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Low Self-Esteem
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Low-esteem linked to being overweight or obese. A new research suggests that children who feel worried and insecure about their future, have emotional problems are more likely to be obese in their later life.






The study published in BMC Medicine journal was led by Andrew Ternouth from King's College. He claims these problems cause obesity in later life and are as important factors as parents' BMI, diet and exercise. Children were measured by nurses, they also noted their emotional status. Then, doctors checked their health when they were 30. It turned out that children with low self-esteem are more likely to suffer from obesity. According to Ternouth promoting social and emotional learning, promotion of self-esteem help keep children's emotional development stable.

Such approach to children brings several positive benefits for physical health. The findings offer hope with controlling the epidemic of obesity.

Bad Breath Causes
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Halitosis affects a huge number of people who spend millions trying to get rid of this bad breath. What are bad breath causes?





The problem is often linked to smoking and inappropriate method of brushing teeth. Bacteria have perfect condition to flourish and develop in the mouth. Certain people simply can't get rid of their condition. Meanwhile, it turns out that bad breath may be caused by tonsil stones - a common condition. Stones can appear on tonsils, these are white small spots.

Tonsils are sacs of lymphatic tissue on both sides of the throat, they contain lymphocytes which fight and prevent infections. Tonsils are supposed to catch bacteria and viruses trying to pass into the body. But they also catch the food particles which settle on tonsils. Lumps are calcified foods, mucus and bacteria trapped on tonsils, they attract bacteria which cause bad breath and 'metallic' taste in their mouth.

People who have suffered tonsillitis are at higher risk than others. In addition to that, if you take prescription medicines, high blood pressure tablets, painkillers and antidepressants or you have dry mouth bacteria can trigger tonsil stones.

Tonsil stones create a maddening feeling that something has stuck in the back of their throat. Tonsil stones cause a variety of symptoms which are not visible to the naked eye.

Laser therapy can take off top layer of the tissue, it flattens the edges, so they no longer trap any material. Without surgery, tonsils are no longer able to trap any material. Good oral hygiene, brushing teeth, flossing and using mouth-wash can help remove the food from the tonsils.

Late-night Snacks Make You Gain Weight
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Eat early to remain slim and fit. Early meals and avoiding late-night snacks are a key to success and weight loss. Late-night snacks make you gain weight.





A slim figure may be about when you eat something, not if you eat it at all. Scientists believe that dining early is the best option to win the battle with obesity. Slim people usually don't eat anything after a set time in the evening. We all realized that snacking in the night is bad for the waistline, more and more studies prove it's true. When scientists fed mice during the night they gained much more weight than those fed during the day.

The internal clock which governs time we go sleeping and wake up may be also responsible for our metabolism. So if you eat earlier you can notice weight loss. Better organization of meals can be crucial for avoiding obesity. It's enough to ban carbohydrates after 6 pm and you'll see the difference, shedding weight may be easier.

Glaucoma - what is it?
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Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. The problem is that there is no cure for that.






If glaucoma destroys your vision there's no chance it will be restored. However, an early diagnosis can make the treatment help save vision. Who is at risk? People with a family history of glaucoma, African-Americans and people over 60 years old. Glaucoma can damage the eye's optic nerve, which sends images to the brain. A clear fluid flows through a small space to the anterior chamber of the eye. In glaucoma patients the fluid drains slowly and this creates pressure built-up. This pressure is able to damage the optic nerve. A person diagnosed with glaucoma already has optic nerve damaged.

Glaucoma can be present in both eyes or just in one. At first, the disease gives no symptoms, if it's not treated, people slowly lose their vision. At first they have problems with peripheral vision but eventually, they lose the middle of the vision. This may result in blindness.

That is why seniors should visit eye doctors to make visual acuity, visual field, dilated eye tests. Glaucoma is treated with medications such as eye drops or pills and surgery. If medications are taken regularly there is a possibility to prevent from the development of this disease. Some patients may have laser surgery after which the fluid exits the eye more easily. Still, these patients need to take glaucoma drugs.

An early diagnosis is crucial in controlling the disease and preventing from loss of vision.

Brand New Wooden Bones
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Scientists will be able to build bones from old bits of wood. Brand new wooden bones can be a revolutionary invention.






These wooden bones can be used as grafts in people who demand to replace their skeleton parts in an injury or disease. Doctors want to use fragments of the fake bone to boost body's own renewal processes. Human's organism is able to grow replacement bones, but new developing tiny cells need to have something to cling to. Italian scientists decided to experiment with wood because it resembles the structure of the bone.

Especially red oak is made of such cellular make-up which makes a great support for cells that grow during the reconstruction. In Britain, thousands of people need hospital treatment and their treatment involve reducing the fracture and beginning the natural process of healing by aligning the ends of the broken bone.

However, breaking bones often demand more dramatic measures, e.g. steel plates or bone grafts which link the ends of the bones. Surgeons often remove bits of bone from pelvis which doesn't have a long-lasting effect on patients' lives but it requires surgery and may leave a patient with significant pain. Recent years brought about the use of bone implants, metal or ceramic ones but they lack the texture of natural bones and they don't bond with the skeleton. Therefore wood can be a better solution.

To check how wood works the scientists put the wood in the heat to get rid of all "living" material. After that, they receives charcoal which was sprayed with calcium-based solution. Then, the wood was exposed to high levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide and put in the water resembling salt found in bone. The results were astonishing, the wood was coated with a substance that makes about 90 percent of human bone - hydroxyapatite. It can interact with the natural bones and create a bond. The wood would eventually break down and leave the healthy bone in desired place.