Recap of Recent Health News

Recap recent health news on TV's top-ranked morning show "Fox and Friends" Medical Rewind.  In this segment, new findings are discussed on contamination of tap water systems, prostate cancer risk possibly being lessened by ingredients found in beer and coffee (with the positive effect of exercise for prostate cancer survivors), as well as safety of meat in public school lunches compared to the fast food industry.

New Year's Resolutions "Bad for Your Health"?

Happy New Year!

As the first post in 2009, we think it is important to say "out with the old, and in with the new". What are your New Year's resolutions? A recent article in the BBC News hit the nail on the head. They mentioned that a mental health institution has stated that new year's resolutions may be bad for your health.

"In 2009, instead of making a New Year's resolution, think positively about the year to come and what you can achieve.", the BBC reports.
Instead of easily broken resolutions, the charity has suggested a few steps to improve all-round mental health in 2009:

* Being active - exercise releases endorphins and even a gentle stroll is beneficial for mental well-being
* Going green - evidence has shown that connecting with nature can boost moods
* Learn something new - it will keep minds stimulated and give confidence
* Give back to the community - it can be just as rewarding for you as those you choose to help

Cheers!!

Did Britney Spears get SmartLipo?

With all of the attention turned to Britney Spears' (recent) fabulous physique has come the obligatory question whenever celebs lose weight: "How did she do it?"

Sure enough, the pop tart reveals just that in the latest issue of OK! magazine courtesy of E!Online, talking about how she's cut out sugar and that her meals consist of things like chicken, salmon, rice, avocados, egg whites and turkey burgers.

"I try to do just 1,200 calories a day," says Brit, who also happens to work out five days a week. "It may sound like it's not much, but it's actually a lot of food if you eat the right things."

12oo calories a day is a tough diet, and is likely similar (but not necessarily the same) as one that is often prescribed to diabetics by docs as recommended by the ADA (American Diabetic Association).

Just looking at the photo to the left of Britney's tuned up abdomen, it leads one to wonder if she also had a quick fix like SmartLipo or some type of traditional liposuction procedure. I haven't examined or treated her, but I wouldn't be surprised if at some point after having kids she had something like that. SmartLipo is awesome because it can be done on defined, isolated fat pockets under local anesthesia, and the patient can literally walk out the door and go home afterward with very little downtime (except for some bruising and swelling typical of any lipo procedure). SmartLipo utilizes a laser to melt the fat first, which then gets suctioned away with small cannulas. The lasering beforehand purportedly helps over the next few months with skin retraction or tightening. And Britney's abdominal and outer and inner thigh skin looks kind of tight here, reminiscent of young women who have had such a procedure done. (I say young because younger women have more elasticity in their skin and more of an ability for the skin to tighten smoothly). Exercise and diet of course help, and should be first line when trying to shed pounds.