oh please!...the science behind celebrity issue 2
A Planet Science EXCLUSIVE publication.
august issue contents:
rehab and addiction
Revealed, the shocking truth how TV’s Mel copes with the stress of her hectic lifestyle. The ever-unflappable host of ‘Good Morning Planet Science’ is famous for taking everything in her stride. Now she confesses to Oh Please! magazine how her job has driven her to seek chocolate rehab.
Don't worry – stressed or not, no-one is be born to be an addict. There is no strong scientific evidence to suggest that a person can have an addictive personality, but watch out, there is also no evidence that any type of personality is immune from addiction.
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is there such as thing as an addictive personality?
It's difficult to separate the effects of personality on addiction from the effects of addiction on personality. However, psychologists have identified certain personality types that seem to be more prone to addiction than others. The so-called 'anti-social personality' seems to have the strongest link to addiction and is characterised by the inability to cope with frustration and the continuous need for easy gratification.
why are some people 'adrenaline junkies' and others aren't?
Whether it's jumping out of a plane or curling up in front of the television with a large tub of ice cream, there are certain activities that make you feel good.
Adrenaline is released in response to fear, stress, exercise or excitement – leaving you feeling alert and often with a slight nervous feeling. People who enjoy activities such as sky diving and white water rafting that stimulate large releases of adrenaline are often referred to as ‘adrenaline junkies’. But why some people are adrenaline junkies and others are not is not really known. It seems to be just down to personal preference.
what's the relationship between drug use and stress?
Exams, bereavement, divorce, work, unemployment. Stress. Stress is thought to be one of the main factors leading to drug abuse. However, drug addiction rarely comes about without previous exposure to a particular substance. If you take a substance that makes you feel good, the brain remembers the experience and in stressful times is likely to recall it. These substances could be anything from chocolate to cocaine – both stimulate the release of chemicals in the body that make you feel good – and people are prone to using such quick fixes to deal with stressful situations. Unfortunately, this relief is only temporary and many people find that to keep the good feeling they need to take more and more of the substance.
who's most at risk?
There are no certainties when it comes to drug use and addiction but there are a couple of factors that could make you more susceptible to addiction. These include:
1) exposure to an addictive substance
2) frequent consumption of an addictive substance
3) being male
4) having parents that suffer from drug addiction
But the most common cause of substance abuse in teenagers is thought to be peer pressure. If your friends and the people around you are taking drugs then it is much easier to join in then stand out from the crowd.
what is the scientific line between social alcohol or drug use and an alcohol or drug problem?
It's clear that a person can take a potentially addictive substance without getting addicted but the distinction between taking a drug socially and being addicted can be quite murky. A person is considered to be addicted to a substance if they:
1) experience withdrawal symptoms when not taking that substance
2) need to take an increased amount of that substance to get the same response as when they first took that substance
3) are unable to control when or how much substance they take.
how does rehab work in terms of the science of detox?
The idea of detox is quite simple – you stop taking the addictive substance. Unfortunately this is not an easy task and suddenly giving up some addictive substances can have deadly effects. Scientists have come up with many ways to try and make giving up addictive substances easier.
The first method is to prescribe a similar drug to take instead and then gradually wean the addict off the prescription drug. This method is commonly used to treat heroin addicts – prescribing them measured doses of methadone. Unfortunately this often leads to the person becoming addicted to the prescription drug.
The second method is to place the drug addict into a rehabilitation clinic where all environmental cues associated with taking the drug are removed. This normally works quite well, but the person is highly likely go back to taking the addictive substance when they return to their normal life.
The third fairly new method is to place the person on a detox diet and help them off the addiction using food and vitamins.
None of these methods are particularly successful – the main cause of addiction is not really known. There is a lot of research going into the biology behind drug addiction and once scientists understand this then a better method of detox might come about.
what is it about fame and fortune that leads to rehab?
Is there a scientific correlation between how much money you have and how prone you are to develop bad habits?
Ending up in a drug rehabilitation clinic is not a side effect of being rich and famous. Fame and fortune can make drugs more accessible and therefore make people more prone to addiction. It also allows people to deal with their problems in the relative luxury of a high profile rehab clinic and in full media glare. But scientific studies on rats suggest that a high social standing should make addiction less likely. It has been found that dominant rats have a much lower intake of potentially addictive substances than rats at the bottom of the hierarchy.
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yoga
Jenni has put her movie career on hold for a couple of years to really get in touch with herself. "I just worked too hard and had no time to figure out who I really am - I mean it was, like, crazy! So now I’m just kicking back, you know, relaxing – I mean TOTALLY chilling out – and doing a world tour in six weeks promoting my new video and yoga-wear range ‘BendiJen’."
The latest exercise craze seems to be yoga, everyone from Geri Halliwell to Sting is doing it. But what benefits does yoga have - apart from teaching you how to get your leg behind your head?
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There are many different types of yoga: hatha yoga, iyengar yoga and ashtanga yoga to name just a few. All types of yoga are very good for your posture, flexibility and balance - they also have many psychological benefits.
Yoga, no matter which type, is a great form of exercise and if you practise it enough you will develop a lot of strength in your arms, legs and postural muscles due to the strength required to hold some of the positions. Yoga classes normally also involve some meditating and relaxation which a lot of people find very beneficial. If you talk to anyone who has tried a yoga class they will normally tell you that they feel refreshed, relaxed and more energetic after a class.
However, yoga is not a form of cardiovascular exercise and so it doesn't exercise your heart or burn fat and as there is no impact in yoga it doesn't increase bone strength. Many celebrities rave about it but you will find that they also nip down to the gym on a regular basis for some cardiovascular exercise.
