Studies more firmly tie sugary drinks to obesity

A huge, decades-long study involving more than 33,000 Americans has yielded the first clear proof that drinking sugary beverages interacts with genes that affect weight, amplifying a person's risk of obesity beyond what it would be from heredity alone.

This means that such drinks are especially harmful to people with genes that predispose them to weight gain. And most of us have at least some of these genes.

In addition, two other major experiments have found that giving children and teens calorie-free alternatives to the sugary drinks they usually consume leads to less weight gain.

Collectively, the results strongly suggest that sugary drinks cause people to pack on the pounds, independent of other unhealthy behavior such as overeating and getting too little exercise, scientists say.

That adds weight to the push for taxes, portion limits like the one just adopted in New York City, and other policies to curb consumption of soda, juice drinks and sports beverages sweetened with sugar.

Soda lovers do get some good news: Sugar-free drinks did not raise the risk of obesity in these studies.

"You may be able to fool the taste" and satisfy a sweet tooth without paying a price in weight, said an obesity researcher with no role in the studies, Rudy Leibel of Columbia University.

The studies were being presented Friday at an obesity conference in San Antonio and were published online by the New England Journal of Medicine.

The gene research in particular fills a major gap in what we know about obesity. It was a huge undertaking, involving three long-running studies that separately and collectively reached the same conclusions. It shows how behavior combines with heredity to affect how fat we become.

Having many of these genes does not guarantee people will become obese, but if they drink a lot of sugary beverages, "they fulfill that fate," said an expert with no role in the research, Jules Hirsch of Rockefeller University in New York. "The sweet drinking and the fatness are going together, and it's more evident in the genetic predisposition people."

Sugary drinks are the single biggest source of calories in the American diet, and they are increasingly blamed for the fact that a third of U.S. children and teens and more than two-thirds of adults are obese or overweight.

Consumption of sugary drinks and obesity rates have risen in tandem - both have more than doubled since the 1970s in the U.S.

But that doesn't prove that these drinks cause obesity. Genes, inactivity and eating fatty foods or just too much food also play a role. Also, diet research on children is especially tough because kids are growing and naturally gaining weight.

Until now, high-quality experiments have not conclusively shown that reducing sugary beverages would lower weight or body fat, said David Allison, a biostatistician who has done beverage research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, some of it with industry support.

He said the new studies on children changed his mind and convinced him that limiting sweet drinks can make a difference.

In one study, researchers randomly assigned 224 overweight or obese high schoolers in the Boston area to receive shipments every two weeks of either the sugary drinks they usually consumed or sugar-free alternatives, including bottled water. No efforts were made to change the youngsters' exercise habits or give nutrition advice, and the kids knew what type of beverages they were getting.

After one year, the sugar-free group weighed more than 4 pounds less on average than those who kept drinking sugary beverages.

"I know of no other single food product whose elimination can produce this degree of weight change," said the study's leader, Dr. David Ludwig of Boston Children's Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health.

The weight difference between the two groups narrowed to 2 pounds in the second year of the study, when drinks were no longer being provided. That showed at least some lasting beneficial effect on kids' habits. The study was funded mostly by government grants.

A second study involved 641 normal-weight children ages 4 to 12 in the Netherlands who regularly drank sugar-sweetened beverages. They were randomly assigned to get either a sugary drink or a sugar-free one during morning break at their schools, and were not told what kind they were given.

After 18 months, the sugary-drink group weighed 2 pounds more on average than the other group.

The studies "provide strong impetus" for policies urged by the Institute of Medicine, the American Heart Association and others to limit sugary drink consumption, Dr. Sonia Caprino of the Yale School of Medicine wrote in an editorial in the journal.

The American Beverage Association disagreed.

"Obesity is not uniquely caused by any single food or beverage," it said in a statement. "Studies and opinion pieces that focus solely on sugar-sweetened beverages, or any other single source of calories, do nothing meaningful to help address this serious issue."

The genetic research was part of a much larger set of health studies that have gone on for decades across the U.S., led by the Harvard School of Public Health.

Researchers checked for 32 gene variants that have previously been tied to weight. Because we inherit two copies of each gene, everyone has 64 opportunities for these risk genes. The study participants had 29 on average.

Every four years, these people answered detailed surveys about their eating and drinking habits as well as things like smoking and exercise. Researchers analyzed these over several decades.

A clear pattern emerged: The more sugary drinks someone consumed, the greater the impact of the genes on the person's weight and risk of becoming obese.

For every 10 risk genes someone had, the risk of obesity rose in proportion to how many sweet drinks the person regularly consumed. Overall calorie intake and lifestyle factors such as exercise did not account for the differences researchers saw.

This means that people with genes that predispose them to be obese are more susceptible to the harmful effects of sugary drinks on their weight, said one of the study leaders, Harvard's Dr. Frank Hu. The opposite also was true - avoiding these drinks can minimize the effect of obesity genes.

"Two bad things can act together and their combined effects are even greater than either effect alone," Hu said. "The flip side of this is everyone has some genetic risk of obesity, but the genetic effects can be offset by healthier beverage choices. It's certainly not our destiny" to be fat, even if we carry genes that raise this risk.

The study was funded mostly by federal grants, with support from two drug companies for the genetic analysis.

QUORA - SPRINGHILL GROUP - Shock therapy to avoid scams - web ample l mypage.rediff Lee Watanabe

http://www.quora.com/Lee-Watanabe/Springhill-Group/Shock-therapy-to-avoid-scams-web-ample-l-mypage-rediff

The annual list of the top 10 consumer complaints is out, and it features familiar scams. Once again, the report is a good reminder to be careful. Some of the scams have become more sophisticated, with more high-tech ways of stealing your money. Topping the list are auto complaints, including misrepresentations in advertising or sales, faulty repairs, and leasing and towing disputes. In second place are complaints about credit and debt. The category includes mortgage modifications and mortgage-related fraud, credit-repair schemes, debt-relief services, predatory lending, and illegal or abusive debt-collection tactics. The five fastest-growing complaints are about fraud, debt-collection abuses, do-not-call violations, mortgage-related issues, and problems that people have had with both legitimate and sham home-improvement companies. New to the list this year are real-estate-related complaints. Hard times have left many people wanting to dump their timeshares, or at least get out from under yearly maintenance fees they can no longer afford. This desperation on the part of timeshare owners has been a boon to schemers. In one such swindle, “timeshare resellers” tell folks they can help them unload their unwanted properties and ask for an upfront fee for the service. I’m sure you can guess what happens. No buyers are found, no help is really offered and people are out of their money, stuck with a timeshare they can’t afford. But then another timeshare crook swoops in to add insult to financial injury. Timeshare recovery companies offer to help owners get back the funds lost to resellers. They ask for an upfront fee. It’s a double financial whack because this, too, turns out to be a scam.

Engaging NK only option to resolve nuclear program: ex-US envoy

A policy of engagement with North Korea is the only viable option to resolve the North's nuclear weapons programs, but Seoul and Washington must set "strict standards" to prevent Pyongyang from backsliding and repeating its nuclear hide-and-seek, a former U.S. point man on North Korea said Tuesday. 

Stephen Bosworth, the Obama administration's first special envoy for North Korea, also expressed skepticism that China, the North's key ally and economic benefactor, would wield an enough leverage to persuade Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambition. 

Washington's policy of deterring North Korea did not work, as Pyongyang conducted its second nuclear test in 2009 and revealed a uranium enrichment program in 2010 that could give it another means of producing fissile material for nuclear bombs. In 2010, North Korea launched two military attacks on South Korea. 

"So, I think we have no choice but to re-engage ourselves (with North Korea)," Bosworth told a forum in Seoul. 

To bring about positive changes in Pyongyang's behavior, Bosworth said Seoul and Washington need "a very careful diplomacy, patience and willingness, not simply to give to North Korea, but to set strict standards." 

Bosworth was the top U.S. envoy for North Korea from March 2009 to October 2011. He also served as U.S. ambassador to South Korea and is now dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University. 

