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Volume 2, Issue 6
Blood pressure increases with weight
Exercise can prevent onset of dementia
Father's parenting style directly impacts children's weight
Dieting is healthy for most older adults
Obesity increases severity of asthma
Blood pressure increases with weight
Numerous studies have indicated that overweight and obese individuals can lower their risk for high blood pressure by losing weight. However, a new study out of Harvard Medical School indicates that no matter what the individuals weight class is, an increase in weight is directly correlated with and increased risk for high blood pressure.
Beginning in 1982, researchers followed over 13,500 men who originally did not have high blood pressure. Each year the men were measured on a variety of health and lifestyle factors. Over the years, the results indicated that men whose body mass index fell between 22.4 and 23.6, which is still considered ÒnormalÓ weight, increased their risk for high blood pressure by 20%. Those participants who became overweight and obese increased their risk by up to 85%.
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Exercise can prevent onset of dementia
A new study recently conducted by researchers in Sydney, Australia has provided initial evidence indicating that certain lifestyle factors can help ward off dementia. While the results are still somewhat controversial, the results from the study found that proper diet, exercise, learning, socializing and medicines can help a healthy, aging and impaired brain replenish cells and improve its functioning.
The researchers point out that exercise in particular has the ability to stimulate the formation of new connections and new brain cells which result in a keener decision making ability.
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Father's parenting style directly impacts children's weight
New research out of Australia indicates that fathers who fail to set limits and say "no" to their kids are more likely to have overweight or obese children. Researchers studied 5,000 families with children ages 4-5 and found that, while the mother's parent style had no impact of children's weight, the father's style did.
Researchers found that fathers who did not set limits for their children or had disengaged parenting styles were more likely to have overweight or obese children, while fathers who set clear limits and were more consistent with their parenting tended to have children with a lower body mass index.
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Dieting is healthy for most older adults
Older, overweight adults often times are hesitant about changing their lifestyle habits in order to lose weight fearing that new behaviors, such as dieting and exercising, could be harmful to their health. However, according to results from two new studies recently presented at the American Geriatric Society's annual meeting, cutting calories is perfectly safe for these individuals.
Both studies followed groups of overweight and obese women, putting them on a five-month reduced calorie diet. Women in both studies lost an average of 25 pounds during that time period, with muscle loss representing approximately 32 to 35 percent of the weight loss. However, despite the significant about of muscle loss, their aerobic fitness ability improved and their strength did not decrease.
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Obesity increases severity of asthma
According to a new study whose results were recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Thoracic Society, obese adults with asthma tend have more severe and persistent asthma than individuals with a lower body mass index (BMI).
Researchers studied a group of 3,059 individuals with asthma and classified them according to their BMI. The results indicated that obese individuals were 47% less likely to have their asthma go into remission and 52% more likely to have more severe asthma. In addition, obese patients were also 66% more likely to suffer from continuous symptoms and 36% more likely to miss more than 2 days of work per year due to asthma.
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Sources
1 Gelber RP, Gaziano JM, Manson JE, Buring JE, Sesso HD. (2007). A prospective study of body mass index and the risk of developing hypertension in men. American Journal of Hypertension , 20, 370-7.
2 Burke D, Hickie I, Breakspear M, Gotz J. (2007). Possibilities for the prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment and dementia. British Journal Psychiatry , 190, 371-2.
3 Pediatric Academic Societies , 2007.
4 American Geriatrics Society , 2007.
5 American Thoracic Society , 2007.
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