Medical Examiner 8.20.21 by Daniel Pearson

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I’m all for

“

AUGUST 20, 2021

FREEDOM.

Speaking about why everyone who attends his concerts must wear a mask and be vaccinated, singer Jason Isbell (above) commented last week on why the policy is controversial to some. “Governors of certain states want to...make people think that their freedom is being encroached upon.” As for “freedom,” he’s all for it. “But if you’re dead, you don’t have any freedoms at all. So it’s probably important to stay alive before you start questioning your liberty, you know? It’s life, and then it’s liberty, and then it’s the pursuit of happiness and those are in order of priority.” +

e would like to use this valuable front page real estate to recognize those who charge — correctly — that mask mandates and required vaccination by some employers are an infringement upon freedom. As has been noted many times long before this pandemic, freedom isn’t free. It has a price tag (shown above). Sometimes freedom comes (or is protected) at enormous cost. Virtually no one has total freedom, and if someone was to attempt to exercise absolute freedom, in all likelihood they would in no time flat seriously harm or kill themselves or others (possibly both) if they didn’t land in jail first. There is an umbrella term for these various encroachments upon freedoms we all experience. It’s called living in society, in general proximity with other human beings. It’s called respect for others and love of neighbor. A lone shipwreck survivor who washes up on a desert island can walk around naked 24 hours a day; he can

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scream at the moon at the top of his lungs for two solid hours in the middle of the night; he can build a huge bonfire that creates clouds of thick black smoke and keep it stoked for days. Those very same behaviors would not be tolerated in civilization, in a city or town, or in a suburban neighborhood. There are rules. Rules limit freedom. The poet John Donne wrote in 1624, “No man is an island.” We are all part of the whole. Unless we find that desert island, we cannot separate ourselves from the human race and its assorted rules without consequences. Living in society requires surrendering certain freedoms. We have to drive below certain speeds; we must have car insurance; we can’t attack the next door neighbor with a baseball bat because we don’t like him. That is not tyranny. It is protecting life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Ironically, the inescapable loss of some freedoms actually protects others. So do mask mandates, etc. compromise freedom? Absolutely. But nothing is free, including, ironically enough, freedom. +

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THE FIRST 40 YEARS ARE ALWAYS THE HARDEST

PART E OF A 26-PART SERIES

PARENTHOOD by David W. Proefrock, PhD

Your 14 year-old daughter seems to be possessed by someone else’s personality. She has always been hard-working, sweet, and obedient. For quite some time you have thought of her as the perfect child. Recently, however, she has been spending most of her time in her room, and she seems to resent any time she has to spend with the family. Her attitude has become surly and sarcastic. She is still doing very well in school, but she just seems to be a different child. What do you do? A. Take a firm hand with her. Put her on restrictions until her attitude and behavior begin to improve. B. These are signs of serious problems. Take her to your family doctor or a mental health professional for assessment and evaluation. C. Don’t do anything. She is just being a teenager. D. Enforce family rules and expectations, but be tolerant of her need for independence. If you answered: A. This kind of rebellion is a normal part of growing up. It should be handled with structure and understanding, not with punishment. In fact, punishment will probably make it worse. B. If it weren’t for the fact that she is still doing well in school, this might be necessary. As it is described, however, it seems to be normal adolescent behavior. Provide structure and be understanding. C. Yes, she is just being a teenager, but she still needs her parents and parental structure from you. D. This is the best response, but monitor her closely and take steps if her grades fall, if she isolates herself from her friends, or if behavior problems begin. Part of normal development in adolescence is the need to begin to establish an identity separate from parents and family. This usually emerges as adolescent rebellion. Maintain the structure and expectations, but understand and support her in her journey. + Dr. Proefrock is a retired clinical and forensic child psychologist.

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EPIDEMIOLOGY Without question, this is a branch of medicine that has been under the spotlight and in the hot seat since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Exactly what is epidemiology? The word comes from the Greek “epidemia” (which means “prevalence of disease”), plus -ology. One dictionary calls it “the branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health.” During the best of times, epidemiologists have a difficult assignment, and when things get worse, so does their job. Human nature being what it is, people are not overly eager to take action on things that might happen at some non-specific point in the future. For example, any public health expert you may have questioned five years ago about the possibility of future pandemics would have said it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when. Were any of us listening? Maybe a few here and there, but not really.

AUGUST 20, 2021 And when that “when” finally happens, guess what all the people who ignored epidemiologists and their warnings do? They now look to those very same public health officials for all kinds of things, including someone to blame and someone to offer a way out of the pandemic predicament. This vicious circle is not likely to change any time soon, and is a reflection of the successes of modern medicine. Despite all the fire and fury over vaccines in the past year and a half, they have been a routine and non-controversial element of preventive medicine for a long time. Vaccines, at least in developed countries, have completely eradicated or severely reduced a number of diseases that used to afflict millions every year. This is where it can get difficult for epidemiologists and other public health officials: their efforts have been so successful for so long that the average person is far more likely to know someone who had a vaccine side effect, however minor, than they are to know someone who actually had a case of the disease the vaccine prevents. This is true for most of us, and it makes it seem like the vaccine represents a bigger health issue than the disease itself. That poses a serious challenge for the healthcare community since public confidence in vaccines is crucial to maintaining vaccination rates high enough to prevent disease outbreaks. It’s not uncommon to hear the periodic news report of some community here or there where low vaccination rates have resulted in an outbreak of measles, mumps, chicken pox, or something else.

Yet another challenge for the people in public health who are at least partly in the you-should-get-vaccinated business is that a higher standard of safety is expected of vaccines precisely because they are preventive in nature. In other words, vaccines are given to healthy people, while most other pharmaceutical products are given to people who are already sick and have symptoms of some kind. We might not even notice the side effects of some drug when we’re already feeling miserable, but when we’re feeling just fine and get a vaccine, any side effects we may experience will stick out like a sore thumb. As a result, the general public’s tolerance for any side effects or risks associated with vaccines is quite low, and is even lower when infants and children are involved. Another important task on the epidemiologist’s to-do list is tracking vaccine efficacy and effectiveness, and side effects. Efficacy, by the way, refers to results as measured in ideal conditions, like lab tests and clinical trials, while effectiveness is the measure taken out in the real world. Vaccine side effects are an interesting study. Generally speaking, severe vaccine side effects happen once or twice per million doses administered. Minor side effects, on the other hand, courtesy of that curious phenomenon known as the placebo effect, can be purely imaginary, as countless clinical studies have established. The challenge for stewards of public health is determining which are real and which are not. In fairness to epidemiologists, it should be noted that their job is far more than vaccines; we have zeroed in on that aspect due to COVID. +

