That's Fit

Do you sometimes feel like marriage problems are inevitable? They might be -- recent studies show that marriage problems have been linked to a specific gene variation in males. The gene variation, involved in brain signaling, affected the ability to mate for life in rodents and experts believe that it may produce similar results in humans, based on findings that showed that men with the gene were more likely to be unhappy in their relationships.

Still, don't let these findings get you down. Marriage is hard but a little compassion, understanding and quality time goes a long way. Our Life Fit expert Laura Lewis has some valuable tips on how to make love last -- check them out!

It's still pretty summery in most places but soon enough fall and winter will be here, which means instead of cranking the A/C on your way to work you'll be hitting the seat-warmer switch.

Or maybe you'll want to think twice about that...

A recent study in Germany found that the heated seats found in more and more vehicles as a luxury option are not only heating people's chilly bums but they're also essentially cooking men's privates and causing them to have significantly lower sperm counts.

Of course this is really only an issue for guys who are trying to have a baby, in which case experts recommend wearing loose undies, making frequent stops on long trips, and trying to use the heated seats as little as possible.

Via Autoblog

Check out your fingers. Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? Mine is. Uh Oh. That means I have nearly double the chance of developing osteoarthritis, according to a recent study.

Size differences between ring fingers and index fingers have already been linked to sexual and physical ability and performance in university exams, but researchers have now discovered that arthritis might also be connected to the size of fingers.

Type 3 Finger Pattern is what it's called when people have the common male trait of a shorter index finger, and it's now been linked to arthritis of the hips and knees. More common in women than men, the mechanism that accounts for this finding -- and one linking this finger pattern with early onset menopause -- is unknown.

Sounds like I could be headed for future health issues. How about you?

Fitz and I both recently wrote about the purposeful and not-so-purposeful human consumption of bugs. Bugs are apparently a hot topic. More big bug news follows.

When I say "big," I mean BIG. Like 11 centimeters long big. Like hamster big.

A huge beetle was just found in London, on a boat delivering bananas from Costa Rica to South America. Animal experts have identified the bug as a male elephant beetle -- an endangered species from the rainforests. They're calling him "Bill" and have taken him to a zoo in Cambridge.

Bill has conquered one amazing feat: He traveled thousands of miles and was probably sprayed with a multitude of chemicals to ward off insects. And he survived. He was rescued just in time. Good thing for him -- the poor guy would have eventually been frozen along with the fruit on his journey -- and good thing for humans since one of could have one day discovered Bill amongst our bundle of bananas.

Moms who followed a "hearty" diet prior to conception are more likely to give birth to boys, according to a recent study. We touched on this here at That's Fit yesterday, but I thought I would go into some of the details I discovered.

The study found that, out of a group of women who followed a high energy diet (which generally included a daily bowl of breakfast cereal) around the time of conception, 56% had sons. Out of the group that took in fewer calories, including moms who skipped breakfast, only 45% had sons. The women in the first group not only consumed more calories, but but took in a large variety of nutrients.

Not everybody is sold on this theory, but there are some valid points to back up the findings.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, My question for you is: how can I lose weight when I'm no longer able to exercise due to a life time injury. I'm even stuck relying on the government for my income and food. Lisa

A. Hey Lisa. As if staying in shape isn't hard enough! Dealing with a disability truly makes weight management a challenge. It's not an impossible accomplishment though. It's just going to take a decent amount of education about nutrition for you, and an even greater amount of discipline.

Fitzness Fiends is a section devoted to you, the reader! We all have learned so much on our path to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! Fitzness Fiends are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect, some are not. All have health on the mind. Please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Chris Wilmont

Age: 34

Occupation: Claims Manager

How often do you exercise? Try to keep it between 4 to 6 times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Mostly weights, but I incorporate cardio to ward off bad doctor visits.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? The inspiration to feel good after accomplishing something for a better me.

All My Children soap star and Calvin Klein model Colin Egglesfield and I have been talking lots of fitness lately, so I thought I'd get his advice for stay completely gorgeous for the holidays, and making it to the new year without an ounce of regret. This is what Colin has to say:

"My tips for the holiday season revolve around the theme of "CALORIE CONTROL!" You can enjoy most of the same treats you traditionally desire if you simply use the lowest calorie ingredients available. And of course, I'm never too conscious of exact calorie amounts, that would drive anyone crazy, I just try to be sensible about what I order and try to eat small portions when possible. "

Here are a few tips that I try to heed:

1. Latte, cappuccino, and hot chocolate lovers be sure to use non-fat milk! I love cappuccinos, so when I do order one... I order it with skim milk. I try to limit my intake of coffee to only two or three a week. The rest of the time I drink herbal teas.

