The world seems to be going downhill fast. There’s bad news on the economy wherever you look. President Obama is signing the Stimulus Package and saying everything will get better, some time in the future. What does all this mean? It means more stress. People no longer have the confidence their jobs will survive. Their homes are at risk because there’s not enough money to keep up the instalments. How will people react? One of the reasons why we eat is fear. We associate food with survival. This happens because of the fight-or-flight reflex. When we anticipate the need to flee, the body releases adrenaline which controls appetite. In some, the result is people stop eating so they remain alert to their surroundings. In others, they eat to build up energy to use if flight becomes necessary. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s impossible for anyone on the planet not to be aware that smoking tobacco causes a number of usually fatal diseases. Almost every country has graphic pictures on the packets showing lungs riddled with cancers. The local Surgeon Generals plaster warnings alongside the pictures. Shops are often required to keep their stocks of cigarettes off the shelves so that impulse buying is ruled out. Age limits are more strictly enforced. Bans on smoking in public places are slowly spreading. Tobacco is heavily taxed in many countries so the retail prices are a deterrent. Even in the US, there’s major litigation against the tobacco companies for misdescribing cigarettes as “safe”. The most recent decision of the Supreme Court confirms an action over the advertising of “Lite” cigarettes can proceed. In short, everything that can reasonably be done, is being done to encourage people to quit. But millions of people still smoke. No matter what you say to people, nicotine is a highly addictive substance. Read the rest of this entry »