Bike Riding and Your Sex Life

Irwin Goldstein, MD
Dr. Goldstein presented the educational lecture to a small but focused group of people for this sexual medicine information session. The following is a synopsis of his lecture.

Perineal anatomy/sexual physiology

Risk factors for erectile dysfunction include diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all of which can lead to endothelial dysfunction. The endothelium lines all blood vessels. Injury to the endothelium affects blood flow. Conditions that can cause erectile dysfunction are the same as those which can cause endothelial dysfunction.
Endothelial injury can be random or focal. Random injury denudes the endothelium allowing cholesterol to get into the walls of blood vessels causing hardening of the arteries. Focal injury is non-denuded; it is atherosclerosis to a specific spot. Where arteries pass next to a bone, they are susceptible to focal injury of the endothelium. Arteries to the penis and clitoris pass through Alcock’s canal with one wall being bone.

Diabetes, Men, and Sex

By Anne Pappert and Chris Woolston, M.S.

Sexual dysfunction. You've seen the ads on television, you've heard the jokes, and, if you're like most men, you've tried your best to block it from your mind. But if you have diabetes, this is one touchy subject you shouldn't ignore. A full 75 percent of diabetic men have some trouble achieving or maintaining an erection long enough to have intercourse.

But diabetes doesn't have to be a deathblow to your sex life. You can protect your sexual functioning by keeping your diabetes under control. And if the condition has already started to derail your physical relationships, your doctor can help you get back on track.

How does diabetes cause sexual dysfunction?

Erections take teamwork from several parts of the body: Your brain makes you aroused, your nerves sense pleasurable feelings, and your arteries carry a flood of blood to the penis.

Will Smoking Affect My Penis?

Smoking and Erectile Dysfunction

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) highlights some of the effects smoking can have on male reproductive health:

Smoking might damage the DNA in men’s sperm that might lead to infertility

Smoking might damage the DNA in men’s sperm that might lead to miscarriage

Smoking may be associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction

Smoking may affect the amount of semen and sperm production

Smoking may affect sperm quality

Entrepreneurs Are Healthier, Report Finds

People who go into business for themselves may be healthier than other workers, according to a new report from Gallup.

The report shows that entrepreneurs are less likely to have chronic diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and high blood pressure compared to other workers.

Entrepreneurs are also more likely to lead healthy lifestyles than other workers, such as eating produce at least four times a week and exercising on a regular basis, according to the findings.

Top 10 Health Threats for Men

These are the worst of the worst -- the 10 most dangerous diseases for men. Every man needs to know what he's up against. The good news? Many are preventable.

Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest in Men

You've heard the terms a million times. But do you really know the difference between a heart attack and cardiac arrest? Here's what every guy needs to know.
Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest in Men

Does Low Testosterone = Diabetes?

By Julian Whitaker, M.D., Lifecript Alternative Medicine Expert

Reviewed by Edward C. Geehr, M.D.

Diabetes and low testosterone go hand-in-hand: One in three diabetic men have low testosterone. But one potential cause of diabetes is low testosterone. So which came first, testosterone deficiency or diabetes?

A study published in Diabetes Care may answer that question. Finnish researchers measured levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and testosterone in 702 middle-aged men who had no blood sugar problems, and then reexamined them after 11 years. 

At the time of follow-up, 147 had developed metabolic syndrome (a combination of conditions that increases risk for heart disease) and 57 had diabetes. Most important, the men with the lowest testosterone levels were nearly two and a half times more likely to have developed diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

Public Notification: “Hard Ten Days” Contains Undeclared Drug Ingredient

[2-18-2012] The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to purchase or use “Hard Ten Days,” a product for sexual enhancement sold on various websites.  FDA laboratory analysis confirmed that “Hard Ten Days” contains sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, an FDA approved prescription drug for Erectile Dysfunction (ED).  


Sildenafil may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.  Men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease often take nitrates.

Consumers should stop using this product immediately and throw it away.  Consumers who have experienced any negative side effects should consult a health care professional as soon as possible. (See label)

Public Notification: “Man King” Contains Undeclared Drug Ingredient

[2-18-2012] The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to purchase or use “Man King,” a product for sexual enhancement sold on various websites.  


FDA laboratory analysis confirmed that “Man King” contains sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, an FDA approved prescription drug for Erectile Dysfunction (ED).  Sildenafil may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.  Men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease often take nitrates.

Consumers should stop using this product immediately and throw it away.  Consumers who have experienced any negative side effects should consult a health care professional as soon as possible. (See Label)

Public Notification: Rock Hard Extreme and Passion Coffee Contain Undeclared Drug Ingredient

[12/30/2010] The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to purchase or use Rock Hard Extreme and Passion Coffee, products promoted and sold as dietary supplements for sexual enhancement. 


These products are promoted and sold on various websites, such as www.drivetotalenergy.com,  and possibly in some retail stores.

FDA laboratory analysis confirmed that Rock Hard Extreme and Passion Coffee contain the undeclared ingredient sulfoaildenafil. Sulfoaildenafil is structurally similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra, an FDA approved prescription drug for Erectile Dysfunction (ED). 

Advantages of Negative Calorie Foods

Negative calorie foods are foods, which use more calories to digest then the calories food contains. Human body must work much harder to process this calories – it is burning fat instead of storing it! They are also called “fat burning foods” or “negative calorie foods”.

Of course, this is good for your health. However, no food is actually “negative calorie” food, but net effect of eating the right kind of food is decreased amount of fat in your body. This is possible because your body uses more calories to digest the food, then the food has calories. In other words, your body has to work harder in order to extract calories from these foods. This gives these foods a tremendous natural fat-burning advantage. This is why they are called “negative calorie foods”.

Climate Change Could Be Tough on Seniors' Health: Study

Wide temperature swings in summer could lead to 10,000 excess deaths in U.S. per year

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

MONDAY, April 9 (HealthDay News) -- Even small swings in temperatures could put elderly people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart failure and lung disease at greater risk of death throughout the coming summer, a new study indicates.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston found temperature fluctuations related to climate change could claim thousands of lives every year.

Experts predict climate change could increase variations in summer temperatures, particularly in the mid-Atlantic states and in parts of France, Spain and Italy. In these more volatile regions, this could pose a serious public health risk, the study authors claimed.

Coffee drinking not linked to chronic illness: study

A cafe employee poses for a picture as she drinks from a cup at the Kofein cafe

REUTERS - Coffee drinkers have no more risk of getting illnesses such as heart disease or cancer, and are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, according to a German study involving more than 40,000 people over nearly a decade.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, came in the wake of many previous studies that produced conflicting results, with some tying coffee drinking to an increase in heart disease, cancer, stroke and more.

"Our results suggest that coffee consumption is not harmful for healthy adults in respect of risk of major chronic disease," said Anna Floegel, lead author of the study and an epidemiologist at the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke.

The researchers collected information at the beginning of the study on coffee drinking habits, diet, exercise and health from more than 42,000 German adults without any chronic conditions.

For the next nine years, the team followed up on the participants every two or three years to see whether they developed any health problems, particularly cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attack, diabetes and cancer.

They found that coffee drinkers and non-drinkers were similarly likely to develop one of those illnesses.

For instance, 871 out of 8,689 non-drinkers developed a chronic disease, compared to 1,124 out of 12,137 people who drank more than four cups of caffeinated coffee a day -- about 10 percent in both groups.

On the other hand, the researchers found that coffee drinkers were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, the form that does not need insulin and is linked with obesity, than those who didn't drink coffee.

Among those who drank four cups a day, 3.2 percent later reported that they had type 2 diabetes, compared to 3.6 percent of people who drank no coffee.

After taking into account factors that could influence diabetes, such as weight and smoking, the researchers determined that frequent coffee drinkers were 23 percent less likely to develop diabetes, a result that squares with other studies.

That doesn't mean that coffee is responsible for preventing type 2 diabetes, but experiments in animals have hinted that certain chemicals found within coffee could positively affect metabolism.

