-
30 Sep ' 14:51
We Can Do Something to Lower Healthcare Costs
I was just reading an article about increased healthcare costs and decreased productivity because of obesity. Healthcare costs are 42% higher for obese workers. They are also at increased risk for job related injuries and have an increased rate of absenteeism. The statistics we usually hear are the numbers of those of us who are overweight or obese but think of it another way- that only about 32 percent of Americans are at a healthy weight!
In this economy there are so many people struggling to find decent jobs with or without benefits, let alone pay for healthcare, that these numbers should be a wakeup call for all of us. We need to be more responsible and do our part to get healthier and prevent illness. In the long run huge sums of money can be saved by losing the extra pounds.
We Are Eating Ourselves to Death
Obesity is associated with diabetes, cancers, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, infertility, damaged joints, mental illness, sleep apnea, asthma, chronic gastrointestinal conditions, amputations, blindness, kidney failure, liver failure and more. To put it in perspective, in 2007 the cost to the US economy for pre-diabetes and diabetes alone was $218 billion. This number is increasing yearly.
This is Unprecedented
We are also experiencing something that has never happened before. Children are on a path to ill health and at younger and younger ages. They are suffering from conditions that once were reserved for the elderly. Since the country is already unable to deliver adequate healthcare to many of its citizens this does not bode well for the future.
Just think about the following:
· The US performs more C sections (1/3 of all births) than any other country and has a higher infant mortality rate than dozens of other countries. A major cause is obesity leading to babies that are too large or a higher rate of pregnancy complications due to Moms that are overly fat. Dads aren’t off the hook either. The quality of men’s sperm can be impacted by obesity and poor lifestyle.
· Increasing rates of obesity (not just overweight) in kids younger than 5.
· Non alcoholic fatty liver disease, common in people who are obese, is escalating even in kids. NAFLD can lead to cancer and liver failure.
· Liver cancers in the obese are linked to metabolic syndrome, AKA pre-diabetes.
· Some middle school kids already have low HDL cholesterol levels increasing heart disease risk.
· Pregnancy related strokes are on the rise as are those occurring shortly after delivery. Causes of postpartum strokes are thought to be high blood pressure and heart disease. Decades ago we rarely heard of strokes except in the elderly.
· Strokes are even increasing in teens and young adults due to type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Prevention Works and Costs less
The United States spends twice the amount of money on healthcare than any other industrialized country and gets poorer results for that money (a higher infant mortality rate and a shorter life expectancy from chronic illness). If you were the CEO of a company with this kind of result would you keep the same business plan? Yet many say we have the best healthcare in the world: healthcare technology perhaps but not the best most effective healthcare. If we remain stuck on this message nothing will change while vast sums of money and lives are lost. We are the consumers of healthcare and to address the crisis we are facing consumers must not remain passive but take an active role. For things to change we, each of us, has to get on board and be responsible.
We are the ones who are overusing prescription drugs and lining the pockets of the food industry who are happily selling us the worst possible products. Why do we refuse to take positive action even as we can no longer fit in airplane seats? Instead of spending tons of resources on larger hospital beds or wider wheelchairs we must do better supporting people to be able to make change. Studies show that people are more successful losing weight if they have support. If insurance helped to cover dietary support for weight management costs could be better contained. Why are the unhealthiest foods cheapest and more readily available than whole unprocessed foods? Why does the government continue to push corn, wheat and soy as healthy and heavily subsidize them and not do the same for good sources of protein and low glycemic vegetables which are far healthier choices?
It is time we made our voices heard on these issues. Start by not buying into the marketing and eat real foods. It is also time for both the members of the medical profession and our local and national leaders to set the example for the country and get themselves in shape.
Type 2 diabetes is preventable. Obesity is strongly associated with diabetes. Losing even 5 to 10 percent of excess fat decreases the odds of getting obesity related conditions. Many conditions caused by obesity are often treated with medications. Medications are costly, have long lists of side effects, can conflict with each other, block the utilization of essential vitamins and minerals and even cause death. How many people take a prescription drug only to suffer side effects and wind up getting another prescription for the side effects?
Many drugs for diabetes make it harder to lose excess weight yet normalizing weight helps to better control type 2 diabetes. Do you know that the average person with type 2 diabetes takes between 5 to 9 drugs daily? Imagine the cost. This does not include the cost of the equipment needed to measure blood sugar levels several times daily.
