Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Tiffany Krupke/Albert Lea Tribune
Ealena Callender, obstetrician and gynecologist for Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea, will speak at the Women’s Health Care Symposium.
Doctor to talk about depressiion By Tiffany Krupke
tiffany.krupke@albertleatribune.com
Her goal is to educate women about depression. Ealena Callender, obstetrican and gynecologist for Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea will speak at the annual Women’s Health Care Symposium. Callender hopes her talk will raise awareness about women and depression. “Women are getting treated for depression about two times as much as men,” Callender said. She said the higher numbers can be attributed to women being more likely to seek treatment than men. Hormones are also to blame for the discrepancies, she said. Women can feel unhappy due to hormonal changes during their menstrual cycles. Often women experience changes in mood before their cycle, commonly known as premenstrual syndrome or PMS. Lack of light can also contribute to feeling down, Callender said. Seasonal Affective Disorder is common in colder climates during the winter. “When we aren’t getting enough sun, we often feel more sad than usual,” Callender said. “Even when we get sun, it is further away so we
Women’s Health Care Symposium What: talks about heart disease, women and depression, and the Mediterannean diet When: 8:30 a.m. Saturday Where: Wedgewood Cove Golf Club Cost: free Registration: 379-2046 don’t get the same effects.” Light therapy can help replace the missing light often associated with mood changes. Callender said people often feel ashamed about seeking treatment for depression. “People aren’t embarrassed about having diabetes or having a thyroid problem,” she said. “Depression is an illness, too.” Callender said depression can be treated with therapy, being around loved ones, regular exercise and medication. Medication and therapy are most effective when used together, she said. It is important for friends and family to be aware of the signs so they can encourage the person suffering from depression to seek help. Callender said some of the signs of depression include sleeping too much or to little, lack of interest in everyday activities, changes in appetite and thoughts of suicide. Callender wanted to speak at the symposium
because she wants people to know how to help depression sufferers. Last year her colleague, obstetrican Jodi Schulz, presented. Callender has been at Mayo Clinic Health System for about a year. The Women’s Health Care Symposium will be at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club in Albert Lea. The symposium is free with a complimentary breakfast. Speakers from Mayo Clinic Health System will talk about heart disease, women and depresssion and the Mediterranean diet. Other speakers will be cardiologist Sandra Birchem and registered dietitians Amy Pleimling and Emily Schmidt. The symposium is sponsored in part by the Naeve Health Care Foundation and is free with a complimentary breakfast. Last year, about 275 people attended the event, according to Kathy Leidal, public affairs specialist for the hospital. Attendees are asked to register by calling 379-2046.
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Page 2 • Picture of Health • Wednesday, February 19, 2014 • Albert Lea Tribune
Flu season in full swing in area
By Jason Schoonover
newser@austindailyherald.com
There’s good news and bad news when it comes to the flu in Minnesota. The good news: There have been far fewer flu deaths than last year. The bad news: Flu season is in full swing right now. The number of flu deaths is down from last year, when 186 people died in Minnesota from the flu between October and April. According to a Jan. 11 Minnesota Department of Health report, no one age 18 or younger has died from the flu this season. But just because there have been fewer flurelated deaths this year doesn’t mean people should take the flu any less seriously, according to Mower County Community Health Director Lisa Kocer. “It can be very serious,” she said. Local health officials confirmed the flu season in Mower County, like much of the state, is peaking right now and should continue for the next few months. “Influenza is widespread now,” Kocer said. “Basically it’s all over. None of us are really out of the woods.” Kathy Stratton, infections prevention and control coordinator at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin, said the flu season started peaking around the holidays — likely when groups and families got together — and the heaviest part of flu
season typically lasts through February and into March. Last year’s flu season peaked earlier than normal. This flu season has seen a resurgence of the H1N1 strain, which was a major concern around 2009. Unlike most flu seasons when young children and people age 65 and older are most effected, Kocer and Stratton said more young adults and middleaged people have tested positive this year. When the H1N1 strain first came to the U.S., it also affected middle-aged and young adults more than the elderly. H1N1 isn’t as big a concern now as it was when it first surfaced, in part because people have more immunities now. Stratton also noted health leaders didn’t know how virulent the flu strain would be, but it’s proved comparable to other common strains. The H1N1 strain was included in this year’s flu vaccine, but Stratton confirmed people with flu shots have still tested positive for that strain. That’s no surprise to Kocer or Stratton, as a flu shot doesn’t guarantee people won’t get sick. The shots build immunities and likely mean a person would contract a milder case of the flu if he or she becomes sick. “The flu shot isn’t 100 percent effective, but it’s still the best thing out there,” Stratton said. If they haven’t already, Stratton and Kocer urged
people to get vaccinated, since flu season often lasts well into March. “It’s still not too late,” Stratton said. Along with flu shots, Stratton and Kocer recommended people continue to wash their hands, cover their coughs and avoid touching their eyes nose and mouth whenever possible, along with other basic precautions to prevent the flu. People can have the flu and be contagious for 24 hours before feeling the symptoms, according to Stratton, which is another reason precautions are important. Unlike some Minnesota clinics, Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin hasn’t taken precautions urging people with the flu to stay home. However, the clinic always has signs up asking people not to visit patients in the hospital if they themselves are ill. Along with the flu, Stratton noted there’s been an uptick in strep throat cases, but, like the flu, that is common this time of year. Though the flu season is in full swing, Kocer said there haven’t been any reported outbreaks at area schools or senior homes, which are common during most flu seasons. Flu symptoms include a fever, cough, sore throat, headache or body ache, chills and fatigue. While symptoms are similar to the common cold, the flu hits harder and faster than the gradual symptoms of a cold. “With the influenza, it hits hard,” Stratton said.
Wes Albers/MCT Tribune
Blood travels through the body in routine patterns. Women have a higher risk of blood cots that can cause strokes, heart attacks and other problems up to 12 week after child birth.
Blood clot risk lasts 12 weeks By Associated Press Women have a higher risk of blood clots that can cause strokes, heart attacks and other problems for 12 weeks after childbirth — twice as long as doctors have thought, new research finds. Strokes are still fairly rare right after pregnancy but devastating when they do occur and fatal about 10 percent of the time, according to Dr. Hooman Kamel, a neurology specialist at New York’s Weill Cornell Medical College. Blood clots in the legs usually just cause pain but can be fatal if they travel to the lungs. Kamel led the new study, which was published online in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at an American Heart Association stroke conference in San Diego on Thursday. Pregnant women are more prone to blood clots because blood components to prevent excessive bleeding during labor naturally increase, and blood from the legs has more trouble traveling to the heart.
“Sometimes there’s the notion that once they deliver they don’t have to worry about these things,” but risk persists for some time after the birth, said Dr. Andrew Stemer, a Georgetown University neurologist. Doctors now sometimes give low-dose blood thinners to certain women at higher risk of blood clots for six weeks after delivery. The new study suggests risk lasts longer than that. It involved nearly 1.7 million California women giving birth to their first child. Over the next year and a half, 1,015 of them developed clots — 248 had strokes, 47 had heart attacks and 720 had clots in the legs or lungs. The risk of one of these problems was about 11 times greater during the first six weeks after delivery and more than two times greater during weeks seven to 12. After that, it fell to level seen in women who had not had a baby. A federal grant paid for the research. Kamel advises women who recently had a baby to seek medical help
right away if they develop chest pain or pressure, trouble breathing, swelling or pain in one leg, a sudden severe headache or sudden loss of speech, vision, balance, or strength on one side of the body. High blood pressure and smoking add to the risk of blood clots. Last week, the Heart Association issued its first guidelines for preventing strokes in women, focusing on pregnancy as one high-risk time. Women with a history of high blood pressure before pregnancy should be considered for lowdose aspirin (around 81 milligrams) after the first three months of pregnancy, and calcium supplements anytime, the guidelines say. Pregnant women with very high blood pressure (160 over 110 and above) should be treated with medications, and treatment may be considered for those with moderately high blood pressure (150 to 159 over 100 to 109). Certain blood pressure medicines are not safe during pregnancy, the guidelines note.