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It’s possible. Apples are a good source of fiber, are helpful for maintaining good colon health, and can also help in weight control. All of that is good for health, especially if someone is eating an apple a day instead of, say, a bag of potato chips. But will it keep a doctor away? Not if you (assuming you’re the apple eater) care about your health. Regular checkups are a mainstay of a salubrious lifestyle. If you brush and floss as the experts recommend, would you stop going to the dentist? If you answered “no, of course not,” give yourself a gold star. In the same way, those apples we’re eating every day don’t mean that our blood pressure or cholesterol levels are necessarily where they need to be. Even if you own a professional quality stethoscope, would you know if you heard something in your heart or lungs that signaled a possible problem? Do you have a bp cuff so you can correctly and accurately check your blood pressure? So to get back to the original question and our initial answer, yes, it is possible that an apple a day could keep our doctor away. But if it does, it’s by our own choice, and it’s not a very good choice. A better option: keep eating apples, and keep getting checkups on a schedule you and your doctor agree upon. +

DEARREADERS

On April 3, 2020 we published an issue of the Medical Examiner with the expectation that two weeks later another one would hit the streets as usual. Instead, we were forced to do online-only editions for the next six months. Conditions relating to the pandemic were changing by the day, a situation that threatens to happen again. We don’t have any current plans to suspend print due to the surge in COVID cases, but anything is possible with the uncertainty we all face right now. In a worst-case scenario we would, as before, continue to publish the Examiner online. If we show up missing, check our website or Facebook page (info in box below). +

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Ladies and gentlemen, we want to hear your stories. And we know you have them. But how can you tell them without violating HIPAA? It’s not difficult. A: Get the patient’s permission, or B: Change and/or disguise enough details to ensure anonymity and protect patient privacy There are many doctors who regularly blog about their patients and even write best-selling books about them. Names like Oliver Sacks and Atul Gawande spring to mind. Friends, this is eminently doable. We’d like this to be an occasional (or even better, a regular) feature in the Examiner. We’ll be happy to run your story anonymously and vigorously guard your privacy, or give you a byline (or use your pen name). Our mail and email addresses are in every issue in the box to the right.

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www.AugustaRx.com The Medical Examiner’s mission: to provide information on topics of health and wellness of interest to general readers, to offer information to assist readers in wisely choosing their healthcare providers, and to serve as a central source of salubrious news within every part of the Augusta medical community. Direct editorial and advertising inquiries to: Daniel R. Pearson, Publisher & Editor E-mail: Dan@AugustaRx.com AUGUSTA MEDiCAL EXAMINER P.O. Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903-0397

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#145 IN A SERIES

Who is this? ON THE ROAD TO BETTER HEALTH A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE Editor’s note: Augusta writer Marcia Ribble, Ph.D., is a retired English and creative writing professor who offers her unique perspective as a patient. Contact her at marciaribble@hotmail.com by Marcia Ribble

his (above) is what a truly amazing woman looks like. Of course, there are other versions that look completely different and who are still amazing, but this particular woman was a medical trailblazer at a time when the wilderness was vast and foreboding, and for someone like her, uncharted and dangerous. It pains us to say this, but this woman, Mary Putnam Jacobi, had to deal with a level of medical ignorance that bears a striking resemblance to the year 2021. All around us are people who are extremely vocal and adamant about beliefs that are not even remotely supported by scientific evidence. This poor lady had to deal with the same thing. The main difference is that she was doing it in the 1870s. And here we are 150 years later in the same boat, at least in many matters that relate to the pandemic. Oh, one other difference: she was dealing with ignorance within the medical community itself, not the general public. Case in point: in 1876 she published a heavily researched and documented clinical paper of 232 pages* to disprove a popular medical belief of the day. A Harvard professor, Edward Clarke, published a book in 1873 which discouraged higher education for women because, well, the future of humanity was at stake. Per Dr. Clarke: “There have been instances, and I have seen such, of females graduated from school or college, excellent scholars, but with undeveloped ovaries. Later they married and were sterile.” In other words, a woman can’t menstruate and think at the same time. Trying to do so was dangerous, so keeping women from higher education was for their own good. Another contemporary physician wrote of the “temporary insanity [of] menstruation,” and yet another, a Dr. King, recommended “that girls be encouraged to marry immediately upon arriving at the age of puberty, so that menstruation may be at once interrupted by a pregnancy which should be repeated so frequently as to entirely exclude its pathological substitute (that is, menstruation) from the existence of the woman.” Yes, medical misinformation is nothing new, but fighting against it was a lifelong goal of Mary Putnam. Not that it was easy. Although a career in medicine had been a dream of hers since childhood, her father considered it a “repulsive pursuit” for a woman, and only reluctantly financed her education. But he had more or less opened that door when he hired Elizabeth Blackwell to tutor the young Mary. If you know anything about medical pioneers, you know the name Blackwell. Speaking of notable names, you also may know of Mary’s father, George Putnam. His name still appears in books published by G.P Putnam’s Sons to this day. Mary was a bit of a writer+herself, publishing her first short story in The Atlantic at age fifteen. When Mary turned her attention from literature to medicine, she blazed many new trails. In 1863, she became the first woman

I’m back home again in Michigan. There is so much to do. So much to learn. Fortunately, at my age I have the rest of my life to learn. I arrived a week ago with a truck full of my belongings. Some of it was things like furniture. Furniture is easy. I got to watch as my daughter and her kids and grandkids brought things in and I could say, “Put that bed in that bedroom,” or “That sofa goes in that corner.” Easy. What’s hard are the boxes. I feel as though there must be at least 75 boxes. I know that is probably more than there really are, but it feels like an enormous task faces me to empty those boxes and figure out where to put things. When I was packing, I tried to make sure that when I got here I could find the really important things I’d need right away. To some extent I achieved that goal, but I had some box packing helpers, so it didn’t work quite as planned. For instance, I finally found the turntable to my microwave packed in a box with pictures for the living room wall. The turntable was the one thing in the entire box that was not a picture. The logic? I cannot fathom what it might have been. I did unpack the kitchen things, the food, the tableware, the pots and pans. I rapidly discovered that my cupboards and pantry here hold far less than my old ones in Georgia did. Good grief, how to make things fit? My response was to give away everything I could, and I am ordering shelves to hold the rest. But even that is not a simple process. Try to place an order online like I used to. Ha! The address is to graduate from a US school of pharmacy. Then after receiving her M.D. from the Female (later Women’s) Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1864, she applied to the University of Paris’ École de Médecine, where in 1868 she was admitted as its first woman student. Jacobi became the second woman member of the Medical Society of the County of New York, was admitted to the American Medical Association, helped to found the Women’s Medical Association of New York City and served as its president from 1874 to 1903. She campaigned tirelessly for leading medical schools to admit women students. In 1873, Mary Putnam married Abraham Jacobi, a New York physician and researcher sometimes described as the father of American pediatrics. They had three children, only one of

wrong. It’s still my Georgia address. Try to change the address? Good luck. In the old days, like when I was only 50, it wasn’t complicated. I would call Business X, tell them I moved from Georgia to Michigan, and that I need to change my address. In the case of US Bank that was exactly how it worked. I talked to a sweet young lady and in five minutes she had changed my address, my phone number, and she ordered free new checks for me. Bank of America was not so easy. After spending three hours on the phone, my address and phone number are still the same. I guess I failed the security test. There is no B of A here so I cannot simply walk in with all the documentation they might require and prove that I am who I say I am. I should be grateful that they are so picky about it, but at the time, 3 hours of time, grateful was not the emotion I was dealing with. What she wanted for ID verification was the exact amount of a check from three months ago, along with the name of the person or business it was made out to. Remember those boxes I referred to a minute ago? The information she needs is in a box, and I couldn’t begin to guess which box of the many, many boxes still unpacked. But the good stuff, tonight is bingo night, so at about 6 pm I will load myself in my wheelchair and roll down the hall to the community room, stopping to throw my trash away and check my mail. For more than two years I haven’t been able to go places to just have fun. Especially with COVID, going places and being with other people has been impossible. I am excited about finally being able to socialize with other folks again. + whom survived to adulthood. The 457-bed Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx, NY, is named after him. Ever the clinician, when Mary Jacobi was diagnosed with a brain tumor, she carefully documented the experience and her symptoms and published the resulting paper with a title that would almost be funny if it wasn’t so tragic: Descriptions of the Early Symptoms of the Meningeal Tumor Compressing the Cerebellum. From Which the Writer Died. Written by Herself. Mary Putnam Jacobi died at age 63 on June 10, 1906. + * You can read the paper by visiting archive. org and enter Mary Putnam Jacobi in the search field. The paper, “The Question of Rest for Women During Menstruation,” was awarded Harvard University’s Boylston Prize for 1876.

AUGUST 20, 2021

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AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

EVERYBODY LOVES A GOOD STORY

ADVENTURES IN

Middle Age BY J.B. COLLUM

AND EVERYBODY HAS A STORY. WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOURS. MEDICINE IN THE FIRST PERSON

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I’m still learning from my father. Even with placing pillows under the covers of her bed. advanced Alzheimer’s, he is teaching me lesWe would never have gotten him into bed sons. Of course, he doesn’t even know it, or if without that. At times, when he doesn’t recoghe does, he will forget within a minute or two. nize her as his wife, but instead thinks she is But I will always remember. his mother or his grandmother, we have to go In the now two-plus years that my parents through a series of photos that progressively have been living with us so we could help show my mother from her younger days until with my father’s mental health challenges and we get to a photo from a few years ago that my mother’s physical health challenges, we looks similar enough to her now that he will have seen health declines in both of them. In accept it is her. Then he knows she is safe here the past few weeks alone we have had to call at home and he’ll go to bed. ambulances for each of them. My father has always been a spiritual man, My mother’s anemia is an ever-present and to this day he will ask, sometimes every challenge, especially when coupled with her few minutes, if there is a meeting today. By various other serious ailments and the stress that, he always means a meeting for worship. brought on by my father’s Even when I am briefly visiting rapidly advancing Alzheimer’s. him during a workday, I must He lives in a world be careful to never say I have It is a hard thing to witness and has precipitated our search for to end my visit for a meetlong gone. a nursing home for my father ing because that will start an despite our desire to care for avalanche of him asking about him to the bitter end. Part of the when the meeting is, and he will learning process of my journey into middle age want to get his suit and tie on. It might take has been learning my own limitations as well hours to get that stopped. It got so bad that I as those of my wife and mother. The stress printed a sign to put in front of him that said, has gotten beyond what we can bear, and the “There is no meeting today.” He is also accustime is nigh for my father to leave us for a tomed to large assemblies three times per year facility that can better deal with his condition. and a day does not go by when he does not Sleepless nights trying to convince him that it ask when the next assembly or convention is. wasn’t time to go to work, or that his wife was Dad’s most recent fixation is related to home and safe so he could go to sleep, all start work. Alzheimer’s can bring on hallucinations to add up, while other important parts of life and vivid dreams that confuse the victim, start to suffer. Things like work, relationships, and this has happened to Dad. He will wake health, and quality of life. up and think that he has to get dressed and But even in all this, my father still sets a go get his truck to pick up a load. Recently, it good example for me to learn from. The things was an elaborate story about a tire blowout he fixates on are the important things in which requiring me to pick him up the previous day, he has always been a sterling example, things so he wanted to be taken back to his truck like taking care of his family’s safety when to make sure it is safe and secure and see if he gets up all through the night to check the the tire was repaired so that he can get back door locks, despite this taking him an inordion his way to the depot with the load. We’ve nate amount of time as he tries to navigate his had to resort to a trick of my mother ostensiwalker around the obstacles in the near-dark bly calling the dispatch office at my dad’s old house, running into everything and waking the job, while really calling me, and I get to have entire house, sometimes every five minutes some fun trying to mimic a voice from his past or so until we can finally manage to convince that I remember while telling him, “No, don’t him to stop, though I think it is really just the worry about that truck. We sent a repair team, fact that he is exhausted. fixed the tire, and got the truck and trailer He sets an example in caring for his wife back here. You are on vacation this week, too and won’t go to bed until she is home and buddy! Enjoy yourself.” Sometimes this works safe. In a previous article, I mentioned how we briefly, and sometimes we have to repeat the fooled him into thinking she was home during cycle two minutes later. Yet again, my Dad is her two recent hospital stays by strategically Please see MIDDLE AGE page 6

Send your interesting (or even semi-interesting) stories to the Medical Examiner, PO Box 397, Augusta, GA 30903 or e-mail to Dan@AugustaRx. com. Tell us if you want it “by you” or if it needs to be anonymous. Thanks!

