Tough economic times could lead to more obesity

Public health officials fear the economic downturn could mean an upswing in obesity, as people turn to cheaper packaged and high-fat fast food instead of healthy fresh fare. University of Washington professor Adam Drewnowski says people spend less money but eat more with inexpensive calorie-rich and nutrient-poor foods. More..

Vigorous exercise protects against breast cancer

A study of more than 30,000 postmenopausal women found those who were at normal weight and exercised vigorously reduced their breast cancer risk by 30%. Overall, the women who exercised the most were 13% less likely to develop breast cancer. More...

Maintaining Weight Loss

One of the challenges in weight loss is weight regain during the next 1-2 years. Research has found that regular physical activity is one good way to maintain weight loss over time but the question remains, how much activity is needed? Current exercise recommendations encourage about 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity or 150 minutes per week. But it this adequate for maintaining weight loss? More...

Exercise Helps Resolve Depression Long Term

Depression is a very common and serious health problem in the United States. This is verified by the fact that the medication that is most prescribed in the U.S. is an anti-depressant. The National Institutes of Health sponsored a study by Duke University to study the effects of regular exercise on depression. Their first study was on a group of people with clinical depression. Half were randomly assigned to normal medical therapy and medication for depression. The other half were assigned to a regular physical activity program. After 16 weeks, both groups were evaluated. The exercisers improved just as much as those receiving medication. In addition, the exercisers saw improvements in mental function that those on medication didn’t experience. More...

Fruits and Vegetables Decrease the Risk of Getting Diabetes

Would you like to decrease your risk of getting type 2 diabetes? A new study from Europe (EPIC-Norfolk Study) looked at eating habits in a large group of people (21,831 healthy men and women with no diabetes). Researchers found that those who ate the most fruits and vegetables had a 74% decreased risk of getting diabetes during the 12-year study compared to those eating the least. That is a remarkable difference and gives good evidence of the value of healthy eating in preventing one or our nation’s most serious and costly health problems. More...