The Oasis

Baby Fat

Now wait just a minute. What is going on here?

The Oasis has been following all the latest obesity epidemic news, but I just ran across a story that has my head spinning...

the obesity epidemic has spread to babies!

So called "chubby" babies used to be thought of as cute...but not anymore. In a new study, publised online in the journal Obesity, researchers found that the incidence of obesity has risen for all children, and that even includes infants. And just in case you think that fat babies are a problem for poor families who may not get the best nutritional advice, think again. The rates of overweight are increasing in children from mostly middle class families.

So what's going on here?

In another study, researchers found that obese mothers spent less time feeding and interacting with their infants than those of normal weight. These mothers also fed their babies more calorie rich food. This study however, was very small, but the results are provocative and certainly call for more thorough research.

Why should we be so alarmed about a little baby fat?

If a child is obese early in life, that obesity tends to stay with him or her later in life, putting the child at risk for all kinds of health problems. The British Medical Journal reports that there are eight factors that increase a child's chance of being obese by age 7:

1) Having obese parents
2) High birth weight
3) Spending more than eight hours watching TV when 3 years old
4) Sleeping less than 10.5 hours per night when 3 years old
5) Size in early life
6) Rapid weight gain in the first year of life
7) Rapid catch-up growth between birth and 2 years
8) Early development of body fatness during the preschool years (before age 5-6 years, when body fat should be increasing)

Tip from your Wellness Coach: Parents can modify some of these factors by watching their own body weight, making sure their children get adequate sleep, providing proper nutrition and encouraging physical activity for the entire family. Start early  by modeling healthy behavior for your children. If you are not sure if your child is at a healthy weight, consult the child's pediatrician.

Women and Overtime: Behaving Badly

A new study conducted by researchers at England's University of Leeds suggests that the effects of long work hours are worse for women than men.

The women who worked long hours tended to eat more high fat, high sugar snacks than their male colleagues, and if they smoked, to smoke more as well. The women also exercised less and used more caffeine than the men in the study.

The researchers can't really say why the women behaved as they did.

**Tip from your Wellness Coach: If you have to work long hours, be aware that you can make healthy choices, even under stress. Choose low fat, high fiber snacks (even if you have to bring them from home) and when you do take a break, consider going for a walk or taking a few minutes to relax and meditate instead of heading for the coffee machine.

Blood Pressure Woes for Men at Work

Men who work in white collar jobs and who report high levels of job stress in the form of high job demands and low social support at work, were more likely to suffer from higher blood pressure than other workers. And, as a group, these men were also more likely to be at risk for increases in blood pressure over time than workers who were not as stressed.

Both men and women who reported they got little support from bosses and co-workers were also vulnerable to high blood pressure.

The finding are to be reported in the June 29th, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. This research suggests that employers would do well to give their employees more support, including more of a say in how they accomplish the tasks that are set for them. Reduced deadline pressures plus opportunities for learning and personal development could also help.

Where There's Secondhand Smoke There's Fire

The U.S. Surgeon General wasn't just blowing smoke when he recently released what some are calling the "...most influential surgeon general's report in 15 years." The report is not a new study, but a 670-page review of studies done on secondhand smoke since the last surgeon general's report in 1986.

The results of the report are not pretty...

...secondhand smoke  (smoke that is inhaled not by smoking, but by being in the same airspace as a smoker as they are puffing away) has been conclusively shown to cause heart disease, lung cancer, trigger asthma attacks, make blood more prone to clotting (increasing the risk of a stroke), damage arteries and cause changes in cells that can eventually lead to cancer. Secondhand smoke kills, by causing lung cancer, at least 3000 non-smokers every year. No less tragically, but perhaps more shocking, greater than 35,000 non-smokers die annually of heart disease caused by secondhand smoke.

Infants who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), and the smoke exposure also makes them more prone to bronchitis, pneumonia, worsening asthma attacks, ear infections and less than optimal lung growth. And don't make the mistake of thinking you can just open a window...that will not protect your children. If you must smoke, or you have friends or relatives that do, have them go outside to light up. Never smoke in a car with a child.

What can you do?

If you smoke, see your doctor or other licensed health care provider and talk to them about quitting. There is help for you and with support, you can do it.

If you have friends or family who smoke, encourage them to quit.

Do not patronize businesses that allow smoking.

If you own a business, consider making it a smoke-free workplace.

The lives and health of our families are at stake.

Diabetes: The Perfect Storm

For decades, we have ignored the evidence. Now, in 2025, less than 20 years away, the perfect storm is poised to hit worldwide. A massive hurricaine? A monster tsunami? An off the scale earthquake?

As serious as our environmental problems are, I'm not talking about global warming.

Fast forward to 2025. The number of people suffering from diabetes has skyrocketed to a staggering 350 million worldwide. Among the huge numbers of people with the disease, death is common. Amputations are routine. Strokes, heart attacks and life-threatening infections are everyday events. Entire countries are caught off guard, having made no provisions in their health care plans for such a pandemic. There is a public outcry. How could this have happened? Why didn't you warn us...why didn't you help us to do something to prevent this castastrophe?

The evidence for such a scenario is overwhelming. Let's look at what has happened to the number of cases of diabetes over the last two decades. In just 20 years, the number of people with adult onset diabetes has risen from 30 million to 230 million. And there is no reason, unless we wake up, to expect a decrease in this exponential growth pattern. And when I say "we" I mean we the peoples of planet Earth. China and India now have the most diabetics in the world. Globally, there are 6 million new diabetes sufferers each year. Someone dies every 10 seconds from the effects of this disease...3 million deaths a year. The International Diabetes Foundation is seeking a U.N. resolution to bring recognition to the seriousness of the problem...the first resolution of its kind for a non-communicable disease. Half of the world's diabetics don't even know they have the disease...causing a potentially lethal lag in treatment.

What is causing this diabetes explosion?

Genetics plays a part, but the biggest culprits are lifestyle and diet. Globally, people have better access to cheap food and consume all the wrong nutrients. The hectic pace of our everyday lives has most of us living on adrenalin and getting less than adequate sleep, both known risk factors for putting on pounds and wreaking havoc with our blood sugars. Plus, in our lives today, daily physical activity has become something that has to be consciously incorporated into one's routine, rather than as a normal consequence of daily living. The bottom line...

Bad diet + too little exercise + high stress levels = weight gain, which leads to a greatly increased risk of developing diabetes.

Keeping one's body weight in a healthy range greatly decreases a person's risk of developing the disease, even when genetic factors are present. Good control of blood sugar significantly decreases a person's risk of developing serious complications. It's no great stretch to figure out that prevention and early detection of diabetes could save massive amounts of money, not to mention the savings in human suffering.

What can you, a single individual, do in the face of this storm? Plenty!

Look first to your own health. A healthy body weight, sound diet and plenty of exercise is great, not only for you, but as an example for your children, your friends and community. Here in the U.S., get involved with your local school system as they begin to implement mandated wellness policies. Ask your local restuarants to carry healthier choices on their menus and then follow through by actually purchasing them. If you have a family history of the disease, ask your health care provider about getting tested.

I would love to see your ideas about what else can be done to stem this deadly tide. Feel free to post your thoughts here as comments to this post.

Puppy Power

Everyone (well, nearly everyone) loves a warm puppy. Now there is evidence that contact with a dog (or cat) does much more for us than just give us a good feeling.

Pet owners are more likely to survive a heart attack than people who don't have pets. The presence of dogs and cats can lower blood pressure and boost our bodies' abiliy to fight disease. Pets have also been shown to reduce the incidence of antisocial behavior in teens and children who are troubled.

Read more about this fascinating subject at U.S. News and World Report. You can also learn more about the animal-human connection at the Delta Society.

