What You Didn't Know About Ebola

I recently harped about this issue right here, but seriously, this is getting to be a much bigger problem than any of us anticipated. And in case you didn't realize why, take a look at some of these facts.

• there currently is no cure for Ebola
• Ebola has a 90% fatality rate. That means 9 out of 10 people who are infected die. 
• it can take up to 21 days before symptoms develop, plenty of time for an infected person to travel abroad and come into contact with thousands of people (1)
• it's extremely difficult to diagnose the disease in the initial stages of it
• people contract it through contact with other peoples' blood or secretions
• there's a chance that it could be spread through respiratory droplets (2)
• the first American to die due to ebola flew on two international flights after he was infected (3)
• Around 1200 people that we know of have been infected so far
• 3 Americans have been infected in Africa
• There are several strains of ebola. One of them is named after Reston, VA, where it was discovered. It only kills monkeys.(4)
• 600+ people have died due to infection so far

Pray!

References

1. http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/symptoms/index.html

2. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20341423

3. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/ebola-doctors-told-prepare-global-3933249

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reston_virus

Reasons to Punch an MPH Student in the Head

I keep seeing this over and over again, and it's starting to scare me.

One of the things that somebody with an MPH is qualified to do is be a public health official. You'll have taken all of the courses in administration, environmental health, policy and legislation, and grant writing that you'll ever need.

Unfortunately, what our schools are producing don't seem to be capable leaders who have can effectively improve America's health without trampling all over the Constitution.

Let's take the worldwide battle on obesity, for example.

Over and over again, when I read other student's papers, when I read textbooks, or actual public health official's statements (I'm looking at you Michael Jacobson), the only solution that they can come up with in order to trim down our waistline involves creating new taxes and laws, which instead only result in trimming down our wallets as well as our freedoms.

The 4 most common ways I see people thinking that they can fight obesity are these:

• portion control laws
• unhealthy food taxes
• ingredient control laws
• mandate that grocery stores lower the cost of healthy foods

Let's look at the first one, portion control laws. 

New York recently instituted something like this when they said people can no longer buy a certain size of soda. It was supposedly brave. Where does this end though? When does buying large pizzas become illegal, or super sized Snickers? I can see the day when trick-or-treaters are rounded up into the back of cop cars. 

These are absolutely ridiculous. 

I can remember discussing this in one of my undergrad nutrition classes when the law first came out. The entire class was in agreement with the law. I couldn't believe my ears! I sat there thinking to myself, "What are we preparing for ourselves? If these people get into office, we're doomed."

The second type of law is unhealthy food taxes.

This seems to work with cigarettes, and alcohol, so why not try Oreos? Once again though, who is to mandate what is unhealthy and what is not? What about foods such as eggs? I can easily cook an egg in a way where it is going to be full of artery clogging fats that are even more dangerous that whatever could be in a Pop-Tart. 

And how are food companies such as Nabisco, General Mills, and Post going to respond to these potential taxes? By upping their prices, and increasing their advertising, resulting in a much larger grocery bill for you when your wife NEEDS her Chips Ahoy.

The third type of law involves ingredient control.

This means that the government gets to mandate what you can put into your food, and what you cannot. Obviously we have the FDA to make sure that people aren't putting lead into your cereal, but do you really want the government telling people how much sugar they can put into their soda? 

Not only would your Pepsi taste funny, but the government would once again be reaching its fingers into peoples' lives.

The last, possibly strangest public health 'solution' to obesity is to mandate that grocery stores lower the cost of fresh produce.

That's right. The government comes into a grocery store and says, "Hey, you're selling apples for $1.50/pound. People will never be able to afford that. They're going to buy unhealthy food now instead. You need to lower the prices, or we're going to fine you and throw you in jail."

First off, if you want people to have money to buy food, how about you don't take >25% of their paycheck every week. Second, what gives the government the authority to come in and tell you how much you can charge for a product? The grocery industry already battles razor-thin margins. Why do you want to further harm them? Seriously, my grocery store already only has 2 lanes open as it is. Don't make it worse.

