MedWorm Tags: binge

Best of Our Blogs: July 1, 2011

World of Psychology — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:10:08 +0100

Once I got to college, I began to love school. The feeling of working hard and then the instant gratification from all that hard work was awesome! One professor told me I’d be a professional student forever. Of course in the real world, you can work as hard as you want and still feel like you haven’t quite made it. And it’s not just your career, but that gnawing, frustrating feeling could also apply to friendships and romantic relationships too. I realized that the formulas that seem to work in school, working hard = A’s, just didn’t have a place in real life. Sometimes you could drive yourself crazy trying to force pieces of a puzzle that just didn’t go together. In the whole process of going to school and finally getting out of it, I realized it was�...

Can You Have Too Much Happiness?

World of Psychology — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:25:45 +0100

I can safely say that I think few of us struggle with having too much happiness. We turn to the happiness gurus to help us increase our happiness for a reason — who wouldn’t want to be happier? Pretty much all of us do. For many of us, the pursuit of happiness is not only something we’ve grown up on, it’s something we’ve come to expect as a right. I mean, it’s right there in the Declaration of Independence! But like everything in life, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. This includes the pursuit of happiness. Too much happiness can be just as detrimental in your life as not having enough. That’s the finding anyway of Gruber and her colleagues (2011), in a recent review of the happiness research. Let’s see what they had to say. Too Muc...

Bulimia Video

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:50:01 +0100

This is a key video about Bulimia from Face The Issue and narrated by Catherine Zeta-Jones.Catherine Zeta-Jones in Legend of ZorroThis is a quote from a sufferer of Bulimia.for the past week i keep binging..ive been on a diet now since about 4 months or so and ive lost [edit]… i was doing really good and i hardly ever binged maybe once in the whole time.. all of a sudden in the past 2 weeks ive binged (and then purged) about 6 times.. i dont know whats wrong with me.. i feel so out of control.. i hate purging i know not even half the food comes up and then i feel guilty im really scared to gain weight again, i promise myself i wont do it the next day and then i do.. i just want control over my mind again but it seems liek i cant get control of it.someone please help.. Share, print or...

Digital Detox Week: On (Sort Of) Staying Away From Technology

World of Psychology — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:51:34 +0100

Photo Credit: .:AR:. (Flickr) Happy Digital Detox Week! This week, I’m joining Adbusters in celebrating seven days away from technology — television, video games, and internet included. Wait. What was that last one? Did I just say “internet”? Yeah, internet. That internet thing…that thing that I’m on right now. Did I just out myself as a failure at my own little project? It’s only the third day of my week-long experiment and already I’m a hypocrite — but with good reason. Computers and the internet have invaded my life to such a great extent that I can’t completely disconnect. Not even if I wanted to. Here’s why: I work in an office. Every aspect of my day job, unfortunately, is performed in front of the big bright computer ...

Best of Our Blogs: February 1, 2011

World of Psychology — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:14:25 +0100

I have to say in some ways, 2011 has been uneventful. Maybe I was in need of a little mundane in my life after 2011 kick me in the butt. But while boredom is welcomed (Thank goodness for the sun! There’s no seasonal affective disorder on my end.), it can also be a sign of stagnation. Maybe we’re getting too comfortable in our relationships and in our jobs and have started to take for granted the everyday moments in our lives. If that sounds like you, keep reading. This week’s post are all about rethinking your life, transforming ordinary moments into extraordinary ones, analyzing your relationships and your body language. Basically, they are five posts to re-energize your 2011. If you’ve been feeling run-down, down and out, tired of the lack of sunlight, I think you...

Best of Our Blogs: January 21, 2011

World of Psychology — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 11:57:40 +0100

I often wonder how much of the world’s problems can be solved with a little bit of empathy. If you think about your own life and the mini-village it takes to run it, how much would it change if we learned to bring more compassion to ourselves and those in it? Would accepting our own mishaps help heal our own wounds and would listening, really listening to those around us, help them as well? It’s a question worth reflecting on. As we get more busy with stuff (our digital toys, job, family, our own problems), are we missing out on the opportunity to connect with those we love? It’s Friday, the end of another week. As we wind down with another list of our popular posts this week, I hope you take the time to think about compassion, presence, and empathy. Then, I hope you will...

Why Ruminating is Unhealthy and How to Stop

World of Psychology — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:06:31 +0100

Ruminating is like a record that’s stuck and keeps repeating the same lyrics. It’s replaying an argument with a friend in your mind. It’s retracing past mistakes. When people ruminate, they over-think or obsess about situations or life events, such as work or relationships. Research has shown that rumination is associated with a variety of negative consequences, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, binge-drinking and binge-eating. Why does rumination lead to such harmful results? For some people, drinking or binge-eating becomes a way to cope with life and drown out their ruminations, according to Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Ph.D, a psychologist and professor at Yale University. Not surprisingly, ruminating conjures up more negative thoughts. It becomes a cycle. ...

Don't Binge-Drink Through The Holidays, Says New York City

Genetics and Health — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:47:32 +0100

New York City’s new anti-binge drinking campaign wants you to “stop drinking before you stop thinking,” warning residents of the dangers of excessive drinking. Their posters feature men and women in compromising positions (slumped on the stoop of a dingy building; bloodied and bruised, presumably from a late-night bar fight), advising that two drinks ago, you wouldn’t have let this happen. Unfortunately, lots of holiday party-goers equate “two drinks ago” with “too sober to enjoy my evening,” knocking back egg nogs in order to knock out the stress of the season. We usually make it through without passing out on a stoop or getting into bloody altercations, but we’ve also had our fair share of hungover December mornings. Do you drink too ...

Tips for clearing snow and ice

Sciencebase Science Blog — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:00:09 +0100

It is legal to remove snow and ice from outside your property, pathways and public spaces as long as you do it considerately Start early – much easier to clear fresh, loose snow Don’t use hot water – it melts the snow, but replaces it with black ice Use table salt, rock salt, ash or sand to prevent ice forming but avoid spreading it on plants or grass Be a good neighbour and help anyone that may not be able to clear snow and ice from their own pathways If shovelling snow: Think about where you will put the snow so you don’t block paths or drainage channels Use a wide shovel Make a line down the middle of your path first, so you have a safe surface to walk on – then shovel the snow from the centre to the sides Use the sun to your advantage by removing the top laye...

Science snips

Sciencebase Science Blog — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:00:09 +0100

Yet more science news snippets from David Bradley Related Posts:Periodic Table of Science BloggersMicrobial BioremedySpectral LinesHappy New YearCassini-Huygens newsScience snips is a post from: Sciencebase Science Blog (Source: Sciencebase Science Blog)

---

Healthbolt — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 18:04:05 +0100

Hit Me Again: Binge drinking is a major public health problem. (via Betty Confidential) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt)

Strange Midnight Binges Haunt Sleep-Eaters

Sleep Education — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:17:00 +0100

(Source: Sleep Education)

Social Drinking: Is It In Your Genes?

Better Health — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:00:34 +0100

Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, published a very interesting paper focusing on the genetic background of social drinking. Specific gene variants might increase the risk for extensive alcohol use or abuse when spending time with heavy-drinking peers. An excerpt from Medical News Today: Drinking alcohol increases levels of dopamine –- a brain chemical that causes pleasure and makes us feel good. The dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) has been shown to be involved in motivation of seeking out rewards. Research has suggested that carrying a specific form (or variant) of this gene –- one that includes seven or more repeats of a certain section of the gene –- may be associated with craving caused by alcohol-related cues. Psychological scientist ...

Underage Binge Drinking Causes July 4 Spike in ER Visits

Inside Surgery — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:52:03 +0100

In a yearly ritual that is no surprise to trauma and emergency room physicians, visits to the emergency room fueled by binge-drinking, alcohol-soaked minors doubles over the July 4 weekend (Source: Inside Surgery)

Alcohol Addiction

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:50:00 +0100

Where does one draw the line between being a social drinker and having an alcohol addiction? For many people, the lines aren’t always so clear, especially when everyone around them seems to be binge drinking, drinking on a daily basis or glamorizing alcohol use. Social drinking can easily progress into a psychological, or even physical, dependence over time, as it becomes habitually ingrained in our behavioral patterns. Suddenly, we drink to be more interesting, drink to make others more interesting, drink for courage in social settings, drink to give ourselves a boost of energy, or drink to cover up negative feelings like pain, depression or anxiety. Prior to an addiction to alcohol, there is generally a prolonged time period when the social drinker finds that he or she is drinking more...

Pfizer Sued Over Pill For Sex & Gambling Addictions

Pharmalot — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:04:24 +0100

More than 100 people who claim they developed gambling and pornography habits after taking drugs used to treat tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease have filed a class-action lawsuitin Australia against Pfizer as well as Aspen Pharmacare, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Some of the plaintiffs claim they lost hundreds of thousands of dollars and suffered family breakdowns thanks to the compulsive behavior allegedly linked to the pills. Most developed gambling addictions but a few exhibited compulsive sexual behaviour such as looking at pornography on the Internet, the paper continues. The lawsuit claims Pfizer, which sold Cabaser, and Aspen, which sold Permax, failed to provide adequate warnings of increased risk of compulsive disorders. This is by no means the first time such liti...

Stages of an Eating Disorder

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:17:02 +0100

Researchers propose a model of development whereby a person moves from voluntary dieting through a number of stages to reach a fully entrenched eating disorder. Stage 1: Normal, voluntary dieting behaviour. Unfortunately dieting behaviours have become the “norm”, with 47% of people in Australia having tried to lose weight in the past twelve months. 68% of fifteen year old girls are dieting at any one time, 8% of these are on a severe diet. While these diets are severe enough to be considered an eating disorder, they are unhealthy and result in rapid weight changes, disrupted metabolism, dehydration, low energy and lack of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Stage 1B: (in Bulimia Nervosa only). The hunger associated with dieting and restriction leads to severe and con...

Which Drugs Are Linked To Compulsive Behaviors?

Pharmalot — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:06:44 +0100

A study of more than 3,000 Parkinson’s disease patients confirms earlier findings that those given GlaxoSmithKline’s Requip or Boehringer Ingelheim’s Mirapex were more likely to develop impulse control disorders, such as pathological gambling, compulsive shopping, compulsive sex or binge eating, according to a report in the Archives of Neurology (see the abstract). The disorders were identified in 13.6 percent of patients, including gambling in 5 percent, compulsive sexual behavior in 3.5 percent, compulsive buying in 5.7 percent, binge eating in 4.3 percent and two or more disorders in 3.9 percent. The disorders were more common in individuals taking the drugs, known as dopamine agonists, compared with patients who were not 17.1 percent vs. 6.9 percent. There have been l...

Study: Sleep-starved nights may fuel binge eating

Sleep Education — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:24:00 +0100

(Source: Sleep Education)

Alcohol Brief Intervention in Primary Practice

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 23:39:20 +0100

Are Brief Alcohol Interventions Likely to be Effective in Routine Primary Care Practice? A number of meta-analyses have demonstrated the modest efficacy of brief interventions (BI) for nondependent unhealthy alcohol use in primary care settings. Whether this level of efficacy can be expected when BIs are delivered outside of research studies in not known. This systematic review identified 22 randomized trials including over 5800 patients. Investigators classified the trials on a spectrum from tightly controlled (efficacy design) to real world (effectiveness design) studies. The scale considered whether patients presented to health care with a range of conditions, whether practices delivered a full range of medical services, whether practitioners routinely worked in the service rather than ...

Bulimia Video

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:33:26 +0100

This is a key video about Bulimia from Face The Issue and narrated by Catherine Zeta-Jones. Catherine Zeta-Jones in Legend of Zorro This is a quote from a sufferer of Bulimia. for the past week i keep binging.. ive been on a diet now since about 4 months or so and ive lost [edit]… i was doing really good and i hardly ever binged maybe once in the whole time.. all of a sudden in the past 2 weeks ive binged (and then purged) about 6 times.. i dont know whats wrong with me.. i feel so out of control.. i hate purging i know not even half the food comes up and then i feel guilty im really scared to gain weight again, i promise myself i wont do it the next day and then i do.. i just want control over my mind again but it seems liek i cant get control of it. someone please help.. Alcoholis...

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2010

World of Psychology — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:31:57 +0100

Eating disorders affect five times as many people as schizophrenia, and twice as many people who have Alzheimer’s disease. And yet Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia regularly make the news and research headlines, while eating disorders are relegated to the equivalent of the back pages of the public’s interest in mental health. Sadly, eating disorders receive significantly less research funding than either schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s, for no good reason. People with an eating disorder no more “ask for it” than someone “asks” for schizophrenia. Yet schizophrenia received $350 million in research funding in 2005, while eating disorders received less than 10 percent of that amount. We clearly have a lot of work to do. Somewhere between 3 to 4 percen...

Anorexia Nervosa

Inside Surgery — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:38:05 +0100

Pathophysiology severe disturbance of caloric intake with refusal to maintain an adequate body weight Signs and Symptoms 1) self-starvation and over concern with body weight and shape 2) binge eating and purging 3) weight < 85% of normal 4) fear that weight will get out of control with even small caloric intake 5) distorted body image (patients see themselves as fat even when emaciated) 6) lack of menses 7) acrocyanosis of digits cold intolerance 9) hypothermia 10) self-induced vomiting 11) decreased cardiac output 12) cardiac failure 13) bradycardia 14) enlarged salivary glands 15) dental erosion 16) edema 17) lanugo (soft downy hair on body) 18) onset usually in mid to late adolescence Characteristic Test Findings Laboratory – 1) hypoglycemia 2) decreased estrogen 3) increased T4 ...

A Review of the DSM-5 Draft

World of Psychology — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:22:23 +0100

The new DSM-5 draft is out (and it appears the APA is finally dropping the silly roman numeral designations). Analysis is starting to pour in from around the country about the ramifications of the new diagnoses and proposed changes. To start with, however, I want to congratulate the American Psychiatric Association for reaching this milestone and embracing the ability for the public to comment on the proposed changes. We first called for such an option back in December of last year and it appears somebody at the APA was listening. Kudos for being willing to take the barrage of criticism that is coming your way, APA. However, we wish it was an open commentary model, where the comments appears online for all to read (it appears to be a closed model, where your comments disappear into cybers...

I’m not an Alcoholic!

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:09:04 +0100

Alcoholic Denial as a Psychological Defence Denial takes two major forms. First, the alcoholic insists that he or she can drink like other people – socially, normally. This means that there are always ready excuses for the exceptional times-for the fights, the arrests, the blackouts, the hangovers. It’s someone else’s fault. It’s harassment, bad luck, or just too much pressure. Secondly, the alcoholic insists that he or she is different from “real” alcoholics. Drinking alcoholics are usually experts at picturing “real” alcoholics. They’re different somehow: jobless, homeless, friendless, and usually feeble-minded. Not like themselves at all. That’s why you’ll find, if you look far enough, that the scotch and water alcoholic ...

Worried About His Drinking?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:23:43 +0100

As a co-dependent I always felt that my loved one’s drinking was a terrible reflection on me, and I worried about what people thought. One day he told me he wanted to get sober. I was elated for a day, until his next relapse into a binge. Then I was devastated. Some months later, my loved one finally did go to Alcoholics Anonymous. Two days later, the drinking began again. The most important thing I’ve learned in Al-Anon since then is that my well-being cannot depend upon whether or not the alcoholic drinks. His behavior is not a reflection of me, it’s a reflection of his disease. However, my behavior is a reflection of me, and I owe it to myself to pay attention to what it has to tell me. I have to take care of myself. I have to accept that alcoholism is a disease, which...

Relapse Prevention

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:11:27 +0100

Relapse is not total failure; its only a stage Failure rates to comply with treatment for alcoholism do not differ significantly from other chronic diseases. People with disease such as diabetes, asthma and hypertension frequently fail to comply with treatment. (Lewis 2002) Relapse can range from a return to chronic heavy drinking to binge drinking, to a [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

5 Tips for Eating Healthy Through the Holidays

World of Psychology — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:59:24 +0100

If you are like me, you will be spending 90 percent of your energy from today until January 1 repeating the words “choose the apple … choose the apple” because you know what processed flour and sugar does to your limbic system. It’s not pretty. Which is why I asked Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D., author of Eat Your Way to Happiness, to share with us some tips for healthy eating during the holidays. Here she is! * * * The holidays are a time of tradition and ritual, the time spent with loved ones, the feelings of connectedness, the memories, the giving, the celebration of the human spirit makes this time of year magical. The key is to preserve the tradition and avoid the binge. This is the season to splurge — not on endless trays of fudge and cookies, but rather ...

Stages of an Eating Disorder

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:22:00 +0100

10 Reasons I Quit Smoking

World of Psychology — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:30:28 +0100

You’re almost there. You want to quit. In fact, 80 percent of your brain is sure you can. But 20 percent insists that you can’t. How do you make it over to the other side without falling SPLAT on your face? Do this. Make a list. Of ten reasons you should quit. Here’s mine. 1. Smoking Made Me Sick For real. Within a few minutes of inhaling a few cigarettes, my throat would start to tickle and my head would begin hurt. The day after a binge, I’d wake up with a nasty cold that kept me in bed when I had a million things to do. Smoking shrinks your blood vessels, clogs up your lungs, and wears down your immune system. Your body is less able to fight off bacteria and viruses, so, yes, you get sick. And there’s of course the lung cancer and increased chances of heart...

Duh: Magazine Ads for Alcohol Target Youths

Healthbolt — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:51:45 +0100

Time to open the Duh File for yet another Duh Study: Magazine ads for alcohol target youths not yet legally old enough to drink. In other words, teen-agers. They’re kidding right? The companies can’t possibly trying to tempt young people by using images of young adults having a lot of fun and they just all happen to be holding on to a glass or bottle filled with alcohol. (Sarcasm doesn’t translate well to the Internet, does it?) Researchers decided to do a study about magazine ads and teens to determine if the Wine Institute, the Beer Institute, and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States were being truthful with their claims of not targeting young people with their advertising. What they found was this was not true. The study was published in the Journal of ...

More Booze for Older Alcoholics: Duh Study

Healthbolt — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:38:29 +0100

Yet another one for the Duh Files: Older alcoholics need more alcohol to get drunk. Really? Alcoholism is not something that is funny nor should it be joked about. It’s a serious problem that requires serious interventions. But who in their right mind doesn’t know or hasn’t figured out that the longer you abuse alcohol, the more alcohol you end up using? According to an Ohio State University press release about a study that looked at alcoholics and alcohol use, The findings suggest that older problem drinkers may have developed a tolerance for alcohol and need to drink even more than younger abusers to achieve the effects they seek. Really? To be fair though, the study also did find that binge drinking, something usually thought to be associated with young adults, particu...

Alcohol Misuse Among the Elderly

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:57:31 +0100

An Opportunity for Prevention Abstract: Current US census estimates predict that by the year 2020, 18% of the population will be 65 years or older. As most adults in this age group have health care needs, it is vital that clinicians are competent in identifying and intervening in the most common health issues among older adults. The article in this issue by Blazer and Wu again reminds us that alcohol use, including binge drinking, is common among older adults and that despite popular culture, alcohol misuse does not disappear as one ages. As noted in the article, the findings are very consistent with other epidemiological literature. Blazer and Wu found that 13% of men and 8% of women reported at-risk drinking and that 14% of men and 3% of women reported binge drinking. This is not to sugg...

Group Therapy for Binge Eating

World of Psychology — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:30:45 +0100

Binge eating disorder is characterized by a person having frequent episodes of eating what others would consider an abnormally large amount of food, while at the same time feeling out of control — the personal feels like they are unable to control what or how much is being eaten. According to government statistics, people with binge eating disorder are considered clinically obese, but plenty of people can engage in binge eating while maintaining an average or less-than-obese weight. Binge eating disorder probably affects 2 to 3 percent of all adults. People with a binge eating problem often experience: Eating much more rapidly than usual. Eating until uncomfortably full. Eating large amounts of food, even when not physically hungry. Eating alone out of embarrassment at the quantity ...

Alcohol Brief Intervention in Primary Practice

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:43:52 +0100

Weekly Alcohol Allowance for Teens Best?

Healthbolt — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 17:07:19 +0100

Teens and alcohol have long been a source of concern for many parents – and adults in general. Different cultures believe different things and even legal ages for alcohol consumption change according to where you are. I live in Quebec where the legal age is 18, while our neighboring province Ontario’s legal age is 19. At the same time, an hour south of us, across the Canada/United States border, the age is 21. (One thing I can’t figure out is why you can allow an 18-year-old to own a gun, join the army, get married, vote, buy a house, etc, but he or she can’t have a drink?). Anyway, since there are such differences in beliefs about teens and alcohol, there are on-going studies to see if there are ways to see what may be best overall. Researchers in the United Kingdo...

Prevalence of Common Mental Disorders

World of Psychology — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:39:47 +0100

In support of Mental Health Awareness Week — meant to increase awareness of mental health issues and helping people better understand mental disorders — we’ve created the graph below to give you a better idea of the prevalence (in the past year) of these disorders in the general American population. The media sometimes emphasizes one disorder over another, distorting the picture of how many people actually have the disorder. For instance, the graph shows that bipolar disorder — the subject of so many advertising campaigns, TV commercials and more — has similar prevalence rates to panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and binge eating. Mental disorders are more common than many people realize, and far fewer people seek out treatment for them than...

