If you thought eating disorders were confined to teenage girls, young women, think again.
Men too are at risk of developing debilitating illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.
In fact, about 10 per cent of people suffering from eating disorders are male.
Psychologist from Eating Disorder says men of all shapes and sizes suffer from eating problems.
It is said that, there’s a stereotype of someone who would develop and eating disorder which is usually a middle-class Anglo-Saxon teenage girl.
But we see people from all walks of life with eating disorders, including men.
Goodness knows how many men have sub-clinical eating disorders or are not on the radar because of the secrecy or the shame they may feel.

MANOREXIA
Eating disorder can often stem from weight issues suffered during a man’s formative teenage years.
Men who bottle up their emotional problems rather than discussing them with a friend or loved one can feel a heightened sense of stress, and this can also trigger illnesses such as anorexia and bulimia.
While eating disorders vary from person to person, the general signs that someone is battling an eating disorder includes overeating, severe weight loss and depression.
“Weight loss, or some sort of fluctuation in weight, is a big indicator, along with changes in mood, particularly around meal time.
One thing to keep in mind with these sorts of behaviors is people would probably need to display a number of them to be at risk.
Studies also show that images of male underwear models with washboard stomachs and airbrushed hips may be contributing to a rise in eating disorders among men.
Recent studies show about 67 per cent of men were dissatisfied with their bodies.

WHAT TO DO
The best way to help someone battling an eating disorder is to talk to them about concerns for their health.
People should expect some sort of resistance. Often people with eating disorder are really ambivalent about recovery.
One advise is not to approach someone at meal time because it’s usually a very anxious time for them.
Eating disorders, for men and women, fall into three general categories:

ANOREXIA NERVOSA:
self starvation
BULIMIA NERVOSA:
binging and purging
OVER-EATING:
binging without the purging

Those men who believe they may have eating disorder should visit a doctor to discuss their concerns.

For more information visit www.edf.org.au
www.eatingdisorders.org.au or
www.thebutterflyfoundation.org.au

A diet in green veggies is healthy for you and planet. We all know vegetables are good for us. Now it seems that eating veggies are is also good for the environment. “Eating green” is as beneficial as “eating your greens”. Some facts that have emerged in recent years may encourage even keen carnivores to cut back their meat intake.
So why are vegetables-based diets better for the planet? For a start, research has found that it takes 15,000 litres of water to produce one kilogram of grain-fed beef. It’s also claimed that if all the grain used to feed cattle in the US were given to people worldwide, almost 800 million people could be fed. And a study by the National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science in Japan has shown that the production of one kilogram of beef causes more greenhouse gas emissions than driving car for three hours while you leave all the lights on at home.
Starting to feel guilty about popping into your mouth? Well, instead of rushing to the greengrocer, consider growing some of your own veggies.
Start with one of the super foods, such as broccoli. Broccoli is full of goodness – it contains no fat, is high in fiber, is a good source of folic acid and is high in vitamin C.
Researchers have found that the star component in broccoli is the phytochemical sulforaphane are found in sprouted broccoli and young shoots but sulforaphane is also found in mature broccoli, and other members of the Brassicaceace family contain it in smaller amounts. Commonly called brassicas, these include cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage and Asian greens.
Brassicas will grow during the cooler months. You can sow seed or buy seedlings from your local nursery. For the best results, give them a sunny position and rich, well-drained soil.

Below is an extract from 7 Things Your Doctor Forgot To Tell You by Authors Warren Sipser, a chiropractor, and his television presenter wife, Andi Lew. 7 Things include real-life stories and inspires the reader to make proactive health choices.

STRESS
There is an old saying from the ’60s: speed kills, and it applies not only to drugs but to driving and also lifestyle. The more stressed you allow yourself to become, the more you engage your sympathetic nervous system and adrenals, the higher your blood pressure, the more reactive your emotions, the shallower your breathing, and the less you appreciate life.
Stress also triggers the production of more cortisol, the so-called “stress chemical”, which causes your body to crave carbohydrates, turns more of the food you eat into stored fat, and deposits more of that fat around your waist and organs. If you have a stressful life, find ways to reduce or cope with it: meditation, massage, music, walks in nature, weekends away, time with friends, walking the dog or petting the cat, rewarding yourself with holidays and quality downtime.

REGULAR MEDICAL AND CHIROPRACTIC CHECKUPS
Remember that an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure – don’t “wait ’til it’s broke to fix it”. We have not yet adapted to walking fully upright, it’s still a relatively new evolutionary step, and regular spinal adjustments can have the most extraordinary benefits for your well-being. Not only can you avoid major physical complications, you will also increase your energy and vitality when all your systems are functioning optimally.

HYDRATION
You’ve been hearing this for years, why not just do it? Drink plenty of pure, fresh water every day – six to eight glasses is great. It help your cells to rid themselves of toxins, clear your eyes and skin, facilitate weight loss, and water is ph-neutral (neither acid nor alkaline), which is the optimal state for radiant health.

BREATHING
We all do it, but very few of us do it well. Most of us breathe shallowly, lifting our shoulders on the inhalation instead of extending our bellies (diaphragm), which results in “tight shoulder, loose abdomen” syndrome – exactly the opposite of what we want, which is “loose shoulder, firm abdomen”. When we’re hyper (excited), we tend to have long inhalation and short exhalations. When we’re hypo (depressed), we tend to have long exhalations and short inhalations.
Optimal health and energy derive from a balanced one-to-one breath, where the inhalations are deep and regular and of exactly the same length. Spend just three minutes a day in a fresh air environment, becoming aware of and re-educating your body’s breathing rhythms, and every part of you will benefit.

Old-fashioned cure-all bicarbonate soda can enhance performance, say scientists who claim to have proven what athletes – and their grannies have claimed for years.
Sports professionals say “soda-doping” can have a significant effect on endurance and speed.
A UK study found eight of nine swimmers who took the traditional cleaning agent baking soda cut 1.5 seconds from their 200m time.
Study leader Jonathan Folloland said: :Essentially, sodium bicarbonate is an alkali substance that increases the pH of the blood.
“This seems to reduce and offset the acidity produced in the muscles during intense, anaerobic exercise that produces lactic acid most quickly, such as fast running or swimming.”
Often taken for indigestion, sodium bicarbonate reduces acids, helping the body to deal with the acidic waste produced in exercise, that tires us.
But only the most proficient athletes would notice a difference. Given that it shaved seconds, not minutes, off performance time, it was hardly significant for those who take a leisurely few laps up and down the pool.
An American College of Sports Medicine study found that runners could also improve performance with baking soda.
But the substance – used before modern times as a household cleaning agent – can cause upset stomachs, and tastes foul.
It is not dangerous, but it tastes appalling. Only those who were very serious about sport should try the white powder, which may cause diarrhea.

MELBOURNE scientists have developed a drug that may prevent a condition responsible for up to 45% of all deaths in the Western world.

The drug’s potential is so great it could mark an end to dialysis for patients with kidney disease and reduce the need for organ transplants.

Scientists from the University of Melbourne, St Vincent’s Hospital and Bio21 Institute say the breakthrough could rival Ian Frazer’s cervical cancer vaccine in putting Australia on the world map of medical discoveries.

The drug works by preventing the spread of fibrosis – the irreversible scarring of vital organs that underpins many major killers such as kidney disease, heart failure, diabetes and lung and liver problems. As fibrosis advances, it causes such extensive damage that the organ shuts down, eventually resulting in death.

There is no available treatment that prevents or halts the spread of the condition and scientists internationally are racing to be the first to produce an antifibrotic drug.

The Melbourne discovery, named FT-11, has created such international excitement that the US Government has pledged up to $3 million to accelerate the drug to market – the first time such a grant has been awarded in Australia.

The Melbourne project has had a 100% success rate in trials on rats and will be trialled on about 30 Victorian patients within months.

The compound not only produces dramatic improvements but displays no side effects.

Scientists estimate the drug’s worldwide market would be worth up to $2 billion in the first year alone. It would also be a financial coup worth hundreds of millions of dollars for Melbourne University because it shares patent rights for the drug through Fibrotech Therapeutics.

Associate Professor Darren Kelly, who led the two-year quest to develop the drug, said: “This is the first drug of its kind in the world and the implications are enormous. If this comes to fruition, and we’re confident with the results so far … it would be up there with the cervical cancer vaccine (Gardasil), even bigger. It would be the biggest blockbuster since blood- pressure-lowering drugs.

The drug will initially be developed to treat people with kidney disease caused by diabetes. Fibrosis plays a key part in the progression of the disease, but the indications are that if patients were given the drug in the early stages, their condition would not worsen.

“This would basically mean taking one tablet a day rather than requiring eight hours of dialysis every few days,” Professor Kelly said.

Dr Tim Mathew, medical director of Kidney Health Australia, said fibrosis caused the majority of chronic kidney diseases. “There are currently 10,000 Australians on dialysis and life for them is very demanding. Any drug that could stop the onset of scarring to the kidney would be a major advance” Dr Mathew said.

The drug works by inhibiting the production of a protein that causes fibrosis. Importantly, the FT-11 compound has been developed to ensure that it prevents abnormal scar tissue but does not impair healthy scarring such as that formed following surgical procedures.

The drug could also be used to prevent diabetes.

Professor Kelly said that if clinical trials went as planned the drug would be available within eight to 10 years. The drug is being commercialised in collaboration with Melbourne Ventures.

