With Good Reason Radio » Health

You Got To Move

cms4tf — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 05:00:20 +0000

There’s no doubt that the number of obese Americans has increased dramatically over the last 25 years – putting them at risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis. But Cathy Roy (Longwood University) says it’s not necessarily the fat making people sick. Her research suggests a lack of physical activity might be more to blame.

Also featured: Water might help you lose weight. The latest research shows that drinking two 8 oz. glasses before each meal helps decrease calorie intake. Brenda Davy (Virginia Tech) investigates lifestyle strategies that prevent obesity – and her latest studies about the role of water in diets are making a huge splash.

And also featured: Don’t let the economy get you down this year. Psychologist Holly Schiffrin (University of Mary Washington) suggests that lifestyle changes brought on by the recession might actually be better for our well-being. She says one of the surest ways to find happiness doesn’t have to cost a nickel: spending time with friends and family.

Alzheimer’s Disease: What We Now Know

sbm2p — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 05:01:53 +0000

When 62 year old Bill Wood turned to his wife at the funeral of a family member and asked, “Who are all these people?” she knew something was terribly wrong. Alzheimer’s Disease had struck the witty and dapper former newspaper editor early. His wife Carol Wood (University of Virginia) describes her daily challenges as she cares for her accomplished husband. Steven DeKosky, dean of the UVA medical school, is an international expert in the field of Alzheimer’s Disease research. He has seen first hand the toll Alzheimer’s has taken on Carol and Bill and the grace with which they have responded. DeKosky discusses the latest research on the disease.

The Controversy Over International Adoption

VFHwebdev — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 06:27:58 +0000

Inter-country adoptions gone awry have a way of capturing headlines. Karen Rotabi (Virginia Commonwealth University) says overseas adoptions, while a source of hope and love for many families, can have a dark side. Also featured: Baseball leagues for kids with disabilities have sprouted up all over the United States. Matt Lucas (Longwood University) put together a team in rural Virginia and discovered that the games were just as valuable to the parents — who have a chance to bond with other parents of disabled children.

And also featured: The Hispanic population is the fastest growing in the U.S. but Mirta Martin (Virginia State University’s School of Business) says too few are getting a college education. Martin says historically black colleges and universities are best positioned to meet the needs of students who are often the first in their family to attend college.

You Got To Move

tap2ae — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 05:01:39 +0000

It’s time for New Year’s resolutions. One of the most popular goals: a new diet. There’s no doubt that the number of obese Americans has increased dramatically over the last 25 years – putting them at risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis. But Cathy Roy (Longwood University) says it’s not necessarily the fat making people sick. Her research suggests a lack of physical activity might be more to blame. Also featured: Water might help you lose weight. The latest research shows that drinking two 8 oz. glasses before each meal helps decrease calorie intake. Brenda Davy (Virginia Tech) investigates lifestyle strategies that prevent obesity – and her latest studies about the role of water in diets are making a huge splash. And also featured: Don’t let the economy get you down this year. Psychologist Holly Schiffrin (University of Mary Washington) suggests that lifestyle changes brought on by the recession might actually be better for our well-being. She says one of the surest ways to find happiness doesn’t have to cost a nickel: spending time with friends and family.

The 100-Mile Thanksgiving

tap2ae — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 05:01:33 +0000

With Good Reason invites you to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but nearly everything on the table is grown, made, or brewed, within 100 miles of Charlottesville, Virginia. The dinner host, Tim Beatley (University of Virginia), introduced the 100-mile Thanksgiving idea to his students after reading The 100-mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating. About 95 miles east, in Petersburg, Reza Rafie and Chris Mullins (Virginia State University) train farmers to use greenhouse-like structures called High Tunnels to grow high-profit margin berries and other exotic fruits and vegetables year-round. Sixty miles west, Maria Papadakis (James Madison University) visits an energy-efficient turkey farm in the Shenandoah Valley to showcase ways that farmers can save money while doing their part to conserve natural resources. And just miles from that farm, in Centerville, Evrim Dogu and Rick Easton of SubRosa spend 24 hours every week baking in their quest to bring naturally leavened bread back to the American mainstream. They believe bread is THE staple of the Western diet and that Americans have all but forgotten this.

