Obesity and Dementia

A big belly now could spell trouble for your brain later

Health News
Want another reason to lose that gut? Researchers in California believe that excess abdominal fat in middle-aged individuals may raise the risk of dementia later in life.

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WOMEN: Satisfy Your Muscle -Recovery Needs

By: Brigitte Brodski & Dr. David Ryan

Often many of us girls hold back from training our hardest or we fail to continue working out after starting a gym program because of getting tired during the workout or the soreness and stiffness felt. Nutritional companies have spent millions researching the body's reaction to exercise for both strength and endurance training, and have developed many female friendly products to maximize recovery and nutrient replenishment.

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10 Deadliest Drugs Approved by the FDA

10 Deadliest Drugs

Approved by the FDA—but are your meds safe?

By Maia Szalavitz for MSN Health & Fitness

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When the AIDS activist group ACT UP staged a protest in 1988 in which it “seized control of the FDA,” it responded to widespread frustration with the agency. The FDA was seen as slow, bureaucratic and unresponsive to the plight of patients who needed better drugs—immediately.
Shortly afterwards, the drug approval process was streamlined and dying patients without alternatives were given early access to promising medications. For drugs given “priority review,” approval times dropped from just under three years in 1986 to as little as six months in 1995.
Now, however, many wonder if the FDA went too far in speeding up the approval process of drugs. Critics claim tragic failures like the approval of the painkiller Vioxx, which may have caused up to 100,000 heart attack and stroke deaths, are a direct result of prioritizing speed over safety reviews.

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America’s Healthiest Restaurants

You work out. You watch what you eat. But you don’t want to have to prepare every meal at home for the sake of your health—nor should you have to. We surveyed chain restaurants and found 10 surprisingly healthy standouts. Hit our top 10 for whole foods, good-for-you fats, even green vegetables on—gasp!—the children’s menu. Read on for the winners, great fast-food options, plus, how to eat out without gaining a pound.

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And Now ... America's Not-So-Healthiest Restaurants

by Tracey Minkin

The worst of the rest.
Not everything was so rosy out there. Below, some of the scarier items we came across in our travels.

Scary chicken: At Chili's, 1 serving of Crispy Honey Chipotle

Crispers (no dressing) just laid 1,890 calories at your door.

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Lifting Weights: More Than Just Picking Heavy Objects

From BBC News:

Weight training could be as effective as endurance exercises like running when it comes to burning fat and warding off diabetes, a study suggests. American scientists created mice which carried a gene that, when switched on, gave them muscles similar to those produced by weight training. When the gene was off, the mice - which were fed a fast food diet - became obese and developed liver problems. But when on, the same mice burned up fat, the Cell Metabolism study said. In addition, the fatty liver disease it had developed while the gene was off disappeared, and it stopped being resistant to insulin, a condition which can lead to type II diabetes.

The team from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) genetically engineered the mouse to grow a certain type of muscle - known as Type II - which develops as a result of resistance training. This is different to the muscle which forms as a result of endurance training such as running, known as Type I.

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Recession's Fast Food: 99-Cent Specials

More Food for Less Money As Fast Food Chains Chase Cash-Strapped Consumers

NEW YORK (AP) -- If you want to stretch your dollar without shrinking your appetite, you're in luck.

Fast food companies, looking for a way to attract budget-conscious customers and keep them spending, are increasingly offering more food for less money.

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Lifting Weights 'Good As Running'

Weight training could be as effective as endurance exercises like running when it comes to burning fat and warding off diabetes, a study suggests.

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Liposuction: Risks, Safety and Natural Alternatives

By Tom Venuto

Is liposuction safe? What are the risks? Could you actually die in surgery? Is liposuction even effective? Are the results permanent or can fat cells come back? Is the high cost worth it compared to natural alternatives for body fat reduction? Are you even a potential candidate? Before you consider liposuction, take a look at these interesting facts and get the perspective of a fitness and nutrition professional (not just a surgeon), then you can decide intelligently for yourself…

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ACE 2008 Fitness Trend Predictions

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Jan. 3, 2008 – The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has completed its annual survey of its extensive worldwide network of personal trainers, group fitness experts, advanced health and fitness specialists and lifestyle and weight management consultants to identify the leading trends in the fitness industry. 2008 promises to be filled with water aerobics, boxing clubs and spicy Latin dancing. Some trends continue from 2007 including, functional fitness, balance training and increased access to personal training for all segments of society. The following represent ACE’s listing of the top ten fitness trends for 2008


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Health Trends In 2007

What's Hot, What's Not
By Sally Wadyka for MSN Health & Fitness

In 2007, health and fitness news ran the gamut from the very good (healthier restaurant food) to the bad (dangerously lead-laden toys), with stops in between for the very sneaky (hiding veggies in other dishes) and the jaw-droppingly weird (toys laced with date-rape drug). Here’s a recap of the year that was, but this isn’t just ancient history: These trends and issues will carry on into 2008, as the regulatory, medical and nutritional communities look to address concerns and build on recent breakthroughs. Read more