Women/Women's Health Issues Articles

Women who accept their bodies the way they are seem to be more likely to follow principles of healthy eating, new research shows. The findings suggest that women’s typical reasons for changing their diet—a dissatisfaction with their bodies—may backfire, said Tracy Tylka, co-author of the studies and assistant professor of psychology at Ohio State University’s Marion campus.

Did you know that heart disease is the leading killer of females in America? Not only does heart disease kill more women than men each year, but females who survive a cardiac event fare much worse than their male counterparts. Yet many women fail to recognize the toll that cardiovascular disease (CVD) can take on their bodies, and thus fail to do what is necessary to reduce the risk of getting ...

In a survey conducted by the Society for Women’s Health Research, a Washington, DC–based advocacy organization, 79% of women knew how much they weighed in high school but fewer than one-third knew their current cholesterol levels. Of the women who’d recently had a cholesterol test, only 57% could recall the results. GfK Custom Research North America conducted ...

American women have gained weight as it has become more socially acceptable to do so, according to a paper published in Economic Inquiry (2007; 43 [3], 571–91). Co-authored by two economists, “Social Dynamics of Obesity” argues that the population’s weight gain has snowballed as collective perception of what is considered a normal body size has changed. Many economis...

Breast surgery patients who received hypnosis before surgery needed less pain medication and experienced fewer side effects than patients who did not receive hypnosis before the same surgery, according to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2007; 99 [17], 1304–12). Since breast cancer surgery patients make up the largest num...

Regular participation in a pre/postnatal exercise program has many benefits for a woman. Research has demonstrated that pregnant and postpartum women who exercise at a mild to moderate intensity at least three times per week experience increased cardiovascular fitness, improved well-being, reduced constipation, fewer leg cramps and a quicker return to prepregnancy weight compared with their non...

Practicing a daily yoga routine designed specifically for pre- and post-menopausal women helped women feel better and experience less severe menopausal symptoms. For a pilot study published in the July issue of Maturitas (2007; 57 [3], 286–95), University of Washington and University of Pittsburgh researchers recruited 12 women who were having at least four hot flashes per day at least...

Although many women worry about their risk of getting breast cancer, heart disease is actually the leading killer of females in America. Not only does heart disease kill more women than men each year (Thom et al. 2006), but females who survive a cardiac event fare much worse than their male counterparts (Blomkalns et al. 2005). Yet many women and their physicians fail to recognize the toll that...

“If you can believe it, you can be it” may be an effective approach to enduring the discomforts of exercise. In a small study, women who thought that they co...

IT is 5 p.m. on a Tuesday and Victor Cal and Suliman Sharif, both 14, have already taken Overtime Fitness in Mountain View, Calif., by storm. They hopped wildly on the flashing lighted squares of an In the Groove dance pad, rode stationary bikes, shared cellphone pictures, chatted with a personal trainer and played a rousing game of table tennis. The pair, friends since seventh grade, once spen...