An obesity-prevention program tested in several Dutch schools was able to cut down teenagers' consumption of sugary sodas and curb body-fat gain.

The program, called Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers (DOiT), aimed to boost students' exercise levels and lower their intake of junk food and sugar-sweetened drinks. Students had 11 lessons on the topics, and schools were encouraged to increase gym classes and make cafeteria changes.

Over 20 months, students at 10 schools that ran the program reduced their soda intake. However, other benefits tended to slowly disappear after the program concluded; some positive effects seen at the eight-month mark -- like less weight gain around the waistline in boys -- had vanished by the 20-month point.

This suggests that school-based programs can be effective, but that they need to be kept up.

Nattokinase, an enzyme extracted from fermented soy, may reduce levels of compounds linked to blood clotting. This could cut the risk of heart disease in people who are at risk.

The enzyme reduced levels of blood clotting factors such as fibrinogen, factor VII, and factor VIII in 45 men and women, according to the results of a study.

Nattokinase supplements have been available in the U.S. for about five years, and for two years in Europe.

Do you want to make a good first impression?  Here’s how:

• Smile and lean toward others as they talk
• If you’re standing, keep your body fully facing the people you’re talking to
• Ask questions and follow up on people’s remarks; focus on opinions and feelings, not just facts
• Don’t interrupt
• Compliment others
• Try to find common experiences or interests
• Mention some vulnerabilities and laugh at yourself
• Draw others out and encourage people to join the conversation
• Put energy in your voice
• At least at the start, focus on positive comments, not criticisms or complaints
• Offer a variety of topics
• Share observations about everyday life
• Share your passions and interests
• Don’t dwell on the minutiae of your life, especially annoyances
• Remember that people give more weight to early information than to later information, so be your most charming at the beginning of the conversation
• Remember that most people are more eager to be found interesting, funny, or insightful than to be interested, amused, or informed by you

Equinox, which runs 48 U.S. gyms, and Town Sports International Holdings, the owner of the New York Sports Clubs, report an increase in gym attendance as consumers grappling with the recession seek to relieve their stress. What’s more, in a survey released last week, 84 percent of those polled said there is no better time than now to invest in their health.

With the unemployment rate at the highest in 25 years, consumers are taking fewer vacations and business trips, and spending less on entertainment, all of which can lead to more trips to the gym.

The gym and fitness-club market will likely grow 2.2 percent this year to $24.3 billion.

Pregnant women who took the popular epilepsy drug Valproate, which is also widely used to treat migraines, pain and psychiatric disorders, had children whose I.Q. scores were significantly lowered.

Valproate, which is sold generically and under the brand name Depakote, remains the second most popular antiseizure medication used for epilepsy. Earlier studies found that use during pregnancy also increased the risk of developmental delays and major malformations.

All epilepsy drugs may pose risks to pregnant women, but three-year-olds whose mothers had taken Valproate during pregnancy had I.Q. scores that were nine points lower, on average, than children whose mothers had taken a different antiseizure medication.

Fiber-rich bamboo shoots may improve cholesterol levels and improve bowel health, according to the results of a small study.

Supplementing your diet with bamboo shoots could result in reductions in your LDL cholesterol levels. Furthermore, it can significantly increase fecal volume and the number of bowel movements.

Fiber intake has been shown to benefit gastrointestinal health, glucose handling, heart health, cancer risk and satiety, but these benefits are dependent on the types of fiber present in foods. Eight percent of the fiber content of bamboo shoots is soluble, with the other 92 percent present as insoluble fiber. Most of the dietary fiber in the shoots is hemicellulose, cellulose, pectin, and lignin.

Jet lag could be caused by two groups of cells at the base of your brain falling out of synch.

Your body has a built-in time-keeping system known as a circadian rhythm. This system is partly governed by the cycle of day and night. Changing time zones, or working a late shift, can throw off your body's sense of timing because it changes the timing of your exposure to light.

Researchers found that in rats, the disruption occurs in two groups of brain cells. The groups are separate, but linked in a structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, below the hypothalamus at the base of your brain.

One group receives light information directly from the eyes and governs rhythms in tune with periods of light and dark. These neurons are synchronized with the deep sleep associated with physical fatigue. The other group is insensitive to changes in light, and is more closely tied to REM sleep. Usually, these two groups of neurons work together. But when the light-dark cycle shifts, it can throw them out of synch.

Quest Diagnostics, which operates medical testing labs, will pay $302 million for misleading marketing practices as part of a settlement with the federal government. Quest also entered into a nonprosecution agreement.

