Smokers

Quitting smoking is hard—just ask John Mellencamp. The 58-year-old rocker had a heart attack in 1994, but he still smokes.

Mellencamp’s 14-year-old son Speck created a Facebook group—1,000,000 to Join, My Dad John Mellencamp Will Quit Smoking. If it attracts 1 million people, Mellencamp swears he’ll kick the habit once and for all.

By January 2010, almost 290,000 Facebook users had joined. But you don’t have to be a rock star to find creative ways to quit smoking—though you’ll feel like one when you do. Here, some ex-smokers share the crazy things that finally helped them kick the habit.

******

Bury the evidence
“I once wrapped packs of cigarettes in a plastic bag and buried them in a flower pot on the back porch so that I would have to dig them up, extract a cigarette, and rebury the pack every time I wanted a smoke. That was 18 years ago!” — Pat Owens, Valley Stream, N.Y.

sandwich

Wrap it up
A sandwich takes only five minutes to create, but it combines whole grains, protein, veggies, and dairy into one filing meal. Give your turkey on wheat a taste transformation with 13 healthy sandwich and wrap recipes.

Roast Beef Panini

Roast beef and smoked Gouda give this sandwich a rich flavor, while watercress adds a boost of vitamin A. And the Dijon mustard provides just the right kick.

Ingredients: Sweet- or hot-pepper jelly, whole-grain bread, Dijon mustard, smoked Gouda, deli roast beef, watercress, olive oil

Calories: 384

Rosemary Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Lighter than most chicken salads, this sandwich gets its flavor from smoked almonds, yogurt, and fresh herbs. Add lettuce and tomatoes to sneak in more veggies.

Ingredients: Roasted chicken, green onions, smoked almonds, fat-free yogurt, light mayonnaise, fresh rosemary, Dijon mustard, whole-grain bread

Calories: 360

Panini With Sautéed Mushrooms and Gruyère
This veggie-packed panini has cheese and a touch of butter, which create a decadent layer of flavor, while keeping fat in check.

Ingredients: Mushrooms, Dijon mustard, whole-wheat bread, fresh spinach, roasted red bell peppers, onion, Gruyère, butter

Calories: 406

Thai Chicken Wraps
A little bit of satay peanut sauce gives these wraps plenty of Thai-inspired taste. Plus, the cucumbers and whole-wheat tortillas provide 4 grams of filling fiber.

Ingredients: Skinless chicken breasts, olive oil, cucumber, cilantro, whole-wheat tortillas, satay peanut sauce

Calories: 369

Warm Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches
Goat cheese adds the perfect amount of tangy flavor to this veggie-centric sandwich. And because the sandwich is so simple, it’s easy to experiment using a variety of veggie toppings. Try roasted red peppers, artichokes, or other Mediterranean fare.

Ingredients: Olive oil, eggplant, goat cheese, sandwich rolls, tomato, arugula

Calories: 299

Chutney Turkey Salad on Focaccia
This recipe will make your typical turkey sandwich seem completely ho-hum. Packed with mango chutney, roasted red peppers, and a bit of Caesar dressing, you’ll get a punch of flavor in every savory bite.

Ingredients: Celery, hot mango chutney, light mayonnaise, sesame seeds, cooked turkey, focaccia, zucchini, roasted red bell peppers, spinach, reduced-fat Caesar dressing, Dijon mustard.

Chicken Lavash Wraps
Take a huge tangy bite of this low-cal sandwich knowing you’ll be easing your appetite while sticking to a healthy diet. For less than 125 calories, this sandwich packs in 16 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber.

Ingredients: Cucumber, cabbage and carrot coleslaw, red onion, rice wine vinegar, pickled ginger, sesame oil, lavash-style bread, deli smoked chicken

Calories: 123

Seared Beef Tenderloin Mini Sandwiches With Mustard-Horseradish Sauce
Pack two of these spicy sandwiches with a side salad, and you’ll have a gourmet, healthy lunch. Tarragon and capers add a surprising burst of flavor to each bite, and smaller portions of beef keep the fat content at 5 grams.

Ingredients: Fat-free sour cream, Dijon mustard, tarragon, horseradish, beef tenderloin, lemon juice, watercress, baguette, capers, fresh Parmesan cheese

Calories: 136

Mu Shu Pork Wraps
Pork isn’t typically included in sandwiches, but these wraps are a light way to enjoy authentic Chinese flavor. Sneaking in cabbage, red bell pepper, and onion also gives this wrap a good bit of vitamin C.

