Health Education: diet

Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts

The Power of Oatmeal

No not as a miracle cure for weight loss... surely by now you know that I don't endorse such nonsense. I mean the power of oatmeal (oat bran for me) to satiate.  To leave you with a feeling of fullness which lasts for hours.   I knew that my oat bran with almond milk breakfast was very filling, but now there is research to support this personal experience and to explain why it occurs. The researchers in this study collected information on how the participants were feeling, e.g., if they 'felt full,' 'were hungry' and what was happening to the oatmeal and the comparison food - ready to eat cold cereal - in the body, i.e., how it was being digested.  The participants reported their feelings at several different time points up to four hours after they ate their assigned breakfast. It is important to note that the participants each ate both meals, but in random order and about a week apart.  The meals were 1) Quaker oatmeal and 2) Honey Nut Cheerios.  The meals were served with the same amounts of skim milk and had the same amount of total calories.  I do not eat Quaker Oatmeal - but I think they used the kind that you cook with hot water.   I use oat bran which I cook with water and eat with low cal almond milk (+aspartame).  I can say with certainty that if I had equal calories of cheerios and oat bran the cheerios would be half the volume of my oat bran.   And I believe that what you see has an effect on your feelings of satisfaction and fullness. Anyway,  the study was well done.  The lead author/researcher is Candida Rebello - a nutritionist.  You can read the summary abstract <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24024772">here.</a> Putting the reports from the participants together with the lab results, the researchers could assert that the oatmeal breaks down more slowly, is thicker going through the small intestine, among other things and is more satiating than the cereal.  There are a lot of details in the article that I am not taking the time to explain, and some I could not explain even if I had the time.  But I think I have shared enough to give you the evidenced based take home message.  Choose oatmeal over cold cereal. As for myself, I never eat cold cereal as a breakfast.  I believe that it offers too many calories per ounce (it is energy dense) and as this research suggests, doesn't stay with you very long.  I do sometimes have a taste of it as part of my discretionary (treat) calories.

The Power of Oatmeal

No not as a miracle cure for weight loss... surely by now you know that I don't endorse such nonsense. I mean the power of oatmeal (oat ...

8:05 PM

Eating to Please... the Slippery Slope

No matter where you live in the world, society has certain norms about food.  In addition, your family or church culture might have traditions or customs about food. Some things are easy.  If you are going to a function where food is to be served, whether its an official party, or just a visit to your Auntie's house where food is not to be refused! - go hungry (go to the event hungry).  In other words, don't add to the days calories, include what you eat or drink there as part of your day's total intake. But what about the social norms that you can't prepare for?  What if someone bakes a cake and brings it in to work?  Or you just drop by a friends house and he or she brings out cookies?  Is it right to eat just to please someone else?  Is it right (smart) to eat just because 'everyone else is'?   I say no.  I think we are on a slippery slope when we start eating to give other people pleasure.  Consistently eating for reasons that are far removed from the main purpose which is to fuel our bodies and brains is dangerous. To be absolutely 100% clear, food is to be enjoyed!  Tasted, savored, shared - I always enjoy eating but I do not eat to feel enjoyment.  Does that make sense? Eating to feel good is a very dangerous habit to get into and eating just because someone suggests it, or you are bored, or you want to celebrate.. when you are really not hungry.. that is risky.  It can condition the brain to use food as a crutch or as a feel good medicine.. food should not be used as a security blanket. It is okay to tell someone that you are too full to try their cake, or heck, that you have allergies, or that you are fasting for religious purposes, tell them anything you want..you do not have to eat to please someone else. But if you know a food event is coming, it makes more sense to go there hungry or to bring a low calorie item to share rather than offend your host. Please give this post some thought.  One of the reasons - and there are many - that a majority of people weigh more than is healthy for them (70% of US adults), is because they consume more calories than they need, and that is sometimes because they eat for the wrong reasons. (sometimes they eat too many calories by accident, but that is related to food labeling)

Eating to Please... the Slippery Slope

No matter where you live in the world, society has certain norms about food. In addition, your family or church culture might have traditio...

7:04 PM

McDonalds?

Okay, yes.  I am going to come out and say that this is a good thing. McDonalds is going to allow people to choose a salad or a vegetable in place of french fries in the value meals. It is also going to stop promoting soda as a drink option in its happy meals (I wonder about other sugar sweetened beverages like juice and if they will only offer low fat milk, but its a start) Is McDonalds the right place to do this?  Well, heck yeah.... its THE place to do it.  BTW, if McDonalds can let us substitute salad for fries, I hope the more 'upscale' restaurants will join in.  Actually, didn't I talk about this a year ago? I am excited.  It has to start somewhere - and since the USA has the highest ratio of McDonalds restaurants per 1 million people in the WORLD - and the near highest obesity rate (I think USA is second) - McDonalds it is.   I find this change more important than the one over at Burger King.  It is good that BK is thinking of ways to reduce calories in their items, but 270 calories is still a lot more than an 80 calorie salad (minus the high cal/high fat dressing of course)   In my last blog, I wrote about a french fry burger and a bottomless bowl of pasta so I am calling this progress and leaving it at that.

McDonalds?

Okay, yes. I am going to come out and say that this is a good thing. McDonalds is going to allow people to choose a salad or a vegetable in...

8:25 PM

A blog post on weight loss worth a share

I read a post today and shared it on Facebook and twitter, but I really like it so I am going to share it here also.    I am familiar with the science and the scientists that this blogger refers to, and I trust her interpretation. I want to add 3 things. <ul><li>Exercise, as I say every chance I get, is essential for good health. One cannot live well without it - and just like medicine, it only works when you 'take it' and you should 'take it' every day.</li><li>Pay attention to tip number 5.  They are talking about Volumetrics and my personal style of eating (but they don't call it that or refer to me!!}.   Note that there is evidence that what you eat matters to your overall health, if not your waistline.</li><li>Remember, science is not about facts.  We observe, test, interpret and trust the evidence that we have today.  Someone can observe something different tomorrow.  Science is supposed to be a work in progress, and it is.</li></ul><div>Review the post on weight loss tips that are supported by science written by Alice G. Walton <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2013/09/04/the-6-weight-loss-tips-that-science-actually-knows-work/">HERE.</a></div> PS< I am still here!  My dissertation writing is the most insane hardest thing I may have ever done (to be fair, I collected and analyzed my own data  - twice (2 studies) (but can you believe I lack skill in making written arguments!)... anyways, I will be back, sporadically at first and more consistently in the future.

A blog post on weight loss worth a share

I read a post today and shared it on Facebook and twitter, but I really like it so I am going to share it here also. I am familiar with t...

4:55 PM

M&Ms: Labels, Calorie Estimates, and Calories Eaten

This month, researchers Ebneter et al published the results of a study that explored 4 outcomes related to labeling and calorie disclosure.  I am only going to tell you about 2 of the outcomes. One is the amount of calories consumed and the other is the amount of calories the people 'guessed' were in a serving size.  Outcomes 3 and 4 are not a research interest of mine.  For your information, they were 'taste perception' and 'perception of healthiness.'<div>   The study was an experiment that took place outside of a natural setting.  The people involved in the study were all undergraduate female college students attending a Hawaiian university.  I tell you this so you can consider how much you are like the people who were in the study.</div><div>   For the experiment, the researchers placed the women in one of 4 rooms.  Each room had a bowl of uniquely colored M&Ms.  The women were told that they were taking part in a taste test.  A card was set next to each bowl of M&Ms. One card said Low Fat M&Ms and nothing more.  One card said Low Fat M&Ms and one serving (~55 pieces) has 240 calories.  A third card said Regular M&Ms and nothing more and the last card said Regular M&Ms and gave the same calorie information.  (There was no actual difference in the M&Ms).</div><div>   The researchers weighed the bowl before and after each of the 175 women went into a room (one woman at a time per room). They gave the women 15 minutes to do the taste test and then removed the items. When the items were gone, the researchers asked the women to estimate the number of calories in a serving of the M&Ms they had tasted. </div><div>   Here is what they learned. (NOTE: the differences might have been by chance alone, i.e., there was not a statistically significant difference between the numbers).</div><div>   People with a low fat label ate more calories than those in the regular label group. People without a calorie label in the low fat condition guessed the calories per serving lower than 240.  People without a calorie label in the regular label condition guessed the calories too high (more than 240).<div>   I will let you think about that.  My concern is the focus on high and low fat when the problem (in general) is consuming too many calories.  I am especially concerned that people mistakenly think low fat is low calorie AND that people do not know how many calories is low or high.  I believe that this study doesn't support the use of low fat labels as much as it supports the use of a traffic light label.  With a traffic light label we can put a big red circle around the fat grams and the calories.</div><div>    Here is a nutrition facts panel for a bag of M&Ms - I don't think they make 'low fat' ones.  M&Ms are high in fat - but have 3 times as much sugar as fat!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div>   There are several labels out there, but according to Mars, the maker of M&Ms, a package this size has 240 calories, 10 grams of fat and 30 grams of sugar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOM-wDtbCwGbZoKnnq5M6xS2Op9OMRFweUgVLTHlCyuIl29Aoi5v1FuWmocZyF3l_XBilXW7sGR6S22zIh4nczPoppkYCa-vvA3dykPzZPqAwIiUzSD7b6yXYT-Vl8wqkhYdq0hrsTnssX/s1600/M&Ms.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOM-wDtbCwGbZoKnnq5M6xS2Op9OMRFweUgVLTHlCyuIl29Aoi5v1FuWmocZyF3l_XBilXW7sGR6S22zIh4nczPoppkYCa-vvA3dykPzZPqAwIiUzSD7b6yXYT-Vl8wqkhYdq0hrsTnssX/s1600/M&Ms.JPG" /></a></div><div> </div><div>Here is the study citation.</div><div> <div>Ebneter, D. S., Latner, J. D., & Nigg, C. R. (2013). Is less always more? The effects of low-fat labeling and caloric information on food intake, calorie estimates, taste preference, and health attributions. Appetite, 68(0), 92-97. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2013.04.023</div></div></div>

