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January 2009
Does your insurance offer good incentives for good health?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
According to a recent Associated Press article, companies and employers are now dangling prizes to motivate workers to lose weight, lower their blood pressure, quit smoking — and perhaps most important, curb spending on medical costs by kicking chronic health problems.
They’re handing out everything from gift cards to ipods to frequent-flyer type bonus points that can be redeemed for goods and services — if you’re healthy.
Does your insurance plan offer such incentives? If not, what type of gift would you like from your insurer for staying healthy?
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Are you an avid runner? Why do you run?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A recent Miami-Herald article extols the virtues of running, leading up to this Sunday’s ING Marathon and Half Marathon on Miami Beach. Runners mentioned three reasons they run: it tones the body, calms the mind and builds up the heart.
To us non-runners, it just looks like pure torture.
If you’re an avid runner, tell us why you run?
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Using stem cells on humans going too far?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Federal regulators have cleared the way for the first human trials of human embryonic stem-cell research, according to an
The tests could begin by summer. The FDA has approved the trials, which will use human stem cells authorized for research by then-President George W. Bush in 2001.
Embryonic stem cells are blank cells found in four- to five-day-old embryos, which have the ability to turn into any cell in the body. However, when stem cells are removed, the embryo is destroyed — which has made this one of the most controversial medical research fields in the past decade.
What do you think? Should these human trials be allowed?
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“Detoxing” your way to good health?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The use of herbal formulas for cleansing, detoxification and organ support has become wildly popular, according to a recent New York Times article. It says that nearly all of the 15,000 health spas nationwide offer some type of detox program. How its said to work: by avoiding certain foods, adding nutritional and herbal supplements and cleansing your innards, you can cure the body of all sorts of evils.
But critics — many of them, mainstream doctors — emphasize what they say is a lack of scientific evidence that detoxification actually works. “I advise patients that these detox programs amount to a large quantity of excrement, both literally and figuratively,” one doctor said.
Have you tried any of these detox programs? What was your experience?
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How did you kick the smoking habit? Did gum help you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
President Barack Obama said in February 2007 that he had quit smoking and that he was, instead, chewing Nicorette gum. During the campaign he didn’t hide his gum use. One reporter recalls that the candidate chewed it more or less every day for over a year. Washington Post reporter Richard Leiby swears by the stuff in a recent article and says while he quit smoking, he’s now hooked on the gum. And he expects the president to be challenged in his efforts not to relapse and in his efforts not to become hooked on the gum.
Tell us about your experience. Did you quit smoking? How did you do it? What advice would you give the president to help him avoid relapsing or chewing too much nicotine gum?
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Have you tried the ‘cookie diet’?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We recently featured a local woman in our Weight Loss Success Stories feature who says she lost 74 pounds on Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet and has managed to keep it off.
It got quite a lot of comment here in the office and got me to thinking if anyone else had heard of this diet or similar off-beat weight loss plans. Do they work?
Anyone else have similar success with this one as our local gal? What plan has worked for you?
More stories and photos:
Weight loss resources
Thinner Atlantans gallery
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Online doctor visits - blessing or curse?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Doctors in Hawaii plan to start making online house calls today in the nation’s first large-scale program of its kind that some believe could be a groundbreaking step in health care, according to an Associated Press article.
Computers equipped with a Web camera are used to set up a live, face-to-face consultations between doctor and patient. They could get questions answered, get advice or prescriptions for anything but controlled substances.
The disabled, elderly, residents in rural areas or people who simply can’t get to a doctor’s office are expected to benefit from the technology.
But so will doctors. As one advocate put it: Doctors “can wake up in the morning, get in front of computer, provide care to patients that need it and money will show up in their bank accounts, he said.
A 10-minute visit will cost $10 for those who become members of the network and $45 for nonmembers. Payment is made online using a credit card.
Part of me thinks it’s is a good idea, but I can also see downsides.
What about you? Are you looking forward to the time when you can have these virtual doctor visits? Or do they bother you?
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Keeping colds at bay?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Preventing the common cold may be as easy as getting more sleep, according to a new study.
Researchers paid healthy adults $800 to have cold viruses sprayed up their noses, then wait five days in a hotel to see if they got sick, according to a recent article about the study.
Habitual eight-hour sleepers were much less likely to get sick than those who slept less than seven hours or slept fitfully.
What has been your experience with preventing colds? Have you avoided catching a cold this winter? How did you do it?
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Are you raising vegetarian kids?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A recent CDC study — the first of its kind — says that about 1 in 200 U.S. children are vegetarians, according to a recent Associated Press article.
Vegetarian diets exclude meat, but some self-described vegetarians eat fish or poultry on occasion, while others — called vegans — cut out animal products of any kind, including eggs and dairy products.
Anecdotally, adolescent vegetarianism seems to be rising, thanks in part to YouTube animal slaughter videos that shock the developing sensibilities of many U.S. children. Vegetarians say it’s animal welfare, not health, that most often causes kids to stop eating meat.
I’ve dabbled with vegetarianism with my four-year-old, who loves fish and eats vegetables without any prompting — especially broccoli.
How about you? Have you raised your children on a vegetarian diet? Would you consider it? Teens, have you turned to vegetarianism?
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Your favorite weight loss program?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s the time of year when many of us are focusing on losing weight, either because of a New Year’s resolution or because we seriously overate during the holidays. I have one friend who declares she’ll lose 50 pounds by the time she turns 50 later this year.
She’s looking for a weight-loss plan that will work for her. I’ve always been a fan of the Weight Watcher’s program, but some people find it too restrictive.
With so many programs to choose from, it’s hard to know where to turn. Help us out! Tell us which diet or weight loss program has worked for you.
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How has the nursing shortage affected you?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Despite a dour economy, it looks like nurses are one group with job security. In fact, there aren’t enough to fill available slots, according to a AP recent article.
Federal health officials predict about 233,000 additional jobs will open for registered nurses each year through 2016, on top of 2.5 million existing positions. But only about 200,000 candidates passed the Registered Nurse licensing exam last year, and thousands of nurses leave the profession each year.
They earn decent money. Registered nurses made an average of $62,480 in 2007, according to federal statistics. Include overtime, and some can earn more than $100,000, according to the article.
So why are they leaving? Among other reasons: Not enough qualified instructors to train other nurses and difficult working conditions.
How has the shortage affected you? We’d also like to hear from nurses.
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