Health Briefs Warns of an Increase in Measles Cases

Health Briefs notes with some concern the uptick in new cases of Measles, a disease that was reportedly wiped from the United States in 2000.  There have now been 288 cases of measles documented since the beginning of the year, which has public health officials deeply worried.  The record was set in 1994 when 963 people contracted the disease during that year.  So far, there are no deaths resulting in this rising trend, but doctors are advising immunization for those who are concerned about contracting the illness.  The rise in cases is thought to be a result of clusters of people whose religious beliefs do now allow for vaccinations.  Polio is also been noticed among these populations where medical treatment is prohibited in favor of prayer.

Health Briefs advises that measles is not a harmless, childhood malady.

The Health Briefs TV show advises that the measles virus can be deadly.  One in 500 cases of the disease is fatal and the danger of pregnant women suffering a miscarriage from it is significant.  Highly contagious, measles can spread and form a localized epidemic among those who have not been immunized against it.  The disease is usually brought into the US by travelers, especially those who spend time in underdeveloped nations where there are no vaccination programs.  If the traveler returns to a community which has also not been proactive about immunization, the disease can spread, unchallenged.  The best protection is said to be a complete program of vaccines along with periodic booster shots.

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Health Briefs on Obesity in Pets and Their Owners

The next time you are outside, take a look at the people walking their dogs. Chances are if the owner is obese, his or her pet will be too. Health Briefs offers advice about how help pets and humans lose weight.

A recent health report is out that states one third of the World population is obese. Another report states that more than half of the pets in the United States are obese. How did we get this way? We eat too much, feed our pets too much and both (pets and owners) are too sedentary.

Obesity is harmful to the body in so many ways. It adds extra pressure on the joints, contributes to diabetes, high blood pressure, and in pets, is can cause disease in the folds of their skin too. Here’s how to get both owner and pet back on a healthy path:

Pets

• Measure the amount of food we feed pets. Follow the vet’s instructions to the letter.
• Cut back on the amount of pet treats we feed our beloved fur kids.
• Take dogs out for regular, energetic walks.
• Play ball inside when it’s raining outside.
• Cats can run around the home chasing small foam balls or play mice.
• Set aside a time to engage in play time with all pets.

Owners

• Choose healthier foods and snacks and eat them in smaller portions. Three ounces of meat and fish is recommended, which is the size  of the palm of your hand.
• Get up and walk at work on breaks and after dinner.
• Pick up the pace when walking dogs.
• Play tag with your cat.

HealthBriefs TV encourages readers with pets who are getting heavier to take active steps to help them shed weight. It’s good for the body and the soul.

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Health Briefs Reports on a Study of the Consequences of Poor Lifestyle Choices

Health Briefs notes that people often take lightly the choices they make in life, and the bad ones can cost them and society at large dearly.  A research institute in Ontario has come up with some statistics that add a voice to this idea.  Ontario residents spend some 942,000 days per year as inpatients in hospitals at a cost of almost two billion dollars because of poor lifestyle choices.  Prime culprits are smoking, excessive drinking, poor diets and lack of exercise.  After tracking 80,000 adults from 2001 to 2010, researchers arrived at these figures that support ideas that the subjects probably already knew.  Usually, those guilty of unhealthy practices are fully aware of the hazards, but somehow are able to rationalize such risky behavior in their own minds.

Health Briefs reiterates a common warning about healthy lifestyle choices.

The Health Briefs TV show is not surprised to learn that smoking is the biggest offender in this study, being responsible for over 500,000 of these "bed days".  The lack of physical activity was deemed the second-most harmful choice, followed by poor diet in third place.  It was found that a 54-year-old whose choices involved all of the risk categories will likely spend as much time in a hospital bed as a 74-year-old who practiced none of these bad behaviors.  Unfortunately, it is difficult, if not impossible, to legislate good lifestyle choices, a fact learned by the mayor of New York City when he tried to outlaw oversized soft drinks.  If their own health and safety is not enough to motivate people to make the right decisions, who knows what will?

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Health Briefs Acknowledges #YesAllWomen

Like most sane people in the country, we at Health Briefs watched with horror as details unfolded of the mass killings in Santa Barbara, California, by a lone, twisted misogynist.  So profound was the effect that social media erupted in a movement denoted as #NotAllMen in an attempt by men to rectify the negative implications that would undoubtedly rub off on males everywhere.  What turned out to be even more revealing was the response:  a movement hashtagged #YesAllWomen.  Using this medium, women gave voice to some of the personally frightening and invasive behaviors they have suffered from men who didn't even know them, but casually encountered them in public places.

Health Briefs listens as women tell of unwanted harassment widely occurring every day.

The Health Briefs TV show has dealt with women's safety issues before, but the true extent of gender-based harassment has never been so clear.  #YesAllWomen invites women to share their stories of being afraid for their safety under otherwise innocuous circumstances.  It is somewhat shocking to the men listening to these statements that virtually every woman has plenty of these stories to tell.  Open harassment of women happens frequently, just about everywhere.  While nothing good can be said about the recent shooting rampage in Southern California, or any of dozens of recent murderous outbreaks anywhere else in the country, the exposition of this little-known fact is an important development.  Letting men know how serious the problem is and assuring women that they are not alone in this issue will hopefully make the world an easier place for a woman to be.

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Health Briefs Asks What it is About Olive Oil That's Just So Darn Healthy

Health Briefs examines the benefits of consuming olive oil a staple in the diet of many people on the three continents that surround the Mediterranean Sea.  In Southern Europe, Northern Africa and much of the Middle East, a large part of the population's daily intake involves olive oil in its preparation.  And it is so much more healthy for them than the substances we cook, bake and fry with here in the West.  While working on a cruise ship for a single summer, this reporter lost a great deal of weight and felt in terrific shape, thanks to the Mediterranean style of cooking -- until returning to North America and our corporate-produced food, when the weight was rapidly regained.

Health Briefs takes a look at one of the world's oldest foods.

The Health Briefs TV show has found that mixing olive oil with nitrate-rich greens such as spinach, celery and carrots, produces a compound that relaxes the blood vessels and brings down blood pressure.  We've long known of the good health benefits of olive oil, nuts and avocados on cardiovascular health.  The Mediterranean diet usually consists of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, fish and very little in the way of red meat, dairy and sweets.  Add to the menu some red wine and you have perhaps one of the healthiest diets in the world.

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