"We do not encourage people to start drinking coffee if they do not enjoy this, but the overall evidence on coffee and health suggests that there is no reason for persons without specific health conditions to reduce their coffee consumption in order to reduce their risk of chronic diseases," said Rob van Damn, a professor at National University of Singapore, who was not involved in the study. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/zbuAYd

(Reporting from New York by Kerry Grens at Reuters Health; Editing by Elaine Lies and Michael Perry)

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/coffee-drinking-not-linked-chronic-illness-study-015810216.html

Cured meats linked to exacerbated respiratory illness symptoms: study

AFP Relax

Eating too much cured meats like salami, chorizo and bacon can worsen symptoms of respiratory diseases like emphysema and chronic bronchitis and lead to a trip to the hospital, says a new study.

Published in the European Respiratory Journal last week, a team of Spanish researchers say they've found a link between the consumption of cured meats and the increased number of hospital admissions among people suffering from chronic pulmonary disease (COPD).

The umbrella term is used for a number of respiratory illnesses caused by inflammation in the lungs.

For their study, researchers worked with 274 COPD patients from their first hospital admission and monitored them for the next two years. Participants also provided information on their cured meat consumption.

Their conclusion? People who eat large quantities of cured meats -- identified as more than a slice of ham or equivalent a day -- were more likely to experience exacerbated symptoms and be admitted to hospital.

Researchers believe the problem lies in the nitrites which act as preservatives and anti-bacterial agents in the meats -- substances which have also been shown to cause a reaction and damage tissue in the lungs.

While previous research has shown that increased consumption of cured meats like hot dogs and salami can lead to an increased risk of developing COPD, the Spanish researchers say theirs is the first to show that eating processed meats can also inflame and worsen symptoms.

Processed and cured red meats, which are high in sodium and nitrites, have also been linked to the development of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and bowel cancer.

http://bit.ly/vZsDvU

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/cured-meats-linked-exacerbated-respiratory-illness-symptoms-study-143050895.html

Eating citrus lowers women's stroke risk: study

AFP Relax

Women who regularly eat citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit may have a lower risk of blood-clot related stroke, according to a US study published on Thursday.

Researchers looked at 14 years of data from a US nurses survey that included 69,622 women who reported what they ate, including details on fruit and vegetable consumption, every four years.

The aim was to study the effects of flavonoids -- a class of compounds present in fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and red wine

-- on health.

While total flavonoid consumption across all six main types found in the typical US diet did not show a benefit in preventing stroke, those who ate lots of oranges and grapefruit and their derived juices showed a 19 percent lower stroke risk than their counterparts in the study.

"Studies have shown higher fruit, vegetable and specifically vitamin C intake is associated with reduced stroke risk," said Aedin Cassidy, lead author of the study in the Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

"Flavonoids are thought to provide some of that protection through several mechanisms, including improved blood vessel function and an anti-inflammatory effect," added Cassidy, a professor of nutrition at Norwich Medical School in the University of East Anglia.

The researchers called for more studies to better understand the apparent link, and urged women to consume oranges and grapefruit rather than their juices to avoid high sugar content from drink additives.
Previous research has suggested that citrus-derived flavonoids may help prevent weight gain and metabolic syndrome which can lead to Type 2 diabetes and higher risk of heart disease.

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/eating-citrus-lowers-womens-stroke-risk-study-114814990.html

Men who drink sugary drinks daily up risk of heart disease: study

AFP Relax

A new study has found that men who drink about a can of full-calorie soda or sugar-sweetened juice a day could be increasing their risk of developing heart disease by about 20 percent.

Published in the journal Circulation, Harvard researchers followed 42,880 men over 22 years, measuring the different lipids and proteins in the participants' bloodstream.

After controlling for risk factors like smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption and family medical history, scientists found that those who consumed sugary beverages on a daily basis had higher levels of triglycerides -- or bad fat -- and lower levels of good cholesterol or HDL levels compared to men who refrained from sugary drinks.

Both biomarkers are known to be associated with a higher risk of heart disease.

"This study adds to the growing evidence that sugary beverages are detrimental to cardiovascular health," said lead author Frank Hu. "Certainly, it provides strong justification for reducing sugarybeverage consumption among patients, and more importantly, in the general population."

The role of artificially sweetened beverages, meanwhile, is unclear.

Beginning in 1986, participants were asked to fill out questionnaires about their diet and health habits every two years until 2008. The men also provided a blood sample midway through the project.

It's the latest study to find an association between the consumption of sugary drinks and the increased risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

Last year, the American Heart Association also warned that women who drink more than two sugar-sweetened drinks a day may also up the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Another US study estimated that imposing a soda tax could prevent 100,000 cases of heart disease, 8,000 strokes and prevent 26,000 deaths a year.

Meanwhile, in response to charges that caramel coloring in soda is an animal carcinogen, both Coca-Cola and Pepsi said last week they will lower levels of the chemical 4-MEI to comply with recently imposed California requirements.

The southwestern state has a 29-microgram benchmark for 4-MEI in products. Anything that may expose consumers to a daily level higher than that must carry a warning label.

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/men-drink-sugary-drinks-daily-risk-heart-disease-152503409.html

Findings On Cholesterol Alarming – DOST

Manila Bulletin

MANILA, Philippines - People normally think that high cholesterol level is only a middle-aged persons' concern, but a study of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST) showed otherwise.

Based on the latest National Nutrition Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), one out of every three Filipinos aged 20 and up already has borderline high-to-high total cholesterol levels.

FNRI's Charmaine Duante cited the prevalence of dyslipidemia and its four components: high total cholesterol, bad cholesterol, good cholesterol and high triglyceride, among 7,700 young adult population.

"Based on the results, females have higher total cholesterol levels than males," said Duante, in a press conference held in Makati City.

The study results also showed that almost 17 percent of those ages 20-29 years old already have borderline high-to-high cholesterol levels. The incidence increases amongst those in their 30s and 40s (nearing 26 percent and 31 percent respectively) and closely doubles for those in their 50s (48 percent).

"The proportion of adults with borderline to high cholesterol level peaked at the age range of 50-59 years," she added. Dr. Mario Capanzana, FNRI director, said considered the statistics "alarming."

"Alarming because it may indicate that more and younger adults may be at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure or other diseases as they advance the adult years," Capanzana pointed.

Among the factors that may contribute to high cholesterol levels, Capanzana pointed are mostly diet, plus lifestyle and lack of physical activities."

In response to this, the FNRI has joined hands with Del Monte Philippines, Inc. for an advocacy dubbed "Be smart, Care for your Heart," which aims to raise the awareness of the Filipinos on how to fight against hypercholesterolemia, a condition characterized by very high levels of cholesterol in the blood.

Dr. Trinidad Trinidad, Department of Science and Technology scientist, also urged the public to eat local root crops such as camote, gabi, ube, cassava and tugi, which are excellent sources of dietary fiber, a food component that has been associated with the prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and diabetes.

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/findings-cholesterol-alarming-dost-142352027.html

Sudden Cardiac Death: Are You at Risk?

Source: Article first appeared in "Know Your Man Inside Out" by SingHealth / Her World

Did you know?

Heart attacks are not confined to the old. Even young men can get a heart attack leading to sudden death.  80 per cent of all sudden cardiac death are related to coronary heart disease which, in most cases, can be prevented.

What causes young men to die suddenly?The most common cause is sudden cardiac death (SCD), of which 80 per cent is related to coronary artery disease (CAD) (see box below), with or without a heart attack.

Unfortunately, over half of sudden cardiac death victims have no prior symptoms. Some patients have chest pain, breathlessness or sweating. When these occur in a patient at risk of heart problems, treatment should always be sought immediately.

An SCD attack is not the same as a heart attack. SCD is caused by an abnormal heart rhythm due to an abnormal ‘electrical circuitry’ of the heart. A heart attack is caused by blockage of the arteries supplying blood to the heart. The subsequent damage to the heart muscle may or may not lead to an SCD attack. It is estimated that 1,000 Singaporeans die from SCD every year, about half of whom are below 60 years old.

Learn to recognise these symptoms

• Central or left-sided chest pain often associated with sweating, nausea or breathlessness. The pain is described as something weighing heavily on the chest and is usually brought about by physical or emotional stress. It usually goes away within minutes when the stressful activity is stopped.

• Shortness of breath. Because the heart muscles are damaged by the shortage of blood supply or from a heart attack, it can’t pump blood efficiently to meet the body’s needs.

• Discomfort on exertion, jaw tightness on exertion or after meals. These symptoms immediately subside on resting.

In anyone at high risk for heart disease (eg diabetics, high cholesterol, hypertension, strong family history of heart disease), any chest symptom, even atypical, should be investigated. Diagnosis is made with an electrocardiogram and blood tests.

Treatment may involve hospitalisation and ways to restore blood flow in the coronary artery (by angioplasty or thrombolysis).

If you are around...

1. Call the ambulance immediately. Early treatment increases survival rate.

2. Perform chest compression CPR. This will also improve the chances of survival.

Cardiac Artery Disease (CAD) CAD is a common type of heart disease where fatty deposits accumulate in the coronary artery and impede the blood flow. Reduced blood flow to the heart can cause chest pain (angina). A sudden, complete blockage can lead to a heart attack. Many people who have this form of heart disease are not aware they have it. CAD develops slowly and silently over decades. It can go virtually unnoticed until it produces a heart attack. You can prevent or slow down CAD by taking steps to improve your heart health. Drugs and surgical techniques can open up narrowed coronary arteries, but the best long-term solution is to make the right lifestyle choices.

Are You in the High-Risk Group?Age: Age increases a person’s susceptibility to heart disease. Gender: Men are three to five times more likely to have coronary heart disease than women. However, the risk for women increases after menopause. Five to 10 years after menopause, women have the same risk for coronary heart disease as men. Ethnicity: Compared with Chinese, South Asians (Indians, Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, etc) are three times more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease. Malays have double the risk compared with Chinese. Obesity: People who have excess body fat – especially located around the waist – are more prone to heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. Excess weight increases the strain on the heart. It also raises blood pressure, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and lowers HDL, ("good" cholesterol levels). It is also associated with the development of diabetes mellitus. Family history: You can be at higher risk of heart disease if your immediate family members (parents, children, brothers and sisters) have a history of premature heart disease. Certain risk factors tend to run in some families. If there is a history of heart disease in your family, you should try very hard to control your other risk factors. "In general, adults should know their family history of heart disease or sudden death. They should know their cholesterol level and know if they have diabetes mellitus and abnormal blood sugar levels. If you have any high-risk factor, get your doctor’s advice on how to improve those risk factors, change your lifestyle and dietary habits, and embark on a safe exercise programme."  Dr Teo Wee Siong, Senior Consultant Cardiologist, National Heart Centre http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/SpecialFocus/Pages/Sudden-Cardiac-Death-Are-You-at-Risk.aspx?

Why do young, fit men die playing sports?

By Health Xchange | Fit to Post Health

An underlying heart condition may be the cause of sudden deaths in sport events. (Health Xchange)

Just four days after English Premier League midfielder Fabrice Muamba suffered cardiac arrest during an English FA Cup match, Indian footballer Venkatesh suffered a similar fate during a match in Bangalore, India.

The 27-year-old Venkatesh, who was playing in a district level league match on March 21, collapsed on the field during the back end of the match.

While 23-year-old Muamba is in hospital in London recovering from his mid-match cardiac arrest, Venkatesh did not survive.

In a similar incident in Singapore a week earlier, 19-year-old Temasek Polytechnic student Muhammad Khairil Muhamad Nizam suddenly collapsed halfway through a friendly football match.

He was rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state but didn't survive. While investigations are underway into his death, initial reports indicated that he had died of heart failure.

There have been other previous sudden death incidences related to sports in Singapore. Last year, a 22-year-old Singaporean runner, Malcolm Sng Wei Ren, collapsed and died during the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore.

What can explain such unexpected deaths?According to doctors, these sudden deaths in otherwise healthy and fit sportsmen may be explained by an underlying heart problem, compounded by vigorous physical exertion.

Dr Reginald Liew, consultant at the Department of Cardiology and deputy director of the research and development unit at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) said an underlying heart problem could include:

• a heart muscle disorder (e.g. abnormal thickening of heart muscles)
• an electrical problem (e.g. abnormal heart rhythm)
• an infection weakening the heart muscle
• a congenital abnormality of the coronary arteries

"The first two of these causes often have a genetic predisposition, meaning they may be related to certain mutations," Liew said. Given the appropriate stimuli and triggers, all four scenarios, he explained, could result in ventricular fibrillation: the heart ventricles don't contract properly, which may cause the heart to stop suddenly.

