Internet fuels quacks and fools so should it be restricted?

Internet

In the age of the Internet one of the greatest problems is the fact misinformation spreads, even as science and knowledge increases. Should it therefore be restricted?

Some folks say it should because lies can hurt the community. In this case the community is more than a town or a block or two. It's all of us who can find ourselves at the center of conflicts we did not create but must live with because of quacks and fools. At least that is what some people say, but does that mean the Internet needs monitoring by the governments of the world?

The baconater and the obesity epidemic; Are we too fat to fight?

The Baconater

Carol Forsloff - "This is creating a potential threat to national security," said a group of
retired armed forces leaders.  The threat is grave enough to worry our military leaders and comes wrapped in our fast foods, like the baconater.

Even as the world worries about ISIS, there are additional ones which involves the capability of the military.  That means the health and well being of those who are designated to go to war and need to be ready for serious conflict.


The United States is embroiled in wars in the Middle East and while there is great strain
on the military, experts say what undermines the country's security is the fact it is too fat to fight.

This means our guys and gals are battling  not only in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but should be fighting the battle the bulge if we are going to have troops healthy enough to defend the country.  What are the consequences of the obesity epidemic to the nation's security?

The obesity epidemic is already leaning too hard to the finances of the future, that financial experts tell us  will create serious problems in paying the costs of certain diseases like diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

But now the threat is the national security  if we don't turn around and do something about an epidemic that is killing us in all directions at once.

So we are told before you eat that "baconater" at Wendy's, ask yourself where that fast food is really
going, because in the long run too much of a good thing can create problems when you want
to do things that are really important, like fight for the country's
freedom.

Ingredients of Wendy's Baconater

Baconator Double

two
hamburger patties with two slices of American cheese, 6 strips of
Applewood smoked bacon, mayonnaise and ketchup on a premium bun

Nutrition summary:

Calories 980

Fat 63g

Carbs 46g

Protein 58g

There are 980 calories in 1 serving of Wendy's Baconator Double.

Calorie breakdown: 58% fat, 19% carbs, 23% protein.

In other words, fast food and too much of it in big helpings, contributes to the nation's obesity epidemic.  Therefore in some indirect fashion do foods like Wendy's baconater undermine the national security?

Perhaps it isn't so bad if it is the only  major meal of the day, because it represents about
one-third or more of the calories, but then there is the salt, fat and carbohydrate content that has to be figured in.

There are other choices at Wendy's folks say we should consider:

• side salad - 35 calories


• broccoli and cheese potato - 330 calories


• Caesar chicken salad (no dressing or toppings) - 190 calories


• taco salad (no sour cream, chips, or salsa) - 360 calories


• small chili - 220 calories


• kids meal fries - 280 calories


• ham and cheese kids meal sandwich - 240 calories

Here's the skinny on the fat problem.  The obesity epidemic is skyrocketing.  According to
statistics, nearly 36 percent of Americans are overweight and 31 percent are considered obese.   At the present rate of growth,  experts tell us by the year 2018 nearly half of all adults will be considered obese if the current rate continues. These are huge numbers that surpass anything ever seen in the history of the human race.

Other statistics, like the cost of obesity, are also significant, reflecting nearly 10% of all health care spending.

Obesity can lead to serious medical issues that are costly, including heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, hypertension, and hypothyroid, just to name a few. These costs add up to over $1,500.00 per year for each overweight person in America.

So are we too fat to fight?According to a study conducted by the Department of Defense nearly one quarter of our military aged youth do not meet the minimum physical requirements to join.

"It's not drug abuse, it's not asthma, it's not flat feet - by far the leading medical reason is being
overweight or obese," said retired U. S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Norman Seip at a news conference.a few years ago.

Why the recent increase in obesity among our youth? Some say that it is the lack of physical activity. We have cut out recess and required physical education at school that causes our young people to be very sedentary.

Some say that it is the lack of proper nutrition by the school lunch program that is causing our
children to become obese. Both of those are definitely contributing factors, however, there is an approach that is overlooked today.

In the 1940's and 1950's Dr. A.T.W. Simeons studied obesity as a disease. He concluded that the hypothalamus, a gland in our brain, can become damaged and cause us to become obese.
Some folks believe he was on the right track when he said the damage to hypothalamus  by extreme stress and chemicals in our food and water was at the heart of reducing the body 's power from normally burning the fat that is stored.