Picture of Health • Wednesday, February 19, 2014 • Albert Lea Tribune • Page 3
Common medical myths: debunked How often do you eat a cup of sauteed spinach? How about three servings of fatty fish, like salmon, per week? Probably not very often, but those are examples of foods and portions that are packed with the recommended amounts of essential nutrients. Research shows that Americans aren’t making the nutrition grade and, therefore, can lack important vitamins and minerals like folic acid, vitamin E, vitamin K and even vitamin C. “Even if you follow a healthy diet, a busy lifestyle can make it difficult to obtain the recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals from food alone,” said Elizabeth Somer, a leading registered dietician and author of several books, including “The Essential Guide to Vitamins and Minerals.” Data on dietary intake from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which used the USDA’s Healthy Eating Index to compare what people say they eat to recommended
dietary guidelines, found that children and adults scored 56 points out of a possible 100 (equivalent to an “F” grade), while seniors fared only slightly better at 65 points (equivalent to a “D” grade). The American Heart Association agreed with those findings in its 2013 report on heart disease and stroke, concluding that poor diet and lack of exercise are two of the main factors contributing to the high prevalence of heart disease in the U.S. One easy way to maintain good nutrition is to enhance your diet with supplements; however, the frequency of new studies combined with the staggering number of supplements available makes it increasingly confusing to know what’s right. Somer puts nutrition news in context, provides the facts for common misconceptions and offers realistic tips to meet daily nutrition needs: Misconception 1: It’s realistic to obtain all essential nutrients from food.
Even experienced nutritionists have a hard time designing a diet that provides all the essential nutrients for one day and busy Americans often struggle to follow a highly regimented diet. That’s not to say it’s impossible but the best approach is to focus on eating nutrient-rich foods as much as possible — like dark leafy greens (good source of lutein for eye health), colorful fruits, whole grains, healthy proteins and fats (such as salmon, which is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA)— and fill gaps in nutrition with a daily multivitamin. “Another supplement I always recommend is fish oil, or a vegetarian source from algae, because DHA and EPA benefit eye, heart and brain health,” says Somer. Misconception 2: Multivitamins have no health benefits. Although recent studies report that vitamin and mineral supplements do not lower one’s risk of heart disease or cancer,
these supplements are still proven to be beneficial to one’s health. “If a study found that people who drank water had no lower risk for dementia, would you stop drinking water?” asks Somer. “Of course not, because water, like essential vitamins and minerals, is crucial to health and there is no controversy over its importance for human nutrition.” Misconception 3: Multivitamins are a waste of money. Multivitamins are a relatively inexpensive tool to achieve proper nutrition. “No reputable health expert will argue that supplements can or should replace a good diet and a healthy lifestyle,” said Somer. “However, multivitamins and nutritional supplements are one factor in a pattern of living that is known to maintain overall well-being. Think of multivitamins as an insurance policy for optimal nutrition - they’re meant to supplement, not replace, a healthy diet.”
Study disputes value of mammograms By Associated Press A Canadian study that many experts say has major flaws has revived debate about the value of mammograms. The research suggests that these screening X-rays do not lower the risk of dying of breast cancer while finding many tumors that do not need treatment. The study gives longer follow-up on nearly 90,000 women who had annual breast exams by a nurse to check for lumps plus a mammogram, or the nurse’s breast exam alone. After more than two decades, breast cancer death rates were similar in the two groups, suggesting little benefit from mammograms. It’s important to note that this study did not compare mammograms to no screening at all, as most other research on this topic has. Many groups have not endorsed breast exams for screening because of limited evidence that they save lives. Critics of the Canadian study also say it used outdated equipment and poor methods that made mammograms look unfairly ineffective. The study was published Wednesday in the British journal BMJ. Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer and cause of cancer deaths in women world-
wide. Nearly 1.4 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Many studies have found that mammography saves lives, but how many and for what age groups is debatable. It also causes many false alarms and overtreatment of cancers never destined to become life-threatening. In the U.S., a government-appointed task force that gives screening advice does not back mammograms until age 50, and then only every other year. The American Cancer Society recommends them every year starting at age 40. Other countries screen less aggressively. In Britain, for example, mammograms are usually offered only every three years. The Canadian study has long been the most pessimistic on the value of mammograms. It initially reported that after five years of screening, 666 cancers were found among women given mammograms plus breast exams versus 524 cancers among those given the exams alone. After 25 years of followup, about 500 in each group died, suggesting mammograms were not saving lives. The similarity in the death rates suggests that the 142 “extra” cancers caught by mammograms represent overdiagnosis — tumors not destined to prove fatal, study leaders concluded.
