Experts call for TV ban for Brit kids under three

We are very well aware about the ill-effects of television, but what all of us might not know is the fact that TV is the most dangerous fad for kids and older youngsters.

Experts say that children under three should not see television at all, while older adults should be restricted severely.

According to Dr Aric Sigman, an associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, too much television increases the risk of health and learning problems.

He urged the Govt to take action by prohibiting sets in children's bedrooms and educating new mothers about the bad effects of too much television.

"Screen media must now be considered a major public health issue and reducing television viewing must become the new priority for child health," The Telegraph quoted Dr Sigman, as saying in a Children and the Media conference at the Commons.

"Successive governments are quite willing to advise us on personal matters ranging from how many apples and oranges we should eat per day, grams of daily salt intake, units of alcohol, sun SPF factors and passive smoking, to our sexual habits and how and when we should smack our children," he added.

Studies in the past have revealed that excessive TV watching is correlated to difficulty in sleeping, behavioural problems and increased obesity in children.

"Providing general guidance on whether infants should be watching television and how much time children should spend in front of the screen is hardly radical. While popular phrases such as 'striking a balance' or 'everything in moderation' may sound reassuringly sensible, one of the main obstacles in encouraging people to reduce their children's screen time is the vagueness of the terms 'moderation' and 'excessive'," Dr Sigman said.

"We haven't been told what excessive actually means. Most of the damage linked to television screen viewing seems to occur beyond watching one to one-and-a-half hours per day, irrespective of the quality of the programme. Yet the average child watches three to five times this amount. Parents need an ideal reference point," he added.

Dr Sigman hit out at people who believed parents should not be made to feel guilty about their children's television watching, and asserted that child health was more important.

"The British population watches television for more hours per day and reads less than any other nation in Europe. Our children are Europe's most obese. By the time children reach adolescence they spend an average of 7.5 hours a day in front of a television screen," he said.

Think positive to fight depression

Positive thinking and regular exercise can help deal with depression, suggest US physicians.

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) advises people not to foster negative thoughts like fear of failure. Instead, replace them with positive thinking, it says.

And get as much exercise as possible -- at least 30 minutes four to six times a week, says AAFP.

The physicians also recommend participating in activities that make you feel good about yourself.

While you're depressed, AAFP suggests avoiding making any major life decisions.

Don't drink alcohol or take unprescribed drugs. Both can cause serious interactions with antidepressant medication and can exacerbate depression, said AAFP.

Depression is a serious medical condition that can make a person feel unusually sad, worthless, restless or even suicidal, uninterested in activities that used to be fun for several weeks or longer.

The disorder requires professional treatment, often with a combination of medication and psychological therapy.

Partners of cancer survivors suffer equal stress as the patients

A new study has found that partners of cancer survivors are susceptible to the same stresses as cancer survivors themselves over the long term, and in some cases, suffer more quality of life-related effects than survivors.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers, led by Michelle M. Bishop, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, at the University of Florida.

As part of the study, researchers examined partners of cancer survivors who had undergone blood and marrow transplant (BMT) as part of their treatment. The study evaluated 177 partner pairs who had been together since cancer treatment, which took place an average of seven years prior to the study. The pairs answered questions about their physical functioning and well-being, psychological adjustment, social functioning and marital adjustment, spiritual well-being, and post traumatic growth.

Researchers focused on cancer survivors who received BMT as part of their treatment because little is known about the long-term quality of life outcomes for these patients. BMT is used to treat an increasing number of cancers, and approximately 40,000 BMTs are performed each year.

Researchers found that while partners of cancer survivors reported better physical health, less fatigue, and less cognitive dysfunction than cancer survivors, they experienced equal levels of mental health impairment.

The study further found that while similar numbers of partners and survivors suffered from clinical depression (20% vs. 22%), depressed partners were less likely than depressed survivors to receive mental health treatment (34% vs. 58%).

Researchers found that partners also reported less social support, spiritual well-being, marital satisfaction, and more loneliness than survivors. In contrast to survivors, partners reported little "post-traumatic growth" (positive personal change occurring as a result of the cancer experience).

"We need to acknowledge that cancer occurs in the context of a family that is profoundly affected by the experience, and that needs intervention for their own well-being," Dr. Bishop said.

"While we focused on partners of cancer survivors who received BMT, there is some evidence in the literature to suggest that the issues faced by the partners of other cancer survivors may be similar," he added.

The findings of the research were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO).

Vitamin supplements may shorten lifespan

Taking vitamin supplements may no longer be a mantra to stay fit. New research suggests that certain vitamins can have adverse effects on human lifespan.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen reviewed more than 815 clinical trials into the benefits of commonly used vitamin supplements, including vitamins A, E and C besides beta-carotene and selenium.

They found that vitamin supplements appeared to raise, not lower, the risk of early death, reported online edition of BBC News.

Millions worldwide use antioxidant supplements, including vitamins A and E, believing it improves health. Nutritionists suggest a balanced diet instead.

Food contains a complex matrix of different components, which could not be replicated by supplements, British Dietetic Association nutritionist Frankie Phillips said.

"Our advice is to eat a wide range of foods in a balanced diet that can provide all of the nutrients the body needs to protect itself and combat diseases."

Taller men more prone to temper tantrums than shorter counterparts

If you thought that shorter men made up for their lack of extra inches with their temper, think again, for a new study has revealed that 'Napoleon Syndrome' is just a myth and taller men are more aggressive.

The University of Central Lancashire research for the BBC found taller men were more likely to lose their temper.

Men of different heights duelled with wooden sticks but one of the subjects deliberately provoked the other by rapping them across the knuckles.

Heart monitors revealed it was the taller men who flew off the handle more quickly and hit back.

The research was designed to test Short Man Syndrome - or "Napoleon complex" - the theory that shorter men are more aggressive to dominate those who are taller than them.

The results were consistent with the view that Small Man Syndrome is a myth

"The results were consistent with the view that Small Man Syndrome is a myth," Dr Mike Eslea was quoted by the BBC, as saying.

"When people see a short man being aggressive, they are likely to think it is due to his size simply because that attribute is obvious and grabs their attention"

Scientists discover strategy for longevity

Warwick have shown that by enhancing levels of an enzyme called glyoxalase I, the glycation process, that involves the spontaneous attack by sugars on proteins can be diminished, and life can be extended by up to 40 percent.

Protein degradation and malfunction is a major cause of ageing and can be the result of attacks on proteins by other molecules.

One of these processes, called glycation,

If glycation gets out of hand many proteins are degraded or destroyed - proteins which are important for the proper functioning of the body. Protection against glycation declines with age leading to increasing glycation damage with increasing age. A critical enzyme involved in protection against glycation is "Glyoxalase 1".

Similarly, Professor Paul Thornalley (University of Warwick) and his collaborators at the University of Heidelburg, by decreasing amounts of the enzyme they have shortened the lifespan of the nematodes.

"This work shows for the first time that this enzyme also protects proteins against damage by oxidation and nitration", said Professor Thornalley.

The enzyme works by converting the damaging reactive products of glycation derived from glucose into harmless compounds.

"This implies that glycation promotes multiple types of protein damage in ageing", said Prof Thornalley.