The case stemmed from marketing materials for a parathyroid hormone test.

The Justice Department said the settlement was one of the largest recoveries in a case involving a medical device. A Quest subsidiary inaccurately marketed unproven advantages to the Nichols Advantage Chemiluminescence Intact Parathyroid Hormone Immunoassay.

by Jonathan V. Wright, M.D.

(with thanks to Jennifer Berkowitz and the Fund for Personal Liberty)

You’ve been forced to pay Social “Security” taxes since you started working whether you wanted to or not. In return, you’ve been promised that when you retire, Social “Security” will pay you a small amount every month (an amount too small to be called “security”, but that’s a discussion for another time). But did you know that when you apply for Social “Security,” you’ll be refused -- yes, refused the right to your own money! -- unless you also sign up for Medicare (or, as I call it, “Mediocare”) Part A? (Part A is a hospital care program for those over 65).

When Congress created Social “Security” in the 1930s, Mediocare didn’t exist. And when the Mediocare program was created in the 1960s, there was no legal provision written to link the two programs. Yet little-known administrative policies adopted by los Federales in 1993 and strengthened in 2002 say that seniors can't refuse Mediocare, Part A coverage unless they forgo Social “Security” too -- even if they’ve paid Social “Security” taxes their entire working careers! Adding insult to injury, once you’re enrolled in “Mediocare,” the only way you can withdraw -- according to the bureaucracy’s edict -- is to repay all Social “Security” money you received, as well as any hospitalization benefits “Mediocare” may have paid on your behalf.

You might wonder why it matters. Why would you want to pay for your own hospitalization when you can get it for “free” through Mediocare, Part A -- especially when you’ve been forced to pay Mediocare taxes for all or most of your working career?

Perhaps the most important reason is the quality of care -- or more precisely, the lack of it -- “covered” by Mediocare.

Despite having paid thousands upon thousands in Mediocare taxes over the years, you’re only “allowed” to have the diagnostic and treatment procedures “approved” by los Federales. Anything else, even if it could save your life, isn’t “allowed.” If you’re “covered” by Mediocare, you’re not even supposed to go “outside the (Mediocare) system” for an “unapproved” diagnostic procedure or treatment -- even if you pay for it yourself! (Apparently, that’s how los Federales define “American freedom.”)

Another reason to consider not enrolling in Mediocare is the total lack of doctor-patient confidentiality. According to the Institute for Health Freedom, at least 600,000 individuals, institutions, and “entities” may be authorized by Mediocare bureaucrats to read any of your medical records kept in electronic form at any time -- without your knowledge or consent! And the recently enacted so-called “economic stimulus program” contains provisions that will make this lack of medical privacy situation even worse.

Keeping your freedom -- and your benefits!

Now, the good news: Five people have filed a lawsuit challenging these unconstitutional, illegal, and coercive policies.  They’re backed by the Fund for Personal Liberty, a 501(c)3 (tax-exempt) eligible organization, and represented by the law firm of Kent Masterson Brown, a well known health care and constitutional law specialist (and published Civil War historian). Known as Brian Hall et al v. Charles E. Johnson et al, the lawsuit seeks to permanently prohibit the Social Security Administration and Department of Health and Human Services from continuing the policies that force American citizens to participate in Mediocare, Part A (a supposedly “voluntary” program) in order to have some of their Social “Security” taxes returned as “benefits.”

The five plaintiffs allege that mandatory enrollment in Mediocare violates the Constitution, as well as the Social Security and Medicare Acts. They also state that the rules were put into place without proper “notice” and “comment,” as required by federal law.

The lawsuit is slowly making its way through the court system. Presiding Judge Rosemary Collyer (U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia) disappointingly denied the lead plaintiff’s request for a temporary restraining order barring the Department of Health and Human Services from forcing him into Mediocare. (The judge did, however, make it clear that this ruling has no bearing on the merits of the case.) Instead, she seemed to provide early indications that she might very well support the plaintiffs’ position, writing: “It is passing strange that SSA insists that all persons receiving Social Security retirement benefits, a federal program that is running out of money, also must be part of Medicare Part A, another federal program that overruns budgets.”

Not surprisingly, the government has filed a motion to dismiss the case. The plaintiffs, meanwhile, have asked the court -- on the basis of the overwhelming weight of the evidence on their side -- for summary judgment, which is a ruling in their favor without a trial.

The two sides will meet again in Judge Collyer’s courtroom on May 22nd. The plaintiffs and their legal counsel are confident they will eventually win their case, but they still have a long way to go.  While they are capable of paying their own medical bills, they unfortunately are not also capable of paying the mounting legal fees necessary to restore the freedom that all Americans over 65 had by right from 1783 through 1992 -- the freedom to pay their own hospital bills if they prefer to do so!

That’s where I’m hoping you will help!

Please consider supporting their courageous efforts to restore a part of health care freedom for all “free citizens” by sending a donation to the Fund for Personal Liberty, c/o Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006. Thank you!         

If you would like to learn more information about this important legal effort, visit www.medicarelawsuit.org.

Boys who swim frequently in swimming pools may be at increased risk of developing asthma. A new study of 6 to 12 year old boys found a significant association between the number of years a boy had been swimming and the likelihood of the child being wheezy in the past year.

The more years a boy had been attending an indoor chlorinated pool, the greater the likelihood of his having asthma.

Parents of some more than 120 boys were questioned about how often the boys went swimming in chlorinated indoor pools. The results showed most boys did so once a week.

A significant link was shown to exist between the number of years spent swimming and a diagnosis of asthma, as well as whether a boy had experienced wheezing in the previous 12 months.

Eating blueberries could help you get rid of belly fat, and a blueberry-enriched diet could stem the conditions that lead to diabetes.

New research gives tantalizing clues to the potential of blueberries in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. The effect is thought to be due to the high level of naturally occurring antioxidants called phytochemicals contained in blueberries.

Researchers studied the effect blueberries had when added to the diet of rats. After 90 days, rats that received a blueberry-enriched diet had less abdominal fat, lower triglycerides, lower cholesterol, and improved fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity.

Young women who use oral contraceptives may not get as much out of their weight-lifting routine as women who are not on the pill. A study suggests that oral contraceptive use impairs muscle gains from resistance exercise training in women.

For the study, 73 healthy women between the ages of 18 and 31 participated in whole-body resistance exercises three times a week for 10 weeks. About half of the women used oral contraceptives.

According to the researchers, there were marked differences in lean muscle mass gains between the two groups. Lean muscle increased by just 2.1 percent in oral contraceptive users, compared with 3.5 percent in those who did not use oral contraceptives.

The illegal use of injected silicone as an alternative to cosmetic surgery is on the rise.

An underground beauty industry uses injections of black-market, medical-grade silicone or industrial-grade silicone as a cheap, fast and easily accessible way to plump up breasts, buttocks and thighs. But silicone can migrate through the bloodstream, creating potentially fatal clots in the lungs, and it can also migrate through tissues, leading to ugly lumps and chronic pain

New York City’s poison control center has received three calls in the last 10 months from doctors who have treated patients injected with silicone. In the previous two years, there were only two such cases total.

There may be other cases that have gone unreported. Doctors are not legally obligated to report silicone poisoning or even death, and silicone is hard to detect through X-rays or CT scans.

Nationally, reports of buttock enhancement using silicone and similar thick liquids have surfaced throughout the U.S.  Silicone is not approved for injection into tissues at all.

According to a recent study, 75 percent of Americans do not get enough Vitamin D. A vitamin D deficiency can negatively impact immune function and cardiovascular health, and increase cancer risk.

Now, a nutritional sciences researcher has found that vitamin D deficiency is associated with inflammation, a negative response of the immune system, in healthy women. Increased concentrations of serum TNF-α, an inflammatory marker, were found in women who had insufficient vitamin D levels. This study is the first to find such a relationship in a healthy, non-diseased population.

This could explain the vitamin's role in the prevention and treatment of inflammatory diseases, including heart disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Hormonal changes and diminished sexual quality of life among obese men are related to the degree of obesity.

Previous studies have found that obesity is correlated to lower sperm count ,and can be associated with infertility. A recent study, however, was the first to examine whether obesity was biologically associated with an unsatisfying sex life.

They study found that lower testosterone levels and diminished ratings for sexual quality of life were correlated with increased BMI. However, subjects who lost weight experienced a reduction in estradiol levels, an increase in testosterone levels and an increase in ratings of sexual quality of life.

A new study suggests that sleep problems lead to increased pain and fatigue in cancer patients. Interventions aimed at trouble sleeping could improve both pain and fatigue in this patient population.

More than half of a sample of cancer patients reported having trouble sleeping, with 26 percent reporting moderate or severe trouble sleeping. Patients with moderate to severe trouble sleeping reported significantly more fatigue, pain and depressed mood.

The relationship between pain and sleep often has been assumed to be reciprocal -- pain causes lack of sleep, and then lack of sleep causes more pain. This study, however, showed that this model does not fit the data; the best fit was a model in which trouble sleeping is a one-way route to more pain.

Germany has banned the cultivation of GM corn, arguing that the corn breed MON 810 is dangerous for the environment. But that argument might not stand up in court, and Germany could face fines totaling millions of euros if Monsanto decides to challenge the prohibition.

Under the new regulations, the cultivation of MON 810, a GM corn produced by the Monsanto, will be prohibited in Germany. A clause in EU law allows individual countries to impose such bans. Environmental groups welcomed the ban, pointing out that numerous scientific studies demonstrated that GM corn was a danger to the environment.

However, it may be hard to prove conclusively that MON 810 damages the environment, which could enable Monsanto to win a court case opposing the ban. Monsanto has said that it would look as quickly as possible into whether it would begin legal proceedings.

MON 810 had been the only GM crop which could be grown in Germany. The plant produces a toxin to fight off a certain pest, the larvae of the corn borer moth. MON 810 is already banned in five other EU member states: Austria, Hungary, Greece, France and Luxembourg.

Over 1,500 farmers in the agricultural Indian state of Chattisgarh have committed suicide after being driven to debt by crop failure. The state was hit hard by falling water levels.

Bharatendu Prakash, of the Organic Farming Association of India, said that, "Farmers' suicides are increasing due to a vicious circle created by money lenders. They lure farmers to take money but when the crops fail, they are left with no option other than death."

Mr. Prakash added that the government needs to take up the cause of the poor farmers just as they fight for a strong economy.

If you want to get more organized, there are simple habits that you can develop over time that will get you to where you want to be. These are habits that you can apply to your work, your home, your hobbies, your life.

If your life is a mess, start with the first habit, and work your way down. Do it a little at a time, one area of your life at a time, one area of your home or office at a time. Work on a habit for a month or so, then move on to the next one.

1. Reduce before organizing. The mistake most people make when trying to organize is that it's too complicated. If you have a closet crammed full of stuff, you can buy a bunch of closet organizers, but in the end you'll still have a closet crammed full of stuff. The solution: reduce, eliminate, simplify. If you take your closet full of 100 things and throw out all but the 10 things you love and use, now you don't need a fancy closet organizer.

2. Write it down now, always. Instead of using your mind as storage for things you need to remember, write it down. Carry a small pocket notebook wherever you go, and write things down immediately. Then you can process the ideas and tasks later into a calendar or to-do list, so you don't forget.

3. Have one inbox & process. You actually need two inboxes -- one for home and one for work. But many people have many more than that; paper comes to their desk and lands in any number of places, phone messages get placed everywhere, notes to self are posted all over the place. Instead, have one inbox, and put all incoming stuff in there. Then, once a day (or once a week at home if that works better for you), process the inbox to empty.

4. A place for everything. Related to the above tip is to have a place for each item in your life. Where do your car keys go? You should have one place for them and you'll never lose them again. Where do your pens go? How about your magazines? The same concept applies to information: do you have one place where you put all your information? If not, try a personal wiki -- it's accessible from work and home, and you can create pages for each type of information in your life.

5. Put it away now. Most people have a habit of putting something on a table or counter top or on their desk with the intention of "putting it away later". Well, this is how things get messy and disorganized. Instead, put it away now -- in its home. It only takes a few seconds, and this one habit will save you a lot of cleaning and sorting and organizing later.

6. Clean as you go. Closely related to Habit 5, this habit is effective because it's much easier to clean things as you work or as you move through your day than to let them pile up and do a big cleaning session later. So if you're cooking, try to wash your dishes as you use them, and wipe the counter, instead of leaving a huge mess.

7. Develop routines & systems. If you've gotten everything uncluttered and organized, you might sit back and enjoy the pleasantness of it. Being organized and having a simplified working environment or home is tremendously satisfying. But the problem is that after a little while, things tend to start to get disorganized and cluttered again. You need to develop systems to keep your organization in place. All systems follow the same guidelines -- specific procedures and a routine that is done at a set interval. Once those systems are in place, you need to be vigilant about keeping them going, and then things will stay organized.

Pregnant women who took the popular epilepsy drug Valproate, which is also widely used to treat migraines, pain and psychiatric disorders, had children whose I.Q. scores were significantly lowered.

Valproate, which is sold generically and under the brand name Depakote, remains the second most popular antiseizure medication used for epilepsy. Earlier studies found that use during pregnancy also increased the risk of developmental delays and major malformations.

