Obesity

                 We've all heard it and many people, including myself, have believed it. However a recent study shows that fast food really isn't the main cause of childhood obesity. In fact the research actually shows that the obesity comes from a poor all-day diet that originates at home. I take this as an important reminder that we need to make sure we don't get comfortable blaming a single thing for a big problem.

                 The bottom line is we used to think fast food was one of the biggest factors for obesity, well in reality that isn't the truth. We need to take a look at what we are eating throughout the day and how much exercise we are getting. Obesity is a problem, and it can be fixed while still enjoying an occasional fast food. Now this isn't an invitation to go out and eat as much fast food as you want because it "isn't a cause of obesity". If you do that you will not enjoy the repercussions of it.

                As Americans we have become an obese society, and fast food certainly contributed, but the real problem is that we need to learn to eat in moderation. I remember seeing a research study one time that was televised. They had an American man and a European man, each had a bowl of soup given to them, but the bowl was constantly being refilled under the table. The result was that the European man got up and left when he was full, but the American man, seeing his bowl had more in it, kept on stuffing himself, the producers of the show had to go out and tell him what was happening.

              Now I'm sure many of us wouldn't go that far with our diet, but sometimes I can catch myself eating a whole can of Pringles in one sitting, simply because I am not paying attention. This is a terrible thing to do, moderation is the key to less obesity. We can have the things we want to eat, as long as we don't eat a whole cake or a whole pie or 12 hot dogs. That is when it becomes an issue.

             Another thing, as I mentioned before, is we need to be checking up on things that were thought to be "fact" because the world in constantly changing and we continue to discover new things, things that were true yesterday are not today and it's something we should think about.

             Just remember you can have what you want, just not to much. I encourage you to record what you eat for maybe a week and see where you might be lacking in your diet, and where you can improve. Don't take anything for granted, and don't be afraid to go against what is popular, you might discover something new.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140115132750.htm

New Technique to Save Lives

         The technique involves replacing all of a patient's blood with a cold saline solution, which rapidly cools the body and stops almost all cellular activity. "If a patient comes to us two hours after dying you can't bring them back to life. But if they're dying and you suspend them, you have a chance to bring them back after their structural problems have been fixed," says surgeon Peter Rhee at the University of Arizona in Tucson, who helped develop the technique. The benefits of cooling, or induced hypothermia, have been known for decades. At normal body temperature – around 37 °C – cells need a regular oxygen supply to produce energy. When the heart stops beating, blood no longer carries oxygen to cells. Without oxygen the brain can only survive for about 5 minutes before the damage is irreversible. Sometimes Just before heart and brain surgery, doctors sometimes lower body temperature using ice packs, and by circulating the blood through an external cooling system. This can give them up to 45 minutes in which to stop blood flow and perform surgery. However, the cooling process takes time and can only be done with careful planning and preparation.
        "After we did those experiments, the definition of 'dead' changed," says Rhee. "Every day at work I declare people dead. They have no signs of life, no heartbeat, no brain activity. I sign a piece of paper knowing in my heart that they are not actually dead. I could, right then and there, suspend them. But I have to put them in a body bag. It's frustrating to know there's a solution." The technique will be tested on 10 people, and the outcome compared with another 10 who met the criteria but who weren't treated this way because the team wasn't on hand. The technique will be refined then tested on another 10, says Tisherman, until there are enough results to analyse. This technique will hopefully be successful and be able to be put to use in the future as a method to help save lives.