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Extremely thin models and actresses in the fashion and entertainment industry are largely shaping our current ideas of beauty. Yet at the same time, the public is becoming more aware of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, with demand increasing for more effective measures to fight these diseases. As a whole, anorexia nervosa and bulimia are relatively rare diseases in society. Of those affected, 90% of them are women, establishing that particularly girls and women are especially vulnerable, and at an increased risk, of developing an eating disorder. Every one in five women is estimated to be affected by an episode of abnormal eating habits at least once during her…
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For oncological patients, their nutritional condition and their body composition are the most important parameters used in their treatment. Recent studies over the past few years have focused intensely on these parameters and their influence on the risk of cancer, cancer prognosis and its treatment. Generally, obesity is considered to be an important risk factor in the development of a large number of tumors - but it's the type of fat distribution that seems to be related to the development of cancer. While hypodermic fat has little influence on the progression of certain tumors, studies have shown that an increased amount of intra-abdominal or visceral fat tissue acts as an accelerator and…
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In recent years, the number of reported diabetes mellitus cases has been steadily rising. But this worldwide development is not an adults-only problem: more and more, children and adolescents are becoming affected as well. Studies have shown that in young patients, this increase involves both of the main types of diabetes. Currently, type 1 diabetes accounts for the majority of diabetes in children and adolescents, and generally occurs before the age of 16, while type 2 is a relatively new pediatric condition. Originally, it was referred to as "adult-onset diabetes" because only a few cases were known where the patients were below the age of 30. However, depending on the region and the…
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Since the end of the 19th century, scales have been part of the medical routine in hospitals and doctors' offices. Early on, seca pioneered the development of medical measuring and weighing systems and are now the global market leader. However, modern medicine continues to develop rapidly, and the last two decades have seen enormous progress in the area of device diagnostics. This progress raises the question of whether medical scales still have a topical use and what their role might play in future medical science.
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The famous running track of 42.195 kilometers has an almost magical appeal for many ambitious runners. Often regarded as a the ultimate milestone, tens of thousands of amateurs and professionals will gather around the globe to undertake this physical and psychological challenge during the coming months.
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The world is fat! For quite some time now, headlines such as this have been circulating in the media, summarizing a phenomenon that has been intensively investigated in recent years. Since the second half of the 20th century, the average weight of the population has risen steadily in most countries. Being overweight or obese is a reflection of our modern lifestyle. It greatly increases the risk of a variety of diseases and has considerable costs. In many countries around the world, between 50% to 75% of adults are overweight or obese. But also the number of overweight children and adolescents is rising rapidly. As a result, they are affected more and more by diseases commonly associated with…
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Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by a permanently elevated blood glucose level and is associated with a variety of secondary complications such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, circulatory disorders and renal insufficiencies. The pathophysiological cause for diabetes is an inadequate insulin release or insulin resistance, which interferes with the glucose absorption from the blood into the body cells.