Regular cardiovascular exercise prolongs life as it reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes so if you practise yoga it is generally a good idea to do some form of cardiovascular exercise such as running or cycling as well.
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security
Fans Mark Morron and Simon Twerp are suing the teen pop sensation ‘SENZ-A-SHUN’ for not keeping their body guards under control when they played the NEC earlier this year. "We just wanted to get ‘Lis, Chlo’s and Yaa’s autographs with this pen which is shaped like a gun and these gorillas just leapt on us - don’t know why – we wouldn’t hurt a hair on their heads."
As any celebrity worth their weight in salt will tell you, there’s more to security than just having four large men standing outside your front door.
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body armour
Although it is likely to ruin the line of a Gucci suit, a bulletproof vest is an absolute must-have accessory for your bodyguards. Soft body armour, made of a material like KEVLAR®, which weight-for-weight is five times stronger than steel, can prevent bullets from causing damage. The bullet is caught in a net of KEVLAR® fibres that spread the force over a larger area, and stop it from entering the body.
So although the impact is still painful, the vest stops an otherwise lethal bullet and your bodyguard walks away with minimal injuries.
burglar alarms
A simple burglar alarm works by using two electrical circuits: one circuit for the sensor, the other for the alarm. Electricity will only flow when a circuit is closed. The sensor circuit's route passes through the door or window to be alarmed, and the electricity that flows through it powers an electromagnetic switch that keeps the alarm circuit open. The alarm will not work as no electricity can flow through the open circuit.
When the door or window is opened the sensor circuit is broken, and electricity stops flowing through it. Without electricity the electromagnetic stops working, and the switch springs back, completing the alarm circuit. The alarm now sounds, waking you, your neighbours and the police.
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botox
Siobhan Doherty, Shiv to her many friends, is bowing out of the long running soap hit Laboratory where she plays Professor Dervla MacHinnon.
She claims she’d like to quit before she becomes type cast but rumours abound that she has been overdoing the botox and her expressionless acting has earned this queen the royal elbow. See what you think from our selection of pics.
Botox: miracle cure or deadly toxin?
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Treating age-related wrinkles with botox is fast, painless and non-invasive, which makes it a favourite among those seeking eternal youth.
Injecting botox immediately relaxes the muscle and expression lines soften. But what is this miracle substance? It’s a toxin (botulinum) derived from Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium responsible for many cases of food poisoning. It can be fatal, if it reaches the respiratory muscles it could paralyse them.
Botulinum blocks the transmission of nerve signals by attaching to neurotransmitters. Ideally it should just prevent involuntary muscle contractions, like frowning, but in some it has a more powerful effect.
Botox injections contain tiny amounts of the toxin to ensure the effects are local and temporary. They wear off after a few months so patients have to repeat injections to stay looking young!
more than an anti-wrinkle treatment
As a beauty treatment, botox was a chance discovery. While using the botulinum to treat neurological disorders doctors noticed that injected areas appeared smoother. Botox soon became an obvious choice in cosmetic enhancement.
Scientists are testing drugs containing botulinum to treat a wide range of conditions, including migraines, back aches, strokes, Parkinson’s disease and even excessive sweating. Treatments rely on the toxin’s ability to disable the transmission of nerve signals in localised areas.
Although clinical trials show some positive results many questions still remain unanswered. It doesn’t seem to work on all patients so more research is needed into the interaction between botulinum and neurotransmitters. In addition, no one really knows what the long-term effects are of injecting this toxin into the body.
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liposuction
Voted rear of the year in 1994, Katie's perfect curves have attracted attention, sponsorship and record breaking modelling contracts ever since. So many women have been jealous of Her Perfectness, but now who’s the Butt of the joke Katie?
Liposuction is a technique for the removal of fat from specific problem areas. Small incisions are made in the skin over the problem area and thin metal tubes (cannulae) are pushed through them into the body fat. Tunnels of fat are sucked out by a vacuum pump attached to the end of the cannula. This creates a "swiss cheese effect" leaving some blood vessels, connective tissue and nerves intact.
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We all have parts of our body that we feel are less than perfect and would like to change. Liposuction seems to offer the perfect solution for our flabby bits without the effort of dieting or going to the gym. But how does it work and does it really get rid of those unwanted fatty lumps and bulges?
what exactly is liposuction?
Liposuction is a technique for the removal of fat from specific problem areas. Small incisions are made in the skin over the problem area and thin metal tubes (cannulae) are pushed through them into the body fat. Tunnels of fat are sucked out by a vacuum pump attached to the end of the cannula. This creates a "swiss cheese effect" leaving some blood vessels, connective tissue and nerves intact in the treated area.
is liposuction suitable for everyone?
The ideal candidates for liposuction are healthy people with an average body weight and no medical problems but with stubborn areas of fat they can't seem to shift by dieting or exercise.
are there any side effects and complications?
Damaging the tissues in the area being treated is unavoidable and so side-effects such as bruising, swelling, numbness and a general tenderness are common. The skin can also appear baggy as the volume of fat beneath it has been reduced and there can be irregularities in the contouring of the region. However, most of these side effects will have disappeared 6 to 12 months after surgery.
As with any surgical technique, complications can arise including infection, pulmonary embolus, deep venous thrombosis, bleeding, pulmonary oedema and even death. However, serious complications are rare and new techniques are thought to have a reduced risk of complications as they can be conducted while under a local rather than general anaesthetic.
does the fat return to the treated area?
New research has suggested that in adulthood the number of fat cells in our body is stable and these fat cells grow and shrink when you put on or lose weight. It is thought that the fat won't return to the treated area, but you if you overeat you will put it on somewhere else. Often one problem area is replaced by a new one.
how much does it cost?
This treatment doesn't come cheap, prices seem to start from around £1,500.
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