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When dieting, stay healthy
Sure, most people can probably afford to shed a few pounds. It’s the “how to” that’s the hard part. People who have lost weight, and kept it off, generally have some fairly simple guidelines that contribute to their success.- Losing weight means improving health. So involve your doctor, who can make suggestions, provide support, and monitor progress from time to time.
- Adopt a positive, "can-do" attitude, and set sensible timetables and goals for losing weight.
- Most diets involve cutting back on fats, sugars, and salt and eating more fresh vegetables and fruits. Some advocate consuming high-fiber fruits and whole-grain products. Your doctor can advise you on a good nutritional program for weight loss that is based on your personal health profile.
- Drink plenty of water and get lots of good, sound sleep.
- Add regular exercise, as suggested by your physician. Work out with a partner to help you remain faithful to resolutions to exercise.
- Avoid diets that promise fast weight loss, or fads that usually pop up just before the holidays or swimsuit season.
An Alaska Superior Court jury found a diet pill marketer liable for significant punitive and compensatory damages when a customer suffered an adverse physical reaction to an ingredient in its “all natural” product. The non-natural ingredient was synthetic ephedrine, which the Food and Drug Administration has implicated in hundreds of cases of adverse reactions ranging from simple nervousness to cardiac arrhythmia, stroke, and death. The jury rendered its stern verdict because it felt the marketer was negligent in misrepresenting its product’s ingredients and for failing to reformulate, despite warnings from state and federal authorities that synthetic ephedrine could cause serious illness and strokes.
Air travel caution
Blood clot threat
Frequent long-distance air travelers face a
serious health risk known as “economy-class
syndrome.
” More accurately called
deep-vein thrombosis, this potentially serious
medical condition starts when blood clots
form in the lower legs as passengers sit stationary in airline
seats for prolonged periods of time. Several hours after
deplaning, and as passengers become active, the clot may
enter the circulatory system as blood flows and cause medical
emergencies. The condition is very serious and may require
extensive treatment.British Airways is now warning passengers about the problem, and other airlines are suggesting movement and stretching exercises. Unfortunately, no one really knows why the syndrome occurs.
After well-publicized deaths in Japan, Great Britain, and Australia, a Sydney law firm has announced that it may sue 20 airlines, and more than 800 airline customers have joined the suit, including the families of 36 passengers who have died from the condition. The passengers feel that airlines are not providing sufficient warnings about the condition’s risk.
Medication side effects
What should a person do if a prescription medication causes side effects?
If the reaction seems mild, reread the label and fact sheet. Make sure you are taking the correct dosage at the right time and that the side effect is normal. If in doubt, contact a physician.
If the reaction is severe, call the doctor immediately, call 911 for help, or go to an emergency room and bring the medication with you.
Inform your doctor
A court said a drug manufacturer was 50
percent at fault when a patient died after
using a prescription medication for
migraine headaches. However, it also
found the patient 30 percent at fault,
since she failed to report changes in
intensity and the types of side effects
to her doctor. The court assigned the
manufacturer greater responsibility,
since it felt the patient was misled
by confusing manufacturer’s side-effect
warnings, which led to her
not informing her physician
about her symptoms.
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