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{{infobox disease |nameObesity |Image Obesity-waist_circumference.svg |Alt Three silhouettes depicting the outlines of a normal sized (left), overweight (middle), and obese person (right). |Caption Silhouettes and waist circumferences representing normal, overweight, and obese |DiseasesDB 9099 |ICD10 |ICD9 |MedlinePlus 003101 |OMIM 601665 |eMedicineSubj med |eMedicineTopic 1653 |MeshName Obesity |MeshNumber C23.888.144.699.500 | }}
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. People are considered as obese when their body mass index (BMI), a measurement obtained by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of the person's height in metres, exceeds 30?kg/m2.

Obesity increases the likelihood of various diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis and asthma. Obesity is most commonly caused by a combination of excessive food energy intake, lack of physical activity, and genetic susceptibility, although a few cases are caused primarily by genes, endocrine disorders, medications or psychiatric illness. Evidence to support the view that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism is limited; on average obese people have a greater energy expenditure than their thin counterparts due to the energy required to maintain an increased body mass.

Dieting and physical exercise are the mainstays of treatment for obesity. Diet quality can be improved by reducing the consumption of energy-dense foods such as those high in fat and sugars, and by increasing the intake of dietary fiber. Anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption together with a suitable diet. If diet, exercise and medication are not effective, a gastric balloon may assist with weight loss, or surgery may be performed to reduce stomach volume and/or bowel length, leading to earlier satiation and reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing prevalence in adults and children, and authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st?century. Obesity is stigmatized in much of the modern world (particularly in the Western world), though it was widely perceived as a symbol of wealth and fertility at other times in history, and still is in some parts of the world.

Classification

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health. It is defined by body mass index (BMI) and further evaluated in terms of fat distribution via the waist?hip ratio and total cardiovascular risk factors. BMI is closely related to both percentage body fat and total body fat.

In children, a healthy weight varies with age and sex. Obesity in children and adolescents is defined not as an absolute number, but in relation to a historical normal group, such that obesity is a BMI greater than the 95th?percentile. The reference data on which these percentiles were based date from 1963 to 1994, and thus have not been affected by the recent increases in weight.

BMI !! Classification
width=50% underweight
18.5?24.9 normal weight
25.0?29.9 overweight
30.0?34.9 class I obesity
35.0?39.9 class II obesity
? 40.0 ??class III obesity??

BMI is calculated by dividing the subject's mass by the square of his or her height, typically expressed either in metric or US "customary" units:

:Metric: BMI=kilograms/meters^2

:US customary and imperial: BMI=lb*703/in^2

where lb is the subject's weight in pounds and in is the subject's height in inches.

The most commonly used definitions, established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1997 and published in 2000, provide the values listed in the table at right.

Some modifications to the WHO definitions have been made by particular bodies. The surgical literature breaks down "class III" obesity into further categories whose exact values are still disputed.

  • Any BMI ? 35 or 40 is severe obesity
  • A BMI of ? 35 or 40?44.9 or 49.9 is morbid obesity
  • A BMI of ? 45 or 50 is super obesity
  • As Asian populations develop negative health consequences at a lower BMI than Caucasians, some nations have redefined obesity; the Japanese have defined obesity as any BMI greater than 25 while China uses a BMI of greater than 28.

    Effects on health

    Excessive body weight is associated with various diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis and asthma. As a result, obesity has been found to reduce life expectancy.

    Mortality

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    Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide. Large-scale American and European studies have found that mortality risk is lowest at a BMI of 20?25?kg/m2 in non-smokers and at 24?27?kg/m2 in current smokers, with risk increasing along with changes in either direction. A BMI above 32 has been associated with a doubled mortality rate among women over a 16-year period. In the United States obesity is estimated to cause an excess 111,909 to 365,000 deaths per year, while 1 million (7.7%) of deaths in the European are attributed to excess weight. On average, obesity reduces life expectancy by six to seven?years: a BMI of 30?35 reduces life expectancy by two to four?years, while severe obesity (BMI?>?40) reduces life expectancy by 10?years.

    Morbidity

    Obesity increases the risk of many physical and mental conditions. These comorbidities are most commonly shown in metabolic syndrome, a combination of medical disorders which includes: diabetes mellitus type 2, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and high triglyceride levels.

    Complications are either directly caused by obesity or indirectly related through mechanisms sharing a common cause such as a poor diet or a sedentary lifestyle. The strength of the link between obesity and specific conditions varies. One of the strongest is the link with type 2 diabetes. Excess body fat underlies 64% of cases of diabetes in men and 77% of cases in women.

    Health consequences fall into two broad categories: those attributable to the effects of increased fat mass (such as osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, social stigmatization) and those due to the increased number of fat cells (diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease). Increases in body fat alter the body's response to insulin, potentially leading to insulin resistance. Increased fat also creates a proinflammatory state, and a prothrombotic state.

    Survival paradox

    Although the negative health consequences of obesity in the general population are well supported by the available evidence, health outcomes in certain subgroups seem to be improved at an increased BMI, a phenomenon known as the obesity survival paradox. The paradox was first described in 1999 in overweight and obese people undergoing hemodialysis, and has subsequently been found in those with heart failure and peripheral artery disease (PAD).

    In people with heart failure, those with a BMI between 30.0 and 34.9 had lower mortality than those with a normal weight. This has been attributed to the fact that people often lose weight as they become progressively more ill. Similar findings have been made in other types of heart disease. People with class I obesity and heart disease do not have greater rates of further heart problems than people of normal weight who also have heart disease. In people with greater degrees of obesity, however, risk of further events is increased. Even after cardiac bypass surgery, no increase in mortality is seen in the overweight and obese. One study found that the improved survival could be explained by the more aggressive treatment obese people receive after a cardiac event. Another found that if one takes into account chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in those with PAD the benefit of obesity no longer exists.

    Causes

    At an individual level, a combination of excessive food energy intake and a lack of physical activity is thought to explain most cases of obesity. A limited number of cases are due primarily to genetics, medical reasons, or psychiatric illness. In contrast, increasing rates of obesity at a societal level are felt to be due to an easily accessible and palatable diet, increased reliance on cars, and mechanized manufacturing.

    A 2006 review identified ten other possible contributors to the recent increase of obesity: (1) insufficient sleep, (2) endocrine disruptors (environmental pollutants that interfere with lipid metabolism), (3) decreased variability in ambient temperature, (4) decreased rates of smoking, because smoking suppresses appetite, (5) increased use of medications that can cause weight gain (e.g., atypical antipsychotics), (6) proportional increases in ethnic and age groups that tend to be heavier, (7) pregnancy at a later age (which may cause susceptibility to obesity in children), (8) epigenetic risk factors passed on generationally, (9) natural selection for higher BMI, and (10) assortative mating leading to increased concentration of obesity risk factors (this would increase the number of obese people by increasing population variance in weight). While there is substantial evidence supporting the influence of these mechanisms on the increased prevalence of obesity, the evidence is still inconclusive, and the authors state that these are probably less influential than the ones discussed in the previous paragraph.

