Restaurant Smoking Bans Decrease Teen Smoking

A recent study shows that restaurant smoking bans help to persuade teenagers not to become smokers. Teens who lived in towns with strict bans were 40 percent less likely to become regular smokers than teens that lived in communities without bans or that had weak bans. Smoking bans discourage tobacco use and sends out the message that smoking is not healthy. The ban also reduces the amount of smoke that teens are exposed to in public places.

Having a parent or close friend that smokes can be an influence as to whether or not a teenager experiments with cigarettes but strong bans in public places play a bigger role in whether a not the teen will develop a smoking habit. The study also found that the bans had a greater effect on younger teens than older teens.

Study Says Social People Get Fat and Worriers Lose WeightA new study from Japan finds that outgoing people are more at risk for being overweight and t

A new study from Japan finds that outgoing people are more at risk for being overweight and there is a link between weight, body mass index, and personality. The study is based on more than 30,000 people in northeastern Japan who were between the ages of 40 and 64. They were quizzed on their height and weight and given a personality test. The test concluded that outgoing men were 1.73 times more likely to be obese and outgoing women were 1.53 times more likely to be obese than people that were worriers.

Read More: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23092710-1702,00.html

Study Says Some People Could Smell Sounds and Colors

Researchers say that 1 out of 1,000 people have the ability to smell sounds and colors. They also say that all newborns have the ability to do this.

Read More: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/92698.php

Study Says CT Scans Raise Cancer Risks

A recent study claims that in a few decades, about 2 percent of all people with cancer in the United States might come from radiation from CT scans, which are used to diagnose medical problems. They say that children are more susceptible to the radiation given off by CT scanners and more likely to develop cancer from it. The risk of cancer from a single CT scan is small but it increases with each scan that is done in a person’s lifetime. MRI scans are a safer option that doesn’t expose people to radiation.

Knowing Your BMI Could Decrease Cancer Risk

A study says that knowing and keeping track of your BMI could help fight off colon cancer. The National Cancer Institute studied the health history of more than 200,000 women and found that 50 to 71 year old women who were a little overweight increased their chances of getting cancer by 29% as compared to lean women. Being moderately overweight increased risks by 31% and being obese increased risks by 49%. Fat cells produce and release hormones that could cause cancer cell growth.

Scientist Explain Reasons for Chocolate Cravings

A study has found there is a type of bacteria in the digestive system that craves chocolate. Everyone has microbes in their stomach but people who have chocolate cravings have different colonies of bacteria.

The study was done by finding 11 men who never ate chocolate and 11 men who ate chocolate everyday. All of the men wee healthy, not obese, and were fed the same foods for five days. The researchers examined the byproducts of their metabolism in their blood and urine and found that a dozen substances were different between the two groups. The amino acid glycine levels were higher in the men that ate chocolate. People who ate chocolate also had lower levels of bad cholesterol.

It is known that bacteria interact with what you eat and studies have shown that intestinal bacteria changes when people lose weight. Someday, some types of obesity will be able to be treated by changing the bacteria in the intestines and stomach.

Study Shows that Alcohol Increases Risk of Cancer

A recent study has show that alcohol can increase the chances of getting breast cancer in women. Studies have shown a link between drinking alcohol and breast cancer but they have yet to determine if certain types of alcohol is more dangerous than others.

The study analyzed the drinking habits of 70,033 women and asked them various questions during health exams between the years 1978 and 1985. By the year 2004, 2,829 of those women had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The study found that women who had one or two drinks a day increased their risk by 10 percent and women who had more than three drinks a day increased their risk by 30 percent.

Experts think that alcohol raises hormone levels in the blood to levels that could cause cancer. Doctors say that other factors, such as genetics, obesity, and age are more important factors that can raise the risk of breast cancer.

Study Says Video Games Cause Lower Grades

A recent study has show that video-game systems in dorms cause students to study less and have lower grade-point averages. A study done at the University of Western Ontario found that video-game systems in the dorms led to 40 minutes less time of studying and GPAs 0.241 points lower than average. The students participating in the study tracked their studying, sleeping, partying, working, gaming, and other activities. In the end they found that more studying equals higher grades.

Moldy Homes Can Cause Depression

A new health study links damp, moldy homes to depression. To conduct the study the World Health Organization went to thousands of homes and asked residents a series of questions. They asked if they had depressive symptoms, such as decreased appetite, low self-esteem, and sleeping problems. They visually checked each household and looked for spots on walls and ceilings that indicated mold. The study concluded that a how healthy and clean a home is can affect a person’s health and well being.

Left Handed Women Have Shorter Life Span

A study shows that women who are left-handed have a shorter life span due to cancer and cerebrovascular disease. The study showed that the women had a 40 percent higher risk of dying from any cause, a 70 percent greater risk of dying from cancer, and a 30 percent greater risk of dying from diseases from the circulatory system.