High-fat, high-sugar foods not only cause obesity and promote heart disease, but they can also contribute to conditions like osteoporosis by weakening bones, according to researchers.

If this trend continues, this overlooked 'silent robber' will begin to cripple large numbers of at-risk baby boomers, said researchers at the University of Michigan and the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute.

While this high-fat, high-sugar diet trend and the subsequent risk of osteoporosis are climbing frighteningly fast, there's hope, said Ron Zernicke, dean of U-M's School of Kinesiology and a professor of orthopedic surgery and biomedical engineering.

The medical community and the public can reverse this trend by confronting the problem head-on and immediately, through diet, exercise and, in some cases, medication.

Today, about a quarter of America's two-to-five-year-olds and a third of its school-age children, including adolescents, are obese or overweight.

"Boomers themselves the oldest now 66 have reached the stage in life when they're most susceptible to bone and joint disorders," Zernicke said.

Consider these sobering statistics: the U.S. surgeon general forecasts that by 2020, half of Americans over 50 will develop or be at risk for osteoporosis of the hip. This is particularly bad news for women, who develop osteoporosis at two-to-three times the rate of men.

"One in three women will break a hip due to osteoporosis by age of 85, and about 20 percent will die within a year of the fracture. Right now, roughly 12 million Americans over 50 have osteoporosis," said Cy Frank, executive director of the Alberta Bone and Joint Health Institute and an orthopedic surgeon practicing in Calgary.

Sugar and fat weaken the bones in two ways. First, diets high in saturated fats and sugar block calcium absorption. Instead, calcium needed for healthy bones washes through the body in our urine. Second, saturated fats tend to form insoluble 'soaps,' which coat the intestines and can block necessary calcium from bones. Again, calcium passes through the body unused.

The result? Excessive junk food layers fat onto a weakened skeleton that struggles to support the extra weight, Zernicke said.

Osteoporosis, the so-called 'silent thief' because it shows no symptoms, robs bones of tissue and leaves thousands of tiny pores in the bones. Porous bones can break with little stress. Treating osteoporosis fractures costs approximately 18 billion dollars a year a cost experts predict will double by 2025.

Diet and exercise are primary preventions against osteoporosis, Frank said. A growing child near puberty rapidly lays down new bone. Healthy foods and physical activity optimize bone growth and accumulation, which lowers the likelihood of osteoporosis fractures later in life.

Again, healthy diet, exercise and medication to slow bone loss, if necessary, can reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis fractures. A healthy, balanced diet includes vegetables, fruit and whole grains, and limits saturated fats, salt and sugar.
But prevention goes beyond diet and exercise. It's critical to manage the environment that influences food choices. Eliminating junk food from places charged with promoting healthy lifestyles schools, recreational centers, hospitals would also help.

Fed up of dull, dry and flaky skin this winter? Give your skin that extra care by keeping it hydrated from within and moisturised from outside, suggest experts.

"The winter season can be brutal on your skin. Cold temperatures often mean low humidity, and that dries out the skin. Dry skin looks dull and lacks lustre. The mainstay of winters is to hydrate the skin and replenish the lost moisture," Mumbai-based cosmetologist Jamuna Pai told IANS.

Hydration is important as it makes for a healthy functioning of the system and gives a boost to youthful-looking skin.

"Skin can be hydrated in two ways - internally by drinking an adequate amount of water and taking oil supplements, and externally, by using products that hydrate and moisturise," added Pai.

R.S. Mishra, consultant of dermatology at capital-based Moolchand Medcity, insists people must follow the three-step skincare formula of cleansing, toning and moisturising.

"This daily skin care routine is very important. Cleanser should be chosen according to skin type. Toning with non-alcohol based toner is essential, and the moisturiser should also be chosen according to skin type. Moisturisers containing honey and cocoa butter are good for skin (in winter)," Mishra told IANS.

"If the skin is oily, lotion-based moisturisers can be used. And if the skin is dry, cream-based moisturisers should be used. It is a myth that oily skin should not be moisturised because if skin is not moisturised, oil glands start producing more oil," added Mishra.

Tanning can also be an issue during the winter season as people tend to step out to soak in the sunshine.

Keep a good sunscreen handy, advises Sangeeta Amladi, head of medical services at the Kaya Skin Clinic.

"Do not forget to apply sunscreen daily, when you are exposed to the sun. Sunglasses are also a must," said Amladi.

She has other winter skincare tips too.

"For instant brightening, one should use a Vitamin C facial, or else try an instant hydrating mask. For lips, use a balm that has moisturising features and SPF (Sun Protection Factor) 15.

"Avoid antibacterial soaps, alcohol-based toners, wipes or colognes. Avoid stepping into the hot and strong sun as it evaporates the trans-epidermal water and makes skin dry. Also avoid stepping out in extremely cool and windy weather," she addd.

Pai adds consumption of right nutrients is also key for healthy skin.

"Due attention should be paid to consuming supplements of vitamins A, C and E, and minerals such as selenium and zinc. They have antioxidant properties, which repair the skin and promote skin healing.

"Essential fatty acids also have a beneficial effect on skin as they help combat moisture loss that would otherwise cause dryness, fine lines, and wrinkles," she said.

Endurance to pain may depend on your genes as scientists have found that genetic differences influence a person`s sensitivity to pain.

People who feel pain less intensely could have a particular set of genes that work together to regulate it, claims a study published in the journal PLOS Genetics.

The study led by King`s College London adds to growing evidence that particular genes are involved in chronic pain and highlights this pathway as a potential target for more effective pain relief treatments for patients.

The study used a new method to study and compare DNA, called `exome sequencing`, to identify genetic variations relating to pain sensitivity.

"Chronic pain is a significant personal and socio-economic burden, with nearly one in five people experiencing it at some time in their lives. Current pain treatments often have either limited efficacy or side effects for many, so the possibility of a new approach to pain relief is an exciting development," lead researcher Dr Frances Williams said.

It is known that people who are most sensitive to pain encountered in everyday life are more likely to go on to develop chronic pain. To identify sensitivity levels, researchers tested 2,500 volunteers using a heating probe on the arm.

Volunteers were asked to press a button when the heat became painful for them, which allowed the scientists to determine individuals` pain thresholds. Exome sequencing was then used to analyse the DNA of 200 of the most pain sensitive and 200 of the least pain sensitive people.

"The next generation of sequencing will make it possible to explore these rare variants and will lead to a wave of new discoveries in biomedical research." Xin Jin, project manager from BGI, said.

The results showed different patterns of genetic variants in each group ? the pain sensitive people had less variation in their DNA than those who were pain insensitive.
"This study demonstrates the value of collaborative efforts between academia and industry. The genetic influence on normal pain processing in human volunteer populations will add to other approaches and help us prioritise potential new mechanisms for treating pain," Ruth McKernan, Chief Scientific Officer of Pfizer`s Research Unit in Cambridge said.

Making small changes in our diet over a stretch of 25 days or more every month, goes a long way in helping shed the extra pounds, says a new study.

Led by Brian Wansink, professor at the Cornell University`s Food and Brand Lab, researchers launched the National Mindless Eating Challenge (NMEC), an online healthy eating and weight loss programme that focused on simple eating behaviour changes, instead of dieting.

NMEC participants, after answering questions about their eating goals, background and well-being, were sent three customized tips to follow for a month. All tips were founded on research and based on Wansink`s book "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More than We Think" (Bantam, 2006).

Participants could download a checklist to track their adherence to tips and receive email reminders to keep them on track. At the end of each month, they were expected to send in a follow-up survey, the Journal of Medical Internet Research reports.

Of the 504 participants who completed at least one follow-up survey, more than two-thirds either lost weight (42 percent) or maintained their weight (27 percent). Weight loss was highest among people who made changes consistently, according to a Cornell statement.

Those whose adherence was 25 or more days per month reported an average monthly weight loss of two pounds or roughly one kg, and those who stayed in the programme at least three months and completed at least two follow-up surveys lost on average one percent of their initial weight.
Common barriers that prevented people from making changes included personally unsuitable tips, forgetting, being too busy, unusual circumstances such as vacations and emotional eating, according to the study.

"These results confirm that small, consistent changes in our daily eating behaviour can result in gradual weight loss and in developing healthier eating habits," said Wansink, marketing professor at Cornell`s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management.

Curbing car travel could be one way of cutting down calories and maintaining a healthy weight during holiday fests, says a study.

The study, led by Sheldon H. Jacobson, computer science and mathematics professor at the University of Ilinois, suggests that both daily automobile travel and calories consumed are related to body weight.

Lowering either one, even by a fraction, reduces body mass index (BMI), a height to weight ratio.

"We`re saying that making small changes in travel or diet choices may lead to comparable obesity reduction, which implies that travel-based interventions may be as effective as dietary interventions," said graduate student and study co-author Banafsheh Behzad, the journal Preventive Medicine reports.

Obesity is a multi-dimensional problem with many social and medical factors, but maintaining body weight essentially is a result of energy consumed and energy expended, according to an Illinois statement.

"An easy way to be more physically active is to spend less time in an automobile. Any time a person sits behind the wheel of a car, it`s one of the most docile activities they can do in a day," Jacobson said.

"The automobile is the quickest mode of transportation we have. But a consequence of this need for speed in getting things done may be the obesity epidemic," added Jacobson.

Researchers found that if all adults in the US drove a mile less per day, the model predicted a decrease in the national average BMI after six years.

"One mile is really not much," Behzad said. "If they would just consider even taking the bus, walking the distance to the bus stop could have an impact like eating 100 calories less per day.

"The main thing is paying attention to caloric intake and moving more, together, can help reduce BMI."