All posts tagged: shortening

Pediatricians reveal four ways parents could be shortening their kids’ lives

Pediatricians reveal four ways parents could be shortening their kids’ lives

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Parents, be warned: Some common child-rearing moves could end up hurting your kids in the long run. Although humans have been raising their young since the beginning of time, the best way to do it is still largely subjective depending on culture and preferences. While parents aim to set up their children for a successful life, pediatricians and childcare experts say that some mistakes could inadvertently cause the opposite effect. There are popular misconceptions about taking care of children that could affect their long-term health — and even cut into their life expectancy, experts say. Here are four mistakes parents make that could be shortening their kids’ lives, according to pediatricians. Childcare experts say that there are key mistakes that parents can make that …

Waist-to-hip ratio predicts faster telomere shortening than depression

Waist-to-hip ratio predicts faster telomere shortening than depression

Published by José Betancourt

A new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders has found that depression itself may not directly speed up biological aging. Instead, body fat distribution, particularly around the waist, appears more strongly linked to faster cellular aging. Depression is common and known to raise the risk of heart disease, diabetes**,** and other age-related illnesses. One possible explanation has been its connection to telomeres, tiny protective caps on DNA that naturally shorten as we age. Shorter telomeres are often viewed as a sign that the body is aging faster at a cellular level. Previous research has suggested that people with depression tend to have shorter telomeres, but most studies only looked at individuals at a single point in time. This makes it difficult to know whether depression causes faster aging, or whether other factors linked to depression—such as lifestyle or physical health—play a bigger role. Researchers behind the study sought to clarify this relationship. The team, led by Tsz Yan Wong from King’s College London, analyzed data from 958 women enrolled in the UK-based “TwinsUK” …