If you're of the male persuasion, you might want to serve yourself up some broccoli -- now. A new study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that men who ate broccoli just once per week were 45 percent less likely to develop aggressive prostate cancer than who ate it less than once per month. Cauliflower might do the trick too -- it cuts the risk by 52 percent.

It's the compounds in these veggies that seem to protect cells from DNA damage and appear to slow the growth of cancer cells. A half a cup is all it takes.

A good reason to eat your vegetables, right guys?

Is your man making you fat? I think we'd all like to answer 'yes' to that question and call the nation's obesity problem solved, and although it's not that simple for the world in your case it is likely that your guy is contributing to your weight gain. It's been found in studies that women gain weight when they move in with a man, which is likely due to the fact that couples tend to adopt each others eating habits and men burn an average of 26% more calories in a day than women do. Those extra calories burn away on him, but on you they park on your hips and settle in for the long haul.

Guy-proofing your diet isn't completely effortless, but it is easier than you probably think. Take a look at these tips, which address all of his worst habits (like skipping veggies and drinking a beer every night with dinner) and give easy advice on how to deal. And please share if you have any tricks of your own! Us ladies got to stick to together.

If you're a guy over the age of 30, there is a 25 percent chance that you have low testosterone levels, according to new research.

The problem is that these men probably do not know that they do have a low amount of testosterone in their bodies, since about only 1 in 20 shows signs of such a lackluster amount. Result: there are probably a lot of men who have erectile dysfunction along with a lowered sex drive -- and they don't know what is causing it.

So, before you order that pill of a TV commercial, you may want to see if your testosterone levels are low by visiting your preferred physician. If you're one of the 25 percent, then at least you'll know it and can take steps to "up the level" as it were.

Unplanned parenthood happens every day. Remember that whenever there is sperm and eggs there is a chance for pregnancy no matter what birth control measures you take. There is not a single birth control method on the market that is 100 percent effective from preventing pregnancy. Not even tying your tubes or hysterectomies are full proof. The only full proof method of not getting pregnant is to not have sex.

Birth control pills, one of the most effective types of birth control, can not be effective if you forget a dose. And even if you take it correctly you still have a slight chance of getting pregnant. Another traditional form of birth control are condoms. Latex and vinyl condoms will prevent STDs, including HBV and HIV/AIDS from passing from one partner to another and prevent sperm from gaining access to the female reproductive tract. Male condoms can be faulty and most packages warn of 85 to 98 percent effectiveness. Female condoms are another choice but are 79 to 95 percent effective but they will also protect against STDs, including HBV and HIV/AIDS. Spermicide, whether foam or film, only has up to 80 percent effectiveness and that is with perfect use.

Get to know your birth control options and facts. Here is a link to a chart produced by Advocates For Youth on the effectiveness of contraceptives.

I know there are men out there who cook. I hear about them from time to time, but where are they? They're like Loch Ness ... there's the occasional sighting, but never any proof that they really exist.

Well maybe you can make the legend a reality in your home by getting your guy into the kitchen. Wouldn't it be awesome if he was able (and willing!) to occasionally do the cooking? Try these 6 steps to get him there and let us know how it works out!

• Encourage him to cook what he wants to eat. It may take some sacrificing on your part since his choices probably are not your idea of ideal, but it's about the big picture.
• Help him if he needs it, but let him do it his way.
• Positive reinforcement works! Praise him generously, no matter how the meal turned out. If he feels appreciated he'll be more likely to try it again.
• Offer to do the dishes (I know, but it's better than doing the cooking and the dishes, right?)
• Review basic kitchen safety. If he's really new to the kitchen reminding him of things like where the fire extinguisher is and how to handle hot oil is a good idea.
• Review basic food safety. Nobody can hear too much about the importance of handling raw meat and perishable food items safely.

Weight loss programs have traditionally targeted mostly women, and understandably so as women make up most of the market. But the tides are beginning to change and more and more companies are realizing that men are interested in weight loss, too. Weight Watchers and NutriSystem are both changing their approaches to make things more "man friendly." Nutrisystem launched its Silver program designed for older men last year, and just a few months ago Weight Watchers also launched a website specifically geared toward men. As a result, both companies are seeing record numbers of men signing up.

Is this another sign of the increasing obesity problem, or are weight loss companies just finally wising up?

Is this true? Do men really have trouble and get confused in the grocery store? According to a new survey 71 percent of men have done some kind of shopping in the grocery store over the past three months (up from 41 percent back in 2002), and they aren't having an easy time of it. They have trouble finding things, are uncomfortable making substitution decisions, and (of course!) don't ask for help when they need it. And because they are so different from women in the way they shop, grocery stores (currently designed for women) often leave them feeling generally confused and even a little overwhelmed.

Unfortunately it's unlikely that stores will be making major changes anytime soon, since women still represent the majority of the shopping market. So, for now anyway, it looks like it's "sink or swim" guys! Good luck!