Prevention best step for healthy hearts

As has been shown time and again in public health, prevention is needed to save costs and lives down the road. Although investing money in health before a problem occurs seems costly, it saves money down the road. The American Heart Association, for example, noted in a recent press release that, “Every dollar spent on building trails for walking or biking saves $3 in medical costs.” The press release also included other policies such as physical education in schools, healthier school lunches and smoke-free public places that they felt policymakers should push for, all of which support prevention efforts. However, this could be a tough sell for policy makers as they struggle to keep costs down for voters. More information on the American Heart Association’s (AHA’s) recemmendations can be found in the links below, with the full press release accessable from the AHA’s website.

American Heart Association. (25 July, 2011). Heart disease prevention – a good investment for individuals, communities. American Heart Association. Retrieved from: http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1385

Shedden, M. (25 July, 2011). Heart Association pushes for prevention. The Tampa Tribune. Retrieved from: http://www2.tbo.com/news/news/2011/jul/25/2/heart-association-pushes-for-prevention-ar-246444/

Two famines but for different reasons

As the Somalia struggles with famine due to regimes who banned international food aid, North Korea struggles with food shortages from bad weather and possible misallocation of food. More about news on famines in Somalia and North Korea can be found below.

Associated Press. (26 July, 2011). U.N. to airlift emergency supplies to famine-stricken Somalia. The Tampa Tribune. Retrieved from: http://www2.tbo.com/news/nation-world/2011/jul/26/t2newso1-un-to-airlift-emergency-supplies-to-famin-ar-246335/

Associated Press. (26 July, 2011). Food shortage racks N. Korea. The Tampa Tribune. Retrieved from:  http://www2.tbo.com/news/nation-world/2011/jul/26/t2newso4-food-shortage-racks-n-korea-ar-246320/

McDonald’s to offer healthier options…again

McDonald’s announced a plan on Tuesday to offer apple slices as an alternative to french fries in their Happy Meals, a change that is just one part of many healthy initiatives to come. Their apple slices announcement comes almost  four years after Burger King began offering apple slices in their kid’s meals, while Wendy’s offered their own version of healthier kid’s meals as well. McDonald’s announcement also included a plan to reduce the serving size of french fries in Happy Meal, reducing it to more than half the size, from 2.4 oz to 1.1 oz. These steps are the beginning of many to come in making fast food healthier. McDonald’s has also pledged to reduce sodium, sugars, saturated fats and calories in their meals over the next decade. Read more on these fast-food health initiatives by following the links below.

Mullins, R. (27 July, 2011). Happy Meal will have apples unless you ask for fries. The Tampa Tribune. Retrieved from: http://www2.tbo.com/news/real-estate-news/2011/jul/27/menewso1-happy-meal-will-have-apples-unless-you-as-ar-246621/

York, E.B. (11 September, 2007). You want apple fries with that? Advertising Age. Retrieved from: http://adage.com/article/news/apple-fries/120390/

Driver behavior studies could lead to many policy changes

The University of South Florida is enrolling drivers in a study to pinpoint what causes crashes. This study will track drivers over 1 or 2 years, and is intended to track the driving of 450 people, with 120 enrolled so far. Participants will have five cameras installed in or around their cars, which will record video continuously when the vehicle is running. Researchers are trying to pinpoint what causes crashes and near crashes, to see what policy changes are necessary to make the roads safe, such as limiting behaviors including cell phone use or other in-car distractions through traffic safety laws, ensuring that vehicles are constructed differently so they are safer, etc.  More information on this public health study can be found here.

Hospitals or airplanes…what’s better for your health?

An interesting article from Reuters with surprising news….flying may be safer than visiting a hospital, and developed countries are not as far ahead of developing countries in certain areas of healthcare. Read more here.

Healthy Travels

As I was preparing to travel this week, a poster appeared at work that really stuck with me, perhaps because it was so fitting for my current frame of mind. This poster from the CDC is great for traveler’s, especially for those who pack “everything but the kitchen sink.” It is important to remember even on vacation that basic steps to good health are important to follow, whether it’s sunscreen and plenty of water or clean hands, especially in high traffic areas such as airports, etc.

CDC Hand Washing/Flu Prevention Travel Poster

 

 

Eat healthy or bust

In June the US Department of Agriculture released new food recommendations for balanced eating, moving away from the traditional food pyramid diagram to “ChooseMyPlate”, a diagram of a plate and glass that shows the recommended portions for each food group. This change may be more helpful to Americans than the “MyPyramid” released a few years ago, which changed the food group orientation from horizontal to vertical.

Former USDA Recommendations, "MyPyramid"

The new plate diagram seems to target portion sizes instead of the typical serving numbers, which can make a huge difference to maintaining a healthy diet. It will allow Americans to visually mimic the portion sizes on their own plates, and may take some of the guess-work out of preparing or selecting balanced meals.

New USDA Recommendations, “ChooseMyPlate”

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is taking a differently approach to healthy eating, following the regulations to label menu items in fast food establishments with calorie amounts. Their campaign, “iChoose600” is targeted toward individuals, specifically mothers, in the four counties in New York State outside of New York City that are labeling menus (Albany, Schenectady, Ulster and Suffolk), and encourages them to make meal selections under 600 calories. Their campaign can be seen on billboards, television commercials and even on Facebook, which includes a calorie counter on the campaign’s page. On the NYSDOH’s campaign website, individuals are reminded  that choosing a 600-calorie meal is a healthier option than higher-calorie meals, but does not necessarily mean the meal is completely healthy or balanced.

NYSDOH "iChoose600" Campaign

For more information on these public health campaigns, click on the links below.

USDA ChooseMyPlate: http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

NYSDOH iChoose600 Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ichoose600

NYSDOH iChoose600 campaign page: http://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/obesity/ichoose600/