As our population ages more and more people will get diabetes. If we really care about having a healthcare delivery system that works for us, we must be responsible and do our best to get and stay healthy and that means maintaining a healthy weight.
The US Drug Problem
Why wait until you get sick from an unhealthy lifestyle then depend on drugs to make you better? In many cases drugs mask a symptom rather than treat the underlying cause of a condition. Yes, it sounds easy, just pop a pill but are you really getting healthier? Usually not, especially for chronic conditions requiring long term treatment with long term costs. In 2008 the total spending for prescription drugs in our country was $234 billion, more than double the amount in 1999.
Many of the common drugs taken by people in the US are for medical issues often caused or made worse by an unhealthy lifestyle: GERD, mood disturbances, many cancers, arthritis, PCOS, infertility, gestational diabetes, gout, headaches, blood sugar disturbances (hypoglycemia, diabetes, metabolic syndrome), high blood pressure, asthma, kidney disease and lipid disturbances to name a few.
One of the dangerous side effects of many drugs is weight gain. A good example is the most popular class of drugs for depression-SSRIs. Drugs such as Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, Effexor etc are frequently prescribed to adults and even young people. In the last 10 years these drugs have been given to pregnant women. Could the drugs be contributing to obesity in their toddlers?
The costs of meds for chronic conditions alone will sink our economy in the years ahead especially since overweight kids will need drugs sooner. Why are we willing to fall for the incessant advertising we are exposed to rather than address the cause of the problem? It would be in the country’s best interest to stop direct to consumer advertising for medications. As it is, drug companies spend far more on DTC advertising than research and development of new drugs. That is because DTC advertising works. Several doctor surveys found that more than 50% of patients were given a prescription for the drug they asked for after seeing an ad for that particular drug.
We are falling for the marketing hype big time so much so that we need a drug to quit smoking.
Turn Over a New Leaf
There are any number of changes you and your family can make to move to a healthier way of life. Here are just a few:
· If you have a family history of diabetes or can’t control carbohydrate foods realize that you will feel better and get better controlling the quality and quantity of carbohydrates. Educate yourself about how to eat to make a permanent lifestyle change and prevent diabetes.
· Get support. Find a chat room or forum to help you stay on track with your chosen plan.
· Everyone would be healthier regardless of weight if we stopped or minimized foods with added sugars.
· Avoid drinking anything with added sugar including fruit juice.
· Avoid processed foods. Eat whole foods such as a variety of proteins, dairy if tolerated, low glycemic vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds. Some people will also be able to add legumes.
· One size diet does not fit all- individualize your diet to suit your metabolism and weight.
· Eat a nourishing breakfast making sure to have a good source of protein to control hunger.
· Eat regularly. Don’t skip meals.
· If you aren’t hungry between meals, don’t eat simply because of habit.
· If you find yourself thinking about an unhealthy food, take advantage of your distractible mind and find something to do.
· Use only natural fats. Fat adds satiety, making it easier to avoid over-eating.
· Be active. Exercise helps one cope with stress. Stress can be a trigger to seek unhealthy “comfort foods”. Exercise helps to control insulin and blood sugar levels.
· If your condition is caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, use medications as a last resort or for the short term only until lifestyle changes take effect.
· The health of Mom and Dad before making a baby matters. If either of you are over fat, lose the excess before pregnancy to protect your unborn child.
· During pregnancy eat whole, nutrient dense foods. The baby doesn’t need sugary or junk foods before or after birth. Nor is Mom eating for two. Expectant Moms need better nutrition not large amounts of extra foods.
· Baby fat usually doesn’t disappear. Remember you are influencing your child’s future health and food tastes from the start. Don’t create a baby sugar addict that will turn into an adult sugar addict.
· Make being healthy a family affair. Parents need to teach their kids to eat better and kids can support their parents to do the same.
There is No Quick Fix
Your body is the only one you will ever have. Treat it with great care. Yet, there seems to be considerable apathy for helping ourselves to stay or get healthy. A recent survey among people at high risk for type 2 diabetes showed that about 60% understood the seriousness of diabetes but had no plans to even consider losing weight. This is not only astounding but sad as well.
Unless we are willing to change, costs will escalate year by year until our healthcare delivery system breaks down completely and more people die prematurely because they can’t/don’t get care. The most tragic part of this story is that a vast majority of our chronic health conditions are under our control and can be prevented.