The work was immediately criticized. The American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging called it “an incredibly misleading analysis based on the deeply flawed and widely discredited” study. Mammograms typically find far more cancers than this study did, suggesting the quality was poor, the groups contend. In a letter posted by the medical journal, Dr. Daniel Kopans, a radiologist at Harvard Medical School, described outdated machines and methods he saw in 1990, when he was one of the experts asked to review the quality of mammograms used in the study. “I can personally attest to the fact that the quality was poor,” he wrote. “To save money they used secondhand mammography machines” that gave poor images, failed to properly position breasts for imaging, and did not train radiologists on how to interpret the scans, he wrote. The study leader, Dr. Anthony Miller of the University of Toronto, said it was “completely untrue” that inferior equipment or methods were used. Still, the study highlights the fact that mammograms are an imperfect tool that lead to many false alarms, needless biopsies and treatment of many
tumors that would never threaten a woman’s life. “Overdiagnosis is not an anomaly in the study from Canada. This has been compellingly demonstrated in research from the U.S. and Europe,” said another study leader, Dr. Cornelia Baines of the University of Toronto. Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, a professor of medicine at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice in New Hampshire, spoke on the issue at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December. “Screening is a choice, not a public health imperative. There are tradeoffs here,” he said. “The people who stand to gain the most from screening are the people at greatest risk of the disease” — older women who are more likely to have breast cancer and those not too old that they are likely to die of something else, he said. Death rates from breast cancer have fallen mostly because of dramatic improvement in treatments, he and other doctors have said. “The better we are at treating clinically evident disease, the less important it becomes to find it early,” Welch said. A big caveat: The Canadian study was on routine mammograms to screen healthy women.
Aneurysms: Do you know the risk?
Eating well, exercise, sleep —these are all things we can control when it comes to our health. But unfortunately, some health-related things are out of sight, and therefore, often out of mind. Hidden health issues can escalate for years before becoming potentially life-threatening. For example, the term “silent killer” refers to fatal medical conditions that often exhibit no warning signs. High blood pressure is one such condition that many people are familiar with, but there is another very serious condition that most people have never heard of: abdominal aortic aneurysm. More than 1 million people are living with an undiagnosed abdominal aortic aneurysm — also known as AAA (pronounced “triple A”) — and it’s the third-leading cause of death in men 60 and older. The good news is that AAA can be managed and treated if found in time through a simple ultrasound screening test — so it’s important for boomers to know the risk factors for themselves and their loved ones so they can ask their doctor about screening, if necessary. What exactly is AAA? AAA is a balloon-like bulge in the body’s main artery that can burst unexpectedly. The problem with AAA is there are no symptoms, and when the aneurysm ruptures, only 10 to 25 percent of people will survive. Tony Thomas of Detroit, Mich., is one of the lucky survivors. One morning Thomas woke up feeling great, and with no warnings, suffered a ruptured AAA. He was reading a newspaper, suddenly felt a gurgle on the right side of his back and quickly become incapacitated. His daughter called an ambulance and he was rushed to emergency surgery. Today, Thomas feels very fortunate to have
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Family grows fresh in winter By Associated Press
Nothing should be growing on this winter day on the frozen, rolling hills near Ashby. Yet here are green vegetables, kale and lettuce, growing in near-90 degree temperatures. They’re thriving in a specialized “deep winter” greenhouse, letting farmers Tom Prieve and Sue Wika grow fresh vegetables year round — without a crushing electric bill. The plants survive largely on natural winter light. Fans force rising heat down into a rock storage area, part of a passive solar heating system that captures the day’s warmth and releases it at night. On cold nights, a gas heater kicks in to help keep the temperature at 42 degrees. There are no banks of artificial lights. It’s a different kind of greenhouse, mixing technology and old school ingenuity to create an energy efficient winter farm. University of Minnesota researchers say the idea is starting to take off. About two dozen deep winter greenhouses can be found now in Minnesota. Many more are in the planning stages. A deep winter growing association will soon give winter gardeners a place to share what they’re learning.
The small operations can be put up and run without spending a lot of money. Wika and Prieve’s $5,000 winter greenhouse is built like a lean-to against the south wall of the barn. Clear plastic panels cover the south wall, which is slanted at a 60 degree angle to best catch the midwinter sunlight. Next year a wood stove will help fight the overnight chill. “I want people to know that this is a definite reality for people in northern climates,” Wika said. “They can have greens in the depths of winter.” This is the second winter green plants have filled her greenhouse. Wika, the chief gardener, keeps careful records on everything growing. She says she’s still learning. What plants are best suited to winter production? What soil works best? What’s the most efficient way to heat the greenhouse at night? Who has the best ideas for affordable construction? Dozens of 3-foot-long pieces of plastic roof gutter filled with soil hang from the ceiling. Rows of them are suspended from just above the floor to head high. Thick green vegetation spills over the sides. On the floor are plastic bags of soil with holes cut in them. Chinese cabbage, turnips, radishes and beets sprout from
the bags. The heated rocks under the floor keep them warm. “Today we’ll harvest some red Russian kale and we’ll also harvest some of this komatsuna which is another really fast growing and productive Asian green,” says Wika, who praises the Asian greens as “the real star in these deep winter greenhouses.” There are also trays of barley, looking like squares of lush green grass – a treat for the goats and cows the couple milk as part of their sustainable farming effort. “When it comes to feeding time you just simply peel it out of there and chunk it up and they gobble it down,” says Prieve, who trained as a large animal veterinarian. “It’s candy, they look for it first thing when they come in and it’s a more healthy form of energy than the straight grain.” In about a month, the greenhouse will be filled with young tomatoes and other plants getting a head start on the outdoor gardening season. In summer, Wika uses the greenhouse as a giant dehydrator to make sundried tomatoes. Wika and Prieve eat fresh greens every day and they sell or trade produce to six families in the area.
survived a ruptured AAA. He has partnered with a non-profit, AAAneurysm Outreach, to become an advocate for their ambassador program — made possible by Medtronic, Inc. — spreading the word about AAA risk factors and the importance of screening. A quick and painless ultrasound screening of the abdomen, similar to a pregnancy ultrasound, can easily detect the condition. In just a few minutes, a doctor can determine if AAA is present and if corrective action is necessary. The good news is at least 95 percent of AAAs can be successfully treated if detected prior to rupture through screening and most health plans cover AAA screening tests at no cost for people who fit the risk profile. So who is at greater risk of developing AAA? Risk factors associated with this condition include: • Age: Individuals 60 or older are most likely to develop this condition. • Gender: AAAs are between five to 10 times more common in men than in women. However, research shows AAA may be more deadly in women. • Family history: 15 percent of those with AAA have close relatives with the condition. • History of smoking: Tobacco users are eight times more likely to be affected than non-smokers. • Other health conditions: Including clogged arteries (atherosclerosis), high blood pressure (hypertension), and high cholesterol. “I want to urge others to learn about AAA and get screened if they are at risk. I didn’t have that opportunity when I was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery,” says Thomas. “It’s important for others to know that a simple ultrasound screen can help save your life.”
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Page 4 • Albert Lea Tribune • Wednesday, February 19, 2014 • Picture of Health
Winter poses challenges for skin As the largest organ of the body, the skin should be well cared for and protected. Winter can pose a host of challenges for those who typically experience dry skin at this time of year. Between dropping and fluctuating temperatures and low humidity, it is easy for skin to feel the negative effects of the season. Most people experience dry skin in the winter because during this time, skin doesn’t produce enough moisture to compensate for the drier air and lack of moisture. If dry skin is neglected, it can become red, flaky and itchy. Dry skin patches can develop into a more serious inflammation called dermatitis; and once the protective skin is disrupted by dermatitis, the skin is more susceptible to bacterial, yeast or fungal infections and allergic reactions on the skin. In spite of the harsh winter elements, this season does not have to
take a toll on your skin. You can carry out a preventive skincare regimen that will help you avoid dry, cracked and uncomfortable skin. Here are some easy and effective tips to help keep your skin happy and healthy during the winter season: • Keep bathing or showering to 10 minutes, using warm — not hot — water. Hot water can dry out your skin by allowing moisture to escape, while breaking down the lipid barriers. • Use mild soaps or soap-free cleansers. Many soaps strip important lipids and oils from the outermost layer of skin and can often contain ingredients that are damaging to the skin. • Avoid excessive handwashing or excessive use of hand sanitizers. Alcohol-based sanitizer in particular can be very tough on skin due to the fact that it dissolves oil, which can leave the skin feeling dry, chapped and irritable.