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MIDDLE AGE… from page 5

teaching me a lesson about taking your job and responsibilities seriously. Our plans and efforts toward getting him placed in a home seem to be near fruition now, and I am looking forward to the time when I can be assured of getting a full night’s sleep without it being interrupted by having to try to convince my father of present realities while he lives in a world long gone. I look forward to not having to help clean up the bathroom and/or my father after he has his weekly accident there. I look forward to not seeing the stress and emotional effects this all has on my mother, my wife, and the rest of the family. That said, I don’t look forward to the time when I can’t be there with my dad for those rare moments of clarity when he and I reminisce and share a few laughs, times when he knows who I am and can enjoy a good old western and tell stories about when he was a kid. They are getting rarer all the time, and when I only see him on visits to a nursing home, I fear that the chance of having those kinds of moments will be greatly diminished. Even if I have had my last moment of time with my father in a clear state of mind, he has already taught me much that I am grateful for, and even in his confusion he still manages to teach by setting a good example as a husband, father, hard worker, and more, because “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” + J.B. Collum is a local novelist, humorist and columnist who wants to be Mark Twain when he grows up. He may be reached at johnbcollum@gmail.com

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WHAT CARS LOOKED LIKE

by Kim Beavers, MS, RDN, CDCES Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Chef Coach, Author Follow Kim on Facebook: facebook.com/eatingwellwithkimb

SECOND DAY FAJITA SOUP The idea behind this is to take some leftovers, and turn them into soup. In most cases this means adding in some vegetables, broth, and possibly beans. This recipe is developed from the Slow-Cooker Fajita Style Taco recipe in the previous issue of the Examiner (https:// issuu.com/medicalexaminer/ docs/aug6.21)

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Soup • ½ slow-cooker fajita style taco recipe (about 2 cups) or what you have leftover) • 1 (12 ounce) bag of fiesta style frozen vegetables • 1 (10 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with chilies • 4 cups no-salt-added chicken broth Toppings • Broken taco shells • Cilantro • Lime juice • Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a slow simmer. When the frozen vegetables are hot and tender it is ready to serve. Top with broken taco shells, cilantro, and lime juice and one tablespoon sour cream.

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AUGUST 20, 2021

HOW ENABLERS ENABLE THE TOP 1O WAYS by Ken Wilson Executive Director Steppingstones to Recovery The dictionary defines enabling as “helping someone.” When applied to an alcoholic/addict relationship, it means helping them drink or drug — not a compliment in those circles! Maybe we can try to define “enabler.” It can mean several things. One definition is “addiction to an addicted person.” Do you think about the addicted loved one in your life all the time? In the middle of the night? At work? Driving? Are you obsessed with where they are, what they’re doing, what they’re thinking? Another possible description is “obsession with changing an addicted person.” Do you plan, plot, and engineer ways to keep the addict in your life busy? To divert their attention to something you think is constructive vs. what they want to do on the weekend maybe?

Whatever brand of enabler we might be considering, exactly how does an enabler enable? 1. By paying their bills. When you help them financially it allows them to use what money they do have on their drug of choice. If they had to pay their rent, they wouldn’t have money left for drugs. 2. By covering and making excuses for them. Ever called in to their job to say they were “sick” and couldn’t come to work? Or told family at the reunion they just couldn’t make it this year? This allows them to use or drink without fear of consequences. 3. By ignoring the problem, thinking “it’s just a phase they’re going through...they’ll grow out of it.” Not! Addiction is a progressive illness and is not apt to stop unless some type of intervention happens... and interventions come in all kinds of ways, not just the “gang-up-and-clobber‘em” approach. It could be an arrest, or write-ups at work. 4. By hassling them. No addict has ever said, “Mom,

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thank you so much for your constant nagging. I think I’ll stop snorting dope due to your obvious concern for me.” Ain’t gonna happen. Instead, they interpret your criticism as your intense love for them and will continue doing whatever gets them that kind of attention. Weird, huh? The mind is a complex thing. 5. By playing the victim or martyr. “You’re ruining my life. If it wasn’t for you, your poor old dad would have some money and could sleep at night. Look at all I’ve done for you and what do I get in return? Shame on you!” If you want to drive your loved one further away, be sure to keep this up. 6. By doing their work for them. Poor old Joe comes in hung over...he’s a great guy... let’s get his work covered for him and maybe he’ll watch out for us one day when we need help.” We humans repeat whatever actions get benefits for us. For a user, what better one is there than this? 7. By believing their excuses. “Honey, I had to work late.” “A guy at work needed a loan so I

helped him out so he wouldn’t lose his apartment.” Addicts get very creative. Once you’re on to them, well, as they say, “If their lips are moving...” 8. By accepting half-baked work. “He has a hangover, poor guy...if I give him a break he’ll make it up to me.” All you are doing is rewarding them for poor behavior and so they can do it again and again and it will get worse and worse. Addiction never gets better on its own. Almost never. 9. By helping your loved one make excuses for their using or drinking behavior. “I think you might be bi-polar.” I think if I hear this one more time I might lose it! Much of what people think is bi-polar is nothing more than mood swings from their drugging or drinking behavior. “Maybe you need some antidepressants to help you deal with your depression.” Again, ugh! There’s situational depression and clinical depression (not to depreciate the latter kind). 10. By whatever you’re doing that obviously isn’t

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working, but that isn’t one of the previous 9. Because, after all, there are almost as many ways to enable as there are enablers, and people who keep their habits going because of the help of enablers. Keep this in mind: if you’re able to enable — and honest enough with yourself to recognize and accept that — you’re also able to disable, to dismantle your inadvertent and unintentional acts of support. You could actually become someone who helps enable quitting instead of using. +

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Useful food facts from dietetic interns with the Augusta Area Dietetic Internship Program, Augusta University

A LITTLE NAUGHTY, A LITTLE NICE by Teresa Ziemba, MS-Dietetic Intern

consumed in lower amounts. Examples of foods with high satiety include high fiber foods such as potatoes, fruits, vegetables, and oatmeal. Meats, poultry and seafood are high in protein and satiety. WHICH DARK CIRCLE IS LARGER?

Incorrect portion sizes for children may greatly increase their risk for obesity. Regulating food intake can be just as challenging for children as it is adults. The more food a child is given the more they are likely to consume. Therefore, it is important that parents provide their children with the proper portion sizes to promote normal growth and development, and to prevent excessive weight gain. Visual cues may help to prevent the incidence of obesity. Research has shown that an average person consumes more if the serving dish is brought to the table instead of left on the stove. Eating in the dark may result in an increased consumption of food compared to eating in a well-lit area. The size and shape of plates, bowls, and eating utensils can all be contributing factors. A

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Both are the same size, but the circle on the smaller “plate” (on the left), looks bigger. The illusion can help control portion size.

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It’s all about balance. The holiday season we’ve just survived is often a time for social gatherings and festivities with family, friends, and co-workers. These good times often involve eating and drinking. Unfortunately, the unwanted “side dish” may be weight gain. Large portion size and increased frequency of eating may be contributing to the weight gain. The food label term “serving size” is the recommended amount of food to consume, but in the real world portion size is determined by you or by a restaurant. And quite often during the holiday season it’s big. Our intake of sugary snacks, beverages, and desserts, coupled with foods high in fats such as French fries, hamburgers, cheeseburgers and pizza and other calorie-dense foods tend to increase. Foods not prepared at home usually have larger portion sizes, and several studies have shown that people may consume more food when more food is offered. Satiety (feeling full) also plays a factor in the amount of food consumed and may contribute to obesity. Foods with low satiety (those with large amounts of sugar and fats, such as sodas, donuts, French fries, bagels, muffins, and pizza) tend to be consumed in higher portions. Foods high in satiety are

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square is often thought to be larger than a circle even though they both hold the same amount. However, an individual can buy twice as much if the food is packaged or served in a circular container rather than a square. Labeling and advertising can influence our intake. A label that includes nutrient or product modifications such as low-fat implies that the food is healthy, and when a food is considered to be healthier, individuals may increase their intake. This may contribute to weight gain. Healthier choices should fit in a well-balanced diet. The size of packaging can contribute to the amount that is consumed. Bulk purchases may benefit your wallet as they may be cheaper but may negatively affect your weight. When food is given in smaller portions it may help people to have better control on their overall intake. For example, a large bag of potato chips may be difficult to measure or determine the correct serving size. However, when preproportioned into small bags, it is easier to control portion size. Although portioned smaller bags may be more expensive than buying in bulk it may help decrease a person’s intake. It is often challenging to achieve and maintain a well-balanced healthy diet. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are the trained experts to help individuals to attain their personal and health goals. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists translate the science of nutrition into practical solutions for lifestyle changes and healthy living. +

AUGUST 20, 2021

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CRASH

COURSE

More Americans have died on US roads since 2000 than in World Wars I & II combined Normally this space is devoted to discussions of doing (or not doing) things behind the wheel that can have immediate implications. Things that could kill us within 5 seconds of our infraction, possibly less. This time, let’s talk about something we might do behind the wheel today that could have serious implications decades from now. For a clue about what we might be talking about, it’s something that has hit all-time highs in the past year or so, and occurs at a complete standstill. Are you thinking it might be littering, which many people do at red lights, choosing that moment to spit out their gum or dump out their ashtray? Not a bad guess, except that littering has been around for a long time; it hasn’t seen a pandemic-related surge. What are we talking about? As many readers of this newspaper know, it is delivered to hundreds of doctors offices, places where things have not been normal for the past year and a half. After a near-total shutdown in the spring of 2020 a new 3-step protocol emerged: 1. go to your doctor appointment; 2. call the office upon arrival; 3. sit in your car until they are ready bring you in and straight back to an exam room.

Imagine you deliver the Medical Examiner and every delivery day for the past year and a half (which might entail visiting more than 100 doctors offices a day), you see parking lot after parking lot all day lined with cars, most of which are running as their occupants await their appointments. Multiply that times an untold number of cities and towns across the nation (and presumably the world) where exactly the same thing is happening. Literally millions of cars are sitting, engines running, at medical offices

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alone. As of last week, millions more idling cars have joined the mix twice a day in car lines at schools all across the land. Each and every one of those cars is adding its share of pollutants to a world that scientists say is in the throes of a serious climate crisis. We want to be healthy; doesn’t the Earth deserve to be healthy too? The graphic above is about one car for 5 minutes. What about a million cars for half an hour each? We are not so naive as to imagine that people are going to turn off their cars and sit in broiling heat amid acres of baking asphalt for 30 to 45 minutes or more. That’s just not realistic. But we have seen this idle behavior a thousand times on absolutely perfect spring and fall days with cool temperatures, low humidity, beautiful breezes blowing, and even in cars that happen to be in a shady spot under a tree. People! Whenever possible, turn off your car when parked. Scout for a spot that offers some shade. Roll down the windows! Enjoy the beautiful breezes! Save gas! Save money! Do your part! +

AUGUST 20, 2021

THE MONEY DOCTOR

WHY YOUR SAVINGS RATE MATTERS When a crisis like COVID hits, people tend to save more money. As people get more fearful about the future, they are more likely to spend less and save more. As the crisis subsides and recovery takes place, people start spending more and saving less. How much should you be saving? Let’s take a deeper dive to help you understand the importance of your savings rate. Your savings rate is the percentage of personal income saved based on your total gross personal income received during a period of time. A negative rate means you spend more than you receive. So if you receive $5,000 this month and save $1,000, your personal savings rate is 20 percent. For those in the accumulation phase, we like to see a 15-20 percent savings rate toward retirement. Your overall savings rate may be more than 20 percent when you include all other savings goals and debt payoff. Why is 15-20 percent savings rate important? The math behind reaching financial independence is fairly simple. By making a few basic assumptions in this case a 5 percent real investment return and 4 percent real withdrawal rate you come up with the accompanying chart. Using the chart you can see how it works. For example, if you make $100,000 per year and save 50 percent, then you only need your investments to provide $50,000 per year in income and you can reach that financial independence after about 16 years. If you save 10 percent then you need your investments to provide $90,000 of income, which would require 50 years of savings. For a person who starts working around the age of 18 to 22, saving 15-20 percent each year will help you reach financial independence in 36 to 42 years, or between 55 and 65 years old. The optimal scenario is to start young, practicing the saving habit from day one, doing it consistently each year, and not touching the money. As your savings start to add up, working with a financial planner to help you understand all the other items you need to consider will help keep you on track. It is important to note that the chart and example above oversimplify retirement planning, as it excludes pensions, Social Security, tax planning and long-term care planning, along with many other factors that should be considered when planning for retirement or other saving goals. But the numbers in the chart can give you a general feel for how important saving consistently over time can be. They also demonstrate how living below your means and on a smaller part of your income helps you save more and reach future goals more quickly. Beyond reaching financial goals, saving money as part of your lifestyle has other significant benefits. Psychologists have studied the impact of individuals’ financial habits on their overall health and wellbeing for many Please see MONEY DOCTOR page 16

AUGUST 20, 2021

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The blog spot From the Bookshelf — posted by Edwin Leap, MD, on August 8, 2021 (edited for space)

VACCINE HESITANCY IS COMPLEX Given the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, many are asking why people would be hesitant to be vaccinated against it. That’s the question that bounces around the skulls of countless physicians, public health experts, journalists, politicians, and others. But before trying to answer the question, it might be reasonable to ask why people do, or fail to do, other things that negatively affect their health. Why does a patient with diabetes come to the emergency department with a blood sugar over 500, having failed to take insulin for 2 weeks? Why does the patient with lung disease continue to smoke two packs per day despite struggling to breathe around the clock? What prompts the elderly patient with abdominal pain to sign out and go home to be with her dog? And for heaven’s sake, why do young people take that first hit of heroin or methamphetamine? The easy, heartless answer is to say that these people are just stupid. Stupid people don’t take their insulin, and they keep smoking. Ignorant, uneducated people refuse medical care. Unwise, unscientific young people start using drugs. Human decisions are far more complex, nuanced, and personal than most of us realize. So, revisiting the above scenarios, it’s possible that the patient with diabetes couldn’t afford insulin. It could be that the smoker has few joys in life, and nicotine is one of them. The owner of the dog has no family or friends, and her dog is her closest companion. Finally, the person using drugs may be anesthetizing a life of terrible abuse, or may come from a home where drugs were always in the background. Are their decisions concerning? They certainly are. But they are comprehensible. We needn’t agree with a choice to understand it. Still, in light of a deadly pandemic, why would people eschew a vaccination that might be life-saving for them or those around them? As before, the easy answer is: “because they are simply ignorant or don’t care if they hurt other people.” This argument is inadequate and unproductive. Let me suggest some alternative reasons why people might not want the vaccine. Even as “follow the science” is a common mantra, science is often quite hard to understand. Few people understand the incredible complexities of virology, immunology, or epidemiology. Despite my own education, the intricacies of human biology and medical science still can seem a bit much to me too. Many people with 4-year college degrees have only a passing grasp of science at best. Likewise, high school science classes are often relatively basic. As such, our general population-wide comprehension of science makes it very difficult to explain the research that might alleviate anxieties among the unvaccinated. Any practicing physician knows how difficult this is when trying to explain a disease process, a procedure, or the results of imaging or labs to a patient. Another commonly cited reason for vaccine hesitation is that the COVID-19 vaccine was developed and launched much more quickly than most vaccines and pharmaceuticals. While those who express this are often viewed with some scorn, the fact is that for years we have been told by academics in medicine that we should view pharmaceutical companies with suspicion, and that they are often dishonest in their research. It may be that some of the vaccine-hesitant are only doing what they have been told to do … until now. Those in rural America, particularly those in the throes of the ongoing opioid crisis, might have more personal reasons to distrust Big Pharma. After all, OxyContin was sold to them

Human decisions are complex, nuanced and personal

During the holidays (which, unbelievably, are not far off) more than one person has paused to think, “There’s enough food on this one table to feed an African village for a month!” If you’ve ever had that thought, here’s the perfect book for you. Photographer Peter Menzel and his wife, Faith D’Aluisio, journeyed around the world — again — (he is also behind the fascinating globe-trotting books Hungry Planet: What the World Eats and Material World: A Global Family Portrait) to capture these images. Some might call it a coffee table book, but that would be an insult. It would imply that it’s lightweight fluff when actually its message could be life-changing. Why? Because What I Eat is an eye-opening look at the food du jour of people as varied as a glamorous professional model and a Maasai yak herder. Specifically, it’s a portrait of the food the people pictured on its pages eat in a typical day, whether they live in Boston or Bangladesh. You might think this would

be the perfect opportunity to sermonize about Westerners and their excessive diets compared to the crumbs that people in some other cultures must subsist on. What I Eat spends no time there. One reader might look at the daily diet of an African herdsman who lives on 800 calories a day and feel guilty because his drive-thru breakfast burrito contains 900 calories, while the next reader might feel truly blessed and grateful for the abundance he enjoys. What I Eat leaves that decision to each reader without comment. As befits a book all about food, What I Eat provides food for thought. What those thoughts might be depend on who’s reading it. A parent,

as a less addictive way to manage chronic pain. Yet the death and devastation left in the wake of the opioid crisis has been truly apocalyptic. Many lower-income individuals are distrustful of government in general, and not without cause. Poor citizens in the U.S. (and around the world) suffered terribly during the lockdowns advocated by public health professionals and the government. Unable to work from home, they lost jobs, businesses, and homes, and their children suffered from compromised educations, depression, and anxiety. Rates of overdose and interpersonal violence have risen significantly from the agony of the lockdowns and endless restrictions. It was easy for those with money, or who could work from home, to tell others to stay home, order food, and watch Netflix. Those without money remain unimpressed by the sort of pseudo-scientific guidance, wrapped in politics, that nearly wrecked them. As such, their vaccine concerns and mistrust might seem a little more reasonable. Vaccine hesitation is certainly amplified by social media, which constantly churns out half-truths and untruths, readily shared with the click of a button. The algorithms of social media intentionally drive anxiety and division in an already divided populace in pursuit of clicks and advertising dollars. False information abounds. The classic example is that the vaccine implants some sort of chip in the body that allows humans to be tracked. On the other hand, ideas initially treated as crazed rants turned out to have some truth.

for example, might use it to help their child appreciate how others eat and how much work is involved in some people’s quest to provide each day’s food. Although there is food pictured on every page, it’s supposed to be a feast for the eyes. So unless you literally eat the book itself (not recommended) it’s completely low-cal. What I Eat is also the poster child for real books. You wouldn’t appreciate this book one-tenth as much looking at it on some digital e-reader. Incidentally, we also highly recommend the other two books Menzel has published mentioned earlier. They are each fascinating visual studies of how the world lives. The tapestry of human life on Planet Earth is unbelievably rich, and Menzel has done a masterful job of giving us an enlightening and highly educational world tour in all his books. + What I Eat — Around The World in 80 Diets by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio, 335 pages, published in August 2010 by Material World.

