Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World
Source: Uploaded by NewVideoDigital on Mar 4, 2011 to YouTube
Filmmakers Cori Brackett and J.T. Waldron explore the issue of aspartame toxicity in a documentary that implores viewers to take consider the potentially damaging effects of the common food additive. A sugar substitute that is found in NutraSweet and many common diet drinks, aspartame is alleged to cause toxic reactions in the human body that can result in a wide variety of physical and mental ailments.
In stating their claim that aspartame toxicity is perhaps the most insidious representation of corporate negligence since tobacco, Brackett and Waldron offer compelling evidence about a potentially deadly phenomenon.
Sweet Misery is a close examination into what many in the medical community have voiced over the last few decades on the safety of Aspartame sweetener. Is there a connection with Aspartame and illnesses? Did the government (including Donald Rumsfeld) push the approval of the sweetener and suppress key data? This film delves into the FDA’s process and the various reports of health risks associated with the widely used sweetener.
How Is Diabetes Treated in Children?
A teenager tests his blood sugar with a glucose meter. Keeping blood sugar close to the normal range can help prevent the complications of diabetes.
On this page
Is your child packing on the pounds?
Becoming a couch potato?
Then he or she may be at risk for getting type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes once occurred mainly in adults who are overweight and over 40, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Today, it is increasingly diagnosed in youths age 10 to 19.
Why is this happening?
Because just like adults, kids are heavier now. An estimated 1 in 6 children and teens is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Along with a family history of diabetes, being overweight and inactive are the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes, says Ilan Irony, M.D., an endocrinologist at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The two main types of diabetes—type 1 and type 2—are treatable, says Irony. “In addition to changes in diet and a healthier lifestyle, treatments can help control blood sugar and prevent or delay long-term complications of diabetes.”
FDA-approved treatments for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are all about keeping the blood sugar (glucose) levels in a normal range.
But there is no one treatment that works for everybody, says Irony. And treatments may need to be changed if side effects of a particular medication are not tolerated. Also, additional medications may need to be added as diabetes gets worse over time.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is most often diagnosed in children starting at age 12 or 13, says Irony. “In children, the disease tends to get worse in puberty when the body produces hormones that make insulin less effective,” he says. Insulin is the hormone that controls blood sugar levels.
“The first line of treatment is a healthy diet and other lifestyle changes,” says Irony. “If a child is overweight or obese, losing weight and increasing physical activity can help lower blood sugar.”
Ask the pediatrician if your child is a healthy weight or needs to lose weight. And children and adolescents should do at least one hour of physical activity each day, according to the federal government’s 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
Type 2 diabetes may be controlled with diet and exercise for a while—sometimes years—says Irony. “But the disease is progressive and medication will be needed later in the majority of patients.”
FDA has approved one glucose-lowering medication—metformin—in pill and liquid form for children. Metformin, used daily, increases the body’s sensitivity to its own insulin so it becomes more active and pushes glucose into the cells. The most common side effects of metformin—upset stomach, nausea and diarrhea—generally go away within a few weeks.
In rare cases, metformin can cause a serious and sometimes fatal side effect called lactic acidosis—a buildup of lactic acid in the blood. This rare condition has occurred mostly in people whose kidneys were not working normally.
FDA has recently approved a number of different drugs for diabetes in adults that are currently being studied for use in children, Irony says.
Injectable insulins—which move glucose from the blood to the body’s cells—are approved for children with diabetes. If the drug metformin alone doesn’t bring the blood sugar down to normal, insulin can be injected and help achieve better control.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes accounts for almost all diabetes in children younger than 10, and it is also on the rise in U.S. children and adolescents. Formerly called juvenile diabetes, type 1 occurs when the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-making cells in the pancreas. Researchers are still investigating the causes of diabetes.
For children with type 1 diabetes, multiple injections of insulin are needed every day to keep the blood sugar in check.
“Treatment is individualized to the child and the spikes of high or low blood sugar need to be minimized,” says Irony. It’s a balancing act to lower the blood sugar but not get it too low, which could make the child feel shaky or pass out, he adds.
Diabetes Devices
Children with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, like adults, must test their blood sugar multiple times a day. FDA regulates medical devices, including portable meters and monitors, used to check blood sugar levels. The agency also regulates devices such as syringes, pens, and pumps used to inject insulin.
Syringes and pens are used manually to inject insulin. Pumps are computerized devices programmed to deliver a continuous flow of insulin, even while you sleep. FDA has approved more than 55 different insulin pumps. A pump system generally consists of
- a pumping mechanism that holds batteries and a cartridge filled with insulin. The pump, which is similar in size to a pager, is worn outside the body on a belt or in a pocket.
- a tube (catheter) that carries insulin from the pump to another tube (cannula) implanted just under the skin, typically in the belly or back.
Pump technology continues to evolve, says Alan Stevens, a mechanical engineer and FDA’s infusion pump team leader. A newer type is the “patch” pump, he says, in which the tubing is contained within a pump directly attached to the body with adhesive. A small, hand-held computer similar to a PDA, which directs the pump, can be carried in a purse or pocket.
What Is Diabetes?
Diabetes occurs because of defects in the body’s ability to produce or use insulin—a hormone needed to convert food into energy. Insulin is made in the pancreas and is released into the blood to control glucose (sugar) levels and the amount of glucose transported into cells as an energy source. If the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin, or if the cells do not respond appropriately to insulin, glucose can’t get into the cells and instead stays in the blood and is passed in the urine. The blood sugar level then gets too high.
