Greatist.com has released their annual list of the 25 healthiest college campuses just in time for the end of the school year.

• The ranking process started with nominations from readers, reader suggestions from last year’s list, surveys from the College Prowler and Princeton Review and examination of over 100 colleges’ websites.

• Each school is scored for its dining services and awards, fitness facilities, health services, happiness rankings, and health and fitness initiatives.

• The top five schools on this year’s list are Bowdoin College, Stanford University, Virginia Tech, Rice University and Washington University in St. Louis.
  Read Full Post >

If you want to lose weight this year, you may want to consider consulting with a physician who’s BMI is within normal limits. According to a national cross-sectional survey of over 500 primary care physicians in the United States, those who struggle to maintain a healthy weight themselves are much less inclined to help others fight the battle of the bulge.

In most cases, it’s not that they don’t want to. Instead, it’s more likely that they either lack the confidence in themselves or feel that because of their own weight struggles, they assume that most patients won’t take them that seriously. Normal weight physicians feel similarly about their overweight colleagues and feel as though they themselves are better role models for patients. Whether this is truly the case or not, it really doesn’t matter. And although not all physicians are well-equipped to deal with weight management issues, it’s not fair or appropriate to assume that a doctor knows less because their weight isn’t ideal. It’s also not appropriate to assume that physicians who are at a healthy weight are better equipped to counsel their patients on nutrition and exercise-related matters.

Read Full Post >

A new study shows that those who do even a small amount of exercise have better mental health than those who do not.

An article in the New York Times examined a National Institute of Mental Health study that now gives better insight as to why physical activity leads to happier, less anxious people. Although it is commonly known that exercise releases mood-boosting endorphins, many do not know why it occurs or the physical processes of the brain during a workout.

Researchers at the NIMH experimented on both aggressive and even-tempered male mice to find the answers. The dominant male mice got their own private cages, and when they were integrated with the others, they used several intimidation techniques against the defenseless mice. After two weeks of living with their aggressive neighbors, the skittish mice were severely nervous and stressed.

But another group of even-tempered mice were not as intimidated by the aggressive mice. This experimental group had been given an exercise wheel and an exploratory tube in their cage. Although the mice were submissive toward the more aggressive male rodents, they did not appear to be nervous.

Read Full Post >

Something is not ripe with the tomato industry, according to Barry Estabrook’s book, Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit. Estabrook examines the corruption and hardships of the red and juicy fruit that is often seen atop  many salads.

The fruit best known for being fresh in the summertime finds its way to the produce section each winter thanks to warm, sunny Florida weather. Estabrook writes that approximately one-third of the U.S.’s tomato supply comes from a state where tomatoes do not naturally grow. Florida’s environment is often difficult with a lack of nitrogen in the soil, insect pests, and bacterial and fungal diseases that can threaten the life of a plant. To make up for these disadvantages, tomato growers often spray the tomato farms with chemicals and pesticides, according to Estabrook.

These chemicals are very harmful to the hard-working tomato pickers and their families, who can get sick or have children with several birth defects. Not to mention these chemicals are extremely harmful to consumers, who may be at risk when ingesting the tomatoes. In addition, tomato pickers work very long and taxing hours in the brutal sun. The workers get no paid vacation and no benefits, and some have even been forced into slavery.

Read Full Post >

What should the sentence be for a man who has stolen $800,000? You would think that it would be at least a few years in jail, but for former Liberal Party boss Ray Harding, there were no such consequences. In fact, the man got off completely scott free, supposedly because of his cooperation with the authorities and for the “family troubles” that caused him to make “a misguided grab for money.” Harding was accused of being involved in a pay-for-play scheme that involved the State of New York’s pension fund. He even admitted to being a fake intermediary between the the pension funds and the investment funds.

However, the real reason that Harding got such a light sentence is his poor health. Harding does not have a life-threatening illness like cancer or AIDS; instead, he is obese. And his obesity is a big factor in the very light sentence that he received after stealing $800,000. He will not spend even one day in jail, nor will he be required to pay back the money he stole.

Read Full Post >