Adult Obesity Increases in 28 States

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Jun 30,2010

Striking Disparities Persist; Obesity Rates Highest Among Blacks and Southerners

Adult obesity rates increased in 28 states in the past year, and declined only in the District of Columbia (D.C.), according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2010, a report from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). More than two-thirds of states (38) have adult obesity rates above 25 percent. In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent.

The report highlights troubling racial, ethnic, regional and income disparities in the nation’s obesity epidemic. For instance, adult obesity rates for Blacks and Latinos were higher than for Whites in at least 40 states and the District of Columbia; 10 out of the 11 states with the highest rates of obesity were in the South – with Mississippi weighing in with highest rates for all adults (33.8 percent) for the sixth year in a row; and 35.3 percent of adults earning less than $15,000 per year were obese compared with 24.5 percent of adults earning $50,000 or more per year.

“Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges the country has ever faced, and troubling disparities exist based on race, ethnicity, region, and income,” said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH. “This report shows that the country has taken bold steps to address the obesity crisis in recent years, but the nation’s response has yet to fully match the magnitude of the problem. Millions of Americans still face barriers – like the high cost of healthy foods and lack of access to safe places to be physically active – that make healthy choices challenging.”

The report also includes obesity rates among youths ages 10-17, and the results of a new poll on childhood obesity conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and American Viewpoint. The poll shows that 80 percent of Americans recognize that childhood obesity is a significant and growing challenge for the country, and 50 percent of Americans believe childhood obesity is such an important issue that we need to invest more to prevent it immediately. The survey also found that 84 percent of parents believe their children are at a healthy weight, but research shows nearly one-third of children and teens are obese or overweight. Obesity rates among youths ages 10-17 from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) also were included in the 2009 F as in Fat report. Data collection for the next NSCH will begin in 2011. Currently, more than 12 million children and adolescents are considered obese. Read the rest of this entry »

Scoliosis 101: Know Thy Spine!

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Jun 29,2010

In honor of National Scoliosis Awareness month, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind chiropractors to be alert for signs of scoliosis in their patients.

When we think of screening for scoliosis, typically, we look at school-age girls. It’s true that scoliosis is the leading orthopedic problem seen in school age children; when we screen for it in schools, we find it in 2-4 percent of children 10 to 16.5.

But from age 17-21, it’s present in nearly 12 percent.(3) When we examine 20-23 year olds, 15 percent have scoliosis.(4) Scoliosis is diagnosed in 19.9 percent of adults with low back pain, and in 68 percent of healthy adults over 60.(5-7) Obviously, the prevalence of scoliosis increases with age.(5) We should be on the look-out for scoliosis in all of our patients!

Mild scoliosis can negatively affect exercise & psychosocial function in young people.(8-15) In adults, it is responsible for a significant amount of impairment, pain, & disability.(7) Don’t discount the possibility that scoliosis could be what is causing headaches, neck pain, back pain, or sciatica!

Fortunately, chiropractors have a great deal to offer the scoliosis patient. It must be recognized that scoliosis is a complex condition, and diversified chiropractic adjustments, heel lifts, and postural screening may not be enough to effectively manage it.(16) There are chiropractors who specialize in scoliosis, who have documented very promising results.(17) If you encounter a case of severe or rapidly progressing scoliosis, before referring your patient out for bracing or surgery, search for a chiropractic scoliosis specialist in your area at www.clear-institute.org Read the rest of this entry »

P&G Voluntarily Recalls 4 Hour Decongestant Nasal Spray in the United States

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Jun 28,2010

The Procter & Gamble Company announced it is voluntarily recalling its 4-Hour Decongestant Nasal Spray. The product was distributed nationwide in the United States.

The company said it is taking this voluntary precautionary step after finding that the product formulation may not meet the expiration dates on the package. This recall is not a result of consumer complaints.

P&G is removing the product in question from store shelves. Consumers who have product with the UPC codes listed below and marked with an expiration date prior to June 2013 should simply discard the affected product. For further information on the product being recalled or to request a replacement coupon or refund, call P&G toll-free at 877-340-8853 (Hours of operation: Monday – Friday, 9AM – 6PM U.S. ET, Saturday, 10AM – 3PM U.S. ET).

The product name is: VapoSpray 4-Hour Nasal Spray by Sinex with a UPC code of 3 23900 00082 7. Prior to June 2009, this product was also sold as Sinex Nasal Spray in both a spray (UPC Code 3 23900 00082 7) and Ultra Fine Mist package (UPC Code 3 23900 00085 8).

Anyone experiencing an adverse reaction or quality problem with this or any medication should consult a health care professional and notify the FDA’s MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch Web site at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Governor Schwarzenegger Launches First-in-the-Nation Disaster Corps

• Author: Health Informer
• Filed under: Health News
• Date: Jun 26,2010

Governor Schwarzenegger launched the first-in-the-nation Disaster Corps to professionalize, standardize and coordinate highly trained disaster volunteers statewide. Disaster Corps volunteers will be registered by their local government organization under the Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Program and will meet Disaster Corps training, typing, certification and security screening guidelines.

“California is always leading the way and now we are the first state in the nation to integrate volunteers into our state emergency plan,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “Volunteers are an incredible resource, and no state has more giving, more passionate or more dedicated volunteers than California. Together, we will take volunteerism to a whole new level and make California better prepared and better equipped than ever before, for any emergency.”

In the aftermath of the 2007 Southern California Wildfires and Cosco Busan Oil Spill, thousands of disaster volunteers poured into affected areas to assist with evacuations, sheltering, clean-up and a host of other activities supporting response operations. Governor Schwarzenegger recognized the need to more effectively integrate and coordinate disaster volunteer efforts in all phases of emergency management, from disaster preparedness to disaster response and recovery. In February 2008, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Karen Baker to serve as the state’s and also the nation’s first secretary of Service and Volunteering and charged her office with the development of the Disaster Corps.

“The Disaster Corps program represents an amazing collaboration between state and local government, the nonprofit and private sectors and volunteers themselves,” said Secretary Karen Baker. “These volunteers represent a highly-trained resource that will ensure our first responders are supported and our communities are better prepared.” Read the rest of this entry »