I try find the silver lining of all seemingly bad things, even high gas prices.
When I get stressed out about how much I am paying at the pump I try and remember that
research has found that an increase of an additional $1 per gallon in gasoline prices will reduce US obesity by 15 percent after five years by forcing us to walk, bike, or take public transportation (more walking) instead of using our cars. Furthermore, it may even lead us to eat at home instead of out in restaurants and drive-thru.
Clearly I have always been a proponent of walking, biking (it is
Bike to Work Week), and taking public transportation for more reasons than just the high gas prices (more exercise during the day, better for the environment, etc.), but there is nothing wrong with trying to look on the brighter side of things.
When it comes to heart problems, it has been assumed that it's
OK to be a bit overweight as long as you exercise regularly. New
research is challenging this notion and this new research shows that being active can decrease but not eliminate your risk of heart problems. A new study that followed 39,000 women over 11 years discovered that weight actually plays a significant role in heart health.
The women participating in the study were assessed by their level of activity as well as their
Body Mass Index (BMI).
Until now, smoking seemed to be one of the most harmful things we could do to our health. However, as smoking rates decrease (yay!) and obesity rates increase (boo!), a
new study found that having a high body mass index (BMI), that is 30 or higher, could become the most harmful concern, healthwise.
This is because a high BMI has been linked to an increased risk of disease and the following cancers:
- Thyroid, kidney, and colon cancers, cancer of the esophagus, multiple myeloma (a cancer of the blood cells), leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in both sexes.
- Rectal cancer and malignant melanoma (a deadly skin cancer) in men.
- And gallbladder, pancreas, endometrial, and postmenopausal breast cancers in women.
So if you're really feeling like not going to the gym today, remind yourself that a healthy body weight could be one of your best defenses against disease and cancer.
Source
A controversial new book called
The Fattening of America ($17.79) is making claims that being overweight is becoming less of a health hazard and more of a lifestyle choice. It suggests that in the future, many people will likely continue to choose a diet and exercise regimen that leads to excess weight, since losing weight requires too much work and too many lifestyle sacrifices. Here's an
exerpt from inside the cover:
"The issue is not that Americans don't care about their increasing waistlines — quite the opposite, in fact.
Bad breath, a common side effect of dry mouth, poor dental hygiene, the morning cup of coffee, and a big meal heavy in garlic and onions, has added a new cause to the list.
Obesity is the latest perpetrator for causing bad breath among many of us.
New research out of Tel Aviv has found that overweight patients were more likely to have foul-smelling breath than the non overweight patients in the study.
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