How much exercise is just right? Not enough? Too much? A recent, large study conducted by Harvard University and the National Cancer Institute on 661,000 mostly middle-aged subjects showed that people who did the recommended 150 minutes/week or less of exercise (but more than nothing) are 20 percent less likely to die prematurely, while those who exercised three times the minimum are 39 percent less likely to die prematurely. Those who worked out at 10x the recommended levels showed no significant gains beyond 40 percent, and should have perhaps opted for AMC Breaking Bad reruns.
Surprising Survey Results: Top 5 Things That Make People 'Feel Great'
A recent survey conducted by the UK-based international healthcare firm BUPA revealed that while Brits can name dozens of simple activities that make them feel great, an alarming number don’t frequently experience moments of wellbeing.
Survey reveals Fast Food Still Sold in Hospitals
While disappointing although perhaps not surprising to see patients chowing down on fast food pre- or post-op, it is disconcerting to learn that dozens of well-established hospitals continue to hold contracts with fast food retailers such as McDonalds, Wendy’s, Chik-fil-A and more. A survey of 200 US hospitals and a recent article in the British Journal of Medicine reveals a disturbing accessory to our global health population management challenges.
Visual Cues Can Contribute to Weight Loss
Can the mere absence of stimulus lead to measurable changes in eating behaviors? A Harvard professor of economics believes so and headed to Google’s employee micro-kitchens in Boulder, Colorado, and New York to help “lend weight” to his theory. The results? When the stimuli of tempting snack foods are merely removed from sight, eating patterns can change dramatically. Read more to see how visual cues affect casual grazing patterns.
Use It or Lose It—New Study on Twins Reveals Big Impact of Exercise on Health
Identical twins, of course, share the same genes (and typically backgrounds), so medical studies on them allow researchers to more precisely isolate the impact of a behavior on health. And a very interesting new study from a Finnish university reveals that when one adult twin exercises—and the other doesn’t—the result is a major difference in their bodies and brains.
Finnish Study Indicates Frequent Sauna Usage May Boost Longevity …Heart-warming new data on the relationship between saunas and heart health
A large, long-term University of Eastern Finland study revealed that frequent time spent in saunas was associated with a longer life and less cardiac-related deaths. Analyzing 2,300 middle-aged men over two decades, the researchers found that men who visited a sauna 2-3 times a week had a 24 percent lower risk of death, while those who sweated it out 4-7 times weekly had a 40 percent mortality reduction, compared with only one sauna session a week.
