Sitting Can Kill You

I have an office job, which means most days I spend 8 to 10 hours in a desk chair - either at my desk of in a conference room. While I have lost 70 lbs in the last few years, which is sure to add to my life expectancy, it turns out my sit-down job may be undoing all of my hard work. Apparently, sitting is almost as bad as smoking... from a statistical standpoint, anyway.

In particular, the American Cancer Society study finds that women who sit for more than six hours a day were about 40% more likely to die during the course of the study than those who sat fewer than three hours per day. Men were about 20% more likely to die.

That large study focused on the numbers of people who died. Other studies have focused on specific conditions affecting the most Americans, things such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and depression. In those studies, too, extended periods of sitting increased risks of illness.

I used to work with a man who brought his own desk to work, so he could stand all day while working. At the time, I thought he was crazy. Now, I wonder if he wasn't a genius ahead of his time.

Prison is better than being without Health Insurance?

Color me skeptical, but a man robbed a bank of $1 and claims it was to get Prison Health Care. James Verone claims to have been out of work for 3 years since being laid off from his job at a Coca Cola plant, and is facing several challenging health issues.

In an interview with WNCN-TV, first broadcast Sunday, Richard James Verone said he has no medical insurance, but has an undiagnosed growth on his chest, two ruptured disks in his back and a problem with his foot.

The 59-year-old has no job and no money, so he said he decided to rob a bank in a bid to get medical care.

Last Thursday he walked into a branch of the RBC Bank in Gastonia, N.C. and handed a teller a note which asked for one dollar -- then he sat in a chair waiting for the police to arrive.

This looks more like a publicity stunt than a true cry for help to me, but it is possible I am wrong. However, I know there are a number of public and private charity organizations out there to help those without health care who are in dire need. And let us not forget that no Emergency Room can turn away anyone for lack of ability to pay.

If you are in dire need of health care - and are without insurance - I encourage you to let your needs be known to your local church and civic organizations. Let people help. Given the opportunity, Americans are known for their willingness to help their fellow man.

A real health care crisis - anti-venoms are leaving the market

I am thankful to live in the Northeastern USA, where poisonous animals are rare and pretty much restricted to "pets" bought by adventurous New Englanders. But I was shocked to learn just how many effective anti-venoms are going off the market because of a combination of unprofitability and FDA over-regulation.

Antivenom shortages are a surprisingly common occurrence. The entire state of Arizona ran out of antivenom for scorpion stings after Marilyn Bloom, an envenomation specialist at Arizona State University, retired in 1999. Bloom had been single-handedly making all the scorpion antivenom for state hospitals. Recently, Merck & Co, the only FDA-licensed producer of black widow antivenom, has cut back distribution because of a production shortage of the drug. In a 2007 report, the World Health Organization listed worldwide envenomations as a "neglected public health issue."

The latest "plague" is caused by a fungus

Those paranoid about health focus on the the potential for "germs" - i.e. viruses and bacteria - to cause illness. But we generally don't think that the humble fungus can also infect humans and threaten life and limb. A new fungal disease has appeared in Canada and is spreading into the northwestern United States, and it has a 25% mortality rate among those infected!

People can become infected with Cryptococcus gattii by inhaling the microscopic organisms—and there's not much you can do about it.

There's no vaccination or other preventative measure available for the new strain, though the infection can be treated with antibiotics, the study says. And "there are no particular precautions that can be taken to avoid Cryptococcosis," according to the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control. "You can, however, be alert for long lasting or severe symptoms and consult a physician (or veterinarian for animals) for early diagnosis and treatment."

Appearing several months after exposure to the fungus, the infection causes a bad cough and shortness of breath, among other symptoms.

Eating comfortably for $36 a Month

Nick and I have been having a little debate over whether it is hard to eat healthy when one is poor. I say that the poor have a hard time eating well, because they have to shop sales, eat at fast food, and are dependent oftentimes on the corner store instead of a farmer's market. Nick says it is merely a matter of priorities, and it is possible to eat well on little money if you make it a priority. So, I found this article to be an interesting addition to the debate. It discusses how to eat for about $0.33 per meal, by shopping smartly and choosing your foods carefully.

My own experience, and those of my family, still indicate it is hard for the average person of low means to eat well. But this article certainly makes the argument that it is possible, if you have the time and energy.

Cola Addicts Experience Weakness

During my weight-loss journey, one of the first things I did to cut calorie consumption was to cut out soda altogether. I like water and juices, so it has been easy to switch and it automatically has made every trip to a restaurant healthier by reducing the sugar intake. But a new study is showing that the only danger in cola is not sugar, but also a combination of problems which can lead to muscle weakness.

The first, a 21 year-old woman, was consuming up to three litres of cola a day and complained of fatigue, appetite loss and persistent vomiting. An electrocardiagram also revealed she had a heart blockage, while blood tests showed she had low potassium levels.
The second also had low potassium levels and was suffering from increasing muscular weakness. It turned out she had been drinking up to seven litres of cola a day for the last 10 months.
In a commentary on the paper, Dr Clifford Packer from the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Centre in Ohio relates the strange case of the ostrich farmer who returned from the Australian outback with muscle weakness. He had been drinking four litres of cola a day for the last three years and drank up to 10 litres a day when he was in the outback, causing a rapid reduction in his potassium levels.

I know several people who have switched from coffee to cola for their daily caffeine fix, because of the perception that it is healthier. I wonder how many of them are suffering from muscle weakness and have no idea that the cause is the fizzy drink in their hands.

Key to diet is calorie reduction, not carbs or fat

A new study claims that despite the popularity of low carb diets like Atkins and low fat diets like Weight Watchers, the key to dieting is simply reducing calories not reducing the KIND of calories in your diet.

The main finding from the trial was that diets with varying emphases on carbohydrate, fat and protein levels all achieved clinically meaningful weight loss and maintenance of weight loss over a two-year period. "These results show that, as long as people follow a heart-healthy, reduced-calorie diet, there is more than one nutritional approach to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight," said Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., Director, NHLBI.

Another important finding was that participants who regularly attended counseling sessions lost more weight than those who didn't. Dieters who attended two thirds of sessions over two years lost about 22 pounds of weight as compared to the average weight loss of 9 pounds. "These findings suggest that continued contact with participants to help them achieve their goals may be more important than the macronutrient composition of their diets," said Sacks.

My experience with weight loss says this study simplifies things considerably. The key is not to find the one diet that works for everyone, but to find the one that works for you. Each body and mind are different. For some, it is key to be able to "cheat" every once in a while with a sugary snack (Advantage: Weight Watchers). For others, it is key to be able to feel full all time time (Advantage: Atkins). For stil others, it is key to be able to appear to be eating normally, so that others are not aware of the diet (Advantage: simple calorie restriction). My body reacts better with no sugar and reduced carbs. Find what works for you. Don't worry about what is hot now, or what worked for your buddy. And on't neglect exercise!

Tracking Your Health

I discovered the other day that my blood pressure is currently high. Part of this is due to recent stressful events, but it also is due to my poor diet, lack of exercise, and weight gain. I tend to eat a lot of sodium and drink a lot of caffeine, so I decided to start tracking my sodium and cut back on my caffeine intake. The bad news is that sodium is in just about everything. The good news is that I rediscovered a tool and discovered another tool to help. I thought that other Mod-Bloggers might find them useful.

The first tool is for tracking. FitDay allows you to track the food that you eat, the activities you do, your weight, and your moods. It also allows you to set a weight goal and to journal. FitDay is completely free, though they do try to sell you their $20 desktop software. Selecting food in FitDay can be someone complex given the number of suggestions they give you, but if you know the nutritional information for what you are eating or drinking, you can create a custom food item.

This is where the second tool shines. My wife and I love our bread maker. Sadly, the recipe book does not include nutritional information. About.com has a free service called Calorie Count which is a great source for nutritional information. They have a tool there where you can enter a recipe, have it analyzed, and see the resulting nutritional information.

Fat does not always mean Unhealthy

I am working hard to lose weight and get into better shape, but I found this article on a new study on obesity to be very encouraging. It has found that fat does not necessarily mean unhealthy, and that with regular exercise overweight people can be more healthy than thin people who do not exercise.

Last week a report in The Archives of Internal Medicine compared weight and cardiovascular risk factors among a representative sample of more than 5,400 adults. The data suggest that half of overweight people and one-third of obese people are “metabolically healthy.” That means that despite their excess pounds, many overweight and obese adults have healthy levels of “good” cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and other risks for heart disease.

At the same time, about one out of four slim people — those who fall into the “healthy” weight range — actually have at least two cardiovascular risk factors typically associated with obesity, the study showed.

This, of course, does not let anyone off the hook. If you are severely overweight because you never get up off the couch, you are still living an unhealthy lifestyle. But it offers hope for those who are trying to lose weight, but never able to get down to the size 0 pushed by madison avenue. Regular exercise alone may make the difference between dying young, and living to see your great-grandchildren.

Biking Update - July 12, 2008

This was a definite good news-bad news kind of week. The good news is that after letting myself eat whatever I wanted on Sunday (my birthday), I gained no significant weight and the "shock" to my system got me losing weight agaun. The bad news is that after photographing a softball game on Tuesday (3 hours on my feet), my knee was really, really hurting badly. It may have re-strained it. Afterwards, I decided it was best to eschew biking to let the knee heal. Instead, I have been doing weights for my arms and crunches. So far, it has been working. I am hoping to get back on the bike tomorrow as we re-ride the Trumbull Trail, since it is not too hard.

I did get some cool biking-related stuff for my birthday as well. I got a stand-up pump from Nashbar, reflective snap-bracelets for night biking, and an iPod lanyard for biking. On the day of my birthday, we rode for a while down by the Shelton River as well, which had a wonderful breeze of the water. It was very hard staying away to let my knee heal. But another friend sprained his ankle to a similar level and his doctor made him use crutches for several days. So I figure it was wise to let it heal rather than possibly doing more damage. If it does not do better very soon, I'll probably have to see a doctor myself. But it is fine to walk on and merely aches, so I hate to bother a medical professional.

This coming weekend will have two highlights. The upcoming Trumbull Trail and hopefully the purchase of an iPhone 3G. We'll have to see if both work out. The good thing is since I already have an iPhone and it runs the iPhone 2.0 software, I have some time to let the lines die down a bit. But the new GPS capabilities will be useful on bike rides, especially to a guy like me with no sense of direction. Plus, there are lots of health and fitness-related pieces of iPhone software now to help track how I am doing with my weight loss.

Please be praying that I stay on track, but also am wise about how much to tax my body. I have a tendency to overdo things. And while I want to lose weight, I do not want it to be at the expense of long-term fitness.

Mythbusting Common Health Worries

Most people I know fall into one of two categories: (1) they panic over every new study which tells you that your favorite food causes cancer, or (2) they are so overwhelmed by the serial health panics that they simply have stopped listening. Well, Health Magazine is mythbusting today.

Myth #5: Feed a cold, starve a fever
The old wives' tale has been a staple since the 1500s when a dictionary master wrote, "Fasting is a great remedie of feuer."

The truth: "Colds and fevers are generally caused by viruses that tend to last 7 to 10 days, no matter what you do," Vreeman says. "And there is no good evidence that diet has any effect on a cold or fever. Even if you don't feel like eating, you still need fluids, so put a priority on those." If you're congested, the fluids will keep mucus thinner and help loosen chest and nasal congestion. A little chicken soup spoons in some nutrients, as well.

Let the relaxation and sanity commence... until the next health panic.

Crest Pro-Health can brown your teeth

I never had a big issue with bad breath (or else my friends failed to point it out) so it was not until relatively recently that I started thinking about mouthwash. Specifically, it was when my dentist began recommending it to patients as a supplement to brushing (NOT a replacement, I was told 10 times in one visit) to help ensure against gum disease. Well, I hated the smell and taste of listerine and liked the idea of an alcohol-free mouthwash. So I invested in Crest Prohealth. I decided this week to change brands after reading this horror story which is repeated by many, many reviewers on Amazon.Com

At the beginning mouthwash was fine. Nice not having the alcohol burn and the breath, that my girlfriend hated. So that was nice.
But after extended use for a month it stained in between my teeth brown. It looked terrible and it cost me a one hundred dollar trip to the dentist to scrape that junk off. The dentist advised that it was my mouthwash after hearing it was this Crest mouthwash that I was using.

Again, click over to Amazon.Com for more horror stories. It sounds like, in general, occasional use is not an issue, but if you plan to use it more than once or twice a week, you risk the dreaded brown smile. I am trying ACT! now, so we'll see how it goes.

