Does Raising the Thermostat Increase Obesity? (WebMD)
The body burns energy when it’s cold. “When you look at what could be causing the obesity epidemic, there are many possible causes besides eating too much and not exercising enough, and this is clearly one of them.”
Does central heating make us fat? (NHS)
Scientific article suggests that as indoor temperatures have increased, we’ve reduced the calories we use to stay warm, leading us to store the excess energy as body fat. The study is “not conclusive and does not prove that simply turning down your thermostat will make you thinner. An alternative explanation could be that people put on winter weight because they stay indoors to keep warm and therefore do less exercise.”
Disney Princesses and the Battle for Your Daughter’s Soul (Newsweek)
Review of Peggy Orenstein’s “Cinderella Ate My Daughter.” “[I]n today’s culture, it’s not just being the fairest of them all, it’s being the hottest of them all, the most Paris Hilton of them all, the most Kim Kardashian of them all.” Sharon Begley’s translation: Being shallow, narcissistic, slutty. Little girls learn — from mass marketing and media – “not that girls are strong, smart, or creative, but that each is a little princess of her own, judged by the beauty of her face (and gown).”
A Fighting Spirit Won’t Save Your Life (NYT)
Americans have a history of believing individuals can control their health through positive thinking. There’s no evidence that an upbeat attitude can prevent illness or speed recovery, yet we blame those who display an insufficient amount of self-empowering happy talk.
Stage set early for success, or failure (ScienceNews)
Study finds hildren as young as age 3 who lack conscientiousness, perseverance, and self-control grow up to have high rates of physical health problems, substance abuse, financial woes, criminal arrests, and single parenthood. Could it be that there’s an explanation for both, like poverty and other measures of inequality?
An Unwanted Inheritance (Newsweek)
Hoarding, an extremely complicated mental disorder that affects millions, may be associated with obsessive compulsive disorder. It’s the children of hoarders who suffer most.
Social Tips for People with Aspergers (Psychology Today)
Performance is easy, but authentic communication hard. For those not on the Asperger spectrum, tips on how to interact with those who are.
Image: flickr
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