    Diet

    The per capita dietary energy supply varies markedly between different regions and countries. It has also changed significantly over time. From the early 1970s to the late 1990s the average calories available per person per day (the amount of food bought) increased in all parts of the world except Eastern Europe. The United States had the highest availability with 3,654?calories per person in 1996. This increased further in 2003 to 3,754. During the late 1990s Europeans had 3,394?calories per person, in the developing areas of Asia there were 2,648?calories per person, and in sub-Saharan Africa people had 2,176?calories per person. Total calorie consumption has been found to be related to obesity.

    The widespread availability of nutritional guidelines has done little to address the problems of overeating and poor dietary choice. From 1971 to 2000, obesity rates in the United States increased from 14.5% to 30.9%. During the same period, an increase occurred in the average amount of food energy consumed. For women, the average increase was 335?calories per day (1,542?calories in 1971 and 1,877?calories in 2004), while for men the average increase was 168?calories per day (2,450?calories in 1971 and 2,618?calories in 2004). Most of this extra food energy came from an increase in carbohydrate consumption rather than fat consumption. The primary sources of these extra carbohydrates are sweetened beverages, which now account for almost 25 percent of daily food energy in young adults in America, and potato chips. Consumption of sweetened drinks is believed to be contributing to the rising rates of obesity.

    As societies become increasingly reliant on energy-dense, big-portions, and fast-food meals, the association between fast-food consumption and obesity becomes more concerning. In the United States consumption of fast-food meals tripled and food energy intake from these meals quadrupled between 1977 and 1995.

    Agricultural policy and techniques in the United States and Europe have led to lower food prices. In the United States, subsidization of corn, soy, wheat, and rice through the U.S. farm bill has made the main sources of processed food cheap compared to fruits and vegetables.

    Obese people consistently under-report their food consumption as compared to people of normal weight. This is supported both by tests of people carried out in a calorimeter room and by direct observation.

    Sedentary lifestyle

    A sedentary lifestyle plays a significant role in obesity. Worldwide there has been a large shift towards less physically demanding work, and currently at least 60% of the world's population gets insufficient exercise. This is primarily due to increasing use of mechanized transportation and a greater prevalence of labor-saving technology in the home. In children, there appear to be declines in levels of physical activity due to less walking and physical education. World trends in active leisure time physical activity are less clear. The World Health Organization indicates people worldwide are taking up less active recreational pursuits, while a study from Finland found an increase and a study from the United States found leisure-time physical activity has not changed significantly.

    In both children and adults, there is an association between television viewing time and the risk of obesity. A review found 63 of 73 studies (86%) showed an increased rate of childhood obesity with increased media exposure, with rates increasing proportionally to time spent watching television.

    Genetics

    Like many other medical conditions, obesity is the result of an interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Polymorphisms in various genes controlling appetite and metabolism predispose to obesity when sufficient food energy present. As of 2006 more than 41 of these sites have been linked to the development of obesity when a favorable environment is present. People with two copies of the FTO gene (fat mass and obesity associated gene) has been found on average to weigh 3?4?kg more and have a 1.67-fold greater risk of obesity compared to those without the risk allele. The percentage of obesity that can be attributed to genetics varies, depending on the population examined, from 6% to 85%.

    Obesity is a major feature in several syndromes, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Cohen syndrome, and MOMO syndrome. (The term "non-syndromic obesity" is sometimes used to exclude these conditions.) In people with early-onset severe obesity (defined by an onset before 10?years of age and body mass index over three standard deviations above normal), 7% harbor a single point DNA mutation.

    Studies that have focused upon inheritance patterns rather than upon specific genes have found that 80% of the offspring of two obese parents were obese, in contrast to less than 10% of the offspring of two parents who were of normal weight.

    The thrifty gene hypothesis postulates that due to dietary scarcity during human evolution people are prone to obesity. Their ability to take advantage of rare periods of abundance by storing energy as fat would be advantageous during times of varying food availability, and individuals with greater adipose reserves would be more likely survive famine. This tendency to store fat, however, would be maladaptive in societies with stable food supplies. This theory has received various criticisms and other evolutionarily based theories such as the drifty gene hypothesis and the thrifty phenotype hypothesis have also been proposed.

    Other illnesses

    Certain physical and mental illnesses and the pharmaceutical substances used to treat them can increase risk of obesity. Medical illnesses that increase obesity risk include several rare genetic syndromes (listed above) as well as some congenital or acquired conditions: hypothyroidism, Cushing's syndrome, growth hormone deficiency, and the eating disorders: binge eating disorder and night eating syndrome. However, obesity is not regarded as a psychiatric disorder, and therefore is not listed in the DSM-IVR as a psychiatric illness. The risk of overweight and obesity is higher in patients with psychiatric disorders than in persons without psychiatric disorders.

    Certain medications may cause weight gain or changes in body composition; these include insulin, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, atypical antipsychotics, antidepressants, steroids, certain anticonvulsants (phenytoin and valproate), pizotifen, and some forms of hormonal contraception.

    Social determinants

    While genetic influences are important to understanding obesity, they cannot explain the current dramatic increase seen within specific countries or globally. Though it is accepted that energy consumption in excess of energy expenditure leads to obesity on an individual basis, the cause of the shifts in these two factors on the societal scale is much debated. There are a number of theories as to the cause but most believe it is a combination of various factors.

    The correlation between social class and BMI varies globally. A review in 1989 found that in developed countries women of a high social class were less likely to be obese. No significant differences were seen among men of different social classes. In the developing world, women, men, and children from high social classes had greater rates of obesity. An update of this review carried out in 2007 found the same relationships, but they were weaker. The decrease in strength of correlation was felt to be due to the effects of globalization. Among developed countries, levels of adult obesity, and percentage of teenage children who are overweight, are correlated with income inequality. A similar relationship is seen among US states: more adults, even in higher social classes, are obese in more unequal states.

    Many explanations have been put forth for associations between BMI and social class. It is thought that in developed countries, the wealthy are able to afford more nutritious food, they are under greater social pressure to remain slim, and have more opportunities along with greater expectations for physical fitness. In undeveloped countries the ability to afford food, high energy expenditure with physical labor, and cultural values favoring a larger body size are believed to contribute to the observed patterns. Attitudes toward body mass held by people in one's life may also play a role in obesity. A correlation in BMI changes over time has been found among friends, siblings, and spouses. Stress and perceived low social status appear to increase risk of obesity.

    Smoking has a significant effect on an individual's weight. Those who quit smoking gain an average of 4.4?kilograms (9.7?lb) for men and 5.0?kilograms (11.0?lb) for women over ten years. However, changing rates of smoking have had little effect on the overall rates of obesity.

    In the United States the number of children a person has is related to their risk of obesity. A woman's risk increases by 7% per child, while a man's risk increases by 4% per child. This could be partly explained by the fact that having dependent children decreases physical activity in Western parents.

    In the developing world urbanization is playing a role in increasing rate of obesity. In China overall rates of obesity are below 5%; however, in some cities rates of obesity are greater than 20%.

    Malnutrition in early life is believed to play a role in the rising rates of obesity in the developing world. Endocrine changes that occur during periods of malnutrition may promote the storage of fat once more food energy becomes available.

    Consistent with cognitive epidemiological data, numerous studies confirm that obesity is associated with cognitive deficits. Whether obesity causes cognitive deficits, or vice versa is unclear at present.

    Infectious agents

    The study of the effect of infectious agents on metabolism is still in its early stages. Gut flora has been shown to differ between lean and obese humans. There is an indication that gut flora in obese and lean individuals can affect the metabolic potential. This apparent alteration of the metabolic potential is believed to confer a greater capacity to harvest energy contributing to obesity. Whether these differences are the direct cause or the result of obesity has yet to be determined unequivocally.

    An association between viruses and obesity has been found in humans and several different animal species. The amount that these associations may have contributed to the rising rate of obesity is yet to be determined.

    Pathophysiology

    Flier summarizes the many possible pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of obesity. This field of research had been almost unapproached until leptin was discovered in 1994. Since this discovery, many other hormonal mechanisms have been elucidated that participate in the regulation of appetite and food intake, storage patterns of adipose tissue, and development of insulin resistance. Since leptin's discovery, ghrelin, insulin, orexin, PYY 3-36, cholecystokinin, adiponectin, as well as many other mediators have been studied. The adipokines are mediators produced by adipose tissue; their action is thought to modify many obesity-related diseases.

    Leptin and ghrelin are considered to be complementary in their influence on appetite, with ghrelin produced by the stomach modulating short-term appetitive control (i.e. to eat when the stomach is empty and to stop when the stomach is stretched). Leptin is produced by adipose tissue to signal fat storage reserves in the body, and mediates long-term appetitive controls (i.e. to eat more when fat storages are low and less when fat storages are high). Although administration of leptin may be effective in a small subset of obese individuals who are leptin deficient, most obese individuals are thought to be leptin resistant and have been found to have high levels of leptin. This resistance is thought to explain in part why administration of leptin has not been shown to be effective in suppressing appetite in most obese people.

    While leptin and ghrelin are produced peripherally, they control appetite through their actions on the central nervous system. In particular, they and other appetite-related hormones act on the hypothalamus, a region of the brain central to the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. There are several circuits within the hypothalamus that contribute to its role in integrating appetite, the melanocortin pathway being the most well understood. The circuit begins with an area of the hypothalamus, the arcuate nucleus, that has outputs to the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), the brain's feeding and satiety centers, respectively.

    The arcuate nucleus contains two distinct groups of neurons. The first group coexpresses neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and has stimulatory inputs to the LH and inhibitory inputs to the VMH. The second group coexpresses pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) and has stimulatory inputs to the VMH and inhibitory inputs to the LH. Consequently, NPY/AgRP neurons stimulate feeding and inhibit satiety, while POMC/CART neurons stimulate satiety and inhibit feeding. Both groups of arcuate nucleus neurons are regulated in part by leptin. Leptin inhibits the NPY/AgRP group while stimulating the POMC/CART group. Thus a deficiency in leptin signaling, either via leptin deficiency or leptin resistance, leads to overfeeding and may account for some genetic and acquired forms of obesity.

    Public health

    The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that overweight and obesity may soon replace more traditional public health concerns such as undernutrition and infectious diseases as the most significant cause of poor health. Obesity is a public health and policy problem because of its prevalence, costs, and health effects. Public health efforts seek to understand and correct the environmental factors responsible for the increasing prevalence of obesity in the population. Solutions look at changing the factors that cause excess food energy consumption and inhibit physical activity. Efforts include federally reimbursed meal programs in schools, limiting direct junk food marketing to children, and decreasing access to sugar-sweetened beverages in schools. When constructing urban environments, efforts have been made to increase access to parks and to develop pedestrian routes.

    Many countries and groups have published reports pertaining to obesity. In 1998 the first US Federal guidelines were published, titled "Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults: The Evidence Report". In 2006 the Canadian Obesity Network published the "Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) on the Management and Prevention of Obesity in Adults and Children". This is a comprehensive evidence-based guideline to address the management and prevention of overweight and obesity in adults and children.

    In 2004, the United Kingdom Royal College of Physicians, the Faculty of Public Health and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health released the report "Storing up Problems", which highlighted the growing problem of obesity in the UK. The same year, the House of Commons Health Select Committee published its "most comprehensive inquiry [...] ever undertaken" into the impact of obesity on health and society in the UK and possible approaches to the problem. In 2006, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued a guideline on the diagnosis and management of obesity, as well as policy implications for non-healthcare organizations such as local councils. A 2007 report produced by Sir Derek Wanless for the King's Fund warned that unless further action was taken, obesity had the capacity to cripple the National Health Service financially.

    Comprehensive approaches are being looked at to address the rising rates of obesity. The Obesity Policy Action (OPA) framework divides measure into 'upstream' policies, 'midstream' policies, 'downstream' policies. 'Upstream' policies look at changing society, 'midstream' policies try to alter individuals' behavior to prevent obesity, and 'downstream' policies try to treat currently afflicted people.

    Management

    The main treatment for obesity consists of dieting and physical exercise. Diet programs may produce weight loss over the short term, but maintaining this weight loss is frequently difficult and often requires making exercise and a lower food energy diet a permanent part of a person's lifestyle. Success rates of long-term weight loss maintenance with lifestyle changes are low, ranging from 2?20%. Dietary and lifestyle changes are effective in limiting excessive weight gain in pregnancy and improve outcomes for both the mother and the child.

    One medication, orlistat (Xenical), is current widely available and approved for long term use. Weight loss however is modest with an average of 2.9?kg (6.4?lb) at 1 to 4?years and there is little information on how these drugs affect longer-term complications of obesity. Its use is associated with high rates of gastrointestinal side effects and concerns have been raised about negative effects on the kidneys. Two other medications are also available. Lorcaserin (Belviq) results in an average 3.1?kg weight loss (3% of body mass) greater than placebo over a year. A combination of phentermine and topiramate (Qsymia) is also somewhat effective.

    The most effective treatment for obesity is bariatric surgery. Surgery for severe obesity is associated with long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality. One study found a weight loss of between 14% and 25% (depending on the type of procedure performed) at 10?years, and a 29% reduction in all cause mortality when compared to standard weight loss measures. However, due to its cost and the risk of complications, researchers are searching for other effective yet less invasive treatments.

    Epidemiology

    |alt=A map of the world with countries colored to reflect the percentage of men who are obese. Obese males and females have higher prevalence (above 30%) in the U.S. and some Middle Eastern and Oceanian countries, medium prevalence in the rest of North America and Europe, and lower prevalence (

    Before the 20th?century, obesity was rare; in 1997 the WHO formally recognized obesity as a global epidemic. As of 2005 the WHO estimates that at least 400?million adults (9.8%) are obese, with higher rates among women than men. The rate of obesity also increases with age at least up to 50 or 60?years old and severe obesity in the United States, Australia, and Canada is increasing faster than the overall rate of obesity.

    Once considered a problem only of high-income countries, obesity rates are rising worldwide and affecting both the developed and developing world. These increases have been felt most dramatically in urban settings. The only remaining region of the world where obesity is not common is sub-Saharan Africa.

    History

    Etymology

    Obesity is from the Latin obesitas, which means "stout, fat, or plump." ?sus is the past participle of edere (to eat), with ob (over) added to it. The Oxford English Dictionary documents its first usage in 1611 by Randle Cotgrave.

    Historical trends

    The Greeks were the first to recognize obesity as a medical disorder. Hippocrates wrote that "Corpulence is not only a disease itself, but the harbinger of others". The Indian surgeon Sushruta (6th century BCE) related obesity to diabetes and heart disorders. For most of human history mankind struggled with food scarcity. Obesity has thus historically been viewed as a sign of wealth and prosperity. It was common among high officials in Europe in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as well as in Ancient East Asian civilizations.

    With the onset of the industrial revolution it was realized that the military and economic might of nations were dependent on both the body size and strength of their soldiers and workers. Increasing the average body mass index from what is now considered underweight to what is now the normal range played a significant role in the development of industrialized societies. Height and weight thus both increased through the 19th?century in the developed world. During the 20th century, as populations reached their genetic potential for height, weight began increasing much more than height, resulting in obesity. In the 1950s increasing wealth in the developed world decreased child mortality, but as body weight increased heart and kidney disease became more common. During this time period insurance companies realized the connection between weight and life expectancy and increased premiums for the obese.

    Many cultures throughout history have viewed obesity as the result of a character flaw. The obesus or fat character in Greek comedy was a glutton and figure of mockery. During Christian times food was viewed as a gateway to the sins of sloth and lust. In modern Western culture, excess weight is often regarded as unattractive, and obesity is commonly associated with various negative stereotypes. People of all ages can face social stigmatization, and may be targeted by bullies or shunned by their peers. Obesity is once again a reason for discrimination.

    Public perceptions in Western society regarding healthy body weight differ from those regarding the weight that is considered ideal ?? and both have changed since the beginning of the 20th century. The weight that is viewed as an ideal has become lower since the 1920s. This is illustrated by the fact that the average height of Miss America pageant winners increased by 2% from 1922 to 1999, while their average weight decreased by 12%. On the other hand, people's views concerning healthy weight have changed in the opposite direction. In Britain the weight at which people considered themselves to be overweight was significantly higher in 2007 than in 1999. These changes are believed to be due to increasing rates of adiposity leading to increased acceptance of extra body fat as being normal.

    Obesity is still seen as a sign of wealth and well-being in many parts of Africa. This has become particularly common since the HIV epidemic began.

    The arts

    The first sculptural representations of the human body 20,000?35,000?years ago depict obese females. Some attribute the Venus figurines to the tendency to emphasize fertility while others feel they represent "fatness" in the people of the time. Corpulence is, however, absent in both Greek and Roman art, probably in keeping with their ideals regarding moderation. This continued through much of Christian European history, with only those of low socioeconomic status being depicted as obese.

    During the Renaissance some of the upper class began flaunting their large size, as can be seen in portraits of Henry the VIII and Alessandro del Borro. Rubens (1577?1640) regularly depicted full-bodied women in his pictures, from which derives the term Rubenesque. These women, however, still maintained the "hourglass" shape with its relationship to fertility. During the 19th?century, views on obesity changed in the Western world. After centuries of obesity being synonymous with wealth and social status, slimness began to be seen as the desirable standard.

    Society and culture

    Economic impact

    In addition to its health impacts, obesity leads to many problems including disadvantages in employment and increased business costs. These effects are felt by all levels of society from individuals, to corporations, to governments.

    In 2005, the medical costs attributable to obesity in the US were an estimated $190.2?billion or 20.6% of all medical expenditures, while the cost of obesity in Canada was estimated at CA$2 billion in 1997 (2.4% of total health costs). The total annual direct cost of overweight and obesity in Australia in 2005 was A$21 billion. Overweight and obese Australians also received A$35.6 billion in government subsidies. The estimate range for annual expenditures on diet products is $40?billion to $100?billion in the US alone.

    Obesity prevention programs have been found to reduce the cost of treating obesity-related disease. However, the longer people live, the more medical costs they incur. Researchers therefore conclude that reducing obesity may improve the public's health, but it is unlikely to reduce overall health spending.

    Obesity can lead to social stigmatization and disadvantages in employment. When compared to their normal weight counterparts, obese workers on average have higher rates of absenteeism from work and take more disability leave, thus increasing costs for employers and decreasing productivity. A study examining Duke University employees found that people with a BMI over 40 filed twice as many workers' compensation claims as those whose BMI was 18.5?24.9. They also had more than 12?times as many lost work days. The most common injuries in this group were due to falls and lifting, thus affecting the lower extremities, wrists or hands, and backs. The US state of Alabama Employees' Insurance Board approved a controversial plan to charge obese workers $25 per month if they do not take measures to reduce their weight and improve their health. These measures started in January 2010 and apply to those with a BMI of greater than 35?kg/m2 who fail to make improvements in their health after one year.

    Some research shows that obese people are less likely to be hired for a job and are less likely to be promoted. Obese people are also paid less than their non-obese counterparts for an equivalent job. Obese women on average make 6% less and obese men make 3% less.

    Specific industries, such as the airline, healthcare and food industries, have special concerns. Due to rising rates of obesity, airlines face higher fuel costs and pressures to increase seating width. In 2000, the extra weight of obese passengers cost airlines US$275?million. The healthcare industry has had to invest in special facilities for handling severely obese patients, including special lifting equipment and bariatric ambulances. Costs for restaurants are increased by litigation accusing them of causing obesity. In 2005 the US Congress discussed legislation to prevent civil law suits against the food industry in relation to obesity; however, it did not become law.

    Size acceptance

    The principal goal of the fat acceptance movement is to decrease discrimination against people who are overweight and obese. However, some in the movement are also attempting to challenge the established relationship between obesity and negative health outcomes.

    A number of organizations exist that promote the acceptance of obesity. They have increased in prominence in the latter half of the 20th?century. The US-based National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) was formed in 1969 and describes itself as a civil rights organization dedicated to ending size discrimination. However, fat activism remains a marginal movement.

    The International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) which was founded in 1997. It has more of a global orientation and describes its mission as promoting size acceptance and helping to end weight-based discrimination. These groups often argue for the recognition of obesity as a disability under the US Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The American legal system, however, has decided that the potential public health costs exceed the benefits of extending this anti-discrimination law to cover obesity.

