Good for your health? Socialising with your friends could burn more calories than running on a treadmill(dailymail.co.uk) |
Keeping a busy social life amongst lots of friends may keep people slimmer than spending hours on a treadmill, according to scientists. They say that socialising and meeting with friends helps boost levels of 'brown fat' in the body which burns calories to generate heat. Living in a stimulating, social environment was found to reduce abdominal fat in mice by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social stimulation aids weight loss by converting white fat into brown. White stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to generate heat. Converting white fat into brown is notoriously difficult, normally requiring long term exposure to cold conditions or activating part of the body's nervous system. However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown. The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those who lived alongside a greater number of mice, had more space and toys to stimulate them lost far more weight over the course of the study than their 'couch potato' counterparts. Study author Dr Matthew During, whose team's findings appear in journal Cell Metabolism said: I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs. Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socialising, he added: ‘It's not just a sedentary lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social engagement.’ Co-author Dr Lei Cao said: ‘Loneliness is a profound factor for cancer and death; it's on par with cigarette smoking. Social engagement is very important.’ (Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies)
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科學(xué)家研究發(fā)現(xiàn),與在跑步機(jī)上鍛煉幾個(gè)小時(shí)相比,跟朋友一起參加社交活動(dòng)更有利于保持苗條身材。 研究人員表示,社交活動(dòng)和朋友聚會(huì)能幫助提高體內(nèi)“棕色脂肪”的含量,這種脂肪可以燃燒卡路里,產(chǎn)生熱量。 據(jù)發(fā)現(xiàn),在興奮的社交環(huán)境中生活的老鼠,四周后腹部脂肪減半,即使它們的食量增大。 美國(guó)研究者認(rèn)為,社交興奮感可以把“白色脂肪”轉(zhuǎn)化為“棕色脂肪”,從而有助于減肥。 “白色脂肪”儲(chǔ)存卡路里,使人們長(zhǎng)胖,而“棕色脂肪”能夠燃燒能量,產(chǎn)生熱量。 “白色脂肪”轉(zhuǎn)化為“棕色脂肪”出奇困難,通常需要長(zhǎng)期暴露在寒冷的環(huán)境中,或者激活人體部分神經(jīng)緊張系統(tǒng)。 但俄亥俄州立大學(xué)的科學(xué)家認(rèn)為,繁忙的社交生活能更有效地促使“白色脂肪”轉(zhuǎn)化為“棕色脂肪”。 研究小組通過(guò)研究不同的生活環(huán)境對(duì)小鼠的影響得出了這一理論。 在研究期間,和那些總是呆著不動(dòng)的小鼠相比,有更多伙伴、更大空間和更多玩具的實(shí)驗(yàn)鼠減肥效果更明顯。 研究報(bào)告作者馬修?迪蘭博士說(shuō):“能減掉這么多體重,我還是很吃驚?!毖芯繄?bào)告發(fā)表在《細(xì)胞?代謝》期刊上。 在解釋新科技如何威脅到面對(duì)面的社交活動(dòng)時(shí),他補(bǔ)充說(shuō):“這不僅會(huì)導(dǎo)致人們更喜歡坐著不動(dòng),吃更多高卡路里食品,而且會(huì)使人們?cè)絹?lái)越疏于社交。” 合著者曹磊(音)博士說(shuō):“孤獨(dú)是導(dǎo)致癌癥和死亡的深層因素,相當(dāng)于吸煙。參加社交非常重要?!?/p> 相關(guān)閱讀 (中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津 Julie 編輯:馮明惠) |
Vocabulary: treadmill: 跑步機(jī),踏車,也可以用來(lái)指單調(diào)乏味的工作,令人厭倦的工作 couch potato: 是指長(zhǎng)時(shí)間呆在沙發(fā)上看電視的一類人,電視迷,也稱為“沙發(fā)土豆” sedentary: accustomed to sitting or to taking little exercise(久坐的,坐慣的) on par with: at the same level as someone or something(不相上下,不遜于) |