Gastric artery embolization: New obesity procedure also reduces muscle mass

New obesity procedure also reduces muscle mass

"However, the idea of using gastric artery embolization to treat obesity is new, and clinical trials are currently evaluating its safety and effectiveness for such a purpose.

The aim of the treatment is to reduce the effect of an appetite hormone by injecting microscopic beads to block an artery that supplies blood to the stomach."

"Imagine a girl graduates from school playing rugby but doesn’t know how to cook..."

Rugby too 'rough' and girls should instead study cooking, says UAE council member

Debate sparked at Federal National Council over girls picking sports rather than kitchen skills

"Rugby is too 'rough' for girls who should instead take cooking classes to become the 'perfect housewife', a Federal National Council member has said.

Speaking at an FNC meeting on Tuesday, Salem Al Shehhi, who represents Ras Al Khaimah, said cooking lessons were disappearing from UAE schools, while learners were instead playing a 'dangerous' sport.

'Imagine a girl graduates from school playing rugby but doesn’t know how to cook,' said Mr Al Shehhi during a debate at the UAE's parliament."

"...our drive for mastery of the terms of our existence, as heroic and noble as its achievements have been, may also become the enemy of our souls."

Being There

Wilfred M. McClay

"When we talk about 'the quality of life,' we need to think more carefully about what we mean. By most people’s standards, the last twenty years of my mother’s life were like the last years of Mencken’s—a dark, sad time spent waiting for the curtain to fall on a drama that was essentially over. But those of us who were privileged to know her in those years know better. Her stroke was not only an end, but also a beginning. And that is true of every one of life’s junctures, no matter how painful or frightening or sad it may seem when we go through it.

What does one woman’s story prove? Of the many possible lessons, surely this one would be at the top of the list: that our drive for mastery of the terms of our existence, as heroic and noble as its achievements have been, may also become the enemy of our souls. Aging is not a problem to be solved, my mother taught us. It is a meaning to be lived out."

Br Med Bull. 2018 Nov 16. doi: 10.1093/bmb/ldy037. [Epub ahead of print]

Mexico and mitochondrial replacement techniques: what a mess.

Palacios-González C1.

Author information

1

Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The first live birth following the use of a new reproductive technique, maternal spindle transfer (MST), which is a mitochondrial replacement technique (MRT), was accomplished by dividing the execution of the MST procedure between two countries, the USA and Mexico. This was done in order to avoid US legal restrictions on this technique.

SOURCES OF DATA:

Academic articles, news articles, documents obtained through freedom of information requests, laws, regulations and national reports.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT:

MRTs are new reproductive techniques that present novel ethical and legal challenges, since genetic material from three people is employed to create a child.

AREAS OF CONTROVERSY:

Could the first MST procedure that culminated in a live birth negatively impact reproductive medicine in Mexico?

GROWING POINTS:

The USA and Mexico need specific and clear legislation on MRTs, in order for such techniques not to be governed by prior existing legislation on assisted reproduction that is inadequate for dealing with the new challenges that these techniques present.

AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH:

There is a pressing need for work to be done on the international governance of new reproductive techniques.

Brain function benefits from even a little exercise, study finds

Small changes in exercise can make a big difference in protecting brain health against the adverse effects of physical inactivity, Associate Prof Liana Machado says.

"Inactivity, unfortunately, has terrible health impacts," Prof Machado, of the University of Otago psychology department, warned.

Weightlifting may be good for your heart: Study

Weightlifting may be good for your heart: Study 

Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66680352.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Health Care Needs Free-Market Reform, Not Single-Payer

By Justin Haskins & Charlie Katebi
November 15, 2018

"In the months leading up to the 2018 election, Democrats shifted their focus to health care, accusing Republican candidates of secretly plotting to destroy Obamacare and to end protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Democrats spent more than $184 million on campaign ads discussing these issues in the midterms, with many calling for the creation of a new single-payer health care model comparable to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 'Medicare for All' plan."

Children as young as TEN are having hip and knee replacements on the NHS because they are so obese

Children as young as TEN are having hip and knee replacements on the NHS because they are so obese

Professor John Wass, an adviser on obesity at the Royal College of Physicians, told the Mirror the figures are 'horrifying.'

Pharrell Williams - Happy

"If obesity rates continue to increase, more than half of America will be obese within the next 12 years."

New York Is Getting Fat, New Ranking Shows

More than 70 percent of adult Americans are overweight or obese, according to federal health officials. See how fat New York is.

"Fat" is becoming the new normal, the authors said. More than 70 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the rates for kids have increased dramatically in the last few decades. This has led to the country spending nearly $200 billion a year in obesity-related health care costs. If obesity rates continue to increase, more than half of America will be obese within the next 12 years.

Psychol Sci. 2018 Nov 12:956797618805750. doi: 10.1177/0956797618805750. [Epub ahead of print]

People Make the Same Bayesian Judgment They Criticize in Others.

Cao J1, Kleiman-Weiner M1,2, Banaji MR1.

Author information

1

1 Department of Psychology, Harvard University.

2

2 Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Abstract

When two individuals from different social groups exhibit identical behavior, egalitarian codes of conduct call for equal judgments of both individuals. However, this moral imperative is at odds with the statistical imperative to consider priors based on group membership. Insofar as these priors differ, Bayesian rationality calls for unequal judgments of both individuals. We show that participants criticized the morality and intellect of someone else who made a Bayesian judgment, shared less money with this person, and incurred financial costs to punish this person. However, participants made unequal judgments as a Bayesian statistician would, thereby rendering the same judgment that they found repugnant when offered by someone else. This inconsistency, which can be reconciled by differences in which base rate is attended to, suggests that participants use group membership in a way that reflects the savvy of a Bayesian and the disrepute of someone they consider to be a bigot.

Long term exposure to honking traffic can make you obese

Long term exposure to honking traffic can make you obese- details inside

"In the long term, these effects could give rise to chronic physiological alterations, which would explain the proven association between persistent exposure to traffic-related noise and cardiovascular disease or the more recently discovered associations with diabetes and obesity," Foraster said. 

"Our findings suggest that reducing traffic-related noise could also be a way of combating the obesity epidemic," he noted. For the study, the researchers involved 3,796 adults and examined body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, body fat, central obesity and overweight.

"Despite the problems associated with requiring disclosure of list prices, the sentiment behind the proposed rule — that patients should know how much drugs will cost before they fill their prescriptions — is sensible."

N Engl J Med. 2018 Nov 14. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1814065. [Epub ahead of print]

Disclosing Prescription-Drug Prices in Advertisements - Legal and Public Health Issues.

Dusetzina SB1, Mello MM1.

Author information

1

From the Department of Health Policy, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville (S.B.D.); and Stanford Law School and the Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine - both in Stanford, CA (M.M.M.).

"Despite the problems associated with requiring disclosure of list prices, the sentiment behind the proposed rule — that patients should know how much drugs will cost before they fill their prescriptions — is sensible. The question is how best to achieve that outcome. Just before the CMS rule was announced, the main trade organization of the pharmaceutical industry, PhRMA, released its own guidelines for voluntary disclosure of the costs of advertised medicines. It proposes that advertisements direct patients to a website where the company provides information about list price as well as “average, estimated, or typical patient out-of-pocket costs.” This information is more useful than the WAC alone, but 'typical' out-of-pocket costs don’t convey the variation in what patients pay."

Weightlifting better than walking and cycling for heart: Study #PumpIron

Weightlifting better than walking and cycling for heart: Study

“Both strength training and aerobic activity appeared to be heart healthy, even in small amounts, at the population level,” said Maia P. Smith, Assistant Professor at St. George’s University in Grenada.

“However, static activity appeared more beneficial than dynamic,” Smith added.

From @CassSunstein - Congress Can Agree on This: Cut Federal Paperwork (HT:AP)

Congress Can Agree on This: Cut Federal Paperwork

Republicans and Democrats have a common enemy called “sludge.”

Cass Sunstein

November 13, 2018, 9:00 AM CST Updated on November 13, 2018, 1:28 PM CST

"As it now stands, the law requires OIRA to scrutinize every information collection from the federal government — to 'minimize' its burden and 'maximize [its] practical utility of and public benefit.' That’s good.

But what happens if the office fails to do that? Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, the answer is: Nothing at all. Here’s a better answer: Americans should be given a right to go to court to challenge a mandatory information collection as excessive and unjustified — in the technical jargon of administrative law, as 'arbitrary or capricious.'

When a federal agency issues a regulation, people who are adversely affected usually have the right to make that challenge in court. At least when a paperwork burden exceeds a certain threshold, people should be allowed to require the government to justify it — or to get it struck down in court."

HT:AP

Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2018 Nov 14:1-22. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2017-0131. [Epub ahead of print]

A 12-Year Cohort Study of Doc-Stoppage Professional Mixed Martial Arts.

Miarka B1, Dal Bello F2, Brito JC3, Del Vecchio FB2, Amtmann J3, Chamari K4.

Author information

1

1 Department of Fights, School of Physical Education and Sport, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

2

2 Head of Physical Activity and Sports Science Master Program, Universidad Santo Tomás, Santiago, Chile.

3

3 Physical Education Department, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil.

4

4 Safety, Health and Industrial Hygiene Department, Montana Tech of the University of Montana, USA.

Abstract

PURPOSES::

This research sought to determine actions during bouts which generate serious enough injury to stop the bout, verifying the injury incidence, types, and prevalence of doctor stoppages (doc-stoppage), and identify potential risk factors by analyzing technical-tactical profiles for injury in sanctioned mixed martial arts (MMA) bouts taking place over a 12-year period.

METHODS::

The research analyzed 440 paired MMA matches separated by doc-stoppage (n=220) and no doc-stoppage (n=220) from 2002-2014. Technical-knockouts for doc-stoppage were diagnosed and managed by attending ringside doctors and the time-motion variables were categorized into total combat time separated by low- or high-intensity activity per round, stand-up or groundwork actions, p≤0.05.

RESULTS::

The main cause of injuries in doc-stoppage situations were due to facial injuries (>90%), with 87.1% occurring after striking actions during the second round. Lacerations were the leading type of injury, which occurred with 80% frequency. The results showed differences between doc-stoppage and no doc-stoppage for standing combat with low-intensity actions (130.6±8.5s vs. 83.3±6.9s for first round; 115.7±10.5s vs. 100.1±9.6s for second round and 121.5±19.5s vs. 106.3±11.7s for third round) and total strike attempts (34.5, 23.0-51.8 vs. 25.0, 12.0-40.8); in standing combat, head strike attempts (21, 10-33 vs. 11, 4-21) and body strikes (2.5, 1.0-5.8 vs. 1.0-2); and in groundwork combat, head strikes landed (0.0-3.0 vs. 0.0-5.0).

CONCLUSIONS::

Our research showed higher values of strike attempts with two main orientations, namely the head (on the ground and in stand-up actions) and body (in stand-up actions), and may provide important information regarding the technical knockout (TKO) and when it can be called by officials supervising MMA bouts.

Low-Carbohydrate Diets May Increase Energy Expenditure

UPDATED November 16, 2018 // NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Lowering dietary carbohydrate intake could help in maintaining weight loss, new research suggests. However, some experts say the trial methodology makes drawing conclusions difficult.

Acad Med. 2018 Nov 13. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000002529. [Epub ahead of print]

Swimming Against the Tide: Challenges in Pursuing Health Equity Today.

Braveman PA1.

Author information

1

P.A. Braveman is director, Center on Social Disparities in Health, and professor of family and community medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.

Abstract

The term "health equity" has moved from obscurity to the mainstream, creating new possibilities for those who aspire to a world in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be healthy. One can now talk explicitly about health equity. The newfound acceptance, however, carries a risk: loss of meaning. Recognizing the need for a common understanding of the core concepts, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has promoted a definition that prioritizes being sufficiently concrete to guide action. Lack of conceptual clarity is, unfortunately, not the only challenge in pursuing health equity. Another challenge is the lack of respect for fundamental ethical and human rights principles-cornerstones of health equity-displayed almost daily by those in positions of power, including the president; this lack of commitment to fundamental values has an insidiously toxic effect because many people assume that presidential views must be legitimate. Yet another challenge is lack of imagination. Pursuing health equity inevitably requires swimming against the tide of prevailing forces that exclude, marginalize, or otherwise disadvantage groups of people based on their skin color, wealth, gender, disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or other characteristics tightly linked with social advantage. To persist in swimming against the tide, the end goal and the reason for pursuing it must be very strong and very clear. Academic medicine can play an important role as a powerful force in setting norms and shaping the values and attitudes of medical students, attending physicians, and research faculty.

Obesity stigma

Health (London). 2018 Nov 14:1363459318812007. doi: 10.1177/1363459318812007. [Epub ahead of print]

Obesity, stigma and reflexive embodiment: Feeling the 'weight' of expectation.

Williams O1, Annandale E2.

Author information

1

University of Leicester, UK.

2

University of York, UK.

