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.