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Obama Hits the Gym 48 Days in a Row

CitizenSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:50:37 -0800

Obama Hits the Gym 48 Days in a Row President-elect Barack Obama knows that nothing beats stress like a rigorous workout, and between selecting his cabinet members, getting a head start on his plans for the economy, and traveling to Hawaii for his late grandmother's memorial service, Obama has continued to make time for exercise. In fact, it seems his commitment to fitness has only intensified as inauguration day draws nearer.

Top 10 Health Breakthroughs of 2008

LibertySugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:30:18 -0800

Top 10 Health Breakthroughs of 2008 Prevention has put together a list of the top medical breakthroughs of 2008. The magazine researched journals and talked to experts about how medical thinking changed this year, and particularly how those opinions affect healthy living.

Almost 20 Percent of Americans Have a Disability

CitizenSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 03:00:59 -0800

Fifty-four million Americans live with some sort of disability, according to the most recent survey — that's one in five Americans, or the combined populations of California and Florida. Some other enlightening facts from the survey results include:

46 percents of adults with disabilities are employed (compared to 84 percent of non-disabled).
3.3 million people in America use a wheelchair.
On average, people with severe disabilities earn $1,458 a month, compared to $2,539 without disabilities.
13 percent of children between the ages of 6-14 have a disability, which typically involves difficulty doing regular schoolwork.

More Americans have disabilities since the last survey in 2002, which found that 51.2 million (18 percent) Americans were disabled. Since the designation of "disability" can include a whole range of limits, it makes sense that a good amount of Americans live with some form of a disability. Still, do you find the survey results surprising? Do you know someone living with a disability?

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New York Weighs Tax on Non-Diet Soda

LibertySugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:01:00 -0800

Tough times have hit state governments, and as a result New York's Gov. Paterson plans to put his state's budget on a diet by cutting funding of education and health care. But he's also hoping lean measures can raise money — the governor wants to tax non-diet soda, that he claims will bring in $404 million for the state.

Other revenue-raising ideas include: requiring new license plates, reinstating sales tax on clothing purchases, and requiring Indian retailers to collect taxes on sales to non-Indians. Paterson has to get creative if he wants to reduce the $12.5 billion state budget deficit.

If New York is going to tax soda, should it just go all the way and tax regular and diet?

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All in Your Head: Should You Let the Internet Diagnose You?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:30:57 -0800

Headaches that are too sharp, too long, too concentrated make my head spin (add vertigo to the list). Maybe it's my first migraine? Or very first tumor? It could be anything. Anything! My acute and impending demise sends me straight to my safe place, the Internet, to disprove whatever disease I've concocted. Only sometimes, it doesn't quiet my fears. It makes them louder.

Cyberchondria sounds like a faddy, fake word for people who aren't ready to call themselves hypochondriacs, but it's actually a very real phenomena. People, including web-savvy Microsoft employees who were surveyed, tend to favor search engines over health sites like WebMD, and they search for symptoms not diseases. To find out why this can make matters worse,

Scientists Say Taking Adderall to Get Through Day May Be OK

CitizenSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:30:38 -0800

College students and other concentration seekers know it's not hard to score a 'script for ADHD drugs. Fidgety, disorganized, forgetful. They know the symptoms and they work the system.

But while using Ritalin and Adderall to edge out competition in school and life is nothing new (though the science journal Nature disagrees), a vocal group of scientists supporting it is. They argue that "cognitive enhancement" should no longer be a bad word because it's no different than using education, good health habits, and technology to get ahead. Another similarity? Access to prescription drugs requires a certain degree of privilege, too!

Opponents argue that it's cheating, unnatural, and on par with drug abuse. If they want to curb this trend, I recommend showing young teens Requiem For a Dream at just the right age. But until then, is it just best to accept and regulate it?

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Medical Marijuana Law Limited in California

LibertySugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 03:00:02 -0800

The California Supreme Court clarified the state's medical marijuana law yesterday, deciding unanimously that individual suppliers can be prosecuted even when dealing to patients with doctor approval. Sellers, who are not caretakers, or fellow medical marijuana cooperative members, will not be protected from the law.

Patients will most likely turn exclusively to marijuana collectives and cooperatives to get their fill. Opponents of the decision say that centralizing the source of the drug makes it much easier for federal agents to raid such dispensaries.

In 1996 California voters passed Proposition 215, which approved marijuana cultivation and use by those with doctor approval. But earlier this year, the state's high court ruled that companies could fire employees who test positive for marijuana, even if they had a doctor's recommendation.

Do you think the trend toward narrowing the legal use of medical marijuana puts the intentions of California voters up in smoke?

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Will Smoking Make Obama a Better President?

LibertySugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:00:17 -0800

Barack Obama may like to work out, but that doesn't mean he's snuffed out all unhealthy habits. Barack promised first-lady-to-be Michelle that he would quit smoking back in 2007 — that much we know. Yet it still remains unclear whether Barack successfully quit, and the president-elect hasn't given a direct answer, nor has the media demanded one.

While the country, not to mention Malia and Sasha, would probably rather Obama stop his unhealthy and life-shortening habit, Washington Post columnist Michael Kinsley thinks the country might be better off if he doesn't stress himself out with quitting. Yesterday Kinsley wrote:

Another question is what effect a president desperate for a cigarette and trying to quit might have on your life expectancy and mine. Obama's steely calm is now one of our country's major assets. If he needs an occasional cigarette to preserve it, let's hand him an ashtray, offer him a light and look the other way.

If Obama smokes while he's in the White House, I bet he'll keep it under wraps. Do you think a picture of the president smoking would shock modern Americans, even if presidential lighting up is in the country's best interest?

Obese Air Travelers in Canada Have Right to Free Seat

LibertySugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:30:34 -0800

As a tall woman, I am relieved when the seat next to me on a flight ends up empty, since the space I paid for is painfully too small. As of today, obese people flying Canadian airlines officially have a right to that extra seat, at no extra cost.

The Supreme Court of Canada declined to hear airline objections to the Canadian Transportation Agency's regulation that states that people "functionally disabled by obesity" do not have to pay for an extra seat.

Earlier this year the agency implemented the nondiscrimination "one-person-one-fare" policy because those with severe disabilities had limited traveling opportunities due to the doubled price of travel. Do you think the decision is a blow against discrimination, or the beginning of a slippery slope for troubled airlines?

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Could a Mandated Fast Food Ad Ban Cut Child Obesity?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:30:58 -0800

Experts have gone back and forth on whether the pause in kids' weight gains is permanent, but a new study shows a ban on fast food television ads could help reduce the number of overweight children in the US by 18 percent.

The study, which was compiled by the National Bureau of Economic Research, questioned whether government regulation (something that's been done in Sweden, Norway and Finland) could help the US trim the unhealthy fat off children.

Estimates suggest 13.9 percent of children aged two to five are overweight and 18.8 percent of those aged six to 11 are as well. Exposure to TV is known to raise obesity rates and the Institute of Medicine put together evidence linking food advertising on television and increased childhood obesity.

Fifty-six percent of CitizenSugar readers believe the lull in childhood obesity is one thing, but kids are still too far from having healthy habits. Do you think government regulation of fast food ads help tip the scales in the right direction?

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Girl Refuses Heart Transplant — Should Doctors Step In?

LibertySugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:30:27 -0800

Hannah, a 13-year-old British girl suffering from leukemia and a heart condition, has declined a heart transplant. Her refusal could ultimately lead to her death. After the hospital originally threatened to take legal action to force her to obtain the surgery, medical professionals had a change of heart. The doctors interviewed Hannah and realized that she had made a thought-out decision to forgo the risky surgery. Speaking about her decision, Hannah said:

I've been in the hospital too much — I've had too much trauma. I don't want this, and it's my choice not to have it. . . . I just decided there were too many risks, and even if I took it there might be a bad outcome. There is a chance that I may be OK, and there's a chance that I may not be as well as I could be, but I'm willing to take that chance.

Hannah has already undergone almost 12 surgeries, and the current operation could require her to take medications for the rest of her life that have serious side effects. To find out when UK doctors would turn to the courts,

UK Won't Clarify Assisted Suicide Law For Sick Woman

LibertySugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:00:56 -0700

Debbie Purdy is 45 and suffering from debilitating and progressive multiple sclerosis. Worried that her husband would be prosecuted in the UK if he traveled with her to Switzerland so she could die, Debbie asked the public prosecutor for a legal opinion. When the prosecutor refused clarification of the UK's assisted suicide law, she went to the High Court to argue that her human rights were violated because she was not provided guidance. This week, the UK High Court ruled against her, and Debbie says she still does not know whether her husband will be prosecuted if he helps her commit suicide abroad.

The court explained that the ambiguity in the law was there on purpose: "The offence of assisted suicide is very widely drawn to cover all manner of different circumstances — only Parliament can change it."

To find out how UK courts have treated previous citizens that went abroad with relatives to help them die,

Front Page: Strike Kills Taliban Leader, Protesters Attack UN in Congo, AIDS Treatment Should Start Sooner

CitizenSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:00:26 -0700

Strike Kills Taliban Leader:
An missile strike thought to be from the US has killed 20, including a top Taliban commander in Pakistan. Mohammed Omar was killed when the missile, fired from a pilotless drone, hit his compound in South Waziristan. Omar fought with the Taliban in the late 1990s. The US has launched an increasing number of missile strikes from Afghanistan against suspected militants.

Protesters Attack UN in Congo:
Thousands of protesters attacked the UN headquarters in eastern Congo today rallying against the UN peacekeeping force that has been unable to protect residents from rebel attacks that have forced tens of thousands to flee. Thousands of refugees continued to flee as protesters threw rocks at the UN compound.

AIDS Treatment Should Start Sooner:
A new study recommends that people who have the AIDS virus should start treatment sooner than current guidelines suggest. Delaying treatment until the immune system is badly damaged almost doubles the risk of dying in the next few years. There was a 70 percent improvement in patients who started therapy early. Approximately 56,000 Americans are infected with HIV every year.

