DECLARATION OF “DEPENDENCE:” - No organic cheese, milk or meat shall prosper in America!

 

 

Feds are looking to shut down any and all competition and confiscate or destroy all resources of any small or medium farmers who look to sell healthy milk, meat or cheese. Search and destroy is the mission. Any time in America a wholesome, holistic, organic small farm becomes competition for the corporations and entities that run the MEAT, MILK, CHEESE AND BUTTER industry, there WILL BE CONSEQUENCES. The Ruling Class (FDA/ATF/CDC) is using SWAT teams and armed security to enforce the new “mandate” and shut down anyone legally trying to compete with DEAD FOOD.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/05/us/05raw.html?_r=0

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/03/rawsome-raid-_n_917540.html

There shall be no competition which does not cook and alter the nutritional value of the CHEESE, BUTTER, MILK AND MEAT. No company shall thrive in the face of useless food and take away from the Big Ag market share, as the economy suffers. No farmers shall keep their seeds. All dairy products, regardless of what tests and research shows, shall “deaden” the food using approved processes, including homogenation and pasteurization, and including hormones and antibiotics for the animals, without sacrificing funding and random raids by armed agents.

http://www.naturalnews.com/034770_dead_food_diet_nutrition.html

Natural News exposes “nutrition deadening processes”

“Ultra High Temperature (UHT) Pasteurization completely sterilizes a liquid. This process is utilized for the "boxes of milk" that can be shelved at room temperature. For UHT Pasteurization, milk is heated to 285 degrees F for a second or two.

Homogenization is a more recently invented process and it has been called "the worst thing that dairymen did to milk." When milk is homogenized, it is pushed through a fine filter at pressures of 4,000 pounds per square inch. In this process, the fat globules are made smaller by a factor of ten times or more. These fat molecules then become evenly dispersed throughout the milk.”

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022967_milk_pasteurization_dairy.html#ixzz2JencgQQi 

In the News: Swat team shuts down Farmer’s Community Picnic:

 http://bunkerville.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/swat-team-shuts-down-farmers-community-picnic/   

This was a gathering of people invited to our farm for dinner, I had no idea that the Health Department would become involved. I received a phone call from them two days before the event informing me that because this was a “public event” (I would like to know what is the definition of “public” and “private”) we would be required to apply for a “special use permit.” If we did not do so immediately, we would be charged a ridiculous fine. Stunned, we immediately Complied. H/T: Carol’s Blog

• Some of the prepared food packages did not have labels on them. (The code actually allows for this if it is to be consumed within 72 hours.)
• Some of the meat was not USDA certified. (Did I mention that this was a farm to fork meal?)
• Some of the food that was prepared in advance was not up to temperature at the time of inspection. (It was being prepared to be brought to proper temperature for serving when the inspection occurred.)
• Even the vegetables prepared in advance had to be thrown out because they were cut and were then considered a “bio-hazard”.
• We did not have receipts for our food. (Reminder! This food came from farms not from the supermarket! I have talked with several chefs who have said that in all their years cooking they have never been asked for receipts. Heads up: The clip does bog down into a natural food promotion.

 

CHEESE AND BUTTER BLOCKS FOR THE POOR! U.S. feeds its people disease and dead food:

 

http://www.fauxpress.com/kimball/med/heart/h3/choles.htm

 

http://voices.yahoo.com/is-margarine-one-molecule-away-plastic-1027301.html?cat=51

 

Natural News is reporting the following:

 

“There is a reason why America's founding fathers were willing to shed their own blood to gain independence from the crushing authoritarianism of the Crown of England. Nearly three years after first becoming a target for destruction by state and federal government agencies, Morningland Dairy of Mountain View, Missouri, has officially and forcibly been driven out of business by a rogue police state that recently confiscated, at gunpoint, most of the farm's inventory of perfectly safe, raw cheese, which was valued at roughly $250,000.”

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFR-fy07hNM

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038919_Morningland_Dairy_government_raid_raw_milk.html#ixzz2JeYUEMw2

 

http://www.healthranger.com/

 

“Achieving outstanding health is not complicated. The human body already knows how to be healthy. All you have to do is give your body outstanding nutrition so that it has the building materials it needs to heal disease and rebuild itself from the inside out. You must also avoid all of the foods and food ingredients that cause disease. Today, more than 95% of all chronic disease is caused by food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies and lack of physical exercise."

   --Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

 

 

Feds are looking to shut down any and all competition and confiscate or destroy all resources of any small or medium farmers who look to sell healthy milk, meat or cheese. Search and destroy is the mission. Any time in America a wholesome, holistic, organic small farm becomes competition for the corporations and entities that run the MEAT, MILK, CHEESE AND BUTTER industry, there WILL BE CONSEQUENCES. The Ruling Class (FDA/ATF/CDC) is using SWAT teams and armed security to enforce the new “mandate” and shut down anyone legally trying to compete with DEAD FOOD.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/05/us/05raw.html?_r=0

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/03/rawsome-raid-_n_917540.html

There shall be no competition which does not cook and alter the nutritional value of the CHEESE, BUTTER, MILK AND MEAT. No company shall thrive in the face of useless food and take away from the Big Ag market share, as the economy suffers. No farmers shall keep their seeds. All dairy products, regardless of what tests and research shows, shall “deaden” the food using approved processes, including homogenation and pasteurization, and including hormones and antibiotics for the animals, without sacrificing funding and random raids by armed agents.

http://www.naturalnews.com/034770_dead_food_diet_nutrition.html

Natural News exposes “nutrition deadening processes”

“Ultra High Temperature (UHT) Pasteurization completely sterilizes a liquid. This process is utilized for the "boxes of milk" that can be shelved at room temperature. For UHT Pasteurization, milk is heated to 285 degrees F for a second or two.

Homogenization is a more recently invented process and it has been called "the worst thing that dairymen did to milk." When milk is homogenized, it is pushed through a fine filter at pressures of 4,000 pounds per square inch. In this process, the fat globules are made smaller by a factor of ten times or more. These fat molecules then become evenly dispersed throughout the milk.”

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/022967_milk_pasteurization_dairy.html#ixzz2JencgQQi 

In the News: Swat team shuts down Farmer’s Community Picnic:

 http://bunkerville.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/swat-team-shuts-down-farmers-community-picnic/   

This was a gathering of people invited to our farm for dinner, I had no idea that the Health Department would become involved. I received a phone call from them two days before the event informing me that because this was a “public event” (I would like to know what is the definition of “public” and “private”) we would be required to apply for a “special use permit.” If we did not do so immediately, we would be charged a ridiculous fine. Stunned, we immediately Complied. H/T: Carol’s Blog

• Some of the prepared food packages did not have labels on them. (The code actually allows for this if it is to be consumed within 72 hours.)
• Some of the meat was not USDA certified. (Did I mention that this was a farm to fork meal?)
• Some of the food that was prepared in advance was not up to temperature at the time of inspection. (It was being prepared to be brought to proper temperature for serving when the inspection occurred.)
• Even the vegetables prepared in advance had to be thrown out because they were cut and were then considered a “bio-hazard”.
• We did not have receipts for our food. (Reminder! This food came from farms not from the supermarket! I have talked with several chefs who have said that in all their years cooking they have never been asked for receipts. Heads up: The clip does bog down into a natural food promotion.

 

CHEESE AND BUTTER BLOCKS FOR THE POOR! U.S. feeds its people disease and dead food:

 

http://www.fauxpress.com/kimball/med/heart/h3/choles.htm

 

http://voices.yahoo.com/is-margarine-one-molecule-away-plastic-1027301.html?cat=51

 

Natural News is reporting the following:

 

“There is a reason why America's founding fathers were willing to shed their own blood to gain independence from the crushing authoritarianism of the Crown of England. Nearly three years after first becoming a target for destruction by state and federal government agencies, Morningland Dairy of Mountain View, Missouri, has officially and forcibly been driven out of business by a rogue police state that recently confiscated, at gunpoint, most of the farm's inventory of perfectly safe, raw cheese, which was valued at roughly $250,000.”

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFR-fy07hNM

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/038919_Morningland_Dairy_government_raid_raw_milk.html#ixzz2JeYUEMw2

 

http://www.healthranger.com/

 

“Achieving outstanding health is not complicated. The human body already knows how to be healthy. All you have to do is give your body outstanding nutrition so that it has the building materials it needs to heal disease and rebuild itself from the inside out. You must also avoid all of the foods and food ingredients that cause disease. Today, more than 95% of all chronic disease is caused by food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies and lack of physical exercise."

   --Mike Adams, the Health Ranger

Read More

Diabetes in people and cats: a shared disease

Osto M, Zini E, Reusch CE and Lutz TA. Diabetes from humans to cats. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2012; 182C: 48-53.
 
Feline diabetes shares many features in common with human type-2 diabetes with respect to pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatment strategies. In this review article, the authors discuss the current knowledge on similarities and differences between diabetes in cats and humans. Both cats and humans are prone to develop obesity-induced insulin resistance, impaired beta-cell function, decreased number of beta-cells, and pancreatic amyloid deposition. In addition, cats and humans are susceptible to the detrimental effects of excess glucose (glucotoxicity); therefore, rapid restoration of normoglycemia may reverse glucotoxicity in the endocrine pancreas and restore beta-cell function and mass. 

In contrast to humans, hyperlipidemia does not appear to affect basal insulin levels or glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in cats. However, both hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia induce a systemic inflammation in cats that resembles that observed in human type-2 diabetes. Interestingly, in contrast in human with type-2 diabetes, local inflammatory reactions in the pancreatic islets are not observed in cats. Future studies are needed to clarify the role of inflammation (systemic or localized in the endocrine pancreas) and evaluate whether the activation of the same inflammatory mediators and ultimately the same inflammatory mechanisms occur in feline diabetes and human type-2 diabetes. [GO]

See also: Hoenig M. The cat as a model for human obesity and diabetes. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2012; 6: 525-33. 

Related blog articles:
New approaches to treatment of feline diabetes mellitus (Sept. 2012)
Blood glucose monitoring in cats (Aug. 2012)
Quality of life for cats with diabetes (Nov. 2010)

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Google+

Osto M, Zini E, Reusch CE and Lutz TA. Diabetes from humans to cats. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2012; 182C: 48-53.
 
Feline diabetes shares many features in common with human type-2 diabetes with respect to pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatment strategies. In this review article, the authors discuss the current knowledge on similarities and differences between diabetes in cats and humans. Both cats and humans are prone to develop obesity-induced insulin resistance, impaired beta-cell function, decreased number of beta-cells, and pancreatic amyloid deposition. In addition, cats and humans are susceptible to the detrimental effects of excess glucose (glucotoxicity); therefore, rapid restoration of normoglycemia may reverse glucotoxicity in the endocrine pancreas and restore beta-cell function and mass. 

In contrast to humans, hyperlipidemia does not appear to affect basal insulin levels or glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in cats. However, both hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia induce a systemic inflammation in cats that resembles that observed in human type-2 diabetes. Interestingly, in contrast in human with type-2 diabetes, local inflammatory reactions in the pancreatic islets are not observed in cats. Future studies are needed to clarify the role of inflammation (systemic or localized in the endocrine pancreas) and evaluate whether the activation of the same inflammatory mediators and ultimately the same inflammatory mechanisms occur in feline diabetes and human type-2 diabetes. [GO]

See also: Hoenig M. The cat as a model for human obesity and diabetes. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2012; 6: 525-33. 

Related blog articles:
New approaches to treatment of feline diabetes mellitus (Sept. 2012)
Blood glucose monitoring in cats (Aug. 2012)
Quality of life for cats with diabetes (Nov. 2010)

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Google+

Read More

Small steps can prevent Kentucky's No. 1 killer, heart disease

It is now February, which is American Heart Month and a perfect time to remind people that small steps can reduce their risk of heart disease, Kentucky's No. 1 killer.

You may be surprised to hear that almost 80 percent of heart disease is preventable and there are daily things that can be done to keep hearts healthy, according Dr. Martha Grogan, medical editor-in-chief of Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life.

For example, try to move 10 extra minutes each day, Recent research shows a sedentary lifestyle may increase your risk of heart attack almost as much as smoking, said Grogan.

Each day, make an effort to get up from your desk to go talk to a colleague instead of sending an email, or walk around the house as you are talking on the phone, she recommends: “Moving even 10 minutes a day for someone who’s been sedentary may reduce the risk for heart disease by 50 percent.”

Hearts are also hurt when you deprive yourself of sleep, which is a necessity like food and water, said Virend Somers, a Mayo cardiologist and sleep expert. Chronic sleep deprivation can increase the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes and depression.

Healthy habits can reduce a majority of risks for heart attack. "A 53-year-old male smoker with high blood pressure has a 20 percent chance of having a heart attack over the next 10 years. If he stops smoking, his risk drops to 10 percent; if he takes high blood pressure medicine, it falls to 5 percent," says preventive cardiologist Randal Thomas, M.D.

These healthy habits and changes like quitting smoking and taking blood pressure medicine can make a difference in life and death. For more from the Mayo Clinic, click here; for a American Heart Month information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, go here.

It is now February, which is American Heart Month and a perfect time to remind people that small steps can reduce their risk of heart disease, Kentucky's No. 1 killer.

You may be surprised to hear that almost 80 percent of heart disease is preventable and there are daily things that can be done to keep hearts healthy, according Dr. Martha Grogan, medical editor-in-chief of Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life.

For example, try to move 10 extra minutes each day, Recent research shows a sedentary lifestyle may increase your risk of heart attack almost as much as smoking, said Grogan.

Each day, make an effort to get up from your desk to go talk to a colleague instead of sending an email, or walk around the house as you are talking on the phone, she recommends: “Moving even 10 minutes a day for someone who’s been sedentary may reduce the risk for heart disease by 50 percent.”

Hearts are also hurt when you deprive yourself of sleep, which is a necessity like food and water, said Virend Somers, a Mayo cardiologist and sleep expert. Chronic sleep deprivation can increase the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes and depression.

Healthy habits can reduce a majority of risks for heart attack. "A 53-year-old male smoker with high blood pressure has a 20 percent chance of having a heart attack over the next 10 years. If he stops smoking, his risk drops to 10 percent; if he takes high blood pressure medicine, it falls to 5 percent," says preventive cardiologist Randal Thomas, M.D.

These healthy habits and changes like quitting smoking and taking blood pressure medicine can make a difference in life and death. For more from the Mayo Clinic, click here; for a American Heart Month information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, go here.

Read More

Improving Kentucky's mental health calls for the action of schools and doctors to identify children's mental health needs early

Many people may think that addressing mental health needs in Kentucky relies mostly on more funding, but its effectiveness hinges more on the ability to identify children who need help and make sure they get it early, two experts said on cn|2's "Pure Politics" Tuesday.

About half of mental illnesses begin to appear before a person turns 14, reports cn|2's Ryan Alessi. Mental-health experts say it’s often more effective and efficient to treat children, and it’s easier for parents to make sure their children get help than it is for someone to convince or coerce an adult exhibiting symptoms that he needs treatment, said Dr. Allen Brenzel, a child psychiatrist.


Encouraging school officials and doctors to identify children with these needs can be a challenge, Brenzel said, because it is difficult for a teacher to have tough conversations with parents about this topic. Also, while doctors may be most important in this process, obstacles exist because our current "system of care doesn't promote the amount of time and effort and importance on these issues," he said.

When a primary-care doctor's offices are jammed with sick patients and a parent comes in to discuss problems their child is having in school, "That’s a challenging environment in primary care,” Brenzel said. “But people trust their primary care providers very often, and that is where they go. So some of what we need to look at is co-location of services.”

Brenzel said we need a system with a single point of access, where a family can be greeted, there is a period of engagement and a reimbursement structure that supports the time and efforts required by behavioral health.

"We need to integrate behavioral health into the overall health care system," he said. "We have a very fragmented and inefficient system that leads to confusion when a family identifies that their child needs help and this isn't going to be fixed by a medical model.  We now know that the kinds of services need to be much more comprehensive and supportive. A system that allows a comprehensive mental and behavioral health assessment of needs will allow us to triage many kids out of the juvenile justice system."

Benzel said this is a societal issue and for every $1 that we spend in supportive services, we can avoid spend $5 later on adult incarcerations and adult prison. On average, it was more than $2,000 cheaper per person to treat a child than an adult. It amounted to $4,328 per child compared to more than $6,500 for each adult treated, Alessi reports.

Families may be fearful of the cost of mental-health services, but there are resources for people without mental-health insurance coverage at the 14 mental health centers in Kentucky, said Steve Shannon, executive director of the Kentucky Association of Mental Health/Mental Retardation Programs.

In terms of resources, Kentucky spent nearly a half billion dollars on mental health for people under 21 in the 2010-11 fiscal year. For adults, the state spent more than $730 million, according to figures from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. (Read more)

Many people may think that addressing mental health needs in Kentucky relies mostly on more funding, but its effectiveness hinges more on the ability to identify children who need help and make sure they get it early, two experts said on cn|2's "Pure Politics" Tuesday.

About half of mental illnesses begin to appear before a person turns 14, reports cn|2's Ryan Alessi. Mental-health experts say it’s often more effective and efficient to treat children, and it’s easier for parents to make sure their children get help than it is for someone to convince or coerce an adult exhibiting symptoms that he needs treatment, said Dr. Allen Brenzel, a child psychiatrist.


Encouraging school officials and doctors to identify children with these needs can be a challenge, Brenzel said, because it is difficult for a teacher to have tough conversations with parents about this topic. Also, while doctors may be most important in this process, obstacles exist because our current "system of care doesn't promote the amount of time and effort and importance on these issues," he said.

When a primary-care doctor's offices are jammed with sick patients and a parent comes in to discuss problems their child is having in school, "That’s a challenging environment in primary care,” Brenzel said. “But people trust their primary care providers very often, and that is where they go. So some of what we need to look at is co-location of services.”

Brenzel said we need a system with a single point of access, where a family can be greeted, there is a period of engagement and a reimbursement structure that supports the time and efforts required by behavioral health.

"We need to integrate behavioral health into the overall health care system," he said. "We have a very fragmented and inefficient system that leads to confusion when a family identifies that their child needs help and this isn't going to be fixed by a medical model.  We now know that the kinds of services need to be much more comprehensive and supportive. A system that allows a comprehensive mental and behavioral health assessment of needs will allow us to triage many kids out of the juvenile justice system."

Benzel said this is a societal issue and for every $1 that we spend in supportive services, we can avoid spend $5 later on adult incarcerations and adult prison. On average, it was more than $2,000 cheaper per person to treat a child than an adult. It amounted to $4,328 per child compared to more than $6,500 for each adult treated, Alessi reports.

Families may be fearful of the cost of mental-health services, but there are resources for people without mental-health insurance coverage at the 14 mental health centers in Kentucky, said Steve Shannon, executive director of the Kentucky Association of Mental Health/Mental Retardation Programs.

In terms of resources, Kentucky spent nearly a half billion dollars on mental health for people under 21 in the 2010-11 fiscal year. For adults, the state spent more than $730 million, according to figures from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. (Read more)

Read More

Common beliefs about obesity and weight loss found to be myths

Think going to gym class drives weight loss, or that breastfeeding protects a child from obesity? Think again, because these are among seven popular myths about obesity myths, according to an international team of researchers.

The seven popular but largely inaccurate beliefs, which lead to poor policy decisions, inaccurate public-health recommendations and wasted resources, were identified by the team led by David Allison, associate dean for science in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Here are the seven myths:

• Myth 1: Small, sustained changes in how many calories we take in or burn will accumulate to produce large weight changes over the long term.
Fact: Small changes in calorie intake or expenditure do not accumulate indefinitely. Changes in body mass eventually cancel out the change in calorie intake or burning.

• Myth 2: Setting realistic goals in obesity treatment is important. Otherwise, patients become frustrated and lose less weight.
Fact: Some data suggest that people do better with more ambitious goals.

• Myth 3: Gradually losing weight is better than quickly losing pounds. Quick weight losses are more likely to be regained.
Fact: People who lose more weight rapidly are more likely to weigh less, even after several years.

• Myth 4: Patients who feel “ready” to lose weight are more likely to make the required lifestyle changes, do health-care professionals need to measure each patient’s diet readiness.
Fact: Among those who seek weight-loss treatment, evidence suggests that assessing readiness neither predicts weight loss nor helps to make it happen.

