Here’s a holiday gift you don’t need: a few extra pounds. Fortunately, you can take steps to enjoy the season’s special occasions while maintaining a balanced, healthy diet—and your weight. To assess how much you know about holiday weight gain, decide if the following statements are true or false, then check your answers. Many Americans [...]
Many older adults enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a beer while watching the game on TV. Having a drink now and then is fine—as long as you don’t overdo it. Alcohol may affect older adults differently than younger adults. Alcohol and aging As you age, you become more sensitive to alcohol’s effects. [...]
It’s not unusual for children to experiment with new clothing, hairstyles or attitudes as they grow. But sudden and extreme negative changes could signal drug or alcohol use. General warning signs Common warning signs of substance abuse include: Withdrawal from family and family activities Being disrespectful, verbally abusive, or physically abusive Lying about what they’re [...]
What happens when you drink alcohol? Everybody reacts in a different way to it. But in general, it is quickly absorbed into your blood. The amount of alcohol in your blood peaks within 30 to 45 minutes after your last drink. Alcohol is also metabolized by your body. That means it is broken down chemically [...]
Setting Limits with Alcohol You may have heard that drinking a little alcohol may have health benefits in some people. But the harms may outweigh any benefits if you have features of metabolic syndrome, like high blood pressure, high triglycerides, or a larger waist. The Risks for You A report in Atherosclerosis says some, not [...]
Do you enjoy a drink now and then? Many of us do, often when socializing with friends and family. Drinking can be beneficial or harmful, depending on your age and health status, and, of course, how much you drink. For anyone who drinks, this website offers valuable, research-based information. What do you think about taking [...]
Alcoholism often is called a family disease because it affects both the person with alcoholism and his or her family. But it's also a workplace disease. Costly and dangerous Employees who are dependent on alcohol have higher health care costs than the average worker. In addition, workers who drink on the job or heavily after [...]
Most older Americans feel they are prepared for the process of aging, but many have concerns about maintaining their physical and mental health as they get older, a new survey finds. The 2015 United States of Aging Survey of 1,000 adults 60 and older found that 86 percent felt prepared overall for the process of [...]
In recent years, an increasing amount of scientific evidence has supported the idea that people can do quite a lot on their own to lengthen their life span and to enhance the quality of life as they age. Here are five steps to take every day that can promote healthy aging and boost longevity: 1. [...]
For everyone over 40 who fears that their mind is slowly failing them, a new study suggests that older brains are better than younger brains in some ways. While some thinking skills begin to decline as one ages, researchers found that others don't peak until middle age or even later. The study, which looked at [...]