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Front Page: 50% of Doctors Give Placebos, ACORN's Tally Hugely Overstated, Obama's Fundraising Drops 50%

CitizenSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:58:18 -0700

50% of Doctors Give Placebos:
A nationwide study just found that half of all American doctors routinely prescribe placebos. Studies in other countries have found similar results. The most common placebos prescribed are headache and vitamin pills, though stronger drugs have been faked too. 95 percent of doctors prescribing them don't identify them as fake, leading to ethical and trust issues.

ACORN's Tally Hugely Overstated:
Though the community organizing group ACORN stated they had registered 1.3 million new voters, the real number is actually closer to 450,000. The overstated count is due to already registered voters changing their address, and 400,000 registrations rejected by election officials, a faulty rate of 30 percent.

Obama's Fundraising Drops 50%:
Obama reports spending $105 million in the first two weeks of October, while raising $36 million during the same period — a reduction of 50 percent from September. Obama and the DNC have approximately $95 million left. McCain and the RNC report $84 million on hand with restricted spending coming from accepting public financing. McCain is currently spending approximately $1.5 million per day.

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NYT Raises Questions About Candidates' Health

LibertySugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:45:00 -0700

Today's New York Times outlined the known state of all four candidates' health. While it dedicated a section to each, the report clearly raised new questions about John McCain's chances of melanoma recurrence.

Here is a look at how the paper of record summarized the medical records:

McCain: Wounds from untreated injuries and torture while a POW mean McCain may eventually need joint replacements. Inconsistencies about the severity of McCain's melanoma skin cancer, make the probability of recurrence unknown. A reclassification of severity, called for by some experts, would change his statistical odds for survival at 10 years from about 60 percent to 36 percent. He has had no recurrence for eight years; but the 10th anniversary, which would be in 2010, is an important benchmark.
Obama: Obama’s campaign released a one-page letter from his doctor citing Obama’s “excellent health," last May and a series of test results last week. Obama has one medical issue, which is a difficulty in stopping smoking. Obama began smoking 20 years ago, trying several times since to quit. Obama, who decided to quit before running for president, has used Nicorette gum “with success," according to his doctor.

To see what the paper's doctor-turned-reporter summed up about the VP nominees,

High School Establishes HIV-Testing Center After Exposure

CitizenSugar — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Normandy High School in St. Louis, MO, sent notes home with students this week warning them of a potential outbreak of HIV. The county health department traced a positive test back to the high school and determined that several students may have been exposed, the first time such an investigation had led to a school, according to officials. The understandably frightening newsletter, much more serious than the "head lice" letters of yore, has caused a panic.

The health department spokesman said, "There is concern, but we really don't want to raise alarms here. This is not some major new outbreak or method of transmission, and there's no evidence to suggest it was deliberately being spread." Despite his efforts at reassurance, speculation over who has it is rampant. The school is establishing a testing center, though the mostly sexually-active student body is split over whether to get tested, many are opting to even though according to one student, "most of them know to use condoms."

The school fears the stigma of the publicity with one junior saying, "But now people are going to say, 'He goes to Normandy, he has AIDS.'" Currently about five percent of HIV cases in St. Louis are diagnosed to teenagers. Is transparency and testing in the school the safest and smartest idea? What about privacy implications? How did we make the jump from head lice to HIV?

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Study: 8 Out Of 10 Americans Are Stressed

CitizenSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:55:06 -0700

Study: 8 Out of 10 Americans Are Stressed If you're lying awake at night, feeling angry or fatigued, because of stress, you're in the majority, according to a nationwide report released Tuesday. As many as 80 percent of Americans are stressed about their personal finances and the economy, according to the annual survey conducted by the American Psychological Association.

Andorrans Live Longer: Is It the Peace, Cheese and Wine?

LibertySugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 10:00:22 -0700

Andorra is a small country that sits between France and Spain. For more than 700 years, Andorrans lived under a co-principality ruled by French and Spanish leaders, but today, it has its own democracy and prospers through tourism. So what's so special about the area besides its picturesque mountains and unique history?

Andorrans' average life expectancy is 83.5, which is the highest in the world according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Most of the current population of 83,000 works in the tourist-related industry or in a bank — an estimated 11.6 million tourists visit annually, presumably attracted by Andorra's landscapes, duty-free status and by Summer and Winter resorts.

A journalist for the BBC recently took a trip to the region to explore how daily life might factor into the country's healthy lifespan. To check out a list of things he discovered,

Study Pegs Beginning of AIDS — 100 Years Ago

CitizenSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 03:00:11 -0700

Despite assertions that AIDS is a government conspiracy (recently by Rev. Jeremiah Wright) a new study released in the journal Nature yesterday, pinpoints the origin of the disease 100 years ago. The new finding shifts the origination back in time from the previous estimation of 1930. Though the 100 year finding isn't a huge shift, researchers say, "It means the virus was circulating under our radar even longer than we knew." It wasn't widely recognized by US public health officials until 1981.

Scientists say that HIV morphed from a chimpanzee virus, likely in southeast Cameroon, jumping to humans probably in the butchering process. Tellingly, the new "birthdate" of the disease coincides with the rise of cities in Africa, a proximity of humankind that allowed infected people to pass it along. This study used 100 modern samples to create a family tree, traceable back to the samples' last common ancestor.

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Mexico Goes on a Nationwide Diet to Lose a Million Pounds

CitizenSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:00:01 -0700

The US isn't going to be #1 for long — but this is one record that could be worth giving up: Mexico is on track to eclipse the US as the fattest country within the next 10 years.

Almost half of Mexico's 110 million people are overweight and the number of overweight children has risen by 8 percent every year for the past decade, with Type 2 diabetes skyrocketing as well. The cause? Growing fast food, tons of money spent on marketing it, more time in cars, and more time in front of the tube. Sound familiar?

To see what they're doing to tip the scales on this problem,

Showing McCain's Cancer Scars in Ad on Health: Ugly Tactic?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:03:53 -0700

A 30-second spot airing on MSNBC and funded by two liberal PACs are choosing John McCain's historic bouts with skin cancer as the face of worries about the candidate's health. The ad shows his scars following skin cancer procedures with the text, "John McCain is 72 years old and had cancer 4 times. Why won't McCain release his medical records?" One of the PACs behind the spot is helmed by DNC Chairman Howard Dean's brother, a connection the RNC calls "despicable." The spot highlights the groups' efforts to gain more access to McCain's medical records. So far 2,500 doctors have signed a petition put forth by one of the PACs calling for the documents to be released. A total of 1,173 pages of medical records were made available to reporters in May.The records showed that the last bout with melanoma was six years ago, and described him as having a strong heart and good health. He receives a thorough cancer check every few months. Barack Obama's health records have not been similarly made available. With the black-and-white closeups of the aftermath of McCain's procedures and doctors intoning, "Another bout of cancer for John McCain while he's president of the United States would profoundly affect his ability to lead," combined with the tie to the DNC — is this ad fair? Where are Obama's records? Is it just an age thing or the ugliest of politics?

Showing McCain's Cancer Scars in Ad on Health: Ugly Tactic?

Ugly politics. Zooming in on his scars is a baseless scare tactic and irrelevant.

Fair argument! He's had cancer. All of his records should be public, now.

Both candidates health records should be equally accessible and open.

Other. I'll give you the reflection of my opinion in the comments.

Government Butts Out: Russia Puts Few Limits on Cigarettes

LibertySugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

The average life expectancy of a Russian man is only 60 years old. That may have something to do with the fact that 60 percent of Russian males smoke cigarettes. In addition, the number of women smokers has doubled since the end of communism. The country's population will drop 21 million people between 2000 and 2025. And thanks to no taxes, packs of cigarettes go for 25 cents in Russia.

But you won't see many antismoking ads in Russia. When a sizable portion of the population would not favor cigarette regulation, the government shies away from curbing smoking. History has taught Russian leaders that if they try to get the people to kick their vices, the withdrawal symptoms will include protests and unrest. During cigarette shortages of the 1980s, there were smoker uprisings in the streets of major cities, and Mikhail Gorbachev begged international cigarette makers to send an emergency supply.

The country's current chief health inspector is aware of the problem. He's called on foreign tobacco companies to stop "nicotine genocide" and he may have smokers pay more for insurance, according to the New York Times. While it could help to deter current smokers with higher pack prices and insurance costs, hopefully Russia will do something to help stop the next generation from picking up the habit.

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Study Finds Alcohol Related Deaths Huge For Native Americans

CitizenSugar — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:30:25 -0700

A new federal report released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention claim that nearly 12 percent of deaths in the American Indian and Alaskan Native population are alcohol related. This statistic when compared to the national average of 3.3 percent for the US as a whole has been a “call to action."

The study examined all alcohol-related deaths between 2001 and 2005 and found the two leading causes of alcohol-related deaths among the Indian populations were traffic accidents and liver disease. This study however, may still be low as other alcohol-related deaths like tuberculosis, pneumonia, and colon cancer, all of which are usually associated with alcohol abuse, were not included.

The largest number of tribal deaths related to alcohol consumption, nearly a third of the total numbers, occurred in the Northern Plains. The lowest numbers were in Alaska. Although the study did not research regional causes that might cause such a disparity, one researcher offered: “It may be a function of social perceptions of alcohol in that particular region.” Meaning, one assumes, that peer pressure does not always end with adolescence.

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Front Page: Plot to Assassinate Obama, Hundreds Held in Immigration Raid, Mystery Virus Hits India

CitizenSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 06:55:20 -0700

Plot to Assassinate Obama:
Denver authorities announced they had arrested three people on drug and gun charges in connection with a possible plot to assassinate Obama during his speech accepting the nomination Thursday night. The US Attorney Generals office will hold a press conference this afternoon to discuss the "aggressive" inquiry into the case. It's not clear how detailed the plot was before the arrests.

Hundreds Held in Immigration Raid:
Another large-scale immigration raid, this time in Mississippi, led to 350 workers being detained. Numerous ICE agents infiltrated the Howard Industries factory and so far dozens of workers have been “identified, fingerprinted, interviewed, photographed and processed for removal from the US.” Immigrants' rights activists said, “It’s horrific what ICE is doing to these families and these communities.”
Mystery Virus Hits India:
A virus that started in one village in India has spread to 350 people and claimed 160 lives; 15 to 20 people are dying everyday. Doctors are unsure what the disease is, though possible causes lie everywhere in the piles of garbage and waterlogged roads. The villagers are getting desperate: “Everyone here is waiting for doctors to come and examine people; but they aren’t coming and we are counting our dead.”

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Measles Infections Up Due to Autism Fears

LibertySugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:30:11 -0700

Authorities (other than Amanda Peet) are blaming parents' fear of autism for a recent surge in measles. The rate of measle infections this year beats every other year since 1996.

Parents increasingly opt out of vaccination because they believe vaccines cause autism. Most of the measles cases this year involve people who were unvaccinated, or unsure if they had been vaccinate. Two-thirds of the infected in the US were not vaccinated because of their parents' religious or philosophical beliefs. Such beliefs trigger an exemption to mandatory vaccination laws.

The rise in measles could be an unhealthy harbinger. When vaccination levels decrease, measles, an aggressively contagious disease, manifests itself before other illnesses. Scientific studies say vaccinations are safe, but many parents feel strongly about their connection to autism. Should these parents be allowed to follow their instincts and make an important parenting decision, or are they putting modern society at risk for a widespread disease thought to be eradicated?

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Iraqi Rebuilding — Starting With the Rock Hard Bodies

CitizenSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 09:00:43 -0700

Moving around a lot, the gym has always been my center — my home sweat home. In conflicted Iraq finding a place to work out can be a challenge and safety is an issue. That hasn't stopped these Iraqi bodybuilders in Sadr City preparing for a muscleman competition at the end of this week.

The workout scene in Iraq is decidedly different from the 24-hour Fitness you may be used to — according to this description in the Washington Post, steroids are sometimes vended openly in gyms (sometimes animal steroids), sweat is a good thing — towels are few and far between — and no one bats an eye if someone does a set, lights up a cigarette out the window, and continues his workout.

In a country where skin is mostly kept under wraps, these posing hulks stand out — and not just for their muscles. Despite the healthy competition, breaking a sweat also breaks some of the tension of living in the precarious region. It's an outer strength to match the inner fortitude required by their environment.

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Rotten Tomato Call Spoils the Bunch? Growers Want Payback

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 03:00:08 -0700

Tomatoes took the rap for the recent Salmonella outbreak for weeks — and now that it looks like it's been traced to the spicier serrano pepper (linked to 1,300 infections in 43 states), tomato growers are understandably hot under the collar. Since the FDA announced that certain tomatoes shouldn't be eaten, the advisory that lasted from June 7 to July 17 cost growers $100 million.

Growers say the advisory came without consulting them, and that the investigation was conducted poorly (indeed, batteries of tests didn't find a single domestic tomato with the bacteria). Now, the FDA associate commissioner for foods has said that tomatoes are safe to eat, while being careful to say no mistakes were made — even though most leads reported to the Department of Health and Human Services overwhelmingly showed that sick folks had eaten salsa at Mexican restaurants.

One Florida Democrat has introduced legislation to compensate growers up to $100 million, saying, "There should be some compensation. They have done nothing. They shouldn't be held accountable. You have indicted an entire industry and left doubt that it's OK to eat tomatoes.''

Is he right? Was the FDA too quick to point the tortilla chip in the wrong direction — or was it just doing its job by trying to be better safe than serrano?

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Vitamin C and Residents' Rights Are Big Losers in Olympics

CitizenSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:07 -0700

The Olympics (starting on Friday!) has caused all kinds of disruptions in China as they scurry to clean up their air — and their sartorial statements. The factories that produce 80 percent of the world's ascorbic acid, aka Vitamin C, crucial to cold curing and a huge part of modern food production, have been closed down. The reach of the Games preparation seems to have no bounds.

And it's not just fashion statements getting makeovers — Beijing residents are beginning to grumble about the disruptions the Games have brought to their lives. To see how,

Dirt Cakes & Ding-Dongs: Haiti & US Face Unique Food Crises

CitizenSugar — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:00:58 -0700

With my appetite sufficiently dampened by the up-to-the minute reports of McCain's facial growth, this story erased it completely, and the picture reduced me to tears. These children live in the Haitian, Port-au-Prince slum of Cite Soleil. Some kids make mud pies for play — but the children in the picture survive on dirt cakes. They eat them.

Like in the pictures below, the cakes are molded of mud and fat and allowed to dry in the sun, the only form of sustenance many Haitians can afford after rice and bean prices have risen 100 percent. One woman who makes the dirt cakes says, "it stops the hunger. You eat them when you have to."

The Director of the aid agency Christian Aid says, "food is available but people cannot afford to buy it. If the situation gets worse we could have starvation in the next six to 12 months." Food aid has been delayed.

While more than 50 percent of Haitians are undernourished, a new study about the state of the future of the US waistline is even harder to stomach. To see it and a clever way you can help feed the hungry,

California Becomes First State To Ban Trans Fats

CitizenSugar — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 12:48:21 -0700

California Becomes First State To Ban Trans Fats California on Friday became the first state to ban trans fats from restaurant food, following several cities and major fast-food chains in erasing the notorious artery-clogger from menus. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that will ban restaurants and other retail food establishments from using oil, margarine and shortening containing trans fats. "Today we are taking a strong step toward creating a healthier future for California," he said.

Front Page: Huge Hole Forces Plane Landing, Nepal Police Detain 125 Tibetans, HIV Drugs Add 13 Years

CitizenSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:00:43 -0700

Huge Hole Forces Plane Landing:
A Qantas passenger plane from London to Melbourne made an emergency landing in Manila after a giant hole was ripped in its underside. The emergency landing left all 346 passengers safe, but the nine-foot wide hole led to a loss of cabin pressure and a rough landing amid emergency preparations. Once safe on the ground, reactions of the passengers ranged from vomit to tears.

Nepal Police Detain 125 Tibetans:
Nepali police have detained 125 Tibetan refugees for attempting to storm a Chinese consular office in Kathmandu. Over 20,000 Tibetans live in Nepal and many regularly protest for the freedom of Tibet. Human Rights Watch said yesterday that Nepal was responding to pressure from China without regard for human rights with unexplained arrests and abuse in detention.
HIV Drugs Add 13 Years:
A study of 43,000 patients shows that life expectancy for people with HIV has increased by about 13 years since the last decade because of HIV treatments. Researchers liken HIV now to a chronic condition like diabetes instead of a fatal disease. The study found that a person diagnosed at 20 could expect to live for another 49 years. Meanwhile, the US House passed a bill tripling the money spent on fighting AIDS worldwide.

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How Old Is Too Old? Should Medicare Shell Out for Over 100s?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:00:15 -0700

Seen a lot of sliver foxes running around lately? That's because the population of folks in the US over 100 has nearly doubled since 2000. If the candle-blowing continues like this, within 40 years, it could exceed one million. A million people over 100. Slate has a piece examining the cause and effect of great medical care — people live longer, and consequently require more and more care for many years longer than the Medicare system was equipped to handle — like one woman who received a $35,000 pacemaker the month before her 100th birthday.

Living long is fantastic, but it raises a question: Would the health care money be better spent on younger patients? The piece makes the argument that health is like wealth. Some people are blessed with it, and some aren't — and it floats this theory:

Just as some people have enough money, others have had enough time. If you make it to 100 and can fund your own surgery, that's terrific. But Medicare should focus its resources on people who haven't been as lucky as you. Living to 99 is no tragedy. It's a blessing.

Should there be an age consideration for patients to receive spendy medical procedures for those who've lived good, long lives?

Source

New Jersey Law to Require Organ Donor Decision, Education

LibertySugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:00:37 -0700

Ever thought of being an organ donor? Well pretty soon New Jersey drivers will be forced to confront that question — a new law will require drivers to say yes or no to organ donation.

Under the "New Jersey Hero Act" those who say no will have to review information about it, and check a box that says: "I have reviewed the importance of organ donation.” Individuals who can't decide may designate someone else to decide for them (that's a lot of pressure!). Hoping to dispel myths, the law also includes mandatory organ donation education in New Jersey high schools, and colleges will have to provide information at campus health centers.

Currently 24.5 percent (1.75 million) of New Jersey drivers authorize organ donation. To find out how many people need transplants, and how this law could go even further,

Thirsty? 1.1 Billion People Lack Safe Clean Water

LibertySugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:30:50 -0700

You've heard about the oil and food crises, but did you know that every day 1.1 billion people — equivalent to the combined population of North America and Europe — have to drink dirty water and wash with it? WordVision's latest public service announcement wants to get that message out.

If you want to know more about the water crisis hitting both rich and developing nations, the documentary For Love of Water reveals how global water profiteering drives the healthcare crisis that kills more people than AIDS or malaria. Polluted water is the world's biggest killer of children under five.

The charity Just a Drop explains that in Africa and Asia women walk an average of 6 kilometers a day to get their families water. But, it also says that about $20 will supply a person in the developing world safe water for life. If you want information on more ways you can help,

Obama Channels Jane Fonda — You Can Work Out Like Him!

CitizenSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:00:16 -0700

The world experienced a global Gatorade shortage last week when presidential candidate Barack Obama got his sweat on for a total of 188 minutes, stopping by three separate gyms. Though he's a pretty religious worker-outer, usually with jogging companion, the aptly-named Reggie Love, the physical fitness triple threat left some wondering, "what the heck is he doing in there?"

Luckily, 23/6 has that base covered with their exclusive, step-by-step, illustrated workout, "Look like Barack Obama in only 188 minutes a day!" It includes the flab-busting, "Lay Off My Wife Lunges" and the "Electability Push-ups" superset that instructs a tricky, centering move as Election Day approaches. No fancy equipment needed, save for a torn picture of Sean Hannity.

Could you beat Obama arm-wresting? Are you feeling the burn yet?

Source

Cancer Survival Rates Differ Based on Country's Wealth

LibertySugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:29 -0700

Wealthy countries where patients have access to diagnostic equipment have higher cancer survival rates than their poorer counterparts. Using data from over two million cancer patients worldwide (from the 1990s), the first major study to compare global cancer survival rates found that the US, Australia, Canada, France, and Japan had the highest five-year survival rate. Algeria had the worst. The UK did not report well compared to other Western European countries although its survival rate has risen this decade.