The Centers for Disease Control, however, tells us the disease epidemic of obesity is caused by multiple factors,including the emphasis on quick meals and fast food where folks are eating more and getting less real nutrition, so compensate by eating more.

Whatever the cause, the unique factor of how weight gain might impact the ability to fight in a war tells us something about both security and weight in the same "value meal,"  something to chew on and digest rather than that baconater you were dreaming of this morning before you sign up for the Marines. 

How might health care workers respond in the event of a disease pandemic?

Nurse, a key caregiver in health care emergencies

One of the tragedies of Hurricane Katrina had to do with the lack of responders in the emergency. This same sort of situation could well happen in the possibility of a pandemic of Ebola.  The same problem might occur in the event that Ebola becomes widespread in the United States, which most experts agree is at most a remote possibility.  What has research indicated might occur with health workers and what might be the overall response?

Approximately 1 in 6 public health workers completed a survey put out by the Centers for Disease Control in 2009, maintaining they would not report to work in the event of an emergency.  In that case the question was related to the potential of an H1N1 pandemic flu. Researchers at the time of the report declared that was a problem but also observed it was an improvement over a similar study made in 2005 where 40% of health care workers maintained they wouldn't respond to a pandemic emergency.

This is relevant as the world prepares for what the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization maintain could be a major problem in adequately preparing health care workers and supporting them in responding to any disease emergency  For the individual hospital there may be a wait-and-see stance for some elements of preparation. The new study suggests ways of improving the response of the workforce in general that are essential in the preparation.of health care workers in the United States if there is a significant increase in the numbers identified with Ebola.

Daniel Barnett, MD, MPH, leading author of 2009 study, that took place under the aegis of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Bloomberg School of Public Health, underlined how important it is to understand the underlying factors involved in whether or not an employee will respond appropriately to an emergency." He goes on to say, "Overall, 16 percent of the workers surveyed said they would not report regardless of the severity of the outbreak."

1,835 public health workers participated in the online survey in Minnesota, Ohio and West Virginia during the period. What the survey found was those public health workers who were particularly concerned about what might happen in a pandemic threat and were confident they could fulfill their obligations were 31 times more likely to respond in an emergency then those
who perceived a threat was low or who didn't have confidence in their abilities to respond appropriately.

"We found belief in the importance of one's work was strongly associated with a willingness to report to work in an emergency. Our results could help preparedness planners to identify workforce needs and develop strategies for improving worker response," said Ran Balicer, MD, PhD, MPH, who is the senior lecturer in the Epidemiology Department at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, and Joint Editor of the Israeli Ministry of Health Pandemic Preparedness Plan.

According to OSHA the preparation of health care workers for a pandemic is especially difficult given travel restrictions and multiple emergency procedures that might need to be taken during a major catastrophe. It can increase the need for beds in hospitals, staffing, transportation and a host of other problems. The training across geographic locations, cultures, with communication issues makes the job of health care especially complex during emergencies. Add to this the pressures of time, the potential for health problems among those assigned to help others and personal needs, including families; and those who serve during emergencies will be under definite strain, according to experts.

On the other hand, many of the Ebola experts recommend regional centers for the treatment of Ebola patients as opposed to every individual hospital.  That being the case, the response could be different.  But again those involved in the study highlighted that attitude of health care workers is tied to how they perceive the disease, their training to deal with it and whether or not they believe they are well equipped to handle the emergencies that might occur.

The CDC has acknowledged it could have done better in its own initial responses to the Ebola health care personnel in Texas. The agency is underlining the importance of a more adequate and faster response in the future to any incident where a patient is identified with Ebola.  It is training that will help increase the potential for a good response from health care workers in the (remote) event of a major increase in Ebola cases in the United States.  Comprehensive training for those who care for others during a serious crisis can make a difference also in not just how health care workers respond but how the public responds in general, as avoiding a panic is also key to the management of the disease throughout any widespread geographic area.

False beliefs about immunization risks present challenges to world health

Flu vaccinations

 Carol Forsloff------A maintenance man came by to do the regular furnace check up and maintenance in an apartment, mentioning how glad he was to be back at work having had the flu for several weeks.  He said, "You know, I got the flu shot in the morning, and that night I got the flu?  Wonder if you can get the flu by getting that shot?

Embedded in the man's questions are several misconceptions about the flu shot.  These days, in fact, those misconceptions are being reinforced by bloggers and people posting on Facebook, many of them using information that is not medically sourced or part of some conspiracy theory regarding government control.

People claim that the flu shots actually have a type of poison that is far more deadly than the flu itself.  Others maintain you can get the flu, from an influenza shot, while others claim that by encouraging people to get the immunizations one is aiding and abetting governments and other groups in the control of innocent citizens by getting them sick or creating fear where there is no rational reason for it.    For example, some Pakistanis spurn polio vaccinations because of the belief the immunizations from the West are offered as a means of controlling the under-developed nations.  And some bloggers go so far as to claim that those journalists who write about immunizations and offer the recommendations from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control as agencies of credibility are aiding some sort of "enemy" influence, either of control or to manipulate people for some ulterior motive.

These kinds of stories circulate to the detriment of a vulnerable world population where certain diseases have been spread by one person in contact with another who has not had immunizations.  Furthermore there are whole countries that resist immunization, and some of these countries have citizens traveling abroad who then expose others to whatever viruses are present in those countries.

Those who repeat these stories fail to examine the credentials of those offering the information.  In an article by someone making a false claim about influenza, the reader should observe there is no reference as to the source, author or references to support the claim that immunizations caused the Spanish influenza epidemic in 1918.  Yet it occupies a page on the Internet that someone will cut and paste and forward to someone else, or offer as credible evidence on Facebook to support an opinion that folks should not get immunized.

Scientists also tell us that diseases are increasingly resistant to protection because new strains of these diseases develop.    Furthermore new diseases can emerge as populations move onto lands with few inhabitants who have natural immunity from diseases in their communities.  Then with large population growth more people have contact with these diseases.  In addition the indigenous people are exposed to diseases for which they have no protection, and many die.  This occurred in the case of the Hawaiians, who had not been exposed to diseases of the West,  then died in great numbers after being exposed  to these diseases by settlers from the West.

But here are some of the facts that are most important for the protection of everyone.  First of all, the flu virus offers a protection and not a guarantee.  It reduces the potential of getting sick; it does not totally eliminate that potential.  Second, it has long been established that the flu immunization does not cause influenza.  And finally the form of influenza that can become fatal is of great consequence to scores of people.  In past centuries many thousands of people died from strains of diseases before immunization.  Now many of these diseases have been sharply reduced because modern medicine has offered protection from them.

Finally those who believe that the government is specifically causing a scare in order to control others is part of a long-standing practice of offering negative material, believing people will be drawn to it; and the individual offering it consequently thought of as somehow smarter or superior to health agencies for knowing something different or standing up on behalf of the people.  Often the facts used by these people who negate the value of immunizations use medical groups or individuals as evidence for their claims who do not come from recognized medical groups or who may not even be licensed to practice medicine in the developed world.

The maintenance man is one person among many with misconceptions about immunizations, but many of these misconceptions proliferate through false beliefs repeated over and over.  To claim that because a child or anyone has the flu in spite of having the flu shot as evidence that the shot is useless is a claim that refuses to recognize, or even mention, how these immunizations are offered:  as a means to reduce either the severity of the illness or to minimize one's chances of getting the disease.  It is much better than the alternative, which in the case of the more virulent strains, is death.

These false beliefs, world health experts tell us, are serious challenges to world health.

Individual behaviors, patterns may predict disease outbreaks before international agencies

[caption id="attachment_14341" align="alignleft" width="447"] Internet[/caption]

Marsha Hunt---The ordinary person may be part of the prediction of a disease outbreak even before the Centers for Disease Control or the World Health Organization.  Is it because you and I have special powers or is it some other reason?

What happens when you have a series of symptoms?  Like most people you turn to the Internet for answers.  You do a search for those symptoms in clusters.  Many of you use Google, one of the more popular search engines.

Then other people with similar symptoms do the same thing as you are doing.  Sometimes the searches cluster in a single location, then begin to spread to other places.  Sometimes they occur simultaneously in a number of places.

This hints at the power of the individual.  For when a number of people added together have similar symptoms and begin searching for answers this may be a signal of a major disease similarity or an outbreak.

