Friday, May 30, 2008

Youth Obesity Epidemic Slimming Down?

For years there has been considerable concern coming from every corner of the healthcare globe about the unhealthy growth spurt happening to American kids.

Kids were getting fatter and fatter, growing out rather than up. Everything was to blame: parents, television, fast food marketers, school lunches, too many video games and no physical activity.

Experts across the land called it an obesity epidemic and glumly warned that today’s youth would be facing increased health risks as they grew older. Already there were rising numbers of kids being diagnosed with diabetes or even heart disease as a result of the extra pounds.

Finally, there was a bright spot. This week a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was released that indicated the percentage of American children considered overweight or obese had not risen since 2004.

OK, so it’s not like the genie’s been put back in the bottle. Of the 8,000 or so kids studied, 32 percent of them were overweight but not obese, 16 percent qualified as being obese and another 11 percent were considered significantly obese. That’s still a lot of overweight kids.

Hopefully, the message is starting to resonate to parents, school administrators and even the kids themselves. Hopefully, those numbers will begin to eventually come down as people begin to understand the dangers of the dilemma and change their behaviors.

Because this isn’t a problem that is just affecting people right now; it’s a problem that will have lasting effects for years to come.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Getting Closer to Better Sleep

I had a sleep study conducted recently at the Martin Memorial Sleep Disorders Center and the experience was a lot better than I anticipated. The staff was really nice and informative, and my room was like a luxury suite – the bed was surprisingly comfortable and I fell asleep quickly. I thought I slept like a baby.

But that’s not what my test results showed.

I have obstructive sleep apnea which causes my oxygen level to fall to 69 percent during REM sleep. Although the obscenely loud snoring that keeps my husband awake at night is an issue, knowing that my oxygen level decreases is much more important. I also had no idea that I wake up an average of 18 times per hour and have periodic limb movements 38 times per hour.

No wonder I’m exhausted! It is fascinating to discover something about myself that I didn’t know.

The next step on my path to a better night’s sleep is to have another sleep study. This time, I will be tested using a CPAP machine to determine the extent it will help my breathing while I sleep.

In the meantime, my husband will just have to use ear plugs!

--Landy Tiffany
Marketing Coordinator

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Get Inside and Get Some Exercise!

It sounds too good to be true – a video game that gives you exercise? Impossible.

And yet this week the folks at Nintendo have found a way to do just that. It is a marriage as unlikely as peanut butter and cottage cheese, Republicans and Democrats. After all, Nintendo is part of the evil empire when it comes to fitness, a tool of inactivity so powerful it has caused generations of kids to park themselves on their butts in front of TVs across the country.

But this week Nintendo introduced the Wii Fit. Used in conjunction with the Wii Balance Board, the idea is to provide physical activity with the fun of video games. No longer will mom have to yell at the kids (or the dad, for that matter) to go outside and get some exercise.

Now, they can stay inside and exercise to their hearts content with activities such as a hula hoop routine, yoga or dancing – all while warming themselves by the glow of the ol’ TV. Reviews have been pretty solid so far – I haven’t personally tried one, but then again, the last time I played video games was in college. And people should get some benefit from it, since doing any kind of physical activity has to be better than none.

But is it a long-term strategy for getting and staying shape, or improving your health overall? That remains to be seen. Besides, unless they continue to come up with new versions of the game odds are people will tire of it the way they do any other game.

Now, if they could combine Grand Theft Auto with Wii Fit – running from bad guys, hand-to-hand combat – just think of the workout you’d get.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Taking the Right Steps to Fitness

Have you ever wondered how far you really walk in a day? Ten thousand steps is the equivalent of five miles. The recommended daily requirement is to move five miles a day. Most people walk between 2,000 to 4,000 steps a day depending upon your stride. A mile is 2,000 steps.

Martin Memorial Health and Fitness started a walking and tracking program and I decided to join and see how far I walk a day. I strapped on a free pedometer that the health and fitness centers and AARP offer to our members.

So, do I move enough? Am I walking the “daily requirement?” Granted, I am in the fitness industry so I walk a bit more than the average office worker.

Would you believe that I was walking more than 12,000 steps on the first day? My average was 12,000 to 15,000 steps during the week. As I write this it is about 6 p.m. and I have only clocked 2,657. This is addictive. I am motivated even more to increase my steps which in turn increases my interaction with our members. I find reasons to get out from behind the desk.

I chant out my results to our members who echo back their counts. This has become a healthy obsession and competition. I have yet to beat one of our members who clocks in more than 18,000 steps. She wore it dancing. Wearing a pedometer all the time helps motivate people to walk more and increase their daily movement.

The pedometer works by sensing the hip flexion so you can convert swimming or bicycling time into “steps.” Every 15 minutes of continuous exercise counts as 2,000 to 2,100 steps. Try it, you will be amazed.

--Jane Reynolds
Certified personal trainer, health and fitness instructor
Martin Memorial Hospital South Health and Fitness Center

Friday, May 16, 2008

Recapturing the Power of Speech, Hearing

Talk is not cheap – just ask the millions of Americans who have speech or swallowing problems. These problems are serious and may isolate the person from loved ones or community members.

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, created to raise awareness to the fact that every year, hundreds of thousands of Americans are affected by conditions and disorders that affect their hearing and speech.

Speech or swallowing problems are usually the result of a medical or surgical condition (such as a stroke or Parkinson’s disease) that can happen at any age and can seriously impact quality of life.

But there is hope. Speech-language pathologists are medical professionals who diagnose and treat speech, language, voice and swallowing disorders. They provide treatment and coping strategies to eliminate or minimize these problems.

Speech, language and related disorders affect children and adults. They include:

· Aphasia, which occurs when people have difficulty expressing themselves or understanding spoken words
· Dysphagia, which are swallowing disorders that can cause discomfort and in some cases, be life threatening
· Voice disorders occur when vocal fold abnormalities or neurological conditions may make voice production challenging
· Stuttering involves hesitations and sound repetitions that interrupt the normal flow of conversational speech
· Developmental disorders include difficulty with speech and language development that may have a negative impact on school performance and social development

While speech problems are one aspect of better hearing and speech month, hearing issues are the other. Hearing is a complicated process: Sound must be channeled into the ear, where the smallest bones in the body turn sound waves into electrical impulses. These pulses move into the brain, which interprets their meaning. When the physical process of hearing is impaired, it affects academic, social, family and career life.

Audiologists are professionals who diagnose and treat hearing disorders, providing counseling and rehabilitation services to those who have hearing loss. Services include hearing testing for people of all ages, dispensing hearing aids and other assistive listening devices.

If you are experiencing speech or swallowing difficulties, tell your physician. You may be referred to a speech-language pathologist or audiologist who is trained to diagnose and treat these types of disorders. Martin Memorial’s highly trained speech-language pathologists use technologically advanced equipment in inpatient and outpatient settings to help enhance the lives of people affected by speech, language or swallowing disorders.

--Emily Franklin, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

Monday, May 12, 2008

Fighting Cancer One Ball at a Time

As a kid on the elementary school playgrounds I used to be a terror. Kickball. Dodgeball. Baseball. If it was spherical in shape, if it could be thrown or kicked, I dominated.

A lot has changed. I don’t wipe my runny nose on my sleeve anymore (at least not when anyone’s looking), don’t collect Star Wars figures and don’t dominate the athletic fields just by showing up the way I used to.

But it doesn’t stop me from going out to play – especially when it’s for a good cause. This month I’ve already had a chance to do that twice.

On May 3, I played in the Robert F. Novins Memorial Golf Tournament, a two-day fiesta that is equal parts party and golf. The event is in its seventh year now and has raised more than $200,000 to purchase much-needed equipment and technology at the Robert and Carol Weissman Cancer Center.

Then on May 9 I got to play in a unique event that brought me back to those days on the playground. The inaugural Tom Vadas Memorial Dodge for the Cure is a dodgeball tournament designed to raise money for Martin Memorial’s inpatient oncology unit.

The tournament, which drew more than 30 teams to Jensen Beach High School, was created by Sandie Vadas, Tom’s wife. It was a way to honor a unique guy who battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma for 16 years before passing away in May 2007. The event raised money to purchase amenities for patient rooms on the oncology floor and is a fitting legacy for a fun-loving, compassionate man.

Sadly, I was egregiously bad in both events (though our team was so fast we were just a blur in the picture at left). But that wasn’t the point. For me, it was an opportunity to do just a little bit to help in the global fight against cancer.

And it came at an appropriate time. May 13 marks the 11th anniversary of my father’s death. He was 49 years old when he died of mesothelioma, a particularly nasty cancer that cut him down far too soon.

Now, more than a decade later, science has made tremendous gains against cancer. More people survive the disease than ever before. But cancer is still the second-leading cause of death in the United States.

Until there is a cure, there will be more golf tournaments, more dodgeballs to the head, more fundraisers to keep the battle going. Because to the family and friends of people like Robert Novins, Tom Vadas and Norman Samples, cancer isn’t a game.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Thursday, May 8, 2008

This Just In: Breastfeeding Good for Kids

This time a year ago, a new study coming out about the benefits of breastfeeding kids wouldn’t have caused me to raise an eyebrow. I just assumed a woman had a kid, she breastfed it for awhile, then started spooning strained peas down its throat when it got older. Who knew there were other ways of doing it?

