1 . Blame grandpa if you get fat eating junk food. It seems that the grandsons of obese male mice are more likely to be affected by a bad diet, even if their fathers are slim and healthy.

Last year, a study found thousands of epigenetic（表观遗传的）changes to DNA in the sperm of obese men, as well as differing amounts of short pieces of RNA, when compared with slim men’s sperm. Epigenetic changes like these don’t alter the code of DNA, but may affect how active particular genes are.

Now Catherine Suter at Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney and her colleagues have investigated the longer-term effects of father-related obesity by mating obese male mice with slim females.

They found that, unlike those of slim males, both the sons and grandsons of obese ones were more likely to show the early signs of fatty liver disease and diabetes when given a junk-food diet. The same effect wasn’t seen in daughters or granddaughters.

Even when the sons of obese males were fed a healthy diet and kept at a normal weight, their own sons still had a greater tendency to develop obesity-related conditions when exposed to a junk diet. However, the effect didn’t seem to be passed on to great-grandsons.

“This is good news because it suggests that the cycle of obesity can be broken,” says Suter. Her team’s research indicates that small RNA pieces in the sperm could be to blame, possibly influencing how a male embryo（胚胎）develops. Such studies highlight the importance of men’s health when reproducing, says Suter. “A baby’s health has long been considered the mother’s responsibility, but attention should also be paid to the father’s health.”

2 . Anxiety comes in many forms and can affect people in different ways. Anyone living with anxiety knows it can have a direct effect on the quality of life. The good news is that anxiety is treatable. The books below offer a variety of ways to deal with anxiety effectively.

Based on hard science and over 10 years helping people who suffer from anxiety, Barry McDonagh shares his most effective technique in this new book, which focuses on facing anxious thoughts and challenging them instead of trying to ignore them.

This book by Paul David is based on a combination of his personal story and the research he’s done on anxiety. He wants to give others hope that it’s possible to regain the life by sharing his story of recovery.

The book by David D. Burns can help you face up to and quickly defeat negative thoughts and emotions, such as shyness, public speaking anxiety and test anxiety, without lengthy therapy or prescription drugs.

In this book, Dr. Claire Weekes offers the results of years of experience treating real patients. With her simple, step-by-step guidance, you will learn how to understand and analyze your own symptoms of anxiety and find the power to conquer your fears for good.

The book by Trudy Scott shows that food impacts brain chemistry and emotions. It also offers lifestyle tips on how to reduce anxiety symptoms and how the food we eat plays a role in relieving symptoms.

3 . Dad had been a lumberjack (伐木工). As the years passed on, he became angry whenever he couldn’t do something he had done as a(n) _________ man. Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, Dad had a heart attack and was_________ into an operating room. He survived. But his passion for life was_______.

My husband, Dick, and I invited Dad to live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh _________air would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I_________. He complained at everything I did. I called a mental health center that recommended an article describing a group of patients under treatment for_________. Yet their health had improved greatly when given_________ for a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon and back home with a dog.

When I reached the house, I helped my_________ out of the car and said “Dad! Look what I got for you!” Dad looked, then pulled a face. “If I had wanted a dog, I would have picked a better one. Keep it to yourself!” Anger rose _________ me. “You’d better get used to him, Dad. He’s staying!”

Dad just ignored me, when suddenly the dog__________ my dad and sat down. Then slowly, he raised his paw...Dad remained silent. The dog waited __________. Then Dad was on his knees __________the animal.

It was the__________of a warm and loving friendship. Dad and the pet were__________throughout the next three years. Dad’s bitterness__________ , and they made many friends.