Centre for Vital Elders

It has already been nicknamed the “Homer Simpson effect” - and now research suggests being overweight could affect your intelligence.

A five-year study of more than 2000 middle-aged people has found a possible link between weight and brain function.
Research published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found people with a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) scored lower on average in cognitive tests within a sample.

Meanwhile, a separate paper, published in the same journal by Scots researchers, suggests a link between physical and mental fitness.

The findings came in the week that the UK was named the “fat man of Europe” following publication of new figures. The research into the impact of weight upon intelligence was led by Dr Maxime Cournot, of Toulouse University Hospital in France.

Researchers studied 2223 healthy people, aged 32 to 62, who sat four cognitive tests including word learning in 1996 and again in 2001.

Results from a word memory test showed that people with a BMI of 20 - considered to be a healthy level - remembered an average of nine out of 16 words. But people with a BMI of 30 - inside the obese range - remembered an average of just seven out of 16 words.

While those whose BMI changed over the five years did not appear to see any change in their cognitive function, those who started out with a higher BMI did appear to show higher levels of “cognitive decline”, Dr Cournot said. “The findings may be due to a host of factors including the thickening and hardening of cerebral vessels because of obesity or possibly the development of insulin resistance,” said Dr Cournot.

The apparent phenomenon has already been dubbed the “Homer Simpson effect” by some media in North America.
BMI is calculated by setting a person’s weight against their height to produce a single figure.

A link between physical and mental fitness has also been suggested in a Scots study after 460 people who took part in a mental health survey in 1932 when they were 11 years old were re-tested at the age of 79.

Report author Professor Ian Deary, of Edinburgh University, said: “Fitness contributes to better cognitive ability in old age.
“Thus, two people starting out with the same IQ at age 11, the fitter person at age 79 will, on average, have better cognitive function.”

Further research published today shows that overweight workers are often regarded by colleagues as lazy. Many of those questioned by Benenden Healthcare said they knew someone who had been turned down for a job or promotion because of their size.

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“A lot of people, in the face of serious illness, look for hope and find their way through religion or spirituality or meditation or reiki or whatever helps them,” said Suzanne Swan, director of education at To Life. 

  
“We have asked speakers to touch on peoples’ idea of spirituality and what it is,” Swan said.

Each person’s definition of spirituality varies.

“Spirituality doesn’t have to be religious,” said Dr. Beth Netter of the Center for Integrative Health and Healing in Albany, one of the panelists. “The core is about finding the connection with their inner spirit.” She practices physiology, along with faith and healing.

For Rabbi Rena Kieval, the leader of Congregation Ohav Shalom, the connection between healing of the body and healing of the spirit is about being a “whole person.”

“It is part of the Jewish prayer,” said Kieval, another participant.

Mary Beth Toomey Dunne, 52, will provide insight from the perspective of a cancer survivor. She had “stage four colon cancer that had gone to her liver” when doctors gave her six months to live. That was five years ago.

The parishioner at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Albany asked people to pray “not for a cure, but for me to accept whatever God had in mind for me and that I would go to the right doctors and that they would be instrumental in providing whatever is meant for me.”

She was treated locally at St. Peter’s Hospital and at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She underwent two surgeries and chemotherapy, and had healing prayer services at her church and a home Mass with healing prayers.

Today, Dunne attributes her improved health to both the medical treatment and prayers. “I think that prayer and positive attitude puts you in the optimal situation for medical care,” she said.

When people do healing work, they look for what is lacking, said Netter. “I often think of disease as ‘dis-ease.’ When they connect to their inner spirit, people realize they have found what they lacked in their lives. That helps their immune system and gives them positivity,” she said, explaining that she does reiki — a Japanese form of alternative healing — to help people “re-recognize” they have energy with the world around them.

When people go through trauma, like breast cancer, “they are able to appreciate that the trauma has brought them closer to themselves and to their families,” said Netter, adding that the idea of oneness is at the core of every religion.

Other panelists include Robert L. Miller Jr., a professor at the University at Albany School of Social Welfare; Leslie Neustadt, a volunteer chaplain and cancer survivor; and Sister Mary Anne Rodgers of Mission Integration.

Kieval believes people are more comfortable with the spiritual approach to healing these days. “I also find that people who don’t identify themselves as religious find great comfort in prayer when they are ill,” she said. “They have a sense that there is someone larger than themselves.”

