Medicine mix-ups harm hospitalized kids

And they are doing the malpractice known as bariatric surgery on kids.

"Medicine mix-ups, accidental overdoses and bad drug reactions harm roughly one out of 15 hospitalized children, according to the first scientific test of a new detection method.

That number is far higher than earlier estimates and bolsters concerns already heightened by well publicized cases like the accidental drug overdose of actor Dennis Quaid's newborn twins last November.

'These data and the Dennis Quaid episode are telling us that ... these kinds of errors and experiencing harm as a result of your health care is much more common than people believe. It's very concerning,' said Dr. Charles Homer of the National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality. His group helped develop the detection tool used in the study.

Researchers found a rate of 11 drug-related harmful events for every 100 hospitalized children. That compares with an earlier estimate of two per 100 hospitalized children, based on traditional detection methods. The rate reflects the fact that some children experienced more than one drug treatment mistake.

The new estimate translates to 7.3 percent of hospitalized children, or about 540,000 kids each year, a calculation based on government data."

Another way nutritionally abused kids get harmed.

Hospital capacity drives costs

Another good reason for the sick care industry to keep you in the dark about their intentionally doomed to fail weight loss advice - if you "need" the malpractice known as bariatric surgery, you fill a bed, or two, or three, or...

"Dr. Elliott Fisher, who led the study, said that more days in the hospital did not necessarily lead to better outcomes. Those patients were usually seen by more specialists, and they spent more time in the intensive care unit, but they did not live longer, on average.

'We know that hospitals are dangerous places if you don't need to be there,' Fisher said."

Amen. As in you never need to be there because you are fat.

"So, what led patients to visit the hospital more often? The report says it's the supply of beds — not how sick patients are — that is the key driver."

And the overweight/obesity issue is the key driver of chronic illnesses today.

You can fix it.

Babies' sleep tied to childhood obesity

More sleep crap claimed to affect younger and younger kids.

Baby abuse by sleep deprivation. Soon it will be fetus abuse by sleep deprivation.

"When the wind blows, the cradle will rock. And when babies sleep less, they may gain too much weight. A new Harvard study finds that babies and toddlers who sleep fewer than 12 hours daily are at greater risk for being overweight in preschool, startling evidence that the link between sleep and obesity may affect even very young children...

Starting when the babies were 6 months old, mothers were asked how long their children napped during the day and how long they slept at night. Moms were asked again when the children were 1 and 2 years old. They were asked about TV time when the children reached age 2.

The researchers combined the sleep answers to find an average pattern for each child during the first two years of life. They found 586 of the children slept an average of 12 or more hours a day and 329 of the children slept less than that.

Among the long sleepers, 7 percent were obese at age 3.

The short sleepers fared worse. Twelve percent of them became obese 3-year-olds. Adding TV to the picture, 17 percent of those who slept less than 12 hours a day and watched two or more hours of television a day were obese by the time they were 3."

Add the TV, for which allegedly the researchers corrected.

"TV viewing is thought to increase the risk of obesity both because it takes time away from calorie-burning play and because of food ads for snacks and fast food."

Clearly, 0-2 year olds are significantly affected; independent thinkers, actors and consumers that they are.

Still, what did the babies do while awake?

How about get fed by their nutritionally child abusing parents?

Then there is this nugget.

"But she cautioned that genetics may play a role in sleep and a person's genetic makeup may limit how much sleep duration can be improved."

So maybe you cannot do anything.

Shut up, already.

Exercise during pregnancy benefits baby too

Oh, yeah?

"'When the mom exercises during pregnancy, the unborn baby gets the same type of training effect that you would see in an adult — so you see the lower heart rate and also improved heart rate variability, which is evidence of improvements in the nervous system of the heart.'"

But does it keep the fetuses awake?

Fatter kids force bigger classroom desks

Trees. Another casualty from overweight/obesity.

"WALES’ obesity crisis is forcing schools to order larger and stronger furniture to cope with fatter children.

Fears of growing class sizes are not just confined to pupil numbers, with teachers worried that desks and chairs are not up to the task of seating a generation which is getting bigger and bigger.

Figures show that 22 per cent of boys and 17 per cent of girls in Wales are overweight or obese, with almost one in five 13-year-olds falling into the same category – higher than in England, Scotland and Ireland.

