Your Belly Is SAD

There is an article on Medical News Today, uh, today about what researches consider to be a better predictor of future heart disease than BMI (body mass index). This makes sense, since a professional athlete can sometimes have a rather high BMI suggesting obesity when, in fact, he has very low body fat and is in better health than someone who is just fat.

Researchers measured each man's belly, the scientific term for which is "sagittal abdominal diameter" or SAD.

"Iribarren and his team also looked at the results within categories of BMI. They found that within the same BMI range, the SAD measure was a reliable predictor of CHD [coronary heart disease] risk. In other words, two people with the same Body Mass Index (even if their weight was "normal") would effectively have different risks of developing CHD depending on the size of their belly - the larger the belly the bigger the risk."

A Small Part of the Future of Medicine

Doctors and patients will, more and more, be communicating via the internet, over secure sites onto which they will log. Change is coming more slowly than many would like, but it's happening.

"An estimated 80 percent of Americans with Internet access would like to communicate with their doctors by e-mail, according to a HarrisInteractive Health Care Poll done in March 2005. That said, doctors have been slow to make use of the technology.

Only about one in four physicians reported that e-mail was used in his or her practice to communicate with patients in 2004-05, according to a study released a few months ago by the Center for Studying Health System Change, a health policy research organization in Washington. That was up from one in five in 2000-01."

One of the problems is that doctors aren't compensated for time spent on the phone or sending messages over the internet (not email, since it has to be specially encoded). I am remembering how stupid it was to get the results of an MRI in person, taking time off work, parking in downtown Boston, only to have a discussion with the doctor I could have easily had over the phone. This is the kind of stuff that absolutely must change for health care in this country to be effective and efficient.

Read the article on columbiatribune.com.

HSA Calculator

The 2007 annual contribution limits for Health Savings Accounts are $2,850 for individuals and $5,650 for families. The good news is that, now that President Bush has signed the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, you can contribute the max even if your deductible is lower. Try out this HSA Calculator from HSA Bank, to give yourself an idea of how much you'll have to start squirreling away to pay for medical expenses in retirement.

More On HSAs

President Bush today signed the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006.

"The bill’s provisions include the following:

1. It allows HSAs to be funded with one-time transfers from Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), enabling individuals to benefit from the tax advantages provided by HSAs when paying for medical expenses.

2. It allows individuals to make the maximum annual contribution to HSAs at any point in a given year; previously, they were only allowed to make prorated contributions based on their enrollment dates.

3. It allows individuals to contribute amounts that equal the annual contribution limit, regardless of their plans’ deductible limits; previously, they were only allowed to contribute amounts equaling their deductibles.

4. It allows funding for HSAs to come from a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) or a flexible spending account (FSA) in the form of a one-time rollover.

5. It allows employees with lesser earnings to receive higher contributions from their employers into HSAs."

Read the article here on insurancenewsnet.com.

SWB

Contrary to popular belief, that doesn't stand for "single white bunny". SWB stands for "subjective well-being".

From the University of Leicester's School of Psychology:

"This underlying state is conceptualised as a sense of satisfaction with one’s life, both in general and in specific areas of one’s life such as relationships, health and work."

I read an article about the study in The Futurist magazine and was able to track down the paper and complete ranking of countries' scores on the Satisfaction With Life Scale here. Denmark and Switzerland tie for 1st place with a 273, followed by Austria, Iceland, Bahamas, Finland, and Sweden. USA is a little bit down the list with a score of 247, but comfortably ahead of the miserable French, at 220. It will come as no great shock that the bottom of the list is comprised of African and former Soviet Bloc countries, where health problems and poverty abound.

1-800 Contacts

I have an exciting development to report. I have used my HSA card for the very first time, and made a purchase, using pretax dollars, of an eligible product. I went on 1800contacts.com to check out the prices for contacts that I last bought at Costco (where I was unable to use my HSA card because they don't have the proper vendor code), and upon viewing the homepage, saw that FSA (Flexible Spending Account, an inferior predecessor of the HSA) cards can be used to purchase contacts. I called customer service to check if I could use my HSA and they said "yes". Even though the contacts are quite a bit cheaper at Costco, it's a long drive for me, and I was able to finally put my HSA card to the test. It was just like using a normal credit card. This kind of stuff will only get easier.

I should note that, even if one cannot use one's HSA card at Costco's Optical department, as long as the receipt is retained, one may reimburse oneself with HSA funds by doing a transfer to a personal account or writing a check. It's an extra step that takes away some convenience, though.

Here are some statistics and U.S. Treasury documents from HSA Insider.

Some Stuff You Need To Know

From Popular Mechanics:

"10 Tech Concepts You Need to Know for 2007 From concrete that can flex to sensors that you swallow, here are the technologies you’ll be talking about."

As we are bombarded by more and more information, and burdened with rapidly increasing amounts of personal data, photos, and music, the "data cloud" will become an essential tool for managing one's life. It is the last of the ten concepts listed, and it will be huge. Google's Gdrive is sure to be a big hit, offering "unlimited storage" of information that can be accessed online from anywhere, just like your email.

The Skinny on the Article For Which I've Been Waiting

Prepare yourself to feel sorry for a chair -

"Obesity Worse Than Drinking Or Smoking"

"'Obesity is the most serious threat to the future health of [England],' said Prof Peter Littlejohns, the director of clinical and public health at [The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence]."

"American public health research has shown that for every 100 obese men and women, compared with people of normal weight, there would be 50 extra chronic diseases compared with about 20 among those who had ever smoked, nearly 60 among people living in poverty and a similar number for drinkers."

*Check out the comment on yesterday's post from Kari Chisholm, who works for Senator Wynd.

Healthy Americans Act (that's not an oxymoron)

This is something to watch. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is proposing an idea for national health care that is actually fairly reasonable, especially considering his party's history regarding same.

"Called the 'Healthy Americans Act,' the plan would require that employers 'cash out' their existing health plans by terminating coverage and paying the amount saved directly to workers as increased wages. Workers then would be required to buy health insurance from a large pool of private plans."

The plan doesn't allow employees to buy less comprehensive plans though, since the employer will be increasing salaries a similar amount as was spent on the prior year's coverage. This negates one of the benefits of going to HSA-compatible, high deductible plans.

Read about it on USA Today.com. I plan on reading more about the proposed legislation on the senators website: http://wyden.senate.gov/

Sneaky Sneaky

The bill I mentioned last week was passed over the weekend with provisions that relaxed restrictions on HSAs. So, we will now be able to contribute up to the maximum amount each year, even if our deductibles don't equal that amount. This article in the Washington Post has a good explanation of the legislation, though the contribution limits for 2007 are misstated. Read my last post below to see those.

HSA Legislation

Some HSA enhancements have passed in the House, and are on their way to the Senate. An important change proposed would be ignoring the deductible as it concerns contribution limits. So, even if you only had a $1,200 deductible (which would presently allow you to contribute only $1,200 to your HSA for the year), you would be able to contribute the maximum $2,850 to your HSA under the new rules. Let's keep our fingers crossed...

businessinsurance.com

I'm Lovin' It

I'm lovin' the news that I read on Drudge today regarding McDonald's. Read here about a town in England where McDonald's has shut its doors due to lack of business.

"Children no longer needed to go there because they were being fed properly."

I like McDonald's, and I hope the one near my office stays open, but I only eat there once or twice a month, so it would not be such a big deal.

Can You Hear Them Now?

Go ahead and talk away, just as long as you don't go over your minutes. That gets pretty expensive.

"Researchers at the Danish Institute of Cancer Epidemiology followed 420,095 cell phone users who subscribed to service between 1982 and 1995, and were tracked through 2002 to spot any incidences of cancer. Compared with the general population, there was no appreciable difference."

They might even lessen the risk for cancer (joking):

"What was found was a lower risk for smoking-related cancers, however this was likely more to do with socio-economic status than the cell phones themselves. Early adopters of cellular technology were of higher income, and smoke at a lesser rate than the general population."

Read the article here.

The Twinkie Tax and Trans Fats

There is an article in today's Miami Herald that discusses a growing trend among companies seeking healthier employees.

"After L.L. Bean increased the price for burgers and lowered the price for salads in its cafeteria, fruit and salad bar purchases doubled while fries and burger sales fell by half."

Read the Herald article here.

New York City's Board of Health has just banned trans fats:

"The new requirements will mean that the city’s 20,000 food establishments, from high-end bistros to neighborhood delis, will be barred from using most frying oils containing artificial trans fats by July 1, 2007, and will have to eliminate the artificial trans fats from all of their foods by July 1, 2008. The establishments have to switch to oils, margarines and shortening that meet the limits and bring their menus into compliance."

Read the New York Times article here.

This Stuff is Bad (and by "bad" I mean "good")

"The Top Ten Bad Things That Are Good For You"

The Biggest Generation (Revisited)

There's a link on Drudge about the rising numbers of teens who are opting for bariatric surgery. It's rather startling to read one teenager's words:

"I have a little nephew, and that's my motivation right now. I want to be [here to] play with him as he gets older".

Read the New York Daily News article here.

135 Degrees

At the recent meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, researchers revealed some rather surprising findings. The ideal position in which to sit to reduce stress on the spine is leaning back at 135 degrees.

"Back pain, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, is the most common cause of work-related disability in the United States. It costs Americans nearly $50 billion annually. Sitting appears to be a major cause of this ailment."

So, if you're like me and have had back pain since getting out of college, consider tilting your desk, chair and computer 45 degrees, I guess...

Read the article here.

Make 'Em Laugh

Today's Nightingale-Conant Motivational Quote:

"Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place."

-Mark Twain

BofA

Bank of America has just entered the HSA market, having teamed up with Aetna. From the Charlotte Business Journal.

HSA News

For 2007, cost of living adjustments have been made to Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution limits, out-of-pocket maximums, and minimum deductibles for qualifying high deductible health insurance plans. For individuals, the minimum deductible is now $1,100, and for families, $2,200. The maximum yearly contributions for individuals and families will be $2,850 and $5,650, respectively.

businessinsurance.com

Cutting Through the Fat

Here is a great article, as usual, from Men's Health. The following pointers are described in detail in the article:

1. To lose weight, you must cut calories

2. Use whey to cut waist

3. Meat kills fat

4. Remember these letters: BCAA

5. If it's fryin', you're dyin'

6. Food goes farther with fiber

7. Count on calcium

8. Alpha males use omega-3 fats

9. Make a plan

Aloha

A 40-year study of 6,000 Japanese-Americans from Hawaii has yielded some predictable findings. One increases dramatically one's chances of living up to or past age 85 by having a low-calorie diet, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, not smoking or drinking excessively, and by being married.

"The nine mid-life risk factors were: being overweight, meaning a body-mass index of 25 or more; having high blood glucose levels, which can lead to diabetes; having high triglyceride levels, which contribute to heart disease; having high blood pressure; having low grip strength _ unable to squeeze at least 86 pounds of pressure with a handheld device; smoking; consuming three or more alcoholic drinks daily; not graduating from high school; and being unmarried.

"'These risk factors can be easily measured in a clinical setting and are, for the most part, modifiable,' the researchers said."

You can find the article on the Washington Post site here.

The Latte Factor

David Bach, author of "The Automatic Millionaire", discusses his "latte factor" in an article on Nightingale-Conant's website. A woman named Kim who attended the Bach's personal finance seminar complained that she didn't earn enough to save, and was not participating in the 401(k) available to her through work.

"If Kim took her $5.00-a-day latte allowance and put it into her 401(k) plan instead, by the time she turned 65 she would have approximately $1,742,767 saved for retirement."

You can read the complete article here.

Monkeys!!! (and low-calorie diets)

Researchers have some startling results from their study of rhesus monkeys, and the effects of low-calorie diets versus standard ones.

"This approach, called calorie restriction, involves eating about 30 percent fewer calories than normal while still getting adequate amounts of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Aside from direct genetic manipulation, calorie restriction is the only strategy known to extend life consistently in a variety of animal species."

Read the New York Times article here.

Something Fishy Around Here

A recent Wall Street Journal article outlined the findings of a study by Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, and Brigham and Women's Hospital, "Fish Intake, Contaminants, and Human Health," regarding toxity levels in fish versus their health benefits. Read it here if you have a subscription, otherwise, just take my word for it.

"The American Heart Association recommends that people eat fish -- particularly the fatty type -- at least twice a week."

-HOWEVER-

"While [the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in March 2004] stated that fish and shellfish are an important component of a healthy diet, it warned women who are pregnant, nursing or planning to become pregnant to avoid those four types of fish that contain high levels of mercury -- shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish -- and to limit their intake of albacore tuna, which has more mercury than 'light' tuna."

Your Civic Duties

Energy

There has been some recent news about the US obesity epidemic and its impact on energy consumption. Here's a quick explanation of some research that was posted on wifr.com, a local Illinois new station -

Weight Increases Gas Consumption

"Want to spend less at the pump? Try losing weight.

That's the implication of a new study that says Americans are fueling their cars with nearly one billion more gallons of gasoline each year than in 1960 because of their expanding waistlines.

University of Illinois researcher Sheldon Jacobson says if drivers reduce the weight of their cars -- either by removing excess baggage or by losing weight -- they'll see a drop in their fuel consumption.

Outside experts say the new study appears sound, but that even if the calculations aren't exact, the premise makes sense since Americans definitely are getting heftier.

Government data shows the average weight for American men was 191 pounds in 2002 and 164 pounds for women -- about 25 pounds heavier for both than in 1960."


Rug Rats

I came across this interesting report, which is compiled every year by the USDA (US Dept. of Agriculture). Can you afford to have children? Consider the fact that, if you want to provide your child with just an average upbringing, it will cost you around $7,700 per year, or $644 per month (and that's just for couples who bring in less than $43,200 per year).

and a good segue to...

The Pill for Men

"The common perception is that few women would actually believe a man who said he was on the Pill." Got the link from Drudge. Read it here.

A Couple Stuff (My friend Rich always says that. For some reason I think it's hilarious.)

From my daily email from Modern Healthcare:

Breaking News
Community hospitals' uncompensated-care costs rose 7.1% in 2005 to $28.8 billion from $26.9 billion in 2004, the American Hospital Association said. Meanwhile, Medicare and Medicaid shortfalls at community hospitals increased 14.5% to $25.3 billion last year from $22.1 billion in 2004, the AHA said.



Bank of America to offer HSA in 2007. Read about it here.



From SparkPeople.com -

Learn to Love A.M. Exercise

(Even if You're NOT A Morning Person)


Here is one of the best reasons (one pointed out often by my father, dammit). -

"Exercising first thing in the morning is the most foolproof way to ensure that other things don'’t overtake your fitness commitment, particularly if you have a hectic family life. (It's so easy to wimp out in the evening, when we'’re tired or faced with such tasks as rustling up dinner and helping with homework.)"

To Your Health (that is what people say in most languages, rather than "cheers")

There's a study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston about the effects of booze on your ticker. Because the study takes only heart attack risk into account (and not cancer or liver disease, for example), the researchers are reluctant to encourage people to pick up drinking. However, Dr. Richard Stein, a clinical professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, often recommends a drink/day for patients who have suffered heart attacks.

From Forbes.com:

"The men who had two drinks a day had the lowest risk for heart attack, while those who didn't drink had the highest risk, the researchers found. Twenty-five percent of the heart attacks were among men who drank less than 5 grams of alcohol a day."

The article also has a link to the American Heart Association's take on the issue, which I have included here.

Barry's Rule Revisited

From SparkPeople.com:

"Healthy snack choices start at the grocery store. That'’s where the decision is made to eat healthy snacks, not at the office or on the coach, but at the grocery."

I think that must have been written by someone English. "Coach" means "bus" over there.

In July I mentioned my friend, Barry, and how he and his family don't buy junk food at the store because then they would eat it. So, when you go to the grocery store, don't buy things you wish to avoid eating.

SparkPeople has a list of some healthy snacks if you follow the above link. They're the usual suggestions of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Dun dun dun...

From Medterms.com:

Paraskevidekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th.

Say that 5 times fast.

I had to wait until past midnight to make this post, since I figured my computer might electrocute me or something. Plus my brother pointed out that I had doubled up on my "Uncola" posts. I of course leapt from bed to correct the matter at once.

The Uncola

I'll give you a hint, it's not 7up, and it starts with an "H" and ends with a "2O." It's been a whole 2 months since my last poison post, and by "poison," I mean "soda."

A Tufts University (yeah 'bos) nutrition study finds a link between cola consumption and lower bone mineral density among women.

Do not drink soft drinks regularly. I have made it my own policy to drink them only sometimes at the movies (Though sipping them over long periods is really bad for your teeth. Consider swishing with water intermittently as you drink.) . You can enjoy it once in a while, but the evidence is overwhelming that regular soda consumption is detrimental to your health.

'Tis the Season

Flu season, that is. October and November are the recommended months during which one should get a flu shot. The CDC has some guidelines (which you can read in their entirety here):

People who should get vaccinated each year are:

1. People at high risk for complications from the flu, including:
   • Children aged 6-59 months,
   • Pregnant women,
   • People 50 years of age and older, and
   • People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions;
   • People who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities.
     
     
2. People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
   • Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu (see above)
   • Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)
   • Healthcare workers.

Use of the Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine

It should be noted that vaccination with the nasal-spray flu vaccine is always an option for healthy persons aged 5-49 years who are not pregnant.

Who Should Not Be Vaccinated

There are some people who should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician. These include

• People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
• People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past.
• People who developed Guillain-Barr syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously.
• Influenza vaccine is not approved for use in children less than 6 months of age.
• People who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever should wait to get vaccinated until their symptoms lessen.

Cook It Up

Spinach is back, baby. The CDC has the following guidelines, though:

• Do not eat spinach products processed by Natural Selection Foods (see below for link to full list of brand names).
• If you can't tell whether a particular brand of fresh spinach was implicated in the outbreak and the package has a "use by date" of Oct. 1, 2006 or earlier, don't eat it.
• E. Coli 0157:H5 in spinach can be killed by cooking at 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds. If spinach is cooked in a frying pan, and all parts do not reach 160 degrees F, all bacteria may not be killed.
• Don't allow raw spinach to contaminate other foods or food-contact surfaces.
• Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces with hot, soapy water before and after handling the spinach.
• Store fresh produce in a clean refrigerator at a temperature of 40 degrees F or below. All produce that is purchased pre-cut or peeled should be refrigerated to maintain both quality and safety.

This is actually important to me. Spinach is good stuff.

http://www.cdc.gov/foodborne/ecolispinach/

I'm Rich _____! - Dave Chappelle

Check out CNNMoney's "What It Takes to Be Rich."

A Couple of Things

Travel

I frankly cannot remember where I heard about this website, but I put it into my Blackberry to check out later. Sidestep.com is a site that compares a bunch of travel site results so you don't have to go on Orbitz, then Travelocity, then American Airlines, etc. It's fantastic.


Time Management

From SparkPeople:

Do a Realistic Time Audit Time management experts stress that before you can make needed changes in the way you manage time, you need to look at how you spend your time now. What activities or tasks are taking up the biggest chunks of your life? What items do you hate or put off most? Are you allowing others to dictate uses for your time that aren't productive or don't fit your agenda? By doing a brutally honest assessment, you can begin to change the way you manage yourself in relation to time.

I'm going to put that on my list of things to do.

Don't You Wish That You Were Part Cuban Like Me?

"Puzzled researchers call it the ''Hispanic Paradox'': On average, U.S. Hispanics lead longer lives than non-Hispanics, despite having less access to healthcare and higher rates of poverty."

There are many possible reasons for this to be the case, including inaccurate census data, but my favorite hypothesis espoused is that of the benefits of "simpatia" (which I would probably refer to as "cariño"). Latinos are more outwardly loving and affectionate to one another, and that produces health and psychological benefits. There's a somewhat poorly written article in the Miami Herald here . It's not the New York Times, but in NYC I don't think you're going to see many cariñoso people.

The Usual Stuff About US Healthcare

Although healthcare cost increases have slowed, they still outpaced both wages and inflation. This is not a conversation that will be going away anytime soon. Read here to learn more about the recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

"Almost all employers with 200 or more workers provided health insurance for employees in 2006, but fewer than 50% of employers with three to nine workers provided health coverage, the report finds (Kaiser Family Foundation/HRET/Health Affairs joint release, 9/26)."

The Gym of the Future??? (It's actually pretty obvious)

As I began reading this article, I figured the gym in question would likely be located in Mountain View or Sunnyvale, CA. It's in Mountain View, land of computer engineers, technological advances, and my brother, Brendan. Read the article here.

"Walk through the malls and high school halls in America, and you'll quickly notice that kids in the US could use a few good workouts. A new fitness center opening this Saturday hopes to lure kids in with a combination of a "fitness arcade," traditional workout equipment, free WiFi, a study center, and a cafe."

Hopefully this can be a component of the solution to the nation's childhood obesity epidemic. If that's what it takes...

Eating for One

Men's Health has great resources available on its website, as I have pointed out before. My brother is my roommate, so I have always said that it is much easier to go food shopping than if I were to live on my own, as many of my friends do.

Men's Health has a wonderful shopping and meal list that even accounts for leftovers to be taken into work (in a different form so as to lessen boredom). I just printed it out myself. It's great and incorporates easy-to-prepare items such as rotisserie chicken, frozen shrimp, rice, and beans. Check it out here.

The article points out that the average amount spent on eating out at cheap restaurants is $85/week, whereas this articles suggested fare costs $47.96. That's pretty easy math.

Drug-Mart

I can't imagine many people haven't heard that Wal-Mart will start offering generic prescription drugs for 4$/30-day supply. The program will begin in South Florida and then be expanded to other parts of the country next year. Some are skeptical. Read about it on usatoday.com.

More on the Benefits of Weight Training

From SparkPeople.com:

The top 10 reasons everyone should strength train (and LOVE every minute of it):

1. Strength training preserves muscle mass during weight loss.
According to a University of Michigan research study, at least 25% to 30% of weight lost by dieting alone is not fat but lean tissue, muscle, bone and water. However, strength training helps dieters preserve muscle mass while still losing weight.

2. Strength training elevates your metabolism.
Starting in their twenties, most people (especially women) lose half a pound of muscle every year if they aren't strength training to preserve it. After age 60, this rate of loss doubles. But regular strength training can preserve muscle throughout the lifespan, and rebuild the muscle lost.

3. Strength training helps you lose weight more easily (or eat more without gaining weight).
Since muscle is active tissue (unlike fat, which is inert), it requires energy to maintain. The more muscle you have, the more you can eat without gaining weight. Strength training can provide up to a 15% increase in metabolic rate, which is helpful for weight loss and long-term weight control.

For every additional pound of muscle you gain, your body will burn about 50 more calories each day. A study by Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, showed that a woman who strength trains two or three times a week for eight weeks gains 1.75 lbs of muscle and loses 3.5 lbs of fat.

And John Hopkins researchers found that while aerobic exercise burns more calories at the time you are exercising, your metabolism returns to normal about 30 minutes after you finish your workout. Individuals who perform strength training, however, elevate their metabolisms (burn more calories) for two hours after their workouts end.

4. Strength training increases bone density.
A study conducted by Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D. of Tufts University found that strength training increases both muscle mass and bone density. Dr. Nelson’s research showed that women who lifted weights did not lose any bone density throughout the study, and actually gained an average of 1% more bone mass in the hip and spine. Non-exercising women lost 2% to 2.5% of bone mass during the same period of time.

Another University of Arizona study showed a 3% increase in spine and hip bone mineral density after an 18-month strength training program among women, ages 28 to 39.

5. Strength training counteracts depression.
In a study of 32 men and women who suffered from chronic depression, Nalin Singh, M.D. and Tufts University associates divided the individuals into two groups. They directed half to perform strength training while the other half received health information. After three months, 14 of the 16 members who lifted weights felt better and no longer met the criteria for depression.

A Harvard study also showed that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling alone.

6. Strength training reduces sleep difficulties.
Ten people in Dr. Singh’s strength training group (see reason 5, above) also reported sleep difficulties at the start of the study. After 12 weeks, six of the 10 reported they no longer had trouble sleeping—they fell asleep more quickly, slept more deeply, awakened less often and slept longer.

7. Strength training reduces your risk of diabetes.
Adult-onset (Type 2) diabetes is a growing problem, with over 14 million Americans suffering from the condition. Research shows that strength training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23% in just four months. As muscles contract and relax during exercise, they use sugar for energy. To meet this energy need, your body uses sugar supplies in your blood, reducing your blood sugar levels.

8. Strength training lowers your blood pressure.
The University of Arizona study (see reason 4, above) also showed resting blood pressure (RBP) levels were impacted by strength training. Strength training participants shifted from the high-normal RBP category to normal RBP levels. Regular exercise, including strength training, strengthens the heart, allowing it to pump more blood with less effort. The less your heart has to work, the less force (or pressure) is exerted on your arteries.

9. Strength training helps you age more gracefully.
As you age, muscle mass decreases (if you're not working to preserve it), which can cause skin to sag in not-so-pretty ways. By strength training, you can fight age-related muscle loss and maintain a more youthful physique.

10. Strength training improves your quality of life.
Building muscle allows you to get more out of life. Everyday activities, such as lifting children (or grandchildren), carrying groceries, and working in the yard are much easier when you’re not struggling with the effort. Being in shape also makes you more confident, helps you stand taller and makes you feel great about yourself. And what’s better than that?

"D" Is for Disastrous

A recent study gives the U.S. health care system a score of 66 out of 100. Read about it on Forbes.com.

"The U.S. spends 16 percent of its gross domestic product on health care," Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis said during a press conference announcing the results. "That's more than twice the average of industrialized nations."

Sad Times for Popeye

In case you haven't heard the news, there is widespread E. coli contamination of U.S. spinach:

"The FDA reports that Natural Selection Foods of San Juan Batista, Calif., is recalling all its products containing spinach in all brands the company packs with "Best if Used by Dates" of Aug. 17, 2006 through Oct. 1, 2006.

The recalled products include spinach and any salad with spinach in the blend. Products that don't include spinach aren't part of this recall."

The FDA is recommending that no one eat any fresh spinach at this time. Read the WebMD article here.

Taxes

Here's an article you should read about some changes to the tax code, including an increase in the 401(k) contribution limit, and higher taxes for Americans living abroad. Read the article on wsj.com.

USPS

I'm not sure how common this knowledge is, but if you're moving, it's pretty easy to get your mail forwarded. The US Postal Service has a really good website, and you can change your address on line for $1 (charged to a credit card as verification):

https://moversguide.usps.com/mgservice/Home

I went on usps.com to check postage on something I was sending, and it dawned on me that I didn't do that during college, which was kind of stupid. I went by my old senior year apartment a couple of months after graduation to see if there was any mail for me still and it turned out there was a credit card fraud notice that was very important for me to see. It was luck that I received it, and I was able to clear up the problem.

SAAAvings (the extra a's are for AAA)

I was kicking myself upon leaving the Ernest Hemingway house tour in Key West. It turned out that they had a AAA discount, and I am a member. It would probably make sense to just ask every merchant from whom you purchase something if they have a AAA discount, but it's at least a good idea to keep it in mind for some specific places and services:

Amtrak - 10% discount

Air Travel - I found an American Airlines ticket on AAA.com for $218 that would cost $224 on Orbitz and whose return trip was not even available if looking on AA.com (American Airlines site).

Airport Parking - Upon exiting the parking garage at Miami Airport, present your AAA card for savings of $1/day. At Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood Airport, a similar discount is available.

