考研英语外报阅读3

《考研英语外报阅读3》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在教育资源-天天文库。

DoesDrinkingWaterBeforeMealsHelpYouLoseWeight?TwoglassesbeforemealsmayhelpyoushedpoundspermanentlyByHANNADUBANSKYPosted:November24,2010Drinkingtwo8-ounceglassesofwaterbeforebreakfast,lunch,anddinnermaybejustthebackstopyourwillpowerneedstohelpyoushedpoundspermanentlyin2011,accordingtoarecentstudypublishedinObesity.Researchersinstructedtwogroupsofoverweightorobesemenandwomentofollowalow-caloriediet,askingonegrouptoalsodrinktwocupsofwaterbeforemeals.After12weeks,thewaterdrinkershadlostanaverageof15%pounds,comparedwith11poundsforthecontrolgroup.ThosewhocontinuedthehabitforayearlostanadditionalWipoundsonaverage."Iwouldneverpromotethisasaget-slim-quickscheme,"saysseniorstudyauthorBrendaDavy,anassociateprofessorinthedepartmentofhumannutrition,foods,andexerciseatVirginiaTechUniversity,whonotesthatthepracticeslowstheemptyingofthestomach."Thisissimplyanadditionalstrategythatcouldhelppeoplemanagetheirhunger."Thestudyexaminedtheeffectonlyonmiddle-ageandolderadults,butLiweiChen,anassistantprofessorofepidemiologyatLouisianaStateUniversityHealthScienceCenterSchoolofPublicHealth,thinksit'sasmartstrategyforeverybody,particularlyifitcausesthemtocutbackon

1soda.Americanadultsaverage28ouncesofsugar-sweetenedbeveragesperday,saysChen,wholedastudypublishedinMaythatfoundevenasmallreductioninsugarintakesignificantlyloweredbloodpressure."Aimtoavoidsugar-sweetenedbeveragesaltogether,"sheadvises.Thatway,youbattletworiskfactorsatonce.

2U.S.DietaryGuidelinesAbouttoChange—GetReadyforaSeriousFoodFightNewfederaldietaryguidelinescouldgobeyondhowweeattoattackthewayfoodismarketedByHANNADUBANSKYPosted:November24,2010AfewmorethantheusualnumberofNewYear'spledgestoeatbetter,exercisediligently,andshedflabjustmightbekeptin2011,pendingthefederalgovernment'sabout-to-be-unveiledrevampingofthe2005DietaryGuidelinesforAmericans.UpdatedbylaweveryfiveyearsbytheDepartmentofAgricultureandDepartmentofHealthandHumanServices,theguidelinesdirectfederalnutritionalpolicyfromthecontentsofan8-year-old'scafeteriatraytothenumbersdisplayedonthenutritionallabelofacanoftomatosoup.FewAmericansareleftuntouchedbytheirrecommendations.Thethrustanddetailsofthe2010guidelineswon'tbeknownuntiltheyarereleased,achangefrombefore,whenthegovernmentsimplyadoptedtherecommendationsofanadvisorypanel.ThistimeDOAandHHSarehammeringoutthefinalversionbehindthecurtains,witha13-member

3advisorypanelprovidinginputratherthandictatingthecontent.ButthereportandrecommendationsreleasedbythepanelinJuneareboundtocarryheavyweight.Ifthepanel'sinputforeshadowstheshapeandscopeoftheguidelinesthegovernmentwillissue,thepublicwillseeathoroughoverhaul,andonethatreflectsasenseofurgency.Thereportmarksthefirsttimeproposedguidelineshaveconfrontedobesitydirectly.Itnotesthatnearlythree-fourthsofwomenandtwo-thirdsofmenarenowconsideredoverweightorobese,anditcallsforquickandfar-reachingchanges—notonlyinpersonaldietandlifestylebutalsointhemarketplace,toreversethetrend."Theobesityepidemichasonlygottenworsesince2005,"saysLindaVanHorn,chairoftheadvisorycommitteeandprofessorofpreventivemedicineatNorthwesternUniversity.TheadvisorsalsoobservedthatAmericanseatnotonlytoomuchbutnotenoughofwhattheyshould.The2005guidelinesurgedgreaterconsumptionoffruitandvegetables,forinstance,butarecentreportfromtheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionfoundthatin2009onlyaboutoneinthreeadultshadmorethanasingleservingoffruitadayandoneinfourhadmorethantwohelpingsofvegetables—farshortoftherecommendedtwoandthreedailyservingsrespectively.Thequestioniswhatwilltakesomeoftheairoutoftheballooningobesityrate—atrendthatWalterWillett,professorofepidemiologyandnutritionat

4theHarvardSchoolofPublicHealth,partlyblamesontheexistingguidelines.Byvilifyingfatsandoverpromotingcarbohydrates,hesays,"thecurrentguidelinesmayhaveindirectlycontributedtotheobesityepidemic."Willettisamongachorusofcriticseagerforchange.MyPyramid,theiconicvisualsummaryofthe2005guidelines,iswidelyviewedashardtodecipher(whatdothosecoloredstripesmean?)andtheguidelinesareseenaslaggingbehindcurrentthinkingbothondesirableamountsofnutrientssuchasproteins,carbohydrates,andtransfatsandinfocusingtoospecificallyonsuchnutrients.Advisingthepublicto"avoidtoomuchfat,saturatedfat,andcholesterol,"andto"eatfoodswithadequatestarchandfiber,"forexample,isseenbytheadvisorypanelasgivinginsufficientattentiontootherattributesoffoodquality.Atfirstglance,theadvisorsseemtofollowthewell-wornpathofageneralattackonfat,sugar,andsalt(proposinga35percentdecreaseinthedailysaltallowance,forexample),exhortationtoconsumemorevegetablesandwholegrains,andpraiseforseafood,leanmeats,poultry,eggs,andfat-freeandlow-fatmilkasopposedtofattiersourcesofprotein.Buttwonewchaptersinthereportsignalaclearchangeindirection.Oneblendsthepanel'sfindingsintoapracticalapproachtoeating.Theotherdiscusseswhatitcalls"powerfulinfluencesthatcurrentlypromoteunhealthyconsumerchoices,behaviorsandlifestyles"—thebillionsofdollarsspentonmarketingjunkfood,forone—andlaysoutwaysto

5sidestepbarrierstoahealthierlifestyle.Fruitsandveggiescouldbemorewidelyavailablebyencouragingthegrowthoffarmers'markets,forexample.Andallofthepanel'sproposalsrelyonsolidfindings—theyare"evidence-based,"inscience-speak—thatutilizetheNutritionEvidenceLibraryestablishedbytheUSDAin2009."Tremendouseffortwasputforthtonotstopatpointingtoproblems,butmakingspecificrecommendationsonhowtoaddressthem,"saysVanHorn."It'sonethingtoreviewtheevidence;it'sanothertotakethosefindingsandcreateimplementablestrategiesthatwork,"Andinfants,children,andpregnantwomen,vulnerablesubgroupsignoredinpreviousreports,eachgetindividualattention.Industryoppositionandlobbyinginresponsetothereporthavebeenintense.Themeatlobbyopposestherecommendedshifttowardamore"plant-based"diet.TheSaltInstitutehasaggressivelybattledtheproposedreductioninthedailyceilingonsodium.Thedairyindustryiswaryofrecommendationsforreducedsugar,lestflavoredmilkfallsoutoffavor.Butiftheyaretohaverealimpact,thenewguidelinesmustbeaggressive,saysVanHorn,whonotesthatpriorguidelinesmostlyaddressednutrientdeficienciesandothernutritionalmainstaysandgenerallyavoidedtakingcontroversialstands."Weneedtoprioritizeobesity,"shesays."Todonothingmorethanwehavemeansthatfiveyearsfromnowwe'llbeinan

6evenworsesituation."

7BestandWorstFastFoodKids'MealsAnewreportsuggestsfastfoodisstillunhealthy,addingtoconcernsaboutchildhoodobesityByANGELAHAUPTPosted:November9,2010AHappyMealatMcDonald'sEvenifyoudon'twantfrieswiththatkids'meal,chancesareyourfastfoodrestaurantwantstogiveyousome.ChainslikeMcDonald's,TacoBell,andBurgerKingofferunhealthysidesanddrinks84percentofthetime,inlieuoftheirmorenutritiousofferingslikeappleslices,yogurt,andjuice.That'samongthefindingsofanewanalysisreleasedMondaybyresearchersatYaleUniversity'sRuddCenterforFoodPolicyandObesity,whichexaminedfastfoodmarketingandnutritiontrends.Thefastfoodindustryhassteppedupitseffortstoreachchildrenandteens,theresearcherssay:Lastyear,preschoolerssaw56percentmoreadsforSubway,21percentmoreadsforMcDonald's,and9percentmoreadsforBurgerKingthantheydidin2007.Andoften,they'rebombardedwithimagesofsnacksanddesserts-childrenseemorethantwoadvertisementseachdaypromotingunhealthymenuitems.

8Thereportaddsweighttoconcernsaboutthechildhoodobesityepidemic.Asfastfoodmarketingcampaignsbecomemoreaggressive,childrenaremorelikelytochowdownongreasyfriesandburgers,RuddCenterresearcherssay,whichcouldtakeatollontheirwaistlines.Andchildhoodobesityisn'tjustashort-termproblem:Obeseteensare16timesmorelikelythantheirpeerstobecomeseverelyobesebyage30,accordingtoastudypublishedtodayintheJournaloftheAmericanMedicalAssociation.(Severeobesitywasdefinedasabodymassindexof40orgreater;obesitywasdefinedasaBMIofmorethan25.)Severeobesitycanleadtodiabetes,hypertension,asthma,arthritis,andashorterlife,saysseniorauthorPennyGordon-Larsen,anutritionresearcherattheUniversityofNorthCarolina-ChapelHill."It'sveryeasytoeatahigh-calorie,high-fatdiet,"shesays."Wehavesomuchfoodaround-high-fat,high-sugar,tastyfoodthatweneedtobeverycarefulof.Thosefoodsaremarketedwelltopeople,andmakinghealthierchoicestakesalotmorework."That'swhyCaliforniaistakingstepstoblunttheinfluencefast-foodmarketingcanhavebybanningtoysthatcomewithkids'mealsloadedwithcalories,fat,andsugar.Lastweek,SanFrancisco'sBoardofSupervisorsapprovedanordinancethatwouldpreventfastfoodchainsfromofferingtoyswithkids'meals,unlesstheycontainlessthan600

9calories—nomorethan35percentfromfat—and640milligramsofsodium.Allmealswouldalsoberequiredtoincludefruitsandvegetables.ThelegislationcouldbecomelawinDecember.Industryofficialscitesomechains'increasingemphasisonhealthyoptions:"Therecanbenodisputethattherestaurantindustryhasbeencommittedtoprovidingagrowingarrayofnutritiousofferingsforchildren,"JoyDubost,directorofnutritionandhealthylivingattheNationalRestaurantAssociation,saidinastatementtoreporters."Numeroussurveysshowtheincreasingnumberofhealthfuloptionsinkids'meals.Andnutritiousofferingsinchildrens'mealsisthenumberonefoodtrendin[fastfood]restaurants."TheRuddCenterresearchersanalyzedthecalories,fat,sugar,andsodiuminmorethan3,000possiblecombinationsthatchainsmarketaskids'meals.Themealswerethenrankedas"best"and"worst"basedonguidelinessetin2009bytheInstituteofMedicine,anindependentadvisorypaneltotheU.S.government.Preschoolchildrenshouldconsumenomorethan410caloriesand544milligramsofsodiumpermeal,accordingtotheIOM,comparedto650caloriesand636milligramsofsodiumforelementaryschoolchildren,and700caloriesand720milligramsofsodiumforolderchildren.Only12kids'mealcombosmettheIOM'snutritioncriteriaforpreschoolers,while15metthecriteriaforelementarykids.Another20combosmetkids'caloriegoals,butweretoohighinatleastonearea,likesodium,theRudd