A report by furniture suppliers, which measured 1,400 pupils, found that children are more than an inch taller and several pounds heavier than a generation ago.

Philip Dixon of ATL Cymru, the union for teachers and university lecturers, said: 'We’ve got to make sure that children are comfortable in the classroom.

'But the underlying thing is we have to tackle childhood obesity because it leads to all sorts of problems. We’ve got to tackle obesity. We can’t go on like this.

'Teachers are reporting a definite problem. Our members are concerned in the rise we have seen in childhood obesity and that’s certainly having an impact in the classroom,' he added. 'We have to act over this. Statistics show that children are overweight and that is why we have to make allowances.

'We need to make arrangements to deal with the effects of this and furniture needs to be adapted, because it has health and safety implications as well.'

A Pembrokeshire County Council spokesman said: 'We have carried out some consultation with pupils and a small number find their chairs too small. In the light of the survey, we will ask for furniture samples from the supplier for the next new school we build to ensure that desks and chairs suit all pupils.'

Graham Hirst, head of sales and marketing for Baglan-based Remploy Furniture said: 'We’ve been making educational furniture since 1946 and have seen pupils’ sizes change with issues such as childhood obesity and they’re growing up fast and they’re a little bit wider as well. There is a need to make a change.

'In primary schools, it might be that the size of furniture that suited a seven year old 10 years ago, would now suit a five or six year old. We are heavily involved in the migration from old size furniture to the new sizes."

Since parents (worldwide, don't blame Wales) cannot rally around themselves and their children, opting instead to abuse, sicken and kill them, perhaps they can rally around this:

Save the trees!

Nutritional Labels: How Precise Are They?

The Reporting at ABCNews: How Precise Are They?

Not very.

In fact, the dimbulbs there do reporting at a level that would make researchers in the overweight/obesity realm proud.

"The 'Nutrition Facts' panels on foods may not be as accurate as you might think.

'Good Morning America' hired a lab to test a dozen packaged food products to see if the nutrients in them matched the labels.

'I don't think anyone knows for sure how accurate the nutrition labels are,' said Delia Hammock from the Good Housekeeping Institute."

That would be this Delia Smith.

Fact is, perfection is a very difficult standard.

The real issues are, over time, do the variations average out and are they really significant, anyhow?

For example:

"In another case of government doublespeak, 'no' means none, but that's not necessarily what 'zero' means. Manufacturers are allowed to list '0' even if their product contains up to half a gram of a nutrient."

Calorically speaking, which is all that matters in the weight debate, the most a serving can be off is 4.5 Calories.

If this, 4.5 Calories, is what's preventing you from losing weight, you are full of it.

Speaking of full of it, here is more from the ABCNews idiots:

"As for total fat, consider Snackwell's Devil's Food Cookies. With '0' fat listed, they're supposed to be a guilt-free treat for dieters, but the lab we hired found more than a quarter of a gram of fat in each one-cookie serving."

Oh my God!

That amounts to a whopping 2.25 Calories.

If this, 2.25 Calories, is what's preventing you from losing weight you are so full of it, you should work for ABCNews.

But what does make a difference is the really important stuff ABCNews will not report:

That it is the the media sponsor of some of the worst offenders in what I opine is the nutritional homicide effort by the IMHO cons Oprah Winfrey, Mehmet Oz, David Katz and Jorge Cruise.

This irresponsible network is using your airways to sicken and kill you, IMHO.

Fight back.

Study on healthier foods at school released

And...

"Five Philadelphia elementary schools replaced sodas with fruit juice.

They scaled back snacks and banished candy. They handed out raffle tickets for wise food choices. They spent hours teaching kids, their parents and teachers about good nutrition.

What have they got to show for it?

The number of kids who got fat during the two-year experiment was half the number of kids who got fat in schools that didn't make those efforts...

The bad news: There were still plenty of new overweight kids in the five schools — over 7 percent of them became overweight compared to the 15 percent in the schools that didn't make changes."

The point?

"For the study, changes were made to the food in vending machines or the cafeteria in five of the schools. Juice, water and low-fat milk replaced sodas."

It is not and never will be about "healthy" foods.

It is and always will be about Calories in vs. Calories out.

"She said the children were also urged to exercise at activity stations during recess. They were measured and weighed periodically and surveyed about food and exercise."

