The phrase is found in all forms of media, political campaigns, popular literature, and now even peer-reviewed medical journals. But it doesn't make sense.
"Obesity epidemic". What is meant by this phrase? That more adults and children are now obese than several years ago, putting a greater amount of the population at risk for Type II Diabetes. However, the actual meaning of the phrase implies a fast-spreading communicable disease. The word epidemic brings to mind plagues of flu, smallpox, tuberculosis, and other dreadful diseases. The error in the phrase, however, is that obesity isn't a communicable disease. It isn't catching. One cannot cough obesity molecules into the air towards unsuspecting thin people. Obesity isn't found disproportionately amongst the immuno-compromised population. Even if there were some such thing as an obesity gene, such an explanation for the increase in obese individuals would obviously be genetic, not epidemiologic. I think this phrase stems from two fundamental publicity desires: 1) to establish a medically credible sound byte, and 2) to plant the seeds of fear. Once people are truly afraid of something, the thinking goes, then they'll do something about it. Here's the problem with Type II Diabetes: until you begin to suffer the consequences yourself, there's nothing particularly scary about it. Its survivors bear no scarred pockmarks, no visible sign of a ravaging illness. Yet it is a deadly disease in its own right. The reality is that (usually) Type II Diabetes can be prevented. Type II Diabetes is considered a lifestyle disease, and health tips on how to prevent it abound across the internet. But it is quite absurd to consider a lifestyle disease as an epidemic. Epidemics cannot be prevented. Example: "The acne epidemic is running wild in the teenage set." No, one teenager cannot contract acne from being in the same airspace as an acne sufferer. Better example: "The bacterium Yersinia pestis wiped out half the population of Europe in the 14th century in an event known as the Black Death." However, my objection to non-inflammatory phraseology should not be interpreted as a blind dismissal of the severity of the overall problem. Type II diabetes comes with its own set of very serious consequences, and all children and adults should be encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle. The short-term reward of eating indiscriminately and exercising negligibly should be weighed against the almost certain risk of future health concerns.
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There are lotions. There are creams. There are scrubs. There are drugs. When all else fails, there is makeup.
As a chiropractor, all of these anti-acne strategies strike me as too little, too late. Lotions, creams, and scrubs attack the visible symptom, not the cause. Makeup masks the problem, but doesn't cure the underlying glandular issues. Isn't there some way to prevent acne in the first place, to keep the skin and pores and glands healthy and unclogged? Seems so. Writing about acne in Dynamic Chiropractic magazine, Donald M. Petersen, Jr., mentions a research review which has linked a good diet with reduced acne. A systematic review of the reseach shows that "there exists convincing data supporting the role of dairy products and high-glycemic-index foods in influencing hormonal and inflammatory factors, which can increase acne prevalence and severity." "High-glycemic-index foods” include sugar, most breakfast cereals, white rice, potatoes, white bread, etc. Low-glycemic-index foods include fruits, veggies, whole grains products, yogurt, etc. This is one of those articles which seems self-evident after you hear it. More fruits and vegetables are better for the skin than starches or sugars. Fruits and vegetables include a veritable cornucopia of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals; starchy and sugary diets usually include more simple starches and sugars than anything else. Although it could be considered fearmongering, this might be the most convincing reason to encourage healthy eating in the adolescent population: "No dessert until you eat that last brussels sprout! You don't want acne, do you?" As always, remember that a good diet and healthy exercise together are the keys to a healthy lifestyle. In Peoria, healthy diet and exercise options are plentiful. My wife and I love these magic little pills. Sometimes they seem to work, sometimes they don't, but at least we always think that we're helping our helpless, inconsolable infant when we pluck these homeopathic remedies off our Peoria supermarket shelves.
But, as with any pill, we are at the mercy of the manufacturer. We can only hope that the ingredient list is correct, because very few of us can confirm the contents in our basement laboratory. And once our child has ingested the tablet, we can only hope that the ingredients will perform as advertised. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced yesterday that it had issued a warning regarding Hyland's Teething Tablets. Hyland's has initiated a recall of the product. Apparently, someone found an unhealthy amount of belladonna in the tablets, which are an extremely popular remedy for infant unrest. Belladonna? It's the extract from a plant commonly called "Deadly Nightshade". I suppose any amount of that might be considered unhealthy. Of course, belladonna has been used medicinally throughout the ages, as have most other poisons. This recall follows "reports of serious adverse events in children taking this product that are consistent with belladonna toxicity." A full list of symptoms can be found at the FDA's recall notification document. A non-medicinal alternative for unhappy children is to allow them to chew on refrigerated plastic teething rings. Many stores sell soft plastic rings filled with liquid for this purpose. That's the advice given in this article from Britain's The Express. And no, they don't suggest that you simply stuff yourself this coming Thanksgiving. That just wouldn't be healthy.
It has to do with the fantastic variety of edible objects. We hear all the time about the benefits of antioxidants in blueberries, calcium in milk, protein in nuts, vitamin A in carrots, and so on. But we human beings are creatures of habit. Out of nature's vast cornucopia, we tend to choose our few favorite dishes. "Pasta? Again?... Fantastic!" And then, in a fit of guilty conscience, we devour vitamins and other nutritional supplements in order to live a "healthy" lifestyle. The idea put forward in the article is the concept of synergy. A variety of foods, when eaten together, actually increase the benefits found in each one. That's right. An increase of benefits beyond what we'd get from consuming each item individually. That's a hefty reward for eating that last green bean. But rather than just a narrow range of foods being responsible for boosting health, the research showed that the answer was a widely varied diet that might include oily fish, porridge oats and blueberries. Nutritionist Angela Dowden said: “The key is definitely to introduce these kinds of foods into the diet. It is a very healthy diet and completely proves the point that it is about healthy eating as a whole, not just doing one thing. “It is a lifestyle change instead of tweaks here and there. It could be that it is just one of the foods that is producing these effects but it is much more likely that it is an additive affect of them all contributing. I'm overwhelmed by the amount of common sense present in the article. I'm inspired to create a really interesting experiment. At your next Thanksgiving feast, whether in Peoria, Peoria Heights, East Peoria, or Kalamazoo, don't disregard any dishes. This is an order. Even if Aunt Minnie has brought her world-famous appleseed cornbread. A bite of everything. It's synergy, don't you know. |
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DisclaimerUnless otherwise attributed, all content is written by Kyle Johnson, DC, of Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria.
All images used are under Creative Commons license. Although every effort has been made to provide an accurate description of our chiropractic care and its benefits, the information given on this website and blog is not intended to be, nor should it be interpreted as, medical advice for any condition. If you have any questions regarding your condition, you should seek the help of Dr. Johnson in person, so that he may properly assess your condition. This blog is provided by Johnson Family Chiropractic of Peoria, S.C., proudly located in Peoria, IL. |