BackWant to lose weight? Look beyond exercise
Trying out new ways can help users learn skills faster and the gene behind schizophrenia identified studies and research tips for a healthier you
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Exercise can help in weight loss to a certain extent only
Running longer is not always the most effective solution to losing weight as there is a limit to the amount of calories one can burn through exercise, a new study suggests. Researchers from City University, New York measured the activity level of 332 adults living in the US, Jamaica and Africa for a period of seven days using an accelerometer. After taking into account the calorie lost over the week it was found that the participants who were more physically active burned more calories, but only up to a certain point. Changing diet and how much one eats is equally important when it comes to losing weight, the study points out. The study was published in the journal Current Biology. Read more here:
Breastfeeding can save 800,000 infants every year
Breastfeeding can prevent more than 800,000 child deaths every year and cut health expenditure considerably, suggests a World Health organization (WHO) study. Infants who are breastfed for longer are more likely to have a higher IQ, stronger immune system, and lower death rates compared to infants who are breastfed for shorter periods or not at all. Researchers found that only 37% of children of six months and below in lower- and middle-income countries are properly breastfed. One of the reasons is that the mothers don’t get the support they need to start or continue the practice. “The success or failure of breastfeeding should not be seen solely as the responsibility of the woman. A woman’s ability to breastfeed is very much shaped by the support and the environment in which she lives," said Nigel Rollins from WHO, who co-authored the study. The study was published in The Lancet. Read more here.
Practising new skills differently speed up learning
People who try to learn something new in different ways are more likely to learn the skill faster than those who practice a task in precisely the same way every time, a study claims. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine enlisted 86 healthy volunteers asked to learn computer-based motor skills and found people who made slight changes during repeat practice sessions performed better than when repeating their original task. This is due to a process called reconsolidation, in which existing memories are recalled and modified with new knowledge. The study was published in journal Current Biology. Read more here.
Teenagers take less risk when an adult is around
Teenagers are less likely to engage in risky behaviour when they are around a slightly older adult, a US study suggests. To look into the effects of social pressure and age on teenagers’ risk taking behaviour, researchers from Temple University randomly assigned 18 to 20 year old recruits in the US army to play a computer based driving game. At each intersection on the track a yellow light was placed to avoid drivers from colliding with each other. The researchers found that drivers with their peers around took significantly more risks than those who had a slightly older graduate student in the group. The study was published in Psychological Science. Read more here.
Gene behind schizophrenia identified
A study based on the genetic analysis of nearly 65,000 people, claims that a person’s risk of schizophrenia is increased if they inherit specific variants in a gene related to “synaptic pruning" — the elimination of connections between neurons. This is the first time that the origin of this devastating psychiatric disease has been linked to specific gene variants. The study also explains why synaptic pruning is particularly active during adolescence, which is the typical period of onset for schizophrenia symptoms. The gene, called complement component 4 (C4), plays a well-known role in the immune system but has now been shown to also play a key role in brain development and schizophrenia risk. The insight may allow future therapeutic strategies to be directed at the disorder’s roots, rather than just its symptoms. Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder which makes it difficult for people to distinguish between what is real and what is imaginary. The study was published in The Nature. Read more here.
Compiled by Abhijit Ahaskar
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