Dollars-And-Cents Associated With Obesity
When Weight Hits Your Wallet
The other day we talked about how being overweight can cost you a cancer-free future. Well, afterwards I came across an article about the literal dollars-and-cents cost associated with obesity. While I certainly don't think money should be anyone's primary incentive for losing weight, I do think it's important to see how unhealthy habits can impact every part of your life-even your bank account.
According to the article I read, a new study shows that men who weigh more pay more every month for prescriptions. In fact, as weight goes up, so does the medication spending. The researchers looked into how much a group of business men were spending at the corner pharmacy, and learned that men in the obese category shelled out almost four times more every month for drugs than the men of normal weight.
Normal weight men were spending about $22.84 every month, for overweight men, it came to $39.27, and for obese men, the monthly cost was a whopping $80.31. And none of these men had heart disease, which would drive that spending up even further. The obese group did suffer from a lot more ailments though, like arthritis, lower back pain, gout, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux, and erectile dysfunction.
Current estimates put the annual increased cost of obesity at about $130 billion, but experts like Dr. Thomas Allison (who conducted this study) think that number is way too low. Personally, I think that money could be better spent on weight loss programs, than on prescription drugs to treat the side effects of obesity.
And speaking of prescription drugs, it seems like more and more of them just aren't living up to all the claims they've been making. Read on for news on Big Pharma's latest disappointment...
*****************************************
Statin Drugs Can't Cut Dementia Risk
Even though some preliminary data suggested that statin drugs could reduce the risk of dementia, a look at nine studies disprove that claim once and for all. Scientists looked at a variety of statins drugs, like Lipitor and Zocor you've seen advertised on television. They're also the same ones with ads in TIME and Reader's Digest with a lot of small legal language on the other side Those early studies seemed promising, but when researchers correctly made adjustments based on things like age and sex, the connection just disappeared.
But the way I see it, this is GOOD news. Hopefully it'll keep some people from taking these potentially dangerous drugs. Besides, there are better -- and safer -- ways to reduce risk of dementia, like exercising your body and brain regularly and increasing your fish intake to get plenty of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
Of course, not all fish are created equal, and some make better choices than others when it comes to safety and nutritional value. Lots of folks have been asking which fish to eat, and which to stay away from. Keep reading...
*******************************************
Seafood Choices: Separating the Safe from the Suspect
When it comes to picking the right seafood, you have a lot of things to consider. Like mercury, fat content, and essential fatty acids. So here's a list for you of which fish are the best to eat, and which you should avoid.
The BEST seafood choices are:
catfish (farmed)
clams
mussels
oysters (farmed)
crab: Dungeness, Snow, and Stone
halibut (Pacific)
lobster, spiny
salmon (wild-caught Alaska)
sardines
striped bass and rainbow trout (farmed)
GOOD alternatives include:
clams and oysters (wild caught)
cod (Pacific)
crab: Blue, King, and Surimi
lobster (Maine)
mahi mahi
dorado
pollock
scallops, Bay and Sea (northeast U.S. and Canada)
shrimp (U.S. farmed)
sole (Pacific)
squid
swordfish (U.S.)
tuna (canned)
AVOID these varieties:
sole (Atlantic)
tuna, bluefin
caviar (wild-caught)
chilean seabass
cod (Atlantic)
crab, King (imported)
grouper
halibut (Atlantic)
monkfish
orange roughy
red snapper
rockfish
salmon (farmed)
shark
shrimp (imported farmed)
sturgeon (imported wild-caught)
swordfish (imported)
You can figure out where your fish is from and how it was caught just by looking at the label. Under the latest federal guidelines, given the catchy name of "COOL" (which stands for Country of Origin Labeling), all fresh fish has to be labeled with this information. And if you still have questions, you can always ask the guy behind the counter in the seafood department.
Until next time,
Dr. Alan Inglis
House Calls
