Thursday, October 28, 2010

Wei Fit or Wei Injury

Wei users were at increased risk of shoulder, ankle, and foot injuries as compared to those who played more traditional video games. The main recommendation of the study was “younger children under the age of 10 should be supervised while video games are being played to prevent bystander injuries, which are more common with interactive games."


Monday, October 25, 2010

Waist Size and Diabetes

American adults have larger waists than their British counterparts, which can account for their significantly greater prevalence of type 2 diabetes, a study suggested. The sole factor that helped explain the diabetes differential was waist circumference, according to the researchers.

Key point - fat cells deposited in the viscera are distinct from those found elsewhere.
"Central fat cells have a higher turnover rate of triglycerides and produce more proinflammatory and metabolic markers," the researchers explained.

In addition, these cells draw free fatty acids to the liver, which can further contribute to insulin resistance and ultimately, to diabetes, according to the researchers.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Get Sleep, Get Lean!

“Middle-age, overweight patients who slept 8.5 hours burned more fat than those who slept just 5.5 hours, according to Plamen D. Penev, MD, PhD, of the University of Chicago, and colleagues, who reported their findings in the Oct. 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.” Participants in the sleep deprivation group were hungrier and expended less energy to compensate for reduced sleep.

Interestingly, the hormone ghrelin was found to increase in the sleep deprived participants. Ghrelin is a hormone produced in the stomach the function of which is to tell the brain that the body has to be fed. Ghrelin levels increase before eating and decrease after. 

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Orthopedic Surgery Risk – Low Vitamin D

"A high rate of inadequate vitamin D levels in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery puts patients at risk for complications." "This study should serve as a wake-up call to orthopedists that vitamin D deficiency is widespread, not necessarily tied to age, sex, or background, and screening for it should be part of routine pre-surgical care for adults." 


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