In conclusion...

So, be on the lookout for this stuff. These trains of thought are becoming a lot more common than you think.

Look! An MPH student!

What's Changed with Diabetes?

Diabetes is on the rise, and is now reaching epidemic proportions worldwide.

But why?

What has changed over the past century?

Well, we've increased:

• our weights - we're now heavier than ever, overtaxing our pancreas
• caloric intake - closely tied to excess weight, but a separate factor nonetheless
• protein intake - we now eat more protein than ever before (Eskimos have always eaten a largely meat diet though)
• how much we sit - sitting does increase blood sugar and cause some other metabolic changes in the body, maybe this effects things?
• how clean we are - killing the microbes that may condition our immune system at a young age
• environmental toxins - these things cause all kinds of problems

While we've decreased:

• activity - we're more sedentary than ever
• vitamin D - less activity means less sun, which means less of this vital vitamin
• intestinal parasites - some tapeworms actually cause our immune system not to attack our own cells as much

An unknown virus could be another cause too. 

Odds are that the cause behind the rise is a myriad of these factors put together. The cause behind disease can often be complex, but like in the case of mono, Ebola, or TB, it can often be pretty simple as well. Avoid this virus, avoid this problem. Figuring out what the root cause behind the increase is going to take a lot more research.

My bets are on environmental toxins, but hey, what do I know? I'm just a student. 

5 Theories As to Why Type 1 Diabetes is on the Rise

So, I just finished reading an excellent book for my Diabetes and Obesity class called 'Diabetes Rising'. It's the first book that I've found on the subject of diabetes that actually spends its time addressing the why behind why diabetes is on the rise (aka, I liked it).

Obviously, Type 2 diabetes is associated with excess weight gain, and our world is getting fatter than ever. But does this explain the rise in Type 1 diabetes, otherwise known as juvenile diabetes, that has been occurring as well?

Here are 5 of the top current theories behind this rise.

The Accelerator Hypothesis - kids weigh more now, and at a younger age, than they ever have throughout the course of history. Excess weight is known to overly tax the pancreas, and any life-form is extremely vulnerable during the early stages of growth and development. This excess weight at such an early age allows the pancreas to be forced to work too hard for a longer time-frame than it would have to if say somebody in there 40's gained 50 pounds. Kids have longer to live.

Cons: Though obesity may play a part, what's the baseline cause? If a skinny kid gets diagnosed with Type 1, isn't this theory blown out of the water?

The Cow's Milk Hypothesis - we drink a lot of milk nowadays. However, is the human body designed to be able to digest it? The average person in China drinks 2.3 gallons of milk annually, while the average person in Finland drinks 48 gallons of milk per year. Finland has one of the highest rates of Type 1 diagnosis in the world, whereas China has one of the lowest. Doesn't this show a correlation?

Also, more women are feeding their women formula instead of breastfeeding than ever before. Formula contains cow's milk as a common ingredient. This milk is composed of complex proteins that babies bodies are not prepared to digest, and so the pancreas goes haywire and ends up getting damaged in the process. So, formula = diabetes.

Cons: Asides from potentially being assassinated by the milk industry if you're a proponent, experts argue that you could get the same exact results as some of these studies as you could get with any other protein. Many scientists cannot match the study results that proponents of the Cow's Milk Theory came up with either.

The POP Hypothesis - we live in a polluted environment, and persistent organic pollutants (POP's) are everywhere. These environmental toxins do unknown damage, accumulate in fatty tissue, and have been proven to be building up to very large levels within the human body within the past few decades. Studies have shown that those with the highest levels of POP's in there blood have 37.7 times the risk of developing diabetes than those with the lowest levels as well.

Cons: I actually think that this is the real cause, so I don't have many cons for this one. My only question is this: if POP's build up in fatty tissue, and the only way to make fat cells disappear is through liposuction, wouldn't that procedure significantly lower peoples' risk?

