Obese men with advanced melanoma skin cancer seem to have a survival benefit over their slimmer peers, a new study suggests. Among men who received treatment for the potentially deadly cancer, obese patients lived an average of 47 percent longer than those with a healthy body weight, researchers found. For women, however, weight did not… read on >
Take good prenatal care of yourself and not only will you have a healthier baby, you’ll also lower his or her risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease later in life. First, you’ll want to monitor your weight while pregnant. A baby’s future diabetes risk, for example, is higher if mom is under-… read on >
If you worry about ever getting cancer, you might want to pass on the processed foods at your supermarket. Every 10 percent dietary increase in packaged snacks, fizzy drinks, sugary cereals and other highly processed foods boosts the risk for cancer by 12 percent, new research suggests. Breast cancer, in particular, was associated with greater… read on >
About 5 percent of American children and 4 percent of adults have a food allergy, but many more are getting unnecessary testing. Specific blood and skin prick tests can help detect food allergies. But the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases recommends them only for people who’ve had immediate allergic reactions, have a… read on >
Asthma and allergies can put on damper on your Valentine’s Day romancing, an expert warns. “Keeping everyone free of allergy and asthma flare-ups helps keep the focus on romance this Valentine’s Day. Red or itchy eyes, runny noses, coughs and fatigue can ruin your celebration,” Dr. Bradley Chipps, president of the American College of Allergy,… read on >
Instead of gulping your food, try eating more slowly. It may help you drop those unwanted pounds, a new study by Japanese researchers suggests. Also helpful: Avoiding after-dinner snacks and eating anything in the two hours before you go to bed, the researchers said. The study linked those simple changes to a smaller waist, and… read on >
The scale can be your best friend — or your worst enemy — when you’re on a diet. But whether or not you like what you see, a scale isn’t the only — or the best — way to track your progress. Rather than looking for a particular number on a scale, measure success in… read on >
Has your favorite tabby gotten a tad tubby? You can help that fat cat slim down safely. But be forewarned: It won’t happen overnight. Researchers at the University of Illinois put eight overweight neutered male cats on a diet for 18 weeks. They wanted the cats to lose enough weight to be noticeable but not… read on >
Highly caffeinated energy drinks aren’t safe for children and teens, and should not be marketed to them, a leading sports medicine organization warns. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) on Friday released an official statement about the beverages. “Energy drinks are extremely popular, and concerns about their consumption are coming from every sector of… read on >
Does it seem as though the second you try to cut back on calories all you can think about is food? It’s even harder to minimize the role of food in your life if you’re using tasty treats to manage emotions, according to a Finnish study published in the journal Eating Behaviors. People who lose… read on >