• Myth 5: Physical-education classes, in their current form, play an important role in reducing and preventing childhood obesity.
Fact: Physical education, as typically provided, does not appear to counter obesity.

• Myth 6: Breastfeeding protects children against future obesity.
Fact: Breastfeeding has many benefits for mother and child, but the data do not show that it protects against obesity.

• Myth 7: One episode of sex can burn up to 300 Kcals per person.
Fact: It may be closer to one-twentieth of that on average, and not much more than sitting on the couch.

The research team also defined six “presumptions" that are generally held to be true even though more studies are needed before conclusions can be drawn, such as the idea that regularly eating versus skipping breakfast contributes to weight loss. Studies show it has no effect.

The same goes for the idea that eating vegetables by itself brings about weight loss, or that snacking packs on the pounds. According to Allison and colleagues, these hypotheses have not been shown to be true, and some data suggest they may be false.

The researchers also identified nine research-proven facts about weight loss. For example, weight-loss programs for overweight children that involve parents and the child’s home achieve better results than programs that take place solely in schools or other settings.

Also, many studies show that while genetic factors play a large role in obesity, “Heritability is not destiny.” Realistic changes to lifestyle and environment can, on average, bring about as much weight loss as treatment with the most effective weight-loss drugs on the market. (Read more)

Think going to gym class drives weight loss, or that breastfeeding protects a child from obesity? Think again, because these are among seven popular myths about obesity myths, according to an international team of researchers.

The seven popular but largely inaccurate beliefs, which lead to poor policy decisions, inaccurate public-health recommendations and wasted resources, were identified by the team led by David Allison, associate dean for science in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Here are the seven myths:

• Myth 1: Small, sustained changes in how many calories we take in or burn will accumulate to produce large weight changes over the long term.
Fact: Small changes in calorie intake or expenditure do not accumulate indefinitely. Changes in body mass eventually cancel out the change in calorie intake or burning.

• Myth 2: Setting realistic goals in obesity treatment is important. Otherwise, patients become frustrated and lose less weight.
Fact: Some data suggest that people do better with more ambitious goals.

• Myth 3: Gradually losing weight is better than quickly losing pounds. Quick weight losses are more likely to be regained.
Fact: People who lose more weight rapidly are more likely to weigh less, even after several years.

• Myth 4: Patients who feel “ready” to lose weight are more likely to make the required lifestyle changes, do health-care professionals need to measure each patient’s diet readiness.
Fact: Among those who seek weight-loss treatment, evidence suggests that assessing readiness neither predicts weight loss nor helps to make it happen.

• Myth 5: Physical-education classes, in their current form, play an important role in reducing and preventing childhood obesity.
Fact: Physical education, as typically provided, does not appear to counter obesity.

• Myth 6: Breastfeeding protects children against future obesity.
Fact: Breastfeeding has many benefits for mother and child, but the data do not show that it protects against obesity.

• Myth 7: One episode of sex can burn up to 300 Kcals per person.
Fact: It may be closer to one-twentieth of that on average, and not much more than sitting on the couch.

The research team also defined six “presumptions" that are generally held to be true even though more studies are needed before conclusions can be drawn, such as the idea that regularly eating versus skipping breakfast contributes to weight loss. Studies show it has no effect.

The same goes for the idea that eating vegetables by itself brings about weight loss, or that snacking packs on the pounds. According to Allison and colleagues, these hypotheses have not been shown to be true, and some data suggest they may be false.

The researchers also identified nine research-proven facts about weight loss. For example, weight-loss programs for overweight children that involve parents and the child’s home achieve better results than programs that take place solely in schools or other settings.

Also, many studies show that while genetic factors play a large role in obesity, “Heritability is not destiny.” Realistic changes to lifestyle and environment can, on average, bring about as much weight loss as treatment with the most effective weight-loss drugs on the market. (Read more)

Read More

Poor, rural mothers-to-be have high levels of stress, and few resources to help them handle it, small-scale study concludes

Low-income pregnant women in rural areas experience high levels of stress, but lack the appropriate means to manage their emotional well-being, according to a small-scale study at the University of Missouri. The authors suggest that rural doctors should link these women with resources to help manage stress, Medical Xpress reports.

"Many people think of rural life as being idyllic and peaceful, but in truth, there are a lot of health disparities for residents of rural communities," Mizzou nursing professor Tina Bloom told Medical Xpress. "Chronic, long-term stress is hard on pregnant women's health and on their babies' health. Stress is associated with increased risks for adverse health outcomes, such as low birth weights or pre-terms deliveries, and those outcomes can kill babies."

Researchers studied about 25 rural pregnant women. Through interviews, researchers discovered that financial problems were one of the biggest stressers for them. Financial stress was exacerbated by the women's lack of employment, reliable transportation and affordable housing. The women also said that small-town gossip, isolation and interdependence of their lives with extended family members also increased stress. Almost two out of three women showed symptoms of depression, and one in four displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. (Read more)

Low-income pregnant women in rural areas experience high levels of stress, but lack the appropriate means to manage their emotional well-being, according to a small-scale study at the University of Missouri. The authors suggest that rural doctors should link these women with resources to help manage stress, Medical Xpress reports.

"Many people think of rural life as being idyllic and peaceful, but in truth, there are a lot of health disparities for residents of rural communities," Mizzou nursing professor Tina Bloom told Medical Xpress. "Chronic, long-term stress is hard on pregnant women's health and on their babies' health. Stress is associated with increased risks for adverse health outcomes, such as low birth weights or pre-terms deliveries, and those outcomes can kill babies."

Researchers studied about 25 rural pregnant women. Through interviews, researchers discovered that financial problems were one of the biggest stressers for them. Financial stress was exacerbated by the women's lack of employment, reliable transportation and affordable housing. The women also said that small-town gossip, isolation and interdependence of their lives with extended family members also increased stress. Almost two out of three women showed symptoms of depression, and one in four displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. (Read more)

Read More

ASSAULT of the VACCINES! Natural News reveals shocking truths BEHIND THE SCAMS!

 

What exactly is the definition of mental disorder? No. The question must be put in a different manner – what  would the U.S. government like to accept as the definition of mental disorder? If you’re anxious about something, feeling worthless or hopeless or visiting your psychiatrist for consultation, you are deemed to be mentally imbalanced. All your emotions and feelings are no longer safe in the precincts of your mind and that of the consultation chamber of your doctor. Now, with the slightest negativity in your mind, you can end up in a jail where you will be implicated for your negativities and for being supposedly ‘insane’ and desperately in need of chemical treatment! Read through this extensive coverage by Mike Adams for Natural News.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038322_dsm-5_psychiatry_false_diagnosis.html#ixzz2IopJlyjg

And your emotions can also tag you as a possible threat to the society because in your state of ‘depression,’ you may end up doing something illegal such as mass killing. The next step could be the confiscation of any sort of firearm that you may be carrying. The next thing you know you may as well be arrested for feeling depressed! And this is not all. There are more shocking facts that are being revealed.

