1.1 Environment may trump genetics over immune system
1.2 Female genital mutation in UK
2.1 California legislation would boost smoking age from 18 to 21 (1/2)
2.2 Vaccination (2/2)
2.3 Students throw away 85% of vegetables as "healthy" school lunch programs fails
2.4 Cholesterol (12/2)
2.5 Aggressive new HIV strain detected in Cuba (15/2)
2.6 Medical devices that are difficult to clean (20/2)
2.7 Accoustical health of environment (23/2)
2.8 Mental health basic (27,28/2)
------------------
1.1 Environment may trump genetics over immune system (25/1/2015)
The environment may be a much bigger driver of human health than genetics, which raises questions about the value of genomic sequencing and the push toward personalized medicine, says a team of Stanford scientists studying the immune system.
... His team recruited 78 identical and 27 fraternal twins between ages 8 and 82. They donated blood and other samples, which were tested for 204 different immune system markers, including, for example, the number and variety of certain cells each person has.
Based on the study results, nearly 60 percent of the immune markers were almost totally defined by nongenetic factors — in other words, the environment. And some of the markers became increasingly defined by nongenetic factors with age. Their study was published in the journal Cell.
http://www.startribune.com/
1.2 Female genital mutation in UK (27/1/2015)
An average of 15 cases were discovered each day in November, according to data published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).
Last November 466 cases of FGM were identified; while in October, the first month such figures were compiled, 455 cases were reported. The figures for December are expected this week.
Despite the apparently high number of FGM cases, no one has yet been convicted for the practice, which has been illegal in the UK since 1985.
http://www.independent.ie/
------------
Are such cases found in India too? What is the law in India?
I. Selvaraj, IITM, 72
2.1 California legislation would boost smoking age from 18 to 21 (1/2/2015)
Lawmakers in California are weighing a proposal to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21 over concern about tobacco use among teenagers.
State Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Corvina) introduced the legislation on Thursday, according to a Los Angeles Times report. Hernandez, an optometrist, has earned the support of health groups ranging from the California Medical Association to the American Cancer Society, but he likely has a fight on his hands from the tobacco industry.
Hernandez blamed “Big Tobacco” for marketing tobacco to teenagers in order to get a new generation hooked on cigarettes, and that the companies know full well that people are more likely to become addicted if they start early.
http://www.statecolumn.com/
2.2 Vaccination (2/2/2015)
In the churning over the refusal of some parents to immunize their children against certain diseases, a venerable Latin phrase may prove useful: Post hoc, ergo propter hoc. It means, “After this, therefore because of this.” In plainer language: Event B follows Event A, so B must be the direct result of A. It is a classic fallacy in logic.
It is also a trap into which many Americans have fallen. That is the consensus among health professionals trying to contain recent spurts of infectious diseases that they had believed were forever in the country’s rearview mirror. They worry that too many people are not getting their children vaccinated, out of a conviction that inoculations are risky. ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/
-------------
Hello All,
I am new to this group, I joined in Oct last year. I have been interested in this debate over vaccination for some time. I understand that some people in USA are against it.
I am from India and am aware that we don't see faces scarred by small pox any more, and recently India appears to have eradicated polio.
The questions in my mind are:
1. Do children from places such as India have better ability to withstand the ill effects of vaccination due to their having better natural immunity (due to their living in relatively less clean environments).
2. As cleanliness improves and pathogens in the environment decrease will there be a tipping point where vaccination of children for some diseases may become undesirable (especially when people have poor natural immunity).
Regards,
Selvaraj
2.3 Students throw away 85% of vegetables as "healthy" school lunch programs fails (4/2/2015)
(NaturalNews) In an effort to provide children with healthier lunches that are in line with the latest dietary guidelines, many schools are involved with programs such as the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Such programs stem from the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, designed to move away from unhealthy, commonly served meals such as French-bread pizza, tater tots and chocolate milk and, instead, serve smaller portions along with more fruits and vegetables.
While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says, "National polls... show nearly 80% of Americans support better nutrition standards for all food sold in schools," it would appear that the poll didn't include what the students themselves thought.(1)
After all, not many students are on board with the changes. Just because schools are serving healthier options doesn't mean that such foods are consumed, something that is drawing concern for many health-focused officials.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/
2.4 Cholesterol (12/2/2015)
(NaturalNews) In an effort to provide children with healthier lunches that are in line with the latest dietary guidelines, many schools are involved with programs such as the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Such programs stem from the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, designed to move away from unhealthy, commonly served meals such as French-bread pizza, tater tots and chocolate milk and, instead, serve smaller portions along with more fruits and vegetables.
While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says, "National polls... show nearly 80% of Americans support better nutrition standards for all food sold in schools," it would appear that the poll didn't include what the students themselves thought.(1)
After all, not many students are on board with the changes. Just because schools are serving healthier options doesn't mean that such foods are consumed, something that is drawing concern for many health-focused officials.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/
2.5 Aggressive new HIV strain detected in Cuba (15/2/2015)
A new HIV strain in some patients in Cuba appears to be much more aggressive and can develop into AIDS within three years of infection. Researchers said the progression happens so fast that treatment with antiretroviral drugs may come too late.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Health_
2.6 Medical devices that are difficult to clean (20/2/2015)
commonly used medical scope linked to a deadly bacterial outbreak at UCLA may be so flawed it cannot be properly cleaned, federal officials conceded Thursday. But they stopped short of recalling the device or outlining any new sterilization procedures.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has known about the potential problems for more than two years, and took action only after The Times reported this week that two patients died in a new superbug outbreak at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center. At least five other patients have tested positive for the drug-resistant bacteria, and 179 others may have been exposed.
Critics immediately complained about the FDA's failure to act.
"FDA didn't do its job," said Diana Zuckerman, president of the nonprofit National Center for Health Research.
Zuckerman questioned why the agency approved the device if it can't be effectively cleaned. She and other experts urged the FDA to issue clearer guidance to hospitals and other medical providers. ...
http://www.latimes.com/
---------
A similar problem exists with domestic water purifiers. We found that a water purifier we had was collecting dirt in the 'tap' portion and was impossible to clean! The gentlemen who sold us the purifier were also not too keen on providing regular replacement for the filter elements (every six months as required), even though the replacement service would have fetched them Rs 600!
Fearing that a bout of illness we had was due to the water purifier we are now drinking tap water directly. Fortunately in Kerala (in most places) the tap water appears to be clean and tasty. A few years back we also shifted our water connection from an old line to a new one.
Selvaraj
2.7 Accoustical health of the environment (23/2/2015)
MARTIN: And it's not just that you won't be able to hear the birds singing. Fristrup says birds aren't able to hear one another or themselves. They might fly off course. And animals that are used to listening for their prey aren't able to catch their dinner. But he's quick to say this isn't just another depressing environment story.
FRISTRUP: The wonderful thing is that it's susceptible to immediate improvement.
MARTIN: After all, sound can be turned off.
http://www.npr.org/2015/02/22/
2.8 Mental health basic (27, 28/2/2015)
The economic costs from the psychological affliction of depression have gotten significantly larger in recent years—and people suffering from that condition were hit particularly hard by the 2008 financial crisis, a new study has found.
Annual costs related to major depressive disorder rose to $210.5 billion in 2010, according to the study published Wednesday in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. That represents a 21 percent increase over the $173.3 billion in overall annual economic fallout linked to sufferers of the disorder as of 2005, the report noted.
... The report, which drew on data from insurance claims in the OptumHealth Reporting and Insights database, leads off with the observation that in the U.S., depression "is the leading cause of disability for people aged 15-44, resulting in almost 400 million disability days per year, substantially more than more other physical and mental conditions."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/
Mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”1 It is estimated that only about 17% of U.S adults are considered to be in a state of optimal mental health.2 There is emerging evidence that positive mental health is associated with improved health outcomes.
... Evidence has shown that mental disorders, especially depressive disorders, are strongly related to the occurrence, successful treatment, and course of many chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and obesity5 and many risk behaviors for chronic disease; such as, physical inactivity, smoking, excessive drinking, and insufficient sleep.
http://www.cdc.gov/
--------
Since 99% of adult humans maintain bad posture I am not too surprised. The tragedy is that ignorant adults will damage the physical and mental health of children.
Selvaraj
----
We know that food affects the body -- but could it just as powerfully impact the mind?
While the role of diet and nutrition in our physical health is undeniable, the influence of dietary factors on mental health has been less considered. That may be starting to change.
For the first time, a report by a task force advising on new dietary guidelines, commissioned by the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, included a point considering the possible role of diet in mental health outcomes. The USDA and HHS report notes, for example, that the American Psychiatric Association classifies omega-3 fatty acids (which are most commonly found in oily fish) as a complementary treatment for depression. However, the advisory panel concluded, for now, that the research was too limited to make policy suggestions.
Some psychiatrists, too, have recently launched a rallying cry for a more integrative approach to mental health care -- one that takes diet and other lifestyle factors into account in diagnosing, treating and preventing mental illness. In a paper recently published in The Lancet Psychiatry, an international group of scientists (all members of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research) argue that diet is "as important to psychiatry as it is to cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
3.1 Cholesterol (12/3/2015)
1.2 Female genital mutation in UK
2.1 California legislation would boost smoking age from 18 to 21 (1/2)
2.2 Vaccination (2/2)
2.3 Students throw away 85% of vegetables as "healthy" school lunch programs fails
2.4 Cholesterol (12/2)
2.5 Aggressive new HIV strain detected in Cuba (15/2)
2.6 Medical devices that are difficult to clean (20/2)
2.7 Accoustical health of environment (23/2)
2.8 Mental health basic (27,28/2)
------------------
1.1 Environment may trump genetics over immune system (25/1/2015)
The environment may be a much bigger driver of human health than genetics, which raises questions about the value of genomic sequencing and the push toward personalized medicine, says a team of Stanford scientists studying the immune system.
... His team recruited 78 identical and 27 fraternal twins between ages 8 and 82. They donated blood and other samples, which were tested for 204 different immune system markers, including, for example, the number and variety of certain cells each person has.
Based on the study results, nearly 60 percent of the immune markers were almost totally defined by nongenetic factors — in other words, the environment. And some of the markers became increasingly defined by nongenetic factors with age. Their study was published in the journal Cell.
http://www.startribune.com/
1.2 Female genital mutation in UK (27/1/2015)
An average of 15 cases were discovered each day in November, according to data published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).
Last November 466 cases of FGM were identified; while in October, the first month such figures were compiled, 455 cases were reported. The figures for December are expected this week.
Despite the apparently high number of FGM cases, no one has yet been convicted for the practice, which has been illegal in the UK since 1985.
http://www.independent.ie/
------------
Are such cases found in India too? What is the law in India?
I. Selvaraj, IITM, 72
2.1 California legislation would boost smoking age from 18 to 21 (1/2/2015)
Lawmakers in California are weighing a proposal to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21 over concern about tobacco use among teenagers.
State Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Corvina) introduced the legislation on Thursday, according to a Los Angeles Times report. Hernandez, an optometrist, has earned the support of health groups ranging from the California Medical Association to the American Cancer Society, but he likely has a fight on his hands from the tobacco industry.
Hernandez blamed “Big Tobacco” for marketing tobacco to teenagers in order to get a new generation hooked on cigarettes, and that the companies know full well that people are more likely to become addicted if they start early.
http://www.statecolumn.com/
2.2 Vaccination (2/2/2015)
In the churning over the refusal of some parents to immunize their children against certain diseases, a venerable Latin phrase may prove useful: Post hoc, ergo propter hoc. It means, “After this, therefore because of this.” In plainer language: Event B follows Event A, so B must be the direct result of A. It is a classic fallacy in logic.
It is also a trap into which many Americans have fallen. That is the consensus among health professionals trying to contain recent spurts of infectious diseases that they had believed were forever in the country’s rearview mirror. They worry that too many people are not getting their children vaccinated, out of a conviction that inoculations are risky. ...
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/
-------------
Hello All,
I am new to this group, I joined in Oct last year. I have been interested in this debate over vaccination for some time. I understand that some people in USA are against it.
I am from India and am aware that we don't see faces scarred by small pox any more, and recently India appears to have eradicated polio.
The questions in my mind are:
1. Do children from places such as India have better ability to withstand the ill effects of vaccination due to their having better natural immunity (due to their living in relatively less clean environments).
2. As cleanliness improves and pathogens in the environment decrease will there be a tipping point where vaccination of children for some diseases may become undesirable (especially when people have poor natural immunity).
Regards,
Selvaraj
2.3 Students throw away 85% of vegetables as "healthy" school lunch programs fails (4/2/2015)
(NaturalNews) In an effort to provide children with healthier lunches that are in line with the latest dietary guidelines, many schools are involved with programs such as the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Such programs stem from the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, designed to move away from unhealthy, commonly served meals such as French-bread pizza, tater tots and chocolate milk and, instead, serve smaller portions along with more fruits and vegetables.
While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says, "National polls... show nearly 80% of Americans support better nutrition standards for all food sold in schools," it would appear that the poll didn't include what the students themselves thought.(1)
After all, not many students are on board with the changes. Just because schools are serving healthier options doesn't mean that such foods are consumed, something that is drawing concern for many health-focused officials.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/
2.4 Cholesterol (12/2/2015)
(NaturalNews) In an effort to provide children with healthier lunches that are in line with the latest dietary guidelines, many schools are involved with programs such as the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Such programs stem from the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, designed to move away from unhealthy, commonly served meals such as French-bread pizza, tater tots and chocolate milk and, instead, serve smaller portions along with more fruits and vegetables.
