Get up, stand up!

Get up for your heart health and move for your waistline. This is the
central message from a new study conducted by the University of
Queensland that has uncovered the many health benefits of time spent
standing.

The study, led by Genevieve Healy of the University of Queenslands

School of Public Health, found that more time spent standing rather than
sitting could improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels while also
lowering fats in the blood.

The study used monitors to examine the activity levels of more than 780
men and women between the ages of 36 and 80 over the course of one
week. Researchers determined the amount of time each participant spent
sleeping, sitting down, standing and stepping, and walking and running.
Blood pressure, height, weight and waist circumference were also
measured.

It was found that an extra two hours spent standing rather than sitting
lowered blood sugar levels as well as the amount of fat in the blood. The
results also found that extra time spent standing increased levels of good
cholesterol known as HDL, lowered the average BMI and significantly
reduced waist circumference.

According to Healy, these findings provide important preliminary

evidence that strategies to increase the amount of time spent standing or
walking rather than sitting may benefit the heart and metabolism.

Source: University of Queensland

Exercise link to reduced depression, anxiety and substance abuse in young

Bullying can cause severe mental health problems for victims. It is a growing
public health concern and its consequences affect people throughout their lives.
Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to bullying, and the effects can be
extremely detrimental. Bullying is associated with low self-esteem, depression,
substance abuse, and academic struggle and self-harm.

A new study has reinforced the link between exercise and mental health. The
study reported the positive effects of regular physical activity on mental health,
citing a reduction in depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

A group of researchers from the University of Vermont in the US used data from a
nationally representative sample of adolescents, who participated in the National
Youth Risk Behaviour Survey, to examine the relationship between exercise
frequency, feelings of sadness, and suicidal ideation (suicidal thoughts) and
attempt in 13,583 American teenagers in years 9 to 12.

The results of the study reported a significant percentage of young people who
experienced sadness and depression, as well as suicidal ideation. 30 per cent of
students in the study recounted feelings of sadness for two or more weeks over
the previous year, while more than 22 per cent reported suicidal ideation and 8.2
per cent reported actual suicide attempts. It was also found that bullied students
were twice as likely to feel sad, and three times more likely to report suicidal
ideation or attempt compared to students who were not victims of bullying.

The study concluded that regular physical activity, on a minimum of four days
per week, resulted in a significant reduction in sadness, suicidal ideation and
suicidal attempt in all students. The findings showed an astounding 23 per cent
reduction in both suicidal ideation and attempt in bullied students who exercised
at least four times a week.

These findings are particularly important as they come at a time when many
secondary schools are reducing physical education and athletic programs in
order to create more time for academic study. In the United States the
percentage of schools offering physical education on a daily basis or at least
three times a week has declined considerably over the past decade. This trend is
also apparent in Australia.

According to this study, exercise represents a safe, economical, and highly

effective option to combat bullying in schools. Doctor Jeremy Sibold, of the
University of Vermont, explained that it is frustrating that exercise is not
encouraged more in schools. If exercise reduces feelings of sadness, suicidal
ideation and suicide attempts it should not be excluded from the school
curriculum. It is imperative that more schools adopt an active and engaged
approach to physical education in order to reduce suicidal behaviour in
adolescents.

Source: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Protein for weight loss: Fact or fiction?

The role of protein in the diet, especially for weight loss, has become a
growing area of interest in recent years. Kilojoule for Kilojoule, protein
requires more energy than fat or carbohydrate to process and store in the
body. It is therefore no surprise that many diets place a high emphasis on
the importance of protein for weight loss. And according to a new study,
protein also has another benefit.

While previously there has been a lack of large studies confirming the idea
that protein-rich foods help in shedding excess kilos, the new study
concluded that protein does, in fact, leave you feeling fuller for longer.

Richard Mattes, director of Purdue Universitys Ingestive Behaviour

Research Centre, explains that a good deal of evidence suggests that
protein activates satiety (fullness) hormone release and so should be
strongly tied with fullness ratings.

But, just how much protein is needed to feel full? According to study co-
author Heather Leidy, the answer is still unclear. However, a moderate
increase in protein intake may be a good first step for people trying to lose
weight.
Researchers do warn however, that while protein may help you feel fuller
for longer, it is not a magic fix for weight loss. As Mattes points out,
feelings like hunger and fullness are not the only factors that influence
kilojoule intake. We often eat for other reasons.

In addition, Erin Keane, a nutritionist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York,

cautions that while this information may be useful to encourage additional
studies on the role of protein and how it relates to kilojoule intake and
weight, we cannot conclude that more protein means more weight loss.
Keane further adds the study does not provide insight into whether or not
increased fullness actually leads to decreased overall intake in a given
day.

According to Angelo White, a nutritionist at Quinnipiac University in

Hamden, the message to take home is in line with the advice that
dietitians currently provide; the exact amount (of protein you should
consume) will vary, but ideally consume a variety of types of protein, both
plant and animal-based, distributed throughout the day. This will not only
combat hunger, it will provide the body with the amino acids it needs for
things like muscle health, immunity and hormone production.

Source: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics