Benefits of a cold workout | Cuteness overload | Losing their kids to get them health care

The only way to get their child treatment was to give him up

NurPhoto/Getty Images Could Exercising In The Cold Make You Healthier? Is jogging in the cold this winter any better than hitting a treadmill in a warm gym? How about jumping into a frigid ocean for a swim? A Dutch athlete named Wim Hof claims exposure to cold water and cold weather can make us stronger by activating our brown fat, a special kind of fat that actually burns calories and warms you up. His approach, detailed in the book What Doesn't Kill Us, includes icy plunges and meditation and breathing exercises. But what do exercise scientists say? Read on for the pros and cons of joining your local polar bear club.   Disney Junior/Disney Channel via Getty Images When "Too Cute" Is Too Much Have you ever met a baby -- or a puppy -- and heard yourself saying, “You’re so cute I could just eat you up”? If so, you may be experiencing a phenomenon scientists call "cute aggression." People "just have this flash of thinking: 'I want to crush it' or 'I want to squeeze it until pops' or 'I want to punch it,' " says Katherine Stavropoulos, a psychologist at the University of California, Riverside. Stavropoulos wanted to get to the bottom of why people who would never really take a swipe at Bambi or Thumper, nonetheless feel the urge. As her research shows, the thoughts appear to be an involuntary response to being overwhelmed by a positive emotion.   Christine Herman/Illinois Public Media To Get Mental Health Help For Their Kids, Desperate Parents Relinquish Custody When Toni and Jim Hoy adopted their son Daniel through the foster care system, he was an affectionate toddler. They did not plan to give him back to the state of Illinois, ever. "Danny was this cute, lovable little blond-haired, blue-eyed baby," Jim recalls. But as Daniel grew older, he began to show signs of serious mental illness that eventually manifested in violent outbursts and nearly a dozen psychiatric hospitalizations. Doctors said he needed intensive, specialized care away from home — institutional services that cost at least $100,000 a year. The family had private insurance through Jim's job, and Daniel also had Medicaid coverage because he was adopted. But neither insurance would pay for that treatment. Desperate, the Hoys took the only path left to them, one that many parents around the country have been forced into: They relinquished their son to the state in order to get him the mental health care he needed. Read on for this heart-wrenching story from reporter Christine Herman of Side Effects Public Media. Herman explores the gaps in our mental health care system leading families to trade custody for treatment.   And more news on health and health care in America Here are a few more stories from NPR that you don't want to miss this week. Firefighters Have To Fight For Worker’s Comp For Their Cancer Before You Donate To That Medical GoFundMe Campaign, Make Sure It’s For A Legitimate Treatment This 28-Year-Old YouTube Star’s Happiness Secret Is Backed By Science We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots and follow us for daily stories at @NPRHealth. Your Shots editor, Carmel Wroth   You received this message because you're subscribed to our Health emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002