For instance, there is now growing support for the idea that COVID-19 originated in a lab. The switch in this viewpoint is also a source of confusion and distrust for the masses. It can be very hard to know whom to trust. It’s not all that surprising that many people still have not gotten the COVID-19 vaccine. After treating COVID-19 patients for many months, I finally got the vaccine this past winter. I am a rural, Southern, evangelical Christian, and I have actively encouraged patients, friends, and family to be vaccinated. I have been met with very little pushback on the idea of vaccination. Obviously, that is anecdotal. But it is relevant. Along with many other physicians, I believe that the science of the vaccine is good and the benefit is great. While we are early in the process, and should be attentive to (and honest about) potential problems, I believe that the COVID-19 vaccination effort was one of the great scientific and governmental triumphs of the last century. However, I work with real human beings and with their very real doubts and fears. I urge everyone to try and understand the vaccine hesitant and talk to them. Treat them as potential allies rather than enemies. Try to learn from them and apply that information to future situations. But do not, under any circumstance, treat them as simpletons or dismiss their concerns out of hand. We change the minds of our patients and loved ones, with compassion and kindness. We only alienate them with disdain. + Edwin Leap is an emergency physician

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The Examiners

AUGUST 20, 2021

THE MYSTERY WORD

Who’s that guy you were talking to in the parking lot?

Just the hospital valet parking dude.

by Dan Pearson

Oh, he was just telling me how much he likes What was he saying? this shirt I’m wearing.

Well, the signs do say Complimentary Valet.

The signs are accurate.

The Mystery Word for this issue: BLOMMSAITE

Simply unscramble the letters, then begin exploring our ads. When you find the correctly spelled word hidden in one of our ads — enter at AugustaRx.com

EXAMINER CROSSWORD

PUZZLE ACROSS 1. Hyper letters 5. Relating to the foot 10. Kitty in an office wager 14. Hawaiian outdoor feast 15. Nimble 16. Doing nothing 17. Shakespeare was one 18. Collection of facts book 20. Large area employer 21. Matured 22. Pyromaniac’s deed 23. Go from first to second 25. Drug category, in brief 26. Type of net or pin 28. USC Aiken team 31. Liquid waste 32. Noted artist family 34. I Like _____ (50s campaign slogan) 36. Assemble 37. Local Orchard 38. Egg cell 39. NBC show 40. Aquatic opossum 41. Over or under follower 42. An ad (in the UK) 44. Justly 45. North American deer 46. Black _________ 47. Sound of a bagpipe 50. Having a sound mind 51. What GRU became 54. Not divided into separate parts 57. Sudden sharp pain 58. Eating regimen 59. Abdominal landmark 60. Skin eruption 61. Cation prefix 62. Mimicry 63. Norse god of thunder

8 3 7

25 28 32

6 7 1 8 5 1

9 8 5 8 5 4

45 48

EXAMINER SUDOKU

21 23

We’ll announce the winner in our next issue!

5 4 3

DIRECTIONS: Every line, vertical and horizontal, and all nine 9-square boxes must each contain the numbers 1 though 9. Solution on page 14.

DOWN 1. Hollywood’s Jessica 2. Couple or pair (poetic) 3. Longest-serving mayor in Atlanta history 4. A flop 5. Appease; placate 6. The Nile flows through it 7. Gaming cubes 8. Entirely 9. Zodiac sign 10. Georgia county named for the 14th US president 11. Probability 12. Potpourri 13. Containing little fat 19. Cabbage ______ 21. Aid intro? 24. Seize (archaic or poetic) 25. Solemn promise 26. Totals 27. James Brown is one 28. Quarter bushel 29. Major local artery

30. Cranium 32. Cried 33. Ming, once an NBA star 35. TV award 37. Riverwalk, for example 38. Home of Case Western Reserve University 40. Shouts 41. Walk in shallow water 43. Truth 44. In a very skilled manner 46. Word that can precede buffalo or board 47. Unexplained death of a baby (acronym) 48. Make a sweater 49. Notion 50. Ballesteros, to friends 52. Monte’s last name? 53. Lyft competitor 55. Entry level nurse (abbrev) 56. Music genre 57. Standardized admissions test (in brief)

QUOTATIONPUZZLE O S R T C O C C I O I O R N

1 A O E D6 9 E S R P3 S5 O K H ; 2 8 — Benjamin Franklin 4 7

M T T E M A P E E M N N I M H N E R C N N T K

DIRECTIONS: Recreate a timeless nugget of wisdom by using the letters in each vertical column to fill the boxes above them. Once any letter is used, cross it out in the lower half of the puzzle. Letters may be used only once. Black squares indicate spaces between words, and words may extend onto a second line. Solution on page 14.

Solution p. 14

Use the letters provided at bottom to create words to solve the puzzle above. All the listed letters following #1 are the first letters of the various words; the letters following #2 are the second letters of each word, and so on. Try solving words with letter clues or numbers with minimal choices listed. A sample is shown. Solution on page 14.

C 1

1 2

S 1 2

U 1 2 3 4 5 6

F 1 2 3 4

I 5

— George S. Patton

1 2 3 4 5 6

1.C H O A F L I M 2.SOOONIE 3.LANUN 4.RRUDG 5.EATI 6.NERG 7.GE

SAMPLE:

1. ILB 2. SLO 3. VI 4. NE 5. D =

L 1

O 2

V 3

E 4

I 1

S 2

B 1

L 2

I 3

N 4

D 5

8 5 4 7 1 9 6 3 2

WORDS NUMBER

Click on “MYSTERY WORD” • DEADLINE TO ENTER: NOON, AUG. 30, 2021

3 7 2 4 6 8 5 9 1

7 8 3 6 2 5 4 1 9

2 1 5 9 7 4 3 8 6

AUGUST 20, 2021

AUGUSTAMEDICALEXAMiNER

THEBESTMEDICINE ha... ha...

man walks out to the street and catches a taxi just going by. He gets in and the cabbie says, “Perfect timing. You’re just like Frank.” “Who?” asks the passenger “Frank Feldman. He’s a guy who did everything perfectly all the time. Like me coming along right when you needed a cab, things happened like that to Frank Feldman every single time.” “Nobody has everything happen perfectly,” says the passenger. “Frank Feldman did. He was a terrific athlete. He could have won the Grand Slam at tennis and the Masters. He sang like an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star. And you should have heard him play the piano. He was just an amazing man.” “Sounds like he was really something special.” “That’s not all. He had a memory like a computer. He remembered everybody’s birthday. He knew all about wine, which foods to order and which fork to eat them with. And he could fix anything. Me, I change a fuse and the whole street blacks out. But Frank

Feldman could do everything right.” “Wow, what a guy!” “He was amazing. Never got lost on road trips or stuck in city traffic. And he really knew how to treat a woman and make her feel good. He would never answer her back even if she was in the wrong; and his clothing was always immaculate, shoes highly polished too. He was the perfect gentleman. There’s never been anyone quite like Frank Feldman.” “How did you meet this guy?” “I never actually met Frank,” explained the cab driver. “He died and I married his wife.” Store employee: How about this shirt? Customer: It’s too small. Store employee: You didn’t even look at the tag or try it on. Customer: I’m a medium. — A psychic shopping for clothes A pun enters a room and kills 10 people. In other words, pun in, 10 dead. Moe: It’s really a struggle to get my wife’s attention. But most of the time I can - eventually. Joe: What’s your secret? Moe: I just sit on the couch, get real comfortable and turn on the game. That usually does the trick. Moe: I get so annoyed with my wife. She’s always pushing me around and talking behind my back. Joe: What do you expect? You’re in a wheelchair! +

Why subscribe to theMEDICALEXAMINER? What do you mean?

Staring at my phone all day has had no Effect on ME!

Because try as they might, no one can stare at their phone all day.

The

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Dear Advice Doctor, The place where I work has just instituted a new uniform policy that I absolutely detest. The stuff is high quality, the company pays for it, and the style is all the rage, so what’s not to like? It happens to make me look hideous, that’s what. The colors, the cut, the fabrics...it’s like they were deliberately designed to make me unattractive. And wearing them is mandatory. Suggestions please! — Dressed to Kill Dear Dressed, Thank you for writing about this important subject. I’m not as concerned about your outward appearance as I am about your inward turmoil over this issue. In fact, you specifically used the word “rage” in your letter. Displeasure? Ok. Dislike? Sure. But rage? That’s over the top. The verdict of science is very clear: the negative effects of anger are serious and wide-ranging. Physically, an explosion of rage can increase blood pressure, cause a splitting headache, create digestive problems (hence the phrase “stomach in knots”), contribute to overall anxiety, result in sleeplessness, and can even trigger a heart attack or stroke. The serious negative side effects aren’t just physical either. Bottled up anger can later be unleashed on innocent parties: someone in a blind rage causes a 7-car pile-up; the angry husband takes his job frustrations out on his poor wife; the miserable teen kicks the dog. It doesn’t have to be that way. Prevention is good medicine. If you see that a situation is heading toward a serious argument, walk away. Take a deep breath. Learn to accept certain things as beyond your control. Try different approaches to a vexing problem that may lead to a possible solution, or at least less stress. Channel frustrations into something positive, such as using your angry energy to go for a walk or run or a bike ride. Some people careen from one emotion-packed situation to the next, day after day, year after year. That takes a physical and emotional toll on that person and everyone around them. Are there that many daily issues that require such strong emotional responses? Not likely. The key for such people lies in a near-total overhaul of how they view life. All of us, when faced with a triggering event, at home, at work, in traffic, do well to ask, 100 years from now — or even next week — will it really matter? Thanks for writing, and I hope I answered your question. + Do you have a question for The Advice Doctor about health, life, love, personal relationships, career, raising children, or any other important topic? Send it to News@AugustaRx.com. Replies will be provided only in the Examiner.

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AUGUST 20, 2021 This is a good question, and based upon your spiritual, religious or cultural beliefs, you might have certain expectations in this area. However, when we think about our lives and those of the ones we love and that have died before us, we really think about relationships. As you are faced with planning a memorial service, a celebration of life, or a funeral for a loved one, think about what made their life so special. Who were the important relationships in their life? Perhaps you How do we celebrate could have those people speak. It is becoming more common someone’s life these days for friends and after they die? relatives, often multiple ones, to share their memories of the loved one during a remembrance service. It can be helpful to add humor when telling these stories, as it makes us remember that we are all born to die, and life, with it’s joys and sorrows, is the journey to that end. A memorial service, celebration of life or funeral is a time to really talk about the person and his or her impact on those around him or her. You might have their favorite foods at a reception. Play some of their favorite music if the setting allows for this. Aside from a formal service, there are ways to remember those we love by vacationing where they always enjoyed vacationing with their family, visiting those that they used to visit regularly and talking to those people they visited about your loved one, so you can share memories together. You might also donate to a civic organization or church in memory or honor of them with a note to that organization as to why you chose to donate and what they meant to your loved one. As a family, you might all get together and share your funniest experiences and write these down, so you can go back and read them together. That history can be passed down from generation to generation and it’s entertaining in the process. Use your imagination when thinking about how to remember and honor those you loved who have gone before you and enriched your life. +

IT’S A QUESTION OF CARE

by Amy Hane, a licensed Master Social Worker in South Carolina and Georgia, an Advanced Professional Aging Life Care Manager and also a Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager.

MONEY DOCTOR… from page 10

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YOU ARE ESSENTIAL DON'T DELAY. GET THE CARE YOU NEED.

years. They have found that practicing good financial habits such as having a healthy saving rate will help you experience lower levels of stress. It is also not surprising that studies have found a link between saving habits and the health of our children. A recent study by UCLA researchers found that children in households with less than three months of savings had a substantially higher risk of obesity and chronic illness and worse overall health than households with more money set aside. Given that children learn the majority of their financial habits from family and friends, it is especially important that we take the time to monitor our own saving habits, which will help us demonstrate and teach future generations the habits which will lead to a healthy lifestyle. Savings rates are something we really enjoy helping clients evaluate and understand. The discussions we have with clients provide peace of mind, promote living a healthy lifestyle, and ensure they pass on positive habits to future generations. This fall is a great time to evaluate your savings rate. You may be surprised by how a few small changes can make a big difference over time, not just for your financial picture, but also for the health of all members in your family. + by Clayton Quamme, a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with AP Wealth Management, LLC (www.apwealth.com). AP Wealth is a financial planning and investment advisory firm with offices in Augusta, GA.