Exercise at the Extreme

Can you get too much good physical activity? Maybe, but the American Cardiology Sports and Exercise Cardiology Leadership Council has concluded that the benefits of exercise outweigh the risks associated with lifelong, very active endurance athletes. Even small amounts of exercise, including standing, result in lower cardiovascular risk compared to a sedentary lifestyle. PositiveTip: Regular…

Sitting Too Much Is Hazardous to Your Health

Evidence is accumulating which strongly suggests we spend way too much time sitting every day--which can be harmful to our health. Watch this short video which portrays the hidden risk of sitting too much. Suggestion: stand while you watch it! PositiveTip: Find a new way each day to be active and avoid too much sitting!

To Sit or Stand?

Most of us spend a significant portion of our day just sitting. Growing evidence suggests this may not be good for our health. Researchers in Australia attached an actigraph monitor to almost 700 participants for more than a week. They found 2 hours spent sitting each day was significantly associated with higher body mass, fasting plasma…

Should You Get a Height-Adjustable Desk?

Do height-adjustable workstations actually encourage people to stand more, and does standing translate to reduced risks? A review of five small studies comparing employees who used height-adjustable desks with those who did not failed to find any differences. The authors stated standing might be only marginally better than sitting and moderate to vigorous purposeful exercise…

Report Card on U.S. Health

The U.S. continues to lose ground on important measures of health when compared to other nations--in spite of spending the most per capita on healthcare in the world. The State of US Health, 1990-2010 reveals poor dietary and physical inactivity now surpass smoking as key factors in years of life lost prematurely. PositiveTip: Which way did…

FDA Acts to Curb Tobacco Industry Deception

For decades the tobacco industry has decieved the public about the risks of light and low-tar cigarettes as safer alternatives. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now taken action to require that any future health claims for tobacco products be supported by a wide range of sound evidence, benefit the public, and must be…

Water-pipe Smoking Similar to Effects of Cigarettes

Have you heard of water-pipe smoking (WPS)? Long-practiced in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, it is gaining popularity in western nations--especially among college students and young professionals. New York researchers conducted a meta-analysis of six studies and found that both WPS and cigarette smokers experienced similar declines in lung-function measurements. Israeli scientists have also…

To Drink or Not to Drink? – 3

In the last couple of posts we have been exploring the issue of moderate drinking. Is it really all it is cracked up to be? Alcohol certainly takes a huge toll on society. The case for moderate drinking has a large number of studies to support its benefits, too. Are there alternative explanations? Certainly!Last month…

To Drink or Not to Drink? – 2

Last week we looked at a summary of the impact of alcohol on society, families and individual health. The data is sobering, indeed. Why then do we hear so much about the health benefits of moderate alcohol use?In the scientific literature there is overwhelming evidence from prospective, observational studies that individuals who drink 1-2 drinks per…

To Drink or Not to Drink? – 1

The barrage of media attention to the purported benefits of moderate alcohol consumption continues uninterrupted. The current "balanced" view of alcohol use can be summarized as follows: