Health studies, as remarkably scientific as they are in nature, sometimes provide researchers with data (which they use to form their conclusions) that completely deviates from the assumption/s made prior to the experiments conducted.

An obvious conclusion when it comes to good health is the direct correlation between obesity and the longevity of life, which according to the general rule indicates that overweight people tend to face a greater risk of being afflicted with illnesses, and therefore reduces the normal life span.

However, according to research that was conducted and published in The Journal of The American Geriatrics Society, the results have indicated that this rule does not necessarily apply to adults who are overweight and over the age of 70 years.

Conducted by Australian researchers, the study revealed that adults who were overweight (according to their body mass index) between the age of 70 to 75 were least likely to live for more than ten years as compared to people in the same age-group who were of normal weight or were underweight.

The conclusions drawn from the study were based on data that was collected from 4677 men and 4563 women from as far back as the year, 1996. Taking into consideration, factors like lifestyle, demographics and health, these participants were followed for ten years or until their death, whichever was sooner.

Ironically, the risk of death was 13 % lower between its overweight and normal weight participants, and surprisingly also pointed out to the obvious fact that the risks and benefits for older adults (who had a substantial amount of body fat) were very different as compared to younger adults.

Birth control has indeed come a long way from coitus interruptus (where the male withdraws his organ prior to ejaculation), pessaries and the use of herbs to its modern hormonal control form of the ‘birth pill’. Also known as emergency contraception or morning after pills that can be taken orally, the most popular pill Levonorgestrel (also known Plan B in some countries) is effective only if taken within three days of having sex.

However, a new drug called Ellaone extends that time period by another two days, and much to the delight of abortion advocates, works as an abortion drug as opposed to the aforementioned drug that prevents contraception.

Dr. Donna Harrison, the president of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists agrees with the assessment of Ellaone (Ulipristal) as an abortion drug in saying, “I think it’s important that the pro-life community recognize exactly what Ulipristal (Ellaone) is, and how it works, so they are not fooled,”

Based on a study conducted where experts tracked almost 1700 women who took emergency contraception (with one half taking Plan B and the other, Ellaone) within three to five days of having unprotected sex, 22 women got pregnant on the Plan B pill whereas 15 got pregnant on Ellaone.

The only caveat is that unlike Plan B, you would have to provide a doctor’s prescription and costs thrice as much as its popular alternative (Plan B) in England.

However, health officials have warned that this should not give women a false sense of security, and that they should act as soon as possible, as it is only when Ellaone has to be tested further for additional safety data, for it to be made available as an over-the-counter drug.

If there’s anything that people remember throughout their lives is the time they were picked on in school. Yes, bullying is rampant in school even today despite all the precautions and measures that are taken to ensure that these incidents can be avoided.

What makes this cruel activity even more potent is that it occurs mostly in our teens when we experience physical and emotional changes thanks to those raging hormones. One indicator that the teen years are upon us is puberty, making it a time that is anything but a comfortable time for most. A time when we begin to understand (and in most cases, experiment with) our sexuality out of sheer curiosity that can be traced back to the raging hormones.

With all these hormonal changes kicking in; one’s sexual orientation might also meander into areas that their parents might not necessarily approve of as normal, such as gay, bisexuality and lesbianism. And these teens are the most susceptible to bullying while amongst their peers, with gay teens facing a greater risk while it almost triples for lesbians. Not surprisingly, bullying seems to come naturally to teens that are bisexual in nature.

Study lead author Elise Berlan, M.D., of Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio says that “kids who are different - who are perceived as weak and falling out of the mainstream - are more vulnerable to bullying.”

Most of these insights were derived from a 2001 study called the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS), an on-going study of American adolescents, using data collected from almost 7500 children of female registered nurses to find out whether there is a link between sexual orientation and bullying.

Obese people diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes in their twenties must change their lifestyle in order to avoid the risk of having a heart attack or stroke in their forties.
Any man with a waistline of over forty or a woman with a thirty-five plus waist line having blood pressure of 136/88 is sure to have a metabolic syndrome that can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes.

LDL (good cholesterol), higher levels of triglyceride (over 150) and insulin resistance are factors of this metabolic syndrome. This is coupled with central obesity and high blood pressure. The American Heart Association estimates that more than 47 million Americans are affected by this. Patients who end up with type 2 diabetes also suffer from coronary artery disease and stroke.
A small change in the lifestyle could work wonders. Reducing five to ten pounds of weight will drastically reduce blood pressure. Reducing the normal food intake, avoiding saturated fats and carbohydrates will help reducing the waistline. A brisk 45 minutes walk will energize the body and increase the metabolic rate.

Research experts have reasons to believe that using high fructose corn syrup has a vital role to play in the increase in the number of Type 2 diabetes cases. High fructose corn syrup extends the shelf life of processed foods and is a popular ingredient in many sodas and fruit-flavored drinks.

Remember that these type 2 diabetes symptoms are easy to miss and may not be treated at all. Hence, the risk factors have to be addressed in an aggressive manner in order nip the bud at an earlier stage in order to live a long and healthy life.

In a recent human research study, scientists have reported that blueberries improve memory. Blueberries are one of the world’s richest sources of healthful antioxidants and other phytochemicals that help improve memory power. The reputation of blueberries as memory enhancers has been steadily growing and researchers now feel that the recent study lays foundation to comprehensive human clinical trials to produce experimental evidence to support the case. The ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication, has published the recent study report.

Robert Krikorian and his fellow team scientists stated that the previous studies, which showed consuming blueberries helped improve memory in the aged, was carried out on laboratory animals. This was however, the first test carried out to test the effect blueberries have on enhancing memory in aged humans.

One study group consisted of people in the age group of 70 with proven case of memory decline and another group was the control group. The 70’s age group consumed 2-2 l/2 cups of blueberry juice during the early hours of morning every day for a period of two months. The control group on the other hand was provided with a beverage that did not contain blueberry juice. The scientists conducted memory tests and the result showed that the 70’s group that drank blueberry juice showed improvement in the tests. The scientists were thrilled at the outcome of the research, which indicates that a constant intake of blueberries may be able to forestall or mitigate neurodegeneration.