Showing posts with label Type 2 Diabetes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Type 2 Diabetes. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

How Many Hospitals Should Serve McDonald's?


Take a guess - how many hospitals do you think in the US have McDonald's on site?

a. 1-9
b. 10-19
c. 20-29
d. 30+

Our blog has moved, but you can get the answer by clicking here.  The answer will surprise you..especiall when you find out what famous brand name shares space with the Golden Arches.

 Thanks for visiting the Health Travel Guides blog!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Picture This: America's Big Fat Future of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes


Facing the Facts: The High Cost of Obesity in America

Medical Coding Career Guide
Thanks to our friends at  MedicalCodingCareerGuide.com for this infographic!

Related Reading
Today's new York Times reports on studies recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, "Surgery on Diabetics May Be Better Than Standard Treatment".  

Although the effectiveness of metabolic surgery on resolution of type 2 diabetes is good news, the bad news is, most Americans cannot afford the cost of bariatric surgery, which ranges from $10,000 for adjustable gastric banding to more than $30,000 for the RNY gastric bypass.  

The good news: the world's leading metabolic surgeons are located in Mexico, Costa Rica and Spain, where the cost for the procedure is less than half the U.S. health system.  The best news: Health Travel Guides, a San Francisco-based healthcare technology firm, will guide you every step of the way!

Find out if you are a candidate for weight loss surgery by clicking on this secure link to fill out a personal medical history . A Health Travel Guide will be in touch to answer your questions about traveling for bariatric surgery abroad - something more than 7,000 Americans have done!



Saturday, January 21, 2012

Twinkies, Eternal Freshness and Premature Death

This past Wednesday Hostess - that purveyor of Twinkies, Wonder Bread and Ho-Hos -  filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company said it is struggling to stay competitive under the weight of debt and soaring labor force expenses  - primarily referring to legacy pension and medical benefit obligations and restrictive collective bargaining agreements governing its 19,000 strong, predominantly union workforce.

A Sweet American Giant On Its Knees
The ingredients for a bankruptcy can be complex, but, it seems, no more so than the ingredients of the Twinkie itself.  The description we hear in advertising - golden sponge cake, creamy filling - is rather vague and, it turns out, not very reflective of the very interesting (and somewhat alarming) ingredients of the snack cake.

Fun Facts About Twinkies

Vitamins.  Who knew Twinkies have vitamins?!  Where the vitamins come from, however, is another story: Food writer Steve Ettlinger, author of the book “Twinkie, Deconstructed, explains in an interview with NY Times health blogger Tara Parker-Hope that the vitamins in Twinkie are made from petroleum and fermented in enormous industrial plants mostly in China, part of what Ettlinger calls "the Twinkie Industrial Complex". 

Rocks.  No animals are harmed in the making of a twinkie, but rocks are put to work. Five rocks are required in the making of a Twinkie, including salt,.gypsum, trona, limestone and phosphorus ore.

Polysorbate 60   Ettlinger was unable to get Twinkie factory employees to give away the secret of the cream filling, but he suspects it is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, polysorbate 60, and possibly cellulose gum.

Eternal Life.  Twinkies will change consistency as they age, but apparently never become (more) inedible.  The food writer interviewed in the NY Times has a Twinkie from 2005 in his office, with nary a speck of mold, which might explain the "good through 1/11/25" that was ink-jetted onto the cellophane wrapper of a Banana Flip - quite similar to a Twinkie except for the flavor - that I once purchased as part of a Halloween costume.

The year was 1992, and it actually took me awhile to understand that the '25' in the date line referred to 2025. I've moved twice since then, but the Banana Flip, still stored in a box somewhere, is still (according to them) just as edible a the day I bought it. I should add that the last time I saw it - sometime in 2002 - it looked the same, although the creme filling looked a trifle less creamy.

Doctor Criticizes Snack Cakes, Loses Job
While nothing in the Twinkie seems to resemble food as we know it, and sugar and fat are well-understood contributors to the American obesity rate - Tuesday the CDC reported that more than 78 million adults and almost 13 million children aged 2-19 are obese- a  Florida doctor was removed from his job running a local  health department after posting signs critical of junk food and doughnuts.

Associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago Dr. Elbert Huang said in an interview with  MSNBC news that current obesity rates guarantee that we will see dramatic increases down the road in diabetes and in costs linked with that disease. That's because Type 2 diabetes, strongly linked to obesity,  becomes more prevalent as people age.

Twinkies are eternally nostalgic, (nearly) eternally fresh as that word is understood in processed food land, but neither obesity nor diabetes need to be lifelong burdens.  Check out the articles below for an in-depth look at the factors contributing to obesity and diabetes, and how to control them.

click to learn about Green Zone LAP-BAND
Related Reading

Friday, January 13, 2012

Diabetics Have Less Opportunity, Lower Lifetime Earnings

The Toll of Diabetes:  Social and Economic As Well As Physical

A new study has quantified the non-medical costs associated with Type 2 diabetes, which according to the American Diabetes Association affects ~26 million children and adults in the United States, or 8% of the population, with new diagnoses at a rate of  1.9 million cases per year.

 The study, published in the journal Health Affairs, tracked 15,000 people diagnosed with either Type 1 or  the far more common Type 2 diabetecs from high school through their early 30s, or about 14 years.  Results show that people with diabetes can expect to make $160,000 less in earnings over the course of their lifetimes as compared to non-diabetics.

The research reveals that diabetics are less likely to complete high school or attend college; by age 30, a person with diabetes is 10 percent less likely to find employment. , in part because of reduced education.

"Diabetics may be having some negative consequences pretty early on in the course of life,” ~Dr. Michael Richards, study author/Yale University

The researchers estimate that the driving force of the income and opportunity disparities for diabetics is the difficulties experienced in balancing school or job demands with the management of a chronic disease.

In addition, employers may also be less likely to hire someone with diabetes, fearing either (or both) lost productivity due to sick days because and a greater insurance burden relative to non-diabetic workers.

Read: Diabetes Discrimination: Know Your Rights

"Job lock" may also be a factor; job lock refers to reluctance to seek out better-paying jobs for fear of losing existing health benefit.

Earlier research confirms that chronic disease and other health indicators - for example, being overweight, can pose barriers in the job market - obesity has long been linked to lower earnings.

Although Type 2 diabetes is more often encountered among older Americans, who can face age-related discrimination, the study controls for age, and shows the deleterious effects of diabetes are independent of age:  high school students with diabetes were 6% more likely to drop out, and 10% less likely to find a job.  

The study also controlled and adjusted for the effect of being overweight, as well as race and other environmental and demographic factors, with results clearly showing diabetes having a negative effect on income independent of other factors.
Intergenerational effects were also noted: children of diabetics were 6% less likely to attend college if they had a diabetic parent, possibly due to the financial impact of diabetes on the family income/savings. 

Diabetes: Stealing The Future of Our Children?
Current estimates place obesity rates among adolescents between 16-32%, a statistic that has the A panel of experts appointed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics recently released a report recommending screening for Type 2 Diabetes should begin before age 10 for children who are overweight and/or have a family history of diabetes.  

Read: Is Weight Loss Surgery a Drastic Solution to the Problem of Childhood Obesity?

The problem of childhood obesity is so severe the New England Journal of Medicine has opined that the next generation of children may be the first in history to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

First Lady Michele Obama's Let's Move initiative to reduce childhood obesity is aptly named; recent research has discovered an 'exercise hormone' (nicknamed "irisis" by scientists).  The hormone helps transform inert white fat into metabolically active brown fat; while overweight people who exercise may not lose weight, they experience the benefit of the hormone making them weight-gain and diabetes resistant.

Gastric Bypass and Diabetes Resolution
Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the US, and will likely move up the mortality ladder given that nearly 80 million Americans are currently classified by the ADA as "prediabetic". 

Type 2 diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and adult blindness, and is linked to increases incidence of heart disease, stroke, cancer diagnosis and death. 

