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Health news, tips and features: Healia Health Blog

July 2008

July 31st, 2008

Air Quality Proving to be Major Concern for Beijing Olympics

Health News posted 1 year ago by The Healia Team

Air quality has been a major concern in Beijing over the past few weeks, and many worry that the high air pollution levels may not only be a nuisance to spectators, but also hinder the performance of Olympic athletes if they deeply inhale the pollutants. With air quality unpredictable, Olympic officials were forced to announce emergency contingent plans today.

Temporary measures have gone into effect to help improve air quality, including a moratorium on construction work, the closure of polluting factories, and a 50% reduction in the number of private cars on the road. These measures will be in place throughout the August Olympics and the Paralympic Games in September.

This is the first of a series of blogs regarding health and the upcoming Olympic Games. For help with a health related question, remember to visit Healia Communities and ask one of our experts.

Tags: Pollution, Lung Diseases, Sports Injuries
July 30th, 2008

L.A. City Council Decides: No New Fast Food Restaurants

Health News posted 1 year ago by The Healia Team

L.A. City Council members voted unanimously today to ban new fast food restaurants from opening in South Los Angeles. The year-long moratorium is intended to give the city time to attract restaurants that serve healthier food. Today’s vote is believed to be the first of its kind by a major city to protect public health.

The Community Health Councils found that 73 percent of South Los Angeles restaurants were fast food, compared to 42 percent in West Los Angeles. It is thought that fast food restaurants are contributing to high obesity rates in South L.A. -- 30% of adults compared with about 21% in the rest of the city. See our previous blog: Los Angeles City Council Considering Legislation that Would Ban Fast-Food Restaurants.

The moratorium only affects stand alone restaurants and does not include fast food establishments located in malls or strip shopping centers. Fast-food restaurants have been defined as those that do not offer table service and provide a limited menu of pre-prepared or quickly heated food in disposable wrapping.

This definition exempts "fast-food casual" restaurants such as El Pollo Loco, Subway, and Pastagina, which do not have drive-through windows or heat lamps and prepare fresh food to order.

The California Restaurant Association and its members are considering a legal challenge to the ordinance.

For more information about healthy eating or for help with a nutrition question, be sure to visit Healia Communities.

Tags: Weight Management, Diet and Nutrition, Overweight / Obesity
July 29th, 2008

Back to School Means Time to Update Child Immunizations

Health News posted 1 year ago by The Healia Team

Back to school, already?? As August approaches, the long days of summer vacation are over for many school-aged children – and for parents this means time to update child immunizations. August is  National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), which is intended to increase awareness about immunizations among all ages, from infants to the elderly.

Diseases that vaccines have either been eradicated or dramatically reduced include smallpox, poliovirus, measles, diphtheria, rubella, and pertussis. However, many thousands of Americans still die from vaccine-preventable diseases every year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) features information for parents about vaccines, including the articles: The ABCs of Childhood Vaccines, How Vaccines Prevent Disease, and After the Shots: Parent Information Sheet.

For help in understanding your state’s immunization requirements, visit the National Network for Immunization Information. Here you can find the vaccines that each state requires before entry into school or day care.

Have a question about childhood vaccines? Try asking other parents or health professionals at the Healia Vaccines Community.

Tags: Infant, Child, and Teen Health, Vaccines, Child Health
July 28th, 2008

University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Director Warns of Possible Link Between Cell Phone Use and Cancer

Health News posted 1 year ago by The Healia Team

Employees at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute were warned last week to limit their cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer. The warning came from Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, and apparently contradicts many studies that do not find a link between cancer and cell phone use.

In a memo Herberman sent to about 3,000 faculty and staff last Wednesday, he stated that children should use cell phones only for emergencies because their brains are still developing. For adults, he recommends keeping the phone away from the head and using the speakerphone or a wireless headset.

