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Wednesday, 12 March 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andStudents in 2 Appalachian Ohio high schools help reduce classmates' consumption of sugary drinks, a bane in the region.Princessiccia

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In a region where sweet-tea and soda is more popular than water, student-led groups in Appalachian Ohio were successful in reducing the amount of sugary drinks students consumed, reports The Ohio State University's Center for Clinical and Translational Science.

As part of the study, student-led teen advisory councils in the two Southern Ohio high schools implemented a 30-day intervention called "Sodabriety" to reduce the amount of sugary drinks students consumed. Results of the study were published in the March issue of the Journal of School Health.

The councils informed students about the risks of sugary drinks, put green ribbons on students' cars to remind them of the dangers, offered daily "sugar facts" during the morning announcements, performed soda-themed rap songs at student events and gave away water bottles with a "What's in your cup?" slogan.

The efforts paid off. Not only did some teens completely give up sugared drinks, but water consumption nearly doubled. Some students even reported weight loss, less acne and increased energy, Smith said.

A typical 20-ounce soda contains 15 to 18 teaspoons of sugar and upwards of 240 calories. A 64-ounce fountain cola drink could have up to 700 calories, says a fact sheet from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Kentucky high-school students rank third in the U.S. in obesity, with 33.4 percent overweight or obese, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Consumption of sugary beverages is a problem in Appalachia, where obesity contributes heavily to the region's health issues.

�Teens who grow up in this region are ultimately more likely to die from cancer, diabetes and heart disease than any other place in the nation, and obesity is the common risk factor for all of those illnesses,� said nurse Laureen Smith, one of the researchers. �A child�s odds of becoming obese increases almost two times with each additional daily serving of a sugar sweetened drink, and Appalachian kids drink more of these types of beverages than kids in other parts of the country.�

Smith added, �Sugar sweetened beverages are the largest source of sugar in the American diet. For some teens, they account for almost one-third of daily caloric intake, and that amount is even higher among Appalachian adolescents. If we can help teens reduce sugared-beverage intake now, we might be able to help them avoid obesity and other diseases later in life.�

Monday, 10 March 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andKentucky does well in national comparison of premiums and tax credits in new health-insurance system.Princessiccia

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Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, health-insurance costs vary from region to region and state to state, and federal subsidies won't remove all of the differences, Christopher Snowbeck and MaryJo Webster write for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. According to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and state-run health insurance exchanges, Kentucky's cost of coverage compares favorably; most areas in the state have prices that are between 2.63 and 8.68 percent of annual income. Of course, the lower prices in Kentucky�and in other states�might be correlated to narrower networks of health-care providers, which insurers are using to limit costs. Here's a screen grab of an interactive map showing costs of coverage for different ages and incomes; for the actual interactive map, click here.

In more urbanized areas, where insurance competition is greater and prices are lower, smaller tax credits are needed, but more subsidy is needed in places with higher premiums�such as rural areas of the South. "Because there is so much geographic variation in cost, the government does have to pitch in a larger portion of premium in higher-cost areas to make coverage affordable," said Cynthia Cox, a researcher at the California-based Kaiser Family Foundation.

Though some people feel that the law is unfair and that they don't receive the tax credits as high as in other areas, the PPACA exists to ensure that "people at certain income levels pay no more than a set share of income to buy the midlevel 'benchmark' health plan where they live," Snowbeck and Webster write. Some variation in price disappeared, though, because insurance companies can no longer refuse to cover people who have pre-existing health conditions, said Jonathan Gruber, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist who helped craft the law.

Coverage prices differ because of factors such as health status, cost of living and competition among insurance companies. However, though the same plan sells for $170 per month in Pittsburgh and $450 in areas of Georgia, federal subsidies based on income brign the latter cost below $300. "The tax credits can help us bring that premium cost down and say to people: 'It's now in the achievable range,'" said Tracy Brosius of the Wyoming Institute of Population Health.

