ScienceDaily: Living Well News

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• Not everyone wants cheering up, new study suggests
• BMI measurement may be missing 25 percent of children who could be considered obese
• The truth behind the '5-second rule': When in doubt, throw it out, expert says
• More bicyclists on road means fewer collisions, study shows
• Puzzle games can improve mental flexibility, study shows
• Calcium, vitamin D supplementation improves metabolic profile of pregnant women with gestational diabetes
• It is time to abandon obesity myths, experts say
• Growth hormone treatment for children may exacerbate feelings of depression
• Young indoor tanning increases early risk of skin cancer
• Offer kids whole grains; they'll eat them, study shows

Not everyone wants cheering up, new study suggests Posted: 24 Jun 2014 11:23 AM PDT You may want to rethink cheering up your friends who have low self-esteem because chances are they don't want to hear it. People with low self-esteem have overly negative views of themselves, and often interpret critical feedback, romantic rejections, or unsuccessful job applications as evidence of their general unworthiness. A new study found that they likely don't want you to try to boost their spirits.

BMI measurement may be missing 25 percent of children who could be considered obese Posted: 24 Jun 2014 10:57 AM PDT Physicians using body mass index (BMI) to diagnose children as obese may be missing 25 percent of kids who have excess body fat despite a normal BMI, which can be a serious concern for long-term health, according to a study. The researchers found that BMI has high specificity in identifying pediatric obesity, meaning BMI accurately identifies children who are obese, but has a moderate sensitivity, meaning the BMI tool misses children who actually should be considered obese, according to the percent of fat in their bodies.

The truth behind the '5-second rule': When in doubt, throw it out, expert says Posted: 24 Jun 2014 07:57 AM PDT The burger patty that slides off the plate, the ice cream treat that plops on the picnic table, the hot dog that rolls off the grill -- conventional wisdom has it that you have five seconds to pick it up before it is contaminated. Fact or folklore? "A dropped item is immediately contaminated and can't really be sanitized," explains one researcher. "When it comes to folklore, the 'five-second rule' should be replaced with 'When in doubt, throw it out.' "

More bicyclists on road means fewer collisions, study shows Posted: 24 Jun 2014 06:33 AM PDT Bicyclist safety significantly increases when there are more bikes on the road, according to a study examining collisions between bicycles and motorists. This finding could be attributed to a 'safety in numbers effect.' As bicycling increases in cities across the U.S. each year, the results could have national implications. "In fact, we are beginning to find that cities with a high level of bicycling are not just safer for cyclists but for all road users," one author said. "Improving the streets to better accommodate bicycles may enhance safety for everyone."

Puzzle games can improve mental flexibility, study shows Posted: 24 Jun 2014 06:25 AM PDT Want to improve your mental finesse? Playing a puzzle game like Cut the Rope could just be the thing you need. A recent study showed that adults who played the physics-based puzzle video game Cut the Rope regularly, for as little as an hour a day, had improved executive functions. The executive functions in your brain are important for making decisions in everyday life when you have to deal with sudden changes in your environment -- better known as thinking on your feet.

Calcium, vitamin D supplementation improves metabolic profile of pregnant women with gestational diabetes Posted: 23 Jun 2014 07:50 PM PDT Calcium and vitamin D supplementation improves the metabolic profile of pregnant women with gestational diabetes, new research shows. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a pregnancy complication, is characterized by carbohydrate intolerance and metabolic disorders. Approximately 7% of all pregnancies in the United States are affected by GDM, but the prevalence ranges from 1 to 14% of all pregnancies in the world depending on the population studied and the diagnostic criteria used.

It is time to abandon obesity myths, experts say Posted: 23 Jun 2014 07:49 PM PDT Researchers say it is time to abandon some popular but erroneous obesity myths. In a new article, the team presents nine obesity myths and 10 commonly held but unproven presumptions that the authors suggest lead to poor policy decisions, inaccurate public health recommendations and wasted resources.

Growth hormone treatment for children may exacerbate feelings of depression Posted: 23 Jun 2014 11:18 AM PDT Short, otherwise healthy children who are treated with growth hormone (GH) may become taller, but they may also become more depressed and withdrawn over time, compared to children the same age and height who are not treated with GH, a new study finds. "This novel study of the cognitive and emotional effects of GH therapy in children with GHD and ISS compared to untreated short children raises concerns that, despite improvements in height, these children may not achieve psychosocial benefits," one researcher said.

Young indoor tanning increases early risk of skin cancer Posted: 23 Jun 2014 11:18 AM PDT Early exposure to the ultraviolet radiation lamps used for indoor tanning is related to an increased risk of developing basal cell carcinomas (BCC) at a young age, researchers confirm. Since indoor tanning has become increasingly popular among adolescents and young adults, this research calls attention to the importance of counseling young people about the risk of indoor tanning. The study notes that indoor tanning products can produce 10 to 15 times as much UV radiation as the midday sun.

Offer kids whole grains; they'll eat them, study shows Posted: 23 Jun 2014 11:17 AM PDT Most parents don't feed their kids whole grains under the assumption children will find them bland. But a new study shows if you offer the children whole grains, they will eat them. Eating whole grains, combined with a healthy diet, may reduce the risk of heart disease and help with weight management. Examples of whole-grain foods include popcorn, oats, whole wheat bread and brown rice.

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