Chris Pratt Says He Doesn’t Mind Objectification: ‘I’m Using It to My Advantage’

Photo: Getty Images

It’s good to be Chris Pratt.

His blockbuster, Jurassic World, continues to break box-office records, he’s slated for upcoming roles in the sci-fi thriller Passengers (opposite Jennifer Lawrence, no less) and a remake of the 1960 western The Magnificent Seven, and according to Entertainment Weekly, the 36-year-old has become “one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men.”

How did Pratt get to be the new It Guy? According to the affable and admirably honest actor, much of his success can be credited to dropping serious poundage—transforming the less-than-toned body that he displayed as Andy Dwyer of Parks and Recreation into a ridiculously-ripped leading man who has muscled his way (quite literally) onto Hollywood’s A-list. Admitting that he once tipped the scales at 300 pounds, Pratt recently told Radio 4’s Front Row that since slimming down, “a huge part of how my career has shifted is based simply on the way that I look, and on the way that I’ve shaped my body to look.”

RELATED: Chris Pratt Recalls Life at His Highest Weight: ‘I Had Real Health Issues’

When the interviewer asks whether Pratt feels objectified by that, he said yes, noting, “I think it’s appalling that for a long time only women were objectified.”

Good for you, Chris!

Then he continues: “But I think if we really want to really advocate for equality, it’s important to…not objectify women less, but objectify men as often as we objectify women.”

Wait. What?

“There are a lot of beautiful women who got careers out of it, and I’m using it to my advantage,” he says. “And at the end of the day, our bodies are objects. We’re just big bags of flesh and blood and meat and organs that gives us to drive around.”

RELATED: Zooey Deschanel on Body Image: ‘I Don’t Buy Into That Skinny-Is-Better Mentality’

Look, Chris. We’re big fans. And you have every right to be proud of your hard-won physique. But you should know that being objectified is not all it’s cracked up to be.

See, superficiality has a way of biting you in your tight, sculpted abs, as many a good-looking actress has learned—the hard way—for decades. It’s all fun and games until the paparazzi sell a photo of your cellulite (do men even get cellulite?), or the Internet explodes with rumors about your paunch (though, fortunately, no one will be mistaking your beer binge as a baby bump). Or some director declares you too old at 37 to persuasively play the love interest to a 55-year-old (oh wait, that only happens to women).

Trust us, in a few years, you will tire of the boy-toy image and start demanding the same kind of respect—and Oscar-worthy roles. Then we’ll be hearing how you’re so much more than just a hot body and pretty face; much more multi-faceted than that guy who gets paid to run from pretend dinosaurs. You’ve got a lot going on upstairs, too! You’re talented, after all. Point is: soon, what you look like will be all anyone sees, and then you’ll know what the word “objectification” really means.

RELATED: Why Men May Struggle With Body Image Just As Much As Women

For now, though, we’ll give you a break. Not only do you seem like a genuinely nice guy, but you also happen to be married to the very cool Anna Faris (Health‘s April cover girl). We’ll chalk your curious and ill-advised remarks up to exhaustion from all those press junkets.

We’ll also admit we love ogling those newly-chiseled abs of yours. Chris Pratt, welcome to our world.

RELATED: The 5 Best Things Kelly Clarkson Has Said About Body Positivity

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Recently Bought Bottled Water From These 14 Brands May Be Contaminated with E. Coli

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A Pennsylvania company is issuing a voluntary recall of its bottled water from stores due to a potential E. coli contamination.

Niagara Bottling, which produces store-brand water for companies including 7-11 and Wegmans, said on their website that they pulled the products “out of an abundance of caution and in the strict interest of public safety” after being “notified that the source was potentially compromised.”

According to Niagara, there have been no reported illnesses.

RELATED: Health Benefits of Drinking Water

The E. coli was found in one of Niagara’s water supplies in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Niagara is recalling all of the water produced from their Pennsylvania facilities between June 10th and June 18th, which can be easily identified by a “best by code” on the bottle that begins with either an F or A (e.g. A610JUN152000).

E. coli is a strain of bacteria that, when consumed, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, aches, and, in more severe cases, life-threatening dehydration or kidney failure.

Several of the 14 supermarkets that sell Niagara bottled water, including ACME, Shaw’s, and Wegmans, have already pulled the water from their shelves.

RELATED: 6 Things You Should Know About Water (But Probably Don’t)

The water bottles were sold under the following names:

Acadia

Acme

Big Y

Best Yet

7-11

Niagara

Nature’s Place

Pricerite

Superchill

Morning Fresh

Shaw’s

Shoprite

Western Beef Blue

Wegmans

The incident serves as a good reminder that in some cases, bottled water is no safer than tap water. For more information on the recall, read Niagara’s full notice, including the specific codes to look for on any water you may have purchased.

RELATED: 15 Big Benefits of Water

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Pregnancy Results Good for Women With Controlled Lupus: Study

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Not long ago, women with lupus were often told pregnancy was too risky. But new research confirms that when the disease is under control, women usually have healthy pregnancies and babies.

The study, of 385 pregnant women with lupus, found that 81 percent gave birth to a full-term, normal-weight baby.

It’s not always an easy road, though, the researchers found. And some women — including those with high blood pressure and symptom flare-ups during pregnancy — had higher risks of complications, including pregnancy loss and preterm delivery.

Black and Hispanic women also faced greater risks than white women, for reasons that are not fully clear, experts added.

The study, published in the June 23 online edition of Annals of Internal Medicine, reinforces what many doctors are already telling women with lupus: If you plan for pregnancy and get your symptoms under the best control possible, your chances of a healthy pregnancy are high.

Still, that confirmation was needed, said Dr. Bevra Hahn, who wrote an editorial published with the study.

“The teaching that disease activity is an important harbinger of poor [pregnancy] outcomes was not universally accepted before this study, because of the limitations of prior [research],” said Hahn, a rheumatologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center.

“This study puts the matter to rest,” she said.

Lead researcher Dr. Jill Buyon agreed. “We’ve come to a time where we’re telling women with lupus, ‘Yes, you can become pregnant,'” she said. “This study provides reassurance that we’ve been doing the right thing.”

But just as important, Buyon added, the findings give a clearer picture of which women are at greater risk of pregnancy complications.

According to Buyon, that doesn’t mean a woman with a risk factor should not become pregnant — but that she and her doctor should be prepared.

“We’ll be able to use this information for counseling patients,” said Buyon, who directs the rheumatology division at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York City.

In lupus, the immune system attacks the body’s own tissue, and the onslaught can have widespread effects — damaging the skin, joints, heart, lungs, kidneys and brain. The disease mostly strikes women, usually starting in their 20s or 30s.

Treatment includes immune-suppressing drugs and other medications to control symptoms, which range from fevers and joint pain, to extreme fatigue, to depression and memory problems. Even with treatment, though, people with lupus often have symptom flare-ups.

“Twenty years ago, if a woman with lupus asked her doctor if it was safe to become pregnant, the doctor would probably say it’s too dangerous,” Buyon said.

The concern was both that pregnancy would exacerbate a woman’s symptoms and that her baby would be at risk. In recent years, though, doctors have learned that with the right care, women often have a healthy pregnancy.

The new study, done at eight U.S. and one Canadian medical center, is the largest one yet to follow pregnancy outcomes for women with lupus.

Overall, 19 percent of the women had an “adverse outcome,” such as stillbirth, preterm delivery or an underweight baby. But the risk varied depending on several factors.

The strongest risk factors were using blood pressure drugs or having antibodies called lupus anticoagulants, which can cause blood clots. Those women were seven to eight times more likely to have a pregnancy complication, versus other women.

In addition, while most women did not have lupus flare-ups during pregnancy, those who did faced a higher complication risk.

When it came to race, black and Hispanic women had higher risks: 27 percent and 21 percent, respectively, had some type of pregnancy complication.

Buyon said the reasons for the racial difference are unclear, but access to health care probably does not explain it, since all study patients were receiving care.

Hahn said she suspects genetic influences play a role — though environment, like diet or exposure to pollution, could also be at work.

As for the other risk factors, Buyon said more research is needed. She did stress, though, that in the case of high blood pressure drugs, it’s the underlying condition that threatens a healthy pregnancy.

“It’s not the drugs,” Buyon said. “We don’t want women to think, ‘Oh, I’ll just stop taking my medication.'”

