Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Avoid Olympic-Sized Sports Injury
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SUNDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Before rushing out to emulate Olympic winter sports heroes, take the time to remember injury prevention. "The Winter Olympic games may inspire people to try a new sport, but before they do, they need proper training and conditioning to reduce their injury risk," Dr. Pietro Tonino, chief of the sports medicine division at Loyola University Health System, said in a prepared statement. He analyzed data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and found that in 2004 more than 144,000 ski-related injuries were treated at U.S. hospitals and other health-care facilities -- at a cost of $4.5 billion. "More than 143,000 injuries related to snowboarding were treated, at a cost of $4.1 billion in 2004. That year, more than 51,000 medically treated injuries related to ice hockey occurred, costing $977 million. Nearly 50,000 injuries related to ice-skating also occurred. Costs for this exceeded $1.3 billion," Tonino said. Many of these injuries can be prevented if people are physically fit, wear proper protective gear, and know and follow the rules of the sport. Don''t get too fatigued, because that can make you more susceptible to injuries, Tonino added. "Winter sports can be an enormous amount of fun for the whole family but people first should take lessons from a qualified instructor," he said. More information The Nemours Foundation has advice about winter sports safety for kids.
Last Updated: Feb. 26, 2006 |