Idea #285 for November 30th, 2009: Man’s Best Friend or How Owning A Dog Can Improve Health

Having a dog may actually help your health. It might seem like a strange concept, but there’s a very reasonable explanation for it. The act of walking your dog can be considered mild exercise, which is even more healthy when done daily. A survey from the UK found that the average dog owner spends over eight hours a week walking their dog.

Eight hours a week is a respectable sum, especially when you consider that the average person without a dog only walks or exercises for a little over an hour per week. Half of the people surveyed said they didn’t walk or exercise at all. On top of that, walking a dog is seen as more enjoyable than going to the gym by survey respondents. In fact, 86% of dog owners reported looking forward to walking their dogs, while just 16% reported the same enthusiasm for going to the gym. These dog walking excursions might be just mild exercise, but it’s a lot more than the average person engages in.

Read about this study here.

Idea #283 for November 28th, 2009: Cloudy Future or The Ballooning Rates of Diabetes

If we think the rate of diabetes is bad now in the US, just wait 25 years and it will be unbelievably bad. By 2034 it’s predicted that twice as many people will have diabetes in America, making a total of 44 million people with the condition. And if you think that’s an exaggeration or inflated, then consider that past predictions have actually underestimated the number. For instance, in 1991 a study estimated that there would be 11 million people with diabetes by 2030. By 2009, we already doubled that number. So there is the potential that even more than 44 million will have diabetes in 25 years.

We can expect massive increases in costs associated with diabetes care to rise as well. The cost is predicted to triple to over $300 billion in 25 years. An aging and obese population is likely to lead to these levels of diabetes in the future. When we consider all the ways to fix our healthcare system in the US, a large part of the reform has to be changing our own lifestyles that are contributing to rising costs. A major contributor is obesity, so for any effort to reduce health spending to be successful, we’re going to have to tackle the obesity problem — and fast — because time is running out.

Read more about the diabetes predictions here.

Idea #255 for October 31st, 2009: Making The Change or Adapting Lifestyle Still Best Way to Avoid Diabetes

As great as it would be for us to be able to take a pill and make type 2 diabetes disappear, it’s not a reality yet. Until we get to that point, the best method of staving off diabetes is through lifestyle changes. About 24 million Americans have diabetes (mostly type 2) and another 57 million have elevated blood glucose levels. A study that began a decade ago has found that changing people’s lifestyles delayed the onset of diabetes significantly longer than the use of metformin, a diabetes medication.

The lifestyle changes that were adopted by subjects in this study were decreasing fat intake, exercising 30 minutes per day, and losing 5-7% of their body weight. Subjects who implemented those changes delayed the onset of diabetes by an average of 4 years, while subjects who were on metformin delayed onset by about 2 years. For people over 60, those lifestyle changes proved especially important. Subjects who made the changes were half as likely to develop diabetes in the next ten years. This long-term study shows that there is no easy way out of the descent towards diabetes, but making sensible changes to diet and level of physical activity is our best hope of avoiding the disease.

Read more about this in the LA Times.

Idea #254 for October 30th, 2009: Another Reason To Quit or Smoking a Single Cigarette Can Harden Arteries

A few days ago, this blog dealt with the issue of occasional smokers, and how that particular group is often overlooked by researchers and providers alike. Now there’s more evidence that even the occasional cigarette is indeed harmful. The study found that even one cigarette will temporarily harden the arteries of young adults by 25%.

The study specifically looked at the effects of smoking before exercise and involved subjects between 18-30 years old who smoked about five cigarettes daily as well as non-smokers. Before exercising, both the smokers and non-smokers had the same level of arterial stiffness. Prior to exercise, the smoking group was allowed to smoke a single cigarette, and all participants were assessed on the hardness of their arteries afterward.

In non-smokers, arterial stiffness actually decreased slightly after exercise. In smokers, the stiffness increased by 25%. Even for members of the smoking group who did not have a cigarette before exercise, their arterial stiffness still rose slightly following exercise. The effects of this hardening can make the vascular system less able to deal with physical stress, like running. This is further evidence that occasional smoking — even in young adults — can have quantifiable negative effects on health. Smoking just a few cigarettes a day is a harmful activity, despite what the occasional smoker may believe.

Read more about this issue here.

Idea #244 for October 20th, 2009: Online Brain Fitness or Getting Seniors Online to Increase Brain Function

A key to keeping minds sharp through the later years might entail getting the elderly population online. In a study of 24 people with an average age of 66, researchers found that engaging in Internet searches, along with other online activity, was associated with increased brain function. Before and after the experiment, the subjects’ brains were scanned with fMRI, which shows blood flow and can be used to assess the activity of areas of the brain.

