Health News Digest 1/07/2009
Health News:
SODA TAX: New York Governor David Paterson is suggesting a 15 percent tax on soft drinks. This so-called “obesity tax”, will only be on soda that contains sugar and not on the diet versions of soda. Governor Paterson suggested that this might generate more than $400 million dollars in tax revenue and might lead to healthier choices for the people of New York.
Dr. Scott’s Comments: Taxes actually are a very effective way to curb consumption. Studies on cigarette consumption and taxes show that increasing the price of cigarettes is more effective at reducing smoking than any other campaign (including scare tactics). My thought would be: why stop at soda? If sugar is much more of a health burden than cigarettes (see my book Sugarettes), then its consumption should be curtailed by any means necessary.
KEEP ACTIVE: Low-cost physical activity programs, such as those offered by senior centers and recreation centers was show to dramatically reduce disabilities in the elderly. 554 elderly persons who were not physically active were randomly selected to be in the exercise group or non-exercise group. The group that exercised has a much lower incidence of disability and had a larger amount of muscle mass than the non-exercisers.
Dr. Scott’s Comments: The importance of continuing an exercise program throughout your life cannot be overstated. The amount of lean body mass (muscle) you have is closely related to how long you are going to live. In fact, lean body mass is the best predictor for longevity we have. If you are not already exercising, get up from the computer right now and go do something!
SLEEP AND EXERCISE KILL CANCER: A new study by the National Cancer Institute showed the women who exercised has a 25 percent reduction in the amount of cancer than non exercisers. But, the women who slept less than 7 hours every night (even if they were exercising) had twice the risk of women who slept more than 7 hours.
Dr. Scott’s Comments: Exercise is important, but so is sleep. A 25 percent reduction in cancer risk is HUGE and one of the best reasons to get off your butt and get some exercise. The benefits of exercise were cut short by not getting enough sleep. What I think this research shows is that there are many women out there who are excelling in their business lives, but who are not taking care of themselves. Sleep is where out bodies rebuild and repair and skimping on sleep can have dramatic results.
BLOOD SUGAR SPIKES DESTROY MEMORY: The hippocampus, the area of the brain partly responsible for creating new memories has been shown to be especially sensitive to spikes in blood sugar.
Share on FacebookDr. Scott’s Comments: Many people know of the “brain fog” that occurs with eating too much sugar, and now science is beginning to back up this notion. The interesting thing about this study is that the problems with memory begin with only moderate rise in blood sugar and the scientists suggest that sugar may be the reason behind why so many older adults have problems with memory: because it is common for us to lose blood sugar control as we age. Could sugar be the “smoking gun” in dementia? Don’t wait to find out, get sugar out of your life today!
I must say this is a great article i enjoyed reading it keep the good work
New blog post: Health News Digest 1/07/2009 http://tinyurl.com/9yj9rf
All soda should be taxed, if any. Sugar is no more or less dangerous than either the sugar substitutes now used or the other ingredients in soda that are also deadly. Remember that it’s the “diet” soda that causes us to want to eat more calories!
I am sure a “soda tax” would be very controversial if it were introduced. It’s an interesting idea though.