VOA慢速英语2011--Brains Gain From Physical Activity by Ol

Health Report - Brains Gain From Physical Activity by Older People

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
Increasing evidence suggests that being active can reduce a person's risk of dementia. Dementia is the name for the effects of Alzheimer's disease, stroke and other brain disorders¹.
People may be considered to have dementia if they lose abilities in two or more areas such as memory and language skills. Other signs of dementia include a loss of ability to think clearly or control emotions.
The World Health Organization says about thirty-five million people worldwide are living with dementia.
Most studies of exercise and dementia depend on self-reporting -- asking people to report their levels of physical activity. Laura Middleton is a researcher at the Sunnybrook Research Institute and the University of Waterloo in Canada. She says there are problems with self-reporting.
LAURA MIDDLETON: “It does a very good job of capturing jogging, or biking or tennis but does a relatively² poor job of capturing low-intensity activity like walking or daily chores, which may also be important to the risk of cognitive³ impairment.”
So, Professor Middleton led a team in a new study to measure activity levels scientifically. The study lasted five years. Almost two hundred people took part. Their average age was seventy-five.
The people drank small amounts of what scientists call doubly labeled water. It contains forms of hydrogen and oxygen that can mark, or label, these elements within body water. This way scientists can measure energy use through urine tests.
Laura Middleton says the research showed that even low-intensity activity reduced the risk of thinking problems and memory loss.
LAURA MIDDLETON: "Those with higher activity energy expenditure⁴ had ninety percent reduced risk of incident cognitive impairment over the follow-up period compared to those with very low activity energy expenditure.”
The study is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
In a second study, French researchers reported on exercise and dementia in women with heart risks like obesity⁵ or diabetes⁶.
Marie-Noel Vercambre of the Foundation for Public Health in Paris led the study. The findings suggest that even a half-hour walk at a quick speed every day could lower the risk of cognitive impairment.
Dr. Eric Larson of the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle, Washington, wrote a commentary about the studies. He says the findings add to the evidence about the mental value of physical activity.
ERIC LARSON: "It's not obvious to people that exercise would make your brain healthier. And as each study does more detailed⁷ analyses of special groups or a different way of making the measurements, it just makes the scientific basis for this relationship a lot more convincing."
And that’s the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver⁸. For more health news and to learn English, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Jim Tedder⁹.
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Contributing: Art Chimes

1 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

3 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

4 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

5 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

6 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

7 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

8 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

9 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网