The statistics are grim: Roughly one in six U.S. children are obese, and, at last count, nearly one in three are overweight, putting them at increased risk of health problems ranging from diabetes to being bullied at school.
There is a glimmer of good news. After two decades of dramatic growth, childhood obesity rates are showing signs of leveling off.
Government researchers have even reported slight declines among certain subgroups (such as younger children and girls), leading some experts to speculate that the epidemic may have reached the high-water mark.
But there are also signs that this turnaround applies to some kids more than others.
Obesity generally has been a bigger problem among children from low-income families, and a trickle of recent evidence suggests rates may be falling more slowly, or not at all, in this population.
Full story of child obesity in poverty at CNN Health
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Contemplating death doesn’t necessarily lead to morose despondency, fear, aggression or other negative behaviors, as previous research has suggested. Following a review of dozens of studies, University of Missouri researchers found that thoughts of mortality can lead to decreased militaristic attitudes, better health decisions, increased altruism and helpfulness, and reduced divorce rates.
"According to terror management theory, people deal with their awareness of mortality by upholding cultural beliefs and seeking to become part of something larger and more enduring than themselves, such as nations or religions," said Jamie Arndt, study co-author and professor of psychological sciences. "Depending on how that manifests itself, positive outcomes can be the result."
For example, in one study American test subjects were reminded of death or a control topic and then either imagined a local catastrophe or were reminded of the global threat of climate change. Their militaristic attitudes toward Iran were then evaluated. After being reminded of death, people who were reminded of climate change were more likely to express lower levels of militarism than those who imagined a local disaster.
Full story of positive behaviors at Science Daily
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High exposure to anti-smoking ads sponsored by states and private foundations result in reduced smoking rates, a new study finds. However, adults who are exposed to more ads for pharmaceutical smoking cessation products are less likely to make an attempt to quit.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago compared adults’ smoking behaviors, and their exposure to anti-tobacco television ads, in the top 75 media markets in the United States from 1999 to 2007. Smoking rates were lower, and more smokers said they intended to quit, in those markets where there was higher exposure to state-sponsored anti-smoking ads, HealthDay reports. The study also found that higher exposure to tobacco-industry ads was associated with more smoking.
Full story of anti-smoking ads at DrugFree.org
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Care of the Patient with MTBI
6 CEU Hours: $18.00
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. It is caused by a bump or blow to the head that affects how the brain normally works (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2008). Because nurses are frequently the professionals who see the full impact of TBI and have the skills that can alter the course of a patient’s recovery, it is important for nurses to have a valuable resource to help them achieve the best possible outcomes.
Clients with Substance Abuse and Eating Disorders
2 CEU Hours: $6.00
SUD treatment counselors are in a good position to help their clients with undiagnosed EDs by being aware of the disorders, screening clients for EDs in the SUD treatment setting, and/or supporting their recovery from SUDs and EDs.
Perspectives in Alzheimer Science
7 CEU Hours: $21.00
This course highlights current research in the Science of Alzheimer’s with particular focus on biomarkers and their role in the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and the influence of lifestyle factors such as exercise and diet in modifying ones’ risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
More information of new online courses at Quantum Units Education
Coronary artery disease continues to be a major cause of death in the U.S., killing hundreds of thousands of people per year. However, this disease burden isn’t evenly divided between the sexes; significantly more men than women are diagnosed with coronary artery disease each year. The reasons behind this difference aren’t well defined. Though some studies have shown that men’s hearts become more constricted than women’s during exercise, letting less blood flow through, women are more likely than men to have symptoms of heart trouble after emotional upsets.
Searching for the reasons behind these disparities, Charity L. Sauder, Alison E. Thompson, Terrell Myers, and Chester A. Ray, all of Penn State College of Medicine, investigated the effects of mental stress on blood flow through the heart. Their findings show that coronary blood flow actually increases in men during mental stress, but shows no change in women. These results may explain why women could be more susceptible to adverse cardiac events when under stress.
An abstract of their study entitled, "Effect of Mental Stress on Coronary Blood Flow in Humans," was discussed at the meeting Experimental Biology 2012, held April 21-25 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Full story of stress harder on women’s hearts at Science Daily
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The statistics are grim: Roughly one in six U.S. children are obese, and, at last count, nearly one in three are overweight, putting them at increased risk of health problems ranging from diabetes to being bullied at school.
