Wellnews by Scott LaFee

Ladies, listen up: The way to a man's heart may be through your stomach.

A study published in the Journal of Social, Evolutionary and Cultural Psychology says hungry men (we're talking literally, as in wanting food) prefer a romantic partner who is, shall we say, well-fed.

The finding confirms two earlier studies: a 2005 paper that found cultures with scarce resources typically hold heavier women in higher regard, and a 2006 report that found men with empty stomachs like their women with full tummies.

In that latter study, published in the British Journal of Psychology, it wasn't the stored fat that attracted men per se, according to researchers, but rather the aura of maturity that larger, taller and older women seem to embody.

The latest study mirrors those earlier British findings. College-age males surveyed who had not eaten tended to describe their perfect partner as relatively older, taller and heavier. The same did not hold true of hungry females, whose notion of the ideal man did not vary much with their appetite.

The scientists at Coastal Carolina University suggest the hunger-large woman link may have an evolutionary basis. In times of uncertainty or stress, larger women provide a greater sense of security, they said, noting that previous research had found that Playboy centerfold models tend to be older, heavier and taller "during historical periods of threat."

BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

You had more brain cells at age 2 than at any other time in your life.

GET ME THAT. STAT!

People who experience traumatic childhood events, such as domestic violence, divorce or a family member with mental illness, tend to die prematurely. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study of 17,337 adults in 1995-1997 found that of the 1,539 who died during this period, people who had six or more traumatic events in their childhood died almost 20 years earlier on average than those who did not.

NUMBER CRUNCHER

One Spinach Florentine bagel from Einstein Brothers (141 grams) contains 410 calories, 63 from fat.

It has 7 grams of total fat or 11 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

It also contains 20 milligrams of cholesterol (7 percent); 620 mg of sodium (26 percent); 72 grams of total carbohydrates (24 percent); 3 g of dietary fiber (12 percent); 5 g of sugar; and 17 g of protein.

LIFE IN BIG MACS

One hour of playing the accordion burns 122 calories (based on a 150-pound person) or the equivalent of one-fifth of a Big Mac.

MEDTRONICA

Medic8

medic8.com

Medic8 (medicate) is an all-in-one general health website featuring an expansive disease dictionary and links to specific topics like asthma, drug addiction and sports medicine. There are special guides on subjects such as how to travel healthy and weight-loss surgeries.

STORIES FOR THE WAITING ROOM

A new study says expectant mothers who eat excessive quantities of licorice during pregnancy may adversely affect their child's intelligence and behavior. Researchers say a component in licorice called glycyrrhizin may impair the placenta, allowing stress hormones to cross from mother to unborn child. The findings were based on a study of women who consumed more than 3 ounces of licorice daily during pregnancy.

PHOBIA OF THE WEEK

Cathisophobia — fear of sitting

BEST MEDICINE

A man walked into a psychiatrist's office with a pancake on his head, a fried egg on each shoulder and a piece of bacon over each ear.

"What seems to be the problem?" asked the psychiatrist.

Replied the man: "I'm worried about my brother."

LAST WORDS

This isn't Hamlet, you know, it's not meant to go into the bloody ear.

— English actor Laurence Olivier (1907-1989) to his nurse, who had spilled water on him

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM