Men Unhappy With Their Bodies

According to the BBC, leading British expert on eating disorders John Morgan, M.D., says that one man in five is “deeply unhappy” with his body image. Even so, Morgan warns that the number of men with eating disorders is much higher than official figures suggest. “We know that one in 20 young people suffers from some degree of disordered eating and that at least 15 percent of them are men, and yet that’s a tip of an iceberg,” Morgan says in a documentary to be aired on BBC television. “There are men who have problems with compulsive exercise and excessive bodybuilding who have an illness, but we haven’t defined them. Our definitions of illness have been focused on women rather than men.”

The media have been blamed for the rising problem of so-called manorexia. Many experts believe that there is now as much pressure on young men as on women to look slim.

Thinking Makes You Eat More

A new study has demonstrated that performing intellectually demanding tasks makes people eat more calories. That is, thinking could make you fat.

Canadian researchers recruited 14 female students who were asked to complete three tasks—sitting and relaxing, reading and summarizing a text and completing a series of memory, attention and vigilance tests on a computer. After performing each task, the women could eat as much as they wanted from a buffet. Each of the volunteers performed each of the three tasks over a two-month period, and no one was tested on consecutive days.

The students took in significantly more calories after performing the intellectually demanding tasks than they did after sitting and relaxing—203 calories more after summarizing a text and 253 calories more after taking the computer tests.

The researchers conclude: “Knowledge-based work acutely induces an increase in spontaneous energy intake and promotes an increased fluctuation in plasma glucose and insulin levels. This study contributes to the documentation of a new risk factor for a positive energy balance, with the potential to lead to overweight in the long-term.”

—Dr. Bob Goldman
www.WorldHealth.net

 

Chaput, J.P., et al. (2008). Glycemic instability and spontaneous energy intake: association with knowledge-based work. Psychosom Med. 70:797-804.

Editor’s note: For the latest information and research on health and aging, subscribe to the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine e-zine free at WorldHealth.net.

Dr. Robert M. Goldman MD, PhD, DO, FAASP has spearheaded the development of numerous international medical organizations and corporations. Dr. Goldman has served as a Senior Fellow at the Lincoln Filene Center, Tufts University; as an Affiliate at the Philosophy of Education Research Center, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, He is Clinical Consultant, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea Medical University; and Professor, Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Central America Health Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Goldman holds the positions of Visiting Professor, Udayana University School of Medicine, Indonesia; Visiting Professor, Huazhong University of Science & Technology Tong Ji Medical School, China; Visiting Professor, The Wuhan Institute of Science & Technology, China; Visiting Professor at Hainan Medical College, China; and Visiting Professor, School of Anti-Aging, Aesthetics and Regenerative Medicine, UCSI University, Malaysia. Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. Dr. Goldman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sports Physicians and a Board Diplomat in Sports Medicine and Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. He has overseen cooperative research agreement development programs in conjunction with such prominent institutions as the American National Red Cross, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense, and the FDA’s Center for Devices & Radiological Health.

Dr Goldman was awarded the 2012 LifeTime Achievement Award in Medicine &Science. Dr. Goldman is the recipient of the ‘Gold Medal for Science, the Grand Prize for Medicine, the Humanitarian Award, and the Business Development Award. He received honors from Minister of Sports and government Health officials of numerous nations. In 2001, Excellency Juan Antonio Samaranch awarded Dr. Goldman the International Olympic Committee Tribute Diploma for contributions to the development of sport & Olympism.

In addition, Dr. Goldman is a black belt in karate, Chinese weapons expert, and world champion athlete with over 20 world strength records, he has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. Some of his past performance records include 13,500 consecutive situps and 321 consecutive handstand pushups. Dr. Goldman was an All-College athlete in four sports, a three time winner of the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Physical Fitness Award, was voted Athlete of the Year, was the recipient of the Champions Award, and was inducted into the World Hall of Fame of Physical Fitness. Dr. Goldman was awarded the Healthy American Fitness Leader Award from the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Goldman is Chairman of the International Medical Commission overseeing sports medicine committees in over 184 nations. He has served as a Special Advisor to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. He is founder and international President Emeritis of the National Academy of Sports Medicine and the cofounder and Chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). Dr. Goldman visits an average of 20 countries annually to promote brain research and sports medicine programs.