MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Regular attendance at religious activities at a young age can mean you’re twice as likely to become obese later in life, according to a study presented at an American Heart Assn. meeting.
The study by researchers at Northwestern University found that religiously observant young adults developed a higher risk of becoming obese than more secularly oriented people.
"Our main finding was that people with a high frequency of religious participation in young adulthood were 50 percent more likely to become obese by middle age than those with no religious participation in young adulthood," lead researcher Matthew Feinstein told MSNBC.
"And that is true even after we adjusted for variables like age, race, gender, education, income, and baseline body mass index.”
The 2,433-subject, 18-year study followed men and women of normal weight starting at ages 20 to 32. Those who had attended a religious function at least once a week were more likely to post a body mass index of 30 or higher. Previous research at Northwestern also found links between religious involvement and obesity in middle-age and older adults.
"Anecdotally, we know that often times at these religious gatherings people will eat traditional comfort foods which are often high in fat and calories and salt," Feinstein said. "But, again, that’s not something we looked at in this particular study."
Medical marijuana: The new blockbuster drug?
Sales of medical marijuana already rival the revenues Viagra pulls down for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE), according to an estimate by by See Change Strategy, an independent financial analysis firm specializing in new and unique markets.
Medical marijuana buyers at dispensaries in the 15 states where they’re legal (sort of) spend $1.7 billion a year on pot, nearly as much as the $1.9 billion Viagra earns for Pfizer.
Lance Armstrong lambastes the GOP over cancer budget cuts
Lance Armstrong, the winner of seven Tours de France and a cancer survivor, fired back at Republican lawmakers looking to slash federal research agencies’ budgets, saying the $1 billion in proposed cuts would set cancer treatment and research back.
"Sometimes in D.C. this can be viewed as a political issue for some," Armstrong said. "This isn’t a political issue. This disease doesn’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat or a Tea Partier or right in the middle. … I look forward to getting the good news that Congress will make the right decision here."
The GOP wants to shave $1 billion from the $31.3 billion budget for the National Institutes for Health and make other cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and the National Cancer Institute. President Barack Obama wants to boost the NIH budget by $1 billion.
Asked about Rep. Steve King’s (R-Iowa) recent remarks that the health care reform law is a "malignant tumor," Armstrong said, "That would be a very bad choice of words."
FTC backs down from LabCorp/Westcliff challenge
The Federal Trade Commission is backing down from its challenge to the $58 million merger of Laboratory Co. of America and Westcliff Medical Laboratories Inc.
The commission voted 4-1 to withdraw an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and tabled its own investigation into the June 2010 merger, with commissioner Julie Brill casting the lone nay vote.
"Healthcare costs continue to rise dramatically in this country, and there is considerable debate over how best to contain them," Brill said in prepared remarks. "In my view, vigorous antitrust enforcement plays an important role in ensuring that prices charged to healthcare plans, employers, and other purchasers remain competitive. The commission should be particularly vigilant in enforcing the antitrust laws against conduct that could lead to higher prices in important healthcare markets like the one at issue here."
Older folks ♥ health care reform
The American Assn. of Retired Persons is coming out strong in favor of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, advising its members that the health care law "will help millions of Americans afford insurance coverage, will strengthen Medicare and will add new benefits and protections that will help you and your family."
Writing in the group’s newsletter, CEO Barry Rand said the AARP "strongly opposes efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act."
"It includes many important benefits that are already improving health care for older Americans and their families," Rand wrote.