Health system failing to keep children from respiratory ills
Ohio health-care providers are missing opportunities to protect children from secondhand smoke, a series of studies by University of Toledo researchers reveals.
In the most recent study, published this week in the American Journal of Health Behavior, Joseph Dake, an assistant professor of health education, found that while 60 percent of pediatricians advise parents not to smoke, they seldom do anything to help the parent quit smoking.
"I'm not knocking pediatricians," Mr. Dake said. In fact, his studies have shown other doctors are just as reluctant to push patients to quit smoking.
"I would say the system we have is one that is not sufficient to protect kids from secondhand smoke," he said.
The risks of secondhand smoke for children are more than just academic, Mr. Dake said. Children exposed to secondhand smoke miss more school than children whose parents don't smoke. Secondhand smoke is associated with increased incidence of asthma, sudden infant death, decreased lung function, and middle ear problems.
Of the 153 pediatricians responding to the survey, few used proven methods to help people stop smoking. Only 24 percent asked parents if they were willing to quit smoking in the next 30 days. [ read full article ]
Mineral based makeup is all the rage
It's the latest trend in makeup, and yet its ingredients are as old as the hills.
Minerals are popping up in foundations, lipsticks and eye shadows. They're said to soothe acne. They're supposed to slap down sun rays that damage skin.
They're getting so much good press, you'd think they could also throw a dinner party for 12.
"We're really happy the craze of mineral makeup is here," said Staci Wilson, vice president of brand awareness for Bare Escentuals, a makeup line that has incorporated minerals since 1976. "For years, it was hard to get people to comprehend what we offered."
The line is now sold at Sephora and on QVC, a home-shopping network.
Competition in the mineral-makeup industry has soared recently.
Spas and salons in particular all seem to carry their own lines of mineral makeup. That's because trade shows are chock full of mineral-makeup manufacturers that can put any label on generic containers of powdery rose blush.
A few of the major beauty companies have jumped on the mineral bandwagon, including Neutrogena, with its Mineral Sheers foundations and eye shadows. [ read full article ]
The truth about vitamins-1
often receive calls and e-mails from "health professionals," who frequently recommend vitamin supplements for preventing cancer.
Unlike many consumers, they are not confusing important vitamins and minerals in foods with supplements. They're touting supplements because they're in the business of making money and often sell to vulnerable consumers.
But science continues to knock down supplement claims one after another.
A federal science panel recently concluded there is no evidence for recommending certain vitamin supplements for cancer prevention. Even the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a supplement trade association, won't say vitamins prevent cancer.
Also, a recent study found that calcium and vitamin D supplements don't reduce the odds of developing breast cancer.
"So far no study has shown any vitamin can prevent cancer, and if there's no proven benefit, people should not be taking vitamins to prevent cancer," said Dr. Vikram Chand, a Gundersen Lutheran cancer specialist. "Also megadoses of vitamins have been shown to be detrimental."
If people have a well-balanced diet, they don't need to take vitamin supplements, Chand said.
"I think people are looking for a quick fix with vitamin supplements," said Dr. Haleem Rasool, a Franciscan Skemp-Mayo cancer specialist. "A lot of money is spent on vitamins with no shown benefit. If you eat healthy, you don't need vitamins unless you have a deficiency." [ read full article ]