Physical Activity News and Research

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Study finds teenage girls sit or lie down for 19 hours a day

A study undertaken by UL researchers has found that teenage girls spend an average of 19 hours a day either sitting or lying down. Some 111 girls aged between 15 and 18 years took part in the study which measured the time they spent sitting, standing or lying down using a small accelerometer device. The researchers found that although total sitting and lying time was the same between weekdays and weekends, on week-days the sitting time was accumulated in longer bouts, lasting 20 minutes or more. These long bouts of sitting were more frequent during school time.

6 Mar 2012

Video games do not adequately meet older adults' needs

Advances in technology have brought the video gaming experience closer to that of traditional physical games. Although systems, such as the Wii, that incorporate these features fly off the shelves, the increasingly complex technology may alienate certain segments of the population, including seniors.

6 Mar 2012

Health Impact Project announces awardees of 15 new grants

The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Pew Charitable Trusts, announced the awardees of 15 new grants today. Selected following a nationwide call for proposals, the grantees will conduct health impact assessments (HIAs), a type of study that looks at potential health impacts of policies and projects in other sectors.

5 Mar 2012

Maintaining healthy lifestyle from young adulthood linked with low CVD risk in middle age

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle from young adulthood into your 40s is strongly associated with low cardiovascular disease risk in middle age, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.

3 Mar 2012

Study shows decline in obesity rates among California school children

After years of increases in the rates of childhood obesity, a new UC Davis study shows that the increase slowed from 2003 to 2008 among California school children.

2 Mar 2012

1.3 million cancer deaths in 2012 in the EU: Report

New research released this Wednesday shows that almost 1.3 million people will die of cancer in the European Union this year, but death rates from the disease are on a steady decline.

1 Mar 2012

Exercise interventions increase physical activity levels in minority adults

Many leading causes of death are linked to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, including inadequate physical activity. Adults in minority populations have lower levels of physical activity and higher rates of preventable deaths, according to the Department of Health & Human Services. In a new study, University of Missouri researchers found that minority adults who received exercise interventions increased their physical activity levels.

1 Mar 2012

Physical activity and diet program in doctor's office may be effective for obese people

A physical activity and diet program implemented by health educators working in a doctor's office may be a more effective way to get obese people to lose abdominal fat than advice from a doctor alone, according to a study from Queen's University.

29 Feb 2012

Tips for people to ensure heart health

There's not just one way to ensure heart health. Instead, it takes a multifaceted approach that includes regular exercise, a balanced diet and other elements. But regardless of age, it is relatively easy to take steps that will contribute to heart - and overall - health.

29 Feb 2012

Active video games do not increase exercise in kids

Active video games have been promoted to help kids be more physically active. But a new study finds that having active video games in the home may not translate into more exercise.

28 Feb 2012

Behavioral intervention appears to reduce WC among obese patients

A physical activity and diet program implemented by health educators in physician offices appears to be associated with modest reductions in waist circumference among obese patients, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

28 Feb 2012

Collaborative study of physical activity patterns, eating habits in colorectal cancer patients

The five hospitals of Meridian Health, a System Partner of The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ), have joined forces with CINJ in offering a clinical research study that examines physical activity patterns and eating habits in colorectal cancer patients who have recently finished treatment.

27 Feb 2012

CINJ experts available to discuss importance of healthy diet and its role in cancer prevention

March is National Nutrition Month. "Get Your Plate in Shape" is the national theme for this year's month-long reminder that good nutrition is essential for your heath. Throughout the month, experts from The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) will be available to discuss the importance of a healthy diet and its role in cancer prevention.

27 Feb 2012

Statins may reduce risk of depression in patients with heart disease

Patients with heart disease who took cholesterol-lowering statins were significantly less likely to develop depression than those who did not, in a study by Mary Whooley, MD, a physician at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

27 Feb 2012

Physical activity keeps workers mentally fit

Obesity can be a dangerous risk to our physical health, but according to a Tel Aviv University researcher, avoiding the gym can also take a toll on our mental health, leading to depression and greater burnout rates at work.

24 Feb 2012

Some diets and diet pills may cause further kidney damage in overweight adults

With 1 in 5 overweight Americans suffering from chronic kidney disease, Cleveland Clinic researchers analyzed the nutritional and lifestyle habits of overweight adults, finding that their methods included diets and diet pills that may cause further kidney damage.

22 Feb 2012

Parental exposure to PFOA may increase risk of obesity in their daughters

The levels of the environmental pollutant perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) that mothers had in their blood during pregnancy increased the risk of obesity in their daughters at 20 years of age.

22 Feb 2012

Childhood Obesity celebrates second anniversary of Let's Move! initiative

Faith-based advocacy has been cited as a valuable tool in combating childhood obesity, but evidence is needed to support this assertion and to define how the link between advocacy and policy can contribute to promoting permanent lifestyle changes. This article is part of a special issue of the journal Childhood Obesity celebrating the second anniversary of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative.

22 Feb 2012

Foreign-born Hispanics in the U.S. might have lower risk of stroke

New research finds foreign-born Hispanics now living in the United States appear to be less likely to have a stroke compared to non-Hispanic white people.

22 Feb 2012

Series of studies on rising obesity rates among kids

New figures show that nearly a quarter of secondary school students are overweight or obese, and lifestyle and socio-economic status are implicated. The research was funded by Cancer Councils around Australia and the National Heart Foundation. A series of articles published in the Medical Journal of Australia draws attention to the challenges presented by overweight and obesity to people in a variety of age groups especially children.

21 Feb 2012