outlet. Still, it’s good to stay in balance, and with that, I’m signing off for the night.
Posted in Blogs, Health | Tagged: Blogs, Health | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Ted Hopton on January 27, 2008
Here’s a news flash: consumption of meat these days is directly tied to consumption of energy. As Michael Bittman (author of a great cookbook that I own, How To Cook Everything, not that I crack it open often . . .), wrote a provocative article in the NYT, “Rethinking the Meat Guzzler.” The essential premise is, reduce consumption of meat, and the effect on energy consumption would be significant:
The two commodities share a great deal: Like oil, meat is subsidized by the federal government. Like oil, meat is subject to accelerating demand as nations become wealthier, and this, in turn, sends prices higher. Finally — like oil — meat is something people are encouraged to consume less of, as the toll exacted by industrial production increases, and becomes increasingly visible.
Bittman is drawing upon Michael Pollan’s work (which he cites later in the article). It is astounding when you really dig into the interdependent web of industrial food production, energy consumption and global economics, not to mention the impact on human, animal and environmental health. Take, for example, this point: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Economics, Environment, Health, Science | Tagged: Economics, Environment, Food, meat, Science | 1 Comment »
Posted by Ted Hopton on January 27, 2008
It may be that our national obsession with cholesterol is misplaced. This article in the NYT, “What’s Cholesterol Got to Do With It?” goes into some specific scientific detail to explain why we basically have it wrong when we worry so much about cholesterol.
So how did we come to believe strongly that LDL cholesterol is so bad for us? It was partly due to the observation that eating saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol, and we’ve assumed that saturated fat is bad for us. This logic is circular, though: saturated fat is bad because it raises LDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol is bad because it is the thing that saturated fat raises. In clinical trials, researchers have been unable to generate compelling evidence that saturated fat in the diet causes heart disease.
I still recall my British chemist friend eating nearly an entire package of bacon by himself, and brushing off health concerns by saying that the fat he was consuming wasn’t going to affect his health. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Health, Research, Science | Leave a Comment »
