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Most dogs and owners share an unbreakable emotional bond. But can they also share expanding waistlines? Yes, said Danish researchers, who found that Fido is twice as likely to be heavy or obese if his owner is as well. Why? “Based on our findings, it seems that the way owners give their dog treats is related to the owner’s weight,” explained study author Dr. Charlotte Bjornvad, a professor in companion animal internal medicine at the University of Copenhagen. “Trim and overweight owners both give their dogs treats,” she noted. But “there seems to be two ways to use treats.” Some offer treats to reinforce training or coax more activity, explained Bjornvad. But others share treats as a “hang out” indulgence. Danish people have a specific name for it: “hygge.” Roughly translated as “cozy,” the term refers to enjoying mutual relaxation, inactivity and snacking, either alone or with friends and pets. Based on a dog-rearing questionnaire completed by 268 owners in Denmark, the study team concluded that overweight and obese owners are more likely to offer their dogs “hygge treats” than trim owners. (One-fifth of the dogs were either heavy or obese.) It may also be that overweight owners “spend more time relaxing, and therefore they give more treats during relaxation,” added Bjornvad, though her team did not test that theory. But is the “hygge” affect… read on >

A tuberculosis vaccine commonly used in other parts of the world might reduce a person’s risk of developing lung cancer if given early in childhood, a six-decade-long study reports. The Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is the only vaccine approved for preventing tuberculosis (TB) — a potentially fatal infectious disease that typically attacks the lungs. Because TB risk is low in the United States, the vaccine isn’t often given to American children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the new study suggests the vaccine may have some positive side effects. “BCG-vaccinated participants had a significant 2.5-fold lower rate of lung cancer,” said study senior author Dr. Naomi Aronson, director of infectious diseases at Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Md. She said lower lung cancer rates persisted in those who received the vaccine no matter where they lived, and whether they smoked, drank alcohol or had tuberculosis. Aronson said BCG affects the immune system somehow and may provide even more benefit in the lungs. The initial study was conducted in 3,000 American Indian and Alaska Native children in the 1930s. If the findings are confirmed in different groups, Aronson said the use of BCG vaccine in childhood “might be considered for risk reduction for lung cancer over a lifetime.” Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, interim chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, reviewed… read on >

There’s no doubt that eating a lot of sugar isn’t good for your health. What’s more, sugar can trigger a chemical reaction that has you craving more and more. Just think about the last time you ate a cookie — were you able to stop at one? Or three? Or 10? But Harvard researcher David Ludwig says when it comes to carbs, Americans eat more refined grains and potatoes than sugar, and these starchy foods, which also include white bread and white rice, raise blood sugar and insulin levels, increasing the risk of chronic medical conditions while setting the body on the path to weight gain. This isn’t to say that sugary foods are any better for you than starchy ones. Instead, the goal is to cut back on processed carbohydrates in favor of whole ones — fruits, vegetables, legumes and minimally processed grains — and to add in some healthful fats like nuts, avocado and olive oil. Cutting back can be hard, but a study published in the journal Appetite found that replacing even small amounts of carbs — fewer than 10% — with healthy fats at a meal keeps you satisfied for hours longer and keeps blood sugar on a more even keel. Participants ate a rebalanced breakfast, switching from a meal that had 55% calories from carbohydrates, 18% calories from protein and… read on >

You’ve signed up for your first fitness event and you’ve mapped out your training schedule for success. Now add mental preparation to the plan. It’s essential because the very physical training that gets your body into shape for competition can dull your mental motivation and even bore your muscles, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. So, build in some variety. Instead of your usual stretching, take a yoga class once a week. If you weight train with free weights, try resistance bands. If cycling is your typical cardio, try a rowing or cross country ski machine. Next, add mental exercises, starting with visualization. Take a few minutes each day to run through the event in your mind, from picturing yourself full of energy at the starting line to working with focus during the event to sailing through to the finish. Try to see the image in as much detail as possible — your clothes, the air temperature, the balloons at the starting line. Draw on all your senses to experience the moment. This not only motivates you, but also tamps down any nervousness you might have. Be your own booster squad. Use positive words to encourage yourself, and remind yourself of past accomplishments as you resist focusing on any doubts. Think about the fun element of the activity, why you love the sport,… read on >

If a mother is depressed, her young children might be at risk for hyperactivity, aggressiveness and anxiety, a new study suggests. Interestingly, a father’s depression only affected kids if mom was also depressed, the researchers found. “Depression among parents both during and after pregnancy not only affects the person suffering from depression but also has a long-term impact on the well-being of the newborn child,” said researcher Johanna Pietikainen, from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. “Even in cases of mild depression, it is important that the symptoms are identified and the parents are offered support as early as possible, if necessary … during the pregnancy,” she added. One parent’s depression also puts the other parent at risk. Symptoms of depression can start during pregnancy and continue after the child’s first birthday, the researchers noted. The findings were published Sept. 30 in the CMAJ. “It is important to monitor the mental well-being of both parents during pregnancy and after the birth of the child, and if one parent shows symptoms of depression then the symptoms of the other parent should also be examined,” Pietikainen said in a news release from the National Institute for Health and Welfare, in Finland. Long-term depression indicated that depression occurred before the pregnancy. Previous depression was a key risk factor for moderate or severe depressive symptoms, the study authors… read on >

New research suggests that anxiety and depression can make it hard for some kids to manage their asthma. Young patients with all three conditions ended up in the emergency room nearly twice as often as kids who only struggle with asthma, the study found. “Asthma self-management is complex, requiring recognition of symptoms, adherence to medication and avoidance of triggers,” explained study first author Dr. Naomi Bardach. She is from the University of California, San Francisco’s department of pediatrics and Institute for Health Policy Studies. “The symptoms of anxiety and depression can make it more challenging to follow treatment, leading to more ER visits,” she added in a university news release. “There also may be a greater tendency to use the ER for supportive services, even in the absence of a serious asthma attack.” Though many of these emergency department visits are not necessary, they account for 62% of asthma-related costs, the investigators found. Anxiety and depression are more common in children with asthma than in those without the lung disease, the researchers noted. Among the asthma patients in the study, just over 11% had anxiety and nearly 6% had depression. This compared with about 7% and 3%, respectively, for children aged 3 to 17 in the general population, based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the study, the researchers… read on >

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is in the news a lot, and now newer research has prompted a leading pediatricians’ group to update its guidelines for diagnosing and treating the disorder for the first time since 2011. Dr. Mark Wolraich, lead author of the guidelines, noted that there weren’t any dramatic differences between these and previous guidelines. But, he said, these latest updates keep the American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines in sync with the same diagnostic and treatment criteria used by child and adolescent psychiatrists. ADHD “is not a ‘new’ diagnosis. It’s a real diagnosis that needs treatment,” said Wolraich. “There are two forms of treatment effective for ADHD: medications, especially stimulant medications; and behavioral treatments. Neither treatment is curative,” he said, but they can help manage the symptoms. Wolraich is an emeritus professor at the University of Oklahoma, in Oklahoma City. More than 9% of U.S. children between the ages of 2 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the guideline authors. Boys are more than twice as likely as girls to be diagnosed with the disorder. Kids with ADHD often have symptoms of another mental disorder, such as depression or anxiety, and they may also have learning and language problems. Updates to the guidelines include: Changing the age at which symptoms need to have first started. Previously, symptoms needed to begin before age… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Eyestrain occurs when your eyes get tired from intense use, says Mayo Clinic. Usually, eyestrain is not serious and goes away once you rest your eyes or make lifestyle changes. To reduce eyestrain, Mayo suggests: Blink often to refresh your eyes. Take breaks. Every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Adjust lighting to reduce glare on your computer monitor. Enlarge type on your screen for easier reading. Adjust the contrast and brightness of electronics to a comfortable level.

(HealthDay News) — Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and death, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An annual seasonal flu shot is the best way to protect against the disease. The CDC offers these facts on the seasonal flu vaccine: Seasonal flu vaccine protects against the type of flu that’s predicted to be most common. Any licensed, age-appropriate flu vaccine is recommended. Everyone 6 months or older should get a flu vaccine, with few exceptions. People with severe, life-threatening allergies to the vaccine should not be given the shot. The vaccine takes about two weeks to begin working. It is possible, although less likely, to get the flu despite receiving the vaccine.

Here’s a good reason to encourage your teenager to play more than one sport: New research finds kids who concentrate on only one sport may be at risk for stress fractures, tendinitis and knee injuries. “It’s wonderful for a child to love a sport and to want to engage in it, but we must keep in mind the number of hours spent playing,” said study author Alison Field, a professor of epidemiology and pediatrics at Brown University. “They add up pretty quickly.” The findings are a result of following more than 10,000 older children throughout the United States. The bottom line is that kids who do the most hours of intense activity per week, and that happens to be those focusing on a single sport, are the most likely to be injured. Field hopes that coaches, parents and doctors urge children to engage in less intense, less specialized training. The best advice is that kids should spend only a moderate amount of time in vigorous physical activity. If they have to specialize, they should replace some training with different types of exercise, such as yoga and conditioning, she suggested. The risk for injury differed for girls and boys. For girls, no sport stood out as being extra risky. Specializing, however, increased girls’ risk of injury by about 30%. Specialization did not significantly increase boys’ risk… read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Overweight Dog, Overweight Owner?

Childhood TB Shot May Offer Long-Term Protection from Lung Cancer

How to Rebalance Your Carb Intake

How to Get Ready Mentally for Your First Competition

Depressed Moms, More Anxious, Troubled Kids?

For Kids With Asthma, Depression Makes ER Visit More Likely

Pediatric Group Issues Updated ADHD Guidelines

Health Tip: Reducing Eyestrain

Health Tip: Seasonal Flu Vaccine Fast Facts

Sticking to One Sport Could Up Injuries Among Teen Athletes