High blood sugar can, over time, lead to devastating health problems, including
- heart attack
- stroke
- kidney disease
- nerve damage
- loss of toes or feet
- digestive problems
- blindness
- gum problems and loss of teeth
This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
Oct. 24, 2011
Source:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20993
Ph. 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)
Email FDA
@Katiecouric: Americans and Food
There is a discussion in this video on how food choices changes children’s brain chemistry and the long-range effects of these changes.
FoodSpook.
Source: Uploaded by KatieCouric on Feb 16, 2010 to YouTube
What we eat, why we eat so much of it, and what it means for our health. Katie Couric talks food with with former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler and “Fast Food Nation” author Eric Schlosser
FDA 101: Health Fraud Awareness
U.S. Food & Drug Administration
Health fraud is the deceptive sale or advertising of products that claim to be effective against medical conditions or otherwise beneficial to health, but which have not been proven safe and effective for those purposes.
In addition to wasting billions of consumers’ dollars each year, health scams can lead patients to delay proper treatment and cause serious—and even fatal—injuries.
Since the 1990s, peddlers of fraudulent “health” products have used the Internet as a primary tool to hawk their wares. This has kept the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies busier than ever in protecting the public from health fraud.
Since June 2008, FDA has warned consumers not to use bogus cancer-treatment products marketed online by 28 U.S. companies. These products include tablets, teas, tonics, salves, and creams sold under more than 180 different brand names.
And since December 2008, FDA has warned about more than 70 weight loss products containing unapproved pharmaceutical ingredients and chemicals not listed on the labels. Some of these ingredients present serious health risks when taken in dosages recommended on the product label.
Common Types of Health Fraud
Cancer fraud: Among the many long-running cancer scams is the Hoxsey Cancer Treatment, an herbal regimen that has no proven benefit. Another scam involves products called black salves. These are offered with the false promise of drawing cancer out from the skin, but they are potentially corrosive to tissues.
Cancer requires individualized treatment by a specialized physician. No single device, remedy, or treatment can treat all types of cancer.
Patients looking to try an experimental cancer treatment should enroll in a legitimate clinical study. For more information, visit the National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Web site.
HIV/AIDS fraud: There are legitimate treatments that can help people with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). While early treatment of HIV can delay progression to AIDS, there is currently no cure for the disease.
Relying on unproven products and treatments can be dangerous and cause delays in seeking legitimate medical treatments that have been proven in clinical trials to improve quality of life.
Safe, reliable testing to determine whether you have HIV can be done by a medical professional.
To date, there is one FDA-approved testing system that allows individuals to test themselves at home. It is an HIV collection system that tests only for HIV-1, which is the cause of the majority of the world’s HIV infections.
The test, sold either as The Home Access HIV-1 Test System or The Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System, allows blood samples to be sent to a laboratory for testing with an FDA approved HIV-1 test.
Arthritis fraud: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission says consumers spend about $2 billion annually on unproven arthritis remedies that are not backed by adequate science.
For current, accurate information on arthritis treatments and alternative therapies, visit the Arthritis Foundation Web site.
Fraudulent “diagnostic” tests: Doctors often use in vitro diagnostic (IVD) tests—in tandem with a physical examination and a medical history—to get a picture of a patient’s overall health.
These tests involve blood, urine, or other specimen samples taken from the body. They help diagnose or measure many conditions, including pregnancy, hepatitis, fertility, HIV, cholesterol, and blood sugar.
It’s rare that the use of only one of these tests can provide a meaningful diagnosis. You can buy IVD tests in stores, through the mail, or online. Many of these tests are regulated by FDA and sold legally. However, many others are marketed illegally and do not meet FDA’s regulatory requirements. These tests may not work or may be harmful.
To find out whether FDA has cleared or approved an IVD test for a particular purpose, call FDA at (888) 463-6332, or your local FDA district office.
Bogus dietary supplements: The array of dietary supplements—including vitamins and minerals, amino acids, enzymes, herbs, animal extracts and others—has grown tremendously.
Although the benefits of some of these have been documented, the advantages of others are unproven. For example, claims that a supplement allows you to eat all you want and lose weight effortlessly are false.
Claims to treat diseases cause products to be considered drugs. Firms wanting to make such claims legally must follow FDA’s premarket New Drug Approval process to show that the products are safe and effective.
Weight loss fraud: Since 2003, FDA has worked with national and international partners to take hundreds of compliance actions against companies pushing bogus and misleading weight loss schemes.
FDA has recently enhanced efforts to stop sales and importation of—and to warn consumers about—weight loss products that contain dangerous prescription drug ingredients that are not listed on the label.
Sexual enhancement product fraud: FDA has warned consumers about numerous illegal drugs promoted and sold online for treating erectile dysfunction and for enhancing sexual performance.
Although they are marketed as “dietary supplements,” these products are really illegal drugs that contain potentially harmful ingredients that are not listed on the label.
Diabetes fraud: FDA has taken numerous compliance actions against sales of fraudulent diabetes “treatments” promoted with bogus claims such as
- “drop your blood sugar 50 points in 30 days”
- “eliminate insulin resistance”
- “prevent the development of type 2 diabetes”
- “reduce or eliminate the need for diabetes drugs or insulin”
Influenza (flu) scams: Federal agencies have come across contaminated, counterfeit, and sub-potent influenza products.
