fitfamily360 blog

This weeks study that watching television could prove as harmful as smoking cigarettes shouldn't come as any surprise to us. Americans created the "Couch Potato Syndrome" as a cute depiction before scientist had shown a "real" syndrome existed known as Syndrome-X(Cardio-Metabolic Syndrome)was put together.The Cardio-Metabolic Syndrome is known to be related to obesity, over-weight status, high cholesterol, high triglyceride, and very high blood glucose.This all lead to a higher morbidity and mortality. Recently, medical studies have been making the tie in between those of us who watch telivision late night and continue to eat at will also being related to a rise in insomnia and diabetes in our country. Children are watching a much higher to alarming amount of television as well and guess what- the rate of obesity has nearly tripled in the last 3 decades along with a rise in pediatric heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and liver disease. O...

In the most recent JAMA(Journal of the American Medical Association) a most provocative article desribes how leading Harvard scientist of obesity are siding with state intervention when it comes to chilhood obesity, particular severe forms. The debate has gone beyond the academic world and was discussed by ABC TV Nightly News and FOX TV. The scientist are stating that obesity is rising in the United States and that severe obesity is impacting childhood morbidity and mortality at such alarming rates that somebody has to be held accountable for it. That accountability will fall ultimately with the parents.It is that cut and that dry. Currently 30 percent of children between 6 and 18 are obese or overweight with over 2 million being over the 99th percentile of weight. Overweight is mathematically described as having a BMI(body mass index of weight over height squared) of between 25-29.Obesity is a BMI greater than 30. Children are overeating and lacking "leisurely" physi...

I came across a very interesting discussion that deals with questioning the cost of healthcare in America. Most of those participating were comfortable to quote the often repeated $2.4 Trillion dollar tag. But, even this grossly conservative underestimation is probably not the "total" package we are all experiencing. You can't just look at the question of the problem of healthcare without giving some sort of solution which might improve spending so rapidly at the rate it's going in healthcare as well.So, I have offered some advice on it. Probably the $2.4 T - 2.6T that is spent annually on healthcare is again "only" a rough low ball park estimate of direct medical care. Direct medical care is care received by a health professional from the physician, nurse, respiratory therapist, or physical/occupational therapist or from hospital stays, clinics, medications, as well as outpatient surgerie. These are those direct services from a therapit. A Second ca...

At this point in the healthcare "storm" our compasses have had our "needles" pointed to what we've thought was politically magnetic north. Many have expressed varying opinions on healthcare as to whether the system we have is the best, whether the system is sutainable and if healthcare is a right or privilege .These are all legitimate questions , but the "magnetics" is off and it appears the navigation of healthcare needs to be pointed at our "health's true magnetic North". Part of this is philosophical, part scientific and partly political. The science of healthcare systems places our system at #37 according to the World Health Organization among developed countries and we rank even lower for child mortality and the efficiency of our system; yet we have the best biomedical technology that money can buy. These statistics don't compute if we are putting in the most money more than any other country in the biomedical industry how ca...

Today, more health advocacy groups are being formed out of the frustration of the current healthcare environment our system has dissloved into. The question for many Americans has come down to if insurance is a right and not merely a privilege! The disconnect is that the insurance industry doesn't consider it either , but rather as an eligible service that can be provided to an eligible customer if you can afford it. By their definition health is a luxury. When we go to Vegas the house bets against our odds of winning at black jack or Roulette; when we invest on Wall Street there is the odds we may lose it all on a stock or derivative. This same analogy might be applied to insurance as well. The house bets against you living long or healthy enough without (over)utilizing medical services so that the "house" can win against your bets(premiums). But,with insurance the "house" doesn't know that you have an "ace up your sleeve" called the choi...

Studies have now began to take the serious rise in early puberty in young girls as a real medical dilemma.In the mid-nineties perhaps 5 percent of girls 7 yeaers old had reached puberty. Today it is as high as 15 %, but as high as 25% in African-American girls. The implications are voluminous in a culture filled with many influences for girls to participate in activities usually reserved for teens , aldolescents and in some cases young adults. Why have we seen such a "monstrous" increase of ancillary body hair(hair in the axilla, pubic hair) and breast buds in 2, 4, 5, and 6 year olds. Is this all coincidental? That's very doubtful since medical science , particularly endocrinology and geneticist understand the normal maturation process of puberty which usually takes place at around age 12. The biochemistry of fat again is playing a role here. The more peripheral adipose(fat) available to the body, the more substrate is available for production into estrogen. So, as ob...

The GOP unleashed their counter-policy to President Obama's Affordable Care Act(ACA) with a "Project for Prosperity". It promises as Speaker Boehner says "real cuts", $6.2 Billion in cuts to be exact for 2012. Medicare which represents a single payer form of healthcare for the elderly will see a face lift...a very very tight face lift. While on the surface the savings being explained will help the pocketbook of the public agency , but maybe not exactly your pocketbook.Watch for costs of medical services and for prescriptions to go. The GOP plan would not become a single payer provider of healthcare, but rather allow for several private insurers to compete for providing you coverage. The theory is to reduce overspending of healthcare cost. But, concerns have already begun to look at how this impacts retirees and the impoverished. This policy would not effect immediately but would begin to take place for those who qualify ten years from now. But, already the G...