Interesting analysis of "Universal" Health Care

This year, the candidates are talking a lot about Universal Government Health Care. The Democrats are saying that there is no choice but to go to a single-payer Government Health Care. The Republicans are saying that such a plan is sure to doom Americans to sub-par health care and long waiting lists. Both point to systems in Europe to back up their arguments, and it is hard to find any article which does not have a particular axe to grind.

That is why I found this article to be refreshing. Instead of arguing the pros and cons of Universal Health Care, this is a careful analysis of the differences between two different model of "universality." It compares the UK model - with long lines and general dissatisfaction - to the German model - with lots of competition and general satisfaction.

This kind of discussion reminds us that the debate need not be all-or-nothing, and that private health care need not be antithetical to making sure everyone who needs health care, gets it.

Fat People Actually Live Longer?

That is what a new study appears to be saying. The study followed a group of thin people, fat people, and obese people, and found that the fat group had far fewer deaths than the thin group.

But, contrary to expectations, the obese did not have an increased risk of dying from cancer. They were slightly more likely than people of normal weights to die of a handful of cancers that are thought to be related to excess weight — cancers of the colon, breast, esophagus, uterus, ovary, kidney and pancreas. Yet they had a lower risk of dying from other cancers, including lung cancer. In the end, the increases and decreases in cancer risks balanced out.

As for diabetes, it showed up in the death rates only when the researchers grouped diabetes and kidney disease as one category. Diabetes can cause kidney disease, they note. But, the researchers point out, the number of diabetes deaths may be too low because many people with diabetes die from heart disease, and often the cause of death is listed as a heart attack.

Talk about running contrary to general wisdom. Researchers DID caution people that mortality should not be confused with health, and many of the longer-living fat people had poorer health overall. But this study may well rewrite many of our ideas about how militant to be about weight control and body image.

Mandatory health insurance, good or bad?

Hillary reveled her newest form of healthcare "reform" today. Under her plan everybody would be required to have health insurance and there is an overly complex batch of red tape that goes along with the massive plan.

A Clinton adviser compares the plan's "individual mandate" -- which requires everyone to have health insurance -- to current rules in most states that require all drivers to purchase auto insurance, according to The Associated Press.

There is at least one problem with that comparison as far as I can see. First, you don't have to own a car - so consequently you don't have to buy insurance unless you decide to own a car. You don't really get a choice at living or not, so you don't really have a choice whether or not to get the insurance - it's pretty much a tax on living. For individuals this pretty much serves as a tax on living in the country. For couples and families the strain is extra because there're more people to buy insurance for. Secondly, part of the requirement for car insurance is about protecting those who are injured by your car. Aside from infectious diseases a person's health doesn't hurt another person. Requiring health insurance doesn't really protect other people - well as far as I can tell. And even at that, if i get TB from somebody else it's not their insurance that's going to pay my bills - I am.

I'm not really surprised by this plan, but it does smell horribly bad to me. She may say that this won't raise taxes or that the taxes raised won't be much, but no matter how you slice it it means more money the american public is being force to put out for something that is (or should be) by and large optional.

Painless Blood Sugar Tests?

Diabetes is a significant problem for many Americans, including a number of my family members and friends. In order to ensure that blood sugar is under control, diabetics have to regularly price themselves in order to draw blood and test blood sugar. It is a major inconvenience, and keeps many needle-fearing Americans from taking care of themselves. But now, a pain-free alternative may be on the way!

The size of a mobile phone, the instrument emits a weaker form of infrared, or near-infrared, which penetrates the skin on the finger and homes in on the bloodstream.
Out of the many components in the blood, the beam is able to identify bits of glucose through the frequency, or wavelengths, they transmit and the amount of blood sugar present would be displayed on the instrument in 10 seconds.

Both profound and profundly disturbing

Are foods getting healthier with the trans-fat ban

It seems the answer to that question is not as cut and dry as you'd think. Less trans-fat == healthier food, you'd think. But it seems that some food producers are simply replacing the trans-fats for saturated fat, which is only nominally better than the trans-fat it's replacing. Reading about all these chemicals and what they do to your body almost makes me want to eat raw like my mom, but then I remember how much I like steak and lobster and decide otherwise :)