Lack of Exercise Worse Than Being Obese

May 26, 2010

Telegraph.co.uk

By Kate Devlin

Dr Richard Weiler, a specialist registrar in sport and exercise medicine, said that a lack of fitness was the root cause of more illness than body fat.

This ill health includes diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, mental health problems and high blood pressure, he said.

He called for public health policies to focus more on increasing physical activity and that spending huge amounts of money on treating obesity was the wrong way forward.

Weight loss drugs and surgery both carry risks and their long-term benefits are limited, he warns in an opinion piece published in the British Medical Journal.

A recent review of the evidence “suggests that cardiorespiratory fitness, which is developed and maintained by regular physical activity, is a better predictor of mortality than obesity,” Dr Weiler, from Imperial College Healthcare Trust, in London, writes.

More than nine in 10 people in Britain do not take the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week.

His article which says that health policy should focus on physical activity rather than obesity, adds that health problems “can be greatly reduced by physical activity leading to improved fitness – even in the absence of weight loss.”

However, writing in the same journal, Prof Louise Baur and colleagues from the University of Sydney, say that while physical inactivity is a “major contributor “ to disease it would be wrong to focus on exercise and ignore obesity.

Meanwhile, a new survey shows that one in five children say they do not get any support from their parents to play sport outside school.

And half of boys and 15 per cent of girls saying they would play more sport if their parents were prepared to drive them to sports clubs, the poll, of 1,000 children and 2,000 parents by David Lloyd Leisure showed.

Click here for the full report.

2,000 Calorie Milkshake Named America’s Unhealthiest Drink

May 26, 2010

Telegraph.co.uk

By Laura Roberts

Just one drink equals the recommended daily total calorie intake for women and falls only just short of the 2,500 daily allowance for men.

The Cold Stone PB&C is made with chocolate ice cream, milk and peanut butter. It contains 2,010 calories, 131 grams of fat – 68 grams of which is saturated – and 153 grams of sugar.

It topped the Men’s Health 20 Worst Drinks in America 2010 list, beating a McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Milkshake to the post.

“In terms of saturated fat, drinking this Cold Stone catastrophe is like slurping up 68 strips of bacon,” the magazine report found.

“Health experts recommend capping your saturated fat intake at about 20 grams per day, yet this beverage packs more than three times that into a cup…”

Jamie Oliver, the chef who recently made a television programme about tackling unhealthy eating habits in America, said: “There are no words.”

The drink is sold in Marina Del Rey, California – where most local residents are known for their health conscious diets – and is most popular with tourists.

Christopher Fields, 45, from Hammond, Indiana, said: “It’s delicious. I would definitely have it again.”

When told how many calories the drink contains he said: “I don’t care.

“I’d drink it without difficulty. I’d probably have it once a week.”

The Eat This, Not That Men’s Health column claimed the second worst drink in America is the Peanut Power Plus Grape from Smoothie King. A large cup is worth roughly 1,500 calories.

The McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake comes in third. A large cup of that is worth 1,160 calories or the equivalent of 13 McDonald’s apple pies.

Click here for the full report.

Vitamin D And Elderberries Kill H1N1

May 26, 2010

Natural News

By David Gutierrez

A former family practitioner in Canada says she cured herself of the H1N1 swine flu by taking supplements of vitamin D and elderberries.

Dr. Gillian Arsenault, now a public health employee, said that she had a prescription for antiviral drugs on hand when she became infected with swine flu, but never ended up having to fill it. Writing in the Medical Post, Arsenault recounts how the flu “hit like a truck,” but was reduced to only a lingering cough within four days.

Arsenault has researched complementary health care extensively and began taking 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily in 2007. This is the amount recommended by the Canadian Cancer Society to help produce strong bones and reduce the risk of infection, cancer and other chronic diseases. Over the course of 2009, she experimented with doses between 3,000 and 5,000 IU.

“Medicine is my job and my hobby. I spend a lot of time after work looking things up,” she said.

Researchers remain divided on the maximum safe daily dose of vitamin D, with estimates ranging between 2,000 and 10,000 IU. High doses can interfere with the effects of some drugs, and may produce mild or severe toxicity, with symptoms as severe as kidney failure, seizures or psychosis.

Because research has suggested that vitamin D can help prevent infection, Arsenault set out to see if it could help her recover faster. She adjusted her daily dose and paid to have her blood levels tested to make sure she remained within a safe and healthy range. She added an elderberry extract as well, based on research showing that the plant can reduce the severity of flu and speed recovery.

Many cases of swine flu are mild or moderate even without vitamin D supplementation, and Arsenault admits that her case study is not proof that the treatment works. But it is suggestive enough to merit further research into whether vitamin D can “abort the development of severe illness or enhance the benefit of antiviral treatment for those already seriously ill,” she said.

