As a chiropractor in San Diego, I deal with many patients who are overweight. New research suggests being obese may spread through social networks like a malicious virus. And more importantly, your friends can even live hundreds of miles away! The surrender slogan for many overweight and obese individuals for years has been I can't help it - it's in my genes. And who could blame these overweight individuals? Even many doctors and researchers believed your ability to lose weight or pack on pounds was primarily a function of your genetic make-up.
If you were dealt a bad genetic hand, your fate was to be overweight. Now, new information shows that might not be the case all the time. The first is a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which found that the obesity epidemic could spread like a virus through social networks. When a person becomes obese or overweight, his friends and siblings are likely to gain weight as well.
The researchers evaluated a network of over twelve thousand people who underwent repeated measurements over a period of over thirty years. They found that when a person becomes obese, the chances that a friend will become obese increase by about fifty seven percent. Siblings of obese people have a forty percent increased risk of obesity, and their spouse's risk increased by thirty seven percent overall.
On average, having an obese friend made a person gain 17 pounds, which put many people over the body mass index (BMI) measure for obesity. Female friendships did not seem to be impacted by obesity. But the chances that a man might gain weight from having a fat pal doubled for so-called mutual friends -- friends who both listed each other as buddies.
"There is an important implication here for a broadening perspective on treatment for obesity, said Dr. Nicholas Christakis, the study's lead author. We don't think that this is the only cause of obesity. This is adding one additional factor or explanation. Attitudes are changing about what constitutes an acceptable body size, more so than a sharing of behaviors.
One big question raised by the study was why didn't having obese friends affect the women's weight like it did the men's weight. There is a strong social bias for women towards being thin," said Dr. Robert Kushner, President of the American Board of Nutrition Physician Specialists. "Social norms may trump social networks here. Guys don't have the same social pressure as women do. Men may be more influenced by their friends than women.
Other diet experts agree that the inner workings of male friendships may have a lot to do with obesity. "Current social stigma against obesity is greater among women than men. Women jointly discuss weight and support each other in dieting and exercising," said Jeffery Sobal, a Professor of Nutritional Science at Cornell University. "Men may engage in joint activities that increase weight, such as consuming more calories or spending time in sedentary activities."
And here's something else that is interesting reported by researcher James Fowler of Harvard University and Nicholas Christakis of the University of California in San Diego. They stated that it is plausible that "areas of the brain that correspond to actions such as eating food may be stimulated if these actions are observed by others." This can cause you to become overweight.
Social ties seem to play a surprisingly strong role, even more than genes are known to do. Obesity, they state, is "socially contagious" and, remarkably, the researchers found that to be true even if your loved ones live far away. "We were stunned to find that friends who are hundreds of miles away have just as much impact on a person's weight status as friends who are right next door," said Dr Fowler.
Despite their findings, the researchers said people should not sever their relationships. "There is a ton of research that suggests that having more friends makes you healthier," Fowler said. "So the last thing that you want to do is get rid of any of your friends." Clearly, this study shows the importance of behavior in weight gain overshadowing genetic make-up. For more information about weight gain and weight loss, visit New Century Spine Centers in San Diego. They can be contacted at 619-630-9153.
Want to find out more about weight loss, then visit New Century Spine Centers site on how to choose the best chiropractor for your needs.
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August 22 2010 | Anti-Aging | No Comments »
Oh the mysterious Frankincense -- it really holds a special status in the world of natural medicine. What other plant extract has been valued as highly as gold, sought after by kings, and been one of the world's most recognized birthday presents? There must be something to it too, as university's around the world have found it important enough to spend significant sums investigating its medicinal effects. What follows is a summary of the great benefits of this nearly magical oil, and how you can make use of it.
The Olibanum tree from which Frankincense is extracted, is upon first glance may seem rather unremarkable. It appears as a giant shrub, with many knurled branches topped with abundant slender leaves and occasionally, small white flowers. A native to northern Africa, it even looks like it belongs in the desert, growing in some of the world's harshest conditions. When the tree's bark is pierced with a 'mingaf' knife, a milky-white resin is exuded and collected; thought the tree is not harmed. The resin forms droplets known as tears or pearls, which harden in to the orange-brown gum known itself as Frankincense.