    Childhood obesity

    The healthy BMI range varies with the age and sex of the child. Obesity in children and adolescents is defined as a BMI greater than the 95th?percentile. The reference data that these percentiles are based on is from 1963 to 1994 and thus has not been affected by the recent increases in rates of obesity. Because childhood obesity often persists into adulthood and is associated with numerous chronic illnesses, children who are obese are often tested for hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and fatty liver. Treatments used in children are primarily lifestyle interventions and behavioral techniques. In the United States, medications are not FDA approved for use in this age group.

    In other animals

    Obesity in pets is common in many countries. Rates of overweight and obesity in dogs in the United States range from 23% to 41% with about 5.1% obese. Rates of obesity in cats was slightly higher at 6.4%. In Australia the rate of obesity among dogs in a veterinary setting has been found to be 7.6%. The risk of obesity in dogs is related to whether or not their owners are obese; however, there is no similar correlation between cats and their owners.

    Notes

    ;References Jebb S. and Wells J. Measuring body composition in adults and children In: Kopelman P., Caterson I. An overview of obesity management In: Puhl R., Henderson K., and Brownell K. Social consequences of obesity In: Seidell JC. Epidemiology ? definition and classification of obesity In:

    Further reading

    Category:Bariatrics Category:Body shape Category:Nutrition ar:???? an:Obesidat ast:Obesid? az:K?kl?k bn:?????????? bjn:Awak lamak zh-min-nan:To?-kho? be:?????????? be-x-old:???????????? bg:???????????? bar:Iwagwichd bs:Gojaznost ca:Obesitat cs:Obezita sn:Kufuta da:Overv?gt de:Adipositas dv:???????? et:Rasvumus el:?????????? es:Obesidad eo:Trodiki?o eu:Gizentasun fa:???? fr:Ob?sit? ga:Murtall gl:Obesidade ko:??? hi:?????? hr:Pretilost id:Obesitas is:Offita it:Obesit? he:????? ??? ?????? jv:Obesitas kk:?????? sw:Kunona la:Obesitas lv:Aptauko?an?s lt:Nutukimas hu:Elh?z?s mk:???????? ml:????????? mr:????????? arz:??? ms:Obesiti my:??????????? nl:Obesitas ne:?????? new:??????? ja:?? no:Fedme nn:Overvekt oc:Obesitat pnb:????? pl:Oty?o?? pt:Obesidade ro:Obezitate qu:Wirakaray ru:???????? sa:??????? si:???????? simple:Obesity sk:Obezita sl:Debelost sr:????????? sh:Gojaznost fi:Ylipaino sv:Fetma tl:Katabaan ta:???? ?????? te:????? ???? th:??????? tr:Obezite uk:???????? ur:?????? vi:B?o ph? fiu-vro:Lihon?min? wa:Fornourixhaedje war:Pagkamatambok yi:???? zh-yue:? zh:???

    Source: http://article.wn.com/view/2012/10/19/Health_Care_Obesity_costs_employers_30_billion_per_year/

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    Sports briefs: Kittery Rec offering Celtics trip | SeacoastOnline.com

    Today's most viewed articles

    Kittery Rec offering trip to see Celtics in Boston

    The Kittery Recreation Department is taking registrations for a trip to see the Boston Celtics play the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, Jan. 2 in Boston.

    All registrations must be done at the Recreation Center at 120 Rogers Road.

    The trip is open to anyone. Scheduled departure is 5 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. game. Cost is $72 per person, which includes transportation.

    The deadline to purchase tickets is Dec. 3. A minimum number of tickets must be sold to run the trip.

    For more information, contact Jeremy Paul at (207) 439-3800.


    Turkey Trot registration open through Nov. 18

    Registration for the Seacoast Rotary Club's fourth annual Turkey Trot 5K road race is open at www.seacoastrotary.org.

    Held each year on Thanksgiving morning, the Turkey Trot provides a fun and relaxed race for individuals, families and walkers. Part of the Portsmouth Community Road Race Series, the 3.1-mile race starts at Peirce Island and finishes at Strawbery Banke. This year's race will be capped at 3,000 registrants and registration will close on Nov. 18.

    Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in each division as well as for the best costume.


    Spartans tryouts

    The Seacoast Spartans will hold tryouts for their travel basketball team at the New Heights gym on Campus Ave. in Portsmouth.

    Tryouts will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 23 and Friday, Nov. 2 at the following times: girls in grades 3-8, 6 to 7 p.m.; boys in grades 3-8, 7 to 8 p.m.


    Newfields clinic

    The sixth annual Newfields Youth Basketball Clinic will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Newfields Elementary School.

    The clinic, with a cost of $30, is open to all boys and girls in grades 1-6. Players will learn about shooting techniques, rebounding, passing, ball handling, offense and defense, and more. There will also be a free-throw contest with prizes for the winners.

    For more information, contact the Paul Memorial Library at 778-8169.


    Lacrosse tournament on Oct. 28

    Lighthouse Lacrosse and Seacoast United will be hosting a 7-on-7 lacrosse tournament on Sunday, Oct. 28. Girls will play in the morning and boys will play in the afternoon. Divisions are 4/5th, 6/7th, 8th, JV and Varsity. The tournament will be held at Seacoast United's Outdoor Complex in Epping. For more information, email lighthouselaxnh@gmail.org or visit www.lighthouselax.org.


    Portsmouth schools seeking coaches

    Portsmouth Middle School has the following openings for coaching positions: boys varsity basketball, boys JV basketball, girls varsity basketball and girls JV basketball.

    Portsmouth High School also has an opening for an assistant varsity swim coach.

    Please send a letter of interest to: Portsmouth High School, Attn. Rus Wilson, Athletic Director, 50 Andrew Jarvis Drive, Portsmouth, NH 03801.


    Turkey Trot registration open

    Registration for the Seacoast Rotary Club's fourth annual Turkey Trot 5K is open at www.seacoastrotary.org

    Held each year on Thanksgiving morning, the Turkey Trot provides a fun and relaxed race for individuals, families and walkers. Part of the Portsmouth Community Road Race Series, the 3.1-mile race starts at Peirce Island and finishes at Strawbery Banke. This year's race will be capped at 3,000 registrants and registration will close on Nov. 18.

    Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in each division as well as for the best costume.


    We reserve the right to remove any content at any time from this Community, including without limitation if it violates the Community Rules. We ask that you report content that you in good faith believe violates the above rules by clicking the Flag link next to the offending comment or fill out this form. New comments are only accepted for two weeks from the date of publication.

    Source: http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20121020-SPORTS-210200344

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    Historic Law Library in Jeopardy If City Can't Find New Site | KQED ...

    by Jennifer Gollan, The Bay Citizen

    Robert L. Ferris, an estate-planning attorney, says the documents he has accessed through the San Francisco Law Library have helped him handle cases for nearly two decades.

    But he might be on his own next year when the War Memorial Veterans Building, which houses the historic library, closes for renovation in May.

    ?The law library is a resource that I?ve relied on for years,? Ferris said. ?The reason my office is located where it is is because the courts are close and the library is close.?