So the prediction comes from the human behavior.  This often happens before official organizations do their surveillance, their due diligence in looking for answers as well.  They get reports of people expressing symptoms, and then they too search for answers, examining patterns throughout the world, contacting agencies, reaffirming their own findings.

So the patterns that the major organizations find may bring conclusions that people determine individually as well, making a prediction of sorts that can actually be found by analyzing search results.

These are the conclusions Kurzweil finds.  It is an interesting concept.

And what is particularly valuable is the notion that Internet behavior has the ability to bring good in the world, to bring analysis, facts that can lead to determination of disease patterns, and similarly patterns, and scientists examining them, can lead to results and treatment approaches.

All from the beginnings that may begin with you, trying to find answers to symptoms you have, joined with others like you, and making a difference in worldwide health.

Officials concerned about health challenges during government shutdown

[caption id="attachment_20621" align="alignleft" width="300"] IRG activation following pathogen entry[/caption]

Gordon Matilla---Officials are concerned about public health safety during the government shutdown, with the CDC emasculated and programs and services withdrawn for lack of money.  The public health, given the potential of any kind of germ warfare or just the diseases that can make their way around the world, are of particular significance; and without watchful eyes, health issues could be significantly impacted. And as pilgrims return from the Hajj, the pilgrimage to the sacred shrines, officials are concerned about infectious diseases, without sufficient health personnel to intervene in the event of an emergency.  Still the flu season itself brings challenges to health officials who worry about not having sufficient personnel on hand to manage problems this season. Blumenstock, of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, is particularly concerned, mentioning they are significant flu-related functions the CDC cannot currently perform because of the government shutdown.  He said, " “Depending on how bad flu season turns out to be, that could provide increased risk of illness or death if CDC doesn’t get back in business.” At the same time the American Public Health Association has voiced concern about a salmonella outbreak.   In a recent press release the organization observes:

“Diseases do not respect government shutdowns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had to recall 30 furloughed workers this week to help handle the multi-state outbreak. While I applaud the agency’s decision and quick response, these key staff will now be playing catch-up thanks to the government shutdown.” “In response to the shutdown, the U.S. House of Representatives continues the folly of a piecemeal approach to funding the government. Last week they approved funding for the National Institutes of Health. This week they approved funding for the Food and Drug Administration. Yet they haven’t approved funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, our leading public health agency. Nor have they approved funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which is central to the disease investigation."

Persistent anger may be a sign of depression, requiring expertintervention

[caption id="attachment_16648" align="alignleft" width="300"] Virginia Woolf - renowned author with severe depression[/caption]

Carol Forsloff---Ever wonder why that friend or colleague seems to be critical of everything and everyone? The negativity can be irritating, but it can also be symptomatic of a serious problem, depression, which experts remind us can be reflected as anger while it hides deep sadness and feelings of inadequacy instead.

The toxicity of sarcasm and negative remarks from someone that are constant and appear to be directed toward personalities, events and ideas in a scattered yet constant way can make us feel uncomfortable. The individual with depression, however, has more troublesome than just uncomfortable feelings, because the pain from within is being expressed as a way of gaining relief from that sadness that can cripple creativity and cause relationships to disintegrate. It is, however, an illness, one that is considered the most prevalent of the mental health problems in the modern world. The Centers for Disease Control estimates one in ten individuals suffers from depression.

The anger can be expressed in arguments, in passive conversations, in simple, social situations meant to be lighthearted and happy. Instead those occasions can sometimes dissolve into bitter times when the depression spills over into rage. Researchers found one of the underlying features of depression is conflict over the expression of anger.

It's difficult to relate to those who suffer from this common mental disorder, as what seems to be vacillation between anger and withdrawal offers inexact social cues to others in the environment, so that it is difficult to know what to say or do when trying to relate to a depressed individual. But there are characteristics that help us to identify when one of our family members, friends or colleagues suffers from this mental disorder so that we can understand, support and encourage instead of responding in anger or withdrawal ourselves.

Experts give us some of the warning signs of depression  as fatigue or a sense of hopelessness, persistent or frequent crying episodes, anger outbursts over what would ordinarily be considered minor events, loss of interest in normal activities including those that once brought pleasure, difficulty concentrating or remembering, having sleep disruptions or problems sleeping, poor appetite or overeating, aches and pains unexplained by a physical condition, and in particularly serious situations having thoughts of suicide.