The US had the highest five-year survival rate for breast cancer (89 percent) and prostate cancer (91.9 percent), compared to the UK 69.7 percent and 51.1 percent respectively. The UK had regional disparity, evidence that access to services matters. To find out what's behind the phenomenon,

Positive Step? NY Wants to Test Everyone in the Bronx For HIV

LibertySugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:00:09 -0700

Although the rate of AIDS diagnosis is higher in Manhattan, the Bronx has New York's highest AIDS death rate — a figure health officials blame on people not getting tested until it's too late to manage the disease. In order to curb the graveness of an HIV diagnoses, the city has launched a campaign to test everyone in the Bronx.

Starting Friday, if you go to a Bronx hospital for an unrelated ailment, doctors will test you for HIV unless you object. New York state law requires written consent and patient counseling to go along with an HIV test. The Bronx initiative will shorten the 20-minute counseling session to five minutes and offer routine tests at emergency rooms and storefront clinics. Elected officials, health-care providers, and clergy members plan to assist the effort for universal testing.

Why do you think people don't get tested on their own? Would you avoid an HIV test if you first had to listen to 20 minutes of what will happen if it comes back positive? Could this publicized campaign somehow stigmatize the Bronx?

Source

Expert: Worms and Parasites Can Perpetuate US Poverty

LibertySugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:00:53 -0700

Disease caused by worms and parasites, which negatively impact child development and contribute to heart disease, disproportionately infect America's poor.

Dr. Peter Hotez, who works for George Washington University and the Sabin Vaccine Institute, studied nine parasitic diseases affecting 10 million Americans. His research found that the diseases occur predominately in "people of color living in the Mississippi Delta and elsewhere in the American South, in disadvantaged areas, and in the US-Mexico borderlands, as well as in certain immigrant populations and disadvantaged white populations living in Appalachia."

Hotez concludes that like malaria did last century, these diseases could produce a generation of weak unproductive adults, furthering the cycle of poverty. In addition, climate change could lead to a wider spread of diseases like dengue fever, more common to the developing world.

What should the US do to decrease the health gap between rich and the poor? Should health considerations be treated like equality efforts in other areas, like education?

Source

Salmonella Outbreak: Now in 16 States

LibertySugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:40:45 -0700

Salmonella Outbreak: Now in 16 States Salmonella food-poisoning outbreak has been reported in nine states (New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Idaho, Illinois, and Indiana). Contaminated raw, uncooked tomatoes are thought to be the culprit, and unfortunately more cases of illness have cropped up in seven other states including California, Connecticut, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. Investigators believe the tainted tomatoes are also to blame for the most recent recent illnesses. So far a total of 111 people have come down with the same Salmonella "Saintpaul" infection.

Risk of Heterosexual Global AIDS Pandemic Decreased

LibertySugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:00:52 -0700

The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the risk of a global AIDS pandemic among heterosexuals has decreased. Of course this assessment does not apply to Africa.

Dr. Kevin de Cock, the head of the WHO's department of HIV/Aids said:

It is very unlikely there will be a heterosexual epidemic in other countries. Ten years ago a lot of people were saying there would be a generalized epidemic in Asia – China was the big worry with its huge population. That doesn't look likely. But we have to be careful.

Certain areas are still at risk. In Russia, in 2006, 1 percent of the population was infected, the same number as South Africa in 1991, whose infection rate has now risen to 25 percent of the population. Yet, experts doubt that Russia will see the same dramatic rise.

Recent research claims that significant funding is being wasted in Africa on condom distribution, HIV testing, and vaccine research. Instead, some say, money should be spent on male circumcision, reducing the number of sexual partners, and improving health systems. Is it time to reassess the global AIDS initiative? Should we concentrate funds on high-risk locations, or continue a broad education campaign, which appears to be working in many places?

Source

Saving Cats and Helping People? It's GOOD News Time!

CitizenSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 06:00:09 -0700

This story caught my eye and made me say "aw!" the other day (ask Liberty, it's true) and now it's got a happy ending.

Patches, a beloved family cat in Ogden, Utah was going to die unless it received an operation to repair its spinal cord. Unfortunately, the operation costs $500. Aspen, 10, and her brother, Skylar, 8, hatched the brilliant plan to sell lemonade, hoping the proceeds would be enough to help Patches. But at 50 cents a cup, they were still having trouble raising the cash.

Patches future changed when a local newspaper ran their story and readers around the country, from New York, North Carolina, Texas and Arizona clamored to offer money. An Ogden resident has offered to foot the whole bill. Purr.

Charity doesn’t stop at house pets. To find out how a disfigured man might get the surgery he needs,

Childhood Obesity Tipped Top of Scale — Are We Winning?

CitizenSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 12:15:19 -0700

A new survey out today shows that childhood obesity, after rising for more than two decades, appears to have hit a plateau. The data gathered from 1999 to 2006 by the federal Centers For Disease Control and Prevention is being greeted carefully.It is not yet clear if the pause in kids' weight gain is permanent or even if the small success is the result of public antiobesity efforts to limit junk food and increase physical activity in schools. Even if the trend holds up, 32 percent of American schoolchildren are overweight or obeseThe director of the childhood obesity program at Children’s Hospital in Boston says, “After 25 years of extraordinarily bad news about childhood obesity, this study provides a glimmer of hope. But it’s much too soon to know whether this is a true plateau in prevalence or just a temporary lull.”In the study, the number of children who fall into the obese category decreased from 17.1 percent to 15.5 percent between the 2003 and 2006 surveys — though the decline is not statistically significant.Are state programs, like the one in Arkansas, to eliminate vending machines in elementary schools, and adding a half hour of daily physical activity to the school curriculum — or the one in Somerville, MA, that included doubling the amount of fruit served for school lunch, painting crosswalks to encourage walks to school, and increasing physical activity in after-school programs the cause of this trend? Has education and outreach worked? Are we winning the childhood battle of the bulge?Source

Childhood Obesity Tipped Top of Scale — Are We Winning?

Yes! It's about time and there's work left, but education looks like it's winning!

More attention in schools can't hurt, but it's too early for a cookie reward on this one.

Not buying it. A lull is one thing, but kids are still too far from having healthy habits.

Other. I'll weigh in in the comments.

How Healthy Is He? McCain Releases His Medical Records

LibertySugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:00:16 -0700

John McCain released his medical records from 2000-2008 today. According to the AP, the 71-year-old maverick's health issues are pretty common for someone his age. In the not-so-common column, as a result of war injuries, the former prisoner of war has degenerative arthritis that might mean a future joint replacement. The group of journalists, handpicked by McCain, could not keep, nor photocopy the documents.

So what's the fuss? In 2000, McCain underwent surgery for his Stage 2A melanoma, a form of cancer that kills a third of sufferers within 10 years. Judging by his records, medical experts think McCain's early treatment and constant checkups mean he has a very low risk of reoccurrence. McCain said last week that there will be no surprises and that the doctors have assured him he is in good health. Besides, his mom is 96 years old!

Do you think Americans have an appetite for McCain's health history? Should the issue of age, just like race, be taken off the table this campaign season? Should voters be asking for Hillary and Obama's health histories too?

Source

Using Streets as Toilets, Ivory Coast Faces Hygiene Crisis

LibertySugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:00:53 -0700

The lack of public toilets is turning Abidjan, a vibrant city in Ivory Coast, a shade of yellow. Urinating anywhere and everywhere is common practice for many men in this city.

Women of Abidjan don't seem to have the same problem. One female resident told BBC that you don't see women relieving themselves in public because they think about the lack of facilities before they leave the home.

But, the unfortunate reality is that not all residents have the luxury of a suitable toilet in their homes — six out of 10 people living in Africa do not have such access. As you can imagine, public urination not only causes shock and smell — it also is a serious health problem. To see why,

Should the Government Tell People to Lose Weight?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:15:45 -0700

Big Mac attacks in Tokyo have caused expanding Japanese waistlines to spur the government into action. Statistics collected by Japan's government found on average, Japanese men are 10 percent heavier than they were only 10 years ago, and the women are catching up. The solution? The government is requiring employers to slim the number of overweight employees by 10 percent by 2012 and 25 percent by 2015. The belt-circumference limit is 34 inches for men, and 35 inches for the gals.Earlier this year, the UK government started toying with the notions of healthy food vouchers and cash prizes for slimming down. Ministers said the Health Service said: We will look at using financial incentives, such as payments, vouchers, and other rewards, to encourage individuals to lose weight and sustain that weight loss, to eat more healthily, or to be consistently more physically active.

Some employers in the US are side stepping the government and taking matters into their own hands — incentives for weight loss are common, with some up to as much as $50 per month for employees who achieve and maintain a loss of 30 percent of body weight. There's a whole program called IncentaHealth that advertises incentivizing health by paying employees to drop pounds, will "improve your bottom line." The idea might not be far off, as a new report shows obesity costs US employers $45 billion a year.Is it the government's place to say what size pants you need? Are they right to get involved?Source

Should the Government Tell People to Lose Weight?

Yes! If the government is even a bit responsible for the cost of healthcare, they should.

Healthy citizens are important, though the government dictating weight seems sketchy.

No, in general — but the government pressuring people through employers? Yikes.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Government-Funded Health Website Blocks Abortion Info

CitizenSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:00:18 -0700

A US government-funded medical information site that calls itself as the world's largest database on reproductive health has secretly begun to block searches on the word "abortion," hiding the nearly 25,000 search results available. People heading to the site looking for information would be hit with this exchange:

Search: Abortion
Answer: No records found by latest query.

The site is run by Johns Hopkins University and funded by USAID, a federal office that provides health-care funding to developing nations. In 2001 President Bush revived a Reagan-era policy that denies funding to nongovernmental organizations that perform abortions or "actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations."

Info seekers can learn all about "Anti-Tuberculosis Therapy-Induced Hepatotoxicity among Ethiopian HIV-Positive and Negative Patients," with a quick click, but will have to preform complicated search engine gymnastics to try to access the abortion information (Try entering terms like: Fertility Control, Postconception.) To see the reason behind the censorship,