We often see celebrities go through weight loss transformations, with side-by-side comparisons of the before and after weight loss. But people often do not feel inspired or drawn to their stories as we all know that they have access to great personal trainers, high-end food products as well as better access to healthcare. But one story that was highlighted by Men’s Health in their ‘First Steps’ series can inspire many with the story of Simon Lafontant, who lost 150 pounds and went on to become a body builder.

Simon Lafontant, a 32-year-old from Calgary, had to deal with some serious health problems for a long time. These included low testosterone and Crohn's disease, which made his life difficult. But Simon decided he wanted to make a change. He got medical help for his low testosterone and then set a big goal for himself: to compete in a bodybuilding competition. He used social media to keep himself on track, and he ended up losing over 150 pounds and even winning the competition! His story is about how he went from struggling with his health to becoming a bodybuilding champion.

How A Disease Can Become A Turning Point

Simon talks about how he used to have bad habits and wasn't living a healthy lifestyle. This led to him feeling down, gaining weight, and losing motivation. Things got really serious in 2020 when his Crohn's disease caused him to be in the hospital for seven whole months. According to Mayo Clinic Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that is inflammation in your digestive tract which can be very painful and can cause people to need long term remission and time to heal the inflammation. Simon spoke about how he realized his poor lifestyle choices and being obese had made his symptoms worse!

While you may not wish to become a bodybuilder, there are many other aspects you can take away from the Simon’s story! Another trip to the doctors revealed that he had very low testosterone levels, which explained his lack of energy. This was a major turning point for him, as he finally understood some of the reasons behind his struggles.

What Role Does Testosterone Play?

One thing that made a huge difference in Simon’s weight loss journey was getting the TRT treatment for his low testosterone which had an almost immediate effect on him. He felt good, started enjoying things again, like going outside and working out. He also remembered how much he loved powerlifting and Strongman competitions, so this helped him get on to his path to bodybuilding and weight training!

Low testosterone affects both men and women, but in different ways. In women, it can cause low sex drive, tiredness, muscle weakness, trouble getting pregnant, irregular periods, vaginal dryness, mood changes like depression or anxiety, hair thinning, dry skin, and sleep problems. In men, low testosterone can lead to reduced sex drive, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, smaller testicles, hot flashes, and infertility. Other symptoms in men include feeling down, trouble concentrating or remembering things, and increased body fat. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor.

Screening for all men is "likely to cause more harm than good", says the UK National Committee. This recommendation is based on a clinical trial called Transform, which is now filling gaps in the evidence on how screening could be safely rolled out to other groups.

As of now, as per the recommendation, men who are between the ages of 45 and 61 should be screened every two years, if they have specific genetic mutations called BRCA variants.

The UK National Screening Committee recommends:

• No screening for black men due to "uncertainties" around the impact due to a lack of clinical trials in black men
• No screening based on family history

Why Is The New Recommendation Asking People To Not Get Screened For Prostrate Cancer?

As per the clinical study and the Cancer Research UK, of the 1000 men who get screened between the age of 50 to 60 for PSA test or the prostate-specific antigen test, around 100 have a positive PSA test. Of them, 34 have a positive MRI and receive a biopsy. Then only 28 are diagnosed with prostrate cancer. Of those 28, 10 are offered active surveillance, 13 are offered surgery or radiotherapy, and 4 need surgery or radiotherapy, while 1 need any other treatment.

However, the Cancer Research UK notes that while 1000 men are screening, and 28 diagnosed, only 2 lives could be saved, with 20 being over diagnosed, this means they have a slow-growing tumor that does not need treating, and of them 12 men will receive treatments that do not benefit them, rather harms them. These harms come in forms like being unable to control your bladder, or maintain an erection.

Is Prostrate Cancer Screening Recommendation Fit For All?

While experts say it is, patients are disappointed. Sir Chris Hoy, a terminal prostrate cancer patient says he was "disappointed and saddened" by the new recommendations as BBC reports.

However, Prof Freddie Hamdy, who is a urological surgeon in Oxford tells BBC: "The diagnosis of prostrate cancer in a healthy man is hugely disruptive event, with potential to affect quality of life, very significantly, for many years."

"It cannot be done lightly, men need to be really well counselled and informed before the 'snowball' starts. Before you know it, you are on the operating table having your prostate removed – and we see examples of that all the time," he said.

The screening committee’s decision is not final. It marks the beginning of a three-month public consultation period, after which the committee will reconvene and present its final recommendations to ministers in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Each nation will then make its own decision on prostate screening.

England’s Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he supports screening “if backed by evidence” and promised to review the data “thoroughly” ahead of the final guidance expected in March.

Reactions to the draft recommendations have been sharply divided. Cancer Research UK welcomed the consideration of screening for men with faulty BRCA genes and agreed that, for most men, screening could currently do more harm than good.

But others strongly disagreed. Sir Chris Hoy said he was “extremely disappointed and saddened,” calling the BRCA-specific recommendation “a very small step forward” that falls short. Sharing his own experience, he emphasised that “early screening and diagnosis saves lives.”

Prostate Cancer UK CEO Laura Kerby also expressed being “deeply disappointed,” saying the decision will “come as a blow” to tens of thousands of men.

