'Obesity Gene' May Protect Against Debilitating Condition

'Obesity Gene' May Protect Against Debilitating Condition

Extra pounds are usually considered a downer, and obesity has been linked to higher rates of depression, mood and anxiety disorders, job discrimination and childhood social isolation. But the relationship between weight and emotional well-being has many mechanisms, and a new study may lend new credence to the notion of "fat but happy."

The FTO gene, a major genetic contributor to obesity thought to cause weight gain by hiking up calorie consumption, is also linked to an eight percent reduction in the risk for depression, according to a study published Tuesday in Molecular Psychiatry.

"The difference of eight percent is modest and it won't make a big difference in the day-to-day care of patients," said David Meyre, an author of the study who is associate professor in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. "But, we have discovered a novel molecular basis for depression."

This protective effect was found in four different studies and complicates the conventional wisdom, supported by research, that depression increases the risk for obesity and obese people are more likely to become depressed. Meyre started with the hypothesis that both obesity and depression are linked to brain activity, and that obesity genes may be associated with depression -- but found a significant effect in the opposite direction.

Of course, not all obese people have this variant of the FTO gene, and those who do face plenty of depressing health and social problems. But with more than a third of American adults considered obese -- a number that is only expected to swell -- more people may try to embrace the "fat but happy" mindset. Feeling bad about your weight can just make you fatter, after all.

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Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Leigh Anne Tuohy: Living Thankfully

Leigh Anne Tuohy: Living Thankfully

As we all descended upon my oldest child's home in Baltimore this week; I fast and furiously began planning each second of the upcoming days. Get turkey and dressing from this place, get green bean casserole from that store(remember I DON'T cook)... whew... I was exhausted and the reheating was still a day away! So, I sat for five minutes while some eggs were boiling and quickly began to check my emails. I opened one that requested I write a 500-1000 word blog about Thanksgiving for The Huffington Post. I sighed deeply and all three kids looked up from their card game and said what's wrong? I said, "Oh, The Huffington Post has asked me to write a blog about Thanksgiving and what it means to me. I love those guys, really I do, but I just don't think I can squeeze anything else into this insane schedule!" Then what to my wandering eyes should appear... No one other than SJ! What were you expecting Santa Claus? I hear this, "I'll do it, Mom"; he is a freshman journalism major at Loyola of Maryland, today anyway! I said, "SJ, you think you can write something that when people read it they will be compelled to get up, get out and make a difference?" He said, "I do Mom." I initially had thought he was kidding, and I realized he was anything but kidding. He worked for sometime as the hustle and bustle continued around him.

Then as I was unloading the last of the food out of the car he said, "Here, read this"... Yes, this is the little kid from The Blind Side who we watered and fed and much to my surprise, he wrote a beautiful piece. I'm not sure why this took me by surprise, but I feel fairly certain his words will compel you to dig deep the next couple of weeks and finish this year doing things that aren't so frenzied and frustrating but are life changing. Think hard about what really matters and make someone else's holiday season merry and bright! Without any further intro from a proud Mom... Here's SJ...

***

While it is accurate that Thanksgiving only comes once a year, I think Thanksgiving is more of an attitude that we should live by than a holiday. Thanksgiving promotes an attitude of gratitude; I apologize on the front end for the rhyme, merely a coincidence. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness." If you have the freedom to read this little article, you have much to be thankful for.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared that the last Thursday of every November be celebrated with a national holiday known as "Thanksgiving Day" to honor those colonists and Wampanoag Indians who sat down and shared a feast one Autumn day in 1621. William Bradford, the "governor" of Plymouth and the first colonists who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620 arranged this meal. The point of my telling you this is not to bore you with history. My point is that the original settlers sat down and were thankful for a meal even though about half of the original 102 colonists who traveled over on the Mayflower perished during the first winter.

Abraham Lincoln created the holiday in the middle of the Civil War. He had time to be thankful even though he was the leader of our nation during the biggest turmoil our country has ever had to go through. I'd be curious to see what Lincoln would think of the country he once led today. He might think it humorous how our perceptions of words like Thanksgiving, blessing, giving, etc. have changed.

Recently, our nation had the privilege of voting for our president. Instead of being thankful for the fact that we were able to watch two men debate on our television or read about it on our computers, our tablets, or in newspapers, we complain that the candidate we wanted or didn't want to win did not. I bet people in China and North Korea sure would have enjoyed their voices being heard.

If you are reading this on an electronic device, it is estimated that less than 1 percent of the world owns a computer. How is that for something that we overlook? About 151,600 people die every day, which equates to about 2 people per second; Life is a gift. I had a friend open the fridge the other day and jokingly mumbled how there was nothing good to eat. I thought about this for a second and wondered how many people open their refrigerators and have nothing. Take that a step further; think how many people are not afforded the luxury of even owning a refrigerator. I know this message is very cliché and pounded in our heads from such a young age, but we truly do have so much that we are blessed with.