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Prevention’s Anti-Aging Guide: How To Take Off 10 Years Or More And Look And Feel Better

Research is unlocking the secrets to living longer and better. And 70 percent of the factors influencing life expectancy are due to good choices and good luck — not good genes. In part-two of our story, scientists studying aging, exercise, nutrition, and related fields offer more moves to peel off the years. Picks so powerful, the researchers have adopted them in their own lives.

EAT A RAINBOW
A rainbow made of vegetables, says Peter Greenwald, MD, director of the division of cancer prevention at the National Cancer Institute. Their cancer-preventing abilities are unparalleled. Remember: Aim for nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

SUP FROM THE SEA
Don’t just slap anything with fins onto your plate: You want fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines, and lake trout. They contain the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which many studies show help prevent sudden death from heart attack. Omega-3s may also help ward off depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness — and maybe some cancers, although evidence is mixed.

To get more of the benefits of good fats, snack on an ounce — a handful — of walnuts a day. Use less corn oil, and more canola and olive oils. Greg Cole, Ph.D., a professor of medicine and neurology at UCLA, also avoids cookies, margarine, and snack foods such as chips, which are loaded with unhealthy trans fats. On his menu: two tuna sandwiches plus a couple of DHA-enriched eggs a week. He takes 2 grams of fish oil daily.

BELT OUT A TUNE
Exposing yourself to music might help boost your immune system: In a study done by Robert Beck, Ph.D., a professor emeritus at the University of California, Irvine, levels of an infection-fighting antibody called IgA increased 240 percent in the saliva of choral members performing Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.

DRINK A CUPPA
Intrigued by studies — of mice, cells in lab dishes, and people — that say tea may fight prostate and breast cancer and heart disease, researcher Anna Wu, Ph.D., a professor of preventive medicine at the University of Southern California, downs at least 3 cups daily. Green is best, although black tea confers some benefits, too.

WHITTLE YOUR WAIST
To determine if your body is staying young, the tape measure is better than the bathroom scale: Your weight can remain the same while you lose muscle and pack on fat, including visceral fat, the culprit behind a thick waist. It’s linked to a heightened risk of age-related ills such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. If your waist measures more than 35 inches for a woman, or 40 inches for a man, you probably have too much belly fat.

The best way to shed that inner load: exercise, says Kerry Stewart, director of clinical and research exercise physiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In a 6-month study of 69 men and women, he found a 20 percent reduction in visceral fat, though participants lost only 5 pounds. Stewart’s program was brisk but not too arduous: 45 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobics three times a week and 20 minutes of moderate-intensity weight training, also three times weekly.

DOUBLE UP ON D
If there’s one vitamin supplement you should take, this is it, experts say. Vitamin D is made in the skin when sun hits it — but as people get older, the D factory doesn’t work as well. About half of Americans fall short. Research suggests that a lack of D raises the risk of osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis and various cancers.

“No other nutrient is so widely deficient in the United States,” says Meir Stampfer, MD, chair of the department of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. “Unless you eat a lot of fish, you have to supplement.” Stampfer takes 1,800 IU daily in the winter and 800 to 1,200 IU a day the rest of the year. Make sure your supplement contains vitamin D3, the form the skin makes.

DINE ON CURRY
Turmeric, the spice that makes curry yellow, is loaded with curcumin, a chemical with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In India, it’s smeared on bandages to help heal wounds. East Asians also eat it, of course, which might explain why they have lower rates than we do of various cancers and Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Animal research is promising. Cole, of UCLA, makes sure he gets a good dose of Indian food with “lots of yellow stuff” three times weekly. Don’t like the taste? Try a daily curcumin supplement of 500 to 1,000 milligrams.

DONATE BLOOD
The life you save may be your own. Many researchers think that we take in too much iron, mostly from eating red meat. Excess iron is thought to create free radicals in the body, speeding aging and raising risk of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Until menopause, women are naturally protected from iron overload, but after that the danger of overdose climbs.

Preliminary studies suggest you can lower your risk of heart disease by regularly giving blood. Thomas Perls, MD, an associate professor of medicine at Boston University who leads the New England Centenarian Study, donates a unit every 2 months. He has a rare blood type, so he’s helping others — and he may get something out of it, too. If you’re scared of needles, at least go easy on red meat: no more than a daily serving the size of a pack of cards.

LOOK OUT FOR YOUR EYES
Getting plenty of omega-3s in food or supplements may help ward off age-related macular degeneration. Plant antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin — found in leafy green vegetables like kale and collards — are helpful, too. People who have drusen — tiny deposits within the retina that can be early signs of macular degeneration — can reduce their risk of blindness in both eyes by 25 percent if they take a supplement, says John Paul SanGiovanni, a staff scientist at the National Eye Institute. What to take, according to his study: 500 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, 80 milligrams of zinc, 15 milligrams of beta-carotene, and 2 milligrams of copper.