All epilepsy drugs may pose risks to pregnant women, but three-year-olds whose mothers had taken Valproate during pregnancy had I.Q. scores that were nine points lower, on average, than children whose mothers had taken a different antiseizure medication.

Equinox, which runs 48 U.S. gyms, and Town Sports International Holdings, the owner of the New York Sports Clubs, report an increase in gym attendance as consumers grappling with the recession seek to relieve their stress. What’s more, in a survey released last week, 84 percent of those polled said there is no better time than now to invest in their health.

With the unemployment rate at the highest in 25 years, consumers are taking fewer vacations and business trips, and spending less on entertainment, all of which can lead to more trips to the gym.

The gym and fitness-club market will likely grow 2.2 percent this year to $24.3 billion.

Do you want to make a good first impression?  Here’s how:

• Smile and lean toward others as they talk
• If you’re standing, keep your body fully facing the people you’re talking to
• Ask questions and follow up on people’s remarks; focus on opinions and feelings, not just facts
• Don’t interrupt
• Compliment others
• Try to find common experiences or interests
• Mention some vulnerabilities and laugh at yourself
• Draw others out and encourage people to join the conversation
• Put energy in your voice
• At least at the start, focus on positive comments, not criticisms or complaints
• Offer a variety of topics
• Share observations about everyday life
• Share your passions and interests
• Don’t dwell on the minutiae of your life, especially annoyances
• Remember that people give more weight to early information than to later information, so be your most charming at the beginning of the conversation
• Remember that most people are more eager to be found interesting, funny, or insightful than to be interested, amused, or informed by you

An obesity-prevention program tested in several Dutch schools was able to cut down teenagers' consumption of sugary sodas and curb body-fat gain.

The program, called Dutch Obesity Intervention in Teenagers (DOiT), aimed to boost students' exercise levels and lower their intake of junk food and sugar-sweetened drinks. Students had 11 lessons on the topics, and schools were encouraged to increase gym classes and make cafeteria changes.

Over 20 months, students at 10 schools that ran the program reduced their soda intake. However, other benefits tended to slowly disappear after the program concluded; some positive effects seen at the eight-month mark -- like less weight gain around the waistline in boys -- had vanished by the 20-month point.

This suggests that school-based programs can be effective, but that they need to be kept up.

Nattokinase, an enzyme extracted from fermented soy, may reduce levels of compounds linked to blood clotting. This could cut the risk of heart disease in people who are at risk.

The enzyme reduced levels of blood clotting factors such as fibrinogen, factor VII, and factor VIII in 45 men and women, according to the results of a study.

Nattokinase supplements have been available in the U.S. for about five years, and for two years in Europe.

Fiber-rich bamboo shoots may improve cholesterol levels and improve bowel health, according to the results of a small study.

Supplementing your diet with bamboo shoots could result in reductions in your LDL cholesterol levels. Furthermore, it can significantly increase fecal volume and the number of bowel movements.

Fiber intake has been shown to benefit gastrointestinal health, glucose handling, heart health, cancer risk and satiety, but these benefits are dependent on the types of fiber present in foods. Eight percent of the fiber content of bamboo shoots is soluble, with the other 92 percent present as insoluble fiber. Most of the dietary fiber in the shoots is hemicellulose, cellulose, pectin, and lignin.

Jet lag could be caused by two groups of cells at the base of your brain falling out of synch.

Your body has a built-in time-keeping system known as a circadian rhythm. This system is partly governed by the cycle of day and night. Changing time zones, or working a late shift, can throw off your body's sense of timing because it changes the timing of your exposure to light.

Researchers found that in rats, the disruption occurs in two groups of brain cells. The groups are separate, but linked in a structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, below the hypothalamus at the base of your brain.

One group receives light information directly from the eyes and governs rhythms in tune with periods of light and dark. These neurons are synchronized with the deep sleep associated with physical fatigue. The other group is insensitive to changes in light, and is more closely tied to REM sleep. Usually, these two groups of neurons work together. But when the light-dark cycle shifts, it can throw them out of synch.

Quest Diagnostics, which operates medical testing labs, will pay $302 million for misleading marketing practices as part of a settlement with the federal government. Quest also entered into a nonprosecution agreement.

The case stemmed from marketing materials for a parathyroid hormone test.

The Justice Department said the settlement was one of the largest recoveries in a case involving a medical device. A Quest subsidiary inaccurately marketed unproven advantages to the Nichols Advantage Chemiluminescence Intact Parathyroid Hormone Immunoassay.