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Why Losing Weight in the New Year is Difficult Some people may scoff at those that are unable to lose weight as part of their resolution. They may think that those that have failed do so because of a lack of willpower. They believe that if someone has enough willpower, they will keep exercising no matter how difficult until they begin losing weight. However, willpower may not be the only reason that a lot of people have difficulty keeping up a regular exercise routine. A recent study on cell metabolism revealed that willpower is not the only factor. The study involved feeding two different diets to two groups of mice. One was a standard diet while the other was a high-fat diet. Researchers observed both groups of mice over a period of 18 weeks. The group of mice that consumed the high-fat diet spent less time moving – and when they did move, it was at a much slower rate than the other group of mice. However, researchers noticed that this lack of movement occurred before any weight gain set in. It was only afterwards that they gained substantial weight. Upon closer examination, it was discovered that altered dopamine receptors were the cause of the slowdown in movement. The study reveals that if anyone is planning on losing weight as part of their New Year’s resolution, they need to make sure they’re on a healthy diet. An unhealthy diet can be just as damaging as a lack of willpower. For more health news, visit The Benefits Store today.

How a Dry January Can Benefit One’s Health The following are just a few ways in which abstaining from alcohol consumption over the period of a month can help improve a person’s overall health: Drink less long-term – Health Psychology published a study in which they discovered that people who took part in a dry January ended up drinking less than they normally would have over the following six months. Reduce potential heart problems – Excessive alcohol consumption can cause an increase in the levels of fats in the heart. These levels of fats are known as triglycerides, which contribute to the buildup of plaque in the arteries. When this occurs, there’s an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. Drinking too much alcohol can also lead to high blood pressure, arrhythmia, and cardiomyopathy. Reduce the risk of liver damage – By drinking too much over a period of time, one risks causing damage to the liver. Heavy alcohol consumption can lead to a buildup of fat in the arteries, known as alcohol hepatitis or, in more severe cases, alcohol cirrhosis. Reduce the risk of pancreas issues – Heavy alcohol consumption can disrupt one’s pancreatic function, which can lead to pancreatitis. Lose weight – Alcoholic beverages contain a lot of calories. Almost half of those who participate in dry January end up losing weight, according to a survey performed by Alcohol Concern. Improve sleep – Alcohol consumption disrupts sleep and can lead to insomnia. Cutting down on alcohol can lead to better sleep, allowing the body to restore itself more fully. Take part in dry January to enjoy these health benefits. Be sure to keep up with The Benefits Store for more health news and advice.

Never Take Success for Granted Even though her first three “Harry Potter” books were on numerous best seller lists, she never took her success for granted. She’s stated that talent and intelligence won’t save anyone from bad luck, citing her past short marriage, single-parent status, joblessness, and dependency on welfare as examples. She advises people to plan ahead even when successful to avoid the financial pitfalls that bad luck can often bring. Pay With Cash When Possible Depending on welfare has made Rowling more conscious about the use of cash. Using cash instead of credit makes it easier to stay out of debt. People who use credit cards tend to spend more than those who use cash and fall into debt much quicker because they are spending money they don’t have and being charged interest on that money to boot. Get Professional Financial Advice Hiring a professional to get financial advice may seem like an unnecessary use of money, but it can end up saving a person a lot of money over the long-term. A professional financial advisor can help people to avoid making bad financial mistakes. Save for Retirement It’s important to begin saving for retirement as soon as possible. Otherwise, when the time comes, a person at retirement age may be forced to continue working because they simply can’t afford not to. People who have plenty of money now should put money away as well – just because they are financially stable in the present doesn’t mean that they will be in the future, not without a retirement plan in place. This is some of the financial advice provided by author J.K. Rowling of “Harry Potter” fame. For more financial advice and health-related news, visit The Benefits Store today. *Image courtesy of s_bukley / Shutterstock.com. #financialadvice #JKRowling

Pulmonary Fibrosis Wilson beat his goal of finishing the marathon in 14 hours by over two hours. Wilson was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis back when he was 57 years old. Because of the fact that the scarring of the lungs caused by pulmonary fibrosis can be the result of a number of other problems, from autoimmune diseases to genetic reasons, it took two years for doctors to diagnose him properly. Symptoms first began when Wilson walked up a single hill one day only to find himself out of breath. After several similar instances occurred, doctors discovered that he had pulmonary hypertension, which is when high blood pressure in the lungs is caused by the heart working more than it should – a sign that it could be damaged. This initial diagnosis eventually led to doctors discovering the scarring in his lungs. Pulmonary fibrosis is a terminal condition that most people will only live three years with. It’s a condition that is irreversible. Wilson has survived for five years so far. Although the number of people living with pulmonary fibrosis is unknown, a study from a decade ago used health insurance data to estimate that roughly 42 out of every 100,000 Americans may have pulmonary fibrosis. According to estimates by the American Association of Respiratory Care, around 40,000 Americans may be dying every year due to the illness. Wilson decided to run the marathon to help raise money for the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. He hopes that the attention and money will help result in more medications to help treat the disease. He was given an hour and 15 minute head start after being cleared to participate in the marathon despite his condition. To keep up with the latest health care news, be sure to visit The Benefits Store.

