How Junior High Friendships Affect Adult Relationships

2013-04-04

Middle school is typically a time of chaotic emotions, confusing relationships and challenging growing pains. But it may also have a surprisingly lasting influence on the future.

In a study published in Child Development, researchers found that adolescents who were best able to negotiate the relationship minefield of finding friends and making sound behavior choices were most likely to be rated by their parents as successful both socially and professionally when they became young adults.

“We tend to think that peer relationships in early adolescence don’t mean that much, but that tends to be dead wrong,” says Joseph Allen, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. “How well you do with peers as an early teen tells us a whole lot about how you manage in a lot of different ways as an adult.”

Allen and his colleagues followed 184 youths from a public middle school in the Southeast, which included kids from both urban and suburban neighborhoods. They interviewed the teens’ parents as well as other adolescents that they identified as their closest friends annually for three years, starting when the participants were around 13. The authors followed up again when they were ages 20 to 23.

“What we’re finding is that the path is not straightforward, it’s more like a tightrope walk between trying to connect well with peers on one side and avoiding getting swept up into peer influences toward deviant behavior like delinquency and drug use on the other,” says Allen.

Indeed, the study showed that teens who best resisted peer pressure during junior high were less likely to engage in criminal behavior or to have alcohol or drug problems. Unfortunately, this ability to resist peer pressure can also be isolating; this same group also had fewer and weaker friendships as adults.

Those who had the strongest interactions as adults, not surprisingly, were teens who walked a middle ground, remaining open to peer influence, but not allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by the pressure to conform. “Teens who can manage that well have strong close friendships as adults,” says Allen. “They’re better at negotiating disagreements with romantic partners when we observed them doing that. They are less likely to have problems with alcohol and substance use and less likely to engage in criminal behavior.”

That doesn’t mean, however, that when it came to the most common pressures during adolescence, such as smoking, drinking and trying drugs, these teens were abstinent. “The people who were best at connecting have a lower risk of problems with alcohol and drug abuse, but they actually drink slightly more,” Allen says. This confirms earlier research that suggested teens who were well adjusted didn’t always abstain entirely, but rather were able to avoid excess.

“In terms of alcohol and drug use, the safest path would be to be more resistant of peer influences and slightly less connected, but that would then cost you in terms of your social relationships,” Allen notes. And being socially isolated could have negative health consequences. “The research shows that being socially isolated as an adult is as big a risk factor for dying early as cigarette smoking or obesity,” says Allen. “There’s no free lunch here.”

As with many behaviors and their consequences, there are tradeoffs. Teen drinking is obviously not socially desirable, but it could lead to fewer friendships that translate into isolation later in life. The complexity of these actions and reactions may in part explain why abstinence programs of any kind, whether for sex, alcohol or other drugs, aren’t particularly effective, since they come with a cost in peer connections and acceptance that teens aren’t willing to pay.

The findings also highlight how important being accepted by their peers is to teens, and suggests that adults should take these adolescent priorities more seriously. “Many people think, ‘Why are teens so preoccupied with these relationships? They’re really no big deal.’’’ Allen says. “They’re preoccupied because these [early relationships] are precursors for how they will function in life socially for the rest of their lives. [Relationships] are critical to physical and mental health.” Rather than discounting them, it may be worth exploring how to improve them, while teaching teens to balance their desire for acceptance with an appreciation of associated risks.

Viagra: The little blue pill that could

2013-03-29

By Jacque Wilson, CNN

Kids Who Exercise Are Less Likely to Have Fractures in Old Age

2013-03-26

By Alexandra Sifferlin

It turns out that strengthening bone to avoid fractures starts at a very young age.

Physical activity, such as the exercise children get in school gym classes, is important for fighting obesity, but the latest research suggests it may help to keep bones strong as well.

For six years, researchers from Skane University Hospital in Malmo, Sweden followed 808 boys and girls between the ages of seven to nine years old who were asked to participate in 40 minutes of physical activity daily during school. The scientists recorded the children’s skeletal development, and documented any reports of fractures and compared these results to those of a similarly-aged control group that completed 60 minutes of physical activity over a week.

Continue reading Kids Who Exercise Are Less Likely to Have Fractures in Old Age →

How is PMS Impacting Your Life and What Can You Do to Change it?

2013-03-20

By Dr. Daemon Jones

Have you ever had cramps a few days before your period started? Or maybe you have mood swings you feel irritable or angry prior to your period.

Quit smoking: Your heart will thank you

2013-03-13

Should Mentally Ill Patients Be Allowed to Smoke?

2013-02-11

By Maia Szalavitz

Quitting smoking is hard enough on its own, but studies show the challenge is even greater if you suffer from a mental illness — which is why many treatment facilities still allow patients to smoke, even encouraging the habit by using cigarettes as a reward for complying with tests or therapies.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 31% of cigarettes in the U.S. are smoked by people with mental illness. And the New York Times details the long-standing tradition of smoking in mental health facilities, along with the growing controversy triggered by administrators’ attempts to now change course and ban cigarettes.

People with mental illness are 70% more likely to smoke than those who are not mentally ill— and at least 50% less likely to quit successfully. This includes people with depression and anxiety disorders as well as those with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The more disabling the mental illness is, the higher the smoking rates are, with about 88% of people with schizophrenia being regular smokers.

Those who run psychiatric hospitals and other facilities for the mentally ill are familiar with the high rate of lighting up among their patients, and there is even evidence explaining why smoking is so appealing to those with mental illness. Research shows that nicotine can have antidepressant and antipsychotic effects— and advocates for the mentally ill also maintained that it would be cruel to deprive patients of one of the few pleasures they enjoyed while hospitalized.

So despite the known health hazards of smoking, including the risk of heart disease, stroke and lung cancer, administrators accepted the habit as a necessary evil, often turning a blind eye to health risks in favor of the more immediate benefit of having patients comply with treatments.

The lenient smoking policies are taking a toll, however, and the article notes that a recent report from the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors showed patients in these facilities are dying on average 25 years sooner than the general population, many from smoking-related diseases. That trend is prompting administrators to re-evaluate their smoking policies, with many hospitals trying to ban or at least rein in smoking.

But the bans may be only marginally effective in protecting patients from tobacco-related health problems; the trend toward shorter stays in mental health facilities means patients stop only temporarily, and start lighting up again once they leave.

Supporting patients with smoking-cessation therapies, however, has had mixed results. Patches and gum can help in some cases by providing the therapeutic benefit of nicotine with far less risk. And a small preliminary study in Italy suggests that e-cigarettes, which deliver nicotine without the accompanying tar and smoke of tobacco, can cut cigarette consumption by 50% in about half of people with schizophrenia, even if they weren’t trying to quit.

Chantix (varenicline) and Xyban (bupropion) can be used for most patients, but these medications present additional problems for the mentally ill. Xyban, for example, can’t be mixed with certain antidepressants and Chantix, which is roughly twice as effective as other methods, carries the risk of intensifying or even causing psychiatric symptoms.

So facilities are left with few good options. “I am ambivalent about this,” says Harold Pollack, professor of social service administration at the University of Chicago and an expert on substance use disorders. “I am a strong proponent of aggressive tobacco control policies,” noting that both of his in-laws died early and suffered from lung cancer and that cigarettes take a disproportionate toll on the mentally ill. “Given this reality, I certainly would oppose all-too-common behavioral control strategies that use cigarettes as incentives or rewards within psychiatric settings. Yet there is another side. I am uncomfortable with the level of coercive paternalism exemplified by that policy. People have a legal and moral right to smoke, even though this is often a foolish and self-destructive choice. To completely ban smoking strikes me, on balance, as an unduly severe infringement of patient autonomy. We wouldn’t physically prevent heart failure patients from smoking. We shouldn’t do this to mentally ill patients, either.”

Dr. Mark Willenbring, former director of the treatment and recovery division of the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse and current head of Alltyr, a treatment program in Minnesota, agrees that the question is complex and that we don’t have good research about how to help the mentally ill quit. Because nicotine can affect the way some antipsychotic medications are metabolized, even suppressing their effectiveness, he says there’s a good argument that it should permitted during short stays among those who plan to continue smoking, to ensure that doctors reach the accurate dose of the drugs that their patients need.

However, he says, “On balance, I favor anything that discourages smoking since it is the single most destructive thing you can do to your body. So I would tend to say no, residential facilities should not allow smoking. At the same time, there needs to be a lot more research on how to help people with severe mental illness stop smoking and remain abstinent.” As some mental health hospitals start to implement no smoking policies, some of that research may just be getting started.

For Weight Loss Success, Think About When, Not Just What, You Eat

2013-01-30

By Alexandra Sifferlin

Timing is everything for losing weight .

In the latest collaborative study, researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Tufts University and the University of Murcia in Spain, found that the time of day you eat large meals may help to predict how many pounds you drop.

In a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, the scientists monitored 420 overweight participants on a 20-week weight loss program in Spain. The volunteers were split into two groups: early-eaters and late-eaters. Since lunch is considered the largest meal in Spain–about 40% of the day’s calories are consumed in the mid-day meal–half the participants ate lunch before 3 p.m. while the remainder ate lunch after 3 p.m.

Continue reading For Weight Loss Success, Think About When, Not Just What, You Eat →

Berries Linked to Lower Heart Disease Among Women

2013-01-18

The benefits for the heart of eating strawberries and blueberries can build up over a lifetime, according to the latest research.

Bright-colored berries have long been a part of any healthy diet, owing mainly to the anthocyanins that give them their vibrant color and act as antioxidants to fight off damage to cells. Now a study published in the journal Circulation confirms and quantifies that benefit; women who ate three or more servings of blueberries and strawberries per week reduced their risk of heart attack by up to one third.

In the study, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of East Anglia in the U.K. analyzed data from 93,600 women ages 25 to 42 enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study II. For 18 years, the women filled out surveys detailing their diets at four-year intervals.

(MORE: Study: Flavonoids May Help Protect Against Parkinson’s)

During the study the women experienced 405 heart attacks. But women who consumed the most blueberries and strawberries had a 32% reduced risk of heart attack compared with the women who ate berries once a month or less. The women who ate more berries also tended to eat healthier overall, consuming more vegetables and fruits than those who didn’t eat as many berries; but when the scientists broke down the women’s diets, they found that the highest consumers of berries even had a lower risk of heart attack compared with women who still ate plenty of fruits and vegetables but fewer berries. The effect remained even after the researchers adjusted for other things that can influence heart-disease risk, such as obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, low levels of physical activity and a family history of heart disease.

“These foods can be readily incorporated into diets, and simple dietary changes could have an impact in reducing risk of heart disease in younger women,” says study author Aedin Cassidy from the University of East Anglia. “This supports growing lab data showing that these compounds can help keep arteries healthy and flexible.”

So what is it about berries that help the heart? The researchers focused on blueberries and strawberries because these are the most widely consumed varieties in the U.S. Both berries contain high levels of anthocyanins, as well as other flavonoids, which fight the effects of stress and free-radical damage to cells as they age. They can also keep heart vessels more elastic and flexible, which helps combat the growth of plaques that can build up and rupture, causing heart attacks.

(MORE: Can Eating Fruits and Veggies Outwit Bad Heart Genes?)

The results are particularly encouraging because they showed that a change in diet could affect heart-disease risk for relatively young women. That means that regular consumption of berries might be a relatively easy way to lower a woman’s risk of having a heart attack later in life, possibly even insulating her from heart problems. “Although we know about the effects of antioxidants and flavonoids, and their effects in wine and chocolate, it is interesting to look at their effects in such a large group of women over a long period of time,” says Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, director of women and heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who was not involved in the study. “The take-home lesson is that even if you are eating these early in life, you’re getting benefits that last for life. When we’re making choices in our 20s, we may think that a burger and fries is great, but the message is that there are alternatives that make a difference for the rest of your life. It is a powerful message that we can prevent cardiovascular disease by what we eat.” Something worth remembering the next time you’re in the produce aisle.

Alexandra Sifferlin @acsifferlin

Alexandra Sifferlin is a writer and producer for TIME Healthland. She is a graduate from the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism

How Super Is Your Fruit?

2013-01-11

By Alexandra SifferlinJan. 10, 2013

Move over pomegranate, it’s pitaya time. A wave of exotic fruits exploding with nutrients and antioxidants is hitting produce shelves, and it’s worth getting to know them better. Varieties like ligonberry and schizandra berry are making their way into the market in hopes of becoming the next health hero, and others, including baobab, mangosteen, sea buckthorn berry aren’t far behind. Read more about these “superfruits” in this week’s TIME (available to subscribers here).

Since the mid-2000s, sales of superfruits have spiked on the heels of POM Wonderful’s success in making the relatively unknown pomegranate a household staple. And global superfruit launches grew by 6% in 2011 following a 10% boost between 2010 to 2011.

Celebrity and mass media exposure don’t hurt, either. “When The Dr. Oz Show featured goji berries, our phones lit up, our website crashed and grocery stores around the country simultaneously sold out at once,” says Eric Cutler, chief marketing officer of Sunfood, a bulk superfood supplier based in San Diego.

(MORE: Guide: The 31 Healthiest Foods of All Time (with Recipes))

And you don’t even have to chew them. More businesses are combining exotics fruits and the healthy juice trend to produce unique beverages that are tasty and nutritious. Even Starbucks is finding new ways to bask in on the glow of the superfruit juice halo. In November, 2011, the coffee company bought juice company Evolution Fresh, originally started by Naked Juice founder Jimmy Rosenberg, for $30 million. Starbucks sells bottled juices in select stores and has opened Evolution Fresh retail shops in the west coast that serve hand-blended, made-to-order juices.

Yet nutrition experts aren’t convinced that the trend will translate into positive benefits for America’s health. The term “superfruit,” for one, is a marketing term and not recognized by the Food and Drug Administration or US Department of Agriculture. “There’s an implication that if I eat one superfruit, it’s the equivalent of eating two fruits,” says Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the antioxidants research laboratory and professor of nutrition at Tufts University. “Americans already do not eat enough fruit. I have nothing against goji berries, I am sure they’re delicious and you should eat them often, but I am reluctant to say that’s all you need to do. Ordinary fruits like apples and bananas are good too.”

And regardless of whether you consider them to be “super” or not, nutritionists say you should aim to eat two to four servings a day, mostly as whole fruit. “I think every year we are going to see a new fruit or vegetable that’s the hot new thing,” says Jessica Kolko, Whole Foods Market’s Healthy Eating registered dietitian and culinary educator. “From my perspective as a dietitian, the more fruit you eat, the more super you are.”