Give Yourself a Little TLC

They're all around you: people suffering from, or at risk of developing, lifestyle-related chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease or arthritis. Perhaps you're one of them. In fact, in the United States, these chronic diseases have reached epidemic proportions.

A therapeutic lifestyle changes program (TLC) teaches wellness habits such as healthier eating and regular physical activity, with the goal of achieving health that lasts a lifetime. TLC should not be confused with weight-loss programs or diets. Where these programs generally fail, TLC has been remarkably successful in helping people achieve long-term results.

In numerous studies, TLC has been shown to be highly effective in helping prevent, manage or even reverse some of our most prevalent chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. For example, a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology concluded that many patients with conventional risk factors for coronary heart disease can reduce their risk without medications within 12 weeks of starting a TLC program, refuting the notion that intensive lifestyle modification is not worth the effort.

A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, involving 3,051 men ages 60-79 years with no diabetes mellitus or diagnosis of heart disease, concluded that modification of lifestyle factors, even later in life, has considerable potential for primary prevention of metabolic syndrome. A randomized, clinical trial of 348 Caucasian, middle-aged adults indicated that a TLC program incorporating various behavior modification tools, such as live lectures, workbooks and professional advice, could reduce the risk factors for cardiovascular disease after six months.

Ask your doctor about TLC – it isn't just good for patients, it's also good business for doctors. Your doctor might already be considering it. If not, ask for a referral to another health care professional who practices TLC. You also can ask your employer. Your employer might offer wellness benefits in the form of health insurance coverage or a corporate wellness program. Additionally, ask your tax professional if you can pay for TLC using pre-tax dollars available from an employer-sponsored flexible spending account or federal health savings account.

TLC has been shown to be a powerful tool for the prevention, management, and reversal of many of our most prevalent chronic diseases. Those who participate in a TLC program have the opportunity to protect or regain health for better, more enjoyable living.

Read More

Turn Off the TV and Tune Into Health

Does your child seem to spend the entire day in front of the TV, on the computer or playing video games? Here's an important reason why you should encourage them to get up and get moving.

An article in the March 2008 issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that turning off the TV and the computer helps young children improve their health. A group of 70 overweight children ages 4 to 7 were placed into one of two groups. One group (the intervention group) used an automatic monitoring device placed on the family TV and computer to keep track of time in use, along with an intervention program to reward children for reducing TV and computer use. The other group (the control group) had no such device or intervention.

Results after 24 months were quite amazing. Children in the intervention group reduced their television viewing by 17.5 hours per week, as compared to only 5.2 hours for the control group. More importantly, the intervention group also reduced its body mass index (BMI), while the control group's BMI increased. Members of the intervention group also significantly reduced overall food intake compared to the control group. The researchers concluded, "Reducing television viewing and computer use may have an important role in preventing obesity and in lowering BMI in young children."

So, what does this mean for you and your kids? Fighting the war against obesity is as simple as getting your kids off the couch and away from that computer or TV screen (and the endless array of snacks kids usually keep on hand). Spend more time doing healthy family activities – whether it's walking the dog, playing Frisbee in the park – and your children will be on their way to a healthier lifestyle. Now that's something worth watching.

Read More

Antiobiotics Don't Work for Cold Symptoms

According to a recent study published in the British medical journal Lancet, about a third of patients who go to their doctor for upper respiratory tract infections (UTIs) are diagnosed with acute rhinosinusitis, and 80 percent of those patients receive antibiotics – even though doctors don't have clear criteria for distinguishing between viral and bacterial infections.

Why is this an important distinction? It's important because while bacterial infections can be treated with antibiotics, viral infections cannot. If you take antibiotics for a viral infection, they won't help and actually might harm you. The Centers for Disease Control emphasizes this point on its Web site:

"Are you aware that colds, flu, most sore throats, and bronchitis are caused by viruses? Did you know that antibiotics do not help fight viruses? It's true. Plus, taking antibiotics when you have a virus may do more harm than good. Taking antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment."

The Lancet study involved 2,547 adults with clinical signs and symptoms of rhinosinusitis (nasal discharge, discomfort in the cheeks and/or face, cough, cold). The researchers determined that guidelines suggesting antibiotics be administered after seven days of symptoms were not supported by the evidence. They concluded that in general, adults diagnosed with acute rhinosinusitis should not receive antibiotics regardless of their symptoms due to the risks for adverse side effects and increased antimicrobial resistance.

No one enjoys being sick, but antibiotics aren't the answer, particularly for common UTIs and cold symptoms. While cold symptoms aren't pleasant to endure, mom's homemade remedies of chicken soup, vitamins and fluids might be just as effective and a lot less risky.

Read More