Posted: Thursday, December 18, 2008
Publication Date: December 18, 2008
1. Focus your efforts on things that matter; inform yourself about possible risks.
The American Council on Science and Health is dedicated to helping you set rational priorities for a healthy and long life. While it is tempting to focus our anxiety on mysterious threats that lie largely beyond our own control, such as a possible terrorist attack click here to see ACSH’s terrorism preparedness report), the truth is that when it comes to achieving long life and good health, we largely determine our own fate through routine, everyday decisions.
As usual, the media was no stranger to hyping claims about potential health risks in 2008, even when the stories went against the general consensus among scientists—especially in the case of phthalates and bisphenol-A (BPA), two important chemicals found in plastic. In order to help the public better put health risks into perspective, ACSH has created a Riskometer website. This site uses dynamic graphics to demonstrate the relative importance of the top 15 leading causes of death as well as the relative importance of the major fatal exposures in America. Both the actual numbers of deaths from these causes (on the Riskometer part of the site) as well as the odds of dying from each (in the Risk Rings section) are presented in a user-friendly and colorful format.
Instead of brooding over worst-case scenarios as we get ready to start the new year, a more effective plan would be to improve important health-related aspects of our lifestyles—by quitting smoking (or, better yet, not starting in the first place), engaging in regular exercise, and taking advantage of technology that protects us against health and safety hazards, such as bicycle helmets and appropriate immunizations.
These core health tips are especially important during the winter holidays, which, according to a 2004 study, are the deadliest months for heart disease.(1) The tendency to indulge in rich meals, alcohol, and salt during the holidays are a few of the reasons for the sharp increase in heart attacks. Also, busy holiday schedules often mean that people get less exercise and forget to take their medication. To make the best health choices, resolve to sift carefully through the health advice that surrounds us, and focus your efforts on the things that really matter.
2. Don’t smoke.
If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, resolve to quit this year. Half of all adults who once smoked cigarettes have kicked the habit, and you can, too. For more information on quitting, see ACSH’s booklet Kicking Butts in the Twenty-First Century. If you have tried to quit multiple times but haven’t stayed off cigarettes, consider an alternative nicotine source such as gum, lozenge, patch or smokeless tobacco. These substitutes won’t diminish your nicotine addiction, but they will eliminate your exposure to the many toxins and carcinogens in tobacco smoke.
Despite this year’s slightly lower adult smoking rates, smoking remains a major threat to public health.(2) Unfortunately, many teens are still getting hooked. Over 20 percent of high school student are current smokers and will be prone to all the negative health consequences of the habit.(3) ACSH’s teen-friendly site on the facts about smoking is TheScooponSmoking.org.
This is our major New Year’s resolution because cigarette smoking is the number one cause of preventable deaths in this country. Between 2000 and 2004, smoking was responsible for 443,000 deaths in the U.S. each year and more than $96 billion in medical expenditure annually.(4) One in every five deaths in the United States is smoking-related, and half of all lifelong smokers die of a smoking-related disease.
So don’t let another year go up in smoke. Start the New Year smoke-free.
3. Achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Eat a balanced diet and handle foods safely.
Over half of Americans are overweight, and about a third are obese (meaning that they have a Body Mass Index of 30 or more).(5) The proportion of the population that is overweight has been increasing rapidly in the U.S. for the past 20 years in both the adult and the pediatric population.(6) 2007 marked the first year in decades that obesity levels did not increase in adults—instead they leveled off.(7)
Excess weight is associated with increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, arthritis, gallbladder disease, and some types of cancer.(8) For more information on the impact of obesity, see ACSH’s recently published booklet Obesity and Its Health Effects. Obesity is hard to treat once established: prevention is a better route to take. To help reduce excess weight and to maintain a healthy weight, experts recommend that Americans eat a balanced diet, moderate total calorie intake and portion sizes, and exercise regularly.(9)
The keys to good nutrition are variety, moderation, and balance. There are no “good” or “bad” foods—but there certainly are “good” and “bad” diets. Recently “trans fatty acids” have been singled out as a particularly evil ingredient in our food supply. Some have stated that they are responsible for literally thousands of deaths from heart disease each year, and they were banned from New York City restaurant food in 2008. But be aware that the science does not support all this hyperbole: get the facts straight with the ACSH paper on trans fats.