Viruses That Target Bacteria

tap2ae — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 05:01:45 +0000

They are everywhere you look — in the soil, in the ocean, in your backyard. Bacteriophages. They’re viruses that infect bacteria, and they could one day be used to fight off drug-resistant strains of bacteria like tuberculosis. Mark Forsyth, Margaret Saha, and Kurt Williamson (College of William and Mary) lead a group of students into the field every year to find and identify new varieties of “phages.” With Good Reason visits their “phage lab.” It’s one of 36 schools across the country sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the samples they collect — some never before seen — are helping to create one of the largest databases of its kind in the world. Also featured: One day — in the not-so-distant future – the world will run out of oil. Scientists and researchers are in a race against time to solve our current and future energy needs. Patrick Hatcher (Old Dominion University), director of the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, hasn’t given up on wind energy as a solution — but thinks the most promising renewable energy source might be biofuel made with algae. He says algae farms the size of Maryland could power every car in the country.

The Controversy Over International Adoptions

tap2ae — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:01:16 +0000

Inter-country adoptions gone awry have a way of capturing headlines. A missionary group lands in jail after trying to remove children from Haiti. An American woman puts her seven year-old adopted son on a one-way flight back to Moscow. Karen Rotabi (Virginia Commonwealth University) has studied this issue in Guatemala and beyond for decades and says that overseas adoptions, while a source of hope and love for many families, can have a dark side. Also featured: Baseball leagues for kids with disabilities have sprouted up all over the United States. Matt Lucas (Longwood University) put together a team in rural Virginia and discovered that the games were just as valuable to the parents. And also featured: The Hispanic population is the fastest growing in the U.S., but Mirta Martin, Dean of Virginia State University’s School of Business, says schools aren’t yet prepared, culturally or academically, for the influx of Hispanic students.

Finding Health Care in Appalachia

tap2ae — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 05:01:35 +0000

Access to health care is still a major challenge for many Americans, even with the recent government overhaul. In Appalachia, access can be even more limited. With the nearest health specialists sometimes hundreds of miles away, many people rely on free clinics for their medical, dental, and vision needs. Thousands travel to Wise, Virginia each year for a weekend of teeth extractions, x-rays, and more. David Cattell-Gordon (University of Virginia’s College at Wise) is the director of the Healthy Appalachia Institute and thinks telemedicine could help connect people to treatment the rest of the year. Also featured: Kris Conrad (Radford University), a nurse midwife instructor, says that more and more women in the United States are opting to have a midwife see them through a natural birth experience.

Achieving Love and Intimacy in Marriage

VFHwebdev — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:03:20 +0000

After teaching courses on marriage and family relations to community college students for 40 years, it’s clear to Russ Crescimanno (Piedmont Virginia Community College) that most couples don’t have a clue on how to compromise. There is, he says, a science to love and intimacy, and many rocky marriages could thrive if couples would just practice some core principles. Also featured: While close to 20 million people practice Yoga in America, very few know the true purpose of the regimen popularly viewed as a means for improving bodily and psychological wellbeing. In translating ancient Sanskrit texts, professor Graham Schweig (Christopher Newport University) has discovered the “secret of Yoga,” revealing astonishing and little known facts.

Apologizing Works

VFHwebdev — Sat, 29 May 2010 15:57:26 +0000

For years, lawyers have advised parties in high stakes cases to avoid apologizing, because doing so could be construed as an admission of guilt. However, Rick Warne (George Mason University) shows that apologizing may not only sometimes be the right thing to do, it can also save people from paying higher damages. Also: The recent earthquake in Haiti has left many wondering if that country will ever recover from the devastation and trauma it has experienced. After major crises, some people and communities emerge stronger and resilient, while others continue to struggle and suffer, sometimes for decades. Lennis Echterling (James Madison University) studies the sources of personal and community resilience.

Hope for Back Pain Sufferers

VFHwebdev — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:00:07 +0000

Back pain is the leading cause of disability among Americans who are less than forty-five years of age. A new therapy offers what could be the answer to the prayers of many suffering from the pain of degenerating discs. Micheal Depalma (Virginia Commonwealth University Spine Center) is participating in cutting edge research involving the use of a new bone protein that can help encourage the discs to “regrow.” Also: John Reavey-Cantwell (Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine) is among the first physicians in the country to treat brain aneurysms with a minimally invasive procedure that fills an aneurysm with a liquid that prevents it from rupturing or increasing in size.

Achieving Love and Intimacy in Marriage

VFHwebdev — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:45:17 +0000