M&Ms: Labels, Calorie Estimates, and Calories Eaten

This month, researchers Ebneter et al published the results of a study that explored 4 outcomes related to labeling and calorie disclosur...

7:32 PM

When the average is a bad thing.

A friend shared a smart phone app with me yesterday.  It is called Fooducate.  You can visit the webpage by clicking <a href="http://www.fooducate.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.  If you have a smart phone (iphone or android) you can download the free application.  The link was shared with me because I am studying the use of nutrition information in college students and my colleague thought that menu labeling wasn't going to cut it with this age group. (I plan to find out) I went ahead and downloaded the app to test it out. You can hold your phone's camera lens near the barcode of the food item and it will read it.  Then you are taken to a webpage that gives you information about that product - including calories, saturated fat and even if it has GMOs. To set up the application on your phone, you enter 6 pieces of information.  One of them is your weight.  When I got to that screen, there was this message "the average woman weighs 160 pounds and the average man weighs 190 pounds."  I am pretty sure it said the average American....  Let me make something very clear - the average weight is overweight or obese - greater than 60% of the US Population falls into this category.  In fact, the NHIS released data reports today that show the obesity rate is at about 30% currently.  Many women who weigh 160 pounds are not at a healthy weight.  Do NOT be comforted or fooled into thinking that  a 'normal' or 'average' weight is good. (I am not speaking to anyone individually here - a healthy weight is determined by your blood work (glucose, cholesterol etc) and blood pressure, physical stamina, physical and mental comfort, etc) I read the statement re: 160 pounds yesterday and today the NHIS brief was in my mailbox.  I thought that was a neat coincidence. Here is the latest data - in graph form.  This comes from the CDC.  <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfPK-o1KkxbtmnvufoaqmvY8AUTf-Aa-W3_R_Qb0PrjBapi9YKUK2QtnxW9yd316VqVq8WNjgysnuDbcDbd4BYMYW0WbvthDJlU-rX_Id0oNnAWsWZIFOFTA9leyl2aopKz5OPOesnH10/s1600/obesity+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="477" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmfPK-o1KkxbtmnvufoaqmvY8AUTf-Aa-W3_R_Qb0PrjBapi9YKUK2QtnxW9yd316VqVq8WNjgysnuDbcDbd4BYMYW0WbvthDJlU-rX_Id0oNnAWsWZIFOFTA9leyl2aopKz5OPOesnH10/s640/obesity+2012.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOTE: this is one of our Health Indicators... The goal is that white line... we want to be UNDER it.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr></tbody></table>  Remember that excess weight is associated with metabolic dysfuntion.  This puts a person at risk for diabetes and heart disease.  The state of obesity in this country affects children and adults.  It is not okay for our normal to be unhealthy.  Adults are living longer sicker and our youth are expected to have shorter life expectancies than their parents.  Its a serious problem.

When the average is a bad thing.

A frien d shared a smart phone app with me yester day. It is called Fooducate. You can visit the webpage by cli cking here . If yo u hav...

7:13 PM

Which Risk Matters Most?(repost with new link)

Due to the level of importance this post is being republished today. The topic includes the importance of waist circumference as a marker of disease risk. Click <a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/e_txtbk/txgd/4142.htm" target="_blank">here</a> to learn more and to see a picture on how to use a tape measure to get your WC number.    Dr. Michael Miller, a heart doctor and professor, recently answered some questions about heart disease as it relates to metabolic dysfunction.  Metabolism has to do with how the body breaks things down and processes them.  Certain tests can tell us if the body is having difficulty with those activities, because if it is, health problems could follow.       The article with Dr. Millers suggestions is published in the Nutrition Action News Letter July/August 2012 issue.  Within that piece, is a reference to a study that showed the increased risk of both heart disease/attack and diabetes incidence with each factor of metabolic dysfunction that a person has.  The figure from the article was originally published in the AHA journal Circulation.  You can access the article <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/108/4/414.full" target="_blank">here</a>, for free.  I include the figure below, as it is one of the best representations I have seen.    First let me explain what factors make up the Metabolic Syndrome while noting that the importance of each one is the subject of debate amongst professionals/scientists.  The 5 factors that were the focus of both the AHA and Dr. Miller articles are: <ul style="font-family: inherit;"><li>Blood pressure equal to or higher than 130/85 mmHg</li><li>Fasting blood sugar (glucose) equal to or higher than 100 mg/dL</li><li>Large waist circumference (length around the waist): <ul><li>Men - 40 inches or more</li><li>Women - 35 inches or more</li></ul></li><li>Low HDL cholesterol: <ul><li>Men - under 40 mg/dL</li><li>Women - under 50 mg/dL</li></ul></li><li>Triglycerides equal to or higher than 150 mg/dL</li></ul>   A person is said to have Metabolic Syndrome if they have any 3 of the above 5 conditions.  As I said, not everyone believes that each is a factor in heart disease nor that each has the same level of impact.  Dr. Miller's assessment makes the most sense to me, based on other articles I have read.  The two most important factors that he notes are triglycerides(TG) and waist circumference (WC).   Dr. Miller has some quote worthy comments for you to consider, they include: <blockquote class="tr_bq"><blockquote class="tr_bq">When the gut is the first thing you see when a patient walks in the door, that is not a good sign</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><blockquote class="tr_bq">....a lot of men have disturbed metabolism before they reach 40 inches (WC).</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><blockquote class="tr_bq">Even too much of the right foods can be a problem.</blockquote></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><blockquote class="tr_bq">People shouldn't douse their salad with olive oil or they might get too many calories. (in response to a question about healthy oils - douse means use a lot!)</blockquote></blockquote>    He also spoke to the issue of getting your TG levels from a health fair, which usually does not include a fasting level.  He said that he has heard of people having a TG level of 400 and being told not to worry about it because it was not a fasting level.  He contends that someone should very much be worried about that level because even immediately after an "unhealthy" meal the TG levels do not rise more than 50% - though they may, in rare instances, double.  So if ones non-fasting TG level is 400, then their fasting level could be 200 and that is TOO high.    The good news is that TG are directly and substantially reduced through exercise and meal patterns.  Exercise causes the body to release an enzyme that breaks down TGs.  Also, limiting sugar and saturated and trans fats is important.  Dr. Miller recommends very little added sugar - 24 g a day.  He enthusiastically recommends fish oil - but in fish not capsules. There is more but you get the idea.      Below is the chart I mentioned earlier.  Notice how much higher the risk for adverse health outcomes is when a person has 4 or 5 of the risk factors.  The figure is more readable if you <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/108/4/414.full" target="_blank">go to the article</a>. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRHV8HrPy6qIqkhY0cvu-IcY2BSI3ymPDs7hPwaGq_crFpu2DsjmZp-XNbsHMpAp4mBcKquJHP3rACqgMkReEB1ucwr1gvv3WOmeRb7zfzExNCfCiyGwkVM9zBZad7nM2ghfLAshEB2XH/s1600/metabolic+risk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheRHV8HrPy6qIqkhY0cvu-IcY2BSI3ymPDs7hPwaGq_crFpu2DsjmZp-XNbsHMpAp4mBcKquJHP3rACqgMkReEB1ucwr1gvv3WOmeRb7zfzExNCfCiyGwkVM9zBZad7nM2ghfLAshEB2XH/s640/metabolic+risk.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>

Which Risk Matters Most?(repost with new link)

Due to the level of importance this post is being republished today. The topic includes the importance of waist circumference as a marker of...

7:41 PM

What does your body tell you about that meal?

It is quite interesting to read articles about diet and health that were written between the 70s and 90s compared to those written in the last ten years.  Our ability to measure - whether it be the items that people eat or the metabolic processes that certain foods trigger - has gotten much sharper over time.  This better measurement has led to changes in what is recommended for health and left many of us confused about what to eat.    One thing has remained consistent for the last 30 years... the majority of people in developed countries are eating too much food and gaining weight because of it.      Scientists are now challenging the notion that a calorie is a calorie - even for weight gain (since we already knew that some calorie sources were bad for our health).  It is very likely that the body is doing something different with foods that are high in SoFAS - saturated fats and added sugars, especially if these foods are highly processed.  Refined grains tend to be high in both sat fat and sugar and even contain the dreaded trans fat.       People frequently go out to eat lunch when they are working or attending conferences. The majority of foods served in chain and fast food restaurants are calorically dense - made so from the SoFAS.  YES? So, what does nearly every one say about work and presentations after lunch?  "I don't want to be the presenter after lunch, everyone will fall asleep."  OR, "I don't feel like doing any work, I just want to take a nap."      I used to feel that way after lunch, too.  I don't now because I eat food that is not calorically dense.  My meals are always low in saturated fat and added sugar. They have a low glycemic load (are not starchy).  I never feel lethargic after I eat.      Think about how you feel after you next few meals.  Eating too much of any food will make you uncomfortable, but eating certain foods, even reasonable portions, trigger a different kind of discomfort.  I believe that the way you feel after you eat something - after the taste rush has passed - is a clue as to whether or not it was a healthy food.

What does your body tell you about that meal?

It is quite interesting to read articles about diet and health that were written between the 70s and 90s compared to those written in the...

7:05 PM

Quitting Tobacco and Weight Gain

<div><div><div><a name="_Toc249856910">If the fear of gaining weight is keeping you from quitting, here is what you need to know:</a> -There may be a slight change in your metabolism (or energy burn) when you quit using tobacco. -You may feel hungry more often than when you used tobacco. -Food is going to smell and taste better! -You might want to eat to keep from smoking or dipping. -Exercise can help keep your energy burn from slowing, including weight lifting. But the most important thing you need to know: Tobacco does NOT make you thin and quitting WILL NOT make you fat. Eating more than you burn off will cause weight gain. So eat, but eat smart. Change Your Plate! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYg1GgxqzqEih6pm_qqW3w0WU5ihHM3wVzUu7jBF7iC-9e2UZ7mRy_84Edsjq8ycT5RgCior_9CMWvjAAZXgJLttI1I8sseLesoSXPAOGHL-1tvWXmXem1zy7_xEhqcfQla9sYYl0bGHT/s1600-h/plate.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424546672067034770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYg1GgxqzqEih6pm_qqW3w0WU5ihHM3wVzUu7jBF7iC-9e2UZ7mRy_84Edsjq8ycT5RgCior_9CMWvjAAZXgJLttI1I8sseLesoSXPAOGHL-1tvWXmXem1zy7_xEhqcfQla9sYYl0bGHT/s320/plate.JPG" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" /></a> -Eat several meals throughout the day. -Drink plenty of water. -Choose certain fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, nutrients and water. -Choose foods low in saturated fat. American Institute for Cancer Research -Choose foods low in sugar. -Choose lean proteins like canned light tuna in water, chicken without skin, beef labeled loin or round, fish (broiled, not breaded or fried), peanut butter, tofu, beans… -Avoid butter, dips, sauces, full fat cheeses and oils as much as possible. -Drink calorie free beverages like coffee, tea and water. -Choose whole grains. -Read your labels and watch out for fat, sodium, sugar and calories. Check out this website for more on labels: <a href="http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/">http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/</a> Check out this book from the library: The Volumetrics Eating Plan by Barbara J. Rolls Ph.D. Watch healthy lifestyle videos on YouTube: “Deerunstoo” channel</div></div></div>

Quitting Tobacco and Weight Gain

If the fear of gaining weight is keeping you from quitting, here is what you need to know: -There may be a slight change in your metabolism ...

4:53 PM

A Scandal and A Scam

I want this press release to be wrong - maybe it isn't a press release, but a story. Yes, this story from the NY Times - I want it to be wrong. It reports a collaboration between a drug company, GlaxoSmithKline and a so called nonprofit social and political advocacy group, Creative Coalition. They are going to make a documentary. Now the topic of the documentary is one for which I have GREAT passion - obesity. It would be a film about people's tendencies to over eat and to become obese. It will address this relationship we have with food and how obesity can lead to serious adverse health outcomes. Now you might ask why GSK would make such an investment, and believe me, they plan to spend the money - use their resources as they say - It is because GSK wants to bring attention to the problem. They say that they will give the production crew free reign to create what they call an educational product. An educational product that they hope will lead to more prescriptions of their supposed weight loss drug, Alli. (the same type of educational programs drug companies have infamously provided to health care providers for the last ten years. - yes?) Have I written about Alli? You are damn straight I have. here <a href="http://yourhealtheducator.blogspot.com/2009/08/diet-drugs.html">http://yourhealtheducator.blogspot.com/2009/08/diet-drugs.html</a> and here <a href="http://yourhealtheducator.blogspot.com/2009/03/wellness-weekly-with-video.html">http://yourhealtheducator.blogspot.com/2009/03/wellness-weekly-with-video.html</a> and here <a href="http://yourhealtheducator.blogspot.com/2008/08/wellness-weekly.html">http://yourhealtheducator.blogspot.com/2008/08/wellness-weekly.html</a> I absolutely believe that there should be health education and health promotion regarding obesity, its effects and what to do about it. I believe that there should be policy aimed at reducing the amount of high fat, high sugar, high calorie foods that are available to children, hospital patients and to employees. I believe a true non profit, a university or a government agency, like the CDC should make this happen. I do not believe drugs are the answer and as far as this drug goes, the efficacy is not well documented and Public Citizen has it listed as a Do Not Use drug. GSK has as its goal, to make a profit. Period. If people are convinced that they are over weight and in danger and that a pill is the answer, then they will go to the store and buy Alli. They do not even have to ask their doctor for it. This sounds like one big direct to consumer marketing ploy - I wish Bill Gates would make a film about obesity and then we could use the commercial I created in grad school that encourages people to ask their doctors if they are at risk for an obesity related illness. Here it is in case you missed it. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgMtZLhNNG4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgMtZLhNNG4</a>

A Scandal and A Scam

I want this press release to be wrong - maybe it isn't a press release, but a story. Yes, this story from the NY Times - I want it to ...

