U.S. doctor group votes to recognize obesity as a disease
CHICAGO - In order to fight what it described as an "obesity epidemic," the American Medical Association voted on Tuesday to recognize obesity as a disease and recommended a number of measures to fight it. The association voted on the measure at its annual meeting in Chicago. The AMA noted that obesity rates in the United States have...A vitamin can help with gambling addiction
Chicago - University of Chicago Psychiatry Professor Dr. John Grant told WWJ that an all natural vitamin called N-acetyl cysteine could help gambling addicts quit their costly habit. The vitamin is available at most health stores.Grant has studied the brain of addicts and found that when people become hooked on gambling parts of their...Colon cancer screening tied to better outcomes
NEW YORK - People who are diagnosed with colon cancer after routine colonoscopies tend to have better outcomes and less advanced cancers than people diagnosed based on symptoms, says a new study.Those who were diagnosed with colon cancer as a result of symptoms were three times more likely to die during the study than the patients...Vegetable fats tied to less prostate cancer spread
After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, men who eat a diet high in vegetable fats, such as those in nuts and olive oil, may be less likely to have their disease spread, a new study suggests.Researchers found that replacing some carbohydrates with those healthy fats was also tied to a lower risk of dying from any cause during the...Obama urges greater openness in dealing with mental illness
President Barcak Obama said on June 4 that Americans need to become more open about mental health issues, so that people struggling with problems are not ashamed to seek help.More than 60 percent of Americans with mental illness do not receive treatment, many of them because they are embarrassed or afraid of being ostracized, Obama said,...Happiness could be key to good health
Everyone knows that proper diet, regular exercise and avoidance of bad habits, like smoking are crucial to great health. But some experts say that a truly positive outlook on life can be just as powerful a factor in improving overall wellness.In fact, possessing “emotional vitality” and a sense of hopefulness, was found in a Harvard...Daily sunscreen may prevent skin aging
Using sunscreen every day may help protect against aging skin, according to a new study from Australia.Although the benefits of sunscreen are well- know when it comes to preventing sunburns and lowering skin cancer risks, researchers said rigorous studies were lacking on how sunscreen use affects the signs of skin aging, or...Mediterranean diet is one of four lifestyle changes that reduce risk of death by 80 percent
BALTIMORE — Mediterranean diet, exercise, normal weight and not smoking are four life changes that help prevent heart disease, U.S. researchers say.Dr. Haitham Ahmed, an internal medicine resident with the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues found adopting the four lifestyle behaviors...Adult stem cells could hold key to curing type 1 diabetes
Millions of people with type 1 diabetes depend on daily insulin injections to survive. They would die without the shots because their immune system attacks the very insulin-producing cells it was designed to protect. Now, a University of Missouri scientist has discovered that this attack causes more damage than scientists realized. The...International travelers: Make sure you have your measles vaccine
LANSING — Following a recent measles case in Michigan, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is advising all residents to make certain they are protected against the disease. In early May, an unvaccinated 8 month-old Michigan infant who traveled with family members to Pakistan was diagnosed with the illness upon returning...Local dental office offers free services on June 1
DEARBORN — Contemporary Dentistry will be offering a range of dental services for free on its second annual Give Back Day on Saturday, June 1. The dental clinic will offer free cleaning, filling, extraction or x- ray from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Services are limited to one per patient. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. Patients...Michiganders encouraged to get tested, vaccinated for Viral Hepatitis
LANSING — Viral hepatitis is a silent epidemic in the United States with more than 4 million Americans living with chronic hepatitis, and many not knowing it. In observation of May being Hepatitis Awareness Month, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are encouraging...Jolie surgery shines light on breast cancer
Actress Angelina Jolie's decision to go public about her double mastectomy has shone a spotlight on the issue of women at risk of cancer who have healthy breasts removed.It is estimated that one in 300 to one in 500 women carry a breast cancer susceptibility gene mutation, known as BRCA1 or BRCA2.Jolie announced on Tuesday she had the...How one company controls your breast cancer choices
So far, much of the heated discussion about Angelina Jolie’s brave Op-Ed in the New York Times this week has focused on her decision to undergo a double mastectomy after learning she carried the BRCA1 gene. As Salon noted here, that’s not the only option. But for those who do want to consider following Jolie’s path, there are...FDA lowers age for buyers of Plan B pill to 15
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a surprise twist to the decade-plus effort to ease access to morning-after pills, the government is lowering the age limit to 15 for one brand — Plan B One-Step — and will let it be sold over the counter.On Monday, Plan B and its generic competition are sold behind pharmacy counters, and people must prove......
What you need to know about breast cancer
About one in eight women will have invasive breast cancer some time during her life, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Knowing what the signs and symptoms of breast cancer are can aid in early detection. Breast cancer is most treatable when detected in its earliest phases.Risk FactorsThere are many factors that can...Sounds synced with brain waves could help enhance memory during sleep, study suggest
A small study published in the journal Neuron shows that when sounds are played during sleep that go along with the slow oscillations in brain waves that occur during sleep, it actually helps to enhance memory.The findings show "a straightforward tool for clinical settings to enhance sleep rhythms," study researcher Dr. Jan Born, of the......
Cinnamon Challenge: Doctors issue warning against dangerous trend
CHICAGO — Don't take the cinnamon challenge. That's the advice from doctors in a new report about a dangerous prank depicted in popular YouTube videos but which has led to hospitalizations and a surge in calls to U.S. poison centers.The fad involves daring someone to swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon in 60 seconds without water....Sitting too long is bad for your health
Whether you have a desk job or otherwise sedentary lifestyle, prolonged periods of sitting may be unavoidable for you. Chances are you are sitting as you read this article.New research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine and other journals shows that sitting for long stretches can be detrimental to your health, contributing to...Michigan recognizes Minority Health Month with a series of discussions across the state
LANSING — In recognition of National Minority Health Month, the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) Health Disparities Reduction and Minority Health Section (HDRMHS) will feature a series of statewide events throughout the month of April. The 2013 theme is “Assuring Access to Care: There’s something in it for...How to make your garden more environmentally friendly
Spring is here, which means it’s time to slip those green thumbs into some gardening gloves. And if you want to feel truly good about what you grow, consider upgrading your garden to be more planet-friendly. Here are some ideas to consider:Grow Your Own Dinner Grow the vegetables, herbs and flowers that you would normally......
Three super foods that can improve your health
In a world where fatty, fried and frosted foods are often the cheapest, quickest and most readily available options, it can be easy to forget the true purpose of eating -- to healthfully fuel our bodies. “The higher-quality fuel you put in your body, the better you will function. The right diet can potentially prevent you from...Grow what you eat; cook what you grow
Cooking from the garden is not like cooking from the store. There’s nothing more tasty, nutritious and satisfying than fresh, homemade meals made from the fruits, vegetables and herbs you grew yourself. Experts say that even with modest amounts of time and space, you can grow an organic garden plot that feeds your family all year......
Facing the rest of your life alone
Aging Arab Americans: The Invisible Elders DEARBORN - It is 3:00 pm on the first Saturday of the year. January’s sun makes this cold afternoon more inviting for a social family visit. But the traffic in front of the Kennedy Center building on Bingham Street in East...Morning smokers have higher cancer risk
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. —The sooner a smoker lights up upon waking in the morning, the more likely he or she is to acquire lung or oral cancer, U.S. researchers say.Steven Branstetter, assistant professor of biobehavioral health at Pennsylvania State University, said NNK (4-(methylnitrosamino)-1--1-butanone) induces lung tumors in several......