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…]
Why It’s Important to Accept Negative Emotions
Daily life is full of low points for everyone. You may get frustrated after you step on the Legos that your kids carelessly left on the floor. You may get nervous about the speech you’re asked to give at your daughter’s wedding, or angry at the friend who ditched you for his new girlfriend. [Read more…]
The Science of Forgiveness and Why It’s Good For You
Unfortunately, injustice and wrongdoing are part of everyday life. Whether you experience someone cutting to the front of the line at the grocery store or you are the victim of a serious crime, transgression is a part of the human experience. [Read more…]
New Data Shows Distracted Driving Leads to More Accidents
More than 42,000 people died in traffic accidents in 2021, the most in 16 years, according to data released this month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
One of the contributing factors to this rise in deaths was an increase in impaired or distracted driving, which contributed to at least 3,500 traffic-related deaths. This number is likely underreported because distracted driving is difficult to identify during crash investigations. [Read more…]
Yoga Combats Frailty in Older Adults
More than half of adults in the U.S. over age 80 experience frailty, an increased health vulnerability that hampers their ability to cope with everyday life.
Frailty is a complex condition that involves a variety of physical and mental factors including walking, balance, cognitive impairment, and other chronic health problems. Frailty can reduce endurance levels, make it more difficult to live independently, reduce quality of life, and increase the risk of dying sooner. [Read more…]
The Secret to a Happy, Healthy Life
What makes a happy life? In some ways, this feels like one of the most important questions a person can ask.
To look for answers, researchers from Harvard University have been following two very different groups of men for more than 80 years—268 Harvard graduates and 456 men who grew up in inner-city Boston. This is the longest-running study ever of human life. Researchers were particularly interested in the social and psychological factors that impact health and well-being in later in life. [Read more…]
Does Inconsistent Sleep Lead to Heart Disease?
If you’ve ever cared for small children, worked a night shift, or stayed out late at a party, you know the feeling of going to bed much later than usual and sleeping in the next day. Sleep researchers call this phenomenon “social jet lag.” They have found it can lead to many negative consequences, including poor sleep quality, reduced cognitive performance, unhealthy eating patterns, depression, and anxiety.