10researchersfound.Just36—orapproximately1percent—ofthekids'mealcombostheyexaminedqualifiedas"best,"whichtheresearchersranked.Thevastmajority,however,wereplacedinthe"worst"categoryandweren'tranked,sincetheywereall"equallybad,"saysstudyleaderJenniferHarris,directorofmarketinginitiativesattheRuddCenter.Instead,researchersdescribedtheworstthreekids'mealsateachrestaurant.Butifparentsareturningtoafastfoodrestaurantfordinner,anyofthe"best"optionsareallreasonable,shesays:"Wefeelcomfortablerecommendingthosemealstochildren."These,accordingtotheresearchers,aresomeofthebestandworstkids'mealcombinationsateightpopularfastfoodchains:SubwayBest:VeggieDelitesandwich(wheatbread,nocheese);appleslices;100percentjuice.•Rank:#1•Calories:285calories•Salt:295milligramsSaturatedfat:0caloriesWorst:None."Theyonlyoffermilkand100percentjuice,andtheyhaveapplesandyogurtassides.Andtheirsandwichesareallprettylowinfot,"Harrissays.

11BurgerKingBest:Macaroniandcheese;apple"fries"(withoutcaramelsauce);fat-freemilk.•Rank:#6•Calories:285•Salt:490milligrams•Saturatedfat:14caloriesWorst:Cheeseburger;Frenchfries;Dr.Pepper•Calories:635•Salt:1,106milligramsSaturatedfat:86caloriesKentuckyFriedChickenBest:Grilledchickendrumstick;cornonthecob;unsweetenedtea;stringcheese.•Rank:#16•Calories:270•Salt:545milligrams•Saturatedfat:23caloriesWorst:Extracrispychickendrumstick;potatowedges;MountainDew;stringcheese

12•Calories:680•Salt:1,330milligrams•Saturatedfat:54caloriesSonicBest:Jr.Burger;appleslices;unsweetenedtea.•Rank:#20•Calories:350•Salt:620milligramsSaturatedfat:45caloriesWorst:Twochickenstripswithranchsauce;Frenchfries;greenappleslush•Calories:708•Salt:1,012milligrams•Saturatedfat:51caloriesWendy'sBest:Crispychickensandwich;mandarinorangecup;low-fatmilk.•Rank:#26

13•Calories:520•Salt:815milligrams•Saturatedfat:41caloriesWorst:Fourchickennuggetswithsweetandsoursauce;Frenchfries;VanillaFrostyJr.•Calories:610•Salt:760milligrams•Saturatedfat:68caloriesMcDonald'sBest:Hamburger;appledippers(withoutcarameldip);low-fatmilk.•Rank:#30•Calories:385•Salt:645milligrams•Saturatedfat:45caloriesWorst:Cheeseburger;Frenchfries;Hi-COrangeLavaburst•Calories:650•Salt:910milligrams•Saturatedfat:68calories

14DairyQueenBest:Chickenstripswithketchup;applesauce;Sprite;vanillaice-creamcone.•Rank:#33•Calories:628•Salt:1,000milligrams•Saturatedfat:32caloriesWorst:Cheeseburger;Frenchfries;MountainDew;chocolateDillyBar•Calories:973•Salt:1,450milligrams•Saturatedfat:171caloriesTacoBellBest:None.TacoBelldidnotmeettheresearchers'criteriaforhealthyoptions.Worst:Beanburrito;cinnamontwists;MountainDewBajaBlast•Calories:760•Salt:1,530milligrams•Saturatedfat:32calories

15CancerPrevention:RethinkYourDietasWellasYourSmokingManycancerscouldbepreventedifAmericansquitsmokingandatedifferentlyByDEBORAHKOTZPosted:September8,2010Ifeveryoneweretoquitsmokingtoday,nearly450,000fewerAmericanswoulddieannuallyfromsmoking-relateddiseases.Yetevenwithallthesmokingbansacrossthecountry,oneinfiveAmericansstilllightsupregularly—aratethat'splateauedsince2005afterfourdecadesofdecline,accordingtoareportissuedTuesdaybytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.Whilethesmoking-lungcancerconnectionisanoldstory,everyweek,itseems,anotherheadlinetellsyouwhatyoushouldorshouldn'teattoavertthe"bigC".Eatacolorfularrayoffruitsandvegetablestowardofflungcancer,saysonerecentstudy;avoidsoftdrinksifyoudon'twanttodieofpancreaticcancer,warnsanother.Wineisgoodforyourheart,butmayincreaseyourriskofbreastcancer,otherssuggest.Andwhowouldn'tbewillingtogiveuptheDietCokeorchardonnaytosidestepthediseasewefearmost?ItyoutookactionbasedonresearchpublishedthisweekintheAnnalsofInternalMedicine,youmightfindyourselfforgoinghamburgersandchickenwingsandembracingsoy

