The New York City Board of Health looks like its serious in its efforts to keep New York residents safe from trans fats, the synthetic oil and butter substitutes that do nasty things to our insides. They voted to limit the amount of trans fat per serving in the city's 20,000 restaurants.
Many restauranteurs are upset, of course, in the same way bar owners were ticked off when they weren't allowed to poison their staff with cigarettes, and the way car manufacturers were outraged when they were forced by the government to put in seat belts, air bags, and other life-saving technologies.
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Connie Bennett, writer of the Sugar Shock blog, points to a Harvard study suggesting that Americans' rampant consumption of sugary beverages is contributing mightily to our collective enlargement and our stampede toward Type II Diabetes.
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It turns out that the drug acetaminophen – which causes carpal syndrome just from being typed – can ruin the liver. It’s not just in Tylenol, but also Excedrin, Midol Teen Formula, Theraflu, Alka-Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine, and NyQuil Cold and Flu, Vicodin and Percocet.
Basically, we’re talking about the all-American medicine cabinet.
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An article in the September 2, 2006 New York Times discusses research that fails to find a big genetic reason for why some people get sick and die young, while others live to a ripe old age. Some impressive identical twin studies found that factors besides genetics seem to be much more important in determining disease and death, or lack thereof.
But here's the interesting thing – the researchers are frustrated because they can't tell us what those factors are. Wealth? Nutrition? Exercise? Church membership? Having a pet? Positive mental outlook?
What's the problem here? Why is the holy grail of medicine – keeping people healthy for a long time – so elusive?
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Q: I've gotten panic attacks since college, and the only thing that works for me is medication. I know that stress and caffeine can trigger attacks. Can relaxation help with panic attacks?
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Q: Lately I don't seem to have much energy. What's going on?
A: There are lots of things that can cause low energy. Many people make lots of money telling you that it's your diet, your shoes, dust mites, the pH of your blood, Candida infection, heavy metals in your feet, you name it.
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