She and Hahn both advised women with lupus work with their doctor in advance of becoming pregnant, to make sure their disease is under control. Certain lupus medications also have to be stopped before pregnancy.

Once a woman becomes pregnant, Buyon said, both her rheumatologist and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist — or obstetrician who specializes in “high-risk” pregnancy — should be involved.

“Be sure your doctor knows how your lupus is doing, and that you keep [the disease] as quiet as possible,” Hahn said. “Watch your blood pressure and communicate about it. Be sure your lupus anticoagulant has been measured, and discuss the various strategies you might choose with your doctor.”

Anti-clotting medications, such as low-dose aspirin, may be an option for women with lupus anticoagulant.

More information

The Lupus Foundation of America has more on lupus and pregnancy.

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Doctors Should Urge Against Pot Use During Pregnancy: Guidelines

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Doctors should discourage women from using marijuana during pregnancy, due to the potential effects that pot’s active ingredients can have on a child’s brain development, new guidelines state.

The recommendation was released Monday by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

“When you look at the evidence, it leads us to use caution in marijuana use during pregnancy,” said Dr. Jeffrey Ecker, chair of the AGOG Committee on Obstetric Practice. “For women who are pregnant or thinking about being pregnant, we would encourage them to discontinue using marijuana.”

Ecker is also director of obstetrical clinical research and quality assurance at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Studies show that children exposed to marijuana in the womb have lower scores on tests of visual problem-solving, visual and motor coordination and visual analysis, compared with kids not exposed to pot, the report states.

Prenatal marijuana exposure also has been associated with decreased attention span and behavioral problems.

“We think that it causes some changes in the development of the brain, and can cause long-term behavioral problems in children,” said Dr. Katrina Mark, an OB-GYN instructor at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug during pregnancy, with roughly half of female marijuana users continuing to use during pregnancy, the ACOG committee said in its new opinion.

Self-reported prevalence of marijuana use during pregnancy ranges from 2 percent to 5 percent, but increases to between 15 percent and 28 percent among young urban women who are struggling economically, the committee said.

Four states — Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska — currently have laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Another 19 states allow marijuana use for medical purposes.

Mark regularly sees pregnant women who use marijuana in her practice. Most use pot recreationally, but some say they are using the drug to deal with nausea or other symptoms of pregnancy.

“When we do universal screening, we find alarmingly high numbers,” Mark said. “My personal opinion is that the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana is making it more socially acceptable. But even though it’s being legalized in some places, that doesn’t make it safe for pregnancy.”

The ingredient in pot that causes intoxication, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), has been shown in animal tests to easily cross the placenta and get into the bloodstream of a developing fetus, the ACOG committee report said.

Besides potentially affecting a child’s brain development, exposure to marijuana in the womb also might make the child more susceptible to using the drug themselves when they grow up, the report added.

The nervous system of a human fetus can respond to the chemicals in pot within 14 weeks of gestation, and studies have down that 14-year-olds are more likely to be marijuana users if their mothers used pot during pregnancy.

The ACOG committee opinion, which will be published in the July issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, recommends that doctors counsel women to not use marijuana during pregnancy or breast-feeding, and to share with their patients the potential risks associated with pot.

However, the opinion also emphasized that women who report they are using marijuana while they are pregnant should be treated and counseled, not reported to the authorities for punishment or prosecution.

Both Ecker and Mark acknowledged that the committee made this recommendation based on evidence that is not overwhelming, given that few studies have been conducted on the effects of marijuana during pregnancy.

“For a lot of reasons, there aren’t going to be perfect studies here,” Ecker said. “It’s not a substance that’s generally prescribed, or metered and measured in a way that would allow the kind of analyses we would prefer.”

Paul Armentano, deputy director of the pro-marijuana group NORML, agreed that the evidence is scant, but added that “cannabis should not necessarily be viewed as a ‘harmless’ substance'” for pregnant or nursing mothers.

“Ultimately, treating cannabis like other legal, regulated substances means, in certain circumstances, discouraging its use among certain populations,” Armentano said. “Society makes such distinctions often, particularly in regard to the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, and no doubt one can argue that such distinctions also ought to be made for cannabis when the available evidence supports doing so.”