Sometimes the tax-credit system actually allows people in higher-cost cities to pay less than those from lower-cost cities. "Assessing which consumers wind up with the 'better deals' can be complicated, policy experts say, because the lowest-cost silver plans available in different regions likely have different coverage details, such as deductibles and networks of doctors and hospitals," Snowbeck and Webster write. Though some argue that the new system doesn't offer incentives for regions that more provide more effective health care, Cox said "Insurers still have a financial incentive to keep premiums low to attract enrollees, particularly young enrollees who might not be tax-credit eligible." (Read more)

Sunday, 9 March 2014

Princess Health and2014 Chilly Half Marathon.Princessiccia

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For the second weekend in a row, we had athletes in action.  For some it was a training race, for others it was a hammerfest.  Here is how we did at the 2014 edition of the Chilly Half.  Full Results.



First up, RunnerRob (left side of picture) had an awesome return from training in Kenya.  He started out hard, going through 5K in 17minutes.  He simply wasn't able to hang on to that pace, but still managed an awesome time of 1:18!






Doritos Dave had an outstanding race.  We always expect him to race well...but not this well!  He manged a HUGE PB of 1:22:14.  This is especially impressive given the brutal winter, racing the weekend before, and the cold temps on race day.   This very well could be a break-through year for Dave!










The Mailman also delivered on race day!  A last minute sign-up, Aaron Mailman surprised himself with a new PB of 1:26:25. 











Kevin Post, who has perfected his pre-race smile (see right), also had an awesome race.  He managed a massive PB by almost 4.5 minutes!
















Battling a shin injury, Holger put his high-mileage training to use, coming in at 1:28:46!











Despite just becoming a new Dad, and having very limited training, Will put together an awesome race, finishing just shy of his PB. 









Graham Dunn also laced it up for H+P, putting in a great training run, finishing in just over 1:30!


Friday, 7 March 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andFamily dinners promote healthier eating, often with fewer calories, as part of an achievable strategy to battle child obesity.Princessiccia

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In celebration of National Nutrition Month, there is no better time to make a commitment to eat more meals together as a family.

Family meals offer a great opportunity to not only spend time together and strengthen family relationships, they are also a great time for parents to be good role models for health eating, Angel Ginn, a registered dietitian-nutritionist in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said in a news release distributed by Newswise, a research-reporting service.

�Research shows that family meals promote healthier eating � more fruits, vegetables and fiber; less fried food; and often fewer calories,� Ginn said.

Kentucky high-school students rank third in the U.S. in obesity, with 33.4 percent overweight or obese. Elementary and middle school students rank eighth, and pre-kindergarteners rank sixth. Only 11.6 percent of adolescents in Kentucky eat fruits and vegetables three or more times in an average week, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Suggestions to add more family meals to the household routine include:
  • Start slowly. Add one more family meal a week to your family's normal schedule. This can be added on the weekends if the weekly schedule is too busy.
  • Plan meals together; make sure everyone has something they like at the meal.
  • Make a  ritual out of setting the table in a special way; for example, using candles or colored napkins.
  • Talk to each other, choosing topics that are positive.
  • No electronics at the table, and turn off the television. Playing background music is a nice way to create a relaxing atmosphere and also signals that it is time to eat.
Ginn also suggested the website Kids Eat Right ( www.KidsEatRight.org) as a resource to help families get on the path of shopping smart, cooking healthy and eating right.

Princess Health and Princess Health andTodd County weekly's editor-publisher wonders why so many uninsured locals haven't signed up for health insurance.Princessiccia

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With open enrollment in the new health-insurance exchanges ending March 31, at least one country editor is wondering why most people in his community who lack coverage haven't take advantage of the historic opportunity. And since he's in Kentucky, he used the state's next-to-last ranking in the latest Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index as the point of departure for an article that took up most of his editorial page.

"Kentucky is its own worst enemy . . . and if you think this is just an Eastern Kentucky problem, you aren't paying attention," Editor-Publisher Ryan Craig, right, wrote in last week's Todd County Standard, in Western Kentucky. "Our numbers suggest we are as miserable as anywhere in the state, i.e., the nation." Craig then listed statistics for poverty, income, education and health insurance and said bluntly, "We are near the bottom in all of these categories, which are the same categories that cause Kentucky to have such a dismal ranking in the Miserable Test year after year."

Craig says Todd County, "it, seems, is among the bottom of counties who signed up for the Affordable Care Act," and wonders why only 533 of the estimated 2,455 people in his county without health insurance have signed up for it: "Is it because of fear of the unknown? Politics? The prevailing answer people tell me is that they would rather pay the tax penalty and not have the insurance. What would happen if that person or someone in their family was in a car wreck? They readily admit that they are taking a big chance, but don't see how they can afford the insurance even when it is cheaper now, especially those who are very sick and couldn't get insurance before." One man told him he would have to declare bankruptcy.

"The deadline to apply for health insurance through the exchange is March 31," Craig writes. "If you don't have insurance, at least consider the process." The Standard has been judged Kentucky's best small weekly newspaper seven years in a row, but doesn't put news or editorials online. For a scan of the editorial as a PDF, click here.

Princess Health and Princess Health andNew research argues that Alzheimer's disease should rank as third most common cause of death in the U.S..Princessiccia

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Alzheimer's disease may contribute to almost as many deaths in the U.S. as heart disease or cancer, says a recent study published in Neurology.

Alzheimer's is listed as the nation's sixth leading cause of death, far behind the leading causes of death, heart disease and cancer, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the study says it should rank third.

Because death certificates provide the information used for these statistics, the overall picture of what causes death is often not told, especially in the elderly. This creates a system of under-reporting the complete reason for the death, lead author of the study Bryan D. James of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago said in Newswise, a research-reporting service.

�The estimates generated by our analysis suggest that deaths from Alzheimer�s disease far exceed the numbers reported by the CDC and those listed on death certificates,�James said.

The study supports contentions of the Alzheimer's Association, which estimates that the disease causes about a third of the deaths in Kentucky. In 2010, 8 percent of Kentuckians age 65 and older, or 80,000, had Alzheimer's, with a projected number of 97,000 in 2025.

The study did annual testing for dementia on 2,566 people ages 65 and older. It found that 559 participants without dementia at the start of the study developed Alzheimer�s. Within eight years of the study, 1,090 participants died. Those diagnosed with Alzheimer's between ages 75 to 84 had a death rate more than four times higher after the diagnosis and people 85 and older nearly three times higher than the whole.

Researchers concluded that More than one-third of all deaths in those 75 and older were caused by Alzheimer's, and that an estimated 503,400 Americans over age 75 in 2010 died from it. That's five to six times higher than the 83,494 number reported by the CDC. That would move the disease from the sixth leading cause of death and to the third; chronic lung disease, stroke and accidents now rank third, fourth and fifth.

Thursday, 6 March 2014

Princess Health and Princess Health andStatewide smoking ban dead for this year, as House Democrats worry about political ramifications in fall elections.Princessiccia

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The sponsor of a bill for a statewide ban on smoking in enclosed public places said it is dead for this year, Tom Loftus reports for The Courier-Journal.

Westrom
"It's dead," Rep. Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, told Loftus. "I've been told that there aren't enough votes and we're just going to have to wait until next year. That came from the governor's office."

Westrom said that after she met last week with Gov. Steve Beshear, who supports a ban, he called House members to get more votes for the bill, but "now the governor is saying that it might be risky for some people if they had to vote on it."

Last week, Westrom said House Speaker Greg Stumbo and other leaders of the House's tenuous Democratic majority were not calling the bill for a floor vote because some members who had told her they would vote for it had told the leaders that they didn't want a vote for fear of political repercussions. Control of the House is up for grabs in this fall's elections.

Stumbo denied that, saying he still supported House Bill 173, but acknowledged, "Others in leadership have problems." But when the bill died, he told The Courier-Journal, "A lot of members that we spoke with � both Democrats and Republicans � didn�t really want to address the issue in an election year. . . . A lot of our members, most of whom live in rural areas, were intimidated by it."

Westrom told Ryan Alessi of cn|2's "Pure Politics" that Beshear told her that Republican votes were contingent on GOP representatives seeing that Democrats were taking the lead to pass the bill as the House voted. �Nobody seemed comfortable with how many Democratic votes would light up the board which would entice the Republicans,� Westrom said.
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