Some of these warning signs may not be apparent to the passive observer, however those who interact with an individual who is depressed on a regular basis will begin to see some of them. It becomes a time for understanding; and if the relationship is close and one of trust, time to step forward and offer the wise advice of seeking help.

That help can come in many forms.  It begins with understanding and patience, for those with depression have problems with boundaries, as is the case with many people who suffer from some form of mental illness. Guidance to professional counseling intervention is also important, along with being that good friend who listens well and kindly. Professionals who offer treatment  will use a series of modalities for intervention once a diagnosis is made, including medications, various types of therapies and other techniques to facilitate insight and resolution. For those who suffer major depression, the therapy and medications may require years of support.

The good news about depression is that it is a treatable disorder and one that can be helped so that a person can lead a normal life and resume the enjoyment of hobbies, friendships, work and relationships he or she might not otherwise enjoy.

The next time someone fires off that angry note, accusation, or rude remark it's important to know the individual may suffer from depression. It is not always the case, of course, but it aids our understanding when the behavior becomes habitual and allows us to back down from conflicts that can overwhelm both the suffering, depressed individuals and those of us who live and work with them.

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Carol Forsloff is experienced and educated in both journalism and mental health and rehabilitation counseling, with a professional background of work with people who have been diagnosed with depression.

Public refusal to take flu vaccinations worries health experts, fuels pandemic concerns

Carol Forsloff — According to January 10, 2012 reports, approximately 91 percent of the types of flu viruses are ones included in the currently available flu vaccine. The H1N1, or swine flu virus, that has been an ongoing concern since it was identified several years ago, is one of those types presently circulating. Yet, in spite of widespread publicity on television, newspapers, radio, and the Internet, many people refuse to accept the vaccine or the evidence of its protection, fueling pandemic concerns.

Around the country the flu outbreak is reported to be increasing and in some cases to be deadly. Boston, for example, refers to the flu season this year as a public emergency. But if it is an emergency, then why are there people who refuse the vaccine?

In 2009, a research survey found that 60% of Americans refuse to take the flu vaccination. This number reflects specifically the refusal to take the vaccine for the H1N1 flu virus. Reasons given include safety concerns, belief the vaccine won't work, or that there are side effects that can be troublesome. The percentage of those refusing the vaccine in the United States was reflected in the numbers found to refuse it in other parts of the world.

Ethel Hoover, a former nurse for IU Health Hospital Goshen, was recently terminated because of her refusal to take the vaccination, as she cited some of the reasons listed for that refusal. On the other hand, Elaine Cox, Director of Infection Prevention at Riley Hospital for Children, an IU Health Hospital, recommends the vaccine for health workers, saying, “If you go patient to patient, you can be the vector of which the flu is spread,” Cox said. “We get them the flu shot so they won’t unwillingly spread it to patients.” She also recommends college students get vaccinated since the flu symptoms are usually not noticed until three to five days of exposure.

Morbidity rates among young people were especially higher among young people during the outbreak of the swine flu virus in 2009.  By late 2009, 30,000 people had died worldwide.

But despite the entreaties from health care management, people continue to refuse vaccination for the flu. This is in spite of entreaties from national and international organizations and a history of influenza in the recent past that reveals the millions of people that died during epidemics, such as the one in 1918. More recent estimates by researchers indicate global mortality from the 1918-1919 pandemic at anywhere between 30 and 50 million. estimated 675,000 Americans were among that number. Life expectancy in the United States during those years was 20 - 25 years less than it is today, with part of the reason cited as the influenza virus and other diseases for which modern medicine has found prevention.

Some experts maintain vaccinations are being used to control the population, directed at infecting otherwise healthy individuals. An article on this publication presents an interview with one such "expert, "Dr. Rebecca Carley. " I say there is no such thing as a safe vaccine" and goes on the downplay the news information on vaccines such as those for polio viruses, although she has made a generalized statement about all vaccines and their risks. Dr. Carley, however, lost her license to practice, but is the kind of medical expert sometimes cited as an authority by those who retain fears of vaccine risks.