Are Americans up to the challenge?
-
10 Jul ' 18:32
Are Your Kids Really Healthy?
Many people have the attitude that if you are young and not sick then you are healthy. Not so. There is a vast difference from being optimally healthy, functioning at your highest level, to simply being free of gross disease. Unfortunately, many young people, especially those with too much body fat, are unaware that they are on the road to chronic illness.
Many already suffer from sleep apnea, GERD, fatigue, mood disturbances and a whole host of other symptoms that should not happen when one is optimally healthy.
A recent report from an NIH funded study found that 19% of young people ages 24 to 32 had hypertension (high blood pressure). Previous rates of hypertension in this age group from NHANES data found 4%. Whatever the real number, we know looks and youth can be deceiving. With the current rates of overweight and obesity among all age groups it stands to reason the many, including young kids and young adults, have silent risk factors that are overlooked simply because they are young and not yet feeling sick.
Other reasons risk factors go undetected include poor or no health insurance or doctors who simply do not extensively evaluate children who are over-fat. There is also the attitude, especially among young men, that because they are young, they are healthy. They simply don’t go to doctors. Preventive medicine just isn’t on their radar screen.
It is a sad commentary that the military has to turn away many volunteers because they are out of shape and over-fat. With an all volunteer military that has significant implications for our country’s future.
Further, studies show that overweight moms don’t realistically see their kids as overweight; they see themselves as well as their kids as normal.
Keep in mind that many risk factors that eventually cause us to get sick later in life start early in life. Autopsies done on young men killed in war find plaque in their young arteries.
Illness Begins Silently
Many health risks are often silent. There are no symptoms until the body has already been damaged. High blood pressure is just one of these silent killers. Others are diabetes and inflammation, thought to be the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease and other serious illnesses. Other common risk factors, prevalent in those with excess body fat, are disturbed lipids especially an unhealthy triglyceride/ HDL ratio and high insulin and blood sugar levels.
Many doctors are putting kids on statins even though they have never been studied in the young. Since cholesterol is so important in the body how do we know the impact of lowering cholesterol in this still-developing group? We don’t.
Old Age Diseases in the Young
In the last ten years more and more young people are having strokes. Strokes were once a condition that generally did not occur until old age. Untreated high blood pressure in young people is a likely cause. Obesity, unhealthy lifestyle, chronic stress with no stress management skills likely contribute.
Obese young people are developing NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) that can lead to hepatitis, cirrhosis, fibrosis and ultimately liver failure requiring transplant.
High Insulin Levels Can Kill
Nutrition experts talk about limiting salt to avoid high blood pressure. They don’t tell you that salt intake negatively impacts less the 50% of us. A more likely cause of high blood pressure is high levels of insulin following a high intake of carbs: The same underlying imbalance that leads to storing too much body fat and type 2 diabetes. Hyperinsulinemia is common in those who are over-fat especially if there is a family history of diabetes.
Exposure to high levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor is thought to play a role in the development of a variety of cancers. That is one reason why people with obesity and type 2 diabetes have a greater incidence of cancer.
Our Frightening Future
Imagine what will happen 10 to 20 years down the road when today’s unhealthy kids and young adults have silently damaged their bodies long enough for serious illnesses to assert themselves. Instead of chronically ill 50 or 60 year olds we will be dealing with chronically ill 30 or 40 year olds. The US will experience significantly higher stress on our healthcare system. Not only will we have the burden of a sicker and younger population but more disability and poorer quality of life for those who are ill. There will be less productivity in our workforce, more expensive insurance costs and certainly increasing rates of type 2 diabetes with its debilitating complications.
This is not a pretty future especially since we already have a broken healthcare delivery system. It is time to stand up and be responsible for ourselves and our families, face facts and make changes. Maintaining optimum health as we age requires a commitment and some work. It is never too early to do this. Since kids can’t do it on their own it is up to the parents and grandparents to be the responsible ones and take charge. Your kids’ health now and in the future depends on it.
Many chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes and many cancers are preventable. Prevention costs a lot less than treatment. Make the needed lifestyle changes now no matter the age.
-
01 Apr ' 10:57
-
31 Mar ' 11:53
Where Are You on the Road to Type 2 Diabetes?
The frightening statistics regarding the escalating rates of type 2 diabetes continue. Based on the 2010 US population 79 million of us over the age of 20 have pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Given these numbers I think it’s time for a primer on type 2 diabetes.