Women who are using marijuana to deal with morning sickness or other symptoms of pregnancy can be given other drugs that will deal with those symptoms just as effectively, Ecker and Mark said.

“If they’re using it for nausea, I offer them alternative treatments that have been studied and proven to be safe,” Mark said of her patients. “Marijuana is not the only medication we have available to treat these symptoms.”

More information

For more information on marijuana, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

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4 Essential Tricks for Staying Cool During Outdoor Summer Workouts

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Taking your workout outside is a fun, free way to make the most of the sweet summer weather, but as the temperatures start to rise, so can your discomfort factor, not to mention your risk of dehydration or even heat stroke. Fortunately, there are ways to keep cool while you exercise that don’t involve staying indoors and cranking the AC. Here’s the lowdown from fitness experts on how to actually enjoy a sweat session in the summer heat.

RELATED: The Summer Body Tone-Up Workout

Don’t wipe that sweat away

While your natural reaction may be to towel off, Jessica Matthews, the senior advisor for health and fitness education at the American Council on Exercise, told Health that letting perspiration stay on your skin will actually help you feel cooler. “It’s not just the act of sweating that keeps your body temperature regulated, but how that sweat is evaporated by the body,” she says. “Letting yourself sweat and letting it pool on your skin allows the evaporation process to happen, and that’s what keeps you cool.” Matthews also suggests using a spray bottle to mimic this feeling at the start of your workout. “Just a little mist beforehand gives you that feeling of a light sweat and that process of evaporation already happening, so that’s a great thing to do before you head out.”

RELATED: 40-Minute ‘Get Your Sweat On’ Cardio Playlist

Consider the heat index

The temperature reading outside is not the end-all, be-all when it comes to staying cool outdoors. Matthews recommends looking up your local humidity and temperature, then using a heat index chart, which measures the “apparent temperature” to gauge how hot it feels. Similar to how the wind chill affects how cold the temperature actually feels, the humidity can affect how hot a given temperature feels.

For days that the heat and humidity levels are high, Brendon McDermott, PhD, assistant professor in the graduate athletic training program at the University of Arkansas, recommends doing a lighter-than-normal workout if you’re going out between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., when the heat is more intense. “If you’re a runner that runs a six-minute mile, then taking it easy for you might be to jog rather than run,” he says. “Or if you’re normally a jogger and go pretty slow, perhaps you should switch out walking for jogging that day or go for a lighter bike ride.”

RELATED: How to Enjoy a Less-Stressful Summer

Wear breathable material

According to McDermott, lighter-colored clothing won’t make you feel any cooler in the heat than darker clothing. Instead, he recommends focusing on donning the right material. “If you put something on that does not allow you to sweat that is impairing your ability to get rid of the heat,” he says.

Cotton’s a prime offender, since it can absorb moisture and get heavy during your workout, Matthews adds. Instead, she suggests looking for gear made out of a polysynthetic blend, which is often found in “dry-fit” workout gear.

RELATED: 8 Gear Essentials for Summer Races

Stay hydrated

You know drinking water is key when you exercise, but what’s the right amount when you’re sweating bullets? Matthews recommends 7-10 ounces of water for every 15-20 minutes of exercise. But there’s no need to obsess so much that you’re sipping with every step. Says McDermott: “For safety purposes, drinking when you feel thirsty is fine.”

RELATED: 7 Easy Ways to Drink More Water

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6 Breathtaking Photos from International Day of Yoga Celebrations Around the World

Yogis around the world gathered yesterday for a collective namaste in recognition of International Day of Yoga. Missed it? No worries: The holiday was declared just last year by the United Nations after lobbying from Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi, and if these photos show anything, it’s that the inaugural celebration was a big success. Here are 7 breathtakingly beautiful photos of gatherings from around the globe that will get you excited to take part next year.

 

After giving a brief speech, Prime Minster Modi led a session of just under 36,000 people in New Delhi. Guinness World Records announced that the event broke two world records: one for the most yogis practicing together at a single event, and another for the most diverse bunch (people from 84 nationalities, total) to do yoga together at once.

RELATED:  Yoga Poses for Anxiety, Pain, and More

 

Ahh, child’s pose. More than 300 people joined a class in celebration at Asha Shala Holistic Yoga Center in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

RELATED: Which Type of Yoga Is Best for You?