The Restructuring of California’s Private Insurance Market Obamacare created health insurance marketplaces as a way to expand insurance coverage and provide financial assistance for qualifying lower-income individuals. California was the first state to authorize a state-based health insurance marketplace, which it coined “Covered California.” As of earlier this year, it had 1.4 million people enrolled. Around 90 percent of these people receive premium assistance and/or cost-sharing reductions. The marketplace was built on the mandate created by Obamacare, which means it would need to adjust to any changes made. If it’s unable to adjust, it would require state funding to continue. Uncertainty Over California Health Care Laws The California legislature adopted many Obamacare provisions as California law, thereby allowing its regulators, such as the Department of Insurance and the Department of Healthcare Services, to enforce them. Many of these statutes not only directly reference Obamacare provisions, they are contingent on their continued existence. Depending on what happens to Obamacare, many of these laws could end up becoming open to interpretation or even repealed as a result. The Medi-Cal Expansion Population May See Reduced Funding Obamacare included a major expansion to the Medicaid program by including adults earning upwards of 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Since California authorized this expansion, Medi-Cal has grown from 7.7 million enrollees to 11.8 million. Obamacare required federal support for the expansion population on a sliding scale. This means that continued implementation of Medi-Cal is heavily dependent on federal funding. These are a few ways in which California health care could be affected by the recent election. Stay up to date on the latest health care news by visiting The Benefits Store today.

The Deadliness of the Flu Virus The individual that died as a result of the flu virus was only identified as being under the age of 65. They passed away in Los Angeles County. The state public health department does not release any identifying information about victims for privacy reasons. Many Americans choose not to be vaccinated for the virus due to a number of reasons. Some simply don’t want to take the time out of their day to go get vaccinated. Some are put off by the symptoms that they experienced following a flu shot on a previous occasion. Some mistakenly think that they don’t need to get vaccinated again if they’ve already had a flu shot in the past. Because different flu strains develop every year, a new vaccination is needed every year as well. Because the flu is a common sickness that everyone knows about and that many have experienced, few realize that it can be as deadly as it has been. In fact, not only has someone already died in California as a result of the flu this year, but there have already been reports of 11 additional flu-related cases that required intensive care unit treatment. There have already been five reported flu outbreaks as well. There are thousands of flu-related deaths every year in the United States. In particularly bad years, there have been as many as tens of thousands of deaths related to the flu. Additionally, the flu affects millions of people and results in hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations. Be sure to get vaccinated for the flu this year. To keep up with all the most recent health-related news, be sure to visit us at The Benefits Store today. #fluseason

The Issue of Obesity Obesity is a problem that many people struggle with throughout the world, but it’s an especially serious problem in the United States, where more than a third of adults are considered obese. Obesity presents a huge health risk for those affected by it. Obesity increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and even certain types of cancer. In addition to posing numerous health risks, obesity poses a financial problem as well – the yearly medical costs for individuals who were obese in 2008 was on average $1,429 higher than those who were not obese. The Influence of the Brain on Diet Success The medical journal Cognitive Neuroscience recently published a study that suggested that the ability for a person to self-regulate their body weight may come down to their brain structure. Researchers discovered that chronic dieters tend to show extreme reactions to food cues in the executive control and reward areas of their brains. The study focused on a group of subjects consisting of 36 female chronic dieters with a BMI (body mass index) of 23.9 and 29.6 percent mean body fat. The study involved having the subjects make basic judgements on images in order to turn their attention from the actual task at hand. These tasks were food cue reactivity tasks. The purpose of this test was to identify the executive control and reward areas in their brain through the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging. Researchers discovered that participants with lower body fat percentages had larger white matter integrity in between their brain’s executive control and reward areas. However, researchers aren’t certain if this was a result of repeated dieting. To keep up to date with all the latest health related news, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Los Angeles County Hospitals to Report Super Bugs Super bugs are a strain of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotic drugs. Certain super bugs are so lethal that they can kill half of the patients infected with them. Federal officials have warned that these super bugs are one of the most urgent health threats in the entire country. The decision by Los Angeles County to require its hospitals to report certain deadly super bugs comes in the wake of a recent report by The Times concerning a resident of Manhattan Beach that fell ill with CRE (carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae) following a surgery in 2014 at Torrance Memorial Medical Center. The patient’s daughter had contacted the county’s public health department in order to report the infection; however, she was told that the infection was not a reportable disease. The patient ended up dying from the infection after spending the majority of five weeks in the ICU. According to officials, one of the reasons that the county had stopped requiring hospitals to report super bug infections, such as CRE, back in 2012 was due to resource limitations. Even though it wasn’t required, there were still a few hospitals that would voluntarily submit bacterial samples from patients that were infected by a super bug. Any reports about a super bug made by hospitals won’t be made public except in rare cases. Health officials plan to look at the data in order to identify clusters of infections so that they can prevent outbreaks. Although hospitals will be required to report CRE infections, they will not be required to report whether the patients stricken by the super bug survived. Nursing homes and clinics are not required to report any super bug cases. Keep up to date with all the newest information concerning super bugs and more at The Benefits Store.