4:38 PM

Drugs Not Needed

I was pretty dumbfounded this morning when I heard a commercial regarding a medication created to treat the very condition discussed in my last blog. The reason I was taken aback is because as I wrote here, the experts state that the most effective treatment for lowering triglycerides and raising HDL-C is NOT a medication but watching your weight, exercising and eating lean proteins and including unsaturated fats in ones diet. So why in the world would the FDA approve a medication for this. A medication which does not lower any heart disease death or disability over the statin therapy one takes for lowering their LDL-C. Even the TV ad tells us that the medicine will not do that. The reason we lower any of the numbers, whether it is cholesterol, blood pressure, CReactive protein, triglycerides, etc is to lower the risk of disease and death. If this new medication lowers triglycerides while putting the patient at great risk for side effects for NO OTHER REASON than to have a lower number.... WHY would a person take it, a doctor prescribe it or an insurance company PAY for it. This is how our country spends so much money on health care without having the best healthy life expectancy. So, I am blasting about a drug called Trilipix... cute huh. The scientific name is fenofibric acid. The drug company did complete severe phase III trials before gaining FDA approval and I was able to read a little about that. The company used the drug in conjunction with statins (i.e. Zocor and Lipitor) of different strengths compared to a group that just used the new drug. In the combo therapy all numbers changed to the better, lower LDL and TG and higher HDL but again, there are no improved health outcomes so why would you subject yourself to the risk factors and the cost of another medicine? Better than that, the TV ads and the literature on the drug insist that it is to be used WITH a diet regimen. In fact, the print warnings and prescribing info for clinicians states that diet and other non medicine strategies should be exhausted before prescribing Trilipix. The consumer ads and website just say to talk to your doctor about this new drug. Heck they even give you a print out of talking points so that you, the patient, can educate the doctor and advocate for this treatment on your own behalf. This is certainly playing to our cultural leanings toward pill focused solutions. But pills come with more than a financial cost. The physical risk can be great as well. For this drug, side effects include Muscle Pain Tenderness Weakness Tiredness Fever Abdominal Pain Nausea Vomiting And more seriously, muscle wasting and possibly kidney and liver problems. The serious side effect risks go up when the drug is used in combo with the statins, but it is with statins that it works. Again, why would one take this drug. Eat Smart Move More... Live better, longer... Extend your life not your death...

Drugs Not Needed

I was pretty dumbfounded this morning when I heard a commercial regarding a medication created to treat the very condition discussed in my l...

8:49 PM

Reducing Bad Blood FATS

Today is the seventh year since my father's death from a heart attack. Seems a fitting time to discuss some of the risk factors for a heart attack. Heart disease and heart attacks are related to plaque build up within the arteries and hardening of those arteries. Arteries can get closed off or the plaque can break off and block an artery. Sometimes, as with an aneurysm, the artery walls weaken and leakage and rupture can occur. Much of the risk for this problems comes from lifestyle. Of course genetics are involved, and if you have a family history of heart attack that means that lifestyle modification should be even MORE important to you, not less. Eating foods high in saturated fat has long been known to raise one's "bad" blood cholesterol. While exercising helps increase one's HDL which helps the body process and eliminate the bad, or LDL low density lipoprotein. In an article I read yesterday, the WSJ reported on the changing picture of treating heart disease and preventing fatalities. Over the last twenty years cholesterol lowering medications have become a billion dollar industry, but they have also saved lives. My father took a cholesterol lowering medicine, too. He had one of the original powders that he mixed up diligently every day, even when we went out of town. I forget the name, it came in a can. What we didn't pay attention to those years ago but appears to be our next big challenge with regard to heart disease is triglycerides. It is high triglycerides that cardiologists consider the big risk factor for a heart attack. In the article I read, it was said that having triglycerides at 150 or above was a big indication that the person had a poor diet and limited physical activity. The new focus is on raising HDL and lowering the other blood fat. Unfortunately, some say, blissfully I say, the best way to make the HDL go up and the tri's go down is.... drum roll please... Become physically active, cut calories and eat more fruits and vegetables. Triglycerides need to be monitored in much the same way total, LDL and HDL are monitored. It is said that even if the LDL stays at a decent 100, if the HDL drops below 50 and the triglycerides start trending up, something is happening and the chance for a heart attack will go up. I am including another website for you today called CardioSmart. On this website you can complete some assessments of your risks and learn about reducing LDL and TG. TG is the abbreviation for triglycerides. I have learned from this website that it is important to eat a low saturated fat diet with lean protein and lots of fiber but NOT a low fat diet in general. So what you have heard here and what you see on my You Tube page, is correct. Include your mono and polyunsaturated fats in a calorie controlled lifestyle. I do not think that TG were looked at much if at all in 2002 when my Dad died. I know that he had changed the way he ate after his first heart attack and tried to exercise regularly, but I also think he drank more than the recommended 2 or less alcoholic beverages a day. I know growing up that he was heavy into red meat and potatoes with lots of gravy and starchy vegetables. I am NOT faulting or blaming at all... we did not know what we know now. I am telling YOU so your kids don't sit around wondering about it. My Dad was awesome... just had to end with that... <a href="http://www.cardiosmart.org/default.aspx">http://www.cardiosmart.org/default.aspx</a>

Reducing Bad Blood FATS

Today is the seventh year since my father's death from a heart attack. Seems a fitting time to discuss some of the risk factors for a he...

8:53 PM

Health Education