FDA, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has intercepted products claimed to be generic versions of the influenza drug Tamiflu, but which actually contained vitamin C and other substances not shown to be effective in treating or preventing influenza.
Don’t Be a Victim
It’s ultimately up to the buyer to beware of potential health fraud. Know of the potential for health fraud and learn about the common techniques and gimmicks that fraudulent marketers use to gain your attention and trust.
For instance, testimonials from people who say they have used the product may sound convincing, but these can easily be made up. These “testimonials” are not a substitute for scientific proof.
Also, never diagnose or treat yourself with questionable products. Always check with your health care professional before using new medical products.
Be wary of these red flags:
- claims that a product is a quick, effective cure-all or a diagnostic tool for a wide variety of ailments
- suggestions that a product can treat or cure diseases
- promotions using words such as “scientific breakthrough,” “miraculous cure,” “secret ingredient,” and “ancient remedy”
- text with impressive-sounding terms such as: “hunger stimulation point” and “thermogenesis” for a weight loss product
- undocumented case histories by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results
- limited availability and advance payment requirements
- promises of no-risk, money-back guarantees
- promises of an “easy” fix
- claims that the product is “natural” or “non-toxic” (which doesn’t necessarily mean safe)
Don’t be fooled by professional-looking Web sites. Avoid Web sites that fail to list the company’s name, physical address, phone number, or other contact information. For more tips for online buying, visit Buying Medicines and Medical Products Online.
Report Problems
If you find a person or company that you think is illegally selling human drugs, animal drugs, medical devices, biological products, foods, dietary supplements, or cosmetics, report it to FDA.
To report problems with FDA-regulated products, call your local FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator.
To report unlawful sales of medical products on the Internet, visit Reporting Unlawful Sales on Internet.
This article appears on FDA’s Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
Page Last Updated: 12/08/2011
Source: FDA
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20993
Ph. 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)
Email FDA
Bariatric Surgery for Severe Obesity – NIDDK
Bariatric Surgery for Severe Obesity
- Bariatric Surgery for Adults
- Bariatric Surgery for Youth
- The Normal Digestive Process
- Types of Bariatric Surgery
- Medical Costs
- Research
- Resources
- References
Bariatric surgery may be the next step for people who remain severely obese after trying approaches other than surgery‚ especially if they have a disease linked to obesity.
Severe obesity is a chronic condition that is hard to treat with diet and exercise alone. Bariatric surgery is an operation on the stomach and/or intestines that helps patients with extreme obesity to lose weight. This surgery is an option for people who cannot lose weight by other means or who suffer from serious health problems related to obesity. The surgery restricts food intake, which promotes weight loss and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. Some surgeries also interrupt how food is digested, preventing some calories and nutrients, such as vitamins, from being absorbed. Recent studies suggest that bariatric surgery may even lower death rates for patients with severe obesity. The best results occur when patients follow surgery with healthy eating patterns and regular exercise.
Currently, bariatric surgery may be an option for adults with severe obesity. Body mass index (BMI), a measure of height in relation to weight, is used to define levels of obesity. Clinically severe obesity is a BMI > 40 or a BMI > 35 with a serious health problem linked to obesity. Such health problems could be type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or severe sleep apnea (when breathing stops for short periods during sleep).
Recent Development
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved use of an adjustable gastric band (or AGB) for patients with BMI > 30 who also have at least one condition linked to obesity, such as heart disease or diabetes.
Who is a good adult candidate for surgery?
Having surgery to produce weight loss is a serious decision. Anyone thinking about having this surgery should know what it involves. Answers to the following questions may help patients decide whether weight-loss surgery is right for them.
Is the patient:
- Unlikely to lose weight or keep it off over the long term using other methods?
- Well informed about the surgery and treatment effects?
- Aware of the risks and benefits of surgery?
- Ready to lose weight and improve his or her health?
- Aware of how life may change after the surgery? (For example, patients need to adjust to side effects, such as the need to chew food well and the loss of ability to eat large meals.)
- Aware of the limits on food choices, and occasional failures?
- Committed to lifelong healthy eating and physical activity, medical follow-up, and the need to take extra vitamins and minerals?
There is no sure method, including surgery, to produce and maintain weight loss. Some patients who have bariatric surgery may have weight loss that does not meet their goals. Research also suggests that many patients regain some of the lost weight over time. The amount of weight regain may vary by extent of obesity and type of surgery. Habits such as snacking often on foods high in calories or not exercising can affect the amount of weight loss and weight regain. Problems that may occur with the surgery, like a stretched pouch or separated stitches, may also affect the amount of weight loss.
Success is possible. Patients must commit to changing habits and having medical follow-up for the rest of their lives.
Rates of obesity among youth are high. Bariatric surgery is sometimes used to treat youth with extreme obesity. Although it is becoming clear that teens can lose weight after bariatric surgery, many questions still exist about the long-term effects on teens’ developing bodies and minds.
Who is a good youth candidate for surgery?
Experts in childhood obesity and bariatric surgery suggest that families consider surgery only after youth have tried for at least 6 months to lose weight and have not had success.1 Candidates should meet the following criteria:
- Have extreme obesity (BMI > 40 )
- Be their adult height (usually at age 13 or older for girls and 15 or older for boys)
- Have serious health problems linked to weight, such as type 2 diabetes or sleep apnea, that may improve with bariatric surgery
In addition, health care providers should assess potential patients and their parents to see how emotionally prepared they are for the surgery and the lifestyle changes they will need to make. Health care providers should also refer young patients to special youth bariatric surgery centers that focus on meeting the unique needs of youth.
Mounting evidence suggests that bariatric surgery can favorably change both the weight and health of youth with extreme obesity. Over the years’ gastric bypass surgery has been the main operation used to treat extreme obesity in youth. An estimated 2,700 youth bariatric surgeries were performed between 1996 and 2003.2 A review of short-term data from the largest inpatient database in the United States suggests that these surgeries are at least as safe for youth as adults. As yet, AGB has not been approved for use in the United States for people younger than age 18. However, favorable weight-loss outcomes after AGB for youth have been reported abroad.
Normally, as food moves along the digestive tract, digestive juices and enzymes digest and absorb calories and nutrients. After we chew and swallow our food, it moves down the esophagus to the stomach, where a strong acid continues the digestive process. The stomach can hold about 3 pints of food at one time. When the stomach contents move to the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine), bile and pancreatic juice speed up digestion. Most of the iron and calcium in the food we eat is absorbed there. The other two parts of the nearly 20 feet of small intestine absorb nearly all of the remaining calories and nutrients. The food particles that cannot be digested in the small intestine reside in the large intestine until eliminated.
How does surgery promote weight loss?
Bariatric surgery restricts food intake, which leads to weight loss. Patients who have bariatric surgery must commit to a lifetime of healthy eating and regular exercise. These healthy habits may help patients maintain weight loss after surgery.
The type of surgery that may help an adult or youth depends on a number of factors. Patients should discuss with their health care providers what kind of surgery is suitable for them.
What is the difference between open and laparoscopic surgery?
Bariatric surgery may be performed through “open” approaches, which involve cutting the stomach in the standard manner, or by laparoscopy. With the latter approach, surgeons insert complex instruments through 1/2-inch cuts and guide a small camera that sends images to a monitor. Most bariatric surgery today is laparoscopic because it requires a smaller cut, creates less tissue damage, leads to earlier hospital discharges, and has fewer problems, especially hernias occurring after surgery.
However, not all patients are suitable for laparoscopy. Patients who are considered extremely obese, who have had previous stomach surgery, or who have complex medical problems may require the open approach. Complex medical problems may include having severe heart and lung disease or weighing more than 350 pounds.
What are the surgical options?
There are four types of operations that are commonly offered in the United States: AGB, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch (BPD-DS), and vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). (See Figure 1.) Each surgery has its own benefits and risks. The patient and provider should work together to select the best option by considering the benefits and risks of each type of surgery. Other factors to consider include the patient’s BMI, eating habits, health conditions related to obesity, and previous stomach surgeries.
Figure 1
Diagram of Surgical Options. Image credit: Walter Pories, M.D. FACS.
Adjustable Gastric Band
AGB works mainly by decreasing food intake. Food intake is reduced by placing a small bracelet-like band around the top of the stomach to restrict the size of the opening from the throat to the stomach. The surgeon can then control the size of the opening with a circular balloon inside the band. This balloon can be inflated or deflated with saline solution to meet the needs of the patient.
Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass
RYGB restricts food intake. RYGB also decreases how food is absorbed. Food intake is limited by a small pouch that is similar in size to the pouch created with AGB. Also, sending food directly from the pouch into the small intestine affects how the digestive tract absorbs food. The food is absorbed differently because the stomach, duodenum, and upper intestine no longer have contact with food.
Biliopancreatic Diversion with a Duodenal Switch
BPD-DS, usually referred to as a “duodenal switch,” is a complex bariatric surgery that includes three features. One feature is to remove a large part of the stomach. This step makes patients feel full sooner when eating than they did before surgery. Feeling full sooner encourages patients to eat less. Another feature is re-routing food away from much of the small intestine to limit how the body absorbs food. The third feature changes how bile and other digestive juices affect the body’s ability to digest food and absorb calories. This step also helps lead to weight loss.
In removing a large part of the stomach, the surgeon creates a more tubular “gastric sleeve” (also known as a VSG, discussed later). The smaller stomach sleeve remains linked to a very short part of the duodenum, which is then directly linked to a lower part of the small intestine. This surgery leaves a small part of the duodenum available to absorb food and some vitamins and minerals.
However, when the patient eats food, it bypasses most of the duodenum. The distance between the stomach and colon becomes much shorter after this operation, thus limiting how food is absorbed. BPD-DS produces significant weight loss. However, a decrease in the amount of food, vitamins, and minerals absorbed creates chances for long-term problems.
Some of these problems are anemia (lower than normal count for red blood cells) or osteoporosis (loss of bone mass that can make bones brittle).
Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
VSG surgery restricts food intake and decreases the amount of food used. Most of the stomach is removed during this surgery, which may decrease ghrelin, a hormone that prompts appetite. Lower amounts of ghrelin may reduce hunger more than other purely restrictive surgeries, such as AGB.
VSG has been performed in the past mainly as the first stage of BPD-DS (discussed earlier) in patients who may be at high risk for problems from more extensive types of surgery. These patients’ high risk levels are due to body weight or medical issues. However, more recent research indicates that some patients who have VSG can lose a lot of weight with VSG alone and avoid a second procedure. Researchers do not yet know how many patients who have VSG alone will need a second stage procedure.
What are the side effects of these surgeries?
Some side effects may include bleeding, infection, leaks from the site where the intestines are sewn together, diarrhea, and blood clots in the legs that can move to the lungs and heart.
Examples of side effects that may occur later include nutrients being poorly absorbed, especially in patients who do not take their prescribed vitamins and minerals. In some cases, if patients do not address this problem promptly, diseases may occur along with permanent damage to the nervous system. These diseases include pellagra (caused by lack of vitamin B3—niacin), beri beri (caused by lack of vitamin B1—thiamine) and kwashiorkor (caused by lack of protein).
Other late problems include strictures (narrowing of the sites where the intestine is joined) and hernias (part of an organ bulging through a weak area of muscle).
Two kinds of hernias may occur after a patient has bariatric surgery. An incisional hernia is a weakness that sticks out from the abdominal wall’s connective tissue and may cause a blockage in the bowel. An internal hernia occurs when the small bowel is displaced into pockets in the lining of the abdomen. These pockets occur when the intestines are sewn together. Internal hernias are thought to be more dangerous than incisional ones and need prompt attention to avoid serious problems.
Some patients may also require emotional support to help them through the changes in body image and personal relationships that occur after the surgery.
Bariatric procedures, on average, cost from $20,000 to $25,000. Medical insurance coverage varies by state and insurance provider. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reduced barriers to obtaining Medicare coverage for obesity treatments. Bariatric surgery may be covered under these conditions:
- If the patient has at least one health problem linked to obesity
- If the procedure is suitable for the patient’s medical condition
- If approved surgeons and facilities are involved
Patients can contact staff at their regional Medicare, Medicaid, or health insurance office to find out if the procedure is covered and to obtain facts about options.
In 2003, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the NIH partnered with researchers to create the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery, or LABS. LABS researchers are experts in bariatric surgery, obesity research, internal medicine, behavioral science, and related fields. Their mission is to plan and conduct studies that will lead to more knowledge about bariatric surgery and its impact on the health and well-being of patients with extreme obesity. More information about LABS is available at http://www.niddklabs.org .
To help determine if bariatric surgery is appropriate for youth, NIH launched Teen-LABS in 2007. From 2007 to 2012, the multicenter study is collecting data from teens who plan to have surgery. The data will help to evaluate bariatric surgery’s benefits and risks. Researchers are collecting data about medical problems related to obesity, other health risk factors, and quality of life from these patients before they have surgery and 2 years after surgery. Researchers will then compare the teen outcomes to data from adults. These websites offer more information about Teen-LABS: http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2007/niddk-16.htm and http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/teen-LABS.
The following list of publications, websites, and organizations may be of use for patients or health care providers discussing bariatric surgery.
Additional Reading from the Weight-control Information Network
Active at Any Size. This fact sheet provides ideas and tips on how people considered to be overweight or obese can be physically active. It focuses on overcoming common barriers and setting goals. Available at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/active.htm.
Binge Eating Disorder. This fact sheet provides information and resources for patients who may have binge eating disorder. Available at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/binge.htm.
Dieting and Gallstones. This fact sheet explains what gallstones are, how they form, and the roles obesity and rapid weight loss play in developing gallstones. Available at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/gallstones.htm.
Weight Loss for Life. This booklet describes ways to lose weight and encourages healthy eating habits and regular physical activity. Available at http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/for_life.htm.
Additional Reading for Health Care Providers
Pharmacological and Surgical Treatment of Obesity: Evidence Report/Technology Assessment: Number 103. Shekelle PG, Morton SC, Maglione M, et al. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ Publication Number 04–E028–1; 2004. Rockville, MD. This report reviews the scientific evidence on weight-loss drugs and bariatric surgery among children, youth, and adults. Available at http://www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/obespharm/obespharm.pdf [PDF - 3,450 Kb].
Additional Resource
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
100 SW 75th Street
Suite 201
Gainesville, FL 32607
Phone: 352-331–4900
Fax: 352-331–4975
Internet: http://www.asmbs.org/
Weight-control Information Network
1 WIN Way
Bethesda, MD 20892–3665
Phone: 202-828–1025
Toll-free number: 1–877–946–4627
Fax: 202–828–1028
Email: win@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
National Institutes of Health
NIH Publication No. 08–4006
March 2009
Updated June 2011
1. Inge TH‚ Krebs NF‚ Garcia VF‚ et al. Bariatric surgery for severely overweight adolescents: concerns and recommendations. Pediatrics. 2004 Jul;114(1):217–23.
2. Wilson ST‚ Thomas HI‚ Randall SB. Bariatric surgery in adolescents: recent national trends in use and in-hospital outcome. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2007;161(3):217–221.
Toll free: 1–877–946–4627; Fax: 202–828–1028; Email: win@info.niddk.nih.gov
Weight-control Information Network, 1 WIN Way, Bethesda, MD 20892–3665
Last Modified: July 28, 2011
Source:
Food Matters: front-of-package labels again
by Marion Nestle
Currently browsing posts about: IOM (Institute of Medicine)
Nov 6, 2011
My monthly (first Sunday) Food Matters column in the San Francisco Chronicle appears today. This time, it’s about the fuss over front-of-package labels.
Q: I’m completely confused by all of the little check marks and squares on food packages telling me they are healthy. Do they mean anything?
A: The Food and Drug Administration feels your pain. It sponsored two studies by the Institute of Medicine to rationalize front-of-package nutrition ranking systems.
The institute released its second report last month; it advises the FDA to allow front-of-package labels to state nothing but calories and nutrients to avoid: saturated and trans fat, sodium and sugar (go to sfg.ly/sUptQR).
The institute’s proposal gives products one point for not containing too much of each of these nutrients. It suggests displaying the points like Energy Stars on home appliances with zero to three stars, depending on how well the product meets nutritional criteria.
This is a simple system, instantly understandable. I think it is courageous. The institute’s proposal benefits consumers. It does not help companies sell junk food.
Selling or educating?
No food company wants to display nutrients to avoid. For the food industry, the entire point of front-of-package labels is to market products as healthy or “better for you” no matter what they contain. Front-of-package labels are a tool for selling, not buying. They make highly processed foods look healthier.
Will companies accept a voluntary labeling scheme that makes foods seem worse? Doubtful.
Nutrition ranking symbols began appearing on food packages in the mid-1990s, when the American Heart Association got companies to pay for displaying its HeartCheck.
Food companies then established their own systems for identifying “better-for-you” products. PepsiCo, for example, developed its own nutritional standards and proclaimed hundreds of its snacks and drinks as “Smart Choices Made Easy.”
In an attempt to bring order to this chaos, food companies banded together to develop an industry-wide system. Unfortunately, their joint Smart Choices checkmark appeared first on Froot Loops and other sugary cereals. The ensuing ridicule and legal challenges forced the program to be withdrawn.
At that point, the FDA, backed by Congress and other federal agencies, asked the Institute of Medicine for help.
The institute released its first report last year. It revealed inconsistencies in the 20 existing ranking schemes from private agencies, food companies and supermarket chains. Toasted oat cereal, for example, earned two stars in one system, a score of 84 (on a scale of 100) in another, and a score of 37 in a third.
The report said labels should display only calories and to-be-avoided nutrients. Labels should not display “good-for-you” nutrients – protein, fiber, and certain vitamins and minerals – because these would only confuse consumers and encourage companies to unnecessarily add nutrients to products for marketing purposes.
Although the FDA was waiting for the second institute report before taking action, the food industry wasted no time. The Grocery Manufacturers Association and Food Marketing Institute introduced their own system.
Complicated approach
They got their members to agree to a more complicated system, “Nutrition Keys,” based on nutrients to avoid but also including up to two “good-for-you” nutrients.
Food companies immediately put Nutrition Keys’ symbols – well established to be difficult for consumers to understand – on package labels where you can see them today. Now called Facts Up Front, the symbols are backed by a $50 million “public education” campaign.
The reasons for the industry’s preemptive strike are obvious. The second Institute of Medicine report gives examples of products that qualify for stars – toasted oat cereal, oatmeal, orange juice, peanut butter and canned tomatoes, among them.
It also lists the kinds of products that would not qualify for stars, including animal crackers, breakfast bars, sweetened yogurt and chocolate milk.
So the industry argues that consumers “want simple and easy to use information and should be trusted to make decisions for themselves and their families … rather than have government tell them what they should and should not eat.”
But why, you ask, does any of this matter? I view front-of-package labels as a test of the FDA’s authority to regulate and set limits on any kind of food industry behavior. If the FDA cannot insist that food labels help the public choose healthier foods, it means the public has little recourse against any kind of corporate power.
Perhaps Facts Up Front will arouse the interest of attorneys general – just as the Smart Choices program did.
In the meantime, the industry’s pre-emption of FDA labeling initiatives is evidence that voluntary schemes don’t work. Labeling rules need to be mandatory.
Let’s hope the FDA takes the Institute of Medicine’s advice and starts rule-making right away.
Marion Nestle is the author of “Food Politics” and “What to Eat,” among other books, and is a professor in the nutrition, food studies and public health department at New York University. E-mail comments to food@sfchronicle.com.
Source: Marion Nestle from her blog ‘Food Politics’
@katiecouric: Americans and Food
Source: Uploaded by KatieCouric on Feb 16, 2010 to YouTube
What we eat, why we eat so much of it, and what it means for our health. Katie Couric talks food with with former FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler and "Fast Food Nation" author Eric Schlosser
FDA Approves Combination Therapy Drug – Juvisync
FDA NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Oct. 7, 2011
Media Inquiries: Morgan Liscinsky, 301-796-0397
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
FDA approves combination therapy Juvisync
First combination drug to treat type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol in one tablet
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Juvisync (sitagliptin and simvastatin), a fixed-dose combination (FDC) prescription medication that contains two previously approved medicines in one tablet for use in adults who need both sitagliptin and simvastatin.
About 20 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes, and they often have high cholesterol levels as well. These conditions can lead to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and blindness, among other chronic conditions, particularly if left untreated or poorly treated.
Sitagliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor that enhances the body’s own ability to lower elevated blood sugar and is approved for use in combination with diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Simvastatin is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, or statin, approved for use with diet and exercise to reduce the amount of “bad cholesterol” (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or LDL-C) in the blood.
“This is the first product to combine a type 2 diabetes drug with a cholesterol lowering drug in one tablet,” said Mary H. Parks, M.D., director of the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “However, to ensure safe and effective use of this product, tablets containing different doses of sitagliptin and simvastatin in fixed-dose combination have been developed to meet the different needs of individual patients. Dose selection should factor in what other drugs the patient is taking.”
This FDC is based on substantial experience with both sitagliptin and simvastatin, and the ability of the single tablet to deliver similar amounts of the drugs to the bloodstream as when sitagliptin and simvastatin are taken separately. Juvisync is a convenience combination and should only be prescribed when it is appropriate for a patient to be placed on both of these drugs.
Juvisync was approved in dosage strengths for sitagliptin/simvastatin of 100 mg/10 mg, 100 mg/20 mg and 100 mg/40 mg. The company has committed to develop FDC tablets with the sitagliptin 50 mg dose, as Juvisync 50 mg/10 mg, 50 mg/20 mg and 50 mg/40 mg. Pending availability of the FDC tablets containing 50 mg of sitagliptin, patients who require this dose should continue to use the single ingredient sitagliptin tablet. There is no plan to develop FDCs with the sitagliptin 25 mg dose as use of this dose is quite low.
Simvastatin is currently marketed in dosage strengths of 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg. Due to recent restrictions placed on the use of the 80 mg dose because of a higher risk of muscle toxicity, there will not be a FDC using this dose. There is also no plan to develop FDCs with the simvastatin 5 mg dose as use of this dose is quite low as well.
The FDA has recently become aware of the potential for statins to increase blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. This risk appears very small and is outweighed by the benefits of statins for reducing heart disease in diabetes. However, the prescribing information for Juvisync will inform doctors of this possible side effect. The company will also be required to conduct a post-marketing clinical trial comparing the glucose lowering ability of sitagliptin alone compared to sitagliptin given with simvastatin.
Juvisync is approved with a Medication Guide that provides important information to patients. The most common side effects of Juvisync include upper respiratory infection; stuffy or runny nose and sore throat; headache; muscle and stomach pain; constipation; and nausea.
Juvisync is manufactured by MSD International GmbH Clonmel, Co. in Tipperary, Ireland.
For more information:
Source: The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
Ex Drug Rep & Manipulating Doctors
Uploaded by psychetruth on Jul 6, 2007 to YouTube
Ex-Pharma Sales Reps talks about manipulating doctors to sell more drugs.
In this video Gwen discusses some of the tactics used by some pharmaceutical sales reps to get doctors to prescribe their drugs.
This included tactics like minimizing harmful side effects to doctors, presenting statistics in a slanted way, accusing anyone that speaks out against psychiatric drugs as being a Scientologist, psychological profiling of doctors to best know how to convince them to prescribe your drugs, etc.
Gwen Olsen spent fifteen years as a pharmaceutical sales rep working for such healthcare giants as Johnson and Johnson, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Abbott Laboratories. She enjoyed a successful, fast-paced career until several conscious-altering experiences began awakening her to the dangers lurking in every American medicine cabinet. Her most poignant lessons, however, came as both victim and survivor of life-threatening adverse drug reactions. After leaving pharmaceutical sales in 2000, Gwen worked in the natural foods industry first as an Account Manager for Nature’s Way, and then as a Regional Sales Manager for Gaia Herbs. She is currently a writer, speaker, and natural health consultant.
The United States health care system is killing Americans at an alarming rate, even though we spend over fifteen percent of the Gross National Product (GNP) on health care. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, our health care outcomes ranked only fifteenth among twenty-five industrialized nations worldwide. Adverse effects from prescription drugs have become the third-leading killer of Americans. Only heart disease and cancer claim more lives.
We trust our doctors to inform us and our government to protect us from medical malfeasance that may put profits ahead of consumer health and safety. But the fine line walked by the FDA between the interests of the pharmaceutical manufacturers and the American public has continually been crossed. The result is the unleashing of an unprecedented number of lethal drugs on the U.S. market!
Gwen Olsen learned firsthand the danger that lurks in every American’s medicine cabinet, working in the pharmaceutical industry. But her most poignant education would come as a victim and, ultimately, as a survivor.
Confessions of an Rx Drug Pusher
God’s Call to Loving Arms
The World According to Monsanto – Full Length
Source: Uploaded by Livefreerevolution on Dec 27, 2010 to YouTube
You may want to take a closer look at the Monsanto Corporation. FoodSpook.
There’s nothing they are leaving untouched: the mustard, the okra, the bringe oil, the rice, the cauliflower. Once they have established the norm: that seed can be owned as their property, royalties can be collected. We will depend on them for every seed we grow of every crop we grow. If they control seed, they control food, they know it — it’s strategic. It’s more powerful than bombs. It’s more powerful than guns. This is the best way to control the populations of the world.
The story starts in the White House, where Monsanto often got its way by exerting disproportionate influence over policymakers via the “revolving door”. One example is Michael Taylor, who worked for Monsanto as an attorney before being appointed as deputy commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1991. While at the FDA, the authority that deals with all US food approvals, Taylor made crucial decisions that led to the approval of GE foods and crops. Then he returned to Monsanto, becoming the company’s vice president for public policy.
Thanks to these intimate links between Monsanto and government agencies, the US adopted GE foods and crops without proper testing, without consumer labeling and in spite of serious questions hanging over their safety. Not coincidentally, Monsanto supplies 90 percent of the GE seeds used by the US market. Monsanto’s long arm stretched so far that, in the early nineties, the US Food and Drugs Agency even ignored warnings of their own scientists, who were cautioning that GE crops could cause negative health effects. Other tactics the company uses to stifle concerns about their products include misleading advertising, bribery and concealing scientific evidence.