Ingredients: Chicken broth, soy sauce, fresh ginger, hoisin sauce, cornstarch, vegetable oil, pork tenderloin, chile paste with garlic, garlic, coleslaw mix, red bell pepper, onion, flour tortillas

Calories: 199

Monte Cristo Sandwich With Sweet Mustard Sauce
It should be illegal to have a sandwich taste this good and still be healthy. Smart substitutes—low-fat cheese, egg substitute—allow you to savor this cheesy treat and divine dip for less than 400 calories.

Ingredients: Red currant jelly, Dijon mustard, orange juice, egg substitute, fat-free milk, cooked turkey breast, cooked ham, low-fat Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese, white bread, powdered sugar

Calories: 394

Red Pepper, Goat Cheese, and Fresh Mint Wraps
Five ingredients make up this fresh-tasting wrap. Though cheese and roasted red peppers are the main ingredients, you’ll get 10 grams of filling protein. Add chopped tomatoes to the red pepper mix for a boost of lycopene.

Ingredients: Goat cheese, fresh mint, spinach tortillas, bottled roasted red bell peppers, salt

Calories: 254

Egg Salad BLTs
Unlike other versions of egg salad, this recipe uses fat-free mayo, reduced-fat sour cream, and fewer egg yolks. But you’ll still get the same flavor, plus an added savory kick from the bacon, and a citrus undertone from the lemon rind.

Ingredients: Fat-free mayonnaise, green onions, reduced-fat sour cream, Dijon mustard, lemon, eggs, firm sandwich bread, bacon, tomato, Boston lettuce leaves

Calories: 371

Wasabi Salmon Burgers With Edamame-Cilantro Pesto
Wasabi and Dijon mustard add strong savory flavors to the mild salmon, and the edamame replaces the nuts in the pesto, which keeps this rich topping under 40 calories.

Ingredients: Soft tofu, red sockeye salmon, pink salmon, fresh chives, Dijon mustard, wasabi paste, an egg, panko, canola oil, curly leaf lettuce, hamburger buns, tomato, sweet onions, edamame, cilantro, green curry paste, fish sauce, garlic

Calories: 345

strip

1.Do not wear underwear when you go out and you whisper to your ear, your spouse, would you want to go home as soon as you can be sure.

2.Do not hold the front and as much as possible short to be dirty thrill improvement.

3.Private strip show before you make love to him.

4.With your favorite scent and taste, in clothes that you have yourself the most worthy, you feel the happiest with the songs get yourself motivated. And in this way to make the impact to those you will not believe how much you feel attractive.

5.Noises during sex, feel free to indicate that you enjoy and make it compliment.

6.Her high-heeled shoes with underwear and do a visual show.

7.Convert your bedroom into a palace hidden. Large your bed, with soft pillows, scented candles around decorate with.

8.Be willing to exceed the limits of the bedroom, living room on the couch, the carpet or on the table of love.

9.How do you want a sex openly tell your boyfriend. Do romantic and slow, or a little harder?

10.Sometimes when the light left open to sex. That men like to be visually alert mind. When you want to see everything you love.

11.You want to try a small piece of paper into position, and do the lottery.

12.Enjoy the bathing together. Tub filled with scented oils and fragrances can jump into.

13.Even when you do not stay away from discussing sex; angry than normal when you can be too hot.

14.Circulating through the hands of the spine. Tap your fingers to the groin. Then it let you navigate on your body. Explore your pleasure points.

15.To make love in the first hours of the morning can be sensual. Because the semi-sober, half-sleepy when you are more vulnerable, more will depend on your instincts.

Enjoy…

If you smoke, you already know you need to quit. It’s bad for your heart, lungs, brain, and even your sex life.

But let’s face it: You’d have kicked the habit yesterday if smoking’s ill effects were a bit more obvious. What if each cigarette created a black pockmark on your face, for instance?

Well, smoking does damage your looks. Read on to discover 15 ways smoking is ruining your appearance.

Children in this regard to provide a safe secure tools;

Baby and Toys

* Toys instead of a supermarket, just try to choose toys from a toy store.

If you are not sure exactly the age group, according to toys for sales consultants contact.

