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New Evidence Linking Obesity and Food Addiction
Obesity rates have skyrocketed over the past few decades. In the United States, approximately 35% of adults are now considered obese, with more than 60% categorized as overweight (1). The health consequences of obesity are substantial. Obesity increases the risk of developing several debilitating conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and mental illness. Because the global obesity epidemic is generally believed to be caused by excessive caloric intake, there has been increasing interest in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms contributing to overeating, defined as continued eating in the absence of me...
Source: Biological Psychiatry - April 11, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Elise C. Cope, Elizabeth Gould Tags: Commentary Source Type: research

Icons for health effects of cigarette smoke: a test of semiotic type
AbstractWe sought to identify icons to effectively communicate health harms of chemicals in cigarette smoke. Participants were a convenience sample of 701 U.S. adults. A within-subjects online experiment explored the effects of icon semiotic type: symbolic (arbitrary, most abstract), indexical, and iconic (representative, most concrete). Outcomes were perceived representation, affect toward smoking, elaboration, perceived severity, and perceived effectiveness. For not-easy-to-visualize harms of cancer and addiction, symbolic icons received the highest ratings (allp <  .001). For easy-to-visualize symptoms of heart att...
Source: Journal of Behavioral Medicine - February 19, 2017 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: research

Neanderthal DNA May Play Role in Modern Human Health
Genetic legacy can affect risk for nicotine addiction, depression, blood clots and stroke, research suggests
Source: The Doctors Lounge - Psychiatry - February 11, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Authors: webmaster at doctorslounge.com Tags: Family Medicine, Hematology, Psychiatry, Dependence, Research, Preventive Medicine, News, Source Type: news

My Struggles with OCD in Recovery
“Are you being crazy again?” My wife, upon noticing my awkward and all-too-familiar hand gestures, has asked me this hundreds of times. I will complete an apparent pantomime audition of mere seconds, starting with a short series of pronounced arm movements and concluding with a full backward head tilt that culminates with my eyes in a direct sightline with the ceiling. Then — back to casually watching TV. Except for the mild amusement of a snickering spouse, the motions served no definitive purposes whatsoever. My wife witnessed what for others would be a formidable “what the heck” moment, but...
Source: Psych Central - March 18, 2014 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Christopher Dale Tags: Disorders General Men's Issues Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Personal Stories Self-Help Anxiety Ocd Personal Story struggles with ocd Source Type: news

Almost Addicted: Is My (or My Loved One’s) Drug Use a Problem?
Harvard Medical School’s “Almost Effect” series is increasingly valuable in a world where mental health issues are starting to be seen on a grayscale rather than in black and white. The series, which includes Almost a Psychopath: Do I (or Does Someone I Know) Have a Problem with Manipulation and Lack of Empathy? and Almost Alcoholic: Is My (or My Loved One’s) Drinking a Problem?, was created to give guidance on “common behavioral and physical problems that fit into the spectrum between normal health and a full-blown medical condition.” In its latest installment, Almost Addicted: Is My (or My Loved One’s)...
Source: Psych Central - March 29, 2013 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Kate Williams Tags: Addictions Alcoholism Book Reviews General Substance Abuse Adolescent Substance Abuse Boston Children Children S Hospital Diagnostic Criteria Dr Boyd Drug Use Dsm Diagnosis Early Intervention Eric Metcalf Founder Director Glu Source Type: news