Life, Health and Enjoyment

Tods who have a poor relationship with their moms are more likely to be obese by the time they turn 15, a new study shows. So just how does a toddler's less-than-stellar relationship with mom affect risk for being obese as a teen? The reasons are not fully understood, but study researchers suggest these toddlers, when coping with stress, may begin to use food as a source of comfort in place of mom at a very early age. The findings appear in the January 2012 issue of Pediatrics. One thing, however, is clear: Childhood obesity rates in the U.S. are getting higher. As it stands, about 1 in 3 children in the U.S. are overweight or obese and this includes pre-schoolers. This suggests that whatever is causing the uptick starts pretty early. Relationship With Mom May Play Role in Childhood Obesity Researchers analyzed close to 1,000 toddlers' emotional bonds with their moms at 15 months, 2, and 3 years of age. They measured mom's sensitivity during 15-minute video...

Recycled Paper Towels Had the Highest Bacterial Counts Grabbing a paper towel in a public restroom may leave more on your hands than you bargained for. Researchers say they've found bacteria, including some that are known to make people sick, in unused paper towels. They also found that those bacteria could be transferred to hands after washing. The study is published in the American Journal of Infection Control. It did not find any illnesses connected to paper towel use. Experts say the findings are probably most important for people in hospital isolation units and those with weakened immune function who need to be extra cautious about contact with germs. Germs Lurk in Paper Towels Researchers at Laval University in Canada tested six brands of commercial paper towels -- the kind doled out in many public bathrooms. They found bacteria in all of them, but the towels made from recycled fibers were the most heavily contaminated. “In our study, the concentration of ba...