Taking Candy From A Baby
In 1966, when Len Barry sang “1-2-3 ... let’s fall in love, it’s easy (it’s so easy), Like takin’ candy from a baby,” he was nominated for a Grammy Award. Len clearly thought it was a piece of cake to take candy from a young ‘un, but researchers would disagree. Turns out, kids take to sweet treats pretty quickly if they’re exposed to them, and they are reluctant to ever give them up! It’s become a major health problem.
The American Heart Association recently issued new recommendations about added sugar intake for children and adolescents ages 2 to 18, warning that the average American child now eats about 18 teaspoons of added sugar a day! They suggest the amount get cut down to around six or fewer teaspoons daily. We say that’s still way, way too much to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity, premature chronic diseases – diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, osteoarthritis – and elevated triglycerides that excess sugar triggers. Did you know, according to the American Diabetes Association, it’s estimated that 208,000 Americans younger than 20 have been diagnosed with diabetes!
As for kids 2 and younger, the AHA recommends no added sugar at all! You read that right: absolutely NONE! We say, “Bravo!” Sugar is packed into processed foods, especially cereals, snacks, cakes and fast foods that are marketed to kids. If you avoid serving those, your infant and toddler will develop more diverse taste preferences and enjoy eating healthier foods.
Stroke awareness and timely action
Researchers recently did a study of stroke victims and discovered that twothirds of those who suffered a minor stroke (called a transient ischemic attack) didn’t realize that they were having a stroke when it happened.
Apparently, many folks don’t recognize the warning signs, and that has farreaching consequences. According to the American Stroke Association, nearly 2 million brain cells die each minute a stroke goes untreated. That’s why you should learn to ID the signs. The ASA says think F.A.S.T.: Face (one side is drooping) Arm (weakness) Speech (slurring) Time (call 911 immediately). The faster blood flow to the brain can be restored, the more likely your own repair cells can get you back to 100 percent. But as important: Fully 80 percent of strokes are avoidable! High blood pressure is the No. 1 trigger. So get your blood pressure checked (115⁄76 is optimal). If it’s high, work with your doctor to use medication, if needed, and lifestyle changes to lower it. Get rid of all toxins, such as tobacco – a leading cause of stroke. Aim for 10,000 steps a day and remove all added sugars and syrups, all trans and most sat fats and any grain that isn’t 100 percent whole from your plate. Then you’ll never have to think F.A.S.T.
What you should know about searching for a cheaper EpiPen
When “The School for Scandal” was first performed in London in 1777, the main character, Lady Sneerwell, was a comic sensation. These days, when we get schooled in scandal, there’s much to sneer at and not much to laugh at. Take the recent EpiPen price hike (300 percent over the past few years) to $600 for two pens. That could deny some American children and adults who have an anaphylactic reaction to foods like peanuts and shellfish or bee stings a quick lifesaver. (In the U.K., where the home company is based, one pen costs about $66.50.) So, what can you do?
Ask your doc about a prescription for the Food and Drug Administration-approved Adrenaclick epinephrine delivery system. With coupons and discounts, it’s one-third the price. But BEWARE!
Learn how to use it before you leave the pharmacy! The old EpiPen AutoInjector requires the removal of ONE cap for administration, while the Adrenaclick epinephrine auto-injector requires the removal of TWO. If you’re not used to the new device, that can be a problem in a high-stress situation.
If your child has this pen, but his or her school is only trained on the EpiPen, the personnel might fumble the injection process if they’re using your device! Make sure everyone is trained to use whichever pen your child has!
The FDA says other products shouldn’t be substituted for EpiPen, UNLESS your doc agrees to change the prescription, no matter what you’re able to pull off online.
Depression going untreated
Super-salesman Zig Ziglar once said, “The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist.” But it’s the second and third steps that actually solve it!
The importance and challenges of acting to solve problems was reaffirmed recently by a study in JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers examined data on over 46,000 adults who were screened for depression from 20122013. Eight percent were diagnosed with depression, but less than one-third of that group received any treatment! What that indicates is that annually, more than 10 of the 16 million adults in the U.S. who’ve have at least one major episode of depression go untreated. Not good!
Lack of treatment increases chances of a depressed person abusing drugs or alcohol and ruining relationships. It increases the risk for heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Plus, 5 to 15 percent of folks with untreated major depression commit suicide.
Why are the next steps to relieve depression not taken? Experts speculate that folks are reluctant because of social and work-related stigma attached to admitting you’re depressed; there’s a lack of sufficient medical coverage for treatment; and doctors are reluctant to discuss it with patients. It doesn’t need to be that way.
Effective treatment steps can start with a combination of medication, talk therapy and lifestyle changes, such as increased exercise. So, if you’re diagnosed with depression or know someone dealing with it, ask your doc about taking the steps needed for improving health.
Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz are the authors of YOU: Losing Weight. Have a question? Go to www.RealAge.com