The current gold standard of bariatric surgery for obesity has the welcome side effect of resolving Type 2 diabetes.  The popular Dr. Oz was recently quoted in Prevention Magazine recommending  gastric bypass surgery, a procedure he considers essential in the fight against obesity.
Read: 10 Celebrities Who Have Had Weight Loss Surgery

Dr. Oz points out that an obese 50-year old has the same mortality rate as a cancer patient - most would not hesitate to operate for cancer, and the same should be true of obesity. "If you get people to start losing 5% of their excess body weight, you're really taking a big whack out of  (a serious health problem that is affecting) the two-thirds of Americans," he notes.
Related Reading

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Diabetes, Obesity, Superhero Workouts Top Internet Health Searches of 2011

What do obesity and pin-thin Ryan Gosling have to do with each other? Well, a lot, according to Google. Seems "obesity", and "Ryan Gosling workout" are among the top two topics among Internet searchers in 2011.   

With more than two-thirds of the population overweight, and one third obese, America is flabbier than ever. But that may be about to change, if the search topics of 2011 are an indication:  among the most searched terms were "high protein diet" the "Thor" workout, the “Ryan Gosling workout,” the “Chris Hemsworth workout,” and the “Captain America workout.”

The most searched diet term: the “Dukan diet” (also known as the Kate Middleton pre-wedding diet, and also also known (by the British Dietetic Association) as one of the top 5 worst celebrity diets to avoid).  The “four-hour diet” and “17-days diet" were also in the top three.

With more than two-thirds of the population overweight, and one third obese, America is flabbier than ever. But that may be about to change, if the search topics of 2011 are an indication. 

Other top health-related search terms include:
  • diabetes symptoms
  • obesity
  • gall bladder symptoms
  • diet
  • poison ivy 
  • sunscreen
  • sinusitis
  • bipolar disorder
The most popular search terms at Health Travel Guides: obesity, diet, diabetes, joint replacement, and fertility treatment.   Our most popular articles include:


Popular New York Times Health Searches 
The New York Times reports the most highly searched health topics include alternative therapies, the brain and mental health, and happy relationships.  Below are some links to the Times' most searched articles of the year:

How Meditation May Change the Brain
People who meditated 30 minutes a day for eight weeks had changes in parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress.

Go Easy on Yourself, a New Wave of Research Urges
A new area of psychological research suggests that self-compassion, a measure of how kindly people view themselves, may be the first step toward better health.

OFFSPRING Ryan Kramer, 20, of Pasadena, Calif., is the child of a donor.
“One Sperm Donor, 150 Sons and Daughters”
As the number of children born through artificial insemination increases, concern is growing about having many children fathered by the same donors.

Can Exercise Keep You Young?
A new study finds that exercise reduced or eliminated signs of aging in mice genetically programmed to grow old at an accelerated pace.

Marsha Linehan is a therapist who recently opened up about living with borderline personality disorder.
“Expert on Mental Illness Reveals Her Own Struggle”
Across the country, people with severe mental illness live what appear to be normal, successful lives. Now, a small number of them are openly discussing their struggles.

“Counting Calories? Your Weight-Loss Plan May Be Outdated”
The newest findings on what specific foods people should eat less often — and more importantly, more often — to keep from gaining pounds as they age.

Alzheimer’s Therapy Focuses on Care”
Science is weighing in on many aspects of taking care of dementia patients, applying evidence-based research to what used to be considered subjective and ad hoc.

Recent left-handed presidents include, from left, Gerald R. Ford, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
Left-Handedness Loses Its Stigma but Retains Its Mystery
Over the centuries, left-handers have been accused of criminality and dealings with the devil; today, the riddle of handedness remains.

“I had to train myself not to get too interested in their problems, and not to get sidetracked trying to be a semi-therapist.” DR. DONALD LEVIN, a psychiatrist whose practice no longer includes talk therapy.
Talk Doesn’t Pay, So Psychiatry Turns Instead to Drug Therapy”
Many psychiatrists, in large part because of how much insurance will pay, no longer provide talk therapy.

Calcium and Vitamin D – Who Needs It, and How Much
New recommendations for calcium and vitamin D have left many people wondering whether they are getting enough, or perhaps too much, in their diets and supplements.

