The prevalence of obesity is increasing globally , while meta-analyses indicate declining sperm count over time. Increasing BMI levels, overweight and obesity are associated with decreased sperm concentration, total sperm count, progressive sperm motility and sperm morphology. Increased BMI of both the woman and the male partner is also associated with subfertility (time-to-pregnancy > 12 months or use […]
The current global obesity pandemic is partially the result of a lack of physical activity combined with sedentary behavior (prolonged sitting) during the day. Such behavior is linked to an increased risk of developing metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes (T2D), while earlier research has found that short breaks in sedentary behavior are associated with […]
Sleep profoundly influences immune and inflammatory responses, protecting against age-associated immune disorders including cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases . Despite these associations, more than half of adults do not get sufficient sleep. Sleep impacts many facets of the immune system including adaptive responses, inflammation, and the synthesis of cytokines and immune mediators. Yet, […]
Obesity may be caused or maintained by enhanced neurobehavioral responsiveness to food-related cues in the environment. Consistent with this hypothesis, a number of neuroimaging studies have demonstrated increased activation among overweight individuals in response to food pictures within regions subserving reward, emotion, memory, and sensorimotor functioning, and reduced activation in regions subserving attention and self-regulation, […]
It is well documented that regular physical activity is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. In 2018, the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommended that adults engage in at least 150-300 minutes/week of moderate physical activity or 75-150 minutes/week of vigorous physical activity, […]
Reproductive-aged women with obesity and insulin resistance have increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, and are also predisposed to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including adiposity and cardiometabolic disorders in their offspring.While a healthy diet and regular physical activity are primary lifestyle strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its associated […]
Approximately one third of human life is devoted to sleep, emphasizing the vital role of sleep in several physiological functions essential for health. There is also consistent evidence of an association of sleep duration with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer, and with mortality, although there remain a number of outstanding questions […]
Maternal and paternal exercise are well-established to improve the metabolic health of adult offspring. Tissue and serum metabolites play a fundamental role in the health of an organism, but how parental exercise affects offspring tissue and serum metabolites has not yet been investigated. Metabolites are substances made or used when the body breaks down food, […]
During World War 2, children in the UK were evacuated to unfamiliar families for reasons of safety. The professional attention to the effects of family disruption preceded the attention to serious physical and emotional deprivation of children raised in residential institutions such as orphanages as a result of war. Since Bowlby’s report for WHO about […]
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS). MS affects approximately 2.5 million people worldwide. High prevalence of MS is seen in northern parts of Europe and North America. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system). […]