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6 hours of TV per day could shorten life expectancy 5 years

Watching TV for an average of six hours a day could shorten your life expectancy by almost five years, indicates research in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The impact rivals that of other well known behavioral risk factors, such as smoking and lack of exercise, they say.

Sedentary behavior, as distinct from too little exercise, is associated with a higher risk of death, particularly from heart attack or stroke. Watching TV accounts for a substantial amount of sedentary activity, but its impact on life expectancy has not been assessed, say the authors.

Study you don't need to read: Binge drinkers have poor dietary habits

Excessive drinking and an unbalanced diet are two preventable contributors to health problems in the developed world but different studies have found varying linkages between amounts of alcohol consumed and quality of diet. A new study of adults in Spain has found that heavy drinking, binge drinking, a preference for spirits, and drinking alcohol at mealtimes were associated with a poor adherence to major food consumption guidelines.

Results will be published in the November 2011 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

1918 Redux: Could the Spanish flu devastate us again?

The last century has seen two major pandemics caused by the H1N1 virus — the Spanish Flu in 1918 and 2009's Swine Flu scare, which had thousands travelling with surgical masks and clamoring for vaccination. But scientists did not know what distinguished the Swine Flu from ordinary influenza in pigs or seasonal outbreaks in humans, giving it the power to travel extensively and infect large populations.

Women's quest for romance conflicts with scientific pursuits, study finds

Four new studies by researchers at the University at Buffalo have found that when a woman's goal is to be romantically desirable, she distances herself from academic majors and activities related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The studies, funded in part by the National Science Foundation, were undertaken to determine why women, who have made tremendous progress in education and the workplace over the past few decades, continue to be underrepresented at the highest levels of STEM.

Social contacts help men get jobs but not women

When it comes to finding a job, 'sometimes it's who you know' is common wisdom. But usually it is work experience that generally helps people foster the kinds of personal contacts that can lead to new career opportunities, not just social skill, and a new study from North Carolina State University shows that this is really only true for men. The study finds that work experience doesn't improve women's chances of finding a job through social contacts.

Out of the ivory tower - more politics needed from scientists, says biologist

Paul Ehrlich summed it up this way: "You often hear people say scientists should not be advocates. I think that is bull."

Ehrlich, the Bing Professor of Population Studies at Stanford, will be elaborating on that theme and several others when he speaks Thursday at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Austin, Texas.

'The idea that ecologists shouldn't be advocates, that they shouldn't be telling the public that what ecologists study is basically disappearing, is just nuts,' said Paul Ehrlich, Stanford professor of population studies.

Conservation buyout program works but it's expensive

Agriculture Secretary Vilsack's commitment to invest $100 million through the Wetlands Reserve Program to acquire permanent easements from landowners and assist with wetland restoration on nearly 24,000 acres of agricultural land in the Northern Everglades Watershed is a smart ecological and economic investment, according to conservation group Environmental Defense Fund, which also says maintaining funding for the Wetlands Reserve Program and other USDA conservation programs is critical.

"Involving

Muslims and health care attitudes

The perceived role of God in illness and recovery is a primary influence upon the health care beliefs and behaviors of American Muslims, a survey has discovered. Outreach and education efforts by the health care community can help address Muslim concerns and improve health care quality in this rapidly growing population, the report recommends.

For Millennial Men, Parental Opinion Counts More Than Spouses

Never heard of millenial men? Marketing people need to brand everyone so the Baby Boom was originally kids born after World War II but then became a whole generation of them.

Prejudice faced by nut allergy sufferers

Parents of nut-allergy sufferers face hostility and skepticism in trying to find safe environments for their children, a new study has found.

Researchers found that parents are routinely made to feel by friends and even family that their child’s nut allergy is a ‘frivolous and self indulgent fad invented and maintained by attention-seeking people.’

Children in the study described how they were bullied by classmates saying, “I’ve got nuts and I’m gonna touch you!”

Dear salesperson - we're not actually in a relationship

Note to salespeople - despite what you want to convey, shoppers don‟t really buy that they‟re in “relationships” with you — at least not the way we connote the word 'relationship', according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Modern marketing strategies tend to rely on “relationship marketing,” which assumes that sellers can develop bonds with buyers. This school of thought often draws upon theories from sociology and social psychology that explain close personal ties, like marriage, friendship, and parent-child relationships.

Lawson scientist presents joint pain treatment 2.0

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LONDON, ON – Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting roughly 10% of Canadians. This degradation of the joints is painful and crippling, especially when it affects the knee. Although there are viable OA treatment options, they are short-lived and can have serious side-effects. According to Lawson Health Research Institute's Dr. Robert Petrella, principal investigator in the COR1.0 study, the next generation of OA treatment has arrived.

Researchers prove direct link between immunoglobulinE and atherogenesis

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Boston, MA - There is an observed correlation between Immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels atherosclerosis, with twice amount of IgE present in patients with acute myocardial infarction as in patients with stable angina or without coronary heart disease (CHD). Guo-Ping Shi, DSc, Jing Wang, MD, PhD, and colleagues in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), have demonstrated the direct participation of IgE in atherogenesis in a mouse model. These findings appear in the August 8, 2011 issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Resistance training can help smokers quit?

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Smokers who regularly lifted weights more likely to quit smoking, sustain efforts
Pilot study is the first to examine role of resistance training in smoking cessation

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Resistance training, or weight lifting, can do more than just build muscle: it may also help smokers kick the habit, say researchers from The Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine.

Herbal remedies escape EU safety law

Many herbal remedies available over-the-counter in pharmacies and health food shops are still lacking important information needed for safe use, according to University of Leeds researchers.