Is he Economy Hurting More Than Your Pocket?

The year 2009 brought a new president to face America. With President Obama entering the white house with record approval rates and the economy in turmoil, we watched his approval dwindle.
With over 25 million jobs lost during 2008, Americans 401(k) plans being reduced and the stock market decline, Obama struggles with America. His approval rate has declined to 59% according to an online CNN research poll.
As our economy sinks into recession and many fear a second depression, others worry about America’s health.
According to the American Psychological Association, 80% of all Americans are stressed.
Those stressed are experiencing anxiety, headaches, lack of sleep and muscle tension.
48% of those stressed also report having overeaten or consumed large amounts of unhealthy food to cope with the stress.

Dont Forget Me

While many of us are focused on a healthier lifestyle, counting calories, carbohydrates and fat intake levels, there is one level we have neglected: triglycerides.
Fat is the number one concern for those trying to remain healthy. There are two main forms of fat in the blood, LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Both are fat particles that are found throughout the body’s blood. HDL cholesterol is known as the good form of fat that the body needs for survival.
While LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol are important factors of health, the third component often forgot is triglycerides.
The body stores excess calories as triglycerides, causing the levels to be high due to lack of exercise, being overweight, drinking alcohol and consuming large portions of saturated fats.
According to the Center for Disease Control, one-third of American adults have high levels of triglycerides.
Those with diabetes also tend to have higher levels of triglycerides.
High levels of triglycerides are a risk marker for other diseases such as heart disease and could potentially lead to early death.
Triglyceride levels 150 milligrams per deciliter and higher is considered to be high.
The way to lower the levels is to lose weight, eat healthy and become more active.

Diabetes Impact on Cancer

The two most common diseases in the United States are diabetes and cancer. Although, both diseases appear distant, there has recently been a strong link between the two diseases.
Cancer patients who already have diabetes have a greater risk of dying of diabetes then cancer patients who do not have the blood-sugar disorder, according to the American Medical Association.
An estimated 24 million Americans within the United States have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association, and about 18 percent of newly diagnosed cancer patients also have the disease.
Frederick Broncati at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in the Baltimore, Maryland found that those with diabetes and cancer have a 1.4 times higher percent change of dying of cancer. Broncoti’s study also showed those with diabetes have a greater risk of developing cancer, this may be due to the fact many of those with type two diabetes are overweight or obese.

Average Life Span Lowered by Obesity

Recent studies, including over 900,000 people, indicate obesity may shorten the average life span up to ten years.
There were over 57 studies preformed showing a direct connection between an overweight or obese Body Mass Index (BMI) and early mortality.
For those obese, the average life span could shorten by two to four years, while those extremely obese the life span could be reduced eight to ten years.
A study conducted by the University of Oxford worked to discover the link between BMI and mortality. The study began in 1979 and contained 894,578 people, from North American and Western Europe. The average participant was 46-year-old, with a BMI of 25.
A normal, healthy BMI for a 5 feet 5 inch person would be 18.5 to 24.9. An overweight individual BMI would be 25-29.9, while obese is 30 or more.
According to the study, during the follow-up period those with a 22.5 to 25 were more likely to sustain the average mortality rates. But every additional 5 BMI points raised the mortality risk by over 30 percent.
For the increased mortality rate the death were most commonly associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney and liver disease.

First Post

Hey everyone, my name is Ashley and I am a third year journalism major at the University of Maine at Orono. I will be using this space to discuss and inform about societal health issues. With increasing obesity, cancer causes and diabetes rates, I think everybody needs some education. The top two preventable causes of death are surrounding tobacco use and diabetes, both which may be due to lack of knowledge. Although, I am not a doctor or a health educator, I would like to use the knowledge I have collected to share information. In my studies at the University, I am involved in a communication Health Campaign class where we are to provide knowledge of a health concern, this is what i would like to do here. Enjoy and get informed!