Click here for the full report.

Big Pharma Leaves ‘Deadly Warnings’ Out of Ads

May 26, 2010

Natural News

By David Gutierrez

The FDA has sent warning letters to four pharmaceutical companies citing them for omitting and minimizing information about risks and exaggerating potential benefits in material promoting their drugs.

The letters order the companies to cease banned marketing behaviors and instruct their employees on rules for promotions, but do not impose any fines or other sanctions.

Among the companies reprimanded are Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly & Co. for their diabetes drug Byetta. The FDA letter notes that at a meeting of the Endocrine Society in June, an Amylin representative told an FDA employee that the drug caused 80 percent of patients to lose seven to eight pounds in 30 weeks of treatment. When the FDA representative asked about the source of that claim, he was provided with copies of two published studies that did not support it.

The letter states that Amylin representatives made other misleading or false statements about the drug’s benefits, and suggested that it could be used as a standalone treatment. At the time of the conference, Byetta was not yet approved as a standalone drug, making it illegal for the company to promote it for that use.

Eli Lilly was also taken to task for “entirely [omitting] risk information” in a print ad for the antidepressant Cymbalta, and for minimizing risks and exaggerating benefits in another ad.

Cephalon was reprimanded for promotional cards for the lymphoma drug Treanda, which contain “an extremely limited risk presentation” and omit “important material information related to the dosing claims.”

Finally, the FDA sent a letter to Bayer over its marketing campaign for the intra-uterine device Mirena. In addition to playing down risks and making false and misleading statements, the FDA notes that Bayer’s ad campaign makes unsubstantiated statements claiming that “the use of Mirena instead of other means of contraception will result in increased levels of intimacy, romance, and by implication, emotional satisfaction.” The ads also promise that women who use the device will “look and feel great.”

The FDA is unaware of “any evidence suggesting that women who are using Mirena for birth control look great or feel great,” the letter reads.

Click here for the full report.

Corrupt Washington Named ‘America’s Fittest City’

May 26, 2010

Forbes.com

By David Whelan

Not all cities are equal from a fitness standpoint. In some big cities one in three people are obese; in others it’s only one in five. In some cities there is one baseball diamond for every 10,000 people; in others there are five times as many ball fields.

So says this year’s American Fitness Index report, published by the American College of Sports Medicine. It takes the biggest 50 metropolitan areas and ranks them by fitness levels. The top city on the list, now for three years running, is Washington, D.C. The least fit is Oklahoma City, Okla.

The index considers 30 factors. The most important ones are measures of the city population’s disease rates, mortality, physical attributes and lifestyle–even how many people eat full servings of fruit and vegetables. The rest of the ranking is based on the number of dog parks, golf courses, swimming pools and the like.

In Depth: America’s 10 Fittest Cities

“We are thrilled to be the fittest city in the nation for the third consecutive year,” Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty said in a statement. “We are investing in our recreation centers, building new swimming pools and opening more parks so our residents can exercise, swim, walk, bike and compete in sports.”

Washington isn’t normally thought of as a health-obsessed city. That designation might bring to mind outdoorsy places like Denver or Minneapolis, two other cities in the top 10.

But the Washington metro area “has a low smoking rate, a better-than-average number of folks eating fruits and vegetables and a lower-than-average rate of obesity,” says Walter Thompson, a professor at Georgia State who advises the index. Another example is the diabetes rate: Only 6.7% of the D.C.-area population has diabetes, compared with 8.3% nationwide. The youthful population of government aides and interns surely helps.

The nation’s capital is also a well-endowed city when it comes to community recreation centers, ball fields and other places to exercise. Washington has the second-highest rate of people walking or biking to work, aided by 60 miles of bike lanes.

On the other hand, just because there are a lot of parks and bike lanes being built doesn’t mean that everyone uses them. And by giving points simply for having infrastructure, the index might favor wealthier cities or those with bigger governments. “It’s a fair point,” says Brenda Chamness, who gathers the data for the index. Chamness points out that research has found that fitness levels rise along with the building of new facilities. “If individuals do not have access to safe, convenient and affordable places to exercise, they would be less likely to exercise.”

Click here for the full report.

Chiquita Subsidiary Recalls Products

May 26, 2010

Google.com / AP

Fresh Express, a subsidiary of Chiquita Brands International Inc., said Monday it is recalling several types of ready-to-eat salads after salmonella was found in a package tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The products in question include lettuce mixes, Caesar salad and other salad kits, hearts of romaine and other items. The company said the FDA found a single package of the salad tested positive for salmonella.

