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HEALTH
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Teens, who play a couple of team sports and walk or bike to school, are less likely to be overweight or obese, says a new study. Researchers found that of more than 1,700 teens, those who played on at least two sports teams per year, were 22 per cent less likely to be overweight or obese than those who did not. Those who walked or biked to school four to five times per week were 33 per cent less likely to have weight problems. Leaky bladder affects
young women too Bladder control problems may be seen as a problem of older people, but a good percentage of college-age women have symptoms too, a study suggests. In a survey of 1,000 young Australian women, researchers found that 13 per cent said they'd had urinary incontinence in the past month. That meant problems like leaking urine when they exercised, or often having to rush to the bathroom to avert an accident. Abused kids face higher cancer risk as adults Frequent abuse by a parent can elevate a child's cancer risk in adulthood — especially when mothers abuse daughters and fathers their sons, a new study says. Abuse includes constant belittling, shaming and humiliating a child, exposure to violence or abuse of others (emotional); severe disciplining, such as corporal punishment (physical); and failing to provide for a child's basic needs — adequate food, clothing, hygiene, or supervision (neglect). "There can have long-term consequences on adult health," said Kenneth Ferraro, professor of sociology at the Purdue University Centre, the Journal of Aging and Health reports. "Overall, the more frequent and intense the abuse, the more it elevated the cancer risk," added Ferraro. The study's findings were based on survey data from 2,101 adults in two waves of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the US. Free iPhone app to
help spot skin cancer Your phone can now be your e-doctor as well, thanks to a new free iPhone app. Developed at the University of Michigan Health System, the new free app allows users to use their phone's camera to check for early signs of skin cancer. It works by creating a photographic baseline of their skin, the Daily Mail reported. Should suspicious moles or other skin lesions be spotted, the app can walk users through a self exam. Called UMSkinCheck, it even sends automatic reminders so users can monitor changes to a skin lesion over time," said Michael Sabel, associate professor of surgery at the U-M Medical School, who was the lead doctor involved in developing the app. The app, a collaboration of the University of Michigan's technology and clinical expertise, guides users through a series of 23 photos, covering the body from head to toe. If a mole appears to be changing or growing, the photos can then be shared with a dermatologist to help determine whether a biopsy is necessary. Low Vit D, obesity may add up diabetes risk The combination of obesity and vitamin D deficiency may put people at an even greater risk of insulin resistance than either factor alone, a new study has revealed. Insulin resistance is a major risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, said lead author Shaum Kabadi, a doctoral candidate in epidemiology at Drexel. In the study, obese individuals who had healthy levels of vitamin D had insulin resistance almost 20 times more often than the overall study population. But in obese individuals whose serum vitamin D was low, insulin resistance was much higher: About 32 times more common than the average. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple health conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases including stroke, depression, dementia and other conditions. Kabadi, Liu and co-author Dr. Brian Lee, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, analysed data on serum vitamin D levels and indicators of insulin resistance and diabetes from 5,806 respondents to a major national health survey, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Liu said that vitamin D supplements may be useful for overweight or obese to help control diabetes, but he cautioned that too much vitamin D could cause side effects such as weakness and fatigue. The study was recently published online in the journal Diabetes Care.
— Agencies
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