Adding urgency to Michelle Obama’s initiative to tackle childhood obesity is the release of two new studies published in the medical journal Health Affairs.  The studies indicate that American children are eating three snacks each day on top of three regular meals, a finding that could explain why the childhood obesity rate has risen to more than 16 percent since 2003.

Carmen Piernas and Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina reported that children are snacking so often that they are “moving toward constant eating,” a habit that is putting our children’s health at risk for obesity related diseases.

Piernas and Popkin looked at 31,337 children aged 2 to 18 from four different federal surveys on food and eating.  ”Childhood snacking trends are moving toward three snacks per day, and more than 27 percent of children’s daily calories are coming from snacks. The largest increases have been in salty snacks and candy. Desserts and sweetened beverages remain the major sources of calories from snacks,” they wrote.

“Children have increased their caloric intake by 113 calories per day from 1977 to 2006,” they added. “This raises the question of whether the physiological basis for eating is becoming deregulated, as our children are moving toward constant eating.”

In a second study in the journal, Christina Bethell of the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland analyzed data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health to find the rate of obesity for children 10 to 17 rose from 14.8 percent in 2003 to 16.4 percent in 2007.

Other studies have shown that obese children are more likely to stay obese as adults, and they develop chronic conditions at younger ages, burdening the healthcare system.

Michelle Obama told the School Nutrition Association that “Parents, educators and policymakers all hold responsibility for this childhood obesity epidemic.  Our kids didn’t do this to themselves.  From fast food, to vending machines packed with chips and candy, to a la carte lines, we tempt our kids with all kinds of unhealthy choices every day.  You see kids who are at higher risk of conditions like diabetes, and cancer, and heart disease, conditions that cost billions of dollars a year to treat.”

SOURCE:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100302/hl_nm/us_obesity_children_usa

According to experts at the Institute of Medicine, high blood pressure is a neglected disease that needs significantly more attention from both doctors and patients.  David Fleming, an expert at the Institute of Medicine says that “Although hypertension is relatively easy to prevent, simple to diagnose and relatively inexpensive to treat, it remains the second leading cause of death among Americans.”

Experts say that in general, the higher the blood pressure, the greater the health risk.  Uncontrolled hypertension can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, angina and dementia.

The shocking facts:

1 in 3 American adults suffer from hypertension

1 in 6 will eventually die from its consequences, which include heart disease and stroke

73 million Americans are affected by high blood pressure

65 percent of Americans with hypertension are NOT effectively managing the condition

The Institute of Medicine works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the topic of hypertension is at the top of their priority list.  Last year, the CDC spent $50 million on hypertension-related outreach.

The Institute of Medicine wants the CDC to go for widespread policy changes rather than more small-scale education efforts. That means increased involvement with government agencies and private institutions. 

Together they want to highlight three specific recommendations that not only could save Americans over $18 million dollars in health costs annually, but save lives too.

1.       A simple reduction in salt intake could cut hypertension rates by 22 percent.

2.       If overweight Americans each lost 10 pounds, the panel predicts a 7 to 8 percent reduction in hypertension.

3.       Work with insurance companies to cut back on co-payments and deductibles for hypertension treatments, which can make medication prohibitively expensive.

Look for upcoming announcements sponsored by the CDC encouraging lifestyle changes, like weight loss and a better diet, which can greatly improve blood pressure.

SOURCE:  http://www.aolnews.com/health/article/americans-ignoring-serious-hypertension-problem-expertswarn/19370053?icid=main|main|dl4|link5|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fhealth%2Farticle%2Famericans-ignoring-serious-hypertension-problem-experts-warn%2F19370053

The panic has subsided, the scary headlines are gone.  If you’ve wanted the flu vaccine you probably received it by now.  Even though the media coverage has disappeared, the swine flu is still out there, and it’s still killing Americans. 

Here are the facts:

The swine flu has already infected over 50 million Americans, killing over 10,000. 

H1N1 has infected over 15% of the total population of the United States since April.

250,000 Americans have been hospitalized from H1N1

7,500 adults ages 18 to 64 have died of H1N1

1,000 children under age 18 have died of H1N1

This latest assessment of the H1N1 epidemic gives the most accurate, up to date numbers as provided by the government.

Another surprising statistic:  in a typical year, 95% of overall deaths are in people 65 and older.  So far this year, 95% of deaths have been in people younger than age 95.

Although it appears as though the swine flu is waning (just 25 states report widespread activity down from 48 states one month ago) the virus remains highly infectious and could come back even stronger.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is worried that since the media coverage has subsided, the general public will not make hygiene a priority.  The CDC wants to make it clear that the best way to prevent the spread of the flu virus is to wash your hands often, avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes and get the flu vaccine as soon as possible. 

SOURCE:  USA Today 12.11.2009

With the ongoing investigation of brain injuries in the NFL a documentary titled “Blood Equity” looks to increase awareness on the formerly quiet subject.  The purpose of the documentary is to educate and find solutions for improving the lives of  former players after a career playing such a violent game. The documentary looks at how the NFL Player’s Union treats its players after their retirement from the game. Some players live in poverty while some end up in long term care facilities due to Alzheimer’s or other memory-related illnesses.  Proceeds from the film will benefit the Gridiron Greats Foundation.

In the New York Times, October 28, 2009, Alan Schwarz reported that the National Football League was accused in front of the House Judiciary Committee of “neglect in its handling of active and retired players with brain injuries”.  He also reported there is mounting evidence of a link between playing football and cognitive impairment, such as dementia later in life.  Representative John Conyers Jr. said there should be federal scrutiny of football, particularly because the impact of injuries on “the millions of players at the college, high school and youth levels.”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.4 million Americans receive treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year and 50,000 of these injuries result in death.

Most sports injuries are mild and do not result in treatment but there are an estimated total of 1.6 – 3.8 million brain injuries in sports each year. The CDC reports that ‘repeated mild TBI’s occurring over an extended period of time (months or years) can result in cumulative neurological and cognitive deficits. Repeated mild TBI’s occurring within a short period of time (days or weeks) can be catastrophic or fatal.”

Currently over 5 million people in the United States require long-term or lifetime assistance as a result of deficits from a TBI. These are the type of injuries incurred by football players over time resulting in the concern about the health and well-being of NFL players after their playing career is over.

The NFL may now start to take the long term health of their players more seriously after a study they commissioned was released. In a recent New York Times article, Alan Schwarz reported that “Alzheimer’s disease and similar memory-related diseases appear to have been diagnosed in the league’s former players vastly more often than in the national population – including a rate of 19 times the normal rate for men ages 30 through 49.”

The growing awareness about brain injury, dementia and Alzheimer’s as it pertains to playing in the NFL gives hope to many former players that they may see an increase in funding for care.  Current players may have better medical care once doctors know more about preventing traumatic brain injury.  The NFL is now requiring neurologists to examine and clear players to play. Companies that produce equipment worn by football players are developing a helmets and mouth guards to protect and cushion the brain better than those that are currently being worn.  Increasing awareness through the documentary and ongoing studies will benefit everyone in the long run.

SOURCE:  http://national-football-league-nfl.suite101.com/article.cfm/nfl_waking_up_to_danger_of_brain_injuries

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/b/2009/11/25/nfl-may-require-neurologists-to-rule-on-head-injuries.html

Since the outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus, it seems as though hand sanitizer is everywhere.  Hand sanitizer is now displayed in schools, shopping malls, airports, offices and restaurants.  Health officials have encouraged the public to wash their hands often to help combat the swine flu, but since soap and water may not be readily available, hand sanitizer has been a popular and convenient replacement to help fight germs and bacteria and stop the spread of the flu.  It’s important to know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that washing your hands is still the number one way to combat the flu virus, but hand sanitizer comes in second.

Does it really protect from viruses? What is the best way to use it?  How does hand sanitizer work to stop the spread of germs?

When it comes to choosing a hand sanitizer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended sanitizers that have a high content of alcohol. The optimum proportion is 60 to 95 percent alcohol, according to major health studies. The active ingredient in hand sanitizer, primarily alcohol, disrupts the coating of virus and bacteria particles. By damaging the outside of the particle, the virus becomes deactivated, says Andrew Pekosz, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. The CDC also states that according to some estimates, up to 80 percent of all infections get spread by hands.

Hand sanitizer works on contact, meaning it’s only effective on the parts of your hands that it touches.  Basically if you miss a spot between your fingers, there could still be viruses or bacteria in the spots you missed, said Dr. Lisa Bernstein, an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine. “You have to cover whole surface of hands and allow it to dry,” she said.

The process of putting sanitizer on your hands makes it work against these viruses almost immediately. However, it does not protect you against whatever you might touch next. During a regular workday, it is recommended that you use hand sanitizer three to five times randomly, in addition to washing your hands whenever soap and water are available.  If you’re sneezing or coughing, you should use sanitizer more frequently.

Again, scrubbing your hands with soap and water, which the CDC recommends for 15 to 20 seconds, is better than using hand sanitizer. That’s because washing physically actually removes the virus particles, instead of just deactivating them.

SOURCE: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/27/hand.sanitizer.basics/index.html

A surprising announcement regarding the swine flu.  On Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a decrease in H1N1 flu activity nationwide.

The CDC announced that 43 states now have widespread flu activity, compared with 46 states last week and 48 states at the beginning of November.  Despite this decrease, health officials remind us that the occurrence of the flu is still much greater than this time last year, and flu season doesn’t usually begin until December. 

In addition to this announcement, the CDC stated that parts of the country are seeing a small decline in flu cases. Other areas, including Hawaii and Maine, have actually seen an increase in swine flu.

Despite the overall decrease in flu cases, the CDC also said that there have been 21 more deaths from H1N1 in children just in the last seven days. This number is in addition to last week’s report that the CDC estimated 540 children had died from complications of this flu virus so far.

In an effort to limit further spread of the virus as millions of Americans begin traveling for the holidays, the CDC has launched a public awareness campaign.  The campaign encourages the use of basic precautions, reminding us to only travel when we feel well, to wash our hands often, cover our coughs and sneezes and of course to vaccinated.

According to the CDC, more people will be able to get vaccinated because more vaccine continues to be available. The United States have been able to order a total of 54 million doses of H1N1 vaccine so far, which includes 11 million doses more than last week.

SOURCE: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/20/h1n1.cdc.report/index.html