Fresh Express said it is voluntarily recalling Fresh Express salads and lettuce packages that contain romaine lettuce, have “use by” dates of May 13 through May 16 and an “S” in the product code and that were sold in 26 states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Fresh Express is advising consumers to check their refrigerators for the products. The “use by” date and product code can be found in the upper-right-hand corner of the package.

People who find a package matching the description should throw it away and call (800)242-5472 for a refund.

Click here for the full report.

Heartburn Drugs Are A Major Gamble

May 26, 2010

BusinessWeek.com

By Steven Reinberg

Blockbuster heartburn medications such as Prevacid, Prilosec and Nexium will now carry a warning on their labels linking the drugs to a heightened risk for fractures, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced late Tuesday.

The label will advise consumers to use this class of medicines, called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), carefully, because high doses have been associated with an increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist and spine, the agency said.

PPIs, which include prescription and over-the-counter drugs, work by blocking stomach acid from being produced. However, as with any drug, this benefit comes with some risk, the FDA said.

“Epidemiology studies suggest a possible increased risk of bone fractures with the use of proton pump inhibitors for one year or longer, or at high doses,” Dr. Joyce Korvick, deputy director for safety in FDA’s Division of Gastroenterology Products, said in an agency statement.

“Because these products are used by a great number of people, it’s important for the public to be aware of this possible increased risk and, when prescribing proton pump inhibitors, health care professionals should consider whether a lower dose or shorter duration of therapy would adequately treat the patient’s condition,” she said.

Based on a review of the scientific evidence, the agency is instructing the makers of the drugs to change the labels for both the prescription and the over-the-counter versions of the proton pump inhibitors. The FDA based its decision on the results of seven studies, six of which noted a link between PPIs and fracture, primarily among users aged 50 and over.

Proton pump inhibitors include the drugs esomeprazole (Nexium)), dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), omeprazole (Prilosec, Zegerid)), lansoprazole (Prevacid)), pantoprazole (Protonix)), and rabeprazole (Aciphex)). These medicines are used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach and small intestine ulcers and inflammation of the esophagus. Over-the-counter versions of Prevacid, Prilosec and Zegerid also fall into this class of drugs.

The FDA is advising consumers to not stop taking PPIs until they have consulted with their doctor. However, patients should be aware of the increased risk for fractures. The highest risk was seen in people taking higher doses of PPIs, or among those who took them for a year or more, the agency said.

For people taking over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors, the FDA said they should only be taken for 14 days to help ease frequent heartburn. If heartburn continues, people should see their doctor. Under no circumstances should over-the-counter PPIs be taken for more than three 14-day periods in a year, the agency said.

Dr. Amar R. Deshpande, an assistant professor of gastroenterology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said the data behind the FDA decision “is not new.”

PPIs may disrupt the body’s ability to absorb calcium, which, in turn, can increase the risk for fractures, Deshpande explained. He also believes that this class of drugs is overused and often taken by patients for too long.

There’s a need to “be judicious in general, irrespective of this data,” Deshpande said. “With PPIs we should really have a targeted endpoint to come off these medications. There is more reason to do that now that we are seeing data that they can have potential side effects.”

It is probably also a good idea to shy away from high doses of the heartburn medications, unless absolutely necessary, he said.

“Everything in medicine is a risk/benefit ratio,” Deshpande said. “Patients need to talk to their doctor about what they are on the PPI for and look at the risk/benefit ratio and see if they should be on it indefinitely or should be able to come off the PPI.”

Click here for the full report.

FDA Investigates Serious Tylenol Recall

May 26, 2010

CNNMoney.com

By Parija Kavilanz

The Food and Drug Administration is looking into reports of at least 775 serious side effects from drugs recalled by McNeil, a division of Johnson & Johnson, according to a source close to a Congressional investigation.

Included in the reports were 30 deaths, nearly all of which were found to not be tied to McNeil’s recall of Tylenol, Motrin and Benadryl drugs from Jan. 1, 2008 through April 30, 2010, according to another source close to the investigation.

The FDA is also investigating reports of several hundred serious side effects — or “adverse events” — and seven deaths since May 1, when McNeil recalled 50 children’s versions of these non-prescription medicines because of serious quality and safety concerns.

The FDA’s investigation into the recalls is ongoing and the agency would not comment on the matter.

Adverse event reports are consumer complaints of a serious side effect associated with the use of a medical product, according to the FDA. Adverse events could include death, hospitalization, disability and other health complications.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has scheduled a hearing on May 27 to examine the recall.

Following the most recent recall, Johnson & Johnson (JNJ, Fortune 500) has suspended production at McNeil’s facility in Fort Washington, Penn., that manufactured the children’s drugs.