• Moisturize thoroughly after bathing or handwashing, while skin is wet, with an ointment, cream or lotion. Moisturizers work best when they’re applied to skin that is wet or damp. They help to seal in the moisture and keep the skin looking and feeling healthy. • There are a good number of effective skincare products on the market to help consumers combat dry skin during this time of year. • Other causes of dry skin at this time of year include certain fabrics commonly found in warm winter clothing, such as wool, and central heating systems found in homes, which can reduce the humidity in the air and dry out the skin. Humidifiers are useful devices to have at home because they increase moisture levels in the air, which helps the skin. They also promote a variety of other health benefits.
FDA wants more data on pill WASHINGTON (AP) — A drugmaker working to develop a pill to boost sexual desire in women says regulators are demanding more studies on the experimental drug. Sprout Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration wants to see more data on how the company’s drug, flibanserin, interacts with other medications and how it affects driving ability. Nearly 10 percent of women studied in company trials reported sleepiness while taking the daily pill. The FDA’s request represents another hurdle in the pharmaceutical industry’s 15-year search for a female equivalent to Viagra. But in a news release, Sprout Pharmaceuticals President Cindy Whitehead described the development as a “significant step toward the approval of flibanserin.” The three studies requested by the FDA are relatively small, involving 25 to 50 patients each. The company says it plans to resubmit its drug application to FDA in the third quarter. The company based in Raleigh, N.C., said in December that it had
reached an “impasse” with regulators after the agency issued a second rejection letter on the drug. The company filed a formal dispute over the agency’s decision, which prompted the FDA’s latest request for additional studies. If approved, Sprout’s daily pill would be the first drug for women who report a lack of sexual desire, a market that drugmakers have been trying to tap since the blockbuster success of Viagra for men in the late 1990s. While earlier drugs worked on hormone levels, flibanserin is the first attempt to increase sexual desire by acting on brain chemicals that affect appetite and mood. The race to develop a female libido booster was once dominated by multinational companies like Viagra-maker Pfizer Inc. and Procter & Gamble, but today the space mainly consists of tiny startups. Sprout Pharmaceuticals, led by a husband and wife team, acquired flibanserin from Boehringer Ingelheim in 2011, after the German conglomerate abandoned development following an FDA rejection let-
ter. Boehringer studies showed that women taking the drug reported only a modest uptick in “sexually satisfying events.” The FDA’s initial rejection followed a 2010 meeting where a panel of expert advisers unanimously voted against the drug, citing its lackluster effectiveness and side effects such as fatigue, dizziness and nausea. Even if the FDA eventually approves flibanserin, Sprout will have to convince doctors to prescribe the drug for a condition that is still viewed with some skepticism. The drug would be specifically approved for premenopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder, described as a lack of sexual appetite that causes emotional distress. Because so many factors affect female sexual appetite, there are a number of other possible causes doctors must rule out before diagnosing the condition, including relationship problems, hormone disorders, depression and mood issues caused by other drugs like sleeping aids and pain medications.
Bill lobbies for new soda label By Associated Press Like alcohol and tobacco, soda pop and energy drinks need healthrisk warning labels for consumers, according to a bill introduced in the California Legislature yesterday. A bill introduced in the state Legislature yesterday sets up the latest tactic in the battle over soda and other sweetened drinks — a proposal that would require a health-risk warning label on sugary drinks. “Sugar-sweetened beverages are the single largest reason for the obesity epidemic in California,” said Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel), author of SB 1000. “For this reason, we need this bill to establish the Safety Warning Act, to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions about what they’re drinking.” The bill would require warning labels on cans and bottles of soda, energy drinks and sweetened teas — any drinks that contain 75 or more calories in 12 ounces. The warning would say: “STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.” Monning last session authored a bill to impose a tax on soda and other high-sugar drinks. That measure, SB 622, was shelved on the Appropriations suspense file. Monning still could bring that bill back, but said he’s not focused on that now.