16burgers,tofu,andpeanutbutterinstead.ThatstudyfoundthatanAtkins-styledietthatemphasizedvegetableproteinoveranimalproteinloweredtheriskofcancer.Butallthingsconsidered,howmuchdodietarychangesreallymatterintermsofcancerprevention?"Rightaftersmoking,dietranksrightupthereastheNo.2modifiableriskfactor,"saysDemetriusAlbanes,aseniorinvestigatorandmedicalepidemiologistattheNationalCancerInstitute."Twenty-fivepercentofcancerscanberelatedbacktoeatingpractices."Doesthatmeanwereallyneedtoavoidsoftdrinksifwedon'twanttogetpancreaticcancer,aswassuggestedbyarecentstudyinthejournalCancerEpidemiology,Biotnarkers&Prevention?"Idon'tthinkwecansaythat,"Albanessays."ThatparticularstudyfromSingaporedidn'tcontrolverywellforsmoking,whichisanimportantriskfactorforpancreaticcancer."Inotherwords,itcouldbethatthosewhodowndailysix-packsofFantaarealsomorelikelytolightup.Thereinliestherub.Unlikesmoking,whichisclearlycarcinogenic,nosinglefoodornutrientreallyimpactsyouroverallriskofgettingalungorbreasttumor,saysAlbanes,whohelpedconductthe1994clinicaltrialshowingthatsmokersrandomlyassignedtotakeeitherbetacaroteneorvitaminEsupplementsdidn'tgetanylesslungcancerthanthosewhoweregivenplacebos.It'sreallyaboutthecompositionofyouroveralldiet.What'sclear,hesays,isthatthevarietyofnutrientspackedintofoodslikegreenleafyproduce,orangesweetpotatoes,andbrightpinknectarinesallworkin

17synergytohelpthebodyfendoffcancercells.Mostlikely,followingaMediterranean-styledietbasedonfruits,vegetables,fish,nuts,andwholegrainshelpsloweryourcancerrisk.Andthelatestresearchsuggeststhattweakingthisplantoincludelessbreadandpastaandmoreplantproteinlikesoycouldhaveaddedbenefits."Researchshowsthataplant-baseddietisideal,thelessprocessedthebetter,"saysAliceBender,anutritionistattheAmericanInstituteforCancerResearch,anonprofitresearchorganizationinWashington,D.C."Avoiddeep-friedfoodsandaddedsaltandsugar,thesortsoffoodsthataredenseincalories."Agoodruleofthumb:Twothirdsofyourplateshouldbefilledwithvegetablesandlegumes,whilejustonethirdshouldprovideanimalprotein.Thetypeofanimalproteinmatters.Trytominimizeyourintakeofdelimeats,hotdogs,andotherprocessedmeats—whichareprettystronglyassociatedwithcolorectalcancer—andlimityourconsumptionofredmeattonomorethan18ouncesperweeksincemorealsoincreasescancerrisk.Whatalsomattersishowmuchyouweighandhowmanycaloriesyouburn.Beingoverweightandinactiveappearstofostercelldivisionandproliferation,whichmaygiverisetotumors.Obesityalsogoeshandinhandwithhighinsulinlevelsandinflammation,twometabolicstatesthathelpcancersgrowandspread,"Itisjustnowbecomingapparentthatobesityisamajorriskfactorforseveralcancers,"sayscancerresearcherJuneStevens,chairofthedepartmentofnutritionattheUniversityofNorth

18Carolina."Physicalactivitytendstobeprotective.Sopeopleshouldthinkaboutlosingweightandbeingphysicallyactivetopreventcancer.Ofcourse,iftheyloseweightbybeingmorephysicallyactiveandeatingmorefruitsandvegetablesandlessredmeatandalcohol—somuchthebetter!"

1912ReasonstoReallyQuitSmokingNeverniindcancerorheartdiseaseforamoment.HerearesomenonobviousreasonstosnubcigarettesByLINDSAYLYONPosted:November14,2008We'llspareyouthelecture.(Seriously,though.Stampoutthatbuttandflushthepack,already.)Tobaccouse,namelycigarettesmoking,isthechiefcauseofpreventabledeathintheUnitedStates.Leftunbridled,smokingcouldkillmorethanabillionpeoplethiscentury,accordingtotheWorldHealthOrganization.ThatequalsthenumberwhowoulddieifaTitanicsankevery24minutesforthenext100years,asformerU.S.SurgeonGeneralC.EverettKoopsostarklyputitataMarchpressconference.Still,itmaybeharderthanevertoquit:Threequartersoftoday'ssmokerstryingtoshedthehabitareheavilyhookedonnicotine,up32percentfromalmosttwodecadesago,accordingtoresearchpresentedattheAmericanCollegeofChestPhysicians'annualmeetinginOctober.Soquitting,formost,isnotmerelyamatterofwillpower.Nonetheless,thereasonstodosokeepamassing—andthey'renotallaboutheartdisease,lungcancer,orrespiratoryproblems.Here'safewdownsidesyoumightnothave

20considered.1.Itfogsthemind.Smokingmaycloudthemind,accordingtoaccumulatingresearch.AJunestudyintheArchivesofInternalMedicinefoundthatsmokinginmiddleageislinkedtomemoryproblemsandtoaslideinreasoningabilities,thoughtheserisksappearedlessenedforthosewho'dlongquit;thisisimportant,theauthorswrote,becauseotherresearchhasshownthatpeoplewithmildcognitiveimpairmentinmidlifedevelopdementiaatanacceleratedrate.Theirreportpiggybacksonseveralfocusedontheolderset:A2007analysisof19priorstudiesconcludedthatelderlysmokersfaceaheightenedriskofdementiaandcognitivedecline,comparedwithlifelongnonsmokers.Andin2004,researchersreportedinNeurologythatsmokingappearedtohastencognitivedeclineindementia-freeelderlysmokers,bringingitonseveraltimesfasterthanintheirnonsmokingpeers.2.Itmaybringondiabetes.Asifweneedanymoreriskfactorsfordiabetes,ananalysispublishedintheJournaloftheAmericanMedicalAssociationlastyearfoundthatacross25priorstudies,currentsmokershavea44percentgreaterchanceofdevelopingtype2diabetesthannonsmokersdo,andtheriskwasstrongestforthosewiththeheaviesthabit,whoclocked20ormorecigarettesperday.Inanaccompanyingeditorial,researchersmadeastrikingestimation:Thatsome12percentofalltype2diabetescasesnationwidemightbeattributabletosmoking.

