The best exercise: Walking the dog- Hindustan Times

The best exercise: Walking the dog- Hindustan Times

Anti–Obesity Day 2009 - Cut Flab and Stay Fit

Anti–Obesity Day 2009 - Cut Flab and Stay Fit

Anti-Obesity Day was observed all over India on November 26th, 2009. The initiative sought to spread the word about the dangers of obesity and the steps to take to cut the flab and stay fit.

This day assumes importance in the wake of the obesity statistics which shows 17 % of the young in the age group of 14-18 in India are overweight or obese. They add to the burden of overall obesity figures in India standing at a mammoth 70 million. What makes it worse is that South Asians are genetically more prone to heart disease and diabetes due obesity. Further, Indians are genetically prone to accumulation of weight around the waist, a sure health risk.

Elaborating on the enormity of the problem Pav Kalsi, care adviser at Diabetes-UK said, “We know that T-2 diabetes, which is linked to being overweight, is up to six times more common in South Asian people than the white population.”

Growing Menace

A person is medically termed obese when the body weight is 20% more than the normal weight. Body Mass Index, the measure of obesity, is calculated using the ratio of weight and height.

Standards used worldwide to measure obesity are based on data from Whites. According to this standard, a BMI of 25 or more is considered overweight and a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. Though the World Health Organization (WHO) still retains these cut off points for overweight and obese standards, it recognizes the need to develop different cut off points for different ethnic groups throughout the world.

Recently, the BMI limits have been lowered in India for better accuracy and also to avert health risks of obesity by getting more people into the fold– now, a BMI of 23 denotes overweight and a BMI of 25 and above denotes obesity.

Health Risks of Obesity

Obesity has been linked to at least 53 diseases. Not surprising, as overweight and obesity are known to impact blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin resistance of the body, negatively. The health risks of obesity can cost life and hence tackling obesity needs serious attention.

An abnormally high BMI increases the risk of breast cancer, cancer of the colon, prostrate, kidney and gall bladder. Thus, obesity is the leading cause of premature death due to its association with chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and Type 2 Diabetes.

• Type 2 diabetes and obesity are liked directly. Studies have shown close to 85% of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight.
• Obesity significantly elevates the risk of heart disease and heart attack if one is 20% overweight. .
• Obese women aged 50 and above carry an elevated risk of hypothyroidism, a disorder of the endocrine system which can trigger further weight gain and a host of other problems.
• Gallstones are another major problem for the obese and for obese women the risk is more pronounced.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has outlined some of the health risks of obesity. They are:

High blood cholesterol, dyslipidemia
Insulin resistance, glucose intolerance
Congestive heart failure
Cholescystitis and cholelithiasis
Gout
Osteoarthritis
Some types of cancer (such as endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon)
Complications of pregnancy
Poor female reproductive health (such as menstrual irregularities, infertility, irregular ovulation)
Bladder control problems (such as stress incontinence)
Psychological disorders (such as depression, eating disorders, distorted body image, and low self- esteem)
Bell the Fat

A multi-pronged strategy for effective weight management and prevention of chronic diseases is crucial for those groups at risk. A healthy lifestyle with a proper diet and exercise is the only secret to maintaining optimum weight.

The prevention strategies will include a weight loss programme followed by a weight maintenance programme. The weight loss programme will combine the benefits of rigorous physical activity and a healthy diet regimen designed to knock off the additional weight in a stipulated timeframe.

Obesity which opens the Pandora’s box of chronic diseases can be prevented with just a few healthy steps:

1. Eat a balanced diet rich in proteins, vegetables and fruits. Including more fiber and less fat will do the trick, experts say. Cut down on snacks, bakery products and fast foods laden with trans fat.

2. Stay active. Engage in a 30 minute physical activity with a good pace of exercise preferably 4-5 times a week.

3. Monitor weight regularly.

Notwithstanding personal efforts, it is also imperative that the policymakers in India chip in to regulate the entry of harmful foods. Increasing the taxes of foods saturated with sugar and trans fats while reducing the cost of vegetables and fruits may be the way to go for a leaner, fitter and healthier India.

Source-Medindia
Savitha/S

How to Wake up in the Morning By Kunal Anand

The morning struggle isn’t a lonely one – there are tens of thousands in every city of the world who can’t arouse when arisen. Google is stuffed with search queries on waking up on time - 62,200,000 for ‘How to wake up’! So most of what I’m telling you isn’t something new, but stuff I’ve thought about. Here is what you can do.

Admit you have a sleeping problem. You do. Maybe you associate sleep with ‘escape’. It’s not always going to be escape; sometimes it’s just ‘rest’. And a notion can make a big difference; while rest implies an interval of recovery from tiredness, escape means going the whole way. You have to accept that just because you are under the sheets doesn’t mean your problems are going to go away. Postponing facing what the day will give you with sleep won’t make it better.