Source: http://www.theage.com.au

Moisturizers used by millions of people every day may raise the risk and severity of skin cancer in those who were heavily exposed to sun as youngster.
A new study has found evidence that some skin creams accelerate the growth of the most common form of skin cancer – and increase the number and size of tumors.
In the tests, four products – Dermabase, Dermovan, Eucerin and Vanicream – were applied over four months to mice who had been exposed to UV light.
A dramatic increase was noted in the growth of skin cancers. The cancers were not melanoma, the deadliest kind.
Australian disease experts said the study was inconclusive.

So what do you think with the study? All I can say is that, if you keep on using moisturizer, just avoid prolong staying under the sun. And if your work required prolong exposure to UV rays, better to stop using moisturizer. It is absolutely better to have dry skin than to have cancer. Prevention is better than cure.

I think this is my first award here in this blog hehehehe. Thank you Sis Twinks for the kick ass. You’re truly a kick ass blogger.

Maybe they’ve got incredible, original content. Or they’re overflowing with creativity. Is it someone that helps you become a better blogger? Or a bloggy friend you know you can count on? Or maybe it’s someone who simply inspires you to be a better person… or someone else who sends you to the floor, laughing your ass off.

Whatever the reason may be, I’m sure you know at least a couple of bloggers that kick ass. Well… why not tell ‘em so?

LOVE ON ‘EM

• Choose 5 bloggers that you feel are “Kick Ass Bloggers”

• Let ‘em know in your post or via email, twitter or blog comments that they’ve received an award

• Share the love and link back to both the person who awarded you and back to www.mammadawg.com

• Hop on back to the Kick Ass Blogger Club HQ to sign Mr. Linky then pass it on!

Don’t forget to link up the person who nominated you for the Kick Ass Blogger Club. To grab the code for the image above, hop back to MammaDawg.com and sign up at Mr. Linky.

I nominate Marlene, Bill, Sam, Twerlyn, and Madz and Jayverlance.

Running can slow the aging process, according to the study conducted over two decades.
It was said that people over 50 who ran regularly suffered fewer disabilities, had a longer span of active life and reduced their risk of dying early compared to those who were inactive.
If you had to pick one thing to make people healthier as they age, it would be aerobic exercise.
The study tracked 538 people over 50 who ran several times a week since 1984 and compared them to non-runners.
As the subject aged, the health gap between the runners and non-runners widened, continuing even into their 90s.
According to an avid runner, the health benefits of exercise are greater than they thought.
He attributed this to runners having a leaner body mass and generally healthier habits.
But the other research suggested it was possible to be fat and healthy.
A study of 5440 people in New York found at least half of overweight adults have normal measures of heart health.
And being lean foes not necessarily protect people, either. Close to a quarter of normal-weight US adults in one study had a risk factors for heart disease or diabetes.

What can you say about those people especially women who go for surgery just to gain the perfection? Changing their looks and appearance? Some of you maybe will say, they are desperate! Wasting money for that nor even thinking of some people who suffer much because of poverty. Well, I have nothing against with people who undergo
cosmetic surgery because it’s their rights and that’s none of our business. Some people are bless or let’s just say they are capable of doing it. Most celebrities need it also to to make their career come more alive. There’s nothing bad in improving yourself? Some people wants a total confidence and maybe they want to experienced how to be pleasing in everyone’s sight.
It’s nice to be perfectly beautiful and if I will be given a chance to have cosmetic surgery, I wouldn’t say no! I mean I will think about it because for now, I am happy with what I have lol!. But always remember as I have mentioned before, cosmetic surgery is addicting. Once you found out the better outcome, you will for more. But if you have enough wealth to do it, just go but please mind to spend a single centavo for the people who are starving and very unfortunate. It’s one way of staying beautiful inside and out.

Genetics may determine whether you enjoy your first puff on a cigarette and whether you become addicted to nicotine.
Scientists from the University of Michigan said a gene variant was found more often in people who got a “buzz” from their first cigarette.
They were also more likely to become regular smokers.
The research could help develop anti-smoking drugs.
Scientists hoped to make it easier for people to quit smoking, or stop them starting, by cracking the genetic secrets of nicotine addiction.
The gene CHRNA5 has been highlighted by other studies into nicotine addiction and it could increase a smoker’s chances of developing lung cancer.
The research suggested that the gene’s influence began from the first puff. Genetic data was taken from 435 volunteers – some who were regular smokers and some who had tried cigarettes but weren’t currently smokers.
Regular smokers were far more likely to have the variant version to the gene and more likely to enjoy their first cigarette.
For people who have a certain genetic make-up, the initial physical reaction to smoking can play a significant role in determining what happens next.
If smoking is sustained, nicotine addiction can occur in a few days to a few months.
The finding of a genetic association with pleasurable early smoking experiences may help explain how people get addicted.
The study was interesting but any treatments based on the gene variant would be some way off.