Diplomatic efforts to resume the six-party talks on ending North Korea's nuclear ambition have been frozen since April, when North Korea defiantly launched a long-range rocket that failed moments after lift-off. 

The defiant launch drew strong condemnation from the U.N. Security Council as a disguised test of ballistic missile technology, and led to the collapse of the so-called "Leap Day" deal with the U.S., under which Washington would resume food aid to Pyongyang in return for a monitored shutdown of the North's nuclear activities.

Although North Korea reneged on the deal, Bosworth expected Korea and the U.S. to resume their engagement with Pyongyang after their presidential elections this year. 

U.S. President Barack Obama has been in a tight race for re-election in November against Republican rival Mitt Romney, while South Korea is set for its presidential vote in December. 

"I'm assuming that after our elections are over, we'll have newly elected governments in place here in South Korea and the United States. Then, attention will turn again to the question of how we will deal with North Korea," Bosworth said. 

Bosworth warned that destabilizing North Korea could have serious consequences for the global economy. 

"Northeast Asia is now becoming the center of the global economy," he said. "A severe disruption of stability in Northeast Asia will have profound consequences not just for this region, but the global economy." (Yonhap)

NY teen's death on party bus a warning to others

http://www.newson6.com/story/19440060/ny-teens-death-on-party-bus-a-%20warning-to-othershttp://www.newson6.com/story/19440060/ny-teens-death-on-party-bus-a-%20warning-to-others


Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) - It's a familiar scene on city streets and in movies: dressed-up teenagers packed into a stretch limo, celebrating something important by jubilantly sticking their heads through the roof.
A bigger version of that is the rented party bus, which can pack in more guests. Renting such buses - some two stories high, offering such amenities as strobe lights and satellite TV - "is what kids call fun nowadays," said Emily DaRocha of the Silver Star Limousine company. "We're talking about kids in the 21st century; that's how it is."

But such trips also carry more risk, as in the case this weekend of a New York teenager who poked his head through a hatch that had been opened on a double-decker bus loaded with dozens of dancing teens on their way to a party. Daniel Fernandez, 16, was fatally struck when the bus went under an overpass, according to authorities.

"No matter how many times you tell clients this is an emergency exit - it's written on the glass - they still open it," DaRocha said. "It happens all the time."

Her company in suburban Westchester County only offers single-level buses, Mercedes-Benzes that rent for up to $500 an hour.

Safety precautions must be part of the package, though, too. For a group of 40 guests, Silver Star requires two adults be aboard if the group is made up of teens or children 18 or under.

"It's much more dangerous when you have a double-decker with 65 kids - because they're hard to control," DaRocha said.

In addition to the driver, a security guard was on board the bus Fernandez was riding on Friday that was taking the teens from New York City to a sweet 16 bash in New Jersey. Design Limousines of New York, which operated the double-decker bus, did not return calls seeking comment on whether other chaperones were on board.

The security guard told reporters he watched for all but a few minutes, when he'd gone downstairs. And that's when the hatch was opened, after the bus crossed the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey.

Other private transportation companies have altogether given up trying to safely entertain a bus full of teens.

A short drive from The Venetian, the event center that was the bus' destination in New Jersey on Friday night, is the Garden State Limousine company. The company offers sweet 16 party packages, "but no more party buses, not for years," manager Joseph Ramsey said. "It's not easy to deal with kids."

Even in limos, especially during prom season, "they open the sunroof after you tell them not to do this," he says. "They don't listen."

Hi-tech wrinkle buster

http://www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/beauty/311843/hi-tech-wrinkle-buster

The age of your skin may not equal your chronological age. Hopefully it's a lower number, but if higher you may not like the fact that you are well ahead in accumulating wrinkles.

Can we really quantify signs of ageing? Yes, and cosmetic companies are offering to do so as part of beauty counselling that encourages you to buy time-stopping skincare to make you look young.

SK-II has come up with various measurement tools to gauge multiple signs of ageing and calculate the age of the skin.