The Sunshine Hypothesis - Vitamin D has been proven to have a lot of important roles in the body, particularly helping the cell junctions to remain tight. The farther away a country is from the equator, the higher the diabetes prevalence as well. Perhaps it is the lack of sunlight/vitamin D in these regions that is leading to the diabetes epidemic.

Cons: Doesn't this mean that all Eskimos/Vikings/Russians throughout history would have been doomed?

The Hygiene Hypothesis - we are cleaner than ever before, but some microbes are helpful. Perhaps our cleanliness is depriving us of microbes that condition our immune system to not attack ourselves. Ingestion of certain types of tapeworms has been shown to lessen diabetes symptoms, so maybe there's something to this.

Cons: I think there may be something here as well, and don't really have too much negative to say.

The cause behind diseases is often a bunch of risk factors combined, so I wouldn't go off and say that milk is the sole reason for the increase in diabetes cases (if one at all). So, stay tuned to the research, and if you want to know more, google it!

Just Another Day at the Office

It's pretty late in the evening, and I'm wrapping things up with my last client of the evening. I'm the only personal trainer on site at the moment that I know of, and so the personal training studio should be completely empty. Nobody's allowed in there without a trainer, so we should have the place to ourselves to finish our last exercise: 3 sets of bicep curls.

We walk up to the door, I open it, and there directly in front of me stands a half-naked lady in a bikini and high heels, with a 600 pound slab of muscle who I assume was her husband sitting on a bench nearby.

Me: "Uhhh, are ya'll ok if we come in here real quick?"

Husband: "Yeah man, come on in. We're just working our way through some poses real quick."

My client and I quickly grab the dumbbells we need, and silently perform our first set with our faces towards the corner. We must've looked like rabbis at the Wailing Wall.

That's when the lady started to practice walking down a catwalk.

Yep. We left.

I left my phone in there by accident while they were still 'practicing' though. So, I asked one of the female staff to go in there and get it for me. Apparently, this kind of thing must happen pretty often while I'm not there, because she didn't even seemed shocked.

She grabbed my phone, and the guy told her he didn't know why we left, as he told us it was okay for us to be in there (even though THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE).

Most awkward session ever.

Do these kinds of things happen at a normal gym?

Eating Disorder Complications

In case you wanted to know exactly WHY eating disorders are dangerous, here's a few reasons:

• cardiac arrhytmias
• chronic renal failure intense enough to require dialysis
• low blood pressure (you'll feel dizzy, lightheaded, and weak)
• sudden death
• mitral valve prolapse
• electrolyte abnormalities
• intestinal dysmotility (say goodbye to pooping)
• esophagitis
• esophageal rupture (that's your throat)
• Barrett's esophagus
• gastric dialatation requiring stomach pumping
• dehydration 
• GI bleeding
• GI cramping
• cathartic colon necessitating colonic resection (surgery to remove part of your intestines)
• high cortisol levels
• partial neurogenic diabetes insipidus
• hypoglycemia (you'll feel like crap)
• increased bone fracture risk
• osteopenia
• infertility
• babies born with mothers with eating disorders are at increased risk of low APGAR scores, poor weight gain, and at an increased risk of low birth weight
• higher rates of miscarriage
• higher rates of postpartum depression
• potential obstetric complications (your baby could die)
• balding (this can be permanent)
• dry skin
• brittle nails
• developing peach fuzz over your entire body
• calluses, abrasions, and bruising of the hand
• facial purpura
• subconjunctival hemorrhages
• dental damage
• bone marrow necrosis
• increased risk of bacterial infections

Eating disorders are dangerous!

Why People Develop Eating Disorders

Let's start with some statistics.

• 1 in 4 out of every girl on college campuses has an eating disorder
• 85% of eating disorders develop during adolesence
• An eating disorder WILL kill you (if left unchecked)

When it comes to essentially every eating disorder out there, with the exception of binge-eating disorder, which I think is something entirely different, I think that you can really narrow down the root cause to one simple reason: a desire to be viewed as worthwhile. 