Abstract

The dominant obesity discourse which emphasises individual moral responsibility and lifestyle modification encourages weight-based stigma. Existing research overwhelmingly demonstrates that obesity stigma is an ineffective means by which to reduce the incidence of obesity and that it promotes weight-gain. However, the sensate experiences associated with the subjective experience of obesity stigma as a reflexively embodied phenomenon have been largely unexamined. This article addresses this knowledge gap by providing a phenomenological account. Data are derived from 11 months of ethnographic participant observation and semi-structured interviews with three single-sex weight-loss groups in England. Group members were predominantly overweight/obese and of low-socio-economic status. The analysis triangulates these two data sources to investigate what/how obesity stigma made group members feel. We find that obesity stigma confused participant's objective and subjective experiences of their bodies. This was primarily evident on occasions when group members felt heavier after engaging in behaviours associated with weight-gain but this 'weight' did not register on the weighing scales. We conceptualise this as the weight of expectation which is taken as illustrative of the perpetual uncertainty and morality that characterises weight-management. In addition, we show that respondents ascribed their sensate experiences of physiological responses to exercise with moral and social significance. These carnal cues provided a sense of certainty and played an important role in attempts to negotiate obesity stigma. These findings deepen the understanding of how and why obesity stigma is an inappropriate and ineffective means of promoting weight-loss.

"Poetry shares something with science fiction and fantasy that much literary fiction tends to reject: a willingness, even an eagerness, to inhabit the non-human other."

Always Beginning

Ursula K. Le Guin’s poetry reveals a writer humbled by the craft.

BY DAVID NAIMON

"Poetry shares something with science fiction and fantasy that much literary fiction tends to reject: a willingness, even an eagerness, to inhabit the non-human other. From Francis Ponge’s poetry of objects to the animal poems of Lucille Clifton, from Tolkien’s ancient tree-like Ents to China Miéville’s double-mouthed Ariekans who cannot lie, point of view is not reserved for human beings in these genres. In fact, the way Merlyn educates the future king, Arthur, in T.H. White’s Sword in the Stone (1938), a book Le Guin considered marvelous and important, is by turning him into various creatures and objects. It is this fellow feeling, this seeing from the perspective of otherness, that one grows from. So Far So Good tells us that regardless of whether we learn that lesson during our lives, we will enact it in our deaths. Like every other creature, our bodies will return to the elements, and our souls will return to the mystery. Le Guin’s emotions run the gamut in this collection—from nostalgia to fear to humor—but one feels most of all her desire to welcome, to embrace, to participate in the cycle of life and death, as in these lines from 'Come to Dust':

Come down to earth as leaves in autumn

to lie in the patient rot of winter.

Rise again in spring’s green fountains.

Drift in sunlight with the sacred pollen

to fall in blessing.

                                      All earth’s dust

has been life, held soul, is holy."

Study links social isolation to higher risk of death

"They found overall, race seemed to be a stronger predictor of social isolation than sex; white men and white women were more likely to be in the least isolated category than black men and women. In the full sample, a statistically significant, positive dose-response relationship was found between social isolation and all-cause mortality risk over the 30-year follow-up period. However, associations were significantly stronger in the first 15 years of follow up."

Chic - Good Times #DiscoLives

Chic  -  Good Times

J R Soc Med. 2018 Nov;111(11):407-413. doi: 10.1177/0141076818803452.

Euthanasia and assisted dying: what is the current position and what are the key arguments informing the debate?

Fontalis A1, Prousali E2, Kulkarni K3.

Author information

1

1 St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London SW17 0QT, UK.

2

2 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki Greece.

3

3 University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Infirmary Square, Leicester, LE1 5WW, UK.

Abstract

Assisted dying is a highly controversial moral issue incorporating both physician-assisted dying (PAD) and voluntary active euthanasia. End-of-life practices are debated in many countries, with assisted dying receiving different consideration across various jurisdictions. In this paper, we provide an analytic framework of the current position and the main arguments related to the rights and moral principles concerning assisted dying. Assisted dying proponents focus on the respect of autonomy, self-determination and forestalling suffering. On the other hand, concerns are raised regarding the interpretation of the constitutional right to life and balancing this with the premise of assisted dying, alongside the impacts of assisted dying on the doctor-patient relationship, which is fundamentally based on trust, mutual respect and the premise of 'first do no harm'. Our review is underpinning the interpretation of constitutional rights and the Hippocratic Oath with the premise of assisted dying, alongside the impacts of assisted dying on the doctor-patient relationship. Most clinicians remain untrained in such decision making, with fears against crossing key ethical divides. Due to the increasing number of cases of assisted dying and lack of consensus, our review enables the integration of ethical and legal aspects and facilitates decision making.

"With Nietzsche’s life we are again left to ponder the tribute genius must pay to insanity."

I Am Dynamite! A Life of Friedrich Nietzsche review: A gripping read

Prideaux’s Nietzsche is one who is invested with all the hopes and aspirations of a family that has lost a father at a young age, and who is perceived, within that intimate circle, as something approaching a god. He more than fulfilled that destiny, but ultimately not in the way either his mother, a devout Christian, nor his sister would have wished. And for it he paid the highest price. With Nietzsche’s life we are again left to ponder the tribute genius must pay to insanity.

Doctors now seeing more stroke patients under the age of 35

“Many of the causes that we see of stroke have evolved over time,” he said. Those causes include rises in obesity and stress, as well the growing epidemic of drug abuse, specifically drugs like cocaine, fentanyl[,] and carfentanyl. 

Does depression cause obesity or does obesity cause depression? ("...the psychological impact of being obese is likely to cause depression.")

Does depression cause obesity or does obesity cause depression?

In their analysis, they accounted for a range of variables that could influence the results, including socioeconomic position, alcohol consumption, smoking, and physical activity.

They found that individuals with a favorable metabolic profile were just as likely to develop depression as individuals with obesity that carried genes predisposing them to develop metabolic conditions. This effect was most pronounced in women.

"To double-check their findings, they also took data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. And their second analysis returned similar results, adding further weight to their conclusions.

'Our robust genetic analysis concludes that the psychological impact of being obese is likely to cause depression.'

Dr. Jess Tyrrell

These results provide vital insight, as Dr. Tyrrell explains, 'This is important to help target efforts to reduce depression, which makes it much harder for people to adopt [healthful] lifestyle habits.'"

"...motivational SMS text messages could provide an acceptable way to raise awareness of risky alcohol consumption for future fathers."

Int J Ment Health Addict. 2018;16(5):1125-1139. doi: 10.1007/s11469-017-9835-y. Epub 2017 Nov 28.

Alcohol Text Messages: A Developmental Study.

Robinson M1,2, Wilkinson RB3, Fletcher R4, Bruno R5, Baker AL1, Maher L6, Wroe J4, Dunlop AJ1,7,8,9.

Author information

1

1School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales Australia.

2

12 Alfred Street, Newcastle East, New South Wales 2300 Australia.

3

3School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales Australia.

4

4Family Action Centre, School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales Australia.

5

5School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.

6

6The Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales Australia.

7

Drug and Alcohol Clinical Services, Hunter New England Local Health District, New Lambton, New South Wales Australia.

8

8Centre for Brain and Mental Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales Australia.

9

9Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, New South Wales Australia.

Abstract

Risky paternal alcohol use is associated with maternal alcohol use during pregnancy, poor fetal and infant outcomes, domestic violence and depression. This study developed 30 SMS text messages about alcohol for fathers who drink at risky levels. The text messages were developed using two motivational styles: messages presented in a second person voice and the same messages presented in a child's voice. Fifty-one fathers were recruited through social media to complete an online survey rating the SMS text messages for message importance and likelihood of seeking further information and measuring risky alcohol use and psychosocial distress. Seventeen participants then participated in a semi-structured qualitative interview. Fathers rated the text messages presented in the child's voice as more important than messages presented in the second person. Qualitative data supported survey results that motivational SMS text messages could provide an acceptable way to raise awareness of risky alcohol consumption for future fathers.

#ReadyPlayerOne

TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME IS SHORT – SIGHTEDNESS, OBESITY AND CANCER. A NEW STUDY

Over the past 40 years the proportion of children with myopia in Britain has more than doubled: from 7.2% to 16.4%.

This effect scientists call “digital myopia”: every hour spent by a child in front of a screen increases the risk of visual impairment 3%.

Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2018 Aug 22. doi: 10.5858/arpa.2018-0313-SA. [Epub ahead of print]

Keep Calm and Tweet On: Legal and Ethical Considerations for Pathologists Using Social Media.

Gardner JM, Allen TC1.

Author information

1

From the Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock (Dr Gardner); and Department of Pathology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson (Dr Allen).

Abstract

Recent privacy breaches by a major social media company have again raised questions from some pathologists regarding the legality and ethics of sharing pathology images on social media. The authors examined ethical principles as well as historic and legal precedents relevant to pathology medical photography. Taking and sharing photographs of pathology specimens is embedded into the culture of the specialty of pathology and has been for more than a century. In general, the pathologist who takes the photograph of a gross or microscopic specimen owns the copyright to that photograph. Patient consent is not legally or ethically required to take or use deidentified photographs of pathology specimens. Current US privacy laws (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [HIPAA] of 1996) permit public sharing of deidentified pathology photographs without specific patient consent, even on social media. There is no case law of action taken against pathologists for sharing deidentified pathology images on social media or elsewhere. If there is any legal risk for pathologists or risk of patient harm in sharing pathology photographs, it is very small. The benefits of professional social media use for pathologists, patients, and society are numerous and well documented in the literature.