Binge Drinking and Brain Damage

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:50:30 +0100

Binge Drinking . Binge drinkers have a higher risk of alcohol-related injury than chronic, heavy drinkers, the Health Behavior News Service reported Feb. 22. Binge-drinking women who otherwise drink in moderation had seven times the risk of injury as nondrinkers, while binge-drinking men increased their injury risk sixfold. Share/Save Related posts:Alcohol Related Brain DamageAlcohol related brain damageSo called low risk drinking isnâ€™tRisk of becoming Alcoholic?Heavy Drinkers and Sex Diseases (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Overcome the Guilt of Overeating

Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 03:45:55 +0100

I’m sure nearly everyone trying to manage their weight feels guilty when they overeat. There’s a reason they call it “stuffed.” It doesn’t feel good being bloated, especially after some time of eating reasonable portions and re-training the stomach to understand what a comfortable, full feels like. My mom had a magnet on our refrigerator that said “a moment on the lips, a lifetime on the hips!” Of course, there was a picture of a pig eating a piece of coconut cream pie on it. (Lest you think I come from a family of skinny-minnies, quite the contrary. Most adult women in my family weigh in the 200-300 pound range). As a nutrition expert who works with emotional eating, eating disorders, and weight management I honestly think that magnet should say “a moment on the lips, a li...

Comfort Food, My Crack Cocaine

World of Psychology — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 11:25:57 +0100

It has been proven time and time again that a middle aged woman has about as much chance of losing the last ten pounds of unwanted body fat as she has to be abducted by little green (skinny) aliens. The odds get worse if said middle aged woman has a food addiction. Last week was an emotionally hard week. A dear family member was offended by something I wrote in my blog, my landlord called to tell me more rent was due than I budgeted for, and I was very worried I was coming down with a nasty, painful, bladder infection. Forgive me if that is too much information, but it’s the truth. My first inclination under Level 8 stress (on a scale of one to ten, ten being the Ninth Ward during Hurricane Katrina) is put something in my mouth. If I were a smoker it would be a cigarette, if I were t...

3 Things Healthy Older People Have in Common

World of Psychology — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 11:26:41 +0100

I’m, right now and right here, sitting on the peak of that so-called hill we always talk about. Things could go swell for another 40 years, at which time I’ll be buried by any remaining friends. Or they could blow up in my face and trim my life back by a few decades. My body is no longer resilient to careless experiments. That’s for sure. At almost 40, I do indeed suffer the consequences of an extra shot of espresso, two nights of interrupted sleep, or a chocolate binge. The forgiveness and flexibility of my youth has officially gone bye-bye. So I’ve begun to ask myself what the energetic 80-year-olds that swim at the Naval Academy with me are doing differently than the lifeless elderly folks at the senior center I occasionally visit. And, yes, I’ll occasiona...

Perfectionism as Situation for Binge Eating

The Situationist — Sun, 17 May 2009 04:23:13 +0100

Last month, ScienceDaily had a helpful review of recent research revealing how perfectionism can contribute to eating disorders. Here are some excerpts. * * * In everyday life, someone who takes a perfectionist’s approach to activities might be admired or even rewarded with a pat on the back. These attitudes are tied to a commonly held, but mistaken, belief that perfectionism will ultimately produce achievement and social success. But a psychologist warns that perfectionism is not a healthy, or even effective, approach to life’s challenges. “Perfectionism is a double-edged personality trait,” says Simon Sherry, assistant professor of psychology. A newly-published study shows why individuals with a high degree of perfectionism are often setting themselves up for a host of physical, ...

Making The Same Mistakes

Diabetes Daily — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:17:58 +0100

I've been wresting with myself the past few days.I did something I knew very well I shouldn't. In fact I did it three times. And each time I was miserable and scared afterward. And once I was done being scared I felt guilty.Mistakes in life happen, and are necessary. We need to make mistakes in order to learn. We are supposed to learn from our mistakes, and then not repeat... (Source: Diabetes Daily)

The NIAAA Helps Rethink Your Drinking.

Healthbolt — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:10:20 +0100

‘Just one drink. Okay, maybe just one more.’ Does that sound familiar? We have all been there at some stage or another. However, most of us never develop a drinking problem. We know when to stop and how much is too much. But even if you don’t have a problem with alcohol, it never hurts to learn more about what alcohol can do to your body and your life. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have created a great interactive website called ”Rethinking Drinking” that’s definitely worth checking out. Aimed at helping people, especially those between 18 and 30, determine what type of drinker they are and whether they might be at risk of developing a drinking problem. Rethinking Drinking asks (and answers) the following ques...

Five Tips for Mindful Eating

World of Psychology — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 02:05:08 +0100

As we approach yet another holiday, many of us will be engaging in more mindless eating — eating simply because food is put in front of us, or we feel like it would be rude if we didn’t eat something. And while indeed eating can be part of a social activity or tradition, that doesn’t mean you need to check your common sense at the door. Last year, researcher Dr. Brian Wansink published a book entitled, Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think which isn’t a diet book so much as a book that explains why we approach food the way we do (through engaging descriptions of interesting studies), and what we can do about it. Dr. Wansink is the director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, and brings his years of research experience to bear on helping us reduc...

Drug for Cocaine Addicts Causes Weight Loss

Addiction Inbox — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:17:00 +0100

Is Vigabatrin the next big diet pill?The U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory announced that obese rats lost weight on the experimental anti-cocaine drug vigabatrin, reinforcing the idea that certain forms of obesity--particularly binge eating--result from the same kinds of neurotransmitter disturbances that underlie vulnerability to addictive drugs like cocaine.Amy DeMarco, lead author of the study, said in a press release from Brookhaven that the results "appear to demonstrate that vigabatrin induced satiety in these animals."Earlier, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had given Fast Track designation to vigabatrin, an anticonvulsant, for evaluation as an anti-craving drug for cocaine and methamphetamine addiction. If successful, it would be the first medic...

The Debate on Alcohol and 21 Year Olds

World of Psychology — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:34:45 +0100

Suddenly it’s a new world once again, as states take their independence seriously and realize that they are not beholden to our federal government for laws they disagree with. The law in question is the forced adoption of the 21-year-old alcohol drinking age, basically federal law since 1984 (states who do not adhere to the guideline lose a percentage of their federal highway funding — a stick that has little to do with responsible alcohol consumption). Dana Boyd has an interesting essay on the topic, which has risen to the forefront of public debate as some states want to revisit the issue, noting the hypocrisy of sending 18-year-old children to war in Iraq who, after returning home from duty, still can’t have a drink while talking about the carnage they witnessed. En...

Party Down in America’s Hardest Drinking Cities

Healthbolt — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:00:48 +0100

Hey, Austin, Texas! You guys are topping yet another list. In addition to having some of the ickiest restaurants in the nation, you are also some of the hardest partiers (maybe that’s why you don’t notice if a restaurant is filthy, eh? Um, sorry, bad joke.) Anyway, Texans may be the toppers, but Midwesterners aren’t far behind. In fact, Midwest towns capture close to half of the top 15 slots. Who else made the list? Check them out here, adapted from a Forbes.com slideshow (complete with awesome photos): 1. Austin, TX 2. Milwaukee, WI 3. San Francisco, CA 4. Providence, RI 5. Chicago, IL 8. Seattle, WA (tie) 8. Cleveland, OH (tie) 8. St. Louis, MO (tie) 9. Boston, MA 10. Cincinnati, OH 11. Pittsburgh, PA 12. Virginia Beach, VA 13. Portland, OR 14. Jacksonville, FL 15. Detr...

Alcohol & Drug Use in an Educated Workforce

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:24:58 +0100

This study examined alcohol and licit and illicit drug use in a highly educated medical related workforce. A comprehensive health survey of a 10% random sample of a workforce (n = 8,567) yielded a 60% response rate (n = 504) after accounting for 15 undeliverable surveys. Many respondents reported past-year use of alcohol (87%). Thirteen percent of respondents consumed three or more drinks daily; 15% were binge drinkers. Twelve percent of the workforce was assessed as having a high likelihood of lifetime alcohol dependence; 5% of respondents met criteria for current problem drinking. Overall, 42% reported using mood-altering prescription drugs (analgesics, antidepressants, sedatives, or tranquilizers). Eleven percent reported using illicit drugs (cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, or mar...

The Biggest…Trigger

bipolar chicks blogging — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:59:50 +0100

Yeah, I’ve been watching. The Biggest Loser. *disclaimer…the show is ok…the site…could be anorexic trigger or relapse city* I was thinking: “Is this bad for me? They’re on a scale, they count calories…work out like maniacs….weight loss as a competition….oh_my_gawd” I’m not going to get into how “their weeks probaby really aren’t weeks…training time, water consumption, etc” that is not what this post is about. Like I said, “Is this bad for me to be watching? If so, how bad?” I actually didn’t have much of a choice. A certain relative had become hooked on this show during the writers’ strike. So hooked, he took it upon himself to invite himself over for his “weekly big, hom...

At last: an explanation how stress causes obesity

The Doctor Weighs In — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:21:24 +0100

By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DIt is a well-known phenomenon: people under stress hit the fridge, and gorge on candy and fatty food. A gallon of ice scream in one sitting is not unheard of. But people who think deeply about such things asked themselves: why don’t they (people under stress) gorge on veggies? And what is the nature of the connection between stress and obesity? Is it simply overeating equalsobesity, or is there a deeper connection, involving the brain? After all, stress is a mind thing.The physiology of acute stress Almost every physiological action in our body is controlled by two systems: the autonomic nervous system, and the endocrine system. The autonomic nervous system has this name because it is, well, autonomic: it marches to its own drum, if you will, independently of ...

Thanksgiving meal over—are you still OK?

The Doctor Weighs In — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:51:04 +0100

By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DPhew…that was something. We ate and we ate, and drank and drank—I thought we are going to burst. Literally. I hope everybody in our Thanksgiving party (over 30 people) survived intact. Being a doctor, and a worrier, the thoughts of what could go wrong were never quite banished by the pleasures of gluttony. What dangers were going through my mind?The burst stomachHave you ever seen a snake swallowing a whole turkey? You can actually see the poor creature traveling through the long intestines of the tubular glutton. Well, a burst stomach is extremely rare, and happens only in rare conditions where the brain center controlling hunger and satiety is malfunctioning. Normal stomach capacity is about 8 cups, although it can range form 4 to 12, according to Dr....

Diabulimia - underdosing on insulin - a dangerous way to lose weight

The Doctor Weighs In — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 22:59:41 +0100

by Pat SalberI was pretty shocked when I first heard about diabulemia. This is a practice some teens and young women with Type 1 diabetes, are using in order to lose weight. They purposely underdose their insulin allowing their blood glucoses to skyrocket. The excess blood glucose is eliminated in the urine. “Traditional” bulimics purge excess calories by forcing themselves to vomit. Diabulimics purge excess calories by underdosing on insulin and peeing out unmetabolized glucose.Girls and young women with diabulimia will tell you they feel really crummy as their glucose levels increase and they increasingly rely on metabolizing fatty acids for energy instead of glucose. The end result of underdosing insulin is a state known as diabetic ketoacidosis, that is characterized b...

Binge eating: my brain made me do it.

The Doctor Weighs In — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 01:37:47 +0100

By Dov Michaeli MD, Ph.DHave you ever wondered why do people reach for food, any food, when they are under stress? With most people, this stress reaction is mild and episodic. But in others, it is extreme and frequent; they can consume 6, 7, 8 thousand calories in a single day. This syndrome of binge eating has attracted much attention among psychologists for a long time; and now neurobiologists have taken notice as well.What’s going on?I remember from my marathon racing days that at about 18-20 miles I would hit a psychological low. I would be dragging my feet, having lost my motivation to make a new personal best, struggling with my rationalizations that I should just quit, even vowing to myself to never again engage in this idiotic effort. But then I would pop something sweet (cal...

Book Review (Part Two): "Women Under the Influence"

Addiction Inbox — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 22:05:00 +0100

The Rise of the Binge Grrls“Women get drunk faster, become addicted more quickly, and develop alcohol-related diseases—such as hypertension and liver, brain and heart damage—more rapidly than men.” --The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia UniversityToday, about one out of every four American girls has had one or more alcoholic drinks by the age of 13, according to “Women Under the Influence,” a book by Columbia’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. In the 1960s, only 7 percent of girls reported having consumed alcohol by that age.80 per cent of college women living in sororities engage in regular bouts of binge drinking, compared to 35 per cent of non-sorority college women. While most women are moderate drinkers, the Center estimates t...

Thought for the Day: Bingeing and breast cancer

The Cancer Blog — Tue, 01 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100

Filed under: Breast Cancer, Prevention, Research, Daily news, Thought for the DayIt only takes two bottles of wine consumed over the course of one weekend to more than double the risk of breast cancer, according to a Danish study of 17,647 women which breaks down like this: women who drank 22-27 drinks per week had twice the risk for the disease compared to those who drank only one to three drinks.Think about this:More than a quarter of participants, age 44 and older, drank more than the recommended 14 drinks per week. One in 10 were binge drinkers -- they had more than four drinks per day. Thirteen percent were weekend bingers -- they had more than 10 drinks between Friday and Sunday. A drink is considered one bottle of beer, wine, or spirit. In Denmark, each unit translate into 12g of al...