Health briefs

Nov 28, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Healthy lifestyle helps prevent diabetes

Berlin (dpa) - A healthy lifestyle can substantially lower the risk of developing diabetes, even for people with a family history of diabetes and therefore a genetic predisposition to the disease, according to Wolfgang Wesiack, president of the Professional Association of German Internists.

Wesiack cited a recent study involving some 115,000 male and 92,000 female participants between the ages of 50 and 71 that found normal body weight to be the most important factor in preventing diabetes. Other key factors are a healthy diet, regular exercise, moderate alcohol consumption and not smoking.

Someone who is overweight but unable to shed excess pounds should at least try to adhere to the other four preventative measures, Wesiack said.

Signs of adolescent PC addiction

Berlin (dpa) - Parents should take heed if their adolescent spends less and less time with his or her peers in favour of hours alone at a personal computer, warned Ingo Spitczok von Brisinski, a member of Germany's Professional Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy.

This behaviour, he said, could be a sign of computer addiction, whose symptoms are similar to those of a drug or alcohol addiction: restlessness, irritability, withdrawal symptoms and insomnia.

Alarm bells should also ring for parents if an adolescent who sits constantly at a computer develops problems with schoolwork and loses interest in relationships outside the virtual, online world. Feeling misunderstood by friends and family members is another possible sign of addiction.

Increasing preoccupation with the virtual world can prevent adolescents from being able to successfully manage everyday tasks. Those with social phobias or an autistic disorder are especially susceptible, said Spitczok von Brisinski. They can receive help from a child and adolescent psychiatrist.

Fluid intake important for seniors' teeth

Berlin (dpa) - Older people should take special care to drink sufficient fluids because they often have a diminished sensation of thirst, and a dry mouth can damage teeth, advises the Initiative proDente, which groups Germany's five major dental medicine and prosthetic dentistry associations. It noted that fluids stimulate saliva flow and assisted the self-cleaning of the teeth. Saliva helps prevent the buildup of bacteria, neutralize harmful acids and offset the loss of minerals in tooth enamel.