Weight loss and Weight Chat Blog

Many of our readers either already have or will in the future encounter the possibility of being treated with a biologic medication. This is because biologics have revolutionized the treatment of such chronic illnesses as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and multiple sclerosis, and are widely used in treating a variety of cancers. To name just a few, these products include Enbrel, Humira, Remicade (infliximab), Avonex (inteferon beta-1a), Betaseron (interferon beta-1b), Tysabri, Cimzia (certolizumab pegol), Herceptin (trastuzumab), Rituxan (rituximab), Neupogen (filgrastim), Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) and Leukine (sargramostim). So just what are biologics, how do they differ from more traditional drugs, and why are they so expensive?Although some biologics have been around for a long time, I’m not talking about these first-generation products, which include things like vaccines, blood and blood components. Instead, I’m focusing on the newer, second-generation biologics that have come to market only […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

It’s not often that I recommend natural remedies because there’s rarely any scientific evidence that they work better than a placebo. But when there’s data supporting their use I’m all for it. Such is now the case in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as shown by a review of research recently published in the British Medical Journal. Turns out that two of the best treatments for IBS, peppermint oil and fiber, are old-fashioned, inexpensive and widely available over-the-counter (OTC). And I don’t mean that these are just two of the best natural remedies or two of the best OTC remedies, they are two of the best remedies period.
The research review found three IBS treatments to be consistently better than placebo. In addition to peppermint oil and fiber, the anti-spasmodic scopolamine (also called hyoscine), a natural product derived from certain plants, is also effective […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

Add Web searching to the list of mental activities like crossword puzzles that are thought to keep the aging mind engaged and healthy. Why? Take a look at the pictures below of two functional MRI (fMRI) brain scans. The one on the left shows brain activity while reading a book, while the one on the right shows brain activity while doing an Internet search. The differences are obvious and dramatic and the implication is that Web searching can be good for your mental health.

UCLA Newsroom - http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/srp-view.aspx?id=34812
At least that’s the conclusion of researchers at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior who studied 24 volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76. According to their press release, “[T]he study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults,” said principal investigator Dr. […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

Let’s talk about placebos, and in particular about how you’d feel if you found out that your doctor had prescribed something for you that he or she believed actually had no activity against your illness other than a psychological effect. But instead of calling it a placebo, he or she told you that the prescription was for “a medicine not typically used for your condition but which might benefit you.” Would you be okay with it figuring that your doctor had your best interests in mind and was trying, as best he or she knew how, to help alleviate your symptoms, or would you be angry, feeling that you’d been misled, or worse, the victim of fraud?
However you feel, it seems that placebo prescribing may be more common than you think. A new study, conducted in the United States but published online in the British Medical Journal […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

The latest fad weight loss scheme is something called the Morning Banana Diet (MBD), which started in Japan and swept across the country like an unrelenting tsunami. It’s so popular there that bananas literally fly off the shelves as fast as they can be stocked. But you should be forewarned, Japan is known for its fad diets and there have been many others before this one that also were so big they caused product shortages. And, of course, like all fad diets, this one will likely lead to some weight loss in the short run but will fail in the long run, which is why they are always replaced by the next crazy idea. But this one actually has a hidden nugget of gold called resistant starch that I’ll explain a little later.
So what is the Morning Banana Diet? Like all fad diets, there […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

Recently, I noticed a flyer in my local newspaper advertising an upcoming stroke prevention screening and since the flyer was so misleading and from a national company that screens all over the U.S., I thought I’d give you some facts to consider in case one of these screenings comes to your town and you wonder whether it’s worthwhile.
The company involved is called Life Line Screening and their flyer claims “We Can Help You Avoid a Stroke.” They offer a package of four tests for $139 in which they look at your carotid arteries and your abdominal aorta using ultrasound technology, your heart rhythm using ECG technology, and the blood flow in the arteries of your legs using blood pressure technology (but actually, only the carotid exam and the heart rhythm have anything to do with stroke prevention). The entire process only takes an hour and is perfectly safe, […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

This post is important for all pregnant women, mothers who are breast feeding their babies and for parents of infants, children and adolescents (please forward it to your family, friends and others as appropriate).
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has revised their recommendations for vitamin D supplementation of the diets of all newborns, infants, children and adolescents. The new recommendations (detailed below) basically double the amount of vitamin D recommended from 200 IU/day to 400 IU/day. The AAP’s recommendations were described in an October 13, 2008 press release as well as in a more detailed free online Clinical Report.
The new recommendations come at a time when the importance of vitamin D in maintaining health and preventing disease, and the near ubiquity of vitamin D deficiency are being recognized as critical public health concerns. It seems that every other day there is new information linking vitamin D […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

St. John’s wort, an herb long thought to be effective for the treatment of depression, is used widely in many countries for this purpose and is available over-the-counter in the United States (but not approved by the FDA as an antidepressant). But clinical studies have sometimes yielded conflicting results, in part because of variations in study designs (such as the exact definition of depression) as well as variations in the preparation of the herbal extract and the dosages used. But a new meta-analysis has reviewed 29 separate studies involving nearly 5500 patients and found that, overall, St. John’s wort was more effective than placebo and similar in efficacy to both older antidepressants (such as those called tricyclics of which amitriptyline is typical) and newer ones (such as those called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, of which Prozac and Celexa are typical). Most of the patients studied […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

Bernie Mac, comedian, writer, TV and film star, died this past weekend of pneumonia at the age of 50. He had suffered from an unusual condition known as sarcoidosis or sarcoid, since his 20s, but it was said to be in remission at the time of his death. It is probable, however, that the pneumonia was due to immune system suppression caused by the very medications used to treat his sarcoid disease. So, just what is sarcoid, who gets it, what happens and how is it treated?
Sarcoidosis, also known as sarcoid, is an unusual inflammatory disorder of unknown cause. The inflammation it causes is also unusual in that it results in small nodules, called granulomas, which can join together to become larger nodules, and which can be present in a wide variety of organs, most typically the lungs. The nodules can interfere with normal organ […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com

If you see advertisements for or your doctor recommends you undergo CT angiography because it’s a relatively quick, painless way to get detailed images of your heart and its blood supply, and could uncover hidden abnormalities even though you have no symptoms of heart disease, consider asking the following questions:

Do you, or does your practice, own or lease the CT scanning machine?
How much money do you or your practice stand to gain from this test?
If I went to another cardiologist, who doesn’t own or lease a CT scanning machine do you think they would also recommend the test?

Turns out that there’s a significant controversy surrounding the increasing use of CT angiography. Not surprisingly, most of its proponents own or lease the equipment while its detractors either don’t or work […]

Original post by natalieb and weightlossopinions.com