Herberman also warned against using cell phones in public places, because it exposes others to the phone's electromagnetic fields. Herberman’s warnings are based on early unpublished data. He has stated that it "takes too long to get answers from science", and believes that people "should take action now, especially when it comes to children".

Cellular telephones emit radiofrequency (RF) energy, a form of radiation, which is being investigated for its effects on the human body. The largest published study on this issueappeared in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2006, and tracked 420,000 Danish cell phone users, including thousands that had used the phones for more than 10 years. It found no increased risk of cancer among those using cell phones.

For more information about current studies or cell phone use and cancer, see the National Cancer Institute’s fact sheet: Cellular Telephone Use and Cancer: Questions and Answers.

Tags: Cancers, Head and Neck Cancer
July 25th, 2008

Last Lecture Professor Randy Pausch Loses Battle with Pancreatic Cancer

Health News posted 1 year ago by The Healia Team

Randy Pausch, who delivered the infamous “Last Lecture” at Carnegie Mellon University, died today at the age of 47. Pausch was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September 2006. His popular last lecture was delivered at Carnegie Mellon on September 18, 2007 and has been viewed by millions on the Internet.

At Carnegie Mellon University, Pausch was a professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design, and was recognized as a pioneer of virtual reality research. Pausch co-founded Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center, a master's program for bringing artists and engineers together. Pausch also made Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. 

His last lecture was made into a best-selling book. In his lecture, he urged his students and colleagues to live life to the fullest. Among his words of wisdom:

  • "Never underestimate the importance of having fun. I'm dying and I'm having fun. And I'm going to keep having fun every day because there's no other way to play it."
  • "We can't change the cards we're dealt, just how we play the hand. If I'm not as depressed as you think I should be, I'm sorry to disappoint you."
  • “It is not about achieving your dreams but living your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.”

He is survived by his wife, Jai, and their three children, Dylan, Logan and Chloe; his mother, Virginia Pausch of Columbia, MD.; and a sister, Tamara Mason of Lynchburg, VA.

You can read more about Randy Pausch on the Carnegie Mellon University website (http://www.cmu.edu/randyslecture/) or at Randy Pausch’s website (http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/).

Tags: Pancreatic Cancer, Cancers
July 23rd, 2008

Los Angeles City Council Considering Legislation that Would Ban Fast-Food Restaurants

Health News posted 1 year ago by The Healia Team

Fast-food restaurants may become a thing of the past in Los Angeles if Jan Perry, a Los Angeles city-council member, has anything to say about it. Perry is spearheading legislation that would ban new fast-food restaurants like McDonald's and KFC from opening in a 32-square-mile chunk of the city, including her district.

The area is home to 400 fast-food restaurants. Perry feels that the restaurants are contributing to high obesity rates there -- 30% of adults, compared with about 21% in the rest of the city. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 25.6% of adults are obese in the U.S.

Many local governments are trying to help fight obesity. Earlier this year in New York City, a law requiring fast-food restaurants to post calorie counts on the main menu above the counter was implemented (see Healia’s blog titled: New York City Fast Food Chains Required to Post Calorie Information on Menus). New York City officials stated that the new menu information will help prevent obesity and diabetes.

The L.A. fast-food ban would last one year; however, Perry hopes to make it permanent. For information about healthy eating, or if you are interested in losing weight, make Healia Communities part of your search for information and support.

Tags: Diet and Nutrition, Weight Management, Overweight / Obesity
July 22nd, 2008

July is National Hemocromatosis Awareness and Screening Month

Health News posted 1 year ago by The Healia Team

The month of July is National Hemocromatosis Awareness and Screening Month. Hemochromatosis is an inherited disorder which causes people to absorb extra iron from their diet. Because the body has no efficient way to excrete iron, excess iron builds up in the liver, heart, pancreas, pituitary, and joints.

According to the Iron Disorders Institute, an advocacy organization for people with iron disorders, body organs with excessive iron eventually fail to function and disease or premature death occurs. Excess iron levels can be reduced by removing blood through blood donations and chelation therapy using special medicines.