Take 2 CDs and call me in the morning!

A new research study, reported in the May issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing, finds that music helped to ease chronic, non-malignant, ongoing pain in adults who had been suffering for a least six months.

Researchers already knew that music helps with the pain patients sometimes experience when undergoing various diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, as well as helping acute pain and also cancer pain. But music's effects on chronic pain, particularly its effects on feelings of power, depression, and disability in adults with chronic pain had not been studied. One interesting finding from this study was that it didn't seem to matter what kind of music was used. All kinds, from vocal, jazz, piano, orchestra or harp, won kudos for effectiveness.

Plus, here's a treatment that has no bad side effects and is safe and easy to use. If you live with chronic pain, soothing music may help to increase your feelings of power and help with depression of disability. Now that's news we can live with!

Sleeping Beauty

You've probably heard that most Americans are sleep deprived. No wonder, given our hectic schedules and busy lives. Come on, admit it. You're probably yawning just reading this! So what else is new?

Well, if you are a woman, especially if you fall into the 40 to 65 year old age range, you might want to pay close attention.

A new study which was presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference, looked at some 68,000 women, analyzing their answers to questions about sleep and weight over sixteen years.

The bottom line?

Women who get five hours or less of sleep per night were 32% more likely to experience a major weight gain (defined as gaining 33 pounds or more) and 15% more likely to become obese over the study period. Women who got six hours of sleep a night were also at risk for weight gain, facing a 15% liklihood of expriencing a major weight gain.

The researches were surprised to find that a woman's sleep pattern had a much bigger influence on her long term weight than either her eating or exercise habits.

Your next action step? Make getting at least 7 hours plus of sleep a night a priority in your life. Adequate sleep is not a luxury item, but is mandatory in terms of assuring your long term health. Seven hours or more of sleep a night means less chance of heart disease and diabetes as well.

Turns out that grandmother was right when she told you to get your beauty rest!

It's All in Your Head...Not!

The early signs of dementia (including Alzehimer's) have long been thought to be such things as a failing memory and other signals that the brain is not functioning as well as it used to.

But now, an intriguing new study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, finds that it's a decline in physical capabilities that can signal the onset of later dementia, sometimes by as much as six years. These bodily declines include slowing of one's gait, reduced strength in handgrip and poor balance.

But what good is knowing you are going to develop dementia if you can't do anything about it? Turns out, that there is something you can do. Previous studies show that even moderate exercise can delay the onset of dementia for many older adults. And it's the frailest of these folks that seem to benefit the most. Walking, even for 15 minutes a day, has found to be helpful.

So has exercising the mind, with such activities as crossword puzzles, reading and playing bridge.

More evidence that the mind and body are inextricably linked. How could we have ever thought otherwise?

The Ancient Art of Wood-Air Bathing

Japanese researchers have discovered a marvelous benefit of walking in old-growth forests. When they allowed diabetic patients to amble through these ancient groves, their blood sugar values dropped!

The Japanese have a word for this walking through old-growth forests: shinrin-yoku or wood-air bathing. The researchers have identified, besides a drop in the blood sugar of diabetics, a whole host of healthful benefits associated with this practice.

When we think about the forests, most of us think about the sight of magnificent trees. But what about the wonderful smells associated with walking through their dappled shade? Scientists, in one Sierra-Nevada study, identified over 120 unique chemical compounds given off by trees, but could only identify 70 of them. As Joan Maloof, the author of Teaching the Trees: Lessons from the Forest, writes, "We are literally breathing things we don't understand; which also means, of course, that when we lose these forests, we don't know what we are losing."

There are only a few remmnants of old growth forests left here in the United States. But I like to think that walking in any forest, among any living trees, will benefit us. By breathing in, we take in the oxygen given off by the trees themselves...when we breathe out, our carbon dioxide goes to feed the leaves.

We literally become each other.