Times – and circumstances – have changed. This fall, my wife and I are expecting our first child. Which means suddenly I actually care about things like what kinds of effects breastfeeding or not breastfeeding can have on the little tyke.

My wife, an inquisitive type, has read volumes of information on the topic. And it seems like every day there’s another story coming out touting the benefits of breastfeeding. This study indicates that breastfed children tend to be smarter. Other studies suggest kids will be healthier overall in the long run if they receive mother’s milk. And if those reasons aren’t enough, here’s a study that any fan of peer pressure will enjoy – everyone else is doing it.

The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends that children should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months and for a year or longer if the mother and baby so desire.

But not every woman is able to breastfeed, even if they want to. Sometimes there are physical issues, with the child or the mother, or logistic concerns that make it difficult or impossible. It’s an issue for enough women that a cottage industry has been launched to help provide practical solutions for moms – this woman is so good they call her “The Breast Whisperer.”

Fortunately, there are some resources out there for new moms who want information and help with breastfeeding.

Martin Memorial’s maternal-child department has a lactation consultant for new moms and offers classes that can help provide the tools they need to successfully breastfeed. And La Leche League is an organization dedicated to providing information and support on the topic.

Now if they’d just come out with a study on how to prevent sympathy weight gain in new fathers to be, I’d be most appreciative.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Making a Difference in Honduras

For a week in February, a number of Martin Memorial physicians, nurses and clinical staff were able to help residents of Comayagua, Honduras with their medical needs. A team of 27 people – including 10 associated with Martin Memorial – made a trip to the city from Feb. 24 to March 1 as part of the Light of the World Charities Medical Mission.

This was my fourth trip with Light of the World and they have all been wonderful opportunities – but this one was very special. I have worked for 20 years with many of the people from Martin Memorial who participated in this trip, and we were able to provide help to a very needy community and change people’s lives.
Dr. James Vopal, a surgeon on staff at Martin Memorial, did remarkable work on a woman with a goiter that was larger than a grapefruit in her neck. With the assistance of Dr. Rene Loyola, also a surgeon on staff at Martin Memorial, Dr. Vopal removed the large growth. Now the small-statured woman is no longer embarrassed to be seen in public for fear of all the stares she received because of it. (In the picture to the left are Pam Penovi, Dr. Loyola, Terry Whitesell, me and Dr. Vopal).

Dr. Antonio Beltran performed many surgeries on men for their prostate issues or bladder stones, many of whom have had to have a foley catheter in for years. Eduardo Suarez, a scrub tech at Martin Memorial Hospital South, was there to lend a hand as well.

Dr. Loyola did endoscopic gallbladder surgery and many hernia repairs. He was joined by Dr. Marlene Mercado for anesthesia, Luz Lutz (a scrub tech from the Martin Memorial Outpatient Surgery Center) and Karen DeLorenzo from the Martin Memorial Medical Center operating room.

Last but not least was the recovery room staff. We had Teri Whitesell and Kim Pitcock from Hospital South, Pam Penovi and myself from the Medical Center. We were there to make sure everyone did well before and after surgery.

If you would like more information about going on one of these trips, visit http://www.lightoftheworldcharities.com/. It was a very rewarding experience.

--Jeanne Teter, RN
PACU nurse

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Shop to Keep You and Your Wallet Healthy

Ouch!

I just got back from the grocery store. It makes me wish that the answer to my mother’s old question, “Do you think money grows on trees?” was a resounding, “Yes, it does!” Well, since we all know that isn’t the case, here are a few tips on healthy eating on a budget.

Write out a shopping list. Wandering aimlessly aisle to aisle not only ensures that you will forget something important, it will likely cost you more money. Before going to the grocery store, take an inventory of your kitchen. This will help you to prevent duplication, and ensure that you will not inadvertently stock up on perishable items that will reach their expiration date long before you can eat them.

Check grocery circulars for sales and coupons, but use them wisely. If you purchase an item because it’s on sale, or 2-for-1, but it’s something you would never buy otherwise, this isn’t really a bargain. On the other hand, if something you regularly use goes on sale, stock up! Remember that meat should not be the star of your meal. Keeping portion sizes at 3 ounces (roughly the size of a deck of cards) means more servings per package. Buying meat on sale and freezing it in ready to cook portions will save you time and money.

Purchase produce carefully. If you won’t use it before it spoils, don’t buy it. It might make sense for you to buy frozen veggies, a nutritious alternative to fresh. You might also want to buy a smaller amount of produce rather than the pre-packaged produce on the shelf. That one pound bag of green beans is not a bargain if they go bad before you cook them.

Don’t go shopping when you are hungry. This one needs no explanation, but is an important strategy to avoid over-spending.

Happy, healthy shopping (and eating) to you all.

--Rosemarie Lembo James, RD, CNSD, LD/N
Clinical Director, Nutrition Services