The Centers for Disease Control recommends vaccination, especially seniors and children, but also for for  the general population. The Agency maintains that some people can still get the flu even if vaccinated because of age and health factors related to given individuals,  because they were vaccinated after having been exposed to the flu virus, or because they have that small percentage of viruses not covered by the vaccine.

"It’s important that health care providers and the public remember that influenza antiviral medications are a second line of defense against influenza. CDC has recommendations on the use of these medications (sold commercially as “Tamiflu®” and “Relenza®”) to treat influenza illness." The CDC further states that " Influenza vaccination is not a perfect tool, but it is the best tool currently at our disposal to prevent influenza."

A Day in the Life of Diabetes

[caption id="attachment_10094" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Insulin"][/caption]

Carol Forsloff --It’s 6:30 a.m., and the prick of a finger, followed by food and a finger-filled portion of pills, and a small vial filled with insulin,  are the day’s first reminders of diabetes' needs.

This daily ritual is routine and part of the individual prescription given by doctors to reduce the impact of a scourge that envelops a growing number of Americans.  The Centers for Disease Control and the American Diabetic Association tell us 50% of adults will have the disease by the year 2020 if there are no major changes in the way diabetes is managed both individually and by the culture.

How diabetes is defined and what medications can be used to treat it have changed dramatically over the past two decades, as the potential for a cure is investigated.  Millions with the disease already create pressure on an already burdened healthcare industry.  Those without the disease may shrug and say, “I know about diabetes.  My aunt has it,” while few examine their potential for it.  But while the world’s pressures require optimum emotional and physical abilities, those who suffer from diabetes find the progressive nature of it to significantly influence their ability to physically, cognitively and emotionally cope.  So what more makes up that “day in the life” are the personal features that interfere with how time and energy are utilized to cope with the disease.

That daily finger prick provides the ongoing chronicle of numbers that the patient and his/her physician use to determine whether or not the interventions of diet, exercise and medications are appropriately managing diabetic symptoms.  They remind the diabetic of any changes that must be made to normalize blood sugar so that the mind and body are not eroded in the particularly awful ways that scourge can do.  If blood sugar numbers are out of control, a physician will require the patient to check those numbers daily and often more than once.

The ritual for dressing for each day’s work begins with a routine check of possible wounds or bruises on a body that may no longer have the normal sensations to protect from potential injuries.  The feet become a focus, as the peripherals of the body are negatively impacted by circulatory problems and other medical issues that block the nerves from functioning in satisfactory ways.   For many diabetic patients this phenomenon can lead to amputation and amputation to death.  The right fit for shoes and socks becomes increasingly important to help prevent those injuries.  The routine intervention is to check those feet and hands while getting dressed each day.

While other women worry over fading looks with aging, the diabetic female must double down on ways to disguise the marring of the skin, thinning of the hair, and lesions that appear spontaneously over time.    While other women worry over weight and vacillation of those pounds, the diabetic female must always be aware that increased weight must be prevented as the carbohydrate load is reckoned with every bite of food.  Throughout the day the carb count tally details must be referenced, taking time from work and play while living daily with conscious worry of that diabetic hell.  Makeup can cover but often cannot really hide the damage that occurs.

When night falls and the rest of the world is sleeping, the diabetic hopes to rest as well.  But counting sheep and drinking milk are not the tools to reduce the unconscious physical, emotional and cognitive interruptions that also impact sleep.  A pinch of pills that start the day becomes its end as well.

Every day is somewhat different for everyone on earth but the disease reduces differences in folks, except  how specifics consequences of diabetes impacts each person as it progresses through one’s life.   An ordinary day for diabetes may carry few routines at its beginning, but as it gathers strength that scourge can really cause great harm.   For some the disease develops over many, many years;  for others the litany of problems seem to happen all at once.

That diabetic journey to its unknown destination has a time one can’t predict.  It is that day in the life of diabetes repeated in a cycle that others must resist.

Child nutrition urgent need worldwide to reduce obesity, death

[caption id="attachment_4877" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Feed the Children"][/caption]

MWF - GHN Feature-- “If donors and policymakers are serious about reducing child mortality rates, then providing child-appropriate foods must be made a standard component of any pediatric program in the world’s ‘malnutrition hotspots’,” is the summation statement of a world study on child nutrition, aimed at G8 countries in what needs should be focused on globally and how.

Doctors Without Borders, also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres or MSF, found child mortality rates to be 50 percent lower among a large group of young children in the west African nation of Niger in 2010, following that country's receipt of nutritious supplements.  Their research findings have recently been shared in a press release about the needs of children and ways to reduce child mortality.

MSF tells us that this encouraging findings reinforce the need for international donors and policymakers to make high-quality foods a cornerstone of childhood health programs, especially in areas where malnutrition predominates, such as in Africa.

What researchers point out specifically is that malnutrition weakens the immune system, exposing a child to higher risk of death from other illnesses, such as malaria, respiratory infections, and diarrhea. Adding a quality supplemental food to an essential package of care—including vaccinationand effective treatment and prevention of primary ‘killer diseases’ of young children—will accelerate the fight against child mortality.

The MSF study reflects on how nations can cut child mortality rates, a mission discussed last year in Muskoka, Canada by G8 member states. The answer, accoding to MSF, is to include nutritional food supplements with medical supplies and other aid given to countries in need.

“Our preventive strategies focused on getting a nutritionally appropriate food to children during the most crucial time—the critical window of six months to two years of age—instead of waiting for them to start losing weight, and we observed child mortality rates to be lower by half,” said Dr. Isabelle Defourny, MSF program manager for Niger in providing evidence of how good nutrition can cut children's deaths.
dramatically.

At any given time, an estimated 195 million children are affected by malnutrition worldwide. It contributes to at least one-third of the eight million annual deaths of children less than five years of age. MSF and other organizations have been distributing supplies of nutritional products that are rich in milk, minerals and vitamins to approximately 150,000 children and found this program to be highly successful in reducing child mortality. The organization combines this with screening tests for mental and physical problems and focuses on tailoring foods to meet health care needs.

And it isn't just Africa and Asia and those countries known to have high rates of child mortality.  In the United States food security problems have been growing annually as reported in a study in 2005 and problems of obesity that experts saw are caused by eating starchy foods, the mainstay of the poorer diets, has been growing as a consequence.  Child obesity is reported by the Centers for Disease Control to have tripled in the United States in the past 30 years.  Information about proper nutrition becomes, therefore, an international concern.

“Providing young children with high quality nutritious foods has long been one of the foundational principles of successful malnutrition and child mortality reduction programs in Europe, Latin America and the United States, along with immunization, for instance,” said Dr. Susan Shepherd, MSF child nutrition advisor. “It’s time to stop applying different standards for children living in malnutrition
hotspots. We can save children’s lives today if the appropriate resources are put
behind similar interventions to those we deployed last year in Niger.”

Should young people really have to pay more for car insurance?

Carol Forsloff - This week the Insurance Institute has called for uniform minimum driving
standards for drivers nation wide.  Parents support tough requirements
for young people, and studies show that's wise.

A new study outlined in the most recent edition of the IIHS's Status Report, tells us most parents want their young adult or adolescent drivers, ages 15 to 18, to know how to drive well.

The insurance companies are pusing for legislation called the STANDUP Act that was introduced in
Congress early in 2010.  It would establish national standards aimed at
curbing the accident rate of high risk drivers, that are found to be the
young drivers.

Consumers have learned over time that young people have higher accident rates, therefore their premiums are higher.
Teenage drivers have been found to have more than three times the rate
of accidents as other drivers according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.


This recent study shows parents believe the learner's permit process
should not begin until age 16 and that there should be stricter
requirements for nighttime driving for new drivers.

These are some of the elements of the STANDUP Act, which was written in response
to the reported positive effects of graduated licensing programs.
Thirteen states already have such programs, according to the NHTSA.  But
if the Act is passed, the rest of the country will have to conform to
those same standards.

The Centers for Disease Control examined the potential of graduated driver licensing and indicates it
might be a good thing for young drivers.  "Research suggests that the
most strict and comprehensive graduated driver licensing (GDL) systems
are associated with reductions of 38% and 40% in fatal and non–fatal
injury crashes, respectively, of 16–year–old drivers."

No one knows exactly what the impact of new legislation will have on young
drivers, but if the risk of accident is lowered it is likely there might be changes. People can in the meantime get quotes for present rates.