Between 0-3 Age is not suitable “when you see the sign be taken into account. Because it contains small parts are not suitable for under 3 years of age. Full of toys and be swallowed sizes suction and wind must be drawn against.

* Little piece toys, balls, small game of dice, the number of chips, stones and small drums that has engaged all of the toys should be kept out of the reach of the baby. 4 cm. From small objects should be kept away from babies and small children.
* Especially for children under 3 years you get toys, washable and flame-proofing should carry the distinction of being
* For children up to three years to be selected very soft cloth and plastic toys more money to be YAPILANLAR after three years for the plastic, wood, cardboard, etc.. materials can be used in making all kinds of toys.
* Can create a choking hazard, furry toys for babies under age 1 should not be given. If the hair structure of a toy that can be cut if they can be swallowed or a small child can block breathing.
* Small toys refrigerator should be kept away from magnets placed in the mouth and can swallow.
* Toys and components, and mechanical resistance to force against the firm should have.
* Toys should be on addressing the age-related indications.
* Toys, swallowing, inhaling or skin and mucosal tissue and in case of eye contact or physical health must be to not create a risk of injury.
* Toys must not contain the risk of drowning packaging.
* Water will be used in toys and children can stand on water surface in water must be designed to support.
* Into which you can enter the toys, must have an output that can be opened from the inside.
* Used by moving the toy in person, a braking system must be easily available.
* Projectile toys with, the people who use or are at risk of injury to others should not.
* Toys, children in the vicinity of flammable and explosive substances should not contain a dangerous element.
* Chemical test kits, plastic training sets, miniature workshops for ceramics, photography chemicals such as enamel and qualified packaging of toys
* “Attention, only (x) is over the age of children. Adults should be used under the supervision of a person” should have the phrase.
* Rink, on the registration record, such as toys, “Protective equipment should be used with the phrase” will be found.
* Electrical toys are serious risks. Not of great times, children should not play. 24 volt electric toys and parts should not exceed, Toys surface side of the conductor must be designed not to cause.
* Ingestion or the baby’s neck through may look for toys should be tied with string.
* Glue care must be taken in selection. “Sudden” or harmful vapors emitting adhesives should not be allowed to use.
* Children should be closely monitored many of the activities should not be forgotten. Especially in large and small children playing in a lot of accidents leading to injury occur is disposal of toys. The older a child’s toy, a smaller Keep out of reach of children.
* Be used if it was broken toy is not safe anymore. If not repaired them would be best to throw away.
* Small size, plastic buttons, which can break easily over the eyes, wheels or other parts of toys, easily swallowing a certain age group before can reduce the risks.
* Balloons that in some cases may be dangerous. Parts, or parts balloon burst balloon is not inflated, inflating the respiratory tract of children with sham can escape.
* Toys, neck and legs like strings or parts may not contain dollars. Larger than the 20 cm in children’s toys. To a long rope and belt should not have.
* Toys, children’s hearing function to disrupt the sound and noise produced characters.
* Feelings of aggression in children out there with weapons, swords, guns do not prefer such toys is recommended.
* Your baby brother or sister to play with the toys may not be secure. A toy that is safe for the 6-7 years age 1 may not be safe for the baby.
* Accident as possible to families, baby-child receive first aid training are recommended. Kids Safe-T ‘as a free edit of the “First Aid in accidents and Home Safety” seminar can join.

After you purchase a toy,

* Your child’s play toy box when not in use to be made to teach you or your child may fall on the press. Serious accidents caused by falling ladders and push the toy comes.
* Broken regularly check toys at the toy box.
The toys toys Pilli * every time you change batteries, do not use old and new batteries at the same time, the old batteries will be warm.
* Balloons burst or your child be extended at the right. Contain choking hazards.

According to Variety toy recommendations

* Beds are used for toys: Your baby sitting or hands stands is not suitable it can no longer use. 20 cm. from a long cord, lace should contain.
* Audio out toys: they may damage baby’s hearing system. Ear hold close to your baby’s toys and should not be allowed to run.
* Blow Legend: The rope should be careful not to move the baby.
* Swing: Scott should be sure and stable, adequate space must not be left around, should be used on a soft surface.
* Inflatable pools: whether as an inverted must be removed, emptied after use. 5 cm. above the pond for children in danger of drowning could be dangerous.
* Chemistry sets are suitable for children over the age of 10. The child must be accompanied by.