It has long been argued by several states, municipalities and airlines that customers who are obese must pay a higher rate to fly on a plane or now pay a extra tax "fine" much like a "sin" tax. Many have debated that the free choice of those who "wreck" their health are imposing a heavy cost to others. Actuaries at insurance companies have looked at the health cost of overweight and obese and suggest that they pay higher premiums because of their unhealthy lifestyle choice(over-eating and lack of activity)is costing the company more due to over-utilization of health services as chronic illness. This has been looked at not only by airlines, but a serious look at obesity being a taxable condition was looked at in Philadelphia as the state's Governor Rondel looked at the possibility of taxing excess weight much as a "sin tax". But, noticeable results of taxing obesity was successfully done in one of the most "obese" states in the natio...

When was the last time your healthcare provider sat down for 5 minutes and ran down the list of minerals that your body could benefit from and how they work for you. Most of us remember the periodic table in our grade school science class. Many of those elements are important participants in cellular metabolism in and many come from the the foods we eat. Children need calcium for healthy bone growth and dental health as well as post menopausal women who lose estrogen protection for bones. Iron is a vital element we know that helps us in preventing anemia.Iodine has become very prevalent recently due to the radiation release from nuclear power plants. Iodine gives your thyroid the ability to function for healthy balanced metabolism. Selenium is a great antioxidant and helps the heart especially in preventing heart failure. Manganese deficiency is related to poor reproduction and poor bone and cartilage health. Lack in Copper seems to be related to low blood cell components .Zinc is ...

There are several different metabolic types. Three types are perhaps more easily identifiable. Fast types, slow types and mixed -variable .Fast metabolizers breakdown food stuffs quickly causing their level of energy to potentially dip down quickly after consuming foods. They require higher dense calories to sustain their energy balance. Low dense calories found in simple and even complex carbohydrates present a real challenge to this type of metabolism. Many of us have heard of Dr. Atkins. His diet on high protein, particularly meats does work to a limit for those who are fast metabolizers. But, the problem many run into with eating high levels of meats are the high fat content of these foods. Many lose weight, but end up with high choleterol, triglycerides and heart disease along with the potential for calcium leaching(bone leeching) and high uric acid due to the breakdown of meats at high levels. The majority of these problems can cause heart disease. But , learning how to re...

Everyone knows that the heart is central to everything, but many of us do not always appreciate the fact that our heart's function can be not only maintained , but improved with leisure activity. A stronger beating heart means greater cardio-pulmonary resistance and reserve. It also means you can tolerate slower heart beats with less stress to the heart. Blood pressure comes down as well with regular activity. Plan a walk , slow job, hiking, rock climbing , swimming, kayaking, rowing, sailing, canoeing, rafting, zip lining, minature golfing with your family on a regular base. Exercise increases family conversations, cohesiveness, shared expereinces of laughter while pushing out more healthy neurohormones that make us happy and feel euphoria with higher pain threshold. PREVENTION & TUNE UPS Many of us know to get our blood pressure , cholesterol , LDL, HDL, Triglycerides checked. But, what about the state that puts at risk to blood clotting? This is coagulopathy. Clotting ...

Perhaps these days we've been more concerned with the issues dealing with the financial administration and budgeting for healthcare, but there is another issue with healthcare that may be more critical to budgeting for it....that would be if most of any of us can meet the standard for heath in the first place. If over two-thrids of Americans are already obese or overweight , that statistic would mean that a lot of people are already under a "bell curve". It means by statistics obesity is becomine the "normal" if we continue the approach we are going at it. Which leads me to my qeuestion to all families, "does just having coverage" mean that we will have a healthy individual or state, if the measures to maintain health are not instituted regularly? Let's take a look at a neighborhood that builds the latest state-of-the art fitness center. With there membership fees they keep up the buildings manitenance, stock up on the latest snack bar energy b...

We discussed in previous blogs how there are a myriad of metabolic types and rates for various people , but perhaps we can simplify most into three categories. These three categories generalize the types of metabolic rates that can create problems or persent variations on normal. But, is there even such a thing as a normal metabolism or metabolic rate in today's fast paced world? Metabolic specialist presume that burning about 2000 kilo/cals is average for the typical person and that the normal BMI(body mass index) is below 25.Again this has to be adjusted for age,hydration status, bone densisty, muscle mass and even some cultures. The three typical discussed rates of metabolism we often see are the fast type, slow type and a mixed -variable type that is a compilation of many derrangements in metabolism effecting the majority of our population today. Let's discuss what this third type is and why are we seeing it rise so rapidly into today's modern society that seems to ...

