Are you considering getting that Astros tattoo? Think before you ink.
At the beginning of “The Hangover 2,” Stu wakes up with a tattoo on his face that’s identical to Mike Tyson’s. The film was almost withheld from theaters when Tyson’s tattoo artist sued Warner Brothers, citing design ownership. But they inked a deal, and the movie (tattoos and all) hit theaters in April 2011.
If you’re thinking about inking, don’t let Tyson’s iconic tattoo inspire you. Tattoo ink is made of a variety of chemicals, almost none of which are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for skin injection. In fact, some inks contain pigments used in printer toner and car paint!
We’ve warned you before that getting tattooed (it can be like having sex with everyone who’s used that tattoo artist before, without the fun) puts you at risk for chronic infections like hepatitis C. The inks also can trigger a permanent allergic reaction, cause tumors at the site of the tattoo and invade lymph nodes.
But now, a study published in Scientific Reports that looked into the lymph nodes of four people who had had tattoos and found that nanoparticles of tattoo-related chemicals had collected there. That’s concerning, because from the lymph nodes, toxic particles of such a small size can infiltrate all sorts of places in your body and inhibit your immune system. We don’t yet know about long-term damage, but the writing’s on the — oh, you know. So if you’re considering a tattoo, take a moment to contemplate what might happen down the road when your body reacts to the toxic ink infiltrating your organs and tissue.
Define carbs and fats
A seven-year study called PURE had 135,000 people from 18 countries as diverse as Sweden and Zimbabwe (but not the U.S.) fill out questionnaires about their diet. With that info, researchers concluded that folks eating the most carbs were more likely to die during the study period than those who ate the fewest, while those who ate the most fat were less likely to die.
What’s off about this? How about their definition of high consumption of fats? It’s average or even low consumption for most Americans. We don’t need more! Plus, what kind of carbs are they talking about? Broccoli and artichokes (life-extending carbs for sure), or foods like white rice crammed with highly processed, refined carbs — from which over 50 percent of Americans and the poorest in other countries get their daily calories? That people around the globe are forced to make poor food choices, leading to premature death, is really the study’s takeaway.
Nine servings daily of carbohydrate-packed fruits and veggies, and sticking with noninflammatory fats like olive oil are proven to help you avoid life-threatening heart disease and cancers.
Q: I have had to tell my boys, ages 8 and 10, that they cannot go over to the house next door (those kids can come over here) because I know there are guns in the house. Am I overreacting? Franny G., Evanston, Ill.
A: You’re right to take a stand! Every year around 1,500 kids (mostly boys) younger than 18 die from a gunshot wound, and many more are seriously injured; almost always unintentionally! Younger children, the age of yours, Franny, are vulnerable: USA Today reports that in a recent two-year period, 152 children younger than 12 either shot and killed themselves or were killed accidently by another child. Fully half of these children are shot at home and almost half of the incidents happen in the home of a friend or relative, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
In most states, including your home state of Illinois, there are Childhood Access Prevention laws. Failure to protect against and/or supervise a child’s gun access can and has landed the gun owner in jail on manslaughter and weapons charges if a child is injured or killed. It’s hard, we know, but don’t hesitate to ask your neighbor to respect your wishes and the regulations.
There’s a national campaign called ASK (Asking Saves Kids), initiated by the American Academy of Pediatrics, that encourages pediatricians to talk to parents about asking if there’s a gun in a house before allowing their kids to enter. It’s effective: A study found that fully 85 percent said they’d be comfortable doing so after hearing about gun risks from their doctor.
But don’t you wait for your doc to bring up the topic. Discuss it with your friends and neighbors, and make it a routine question whenever you’re dropping your kids off (or deciding not to) for a playdate. According to Dr. Nina Agrawal, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics who has studied the impact of ASK, “A simple question or short conversation about gun safety can protect children from this danger.”