Another late post today, but I just got back into town after a flight. Anyways, here are the links.
Yahoo! News:
Millions of young abusing cough medicine- A new study by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates that approximately 5% of individuals between the age of 12 and 25 have used over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to get high. The active ingredient in these medicines, dextromethorphan, can produce hallucinations and dissociative, out-of-body experiences not unlike the more well-known drugs of this type such phencyclidine/PCP (aka “Angel dust”). Unfortunately, for these intrepid individuals, when consumed in high quantities dextromethorphan can cause unfavorable changes such as elevated blood pressure/body temperature/heart rate along with blurred vision, shallow respirations, and vomiting. The full report contains a more detailed breakdown of usage by age-group along with several other substances of abuse like marijuana, which 81.9% of people between the ages of 12 and 25 have used.
Obesity now a ‘lifestyle’ choice for Americans, expert says- Health economist Eric Finkelstein (along with co-author Laurie Zuckerman has a new book, “The Fattening of America”, out this month that argues the skyrocketing incidence of obesity is being driven by economic factors and innovations that make it easier for us to get fat. Between 1960 and 2004, the percentage of obese adults increased from 13% to 33% making the US #2 in the world in percentage of obese adults trailing only Saudi Arabia’s 35%. Finkelstein and Zuckerman argue that because of advances in medicine, the adverse effects of obesity are not as negative as before. To be honest, I don’t really see this as I’ve been on my vascular surgery rotation where I saw plenty of diabetic patients get bypasses only to have their legs amputated shortly before they died. If this is an advance in medicine, I guess they have an argument, but I don’t think this or having a coronary artergy bypass graft (CABG) is a particularly good outcome. My favorite part of the article:
Other studies that looked at death data back the conclusion that people who carry excess weight tend to die slightly earlier, the book says, and draws the conclusion that “many individuals are making a conscious decision to engage in a lifestyle that is obesity-promoting.”
“People make choices, and some people will choose a weight that the public health community might be unhappy about. Why should we try to make them thinner?” Finkelstein said.
Well, let’s see. . . (1) Decreased lifespan and quality of life; (2) Increased incidence of disease leading to less productivity when they are alive; (3) Increased medical expenditure due to their health problems; (4) Increased psychological stress due to societal norms. I could go on, but I think you get the point and if you want to add your two cents in the comments section, feel free.
Later in the story, he explains his why he thinks public health efforts are unlikely to be effective:
Even if private industry and government take steps to protect society against the costs of obesity, many Americans “will likely continue to choose a diet and exercise regimen that leads to excess weight,” because losing weight requires too many lifestyle sacrifices, his book warns.
While Finkelstein is right that it is unlikely we will ever get “rid” of obesity, that does not mean it is not worth aiming for. Even if we are unable to accomplish that, at least the effort might reduce the incidence and improve some people’s lives.
Boston Globe:
In-store healthcare wins state approval- Another article about in-store clinics coming to Massachusetts. Nothing that new here or at least nothing that we didn’t expect, but if you want to read some physician’s opinions you might want to check it out.
New York Times:
Having a Little Work Done (at the Mall)- An article on the very interesting topic of medical spas as a type of retail store. I have noticed Sleek MedSpa at a few local malls, but I always assumed they just offered traditional services like facials, massages, etc. Apparently they offer Botox injections and other procedures. I wouldn’t consider this particularly notable except as the article notes many of these spas (not just Sleek) offer these services without the supervision of an on-site physician. The article goes on to list some of the potential hazards of these procedures so I won’t belabor the point. I find it interesting that with all the talk of safety questions with in-store clinics (discussed ad nauseum on this blog) and specialty hospitals/clinics (to be discussed here some time soon) there hasn’t been as much media hype about this. I know there was a lot of talk about the dangers of plastic surgery when Kanye West’s mother died undergoing a plastic surgery procedure (hopefully the last time we link to TMZ.com), but that procedure was preformed by a M.D. (albeit one with multiple malpractices lawsuit settlements). I’d be interested to hear your thoughts about theses spas and your experience with them.
Tags: Drug abuse, In-store clinics, Massachusetts, Obesity, Plastic Surgery