In addition, many people worry too much about hypothetical hazards from traces of pesticides or other chemical residues in food while paying too little attention to more important food-related risks. For an informative look at the “carcinogenic” chemicals naturally present in food, see ACSH’s Holiday Dinner Menu.
One of the most important food-related risks is contamination by microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and some parasites). Diseases caused by microorganisms in food cause an estimated 5,000 deaths, 325,000 serious illnesses, and 76 million cases of gastrointestinal illness in the U.S. each year.(10) In 2008, we experienced a salmonella outbreak that was initially linked to tomatoes but ultimately traced to jalapeño peppers.
Be aware that foodborne illness can be contracted from any type of food. Fruits and vegetables, as well as meat and poultry products, can carry disease-causing microbes. To keep foods safe, follow the four principles of the President’s National Food Safety Initiative: 1) Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often. 2) Separate: Don’t cross-contaminate. 3) Cook: Cook to proper temperatures. 4) Chill: Refrigerate promptly.(11)
For more information, read ACSH’s booklet on food safety, Eating Safely: Avoiding Foodborne Illness.
4. Exercise regularly—with caution.
Regular exercise will help you control your weight, improve your overall health, and reduce your risk of medical problems such as heart disease and osteoporosis. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that healthy adults under 65 should do moderately intense aerobic exercise (cardio) 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, three days a week. In addition to cardio, doing eight to 10 strength-training exercises, with eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise, twice a week is recommended.(12)
When you exercise, make sure to take all the safety precautions that are recommended for the activities that you choose. It’s especially important to always wear a helmet while cycling or skating. Wearing a bicycle helmet can reduce your risk of head injury by up to 85%.(13) Other safety equipment, such as kneepads and wrist guards, can also reduce your risk of injury.
Although exercise is beneficial for almost everyone, some people need to consult a doctor to find out what level and types of physical activities are safe for them. This precaution is especially important for heart disease patients, people who have a medical condition that might be aggravated by exercise, and people who are taking any type of medication (especially medicines for high blood pressure or heart disease).(14)
5. Separate drinking and driving.
Never drink and drive. Equally important, never ride as a passenger in a car driven by someone who has been drinking alcohol.
Nearly forty percent of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. are alcohol-related.(15) One American is injured in an alcohol-related driving incident every two minutes.(16) There are nearly 160 million self-reported episodesof impaired driving in the U.S. every year.(17) Every one of these episodes puts people’s lives at risk.
So if you plan to drink, make safe transportation arrangements. If no designated driver is available, use mass transit or call a taxi.
6. If you drink alcoholic beverages, keep your intake moderate.
Moderate drinking is OK for most adults (those without a family history of problematic drinking, for example). If you’re middle-aged or older, it may even benefit your health by reducing your risk of heart disease. What’s moderate? For men age 65 and under, the limit is two drinks per day; for men over 65 and women of all ages, it’s one drink per day.(18)
Heavy drinking (that is, drinking that goes beyond the limits of moderation) is not healthful. The heavy drinking of alcohol is associated with increased risks of injury, liver disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, and several types of cancer. It’s responsible for more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.(19)
For more information on the health effects of moderate drinking, see ACSH’s booklet Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Health.
7. Take your body to the shop for preventive maintenance.
Your car comes equipped with a maintenance schedule. So does your body. Health authorities recommend that all adults and children should have certain types of preventive care—such as screening tests and immunizations—on a regular schedule. The timing of these services depends on your body’s “model” and “mileage” (that is, your gender, family history, and age).
