Archive for November, 2009
Parents Overestimate Child Fitness Levels
Seven in 10 parents (71 per cent) think their children are “active enough” but only one in 10 of their children (10 per cent) say they do the recommended amount of exercise, according to a survey out today from British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Nearly 1,000 UK parents with children aged eight to 15 were questioned. BHF’s report ‘Couch Kids’ shows that while the number of obese children has risen since the mid-1990s, there have been no major changes in children’s physical activity levels over the past decade. “Regular physical activity is vital for children to reduce their chances of becoming obese and developing Type 2 diabetes,” said Libby Dowling, Care Advisor at Diabetes UK. “It is recommended that children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. This does not have to be all in one go; it can be in chunks of about 15 to 20 minutes throughout the day. She went on to say that parents have a key part to play in controlling their children’s weight, and that encouraging them to be fit and active by simply walking to school or playing football in the garden are great ways to give children the start in life they deserve.” A Department of Heath spokesperson added: “Tackling childhood obesity is a priority for the Government. Read more… SourceDiabetes UK
Can a Bad Boss Make You Sick?
Study ties poor supervisors to higher odds for heart attack
By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter
(HealthDay News) — If an inept or abrasive boss is ruining your workday, you may be taking that stress to heart, literally.
New research links having a poor supervisor to a higher risk of heart attack, and that’s not all: people who don’t like their managers also take more sick leave.
The findings, which come from surveys of thousands of employees in Europe, don’t prove that bad bosses cause illness and heart problems, the report’s author said. And the findings regarding heart attacks only look at men.
Still, the research does suggest that what happens at work doesn’t stay at work, said Anna Nyberg, a postgraduate student at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and author of a thesis based on the results of the surveys.
“Our findings provide clear support for an association between managers’ leadership and employee stress and health,” she said. (Read more…)