The mental health institutions have been denying and covering up any alternative medications or treatment procedure to having harmful chemicals. Ever heard of Edmund Bergler? He was Sigmund Freud’s colleague and his studies culminated at the time Freud was on his death bed. His research that pointed out important facts about mental issues was completely shoved under the rug as they were against their proclamations related to intake of medicines.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038786_mental_health_behavioral_problems_human_nature.html#ixzz2Iolo45Nj

And there’s still more to come. People are being fired nowadays for refusing to take flu vaccines. Children are being forced to take vaccines and used as human guinea pigs for testing harmful chemical induced vaccines. Wherever you look, it’s the same story of lies and malpractices. Keep following the updates on Natural News for more on this.

 

 

What exactly is the definition of mental disorder? No. The question must be put in a different manner – what  would the U.S. government like to accept as the definition of mental disorder? If you’re anxious about something, feeling worthless or hopeless or visiting your psychiatrist for consultation, you are deemed to be mentally imbalanced. All your emotions and feelings are no longer safe in the precincts of your mind and that of the consultation chamber of your doctor. Now, with the slightest negativity in your mind, you can end up in a jail where you will be implicated for your negativities and for being supposedly ‘insane’ and desperately in need of chemical treatment! Read through this extensive coverage by Mike Adams for Natural News.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038322_dsm-5_psychiatry_false_diagnosis.html#ixzz2IopJlyjg

And your emotions can also tag you as a possible threat to the society because in your state of ‘depression,’ you may end up doing something illegal such as mass killing. The next step could be the confiscation of any sort of firearm that you may be carrying. The next thing you know you may as well be arrested for feeling depressed! And this is not all. There are more shocking facts that are being revealed.

The mental health institutions have been denying and covering up any alternative medications or treatment procedure to having harmful chemicals. Ever heard of Edmund Bergler? He was Sigmund Freud’s colleague and his studies culminated at the time Freud was on his death bed. His research that pointed out important facts about mental issues was completely shoved under the rug as they were against their proclamations related to intake of medicines.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038786_mental_health_behavioral_problems_human_nature.html#ixzz2Iolo45Nj

And there’s still more to come. People are being fired nowadays for refusing to take flu vaccines. Children are being forced to take vaccines and used as human guinea pigs for testing harmful chemical induced vaccines. Wherever you look, it’s the same story of lies and malpractices. Keep following the updates on Natural News for more on this.

 

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Feds plan to let states impose co-payments on Medicaid patients above poverty level to encourage them to expand the program

By Molly Burchett and Al Cross
Kentucky Health News

If Kentucky expands its Medicaid program, it will probably be able to reduce the cost by requiring patients whose incomes are above the federal poverty level to help pay for their care. That could make it more feasible for the state to expand the program to people with incomes up to 138 percent of the poverty line.

A proposed federal policy will let states charge co-payments and increased premiums for doctor visits and some prescription drugs and hospital care. Robert Pear of The New York Times reports that the policy is designed to encourage states to expand Medicaid under the federal health-care reform law, with generous federal help. By shifting costs to patients, the state and federal governments would pay less.

That adds a new perspective to the cost consideration in Kentucky's debate over expansion of Medicaid. It could influence the state's decision, Republican state Sen. Julie Denton of Louisville said Friday during a legislative panel at the Kentucky Press Association convention.

Denton cautioned that the state needs to fix its problems with Medicaid managed care before it expands the program. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear has said he wants to expand Medicaid if the state can afford it, and since there is no deadline for deciding whether to participate in the expansion, the debate may carry over into 2014.

Some Republicans have said Kentucky can't afford the expansion. If the state expands Medicaid eligibility to 138 percent of poverty from its current threshold of 70 percent, the federal government would pay all the cost of the expansion until 2017, when the state would begin helping out, with its share reaching 10 percent in 2020. The federal share of the state's current program is 72 percent.

This proposed rule could have important implications not just for state finances, but for Medicaid patients. It means that a family of three with an annual income of $30,000 could be required to pay $1,500 in premiums and co-payments, Pear reports in the Times.

As published in the Federal Register last week, the rule proposes to "update and simplify Medicaid premium and cost sharing requirements, to promote the most effective use of services and to assist states in identifying cost-sharing flexibilities." It proposes "new options for states to establish higher cost sharing for nonpreferred drugs and to propose higher cost sharing for non-emergency use" of emergency rooms.

Barbara K. Tomar, director of federal affairs at the American College of Emergency Physicians, told Pear that the administration had not adequately defined the “nonemergency services” for which the poor might have to pay. "In many cases, she said, patients legitimately believe they need emergency care, but the final diagnosis does not bear that out," Pear writes.

The proposed rule has no limit on emergency department charges for "non-emergency use." It says the hospital will have responsibility to assess the individual clinically and ensure access to other sources of care before requiring payment, which could pose problems for hospitals.

The public has until Feb. 13 to comment on the proposed rule, which can be submitted at www.regulations.gov.

By Molly Burchett and Al Cross
Kentucky Health News

If Kentucky expands its Medicaid program, it will probably be able to reduce the cost by requiring patients whose incomes are above the federal poverty level to help pay for their care. That could make it more feasible for the state to expand the program to people with incomes up to 138 percent of the poverty line.

A proposed federal policy will let states charge co-payments and increased premiums for doctor visits and some prescription drugs and hospital care. Robert Pear of The New York Times reports that the policy is designed to encourage states to expand Medicaid under the federal health-care reform law, with generous federal help. By shifting costs to patients, the state and federal governments would pay less.

That adds a new perspective to the cost consideration in Kentucky's debate over expansion of Medicaid. It could influence the state's decision, Republican state Sen. Julie Denton of Louisville said Friday during a legislative panel at the Kentucky Press Association convention.

Denton cautioned that the state needs to fix its problems with Medicaid managed care before it expands the program. Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear has said he wants to expand Medicaid if the state can afford it, and since there is no deadline for deciding whether to participate in the expansion, the debate may carry over into 2014.

Some Republicans have said Kentucky can't afford the expansion. If the state expands Medicaid eligibility to 138 percent of poverty from its current threshold of 70 percent, the federal government would pay all the cost of the expansion until 2017, when the state would begin helping out, with its share reaching 10 percent in 2020. The federal share of the state's current program is 72 percent.

This proposed rule could have important implications not just for state finances, but for Medicaid patients. It means that a family of three with an annual income of $30,000 could be required to pay $1,500 in premiums and co-payments, Pear reports in the Times.

As published in the Federal Register last week, the rule proposes to "update and simplify Medicaid premium and cost sharing requirements, to promote the most effective use of services and to assist states in identifying cost-sharing flexibilities." It proposes "new options for states to establish higher cost sharing for nonpreferred drugs and to propose higher cost sharing for non-emergency use" of emergency rooms.

Barbara K. Tomar, director of federal affairs at the American College of Emergency Physicians, told Pear that the administration had not adequately defined the “nonemergency services” for which the poor might have to pay. "In many cases, she said, patients legitimately believe they need emergency care, but the final diagnosis does not bear that out," Pear writes.