Unfortunately, many Americans have fallen way behind on their maintenance schedules. For example, yearly mammograms and breast exams are recommended for women over the age of 40 (if not younger), but almost 24% of women in this age group reported not having had these exams for the previous two years.(20)
Everyone over the age of 65 should consult their physician about being vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia and against shingles. Those over 65 should also receive an annual flu shot—but more than a quarter of all Americans in this age group didn’t get a flu shot in 2007, and more than 30% have never received the pneumococcal vaccine.(21) Influenza and pneumonia together killed over 60,000 Americans in 2005 (the eighth leading cause of death that year); appropriate vaccinations could substantially reduce this unnecessary death toll.(22)
New vaccines against human papilloma virus (HPV), the virus strongly linked to cancer of the uterine cervix, have recently become available. It is recommended that pre-teen girls be vaccinated against this virus to prevent later development of cervical cancer. Parents should consult their pediatricians about obtaining this vaccine for their daughters.(23) More recent studies show that HPV vaccines may protect boys from genital warts and certain types of cancer as well, but more research is needed before new recommendations can be made.
If you haven’t been taking routine care of your body (or your child’s body), resolve to make an appointment with your doctor this year to find out what preventive services are recommended. And then follow up by getting the necessary tests and immunizations.
For more information on children’s immunizations see ACSH’s booklet Vaccinations: What Parents Need to Know.
8. Protect yourself against AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The best ways to protect yourself against AIDS are to:
* Never use a non-sterile needle to inject anything into your body.
* Either abstain from sex or have sex only with an uninfected partner in a mutually monogamous relationship.
If you choose to have multiple sex partners (or your partner does), you can reduce your risk of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases in the following ways:
* Urge all prospective sexual partners to be tested for sexually transmitted infections.
* Use condoms properly and consistently.
* Avoid sexual intercourse with people who engage in high-risk behaviors such as unprotected sex or intravenous drug use.
9. Check “alternative” practices with your doctor.
More than 40% of Americans use some kind of “alternative” therapy,(24) such as herbal medicine, massage, chiropractic, or aromatherapy. Some people think that all alternative practices are harmless, but this isn’t necessarily true—especially for people with special medical concerns. For example, people with Parkinson’s disease should never take the herb kava-kava because it can worsen their disease symptoms.(25) People with osteoporosis should not receive chiropractic therapy because the manipulation could cause a fracture.(26) For more information on possible drug-supplement interactions, see ACSH’s brochure What’s the Story? Drug-Supplement Interaction.
Even if an alternative therapy isn’t dangerous in itself, it can hurt you if you use it as a substitute for proper medical care. Most alternatives have not been proven effective, and many don’t work at all. If your problem turns out to be serious, you could endanger your health—or even your life—by experimenting with unproven therapies instead of seeing a physician promptly.
If you use alternative therapies, you should let your medical doctor know. However, more than 60% of Americans who use alternative methods don’t do this.(27) To find out whether any alternative practices you would like to try are safe for you, resolve that you will always check out these methods with your doctor before you start.
10. Use automobile safety devices every time you are in a car.
A recent survey showed that 83% of all Americans now buckle up (28)—at this rate, seat belts prevent 15,700 deaths, 350,000 serious injuries, and $67 billion in economic costs associated with traffic injuries and deaths every year. This year, resolve that everyone in your car will be buckled into the proper restraint every time. That means seat belts for adults, booster seats (in the rear seat) for older children, and properly installed safety seats (in the rear seat) for small children and infants.
11. Protect your dental health.
You can help keep your teeth healthy by brushing and flossing, getting regular dental care, using fluoride as recommended by your doctor or dentist, eating balanced meals, and limiting snacks. While most people know this, here’s something you may not know: more than two million teeth are knocked out every year, many of them from sports-related injuries. Many of these injuries could have been avoided if the person was wearing a mouth protector.(29) So if you play sports that involve a risk of mouth injury, resolve to wear a mouth guard every time.
12. Install and maintain a working smoke detector.
Smoke detectors save lives. They’re your best protection against death or injury in a nighttime fire in your home. But they won’t protect you if they’re not working. The American Red Cross recommends that you test your smoke detectors once a month, replace the batteries at least once a year, and replace the detectors themselves every ten years. You can also protect your family from fire by planning at least two escape routes from every room in your home and making sure that all family members know how to use them.(30)
1. “Holidays Bring the Heart Attack Season.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/04/AR2007120401758.html .