TAKE FERN EXTRACT FOR YOUR SKIN
Studies suggest that the antioxidant-rich extract of the South American fern Polypodium leucotomos may help keep your skin youthful by protecting against free radicals and reducing inflammation. Until clinical trials find proof, “it’s like chicken soup — it can’t hurt and it might help a bit,” says dermatologist Mary Lupo, MD, a Prevention advisor and a clinical professor of dermatology at the Tulane University School of Medicine. Lupo takes 240 milligrams every morning in a supplement called Heliocare, made by Ivax Dermatologicals. She also slaps on broad-spectrum sunscreen and Retin-A daily and eats a diet loaded with colorful fruits and vegetables — blueberries, raspberries, grapefruit, broccoli, spinach. It may also help to drink green tea and nibble flavonoid-rich dark chocolate, she adds. What you must do: Avoid excessive sun exposure and don’t smoke.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH
Strife at work, bumper-to-bumper traffic, little Will’s report card: Stress increases the concentration of the hormones cortisol and norepinephrine in our bloodstream, kicking up blood pressure and suppressing the immune system. Chronic stress delays wound healing, promotes atherosclerosis, and possibly shrinks parts of the brain involved in learning, memory, and mood.

“The key is lowering the concentration of those stress hormones,” says Bruce Rabin, MD, Ph.D., medical director of the Healthy Lifestyle program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

He’s devised a research-based program that mutes the hormone flow: It includes meditation, deep breathing, writing, chanting, and guided imagery. Check it out at http://healthylifestyle.upmc.com/.

Deep breathing is the top anti-stress pick of Prevention advisor Andrew Weil, MD: He makes time for it at least twice a day.

“It only takes 2 minutes,” he says. “I do it in the morning, when I’m falling asleep in the evening, and any time I feel upset.”

Technique: Exhale strongly through the mouth, making a whoosh sound. Breathe in quietly through the nose for a count of 4. Hold your breath for a count of 7; then exhale with the whoosh sound for a count of 8. Repeat the cycle three more times.

HEY — TURN IT DOWN!
Exposure to noise damages the delicate hair cells of your inner ears. So when you’re around loud noise, wear earplugs — the cheap type you can buy at the drugstore, or pricier ones that preserve sound quality. Andy Vermiglio, a research audiologist at the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, offers free hearing tests at trade shows for audio engineers. He can always tell which 40-year-old engineer was religious about ear protection and which one was careless: The latter typically has the hearing of a 70-year-old.

GET MORE SHUTEYE
Some sleep problems raise the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes — maybe even obesity. Everyone’s sleep needs are different; to find out what yours are, sleep experts recommend you turn off the alarm clock when you’re well rested, and see how long you naturally sleep. Most people need 7 to 8 hours. While you’re at it, ask your spouse if you snore. Snorting and honking through the night are signs that you may have sleep apnea, which causes you to stop breathing at least five times an hour; it raises your risk of stroke. An estimated 18 million Americans have the disorder, but many don’t know it, reports the National Sleep Foundation. Doctors are more likely to miss sleep apnea in women, says Joseph Kaplan, MD, co-director of the Mayo Sleep Disorders Center in Jacksonville, Fla. — and women may not want to mention their unladylike habit. Ladylike, schmadylike. Tell your doctor.

DROP THAT HOT POTATO
High-glycemic foods, rich in quick-digesting carbohydrates, can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes and contribute to overeating and diabetes risk — which accelerates aging.

We need to retrain our taste buds, says Willett. What to ditch: sugary drinks. And cut way back on America’s favorite veggie, the potato. It has the highest glycemic index of any vegetable, sending more sugar rushing into the bloodstream faster. Willett’s team at Harvard recently found that over a 20-year period, women who ate more whole grains and fewer spuds had a 20 to 30 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes. His carb picks for his own dinner: brown rice and whole grain bread, and sometimes whole wheat pasta or bulgur.

PUT ON YOUR ROSE-COLORED GLASSES
“Embracing some of the positive aspects of aging is helpful,” says Becca Levy, Ph.D., an associate professor of epidemiology and psychology at Yale. She found more than a 7-year survival advantage for older men and women with a positive attitude toward aging, compared with people who have a negative one.

If you’re a cranky sort, you might also want to tweak your attitude about other things.

“People who have a goal in life — a passion, a purpose, a positive outlook, and humor — live longer,” says Robert Butler, MD, president of the International Longevity Center in New York City.