While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says, "National polls... show nearly 80% of Americans support better nutrition standards for all food sold in schools," it would appear that the poll didn't include what the students themselves thought.(1)
After all, not many students are on board with the changes. Just because schools are serving healthier options doesn't mean that such foods are consumed, something that is drawing concern for many health-focused officials.
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/
2.5 Aggressive new HIV strain detected in Cuba (15/2/2015)
A new HIV strain in some patients in Cuba appears to be much more aggressive and can develop into AIDS within three years of infection. Researchers said the progression happens so fast that treatment with antiretroviral drugs may come too late.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Health_
2.6 Medical devices that are difficult to clean (20/2/2015)
commonly used medical scope linked to a deadly bacterial outbreak at UCLA may be so flawed it cannot be properly cleaned, federal officials conceded Thursday. But they stopped short of recalling the device or outlining any new sterilization procedures.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has known about the potential problems for more than two years, and took action only after The Times reported this week that two patients died in a new superbug outbreak at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center. At least five other patients have tested positive for the drug-resistant bacteria, and 179 others may have been exposed.
Critics immediately complained about the FDA's failure to act.
"FDA didn't do its job," said Diana Zuckerman, president of the nonprofit National Center for Health Research.
Zuckerman questioned why the agency approved the device if it can't be effectively cleaned. She and other experts urged the FDA to issue clearer guidance to hospitals and other medical providers. ...
http://www.latimes.com/
---------
A similar problem exists with domestic water purifiers. We found that a water purifier we had was collecting dirt in the 'tap' portion and was impossible to clean! The gentlemen who sold us the purifier were also not too keen on providing regular replacement for the filter elements (every six months as required), even though the replacement service would have fetched them Rs 600!
Fearing that a bout of illness we had was due to the water purifier we are now drinking tap water directly. Fortunately in Kerala (in most places) the tap water appears to be clean and tasty. A few years back we also shifted our water connection from an old line to a new one.
Selvaraj
2.7 Accoustical health of the environment (23/2/2015)
MARTIN: And it's not just that you won't be able to hear the birds singing. Fristrup says birds aren't able to hear one another or themselves. They might fly off course. And animals that are used to listening for their prey aren't able to catch their dinner. But he's quick to say this isn't just another depressing environment story.
FRISTRUP: The wonderful thing is that it's susceptible to immediate improvement.
MARTIN: After all, sound can be turned off.
http://www.npr.org/2015/02/22/
2.8 Mental health basic (27, 28/2/2015)
The economic costs from the psychological affliction of depression have gotten significantly larger in recent years—and people suffering from that condition were hit particularly hard by the 2008 financial crisis, a new study has found.
Annual costs related to major depressive disorder rose to $210.5 billion in 2010, according to the study published Wednesday in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. That represents a 21 percent increase over the $173.3 billion in overall annual economic fallout linked to sufferers of the disorder as of 2005, the report noted.
... The report, which drew on data from insurance claims in the OptumHealth Reporting and Insights database, leads off with the observation that in the U.S., depression "is the leading cause of disability for people aged 15-44, resulting in almost 400 million disability days per year, substantially more than more other physical and mental conditions."
http://www.cnbc.com/id/
Mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”1 It is estimated that only about 17% of U.S adults are considered to be in a state of optimal mental health.2 There is emerging evidence that positive mental health is associated with improved health outcomes.
... Evidence has shown that mental disorders, especially depressive disorders, are strongly related to the occurrence, successful treatment, and course of many chronic diseases including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and obesity5 and many risk behaviors for chronic disease; such as, physical inactivity, smoking, excessive drinking, and insufficient sleep.
http://www.cdc.gov/
--------
Since 99% of adult humans maintain bad posture I am not too surprised. The tragedy is that ignorant adults will damage the physical and mental health of children.
Selvaraj
----
We know that food affects the body -- but could it just as powerfully impact the mind?
While the role of diet and nutrition in our physical health is undeniable, the influence of dietary factors on mental health has been less considered. That may be starting to change.
For the first time, a report by a task force advising on new dietary guidelines, commissioned by the departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, included a point considering the possible role of diet in mental health outcomes. The USDA and HHS report notes, for example, that the American Psychiatric Association classifies omega-3 fatty acids (which are most commonly found in oily fish) as a complementary treatment for depression. However, the advisory panel concluded, for now, that the research was too limited to make policy suggestions.
Some psychiatrists, too, have recently launched a rallying cry for a more integrative approach to mental health care -- one that takes diet and other lifestyle factors into account in diagnosing, treating and preventing mental illness. In a paper recently published in The Lancet Psychiatry, an international group of scientists (all members of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research) argue that diet is "as important to psychiatry as it is to cardiology, endocrinology and gastroenterology."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
3.1 Cholesterol (12/3/2015)
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