Typography is the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form, and thus with an independent existence. (...) Typography remains a source of true delight, true knowledge, true surprise.

Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style

July 29, 2010

Health

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The Side Effects of Birth Control Products PhotoResearch and studies carried out on the effectiveness and report the risks to the said from the use of family planning products, with mixed results as the number of products sold today. This product is truly worthy of concern worldwide, mainly because now there are about 100 million women currently use oral contraceptives. Since its launch in 1960 as a new method of birth control, this pill has somewhat by how society, especially women, look at influences the issue of sexual health, reproduction, and to control the population. However, the degree of acceptance of such a method does not underestimate the immediate problem with this kind of surveillance of drug safety. Potential health risks of some products that have very short planning resulting in convincing field tests create a great need for further studies.

According to a Belgium-based research, they said that the long-term use of birth control pills can increase  buildup of debris or plaque in the arteries, making the user of the drug more exposed to risk of heart disease. Another study claims that 1,300 healthy women aged 35 to 55 had 20 percent to 30 percent increase in prevalence of arterial plaque for every ten years of oral contraceptive use. While the said arterial plaque identified were small and not large enough to block an artery, any plaque is thought to raise your risk of heart disease. Many of the women in the study had used older, first-generation birth control pills, which had twice the estrogen levels as most oral contraceptives used today. Such side effects of birth control may seem ordinary to the naked eye and hardly noticeable during the early years of use, so women should be aware of their current health condition.

Moreover, the use of birth control pills for non-contraceptive purposes is rarely justified. If in case a woman only uses birth control pills for controlling menstrual cycles, irregular bleeding, cysts, or endometriosis, then they are not treating their underlying condition. Instead, they may simply be increasing their risk for other conditions such as cervical and breast cancers, and an abnormal increase in blood pressure. If these products are used without a prescription or doctor’s approval, some women may experiences side effects of birth control such as faster thinning of the bones and higher risk for  osteoporosis.  Some oral contraceptives contain the synthetic hormone called desogestrel which doubles a woman’s risk of having fatal blood clots.

Many women also report side effects of birth control, and some of which are awful and is undoubtedly due to the artificial hormones that run throughout a woman’s body when taking birth control pills. Side effects of birth control usually include migraines and nausea, irregular bleeding or spotting, weight gain and mood changes, breast tenderness, yeast overgrowth and infection, among others.  Barrier methods and natural family planning usually are the safer alternative. However, there is now a new generation of oral brith control medication that is much safer and more effective that the ones released decades or even just a few years ago. Since the side effects of birth control cannot be taken lightly, it is best to consult a doctor or visit online pharmacies that feature valuable information about various oral contraceptives.

July 27, 2010

Health

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Weight Loss Program PhotoPeople usually eat more appear every time the celebrations, like birthdays and holidays. We tend to every time the ears for this kind of event occurs. In line with this, a new study found that people who have a tendency to eat in response to external factors such as holidays and festivals, have a little problem in dealing with their weight than people in response to their emotions (internal factors eat, to check, have). This study also found that emotional eating was associated with a serious back for people who lose weight
Lead author Heather Niemeier of Miriam Hospital’s Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center states that they have findings that the more people report eating to respond for thoughts and feelings such as when one is lonely, the less weight they lose in a behavioral weight loss program. The findings also showed that among those who have successfully lost their weight, those who report for emotional eating, were more likely to regain. The authors noted this as important, since one of the greatest challenges in facing the field of overweight and obesity treatment remains the problem of weight regain following the weight loss. According to Niemeier, participants in behavioral weight loss programs lose an average of ten percent of their body weight, and these losses are associated with significant health benefits. Unfortunately, the majority of participants return to their baseline weight within three to five years.
In this particular study, the researchers analyzed the individual’s responses to a questionnaire that is widely used in overweight and obesity research called the Eating Inventory. The Eating Inventory is a tool designed to evaluate three aspects of eating behaviors in an individual such as cognitive restraint, hunger, and disinhibition. For a more specified research, Niemeier and her team only focused on the disinhibition aspect of the Eating Inventory. Although, past studies have suggested that disinhibition as a whole is an accurate predictor of weight loss, the scale itself includes multiple factors that could separately forecast outcomes. Niemeier said that the disinhibition scale will evaluate the impulse eating in response to emotional, cognitive, or social cues. Their goal was to examine and isolate the factors that make up the disinhibition scale, and then determine if these factors have a specific relationship with weight loss and regain.
Those included in the study are divided into two groups. The first group was composed of 286 overweight men and women who are currently participating in a behavioral weight loss program. The second group on the other hand included 3,345 members of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), an ongoing study of adults who have lost at least thirty pounds and kept it off for at least one year. According to the study, by examining these two different groups, they were able to evaluate the effect of disinhibition on individuals attempting to lose weight, as well as on those who are trying to maintain weight loss. Upon further examination, the researchers found that the components within the disinhibition scale was to be grouped in two distinct areas: external and internal disinhibition. External disinhibition describes experiences that are external to the individual, while internal refers to eating in response to thoughts and feelings, which includes emotional eating. Results showed that in both groups, internal disinhibition was a significant predictor of weight over time. For those people enrolled in weight loss programs, the higher level of internal disinhibition, the less weight is lost over time.
Their research has suggested that attention should be given to eating that is triggered by thoughts and feelings, since they clearly play a significant role in weight loss. Internal disinhibition, however, predicted weight change over time above and beyond other psychological issues including depression, binge eating, and perceived stress. By further modification of treatments in order to address these triggers for unhealthy eating and at the same time help the patients learn alternative strategies could improve their ability to maintain weight loss behaviors, even in the face of affective and cognitive difficulties.