2. From a CDC press release dated Nov. 13, 2008, and titled “Slightly Lower Adult Smoking Rates.” Available at http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r081113.htm .
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cigarette use among high school students —United States, 1991-2007. MMWR. 2008: 57(25);686-688. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5725a3.htm .
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Annual Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Life Lost, and Productivity Losses—United States, 2000-2004. MMWR 2008: 57(45):1226-1228. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5745a3.htm .
5. Hedley A, Ogden CL, Johnson CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Flegal KM. Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among U.S. Children, Adolescents, and Adults, 1999-2002. JAMA 2004; 291: 2847-2850. Abstract available at http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/291/23/2847 .
6. Ibid.
7. From a CDC press release dated Nov. 28, 2007 and titled “A New CDC Study Finds no Real Increase in Obesity Among Adults; But Levels Still High.” Available at http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r071128.htm .
8. Must A, Spadano J, Coakley EH, Field AE, Colditz G, Dietz WH, The disease burden associated with overweight and obesity. JAMA 1999;282:1523-1529. Abstract available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10546691 .
9. From a Surgeon General page entitled “Choose a Healthy Weight for Life.” Available at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_advice.htm .
10. From a CDC press release dated Sept. 16, 1999 and titled “CDC data provides the most complete estimate on foodborne disease in the United States.” Available at http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r990917.htm .
11. These principles are listed in many government documents. They came from an FSIS “food safety feature” dated July 1999 and titled “Cleanliness Helps Prevent Foodborne Illness.” Available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Cleanliness_Helps_Prevent_Foodborne_Illness/index.asp .
12. The American College of Sports Medicine, available at http://www.acsm.org/pdf/Guidelines.pdfhttp://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home_Page&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=7764.
13. According to a Consumer Product Safety Commission press release dated April 21, 1999. Available at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml99/99099.html .
14. From the American Heart Association’s recommendations on physical activity. Available at http://216.185.112.5/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4563 .
15. From the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control’s “Impaired Driving.” Available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drving.htm .
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. References for this statement can be found in ACSH’s report on moderate drinking. Available at http://www.acsh.org/publications/pubID.391/pub_detail.asp .
19. Ibid.
20. From the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Prevalence Data, 2006. Available at http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/BRFSS/display.asp?cat=WH&yr=2006&qkey=4421&state=UB .
21. This statistic comes from a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey in 2007, which asked, “During the past 12 months, have you had a flu shot?” In the age group 65+, 28.0% said no. When asked if they’d received the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine, 32.7% of people 65 or older said no. Available at http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/BRFSS/page.asp?cat=IM&yr=2007&state=UB - IM .
22. From the CDC’s “Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2005.” Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/prelimdeaths05/prelimdeaths05.htm .
23. From the CDC’s “HPV Vaccine Information for Clinicians,” revised June 2008. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV-vaccine-hcp.htm .
24. Eisenberg DM et al, Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States, 1990-1997. JAMA 1998;280:1569-1575. Abstract available at http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/280/18/1569 .
25. References for this statement can be found in our brochure What’s the Story? Drug-Supplement Interaction, available at http://www.acsh.org/publications/pubID.515/pub_detail.asp .
26. From the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Available at http://www.pennhealth.com/health_info/lowbackpain/000388.html .
27. From the article by Eisenberg cited above.
28. From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report “Seat Belt Use in 2008—Overall Results.” Dated Sept. 17, 2008. Available as a PDF at www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811036.PDF .
29. From the American Dental Association’s oral health topic page on mouthguards. Available at http://www.ada.org/public/topics/mouthguards.asp .
30. From the American Red Cross fire fact sheet. Availabe at http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_584_,00.html .
Resolutions updated by Ruth Kava, Ph.D., R.D., and Elizabeth Wade.