Toys Material Properties

* Paint the, sharp-pointed, made of glass or plastic can be brittle and easily break things with the metal parts do not recommend the purchase of toys for children.
* Toys made of natural materials should be preferred (clay, clay, plaster of sand, wood toys, etc.).
* Toys of the surfaces are smooth, should be easy to clean. Toys cutter, fragile and should not carry a feature occidental.
* Toys of the surfaces coated with chemicals harmful to children should not be. Surface of the chemicals in toys (varnishes, paints, coatings …), albeit in small quantities, can be harmful. Therefore, it does not contain chemicals harmful for children to choose toys certificated importance.
* Toys, disease and preventive hygiene conditions in accordance with the risk of catching germs must not contain radioactive substances.

Health

Top 10 Myths About Safe Sex and Sexual Health

Web of confusion

You know the best place to get information about your sexual health is from your doctor, but for whatever reason—convenience, privacy, or anxiety and urgency—you may one day find yourself searching the Internet for answers to intimate and important questions.

It’s great to learn more about your body and your choices, but explore those search results with caution: A recent Stanford University study on adolescent reproductive health found that health websites are often riddled with errors, omissions, and outdated advice, and that it’s not always easy to find the truth about common myths believed by many teenagers (and probably many adults as well!).

We spoke with Dr. Sophia Yen, MD, lead researcher of the study and adolescent medicine specialist at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., to get the facts behind these top sexual health misconceptions. 

MYTH: You can catch an STD from a toilet seat
Sexually transmitted diseases or infections can’t live outside the body for a long period of time—especially not on a cold, hard surface like a toilet seat. Plus, they aren’t present in urine, anyway (it’s usually sterile), so the chances of you catching one from whoever used the bathroom before you are slim to none, says Dr. Yen.

What you do need to worry about, however, is what may seem like benign skin-to-skin or mouth-to-mouth contact. Kissing, for example, can spread herpes (and deeper kissing can even spread oral gonorrhea and chlamydia, Dr. Yen warns), while skin rubbing together can pass infections such as genital warts, herpes, scabies, and pubic lice.

MYTH: You can’t get pregnant the first time you have sex
It may seem like the odds are in your favor, but there’s no reason to risk it: You are just as likely to get pregnant the first time you have sex as any other. “In fact, some statistics say that 20% of people get pregnant within a month of starting sex,” says Dr. Yen.

MYTH: You can’t get pregnant during your period
It is unlikely, but still possible—especially if you’re not using a condom or birth control. Some women have long periods that overlap with the beginning of ovulation, which means they can be fertile even though they’re menstruating.

Say you have a short cycle (21 days, for example) and your period lasts a week. If you have sex close to the end of your period, you could become pregnant since sperm can live for up to 72 hours in your reproductive tract.

There’s also the infamous late-in-life pregnancy that can occur during perimenopause, when periods are erratic. Experts say it’s not safe to ditch birth control until you haven’t had a period for a year.

MYTH: Women need a Pap smear when they turn 18
In 2003, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists changed its recommendation for Pap tests, also known as Pap smears; previously, the test was recommended immediately after a woman first has sexual intercourse or at age 18, whichever came first.

Now, Pap tests aren’t recommended until women have been sexually active for about three years, or until they turn 21.

An early Pap test may seem harmless, but the stress of needing a Pap—often thought of as an uncomfortable and invasive procedure—may cause young women to avoid their gynecologist or refrain from asking about birth control. Young women should be able to approach their doctors and discuss these issues without the scrutiny of unnecessary tests, says Dr. Yen.

Why the reason for the change? Most cases of human papillomavirus (HPV) clear up on their own within three years; it’s only the cases that stick around longer—and will be picked up by a later Pap test—that are real causes for concern because they can lead to cervical cancer.

MYTH: The “morning after” pill causes an abortion
Plan B, also known as the “morning after” pill, is not the same as RU-486, a pill that causes an abortion. In fact, if you take Plan B when you’re already pregnant—that is, if a fertilized egg has attached to the wall of your uterus—it won’t make a bit of difference.

In previous research, more than 30% of sexually active adolescents said that they believed emergency contraceptives induce abortion. And in Dr. Yen’s study, 10 of the 34 websites studied failed to mention the difference between the two drugs.

“No one likes the word ‘abortion’,” says Dr. Yen, “so I think a lot of websites aren’t going to state that Plan B is not, in fact, an abortive agent.”