Prostate Cancer Research criticized the move as “a serious error that ignores modern evidence,” calling it a missed opportunity for Black men and those with a family history.

Many people struggle to fall asleep because their minds race with worries about the next day or even old memories. To stop this mental chatter, some try complicated breathing exercises or relaxation hacks. However, a simple neuroscience trick involving temperature might help you drift off instantly.

Neuroscientist Kyle Cox suggests that you can fall asleep in seconds simply by placing something cold on your forehead when you go to bed. He explains that this method has been backed by sleep clinics and can be highly effective.

Sleep Hack That Could Help You Sleep Quicker

Researchers have learned that the temperature right on your forehead controls whether your brain stays active or decides to rest.

When the front part of your brain, called the frontal lobe, gets cooled down by even a little bit, just one degree, it automatically tells your body to start producing the chemicals needed for sleep.

The cold also quickly slows down all that busy mental chatter because the part of your brain that handles thinking (the prefrontal cortex) literally cannot work as hard when it is being cooled down.

A 2018 study published in the Sleep Journal also found similar results through a device that that cooled the forehead temperature as a treatment for insomnia. The device improved things like the time it took to fall asleep compared to the patient's own baseline sleep and the time it took to enter different stages of light and deep sleep (NREM Stages 1 and 2).

The two-night treatment helped patients fall asleep faster according to most PSG measurements and was safe. The researchers recommend more studies to see if this treatment works for the longer-term management of insomnia.

General Tips for Treating Insomnia

If you struggle with sleep, the NHS (National Health Service) says that often the best cure is to change your daily sleep habits. If you stick to a healthier routine, your insomnia usually gets much better over time.

Keep a Schedule

Go to bed and set your alarm to wake up at the exact same time every day, even on weekends. This helps set your body's internal clock.

Wind Down

Start relaxing at least one hour before you plan to sleep. This could mean taking a warm bath, listening to calm music, or reading a physical book.

Optimize Your Room

Make your bedroom a perfect place for sleeping. It should be as dark and quiet as possible. Use heavy curtains, blinds, or even an eye mask and earplugs if needed.

Get Moving

Exercise is great for sleep, but do it regularly during the day, not right before bed.

Be Comfortable

Check that your mattress, pillows, and blankets are supportive and cozy so you can easily relax once you lie down.

Things You Should Avoid For Better Sleep

To sleep better, avoid things that keep you awake. Stop smoking, drinking caffeine or alcohol six hours before bed. Do not eat a large meal or exercise intensely late at night. Avoid screens right before bed, limit daytime naps, and always stick to your regular morning wake-up time.

Researchers have recently found that looking closely at the shape of the main buttock muscle, called the gluteus maximus, gives important clues about a person's health. This muscle shape reflects key changes linked to how we age, our lifestyle choices, and medical problems like diabetes.

This new study, done by a team at the University of Westminster, is unique because, unlike older research that only measured how big the muscle was, the team used advanced 3D mapping to show exactly where and how the muscle shape was changing.

These shifts, either the muscle shrinking (atrophy) or becoming inflamed, are connected to things like being frail, the amount of time someone sits each day, fat storage and diabetes risk.

How Do Muscle Changes Indicate Diabetes Risk?

the research analysed a large dataset, looking at over 61,000 MRI scans taken from the large U.K. Biobank health database.

Along with the MRI images, the dataset also included detailed information on 86 different factors for each person, including their medical history, body measurements, and what kind of lifestyle they led.

By putting all this data together, the team was able to figure out which specific factors were strongly linked to changes in the shape of the buttock muscle over time.

The analysis revealed strong connections between muscle shape and certain health factors:

Fitness

People who were considered fitter, meaning they reported doing more vigorous physical activity and had a stronger hand grip, tended to have a greater gluteus maximus shape. This often means the muscle was larger and more defined.

Aging and Frailty

On the other hand, factors like getting older, being generally frail (weak), and spending many hours sitting were all linked to muscle thinning or shrinkage. This suggests that a lack of use and the natural process of aging reduce the muscle's size and fullness.

How Gender Affects Muscle Responses

A very important discovery was that the gluteal muscles don't change in the same way for men and women, especially when they are dealing with a disease. For example, men who were considered frail showed more shrinkage (thinning) in their gluteus maximus compared to women who were also frail.

When the researchers examined Type 2 diabetes, the difference was even more noticeable: diabetic men showed clear muscle thinning (reduced muscle mass), while diabetic women often showed enlarged muscle mass.

This larger appearance in women is likely due to fat building up within the muscle tissue, rather than the muscle itself growing stronger. These differences strongly suggest that the body's biological response to diseases like Type 2 diabetes may be completely different between men and women.

What Does Your Glute Shape Reveal About Health??

The researchers conclude that the shape of the buttocks, rather than simply its size, is more closely connected to fundamental metabolic changes happening in the body. Because the gluteus maximus is one of the largest muscles in the body, its health plays a crucial role in overall metabolic health.

These findings suggest that tracking gluteal muscle shape could potentially become a new way to monitor metabolic health and disease risk.