Archive for July, 2008

Butt Out: Quit Smoking

Monday, July 28th, 2008

Each year, 34 percent of America's 50 million smokers try to kick the habit. But only about 5 percent of those attempts are successful, according to the American Lung Association. Luckily, Timothy Baker, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin and consultant to the U.S. Department of Health ...

Why Men Kick Butt

Friday, July 25th, 2008

Men are bigger quitters than women—when it comes to smoking, that is. But the reason remains hazy. A study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology shows that, of over 600 heavy smokers who received either a nicotine patch or a placebo, men were, across the board, more likely ...

Smoking and the Thrill-Seeking Gene

Saturday, July 19th, 2008

Some people crave the buzz of a cigarette; others cringe at the idea of lighting up. The difference? Nonsmokers may have a gene which keeps them from chasing that high. Two studies provide the first evidence that having a gene called SLC6A3-9 reduces a person's risk of starting smoking. It pushes ...

Secondhand Fat

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

On top of suffering from secondhand smoke, research suggests that people who live with smokers may also suffer malnutrition. After examining data culled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Jeffrey S. Hampl, an Arizona State University assistant nutrition professor, found that spouses of smokers' consumed on average three more grams of ...

Smoke Gets in Your Bones

Friday, July 11th, 2008

I would assume that most of the people who read and respond to my blog, because of their interest in health, do not smoke. If you do, here are even more reasons to stop. If you don't smoke, pass this info on to someone who may be helped. By now, we ...

Smoke Screen

Sunday, July 6th, 2008

The only people lighting up in movie theaters these days are the characterson screen. Yet those most likely to smoke on film are among the least likely to do so in reality: the virile, successful white male. In fact, white male movie heroes smoke at three times the rate of the ...

Smoking Cessation Research Continues

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Since the U.S. Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health was unveiled nearly 40 years ago, tobacco has been the basis for an expanding arena of research throughout the world. The report, which led to warning labels on cigarette packaging, was the first major acknowledgement that cigarette smoking is a cause ...