Lifestyle « Weekly Gravy

Many studies have shown that a stable and happy marriage is good for the health of both partners, increasing longevity. But did you know that there’s also a link between one spouse’s happiness and the health of the other? Building on the idea that a happy person is often a healthy person, researchers from Michigan State University and the University of Chicago explored whether a happy outlook could positively affect relationships. After studying nearly 2,000 couples, they found that people with a happy spouse are more likely to report better health over time — above and beyond their own happiness. It may be that a happy spouse offers their partner more TLC than an unhappy one who is often focused more on his or her own needs. A happy partner, especially one who follows a healthy lifestyle including regular exercise and smart food choices, is more likely to motivate their spouse to follow their example and become healthier in the process. Also, a happy spouse is likely to place fewer demands on a partner, reducing the likelihood of unhealthy behaviors like drinking. How can you create a happier environment within your relationship? It’s easier than you might think. Showing affection fosters feelings of well-being. These can be physical demonstrations, like kisses and hugs and holding hands as you sit or walk, as well as verbal… read on >

Universal gym etiquette includes steps like turning off your cellphone whenever you’re working out, being courteous when using shared equipment in the weight room, taking thoughtful steps such as not wearing heavy perfume, and wiping off your sweat after working out on a machine. But there are also good rules to follow whenever you walk into an exercise class. Adhering to them can improve your performance as well as your standing at the health club and your all-important relationship with your fitness instructors. First, use the minutes when you’re getting dressed for class to focus mentally. Get psyched for a serious workout and remind yourself that fitness boosts your motivation and enthusiasm. Being on time benefits everyone. Lateness is more than distracting to your instructor and classmates. You miss out on the important warmup segment, warns the American Council on Exercise, and that puts you at greater risk for injury. If you’re late for a personal trainer session, it throws off the rest of your trainer’s schedule and means less time for you. On the other hand, don’t be shy about asking questions that will help you improve and possibly avoid an injury. Don’t grin and bear it if a move hurts or if you’re unsure of how to do it. If you can’t get the attention of the teacher during class, bring up your… read on >

Married folks not only live longer than singles, but the longevity gap between the two groups is growing, U.S. government health statisticians report. The age-adjusted death rate for the married declined by 7% between 2010 and 2017, according to a new study from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Not only is the rate for married lower, but it’s declining more than any other group,” said lead author Sally Curtin, an NCHS statistician. Statistically, death rate is the annual number of deaths for every 100,000 people. It’s adjusted so that a 26-year-old and an 80-year-old married or widowed or divorced are on equal footing. The new study reported that the death rate for never-marrieds declined only 2%, while that for divorced people hasn’t changed at all. Worst off were the widowed, for whom the death rate rose 6%. They have the highest death rate of all the categories, researchers said. Married men in 2017 had an age-adjusted death rate of 943 per 100,000, compared to 2,239 for widowers. The death rate was 1,735 per 100,000 for lifelong bachelors and 1,773 for divorced men. Married women had a death rate of 569 per 100,000, two-and-a-half times lower than the 1,482 rate for widows. The death rate was 1,096 for divorcees and 1,166 for never-married women.… read on >

THURSDAY, Oct. 10, 2019America’s child obesity epidemic shows no signs of shrinking. About 4.8 million American kids aged 10 to 17 — just over 15% — were obese in 2017-2018, according to a new report. “These new data show that this challenge touches the lives of far too many children in this country,” said Dr. Richard Besser, the president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which produced the new report. It found that the five states with the highest youth obesity rates were Mississippi (25.4%), West Virginia (20.9%), Kentucky (20.8%), Louisiana (20.8%) and Michigan (18.9%). The lowest rates were seen in Utah (8.7%), Minnesota (9.4%), Alaska (9.9%), Colorado (10.7%) and Montana (10.8%). Progress against child obesity seems to have stalled: The report’s authors said that no states had statistically significant changes in obesity rates between 2016 and 2017-2018. The report also noted large racial and ethnic disparities. Obesity rates among black and Hispanic youth (22% and 19%, respectively) were sharply higher than among whites and Asians (about 12% and 7%, respectively). “Black and Hispanic youth are still at greater risk than their white and Asian peers,” Besser said in a foundation news release. Family income also had a major impact, the findings showed. The obesity rate among youth in households with incomes below the federal poverty line was nearly 22%, compared to about… read on >