Hard Rock Cafe - 10% discount

Hertz Car Rental - 5-20% discount (depending on class of car)

LensCrafters - 30% discount

The list goes on. You should have AAA in case you need to be towed even once every couple of years. A membership in AAA South is only $60/year.

www.aaasouth.com

401(k) Inertia

A Harvard-UPenn economists' study finds that automatic enrollment in 401(k) programs increases participation to 96% when the normal option to sign up yields only about a third of eligible enrollees.

Study co-author, professor David Laibson of Harvard, says that "since people aren't inclined to take action, very few of those who are signed up automatically will choose to drop out."

Read the article on CNNMoney.com.

Your Daughter's Sex Life

I might just be plugging her book because she's a Tufts graduate, but a young alumna named Amber Madison has just written Hooking Up: A Girl's All-Out Guide to Sex and Sexuality. This could be a first step in talking to one's daughter about sex. It's gotten good reviews and was featured on the front page of today's Boston.com. Her website is ambermadisononline.com.

8 Americas

Wow, that's even worse than what John Edwards was campaigning about.

A Harvard School of Public Health study compares longevity among different races, in different regions of the country. Read about it on boston.com (Boston Globe online).

"Where you live, combined with race and income, plays a huge role in the nation's health disparities, differences so stark that a report issued Monday contends it's as if there are eight separate Americas instead of one."

*All of a sudden, since my post, one must sign up for access to boston.com. If you don't feel like doing that, you may read a similar article on Forbes.com.

MQOTD

Today's Motivational Quote of the Day from Nightingale-Conant:

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

-The World Health Organization

Real Life Whealth Watcher

Today's CNNMoney.com has an article about a young woman who has heeded the oft-given advice to "save early and save often." Her mentality is exactly what we encourage among Whealth Watcher$. She thinks of saving as another bill to pay, and it is paying off. At age 23, she has about $70K saved up in her 401(k), Roth IRA, and short term savings account.

Are You a Hungry Girl?

I'm not, but I read about this in today's Miami Herald:

www.hungry-girl.com

It's quite popular. My favorite section is "Chew the Right Thing" where the author compares low-fat/calorie substitutes to their mainstream, less healthy counterparts. For all of you Weight Watchers members, she includes the number of Points each will cost you, as well.

Mercury Falling

The FDA says that there is no significant risk, but my health-conscious cousin has warned against amalgam fillings for years. Also known as silver fillings, they are made up of about half mercury and half other stuff. Dentists use them because they are cheap yet durable. Make up your own decision about it. Here's an article from Reuters.

FL Hospital Website

This is a new website from the Florida Hospital Association:

http://www.floridainformedpatient.com/

It's not the best resource in the world, but it has some tools such as checklists you can print out to evaluate hospitals and physicians.

"Cost of Treating Obesity-Related Health Problems Immeasurable"

"'We are not dealing with a scientific or medical problem. We're dealing with an enormous economic problem that, it is already accepted, is going to overwhelm every medical system in the world,' said Dr. Philip James, the British chairman of the International Obesity Task Force."

Read the article about the recent weeklong International Congress on Obesity here.

Writing It Down

A SparkPeople member shares her success story about her weight loss journal here.

"The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen."

-Lee Iacocca

Consumer Tools, Privatization

It doesn't sound like much, but it's a step in the right direction:

Aetna Members Gain Access to Care Price, Quality Data

In Canada, a country whose healthcare system is touted as vastly superior to ours, a doctor who operates the nation's largest private hospital (in violation of Canadian law) has just been elected president of the Canadian Medical Association. Read the NY Times article here.

"On average, [Canadian] provinces spend nearly 45 percent of their budgets on health care."

"In the meantime, private health clinics are opening at an average rate of one a week in Canada."

So, let's hope we can get things going in the right direction here in the good ol' US of A.

The 5-Second Rule

I think we've all heard that one. Here's an offbeat article from WebMD about an Ig Nobel Prize-winning nutrition study.

Vroom Vroom

"Motorcyclists' deaths rose for an eighth straight year, the government said. Nearly half the riders were not wearing helmets."

"Fifty-five percent of the passenger vehicle occupants killed were not wearing seat belts."

Traffic deaths in 2005 were up for the first time in 20 years. If you've driven here lately, you will not be surprised to find that the largest increase in fatalities in the nation, 9.2%, was in Florida. Read the entire AP article here. Don't ride motorcycles, and buckle your seat belt.

The Obesity Epidemic and Medicare

"While increases in [Medicare's] cost have been attributed to causes such as medication costs, hospital and doctors fees, 90 percent of the increases can be attributed to people entering the program with diabetes, metabolic syndrome and other diseases associated with obesity, concluded a report published in the Aug. 22 online issue of Health Affairs."

Read the article on Forbes.com.

From the American Obesity Association:

"Each year, obesity causes at least 300,000 excess deaths in the U.S., and healthcare costs of American adults with obesity amount to approximately $100 billion."

More On Obese VS. Malnourished

A slightly more in-depth look at Professor Popkin's study, presented at the International Association of Agricultural Economists, is available here.

The University of Minnesota's Professor Benjamin Senauer compares US dietary habits with those of the Japanese, where obesity rates remain low.

"The average Japanese household spends almost a quarter of its income on food compared to under 14 percent in the U.S."

Cheap, processed foods are blamed by many nutritionists as a prime cause of the West's obesity epidemic.

Hmmm, Is This a Good Thing?

From on of my favorite websites ever, irishhealth.com:

"There are now over one billion overweight people worldwide, compared to 800 million who are undernourished, Professor Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina, told an International Association of Agricultural Economists, conference in Australia."

While the number of malnourished on the planet is slowly decreasing, those who are overweight and obese represent a rapidly growing population. So, there are now more overweight people than malnourished. That's something.

May You Live for a Hundred Years

Here are some tips from a survey of centenarians.

Broken Record

Sorry to sound like one. More news on soda consumption and its impact on obesity rates in the US.

More from Men's Health

This is really cool, and you could do a lot worse than to stick to the foods listed in this online grocery list of Men's Health's "125 Best Foods." Go "aisle by aisle" and select healthy choices for condiments, drinks, and meats, then print them out and take with you on the way home from work.

Motivation

These really are some good tips to keeping up your workout by Men's Health, including this hilarious tidbit:

20. Blackmail yourself

Take a picture of yourself shirtless, holding a sign that shows your e-mail address. Then e-mail it to a trusted but sadistic friend, with the following instructions: "If I don't send you a new picture that shows serious improvement in 12 weeks, post this photo at hotornot.com and send the link to the addresses listed below...." (Include as many e-mail addresses -- especially of female acquaintances -- as possible.) 'It's nasty, but extremely effective,' says Alwyn Cosgrove.

Other suggestions include burning a workout CD (read: iPod mix), scheduling workouts for the following month, and changing workout partners (your old one lets you slide too easily).

The Post That Madison Avenue Doesn't Want You to Read

Here's a great article from MSN Money that discusses the rampant consumerism that is bankrupting today's young professional.

The author, MP Dunleavy, who has a weekly column entitled "Women in Red," also reviews "Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping," by Judith Levine.

I Told You It Was Poison

The northern Indian state of Rajasthan has made illegal the sale of soft drinks, after Coke and Pepsi have been labeled "toxic." If people don't shape up, the government will be making a lot more decisions in the interest of public health. Drudge pointed out the article on Breitbart.

Protect That Smile

In honor of Dental Awareness Day (I know, I'm excited about it, too), taking place tomorrow, August 4th, I am including a link about the poison know as "soda." If you absolutely must drink one, then sip it through a straw and rinse your mouth with water afterwards. DON'T brush immediately after as your teeth are in a vulnerable state from the acidity of the soda and whose enamel will be harmed.

Everything in moderation:

"Enjoying an occasional soft drink in moderation will likely not cause significant damage," says Dr. Bassiouny. "However, substituting these beverages as a replacement for water may cause significant, irreversible long-term problems and damage."

Dental Awareness Day Hotline:

"For free answers to difficult or embarrassing dental questions, call 1.800.SMILE.33 on Friday, Aug. 4, 2006."

EXTRA EXTRA!

"We Eat Healthily And Exercise A Lot, Say America's Obese"

Quick, Healthy Eats

I got an email from SparkPeople about "making healthy choices when you're low on time." They suggest having "Go-to meals" such as a peas and tuna sandwich or chicken burritos.

Here are some suggestions, courtesy of WebMD. The article focuses on quick meals for the family, but there are good ideas for one-person meals and a checklist of healthy, simply foods one should always buy at the grocery store.

The internet is a great place to go for recipes, without the restrictions of a cookbook recipe. I often look around until I find one that calls only for ingredients that I know I have back at home. Cooks.com is a good resource.

Spray-On Tan

Not the stuff that makes you turn orange and smell funny (though that's probably what you should use). There a Men's Health article that discusses new research that suggests that an aerosol sunscreen is more effective than cream that has been thoroughly rubbed in and absorbed by the skin.

"Scientists suspect that when sunscreen is applied to the point where it disappears, it sticks into crevices and sweat glands."

Fooled by Fatty Foods

When it was less frequent that people ate out, the nutritional information of restaurant foods was less critical. The Cheesecake Factory considers its guests to be indulging themselves with a heavy meal at their establishment. But with obesity rates at startling levels, there is more pressure on restaurants to provide the data that are found on packaged foods.

WebMD has an article about a recent University of Arkansas study published in the American Journal of Public Health:

"Without nutritional information, diners in this study underestimated the calorie content of common menu items by an average of 600 calories. A diner who ate 600 extra calories at a restaurant each week would add more than 30,000 extra calories and could gain nine extra pounds per year."

"Cheese fries with ranch dressing, was deemed 'extremely unhealthful,' with 3,010 calories and 217 grams of fat." - that sounds really good. I'm sure you can get away with that one once in a while, c'mon...

Pulling Your Weight

A majority of adults in the US believes that people with unhealthy lifestyles should pay more for healthcare. Are you a healthy adult?

"Researchers defined individuals with healthy lifestyles as those who do not smoke and who exercise on a regular basis and control their weight."

This comes from a Wall Street Journal/Harris Poll, but you can view a brief synopsis here. If you are a WSJ subscriber, the full article can be read here.

XL-Rays

Now that's a clever title, if I do say so myself.

This is troubling:

"More and more obese people are unable to get full medical care because they are either too big to fit into scanners, or their fat is too dense for X-rays or sound waves to penetrate, radiologists reported on Tuesday."

It's only .15% of cases in the US, but that number is double what it was 15 years ago.

From Reuters.

Keep it Fresh

I'm trying to keep the titles interesting/clever. It's getting difficult.

I just read an article in the Miami Herald about a UM program that seeks to improve academic performance through fitness and healthy eating at Miami Edison High School (that's where I play 7-v-7 soccer!). One of the tips from Arlette Perry, head of Exercise and Sports Sciences at the U, is to keep to the outer edges of the supermarket when food-shopping. That is where the healthy, perishable foods are.

My good friend Barry, whose wife is a nutrition professor at Tufts School of Nutrition, once told me that they would eat all the junk that everyone else did if they bought it. It's a good point. If you don't have chips and cake and soda in the house, then you won't eat those things. It's a simple, yet effective, nutrition habit. Think about it...

A Place for Weight Loss

A new (free) networking site, in the mold of MySpace and Friendster, has been created to help people with their fitness, diet, and weight loss goals:

sparkpeople.com

It may prove to be competition for pay sites like Weight Watchers. It only takes a few minutes to set up and there are loads of resources available, such as meal planners, exercise programs, etc. One can set up a group with office colleagues and have a weight loss challenge. Check it out.

Men's Health

WebMD lists the top 5 health concerns for men, and some suggestions on how to reduce one's risk for each, including heart disease, stroke, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and depression.

HA ha Ha HA ha Ah ah Ha HA!!!!!!!!

What are you laughing at? This one's kind of obvious, but the Mayo Clinic recommends laughing for your health's sake. Full article here. Telling jokes is very satisfying, as well. Making others laugh makes you feel great, too. Here's a selection from the article:

The benefits of a belly laugh

Laughter's benefits on your health are no joke. A sense of humor can't cure all ailments, but data are mounting about the things that laughter can do.

Short-term benefits
A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn't just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body, beginning with your face. Laughter can:

• Stimulate your organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
• Activate your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
• Soothe tension and tummy aches. Laughter can also ease digestion and stimulate circulation, which helps reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Long-term effects
Laughter isn't only good for a quick pick-me-up, though. It's also good for you over the long haul. Laughter may:

• Improve your immune system. Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can impact your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. In contrast, positive thoughts actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more serious illnesses. In fact, in one study, people with cancer who watched a humorous video showed less stress and an increase in a particular cell activity that's beneficial in fighting diseases such as HIV and cancer.
• Relieve pain. Research increasingly shows that laughter may ease pain by causing the body to produce its own natural painkillers.
• Increase personal satisfaction. Laughter can also make difficult situations a little bit easier. One study of nurses who work in emergency rooms found that nurses who use humor in dealing with their patients and co-workers experience greater job satisfaction and feelings of personal accomplishment than do those who remain dour during their shifts.

Hit the Gym

According to the CDC, only 20% of US adults engage in strength training, the recommended frequency of which is at least twice per week. Read the Reuters Health article here.

The good news is that, from 1998-2004, the rate increased by 2%, mostly due to the increased participation of women.

Food Deserts

And I'm not writing that incorrectly. "Dessert" has 2 esses because you always want more of it.

Chicago's Health Commissioner, Dr. Terry Mason, has presented a study that shows that residents of "Food Deserts," often poor, urban areas where there are few grocery stores but many fast-food restaurants, suffer much worse health problems than their more wealthy counterparts. Wealth=Health, once again.

"Mason's comments were in response to a new study that concludes that residents of such areas in the city are more likely to die prematurely from diabetes, cancer and heart disease, as well as suffer from obesity and hypertension."

Chicago Tribune Article


Here's a list of "diet" foods to avoid that most people would consider very healthy (think rice cakes). From zonediet.com

Take Responsibility For What You Put In Your Body

"10 Weight-loss Myths That Can Ruin Your Diet"

From Webster:

Diet
1 a : food and drink regularly provided or consumed b : habitual nourishment c : the kind and amount of food prescribed for a person or animal for a special reason d : a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one's weight diet>

Notice that the last of those definitions is the one to which most people would think I was referring. The mind-set you have to get yourself into is that of the very first definition. Diet is regular; habitual. The suggestions in the above MSNBC Health & Fitness article are meant to influence your diet lifestyle, and are not a short-term regimen to look good for the summer.

Helpful hint: A family tradition of ours is to order one dessert after dinner out at a restaurant. We ask for a spoon or fork for everyone at the table and each person has a bite or two. A taste of a very rich dessert is a nice way to end a meal without feeling stuffed.

This is a GREAT website that shows nutritional information for many, many restaurants:

http://www.dietfacts.com/fastfood.asp

I was planning on showing the nutritional info for a slice of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, but this is the company's official statement:

"Thank you for your interest in The Cheesecake Factory. Because we change our recipes and menu often, we do not currently have nutrition information for our menu selections.

Sincerely,
Guest Services for The Cheesecake Factory Restaurants, Inc."

This is what I found after a little research:

Main Menu Item (Per Slice)

Low Carb Cheesecake (made w/Splenda) (420 cal/38 g fat/12 g fiber/35 g carb) Original Cheesecake (640 cal/45 g fat/54 g carb)
White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle (910 cal/61 g fat/81 g carb)
Vanilla Bean Cheesecake (870 cal/62 g fat/69 g carb) Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake (1010 cal/71 g fat/84 g carb)
Keylime Cheesecake (710 cal/49 g fat/64 g carb)
Brownie Sundae Cheesecake (960 cal/62 g fat/96 g carb)
Fresh Banana Cream Cheesecake (860 cal/61 g fat/70 g carb)

The most decadent cheesecakes would account for almost half of the recommended calories one should consume in a day in just one slice. The USDA recommended total daily fat intake is 65 grams! You could spend half your calories, and more than an entire day's fat allowance on ONE SLICE of Dulce de Leche Cheesecake. I hope this requires no more explanation.

Whealth Watcher$ Preview

We'll get into renting vs. owning at a later date. For now, consider the following rent calculators:

http://www.dod.mil/mapsite/simpafrd.html

http://www.bostonapartments.com/rentcalculator.htm

Most experts advise that you spend no more than 30% of your gross (pretax) monthly income on rent. Let's say you've graduated from college and are hired at $30,000 for your first year. That means that you should spend no more than $750/month on rent (the Department of Defense suggests spending no more than $700/month at that income level). The less you spend on rent, however, the more you can save, and the more money you will have available for clothing, entertainment, or travel. As your income rises, maintaining the lifestyle to which you have become accustomed will allow you greater freedom and financial security.

Health = Wealth

"Evidences show that a person's death risk is inversely proportionate to his socioeconomic status."

A study by the Universities of Toronto and Oxford concludes the following:
"Across two continents, we find that smoking-related diseases account for well over half of the big difference in death rates between rich and poor," says study co-author Richard Peto, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the University of Oxford."

"This means widespread cessation of smoking would do more than anything else to narrow the inequalities in health between rich and poor."

Full Article

Broken-hearted (literally)

From the country that brought you the most hilarious Mohammed cartoons ever, comes an interesting study. Danish researchers have found that those who live alone are at twice the risk of heart disease. It is no shock that single, unemployed men don't take such good care of themselves.

"The lowest risks included cohabiting with a partner, a high level of education, and being in work. Women divorcees also enjoyed a lower risk of [acute coronary] syndrome."


From Life Style Extra.

Snip Snip

"Last year, Dr. Bertran Auvert of the French National Research Agency INSERM and colleagues at WHO found that circumcised men in South Africa were 65 percent less likely to become infected with the deadly and incurable virus."

If you're reading this, you're probably not to keen on entertaining the idea of circumcision. This is rather startling news, though, concerning the risks of HIV infection. Read here for the complete article.

Happiness

Maxwell Maltz, author of Psycho-Cybernetics, and a pioneer in the self-help genre, had this to say:

"Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal."

[the quote comes from Nightingale-Conant's Motivational Quote a Day, to which there is a link on the right hand side of this blog]

Everyone gets down, now and then, so get up off the couch, go for a walk, paint something, visit your grandmother, write down some goals you have, or check a book out of the library.

In other news, money doesn't buy happiness, not even "stacks" of it. ThirdAge.com has an article about a recent Stony Brook University study.

A Couple of Interesting Posts

From irishhealth.com (seriously) comes a warning for those with an "Irish complexion" on the dangers of tanning bed use, especially those under the age of 16. I had no idea kids that young went to tanning salons.

Johns Hopkins ranked number one among US hospitals. Link

Help With Those Costly Prescriptions

You may be eligible for assistance from the PPA in paying for your prescription drugs, whether you are insured or not.

"The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) [is] a national program sponsored by America's pharmaceutical research companies to help patients in need access prescription medicines."

https://www.pparx.org/

Great New Site

The National Association of Insurance commissioners (NAIC) has put up a site called Insure U. The site has information and advice for people of all ages regarding various types of insurance, including health, life, car, and renters. It's perfect Whealth Watcher$ stuff.

Have You Thought of Switching to Regulars?

I have never given the issue much thought. This article makes interesting points, including the likelihood that people who smoke light cigarettes probably inhale more deeply and smoke more cigarettes than those who smoke regulars. According to the experts, they are no less likely to develop smoking-related health problems, and are less likely to quit.

"Since being introduced in the U.S. in the late 1960s, light cigarettes have grown to account for roughly 85 percent of cigarettes sales."

Read the Reuters article here.

Cutting Back Part II

Back on June 8th, I posted an article that suggested that one could save substantial amounts of money by cutting back on luxuries like, for instance, gourmet coffee.

Well, a Wall Street Journal article argues that we should not "Blame the Latte..." and that the key reasons for our nation's abysmal savings rate are expensive cars and homes. Americans consider real estate to be an investment that nets high returns, however "since 1975, home-price appreciation has been modest, averaging just two percentage points a year above inflation." It's just another opinion on this important issue.

Now, imagine if one were to buy a modest house and car and cut back on the luxuries. Talk about savings...

You can read the article here if you're a Wall Street Journal subscriber.

Gum Disease

Taking care of one's teeth is extremely important. My dentist from Albany, NY, Bob Hill, likes to say, "Don't floss all of your teeth; just the ones you want to keep." Preventive care is so much easier, less painful, and much less costly, than procedures to correct the effects of poor dental care. Gum disease is just one of the nasty things to which you can look forward, should you prefer not to floss.

aHealthyMe article discusses prevention and treatment:

"Fortunately, gum disease in the early to middle stages can usually be stopped by practicing good hygiene and dental treatment. If you don't have dental insurance or enough money to see a dentist or hygienist, call your county health department and ask for a listing of dental offices that provide free and low-cost services, including teeth cleanings. "

In Miami-Dade county, call (305) 324-2400 for information on healthcare available to low-income individuals, or visit dadehealth.org.

