Basic HTML Version
Digest
Journal
VOLUNTEERING MAY EXTEND LIFE
Here’s
a good reason to volunteer: Working to
improve the lives of others may help you
live longer.
In a study, researchers asked more
than 10,000 people about their volunteer
habits and motives. Four years later, when
the average age of those taking part was
69, the researchers looked to see which
of the participants were still alive.
About 4.3 percent of those who did
not volunteer had passed away. That
percentage was similar to the percentage
of people (4 percent) who volunteered
primarily to gain personal bene ts from
their experience.
However, only 1.6 percent of those
whose motivations for volunteering were
based on helping others died in that
time span. The numbers were signi cant
even after controlling for other variables,
such as the participants’ physical health,
health risk factors and socioeconomic
status.
Health Psychology,
Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1037/
a0025226
CANDOR MAY BENEFIT SURVIVORS OF
CANCER
It’s not always easy to assert
yourself. But doing so may be especially
important if you’re coping with a cancer
diagnosis, a small study suggests.
Researchers conducted group inter-
views with 40 adult cancer survivors to
see how they communicated with other
people about their illness. Those survi-
vors who told well-meaning friends and
family that they needed the space to feel
ill or fall apart in private reported that
their candor had real bene ts.
So did focusing on themselves
without feeling the obligation to support
others or avoiding people who were sad
or overly solicitous. In each of these
circumstances, the survivors felt more in
control during a time in their lives when
they often felt helpless.
Journal of Applied Communication Research,
Vol.39; No.3
See your way
to choosing
healthy foods
When is a plate more than just a plate?
When it’s a visual guide to healthy eating.
at’s the idea behind the MyPlate icon
designed by the U.S. Department of Agricul-
ture. e goal of the icon is to help people
adopt eating habits consistent with the gov-
ernment’s
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
,
including choosing foods that are good for
you and that don’t have too many calories.
e easy-to-understand icon empha-
sizes fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and
dairy. It helps you see—and think about—
how to ll your plate (half with fruits and
vegetables) at mealtimes.
Go to
www.ChooseMyPlate.gov
to view the icon. When you click
on each section of the icon, you’ll nd
detailed information about that food
group, including examples of the types of
foods within the group and the nutrients
they contain.
In addition to the icon, the website of-
fers tips on:
Planning a healthy menu.
Losing weight.
Making a customized
daily food plan.
Eating out.
Choosing
foods and drinks with less sodium, solid
fats and added sugars.
Exercising.
MyPlate replaces the MyPyramid
image—which many perceived as outdated
and too complicated—as the government’s
primary food group symbol.
Some slobber and some shed. But despite
these minor inconveniences, pets bring us
enormous pleasure. And, as research continues
to suggest, they o er physical and emotional
bene ts too. Here’s a sampling of what science
has unleashed about how pets a ect human health:
Longevity.
One landmark study found that pet-owning patients were
. times more likely to be alive one year a er a heart attack than those with-
out pets.
Overall health.
In a
study, older people with pets had fewer minor
health problems and doctor visits than their peers who didn’t have pets. Accord-
ing to the National Center for Infectious Diseases and other groups, pets can:
Boost the immune system.
Lower triglycerides, blood pressure and cholesterol.
Decrease feelings of loneliness.
Another study—one that involved nearly ,
people—found that the
healthiest people were those who continuously owned a pet. e least healthy:
ose who no longer had a pet or never had one.
Chronic conditions.
Various studies suggest that pets can soothe and help
people with heart disease, dementia, cancer and depression.
Mental health.
Pets can lower stress and o er companionship, pleasure,
a ection and social opportunities.
Fitness.
One study found that dog owners walked an average of
minutes
a week compared with
minutes for those who didn’t own a dog.
e power
of a pet
1
2
www.PCHMO.org
Bookmark it
Here’s your 24/7 source for the latest in
health care information. At work or at home,
you can connect with the resources you
need, including doctors in your area, health
education classes, support groups and more.
www.PCHMO.org
: the health
information you need at your fingertips.
Events calendar
Learn about screenings and health classes
and sign up online.
2
Find a doctor
Get connected to the right physician for you
and your family. Our provider directory makes
it easy to search by name or specialty.
1
Health Information Library
Find reliable, up-to-date health information
and learn more about related services and
events.
3
3
S P R I N G 2 0 1 2
2
H E A L T H S C E N E
H E A L T H T A L K
N E W S , V I E W S & T I P S