Showing posts with label Studies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Studies. Show all posts

Aug 13, 2009

Speaking of Horn of Plenty

Another stupid study - August 10th, 2009, The US Food Stamp Program may make users fat, according to a new nationwide study that followed participants for 14 years. Researchers found that the average female user of food stamps had an increase in weight of 5.8 pounds.

In 2008 about 28 million people, or almost 1 in 11 residents, received benefits from the food stamp program in a given month.

This study compared nearly 4,000 survey participants who used food stamps with almost 6,000 survey participants who did not. They looked at Body Mass Index (BMI) and food stamp use among the participants from 1989 to 2002.

The study also found that people's weight increased faster when they were on food stamps than when they were not, and increased more, the longer they were in the program.

The researchers took into account income and a variety of other factors, including race and education, that may have also affected the weight of survey participants, outside of the use of food stamps. Even after the various controls, the link between food stamp use and higher weight remained clear, especially for women.

Male food stamp users, both white and black, did not have significantly higher BMIs than those not in the program.

Results showed BMI changed before, during and after they were on food stamps, but increased the most when participants were on food stamps. In addition, the study found the longer participants received food stamps, the fatter they became.

"Every way we looked at the data, it was clear that the use of food stamps was associated with weight gain," a researcher said. The study appears in the current issue of the journal Economics and Human Biology. Our government at work again, tax dollars to study a tax dollars program with ludicrous results. Do ya think it might be the food they buy with the stamps and not the stamps? Why not study how some people can remain on food stamps for 14 years? Hey, let's eliminate obesity, stop the free food stamp program!

Jul 30, 2009

To Drink or Not to Drink

That is the question. A study in Scotland of 6,000 working men, aged 35 to 64 from West and Central Scotland were tracked for 28 years, and yielded some interesting results. It didn't say, but it appears that a 'unit' is an ounce. According to the article, twenty one units of alcohol per week is the government’s recommended maximum weekly amount.

The results showed that men drinking over 22 units of alcohol a week had a 20% higher rate of admissions into acute care hospitals than non-drinkers, but low levels of alcohol consumption increased the number of days stayed in the hospital.

Those downing 22 or more weekly units had more admissions for respiratory illness, but they had the lowest rates of admission for coronary heart disease. Non-drinkers had the highest rates of admission for coronary heart disease.

The number of admissions for stroke started with a weekly tally of 15 units, and progressively increased the more weekly units were consumed.

Men drinking 22 or more units a week had more admissions for a mental health problem, but non-drinkers had a higher rate of admissions for mental ill health than those who drank between one and 14 units a week. Kind of reaffirms the old adage - all things in moderation.

Jul 21, 2009

Counting Calories

A study, started in 1989 involving rhesus monkeys has provided the first strong evidence that caloric restriction slows the aging process in primates.

A diet that's nutritionally adequate, but provides 30 percent fewer calories than normal has been shown to extend life span and delay the onset of age-related diseases in other animals, including flies, worms, and rodents. Because studies on primates take much longer, the benefits had not yet been demonstrated. Researchers at the National Primate Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison report in July 2009 that in rhesus monkeys that had a caloric restriction diet begun in adulthood reduces risk of the most common age-related conditions, like diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and brain atrophy, by 30 percent.

The research involved 76 monkeys, half of them on the diet. The 33 surviving monkeys have reached old age. Thirty-seven percent of the monkeys on a normal diet have died of age-related diseases, compared with just 13 percent of the monkeys on the restricted diet. Reminds me of the Jack Benny line when asked, "Your money or your life?". . . "I'm thinking about it."

Jul 18, 2009

Daily Sex is Good

Scientists studying infertility have determined that daily sex (or ejaculating daily) for seven days improves men’s sperm quality by reducing the amount of sperm DNA damage. The results of the study to determine whether or not men should refrain from sex for a few days before attempting to conceive with their partner were presented June 30 at the 25th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam.

The results showed 81% of men tested had an average 12% decrease in sperm DNA damage, while 19% had an average increase in damage of nearly 10%. The overall average for the whole group dropped by 8%, which is highly significant. Men have been saying more is better for years, now they have scientific proof.