Embrace life, and the coming of old age — it happens to all of us. If we’re lucky.

THE BIGGEST BANG: THE TOP SEVEN STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO STAY YOUNG:

Take brisk walks

Keep your waist trim

Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables

Strength-train a few times a week

Get enough sleep — most people need 7 or 8 hours nightly

Manage your stress

Keep a positive outlook
Published October 13, 2006

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An expert in ageing has attacked the education secretary over comments about exercise classes

The suggestion in these pages four months ago that Alan Johnson’s “more plumbing, less pilates” soundbite makes no economic sense has now found academic backing. Professor Tom Kirkwood, the director of the Institute for Ageing and Health at the University of Newcastle, believes that urgent action is needed to boost the fitness of the elderly population to make sure that as many people as possible remain independent.
“I greatly regret the suggestion that doing things to promote health - particularly in old age - is of less importance than plumbing,” he says. “One of the great challenges we face is trying to ensure that people can reach old age in a state of good health and minimum dependency for their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of society.”

Until recently, scientists assumed that average human lifespans in the developed economies would stop growing towards the end of the 20th century, once the effects of better sanitation and medical advances such as antibiotics had taken effect, Kirkwood told the Age and Employment Network’s annual conference.

But, he added, “Statistics have shown that life expectancy has continued to increase at the same rate as previously, ie at slightly more than two years a decade. It’s a rate of increase that is quite astonishing.” Society is starting to grapple with the issues this raises, he says. “But maybe we should have woken up a bit sooner.”

Scientists used to think that ageing and the degeneration of the body were programmed, but now know otherwise. The theory that our times of death are fixed just in our genes has also been shown to be wrong. “Genes account for only about a quarter of what it is that will determine the length of life and what shape we’ll be in when we’re old,” says Kirkwood.

Instead, a combination of factors comes into play - including nutrition, exercise, attitude and how long we continue to work. “Exercise is extremely beneficial in helping the body overcome the defects of ageing. It brings a significant benefit even when it is undertaken at a very late stage.”

Well-designed exercise programmes can restore an elderly person’s physical performance to a level enjoyed 20 years previously. Without exercise, an elderly person has only 10%-15% of the muscle strength they had in their youth.

The effort to get out of a chair takes at least 50% of their strength, whereas it would take just 5% from someone in their early 20s.

“For an older person, the percentage of the muscle capacity they use for these actions is the same sort of percentage of capacity that an Olympic athlete uses in competition,” says Kirkwood.

A comparison between unit costs of providing classes in exercise such as pilates and in plumbing should be done, he says. “It could be much cheaper to provide evening classes in pilates. If the elderly are able to maintain their independence, then the benefits to individuals and society can be enormous.”

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Watching Bea Stoyla gliding through the water with smooth, effortless strokes, you might think that she does this every day. But she only swims for 30 to 45 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays, she bikes 25 to 30 miles. Thursdays, she golfs.

“Of course, in the morning, I start, get out of bed and then I do 30 minutes of exercise. Then I have breakfast,” Bea said.

So what does this 80-year-old do on weekends? Well, the weekend before last she competed in the San Diego Senior Olympics, starting Friday with a 10-mile bike ride. Then on Sunday, she competed in the triathlon.

“The first thing is .3 miles swimming, then it’s 10 miles biking and then it is three miles running. Of course, I walk,” Bea said. “The competition was absolutely for myself, because there was no one in my age group.”

Amazing feat on its own, until this Swedish-born octogenarian reveals her past.

“I had a serious accident when I was 21, and that’s what got me going, because I was paralyzed on half side for six months,” she said. “It took me six months to learn to walk again, and that has been driving me since then.”

On land or sea, Bea’s spirit knows only one direction: straight ahead.

“I have done triathlons. This was my third time, and each time I’ve lowered my time with one minute, instead of increasing,” she said.

Gliding through the water, weightless and ageless, Bea Stoyla knows the secret of staying forever is staying forever fit.
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“The key to our inner resources is self-knowledge. Self-knowledge is gained by personal development - that is by collecting experiences out of which new insight and wisdom are born.

“In fact, this comes close to being the meaning of life. Consequently, the raison-d’être for a company is to supply an environment in which personal development of the human beings involved in the company can best take place…

What a precious gift to humankind and to our planet it would be if the remarkable knowledge we have achieved should be united with wisdom. Then our planet would be the paradise it is meant to be. Business-life has the opportunity to bring that gift forward.”

Rolf Osterber, President, Svensk Filmindustri