If you’re Hispanic and missing out on needed sleep, a new study suggests that could make you more prone to memory problems and possibly Alzheimer’s disease. “This finding is particularly important because Hispanics have a significantly higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared with non-Hispanic whites,” said study leader Dr. Alberto Ramos. He is a sleep expert and associate professor of neurology at the University of Miami. For the study, the researchers assessed the brain function of more than 5,200 Hispanics, aged 45 to 75, in Chicago, Miami, San Diego and New York City at the start of the study, and again seven years later. “We observed that prolonged periods of sleep and chronic insomnia symptoms led to declines in memory, executive function and processing speed. Those measures can precede the development of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease,” Ramos explained in a university news release. The study also included measures of sleep apnea, which has been linked to memory and thinking problems. “No previous studies used data from a representative sample of U.S. Hispanic/Latinos for these multiple types of sleep disturbances,” Ramos said. The findings should help make doctors aware that sleep problems may be connected with mental decline, particularly in Hispanics, according to Ramos. “We may also be able to identify at-risk patients who may benefit from early intervention to prevent or reduce the… read on >

SATURDAY, Oct. 12, 2019Fall can be a challenging time of the year for kids with asthma, an expert says. “Although asthma can flare up for a number of reasons, a lot of people with allergies also have asthma, and asthma can be triggered by allergies. So the fall is a tough time for asthmatic sufferers,” said Dr. Gaurav Kumar, a pediatrician at LifeBridge Health in Baltimore. While many kids do well with their asthma during the summer, problems often accompany the return to school. “You go from taking these outdoor summer vacations to now being in a classroom again,” Kumar explained. “So now you’re in contact with people in closed spaces. And of course, what happens is germs are more likely to spread that way. So you could get colds from friends who have colds, and then that becomes a trigger for asthma.” Parents need to make sure their child’s asthma is under control. If a child stopped taking preventive asthma medications regularly during the summer, they should resume daily use now, Kumar advised. Children with asthma should have checkups at least once a year, and in some cases as often as three or four times a year. “An asthma checkup is an opportunity for us to reassess how the year has gone and to make plans in anticipation of what might happen,” Kumar said… read on >

Don’t get too mad at that new puppy who piddled on the rug or chewed up your favorite slippers. In the long run, that scamp is going to help you live a longer and healthier life. A pair of new reports found that dog owners have a lower risk of early death than people without canine companionship, particularly when it comes to dying from a heart attack or stroke. Dog ownership decreases a person’s overall risk of premature death by 24%, according to researchers who conducted a review of the available medical evidence. The benefit is most pronounced in people with existing heart problems. Dog owners had a 65% reduced risk of death following a heart attack and a 31% reduced risk of death from heart disease, the researchers said. “People who had a heart attack prior to getting a dog had even more reduction in mortality,” said lead author Dr. Caroline Kramer, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, Canada. That analysis was backed up by a separate Swedish study, which found that heart attack and stroke victims who own dogs have a lower risk of dying, particularly if they live alone. Owning a dog reduced a heart attack patient’s risk of death by 33% if they live alone, and 15% if they live with a partner or child, according to… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Disagreements with a friend or partner are normal, says the National Voice of Domestic Violence. But when a relationship is not built on respect and equal partnership, an unhealthy relationship may develop. The organization mentions these characteristics of a healthy argument: A disagreement about chores, spending habits, raising children or difficult family or friends. Insensitive and hurtful comments are said occasionally, not consistently. Partners can admit when they are wrong, take responsibility and compromise. Tension is usually short-lived. Goals and decisions can be questioned, but general support isn’t withheld. Final decisions on big life changes are reached by mutual compromise.

How do you make healthy food more popular? Start by giving it a yummy-sounding name, researchers say. People are much more likely to choose good-for-you foods like broccoli or carrots if labeled with names that emphasize taste over nutritional value, according to Alia Crum, an assistant professor of psychology at Stanford University, and her colleagues. In previous research, Crum’s team found that Stanford students were far more likely to go for decadent-sounding veggies like “twisted citrus glazed carrots” over an equivalent option that might be labeled “dietetic carrots.” The key, however, is the food must actually be tasty, the new study confirms. “This is radically different from our current cultural approach to healthy eating which, by focusing on health to the neglect of taste, inadvertently instills the mindset that healthy eating is tasteless and depriving,” Crum, senior author of the new report, said in a university news release. “And yet in retrospect, it’s like, of course, why haven’t we been focusing on making healthy foods more delicious and indulgent all along?” she added. In the new study, the researchers tracked food choices made by students enrolled across a network of 57 U.S. colleges and universities. The investigators looked at 71 vegetable dishes labeled with either taste-focused, health-focused or neutral names. Students were 29% more likely to select veggies when taste was emphasized rather than health.… read on >