Gut bacteria changes linked to weight gain after quitting smoking

[tropo]

More support for Jingthing from this weeks Economist

A CALORIE is a calorie. Eat too many and spend too few, and you will become obese and sickly. This is the conventional wisdom. But increasingly, it looks too simplistic. All calories do not seem to be created equal, and the way the body processes the same calories may vary dramatically from one person to the next.

This is the intriguing suggestion from the latest research into metabolic syndrome, the nasty clique that includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unbalanced cholesterol and, of course, obesity. This uniquely modern scourge has swept across America, where obesity rates are notoriously high. But it is also doing damage from Mexico to South Africa and India, raising levels of disease and pushing up health costs.

Full article here

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21586269-how-bacteria-your-gut-may-be-shaping-your-waistline-wider-understanding

What comes first the chicken or the egg? If you have a poor diet and general poor overall health then it is sort of a downward spiral which just accelerates as the whole body gets out of whack .ie. blood sugar issues, liver not functioning well, poor digestion etc.

All these things just compound one on top of the other and the end result is not pretty.

And unfortunately the average person these days is more like what I have described than the other way around. The body can take a fair amount of punishment but years of abuse will inevitably result in a myriad of systemic problems. Sooner or later the body will rebel and it may be that the situation has become so bad that you are forced onto the prescription merry go round which will keep you going but never fixes the underlying issues and may lead to other problems.

Stating the obvious - this downward spiral you speak of will happen no matter what you do. The way you put things here one may think you can cheat death by eating the right way.

... stressed out, anal health fanatics can die sooner than you think... just due to the stress of it all. The key to the best living is somewhere in the middle.

We must always remember that it's impossible to "get it right", because most topics of health are heavily debated and there's no consensus on which is the best way to travel - and because we only have one shot we can never be certain.

I used to be one of these fanatics. It can be a miserable existence if you overdo it.

It is not about being fanatical at all. It is about being in touch with your body and how you feel and developing good habits. I certainly dont have a miserable existance. I have a very full and satisfying life and part of the reason for that is that I have remained in robust health.

Further I dont worry what other people think or say about health i worry how I feel and what best suits me and my individual circumstances.

And a downward spiral will not automatically happen. You can remain healthy into late old age. You need a bit of luck as well as good planning but there are people out there who are old and healthy and vibrant.

Sorry, I disagree that a person is still healthy with wrinkled skin, grey hair and stiff joints in late old age... but that all depends on what the word "healthy" means to you. The downward spiral starts from birth.. automatically.

If you don't believe that, take a look at old photos of yourself spaced 5 years apart from your 20's on.

You say you don't worry about what other people think or say about health, but that cannot be true. You get all your ideas about what you consider to be a healthy diet based on what other people think and say. Even what you consider to be "good habits" is dependent on your belief about what other people say.

[Tolley]

Tropo

Look we all get old that is a fact. It is also true that some old people are fit and healthy regardless of their wrinkles or grey hair or lack of hair. If an old person has no chronic conditions and not on any medications and all their blood work is good and they feel good then they are healthy simple as that. Old doesn't necessarily equal not healthy just as young doesn't necessarily mean healthy.

We are all influenced by other peoples opinions and ideas but I am not bound to any particular point of view other than what feels good for me and my body. I read and listen to what information comes my way and make my own decisions based on what I think of those ideas or opinions and whether they work for me or not. It is not a question of worrying what other people think or say rather it is a matter of disseminating whatever information is out there and taking it from there.

[tropo]

Tropo

Look we all get old that is a fact. It is also true that some old people are fit and healthy regardless of their wrinkles or grey hair or lack of hair. If an old person has no chronic conditions and not on any medications and all their blood work is good and they feel good then they are healthy simple as that. Old doesn't necessarily equal not healthy just as young doesn't necessarily mean healthy.

We are all influenced by other peoples opinions and ideas but I am not bound to any particular point of view other than what feels good for me and my body. I read and listen to what information comes my way and make my own decisions based on what I think of those ideas or opinions and whether they work for me or not. It is not a question of worrying what other people think or say rather it is a matter of disseminating whatever information is out there and taking it from there.

I don't know... it can get very worrying when one educated source suggests a certain food is very good but another suggests the same is bad for you.

Coconut oil is a good example, flaxseed oil another... even juicing greens is great according to some sources and dangerous to others.

A wrinkled exterior is a pretty good indicator that things are not as healthy as they once were. It's a sure sign of decay.

Do you think that healthy, old people wake up one day and decide this is their last day and die... come on, aging and the associated decay are a steady constant as we age. All we can do is slow it down a bit - but not much. I've yet to see an unwrinkled, healthy, vibrant 100 year old. Sure, there's some still chugging along at that age, but calling them healthy would be a stretch.

[chiang mai]

A lengthy read but worthwhile because it describes the initial evidence that life can indeed be prolonged by adopting a healthy lifestyle etc:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/new-study-finds-health-kick-can-reverse-the-ageing-process-8821542.html