    City and county officials are required to provide space for the library and fund its operation, but a new location has not been secured.

    Former State Bar President Jon Streeter is among more than 700 lawyers, legal groups, students, judges and others who sent a letter in May urging Mayor Ed Lee and county supervisors to find a new home for the library.

    ?It?s a tragedy because people who come to court without a lawyer often turn to law libraries to navigate through the court system,? Streeter said. ?It is not a matter of a stack of old dusty books being warehoused somewhere ? it is a matter of providing basic access to the courthouse to the public.?

    The law library was established more than 140 years ago as the first county law library in the state. The nonprofit is the only law library in San Francisco that provides free access to more than 90,000 volumes, as well as online legal references, such as Westlaw, LexisNexis and other legal databases.

    For the past 18 years, the library has been housed on the fourth floor of the grand 80-year-old Veterans Building, across Van Ness Avenue from City Hall. The Beaux Arts-style building is also home to the Herbst Theatre, exhibit spaces and meeting rooms.

    The library serves everyone from solo-practice attorneys chasing down arcane legal materials to citizens representing themselves. Reference librarians also help residents research divorce law, city permits, building codes, traffic and parking tickets, and other legal matters. The library receives about $1.4 million a year from fees paid by those filing civil cases in court.

    John Updike, the city?s acting real estate director, said the competitive real estate market has made it challenging to find a suitable site in the same area.

    ?It has been difficult to find a property to accommodate the weight of the books and a site that is close to the courthouses in the Civic Center area,? Updike said. ?It is always a challenge for the government to secure property in a fast-moving market.?

    Updike said the city has given library officials four new sites near the Civic Center to consider. He declined to provide details on the properties, citing the ongoing negotiations.

    ?We are working with the city to work out a solution for suitable quarters for the law library,? said Marcia R. Bell, director of the law library, which has eight full-time staff members.

    Planning and moving a library the size of the law library could take months, librarians say. For example, earlier this year, it took three months for the library to move out of its downtown branch on Market Street, which had roughly 30,000 volumes in its collection.

    Another complication: Two-thirds of the library?s collection is in storage in the basement of Brooks Hall under the Civic Center Plaza. That?s because the Veterans Building originally was designed as a temporary space that turned into a long-term arrangement. Library officials have tried to work out a solution with the city for a new space for the last 15 years, but nothing has materialized.

    Updike said city officials believe the current space was adequate for the last 15 years. But when the city secured funding in 2010 to renovate the Veterans Building, it started looking in earnest for a new site for the library.

    ?It would be nice if we had direction on this by the end of the year,? Updike said. ?It takes a while to move a library.?

    This story was produced by The Bay Citizen, a project of the Center for Investigative Reporting. Learn more at www.baycitizen.org.

    Source: http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2012/10/19/historic-law-library-in-jeopardy-if-city-can%E2%80%99t-find-new-site/

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    Movie review: Alex Cross | canada.com

    Featuring: Tyler Perry, Edward Burns, Matthew Fox

    Directed by: Rob Cohen

    Running time: 102 minutes

    Parental guidance: Violence, sexually suggestive scenesEveryone is allowed to reinvent herself. Even Tyler Perry.

    Two and a half stars out of five

    Ditching the oversized drag for a great big gun, the man who made Madea a household name, merely through repetition, explores his manly side in this new Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious) movie based on a novel by James Patterson.

    Taking the screen as titular character Alex Cross, a classic detective comics hero who can tell what you ate for breakfast just by looking at your socks, Perry recreates himself in the twin spirits of James Bond and Shaft ? with a little Sherlock Holmes in there for good measure.

    Cross is a family man who works for the Detroit Police Department and he?s one of the best. He and his buddy Tommy Kane (Edward Burns) have taken down some of the city?s worst criminals, so when the chief finds himself with a sticky murder on his hands, he calls in his top guns.

    We?ve seen what happened at the now-blood-stained luxury condo. We watched how a beautiful Asian woman and her girlfriends flirted with an unknown mixed martial arts fighter who bought his way into a cage match.

    The contender doesn?t talk much, but he really wants to get on the bill. When he warns his opponent not to hit him in the face, the crowd laughs because he?s half the size of the other man in the ring.

    Yet, the scrawny fella with the tattoos has that crazy look in his eye. We know he?s a feral animal. He thrashes his opponent and ruins his career with one twist of the arm. Then, he seduces the rich spectator, leads her on with sexual promises and promptly tortures her to death.

    The next sequence shows Cross and Tommy snapping on their latex gloves to poke around the crime scene, joking about who has to pick up the amputated thumb to activate the fingerprint scanner.

    The whole thing feels so cold and professional, but the killer soon brings an intimacy to the proceedings when he targets Tommy and Cross.

    We?re not quite sure why the killer decides to do this, other than he?s a madman with an ability to draw with charcoal in the style of Picasso, but it certainly ramps up the drama in a hurry ? and shakes off a certain amount of predictability by sacrificing central characters at the top of the reel.

    Before long, Cross has gone rogue and he?s on a vigilante mission to avenge his family.

    The chalk mark outline looks like any other detective thriller, and Alex Cross looks a lot like any other superhero, but this movie feels different and it?s in large part the result of the alchemy between Cohen?s slickness and Tyler?s folksy quality.

    Even with a suit and tie, Perry escapes the generic screen presence of most cop characters. A hulking man with a baby face, Perry can pull off the alpha male physicality required for the part. He can also make us believe he?s been raised by Nana Mama (Cicely Tyson), a no-nonsense matriarch who flaps her tea towel to make a point but never loses the sparkle of love in her eye.

    Aw.

    If it weren?t for the grotesque violence, ambient misogyny, references to sexual torture and the complete absence of any believable motive, this could have been a pretty decent round of action cinema because the bad guy is truly creepy.

    Thanks to Matthew Fox (Lost), ?Picasso? emerges as a formidable force of evil because he loves pain, and he enjoys watching others suffer.

    When he?s on screen plotting nasty things or hastily killing some curious onlooker for asking the wrong question, the movie has a good anchor bolt because we?re not sure what he?s going to do next.

    Alex isn?t as lucky, because good guys have to work within the rules ? even when they go rogue ? and they are bound to a moral framework.

    Against the backdrop of a crumbling Detroit, however, internal steel is allowed to rust because society feels that much closer to the abyss, and life seems that much more meaningless.

    This movie captures that emptiness, but almost by accident, because when it kills off important people, it?s barely noted. One female cop is sacrificed, and we barely get another mention of the tragedy, even though she had a rich backstory. It?s as though she didn?t really matter to anyone.

    Violence loses all of its cinematic power if we do not care about the victims. It?s just gore porn. Cohen certainly tends in this direction, but Perry does not. After wearing floral prints and offering lectures in Mama Madea?s morality to a generation of Americans, Perry embodies a latent conscience that he carries into Alex Cross ? albeit in a holster.