211.Itinvitesinfections.InOctober,thefederalAdvisoryCommitteeonImmunizationPracticesmadeitsfirsteverrecommendationthatallsmokersages19to64beaddedtoashortlistofcandidatesforthepneumococcalvaccine.That'sbecausethereareverystrongdatashowingthattheriskofinfectionbypneumonia-causingbacteriaissubstantiallygreaterforsmokersthanfornonsmokers,saysPekkaNuorti,amedicalepidemiologistattheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.Exactlywhyisunclear,thoughthere'sevidencethatsmokingmaydamagetherespiratorysystem'sprotectivemucousmembranes,makingiteasierforinfectiousorganismstolatchonandcausedisease,saysNuorti.Otherresearchsuggeststhatsmokingmayinterferewithimmunity,compromisingpeople'sabilitytofightinfections,headds.Heightenedsusceptibilitytoinfections,itappears,isn'tlimitedjusttothosewhodothesmoking:AMaystudyinTobaccoControlfoundthatchildrenexposedtosecondhandsmokeathomeduringearlyinfancy(especiallythosebornprematurelyorwithalowbirthweight)aremorepronetoathrongofsevereillnessesthatmaylandtheminthehospitalatsomepointduringchildhood.Thefindingswerebasedonananalysisofmorethan7,000Chinesechildrenfrom1997to2005.2.Itmaystultifyasexlife.IfmenwanttohopaboardtheViagrabandwagon,mountingevidencesuggeststhatpuffingcigarettesmightbejusttheirticket.Smokersaremoreapttoexperienceerectiledysfunction

22thannonsmokersare,andthisriskclimbsasthenumberofcigarettessmokedincreases.AstudyintheAmericanJournalofEpidemiologyin2007trackedmorethan7,500Chinesemenwithlowriskforartherosclerosis,achiefunderlyingcauseoferectiledysfunction,andfoundthatsmokingcouldindependentlyhikeaman'schanceofwranglingwiththesexualcondition.Preventingsmokingisan"importantapproach"forcuttingtheriskofED,theresearchersconcluded.1.Itmayleadtowrinkles...everywhere.Notonlydoessmokingcontributetoprematurefacialwrinkles,buta2007studyintheArchivesofDermatologyfoundthatitmayalsoleadtowrinklingofskinthatrarelyseesthelightofday-inareassuchastheinnerarmandperhapsthebuttocks.2.Itmayhastenmenopause.Womenwhosmokefaceanincreasedriskofinfertility,andtheymayexperiencenaturalmenopauseatayoungeragethandononsmokers,accordingtothe2004andthe2001SurgeonGeneral'sReports,respectively.Furtherevidence:A2001animalstudyinNatureGeneticsfoundthatchemicalsincigarettesmokecanhurrymenopausebykillingoffeggcellsmadebyovaries,therebydwindlingtheeggcellreserve.Sincethetimingofmenopauseisdictatedbythesizeofawoman'seggcellreserve—whichisstockedwithaboutamillioneggsatbirthandvanishesbymenopause—anythingthatspeedsupitslosscouldlogicallyleadtoamuchearlieronsetoffertilitytroubles,notesJonathanTilly,oneofthestudy'sauthorsanddirectoroftheVincentCenterforReproductiveBiology

23atMassachusettsGeneralHospital.Moreworrisome:Womenwhosmokeduringpregnancymaybecompromisingnotonlytheirownfuturefertilitybutthefertilityoftheirunborndaughters.Instudiestestingthatidea,miceexposedtochemicalsincigarettesmokeduringgestationwerebomwithshrunkeneggreserves."Evenunderthebest-chancescenario—you'reanonsmoker,you'rehealthy,you'reyoung,youeatwell,you'reinshape——humanfertilityisn't100percent,"saysTilly."Anythingyoucandotomakeitbetteriscertainlyworthyourwhile."1.Itmaydullvision.Severalstudieshavefoundarobustlinkbetweensmokingandeyedisease,specificallyage-relatedmaculardegeneration,whichcanpermanentlyblurvisionorcauseblindness.A2005reviewof17studiesinthejournalEyereportedthatactivesmokersmayfacetwotothreetimestheriskfordevelopingthediseaseexperiencedbythosewhohaveneversmoked.2.Ithurtsbones.Smokingweakensthebody'sscaffoldingandisaseriousriskfactorforosteoporosis,accordingtotheNationalInstituteofArthritisandMusculoskeletalandSkinDiseases.It'sbeenshowntofritterawaybonedensityinpostmenopausalwomenandtohiketheriskofhipfracturesinbothsexes,accordingtothe2004SurgeonGeneral'sReport.(Peoplewhoendurehipfracturesare12to20percentmorelikelytodiethanthosewhodon't,theReportnotes,thoughtherearewaysosteoporosissuffererscanprotectthemselves.)Smokersmayalsoexperienceslowerhealingofbroken