Related article: Sudden cardiac arrest — not so random as it looks

Who's at risk?Sometimes, the victim is found to have a family history of sudden death. But sudden cardiac arrest can also occur in healthy individuals without any known pre-existing heart issues and with no known family history of sudden death.

Liew added that there are screening tests available for the detection of heart muscle diseases and heart electrical disorders. For example, an echocardiogram can detect the former, and 12-lead ECG, the latter.

Related article: What heart disease symptoms should you look out for?

What can you do to lessen your risk of heart disease?

• Have your cholesterol levels checked once a year. Excess cholesterol can cause the blood flow to the heart to become blocked or reduced.
• Get your blood pressure checked yearly. If your blood pressure is persistently above 140/90mmHg and left untreated, it can result in damage to the heart and blood vessels.
• Control your diabetes and monitor your blood sugar levels.
• Lose excess body fat, especially around the waist.
• Exercise regularly to help prevent heart and blood vessel disease. Just check with your doctor first if you have known coronary artery disease or if you're above 40 years of age and have been inactive.
• Quit smoking. Smokers have two to three times the risk of non-smokers of sudden cardiac death. In fact, smokers account for about 40 per cent of deaths caused by heart disease in patients who are younger than 65 years.
• Manage your stress. Prolonged stress may contribute to a heart attack. Emotional stress and tension also cause the body to produce adrenaline, which makes the heart pump faster and harder, and may also cause the blood vessels to narrow down.

This article was written by the Health Xchange Editor, with expert input from the Department ofCardiology and Research and Development Unit at the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS).

Find more health-related tips and articles on HealthXchange.com.sg, Singapore's trusted health and lifestyle portal. Health Xchange's articles are meant for informational purposes only and cannot replace professional surgical, medical or health advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment.

Marlon  •  Manila, National Capital Region

All the junkfoods and chemically-laced preserved food stuck in the guts for years and mutated into toxins and re-introduce to the blood via the intestinal villi - this is a more probable cause of most of the diseases including sudden death as the "toxins" can mutate into so many possibilities ie: cholesterol, uric acid, assorted bad bacteria: some of these that are cancer-forming. So clean your guts and plugged your mouth from junks (creation of men) and seafoods and eat natural (boiled, raw juiced, natural fruits, veggies, rootcrops) and you will never go wrong. Take it from God - (1Timothy 4:4) "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.."

A Yahoo! User  •  Singapore, Singapore 

Cardiac Doctors always have the last say!? Why not specialists in Lung illnesses and weak conditions? I know of a young man who died because of a torn lung? Due to disconnected or poorly co-ordinated growth which implicates hormonal effects in genetically modified food?
Come out with the truth for all our young people.

http://ph.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fit-to-post-health/why-young-fit-men-die-playing-sports-063444317.html

Red meat boosts risk of dying young: study

 

WASHINGTON: Eating a portion of processed red meat daily can boost a person's risk of dying young by up to 20 per cent, said a long-running US study of more than 120,000 people released on Monday.

While the research by Harvard University experts offers more evidence that eating red meat increases the risk of heart disease and cancer, it also counsels that substituting fish and poultry may lower early death risk.

"This study provides clear evidence that regular consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, contributes substantially to premature death," said Frank Hu, senior author of the study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Researchers gleaned their data from a study of 37,698 men who were followed for 22 years and 83,644 women who were tracked for 28 years.

Subjects answered surveys about their eating habits every four years.

Those who ate a card-deck-sized serving of unprocessed red meat each day on average saw a 13 per cent higher risk of dying than those who did not eat red meat as frequently.

And if the red meat was processed, like in a hot dog or two slices of bacon, that risk jumped to 20 per cent.

However, substituting nuts for red meat lowered total mortality risk by 19 per cent, while poultry or whole grains lowered the risk 14 per cent and fish did so by seven per cent.

The authors said between seven and nine per cent of all deaths in the study "could be prevented if all the participants consumed fewer than 0.5 servings per day of total red meat."

