The Heaviness of Weight Management

01.06.2010 Lifestyle Coaching: Changing Your Path, The Heaviness of Weight Management, The Wounded Heart: Heart Disease and You No Comments

San Diego Psychologist: Being Young is Not Enough…

Although children, adolescents, and sedentary behavior has been a hot topic these days, a new 20 year study indicates that being young (young adults) without exercise can have negative long term effects when it comes to hypertension.

According to the article, “4,618 men and women between 18 and 30 years old were recruited for a long-term study of cardiovascular disease risk factors. Study volunteers completed a treadmill test and a physical activity questionnaire when the study began. In addition, their overall health was assessed at six follow-up appointments over 20 years.”

The article also noted, “If people moved more and were able to increase their fitness level, the researchers estimate that about 34 percent of hypertension cases could be prevented.”

Lead researcher, Dr. Mercedes Carnethon, Ph.D., assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago stated, “Those who were the least physically fit, as determined by the amount of time on a treadmill and self-report, were more likely to develop hypertension.”

Article available at: http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=639705

Original Study Abstract at: http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/HYPERTENSIONAHA.109.147603v1?maxtoshow=&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Mercedes+Carnethon%2C+Ph.D&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT

Dr. Schwartz

San Diego Psychologist

www.integrative-health.net

15.04.2010 Lifestyle Coaching: Changing Your Path, The Heaviness of Weight Management, The Wounded Heart: Heart Disease and You No Comments

San Diego Psychologist: Light Drinking Reduces Risk of Stroke & Heart Disease…but only if…

In the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto, a study suggested that the potential heart healthy benefits of light drinking are eliminated if you drink and smoke.  For non-smokers, they found that drinking 3-14 approximate glasses of wine lowered the risk of stroke about 37% as compared to non-drinkers.  They did not specify red or white (although many studies point to red wine as being more effective).  However, the study showed that these benefits were not found in the participants who also smoked.

Now, I would NOT recommend running out to the liquor store and starting to drink 3-14 glasses of red wine per week (if you don’t smoke) so you can reduce your stroke risk.  Also, one of the authors notes in other research, “the protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption was seen among both smokers and nonsmokers.”

Therefore, (and as always) please make sure you talk to your primary care physician or other health care provider(s) about the contents of this blog or the article/study it refers to before making any decisions about your health.  Article available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_97536.html.

Dr. Schwartz

San Diego Psychologist

www.integrative-health.net

01.03.2010 The Darkness of Depression, The Heaviness of Weight Management No Comments

San Diego Psychologist: Chicken or the Egg?: Obesity and Depression

In a Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) multi-study, researchers found a significant link between obesity and depression.  “We found bidirectional associations between depression and obesity: obese persons had a 55 percent increased risk of developing depression over time, whereas depressed persons had a 58 percent increased risk of becoming obese.” Available at: http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=636477

Dr. Schwartz

San Diego Psychologist

www.integrative-health.net