Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Saccharin may lead to weight gain - Los Angeles Times
Saccharin may lead to weight gain - Los Angeles Times
Saccharin may lead to weight gain
template_bas
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Researchers think the sweetener blunted lab rats' ability to burn off calories from their regular food portions.
By Denise Gellene, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 11, 2008
Casting doubt on the benefit of low-calorie sweeteners, research released Sunday reported that rats on diets containing saccharin gained more weight than rats given sugary food.
The study in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience found that the calorie-free artificial sweetener appeared to break the physiological connection between sweet tastes and calories, driving the rats to overeat.
Related Stories
- With faux sugars, real suspicion
Lyn M. Steffen, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, who was not involved in the latest report, said the study offered a possible explanation for the unexpected association between obesity and diet soda found in recent human studies.
Researchers have puzzled over whether diet soda is a marker for poor eating habits or diet soda ingredients cause people to put on pounds, she said. "This rat study suggests a component of the artificial sweetener may be responsible for the weight gain."
Steffen's own recent research has shown that people who drink diet soda have a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of symptoms including obesity -- than do people who drink regular soda. Her research was published last month in the American Heart Assn.'s journal Circulation.
An industry group rejected Sunday's report.
"The causes of obesity are multifactorial," said a statement by Beth Hubrich, a dietitian with the Calorie Control Council, which represents low- and reduced-calorie food and beverage marketers. "Although surveys have shown that there has been an increase in the use of 'sugar-free' foods over the years, portion sizes of foods have also increased, physical activity has decreased and overall calorie intake has increased."
The number of Americans who consume soda, yogurt and other products containing sugar-free sweeteners more than doubled to 160 million in 2000 from fewer than 70 million in 1987, according to the report. Over the same period, the incidence of obesity among U.S. adults rose to 30% from 15%.
One interpretation of the trends is that people have been turning to lower-calorie foods to control an increasing problem with weight gain.
An alternative interpretation is that artificial sweeteners lead to biological or behavioral changes that cause people to eat more. This possibility is easier to test in rats than in people because scientists can control the animals' diets and measure exactly what they eat, said the study's lead author, Susan E. Swithers, an associate professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University in Indiana.
In the experiment, funded by the National Institutes of Health and by Purdue, nine rats received yogurt sweetened with saccharin and eight rats received yogurt sweetened with glucose, which is close in composition to table sugar. After receiving their yogurt snack, the animals were given their usual chow.
At the end of five weeks, rats that had been fed sugar-free yogurt gained an average of 88 grams, compared with 72 grams for rats that dined on glucose-sweetened yogurt, a difference of about 20%. Rats fed sugar-free yogurt were consuming more calories and had 5% more body fat.
In a related experiment, scientists gave the two groups of rats a sugary drink and measured changes in the animals' body temperatures. Body temperatures typically rise after a meal because it takes energy to digest food.
The rats in the saccharin group experienced a smaller average temperature increase, scientists said -- a sign that regular consumption of artificial sweeteners had blunted their body's response to sweet foods, making it harder for the animals to burn off their extra calories.
Swithers said that normally, sweet tastes signal that the body is about to receive a lot of calories, and the digestive system prepares to react. When sweet tastes aren't followed by lots of calories, as in the case of artificial sweeteners, the body becomes conditioned against a strong response.
Although the experiment looked only at saccharin, other artificial sweeteners may have the same effect, Swithers said.
A controlled study is needed to determine whether sweeteners have the same effect in people as in rats, she said, but some epidemiological studies have been consistent with her findings.
Swithers' next step, she said, will be to determine whether dietary changes could reverse the rats' physiological responses.
Adam Drewnowski, director of the nutrition sciences program at the University of Washington, cautioned against interpreting the results broadly.
"It is unreasonable to claim that results obtained studying saccharin in rats translate to every sweetener in humans," said Drewnowski, who has received research funding from the beverage industry in the past.
He added: "We now have studies showing that sugar calories are associated with obesity and the absence of sugar is associated with obesity. Pity those people trying to do something about obesity."
denise.gellene@latimes.com
Saccharin may lead to weight gain
template_bas
template_bas
Researchers think the sweetener blunted lab rats' ability to burn off calories from their regular food portions.
By Denise Gellene, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 11, 2008
Casting doubt on the benefit of low-calorie sweeteners, research released Sunday reported that rats on diets containing saccharin gained more weight than rats given sugary food.
