One in six people worldwide will have a stroke in their lifetime. Just think of your five friends around you, one of the 6 of you will likely suffer from a stroke in your lifetime. Every 6 seconds, someone somewhere will die from a stroke.1  Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States, with an estimated annual cost of more than $73 billion.2 Today is World Stroke Day with the theme “1 in 6” – appropriately named due to the unfortunate, but true statistics listed above – which are even worse for females, with worse outcomes on

You may have thought that knee socks were back in style for athletes. Actually the knee socks you see runners and avid exercisers wearing are compression socks. They are specially designed thick, tightly woven socks or leggings that start below or at the ankle and cover the calf muscles. Although they have been used in the medical field for years, there is not much research on their use to improve exercise performance and enhance recovery in healthy individuals. For information on whole body compression garments, check out our July 19, 2010 blog. The basis of compression socks is the increased

In a previous blog we discussed how computer games can promote both unhealthy and healthy lifestyle choices (eating, physical activity) in children. To promote the development of healthy games First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign to end childhood obesity recently created the Apps for Health Kids competition. Apps for Healthy Kids challenged software developers, game designers, students, and other innovators to develop fun and engaging software tools and games that drive children, especially "tweens" (ages 9-12) to eat better and be more physically active. Submissions were due in June 2010 and the winners were recognized last month (September 2010).

Red Bull energy drink has led the 5 Billion dollar industry with more than 50% of all revenues.  Since the popular emergence of energy drinks in 2002, there is now a popular trend toward sugar-free energy drinks that are mostly charged with caffeine.  Caffeine is one of the most widely used ergogenic aids that various research studies have demonstrated increase aerobic endurance and reduce fatigue when consumed 60 minutes prior to workouts.  However these “caffeine –endurance” studies included energy drinks that contained both carbohydrates and caffeine.  Benefits of caffeine have been attributed to the increase in central nervous system activity. 

While more and more overweight/obese Americans are turning to weight loss drugs and surgery, studies show that lifestyle change programs are still very effective for even the most obese persons. Two studies recently published in the reputable Journal of the American Medical Association showed that programs that include frequent weight management behavioral counseling (e.g., goal setting, problem-solving, education on healthy eating) via telephone or in-person; reduced calorie prepackaged prepared foods; and a prescription for exercise result in significant amounts of weight loss1,2. One study randomized participants to the Jenny Craig program  (that included the existing program's counseling, recommendations, and prepackaged

Are you a parent that is concerned that your child is not getting enough physical activity or even someone who is concerned about the level of physical activity of our youth? I know that there are some days that I have to take my son, who is a toddler, with me to run errands and I feel guilty because he goes from sitting in the car seat, to sitting in the cart for an extended period of time, back to sitting in the car seat. On days where this is not the case he literally runs all day, nonstop, whether

Many doctors today are actually taking time out of their brief patient interactions to talk about weight loss. Given that most Americans are overweight or obese, this is a good thing. But, unfortunately, physician recommendations on behavior change aren't very effective unless delivered using certain techniques. A recent study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center set out to determine whether the use of motivational interviewing (MI) techniques by physicians during weight-related conversations were related to weight loss 3 months after the encounter1. Researchers audiorecorded 40 primary care physicians during 461 of their visits with overweight or obese patients. They

Is there really such a thing as "Go Go Gadget Shoes?" The cartoon character "Inspector Gadget" had many different special gadgets. The gadgets were stored all over his body. They were available to help him get out of trouble. Some of his most commonly used gadgets included binoculars, inflating trench coat, telescoping legs or arms, skates and even springs. The closest to "Go Go Gadget Shoes" were the springs. They could be put on his head to allow him to bounce off his head when falling or put on his legs to jump. While there may not actually be such

Is it not cool for kids today to drink plain water? While my toddler is fascinated by the drinking fountain (or bubbler as we called it up North), most teens won't get near one at school or in public. And while plastic water bottles may not be a faux paux, more kids carry bottles filled with sugary drinks. This leaves many parents and health professionals wondering, "Does my kid drink enough water?" To answer this question, researchers recently looked at the water intake of almost 4,000 boys and girls aged 2 to 19 years, who had been included in a national nutrition