wellness weekly

Update Beijing: The government of China has been unsuccessful in its attempt to ban smoking in restaurants and bars, but most public buildings will have become smoke free as of yesterday. A BBC report noted that one out of every three lit cigarettes is lit in China. Their average smoke rate is 25% where the U.S. national average is 19. However, Kentucky and West Virginia are even higher with 26 and 28, respectively. The media has us believe that the Chinese government has absolute power, so what’s the deal with this?

Smoker’s Cough: Try smoking related lung disease. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is common in smokers, is caused by cigarette smoking and can lead to death. Astra Zeneca is seeking approval for its asthma drug, Symbicort, to be used and thus advertised for use as a treatment for COPD. The article headline referred to the disease as smoker’s cough which doesn’t denote the seriousness of the illness . There is already a drug used for COPD so in essence Astra Zeneca is competing for market share. It is unfortunate that our drug companies have to spend so much time, effort and money on treating a disease that is almost exclusively a preventable disease. And it isn’t like food either, so don’t give me that. (meaning next I will want to ban twinkies). No one HAS to smoke, they just think they do, I know, because I thought so too. Now about those twinkies….

Vultures: Really. Actual vultures. Some vultures are not fairing very well. The oriental white backed vulture, as well as several other types, has had a significant decrease in its numbers.. As you might have guessed, the cause is anthropomorphic, or related to humans! An anti-inflammatory medication that we developed and used to treat injuries in animals or livestock, is poisoning the vultures who dine on the carcasses of said animals. The medicine, diclofenic, is no longer manufactured for veterinary use but is still manufactured for medical use. It is used to treat pain in humans which is often related to some type of inflammation. Since no one said it could not be used in animals the people version continues to be used and is blamed as I said, for the significant decrease in population numbers of certain vulture.

Be Happy: A very interesting index has been created and administered to approximately 100,000 Americans. The index was created by Gallup and its intent is to assist employers. The initial results indicate that many Americans are classified as either struggling or suffering when the goal is to be “thriving”. The scientists rate persons based on where the person places themselves on the step of an imaginary ladder. If you are on step 8 to 10, life is indeed good. The survey is being used in other countries as well. By comparison and in congruence with our global health status, America is not doing as well as one would expect. Denmark fairs much higher on the well being index, for instance. One thing that brings us down is the number of employees with at least one chronic medical condition. This leads to absenteeism, poor productivity, increased health care costs and loss of income. At least 66% of employees fit into that category.

Fit and Lean: The theory that fit and fat can equate to health has just lost more ground. A large study that lasted around 11 years and included 39,000 women, reports that over weight and obese persons who exercise at least 30 minutes a day are still at significantly higher risk for disease than slimmer women who do the same amount of exercise. It is important for all of us to heed the exercise and weight recommendations as heart disease continues to reduce not only our number of life years, but our healthy life years as well. It is the number one killer. Remember that heart disease is directly related to at least the following: obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking.

Coupons: Just some odds and ends here. Boost smoothies?. Hmm. Well, they have 9 grams of protein and as much calcium as a glass of milk. They also have 240 calories which is way too many for me to DRINK> It is interesting that the label states it has as much calcium as a glass of 2% milk. Why 2%? I found skim milk with more calcium than whole milk. Weird. Citrucel has new fiber soft chews, the first ever soft chew. Oh and they have calcium too. These two products are meant for people who CANNOT get energy, vitamins, minerals, fiber etc, from food. They are getting second rate nutrition, it doesn’t supplement anything. It is a substitute and good when needed. Lastly and most concerning. Beef jerky. I saw an ad for beef jerky that is high in protein and low in fat as if that made it healthy. That is like saying Zero Carbs on a water bottle. Anyway, beef jerky is still the type of meat product that increases the risk of colon cancer.

Wishing you wellness and a discerning mind!