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Archive for January, 2011

Gossiping and Your Self-Esteem

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 by:Jill Montag
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We’ve always been told that it’s not nice to gossip. Now a new study says it can actually have some positive benefits, at least for the person doing the gossiping. According to the findings, gossipers feel more supported, and positive gossip — praising somebody — may actually lead to a short-term boost in gossipers’ self-esteem.

Researchers at Staffordshire University in the United Kingdom instructed 160 participants to complete questionnaires relating to their tendency to gossip and measures of their social support, self-esteem and satisfaction with life. They found that higher levels of gossiping were associated with feelings of greater social support. 140 participants in a follow-up study were asked to talk about a fictional person positively or negatively. The researchers found that those who described the fictional character positively felt greater self-esteem than those who talked about them negatively.

The authors of the study say these findings suggest that some forms of gossiping — particularly the type where people praise others — could be associated with some desirable outcomes for the gossiper.

Walking for Couch Potatoes

Monday, January 10, 2011 by:Jill Montag
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This one’s for all of you who are more likely to be found vegging on the sofa than hitting the gym. A new study on what one researcher described as a group of “professional couch potatoes” has found that even moderate exercise can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat aging-associated declines in brain function and increase performance on cognitive tasks.

Researchers at the University of Illinois followed 65 previously sedentary adults aged 59-80 who joined a walking or stretching and toning group for a year. The researchers also measured brain activity in 32 younger (18- to 35-year-old) adults.

They looked at activity in brain regions that function together as networks, rather than focusing on specific brain structures. In general, as we age, the different networks become less connected. The researchers specifically looked at the default mode network (DMN), which dominates brain activity when a person is least engaged with the outside world – either observing something passively or simply daydreaming. A loss of coordination in the DMN is thought to be a common symptom of aging and can also be, in extreme cases, a marker of disease.

The researchers found that DMN connectivity was significantly improved in the brains of the older walkers at the end of the year, but not in the stretching and toning group. The walkers also had increased connectivity in parts of another brain circuit and did better on cognitive tests than their toning and stretching peers.

Previous studies have shown that aerobic exercise can enhance the function of brain structures, but this study proves that even moderate aerobic exercise also can improve the coordination of important brain networks.

Teenage Acne and Suicide

Thursday, January 6, 2011 by:Jill Montag
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Everyone knows that having acne as a teenager can be frustrating, embarrassing and downright annoying. According to new research it can also be dangerous for a teen’s mental health.

Researchers at the University of Oslo in Norway have found that teenage girls with severe acne are twice as likely to think about committing suicide, and boys three times as likely, compared to their peers with clear skin.

The investigation was based on answers to a questionnaire from 3,775 Norwegian young people aged 18-19. Fourteen percent of the respondents reported their acne was substantial.

In addition to contemplating suicide at times, the teens with severe acne were more than twice as likely to lack friends, 41 percent likelier to do poorly at school and 51 percent likelier to never have had sex.

 This study provides statistical evidence to back up anecdotes about the toll that acne takes on mental health.

Dads Get Depressed Too?

Tuesday, January 4, 2011 by:Jill Montag
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If you think depression after the birth of a baby only affects mothers, think again. New research estimates that about one-fifth of all fathers and over one-third of all mothers experience an episode of depression within the first 12 years of their child being born. The first year apparently has the highest risk.

Researchers from the Medical Research Council in London studied 86,957 families seen by general practice doctors in England between 1993 and 2007, focusing on occurrence, trends and correlates of parental depression. Using diagnostic codes and pharmacy records, they identified parents of both sexes with depression. During the child’s age of 0 to 12, the researchers found a depression rate of 7.53 per 100 mothers per year and 2.69 per 100 fathers per year. The highest rates were found during the first year of a child’s life, when 13.93 per 100 mothers and 3.56 per 100 fathers experienced depression. Interestingly, parents who were between 15 and 24 years old when the child was born and had a history of depression had a higher risk of depression compared to parents who were at least 25 years old when their child was born.

The authors of the study say these findings are not surprising given the potential stress associated with the birth of a baby. They urge doctors to work to detect depression among parents of both sexes.

High-Fat Diet during Puberty and Breast Cancer

Monday, January 3, 2011 by:Jill Montag
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Here’s even more motivation to pay attention to your daughter’s diet. According to a recent study, girls who eat a high-fat diet during puberty, even those who don’t become overweight or obese, may be at a greater risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

Researchers at Michigan State University’s Breast Cancer and Environment Research Center found through preliminary research in animals that a high-fat diet during puberty can lead to the production of inflammatory products in the mammary glands of adults, which can promote cancer growth. Because these inflammatory changes happen during puberty, a period of intense development and cell division, the effects can last a lifetime.

The implications of these findings – that a high-fat diet may have other detrimental effects that don’t have anything to do with obesity – could drive new cancer prevention efforts.

The team of researchers will continue looking into the impact of prenatal-to-adult environmental exposures that predispose women to breast cancer with a new $2.3 million federal grant.

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