The proposed rule has no limit on emergency department charges for "non-emergency use." It says the hospital will have responsibility to assess the individual clinically and ensure access to other sources of care before requiring payment, which could pose problems for hospitals.

The public has until Feb. 13 to comment on the proposed rule, which can be submitted at www.regulations.gov.

Read More

Treatment of anemia in cats with chronic kidney disease

Final report: Winn grant W11-035
Vapniarsky N, Lame M, McDonnel S and Murphy B. A lentiviral gene therapy strategy for the in vitro production of feline erythropoietin. PLoS ONE. 2012; 7: e45099. [free, full text] 
 
A common problem in domestic cats with chronic renal failure (CRF) is non-regenerative anemia. Currently, the administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) frequently only improves anemia temporarily due to antibody development. Antibodies can develop within the first few months of rHuEPO administration. A clinically significant reaction has been reported in 20-70% of feline patients receiving rHuEPO. Adverse reactions reported with the use of rHUEPO in cats are refractory anemia, systemic hypertension, polycythemia, seizures, vomiting, iron deficiency, injection discomfort, cellulitis, cutaneous or mucocutaneous reactions, and arthralgia. Several therapeutic strategies utilizing species-specific recombinant EPO have attempted to address this issue of immunogenicity in cats.

In this study, the researchers wanted to investigate a possible gene delivery system for treatment of CRF-associated non-regenerative anemia that would have limited or no secondary immunogenicity, have stable and native transgene expression, and the ability to transduce both dividing and non-dividing cells. They looked at the ability of replication-incompetent lentiviral vectors to fulfill this list of requirements. They established an in vitro study system where feline erythropoietin cDNA was cloned from feline renal tissue and utilized in construction of a replication-defective lentiviral vector. The recombinant feline erythropoietin sequence was confirmed by subsequent sequencing. The results demonstrated the feasibility of this type of in vitro delivery system for the production of biologically active feline erythropoietin. In the future, cats with anemia due to CRF may benefit from a lentiviral gene therapy system. [VT]

See also: Chalhoub S, Langston CE and Farrelly J. The use of darbepoetin to stimulate erythropoiesis in anemia of chronic kidney disease in cats: 25 cases. J Vet Intern Med. 2012; 26: 363-9.

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Google+

Final report: Winn grant W11-035
Vapniarsky N, Lame M, McDonnel S and Murphy B. A lentiviral gene therapy strategy for the in vitro production of feline erythropoietin. PLoS ONE. 2012; 7: e45099. [free, full text] 
 
A common problem in domestic cats with chronic renal failure (CRF) is non-regenerative anemia. Currently, the administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) frequently only improves anemia temporarily due to antibody development. Antibodies can develop within the first few months of rHuEPO administration. A clinically significant reaction has been reported in 20-70% of feline patients receiving rHuEPO. Adverse reactions reported with the use of rHUEPO in cats are refractory anemia, systemic hypertension, polycythemia, seizures, vomiting, iron deficiency, injection discomfort, cellulitis, cutaneous or mucocutaneous reactions, and arthralgia. Several therapeutic strategies utilizing species-specific recombinant EPO have attempted to address this issue of immunogenicity in cats.

In this study, the researchers wanted to investigate a possible gene delivery system for treatment of CRF-associated non-regenerative anemia that would have limited or no secondary immunogenicity, have stable and native transgene expression, and the ability to transduce both dividing and non-dividing cells. They looked at the ability of replication-incompetent lentiviral vectors to fulfill this list of requirements. They established an in vitro study system where feline erythropoietin cDNA was cloned from feline renal tissue and utilized in construction of a replication-defective lentiviral vector. The recombinant feline erythropoietin sequence was confirmed by subsequent sequencing. The results demonstrated the feasibility of this type of in vitro delivery system for the production of biologically active feline erythropoietin. In the future, cats with anemia due to CRF may benefit from a lentiviral gene therapy system. [VT]

See also: Chalhoub S, Langston CE and Farrelly J. The use of darbepoetin to stimulate erythropoiesis in anemia of chronic kidney disease in cats: 25 cases. J Vet Intern Med. 2012; 26: 363-9.

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Google+

Read More

Prescription-painkiller epidemic is spurred by societal shift, experts say: People think every problem has a pill for an answer

By Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News

The prescription-painkiller epidemic stems partly from an evolution of society's views toward pain and how to deal with it, said experts at "The Different Faces of Substance Abuse" conference in Lexington Jan. 23-24.

"The entire society's viewpoint of pain and the management of pain has completed shifted," said Dr. Ryan Stanton, an emergency physician and conference panelist.

Pain is considered the fifth vital sign, after temperature, pulse, blood pressure and respiratory rate, but it is the only sign that is subjective, which complicates the problem, said Stanton, because patient satisfaction is associated with the amount of drugs the provider prescribes. If an emergency-room doctor suggests exercise to combat back pain, he said the patient's reaction might be, "You might as well ask a man to deliver a baby."

The substance-abuse problem shouldn't be laid at the feet of prescribers because patients think there is a pill out there for every problem when sometimes the answer is non-prescription ibubrofen and an ice pack, said Van Ingram, executive director of the state Office of Drug Control Policy.

"This is a complicated issue," Ingram said. "It's easy to be against heroin, and it's easy to be against cocaine. But prescription opioids are things that many people need to live and need to improve their quality of life at the end of life."

Patients need to understand how much a doctor can or should do, said Dr. Helen Davis, conference panelist and chair of the Gov. Steve Beshear's KASPER Advisory Council. "Patients come in to the doctor's office expecting a silver bullet . . . but when looking at pain, the goal isn't to make the patient pain-free," she said. "The goal is to reduce the pain enough that they can have systematic and functional relief to go about their daily living."

Davis said doctors and nurses must change their culture to become more collaborative with the patient to address the non-pharmacological management of pain. There are some things that are the responsibility of the provider and there are some things that are the patients', families' and communities' responsibility, she said, adding that all professionals must look at their interdisciplinary responsibility to the people of the state.

Kentucky Health News is an independent service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

By Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News

The prescription-painkiller epidemic stems partly from an evolution of society's views toward pain and how to deal with it, said experts at "The Different Faces of Substance Abuse" conference in Lexington Jan. 23-24.

"The entire society's viewpoint of pain and the management of pain has completed shifted," said Dr. Ryan Stanton, an emergency physician and conference panelist.

Pain is considered the fifth vital sign, after temperature, pulse, blood pressure and respiratory rate, but it is the only sign that is subjective, which complicates the problem, said Stanton, because patient satisfaction is associated with the amount of drugs the provider prescribes. If an emergency-room doctor suggests exercise to combat back pain, he said the patient's reaction might be, "You might as well ask a man to deliver a baby."