Modern natural medicine and aromatherapy have taken to the use of the essential oil of Frankincense. The oil, having a warm, woody, sweet aroma with a hint of citrus, is steam or CO2 distilled from the resin. There are several species of Olibanum tree from which the resin is collected and the essential oil distilled, the most popular being Boswellia "carteri" and Boswellia "seratta". Carteri has been the most widely researched for medical applications, and seratta is appreciated for its rich, exotic aroma. The new modern CO2 distillations are more likely to contain the same healthful compounds as the historically-used resin. One of America's leading medical aromatherapist notes, regarding the production of essential oil from the resin, "It could be that the (health-related) substances in question are too polar and too large a molecular size to appear in steam distillates - their presence would be more likely in CO2 extracts."
The very wide range of therapeutic applications is one of the most appealing features of Frankincense. First off, it is highly revered for its use in skin care, particularly for mature skin that may be prematurely aging due so sun exposure. The desert-source of the plant material makes this use almost obvious. Extracts of the resin have even been the subject of double-blind studies, where one have of each participant's face received the preparation with the "active ingredient". The result was a significant improvement in skin texture (a measurable decrease in roughness), as well as a reduction in the appearance of fine lines. To benefit from the oil this way, you could add 4 to 12 drops per ounce to a cream or lotion you're already using, or if making up a new formula, use the essential oil at a concentration between .5% and 2%.
Boswellia extracts (like the CO2 distillation) have found their way into many common over-the-counter pain relieving and anti-inflammatory preparations for joint and muscular pain. Natural chemicals in the oils inhibit the action of pro-inflammatory enzymes. Frankincense essential oil in combination with other anti-inflammatory and analgesic oils can be of great support for arthritis, fibromyalgia, and other painful conditions. A blend to consider for these needs: in each ounce of carrier oil (sweet almond is fine), add 40 drops Frankincense, 40 drops Ginger CO2, 40 drops Sweet Marjoram and 40 drops Plai. Not only is the pain likely to be significantly reduced, but you're knees will smell wonderful as well!
Perhaps the most impressive therapeutic potential of Frankincense lay in its now extensively researched anti-cancer activity. The resin and its extracts have been shown to specifically target cancer cells in a number of different organs, causing apoptosis (normal cell death, which doesn't "normally" occur in cancer cells) to the cancerous cells, leaving healthy ones unaffected. While treatment protocols are still a ways off, it is possible to include daily doses of Frankincense as a protective measure. The essential oil is rapidly absorbed through the skin and into the bloodstream -- small doses can also reasonably be ingested with the guide of a natural health professional.
In terms of "aroma" therapy, Frankincense can be an excellent antidepressant and grounding aromatic. A diffuser or warming lamp can be used to disperse the aroma throughout your environment. Frankincense oil can be applied directly to the forehead where you can both capture the aroma and absorb the oil directly (it is non-irritating or sensitizing, though if you do experience sensitivity, simply dilute to 5-10% in a carrier oil). It is considered deeply calming, and has been noted to have the potential to actually slow the breathing rate -- a very interesting effect, considering that some physicians believe our life spans to be governed by the number of breaths we take, and not the number of heartbeats. Our breathing patterns are also directly related to our stress level: under stress, we tend to take shallow, rapid breaths, and while relaxed, breathing is slower and deeper.
It's plain to see Frankincense is a very worthwhile aromatic in the therapist's toolkit. With anti-aging, anticancer, antidepressant and anti-stress activity, it's likely that the essential oil can easily find a way into your overall wellness program. You'll likely be happier and healthier for it, and will have another valuable natural medicine to enjoy and share.
The author has made available reports on specific anti-microbials such as tea tree and other therapeutic essential oils.
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June 17 2010 | Skin Care | No Comments »