The Psychological Impacts of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 2.6 million Americans identify as transgender, meaning their gender identity is different from the sex assigned to them at birth.

When transgender people seek medical therapy, they most commonly receive gender-affirming hormone therapy, which involves taking hormones to develop physical characteristics that better match their gender identity. Feminizing hormone therapy can trigger the development of breasts, help redistribute body fat to the hips and thighs, and lead to thinning of facial and body hair. Masculinizing hormone therapy can lead to a deeper voice, the redistribution of body fat away from hips and thighs, increased body and facial hair, increased muscle mass, and changes to the menstrual cycle.

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Is Coffee a Superfood?

It’s not an exaggeration to say that America runs on coffee—some 400 million cups a day, according to the most recent data from the National Coffee Association. That works out to about 9 pounds of coffee per person per year. [Read more…]

New Evidence on the Best Ways to Quit Smoking

We’ve known for decades that smoking leads to serious health problems including cancer, lung and heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Despite the health risks, quitting smoking is a significant challenge for most people because the nicotine in cigarettes is incredibly addictive.

A new systematic review published in the journal BMC Medicine takes a careful look at non-pharmacological interventions to help people quit smoking. [Read more…]

2 Easy Steps To Calm Down

For many people, hearing familiar Christmas jingles and seeing decorations galore in stores inspires happiness and excitement. But for others, the arrival of the holiday season can trigger feelings of apprehension, anxiety, and sometimes dread. [Read more…]

As You Age, Exercise Prevents Cognitive Decline

If you aren’t already convinced that exercise is the best way to improve health outcomes as you age, there is now even more evidence to bolster that case. [Read more…]

How Heat Waves Affect Your Ability to Think and Reason

Heat waves have rippled across North America this summer, leading to an increase in heat-related illness and deaths.

Unfortunately, the data gathered on heat illnesses and deaths in the U.S. are incomplete. But we know that last year, extreme heat killed more people in the U.S. than hurricanes, floods, lightning, or tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service. This year, we’re on track to exceed the number of deaths due to heat. [Read more…]

Spirituality Can Help Protect Mental Health

Nearly 70% of Americans identify with a specific religion, and another 25-to-30% consider themselves spiritual.

It turns out, that’s a good thing. A large and growing body of evidence demonstrates that spirituality is good for our mental health. [Read more…]

What We Know About Youth Mental Health Visits to the ER

Upset childIt’s well-established that youth mental health has suffered in recent years—with wide-ranging factors contributing to the problem including the proliferation of social media among young people and the isolation created by the COVID-19 pandemic. [Read more…]

Loneliness Harms Your Health

A broad new analysis published in the journal Nature Human Behavior demonstrates that social isolation and loneliness can lead to premature death. [Read more…]

The Mental-Health Benefits of Singing in a Choir

Singing is nearly ubiquitous in American society. From church choirs to America’s Got Talent, people love hearing voices singing in unison. Nearly 54 million Americans – including one in six adults – participate in choral groups, according to research funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. [Read more…]

Why Doctors Are Moving Away from BMI

If you’ve been to a doctor’s office or fitness center in recent years, you’ve likely had your Body Mass Index calculated. The BMI formula uses a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. The resulting number is classified into one of four categories: underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. These labels are prolific in the U.S. medical system. At one point, BMI classification was even used to establish eligibility for COVID vaccines. [Read more…]

The Link Between Food Insecurity and Binge Eating

Food insecurity—or not having access to enough quality food—is a significant risk factor for binge eating disorder, according to a new systematic review published earlier this year. [Read more…]

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