Two years ago, the Japanese brand introduced a skin phone that pinches the skin and records how it responds to stress. The purpose of this compression imaging device is to measure the skin power quotient (SPQ), which is the ability to withstand stress and maintain its texture, radiance and firmness.

At its counters, a bigger diagnostic device is now being used to measure texture, radiance and firmness as well as spots and wrinkles. Called the Magic Ring, it provides a full-face analysis that produces scores in five criteria that contribute to a youthful-looking complexion.

SK-II has also developed a new measure, the Ageless Vector, to quantify radical firmness, which is determined by skin thickness, elasticity and the integrity of the shape of the basal layer (the bottom layer of the epidermis).

The measurement is based on the angle of fine lines and wrinkles _ the larger the angle, the greater the decline in radical firmness.

The Ageless Vector is applied in evaluating the effectiveness of SK-II new anti-ageing products: Essential Power and Essential Power Rich Cream. Applied on the skin as a double moisturiser, both of the two formulas feature Acanax Complex, containing an extract taken from the root of Siberian ginseng, harvested from an organic farm in South Korea's Jeju Island.

Springhill Group - Turkey l Knowhow - The-looser-it-s-me

“No one should be deceived by our cool-headed stance. Our acting with common sense should not be perceived as a weakness,” said Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey’s brief response to last week’s incident seems to show that a violent retaliation from their side is not happening, although Prime Minister Erdogan has warned that Syria must not test his resolve.
Prime Minister Erdogan announced that Turkey had altered its military policies of engagement toward Syria.
In his speech to the legislative body also attended by Arab diplomats, Erdogan said, “Every military element that approaches the Turkish border from Syria in a manner that constitutes a security risk or danger would be considered as a threat and would be treated as a military target.”
Border violations is not something new as the Turks have claimed that Syrian helicopters themselves had repeatedly violated Turkey’s airspace, without the latter dealing a hostile response in return. The two nations are sharing a 910-kilometer frontier.
According to Syria, Turkey’s plane was flying at low altitude and high speed, thus violating their airspace so one of their officers shot it down using an anti-aircraft fire. On the other hand, Turkey claims that their plane was fired at over international waters following a brief and unintentional stay in the Syrian space. The two pilots of the Turkish aircraft are still missing.

5 warning signs of gaming addiction - CNN.com

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/05/tech/gaming-gadgets/gaming-addiction-warning-signs/index.html 

(CNN) -- South Korea is perhaps the world's leader in terms of identifying and treating gaming and Internet addiction. After wiring the nation with the world's fastest broadband infrastructure, South Korea's government spends millions per year to identify and treat gaming and Internet addicts.

About 8% of the country's population age 9 to 39 suffer from Internet or gaming addiction, according to a 2010 government study.

Some see South Korea as a window into the future: Perhaps other nations, including the United States, will see a wave of gaming and Internet addiction when our technological infrastructure catches up. Others say it's too soon to know if gaming addiction is really its own disorder.

In the United States, Internet and gaming addiction are not listed in the official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In the next revision of that list, however, the American Psychiatric Association has proposed that "Internet Use Disorder" be listed as warranting further study.

Open Mic: South Koreans take on gaming

Some groups, however, have moved forward with treating Internet and gaming addiction.

One of the leaders in that field is Dr. Han Doug-hyun, from Chung-Ang University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea's capital. Han's research lab treats people who are addicted to games using techniques similar to those used to treat alcoholics, including counseling and virtual-reality therapy (Check out this CNN video to see inside his research and treatment space).

As part of CNN's feature on "Gaming Reality," Han gave us his list of the top five warning signs that a person should seek professional help for Internet or gaming addiction. Take a look at the tips and let us know what you think of them, and of the science of gaming addiction, in the comments.

Here are Han's top 5 warning signs of gaming or Internet addiction:

1. Disrupted regular life pattern. If a person plays games all night long and sleeps in the daytime, that can be a warning he or she should seek professional help.

2. If the potential gaming or Internet addict loses his or her job, or stops going to school in order to be online or to play a digital game.

