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Wellness News ... what the editors are researching ...  

Self-esteem, Food and Obesity - Researchers have identified two seemingly unrelated but strong predictors of obesity: having low self-esteem related to one's weight and keeping food visibly available around the house, outside the kitchen.

"The amount of food in the homes was similar, but in the homes of obese individuals, food was distributed in more locations outside the kitchen," said Charles Emery, professor of psychology, also a professor of internal medicine and an investigator in Ohio State's Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research. "That speaks to the environment being arranged in a way that may make it harder to avoid eating food."

In addition, obese participants reported significantly lower self-esteem related to their body weight than did non-obese people. Obese participants also reported more symptoms of depression.

"Most weight-loss interventions for children and people with eating disorders include a focus on self-esteem, but it's not standard for adult weight-loss programs. Self-esteem is important because when adults don't feel good about themselves, there may be less incentive for implementing behavioral changes in the home environment," Emery said. Ohio State University. International Journal of Obesity

More women turning to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for menopause. The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. It is estimated that 53 percent of menopausal women use at least one type of CAM for the management of such menopause-related symptoms as hot flashes, night sweats, anxiety, depression, stiff or painful joints, back pain, headaches,tiredness, etc. The authors suggest that healthcare providers - in particular family medicine practitioners - need to be more aware of the various CAM therapies and take a more active role in guiding patients through their options to more safely and effectively coordinate their care. Menopause

Social exchange can amplify subjective fear and anxiety - The world is a risky place. But our subjective fears and anxieties are often at odds with the evidence. New findings show that subjective fears about potential risks may be amplified in social exchange. Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the University of Konstanz. Proceedings of the National Academy ofSciences

Subconscious learning shapes pain responses - People can be conditioned to associate images with particular pain responses - such as improved tolerance to pain - even when they are not consciously aware of the images. "These results demonstrate that pain responses can be shaped by learning that takes place outside conscious awareness, suggesting that unconscious learning may have an extensive effect on higher cognitive processes in general", says Karin Jensen. Dr Karin Jensen and colleagues. Osher Center at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden. PNAS

People with depression may be more likely to develop Parkinson's disease - "We saw this link between depression and Parkinson's disease during over a timespan of more than two decades, so depression may be a very early symptom of Parkinson's disease or a risk factor for the disease," said Peter Nordström, PhD. Umea University, Sweden. American Academy of Neurology, Neurology®

Nail biters, beware: Teeth grinding is next - Anxiety disorders affect approximately one in six adults. The most well-known of these include panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxietydisorder. But what of brief bouts of anxiety caused by stressful social situations? A new study finds that anxiety experienced in social circumstances elevates the risk of bruxism - teeth grinding which causes tooth wear and fractures as well as jaw pain. "Interaction with people seems to be necessary to trigger bruxism in socially anxious people," said Dr. Winocur. "By treating social anxiety, we will be able to treat bruxism as well." Dr. Winocur is currently researching the effect of post-traumatic stress disorders on sleep and awake bruxism. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation

Healing plants - Treatments used by traditional healers inspired scientists to synthesize four new chemical compounds that could one day lead to better therapies for people with psychiatric disorders. The current drugs used for schizophrenia effectively treat delusions and hallucinations but are only partially effective for cognitive impairment. Early experimental research of these new compounds shows promise in improving cognitive impairment. Northwestern University. Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Mixing energy drinks, alcohol tied to abusive drinking - A study found teens aged 15-17 years old who had ever mixed alcohol with energy drinks were four times more likely to meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder than a teen who has tried alcohol but never mixed it with an energy drink. "Abusive alcohol use among adolescents is a dangerous behavior that can lead to injury, chronic alcohol use and abuse, and even death," said Jennifer A. Emond, MSc, PhD. "Identifying those most at risk for alcohol use is critical. Given that this is a sensitive issue, it's possible that clinicians, parents, and educators might open dialogues about alcohol use with adolescents by starting the discussion on the topic of energy drinks." The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartford. Journal of Pediatrics

Lack of exercise responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity - A brisk 20 minute walk each day could be enough to reduce an individual's risk of early death. Just a modest increase in physical activity could have significant health benefits. Physical inactivity has been consistently associated with an increased risk of early death, as well as being associated with a greater risk of diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Although it may also contribute to an increased body mass index (BMI) and obesity, the association with early death is independent of an individual's BMI. University of Cambridge. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Weight Management, Weight Loss - Smaller plates, smaller portions? It may have become conventional wisdom that you can trick yourself into eating less if you use a smaller plate. But a study finds that trick doesn't work for everyone. "The study's results imply that diet education for overweight or obese adolescents should be clear, simple, repeated, and interesting," says psychiatry professor Lance Bauer. "The next step might involve incorporating information about an overweight or obese child's cognitive abilities in his or her weight loss treatment. In diet education, one size might not fit all." University of Connecticut

Pain - For some people suffering from chronic pain, part of their daily routine is recording the extent of it in a pain diary. Often done at the request of their physician or therapist, patients may be asked to record how severe the pain is, how it affects daily activities and which treatments ease it or make it worse. A study shows those well-intentioned diaries may have unintended consequences. "What we found is that the group who kept the pain diary--even though we didn't ask them to keep an extensive diary, and even though many of them didn't keep a complete diary--had a much worse outcome," says Robert Ferrari, a clinical professor in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry's Department of Medicine and a practicing physician. "The self-reported recovery rates were 52 per cent in the group that kept a pain diary and 79 per cent recovery at three months in the group that did not keep a pain diary. Ferrari believes the findings are a clear indication that asking patients to focus too much on symptoms may cause them to amplify them, creating a perception of illness and in turn preventing recovery. In light of the findings he recommends physicians and therapists not ask their patients to keep pain diaries."It's just more evidence suggesting that how we think about our symptoms affects our symptoms. Symptoms are everything when it comes to the sense of recovery." University of Alberta's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Rheumatology International

Prenatal depression? Researchers have found evidence suggesting that yoga could help pregnant women with significant depression reduce the severity of the mood disorder. Cynthia Battle said she learned in prior research that depressed pregnant women are often reluctant to use medications and some also have difficulty engaging in individual psychotherapy. When she asked them what other treatments they might find appealing, some mentioned yoga. "This is really about trying to develop a wider range of options that suit women who are experiencing these kind of symptoms during pregnancy," said Battle, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior in the Alpert Medical School of Brown and a psychologist at Butler and Women & Infants. A few small studies have also suggested that yoga and mindfulness-based approaches could help prevent or treat depression during pregnancy. Women should consult a healthcare provider before pursuing any remedy for depression, the researchers noted.Brown University, Butler Hospital, and Women & Infants' Hospital. Women's Health Issues

'Treating Pain with Mind-Body Therapies' - It's part of the Mind-Body Week, a public health initiative that brings together noted researchers, medical, health-and-wellness practitioners (meditation, tai chi, Qi Gong, yoga, acupuncture, reiki), and consumers who want to learn more about how to supplement medical treatment of such issues as fibromyalgia, cancer, PTSD, arthritis, muscular skeletal, and other pain.

"Pain costs the US more than $600 billion annually in medical costs and work losses and is the number one reason people seek medical care. New medical research documents the benefits of mind-body therapies in treating pain," states Dr. Deborah Norris, founder and executive director of The Mindfulness Center and health scientist with more than 30 years of experience in research, clinical application, and education. "The Children's National Medical Center, Department of Veteran's Affairs, and some other major medical organizations are adopting mind-body therapies as part of their standard of care. Working together, we can reduce pain and costs and benefit patients." Research Conference, Workshops. The Mindfulness Center