 

A sea of yogis showed up to pose in New York City’s Times Square, transforming one of the busiest intersections in the world into a place of peace and stillness. A spokesperson for Athleta, which has hosted the “Solstice in Times Square” event for four years now (even before International Yoga Day was launched), told Health that at least 10,000 people showed up to celebrate.

 

Yoga underneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Need we say more?

RELATED: Sun Salutation: Step by Step

 

Here’s a snap from Yoga Day Festival, a free event that happened yesterday in Brisbane, Australia. Yogis also gathered around Australia in Darwin, Adelaide, and Gold Coast.

 

Two yogis in Beijing, China, celebrated by showing off some partner moves.

RELATED: 12 Yoga Poses For People Who Aren’t Flexible

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Can Smartphones Interfere With Pacemakers?

MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Another study suggests that smartphones should be kept a safe distance from implanted cardiac devices like pacemakers and defibrillators, in the rare chance that signaling “interference” occurs.

“Nearly everyone uses smartphones and there is the possibility of interference with a cardiac device if you come too close,” study senior author Christof Kolb, prior head of electrophysiology at the German Heart Centre, said in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

This doesn’t mean that people with implanted cardiac devices need to toss their phones away, however.

“Patients with a cardiac device can use a smartphone,” Kolb said. “But they should not place it directly over the cardiac device. That means not storing it in a pocket above the cardiac device. They should also hold their smartphone to the ear opposite to the side of the device implant.”

One expert in the United States agreed.

“There is no need for patients to be alarmed,” said Dr. Marie-Noelle Langan, who directs electrophysiology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

“The researchers showed that the potential impact of these devices is quite small,” she said.

As the European researchers explained, pacemakers might “misinterpret” electromagnetic interference (EMI) emanating from nearby smartphones as a cardiac signal, which could cause them to stop working.

Although this pause in function is only brief, it could cause people to faint, the researchers said. Meanwhile, an implanted cardiac device might also misinterpret interference from smartphones as a “life-threatening,” abnormal heart rhythm and deliver the patient a painful shock.

Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration already recommends that cellphones be kept at least five to seven inches away from an implanted cardiac device. But the study team noted that these guidelines are based on research that’s a decade old — before the advent of smartphones. Mobile network standards have also changed in the last decade, Kolb’s team said.

In the new study, the researchers tracked the effects of today’s smartphones on more than 300 patients with an implanted cardiac device.

Participants were exposed to the electromagnetic field of three common smartphones: the Samsung Galaxy 3; Nokia Lumia; and HTC One XL. These phones were placed on the patients’ skin directly above their heart device.

After being connected to a radio communication tester that functions like a mobile network station, the researchers analyzed how activities such as connecting calls, ringing, talking and hanging up all affected the cardiac devices.

These actions were performed at the maximum frequency known to cause interference, Kolb’s group explained.

Meanwhile, electrocardiograms of each person’s heart function was recorded continuously and monitored for any signs of a problem.

“From earlier studies we know that the most vulnerable phases of a call are ringing and connecting to the network, not talking, so it was important to analyze these separately,” study lead author Dr. Carsten Lennerz, a cardiology resident at the German Heart Centre in Munich, said in the ESC news release.

After conducting more than 3,400 tests on EMI, the study showed that only one of the patients was affected by interference caused by smartphones. This person had an MRI-compatible implanted defibrillator, which misinterpreted electromagnetic waves from the Nokia and HTC smartphones.

The new findings suggest that “interference between smartphones and cardiac devices is uncommon,” Lennerz said. However, it “can occur, so the current recommendations on keeping a safe distance should be upheld.”

Another expert agreed. “The risk of interaction between today’s smartphones and implanted cardiac rhythm devices is exceedingly rare,” said Dr. Nicholas Skipitaris, director of cardiac electrophysiology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Limiting exposure to high-voltage power lines over bike routes and walking paths and in utility substations is also important to help implanted-device wearers stay safe, a separate study found.

“High electric fields may interfere with the normal functioning of cardiac devices, leading to the withholding of appropriate therapy (anti-bradycardia pacing, for example) or to the delivery of inappropriate shocks,” Dr. Katia Dyrda, a cardiologist at the Montreal Heart Institute in Canada, said in an ESC news release.

“There is a lot of interest in using the areas under power lines as bicycle paths or hiking trails because it’s essentially free space,” she noted. “But patients and the medical community want to understand the risks. There are no recommendations from device manufacturers about power lines or higher electric fields.”

In that study, Dryda’s team exposed 40 cardiac devices — including pacemakers and implanted defibrillators — from five different manufacturers to electric fields up in a high-voltage laboratory.

The heart devices were mounted in a saline water tank at roughly the height of a person’s chest.

The electric fields only caused concern for devices programmed with certain highly sensitive settings, the researchers reported.

“There is no significant concern for patients with pacemakers programmed in the usual configuration,” said Dyrda. “For the minority of patients with devices in [what’s known as] unipolar mode or with very sensitive settings, counseling should be given at implantation or at medical follow-up.”

Patients with an implanted cardiac device do not need to avoid crossing under high-voltage power lines, but standing directly under them isn’t a good idea. Moreover, it’s best to cross under these power lines near the poles that hold them up, since the lines are higher at those points, which minimizes exposure to the electric field, the study’s authors advised.

This recommendation doesn’t apply to lines that power homes, since the electric field they generate is much lower, the researchers said.

“Patients ask us if they should avoid driving on roads that cross under high-voltage power lines. The answer is no,” said Dyrda. “If you’re in a vehicle you are always protected, because your car acts as a [protective] cage and shields you automatically.”

The study’s findings were scheduled to be presented Monday at the joint meeting of the European Heart Rhythm Association of the European Society of Cardiology and Cardiostim in Milan, Italy. Research presented at medical meetings is typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The American Heart Association has more about implantable medical devices.

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1 in 5 Teens May Be Bullied on Social Media

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — A new review suggests that estimates of cyberbullying are all over the place, ranging as low as 5 percent and as high as 74 percent.

But some findings are consistent: Bullied kids are more likely to be depressed and to be female, and cyberbullying mostly arises from relationships.

“When children and youth are cyberbullied, they are often reluctant to tell anyone,” said review author Michele Hamm, a research associate with the Alberta Research Center for Health Evidence at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada.

“Prevention and management efforts are likely necessary at multiple levels, involving adolescents, parents, teachers and health care professionals,” Hamm said.

Researchers launched the review to get a better understanding of cyberbullying, which they defined as bullying via social media and not in private conversations by text messages or Skype.

“We wanted to find out whether there was evidence that social media could be harmful to kids and if so, be able to inform future prevention strategies,” Hamm said.

The researchers looked at 36 studies, mostly from the United States. Of those, 17 reports examined how often cyberbullying occurred. The researchers found that a median of 23 percent of kids reported being bullied via social media. A median is not an average; it’s the midpoint in a group of numbers.

The percentage is derived from studies that had a wide variety of definitions of when cyberbullying had to have occurred to count, Hamm said. In some cases, researchers counted whether kids had ever been bullied; in other cases, bullying only counted if it was repeated, she said.

One expert thought 23 percent was probably an accurate assessment of the prevalence of cyberbullying.

“It would be easy, just from watching the news, to conclude that virtually every child in America is a victim of bullying,” said Robert Faris, an associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Davis.

“The prevalence of cyber- and traditional bullying will always vary based on the way they are defined, how the questions are asked and the time period in question,” Faris explained. “But regardless of these issues, only a minority of kids can be considered victims. So, the overall estimate is actually in line with other estimates of traditional bullying.”

The researchers also found an association between depression and cyberbullying, although it’s not clear if one causes the other.

“The associations between cyberbullying and anxiety and self-harm were inconsistent,” Hamm added. “Except for one, all of the studies that we found were only looking at relationships at one point in time, so it isn’t known whether there is a long-term impact of cyberbullying on kids’ mental health.”

However, Faris believes cyberbullying by social media poses a special threat to kids and is “probably a lot more damaging to targets” than other forms of bullying. “Harassing messages can be blocked, but public humiliation can’t be halted by victims,” he said. “And, of course, it involves a much wider audience.”

As for helping kids who are bullied, review author Hamm said, “Adolescents are often unaware that anything can be done about cyberbullying, so efforts should be made to increase education regarding how to address it and who to tell, focusing on both recipients and bystanders.”

