Too much of the American dream By Eric Nagourney The New York Times Thursday, December 23, 2004
NEW YORK Many immigrants come to the United States for the good life. But a new study suggests that living well can carry a cost. Over the years, researchers report, immigrants tend to become just as obese as born-and-bred Americans - even if they are from countries where obesity is less common. . The findings, which appeared in The Journal of the American Medical Association, are based on a federal health survey of more than 30,000 people, about 14 percent of them born abroad. On average, the researchers found, about 8 percent of the immigrants studied would have been considered obese in their first year in the country. . But 15 years later, the rate was 19 percent, close to the 22 percent rate for Americans overall. Thirty-eight percent of the immigrants were found to be overweight. . "Trends in obesity among immigrants may reflect acculturation and adoption of the U.S. lifestyle, such as increased sedentary behavior and poor dietary patterns," the study said. "They may also be a response to the physical environment of the United States, with increased availability of calorically dense foods and higher reliance on labor-saving technologies." . taking a fight to the field Cases of Lyme disease might be reduced by switching the focus from people and vaccinating the animals who carry it, a new study suggests. . Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers described an experiment in which they caught white-footed mice in a wooded area of roughly 3,000 acres, or 1,200 hectares, in Connecticut, vaccinated them against Lyme disease, tagged them and set them free. The lead author was Jean Tsao of Michigan State University. . The mice are among the food sources for ticks, which pass the disease to humans though bites. Over the four years of mouse vaccinations, the researchers found that the level of infection among ticks also went down. . The findings hold out hope not only for reducing the incidence of Lyme disease but also of other vector-borne illnesses, including West Nile virus, said the study's principal investigator, Durland Fish, an epidemiologist at Yale. The disease-causing microbes are passed from animal to animal by ticks, mosquitoes and other insects. . Giving shots to countless numbers of mice is impractical, but the vaccine can also be given in food. Research on human vaccines has been conducted, but none are now on the market. . But the study also made clear that mice caused perhaps 27 percent to 55 percent of the infections, fewer than the researchers had expected, Fish said. That means that the vaccinations would also have to be put in food eaten by other animals that play a role. Birds, Fish said, are prime suspects. . sweaty palms at the pharmacy Think of it as a barrier to the barrier. Despite the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, a new study reports that many young people may be hesitant to buy condoms because they are simply too embarrassed. . For the study, which appears in the current Social Science Journal, about 250 students at the University of Florida were asked to buy condoms and then write a paper describing the experience. The researcher, Kimberly Brackett, is now teaching sociology at Auburn University Montgomery. "I did give them an out," Brackett said. "I said, 'If you don't purchase a condom, discuss why you didn't purchase one."' . >From the beginning, seven students declined to take part in the study for religious reasons. But later, more than 25 were also dropped when they said they had been unable to make the purchase. . Embarrassment was also common among the remaining 78 men and 176 women. Many said it was the first time they had bought condoms. . Although the men tended to report less embarrassment than the women, the study found that both often used similar strategies. About a fifth, for example, sought out a clerk of the same sex. And both the men and women said they tried to conceal the box or bought other items to distract attention. . Both sexes said they kept an eye out for other customers while buying the condoms, but the women were more likely to wait for other customers to leave. They were also more likely to bring friends along as allies. . ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/uTGrlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Post message: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe : [EMAIL PROTECTED] List owner : [EMAIL PROTECTED] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