The substance-abuse problem shouldn't be laid at the feet of prescribers because patients think there is a pill out there for every problem when sometimes the answer is non-prescription ibubrofen and an ice pack, said Van Ingram, executive director of the state Office of Drug Control Policy.

"This is a complicated issue," Ingram said. "It's easy to be against heroin, and it's easy to be against cocaine. But prescription opioids are things that many people need to live and need to improve their quality of life at the end of life."

Patients need to understand how much a doctor can or should do, said Dr. Helen Davis, conference panelist and chair of the Gov. Steve Beshear's KASPER Advisory Council. "Patients come in to the doctor's office expecting a silver bullet . . . but when looking at pain, the goal isn't to make the patient pain-free," she said. "The goal is to reduce the pain enough that they can have systematic and functional relief to go about their daily living."

Davis said doctors and nurses must change their culture to become more collaborative with the patient to address the non-pharmacological management of pain. There are some things that are the responsibility of the provider and there are some things that are the patients', families' and communities' responsibility, she said, adding that all professionals must look at their interdisciplinary responsibility to the people of the state.

Kentucky Health News is an independent service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

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Experts explain changes to state prescription-tracking system

By Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News

The Kentucky All-Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting system, the key to fighting doctor-shopping for painkillers in the state, has undergone several changes since the legislature passed House Bill 1 last year to crack down on so-called pill mills. An expert panel at "The Different Faces of Substance Abuse"conference last week in Lexington addressed the more recent changes to KASPER.

“The new legislation has brought prescription drug use into the medical arena when it had not been before,” said Dr. Michelle Lofwall, member of the KASPER Advisory Council, created last year by Gov. Steve Beshear.

Very soon Kentucky will be sharing KASPER data with all seven border states, which will be provided automatically in reports, and all agreements to enable this exchange have already been signed, said Van Ingram, executive director of the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.

One important but little-reported change is that KASPER reports can now be included in patients’ medical records. Prior to the passage of HB1, this was a felony and created workflow problems for physicians.

Attorney General Jack Conway has steered money from a mortgage settlement to enable the necessary system upgrades to KASPER that will bring about additional changes, said Ingram. Starting in July, dispensers of drugs will be required to report data every 24 hours instead of the current weekly timeframe, improving the timeliness of the data.

Changes are also coming to the regulations associated with HB1, since medical licensure boards have “gotten an earful” and have revisited the regulations to make them more straightforward and common sense, KASPER program manager Dave Hopkins said.

Ingram said, “With any big policy change, there are going to be unintended consequences. . . . The legislature will take a look at the unintended consequences. If you want to make drastic changes, it’s going to be chaos for a while.”

“In a lot of things with government, great ideas are complicated by reality,” said Dr. Ryan Stanton, UK Good Samaritan Hospital emergency-room physician and medical director, as he painted a more realistic picture of KASPER from when he first created an account with the system in 2005.

Stanton said recent changes have included timelier and more accurate reports that make the system easier to use. He said more such improvements are critical to catch those who "abuse in spurts," and are also important because physicians have minimal time and need to spend more time with patients instead of in front of a computer.

The use of KASPER has increased significantly since the passage of HB 1, with the number of reports requested increasing from 811,000 in 2011 to 2.69 million in 2012.

Medications containing the painkiller hydrocodone, including Lortab, Lorcet and Vicodin, remain the most-prescribed type of controlled substance in Kentucky, 41.5 percent of the total.

Click here for more information about KASPER.

Kentucky Health News is an independent service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

By Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News

The Kentucky All-Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting system, the key to fighting doctor-shopping for painkillers in the state, has undergone several changes since the legislature passed House Bill 1 last year to crack down on so-called pill mills. An expert panel at "The Different Faces of Substance Abuse"conference last week in Lexington addressed the more recent changes to KASPER.

“The new legislation has brought prescription drug use into the medical arena when it had not been before,” said Dr. Michelle Lofwall, member of the KASPER Advisory Council, created last year by Gov. Steve Beshear.

Very soon Kentucky will be sharing KASPER data with all seven border states, which will be provided automatically in reports, and all agreements to enable this exchange have already been signed, said Van Ingram, executive director of the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy.

One important but little-reported change is that KASPER reports can now be included in patients’ medical records. Prior to the passage of HB1, this was a felony and created workflow problems for physicians.

Attorney General Jack Conway has steered money from a mortgage settlement to enable the necessary system upgrades to KASPER that will bring about additional changes, said Ingram. Starting in July, dispensers of drugs will be required to report data every 24 hours instead of the current weekly timeframe, improving the timeliness of the data.

Changes are also coming to the regulations associated with HB1, since medical licensure boards have “gotten an earful” and have revisited the regulations to make them more straightforward and common sense, KASPER program manager Dave Hopkins said.

Ingram said, “With any big policy change, there are going to be unintended consequences. . . . The legislature will take a look at the unintended consequences. If you want to make drastic changes, it’s going to be chaos for a while.”

“In a lot of things with government, great ideas are complicated by reality,” said Dr. Ryan Stanton, UK Good Samaritan Hospital emergency-room physician and medical director, as he painted a more realistic picture of KASPER from when he first created an account with the system in 2005.

Stanton said recent changes have included timelier and more accurate reports that make the system easier to use. He said more such improvements are critical to catch those who "abuse in spurts," and are also important because physicians have minimal time and need to spend more time with patients instead of in front of a computer.

The use of KASPER has increased significantly since the passage of HB 1, with the number of reports requested increasing from 811,000 in 2011 to 2.69 million in 2012.

Medications containing the painkiller hydrocodone, including Lortab, Lorcet and Vicodin, remain the most-prescribed type of controlled substance in Kentucky, 41.5 percent of the total.

Click here for more information about KASPER.

Kentucky Health News is an independent service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

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Ky. parents strongly favor increasing school dropout age, a step that could make future high-school students healthier

A statewide poll has found that Kentucky parents overwhelmingly favor increasing the state’s school dropout age, and doing so might help future high-school students' health, according to the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which sponsored the poll.   

After being told the legislature may raise the dropout age to 18 from 16, 85 percent of Kentucky parents said they favor the move, and 77 percent of parents said they strongly favored it.

Besides their homes, school is where children spend most of their time, and the overall health and well-being of students affect their ability to learn.  Healthy kids learn better and students’ academic achievement in turn affects their ability to be healthy and stay well in the future.

“People may not realize that education is a health issue, but research tells us that completing high school is directly related to our health status in later life,” said Dr. Susan Zepeda, President and CEO of the foundation. “Increasing the dropout age is one strategy aimed at improving the graduation rate in the state. We hope this polling data will encourage a deeper conversation among parents, education experts and policy makers to explore this and other strategies to help our children succeed at school and lead a more healthy life.”

The dropout-age question was part of the Kentucky Parent Survey, which provided a snapshot of parental views on a number of issues involving health care, school and home life. It surveyed parents, step-parents, grandparents, foster parents or other legal guardians of children in Kentucky.