Aetna to Disclose Negotiated Rates

"In several other cities, including Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, and parts of Indiana and south Florida, Aetna will be adding clinical quality and efficiency information with rate information that is disclosed."

Little by little, consumers are gaining tools for use in the consumer directed health plan arena. Read here.

Donorcycles

That's what medical professionals call motorcycles. With the sad news of Ben Roethlisberger's crash, I am prompted to attach an article about the hazards of riding a motorcycle, elevated by the lack of a helmet. Last year in Pennsylvania, motorcycle fatalities rose by 30%.

There are now only 20 states, plus Washington, DC, where wearing a helmet is mandatory. I can't for the life of me understand why there is a seatbelt law, but no law for helmets. It's illogical. The issue of freedom is outweighed by the costs to society.

Hopefully the good to come out of this will be a campaign against riding without helmets. Politicians who support these bills say that most people choose to wear helmets anyway, but that is not the case in Miami. I very rarely see riders with helmets on, whether it be motorcycles or scooters.

Coffee Break

A new study finds that drinking coffee can help counteract the negative effects of alcohol consumption on one's liver. Good news for all of us who have an "O" in front of our last names.

Cutting Back

Do you have the discipline to cut back on gourmet coffees and other frivolous expenditures? Doing so could save you up to $500 a month. Here are some suggestions, though I have to contest number 4. The type of exercise one can do in a gym is critical to long term health. Benefits such as increased bone density and maintenance of lean muscle mass (which is critical to one's metabolic rate) are not enjoyed during aerobic-only workouts. A gym membership is worth every penny, but only if you're actually going to use it...

"The Biggest Generation"

I borrowed that title from a movie produced to address the child obesity epidemic in this country. It's clever, but sad. It sounds better than "Generation X," at least.

Well, this is scary stuff. Right from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

If you don't know where you land in the Body Mass Index (BMI), do yourself a favor and find out here.

This is what the country looked like back in 1985:

US adult obesity rates stand in the neighborhood of 20-30% and 60% of Americans are now overweight or obese. If your BMI is 25 or higher, you are overweight. If it's 30 or higher, then you're obese. Here's a wakeup call: if you are 6-feet tall, then weighing 185 lbs or more renders you overweight.

Breath Easy

Attention Asthma Sufferers,

A new study shows promising results in Australia. Asthma medication use dropped by upwards of 80% when subjects performed various breathing exercises.

Fun in the Sun

You can't be reminded too often to be careful out in the sun. WebMD has a good, short video about how to protect your skin here .

Informing the Consumer

The FDA has begun an effort to persuade restaurants to voluntarily provide nutritional information to customers. Americans now consume, on average, a third of their calories in restaurants. Given rising obesity rates, this is an important step.

Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, acting commissioner of the FDA, has decided that the basis "“may not be legal authority, but moral authority...."

Read the article on WebMD .

Check Your BMI (Body Mass Index)

Weight gain contributes to GERD, commonly known as acid reflux. There is research that concludes that there is a linear relationship between BMI and GERD. Check it out here.

Obesity and Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), most Americans do not know that there is a strong connection between obesity and cancer. On top of that, many obese and overweight Americans do not consider themselves such.

"In the new ACS survey, 45 percent said they are overweight, while 58 percent said at least one of their family members is overweight. However, those numbers don't match up with the facts: According to the ACS, nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and 30 percent are obese."

You can tell yourself that "fat is beautiful," but it's unhealthy. Read here.

East Meets West

According to Prince Charles, he has been receiving alternative medical treatment for years. Check out the article in Australia's The Advertiser. He is lobbying for Britain's National Health Service to cover the costs of alternatives to traditional Western medicine. Our (USA) HSAs allow people to make their own decisions about those options. The government can be left out of it.

Credit Card Info You Need to Know

The author has a regular column and gives good advice about credit cards, something most Americans need:
MSN Money

BEWARE OF INSURANCE SCAMS

My mother just forwarded me an email offer that seemed to be too good to be true. It was unsolicited and offered health coverage for $1 for the first month, and $19/month thereafter. I implore you to be very careful when using the internet. Do not give credit card information to anyone suspicious, never give out your passwords, and check the legitimacy of the site by going to sites like snopes.com. I will sometimes type into a search engine the company or offer in question and then the word "scam" or "fraud" and see what pops up. Best to err on the side of caution.

¿PMS No Mas?

Could the period be ending its monthly sentence? That sounds like the end of an old Batman episode.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060521/ap_on_he_me/
no_more_periods_2

Fast Food Causes Depression

If your ratio of omega-6's to omega-3's is typical of an American diet, 10-20 to 1, rather than the recommended 1 to 1, you could be at increased risk for depression:

http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/depfishoil

"Researchers speculate, in fact, that this imbalance has contributed to inflammatory diseases and a rise in the rates of depression in the United States."

Private Health Clinics Fulfill Need in Consumer-Driven Healthcare

Steve Case is on the, uh, case. Smart guy who, in his days at Williams College, started a shuttle company to get students to and from Logan Airport in Boston. He also founded AOL.

Keep your eyes peeled as walk-in clinics like these pop up around the country:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/14/business/14clinic.html

Monkies!!!

"'Far and away the biggest predictor of weight gain was how active the monkeys were -- that overrode how much food they were eating,' Cameron tells WebMD.

The study may explain why people who try to lose weight by dieting alone rarely succeed."

http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/121/114092.htm

Make Your Own Luck

Having a positive attitude can lead to lots of luck. Men's Health stole the funny title I would have given this post:

http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel
=guy.wisdom&category=howto.guides&conitem=dba0b6c832597010Vg
nVCM100000cfe793cd____&page=4

Sun of a..!

As summer approaches, or in the case of my town (Miami Beach), has arrived, it is so important to avoid excessive exposure to the sun. However, limited exposure (5-15 minutes a day without sunscreen) provides a plethora of positive effects. Take a look at the following tips about getting your vitamin d and all kinds of other good stuff (like clearing up acne and psoriasis). I think I've used enough parentheses for the day.

http://www.thirdage.com/news/articles/ALT02/06/05/08/
ALT02060508-01.html

Sex, Drugs, and Social Mores

A new study reports that Hollywood fails to depict the consequences of risky behavior. Big shocker, right? It is something to think about, considering the health concerns and broad influence Hollywood now wields across the globe:

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=1180596&page=1

Chronicle of a Doctor's Frustration With US Health Care

http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,1186553,00.html

Some Sorta Serious Soda Stories

One of Bill Clinton's efforts to curb child obesity:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?
pid=10000087&sid=aSpHwVqaCvBU&refer=top_world_news

Class-action suits in Massachusetts and Florida alleging excessive benzene levels:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/
news/politics/14319204.htm

The Most Important Meal of the Day

We've all heard it a million times. Some quick tips from my alma mater's newspaper:

How to | ...break your habit of skipping breakfast, the most important meal of the day - Balance