The study in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience found that the calorie-free artificial sweetener appeared to break the physiological connection between sweet tastes and calories, driving the rats to overeat.
Related Stories
- With faux sugars, real suspicion
Lyn M. Steffen, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, who was not involved in the latest report, said the study offered a possible explanation for the unexpected association between obesity and diet soda found in recent human studies.
Researchers have puzzled over whether diet soda is a marker for poor eating habits or diet soda ingredients cause people to put on pounds, she said. "This rat study suggests a component of the artificial sweetener may be responsible for the weight gain."
Steffen's own recent research has shown that people who drink diet soda have a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of symptoms including obesity -- than do people who drink regular soda. Her research was published last month in the American Heart Assn.'s journal Circulation.
An industry group rejected Sunday's report.
"The causes of obesity are multifactorial," said a statement by Beth Hubrich, a dietitian with the Calorie Control Council, which represents low- and reduced-calorie food and beverage marketers. "Although surveys have shown that there has been an increase in the use of 'sugar-free' foods over the years, portion sizes of foods have also increased, physical activity has decreased and overall calorie intake has increased."
The number of Americans who consume soda, yogurt and other products containing sugar-free sweeteners more than doubled to 160 million in 2000 from fewer than 70 million in 1987, according to the report. Over the same period, the incidence of obesity among U.S. adults rose to 30% from 15%.
One interpretation of the trends is that people have been turning to lower-calorie foods to control an increasing problem with weight gain.
An alternative interpretation is that artificial sweeteners lead to biological or behavioral changes that cause people to eat more. This possibility is easier to test in rats than in people because scientists can control the animals' diets and measure exactly what they eat, said the study's lead author, Susan E. Swithers, an associate professor of psychological sciences at Purdue University in Indiana.
In the experiment, funded by the National Institutes of Health and by Purdue, nine rats received yogurt sweetened with saccharin and eight rats received yogurt sweetened with glucose, which is close in composition to table sugar. After receiving their yogurt snack, the animals were given their usual chow.
At the end of five weeks, rats that had been fed sugar-free yogurt gained an average of 88 grams, compared with 72 grams for rats that dined on glucose-sweetened yogurt, a difference of about 20%. Rats fed sugar-free yogurt were consuming more calories and had 5% more body fat.
In a related experiment, scientists gave the two groups of rats a sugary drink and measured changes in the animals' body temperatures. Body temperatures typically rise after a meal because it takes energy to digest food.
The rats in the saccharin group experienced a smaller average temperature increase, scientists said -- a sign that regular consumption of artificial sweeteners had blunted their body's response to sweet foods, making it harder for the animals to burn off their extra calories.
Swithers said that normally, sweet tastes signal that the body is about to receive a lot of calories, and the digestive system prepares to react. When sweet tastes aren't followed by lots of calories, as in the case of artificial sweeteners, the body becomes conditioned against a strong response.
Although the experiment looked only at saccharin, other artificial sweeteners may have the same effect, Swithers said.
A controlled study is needed to determine whether sweeteners have the same effect in people as in rats, she said, but some epidemiological studies have been consistent with her findings.
Swithers' next step, she said, will be to determine whether dietary changes could reverse the rats' physiological responses.
Adam Drewnowski, director of the nutrition sciences program at the University of Washington, cautioned against interpreting the results broadly.
"It is unreasonable to claim that results obtained studying saccharin in rats translate to every sweetener in humans," said Drewnowski, who has received research funding from the beverage industry in the past.
He added: "We now have studies showing that sugar calories are associated with obesity and the absence of sugar is associated with obesity. Pity those people trying to do something about obesity."
denise.gellene@latimes.com
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Habeas Corpus: Cornerstone of Liberty - Ed-Op
Habeas Corpus: Cornerstone of Liberty - Ed-Op
NOTE: This is page 2 of article~gr8fuldaniel
Following the passing of the MCA the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said that Congress and this president were "turning away from a centuries-old tradition that is a cornerstone of our Constitution, and our freedom."
This is no exaggeration. The MCA gives this government the ability to imprison "enemy combatants" indefinitely, deny detainees any court review, and to hand down convictions based on evidence extracted from torture. Even if you are comfortable with George Bush having this kind of power, can you honestly say you would entrust this level of power to Hillary Clinton? This kind of broad reaching, unregulated authority should not be entrusted to anyone.
Some of our leaders try to ease our worries by saying that abolishing The Great Writ only applied to a small part of the population, but we have to recognize that when habeas corpus is abolished for even a few, it is abolished for all of us. How would we prove we are not aiding terrorists if the government accused us? How could we prove our innocence when such a basic right has been eliminated?
This should scare us, and we should keep in mind that even during the war of 1812, while the city of New Orleans was under siege by British troops, a federal judge issued a writ of habeas corpus for prisoners taken by General Andrew Jackson.
We may face terrorism in this day, but we forget that this nation had many trials before, and this will not be our last. We cannot allow fear to manipulate us; when we do that, we let liberty slip away. Our freedoms are fragile, and in the words of Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
It is an absolute disgrace that we are now fighting to restore a right that has its roots in the 13th Century. We should be ashamed at how much we have let fear erode our liberty. Call your Congressman and demand they restore habeas corpus.
NOTE: This is page 2 of article~gr8fuldaniel
Following the passing of the MCA the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said that Congress and this president were "turning away from a centuries-old tradition that is a cornerstone of our Constitution, and our freedom."
This is no exaggeration. The MCA gives this government the ability to imprison "enemy combatants" indefinitely, deny detainees any court review, and to hand down convictions based on evidence extracted from torture. Even if you are comfortable with George Bush having this kind of power, can you honestly say you would entrust this level of power to Hillary Clinton? This kind of broad reaching, unregulated authority should not be entrusted to anyone.
Some of our leaders try to ease our worries by saying that abolishing The Great Writ only applied to a small part of the population, but we have to recognize that when habeas corpus is abolished for even a few, it is abolished for all of us. How would we prove we are not aiding terrorists if the government accused us? How could we prove our innocence when such a basic right has been eliminated?
This should scare us, and we should keep in mind that even during the war of 1812, while the city of New Orleans was under siege by British troops, a federal judge issued a writ of habeas corpus for prisoners taken by General Andrew Jackson.
We may face terrorism in this day, but we forget that this nation had many trials before, and this will not be our last. We cannot allow fear to manipulate us; when we do that, we let liberty slip away. Our freedoms are fragile, and in the words of Benjamin Franklin: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
It is an absolute disgrace that we are now fighting to restore a right that has its roots in the 13th Century. We should be ashamed at how much we have let fear erode our liberty. Call your Congressman and demand they restore habeas corpus.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Academic Search
Here are some of the best research directories I learned about in my LIBR 325 class:
Librarians Internet Index (The best place to start)
BUBL Information Service
dmoz
Librarians Internet Index (The best place to start)
BUBL Information Service
dmoz
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Carpeted: The therapist who branded his patient a waste of space | the Daily Mail
Carpeted: The therapist who branded his patient a waste of space | the Daily Mail: "A psychologist who specialises in stress counselling has been rebuked by his ruling body after telling a patient to 'pull yourself together' and branding another 'a waste of space'.
Dr John McCarron was found to have insulted his patients and behaved in a way that would be detrimental to their health.
The 44-year-old doctor works for the Lancashire Care NHS Trust in adult occupational therapy. But he has also been in private practice since 1997. "
>snip<
One 52-year-old man, a mechanic who had suffered from anxiety for nine years and was unable to work because of severe depression, had been referred to him by his GP.
He told the committee that Dr McCarron had called him, among other things, a 'w***er', a 'waste of space' and 'an idiot' during sessions, adding that he had felt bullied.
Another patient complained that the psychologist was judgmental and had said words to the effect of: "Pull yourself together, you're pathetic."
Dr John McCarron was found to have insulted his patients and behaved in a way that would be detrimental to their health.
The 44-year-old doctor works for the Lancashire Care NHS Trust in adult occupational therapy. But he has also been in private practice since 1997. "
>snip<
One 52-year-old man, a mechanic who had suffered from anxiety for nine years and was unable to work because of severe depression, had been referred to him by his GP.
He told the committee that Dr McCarron had called him, among other things, a 'w***er', a 'waste of space' and 'an idiot' during sessions, adding that he had felt bullied.
Another patient complained that the psychologist was judgmental and had said words to the effect of: "Pull yourself together, you're pathetic."
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Self-efficacy defined
Self-efficacy defined
Perceived self-efficacy is defined as people's beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives. Self-efficacy beliefs determine how people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave. Such beliefs produce these diverse effects through four major processes. They include cognitive, motivational, affective and selection processes.
A strong sense of efficacy enhances human accomplishment and personal well-being in many ways. People with high assurance in their capabilities approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided. Such an efficacious outlook fosters intrinsic interest and deep engrossment in activities. They set themselves challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them.