Just Say No 2 GMO
Source : Uploaded by SAYNO2GMO on Jan 22, 2010 to YouTube
How The Food Industry is Deceiving You: Parts 1, 2 & 3 of 5 – With Peter Jennings
PART 1
Source: Uploaded by herbspecialists on Jan 26, 2010 to YouTube
Terrific Peter Jennings video exploring how billions of dollars are spent to sabotage your health.
PART 2
PART 3
How The Food Industry is Deceiving You: Parts 4 & 5 of 5 – With Peter Jennings
Part 4
Source: Uploaded by herbspecialists on Jan 26, 2010 to YouTube
Terrific Peter Jennings video exploring how billions of dollars are spent to
sabotage your health.
PART 5 (Last)
FDA Approves New Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes
FDA NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: May 2, 2011
FDA approves new treatment for Type 2 diabetes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Tradjenta (linagliptin) tablets, used with diet and exercise, to improve blood glucose control in adults with Type 2 diabetes.
People with Type 2 diabetes do not produce or respond normally to insulin, a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose in the blood. Over time, high blood glucose levels can increase the risk for serious complications, including heart disease, blindness, and nerve and kidney damage.
“This approval provides another treatment option for the millions of Americans with Type 2 diabetes,” said Mary Parks, M.D., director of the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “It is effective when used alone or when added to existing treatment regimens.”
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the disease, affecting between 90 percent and 95 percent of the 24 million people in the United States with diabetes. Tradjenta increases the level of hormones that stimulate the release of insulin after a meal by blocking the enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-4 or DPP-4, which leads to better blood glucose control.
Tradjenta was demonstrated to be safe and effective in eight double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies involving about 3,800 patients with Type 2 diabetes. The studies showed improvement in blood glucose control compared with placebo.
Tradjenta has been studied as a stand-alone therapy and in combination with other Type 2 diabetes therapies including metformin, glimepiride, and pioglitazone. Tradjenta has not been studied in combination with insulin, and should not be used to treat people with Type 1 diabetes or in those who have increased ketones in their blood or urine (diabetic ketoacidosis).
Tradjenta will be dispensed with an FDA-approved Patient Package Insert that explains the drug’s uses and risks. The most common side effects of Tradjenta are upper respiratory infection, stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, and headache.
Tradjenta is marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc., Ridgefield, Conn., and Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly Co.
For more information:
Source: FDA – U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Alternative Versus Traditional Cancer Treatments
Posted October 29, 2009
By Joni Bell
Joni Bell has many years of extensive study in the area of natural cancer prevention and treatment. He has numerous success stories of people being diagnosed living cancer free with use of alternative methods. http://apricotpower-info.com/
View all articles by Joni Bell The reason alternative cancer treatments are not more widely known has little to do with their alleged therapeutic ineffectiveness and far more to do with political control and the therapy marketplace.
Many of the treatments are on the “unproven methods of cancer management” list maintained by the American Cancer Society which is, effectively, a “blacklist”.
Medical doctors will know little if anything at all about alternative cancer treatments for a number of reasons.
Medical schools don’t teach alternative treatments and medical journals rarely contain articles about alternative treatments. Medical journals are published for the allopathic establishment, and they are mostly financed by advertisements from pharmaceutical companies. Doctors receive a lot of negative information about alternative treatments from the American Medical Association (AMA) and the pharmaceutical industry.
Internet “Quackwatches” and so forth decry alternative therapies even when there is contradictory evidence to their effectiveness plus their state medical boards may fine them heavily, suspend their license to practice or even revoke it.
The American Cancer Society (ACS), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other Government cancer bodies will not investigate or promote alternative treatments. If your doctor prescribes treatments that are not FDA approved, he or she can be sued or lose their license. A medical doctor can only prescribe treatments that are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved. Their state medical boards may fine them heavily, suspend their license to practice or even revoke it.
The federal government can close them down and confiscate their property and they may lose their right to see patients in hospitals not to mention other doctors/peers
openly ridicule and criticize them. It is no wonder your doctor will not know or tell you about alternative cancer treatments, because they could literally lose everything they have and worked for their whole lives.
There are many alternative treatments for cancer that will not provide Big Pharma a single penny of revenue, much less profits. This means these same treatments will not provide the media with a single penny of revenue. Guess which treatments the media pushes?
There is a war going on in medicine today; a war between orthodox medicine and alternative medicine. The war is being fought with money and information. The war is to control what you know, and don’t know, about cancer treatments. When a new discovery is made, it comes down to the profitablity. If there is no profit, the treatment is buried.
Find a natural substance that cures something, bury this fact, then fabricate, synthesize, and mutate the key natural substance, then patent the mutation, and make huge profits.
That is why there is “no scientific evidence” for alternative treatments, no one is looking, because they cannot be patented and thus are not profitable enough. The reason there is no official “scientific evidence” for alternative cancer treatments and cancer prevention treatments is that they are not highly profitable to Big Pharma. It is impossible, by law, for a substance to be considered to have “scientific evidence” unless Big Pharma submits it to the FDA, and they will only submit things that are very, very profitable to them.
To the cancer establishment, a cancer patient is a profit center. The actual clinical and scientific evidence does not support the claims of the cancer industry. Conventional cancer treatments are in place as the law of the land because they pay, not heal, the best. Decades of the politics-of-cancer-as-usual have kept you from knowing this, and will continue to do so unless we wake up to their reality.
Source: Joni Bell
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