MYTH: The “morning after” pill is not available to minors without a prescription
As of April 2009, Plan B is available to women ages 17 and up, nationwide, over the counter without a prescription. (You just need to ask the pharmacist.) It has been available over the counter for those 18 and up since 2006, while individual states could make their own rulings about availability to minors.

Nine states—Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Washington, and Vermont—have sold and will continue to sell Plan B directly to women of any age.

MYTH: Birth control pills make you gain weight
Although clinical trial after clinical trial has been unable to prove a correlation between oral contraceptives and weight gain, this is still a common belief among women of all ages.

Specifically, a review article published in 2006 analyzed 44 previous trials and found that while some participants did gain weight during their studies, there was no evidence that their birth control was to blame.

“We’ve heard from several of our patients that they’re concerned about gaining weight on birth control,” says Dr. Yen. “And no woman wants to gain weight. I’d rather prevent pregnancy than propagate a myth that’s not supported by science.”

One type of contraceptive that may cause weight gain is injectable depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), commonly known as the birth control shot. In a study published in March 2009, University of Texas researchers linked the shot to an average 11-pound weight gain over three years.

MYTH: IUD birth control is not safe for use in adolescents
Intrauterine devices (IUDs) are small objects inserted through the cervix and placed in the uterus to prevent pregnancy for up to 12 years. Because you don’t need to take a pill every day when using an IUD, it can be a convenient and long-term way to prevent pregnancy.

Outdated information suggested that IUDs may increase the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease in women under 18.

But as of 2007, ACOG has said that IUDs are a safe and highly effective birth-control method in most adults as well as adolescents—a population at particular risk for unintended pregnancy.

MYTH: If you get the HPV shot you’re safe from cervical cancer
Gardasil, the cervical cancer vaccine approved in 2006 for girls and women ages 9 to 26, blocks four types of human papillomavirus (HPV), two that most frequently cause cervical cancer and two that cause genital warts and abnormalities in Pap tests. But about 30% of cervical cancers will not be protected by the vaccine, so it’s important for all women, whether they’ve gotten the shot or not, to continue having regular Pap tests.

Although the vaccine is currently only approved for women under 26, it may also protect older women who are re-entering the dating scene after years of marriage (although it will likely not be covered by insurance, and the complete course of three shots costs almost $400). The vaccine is also being tested, and may one day be approved in, boys and men; this may help prevent the spread of caner-causing HPV to their female partners.

MYTH: Douching is a healthy way to clean the vagina
The vagina is self-cleansing, and douching actually causes more harm than good, according to The National Women’s Health Information Center. The natural bacteria found in the vagina help keep it clean and healthy, and douching can disturb that balance and spread vaginal infections into the fallopian tubes, uterus and ovaries. Additionally, douching does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy. In fact, douching makes it easier for a woman to get pregnant because it pushes semen farther up into the vagina and cervix.

Regular washing with warm water and mild, unscented soaps will help keep the outside of the vagina clean. Try to avoid scented tampons, pads, powders, and sprays, which can increase the chance of vaginal infections.

note

10 Medical Tests Women Need This Year

What health tests and checkups do you really need in 2010? We know it’s confusing, so that’s why we’ve assembled a team of top doctors and experts to help us figure out what medical exams women really need.

Mammogram
New rules: A government advisory panel recently gave annual mammos a thumbs-down for women ages 40 to 49 who don’t have an elevated risk of breast cancer. (Scientists are worried about overdiagnosis, false positives, and unnecessary biopsies and radiation exposure.) Now, only low-risk women ages 50 and older are supposed to get a mammo every two years.

But many doctors and cancer organizations disagree. If your breast cancer risk is elevated because of a personal or family history, yearly mammos starting at age 40 (or younger) are still advised. Talk to your doc during your annual physical about your cancer risks, and call her right away if you have any breast problems.

Skin check
More than 1 million Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year. The best way to catch it early—when it’s highly curable—is by checking yourself once a month for new or suspicious moles and by getting a total-body exam once a year from your doctor or a dermatologist.

Eye exam
If you wear glasses or contacts, visit your eye doctor for a vision screening every year; every other year if you don’t. Women are more likely to experience eyesight problems partly because they have higher risks for dry-eye syndrome and auto­immune diseases that affect eye health.

