Disease Proof

• Deborah Soloman of The New York Times sits down for a little Q&A with Zagat guides co-founder Tim Zagat. Here’s what he had to say about trans fat:

The better restaurateurs never used trans fat and find it inexplicable that there’s an argument about it. They think it is not in their self-interest to feed people things that are likely to kill them.

• Diet-Blog isn’t sure about a recent article calling Santa Claus too fat:

Dr Miles Fisher, consultant physician at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, said: "Santa is the archetypal picture of abdominal obesity." He added: "The image of Santa is of a round, jolly person and it is meant to be one of hilarity, but if you have obesity around your tummy, then it is very bad for you.

• Okay, this is hardly a reason to go about life inebriated, but according to HealthDay News moderate levels of alcohol may protect the brain after trauma. Ed Edelson has more:

The apparent protective effect of alcohol has to do with something that happens in brain cells, the study found. The researchers also assessed more than 500 patients who suffered severe injuries to the torso and found no effect of blood alcohol levels on the death rate.

• Speaking of alcohol, it appears UroStream had a nasty run in with two martinis. Goes to show you that some doctors like to kick back and get wasted too:

Yes, just two martinis to send me over the edge into the realm of intractable nausea and vomiting. What I would have given for a little Zofran... I had the displeasure of experiencing my scallops and salmon twice...

• The Cancer Blog examines a new study claiming that low-fat diets can prevent breast cancer recurrence:

As with all studies relating to diet, however, there is always the possibility that the benefit stems from something other than an altered diet -- like increased intake of other foods like fruits and vegetables, weight loss, or better overall health that accompanies the decrease in fat.

• Sorry ladies, but apparently the holidays make you overeat. Check out this article by Rodrique Ngowi of the Associated Press:

A national stress survey the association conducted in January showed one in four people in the United States agrees that "when I am feeling down or facing a problem, I turn to food to help me feel better." The October survey showed that the proportion increases to one in three people during the holidays.

• Want to eat less? Try eating slower. The Diabetes Blog takes a look at a new study linking eating slowly to appetite reduction:

The study included 30 young women who would eat a meal of pasta with tomato sauce, topped with Parmesan cheese, under two different scenarios. In the first scenario, study participants were given a large spoon and told to eat as quickly as possible. In the other scenario, participants ate with a small spoon, which they put down after each bite, and were told to take small bites and chew each bite 15 to 20 times. When eating quickly, the women took in an average of 646 calories in 9 minutes. But when they slowed down, they consumed 579 calories in 29 minutes. The women rated eating slowly as more pleasant.

• How many of you are gym rats? I know I am. I’m at my gym everyday for about two hours—even when I’m pooped! According to the Associated Press this might not be a good idea, sometimes you just need to listen to your body and take a rest—too bad I’m stubborn. More from the report:

In general, doctors’ advice is listen to your body. If you are tired or achy, take a rest. Take days off and vary the intensity of your workout. Robert Irwin, a chiropractor in suburban Albany New York, counsels runners to watch out for signs they’re working out too hard, such as a resting heart rate 10 beats a minute over the normal rate.

“You have to have recovery time even if you are healthy,” Irwin said. “Give yourself some time to rest.”