Survey Shows Teens Trying to Build Muscle

Most teens are trying to build up or tone muscles, a new survey suggests. And some are doing this in potentially dangerous ways, the study finds. The study was based on a survey of about 2,800 middle and high school students from the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. More than 90% of boys and 80% of girls said they exercised more in order to build or tone muscles. About two-thirds of boys and nearly that many girls said they had changed their eating habits for the same reason. One-third of boys and one-fifth of girls had used protein powders or shakes. Some teens even used potentially dangerous supplements or drugs. About 5.9% of boys and 4.6% of girls said they had used steroids. About 10.5% of boys and 5.5% of girls had used creatine, amino acids, hydroxyl methylbutyrate (HMB), DHEA or growth hormones. The journal Pediatrics published the study.

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Booze Just Behind Soda for Adult Calories

U.S. adults get almost as many calories from alcohol as from sugar-sweetened drinks, a new government study has found. The study was based on interviews with more than 11,000 people. They were asked detailed questions about what they ate and drank in the last 24 hours. Sugar-sweetened drinks accounted for about 6% of calories and alcohol added about 5%. One-third of men and one-fifth of women had consumed some form of alcohol on the day in question. The average was about 150 calories a day — equal to a beer — for men. For women, the average was about 50 calories a day, roughly half a glass of wine. Men drank mostly beer. Women drank beer, wine and liquor, with no clear favorites. Younger adults drank more than older ones. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the study. The Associated Press wrote about it November 15.

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Backed-up bowels? Don’t get stuck on daily "regularity"

Not having a bowel movement every day doesn’t always indicate a problem. It is more important that bowel movements be free of pain or strain. To reverse constipation, get adequate dietary fiber, drink enough water, and check for constipating medications.

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