Rachel Annunziato, an assistant professor of clinical psychology at Fordham University in New York City, said, “The best advice we can give parents is to frequently monitor their children’s Internet use… We are in a position to spot and stop this behavior or help our children if they are recipients of cyberbullying. Another thing we can do is ask about cyberbullying. Our children may not realize that we are aware of this.”

Faris agreed that parents must play a role.

“Kids do not tell adults about bullying. Not teachers, not coaches, not parents,” he said. “This is largely because they feel adults will not help and can make things worse. So, one crucial lesson is that parents should really monitor what their kids are doing online and on social media, and also ask pressing questions about how things are going at school and with friends.”

The study was published in the June 22 online edition of JAMA Pediatrics.

More information

For more about cyberbullying, go to stopbullying.gov.

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Even Slightly Elevated Blood Pressure May Pose Problems for Young Adults

MONDAY, June 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Young adults with slightly elevated blood pressure may be at risk of heart problems later in life, according to a new study.

Researchers cautioned that blood pressure on the high end of what’s considered “normal” should be addressed early on to protect heart health for the future.

“Our findings provide further support for the importance of good risk factor control early in life,” said study lead author Dr. Joao Lima, from the cardiology division at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“Many participants were not hypertensive at the beginning of the study; however, chronic exposure to higher blood pressure, even within what is considered the normal range, is associated with cardiac dysfunction 25 years later,” Lima said in a news release from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, where the study was published June 22.

Researchers followed nearly 2,500 men and women over the course of 25 years. They were between 18 and 30 years old when the study began.

During the study period, researchers looked at the participants’ health seven times. Part of their evaluations included blood pressure readings. Towards the end of the study, the researchers also performed cardiac imaging tests.

They found those participants who had slightly elevated blood pressure that was still considered within normal range when they were between 18 and 30 years old were more likely to have problems with their left ventricle once they reached middle age.

Though the authors only found an association rather than a cause-and-effect link, and while more research is needed to confirm these findings, they concluded that young adults with elevated blood pressure should not ignore it.

Journal editor-in-chief Dr. Valentin Fuster commented in the news release, “These findings bring into question whether blood pressure monitoring should begin in childhood, particularly in obese children.”

The researchers said young people can take the following steps to protect their long-term heart health, such as reducing sodium intake, maintaining a healthy weight and getting regular physical activity. They also suggest following through on any recommended medical treatments for high blood pressure.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on preventing high blood pressure.

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8 Seriously Adorable Father’s Day Pics Shared by Celebrity Dads

From first-time dads like Justin Timberlake to more experienced papas like David Beckham, celebs were seriously feeling the love on Father’s Day—at least according to their social media feeds. Presenting our favorite, most aww-worthy Instagrams of famous fathers celebrating their big day:

Kim Kardashian shared this sweet moment of husband Kanye West and daughter North reading together while also revealing that their second child is going to be (drumroll, please!) a boy.

RELATED: Kim Kardashian Opens Up About Her Struggle to Have a Second Child

The self-described “newest member of the Daddy Fraternity,” Justin Timberlake, showed off his baby, Silas, who shared his own sentiments on his bum!

Gisele Bündchen gave a Father’s Day shout out to her husband (and New England Patriots quarterback) Tom Brady with this pic of him sharing a kiss with their three kids.

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Nicole Richie celebrated her husband, Joel Madden, via this fun dubsmash trio of him and their two children, Harlow and Sparrow.

Drew Barrymore wished “all the wonderful fathers” a happy Father’s Day with a snap of her husband, Will Kopelman, and daughters, Frankie and Olive, enjoying some ice cream.

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David Beckham revealed his favorite gift of the day.

Blake Lively got funny in her ode to hubby Ryan Reynolds, with a caption reading, “Since the day our baby was born, I’ve felt so strongly in my heart that you were most likely the father.” LOL, Blake!

And though they may be consciously uncoupled, Gwyneth Paltrow still shared a sweet pic of her ex Chris Martin and their daughter Apple, noting, “Nothing like father/daughter love.”

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from Health News / Tips & Trends / Celebrity Health http://ift.tt/1J0gePA