The question of what is a diet and can everybody and there grandmother be on the same diet that you are eating is asked today. That question is not only not nutritionally or medically sound when commercials say "you can do it too", but rather presumptious as well that my metabolism or the tastes of someone else's likes of food in a meal "must" be just like mine. With different cars we know different engines take on efficiency with different fuels. A Ferrari will always require high octane and A Mack truck will run on diesel better and a Volkswagen bug will scamper down on regular fuel well. The same thing holds with people's fuels that supply to their own metabolism .Metabolism is what determines the type of diet you will best serve you body not only function on , but for survival. The cell is packed with powerhouse generators of energy called mitochondria and different amounts of them exist in different parts of the body . Body fat, the natural fat b...

Metabolism is basically your body trying to balance the total number of calories your organ's cells are able to "burn" with what they've consumed. The delicate dance your body does on auto-pilot can now be measured by electronic body resistance devices. This metabolic number has been defined on the average for the typical human as being about 2000 calories.If the number of calories you consume equal that of your output you maintain a basal metabolic rate(BMR)that will equal those you've consume. But, this "magic" number of calories you need may be a gross over or under-estimation based on your body's metabolic rate.As you can see this can be quite difficult to maintain. The BMI or body mass index on the underhand is the weight to height measured squared and is a way to measure your risk to obesity related diseases and morbidity. 24.9 to 30 is considered overweight and that over 30 is defined as obese. Body (white) fat over 15 % and 22% in women and...

Communities have gotten to become rather impersonal lately .In some instances neighborhoods have become environmentally unfriendly and ergonomically unsound for a daily commuters life.How can a day that begins at 5 a.m. for the 60 minute drive to and fro be catered to someone who wants to exercise, spend time with their family or even have the motivation to learn about nutrition to prevent heart disease? Enter the idea of neighborhood greenspace added on to the biospehere concept. Greenspaces can become more than just mere parks for walking , but can promote several activities such as jogging, bicycling, rock climbing, rowing, kayaking, canoing, and other aquatic activies for the entire family. These can therefore serve neighborhoods with the opportunity to participate with family members, neighbors and friends as you burn calories and promote fitness while have some connection to the green environment. In Atlanta, the botanical garden has not only become a place of growing ...

Why do we have food craves and why does it seem to be uncontrollable. Certainly many of our food habits seem to have a socio-cultural component to them. We eat at festivities, religious events, business meetings or at times we wish to celebrate an accomplishment. In our culture we habitually eat according to a condtioned set of time, but we often eat outside of these times also, why? For a long time we have looked at how the rapid rate of absoprtion of some foods, particularly carbohydrates, appear to have an effect on us by rebounding. We eat the sweet and quickly thereafter still have more hunger. There are receptors for glucose that sense the level of sugar in our blood to signal the brain when to kick it back up again, but new science is looking at a vast new connection that links our gut to our brain in various different ways. The gut peptide Gherlin made in the stomach causes an increase of appetite usually before we eat and even afterwards. Studies in bariatric surgery sho...

Heart disease strikes nearly a million people annually and its direct medical costs reach nearly a billion dollars.But,is there a way we can implement prevention to reduce the chances of acquiring it? The NIH, CDC, and American College of Sports Medicine all recommend exercise for 30 minutes at least 5 times weekly. Studies are now showing that this doesn't necessarily have to be high impact. Low impact or leisurely activity such as walks in the park, playing a game of tag with the kids or playing in the pool might have some positive effects as well. Exercise reduces the total cholesterol while reducing the "bad" cholesterol known as LDL.The "good" cholesterol, HDL is increased as well. Blood pressure is reduced so that pressure on the heart can pump up against less stress. The strength of ejecting blood per heart beat is more efficient and can extract more oxygen for your heart and tissues. It is believed that activity improves the regulation and balance of...

We've typically been told that heart disease is due to risks related to obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and family history. But lately science has become baffled by the mystery of some people who succumb to heart disease without any prior history at all. Of that number there are also some who have no symptoms what so ever of the "typical" presentation of heart disease such as chest pain, shortness of breath or palpitations. Medical science has now had to rely on statistics to "risk stratify" these candidates. The atypical presentation of heart disease has lead to defining newer risk factors as well. Some are objectively measurable factors some are more subjective. These include poor dentition. Bacteria in the gum have been known to set up "vegetative" emboli that can occlude a valve or vessel. These have known to break off and go to the brain as well. Good oral hygeine is key. An Amino Acid known as Homocysteine appears someho...

Today the American healthcare system has been in the forefront of a rising storm but a tsunami may be brewing with the health of all Americans.Today we live with the largest epidemic in our midst.The epidemic of obesity encompasses the wider concerns of an unhealthy lifestyle, poor nutrition, lack of leisurely activity, prevention education and relatively little in developing a real "culture of wellness". It seems that the frightening statistics that 66% of Americans are obese or overweight, that over 300,000 die annually from obesity at a cost of some $350 billion dollars has done little to change rising statistics. But, what is more troublesome is that obesity is the primary cause for a number of diseases including heart disease, stroke, heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes,cancer(colon,prostate, breast,throat, uterine) lung diseases(asthma and sleep apnea),gastric-reflux disease,liver disease, gallbladder disease and stones,osteoarthritis,gout, polycystic ovarian...