Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Stroller Hinges May Pose Finger Injury Risk: Study
Several popular brands of child strollers have design flaws that can lead to finger injuries, finds a new study.
The Good Housekeeping Research Institute study looked at 36 strollers and found that 10 have hinge areas where a child’s finger can get caught and injured, USA Today reported.
The findings appear in the November issue of Good Housekeeping.
“The current safety standard doesn’t include the movement of accessories. For example, it doesn’t look at the hinge on a canopy when it’s opening and closing,” said institute technical director Stacy Genovese, USA Today reported.
When shopping for a stroller, parents should use a pencil to find any potential “pinch-points” in hinges, Genovese recommended.
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People Eat Less After Seeing Fitness Commercials: Study
People eat less after watching exercise-related commercials, according to a new study.
Half of the 125 participants watched TV ads for running shoes and fitness centers while the other half watched ads for products such as running shoes and fitness centers. After watching the ads, the participants were offered a buffet lunch, USA Today reported.
The people who saw the fitness-related ads ate 22 percent fewer calories than those who watched the other ads, said the researchers at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab in Ithaca, N.Y. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society in San Diego.
The researchers said the fitness-related commercials may have triggered more health- and body-awareness and reminded people of how much exercise it takes to burn off calories, USA Today reported.
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Combine Aerobics and Strength Training for Best Fitness: Study
A new study reinforces the benefits of combining aerobic exercise and strength training.
It included people with diabetes who did either aerobics only (mostly walking), strength training only, or a combination of both types of exercise for nine months, USA Today reported.
Those who did the combination workout lost the most body fat (3 pounds), had the largest waistline reduction (1 inch), showed the most improvement in fitness, and had the most significant improvement in blood sugar levels.
“For optimal health, you need to work your heart and lungs with aerobic exercise and your muscles and bones with weight lifting,” said study author Timothy Church, director of preventive medicine research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La., USA Today reported.
The study was presented at the Obesity Society meeting in San Diego.