“The Hazards of the Couch”
Increasingly, research is focusing not on how much exercise people get, but how much of their time is spent in sedentary activity, and the harm that does.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Let Them Eat Chocolate! 12 Anti-Diabetes Superfoods

Type 2 Diabetes presents one of the greatest health risks to the population today.  It is the seventh leading cause of death in the US.  Diabetes are more likely to experience glaucoma, cataracts, and neuropathy (nerve damage to the feet that impacts ability to feel pain, heat and cold), is also the leading cause of kidney failure.

Recent research confirms that diabetes increases the risk of heart attack and stroke:
  • women with diabetes have an 11% greater  risk of cancer mortality
  • men with diabetes have a 17% greater risk of cancer mortality.
Diabetes experience higher incidence of cancer of the colon, liver and rectum. Diabetic women have greater incidence of stomach and endometrial cancers while diabetic men have higher incidence of bladder and pancreatic cancer.

Diabetes can be prevented and controlled through diet. People who are obese (i.e. have Body Mass Index of >30) are 400% more likely to suffer from Type 2 Diabetes (aka “diabesity”), and so are more likely to receive a cancer diagnosis or die from cancer.

Superfoods for Diabetics
A great step for diabetics and pre-diabetics: integrate the following 'super foods' into your regular diet and experience a prompt impact lowering blood sugar, cholesterol and heart disease risks (click here to see the list full size) 



Additional Resources

Monday, August 15, 2011

Is Green the New Black? Green Hornet, Green Lantern, Now Even Green Zone LAP-BAND

Allergan, makers of LAP-BAND, reports that more than 350,000 people around the world have had the LAP-BAND stomach restriction procedure for weight loss. Recently, the FDAapproved relaxed requirements for LAP-BAND, with millions more meeting the qualifying requirement of BMI > 30.

  • QUIZ: Not just for soccer moms! What NFL lineman - and coach- had LAP-BAND?

The FDA change is just in time for more patients to take advantage of the latest innovation in non-invasive stomach restriction procedures: the Green Zone  LAP-BAND.  This evolution of the non-invasive procedure will help patients lose post-op weight faster than before, thanks to an FDA-approved medical device by Crospon called the  Endolumenal Functional Lumen Imaging Probe- or EndoFLIP.

Recently I watched a demonstration of the EndoFLIP, which allows the gastroenterologist surgeon to take multiple (up to 16) real-time images of the bariatric patient's gastroesophogeal tract, enabling very precise placement of the LAP-BAND so the patient feels a restriction that is not too loose (not enough weight loss) and not too tight (leading to nausea or reflux, and discomfort during and after eating), but just right for optimized weight loss.

Most importantly, the EndoFLIP enables the surgeon to perform the first fill of the LAP-BAND interoperatively - so patients leave the hospital with a 'jump start' to their LAP-BAND.  Most patients won't need their next fill for 5 or more months, a significant savings on hassle and cost compared to the regular LAP-BAND, which requires the first fill to take place within 4-6 weeks of band placement, and at least another band fill in the first six months. 

 

 Medical Travel Talk radio recently hosted Health Travel Guides on its show to learn about Green Zone LAP-BAND - case manager Leslie McDeavitt has worked with thousands of LAP-BAND patients having their procedure with the top Allergan-certified  obesity surgical team at the Weight Loss Surgery Center at Hospital Angeles in Tijuana Mexico, just 20 minutes from downtown San Diego, where more than 5,000 US patients have had their LAP-BAND placed by Dr. Juan Lopez Corvala.  


Thanks to a special arrangement with Irish medical device maker Crospon, the Green Zone LAP-BAND is available exclusively at Hospital Angeles, a super state-of-the-art facility in a gated medical campus that is the shining star of Mexico's largest private hospital network.

The all-inclusive Green Zone LAP-BAND medical travel program is offered at $5,950 including 2 nights at the hospital and all associated pre-op tests, doctor, surgeon, and medical fees.  Patients are also enrolled in a one-year follow-up program and receive one year of free fills   from Hosptal Angeles.


Thanks to Leslie for providing the following information: to find out if you’re a candidate for Green Zone LAP-BAND and learn more about the medical travel process: