Thursday, March 20, 2008

Wellness Weekly

Breast Cancer and Weight: Research related to a specific type of breast cancer shows an increase in death rate associated with that cancer and obesity. In fact, overweight and obese women with inflammatory breast cancer have lower survival rates than normal weight women. The researchers are now trying to determine why that might be and are looking into fat tissue which relates to inflammation and thus the aggressive nature of this disease. It is also noted that fat cells are associated with hormone production, or increased production. This study comes on the heels of another which linked obesity to several cancers, in fact, doubling ones risk for leukemia, colon and kidney cancers. It is also worth noting a quote from the Reuters story that I read, “Obesity goes far beyond just how a person looks or any physical strain from carrying around extra weight.” This was said by the principal investigator of the study, Dr. Massimo Cristofanilli. He makes that statement, I believe, to emphasize that obesity causes disease and is in and of itself of risk factor for fatal illness.

Overeating and Obesity and Choices: The article I read regarding obesity and genetics took me a little by surprise, more in its ending than beginning. The article, again from Reuters, discussed a study that showed a change in “entire networks of genes” linked to the way one eats. The researchers stated that eating a high fat diet changed ones system and particularly the immune response which may then lead to diabetes and heart disease. The story told how the changes that occur do not lead to the same disease in separate people. THUS, the MERCK employee said, they are trying to find a test that will determine which type of disease YOU will get from your obesity and what subsequent cellular damage may ensue. That way they can make a PILL for you. The guy did say that good diet and exercise would be the better step to take. He might actually be suggesting that you strive not to become obese. Still, he offered that if you did not want to alter your lifestyle, MERCK hopes to bring your impaired network back into balance with this yet to be created chemical. They are also developing a test to see which particular dysfunction a person has. Are these people for real?

Pain: Chronic pain affects a high percentage of our population. This includes the person with the pain and those around them. It affects job performance, relationships and life satisfaction. As many people seek treatment for pain related issues, and continue to seek relief year after year, insurance companies and medical societies are taking note. It is interesting that chronic pain is almost a malfunction of a purposeful system. When we have an injury and the alarms go off with sharp pains, we know to stop what we are doing and get help. Chronic pain, some will say, is like the car alarm that keeps going off for no reason. The injury causing event is over. No one is trying to break into the car. And yet, the pain is real. It is disabling and defeating. Some have turned to a certain boot camp style treatment where they spend weeks with others and learn to do things in spite of the pain. This includes EXERCISE. My own philosophy on pain, which only developed in the last two years, is that giving into it exacerbates it. The more I say, my back hurts, the more that pain owns me. (I do find myself saying it though and have to make a concerted effort to stop). Instead I go for my walks, my runs, my swims, etc and on the days that it doesn’t hurt, I note THAT!

Lettuce and those leafy greens: It is true that there have been more cases of foodborne illnesses related to produce in the last ten years. One question the researchers from the CDC addressed was consumption. Were there more cases because more people are eating lettuce and such or are there really more cases? Yup, more disease. Though we eat about 10 percent more, good for us, the disease rate is up almost 40%. [we don’t have 40 percent more disease, the reports of contamination are up 40%] Hygiene and general processing issues could be the cause and I expect there will be more inspections done in order to reverse this trend. What really caught my eye was the headline though. It referred to our eating our leafy greens as the ‘salad fad.” I truly hope healthy eating is not a fad.

Wishing you Wellness and Renewal this Spring

No comments: