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NEWS:
MU Researcher Studies Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs In Rural Schools
Since 1990, obesity rates in American children — particularly in rural and underserved areas — have skyrocketed due to a variety of factors, including more sedentary human behavior and an increase in food swamps, or communities with both limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables as well as excessive access to fast food.
In a recent study, Crystal Lim, a researcher and pediatric psychologist at the University of Missouri, and her team reviewed 72 obesity prevention programs that were implemented in rural elementary, middle and high schools from 1990 to 2020 across the United States, England and Australia to identify the strategies that worked best to help young people live healthier lifestyles. They found that programs that combine both nutrition and exercise components over an extended period of time had the most success in changing students’ daily behaviors.
The findings can help
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Early-Life Stress Can Disrupt Maturation Of Brain’s Reward Circuits, Promoting Disorders
A new brain connection discovered by University of California, Irvine researchers can explain how early-life stress and adversity trigger disrupted operation of the brain’s reward circuit, offering a new therapeutic target for treating mental illness. Impaired function of this circuit is thought to underlie several major disorders, such as depression, substance abuse and excessive risk-taking.
In an article recently published online in Nature Communications, Dr. Tallie Z. Baram, senior author and UCI Donald Bren Professor and Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Pediatrics, Neurology and Physiology & Biophysics, and Matt Birnie, lead author and a postdoctoral researcher, describe the cellular changes in the brain’s circuitry caused by exposure to adversity during childhood.
“We know that early-life stress impacts the brain, but until now, we didn’t know
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Low-Grade Inflammation May Cause Arterial Stiffness And Preclinical Atherosclerosis In Otherwise Healthy Adolescents
Early vascular damage and atherosclerosis in adolescents may be caused by low-grade inflammation, a paper published in the Journal of Applied Physiology concludes. The study was conducted in collaboration between the University of British Columbia in Canada, the University of Bristol in the UK, the University of Exeter in the UK, the University of Illinois in the US, and the University of Eastern Finland.
In adults, it is known that low-grade inflammation is a major cause of circulatory, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, and nervous system diseases and it can also get worse due to ageing and poor lifestyle habits. However, in healthy growing children and adolescents, it remains unclear whether low-grade inflammation contributes to premature vascular damage.
“Contrary to some earlier findings, we now know that premature inflammation-induced vascular damage in adolescents, such as highe
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ASHA, HLAA Urge Ear and Hearing Care for People of All Ages ThisWorld Hearing Day
With an estimated 48 million people living in the United States experiencing some degree of hearing loss, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) are joining forces this World Hearing Day to encourage the public to take action on their hearing health.
Recognized every March 3, World Hearing Day is a global day of awareness coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“World Hearing Day is a great time to remind people that hearing is an important part of overall health and wellness, and needs your attention,” said Barbara Kelley, executive director of HLAA. She adds, “Just like blood pressure, weight, and other health markers, hearing should be checked regularly, treated if necessary, and protected from damage. Whether or not you have a hearing loss, you should wear protection in noisy environments, and limit the
