ΠΑΧΥΣΑΡΚΑ τα ΘΡΗΣΚΕΥΟΜΕΝΑ άτομα στις ΗΠΑ

24-3-2011 ΗΠΑ Έρευνα της Ιατρικής Σχολής του Πανεπιστημίου Northwestern Feinberg συμπέρασμα της έρευνας. Οι θρησκευόμενοι που ασχολούνται τακτικά με συλλογικές θρησκευτικές δραστηριότητες είναι 50% πιθανότερο να γίνουν παχύσαρκοι. Οι ερευνητές κατέγραψαν δεδομένα που αφορούσαν 2.500 άνδρες και γυναίκες άνω των 18 ετών. (ηλικία, φυλή, φύλο, εκπαίδευση, εισόδημα και την αρχική τιμή του δείκτη μάζας του σώματος) Ο κύριος ερευνητής της μελέτης, τεταρτοετής φοιτητής Matthew Feinstein δεν μπορεί να εξηγήσει την αιτία που συνδέει τη μεγάλη θρησκευτική δραστηριότητα με την παχυσαρκία. Η αύξηση βάρους παρατηρείται μόλις τα νεαρά θρησκευόμενα άτομα φθάσουν στη μέση ηλικία, Το συμπέρασμα δεν είναι ότι οι παχύσαρκοι ασχολούνται με θρησκευτικές δραστηριότητες, αλλά ότι η παχυσαρκία δημιουργείται από την ενασχόληση με πνευματικές θρησκευτικές δραστηριότητες. ίσως τα θρησκευόμενα άτομα ενδιαφέρονται περισσότερο για την ψυχή και τα πνευματικά θέματα και παραμελούν το σώμα τους. Ωστόσο οι κατά καιρούς μελέτες δείχνουν πως τα θρησκευόμενα άτομα ζουν περισσότερο, είναι λιγότερο πιθανό να καπνίζουν και έχουν καλύτερη ψυχική υγεία. March 24, 2011 Obesity battle: Does God make you fat? (CBS) an unusual new study has found that people who regularly attend religious activities are 50 percent more likely to battle obesity by middle age.God only knows why. The scientists sure don't. "We don't know why frequent religious participation is associated with development of obesity," said Matthew Feinstein, the study's lead investigator and a fourth-year student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "It's possible that getting together once a week and associating good works and happiness with eating unhealthy foods could lead to the development of habits that are associated with greater body weight and obesity." The study tracked nearly 2,500 men and women over 18 years. They filtered for age, race, sex, education, income and baseline body mass index. The last one's important, because it shows that the religious were getting fatter, not that fat people were getting religious. The news isn't all bad for the heavenly-minded. "There have been a number of studies over the years that show more religious people tend to live longer, are less likely to smoke and have better mental health," Feinstein told CBS News. "Religious people are doing a lot right, but this is one special area where there is room for improvement." In fact, another group at Northwestern is already experimenting with a faith-based weight loss program in a Chicago church. And there's reason to believe that those that pray together can also lose weight together. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20046756-10391704.html?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.9

Τα ΣΚΟΥΡΟΧΡΩΜΑ ΠΕΡΙΣΤΕΡΙΑ έχουν καλύτερη ΥΓΕΙΑ

Τα σκουρόχρωμα περιστέρια είναι πιο υγιή και με καλύτερο ανοσοποιητικό σύστημα. Γάλλοι ερευνητές (from the National Centre for Scientific Research and the Natural History Museum in Brunoy),κατέληξαν στο συμπέρασμα αυτό με την αξιολόγηση της υγείας 195 περιστεριών σε συνάρτηση με το χρώμα τους, τα περιστέρια αυτά ζούσαν ελεύθερα στο αστικό περιβάλλον.

1 April 2011 Pigeons: dark feathers reveal secret to healthy birds By Emma Brennand, Nature reporter, BBC Earth News Darker coloured pigeons are healthier, researchers in France have discovered. A study of urban pigeons in central Paris has shown that birds with higher levels of the dark pigment melanin have stronger immune systems. They are also better able to fend off parasites. Writing in the Journal of Avian Biology, the researchers say the findings may help explain why different coloured birds have adapted to different environments. Lisa Jacquin, and her colleagues from the National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris, carried out the research in conjunction with Dr Simon Ducatez from the Natural History Museum in Brunoy. The researchers explored why birds of the same species are often coloured differently. By assessing the colouration and state of health of 195 free-living urban pigeons, they found that darker pigeons had lower concentrations of a blood parasite called haemosporidian. Their immune systems also responded faster to infection, compared to their pale-feathered cousins. Currently there are two theories about why animals of the same species can be coloured differently. First, it may be that their environment is causing the colour difference, a theory called the "exposure" hypothesis. An alternative theory is that birds have evolved genes which code differently for melanin expression, a theory called the "genetic link" hypothesis. "We tried to disentangle the 'genetic link' and the 'exposure' hypothesis in free-living feral pigeons Columba livia," Ms Jacquin reported. Her team's research suggests that the birds may have evolved to produce higher levels of melanin in order to protect their immune systems. This could also explain why there are higher populations of dark feathered birds in urban areas, where parasite prevalence is higher. "The finding that immune responsiveness and parasite intensity correlates with colouration suggests that melanin-based colouration could play a role in sexual selection," explains Ms Jacquin. So darker birds may be healthier and also appear more attractive to the opposite sex.

πηγή http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9442000/9442210.stm

ΑΛΛΑΓΗ ΦΥΛΟΥ σε πουλερικό, ΚΟΤΑ έγινε ΚΟΚΚΟΡΑΣ

A SEX change chicken which began life as an egg-laying hen has turned into a crowing cock. Stunned owner Jeanette Howard, 79, couldn't believe her eyes or ears when one-year-old Gertie sprouted a distinctive red comb and chin wattle — and started crowing at dawn. Now she plans to re-name Gertie, Bertie. Mrs Howard said she first noticed something was up with Gertie when she started to walk differently from her other two hens, Daisy and Gracie. πηγή http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3500048/Sex-change-chicken-Gertie-becomes-Bertie.html?OTC-RSS&ATTR=News