Did you know? A 20-ounce soda has 16 teaspoons of sugar. The average American consumes 45 gallons of sugary drinks a year. Children who drink 1 or more sugary drinks a day have 55 percent higher odds of being overweight or obese. Sugary drinks are the biggest source of added sugar in the U.S. diet. People who drink even one or two sugary drinks per day have a 26 percent higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, and a 20 percent higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome. — Information from kickthecan.com “We don’t abandon that as an objective but for now we want to provide notice to people about what they’re drinking,” Monning said. When he pushed for the soda tax last year, Monning pointed out the industry contended it was not a tax issue, but an education issue. “So we’re taking them up on that,” Monning said. Ashby Wolfe, a family practice physician in Oakland, said this is a public health issue, right alongside alcohol and tobacco use. “As a family physician, I’m challenged daily by type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” Wolfe said. “The science on this issue is clear. Those of us entrusted with the health of community must do something … Just like tobacco and alcohol warnings, we need to help people to understand the risks associated with sugarsweetened beverages.” A Field Poll released Wednesday showed that California voters’ greatest concerns about children’s health are related to foods that are risk factors for obesity and diabetes. “Diabetes is insidious
and life-threatening, and the incidence of diabetes has doubled in the last 20 years,” said Harold Goldstein, executive director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. He said sugarsweetened soda deserves much of the blame. “It’s the number one source of added sugar in the American diet.” Goldstein raised the grade-school science experiment where teeth are placed in different liquid suspensions, and the one in soda dissolves away after a few days. “That same thing happens when the teeth are in your mouth,” he said. “Sugar is a disaster for our teeth.” Sodas and other sweetened drinks are different from other unhealthful foods, such as pizza or junk food, Monning said. “It’s not a fair comparison with other foods, which may have high salts or fats but at least those have some nutritional value,” Monning said. “These drinks have zero nutritional value.” Monning said he hopes this bill, if successful, might prompt similar efforts elsewhere. “We hope it would pave the way for a national effort,” Monning said.
Dean Rutz/Seattle Times
In order to make the transition, Cathy and Kurt Springman and their daughters have divided up the chores so things get done.
Study: Should kids do chores? By Associated Press It’s the dirty work of home life: dusting the shelves, mopping the floors and doing the laundry, load after load. Yet asking kids to help has gotten harder for some parents, caught up in the blur of today’s competitive, timepressed, child-focused world. “Parents feel very conflicted about getting their kids involved in housework,” said child psychologist Eileen Kennedy-Moore, who sees a wide range of what kids are asked to do and how strongly the completion of chores is enforced. Parents feel resentful if their kids don’t help, she said, yet many worry about adding housework to their children’s burden, already so heavy with school, sports and other activities that many don’t get enough sleep. “It’s another thing on the to-do list, and it seems less important than making sure they did their homework or get to soccer practice,” said Kennedy-Moore, a co-author of “Smart Parenting for Smart Kids.” Miriam Arond, director of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, notes a change over the last two decades, with parents now feeling “tremendous pressure” to enrich their children, hiring tutors before they fall behind, just for a leg up. And with many parents working, and kids busy after school, family time is more precious. Yet kids should still be expected to pitch in, experts say. Through chores, children gain a feeling of competence as they learn skills that will carry into adulthood, and they benefit by making a contribution to their family. “It’s very important to counter a sense of entitlement,” said Arond. “It’s important emotionally because it gives children the sense that they can do something, that they’re part of the family, that we’re all in this together,” she says. “Emotionally, parents don’t realize that it is very strengthening for a child. It helps them feel secure, they have a role, they feel rooted. Sometimes parents feel apologetic about giving children chores.” Not first lady Michelle
