Monthly Archive for July, 2009

House approves new changes for food safety

Published on July 31, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

On Thursday, July 30, the first major changes for food safety in 70 years was approved. This will give the Food and Drug Administration more authority to monitor the way food is grown, harvested and processed.

These new changes come after a battle with food-borne illnesses during the past two years that have involved food as diverse as spinach and cookie dough.

The new measure passed in the House with 283-142. After the August recess, the Senate is expected to take up their version. On Wednesday, President Obama endorsed the House bill.

FTC wants weight-loss ads to follow new guidelines

Published on July 29, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , .

You know those weight loss ads they show on TV that seem too good to be true? Well, the Federal Trade Commission says many of these are just that and some are misleading. Because of this, the FTC wants to change the guidelines for endorsements and testimonials in ads so that consumers don’t believe that these unusual weight-loss success stories are normal results.

The FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection director, David Vladeck, told the Senate Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance Subcommittee that weight-loss ads like this are harmful to consumers. He admitted that not enough funds was a reason that the agency was having problems enforcing the rules that were already in place.

Vladeck says that it is hard for some people to tell the difference between a sales ad and a technological breakthrough. He wants weight-loss supplement ads to reveal an average weight loss of consumers who had used the product. In response to this, some advertisers say that it is too difficult to find the average weight-loss because of such factors as age, diet and exercise. This said, Dr. Urvashi Rangan, the director of technical policy at the Consumers Union, and the publisher of Consumer Reports, believes that it is possible and that revealing average results is the least a company can do that is making millions selling their products.

At the moment, advertisers can claim unusual weight-loss stories as long as they have a disclaimer saying “Results not typical.” Vladeck said that these disclaimers are not effective and misleading ads are not being regulated properly.

The first proposal by the FTC to amend the guidelines for endorsements and testimonials was in November. There has not been a revision since 1980. The new revisions would be: people who are paid to endorse products have to reveal it in the ad, the ad must be able to back up its testimonials’ claims and experts must have real expertise.

Speakers at health conference address childhood obesity problem

Published on July 29, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , .

On July 28, educators and health officials got together to discuss the problem of childhood obesity in North Carolina.

For overweight 10 to 17-year olds, North Carolina ranks No. 14. For example, in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools alone, 1 in 10 high school students is obese. Also, 57 percent of CMS high school students don’t get the recommended levels of physical activity.

Being obese can cause heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. The N.C. State Board of Education’s senior policy adviser for healthy responsible students, Paula Collins, said that we are in an epidemic.

The event was hosted by IMPACT Childhood Obesity hosted the event. It is a North Carolina-based organization that supports child and adolescent wellness. J. Allen Queen, one of the founders of IMPACT and a UNC Charlotte professor, said that the main goal of the event is to get the schools and community to pay attention to the problem.

The State Board of Education does work with legislators to encourage physical activity, healthy eating and positive character building in middle and high school students. Public school cafeterias are also offering healthier food choices for students such as whole wheat pizza crust, vegetables and low-fat dairy items.

Paula Collins said “if you can maintain the weight during middle school because of the growth they go through, they’ll be fine later in life.”

Free lunches and daily physical education classes for all students are some of the legislative goals.

The first African American to break the four-minute mile record, Reggie McAfee, talked about his 3-year-old Cross Country for Youth running program. There are more than 250 kids who participate in McAfee’s 10-week after-school program which main focus in character building. The runners in the program exercise every day and compete in 4 statewide races. McAfee said that “physical activity helps prevent children from being obese.”

Swine flu shots may be available for students and at-risk groups in October

Published on July 22, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Billions of dollars have been put aside to pay for a national H1N1 flu vaccine program that could be ready as early as the middle of October, according to the Obama administration.

The announcement was made at an all-day summit on the swine flu outbreak by Kathleen Sebelius, who is the Health and Human Services Secretary. Officials said that a major reason for the summit was to help refurbish a sense of urgency to the global response to the epidemic. Sebelius said that the government has a billion dollars to purchase the main ingredients and an additional $7.5 billion for emergency preparedness funds.

In October, U.S. swine flu vaccinations could start with children being the first to receive them at their local schools , according to the Obama administration. This said, no final decision has been decided on for vaccinations on Americans. This depends mainly on studies with experimental batches that are set to begin the first week in August. These experimental batches will test to see if they are safe and effective and if one or two doses will be needed.

If everything goes well, the federal government will purchase the vaccine from manufacturers and share it freely among the states. The first to get the vaccine will most likely be school-age children, young adults with conditions like asthma, pregnant women and health workers.

Obama said that the chance of an outbreak in the fall is looming, and although he doesn’t want to make people panic, he wants the U.S. to be prepared.

Even though it has become clear that most cases of the swine flu so far were mild and required little or no medical treatment, the summit reinstates that infection rates have not calmed down this summer like some experts predicted. This said, countries such as Britain have had to alter their response. According to the World Health Organization, 2 billion people could become infected around the world.

Public health experts and scientist warn that the prevalence of the swine flu may get worse in the fall as the normal flu season begins or even sooner when schools start to open.

Low-calorie diet could mean longer lifespan for primates and humans

Published on July 22, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Could it really be true that humans in the future might be able to escape the usual diseases of the elderly and lengthen their lifespan by simply sticking to a certain diet. Well, a long anticipated study on aging of rhesus monkeys indicates that this might be possible.

This diet that was incorporated in the study includes all the ordinary healthy foods but with 30 percent less calories. Mice who stay on this diet from birth have been reported to live up to an astounding 40 percent longer than mice who are fed the usual way.

Of course the most important question here is could the same beneficial results happen in people. There were 2 studies that were begun more than 20 years ago to discover whether primates had the same positive results as rodents did. Since monkeys live up to an average of 27 years old, so patience was a must in conducting these studies.

One of the studies that was led by Ricki Colman and Richard Weindruch from the University of Wisconsin, announced the results on July 9  in Science. They reported that the monkeys are showing such benefits as less diabetes, cancer, and heart and brain disease. The researchers said that “these data demonstrate that caloric restriction slows aging in a primate species.”

Although some critics said that this conclusion was too early, Weindruch believes that it is very positive news. He said that “it says much of the biology of caloric restriction is translatable into primates, which makes it more likely it would apply to humans.

When compared to 13 percent of the dieting group, thirty-seven percent of the other monkeys have died from from factors that are due to old age.

The researchers Weindruch and David Allison, his statistician, said that they expect the dieting monkeys to live 10 to 20 percent longer than normal, based on similar studies that were done on mice of the same age.

There is a second study, by the National Institute on Aging, but it is not as advanced. The number of deaths in the two monkey groups have not been reported, but there are indications that the immune system for those in the dieting group is doing significantly better, according to study leader Julie Mattison.

Workout for your heart

Published on July 11, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Now that summer is finally here, it’s a good time to get more active and your heart will thank you for it.

Your heart has the endless job of moving oxygen and nutrient-rich blood through your body. Regular activity can improve your heart’s tone, strength and function.

When you work out, your body’s muscles need more oxygen, causing your heart to work harder to pump blood throughout your body. The more you frequent you work out, the stronger your heart becomes. Your blood circulation gets better and better as your heart’s fitness improves. Then your resting heart rate -which is the number of times your heart beats when you are not active -will most likely decrease.

Some other benefits of being active are reduced blood pressure, decreased cholesterol, less stress, a better well-being and a decrease in weight.

The best way to better your heart’s fitness is through aerobic activities like running, swimming, jogging and dancing. If you have never been active or haven’t been active in awhile, it is suggested that you see your doctor. After a clean bill of health, you and your doctor can design a program that suits your fitness level and lifestyle.

In the beginning, start with low-intensity exercises such as walking, cycling or dancing. Gradually try to work your way up to at least 30 minutes a day on most or everyday. As you become stronger, try to get on a moderate intensity level so that your heart will benefit more. A moderate level could mean walking for one person and jogging for another.

Aim for your target heart rate in order to give your heart a good workout. Your heart rate is a percentage of your heart’s maximum beats per minute. To find yours, subtract your age from 220. Aim for a rate that is 50 to 75 percent of your maximum. Take your pulse for 10 seconds or use a heart rate monitor and then multiply that number by 6. If it is too slow, step up your pace or intensity. If it is too fast, take it easier.

As your heart gets used to working harder, try to do more intense and longer workouts. See you at the gym!

FDA panel recommends decreased acetaminophen doses

Published on July 1, 2009 in Health and Wellness. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

On June 30, a federal advisory panel voted to propose a ban on Percocet and Vicodin, which are two of the most desired painkillers. The reason for this ban is because of the harmful effects that they can have on the liver.

A combination of a narcotic and acetaminophen is found in these two drugs. Acetaminophen is the ingredient that is found in common over-the-counter products such as Tylenol and Excedrin. Large amounts of acetaminophen are a leading cause of liver damage. The panel mentioned that patients who take Percocet and Vicodin for extended periods of time ususally need more and more increased doses. The panel’s vote, which arose out of a meeting to advise the FDA on problems stemming from the increasing popularity of acetaminophen, was 20-17 to recommend a ban on the combination drugs.

In 2005, 28 billion doses that contain acetaminophen were bought by American consumers. Every year, there are more than 400 people that die and 42,000 who are hospitalized from overdoses in the U.S.

There are at least 7 other prescription drugs in which acetaminophen is combined with different narcotics, and if the FDA listens to the expert’s advice, all of these combination pills will be banned. Vicodin and its generic equals are prescribed more than 100 million times annually in the United States.

The committee also voted 24-13 to suggest that the FDA decrease the highest allowed dose in o.t.c. medicine such as Tylenol from 500 milligrams to 325. They also voted 21-16 to bring down the maximum daily dosage to less than 4,000 milligrams.

Tylenol’s maker, Johnson & Johnson, said that it disagrees with the recommended restrictions on acetaminophen, saying that it might lead to even more dangerous results as people move towards other over-the-counter products such as Advil and aspirin.

Children’s medicines that contain acetaminophen were also an issue as the committee voted 36-1 to limit them to a single formulation. Currently the liquids are sold in two different concentrations, which confuses some doctors and parents. After deliberation, FDA officials indicated that they would probably decide on the less concentrated formula. That way, if parents make a mistake, there would be less chance of an overdose.

A lot of over-the-counter cold and cough medicines such as Excedrin and Nyquil contain acetaminophen. Accidental poisonings happen when two or more of these combination products are taken because the danger is not known. A vote of 24-13 was cast against the ban against these children’s medicines because the danger was perceived as slight.

A study done in 2005 showed that the majority of poisonings happened when people took Vicodin or similar products containing a narcotic with acetaminophen.