Think about it. This is something that all of us have programmed within us. We all want to be somebody. We all want to know that our existence is not meaningless, that people like us, that we're fun to be around. And when we don't feel these things, then we become willing to turn to drastic measures. We all want to measure up. 

However, sometimes people get their idea of self-worth from things that have no shred of truth in them whatsoever. If I'm beautiful, then people will like me. If people think I'm attractive, then I'll be worth their while. I'll be a somebody. 

Where do these ideas stem from though?

Here's an interesting fact for you. Industrialized nations have a much higher rate of eating disorders than less-developed nations. What does this mean? This means that the United States, Italy, France, the U.K. etc, are going to have a much higher rate of eating disorders than nations such as Nepal, Sudan, or Afghanistan ever will. 

But wait a minute, you say. Isn't that a false analogy? I mean some of those people don't even have enough food to eat. Of course they won't be able to develop an eating disorder.

Here's a study for you. 

On the island of Fiji, a nation that you could consider underdeveloped, but where people still have plenty of food, a study was performed.

Western media, mainly in the form of TV shows, which were previously unheard of to the country were introduced. Unfortunately, after a period of time, eating disorders, which were also previously unheard of to the country, began to spread like wildfire. Here's a cool summary of the study.

We are influenced by our environment more than we like to give it credit for. The media is a perfect example of this. We are way more influenced by the media than we would ever think, and a strong media presence has been tied to the development of eating disorders. A history of sexual/physical abuse, critical parents, or harsh comments being made by people in regards to weight are also risk factors for developing an eating disorder, but overall, I think that the media can be traced back to a lot of the cases that we are seeing in the States today.

I think that this is why more industrialized nations have a higher rate of eating disorders than under-developed nations. We have a stronger media presence. We have more free time, greater access to media, and people are actually able to find jobs within media that don't exist in developing countries. 

Society elevates people that it deems as attractive, and the media is full of these people. When these 'role models' (I use the term loosely) are constantly infiltrating peoples' lives, they become something that people aspire to be. And when people cannot attain these lofty standards, depression sets in, and they become susceptible to doing something drastic. Adolescents in particular are extremely susceptible to this influence. 

Now am I saying that ESPN, the radio, and just TV in general are evil? Absolutely not. I love TV. I watch it all the time. What I am saying though is that we do need to monitor our thought processes, as well as what we are filling our minds with. 

So, how can you avoid watching somebody you love end up suffering from this debilitating condition? 

First, watch your mouth. Don't say something stupidly hateful. It's okay to be concerned about somebody's weight, and to let them know that. Doctors do it all the time, and I sincerely think that sometimes saying something about this can be an act of love. Obesity kills too. 

However, be sensitive. Offer support. Don't just tell them that they're getting 'kind of chunky', or something flammable like that. Sometimes words aren't even necessary. Set a positive example for health, and your friends/kids will follow. Good health habits are contagious. 

Second, sound parenting. Don't put your child down. Ever. Be the biggest source of encouragement that they have in their lives. 

And lastly, make sure your kids know that their worth is not dependent on their looks. 

Eating disorders often develop when these factors are missing from peoples' lives. Be a source of encouragement. Be a leader. Exercise wisdom, love, and truth. It's only when we do these things that we will see a decline in the number of cases nationwide.

Exploring Obesity and Waterfalls

Summer classes are almost over! And so, as I grit my way through the last part of my obesity and eating disorders class, tackling group projects with team members currently living in Germany (email tag. I love it.), and reading just about every diabetes paper I can get my hands on, I prepare for the next big fall semester.

What else has been going on?

Welp, other than writing papers on population obesity prevention, we've been spending the past few weekends exploring a pretty sweet waterfall in the local area.

The rocks to the right look little, but they're easily 20 something feet tall. Supposedly there's an underwater cave to the left side of the falls that will pop you up behind the falls. We tried to find it, but a combination of super deep/ice cold/dark water, and just being chickens kept us from further exploring what we thought was it (about 15 something feet down).

Other than that, I've just been working for the hospital and obesity clinic lately. My personal training clients keep suffering from weird incidents like bodywide sepsis, and detached retinas (not from me, I promise!), so client volume is a little down this month, but it'll pick back up. I have faith!

Until then, I guess I'll just keep exploring waterfalls.

Dear Morgan and Braedon,

I caught these 2 dinos, and well...

Cause mischief and trouble

Is all that they do

I was at a loss

So I sent them to you

They decide to play music

Late into the night

And whenever I see them

They'll run out of sight

They tip over trash cans

And hide my car keys

Fly behind my ear

And proceed to sneeze

They mess with my phone

Without my ok

I finally caught them

Just yesterday

Messing in the fruit basket

Mushing all my bananers

Please Morgan and Braedon

Teach them some manners.

Conversation Over

Personal trainer: "Are you diabetic?

Client: "No. I'm just fat."

Ebola Virus Outbreak

Personally, when it comes to epidemiology, I'm more interested in chronic conditions. Curing diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and so on tend to hold my attention a little better than acute conditions.

That being said though, viruses, parasites, and bacteria can be pretty interesting to study as well. Why? They tend to be a little bit more frightening.

For example, did you know that the world's largest outbreak of ebola virus in human history is going on right now in Western Africa? That stuff is scary.

Ebola is extremely contagious, and has the capacity to kill approximately 90% of those infected with it. Patients experience excruciating pain as the virus slowly shuts down their organs, and causes them to bleed all over. I mean ALL over. Google "ebola" and you'll see images of people bleeding from their eyes, arms, mouth, etc. It's not something that you want to catch. The virus typically starts with somebody handling a gorilla, monkey, chimp, bat, or other animal carcass. After that, it spreads through human-to-human contact with the infected.

There's been 518 confirmed deaths at the moment due to the virus, and over 840 cases of infection as of today. This is the stuff where if you catch it, people in white biohazard suits show up at your house. Even the medical personnel have started to contract the disease.

Like I said before, this stuff is scary.

 And speaking of eyes bleeding, here's a little video for you to check out:

Oopsies

Have you ever burped really, REALLY loud and then realized, "Oh wait...I'm at work."?

Living With a Blonde

Granny: "Yep, we used to use the cucumbers from our garden all the time to make pickles."

Yellowhead: "Wait a minute...pickles are made from cucumbers?!"

Me: "Where did you think they came from?"

Yellowhead: "I don't know. A pickle bush, I guess..."

CNA No More

I got a notice in the mail the other day that my CNA (certified nurse's assistant) certification is expiring soon. I threw it in the trash.

For a little while, I thought that I had wanted to become a physician's assistant, or go on to med school. Both of those options required getting 1000+ 'clinical' hours in order to even apply to the programs.

So, one summer I shelled out $600, missed my family's annual vacation to the beach, and enrolled in a CNA training course. Two months later, I was employed.

 I quickly found I absolutely hated being a CNA. I typically worked late into the night, and spent the end of every shift just sitting in a nearby McDonald's parking lot drinking chemical-y tasting smoothies for about a solid hour.

(Supposedly this isn't all that uncommon either. I have a friend who spent a brief amount of time working at a nursing home, and spent an hour before every shift crying in the parking lot. This job's tough, I'm telling you.)

Working with staff that makes it clear that they do not like you, cleaning diapers all day long, the horrible pay, and seeing how those people were treated by the other staff just about made me sick at the end of every shift.

That, and I was constantly afraid that this was going to happen while helping someone use the restroom.

And so, when I had saved up enough money, and found another job, I got outta there. And as a result, that "notice of expiration" letter is sitting, and will remain sitting, in a dump somewhere in the South.

FedEx Next Time

Sigh...

Another experience with government employees...

15 minutes of pulling as hard as I possibly could (to whoever has the boxes below me, I apologize for the foot prints), and I finally got the book out.

Preeetty sure they shoved that thing in there with a stick.

Anyways though, I'm pumped for my new class! Eating disorders and obesity! WOOHOO!