So as my dad says,"What is the rub?" The rub is that the holiday is not "Thanks-getting." This day was not designed just for us to sit around a table and be thankful for blessings. As aforementioned, Thanksgiving is an attitude. The cheesy definition of "gratitude" is: "The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness." So as you sit around a table, thankful for blessings remember the key word in the definition is: show.

It is not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them. Sure, it may be easy for me to say; my parents are still together and as of now are not included in the 8 percent of American population who are not holding jobs. So yes, it is easy to sit around a table with friends, family or send a tweet out or however you will be communicating on this holiday about counting our blessings, but counting only gets you so far. Living thankfully, showing, not telling, is a true measure of our Thanksgiving.

Follow Leigh Anne Tuohy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LeighAnneTuohy

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Pamela Tom: A Movement to Fight HPV Throat Cancer

Pamela Tom: A Movement to Fight HPV Throat Cancer

A movement starts with one voice. In this case, it's mine -- but everyone's concern.

Doctors say HPV-associated throat cancer is becoming a pandemic among non-smoking, middle-aged men.

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology says by 2020, the number of cases of men with HPV throat cancer will surpass women with HPV cervical cancer.

Haven't heard about it? I didn't know anything about it until last March when my husband, Jeff, was diagnosed with the HPV-16 strain, the human papillomavirus that causes oropharyngeal cancer in the throat, tongue, or tonsils.

A week after he was diagnosed with HPV-associated throat cancer, we were preparing for treatment: simultaneous radiation and chemotherapy for seven weeks. Jeff was snapped under a netted mask onto the radiation table every day for two months. He visited the chemo infusion clinic once a week for two hours. He relied on a feeding tube and liquid diet. He lost 45 pounds and it changed his life.

My emotions ran the gamut but mostly I felt helpless.

Until I decided I could help.

As Jeff underwent treatment, I spent the months working my day job at home so I could care for him. When he slept, I educated myself about HPV throat cancer. What is it? How could he get throat cancer when he has never smoked? What I learned is what YOU need to know.

Anyone can get HPV through vaginal, anal, and oral sex -- in fact, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), at least half of the sexually active population will have HPV at some in their lives. As many as 50 to 80 percent of middle-aged men may carry HPV. For undetermined reasons, maybe cultural, Caucasian men are most susceptible to HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer at this time. HPV is usually contracted in the early 20s, when people become sexually active.

HPV sits dormant in the body for decades... then emerges.

That's why middle-aged men who got it when they were young are now fighting HPV throat cancer.

Only certain strains of HPV cause cancer. The HPV-16 strain causes throat cancer.

The Pap smear screens for HPV in women but there is no formal screening for HPV in men.

There has been some media coverage about HPV throat cancer, yet not on a wide scale given this is a national -- if not global -- pandemic. That's why I am building an informational multimedia website called hpvandme.org that will be a user-friendly, first-stop resource with information about prevention, treatment, research news, and support. Creating awareness about HPV throat cancer is my way of helping while feeling so helpless.

My goal is to start a movement. One voice that grows into a collective voice because HPV-associated throat cancer is spreading, and more and more men will have to fight it. Early detection is important because once the cancer is no longer localized in the throat and spreads, surgery may no longer be an option. In such cases, like my husband's, evidence of cancer in the lymph nodes prompted his oncologist to order the harsher radiation and/or chemo treatment.

Scientists have been studying HPV throat cancer for less than 10 years. They need support to find better treatments and ultimately, a cure. Researchers are still determining the best treatment plans for HPV throat cancer. They know HPV throat cancer is different than throat cancer caused by tobacco and alcohol. In the meantime, because the outbreak is more recent and treatment for HPV throat cancer is less proven, often the more aggressive treatment used for a smoker's cancer is prescribed. Our doctor told us while it may be overkill, it's better to over-treat, rather than under-treat the cancer.

Doctors say the prognosis for HPV throat cancer patients is good -- if detected early. If we start learning and spreading the word about HPV prevention and cancer now, we can reduce the risk.

I have learned of other HPV throat cancer patients. After treatment, they can no longer produce saliva, taste foods as before... One man lost his jaw, tongue, and ability to speak. And women can get HPV throat cancer, too.

We still don't know if Jeff is cancer-free, but he is living "life to the fullest."

Strong, active men like Jeff won't think to seek medical help when they feel a lump in their throat or have difficulty swallowing. Public education will hopefully change that. Young men and parents of boys should also know that the CDC recommends HPV vaccines for boys as well as girls. While there has been controversy about the Gardasil HPV vaccine, it is considered an effective way to fight back.

I am not a doctor. I am a journalist spreading the word. One voice = many voices = CHANGE.

For more information, watch this report.

Please help me spread the word. The site will launch in 2013.
In the meantime, please share this link about this project with everyone you know.

For more by Pamela Tom, click here.

For more on personal health, click here.

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Source: www.huffingtonpost.com