3. Need for a bigger fix. Does the gamer have to play for longer and longer periods in order to get the same level of enjoyment from the game?

4. Withdrawal. Some Internet and gaming addicts become irritable or anxious when they disconnect, or when they are forced to do so.

5. Cravings. Some Internet and gaming addicts experience cravings, or the need to play the game or be online when they are away from the digital world.

Springhill Group - Rich Parker Blogspot

http://springhillgroupbyrichparker.blogspot.com/ 

Springhill Group - Turkey - blogger - tumblr - posterous

http://timothyweeper.posterous.com/springhill-group-turkey-blogger-tumblr

“No one should be deceived by our cool-headed stance. Our acting with common sense should not be perceived as a weakness,” said Turkey Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey’s brief response to last week’s incident seems to show that a violent retaliation from their side is not happening, although Prime Minister Erdogan has warned that Syria must not test his resolve.

Prime Minister Erdogan announced that Turkey had altered its military policies of engagement toward Syria.

In his speech to the legislative body also attended by Arab diplomats, Erdogan said, “Every military element that approaches the Turkish border from Syria in a manner that constitutes a security risk or danger would be considered as a threat and would be treated as a military target.”

Border violations is not something new as the Turks have claimed that Syrian helicopters themselves had repeatedly violated Turkey’s airspace, without the latter dealing a hostile response in return. The two nations are sharing a 910-kilometer frontier.

According to Syria, Turkey’s plane was flying at low altitude and high speed, thus violating their airspace so one of their officers shot it down using an anti-aircraft fire. On the other hand, Turkey claims that their plane was fired at over international waters following a brief and unintentional stay in the Syrian space. The two pilots of the Turkish aircraft are still missing.

 NATO has supported Turkey’s version of the story and condemned Syria for shooting the plane, though it did not mention any military action for fear of a conflict that could trigger a wider war. During their conference in Springhill Group, NATO officials referred to the event as “another example of the Syrian authorities’ disregard for international norms, peace and security, and human life.”

 A senior diplomat of NATO commented that even if the Turks were indeed spying, Syria’s reaction is still out of place. “When this happens between neighboring countries, you give a warning and then send up interceptors. You don’t just shoot down the plane.”

 Meanwhile, Europe and the US seem to be avoiding a direct involvement in a military confrontation with Syria.

 ”We would like to see more pressure from our allies, particularly more leadership from the United States,” said a senior official from Turkey.

Confirmed in the hearts and minds of his people | Inquirer Opinion

http://opinion.inquirer.net/35560/confirmed-in-the-hearts-and-minds-of-his-people

Except FOR a brief encounter at the Naia 3 terminal while waiting to board a flight for Bohol, I would have never met Secretary Jesse Robredo. He was a complete stranger although I knew him as a Ramon Magsaysay awardee for government service for his work as mayor of Naga City.

Going through my previous columns on such diverse topics as the rights and privileges of senior citizens and the Luneta hostage crisis, I realize that I had made some comments and observations about Robredo that defined my impressions—not always positive—of the man.

Just a few years ago, senior citizens were experiencing difficulties in the implementation of the Senior Citizens Law. There were lots of complaints concerning business establishments, particularly drug stores and restaurants, many of whom were deciding for themselves how the law should be interpreted. Very often, senior citizens  had no choice but to accept whatever was their version of the law. A case in point was the use of credit cards by senior citizens. Some establishments refused to grant senior citizens discount unless payment was made in cash.

Five years ago, I received a letter from a senior citizen of Naga City. He related how a KFC outlet in downtown Naga refused to grant him any senior citizen discount for a take-out order he made consisting of “a single chicken meal with coleslaw salad.” According to the waiter, the senior citizen discount was not being honored for take-out orders, citing the practice as a nationwide KFC policy.

The senior citizen then filed a formal complaint with the mayor’s office. The city legal officer in his recommendation to Mayor Jesse Robredo, called for a liberal interpretation of the law, particularly when social legislation enactments were concerned. In this particular case, he believed the law should be interpreted on the side of the beneficiary who happened to be a senior citizen.

