Stress is a complex phenomenon and each individual has his/her own level of stress tolerance. Exposure to stressors results in a series of coordinated responses often referred to as ‘stress responses’ which are composed of series of reactions in the body including alterations in behaviour, autonomic function, secretion of multiple hormones and various physiological changes in the body. There ar...

A growing epidemic is sweeping through the developed world, threatening millions with disability and death: obesity. ‘Epidemic’ may sound exaggerated, but the facts speak for themselves: 154 million people worldwide are obese—or more than 20% are over their ideal body weight—including more than 50% of all Americans. More disturbing is the prevalence of childhood obesity, which has jumped dramat...

'wake-up' to the situation at hand. When the threat disappears, the bodv chemistry returns to normal. But in the case of prolonged fear, whether caused bv an emotional stress or a physical threat, changes in body chemistry may be so frequent and acute that thev may threaten our health. For example, soldiers subjected to prolonged fighting?and thus prolonged fear and anxiety?underwent marked cha...

BACKGROUND Violent behavior among adolescents is a significant problem worldwide, and a cross-national comparison of adolescent violent behaviors can provide information about the development and pattern of physical violence in young adolescents. OBJECTIVES To determine and compare frequencies of adolescent violence-related behaviors in 5 countries and to examine associations between violence...

BACKGROUND Violence among adolescents has untoward psycho-social and physical health effects among this age group. Most of the literature on this topic has been from high-income nations, and little information has come from middle- and low-income nations. This study was done to assess the relationship between physical fighting and bullying victimization among Venezuelan school-going adolescents...

Cuban scientists have a tough time because of the isolation from the United States, but as Michael Gross reports, this has forced successful innovation in the biosciences with global potential amongst poorer, third world countries.