And even with all the efforts obesity did not change.

"There was no difference between school groups in new obese students (6 percent) or the overall number of obese (about 25 percent). Obese children probably benefit more from individually targeted efforts, Foster said."

Incidentally, the report of this "study" did not state many important things like whether there was weight loss (the kids who got fat number was provided; this is different), what happens after 2 years (unknowable from this study) and what the relative contributions to this likely illusory victory were from increased physical activity vs. the food.

Too early to do any back-slapping.

But they did, anyway.

Three rare mutations lower blood pressure: study

More bad news for the morons awaiting the genetic "cure" for overweight/obesity.

"Up to 100 million people globally have genetic mutations that keep their blood pressure low and lower their risk of heart and kidney disease and stroke, U.S. researchers reported on Sunday...

'We find that about two percent of the population has mutations in at least one of these three genes -- although all of the identified mutations are individually very rare...

Lifton's team has found other genetic mutations affecting blood pressure.

'Because these three genes comprise only a small fraction of those in which mutations are known to alter blood pressure, and because there are likely to be many more genes yet to be discovered, it seems probable that the combined effects of rare independent mutations will account for a substantial fraction of blood pressure variation in the population,' they concluded."

In other words, it is too complex for them to figure out in time, if ever, to save your fat ass.

Study ties bedroom TV to unhealthy habits in teens

An opportunity here.

But first...

"The researchers tracked body mass index -- a measure based on height and weight -- and found that having a bedroom TV had no influence on whether teens were obese."

So the overweight/obesity-combating value of any intervention is, according to this article, of questionable value.

Still, likely worthwhile to try, IMHO.

Now this...

"Teenagers with a bedroom television tend to have poorer diet and exercise habits and lower grades in school than those without one, U.S. researchers said on Monday."

Here is the opportunity.

Broadcast TV is going digital next year. Do not upgrade any sets in kid's rooms with converter boxes and limit the number of government subsidized boxes to one per household.

Sure this will not work with households that have cable.

Cut the wire.

Carpe opportunity.

What's Male, Six-Months Pregnant And Smaller Than Oprah?

Thomas Beatie, the transgender man who gets pregnant by artificial insemination, appeared with his wife, Nancy, on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" Thursday. The program included a chat with their obstetrician -- who declared their baby "totally healthy" -- and footage of the baby's ultrasound. Beatie, 34, is six months' pregnant and on target to deliver a healthy girl -- which he is carrying in the womb he kept intact when he became a man 10 years ago, media reports said. (Source: chinadaily.com.cn)

Thomas is the smaller one on the left. Oprah, the weight loss and fitness expert is on the right.

Single virus gene may cause obesity

Wanna bet?

"If obesity seems to be spreading like a virus, that could be because it is. We're now closer to understanding how adenovirus-36 (Ad-36), thought to be responsible for some cases of obesity, causes fat cells to grow."

More likely the Sh**-For-Brains virus is hard at work in this lab.

Study: Obesity, diabetes rates rising faster in NYC than U.S.

The Bigger Apple.

"New York City's obesity and diabetes rates are rising faster than in the rest of the country, a city health department study said.

New York's obesity and diabetes rates each jumped by 17 percent between 2002 and 2004, according to the city Department of Health and Hygiene study. The national obesity rate rose by 6 percent during the same time period, while the diabetes rate held steady nationally at 7 percent, according to the study, published in this month's issue of the journal Preventing Chronic Disease."

Ready to learn how to lose weight properly?

5-year-old Spanish child dies of obesity

Sad.

"A five-year-old child has died of obesity in Murcia city in southeastern Spain, local media reported Saturday.

The Murcia health department said the child weighed 50kg, much more than the 18 to 20 kg of his normal-weight peers."

But not unexpected.

Prosecute these, and other nutritional child abusers.

Pediatric Gymnastics Related Injuries A Concern

Don't move. Stay right where you are.

"More than 600,000 children participate in school-sponsored and club-level gymnastics competitions annually in the United States. Yet gymnastics continues to be overlooked in terms of potential for injury, while having one of the highest injury rates of all girls' sports.

A study, conducted by researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and published in the April electronic issue of Pediatrics, examined data on children 6 to 17 years of age who were treated in hospital emergency departments for gymnastics-related injuries between 1990 and 2005. According to the findings, on average nearly 27,000 injuries are reported each year nearly 426,000 injuries during the 16-year period."

From a weight control standpoint, it seems as if they advocate that controlling Calories in is safer than controlling Calories out.

True, if you want to avoid injury.

It is clear that until life can be made risk-free, it is safer to not be born.

But who can be so lucky?

In the unlucky event that you have been born, it appears safer not to engage in life.

Sveltest Borough Award Goes to . . .

The Pyrrhic victory award goes to...

"A new health department analysis says that New Yorkers are getting fatter and that obesity and diabetes are growing faster in the city than in the rest of the country. But generally, Manhattanites have fared better than residents of other boroughs.

About one in four New Yorkers is overweight. And from 2002 to 2004, according to the analysis, New Yorkers collectively gained 10 million pounds.

Wondering how much more crowded that makes the city? Or, why you’re rubbing up against the next person on the subway or bus?

Think of it this way: 10 million more pounds is the equivalent of adding 20 full-size replicas of the Statue of Liberty."

Victory comes so cheaply these days.

So does misinformation.

"People gain weight for two reasons: They eat more. They exercise less."

Wrong.

People gain weight for one reason. They eat more Calories than they burn.

Then, again, it is the New York Times.

Who expects accuracy from it?

Restaurants may be forced to use 'traffic light' labels on menus

Good idea. Bad implementation.

"Restaurants could be forced to introduce a 'traffic light' labelling system on menus to help curb rising levels of obesity, it was revealed to The Independent on Sunday last night. Diners could be faced with green, amber and red circles to guide them to the healthiest dishes on the menu.

A green circle would show food is safe and advisable to eat, while amber foods should be eaten in moderation. The unhealthiest food would carry a red circle warning of high fat, sugar and salt content and eaten only occasionally."

Since there are no "healthy" foods, the implementation is bad.

All there are, are Calories.

Better just to put a STOP sign on the door for fat people.

Or simply narrow the doorway to prevent ingress.

Will Chinese Medicine Help Yao?

No.

"'I am aware of no scientific evidence that has established that traditional Chinese medicine modalities have any positive effect on stress fractures,' Neviaser says."

Thanks for asking.

But when you have money to burn...

Early-Onset Obesity In Father Linked To Increased Potential For Liver Disease In Child

Possibly another argument in favor of preventing fat people from parenting since their offspring are likely to be sick.

"A history of early-onset paternal obesity increases the odds of elevated liver enzyme levels in offspring and points to the potential for a genetic link between obesity and liver disease, according to a study in Gastroenterology, the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute.

This new study found that participants with paternal early-onset obesity had higher serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels than those without paternal obesity. These results showed that children with fathers who were defined as clinically obese at an early age were more likely to have increased liver enzyme levels, an indicator of liver disease."

More child abuse by the fat.

Health Benefits Discovered In Natural Trans Fats, University Of Alberta Study Shows

Still think they know what a healthy food is?

"Contrary to popular opinion, not all trans fats are bad for you.

University of Alberta researcher Flora Wang found that a diet with enriched levels of trans vaccenic acid (VA) - a natural animal fat found in dairy and beef products - can reduce risk factors associated with heart disease, diabetes and obesity...

Because VA is the major natural trans fat in dairy and beef products, comprising more than 70 per cent of the proportion of natural trans fat content in those products, the findings support a growing body of evidence that indicates natural animal-based trans fat is different than harmful hydrogenated trans fat created through industrial processing, Wang noted.

'As the VA results illustrate, some natural trans fats are not harmful and may in fact be very good for you,' she said."

This is directly from the University.

You might want to recheck your trans fats.

Backlash Against Big Beauty Queen

More lack of diligence from ABCNews, the media sponsor of IMHO cons Oprah Winfrey, Mehmet Oz, David Katz and Jorge Cruise.

"Body mass index is a measure of an adult's body fat based on height and weight. The normal range of BMI for a woman of Marshall's height and weight is between 20 and 25, according to Wolper. A BMI of 30 indicates obesity.

An estimated 65 percent of all Americans are considered obese."

More like "An estimated 65 percent of all Americans are considered" overweight.

Check your facts.

BTW, the "beauty queen" is fat.