Current estimates are that one tenth of the world's population suffers from obesity. This is not just being a bit overweight, this is being overweight enough to seriously impact your health. From diabetes to heart attacks, strokes to knee replacements, obesity impacts essentially every aspect of your health. Here is an article from the Self.com website that takes a brief look at the issue. If there is interest in more information, I would be happy to append this article with some more on the topic, just ask!
Here is a little segment done for WBAL-TV, our local NBC affiliate, about the problem with iron deficiency as well as having too much iron. People are commonly taking supplements, and the point here is to check with your physician to find out if you really need extra iron or, in some cases, may have too much in your system already. And, by the way, although directed at women, this applies equally well to men, also!
We've all seen the chefs on TV expertly open an avocado and pop out the pit, all with a large, sharp knife. Turns out that there is a real talent to that, and the legions of folks in emergency rooms with lacerations of their hands, some quite severe, attest to that. And it's not limited to avocados; slicing anything can be dangerous if you are not careful, even bagels. Here is a little article from the Self website that looks at the issue, with some tips for those setting out on the culinary path.
Baby Boomers are not old, but we are getting older, while with those years comes continued vitality and activity. Many Boomers are in the thick of sports events, competing with those half their ages. There are some needs that need to be addressed with an older population involved in events, and here is an article that I wrote for the March/April 2017 issue of Sports Destination Management magazine that addresses those topics. Not just for mega-events, any gathering these days might do well to consider some of the information discussed in this article.
Years ago, teens spent hours under the sun getting just the right tan, helped by iodine and baby oil. Those teens today, now middle aged baby boomers, are often visiting their dermatologist to help with aging skin, dots and blots on their bodies, and, unfortunately, skin cancers. Using adequate protection against the sun can mitigate these problems, and here is a little article in the Elko (Nevada) Free Press, looking at this, and other hazards of the summer. Moderation and common sense are the secret weapons!
There is little doubt within the medical community that statin drugs, medications used to lower cholesterol, save lives. And yet, many people resist taking the drugs fearing side effects, the most common of which is muscle cramping. A new study casts doubt on that side effect’s origin, whether from the drug or something called the “nocebo” effect. Here is an article from MedPage Today in which I join several other physicians in looking at the situation, with a variety of opinions being expressed.
Back in the day, it was common to enter a hot, steamy room, which was called a “schvitzbad” in Yiddish, and sit and sweat for your health for a short time. Even Al Jolson was a fan of such activities. Time and fashion passes, and few do this any more, other than the occasional sauna, which is usually dry heat. Well, Selena Gomez talked about her way of having a schvitz, and how it makes her feel. But is there a real benefit to it? I joined a few physicians in sweating out the answer.
