The Three Ds of Fatness

It’s a Tuesday night, and there’s nothing on telly. Lee Anne Bean heaves herself out of her armchair and heads for the kitchen. She’s not hungry, but she pulls out an entire pound cake from the freezer. She defrosts it, slices it and smothers it in butter. Eating it standing at the counter, she doesn’t stop to ask herself why. Nor did she wonder why, earlier that day, she bought three chocolate bars, ate one in the car and the others at home. It’s so long since she’s had hunger pangs, she’s forgotten the sensation.

Posted in Behaviour on 12/04/2008 - 0 Comments

The psychopath next door

The day Isabella* met Eli* last May, she thought her luck had finally changed. At 24, the vivacious Ottawa woman had already gone through a virtual Bridget Jones' Diary of commitment-phobic, secretly married or leechlike boyfriends, only to be disappointed, hurt or bemused. But Eli, whom she met through online dating, was different. Tall (six foot three), dark (her big weakness) and handsome (bonus!), the 26-year-old was stylish, drove a great car and boasted a comfortable government job. He smoothly complimented her on being so young to own a hairdressing business. "He was charming, employed and tidy," recalls Isabella, "and the best thing I’d seen in a while."

Posted in Behaviour on 11/30/2008 - 0 Comments

Be Happy, Live Longer

Want to live long and prosper? The advice is, don’t worry—be happy.

Worldwide, more than 500 studies have shown that “people who cultivate kindness, compassion and generosity will be happier, healthier and live longer,” says Dr Stephen Post, director of the Center for Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at New York's Stony Brook University. “The remarkable bottom line of the science of love is that giving protects health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease.”

Here’s how it works.

GRATITUDE

“We’re more financially successful and have more stability than ever,” says Dr Tim Sharp, founder of Australia’s Happiness Institute. “Yet meaningful happiness is beyond having fast cars and plasma TVs.”

But it is about finding gratitude in small ways: keeping a journal, genuinely appreciating others and keeping ‘big picture’ goals in mind when little details trip you up. “I get up, and before I do anything else, I write three things I am grateful for,” comments Hal Urban, a leading American scholar on gratitude research. “You can imagine over the years the number of things I have to be grateful for.”

It’s good for you, too. A 1995 study by the Institute of Heart Math found that feeling grateful for even five minutes is linked to a state called resonance, during which heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and brain rhythm synchronize to work the body more efficiently.

GENERATIVITY

It’s better to give than to receive, because according to a 50-year study at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, it’s a good predictor of future wellbeing. The study found that as they aged, participants who were generous in high school ended up in better health, had closer family ties and were more successful.

The key is starting early, says Dr Sharp. Australians are already charitable—in 2005, 87 per cent of us donated $7.7 billion—but “we have to teach kids not to be excessive, about the power of giving.” Modeling generosity for your kids by volunteering, mentoring a teen or just offering a smile of encouragement is all it takes. It may even be instinctive: A 1995 study of 354 US families established that many people have a common genetic variation of the feel-good brain hormone dopamine that is linked to generous behaviour.

FORGIVENESS

As long as you don’t mistake forgiveness for condoning or excusing, showing mercy can alleviate depression, boost your mood and reduce anger. Swallowing resentment, on the other hand, creates a “stress response, and that is why unforgiveness is so bad,” says Dr Post. But that’s not all. “A high level of chronic anger…is associated with high risk of all causes of mortality,” says Dr Redford Williams, a psychiatry professor at North Carolina’s Duke University, and author of Life Skills (Wiley, $23.95). Hostile people also have poorer health, smoke and drink more, and consume around 600 more kilojoules daily, he adds. Instead of nurturing anger, learn compassion with the Buddhist art of Tonglen. With every deep breath, imagine inhaling others’ suffering; with every release, you exude peace and healing.

COURAGE

Whether you’d protest against globalization or face down an attacker, courage and a commitment to justice are “linked to sensitivity and fairness,” says Dr Post in his book, Why Good Things Happen To Good People (Broadway Books, $45). It will also make you emotionally resilient. A 12-year study by the Hardiness Institute found two-thirds of people who’d undergone a major life upheaval later suffered heart attacks, strokes and depression. Those who were emotionally courageous not only survived—they thrived. For most people, says Dr Sharp, bravery starts with “becoming the change you want to see or for parents, becoming the person you want your child to be.”

HUMOUR

Why is the old adage, ‘laughter is the best medicine’ so overused? A good belly laugh increases your endorphins and mood-enhancing adrenal gland hormones, and moderates the effects of the stress hormone, cortisol, which has been linked to coronary disease, cancer and stroke. A Sanford University study also found that humour activates dopamine production, which creates a sense of well-being and calm.

RESPECT

Whether it’s self-worth or esteem from others, respect influences your health, says Dr Post. “Your risk for everything from cardiovascular disease to diabetes, infections, and even cancer varies with your social rank—and this is not simply a matter of being rich or poor or having access to the best health care. This is about status and thus respect.” To earn self-respect and the respect of others, he says, generate tolerance, civility, acceptance and reverence, through world-travel, making friends from other cultures and following your social conscience in how you treat others.

COMPASSION

“Buddhists say happiness is like a bird with two wings, wisdom and compassion,” says Dr Sharp. “One doesn’t work without the other. My version of that is wisdom comes from knowing yourself; compassion is helping others alleviate their unhappiness.”

And in doing so, you’ll feel more energized and healthier, partly because compassionate acts release the so-called bonding hormone, oxytocin, which researchers believe boosts the immune system. A University of California study tracking 2000 people over the age of 55 for five years also found that regular volunteers had a 44 per cent lower risk of dying than those who didn’t, making it even more protective than maintaining mobility in old age (39 per cent) and exercising four times a week (30 per cent).

LOYALTY

“Loyalty is love that lasts,” says Dr Post, “and that’s all we want. Women in particular are good at connection and loyal relationships.” That may be due to women’s high levels of oxytocin, which helps us bond with our babies, engenders feelings of trust and reduces stress. A network of devoted friends will also increase longevity by 22 per cent, according to a 10-year study of the elderly. Loyalty in marriage also extends life, particularly for men, says Dr Post, and gives children a solid footing. A study of 1500 young adults by Elizabeth Marquardt, author of Between Two Worlds (Three Rivers Press, $55) showed that children of ‘low-conflict’ marriages did better in life if parents stayed together, rather than divorce. disease.”

Article appeared in GoodHealth and Medicine, 2007

Posted in Behaviour on 11/20/2008 - 0 Comments