07/13/17

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Trump says health care reform "more difficult" than solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a decades-old dispute that is considered one of the most intractable of all time

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-says-health-care-reform-more-difficult-than-solving-the-israeli-palestinian-conflict/

New video helps health care providers understand HIPAA right of access

The federal government has launched a new video training module on patients' right to access their own health records.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/july/new-video-helps-health-care-providers-understand-hipaa-right-of-access

Daily step counts: How U.S. compares to other countries

Counting steps daily? A new study uses fitness app data to provide big-picture perspective on how you stack up on a global scale

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/which-countries-most-walking-least-walking/

Police probe abuse reports at state home for disabled

Officials are investigating allegations that staffers physically and psychologically abused some residents at a state-run treatment center

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-probe-abuse-reports-at-idaho-run-home-for-disabled/

Why this cancer may not need treatment right away

Experts say patients may have choices if their cancer is detected early

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/prostate-cancer-may-not-need-treatment-right-away-new-study-shows/

Experimental Vaccines Might Shield Fetus From Zika

A mouse study shows the vaccines protected unborn baby mice from the virus

From: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20170713/experimental-vaccines-might-shield-fetus-from-zika?src=RSS_PUBLIC

FTC targets merchants with nefarious telemarketing tactics

The Federal Trade Commission announced that it obtained court orders against two Maryland-based office supply operations in July charged with tricking small businesses, nonprofit organizations and other consumers into paying for overpriced office and cleaning supplies they never ordered.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/july/ftc-targets-merchants-with-nefarious-telemarketing-tactics

Dozens OD on synthetic marijuana in one town

Synthetic marijuana, often marketed as K2 or Spice, can cause aggressive behavior and lead to serious health problems

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/synthetic-marijuana-k2-overdoses-lancaster-pennsylvania/

Pete Frates, of Ice Bucket Challenge fame, "doing awesome"

The man who inspired the viral Ice Bucket Challenge has been released from the hospital and is back home with his family

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pete-frates-ice-bucket-challenge-inspiration-doing-awesome/

Senate Republicans unveil modified health care bill to repeal and replace Obamacare

The changes may not be enough to win over both conservatives and moderates opposed to the original plan

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-republicans-unveil-modified-health-care-bill-to-repeal-and-replace-obamacare/

Minnesota man burned squeezing limes in the sun

The condition is like a sunburn mixed with poison ivy, said a skin expert

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-burned-squeezing-limes-in-the-sun-phytophotodermatitis/

'Observation' Best for Low-Risk Prostate Cancer

20-year study found little difference in death rates, more complications with surgery

From: http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20170713/observation-best-for-low-risk-prostate-cancer?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Parents storm out of U.K. courtroom in legal battle for sick son

11-month-old Charlie Gard's parents left when judge suggested their argument had not been consistent

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/charlie-gard-parents-storm-out-united-kingdom-high-court-sick-baby/

WHO: Tuberculosis is the leading infectious killer - Ministers declare commitment to end TB

From: World Health Organization https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqPKp-ELPOg

How to get people to eat more vegetables: Change how you describe them

Follow me on Twitter @RobShmerling

We all know the drill by now: the healthiest diets are those with a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats with an emphasis on high fiber, whole grains, and modest portion sizes. Vegetables play a featured role in most healthy diets.

For example, the Harvard School of Public Health’s “Healthy Eating Plate” says that with few exceptions, the more vegetables we eat, the better. (The big exception? Potatoes! They have high carbohydrate content and affect blood sugar in a similar way as sweets, so moderation is recommended.)

And yet for many, vegetables remain low on the dietary priority list. Sure, some people just don’t like them. Perhaps they remember the bland, squishy, unappealing green beans of their elementary school cafeteria. Maybe it’s simply a bias against foods considered healthy. And of course, for many it’s hard to compete with high-calorie, deep-fried, and sweetened options.

Researchers have discovered the answer: Better marketing!

Well, maybe. The study was simple. A large university cafeteria served its usual vegetables (and other foods) in their usual way and researchers tallied how many people chose each vegetable. However, the sign in front of a chosen vegetable was randomly changed in one of four ways:

“Basic”: The label simply stated the name of the vegetable (e.g., “corn”).
“Healthy restrictive”: The sign included the name of the vegetable plus something missing that might make it healthier (e.g., “reduced-sodium corn”).
“Healthy positive”: the vegetable was described as having something extra that might make it healthier (e.g., “vitamin-rich corn”).
“Indulgent”: the label described the vegetable in a novel or exciting, or, one might argue, “over the top” way (e.g., “rich, buttery roasted sweet corn” or ““dynamite chili and tangy lime-seasoned beets”).

Here’s what they found:

Nearly 28,000 diners, about 30% of the total, chose the selected vegetable.
Labeling mattered — 25% more people chose the featured vegetable when it had the indulgent labeling than when it had the basic labeling. In addition, the amount of the featured vegetable chosen was greater when the more elaborate description was provided.
Labels touting the healthier aspects of the vegetable (such as vitamin-enriched or sodium-restricted) seemed to have the opposite effect — fewer diners chose these vegetables than when only the name of the vegetable was used.

Surely there’s more to it

It seems a bit simplistic to think that just calling a food something snazzy can make people eat more of it. But marketing experts have been doing this for years, influencing consumer choices by coming up with just the right description, phrase, or jingle. Of course, I’ve never seen ad campaigns promoting “twisted citrus-glazed carrots” or “tangy ginger bok choy and banzai shiitake mushrooms.” Maybe vegetables just need better public relations consultants.

Now what?

There are some uncertainties in this research. For example, we don’t know from this study whether the effect of labeling vegetables would be long-lasting. It might work for a while and then wear off as diners realize that despite the fancy description, it’s still the same old corn. And people eating at a big university cafeteria might be different from those choosing to eat at a fancy restaurant, a fast food dive, or eating at home. And we don’t know how good these vegetable dishes really were or how accurate the “indulgent” labeling was. So, as usual, we’ll need more research to address these questions.

Still, the findings are promising and suggest that, at least for adults, emphasizing how healthy vegetables are may not be nearly as effective as emphasizing how good they taste. It’s possible that such approaches could reverse the assumption that healthy foods don’t taste good. And more adults eating vegetables could lead to something even more remarkable: kids could start eating their vegetables as well.

The post How to get people to eat more vegetables: Change how you describe them appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Robert H. Shmerling, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/get-people-eat-vegetables-change-describe-2017071311985

ADA Visa from U.S. Bank gets new look, enhanced benefits

ADA Business Resources announced July 10 that the ADA Preferred Rewards Visa Signature Card from U.S. Bank now boasts a new look and enhanced benefits and perks for cardholders.

From: http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/july/ada-visa-from-us-bank-gets-new-look-enhanced-benefits

Breast-Feeding May Lower Risk of MS, Study Says

Benefits reported for women who nursed 15 months or more

From: http://www.webmd.com/multiple-sclerosis/news/20170712/breast-feeding-may-lower-risk-of-ms-study-says?src=RSS_PUBLIC

CT Scans Might Help Gauge Heart Attack Risk

Researchers aim to identify vulnerable patients before damage becomes irreversible

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20170712/ct-scans-might-help-gauge-heart-attack-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC

What to know about the rare cancer linked to breast implants

The FDA published a report this year linking a rare cancer to breast implants. So far, 359 cases were reported globally, including nine deaths. The risk is low, and most are likely not aware of the rare cancer, including one woman who says she's battling the disease -- and her insurance company. Anna Werner reports.

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/what-to-know-about-the-rare-cancer-linked-to-breast-implants/

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