{snip}
I. Sources of Self-Efficacy
People's beliefs about their efficacy can be developed by four main sources of influence. The most effective way of creating a strong sense of efficacy is through mastery experiences. Successes build a robust belief in one's personal efficacy. Failures undermine it, especially if failures occur before a sense of efficacy is firmly established.
If people experience only easy successes they come to expect quick results and are easily discouraged by failure. A resilient sense of efficacy requires experience in overcoming obstacles through perseverant effort. Some setbacks and difficulties in human pursuits serve a useful purpose in teaching that success usually requires sustained effort. After people become convinced they have what it takes to succeed, they persevere in the face of adversity and quickly rebound from setbacks. By sticking it out through tough times, they emerge stronger from adversity.
The second way of creating and strengthening self-beliefs of efficacy is through the vicarious experiences provided by social models. Seeing people similar to oneself succeed by sustained effort raises observers' beliefs that they too possess the capabilities master comparable activities to succeed. By the same token, observing others' fail despite high effort lowers observers' judgments of their own efficacy and undermines their efforts. The impact of modeling on perceived self-efficacy is strongly influenced by perceived similarity to the models. The greater the assumed similarity the more persuasive are the models' successes and failures. If people see the models as very different from themselves their perceived self-efficacy is not much influenced by the models' behavior and the results its produces.
more.....
Perceived self-efficacy is defined as people's beliefs about their capabilities to produce designated levels of performance that exercise influence over events that affect their lives. Self-efficacy beliefs determine how people feel, think, motivate themselves and behave. Such beliefs produce these diverse effects through four major processes. They include cognitive, motivational, affective and selection processes.
A strong sense of efficacy enhances human accomplishment and personal well-being in many ways. People with high assurance in their capabilities approach difficult tasks as challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided. Such an efficacious outlook fosters intrinsic interest and deep engrossment in activities. They set themselves challenging goals and maintain strong commitment to them.
{snip}
I. Sources of Self-Efficacy
People's beliefs about their efficacy can be developed by four main sources of influence. The most effective way of creating a strong sense of efficacy is through mastery experiences. Successes build a robust belief in one's personal efficacy. Failures undermine it, especially if failures occur before a sense of efficacy is firmly established.
If people experience only easy successes they come to expect quick results and are easily discouraged by failure. A resilient sense of efficacy requires experience in overcoming obstacles through perseverant effort. Some setbacks and difficulties in human pursuits serve a useful purpose in teaching that success usually requires sustained effort. After people become convinced they have what it takes to succeed, they persevere in the face of adversity and quickly rebound from setbacks. By sticking it out through tough times, they emerge stronger from adversity.
The second way of creating and strengthening self-beliefs of efficacy is through the vicarious experiences provided by social models. Seeing people similar to oneself succeed by sustained effort raises observers' beliefs that they too possess the capabilities master comparable activities to succeed. By the same token, observing others' fail despite high effort lowers observers' judgments of their own efficacy and undermines their efforts. The impact of modeling on perceived self-efficacy is strongly influenced by perceived similarity to the models. The greater the assumed similarity the more persuasive are the models' successes and failures. If people see the models as very different from themselves their perceived self-efficacy is not much influenced by the models' behavior and the results its produces.
more.....
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Caribbean Vibes Jamaican - Vacaville, CA, 95688-5313 - Citysearch
Caribbean Vibes Jamaican - Vacaville, CA, 95688-5313 - Citysearch: "Caribbean Vibes Jamaican
898 Alamo Dr
Vacaville, CA 95688-5313View Map
(707) 452-9003 "
898 Alamo Dr
Vacaville, CA 95688-5313View Map
(707) 452-9003 "
Go - Jamaica - Jamaica's Portal to the World - Gleaner News, Free Email, E-Commerce, Weather Forecasts, Live Web Cam, Chat and more
Go - Jamaica - Jamaica's Portal to the World - Gleaner News, Free Email, E-Commerce, Weather Forecasts, Live Web Cam, Chat and more
Current Events!! Message forums and Chats may be good place to find a cultural event in Sac Area. (??)
Current Events!! Message forums and Chats may be good place to find a cultural event in Sac Area. (??)
Jamaica Awareness Association of California
Jamaica Awareness Association of California
Nothing on the page of use to us....BUT they may be a good contact for information.
Nothing on the page of use to us....BUT they may be a good contact for information.
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