It saddens me every time I read, as I often do, someone posting on a chat line that they have just been diagnosed with diabetes. They are surprised and upset. Some admit that diabetes runs in their family and they are overweight or obese.
I ask myself why are they surprised? We must do a better job educating people that type 2 diabetes is almost always preventable. Just because you have a family history of diabetes does not mean you can’t avoid it. You can but you need facts, a strategy and the earlier you start to prevent diabetes the better.
Much of the following information and more can be found in Atkins Diabetes Revolution co-authored by me (Jacqueline Eberstein, R.N.) and Dr. Mary Vernon. This book is based on Dr. Atkins many years of practice diagnosing the stages of blood sugar imbalances that ultimately lead to diabetes and what to do about them.
Diabetes is a Nutritional Wear and Tear Disease
You are not perfectly healthy and then suddenly have diabetes. There is a progression from insulin resistance (the first stage) to full blown diabetes. Over time the insulin producing cells in the pancreas will be permanently damaged. This progression can take years. Once enough of the beta cells are lost insulin is required. During those years you have the opportunity to protect your beta cells from burnout if you know you are at risk and choose to do something about it.
By the time you are diagnosed with diabetes you have been damaging your body for years. The latest numbers state that diabetes affects 25.8 million people (8.3% of the population). Of that number 7 million people already have diabetes but don’t know it.
Risk Factors for Diabetes: How Many Apply to You?
Obesity-The heavier you are the greater your risk. However, it is still possible to get diabetes even at a normal weight especially if you have a family history.
Diet-A diet high in poor-quality, high glycemic load carbohydrate foods can stress blood sugar and insulin ultimately causing diabetes.
Sedentary lifestyle- Being a couch potato increases insulin resistance especially if you have a genetic risk for diabetes. It also makes it harder to maintain a healthy weight as you age and lose lean mass.
Heredity-A history of diabetes on one side of your family increases your risk, both sides of the family is a double whammy. The sooner you take action to protect your insulin making cells the better. Don’t assume you’re safe if you don’t think you have a family history. Remember the many people who are undiagnosed.
Ethnicity- African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders have a higher incidence of diabetes.
Gestation Diabetes-If you are a woman who has had gestational diabetes you’re risk of diabetes in the not so distant future is high. Not only can you harm yourself but your baby as well. Click herefor more info.
Metabolic Syndrome (pre-diabetes)-Having 3 out of the 5 following signs means you already have pre-diabetes: high blood pressure, increased abdominal fat, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol and higher than normal blood sugars. You can learn a lot morehere. Remember that having pre-diabetes means you are already damaging your body so take this diagnosis very seriously, please.
Elevated blood sugar-If your blood sugar is already “a bit high” but not yet in the official diabetic range you are at risk. Make those lifestyle changes now.
Abnormal lipids- High triglycerides and low HDL are major risk factors for diabetes. These occur when insulin levels are high.
High blood pressure- High blood pressure and high blood sugar go hand in hand. Each is a warning sign of the same metabolic imbalance that leads to diabetes.
Age- As we get older and our bodies have been stressed year after year our cells’ response to insulin or the body’s ability to produce an adequate amount is comprised. Dietary stress is an important contributor. Note that diabetes is occurring in kids, teens and young adults as never before because of the escalating rates of obesity in these age groups.
The Road to Type 2 Diabetes
What eventually leads to diabetes begins with insulin resistance of cells especially liver, fat and muscle cells. Insulin resistance means that cells are unable to respond to insulin properly. Even people with a normal weight based on BMI can have insulin resistance if they have a genetic susceptibility to diabetes.
Here is the progression of insulin resistance to late stage type 2 diabetes as described by Dr. Robert Atkins.
1. Insulin resistance of cells
2. Insulin resistance with hyperinsulinism (the production of large amounts of insulin to control blood sugar levels)
3. Insulin resistance with hyperinsulinism and reactive hypoglycemia ( unstable blood sugar)
4. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinism with impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes)
5. Type 2 diabetes with insulin resistance and high insulin production
6. Type 2 diabetes with low or virtually no insulin production
It is important to remember that insulin is primarily stimulated by dietary carbohydrates. The same dietary carbohydrates that have been encouraged by US health authorities as the mainstay of a “healthy” diet. Given the results of this message (more obesity and more diabetes than ever) it is clear that this hasn’t worked except to benefit the food industry and drug companies. Keep in mind that once you have been diagnosed with diabetes there are a number of drugs your doctor will prescribe for you that you are expected to take for the rest of your life.
Recognizing a Diet Related Disorder
Moving through these stages takes time. Once stage 3 is reached and people become intolerant of carbs enough they develop an unstable blood sugar. Blood sugar highs and lows can occur a number of times during the day. The body’s stress response is called upon to normalize blood sugar, causing symptoms that affect quality of life or may require medication. Unfortunately, this stage is not recognized by many including the medical profession. Numerous symptoms that people seem to think are common are diet related.
This is what happens:
Carb consumption = increased blood sugar = increased insulin secretion = increased body fat = low blood sugar = low energy and mood swings = carbohydrate cravings
Unstable blood sugar can cause many symptoms. Some of the more common are:
· Irritability, headache or other symptoms before meals or if food is delayed
· Symptoms relieved by eating
· Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
· Slow starter in the morning
· Wake with a headache
· Numerous emotional symptoms-anxiety, worrying, mood swings, flashes of temper etc
· Blurred vision, lightheadedness, tremors
· Palpitations, irregular heart beats
· Preoccupation with food esp. carbohydrate foods
· Cravings
Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes
A good prevention strategy is to avoid over-stressing your pancreatic beta cells-the cells that produce insulin. Since carbohydrate foods are the primary drivers of insulin it makes sense to control both the quality and quantity of carbohydrate foods. This will allow you to normalize your weight and save those vital pancreatic cells from burnout. Research done on properly designed restricted carbohydrate diets support this. This is also the way our ancestors ate long before the processed vegetable oils, fake unnatural fats and packaged foods became ubiquitous in the US diet.
Don’t wait until your doctor tells you are pre-diabetic. Remember your goal is to protect the insulin making cells in your pancreas before it is too late.
People with Diabetes Die Sooner from All Causes
Most people with type 2 diabetes die of cardiovascular disease. However, before CV disease takes a life a person with diabetes can lose their eyesight, develop macular degeneration, get Alzheimer’s, lose limbs, suffer from painful nerve damage and require dialysis because of kidney failure.
People with diabetes are at a higher risk of a number of types of cancers as well as a shortened life span. Death can occur from any cause sooner in someone with diabetes than a person who does not have diabetes.
Words of Advice
I did not write this article to scare anyone unnecessarily but to give you facts and a strategy to avoid diabetes as I have. I have a family history of diabetes and had a severely unstable blood sugar in my early 20’s even though I was normal weight. My diet all of my life was high in carbs. I just couldn’t control them. It was in 1974 when I began working with Dr. Atkins that he recognized what was wrong with me and he made sure I knew what I could do about it. Since them I have followed an Atkins Lifestyle. I have him to thank for still being diabetes free. I want to pass that knowledge on to others. If you find this information to be useful please pass it on to family and friends.
If you have a family history of diabetes-restrict carbs.
If you have symptoms of an unstable blood sugar-restrict carbs.
If you have metabolic syndrome- restrict carbs.
If you crave carbs or can’t control your intake- restrict carbs.
The Solution
This is not the place to provide all of the info you need to learn about how to adopt a low carb plan. There is no short term solution. To learn how to make a permanent lifestyle change educate yourself fully about how to control your carb intake and find the correct amount of carbs to re-balance your metabolism.
There are a number of books including Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, AtkinsDiabetes Revolution and the newest The New Atkins for a New You that are chock full of information you need to be successful.
For a brief introduction review the Atkins Approach here.
A Word of Caution
If you already have diabetes there is much you can do to stay healthier. To learn how to change your diet, especially if you take blood sugar lowering medication, read Atkins Diabetes Revolution to safely make the transition to a low carb diet and better blood sugar control and a longer, healthier life.
Because controlling carbs can be a powerful tool, do not cut your carb intake without consulting your physician to adjust medications. If you take the same amount of medications with a lower carb intake you are at risk for a severe low blood sugar reaction.
-
10 Feb ' 14:20
New USDA Dietary Guidelines- More of the Same
The new dietary guidelines that will remain in place for the next five years have been released. Not much really new to help us change the downward health spiral the US is currently in. Avoid saturated fats, eat more whole grains and less salt and sugar are the main messages. In my view this is more of the same one size fits all approach that has failed so far.