24bonesandwoundedtissuesthandononsmokers.1.Itmayinjuretheinsides.Sure,cigarettesmaybesmoothtoinhale,buttheycanroughupthedigestivesystem,leadingtoheartbum,pepticulcers,andpossiblygallstones,accordingtotheNationalInstituteofDiabetesandDigestiveandKidneyDiseases.What'smore,currentandformersmokershaveanelevatedriskofdevelopingCrohn'sdisease,aconditioncharacterizedbyinflammationinthedigestivetractandcausingpainanddiarrhea,saysNIDDK.2.Itmaystiflesleep.Feelinggroggydespiteanight'sslumbermightbeaproblemforthosewholightup:AFebruarystudyinChestfoundthatsmokersarefourtimesmorelikelytogetnonrestorativesleepthanthosewhodon'tsmoke,andresearchersdeemednicotinethelikelyculprit.Theytheorizedthatitsstimulantpropertiesdealsmokersadoubleblow,makingitdifficulttofallasleepandalsopotentiallysendingthebodyintonicotinewithdrawalduringthenight.(Halfofthechemical'seffectwearsoffwithintwohours.)Sinceinadequateshut-eyecaninvitehealthproblems,considerforgoingcigarettesforthesakeofyoursleep.3.Itshavesyears—andquality—offlife.Menwhohaveneversmokedliveonaverage10yearslongerthantheirpeerswhosmokeheavily,accordingtoanOctoberreportintheArchivesofInternalMedicine.Moreover,theyenjoyedahigherqualityoflifethroughoutthoseextrayears,

25throwingsandinthefaceoftheoldsmokers'defensethatanearlydeathisasmallpricetopayforalifetimeofpleasure.Thestudy'sFinnishauthorsdrewtheirconclusionafterscrutinizingdataonmorethan1,600mentrackedfornearly30years.1.Ifstiedtolotsofcancers!Nottobelaborthepoint,buttobaccouseandsmokinghavebeenlinkedtomuchmorethanlungcancer.InSeptember,theCDCreleasedareportestimatingthatmorethan2millioncasesoftobacco-relatedcancerswerediagnosednationwidebetween1999and2004.Lungandbronchialcancertoppedthelist,naturally,butothertypesincludedstomach,pancreatic,kidney,urinarybladder,andcervicalcancer."Weknewthiswasabigproblemandapreventableproblem,"saysSherriStewart,theepidemiologistatCDCwholedtheresearch."Butwhenyoupresentthehardnumbers,youstarttoseetheprofoundnessoftheproblem."Hermessage:Toprotectyourhealth,doeverythingyoucantoquit.

26ThinkMoreProtein,FewerCarbstoMaintainWeightLoss5waystobemoreeffectiveatmaintainingweightlossByDEBORAHKOTZPosted:November24,2010It'sasad,well-wornfactthat90percentoffolkswholoseweightfailtokeepthepoundsoff.Thatabysmalsuccessratehasleftnutritionistsscramblingtofigureouthowtohelpdietersmaintaintheirweightlosswithoutfeelingliketheyhavetostayona"diet"inperpetuity.Well,anewstudypublishedintheNewEnglandJournalofMedicinemayprovideatemplateforpost-dieterstofollow.Itturnsout,thosewhofilltheirplateswithmoreproteinandfewerprocessedcarbohydrates—notallcarbsarecreatedequal—arebetterabletomaintaintheirweightlossthanthosewhoeatasimilarnumberofcaloriesbutshunproteinforpasta,bagels,andbread.Processedcarbs,oftenpackedwithsugarandwhiteflour,fallintothecategoryofhigh-glycemicindexfoodsbecausetheycausearapidspikeinbloodsugarlevels,whichpromotesthestorageofbodyfat."Theresultsindicatethatevenamodestincreaseindietaryproteinoramodestreductioninglycemic-indexvalueswassufficienttominimizeweightregainandpromotefurtherweightlossinobesepatientsafterasuccessfulweight-lossdiet,"writetheDanishstudyauthors.

27Thestudyincludednearly800overweightvolunteerswholostanaverageof23poundsbyfollowingalow-caloriedietandwerethenrandomlyassignedtooneofseveraleatingplansinanefforttopreventweightregainoversixmonths.Weightregainwaslessinthoseassignedtoeathigheramountsofproteinand"low-glycemicindex"carbohydrateslikehigh-fiberfruits,vegetables,andwholegrainscomparedtothosewhoweretoldtoeatlessproteinandmorehigh-glycemicindexfoodslikewhiterice,Frenchfries,andsugarycereal.Thosewhoatemoreproteinalsoweremorelikelytocontinuelosingweightthanthosewhoatemostlycarbohydrates,eventheunprocessedones.Thesefindingsaren'tsosurprisingtoTracyCherry,aregistereddietitianandclinicalnutritionspecialistattheUniversityofRochesterMedicalCenter,givenhowdifferentlythebodyhandlesproteinandcarbohydrates.Whilecarbohydratescausebloodsugarspikes,proteindoesn'thavethiseffect,soit'snotaslikelytoincreasebodyfatwhenconsumedinreasonableamounts.Low-glycemicindex,unprocessedcarbohydrates,whicharedigestedmoreslowlyduetotheirfibercontent,tendtocausemoremodestbloodsugarsurges,whichexplainswhythey'rebetteratpromotingweightmaintenancethanarehigh-glycemiccarbs.Still,Cherrysaysshe'sencouragedbythenews:"Weknowalotaboutwhatittakestoloseweightinitiallybutnotalotaboutkeepingweightoff,"shesays."Icantakethisstudyandprovidemealplansformypatients."

