World of Medicine

Families That Game Together Stay Together

Facebook games may actually do some good in your life. Researchers at Concordia University in Montreal found that while only 44% of 163 questionnaire respondents played social network games with family, those who did strengthened their connections. “Grandfathers are playing online games with granddaughters, mothers with sons. These multi-generational interactions prove social networks are tools that break down both communication and age barriers,” says study coauthor Kelly Boudreau.

Walk Off Sugar Craving

Exercise may be a valid strategy for managing food cravings. In a study at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, about 50 overweight participants walked for 15 minutes on a treadmill one day and remained sedentary another day. In both cases, they were given a test designed to trigger stress and were asked to unwrap a sweet but not eat it. After walking, participants reported fewer cravings during the test and while holding the sweet than when they didn’t walk.

A Little Grandparenting Sharpens the Mind

Spending just the right amount of time caring for grandchildren can keep the mind sharp and lower the risk of developing cognitive diseases, according to the Women’s Healthy Ageing Project in Australia. The study observed the cognitive function of 186 older women. The grandmothers who helped with childcare at least one day per week scored highest on the tests, while the women who spent five or more days a week with their grandkids scored significantly lower. The researchers suggest that feeling overextended dampened the mood of those grandmothers.