The poll was conducted in July and August 2012 by the Center for Survey Research at the University of Virginia.  More than 1,000 parents and guardians of children under 18 from throughout the state were interviewed by telephone, including landlines and cell phones.  The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. 

Kentucky Health News is an independent service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

A statewide poll has found that Kentucky parents overwhelmingly favor increasing the state’s school dropout age, and doing so might help future high-school students' health, according to the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which sponsored the poll.   

After being told the legislature may raise the dropout age to 18 from 16, 85 percent of Kentucky parents said they favor the move, and 77 percent of parents said they strongly favored it.

Besides their homes, school is where children spend most of their time, and the overall health and well-being of students affect their ability to learn.  Healthy kids learn better and students’ academic achievement in turn affects their ability to be healthy and stay well in the future.

“People may not realize that education is a health issue, but research tells us that completing high school is directly related to our health status in later life,” said Dr. Susan Zepeda, President and CEO of the foundation. “Increasing the dropout age is one strategy aimed at improving the graduation rate in the state. We hope this polling data will encourage a deeper conversation among parents, education experts and policy makers to explore this and other strategies to help our children succeed at school and lead a more healthy life.”

The dropout-age question was part of the Kentucky Parent Survey, which provided a snapshot of parental views on a number of issues involving health care, school and home life. It surveyed parents, step-parents, grandparents, foster parents or other legal guardians of children in Kentucky.

The poll was conducted in July and August 2012 by the Center for Survey Research at the University of Virginia.  More than 1,000 parents and guardians of children under 18 from throughout the state were interviewed by telephone, including landlines and cell phones.  The survey's margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. 

Kentucky Health News is an independent service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

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Government’s failure to tackle the aftermath of Sandy points to the necessity of preparedness

 

 

 

 

The arrival of super storm Sandywas not sudden. Meteorologists had been warning of its landfall on the eastern seaboard for at least a week. This means the government and the general population had enough time to prepare for the storm. The government also claimed that everything was all right and all that needed attention had been taken care of. However, this statement contradicted what followed the storm. Sandy left behind an enormous trail of destruction, destroyed lives and left behind an example of optimum level of mismanagement.

http://www.naturalnews.com/037822_liberal_media_preppers_survivalists.html

 

Natural News reports that many people relied upon the government regarding the relief work and did little to support themselves in the days following the storm. They were invariably the biggest sufferers. The government not only failed to provide emergency supplies and services to the distressed citizens, it also charged money for the electricity that it never supplied. This points towards the necessity of being prepared before the onset of any calamity. Those who like to stay prepared have always been ridiculed but as per the demand of the situation, the government should apologize to them.

 

Even after the onslaught of Sandy, several states in the U.S. are unprepared to meet natural calamities. Natural News reports that though states like Maryland, North Carolina, Vermont, Wisconsin and Mississippi have done a relatively good job in preparedness, states like Kansas and Montana are still vulnerable to serious damages at the strike of calamities. A report entitled Ready or Not? on the preparedness has been published by a couple of nonprofit organizations recently. According to a report from Reuters no state has been able to meet all 10 benchmarks of complete preparedness. Only five states met eight benchmarks and 35 states met fewer than seven benchmarks.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038608_disaster_preparedness_emergencies_states.html#ixzz2HUxSD8zI

 

 

 

 

The arrival of super storm Sandywas not sudden. Meteorologists had been warning of its landfall on the eastern seaboard for at least a week. This means the government and the general population had enough time to prepare for the storm. The government also claimed that everything was all right and all that needed attention had been taken care of. However, this statement contradicted what followed the storm. Sandy left behind an enormous trail of destruction, destroyed lives and left behind an example of optimum level of mismanagement.

http://www.naturalnews.com/037822_liberal_media_preppers_survivalists.html

 

Natural News reports that many people relied upon the government regarding the relief work and did little to support themselves in the days following the storm. They were invariably the biggest sufferers. The government not only failed to provide emergency supplies and services to the distressed citizens, it also charged money for the electricity that it never supplied. This points towards the necessity of being prepared before the onset of any calamity. Those who like to stay prepared have always been ridiculed but as per the demand of the situation, the government should apologize to them.

 

Even after the onslaught of Sandy, several states in the U.S. are unprepared to meet natural calamities. Natural News reports that though states like Maryland, North Carolina, Vermont, Wisconsin and Mississippi have done a relatively good job in preparedness, states like Kansas and Montana are still vulnerable to serious damages at the strike of calamities. A report entitled Ready or Not? on the preparedness has been published by a couple of nonprofit organizations recently. According to a report from Reuters no state has been able to meet all 10 benchmarks of complete preparedness. Only five states met eight benchmarks and 35 states met fewer than seven benchmarks.

http://www.naturalnews.com/038608_disaster_preparedness_emergencies_states.html#ixzz2HUxSD8zI

Read More

FDA likely to make hydrocodone painkillers harder to prescribe

Prescription painkillers containing hydrocodone should be placed in a more restrictive federal category, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel of experts voted on Friday. The changes would be an effort to stem the tide of prescription painkiller abuse and addiction in the U.S., much of it in rural areas, beginning in Central Appalachia. Painkillers containing hydrocodone are the most widely prescribed drugs in the country.

Sabrina Tavernise of The New York Times reports the FDA is likely to adopt the panel's recommendations, which include limiting access to hydrocodone drugs such as Vicodin by making them harder to prescribe. Refills wouldn't be allowed without a new prescription, and faxed or called-in prescriptions wouldn't be accepted. Only a hanwritten prescription from a doctor would be allowed, and pharmacists would be required to keep the drugs in special vaults.

Many said these changes would be a key step in reducing painkiller addiction. However, dissenters in the vote were concerned that this move wouldn't make a difference. Oxycodone, the main ingredient in the highly-abused painkiller OxyContin, has been classified in a restrictive category since it was first introduced on the market but it is still widely abused, dissenters said. They also said the change could create unfair obstacles for legitimate patients. (Read more)

Prescription painkillers containing hydrocodone should be placed in a more restrictive federal category, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel of experts voted on Friday. The changes would be an effort to stem the tide of prescription painkiller abuse and addiction in the U.S., much of it in rural areas, beginning in Central Appalachia. Painkillers containing hydrocodone are the most widely prescribed drugs in the country.

Sabrina Tavernise of The New York Times reports the FDA is likely to adopt the panel's recommendations, which include limiting access to hydrocodone drugs such as Vicodin by making them harder to prescribe. Refills wouldn't be allowed without a new prescription, and faxed or called-in prescriptions wouldn't be accepted. Only a hanwritten prescription from a doctor would be allowed, and pharmacists would be required to keep the drugs in special vaults.

Many said these changes would be a key step in reducing painkiller addiction. However, dissenters in the vote were concerned that this move wouldn't make a difference. Oxycodone, the main ingredient in the highly-abused painkiller OxyContin, has been classified in a restrictive category since it was first introduced on the market but it is still widely abused, dissenters said. They also said the change could create unfair obstacles for legitimate patients. (Read more)

Read More