Half of the study group had little or no experience using the Internet, but with just two weeks practice, their brains were already showing increased activity in the frontal gyrus regions. Those areas are important in decision-making and memory. After the two-week period, the brain scans of the previously inexperienced users were similar to those of the control group, whose subjects were Internet savvy. The findings hold promise that one way to preserve brain function in elderly populations is through something as simple as casual web browsing. Pending more research, it would be a low-cost way of keeping aging minds healthy.

Read more about the study here.

 

Idea #217 for September 23rd, 2009: Up And About or Physical Therapy In ICUs

Of all places to exercise, the ICU may seem like the unlikeliest. But researchers from Johns Hopkins have found that certain physical exercises can help hospitalized patients avoid muscle wasting and other problems associated with inactivity. Patients often experience fatigue and face long recoveries following bed rest in ICUs.

Mild physical activities like walking, using a stationary pedaling device, and electrical muscle stimulation can be done by even critically ill patients, the researchers say. At this point, the research is in its early stages, but results are showing that patients who engage in these activities are feeling stronger and leaving the hospital sooner than other patients. When the final results are in, it may lead to more hospitals giving ICU patients access to some type of mild exercise. And the quicker they can get out the hospital door, the happier ICU patients will certainly be.

Read more about the study in this news story.

Idea #165 for August 2nd, 2009: Keeping Fit in the Golden Years or For Elderly Cancer Survivors, Fitness is Important

Out of the approximately 11 million cancer survivors in the US, about half are over age 65. Evidence shows that only a fraction of those elderly survivors are engaged in physical activity and diet habits that are considered healthful. A new study out of Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York looked at the habits of 750 overweight elderly cancer survivors and found that maintaining healthy habits resulted in significant improvements in their lives.

About half of the study group reported exercising only about 10 minutes per week, whereas the recommended amount for that population is 150 minutes per week. Further, only 7% of the group consumed a diet that is considered healthful. The minority of the group who were active and ate well had improved outcomes and quality of life. Physical activity is linked to increased survival and decreased recurrence rates in breast and colon cancers, but the role of diet is less understood. At any rate, maintaining physical fitness and proper diet is always a great idea, and especially, it seems, for elderly cancer survivors.

Read more about this study here and here.

Idea #151 for July 19th, 2009: Weighty Topic or The Recession is Fattening Too

The economic crisis is affecting our nation’s health in multiple ways, one of which is our weight. People are turning to less expensive foods, which are often the least nutritious type, like fast food products. And some Americans have had to cut back on expenses like gym memberships, or are working longer hours and can’t make time to exercise, compounding the problem.

Stress, like that related to job-loss or financial trouble, is also related to weight gain. Regular exercise can actually combat that stress and help you lose weight at the same time. Some people are finding more economical ways to exercise too. For instance, people who once relied on personal trainers are finding it more practical to work out in groups. Reaching out to people who are having trouble making ends meet also makes sense. For instance, a Boston hospital has teamed up with a YMCA to educate people at risk for diabetes on better nutrition and exercise habits. Even something as simple as shopping seasonally for healthy produce can save money and lessen the chance of obesity. One thing is certain: forgoing exercise and healthy eating habits in a recession can only harm your overall health.

Read more about the issue here.

Idea #144 for July 12th, 2009: Walk This Way or Changing The Way City-Dwellers Commute

Americans’ obesity problem is partly rooted in our sedentary lifestyles. Changing our commuting habits is one way to fit exercise into busy work days. A survey found that only 17% of respondents walked or biked any portion of their commute. That might seem logical, given that many Americans live in suburbs where using their legs to get all the way to work is unreasonable. However, that survey asked only workers who live in cities. People who commuted via bike or walking scored better on fitness tests, the study also found.

Some of the reasons for our commuting habits are infrastructure-related. Cities sometimes don’t provide adequate sidewalks or bike paths, making those activities difficult or dangerous. Even zoning laws can affect ease of commute, as forcing businesses to be separated from residences can make commutes longer. Companies should provide incentives and accommodations for bikers like showers, lockers, and bike parking areas. Encouraging a more active lifestyle among employees could lower health insurance rates for the employer.

Of course, there are other variables that the study doesn’t account for, like weather and travel distances. But considering that European cities where biking and walking rates are highest have the lowest incidence of obesity, Americans should make efforts to change their individual commuting behavior and cities should be focused on making the journey for those commuters as easy as possible.

See coverage in USA Today.