Overeating

Somewhere between anorexia and bulimia lay the rest of us. We may not have the view of our body that anorexics have of theirs, but there still may be some self deception going on when we look in the mirror. We may not binge to the extent it makes us sick, but we may still look at a plate after we have emptied it and feel regret, or not remember actually putting all that food into our mouths.
Society pulls us in two directions. On one hand is the army of dieticians, doctors and nurses rightly telling us that obesity is an epidemic in the UK. The newspapers and television also promote the belief that to be thin is to be cool, beautiful or desirable. On the other hand we have unlimited access to rich foods high in calories. Part of the problem is what dieticians call ‘calorie density’; you get a lot more calories in an ounce of chocolate than you do in an ounce of celery. In our fast-food society there is a lot of calorie dense food not only available relatively cheaply, but assertively advertised.

Calculate your body mass index

Trying to fight the cravings the advertisers trigger in us and rigidly keep to the recommended daily calorie count of 2,000 for women and 2,500 for men is hard, and obsessively monitoring our BMI (a measure of how our height and weight relate to each other) is difficult too. Use the BMI calculator to check your body mass index.
Calorie recommendations are only guidelines some people will need quite a bit more or less, and BMI is a better measure of how much obesity there is in a population rather than in an individual. This can turn eating, one of our most basic mechanisms of self-care, into an almost clinical procedure.
The problem might be that in listening carefully to the medical professions, media and advertisers we have stopped listening to the most important voice in deciding what to eat – our own.

The different types of hunger

Paediatrician and Zen meditation teacher Jan Chozen Bays suggests that there are seven different types of hunger:

• Eye hunger. It's the old saying about ‘eyes being bigger than the stomach’, if the dessert trolley had its contents mixed together in a liquidiser would it look so good after you have eaten the steak? The eyes also have an effect through portion sizes, bigger plates mean bigger portions; people tend to finish what they are served, but research shows that when people are given a smaller plate that is just as full but holds less food they are just as happy.
• Nose hunger. Another old one, early in the 20th century a scientist called Ivan Pavlov showed how the smell (and sight) of food leads to an automatic watering of the mouth. Next time you walk past your favourite restaurant take a moment to examine how the feelings in your mouth change as you begin to smell the food as you pass by. The problem is that this happens whether you are hungry or not.
• Mouth hunger. An obvious one, but it's not just the flavour that the mouth craves it's also the texture. Would fish and chips or chicken tikka masala be as good to eat if they had been blended into a milkshake consistency?
• The stomach. It's reasonable that we should eat because we feel that empty rumbling stomach. The error that we make is to think that our stomach tells us when to eat; actually we tell it. If we eat at a certain time of day, when we see things associated with that time of day (driving home, sunset and so on) our body responds to these triggers by setting of the stomach muscles moving in anticipation of having some food to process. We can retrain the stomach to respond to different expectations if we want to.
• Cellular hunger. Have you ever had a fixed craving for one particular food, something out of the ordinary and not associated with passing a restaurant or seeing an advert? The thought of it just comes at you out of the blue, and triggers all of the types of hunger we have just discussed. Unless it's because it's a food you have been expressly forbidden to eat for medical reasons and you are feeling rebellious, then you should probably eat that food. There may well be an element or food group in it that your body needs. For instance if you have been doing strenuous lifting around the house and your arms are feeling weak – then that fantasy about a steak is your muscles asking for protein so they can repair themselves.
• Mind hunger. We all have opinions about what is a good diet and these are influenced by the various rules of eating that we take on from diet gurus. Can they all be right? Can a vegetarian-based diet and a high-protein meat diet both be right? Some writers have tried to link differences to body type or blood group. Being an informed eater is one thing, but examine all your eating rules; how did you get them? What do you think will happen if you go against them? What is the evidence for those beliefs other than the opinion of a food guru?
• Heart hunger. We can associate certain emotions with hunger. They may remind us of past happy times and so when we feel sad or lonely we fall back on these foods to lift our mood. The problem is when we begin to associate any food with being distracted from those negative emotions.

Next time you’re hungry ask yourself which hunger is at work, it's usually more than one. Ask yourself where your hunger comes from and will it make you eat or will you step back and make a considered choice. Mindfulness can be a useful approach in doing this.
READMORE:http://www.bbc.co.uk/health

Combined contraceptive pill

What is the combined contraceptive pill?

The combined oral contraceptive pill is usually just called the pill. There are many different types, but all contain two hormones - oestrogen and progestogen. These are similar to the natural hormones women produce in their ovaries.

How does the pill work?

The main way the pill works is by stopping the ovaries releasing an egg each month (ovulation). It also:

• Thickens the mucus in the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to reach an egg
• Makes the lining of the womb thinner so it is less likely to accept a fertilised egg

How reliable is the pill?

The pill's effectiveness depends on how carefully it's used - it's more than 99 per cent effective when taken according to instructions. This means that fewer than one woman in 100 using this method for a year will get pregnant.
Myths about the pill:

• The pill makes you put on weight. Not true - Research has shown there is no evidence to suggest this, although some women find their weight changes during their cycle due to fluid retention. However we do know that poor diet, lack of exercise and drinking too much alcohol contribute to weight gain.
• The pill makes you infertile. Not true – women who stop the pill get pregnant as easily as those who've never used the pill and you don't need regular breaks off the pill. However some women find it may take a few months for their periods to return or settle into a regular pattern.

How do you use the pill?

The pill can be started up to and including the fifth day of a period. If taken at this time it is effective straight away. If started at any other time, additional contraception has to be used for seven days.
The pill is taken every day for 21 days until the pack is finished.
You then have a break of seven days when you have a 'withdrawal bleed', which is usually shorter and lighter than a normal period. Everyday pills have 21 active pills and seven placebo tablets. These are taken without a break and must be taken in the order listed on the pack.

Advantages and disadavantages

The advantages of using the pill include:

• It doesn’t interrupt sex
• It usually makes your bleeds regular, lighter and less painful
• It may help with premenstrual symptoms
• It reduces the risk of cancer of the ovary, womb and colon
• It reduces acne in some women
• It may protect against pelvic inflammatory disease
• It may reduce the risk of fibroids, ovarian cysts and (non-cancerous) breast disease

The disadvantages of the pill include possible temporary side-effects such as:

• Headaches, nausea, breast tenderness and mood changes
• Breakthrough bleeding (unexpected bleeding on pill-taking days) and spotting

If these don't stop within a few months, changing the type of pill may help.
The pill can have some serious side-effects, but these aren't common. They may include:

• Raised blood pressure
• A very small number of women may develop a blood clot, which can block a vein (venous thrombosis) or an artery (arterial thrombosis, heart attack or stroke)
• A small increase in risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer
• A small increase in the risk of cervical cancer if the pill is used continuously for more than five years

Other things to consider include:

• Initially, you'll be given three months' supply of the pill. If there are no problems, such as a rise in your blood pressure, you will then be given up to a year's supply
• You don’t need a cervical screening test or an internal examination to have the pill
• The pill does not protect you against sexually transmitted infections

Who can use the pill?

The pill may not be suitable for all women, but for most the benefits outweigh the possible risks.
The pill may be unsuitable if you:

• Think you might already be pregnant
• Smoke and are over 35, or are over 35 and stopped smoking less than a year ago
• Are very overweight
• Take certain medicines - always check
• Have had a previous thrombosis
• Have a heart abnormality, circulatory disease or high blood pressure
• Have very severe migraines or migraines with aura
• Have breast cancer now or within the last five years
• Have active liver or gall bladder disease
• Have diabetes with complications, or have had diabetes for more than 20 years

What if I forget to take the pill?

It's important to take the combined pill at a regular time each day. You have 'missed a pill' if you take it more than 24 hours later than your usual time.
Missing one pill anywhere in the pack, or starting your pack one day late, is not a problem, but missing more than one pill or starting the packet more than one day late could affect your contraceptive cover - seek advice as you may not be protected until you have been taking the pill again for seven or even nine days with some types of pill.
If you're sick within two hours of taking the pill it will not have been absorbed properly. Take another pill as soon as you feel well enough. If you continue to be sick, seek advice. If you have severe diarrhoea for more than 24 hours, this makes your pill less effective
 READMORE:http://www.bbc.co.uk/health

Severe acute respiratory syndrome

What is SARS?

The symptoms of SARS first appeared in the Guangdong province of China in November 2002, although it wasn't reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) at that time.
Then a Chinese professor of respiratory medicine treating people with the syndrome fell ill. He travelled to Hong Kong, carrying the virus with him. This led to an explosion of cases in the province towards the end of February 2003.
In just a few weeks, thanks to international air travel, SARS spread around the world. It wasn't until July 2003 that the WHO was able to declare that the outbreak had been contained. By this time, at least 8,098 people had been infected, 9.6 per cent of whom had died.
Between July 2003 and May 2004, four small and rapidly contained outbreaks of SARS were reported. Three of these were linked to laboratory releases of the SARS virus.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of SARS are:

• High fever (above 38°C)
• Dry cough
• Breathing difficulties
• Headache
• Muscular aches and stiffness
• Loss of appetite
• Malaise or tiredness
• Confusion
• Rash
• Diarrhoea

These symptoms are typical of many severe respiratory infections. There have only ever been a few cases of SARS reported in the UK, so if you’ve similar symptoms, it's far more likely to be a more typical form of pneumonia. Even if you've recently returned from south-east Asia, there's little risk that you have SARS as the virus has been contained.