Hearing test
The standard for getting an audiogram, which checks your hearing at a variety of pitches and intensity levels, is once a year starting at age 50, when hearing typically begins to decline. But if you blast your iPod at full volume, you may want one sooner.

Periodontal exam
Once a year (at one of your twice-annual cleanings) your dentist should perform a periodontal exam, probing the health of your gums and taking X-rays. She’ll check for gum inflammation, which can contribute to heart disease and diabetes.

TSH screening
Cold, tired, achy, constipated, gaining weight—all of these are symptoms of hypothyroidism, a deficiency of the thyroid gland that strikes about 10% of women. It’s diagnosed with a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) blood test, given during your annual physical starting at age 50 (earlier if you experience symptoms).

Blood tests
After a baseline screening for cholesterol levels in your 20s, get one at least every five years. From age 40 up, get your cholesterol and blood sugar (to check for diabetes) tested every year because heart attack and diabetes risks rise as you age.

Pap smear
Starting at age 21, regardless of sexual history, women should have a Pap every other year to look for signs of cervical cancer. Those 30 and older need to get tested once every three years if they’ve had three consecutive normal Pap smears.

Colonoscopy
This test, during which a camera scans your colon for cancerous polyps while you’re sedated, is recommended for people 50 and older and should be repeated every 10 years (more often if polyps are found). Get a colonoscopy earlier if you have a family history of colon cancer, or if you have unexplained bleeding or other changes in bowel habits.

Depression screening
Simple questions from your MD at your annual physical can rule out depression, which affects one in four women in their lives but is often undiagnosed. Your doctor asks a series of questions about sleep troubles, irritability, and loss of interest in your favorite activities. Five or more warning signs could signal a problem. If you’re concerned about your mood, ask your doctor for this screening.

Some people check their appearance in any mirror, window or computer screen they can find, but not out of vanity. It’s because they hate the way they look so much.

An obsession with one or more bodily features, normally in the face, indicates a condition called body dysmorphic disorder. This mental illness, which leads some patients to seek multiple plastic surgeries, is not uncommon; 1 to 2 percent of the population is thought to have it. But most people who have the disorder don’t get a diagnosis; they just think they are ugly, said Dr. Jamie Feusner psychiatrist at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Some celebrities have BDD, but few have been public about it, Feusner said. He and colleagues have treated celebrities at UCLA, but cannot disclose which ones.

“Everyone else would consider them attractive — they don’t consider themselves attractive,” he said.

It turns out that people with this condition have abnormal brain function when it comes to looking at pictures of their own faces, according to a new study led by Feusner and published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

When viewing themselves in photographs, patients with BDD underutilize parts of the brain used in seeing the face’s overall shape and size, he said.

“If you just see the pieces of your face, and not seeing how they fit into the whole, then it’s going to look distorted,” he said. “That’s how we interpret the findings.”

Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to look at the brains of participants as they viewed photographs of their own faces and familiar faces. Subjects viewed pictures that were high spatial resolution (showing details such as skin blemishes), and low spatial resolution (showing the general shape of the face), and unaltered.

The findings showed that when the BDD patients viewed normal and low-resolution photos of themselves, they had abnormal brain activity in visual processing systems. Also, the part of the brain that helps guide behavior and maintain emotional flexibility, the frontostriatal systems, had unusual activation patterns.

“What we think may be happening is that they may be seeing details, perhaps even seeing details normally, but that they’re not able to contextualize it,” he said.
Although the sample size is small — 17 patients with BDD and 16 healthy people participated — for a functional imaging study a 32-person subject group is reasonable, experts say.

The study is “groundbreaking” in its demonstration that patients with BDD are too focused on the details aren’t able to see the whole picture when they see themselves, said Sabine Wilhelm, director of the BDD Clinic and Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, who was not involved in the study. This can be observed anecdotally in treatment, but this study confirms it at the level of brain processing, she said.

Feusner’s previous research found that when BDD patients viewed the faces of other people — not their own faces — the brain’s left hemisphere, associated with categorization and details, was more more active. Healthy individuals used the right hemisphere, the part of brain that processes more holistically.

It is too early to directly apply the findings to treatment, but one possibility is that patients with BDD could be retrained to see their own faces, he said.

Treatments available today for BDD include medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, also used for depression and anxiety disorders, and cognitive behavioral therapy, Wilhelm said. She also sees implications for treatment in the study’s findings.

“What we need to do in cognitive behavioral therapy treatment development is to really enhance efforts at teaching patients how to see the big picture,” she said.

Many people with BDD will try to have what they perceive as flaws — pimples, scars, birthmarks, or other features — surgically or dermatologically removed. But plastic surgery almost never fixes their unhappiness about their appearance: 81 percent are dissatisfied with results of cosmetic treatments, Wilhelm said.

“The problem is really on the inside, it’s not what they really look like,” Wilhelm said.

Besides seeking surgeries, other symptoms include frequent camouflage with makeup, compulsive picking of skin, and asking for reassurance from others, she said. People with BDD may also check their reflection to the point of endangering themselves while driving while looking at themselves in the rearview mirror, she said.

The likelihood of attempting suicide or being hospitalized is high among BDD patients. Not enough research has been done on the subject to determine whether BDD is the results of genes, environment, or some combination thereof. It is unclear which of these pathways led to the brain abnormalities found in the study, Feusner said.

Some brain patterns seen in BDD are also associated with obsessive compulsive disorder, although BDD is probably not a form of it, Feusner said. People with OCD tend to recognize that their fears and behaviors are excessive, whereas BDD patients are more delusional and are convinced that the ugliness they perceive in themselves in real.

BDD is also different than eating disorders because it is purely about an imagined appearance and not eating habits, Wilhelm said.

But Feusner does suspect a connection between BDD and anorexia, and his next project is a brain imaging study comparing patients with the two conditions. If you are interested in participating in this study, contact Feusner’s lab.

study finds

A 10-year study examining 4.9 million births in the 1990s has found more evidence that there’s a link between autism and the mother’s age at conception.

“The risk of having a child with full syndrome autism increases with maternal age,” concluded researchers at the University of California, Davis, who examined data from all births in their state for the decade. The findings are published in the February issue of the journal Autism Research.

The link between the parents’ age and children’s health is not entirely new. Prior studies have indicated that babies born to older women have higher risks of birth defects, low birth weight and certain chromosome problems, such as Down syndrome.

A 2007 Kaiser Permanente study conducted in California reported that autism risk increased with both the mother’s and father’s age. An Israeli study based in statistics from 1980s had isolated only paternal age as being linked with increased risk for autism.

Dr. Max Wiznitzer, a pediatric neurologist at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, said the latest research had a far larger sample size.

Autism is a growing disorder; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that one in 110 children had the condition in 2006. But its causes remain unknown.

In the latest study, researchers found that mothers over the age of 40 had 51 percent higher odds of having children with autism compared with mothers between the ages 25 and 29.

The father’s age also played a factor, but only when he had a child with a woman under 30.

“When the mom has minimal age risk of an autistic child, we do see increased risks as dads get older,” said lead author Janie Shelton, a graduate student researcher at UC-Davis.

It’s unclear why the mother’s age has more bearing in autism risk than the father’s.

The study authors emphasize that while autism rates have risen 600 percent in the past two decades, older women having children contributed to only 5 percent more cases of autism.

As more women delay childbearing, it’s important to keep the study in perspective, said Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer of Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization.

“When we look at that dramatic increase [of autism] over the last two decades, there are multiple factors that have contributed to this,” she said. “It appears that advanced parents’ age, not just mothers but also father’s, account for a very small portion of that increase.”

Shelton said older mothers should not jump to conclusions.

“I don’t think a mom blaming herself is going to help us understand what’s causing autism or help prevent further cases,” she said. “I would urge parents not to blame themselves, regardless of what age they are.”

Shelton and the co-authors obtained all birth records in California from 1990 to 1999 and then collected data from the state’s Department of Developmental Services to count the number of autism diagnoses from children born during that decade.

How parental age increases autism risks remains unknown, but several hypotheses exist. Some suggest that the cumulative effects of the environment, changes to the autoimmune system, stress and reproductive technology may affect autism risk.

“As people age, we know there are changes to our DNA that occur,” Dawson said. “There have been studies that show we have increased damage to our DNA as parents age. They’re more likely to have children of low birth rate and more birth complications. It’s not surprising that those factors would slightly increase the risk for autism as well as other neurological disorders.”

Despite the lack of concrete answers, Shelton said, the findings offer some hints.

“It gives us some clues where to look biologically,” Shelton said. “In an epidemiological study, age is a proxy for a lot of things. And so we’re trying to further understand why age might be showing up as a risk factor, because we don’t know the mechanism yet.”