Take for example a press release from the American Academy of Dental Implants. In August, its members came out in favor of using dental (tooth) implants earlier in dental treatments, stating that root canals and other tooth-saving procedures may be a waste of time and money when people are going to end up losing the tooth in the end anyway.

In all fairness, this is quite possible true in many cases. But, what caught my eye was the wording of the press release:

Minichetti noted that a recent study published in the Journal of Oral Implantology showed that single-tooth dental implants are 98.5 percent successful after seven years and there was no discernable bone loss in almost all the implant sites. First-time root canals fail 5 percent of the time, according to the Academy of General Dentistry, and at much higher rates in repeat procedures. Further, endodontic surgical re-treatments, according to published studies, have success rates ranging from 37 to 87 percent.

Look at the wording. When talking about how good implants are, they use a positive, 98.5% success rate. When comparing it to traditional treatment, they use the more negative term “fail.” But the 5% failure rate the cite is really a 95% success rate. Not that much lower than their 98.5% success rate, is it?

Furthermore, in their comment that success rates range from 37 to 87% for re-treatments is also misleading. Re-treatments can be anything and by definition, if there’s a re-treatment, then there was something wrong, the patient fell into the 5% failure category.

Not unusual

Sadly, it’s not unusual to read pieces written in this way. The writer hopes that the reader reads through the piece so quickly that all that stands out is the failure rate versus the success rate. Those words and numbers are powerful and stick with you.

Stories that are really press releases

Another thing that readers need to keep in mind these days is that many press releases are being written as “stories” and are being used as such. Some on-line news sources reprint the press release in its entirety, presenting it as news.

It used to be that press releases were very obvious. They followed an upside down triangle type of format. They were identified as press releases right off the top, with the name of the contact person and the organization issuing the release.

The formula for the release was like this:

A press release is usually quite short, rarely longer than one page (250 to 500 words)

First paragraph: Big announcement, includes company name, product name, etc. (the who, what, where, when and why)

Second paragraph usually includes a quote from an expert or someone who has something to do with the product or issue.

Third paragraph backs up information and wraps things up.

Fourth paragraph gives the conclusion.

What’s happening now though, is that these so-called press releases are being written in article format, supposedly to make it easier for editors who are stretched thin. Who needs to hire a writer if the companies or associations are already writing the articles for them?

How can you tell?

Sometimes you can’t, but if the news “source” you’re reading is scrupulous, they’ll list a source at the bottom of their “article.” What I do then is go back to that source and check their media archives and press releases. Almost always, I’ll find what I just read, word for word.

Moral of the story?

