Lab Notes: Obese Kids Have Less Sensitive Taste Buds;
Doctors Grow New Ear on Womans Arm

On our Lab Notes page CalorieLab’s editors select and rank the day’s essential health news items in real time. Readers can suggest, vote and comment on items. Below are brief summaries of this past week’s (September 22, 2012 through September 29, 2012) Lab Notes items. To see today’s items, visit Lab Notes.

1. Obese Kids Have Less Sensitive Taste Buds

German researchers have found that obese children and teenagers have more difficulty identifying the five basic tastes, and especially salty and savory flavors, and thus may be consuming more high-calorie, heavily flavored foods for taste satisfaction.

2. Doctors Grow New Ear on Woman?s Arm

Doctors replace women?s ear lost to cancer with one made from her own tissue and grown on her forearm.

3. Cherries May Reduce Risk of Gout Attacks

Consuming three servings of cherries a day reduces painful gout flareups, says new study.

4. Singapore Researchers Find That Smokers Stink

According to researchers from the University of Singapore, “stigmatizing sensory impressions of moral defilement” are ascribed to “socio-spatial stratifications of odorous bodies” who fashion “more palatable moral and olfactory presentation of the self.”

5. Mayor May Ban Junk Food in NYC Hospitals

NY?s Mayor Bloomberg?s Healthy Hospital Food Initiative would ban junk food from being sold in the city?s public and private hospitals.

6. CDC Urges Everyone to Get Flu Shot

It?s the end of September; time to get your flu shot, urges the CDC.

7. Size Label Affects Portion Eaten

Size labels impact the amount of food we eat at restaurants, with people who order a “medium” possibly eating more those who order a “large.”

8. New: Electronics That Melt in Your Body

Scientists in the U.S. have created electronic devices that “melt away” after doing their job.

9. Doctor Warning Not to Drive Creates Problem

Doctors in Ontario warn and report patients who are unfit to drive, resulting in a decrease in subsequent injuries from road crashes, but an increase in mood disorders.

10. Alcohol Enemas, the New High?

Are alcohol enemas the new high? News of a Tennessee college student who was hospitalized after allegedly engaging in this practice prompts experts to issue warnings of its dangers.

11. Bagel Head the Newest Body Alteration Trend

Japanese fans of extreme body modification are flocking to participate in the latest trend ? affectionately called The Bagel Head. The bizarre look is created by injecting saline into the area until it swells and then pressing in the center with a thumb.

12. Trout Swallows Man’s Finger

Police tried to return a “little finger” belonging to Haans Galassi, but he declined the trout-swallowed appendage.

13. Melatonin May Protect Against Alzheimers

Research has found that daily intake of melatonin may have a beneficial impact on reducing the risk of Alzheimer?s disease when combined with regular exercise. In an animal study, the combination appeared to protect against brain deterioration.

14. Blackmailers Target Online Drug Customers

If you?ve bought medication online, be wary of scammers who may call you, posing as federal agents, accuse you of engaging in illegal trade, and demand that you wire them payment of a hefty fine or be arrested and tried or deported. Ignore them.

15. Pregnancy Problems Higher for Preterm Women

Women who were born preterm have a higher risk of pregnancy complications.

16. Study on Eunuchs Explains Women?s Longevity

Castration contributed to longer life, says new research on eunuchs.

17. GMO Food Cancer Study Begins to Unravel

Journalists and scientists are taking a second look at a French study that found a link between GMO corn and cancer, and they are finding “little scientific credibility” and “rancid and corrupt” reporting of a study done “for political ends.”

18. New Respiratory Virus Detected

A new virus, that?s responsible for one death, has been detected in the Middle East.

19. Rhythmic Breathing May Ease Hot Flashes

Rhythmic breathing eases hot flashes, finds Mayo Clinic study.

20. Drinking Tea May Ward off Chronic Disease

Recent studies suggest that drinking tea can lower blood pressure and the risk of heart disease or stroke, promote bone growth and delay osteoporosis, cause the body to burn an extra 100 calories per day, and increase alertness and task-performance.

21. No, You Don’t Have a Case of the Mondays

No, you probably don’t have a “case of the Mondays,” says MSNBC, explaining that the famous “Office Space” movie quote may embody what many of us falsely believe about Mondays.

22. Direct Link: Sugary Beverages, Added Weight

Removing beverages sweetened with sugar from kids’ diets reduces the chances that normal-weight children will become obese, and slows weight gain in heavy teens, find researchers.

23. Suicide Now Leading Cause Injury Death

Suicide is now the leading cause of injury-related deaths in America, say researchers.

24. Trampoline Fun Not Worth Injury Risk

Kids may love trampolines, but they’re not worth the injury risk, notes the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

25. Fish Eaters Have Lower Risk of Heart Attack

Fish is a healthful food, with several studies showing that people who eat seafood have a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, some fish contain a significant amount of mercury, which has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack.

26. Charbroiled Burgers Cause Air Pollution

Charbroiled burgers cause more air pollution than diesel trucks says a new study.

27. Trader Joe?s Recalls Peanut Butter

Trader Joe?s recalls peanut butter that may be linked to 29 cases of salmonella.

28. Freshmen 15, More Like College 11.7

Fears over the “freshmen 15″ may be unfounded for most college students.

29. Simple Questions Screen for Ovarian Cancer

Three questions can provide doctors with enough information to determine if a woman should undergo diagnostic testing for ovarian cancer, according to results from a new study conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

30. Mobile Users: Beware Painful “Text Neck?

Physical therapists are seeing increasing cases of ?Text neck? — headaches, neck pains and stiffness, and aching shoulders caused by prolonged use of mobile devices while hunched over with one?s head tilted forward, straining the neck and spine.

(By CalorieLab editors)

Lab Notes: Obese Kids Have Less Sensitive Taste Buds; Doctors Grow New Ear on Woman?s Arm is a post from: CalorieLab - Health News & Information Blog

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