LAUGH IT OFF Reseachers know how many calories you burn laughing: up to 50 for 10 to 15 minutes, or the amount you chuckle during a funny movie. The burn is equal to a 13-minute brisk walk.
-Vanderbilt University
HORMONE REPLACEMENT TIP The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG)
recently issued new hormone replacement therapy guidelines because of the well-publicized 2002 study that found hormones don’t keep postmenopausal women healthy and could increase the risk for heart attack, stroke and cancer. However, according to the new guidelines, despite the clear risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), it remains the best treatment for women suffering from severe hot flashes and night sweats, so doctors shouldn’t withhold it from women who don’t get menopause relief from other treatments. The ACOG suggest women taking HRT be given the lowest possible dose for the shortest period of time.
-The American College of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists
POP A CORK WITH YOUR MAN Share a glass of antioxidant-rich red wine with the special man in your life. Just four 4-ounce glasses per week could cut his risk of prostate cancer in half, a study of more than 1,400 men suggests.
-Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
A BOTOX BIRTHDAY If it’s the thought that counts, start worrying: Some clinics now offer gift certificates for cosmetic surgery. More than a third of plastic surgeons say they perform procedures that were gifts.
-American Academy of Facial, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
SPINE OF THE TIMES Think kids grow up fast these days? Here’s proof: A Norwegian study found that nearly 60 percent of 15-year-olds complained of having had chronically achy backs during the preceding year. Those who planted themselves in front of the TV or computer for 15 hours a week or more were three times as likely to have lower-back pain as their more active counterparts (the average American teen watches three hours of television a day). Kids who walk or ride their bikes at least one mile daily can cut their back pain in half; those activities give still-developing spines a chance to stretch out.
-University of Bergen
LOOKIN' GOOD Summer's longer days mean more time to play outdoors. Opt for sunglasses with a 100 percent UV-protection label to shield eyes from ultraviolet rays.