Processed red meat has been shown to contain ingredients such as saturated fat, sodium, nitrites and some carcinogens that are linked to many chronic ailments including heart disease and cancer.

"More than 75 per cent of the $2.6 trillion in annual US health care costs are from chronic disease," said an accompanying commentary by Dean Ornish, a physician and dietary expert at the University of California, San Francisco.

"Eating less red meat is likely to reduce morbidity from these illnesses, thereby reducing health care costs."

A separate study, also led by Hu but published in Circulation, an American Heart Association journal, found that men who drank sugar-sweetened beverages daily faced a 20 per cent higher risk of heart disease than men who did not.

The study tracked more than 42,000 men, most of them Caucasian, over 22 years and found higher heart risks, as higher levels of inflammation and harmful lipids known as triglycerides in daily sweet-drinkers.

The effects were not seen in men who drank as many as two sugar-sweetened beverages per week.

According to Hu, the research "provides strong justification for reducing sugary beverage consumption among patients, and more importantly, in the general population."

Heart disease is the biggest killer in the United States and top risk factors include obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, diabetes and poor eating habits.

-AFP/ac


http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/health/view/1188612/1/.html

Vogue article by mom about 7-year-old daughter’s weight sparks heavy backlash

By Dylan Stableford | The Cutline

An article by a woman who is "fighting" her 7-year-old daughter's "childhood obesity" at home--published in the April issue of Vogue--is causing a big backlash online among readers critical of the magazine and its author.

Dara-Lynn Weiss, the author, wrote about her response to a pediatrician who suggested that her daughter, Bea, should be put on a diet because--at 4'4" and 93 pounds--she was clinically obese and could be at risk for high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.

It wasn't the diagnosis that readers railed against, but Weiss' management of Bea's subsequent year-long diet.

"Sometimes Bea's after-school snack was a slice of pizza or a gyro from the snack vendor," Weiss wrote. "Other days I forced her to choose a low fat vegetable soup or a single hard-boiled egg. Occasionally I'd give in to her pleas for a square of coffee cake, mainly because I wanted to eat half of it. When she was given access to cupcakes at a party, I alternated between saying, 'Let's not eat that, it's not good for you'; 'Okay, fine, go ahead, but just one'; and 'Bea, you have to stop eating crap like that, you're getting too heavy,' depending on my mood. Then I'd secretly eat two when she wasn't looking."

Weiss continued:

I once reproachfully deprived Bea of her dinner after learning that her observation of French Heritage Day at school involved nearly 800 calories of Brie, filet mignon, baguette, and chocolate. I stopped letting her enjoy Pizza Fridays when she admitted to adding a corn salad as a side dish one week. I dressed down a Starbucks barista when he professed ignorance of the nutrition content of the kids' hot chocolate whose calories are listed as "120-210" on the menu board: Well, which is it? When he couldn't provide an answer, I dramatically grabbed the drink out of my daughter's hands, poured it into the garbage, and stormed out.

After Bea lost 16 pounds--meeting her mom's weight-loss goal for her before a Vogue photoshoot--Weiss wrote about her daughter's reaction:

"That's still me," she says of her former self. "I'm not a different person just because I lost sixteen pounds." I protest that indeed she is different. At this moment, that fat girl is a thing of the past. A tear rolls down her beautiful cheek, past the glued-in feather. "Just because it's in the past," she says, "doesn't mean it didn't happen."

"I have not ingested any food, looked at a restaurant menu, or been sick to the point of vomiting without silently launching a complicated mental algorithm about how it will affect my weight," Weiss admitted. "Who was I to teach a little girl how to maintain a healthy weight and body image?"

"The socialites who write personal essays for Vogue aren't known for their kindness and humility," Katie Baker wrote on Jezebel.com. But Weiss "has to go down in history as the one of the most f---ed up, selfish women to ever grace the magazine's pages."

Weiss "comes across as obsessive and the fact that she made such an issue of her daughter's weight, both in public and in Vogue—seems wrong," Dhani Mau wrote on Fashionista.com.

An anonymous blogger for New York magazine added: "I'm pretty sure Weiss just handed her daughter the road map to all her future eating disorders."

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/vogue-article-mom-7-old-daughter-weight-sparks-175546979.html;