Mayor Robredo ordered the filing of a criminal case against the KFC outlet for violation of the Expanded Senior Citizens Law. This singular act of Mayor Robredo led me to revisit the citation of the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation when it bestowed on him in 2000 the Award for Government Service.

Let me refresh our memories. It will help us understand the generous outpouring of affection and sadness that have overcome the nation since he left us a few days ago.

Parts of the citation read: “It is sad but true. Democratic government is not necessarily good government. Too often elections yield power to the few, not the many. Injustices linger beneath the rhetoric of equality. Corruption and incompetence go on and on. Voters, alas, do not always choose wisely. And yet, in Asia and the world at large, much is at risk when democracy founders because democracy is the hope of so many. Jesse Manalastas Robredo entered Philippine politics when hope was high. As Mayor of Naga City from 1988 to 1998, he demonstrated that democratic government can also be good government. . .

“Once the queen city of the Bicol Region, Naga in 1989 was a dispirited provincial town of 120,000 souls.  Traffic clogged its tawdry business district and vice syndicates operated at will. City services were fitful at best. Meanwhile, thousands of squatters filled Naga’s vacant lands, despite the dearth of jobs in the city’s stagnant economy. Indeed, Naga’s revenues were so low that it had been downgraded officially from a first-class to a third-class city.

“Robredo began with a strike against patronage. He introduced a merit-based system of hiring and promotion, and reorganized city employees on the basis of aptitude and competence. He then moved against local vice lords, ridding Naga of gambling and smut. Next, he relocated the bus and jeepney terminals outside the city center, ending gridlock and spurring new enterprises at the city’s edge. Public revenues rose and by 1990, Naga was a first-class city again.

“Robredo raised performance, productivity and morale among city employees as a culture of excellence overtook the culture of mediocrity at City Hall, Naga’s businesses doubled and local revenues rose by 573 percent. . .

“When obliged by law to step down after his third term, the popular Robredo made no effort to entrench his family. His advice to would-be leaders? ‘You have to have credibility’.”

On such a small matter as “a single chicken meal” purchased by a senior citizen, Robredo went out of his way to put everyone on notice that his job was to uphold the rule of law. There are very few heads of local government units who would dare offend powerful and moneyed interests, knowing that come election time they risked losing this source of much-needed support. It was actions such as that taken by Jesse Robredo that pushed forward the cause of senior citizens nationwide.

* * *

A few months after President Aquino’s election, the Luneta hostage crisis took place. It was a bungled affair, resulting in a black eye for the nation. The pitiful sight of a SWAT member wearing a baseball cap turned backwards, with a pistol in hand, was a damning testimony to the incompetence of police elements involved in the crisis situation.

Secretary Robredo was head of the Department of Interior and Local Government, with supervision over the Philippine National Police. In the wake of the disastrous results, I called for his resignation, saying, “In olden times, human beings were sacrificed to appease the gods for any event that may have displeased them or brought shame to the community. This is the same principle applied by our neighbors in Japan and South Korea where ranking officials are routinely sacked for command responsibility in any national tragedy or disaster.” I added that Robredo should immediately send in a letter of resignation since there were indications of a lack of trust and confidence on the part of the appointing power. (In 1995, as a result of the Flor Contemplacion hanging in Singapore, Foreign Secretary Roberto Romulo and Labor Secretary Nieves Confesor had to leave their positions.)

In the end, the President himself announced that Robredo was being kept in an acting capacity, citing “differences in style and philosophy.” The submission of his appointment for confirmation was withheld for some time.

* * *

During the last few days I have learned a lot about Jesse Robredo. Two nights of eulogies by Kaya Natin members and Liberal Party mates have provided us with a complete picture of the man.

When I met him at the Naia 3 terminal, I started to explain why I thought he should have left office after the Luneta incident. He let out with a wide smile, saying, “OK  lang. I understand.”

Ramon Magsaysay died in a plane crash. Jesse Robredo left us in the same manner. Both were young, energetic and inspirational leaders. Why do we lose so early in life the kind of men needed by our nation?