McNeil’s latest recall is its fourth in the past seven months:

In November 2009, five lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain 100 count with the EZ-open cap were recalled for unusual odor leading to nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea.
In December, the recall was expanded to include all product lots of Tylenol Arthritis Pain caplet 100 count bottles with the red EZ-open cap.
In January 2010, the recall was widened to an undisclosed number of Tylenol, Motrin and other over-the-counter drugs after complaints of consumers feeling sick from an odor.

McNeil has maintained that its recall of the children’s drugs was not “undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events” but as a precautionary measure.

“We track all adverse events and thoroughly investigate all serious adverse cases that are reported and, in turn, report these to the FDA, whether or not the event may be caused by our products,” McNeil said in a statement Tuesday.

The FDA, which earlier this month issued a scathing 17-page inspection report listing 20 violations at the Fort Washington plant, also maintains that the recalled drugs pose a “remote” potential for serious health problems.

The House panel invited Johnson & Johnson Chief Executive William Weldon to testify but he declined to be present due to health reasons. The Committee said Colleen Goggins, worldwide chairman of Johnson & Johnson’s consumer group will testify at the hearings.

The FDA said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy Commissioner, Deborah Autor, Director of the office of compliance and Michael Chappell, acting commissioner for regulatory affairs, will testify on behalf of the agency.

Click here for the full report.

Another Government Attempt To Kill Alternative Medicine

May 26, 2010

ABCNews.com

By Alice Gomstyn

Sales people marketing herbal supplements gave “potentially dangerous advice” to undercover government investigators, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

The report, scheduled to be released today in time for a Senate committee hearing on dietary supplements and the elderly, revealed the results of an investigation in which GAO investigators posed as elderly customers to ask questions about herbal dietary supplements to sales staff at 22 storefront and mail-order retailers questions. The GAO also reviewed marketing claims made on 30 retail websites.

Investigators found that sales people gave them “potentially dangerous advice,” such as suggesting that they could take supplements instead of prescription medication, according to the report.

In another case, an herbal supplement seller said that a customer could take Ginkgo biloba with asprin to improve memory. The GAO said the Food and Drug Administration warns that combining aspirin and Ginkgo could increase a person’s risk of internal bleeding.

“In making these claims, sellers put the health of consumers at risk,” Greg Kurtz, head of the Government Accountability Office Forensic Audits and Special Investigations, said in remarks prepared for the committee hearing.

The GAO also listed what it called deceptive claims made by herbal supplement marketers tied to Ginkgo biloba and other popular supplements as Ginseng, including assertions that the latter can cure cancer and that the former can treat both impotence and Alzheimer’s disease.

Steve Mister, the president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a trade association for supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers, defended the industry in an interview with ABCNews.com.

“We understand that there are going to be examples of a few industry outliers who may be violating the law, but that is certainly not representative for the vast majority of the industry which is abiding by the law,” he said.

Mister, who said Tuesday that he had not yet seen the GAO report, was scheduled to testify at today’s hearing.

To continue reading this report, click here.

Americans Are Fed Up With Washington

May 26, 2010

CBSNews.com

By Brian Montopoli

Americans are frustrated with nearly everyone in Washington – including President Obama, Congress, and the Democratic and Republican parties – and have become increasingly pessimistic about what the future holds, according to a new CBS News poll.
Seven in ten Americans are dissatisfied with the way things are going in Washington, including 22 percent who say they are “angry” about the situation. Just 15 percent overall approve of the job being done by Congress.
Opinions of both parties, meanwhile, are at or near historic lows: 55 percent of those surveyed hold unfavorable views of Republicans, and 54 percent hold unfavorable views of Democrats.
The president’s job approval rating has fallen to 47 percent, and, perhaps more crucially, Americans no longer say he shares their priorities for the country.
The percentage that says Mr. Obama shares their priorities has fallen to 45 percent, a drop of 13 points from October. The percentage who says he does not has risen to 47 percent, up from 38 percent seven months ago.
The discontentment is tied to widespread dissatisfaction with Washington economic policy. Just 13 percent say Mr. Obama’s economic programs, among them the massive economic stimulus package, have helped them personally. Eighteen percent say they have hurt, while two in three say there has been no effect.
Fifty-nine percent say Wall Street has undue influence in Washington, and a majority says the stock market unfairly benefits the rich; most oppose the government bailouts for banks and automakers, though they back support for struggling homeowners. Eight in ten say the economy is in bad shape.
Looking ahead, one in two Americans say that life for the next generation will be worse than it is now, up from 32 percent last March. Just one in five expects it to be better.

Click here for the full report.

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