Don’t believe everything you read. Watch how things are worded and if you’re really interested in the topic, research it a bit more.

~~~

Image: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Healthbolt

2. Buy affordable equipment. Don’t be conned into buying a whole home gym the size of the garage when a couple of hand weights might just do. Or be creative and make your own – can of baked beans can easily do as weights, or milk/water bottles filled with varying levels of water – just make sure they are secured with duct tape to avoid having an accidental shower during the workout.

3. Instead of expensive gyms, head for the local recreational department often found in community recreational centers, high schools, and colleges. Often local residents will be offered discounted fitness classes.

4.  Check out exercise DVDs from the library or local video shop. Or again, buy used. Another budget way of obtaining a library of exercise DVDs is to get together with a few friends and pool your resources.

5. Turn everyday activities into exercise: walking, gardening, taking the stairs, park a couple blocks away from shops and walk, playing with children and grandchildren.

(source: September issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource)

(image source)

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Answer a few simple questions and you’ll be enlightened, perhaps even frightened. Of course, it can’t actually predict when you might kick the bucket. But it is able to  calculate your risk of dying in the next year and allows you to compare that risk to others in the world.

More specifically, it displays the risk ranking for up to 66 causes of death, provides  easy and direct comparisons, and estimates of the number of people that die for a specific group.
To find out more, click here if you dare….

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Before you do, you might want to check out the free, user friendly online tool that illustrates the radio frequency emission of more than 1000 phones in the marketplace.

The online tool, created by the Environmental Working Group, offers easy to read graphics which enables consumers to make quick comparision of the radiation levels of cellphones and smart phones.

Radiation is emitted from cell phones each time you talk on or send text message from it. Some phones emit less than others. As to whether or not it is a health risk remains in debate with the phone industry saying ‘no risk’ and researchers around the world still seeking answers.

Given that no one knows for sure, it makes sense to go for a phone with the least amount of radiation emissions. That’s where the EWG online tool comes in handy. It offers information on the best and worst radiation emitting phones, as well as ways of reducing your risks.

It’s definitely the place to go to if you want to limit your exposure to cell phone radiation.

(image source)

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 Can you prevent it?

Can lost hair be restored?

These are just some of the questions answered by the user-friendly Hair Loss & Replacement for Dummies. Co-authored by well known hair restoration surgeons Robert M. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.A.D., and Dr. William Rassman, this book gives both men and women a clear understanding about hair loss, hair loss prevention, hair replacement, natural remedies, over the counter treatments, and medical and hair transplant options.

Featured chapters include …

• Getting To Know Your Hair ( What Causes Hair Loss; The Devastation Of Hair Loss In Women; Undergoing Hair Restoration Surgery)
• Anatomy and Physiology of Hair (How Hair Grows; Aging Hair; Hair & Ethnicity, Maintaining Self-Esteem in the Face of Hair Loss)
• Taking Better Care Of Your Hair  (Washing & Drying Your Hair Correctly; Avoiding Hair Damage; Caring For Childrens’ Hair)
• Understanding The How & Why Of Hair Loss  (Stress & Hair Loss; Environmental Issues; Male Pattern Thinning In Men and Women; Diseases & Disorders That Cause Hair Loss)
• Creative Techniques For Concealing Hair Loss (A Brief History of “Rugs”; Today’s Toupees)
• Taking Prescription Medications For Hair Loss (Being Aware of Side Effects)
• Supplementing Your Diet To Help Slow Hair Loss  (Pumping Up Proteins; Minding Your Mineral Intake)
• Hair Transplant Surgery (Do You Really Need A Hair Transplant; Psychological Considerations; Choosing A Doctor; Possible Complications; Heading Home With A New Head Of Hair!)

As with any book in the Dummies series, this book is full of facts and information you can use.

Post from: Healthbolt

Then check out this book by Dr George S Everly Jr,  a leading expert in the field of stress management. Everly,  who predominantly counsels victims of life’s toughest moments, such as the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina, wrote this book as a gift to his own children. In fact, it is a gift to all parents and children who have the opportunity to read and take on board it’s lessons.

Called The Resilient Child: Seven Essential Lessons for Your Child’s Happiness and Success, the book offers parents a way to teach child the basic skills need to develop inner strength to cope with stress and adversity.

Using the ABCs (Action, Belief, and Codes) as the foundation, Everly addresses the seven important steps to achieving this goal”

• Develop strong relationships
• Make difficult decisions
• Take responsibility for their own actions
• Invest in themselves and others
• Follow a moral compass: Integrity
• Think optimistically and harness the power of the self-fulfilling
  prophecy

One of the things I really like about this book is the emphasis placed on the role of personal responsibility and integrity. These are two things that I feel have been neglected by society over the past couple of decades.

The other is that it’s full of personal anecdotes and activities that illustrate the techniques and lessons in a way that can be easily understood by people of all ages. In fact, it offers life lessons that everyone, irregardless of whether you are a parent or not, need to learn and utilize.

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In 2005 he suffered a massive stroke and his world was turned upside down and inside out. A man of words, suddenly he could not speak. A man of action, suddenly he could not move. Just staying alive was touch and go. And yet, three years later, not only is he talking and walking, he has also authored a book.

After the Stroke by Mark McEwen (with Daniel Paisner) provides a candid look into  Mark’s journey from stroke victim to stroke survivor. Flicking back and forth from his early life to his ‘stroke’ life, the book lays open the whole of Mark’s life and as a result offers hope and encouragement to those who have had a stroke or know someone who has.

One could call Mark’s story a ‘triumph against overwhelming odds’ except that everyday thousands of people around the world are going through exactly the same process – re-learning how to speak, how to walk, how to swallow.

What After the Stroke does do, however, is open up the world of stroke rehab and show exactly how much hard work a stroke suffer must exert in order to get back on their feet.

It isn’t easy. As Mark says, “You need to be stubborn if you mean to make yourself whole following a stroke”

It’s a lonely road, even if you are surrounded by loving family and friends. Mark calls it  ‘a kind of lonely malady’.

And it ain’t fun. Rehab is a truly long and arduous process. But it can be funny as Mark manages to show time and again in this intimate, life-affirming journey of rehabilitation and recovery.

This really is a must read book, not just for those who have been affected by a stroke but for anyone interested in how to live life to the fullest.

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Is it, as some supporters claim, early bonding or is it in fact simply entertainment for a ‘can’t wait’ generation of parents?

It’s a controversial procedure that is experiencing a surge in popularity despite the fact that many health professionals are recommending that parents don’t expose their unborn babies to ultrasounds unless there is a good medical reason.

In fact, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine is actively discouraging parents from getting 3-D ultrasounds done.

See video here

Post from: Healthbolt

Not much, according to Sandor Katz, food lover, lifelong activist, and the author of ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America’s Underground Food Movements’.

Yet, somehow, the idea of eating road kill has very little appeal to most people. But, as Katz points out, with more than 250,000 animals killed daily on American roads, road kill could easily be part of an environmentally conscious diet.  After all, it’s free and if not use, will simply decompose. Plus wild meat lacks all the chemicals and drugs found in commerical meat.

But commencing on a road kill diet isn’t as simple as going down to the supermarket and picking out some meat. There are steps and processes to follow, from finding the road kill to turning it into a healthy and appetizing meal.

A newsletter called the  “The Feral Forager” , created by Terra, a self-described green anarchist and vegan, is a great place to start. The newsletter discusses everything from how to determine which road kill is safe to use to how to transform it into an edible form.

For example, the newsletter offers the following tips on how to decide whether the road kill is worth collecting or leaving behind:

• If it is covered in flies or maggots or other insects it’s probably no good.
• If it smells like rotting flesh it’s probably spoiled, although it is common for dead animals’ bowels to release excrement or gas upon impact or when you move the carcass.
• If its eyes are clouded over white it’s probably not too fresh (though likely still edible).
• If there are fleas on the animal there’s a good chance it’s still edible.
• If it’s completely mangled, it’s probably not worth the effort.

That’s enough to make me reconsider the idea the road kill diet altogether, but if you’re still game, you’ll be needing some recipes.

A quick google search will turn up plenty. How about Hedgehog spagetti carbonara? Or Pan Braised Squirrel? Or maybe pan-seared racoon or wood-grilled possum?

Bon apetite … or not!

Post from: Healthbolt

• Extroversion
• Openness 
• Agreeableness
• Conscientiousness
• Neuroticism

So, want to know where you sit on the Big Five Scale?

Then take this free personality test to find out.

Post from: Healthbolt