Human Life Expectancy The world record for the longest life belongs to Jeanne Calment, who died at the age of 122 back in 1997. Over the last century, people have lived longer and longer, with the average life expectancy continually going up. However, researchers believe that the limit has finally been reached – and that limit is 115. The debate over whether the human life span has a natural barrier is one that has been going on for years and years. Dr. Vijg, an aging expert at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, believes that even though there are examples of humans growing older than 115 years, such as Jeanne Calment, nobody will ever surpass that age again. Dr. Vijg and his students looked at data based on survival and mortality rates. They tracked how many people were alive in a given year and compared these figures from year to year so that they could determine how quickly the population grew at each age. Research revealed that the fastest growing part of society has been old people. For example, in France during the 1920’s, the fastest growing group of women were 85-year olds. This trend kept increasing, with the fastest growing group of French women in the 1990’s being 100-year olds. However, this trend of increases slowed down and then stopped. Dr. Vijg discovered the same overall trend in over 40 countries. He also discovered that 115 was the age at which the increase stopped. Dr. Vijg’s theory that no one can grow older than 115 is based on available data, but many scientists reject the notion that humans have a life span limit. Keep up with all the latest health news by visiting The Benefits Store today.

The 2017 Health Insurance Premium Rate Hike The notice sent out by Covered California encourages customers to sign into their Covered California online account and to use the shop and compare tool to identify exactly how much their premiums will be for their current plans. Customers will also be able to compare the cost of their premiums and the details of their plans to other plans within their region. Although customers have experienced moderate rate increases over the past two years, premiums are expected to skyrocket in 2017 by an average of 13.2 percent throughout the entire state. It wasn’t until recently that customers knew how the expected rate hike would affect them since health plan prices differ throughout the state, by insurer and by a number of other factors that include age, income level, family size, and more. Some customers are seeing massive out-of-pocket premium hikes even after tax credits are applied. There have even been cases in which some customers have experienced increases of 57 percent. It’s recommended that anyone facing such a large rate hike shop around and choose the lowest priced plan available at their current level of benefits. Doing so can allow them to cap their premium increases at five percent. One of the problems facing many customers is that they do not want to shop around because they don’t want to lose the doctor that they currently have, whom they know and trust. What’s worrying to many customers is that rates will continue jumping even higher year after year. Insurance premiums are expected to go up drastically in 2017. For more news concerning the rate hike or insurance plans in general, visit us at The Benefits Store today.

The Way Genetic Changes Lead to Cancer In order to be a cancerous cell, a cell must have at least six faults or mutations. This stops the cell from functioning normally and causes it to become cancerous. Changes in a body’s cell can occur due to a number of reasons, from random mistakes during a cell’s division as a person grows older or due to the exposure to substances known as carcinogens. These types of gene changes won’t affect all body cells and aren’t inherited. In some cases, a history of cancer in the family can just be coincidental. Cancer is relatively common, especially among older people, which means that it’s not uncommon for several persons in your family to have had cancer. The Way Cancer Risks Are Passed On So how exactly can cancer be hereditary? Some faulty genes that increase the risk of cancer can be passed from the parent to their child. These are known as inherited cancer genes. They happen when the genes within the egg or sperm cell contain a mistake or a fault. Roughly five to 10 percent of all cancer cases happen to those who have inherited genetic mutations that raise their risk of developing cancer. Some of the mutations and syndromes that can increase cancer risk include BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations, Cowden syndrome, and multiple endocrine neoplasia. Although a higher risk of developing cancer can be inherited, most cancers are caused by gene changes such as aging or lifestyle choices. To educate yourself on more health-related topics, be sure to visit us at The Benefits Store today.

Cancel old vehicle insurance. In addition to having a primary vehicle, some people also have secondary or third vehicles. If they never use their secondary vehicles, they should consider either selling them or stopping their insurance on them. For example, there’s no point in paying insurance on a motorcycle that’s been gathering dust in the garage for years. The amount being paid on insurance for such an unused vehicle can add up to be substantial. Check for bank fees. Many bank customers don’t realize that their banks are charging them fees for certain things. For example, some banks charge their customers a fee if they don’t retain a certain amount in their savings account each month. Customers should check with their bank to see if any such fees exist and find out if they can switch to an account that doesn’t have such fees. Avoid ATMs. Out of network ATMs usually charge a small fee – usually around two dollars. This may not seem like much, but some people find themselves using the ATM on a regular basis, which means that those fees could add up to quite a lot. Instead of getting money at an ATM, get cash back at grocery stores, convenience stores, or pharmacies where they don’t charge additional fees. Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use. A lot of people don’t realize that simply turning off an appliance or electronic device doesn’t stop them from absorbing power. As long as the device is plugged in, it is using up energy. Unplug appliances such as the toaster, coffeemaker, hairdryer and laptop when not in use in order to reduce monthly energy costs. Anyone having difficulties with their finances should be sure to check to see if they’re experiencing any of these money leaks. For additional advice on saving money – especially in regards to health insurance plans – visit The Benefits Store today.