Many of us who have tried eating less and moving more know that this is not a long term solution, especially those of us who are at risk for diabetes. We don’t tolerate many carbs and will likely not succeed with the standard approach regardless of our best intentions. Many of us have found what works to improve our health and manage weight: controlling both the quality and quantity of carbohydrate foods. More Americans deserve to hear this message and make their own decision.
The new guidelines continue to focus on calories, fat and more activity and less food. Unfortunately, these guidelines are the basis for foods that impact federal nutrition programs. Thus hurting those in our population who would benefit by eating in a way that supports their body rather than the belief that what is healthy for one is healthy for all.
Calories-in-calories-out, going hungry and eating less has not worked. Why do we think it will suddenly work now? Humans are not meant to live their lives in a hungry state especially with easy access to an abundance of inexpensive and unhealthy food. Cutting calories too low sooner or later slows metabolism and conserves energy making weight loss problematic.
Tell the Truth
If we are to succeed in making people healthier we need facts.
Teach us the importance of controlling hunger with a regular intake of good quality protein.
Teach us that natural fats are an essential nutrient that, among other important roles, provides much needed satiety.
Consuming large quantities of carbohydrates, especially those that increase blood sugar and insulin abnormally, is counterproductive. These foods including whole grains increase fat storage, maintain the cycle of hunger and cravings, cause an unstable blood sugar that diminish our productivity, quality of life and over time make us fat and sick.
Concerned about salt and high blood pressure? Teach us that high insulin levels that occur following a high carb intake cause sodium retention and high blood pressure. Much of our salt intake comes from processed foods, many high in carbs. There is a solution- cut the carbs and eat whole foods.
Ignoring the Research
If these guidelines are research based why is the most recent research regarding the safety and effectiveness of low carbohydrate diets ignored? We are in a crisis situation. Common sense dictates we use all of our knowledge to meet our health related challenges. This should be about research, how our metabolism really works and not about special interests or dogma.
It has recently been reported that in the next few years pre-diabetes and diabetes will increase to about half of our adult population with massive increases in healthcare costs.
To meet this challenge we need to make changes at the grassroots level and get back to common sense nutrition. On this issue do not expect the government and vested interests to make the right recommendations. Each of us needs to be responsible for ourselves and our kids. Learn the facts. Do we really believe that American kids are overweight, have high blood pressure or have type 2 diabetes because they drink whole, white milk or is it the grain based, sugar laden cereal? The evidence that natural fats including saturated fat are the cause of cardiovascular disease is sketchy no matter how many times you hear otherwise. Recent research has shown benefits of full fat dairy yet we still demonize the fat in milk.
Return to the way people ate in the middle of the last century- whole, minimally processed foods, natural fats and a decent protein containing breakfast that allowed them to better control their blood sugar and their appetite.
There has been a lot more said about these guidelines by others but these points disturb me the most. Apparently health authorities have not learned by the massive public health experiment conducted on the American people since the first guidelines were issued. Are we healthier? Now they are recommending sweeping salt restrictions. Will there be negative unintended consequences as a result of this recommendation?
-
10 Oct ' 07:51
-
03 Aug ' 18:24
Another Public Health Experiment?
When the US health authorities demonized fat intake decades ago they were warned that there could be unintended health consequences. The critics of that decision were right. We not only have a population of overweight and obese adults, we’re now working on the kids. That decision led us to a public health nightmare with sky-rocketing health care costs that will bankrupt this country. However, the decision made the food industry very happy. They were able to create and market so-called “healthy” foods and reap enormous financial rewards.
A recent decision by the American Academy of Pediatrics recommending that some kids as young as 8 years old be given statins to lower cholesterol may be another public health experiment, one that will make the drug industry happy. The pharmaceutical industry would love to create another life-long group of pill-poppers.
More than the financial ramifications of this recommendation are the unknown health consequences for the use of statins in kids so young. Even though the use of these drugs in this age group has not been studied, fear of future heart disease is behind the move. Why are we not mobilizing to address the real reason why kids are at risk? Its obesity and the Western diet! Yes, statins will lower LDL cholesterol but will not prevent premature type 2 diabetes that ultimately leads to cardiovascular disease. Nor will statins address high triglycerides or improve low HDL levels- risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Proper lifestyle changes will address all of these issues, not simply put a band aid on a blood test. And do so significantly less expensively.
Things to Think About
By resorting to drug therapy for dealing with the risks of being over-fat are we admitting that this is the best we can do?
Since cholesterol is used to make adequate levels of hormones including sex hormones do we know the long term effects of suppressing cholesterol production in one so young?
Since statins hit the market millions of prescriptions have been written with serous, occasionally fatal or permanent side effects being reported. Where is the evidence rather than opinion that these drugs are safe in an immature body?
Think Outside of the Box
Admit that USDA guidelines have failed and support more than a one-size-fits-all approach to maintaining or regaining health? The diet that can become a lifestyle is the one that should be supported as long as it relies on real food.
Provide significant support for lifestyle changes especially in this toxic food environment.
Better educate parents who need to be realistic about their kids’ weight issues and make health a family affair. Of course that means parents need to set an example and address their own poor dietary choices for the sake of their kids. Are they willing to?
One misguided approach to the obesity problem is insisting that kids consume low fat or fat free milk as if US kids got fat drinking whole white milk. Educate the public that natural fats have value and provide satiety that can make controlling food intake easier. Stop the silliness about natural fat.
Stop scaring the public about eating too much protein. A regular intake of protein has been shown to manage hunger. When hunger is controlled by consuming high quality protein, calorie intake is lower.
Stop pushing a high carb intake as healthy for everyone. It doesn’t work. It simply drives more hunger and cravings leading to higher food consumption.
Don’t think that drugs can make up for an unhealthy lifestyle.
The use of drugs should be the last resort especially since there is no evidence that treating kids now will prevent disease later. Will we realize 30 years down the road we made another bad decision?
-
06 May ' 04:25
The drug is indicated for those with a the best mystery pi heist high level of hsCRP (2.0mg/L or more). CRP is an inflammatory marker thought to be an underlying cause of cardiovascular disease. In addition to elevation of CRP, other indications for use are men over the age of 50, women 60 years or older who have an LDL cholesterol less than 130mg/dl and triglycerides less than 500.In the Jupiter trial the number needed to treat to show benefit was 95, meaning that 95 people need to be treated for 1 person to benefit. Do you want to be among the 94 who take an expensive and potentially dangerous drug when other options are less expensive, safer and proven?The results touted what sounds like an impressive relative risk reduction of 44%. In actual numbers it’s a lot less impressive with only about 50 deaths difference in the more than 17,800 people in the trial.
-
13 Feb ' 00:37
Pushing Statins for More and More People For the first time the FDA approved the use of a statin drug called Crestor for people without a history of cardiovascular disease. This is called primary prevention. This approval is based on the results of the Jupiter study. The study was funded by the Crestor drug maker, AstraZeneca, and looked at more than 17,800 supposedly healthy men and women with an average age of 66 and no history of CV disease. The subjects were followed for 1.9 years.
The drug is indicated for those with a high level of hsCRP (2.0mg/L or more). CRP is an inflammatory marker thought to be an underlying cause of cardiovascular disease. In addition to elevation of CRP, other indications for use are men over the age of 50, women 60 years or older who have an LDL cholesterol less than 130mg/dl and triglycerides less than 500.In the Jupiter trial the number needed to treat to show benefit was 95, meaning that 95 people need to be treated for 1 person to benefit. Do you want to be among the 94 who take an expensive and potentially dangerous drug when other options are less expensive, safer and proven?The results touted what sounds like an impressive relative risk reduction of 44%. In actual numbers it’s a lot less impressive with only about 50 deaths difference in the more than 17,800 people in the trial.
Are the Side Effects Worth It?
During the Jupiter study 13 deaths occurred due to gastrointestinal conditions while other subjects taking Crestor noted feelings of confusion. It is important to note that memory deficits are well known side effects of other statin drugs. Also be aware of muscle pain that may not improve even when stopping the drugs. In some people muscle damage has been fatal. The most worrisome adverse effect was an increase in type 2 diabetes among those taking Crestor. Keep in mind that type 2 diabetes is a major cause of cardiovascular disease.
Once a drug is approved in a particular population the prescription writing begins. Will people with a family history of diabetes, obesity, those with metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes), an increased waist-to hip ratio be properly screened before going home with a prescription for Crestor? These are people already at most risk for type 2 diabetes. How well will they be followed? How many people who have pre-diabetes will be pushed into full-blown diabetes?
Lifestyle Targets the Underlying Cause
Aside from putting more money in the pockets of the pharmaceutical industry the practice of using drugs to treat lifestyle issues further contributes to our ever-escalating national healthcare costs without making us healthier.
It is well know that excess body fat particularly deposited in the belly and around the organs increases the CRP. It’s also been shown that weight loss, especially controlling both the quality and quantity of carbohydrate foods, lowers CRP. Additionally, a low carb approach is very effective at dealing with metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
Unfortunately, given the way medicine is practiced in the US it will be quicker and easier to write an Rx than explain why lifestyle changes are safer, more cost effective and have no side effects. On the other side of the coin is a population that has been trained to think that many things can be easily treated by pill popping rather than making the changes that target the underlying cause of their condition.
-
18 Nov ' 13:48
Is The American Heart Association Beginning to Talk Sense?
The news has been full of interesting nutrition information lately. One of the most important stories is that the American Heart Association (AHA) has finally acknowledged that the excessive intake of added sugars contributes to a variety of chronic life-threatening conditions including heart disease.
For decades the AHA has had a consistent one-note message. Fat is the enemy. They never changed their position while heart disease remained the number one killer of both men and women and the epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes marched on.
It’s about time they acknowledged the facts, although their position does not go far enough. They have now joined the ranks of another large influential group, the American Diabetes Association, who finally acknowledged that a low carb diet can be used for weight loss up to one year. They don’t go far enough either and acknowledge the many research studies and consistently positive results beyond weight loss that occurs when people follow a very low carb lifestyle correctly.
For decades The American Heart Association along with the USDA have been responsible for pushing the nutritional misinformation that all fats are bad, that the dangerous hydrogenated vegetable oils known as trans fats were better than natural fats, eggs will give you heart disease and adding insult to injury by putting their heart-healthy symbol on Pop-Tarts.
Is their latest statement their way of beginning to acknowledge the error of their ways? Research continues to accumulate that low carb is a healthy lifestyle and has been shown to be better than any other approach in lowering high triglycerides and increasing HDL. The research section of this site contains numerous studies of interest relating to low carb.
Calories-In-Calories-Out
The new AHA guidelines recommend that within a calorie controlled diet, women limit foods with added sugars to 100 calories a day and men to no more than 150 calories a day. They once again fall back on to the one-size-fits-all approach and all that matters is counting calories. They fail to recognize that some people will tolerate those extra calories-many others will not. They don’t acknowledge that beyond calories the hormonal responses to different foods must be taken into account.
Because 66% of the adult population, and far too many kids and young people, are overweight or obese the one-size-fits-all approach will continue to fail. People with a family history of diabetes, women with PCOS, those with excessive belly fat, people with metabolic syndrome AKA pre-diabetes and women who had gestational diabetes exhibit insulin resistance leading to insulin and blood sugar imbalances. Not only are people who have insulin and blood sugar dysregulation not likely to tolerate foods with added sugars they won’t tolerate foods with a high glycemic response either. Refined and whole grains, fruit juices, potatoes and many other foods that don’t have added sugars are still too high in carbs to allow the body to return blood sugar and insulin to normal, healthy levels. These are the very foods that are supposedly heart healthy and should be included on a diet for people with or at risk for diabetes. They have been pushed by the AHA and the American Diabetes Association for decades, ignoring the fact that fat adds satiety and protein manages hunger.
It isn’t even recognized by many that carb addiction actually exists. The commonly heard advice to “eat everything in moderation” speaks to a real lack of understanding about how carb addiction leads to over-consumption. Will power isn’t enough. Correction of insulin resistance and high insulin levels is a must. That is best done by controlling both the quality and quantity of carbohydrate intake.
Just like the cigarette industry, that over the years increased addicting ingredients in their products to keep customers and make billions, the food industry has added more and more forms of sugars to their products. They even add more sugars in US products than the same items sold in other countries. This done under the guise of giving the customer what they want. When criticized they fall back on the calories-in-calories-out mantra. Meanwhile our population, including the young, is fatter and more unhealthy then ever.
We need to wise up and stop buying into the marketing. Take personal responsibility for your body and your health. Educate yourself about what lifestyle change will work best for you, learn all you can about your choice and just do it. You can start by stopping foods with added sugars concentrating on foods with a low glycemic load, regular protein and natural fats. Consume whole unprocessed food and you’ll be surprised by the difference it makes.
Search the Site