Instead, as soon as you wake up, decide to do warfare on any current problem the moment you wake up. As soon as you wake up, start working on the bitch-of-a-PowerPoint-presentation, whip out the calculator & Accounts textbook, the course book you were dreading to read, or any other such horrendous task that you were dodging. By doing this, you are switching on your ‘Let’s get it done’ mode. The morning momentum of getting things done will carry over to other tasks– including staying awake.

You might not be waking up on time because of a bad night of sleep. To get a night of peaceful rested sleep, incorporate the following ‘don’ts’ into your sleep plan.

· Don’t watch TV, or turn on the computer right before sleeping.
· Don’t Eat a heavy meal at night 2 hours before sleeping, especially something with meat. A heavy meal is difficult to digest. Sleep is meant to be restorative, and putting your gut juices into labor isn’t sleep-savvy. Instead, leave room for fresh/dry fruits. You’ll get your fiber and fat without taxing your system. Avoid caffeine, nicotine sugar and alcohol before sleep – while all pack a nice, efficient buzz, you will definitely sleep better without it, thus waking up rested.

Get some exercise. If you incorporate physical activity into your day, you will definitely fall asleep faster, and have a deeper sleep.

Make an efficient ‘sleep plan’. Learn to adjust your evening plan to incorporate a customized chill-out period (music, a quiet read), and similarly make a chilled morning routine. If the idea of a busy, action-packed, ‘energized’ morning intimidates you, work on doing something refreshing and enjoyable that keeps you awake. Why not finish a new level on the PS2? Keep thinking of new ways of making the night sleepy and the morning fun. By creating positive memories of sleeping and waking on time, a good sleep schedule won’t seem like a schedule, but a better way of doing things.

Just because you are awake doesn’t means you are mentally booted up. Like me, you also might think that it’s your rational brain telling you that it’s alright if you sleep a bit more. It’s not. It’s your sleepy head, you sleepyhead! Steve Pavlina, personal development entrepreneur recommends actually visualizing how you will wake up in the morning, until it becomes autopilot. Alternatively, you can also practice your morning drill. He writes:

“…put on your pajamas. Brush your teeth. Set your alarm for a few minutes ahead. Lie down in bed just like you would if you were sleeping, and close your eyes. Get into your favorite sleep position. Imagine it’s early in the morning… a few minutes before your desired wake-up time... “…when your alarm goes off, turn it off as fast as you can. Then take a deep breath to fully inflate your lungs, and stretch your limbs out in all directions for a couple seconds… like you’re stretching during a yawn. Then sit up, plant your feet on the floor, and stand up...Now shake yourself off, restore the pre-waking conditions, return to bed, reset your alarm, and repeat. Do this over and over and over until it becomes so automatic that you run through the whole ritual without thinking about it…When the alarm rings, you have to put yourself through the act you have practiced…”

Wake up on the same time, even on weekends. The weekend morning may make you sore, but you know that it’ll be worth it. Chart your progress – write down what time you fell asleep and what time you woke up. Try this – as soon as you wake up, jot down the exact time – you are literally ‘guilting’ yourself into staying up because you have written it down.

Good night and good morning!

9 Requisites for Happy Living-Goethe

1. Health enough to make work a pleasure.
2. Wealth enough to support your needs.
3. Strength enough to battle with difficulties and forsake them.
4. Grace enough to confess your sins and overcome them.
5. Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished.
6. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbour.
7. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others.
8. Faith enough to make real things of God.
9. Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.

Begin Your Day With A Walk . . .to help reduce your cardiovascular risk.

Walking as a fitness activity is a low risk and easy to start routine. It is especially easy and good for middle age men and women and has proved its health benefits in numerous studies. An eight-year study of 13,000 people found that those who walked 30 minutes a day had a significantly lower risk of premature death than those who did not.

A regular walking program can help:

• Reduce blood cholesterol
• Lower blood pressure
• Increase cardiovascular endurance
• Boost bone strength
• Burn calories and keep weight down

Get Ready
A walking program is simple to start. All you need are comfortable clothes and shoes. Layer loose clothing, keeping in mind that exercise elevates the body's temperature. Shoes specifically designed for walking are best.

Every workout should begin with a brief warm-up and a few simple stretches. Walk around the house or in place for a few minutes to get the blood flowing to the muscles before you attempt to stretch them. Although walking primarily works the major muscles of the legs, don't forget to stretch your back, shoulders and arms. This will help to loosen up any tension you may be carrying and make your walk more enjoyable as well as more effective.

Get Moving
In the beginning you can make your routine less strenuous by limiting how fast and far you walk. Keep in mind the following:

1. Walk short distances. Begin with a five-minute stroll and gradually increase your distance.

2. Forget about speed. Walk at a comfortable pace. Focus on good posture, keeping your head lifted and shoulders relaxed.

3. Swing your arms naturally, and breathe deeply. If you can't catch your breath, slow down or avoid hills.

4. Be sure you can talk while walking. If you can't converse, you are walking too fast.

Get Fit!
Walking as a fitness activity has numerous options. Once you have reached a point where you can walk a few kilometres with relative ease, you can start to increase the intensity. Walking uphill, can help you to increase your cardiovascular endurance, is a great way to tone the legs too. Concentrate on lengthening your stride or increasing your speed. And don't forget to reward yourself after each workout with a few minutes of relaxing stretches to help prevent sore muscles. Listening to lively music while you walk is also a great way to energize your workout.

Caution: But if you wear headphones, keep the volume down and watch out for traffic that you may not hear.

Many experts recommend that you walk a minimum of 20 minutes a day. But there are no hard and fast rules. Fit walking into your schedule whenever you can (always empty stomach). It is not necessary that you walk every day, even hour-long walks two to three times a week is good habit. The best schedule is one that keeps you walking and keeps you fit!

7 Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe

Popular culture is loaded with myths and half-truths. Most are harmless. But when doctors start believing medical myths, perhaps it's time to worry.

Published in the British Medical Journal , researchers looked into several common misconceptions, from the belief that a person should drink eight glasses of water per day to the notion that reading in low light ruins your eyesight.

"We got fired up about this because we knew that physicians accepted these beliefs and were passing this information along to their patients," said Dr. Aaron Carroll, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. "And these beliefs are frequently cited in the popular media."

And so here they are, so that you can inform your doctor:

1. Myth: We use only 10 percent of our brains.

Fact: Physicians and comedians alike, including Jerry Seinfeld, love to cite this one. It's sometimes erroneously credited to Albert Einstein. But MRI scans, PET scans and other imaging studies show no dormant areas of the brain, and even viewing individual neurons or cells reveals no inactive areas, the new paper points out. Metabolic studies of how brain cells process chemicals show no non-functioning areas. The myth probably originated with self-improvement hucksters in the early 1900s who wanted to convince people that they had yet not reached their full potential, Carroll figures. It also doesn't jibe with the fact that our other organs run at full tilt.

2. Myth: You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

Fact: "There is no medical evidence to suggest that you need that much water," said Dr. Rachel Vreeman, a pediatrics research fellow at the university and co-author of the journal article. Vreeman thinks this myth can be traced back to a 1945 recommendation from the Nutrition Council that a person consume the equivalent of 8 glasses (64 ounces) of fluid a day. Over the years, "fluid" turned to water. But fruits and vegetables, plus coffee and other liquids, count.

3. Myth: Fingernails and hair grow after death.

Fact: Most physicians queried on this one initially thought it was true. Upon further reflection, they realized it's impossible. Here's what happens: "As the body’s skin is drying out, soft tissue, especially skin, is retracting," Vreeman said. "The nails appear much more prominent as the skin dries out. The same is true, but less obvious, with hair. As the skin is shrinking back, the hair looks more prominent or sticks up a bit."

4. Myth: Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser and darker.

Fact: A 1928 clinical trial compared hair growth in shaved patches to growth in non-shaved patches. The hair which replaced the shaved hair was no darker or thicker, and did not grow in faster. More recent studies have confirmed that one. Here's the deal: When hair first comes in after being shaved, it grows with a blunt edge on top, Carroll and Vreeman explain. Over time, the blunt edge gets worn so it may seem thicker than it actually is. Hair that's just emerging can be darker too, because it hasn't been bleached by the sun.

5. Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.

Fact: The researchers found no evidence that reading in dim light causes permanent eye damage. It can cause eye strain and temporarily decreased acuity, which subsides after rest.

6. Myth: Eating turkey makes you drowsy.

Fact: Even Carroll and Vreeman believed this one until they researched it. The thing is, a chemical in turkey called tryptophan is known to cause drowsiness. But turkey doesn't contain any more of it than does chicken or beef. This myth is fuelled by the fact that turkey is often eaten with a colossal holiday meal, often accompanied by alcohol — both things that will make you sleepy.

7. Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.

Fact: There are no known cases of death related to this one. Cases of less-serious interference with hospital devices seem to be largely anecdotal, the researchers found. In one real study, mobile phones were found to interfere with 4 percent of devices, but only when the phone was within 3 feet of the device. A more recent study, this year, found no interference in 300 tests in 75 treatment rooms. To the contrary, when doctors use mobile phones, the improved communication means they make fewer mistakes.

"Whenever we talk about this work, doctors at first express disbelief that these things are not true," said Vreeman said. "But after we carefully lay out medical evidence, they are very willing to accept that these beliefs are actually false."

Original writing by Robert Roy Britt, LiveScience Managing Editor