odds and ends

My left over notes for the week are as follows:

SWSD - Ok, at first I was skeptical that the condition even existed. Seriously, when you hear things advertised on the radio they just seem cheap. The become like the disease of the day - the disease de jour. I am especially wary of any disease that is marketed - as this one is - with catchy phrases and an acronym. The other two that quickly come to mind are RLS and FMS. SWSD stands for Shift Work Sleep Disorder. Yet Web MD and the Mayo Clinic both acknowledge its existence and recommend special attention to sleep hygiene. The best treatment for this syndrome, which includes irritability and difficulty concentrating, is to get adequate rest. The commercial I heard this week encourages people to go to a website, take a little test, print a handout and then - well - go to the doctor and ask for medicine. DUH.

Global Expansion - Ouch. Merck was quoted in the WSJ as saying that they were looking to expand their business (selling prescription medications) globally. They feel that the outlook is good as countries begin to do well and have an increase in middle class citizens. Yes, they note that the people would then be more likely to have health insurance, but they also note and probably gleefully, as people have more income they also seem to engage in more lifestyle behavior that leads to chronic disease. Well - good for you Merck - but wait, if we KNOW that people are at risk for chronic disease conditions in the situation just described, why don't we get the health promotion folks out there to PREVENT those negative lifestyle changes. Oh, no money in that - gotcha.....

Wildlife - Great sign seen today while I was out running. Something like, "Please do not feed the wild life - It is harmful to them and harmful to people. The wildlife can become dependent on these food sources and forget how to hunt AND they can become aggressive." I must say we have some very aggressive seagulls at our beaches and it is the fault of people who feed them. Plus they probably have diabetes - just saying.....

Again with the "do we really seem that stupid"? - Products are now being made not with HFCS - or high fructose corn syrup - which we all attempt to avoid, but HMCS - That would be high maltose corn syrup. Most research has been done on the fructose type and it is true that maltose is a little different chemically speaking, but come on - corn syrup - SYRUP - super sweet sugar - not good for you...

See Sugar Is Bad - I do like the Kellogg Co but have to note that the four cereals that they had to recall this week - all sweetened ones; Fruit Loops, Honey Smacks (wait oh my gosh - didn't they used to be called Sugar Smacks!!!! ok this needs to go up to the do we really seem that stupid spot, Corn Pops and Apple Jacks.

it just doesn't DO that

It is no secret that I do not endorse the use of herbal supplements for any condition. I am not an herbalist or physician so my not endorsing something doesn’t really have practice implications, but as a health educator I will share my reasons. There is very little evidence to support that the use of herbal products has any positive effect on health. Instead there is research that indicates a risk for detriment – to say nothing of the impact on your bank account.

Herbals include ginger, ginkgo biloba, garlic and ginseng to name a few. And the reason I name these few is because they were the target of a pretty interesting undercover operation of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in the USA.

As you may be aware, the FDA does not approve supplements but is responsible for evaluating complaints on adverse outcomes and contamination if such issues come to light once the pills are on the market. The FTC has the responsibility of assessing label claims, which are really not allowed in anything more than a general sense. So the GAO sent investigators to several retail sights and also contacted website sites that sell these products – under cover of course.

Several misleading claims were made in print and verbally for which the FTC is now involved. Contaminants were also found in 37 of the 40 products that were independently tested. Of course, the lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and pesticide residue was NOT found at a level that the FDA and EPA think are harmful – “hello? I’ll take mine without the lead please and thank you very much.” [note that McDonald’s has just today recalled its plastic Shrek tumblers because they contain cadmium”

The study was commissioned in large part due to the marketing claims made towards the aging population – oh those baby boomers and their quest for memory enhancement and cholesterol control – the GAO wants you to know:
Gingko biloba does not treat or prevent Alzheimer’s, erectile dysfunction or depression. Garlic does not treat obesity, heart disease or hypertension and ginseng does not cure cancer. There is much more to read in this report, which as a government document, is available in full here.