Lifestyle « Weekly Gravy

A new poll suggests that education is all that stops most Americans from embracing plant-based diets that are better for the planet. The poll, of just over 1,000 adults nationwide, found that 51% said they would eat more plant-based foods if they knew more about the environmental impacts of their eating habits, but 70% said they rarely or never discuss this issue with friends or family. Nearly two-thirds said they’d never been asked to eat more plant-based foods, and more than half rarely or never hear about the topic in the media. In addition, more than half said they’re willing to eat more vegetables and plant-based alternatives and/or less red meat. Even though only 4% self-identified as vegan or vegetarian, 20% said they chose plant-based dairy alternatives two to five times a week or more often, and about the same percentage said they didn’t buy products from food companies that aren’t taking measures to reduce their environmental impact. Along with a lack of information, other barriers to eating more plant-based foods include perceived cost, taste and accessibility, according to the survey findings from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the Earth Day Network. For example, 49% of respondents believed a meal with a plant-based main course is more expensive than a meal with a meat-based main course, and many said they would eat… read on >

In a sign that suggests America’s obesity epidemic is far from under control, a new government report shows that more than 40% of people in the United States are obese. And almost 1 in 10 is severely obese, the researchers added. “Over the time period from 1999 to 2018, the obesity prevalence increased about 12% — from 30.5% of Americans to 42.4% of Americans. Severe obesity almost doubled,” said study author Dr. Craig Hales. He’s a medical epidemiologist with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Much more than just a cosmetic issue, obesity is associated with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, fatty liver disease, sleep apnea, arthritis, gallbladder disease and more, according to the U.S. National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Severe obesity means a BMI of 40 or above. BMI is a rough estimate of a person’s body fat based on their height and weight. Someone who is 5-foot-10 is obese when they reach 210 pounds. That same person would be considered severely obese at 280 pounds, according to CDC estimates. Hales said there’s no easy answer to this growing public health threat. “Obesity is a very complex health issue associated with many different… read on >

Going solo when trying to quit smoking isn’t enough, one lung health expert says. “Smokers develop a physiological dependence on nicotine, and they need more than willpower to quit,” said Dr. Danish Ahmad, a pulmonologist with Penn State Health’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The American Cancer Society says that smokers typically try quitting eight to 10 times before succeeding. That may sound daunting, but there’s good news. According to Diane Schmeck, a certified tobacco treatment specialist at Penn State Health, “The more times people try to quit, the more successful they might be the next time.” Though about 70% of smokers know they want to quit, particularly to avoid lung cancer and cardiovascular disease, there are many lesser known health risks. Smoking can cause cancer of the esophagus, pancreas and stomach, as well as breathing issues that can lead to emphysema. “Smoking affects your small blood vessels, which can mean poor circulation in the arms or legs, or a greater risk of erectile dysfunction in males,” Schmeck said in a Penn State Health news release. But if you quit, benefits can be seen immediately, Ahmad said. “Within 20 minutes, a smoker’s heart rate and blood pressure improves, and within 12 hours, the carbon monoxide level drops,” he said. Smokers have the highest likelihood of quitting through programs integrating one-on-one counseling, group support and medication,… read on >

A key to your baby’s asthma risk may be as close as your laundry room. Canadian research shows that an infant’s exposure to household cleaning products in the first few months of life is tied to heightened odds for asthma by age 3. Babies may be especially vulnerable because they “typically spend 80% to 90% of their time indoors, and are especially vulnerable to chemical exposures through the lungs and skin due to their higher respiration rates and regular contact with household surfaces,” according to study lead researcher Tim Takaro. He’s a physician-scientist in the faculty of health sciences at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. In their research, Takaro’s group examined questionnaires completed by parents of more than 2,000 children who were exposed to household cleaning products from birth up to 4 months of age. The children were assessed at 3 years of age for asthma, recurrent wheeze and “allergic sensitization.” The study couldn’t prove cause and effect, but the researchers reported that babies with the highest levels of exposure to cleaning products had a 37% rise in their risk of being diagnosed with asthma by 3 years of age. These babies also had a 35% higher risk of developing recurrent wheezing by the same age. The most common household cleaning products parents reported using were hand dishwashing soap, dishwasher detergent, multisurface cleaners,… read on >

Many U.S. teenagers may be using their smartphones to harass, humiliate or otherwise abuse their dating partners. That’s according to a recent national survey of teens who’d been in a romantic relationship in the past year. Researchers found that 28% had been victims of “digital dating abuse” — surprisingly, with boys being targets more often than girls. While teen dating abuse has long been a problem, digital technology has opened up new ways for it to happen, according to lead researcher Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and a professor of criminology at Florida Atlantic University. Teens might send threats by text; make embarrassing posts on social media; publicly share private, sometimes sexual, pictures; or secretly look through a partner’s device to monitor him or her. The new findings, from a nationally representative survey, give a better sense of how common the problem is among U.S. teens, Hinduja said. “This helps clarify what’s going on with youth who are in romantic relationships,” he said. “Many teenagers,” Hinduja said, “really don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to building healthy relationships.” Digital dating abuse is generally not an isolated issue: Many teens in the study (36%) said they’d been abused offline — physically, verbally or through coercive, controlling behavior. And it often went hand-in-hand with digital abuse. That’s not surprising, according to Hinduja,… read on >

Lung diseases have been striking more people around the world in the past 30 years, new research shows. And being from poor regions is the most important risk factor for respiratory trouble, the scientists added. Aging and risk factors such as smoking, pollution and overweight/obesity are among the other major risk factors for chronic lung diseases, according to the analysis of data from 195 countries. Researchers led by Dr. Min Xie, from Tongji Medical College and Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, found that the number of deaths from chronic lung diseases rose 18% over the past three decades, from 3.3 million in 1990 to 3.9 million in 2017. The number of deaths increased with age and rose sharply among people aged 70 and older, and this age-related burden is likely to increase as the worldwide population ages, the researchers noted. The most common chronic lung diseases are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, but others such as pneumoconiosis (lung disease due to dust inhalation), interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis (due to lung scarring and inflammation) are also public health concerns worldwide. The study was published Feb. 19 in the BMJ journal. Overall, the highest rates of lung disease are in the poorest regions of the world. Lower rates in wealthier countries are due to people having better access to… read on >

You need to work on your relationship with your significant other all year round, not just on Valentine’s Day, a relationship expert advises. There are five key things you can do to keep your relationship healthy, according to Frank Provenzano, an instructor in psychology and a clinical psychologist at Furman University, in Greenville, S.C. Share one new thing with your partner every day. It can be something big or small, Provenzano said in a university news release. But you should “let that person know you. And show a desire to know them.” For every negative thing you say to your partner, say five positive things. “And they should be genuine” positive comments — not you’re loyal, thrifty and kind, he said. “They need to be reflective of the individual. If you can do 10-to-one, even better… When that five-to-one ratio begins to disappear, you’re bordering on contempt and moving into rough seas.” Make rules, but update them when necessary. Whether the rules are about things such as who does which household chores, or how to work together to accommodate each other’s needs, the rules should change to adapt to new circumstances as the relationship changes. Set expectations. “The reason for the rules is to set appropriate expectations. So as the relationship unfolds, nobody is surprised,” Provenzano said. “People have to understand it’s never going to… read on >

Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to shower your loved one with gifts, but some may do more harm than good. “If you want to impress your beloved this year, take a pass on gifts that cause sneezing and wheezing,” said allergist Dr. J. Allen Meadows, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “Once you have an understanding of your valentine’s allergy and asthma triggers, you can search for gifts that express your love while keeping them healthy. That will make everyone’s heart go pit-a-pat,” he said in an ACAAI news release. Here are five valentines the college suggests you avoid: Sweets or snacks with mystery ingredients: Common food allergens are eggs, milk, nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy and sesame. Before you buy those chocolates or exotic pastries, be sure the ingredients are OK. Romantic evenings by the fireplace: Smoke can trigger allergy symptoms for those with asthma. Try setting the romantic mood with LED candles. Heavy perfume or cologne: An overpowering scent can send your lover into a symptomatic frenzy. Rethink a gift of perfume if your valentine doesn’t wear scents — it’s probably for a reason. Flowers that cause sneezing: Avoid bouquets with daisies, goldenrod, sunflowers and chamomile. Roses are a safe bet for anyone who is allergic to pollen. Dust, mold and grime: Clean your home to get… read on >

Could hot chocolate deliver relief to those suffering from the painful condition known as peripheral artery disease (PAD)? A small, new study says it’s entirely possible. Though you may be picturing a steaming cup of hot milk chocolate with tiny marshmallows bobbing on the top, the concoction the study volunteers drank was made from dark chocolate, and had a less sweet taste. “A food-derived, nutritional therapy that is accessible, inexpensive and safe may meaningfully improve walking ability in people with peripheral artery disease,” said study author Dr. Mary McDermott. She’s a professor in the departments of medicine and preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago. “Peripheral artery disease is common and underdiagnosed,” she said, adding that it’s a major cause of disability in people over 55. PAD causes narrowing in the blood vessels that supply blood to the legs from the heart. Common symptoms include pain, particularly when walking, cramping and weakness in the leg muscles. McDermott noted that “these findings are particularly important because currently few therapies have been identified to help patients with PAD.” However, the study was a preliminary effort and only 44 people were enrolled, so further research is needed to confirm these findings, she said. The study was published Feb. 14 in the journal Circulation Research. Funding for the research was provided by the U.S. National… read on >

Drugs that many men with prostate cancer might already be taking — cholesterol-lowering statins — may help extend their survival if they have a “high-risk” form of the disease, new research suggests. High-risk patients include men with high blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and a “Gleason score” of 8 or more. Gleason scores are a calculation used to gauge prognosis in prostate cancer. Men with a high Gleason score may develop difficult-to-treat cancers. Prior research had suggested that statins and the diabetes drug metformin (often prescribed together) have anticancer properties. However, it hasn’t been clear which of the two drugs is the bigger cancer-fighter, or whether either might help against high-risk prostate cancer. To help answer those questions, a team led by Grace Lu-Yao of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center–Jefferson Health, in Philadelphia, tracked data on nearly 13,000 high-risk prostate cancer patients. All were diagnosed between 2007 and 2011. The study couldn’t prove cause and effect, but it found that statins, taken alone or with metformin, did seem associated with an increase in survival. Men who took both statins and metformin had higher median survival (3.9 years) than those who took statins alone (3.6 years), metformin alone (3.1 years), or those who did not take either drug (3.1 years). The study was published Feb. 8 in the journal Cancer Medicine. “Both metformin and… read on >