Author: Staff (Page 87 of 158)

      Winter Weight; Fact or Folly?

      December 22, 2011 /

      Does the cold weather increase your appetite?

      Cold weather, shorter days and plenty of holiday feasts contribute to winter weight gain but is it biological or just bad habits?

      Not all scientists agree about our winter food-seeking habits.

      “I’m not disputing the possibility that people eat more in the winter,” says Marcia Pelchat of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. But she says doesn’t think it’s a vestigial “chipmunk” instinct.

      Pelchat says another explanation: Our winter eating habits are likely born of opportunity. There is more holiday feasting, better leftovers, more grazing in the kitchen, and fewer opportunities for playing and exercising outside.

      Nutrition, Research, Wellness

      The Sweetening of America

      December 18, 2011 /

      A battle wages for your “sweet tooth“.

      Big corn manufactures are spending tens of millions of dollars to re-brand high fructose corn syrup.

      Sugar makers say the corn industry is making a desperate effort to salvage the product which consumers are increasingly avoiding.

      “The most widely used kind of HFCS may have disruptive effects on metabolism, as the body doesn’t utilize fructose well. In fact, regular consumption of HFCS may contribute to obesity.”

      The National Consumers League has sent a letter urging the FDA to reject the renaming petition and noted that the corn sweetener in question “has received much negative publicity over the last several years.”

      “Questions have been raised concerning potential links to obesity and a variety of obesity-related health conditions including diabetes and heart disease,” the letter said.

      “Some consumers are concerned about emerging science regarding nutrition and health effects of HFCS, while others simply want to avoid highly processed sweeteners in favor of more natural substances.”

      All sugars should be consumed in moderation and are best consumed in the form of whole foods such as fruits with the skin intact.

      Quality Control, Research, Resources, Wellness

      Surgeons Don’t Discuss Post Operative Options With Their Patients.

      December 18, 2011 /

      Surgeons don’t discuss options with their patients.

      The survey’s results, published in the Annals of Surgery, found that more than four out of every five surgeons discussed which forms of life support the patients would like to limit. But only about one half specifically asked about the patient’s advance directive, which can include restricting the use of feeding tubes and ventilators to keep a person alive.

      Wen it comes down to specifics, surgeons are reluctant to discuss directives which could greatly impact the care received if a surgery fails.

      Patients could be kept alive against their will leaving families with crippling medical bills.

      Doctors, Health Care Policy, Hospitals, Quality Control

      The American Lifestyle is Making Us Sick

      December 18, 2011 /

      The American lifestyle is the biggest threat that our nation faces today.

      Better treatments are saving and preserving lives, however, lifestyle and overall health does not account for any drop in fatalities due to cardiovascular illness.

      Lives may be saved but the quality of life enjoyed on an expensive diet of pharmaceuticals comes with it’s own disadvantages.

      The authors of the report, which appears online Dec. 15 in the journal Circulation, looked at seven markers of cardiovascular health: smoking, weight, exercise, diet, cholesterol, blood pressure and fasting blood sugar levels, as well as whether or not a person had a diagnosis of heart disease.

      Using those criteria, 94 percent of U.S. adults — that’s almost everyone — have at least one risk factor for heart disease. For example, one-third of U.S. adults have high blood pressure while 15 percent have high cholesterol.

      American’s demand for fast food and sedentary entertainment is undoing the health of men, women and children nation wide.

      Quality Control, Research, Resources, Wellness

      Dentists Could Provide The First Line Of Defense For America’s Health

      December 18, 2011 /

      Dentists may be the un-utilized answer to America’s health care woes.

      Trips to the dentist could include some basic primary screening of patients.

      It seems that people will forgo trips to their primary care physicians in a tight economy but trips to the dentists remain a high priority to consumers of health care.

      Dentists could perform such primary care as blood pressure monitoring and blood screening for high cholesterol and diabetes; catching symptoms early.

      Based on those findings, the researchers determined that 26 percent of U.S. children did not see a general health care provider (physician, physician assistant, nurse, nurse practitioner), but more than one-third (7 million) of those children did visit a dentist at least once in 2008.

      One-quarter of U.S. adults did not visit a general health care provider, but nearly a fourth (13 million) of those adults visited a dentist at least once in 2008.

      Eighty-five percent of the adults and 93 percent of the children had health insurance. This suggests that many of those who did not see a general health care provider may have had access to general care, but chose not to seek it, the researchers said.

      Health Care Policy, Health Insurance, Resources, Wellness

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