28Ifyou'verecentlylostweight,here'swhatCherryrecommendstokeepthepoundsoff:1.Makechangesyoucanstickwith.Theword"diet"impliessomethingthatwillend,sothepost-diethabitsyoufollowshouldbemaintainable."Ifyoureallylikecookiesoricecream,scheduletheminonceortwiceaweeksoyoudon'tfeeltoodeprived,"saysCherry.Includeaservingofleanprotein-egg-whiteomelette,fish,skinlesschickenbreast,low-fatcheese,tofu—witheverymealandsnacktohelpkeepyourbloodsugarlevelssteadyandtokeepyoufeelingfullerlonger.2.Thinkwholefoods."Foodsinboxestendtobeprocessed,soyou'rebetteroffchoosing[singlej-ingredientfoodslikefruits,vegetables,skimmilk,andfish,"ratherthanmultiple-ingredientproductsthatcomeincardboardoracan,saysCherry.3.Readthelabelsofpackagedfoods.Noquestion,thatfrozendinnersometimesisanecessity,butsomeversionsarebetterthanothers.Amy's,Kashi,MorningstarFarm,andBocatendofferless-processed,high-fibermealoptions.Still,youreallyneedtocheckthelabelsforingredients,saysCherry."Itshouldhaveafibercontentthat's15to20percentofthedailyrecommendedamount,anditshouldhavelessthan10percentofyourdailymaximumofsaturatedfats."Thedailymaxforsaturatedfatsis20grams.Whole-wheatproducts,sheadds,shouldbemadewith100percentwhole

29wheatnotjustwheatflour;thiswillensuretheircarbohydratesarelowerontheglycemic-indexscale.1.Identifyyourweight-maintenancepitfalls.Arethosestarchysweetsfillingsomeemotionalneedlikecomfortingyouwhenyou'resadorstressed?Doyoufindittoohardtoresistchocolatewhenit'sinthehouse?"Youshouldbasicallybeeatingthesamekindsoffoodsthatyouwereeatingwhenyouwerelosingweighttokeepthepoundsoff,"saysCherry,whileoccasionallyallowingyourselfthosenon-dietfavorites.2.Don*tworryabouthigh-glycemiccarrotsandpineapple.Therearecertainfruitsandvegetablesthatcancausequickspikesinbloodsugar(carrots,pineapple,bakedpotatoes,watermelon)ifyoueattheminlargeamountsinonesitting.Butmostofuseattheminsmallquantitiesalongwithotherfoods,saysCherry,whichdampenstheireffect;plus,they'repackedwithnutrientsthatourbodyneeds.Soenjoythatsliceofwatermelonorthosecarrotslicesdippedinhummus!WhytheEconomyIsn't(Quite)asBadasItSeems5brightspotsintheeconomicdataByROBSILVERBLATT,BENBADENPosted:July13,2010Thewobblinghousingmarketcanbarelystandonitsowntwofeet.Lacklusterjobgrowthanddepressedconsumerspendingaredraggingdown

30analready-fragilerecovery.AndacrosstheAtlantic,adebtcrisisistestingtheresolveofnationalgovernments.Withtheeconomyfacingaveritablelaundrylistofcrises,thecurrentoutlookleaveslittleroomforoptimism."We'vegotthesebigholesintheeconomywithnotawholelotoffsettingit,leavinguswithaneconomythat'simprovingandislikelytocontinuetoimprove,butnotallthatmuchandnotallthatfast,"saysKenGoldstein,aneconomistfortheConferenceBoard."It'sveryhardtomakeastrongcasefor[thecurrentclimate]."Meanwhile,thedramaticrecovery,whichsawthestockmarketoutruntherealeconomyonthebackofawaveofoptimism,haslargelypeteredout.Aseconomicindicatorscontinuetodeteriorate,somehavesoundedthealarmthatadouble-diprecessioncouldbeapproaching.Butevenasthepossibilityloomsthattheeconomycouldslidebackintorecessionterritory,economistsarestillbyandlargebettingagainstit.Liftedbyahandfulofbrightspotsintheotherwisebleakeconomicdata,theprevailingsentimentappearstobethattheongoingslumpisjustabumpintheroad."Whilethere'sbeenlotsofdouble-diptalkhere,Ibelievewhatwe'rereallyexperiencingisjustasoftspot,"saysBurtWhite,thechiefeconomistatLPLFinancial."Theproblemisthatthemarketcan'ttellthedifference...betweenchangingspeedandchangingdirection....Wecan'tcomeoutofarecessionandgothrougharecoveryandjustkeepgrowingfasterandfaster,becauseeventuallyyou'dhavesoaringinflationandallkindsofotherissues.Eventuallyrecoverieshavetomoderatetomorenormalizedgrowthlevels,andthat'swhatwe'reseeing.Sowe'reseeingachangeinspeedinthe

31expansion;we'renotseeingaretraction."Thispossibility—thattheeconomyisnormalizingasrecoveryslowlygiveswaytobusinessasusual—is,ofcourse,thebestcasescenarioinalonglistofeventualoutcomes.Still,therecertainlyaresomepositivefactorstosupportit.Here'salookatfiveofthem:Highearningsforecasts.Earningsseasonkicksoffthisweek,andit'simportanttoseeifbusinessesaregrowingearningsataratehighenoughforthemtobeginreinvestinginthingslikenewequipment."Corporateearningsarecritical,"saysTomHiggins,chiefeconomistattheinvestmentfirmPayden&RygeLAnalystsarenotexpectingsomecompanies'earningstobeashighastheywereinthefirstquarter,butmanyexpertscontinuetohavehighexpectations."We'restillgoingtoseedouble-digitgrowthinthe[secondquarter]earnings,andthat'scertainlystrongenoughtokeepbusinessinvestmentgrowing,"Higginssays.WhitebelieveswecouldseethehighestearningseverreportedbyS&P500companies.Thiscouldhelppromptbusinesses,whichhavebeenstockpilingcashandarestillspendingatpre-crisislevels,tostepontheaccelerator."Businessspendingisthenextrunnerinthismarathonrelayrace,"saysWhite."ThefirstrunnerswereChina,centralbanks,andgovernments.That'swhohasbeenrunningsofar;they'vegottopassthebatontothenextrunner."

32Duringtherecession,businessesslashedtheiroperatingcosts,whichputadamperonnew-productcreation.Whiteexpectsthesituationtoimproveinthesecondhalfof2010ascompetitionforcesbusinessestoinvestinnewdesigns."Duringtherecession,youwentoutofbusinessifyoudidn'tstopspending,"hesays."Nowyou'regoingtogooutofbusinessifyoudon'tstartspending,becauseyourcompetitorswillputyououtofbusiness.Thegoodcompaniesarebeginningtomakethattransitionnow,andit'sgoingtoforcetheircompetitorstomakethattransitiontootokeepup."Rock-bottominterestrates.Tohelpencouragelending,theFederalReservehaskeptthetargetrangeforthefederalfundsrate—whattheFedchargesbankstoborrowmoneyonashort-termbasis—betweenzeroand0.25percentsinceDecember2008.TheFedhasalsorepeateditspledgetokeeprateslowforan"extendedperiod"sinceMarch2009.Withinterestratessetaslowastheycango,thehopehasbeenthatcompanieswillbegintoborrowmoreandbankswillbegintolendmore."Lowinterestratesaredefinitelyapositive[fortheeconomy],"saysAdamBold,founderoftheMutualFundStore."Becauseinterestratesarelow,you'vegotcompaniesthatareabletomakeinvestmentsthattheywouldn'totherwisebeabletomakebecausetheirborrowingcostsarelow."Lowinterestratesshouldmakecreditmoreaccessibletoconsumersand

33businesses."Bykeepingtheseinterestratesverylow...youreallyhavethecapabilityofbeingabletoborrowmoneyandputittoworkandprobablyputittoworkquitehandsomely,"saysTomRoseen,seniorresearchanalystatLipper."Ifyoucanputthatmoneytowork,youcangetaprettygoodreturn."Hesayshedoesn'tbelievetheFedwillhikeinterestratesuntilatleasttheendoftheyear.Fewerlayoffs.Tobesure,mostnewsonthejobsfrontisquitedreary.Intheaftermathofarecessionthatwipedout8millionjobs,Americanshavebeenanxioustoseesignsofrobustimprovementinthelabormarket,onlytobedisappointedbythetepidrateofgrowth.ConfidenceerodedevenfurtherwhenthegovernmentannouncedthatmorejobswerelostthanwerecreatedinJune.Whilethiswaslargelyexpected—astemporarycensusworkerswerefinishinguptheirjobs—itmarkedthefirsttimethisyearthattheeconomyhadshedjobs.Evenso,thenewsisn'tallbad.Forinstance,newjoblessclaimsfellby21,000theweekbeforelast,beatingexpectationsanddrivingthenumberofnewclaimstoatwo-monthlow.Meanwhile,therateoflayoffsappearstobeslowing.Plannedjobcutsforthesecondthreemonthsoftheyeardecreased63percentfromthesameperiodlastyear,accordingtothefirmChallenger,Gray&Christmas."Whilesomemayquestionthesustainabilityofthisrecovery,thedramaticdeclineinplannedlayoffs...certainlysuggeststhatthenation'semployersarenotanticipatingadouble-diprecession,"thefirm

34saidinarelease.Thesestatistics,ofcourse,offerlittlerespitetothemillionsofAmericanswhoarealreadyoutofwork.Butforthosestrugglingtoholdontotheirjobs,theyoffersomehopethattheworstpayrolldamagehasalreadybeendone.ProgressinEurope.TheEuropeandebtcrisisisthebiggestriskintheglobaleconomyrightnow,accordingtoHiggins.Ifthesituationweretoworsen,thereareconcernsthatitcouldspillovertotheUnitedStates.Therearesigns,however,thattheEuropeanUnionisbeginningtoseriouslyaddressthiscrisis.Greecehasseenitsgovernmentdebtdowngradedto"junk"statusinrecentmonths,whichhasgovernmentsaroundtheworldworriedthatGreececouldpotentiallydefaultonitsdebtifthegovernmenttheredoesn'tmakeseriouschanges.Toprovethatthey'recommittedtoreducingtheirmassivedeficit,membersoftheGreekgovernmentpushedapensionbillthroughtheirparliamentlastweekthatwouldraisetheretirementagethereandcutsomebenefits.Toassessthestabilityoftheirfinancialsystem,Europeanbanksarenowundergoing"stresstests"similartotheonesthatwererunintheUnitedStateslastyear.Thesetestsareruntoseehowstrongthebankshavebecomesincetheworstofthefinancialcrisis."PeopleintheU.S.didn'tinitiallybuyintothestresstestseither,butoncetheresultscameoutandtherewerecapitalinfusionsintothebankingsystem,itmadeeveryonefeelabitbetter,"

35Higginssays."Thatcertainlyimprovedtheoutlookforthefinancialsector[intheU.S.],soI'mhopingfbrthesameoutcomeinEurope."TheresultsofthetestsaresettobereleasedonJuly23.Exports.Afteranencouragingrun,exportshavepaintedamixedpictureasoflate.Ontheonehand,astrengtheningU.S.dollarhasstalledexportstoEurope,andthemanufacturingPMI,anindexthatmeasuresthehealthofthedomesticmanufacturingsector,tookahitinitsmostrecentreading.Evenso,exportsarestilla"netpositive"fortheeconomy,Swansonsays.Evenifexportersaren'tbooming,they'restilloutperformingothersegmentsoftheeconomy,saysGoldstein."Withaneconomygrowingbymaybe2.5percent,thefactthatexportsaregrowing[several]timesfasterthanthatisgoodnewsinastoryotherwisedevoidofverymuchgoodnews,"hesays.Initially,China'scurrencyrevaluationwasexpectedtoprovideasolidboosttoU.S.exporters,whohavelargelybeenlockedoutoftheAsiangiant'sswellingeconomy.Morerecently,though,theenthusiasmhasgivenwaytoarealizationthatChinaisunlikely-atleastinthenearterm-tostrengthenitscurrency,therenminbi,enoughtoopenthedoortoU.S.exporters.