Monitor Overeating With Bra Sensors

Recent studies show that up to half of the U.S. population complains that they eat more when they are stressed, a condition that has also led to high rates of obesity -– and often a negative cycle of eating more, gaining weight and then getting stressed out about gaining weight -– especially during Thanksgiving.

Researchers have been designing new kinds of ways to help anxious overeaters reduce this habit, or at least make them aware of when it’s happening. Along with stress apps for the smartphone and bracelets with special sensors, engineers and designers at Microsoft Research recently invented a stress-busting bra made with special material that monitors the wearers moods and helps to regulate stress eating.

"It’s mostly women who are emotional overeaters, and it turns out that a bra is perfect for measuring EKG (electrocardiogram)," said Mary Czerwinski, a cognitive psychologist and senior researcher in visualization and interaction at Microsoft. "We tried to do the same thing for men's underwear but it was too far away (from the heart)."

The stress-busting bra was recently tested by a small group of volunteers who were able to get feedback on their moods. Microsoft built the sensor pads with a microprocessor powered by a 3.7-volt battery. It was able to sample up to eight bio-signal channels simultaneously, according to Czerwinski’s research paper, Food and Mood: Just-in-Time Support for Emotional Eating, which was presented recently at the Society for Affective Computing conference.

The sensors captured heart rate and respiration with an EKG sensor, skin conductance with an electrodermal activity sensor, and movement with an accelerometer and gyroscope. The data was streamed to a smarphone app, as well as stored in the researchers’ computer.

By both recording their own moods on a smartphone app and collecting data from the bra-sensors, the scientists could accurately predict changes in physiology that accompanies eating and stress, including whether the subjects were happy or angry.

The sensor pads were built into each woman’s own bra, but Czerwinski admitted that they only worked for about four hours until they had to recharge the batteries. She's now looking for another part of the body to monitor moods that has similar physiological accuracy, but that doesn’t require as much work.
"Those brave women kept having to run to the bathroom to charge their bra," Czwerwinski said. "I think an insert in the foot would be good because feet are really sweaty."

Czerwinski and others in the field of affective computing are trying to find ways to get technology to monitor and understand human emotions and perhaps offer simple prescriptions. The Microsoft phone app has users visit social media sites or write positive emails as simple ways of elevating mood.

Another project with cancer doctors gives them instant feedback on their degree of patient empathy, or, put another way, their "bedside manner." A wall fabric with built-in sensors detects whether the doctor is talking or listening during a patient visit and whether the physician is using warm or cold emotional language. The fabric, in the form of a flower, then changes shape and color as a way of helping the doctor improve communications.

As for stressful eating, another psychologist says that maybe we shouldn’t worry about it so much. Gudrun Sproesser, a post-doctoral student at Germany’s University of Konstanz, published a study recently that calls into question the oft-held belief that stressful eaters are engaging in negative behavior.

Using an experiment where volunteers were put into a stressful situation and then given ice cream to eat, Sproesser found that self-described stress-eaters did binge on ice cream. But when they were put into positive situations,they compensated by eating less. Volunteers who skipped food when stressed actually ate more than the stress eaters when they were happy.

"The message should be that people shouldn’t people think too much about their eating," said Sproesser. "If they feel like eating in a positive situation, they should; if it’s negative, they probably will compensate for that."

Sproeusser, whose study was published last month in the journal Psychological Science, said the next step is to find out whether stress-eaters can switch from unhealthy junk food to healthy food and still deal with feelings of stress.

Article Source: mashable.com/2013/11/27/bra-monitors-overeating/

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Roxylean Reviewed: What are the Side Effects

To learn about the side effects of Roxylean is to learn about the downside of this revolutionary nutritional supplement. There is so much to this supplement beside the Roxylean side effects, so it is tempting to completely overlook them. The truth of the matter, however, is that no matter how great a nutritional supplement is, it always is essential that you talk about these side effects. This is to protect those who might be volatile to a number of different supplement effects. Some people have more sensitive constitutions, and some people have conditions that might make Roxylean side effects even more dangerous.

Most Roxylean apply to people who already have vulnerabilities. For example, some people who are at risk when it comes to these side effects are women who are pregnant or who are planning on becoming pregnant. Likewise, if you are the kind of person who has suffered from liver or heart problems then you should beware of the Roxylean just to be on the safe side. As a matter of fact, if you are the kind of person who has had negative effects from supplements in the past, then you should be very careful and conscious of Roxylean side effects.

For some people, the side effects of Roxylean happen out of nowhere. A very few people might experience Roxylean side effects in which they have erratic heart rate, sweating, or even some anxiety. Likewise, others might suffer from indigestion or splotchy skin. If you have these product side effects, then you should see a health professional and discontinue use. For most people, however, the Side Effects of Roxylean are few and far between. As a matter of fact, this is one of the best nutritional supplements for fitness and energy on the market, and there is little reason to pass up this opportunity.

With that being said, it’s important that you don’t overlook the Roxylean. It’s a good idea to make sure that you are aware of all the side effects of Roxylean, this way you know what to look for. If you are the kind of person who is a little out of shape, then you can depend on some Roxylean side effects that feel like fatigue. The truth of the matter is that this supplement helps you to gain more energy, so if you extend yourself, it could leave you feeling exhausted. Take it easy and use the supplement to improve your health.

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Snooki Hit With Lawsuit Over Zantrex Diet Pill

A Long Island woman has filed a class action federal lawsuit against Snooki, stating the reality TV star's claims about Zantrex diet pills are untrue.

The suit, filed Monday by Ashley Brady in Long Island Federal Court, charges that Zantrex weight loss pills are caffeine pills, which may not be a safe fat burner for an obese user or one suffering from heart disease. 

"Snooki holds herself out as an expert in fitness," the complaint states. "In this regard, she has amassed many fans and followers who specifically follow and listen to her advice on weight loss and fitness."

"Not only is she the primary endorser of Zantrex products, she is, in fact, the face of the Zantrex brand."

The suit also names Zantrex makers Basic Research and Zoller Laboratories as defendants.

Brady, 29, says she was tricked by the diet pill, which is advertised as a rapid weight loss supplement.

Since becoming a mother, Snooki — born Nicole Polizzi — shed 50 pounds. The 26-year-old star of "Snooki & JWoww" was at her heaviest weight of 146 pounds during her "Jersey Shore" days. Now, at 96 pounds, Polizzi insists her size 0 physique is "normal."

"My arms still jiggle when I wave! I'm 4-foot-9, which is the size of a third-grader," Polizzi told in Touch magazine in September, "so weighing 96 pounds is normal for me."

Polizzi has often credited her new physique to strength training and cardio with her trainer. A lawyer for Zantrex told the Daily News the lawsuit was "baseless."

Article Source: http://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2013/12/snooki_lawsuit_zantrex_diet_pill.html

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Must Read Facts about Diabetes

We often hear people asking how to cure diabetes, and medical doctors’ usual answers is –there is no cure for diabetes. Then people will be saddened by this fact, but they should not be because there are wide varieties of treatments available for them. With the world’s present technologies, it is not impossible that one day, our industrious scientists and researches will be able to find or even developed a real cure for diabetes.

Here are some facts that you should know about diabetes:

• Global epidemic emergence of diabetes can be associated with the rapid increases of obesity, physical inactivity and overweight.
• In year 2030, diabetes will be the 7th leading causes of deaths according to World Health Organization.
• 80% of World Health Organization documented deaths from diabetes came from the developing countries.
• Every second, one out of ten individuals with diabetes dies.
• Type I Diabetes is formerly known as Juvenile diabetes.
• An individual with type I diabetes are not capable of producing insulin.
• Type II diabetes can produce insulin, only that it is insufficient for the human body requirements.
• Type II diabetes are more common case than of Type I diabetes.
• Children with type II diabetes are now emerging worldwide.
• There is another type of diabetes known today as gestational diabetes.
• Person with diabetes do not actually die because of the disease. They died because of the complications associated with their current condition.
• Prevention of diabetes to occur in an individual with diabetic blood line is possible.
• Few minutes of drastic exercise or physical activities daily can help reduce the threat of having type II diabetes.
• Well balanced diet is vital for individual with diabetes.
• Almost 30% of the populations are not aware that they actually have onset diabetes.
• Type I diabetes cases are lower than type II diabetes cases.
• Symptoms of type I and type II diabetes are almost the same.
• Person with diabetes should have a daily meal plan.
• Person with Insulin dependent diabetes should not be involved in long and drastic activities. The human body needs energy from the glucose breakdown.
• Diabetes can also be associated with blindness that occurs in working adults.
• Individual with diabetes have high risk of developing heart diseases.
• Having diabetes is more costly than having tuberculosis.
• Diabetes needs lifetime treatment.
• Diabetic person should avoid intake of starchy foods like pasta, bread, rice potatoes and other root crops.
• Insulin is the prime responsible to transfer glucose from the blood to the human cells.
• Not all persons with diabetes are fat.
• Both Type I and Type II diabetes is a lifetime condition that have serious impending life threatening risk.
• Genital itching is possible symptoms of diabetes.
• Drastic weight loss can also be a symptom of diabetes.
• Slow wound healing is a concrete symptom of high glucose in blood.
• Diabetes can cause kidney failure that may lead to human death.

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Weight Loss Supplements: Myth Busted in Recent Study!

Weight loss supplements have always been very popular among people who wonder how to lose weight quickly. Considering its demand, several types of weight loss pills and supplements have been introduced in the market. The list includes metabolism boosters, fat burners, appetite suppressants and fat blockers. Irrespective of how tempting the probable results of these pills may appear to be, the fact is that there is very little evidence to support their miraculous claims.

People who wish to choose these kinds of supplements instead of following a healthy diet for weigh loss need to be aware that it can lead to granting oneself a psychological/moral license for self-indulgence. This is best explained by the psychological theory of moral licensing. According to this theory, a perceived positive health behaviour can cause the concerned person to grant himself the freedom to follow a less healthy diet. An example of this could be the case of a gym-goer who allows himself to indulge in unhealthy snacks as a reward or moral license for going to the gym.

Such kind of behavior is also witnessed among individuals opting for various weight loss supplements and pills. People who choose such pills and make compromises with a good diet for weight loss fail to realize that it won’t serve any long term benefits. This is because a placebo effect causing initial weight loss is the maximum benefit that any individual can hope and gain from weight-loss supplements.

In order to confirm this, a research test involving a group of healthy adults was conducted. The purpose of this research was to establish if a person who opts for weight loss pills instead of trying a healthy diet for weight loss would be inclined to a carefree attitude in the other aspects of their diet.

The initial stage: The adults were segregated into two groups. The first group was given a weight loss supplement and the second group was given a placebo pill. In reality, both the groups were actually given a placebo pill, but were not aware of this fact.

Second stage: Each of them were handed a questionnaire in which they had to rate the level of progress they were making towards achieving their weight loss goals. On the completion of this task, both the groups were offered a reward drink with the option to choose the quantity of sugar they wanted in it.

The last stage: The final stage of the research saw both the groups participating in a taste test. Here, both the adults were given the freedom to taste and consume as many as confectioneries as they wanted.

The result: It was observed that unlike the second group (placebo pill), people who believed they were consuming a weight loss supplement requested for almost double the amount of sugar in their reward drink. The same group also consumed almost 29% more confectioneries in the taste test. In addition, this group was more likely to state that they were making good progress in their journey towards weight loss.
This entire study was published in Appetite, the journal.

Conclusion: 
People who often find they wondering how to lose weight are also more susceptible to the use of weight loss pills. However, this may not be effective in the long term and opting for a healthy diet for weight loss is a far better and rewarding option. Consumption of weight loss supplements can make one believe that a “good act” has been performed. This can lead to self-indulgence as a way of rewarding the good behaviour/act. Therefore, the right kind of diet and lifestyle changes must be made for ensuring a healthy weight loss program.

For a further read on how to lose weight naturally, in easy steps, without having to consume any supplements, refer this Health Total blog: Losing Weight Made Easy.

To Sum it all up:
Weight loss pills may not have any long term benefits and may cause unexpected repercussions. In order to lose weight quickly it is important to know how to do it in the right way.

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