Chronic fatigue and joint pain are among the first and most common symptoms reported by people with hemochromatosis. Subsequent symptoms and findings may include abdominal pain, irregular heart rhythm, loss of period loss of interest in sex, hair loss, and skin color changes.

Do you have a question about hemochromatosis? Make sure to search healia.com for more information.

Tags: Genetic Disorders, Blood Disorders, Prevention, Foodborne Illness
July 18th, 2008

Obesity Rates are Highest in the South

Health News posted 1 year ago by The Healia Team

A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that the Southern United States has some of the highest levels of obesity. Mississippi has had the highest obesity rate every year since 2004. Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Louisiana have also clustered near the top of the list.

Colorado was the least obese, with about 19 percent classified as obese. Colorado is a state with a reputation for outdoor exercise and many residents maintain a more active lifestyle.

The South is known for a traditional Southern diet that is high in fat and fried foods. This type of diet along with a sedentary lifestyle is likely the reason for their high obesity rates.

Overall, about 26 percent of the respondents were obese, according to the study, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. A different CDC survey -- a project in which researchers actually weigh and measure survey respondents as opposed to conducting a telephone survey -- put the adult obesity rate at 34 percent in 2005 and 2006 (the most recent data available).

These are the 10 states with the highest levels of adult obesity, according to  the CDC: 

1. Mississippi, 32.0 percent
2. Alabama, 30.3
3. Tennessee, 30.1
4. Louisiana, 29.8
5. West Virginia, 29.5
6. Arkansas, 28.7
7. South Carolina, 28.4
8. Georgia, 28.2
9. Oklahoma, 28.1
10. Texas, 28.1 

 
Obesity is based on body mass index, a calculation using height and weight. A 5-foot, 9-inch adult who weighs 203 pounds would have a BMI of 30, which is considered the threshold for obesity. Would you like more information about weight loss? Visit Healia Communities and join our Weight Management Community. Here, you can share stories with others or ask an expert a question about weight loss. 

Tags: Diet and Nutrition, Weight Management, States, CDC, Overweight / Obesity
July 16th, 2008

High Gas Prices Saving Lives, Less Car Accidents

Health News posted 1 year ago by The Healia Team

A recent study found that people are driving less as a result of high gas prices and that this may result in a third fewer car-related deaths annually (about 1,000 less deaths each month). The reduction may be most dramatic among teenage drivers.

The stduy by researchers at Harvard Medical School and the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that, “For every 10 percent increase in gas prices there was a 2.3 percent decline in auto deaths. For drivers ages 15 to 17, the decline was 6 percent, and for ages 18 to 21, it was 3.2 percent”.

The study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the researchers' findings were presented at the American Society of Health Economists meeting last month.

According to the Department of Transportation, Americans drove abput 1.4 billion fewer highway miles in April. This represents six consecutive months where the number of miles driven has dropped in the United States.

Tags: Injuries, Prevention, Deaths
July 10th, 2008

July is UV Safety Month

Health News posted 1 year ago by The Healia Team

Many of us remember to apply sunscreen while in the sun, but do we remember hats and sunglasses? July is UV Safety Month and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) wants to remind people to protect their eyes as much as they protect their skin.

According to the AAO, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat are recommended to protect your eyes from sunlight and harmful UV rays. They suggest that both sunglasses and a hat be worn every time you are outside for a long period, even if the sun is not fully out. Consumers should look for sunglasses that can block 99 to 100 percent of UV-A and UV-B rays.

It is thought that even just a single day of sun exposure can be harmful to your eyes. Reflected UV light from sand, snow, or roads may burn the eye's surface. And although the surface burns typically disappear within days, they may result in longer term eye complications.

For information about eye diseases or skin cancer, visit Healia Communities. At Healia Communities you can connect with others, share stories, or ask an expert a question.

Tags: Skin Cancer, Prevention, Skin, Eye Diseases and Injuries

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