Obama, who has talked about her daughters having to make their own White House beds. And not Andrea Cherry of Kingwood, Texas, who has passed on her childhood practice of doing chores to her own children. As toddlers, they began with the game of sock sorting, and now, at ages 8 and 6, have graduated to “extensive” daily chores. Lily makes her bed and prepares breakfast for herself and her little brother. She cleans bathroom sinks with cleaning wipes, tidies the floors with a Swiffer and is learning to vacuum. Aiden feeds the dog and delivers toilet paper to the bathrooms. Both help with laundry and the dishes. For Cherry, 38, who works full time, having the kids help makes it possible for her and her husband to have enough time to take the kids to soccer practices and games. Equally important, it fills them with the same idea of family responsibility that Cherry was raised with. “They make a substantial contribution to the family, and it’s important because it teaches them about taking care of the family, family is first, and they are responsible members of the family,” said Cherry. “I’m proud of them.” While Cherry feels that she requires more of her kids than most parents in her area, Andrea Cameron, a San Diego mother of girls ages 2 and 8 who works occasionally, believes that she asks less than most. Her third-grader, Siobhan, has been dancing since age 2, aspires to be a ballerina or own a dance studio, and dances every day after school — weekends too, during performance season. The family is always pressed for time, driving back and forth to school and dance class. “We try to throw in a few (chores) here and there, mainly her room, whatever we can squeeze in,” said Cameron, 33. “I’d rather let her do what she loves and what she looks at as her future career than take it away from her and make her stay home and clean the house.” Cameron, who grew up having “very consis-
tent” chores, believes that Siobhan is learning responsibility through the discipline of her dance classes, getting there on time with her bag packed with the right gear. No matter how busy a family is, KennedyMoore advises parents to ask kids for at least the minimum effort. “You don’t want to set it up where the kid is the honored guest and the parents are the servants,” she said. The best way to start is to enlist kids when they are young, about 2 1/2, so it becomes a regular part of their lives, Arond said. A toddler can clean up toys and sort socks; make it fun with songs or by making it a game. By elementary school, kids can hang up wet towels and can dust. They can load the dishwasher by 8 or 9. Teens can do their own laundry and take care of sports equipment. And if parents haven’t required that their kids do chores, it’s never too late to start. For kids who are new to chores or resistant to the idea, KennedyMoore recommends that they be given some say over how they do them. Parents should consider: Will the jobs be assigned or rotate through the family? When is the best time to do them? And perhaps most important, is the workload fair for all siblings? Parents need to invest time teaching kids how to do the household jobs. “You have to give up a sense of perfectionism,” Arond said. And be patient: “This is going to have a longterm payoff for them and you’ll have a really good helper.” Whether kids’ household labor should be rewarded is a disputed point, with one camp believing that kids should get an allowance as payment for chores, and another saying the work is for the good of the family and should be done without financial reward. Either way, experts say giving kids a pass on chores is a disservice. “A child who is spoiled, it’s going to work against them when they’re adults,” Arond said. Employers can’t afford to hire divas, she said. “Don’t raise divas at home.”
Surgery costs aren’t covered WASHINGTON (AP) — Like 78 million other Americans, MaryJane Harrison is obese. And like many critically overweight Americans, Harrison cannot afford to have weight loss surgery because her health insurance doesn’t cover it. The financial burden makes it nearly impossible for her to follow the advice of three physicians who have prescribed the stomach-shrinking procedure for Harrison, who is 4 feet, 10 inches and weighs 265 pounds. Harrison’s health insurance plan, provided by UnitedHealth, excludes coverage of any surgical procedures for weight loss. As a result, she and her family are
trying to raise $15,000 to pay for the surgery that she thinks will save her life. “I am now 53 and I don’t think I’m going to live to be 55,” says Harrison, 53, who lives outside of San Antonio and has tried for years to lose weight through dieting and exercise. “When you feel your health deteriorating this fast, you know it.” UnitedHealth said it can’t legally comment on Harrison’s health plan unless she signs a privacy waiver. But Harrison declined to sign one due to concerns about how the company might use the information. Harrison’s case underscores a surprising trend: While the num-
ber of obese Americans persists at record levels, the number of patients undergoing weight loss surgery hasn’t budged in a decade. Last year, about 160,000 U.S. patients underwent weight loss surgery — roughly the same number as in 2004. That’s only about 1 percent of the estimated 18 million adults who qualify nationwide for the surgery, according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. “If we were talking about breast cancer, no one would be content with having only one percent of that population treated,” says Dr. John Morton, professor of surgery at Stanford University.