Causes and risk factors

It took scientists several months to pin down the cause of SARS, but eventually it was identified as a viral infection with a previously unknown type of coronavirus now known as SARS CoV.
Coronaviruses cause infections of the upper respiratory tract and are spread like the common cold. They are also quite tough and can survive in the environment for at least three hours.
Most new infectious diseases in humans come from animals, and this is thought to be the case with SARS. SARS CoV has been found in Himalayan palm civets, a racoon dog and a Chinese ferret badger. It has also been detected among people working in a live animal market in the area where the outbreak first began, and high levels of antibody to the virus have been found in people trading masked palm civets.
You're unlikely to catch SARS. For it to spread there must be close contact with an infected person. It's less infectious than flu, and has a short incubation period of two to seven days. People with SARS are most likely to be infectious once they have active symptoms of the disease, such as fever and cough. However, it's not known how long before or after symptoms begin that a person remains infectious.
Although SARS is currently contained, people travelling to the area where it first appeared may want to check with the World Health Organisation or Foreign & Commonwealth Office for the latest advice.
Anyone who develops serious illness or breathing problems with fever and cough, especially after travelling abroad, should get urgent medical advice.

Treatment and recovery

So far, no specific treatment appears to be especially effective against SARS. Antiviral drugs such as ribavirin (given with or without steroids) were used in a number of cases in the 2003 outbreak, although it isn't clear how effective they were.
With supportive care, the majority of patients started to show improvement by day six or seven of infection. About ten per cent of patients got rapidly worse and needed mechanical help (that is, a ventilator) to breathe. In this group, other illnesses tended to complicate the infection and it was more likely to prove fatal.
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Vitamin B6

What is Vitamin B6?

Vitamin B6 occurs naturally in poultry, fish, pork, cereals, eggs, vegetables and fruit. It’s also widely available as a dietary supplement.

What are the benefits of vitamin B6?

Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine hydrochloride, is essential for the breakdown of food by the body, and turning carbohydrates, proteins and fat into energy. It’s also needed for the production of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the nervous system) and proper functioning of the nervous system and the immune system. It’s also involved in the synthesis of hormones and red blood cells.
Vitamin B6 supplements are often taken for a variety of reasons, including to help:

• Fight stress
• Increase energy
• Manage symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome

B6 has also used in conjunction with magnesium to treat the behavioural problems of autism. However the use of supplements is a contentious area. Scientists argue that most people get adequate levels of B6 if they follow a good balanced diet, and there’s little evidence that vitamin B6 supplements can benefit different diseases.

What are the risks from vitamin B6?

It’s not possible to take in too much vitamin B6 through a normal diet but research has shown that long term use of high doses of supplements of vitamin B6 may affect the sensory nervous system leading to loss of sensation in the hands and feet and permanent nerve damage (‘sensory neuropathy’).
A deficiency of B6 has been linked with:

• Muscle weakness
• Irritability
• Depression
• Poor memory and concentration

What are the recommendations for vitamin B6?

The Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) or daily amount recommended by experts in the UK is:

• 1.4 mg/day for men
• 1.2 mg/day for women

Most people get this through a healthy diet and a serious deficiency is unusual. However there’s some research to suggest that some people may have mild deficiencies, especially the elderly (who often follow a more limited diet). People on a high protein diet with no leafy green vegetables or cereals, and those who drink heavily may need more B6.
There’s some evidence that the contraceptive pill can interfere with vitamin B6 and women taking the pill may need a higher intake of B6.
High dose vitamin B6 supplements (tens or hundreds of times higher than the RNI) are still promoted by some sources, for example to help treat depression and pre-menstrual syndrome, and to prevent heart and blood vessel disease (B6 plays a part in lowering blood levels of a chemical called homocysteine – high levels of homocysteine have been linked to heart disease but It’s not clear exactly what the relationship is). However the evidence for any benefit is very controversial.
In 1997, the UK Department of Health’s Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) considered evidence from more than 100 scientific papers, as well as evidence submitted by interested parties. They then released a Statement on Vitamin B6 Toxicity, recommending that the maximum daily intake of B6 from dietary supplements should be 10 mg/day.
READMORE:http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health