Hot Dogs: A commercial is running in some areas that cautions on the risk for colon cancer associated with eating processed meats. The commercial is only concerned about hot dogs. It is causing some angst especially with the Hot Dog Council (there is a hot dog council?). This council fears that people will come to believe that occasional hot dog consumption will lead to cancer. Research does support an increase risk of colon or colorectal cancer in persons who eat red meat and or processed meats every day. There is a 50% increase of cancer for eating a two ounce hot dog every day, over time.
Here is one link for more info, I also studied this topic in grad school. http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/medicaldepartments/cancercenter/cancertips/processedmeat.html I did have to vet the research so I feel comfortable telling you that there is an increase in cancer risk if you eat a lot of red and processed meat and it is reduced if you limit these foods. Some of this relates to chemicals from cooking and nitrates from processing. The risk can also be attributed to high saturated fat content. Some people who eat a lot of red meat also eat little fruits and vegetables. Fiber rich foods are protective. Now I have totally digressed from the ad issue. The ad shows a young boy lamenting that he is going to have or has colon cancer as he and his friends eat hot dogs. Hot dogs are high in fat, sodium and nitrates. Nitrates have been shown to cause cancer in animals. Hot dogs are not health food. If people eat less, if schools serve them less, that is not a bad thing. Will an occasional hot dog hurt you? Probably not. Should you enter the next all you can eat hot dog contest? Most definitely not. Oh and after reading L. Tanner’s article I doubt you would want to. She notes that hot dogs may legally contain pig snouts and lips, livers of cows, lamb spleens and goat gullets. You could eat meatless ones, but they may have nitrates, I am not sure.
Ritalin: This medication is used in the treatment or management of ADHD. In reading about childhood nutrition this week, I learned that children on this medicine may have weight and growth reduction. It is important to know that the drug can suppress appetite. Parents can time meals around the suppressant effect of the medicine. For example, the dosing is every six hours in many cases. The child can be given meals at the fifth or sixth hour and then be given the next pill. Not that I am advocating pills, I nearly never do that. It is also suggested that children not be on the medication during growth spurts, like adolescence and some parents even choose to forgo the medicine during school breaks.
Milk: Though I drink (skim) milk everyday and consume cheese, yogurt and ice cream, I do appreciate Walter Willett’s comments regarding the irony of our 1) continuing to drink milk after weaning as no other mammal does, and 2) our drinking milk from an animal not our mother or species, which rarely happens with other animals. So though he didn’t note this when I heard him speak, a book by Registered Dietician, Susan Magrann, which covers food allergies, almost always suggests cow’s milk as a first possible allergen. In fact, she recommends that children not be given cow or soy milk if at all possible until after age one. (remember too that after age two they should no longer be on whole milk – in most instances). Calcium in milk products is very important to our system, however.
Cancer Causing Lifestyle: An organization called the International Union Against cancer has completed a survey involving 29 countries of high, middle and low income. The higher income countries, USA included, were less likely to know or believe or admit that high or even moderate alcohol intake increases the risk for many cancers. It actually increases the risk by 42%. Our country has more understanding of the protective effect of fruit and vegetable intake, unfortunately, that doesn’t protect at near the level that alcohol harms. Other countries seemed to understand this better. It was also found that people were far more aware of the risks of cancer from cigarette smoking than from obesity and inactivity. FYI< obesity is responsible for the same or more deaths per year as cigarette smoking.
Water: I read an article this week that was inspired by a new book called Bottlemania… etc. The story and book refer to the incredible increase in revenue for the bottled water industry. Author Elizabeth Royle refers to the way that these companies have made bottled water seem a commodity. It isn’t of course and water is a natural resource that may be threatened by this method of production and consumption. One interesting unforeseen consequence could be the lack of attention to tap water infrastructure and thus its decline in purity and safety. There is a huge problem with recycling of the plastic bottles and the environmental impact from the factory production and the transportation of the bottles and jugs. It is better to save the bottle water for natural disaster and drink your water from a glass, from the tap, with perhaps a filter. I will try to do better with this myself.
Fat Tax: Not really, but certainly a type of user fee. Alabama intends to charge significantly obese persons 25$ more a month for their health insurance if they do not make progress in weight loss after a health risk assessment identifies their 35+ BMI and they are enrolled in a health promotions program. Alabama state employees can refuse the HRA but there is a fine for that. Currently, smokers who work for the state must pay a fee each month. In Sarasota County Florida where I live, the county will not hire smokers anymore. I understand these two strategies for trying to deal with apparent lifestyle choices that impair a person’s health, reduce their quality life years, if not their total life years, and adversely affects the bottom line of the company that employs them. It also can affect the rest of us in regards to taxes and entitlement programs for disability income, Medicare, Medicaid and social security. Seriously.
Some state programs or ADA programs offer these aphorisms:
Eat Smart Move More
Less Fork More Foot
Eat Smart Play Hard
Mine of course
It’s ALL About energy in and energy out
Wishing you wellness!
No comments:
Post a Comment