Where is workplace gossip apt to be rampant?  According to Arky Ciancutti, a Human Resources Consultant and author of the book, Built on Trust: Gaining Competitive Advantage in Any Organization, it's in organizations where there is little closure, commitment or credible promises.

If a workplace culture won't address a job-related issue, it creates frustration for the employee because there is no closure.  In turn, the employee sees co-workers as obstacles rather than helpers, and this creates an atmosphere ripe for malicious gossip.  To remedy this type of environment, open communication is necessary.  Establishing a committee to hear job-related issues is a good step.  Both the committee and the employee could do further research on the issue--to get at the truth.  "If employees don't know the truth, they'll create their own truth and sometimes it's a lot worse than reality," says a company VP for Human Resources.  At least get to the truth, so there can be some closure--and breed less gossip.

Employees at all levels need to understand how damaging workplace gossip can be.  Learning  communication skills can help all employees.  For example, knowing how to give constructive feedback is a lot less damaging to workplace relationships, and can help fix job-related problems, instead of employees blaming each other.  Employees who can go talk to the source of their frustration have a better chance of bringing closure to the issue and also finding the "truth."  This type of communication is healthy and constructive for employee relationships and for the productivity of the organization.

Source: Human Resource Executive Magazine, 1/2001

It seems like every few weeks, there's another story in the news about obesity in America. Does anyone know why Americans are so fat?
It's true. The latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta show an increase in obesity from about 12 percent of the population 10 years ago to nearly 20 percent now.

The reason? The short answer is a simple one: Obese people consume more calories than they burn, and the body stores the excess as fat. But the reasons behind this are, of course, more complex. Differences in a body's metabolic rate can have a big effect on weight gain and weight loss. Regular exercise, which helps build muscles, is one way to increase the body's metabolism. So, exercising more gives a one-two punch against obesity---the immediate energy outlay helps you burn calories you've consumed, and more muscle mass increases your baseline metabolic rate.

A recent study at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, reported in the medical journal, The Lancet, offers a suggestion for why some may be prone to obesity: It seems that obese people tend to have fewer dopamine receptors in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps produce feelings of satisfaction and pleasure. The finding is leading some scientists to believe that some people overeat to stimulate the dopamine "pleasure" circuits in the brain, just as addicts do by taking drugs. However, the findings could mean just the opposite- --overeating could cause a decrease in the receptors. Scientists just aren't sure yet.

Other studies have shown a link between obesity and insulin levels, and of levels of a hormone called leptin. As time goes on, more physical causes could be found for abnormal weight gain.
 

While scientists search for explanations for obesity, we can still do our part to live a healthier lifestyle: Eating at least five fruits and vegetables a day, keeping fat calories to a maximum of 30 percent per day, eating a wide variety of foods, and keeping simple sugars to a minimum. Regular exercise of at least 30 minutes three times a week is important.

Source: Chow Line, The Ohio State University
 
 

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