    The resulting clash of mood and feeling brings an edge to this otherwise formulaic exercise, but it also scrambles its brains. The movie never answers the questions it raises and leaves core emotional issues unresolved, or completely unaddressed.

    As a test of Perry?s masculine star power, Alex Cross does what it has to do ? from showing the actor in tank tops to lovemaking with the ladies. Yet, the scenes he shares with ?Nana Mama? have the most credibility ? even with bad dialogue ? because they play to Perry?s real potency, which unlike most male actors has nothing to do with guns or muscles, but a moral spine.

    Without this inherent goodness, Alex Cross would have been entirely unwatchable because it?s simply too dark, and too cavalier with horror. As it is, it?s a bit like Madea playing Rambo: Weird, but compelling enough for the duration.

    Source: http://o.canada.com/2012/10/19/alex-cross/

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    Bomb explodes during Beirut rush hour, killing at least eight

    BEIRUT (Reuters) - A huge car bomb exploded in central Beirut during rush hour on Friday, killing eight people, wounding about 80 and raising fears of renewed sectarian violence in a country still scarred from a long civil war.

    The explosion did not appear to target any political figure in Lebanon's divided community but it occurred at a time of heightened tension between Lebanese factions on opposite sides of the conflict in neighboring Syria.

    It ripped through the street where the office of the anti-Damascus Christian Phalange Party is located near Sassine Square in Ashrafiyeh, a mostly Christian area.

    Phalange leader Sami al-Gemayel, a staunch opponent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and a member of parliament, condemned the attack.

    "Let the state protect the citizens. We will not accept any procrastination in this matter, we cannot continue like that. We have been warning for a year. Enough," said Gemayel, whose brother was assassinated in November 2006.

    The war in Syria, which has killed 30,000 people in the past 19 months, has pitted mostly Sunni insurgents against Assad, who is from the Alawite sect linked to Shi'ite Islam.

    Lebanon's religious communities are divided between those supporting Assad and those backing the rebels trying to overthrow him.

    The blast occurred during rush hour, when many parents were picking up children from school, and sent black smoke billowing into the sky.

    Eight people were killed and at least 78 were wounded, the state news agency said, quoting civil defense officials.

    Several cars were destroyed and the front of a multi-storey building was badly damaged, with tangled wires and metal railings crashing to the ground.

    In the aftermath, residents ran about in panic looking for relatives while others helped carry the wounded to ambulances. Security forces blanketed the area.

    In scenes reminiscent of the dark days of Lebanon's civil war, ambulances ferried the wounded to several hospitals, where doctors, nurses and students waited for casualties at the doors. At one hospital, an elderly woman sat in the emergency room with blood staining her blouse.

    The hospitals put out an appeal for blood donations.

    An employee of a bank on the street pointed to the blown-out windows of his building.

    "Some people were wounded from my bank. I think it was a car bomb. The whole car jumped five floors into the air," he said.

    Michael Fish, 25, a British musician visiting Beirut, said he was in his hotel a street away when the explosion happened.

    "At first I thought it was an earthquake. It shook the whole hotel for a second. I ran down and started filming on my iPhone."

    Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in a statement the government was trying to find out who carried out the attack and said the perpetrators would be punished.

    The prospect that Syria's war might spread to Lebanon has worried many people here, and fighting broke out in February between supporters and opponents of Assad in the northern city of Tripoli.

    Syria has also played a major role in Lebanese politics, siding with different factions during the 1975-1990 civil war. It deployed troops in Beirut and parts of the country during the war and stayed until 2005.

    In Damascus, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoabie told reporters: "We condemn this terrorist explosion and all these explosions wherever they happen. Nothing justifies them."

    Tension between Sunnis, Shi'ites and Christians in Lebanon has continued after the civil war but has increased since the Syria conflict erupted.

    Sunni-Shi'te rivalry hit a peak when former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, a Sunni, was killed in 2005. Hariri supporters accused Syria and then Hezbollah of killing him - a charge they both deny. An international tribunal accused several Hezbollah members of involvement in the murder.

    Hezbollah's political opponents, who have for months accused it of aiding Assad's forces, have warned that its involvement in Syria could reignite the sectarian tension of the civil war.

    The last bombing in Beirut was in 2008 when three people were killed in an explosion which damaged a U.S. diplomatic car.

    (Reporting by Mariam Karouny, Oliver Holmes and Samia Nakhoul, Writing by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Jon Boyle)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/explosion-rocks-central-beirut-witnesses-120610495.html

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    Could Green Tea Help Fight Prostate Cancer? - Drugs.com MedNews

    THURSDAY Oct. 18, 2012 -- Six cups of green tea a day may slow the progression of prostate cancer, a new study suggests.

    The finding stems from research that showed prostate patients scheduled for a type of surgery known as a prostatectomy, where the prostate is removed, reduced their levels of some disease-associated inflammation by drinking lots of brewed green tea in the weeks preceding the operation. And that reduction in inflammation may inhibit tumor growth, the researchers suggested.

    Their results were to be presented Thursday at the American Association for Cancer Research's annual prevention conference in Anaheim, Calif.

    The notion that the polyphenol compounds found in green tea might have a protective effect against prostate cancer has yet to be confirmed outside a laboratory setting. However, this latest report builds on previous Italian research that suggested that consuming green tea extract may help lower the risk that a precancerous condition will develop into full-blown prostate cancer.

    And related research that was also presented at the cancer research conference suggested that the flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables may be associated with a lower risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.

    However, at least one urologist, Dr. Mark Soloway, chairman emeritus of urology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, pointed to the new study's limitations, and said it was too soon to say that green tea had any impact on prostate cancer.

    Scientific findings presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

    In this latest green tea study, men who drank the beverage for three to eight weeks prior to surgery experienced a noticeable drop in both serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations and PSA protein expression by the time they went under the knife. The fall-off in such telltale signs of disease was accompanied by reductions in both disease-linked inflammation and oxidative DNA damage, the study authors said.

    "To see this effect, you would need to drink a lot of green tea," stressed study author Susanne Henning, a registered dietician and adjunct professor with the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine. "Two cups a day is not going to help. In fact, we had our men drink six cups spread out all throughout the day, which I think was beneficial because green tea polyphenols are excreted very rapidly, so if you drink it that way you keep your levels up. And that seems to be the important factor in keeping the protection going."

    To explore the anti-cancer potential of green tea, the authors focused on 67 prostate cancer patients, all of whom were weeks away from surgery. About half the men were randomly assigned to a six-cup-a-day regimen of green tea leading up to surgery, while the others consumed water instead.

    The result: Blood and urine samples analyzed alongside tissue samples taken during surgery revealed that the green tea group fared significantly better on key signs of inflammation, PSA levels and expression and DNA damage.

    However, no notable difference was found between the two groups in terms of tumor cell growth.

    Henning stressed the need for more research on the potential green-tea/prostate cancer connection, and her team is currently planning new animal investigations involving combinations of green tea and other natural foods.

    While this research showed an association between green tea and prostate cancer, it did not prove a cause-and-effect link.

    "Actually, several food agents have been under investigation for their protective impact," she noted. "Lycopene and omega-3 fatty acids, for example. So, I would say that if you have cancer and you want to make a decision about all of this, then think of incorporating all of those as a part of a lifestyle change. I know that if I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I would try to change my lifestyle. And that would mean, in addition to eating lots of fruits and vegetables and trying to lose weight and exercising, that I would definitely drink green tea."

    The University of Miami's Soloway said that while drinking green tea probably does not have a downside, this "limited study" does not confirm its impact as a prostate cancer intervention.

    "[There's] not much solid data to prove it," he said. "This is a small study, and it would take a longer study with hundreds of patients to 'prove' its benefit."

    Soloway also noted that the jury is still out on whether inflammation even plays a significant role in cancer development. "It is very much a question," he said. "Not proven at all."

    But, he agreed that until larger studies come along to explore green tea's potential, "it might be worth giving it a shot."

    More information

    For more on prostate cancer risk, visit the American Cancer Society.

    Posted: October 2012


    Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

    Source: http://www.drugs.com/news/could-green-tea-help-fight-prostate-cancer-41002.html

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    Find Good Use For These Real Estate Buying Tipswith me ...

    Many homeowners worry about their property?s long-term value. They worry about whether the house will be worth more when they choose to sell in 20 or 30 years rather than going down in value. Here?s some tips on this subject.

    Never forget your primary goals while investing in property. Categorize your long-term and short-term goals. Don?t invest in any property that is irrelevant to your long-term or short-term goals. For a number of reasons, many real estate investors don?t focus on meeting their needs, and end up losing their investment.

    Even if your first offer is not accepted, keep hope that there may be methods to make the home more affordable. For instance, they may offer to pay the cost of new carpet, or cover some of the closing costs.

    Research a rental property thoroughly before buying it. If you are thinking about buying a rental property, don?t sign on the dotted line if you haven?t thoroughly reviewed at least two years worth of records. The reason behind this is so that you are sure that the individual who is selling you the property has provided you with the right information about what sort of income you can expect to receive from the property. A lender will probably also want to look at an income verification before issuing a loan to purchase the property.

    Get data on your local home market. Try sites like City-data.com to see foreclosed homes, housing backlogs, average time on market for your zip code, and median selling prices. Also, you should check out local employers, the unemployment rate, and average income level. Even if housing and employment trends aren?t positive, you still might want to consider buying a particular home if it is your dream home. This home might be the exception to the general trend in the area.

    If buying a home that has a beautiful view is important to you, be careful not to spend more than you should. It is somewhat common for people to pay far more than market value for a home that appeals to them, but they can not sell it for what they paid. If you love a home, for the view or otherwise, you might as well purchase it. Be sure not to pay a padded price though!

    If money will allow, don?t purchase a home that either faces or backs up to a busy roadway. These homes are less expensive, but they can be a horrible home to live in for many reasons. Although you may not mind the noise in this location, you will have a hard time reselling the house in the future.

    Make sure to look towards the future whenever you are in the market for a new house. If you are planning to stay in the house you are purchasing for several years, you should consider the location of the house in relation to your preferred school district in case you decide to have children.

    The tips that were laid out in this article will help you to navigate the home buying process in the easiest way possible. If you know what will happen, it will help immensely.

    Source: http://cannabismrsacure.letstalkaboutpot.com/find-good-use-for-these-real-estate-buying-tipswith-me/

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    Ravens LB Lewis 'designated to return'; Suggs back

    OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) ? Ray Lewis has been placed on injured reserve with the "designated to return" tag, which provides him the chance to play again this season.

    Lewis tore his right triceps in Sunday's game against Dallas. He was scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday.

    His return his season is unlikely, but by being designated to return, the 37-year-old is eligible to come back in six weeks.

    Coach John Harbaugh says, "We have no idea whether that time frame has anything to do with the injury, but there's an opportunity and we're going to keep the door open."

    The loss of Lewis was balanced somewhat by the return of linebacker Terrell Suggs, who practiced Wednesday for the first time this season. Suggs has been out with a torn right Achillies tendon.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ravens-lb-lewis-designated-return-suggs-back-165351854--nfl.html

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    APNewsBreak: Suspect's family shocked at NY plot

    DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) ? Just a few hours before he was arrested in an FBI sting operation, a Bangladeshi man accused of trying to blow up New York's Federal Reserve building calmly spoke via Skype with his parents back home and updated them on his studies, his family told The Associated Press.

    They were stunned Thursday morning to find out that the banker's son from a middle-class Dhaka neighborhood was accused of trying carry out a terror attack. They denied he could have been involved.

    "My son couldn't have done it," his father, Quazi Ahsanullah, said weeping.

    "My brother may have been a victim of a conspiracy," said Fariel Bilkis.

    The FBI arrested 21-year-old Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis on Wednesday after he tried to detonate a fake 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) car bomb, according to a criminal complaint.

    Prosecutors said Nafis traveled to the U.S. on a student visa in January to carry out an attack.

    Hours after his arrest, Bangladeshi detectives were at his family's three-story home in the Jatrabari neighborhood in south Dhaka.

    "We are just collecting details about Nafis from his family," one officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

    Nafis family said he was incapable of such actions and he went to America to study business administration, not to carry out any attack.

    Nafis was so timid, he couldn't even venture out onto the roof alone, his father said. "He used to take someone to go the roof at night. I can't believe he could be part of it (the plot)."

    "He is very gentle and devoted to his studies," he said, pointing to Nafis' time studying at the private North South University in Dhaka.

    However, Belal Ahmed, a spokesman for the university, said Nafis was a terrible student who was put on probation and threatened with expulsion if he didn't bring his grades up. Nafis eventually just stopped coming to school, Ahmed said.

    Ahsanullah said his son convinced him to send him to America to study, arguing that with a U.S. degree he had a better chance at success in Bangladesh.

    "I spent all my savings to send him to America," he said.

    Nafis attended Southeast Missouri State University during the spring semester, which ended in May, in pursuit of a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity, university spokeswoman Ann Hayes said. He requested a transfer of his records in July and the university complied, Hayes said, though she couldn't say where the records were sent.

    Mohammad Arif Akunjee, a childhood friend, said Nafis wanted to be a businessman.

    Just a few hours before his arrest, Nafis talked to his mother over Skype to update her on his plans, Bilkis said.

    "My brother told my mother that he was doing well in studies in the U.S. and was transferring to a college in New York," said his sister.

    Early Thursday, a relative living in Switzerland called to tell the family Nafis had been arrested.

    "We woke up with this terrible news. We just can't believe it," she said.

    Ahsanullah called on the government to "get my son back home."

    Bangladesh does not have the same record of involvement in global terrorism as Pakistan, with which it once formed a nation before winning its independence in 1971. At least one Bangladeshi was among those detained by the U.S. at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-suspects-family-shocked-ny-plot-133034746.html

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