Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/wM-_Cv1ZBLY Kids’ apparel all too often bears food graphics and two-thirds of those images depict unhealthy foods.  These are just some of the worrisome conclusions from a University of Michigan study now published in the journal Eating Behaviors. Developmental pediatricians there investigating the reasons for childhood obesity reviewed nearly 3900 clothing items in the lines of 4 major children’s retailers.  One in every eleven items bore pictures of food. Girls clothing were covered with pastries and other fattening desserts.  Boys apparel featured fast foods including burgers, hot dogs, fries, and pizza.  Many of the items targeting the youngest kids featured their cartoon characters wolfing down junk food, hungrily eyeing it, or making funny comments about it. Don’t allow your children’s clothing to suggest unhealthy eating and a general emphasis on junk food to themselves and to their friends.  If their clothing must have graphics, how about Minnie beating Daisy Duck on a road

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/nnW6s-HjVxM A study from Switzerland’s University of Geneva pinpoints time of entry into high school as the watershed when teens increasing shun healthy physical activity in favor of increasingly sedentary pursuits.  This trend is likely responsible for our current child obesity epidemic as well as the recently reported statistic that kids’ cardio-respiratory capacities are 25% lower now than they were 20 years ago. The investigators followed 1200 Swiss pupils from ages 8 through 12 years and clocked their actual physical activity as well as their attitudes and motivations.  The results show that at age 9 on average children’s interest in physical play is replaced by escalating concerns about grades and social acceptance.  Adding to that is the ever-increasing screen time that robs hours from physical activity. The researchers call for more phys-ed teaching and more compulsory PE classes.  I’d agree with that, but the classes need to creatively impart information about lifelong body

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/ClsxEzOQKCI Hey I get no respect!  Foods containing GMOs which stands for genetically modified organisms have become the Rodney Dangerfields of nutrition.  Zealots have waged disinformation campaigns falsely claiming that GMO food is dangerous despite support for it from the National Academy of Science and the World Health Organization.  Conclusive scientific studies reassure us about its safety and purity, yet two-thirds of consumers fear and avoid GMOs. Now a collaborative group of American, Dutch, and Welch psychologists and biologists show that the unwarranted smear campaign against GMO food sources may be neutralized by properly explaining genetically modified food to the public.  The test group consisted of 231 American college undergraduates. The study protocol provided information about the process of genetic modification and its beneficial results including more nutritious, better tasting, more resilient, more pest-resistant, and faster growing crops that can better feed ou

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/cJUGt190R_I The next time you comb the restaurant menu for a healthy choice, consider new data that shows consuming white meat OR red meat will result in higher blood cholesterol levels compared with downing an equal amount of plant protein.  The study comes from the University of California-San Francisco. The study also showed that both white and red meat increase circulating quantities of the so-called bad cholesterol LDL when compared with the proteins contained in vegetables, dairy products, beans, and chickpeas.  The investigators caution that white meat versus red meat consumption has other dietary benefits, and the impact of a given food on cholesterol is not the only criterion for healthy food choices. As always, dietary moderation and good common sense should be your guideposts.  You’re better off enjoying a 4 oz cut of lean steak than a huge filet of chicken fried up as schnitzel. Nathalie Bergeron, Sally Chiu, Paul T Williams, Sarah M King, Ronald M Krauss. Effects of red

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/U3NkNIovZkc Despite the almost superhuman feats of athletic prowess displayed in marathons, Iron person contests, and the Tour De France, a new study from Duke University just published in the journal Scientific Advances suggests that that the human body has physical limits defined by our digestive system’s abilities to absorb calories.  A collaborative group from the USA, Scotland, and China studied runners completing 6 marathons a week for 5 months as they raced across the United States. The data indicates a limit to peak energy expenditure at 2.5 times a person’s basal metabolic rate.  Once the energy demands surpass this wall, the body begins to break down its own muscle and fat tissues to provide fuel, and performance wanes.   In all contests whether running, cycling, or dragging sleds across the arctic, energy expenditure follows an L-shaped curve with the plateau defined by the gut.  The calorie expenditure max is about 3500/day for women and 4500/day for men.  Despite this d

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/9W6waH_s72k Even a one hour variation in your day to day sleep pattern can wreak havoc on your body’s metabolism putting your health and life at risk. This conclusion stems from comprehensive study by sleep scientists at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in collaboration with those at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Previous studies have shown that insufficient sleep duration drives obesity and diabetes.  Now a  study of more than 2000 subjects ages 45 to 84 tracked their sleep patterns with smart watches as well as sleep diaries. Bedtime and sleep duration variability was associated with higher blood pressures, elevated triglycerides, high blood sugars, and larger waistline circumferences as well as lower levels of good HDL cholesterol.  This was true even when the average sleep durations were comparable. So as Ben Franklin said, “early to bed, early to rise etc etc etc” still holds true as long as those early hours are pretty much the same every night.   Consis

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/jWWe90490ss When children and teens use food supplements for weight loss, muscle building, and energy stimulation, 40% of the adverse events that occur are associated with severe disability and death.  This sobering statistic comes from studies at the Harvard School of Public Health that reviewed the details of nearly a thousand adverse event reports that were compiled by the FDA over a 10 year period. The researchers note that many of these products, readily available to anyone of any age online, often contain hidden prescription drugs, FDA- banned substances, toxic heavy metals, and pesticides.  Use of some weight loss and body building agents can trigger testicular cancer, liver destruction, and stroke.  Those supplements sold for sexual enhancement and gi cleansing were twice as likely as others to drive severe illness. Food and diet supplements live outside the otherwise strict FDA review structure.  You have no idea about the purity and/or safety of these substances.  Don’t us

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/9VpiXVEBhHA Using the internet can produce temporary but also permanent negative changes in your brain’s abilities to focus attention, create and sustain memories, and promote social bonding.  An international collaborative team from Australia’s Western Sydney University, Britain’s Universities of Oxford and Manchester, and Boston’s Harvard Medical School just released this groundbreaking study in the journal World Psychiatry. Reviewing and summarizing the available literature, the scientists confirm that the internet has monumental impacts on our attention, memory, and social interactions. The internet powerfully grabs our attention with an endless stream of information as well as unwanted interruptions in our lives.   It definitely fosters informational sophistication but also increases distractibility.   While the internet places a huge amount of objective, social, and personal information at our fingertips, it is a crutch that dulls our abilities to recall such information “offl

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Umk5s22qXZw The pronouns you use on a first date recounting stories of your past love lives exposes your emotional attachment style for all to see.  Psychologists at the University of California-Riverside have decoded the formula after aggregating 1400 observations derived from seven studies. The repeated use of the “I’ or “me” words reveals an anxiously avoidant personality type that only cautiously, if at all, enters into lasting and healthy romantic attachments.  Such persons only bond with great difficulty Those whose conversations are peppered with “we” tend to be more open to relationship building.  Their psychologic outlook in general appears healthier. So the next time you are Tinderizing your love life or talking up a new potential life-partner, pay attention to their and your pronoun use.  Re-define “we” as thumbs up right swipe and “I” and “me” as a thumbs down left swipe! William L. Dunlop, Alexander Karan, Dulce Wilkinson, Nicole Harake. Love in the First Degree: Indivi

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/nGnwNFZs32g The all too common sight of smog reminds us that outdoor air is often hazardous.  A just published study from Washington State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering now alerts us to indoor air pollution dangers. As our homes become increasing air-tight with more chemical-laden dry wall and insulation, the air we breathe indoors becomes more questionable. The study looked at a variety of homes built at different times and of different materials.  Most of the houses had higher than normal levels of formaldehyde that increased with increasing room temperatures during any given day.  One source of the formaldehyde was found to be gypsum wallboard. Since we don’t want to wear gas masks at home, we should all let some fresh air into our homes when that air is in fact safe.  The study also encourages us to spend more time outdoors in open, green spaces away from the urban sprawl so that we can breathe in truly fresh air. Yibo Huangfu, Nathan M. Lima, Pa

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/yjztmrDgqnc If you love to eat and you want to enjoy the most flavorful food, take a seat!  If you must consume foul tasting medicine or somewhat bitter vegetables, you’d better stand.  A new study from the University of South Florida’s marketing department studied the ways in which our balance system and our posture during eating affects our perception of food taste. The investigators distributed luscious bite-sized brownies to 350 participants.  The brownies tasted best to those who ate them while sitting.  The researchers also asked the study subjects to try an over-salted brownie, and those who stood while eating it failed to notice the additional salt and the unpleasant taste.  Food that was too hot or too cold was also more annoying to those sitting versus standing, and overheated coffee was more palatable to those on their feet. The study also dispelled an urban myth that you never pay attention to your food consumption if you eat standing..  Those subjects who ate while stan

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/D9VspX8CT00 Nearly 30% of people have constipation and don’t even know it.  This is the conclusion of a study from King’s College-London just published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. It seems like a simple issue, but public health authorities can’t even agree on how many of us do suffer from constipation.  Estimates range from 3% to more than 10 times that number at 35%, and the variation occurs because there are disagreements about the diagnostic criteria for constipation. Studying over 2500 subjects, the researchers conclude that constipation is characterized by one or more of 6 symptom clusters: infrequent bowel movements, pain and bloating, rectal discomfort, hard stools, flatulence, and some incontinence.  Patients with these symptoms should consult a gastroenterologist and a therapeutic dietician for help. Meanwhile, don’t forget the many things you can do to relieve your backup.  These include: drinking abundant water, consuming raisins, munching prunes, and eat

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/xAilVbLJ0fg A teen boy’s obsession with body building and strengthening can be every bit as dangerous to his health as a teen girl’s obsession with her weight and shape.  This warning comes from the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the University of California-San Francisco. In contrast to girls’ dangerous practices of gorging and purging, boys tend to over consume protein, dangerously restrict carbs and fats, practice wide swings of nutrient loading with fasting, and compulsively exercise thus creating energy deficits and de facto malnourishment.  Even worse, many adolescent boys consume untested and unregulated dietary supplements and steroids. We as parents and doctors need to actively look for these tell-tale clues in teen boys and help them deal with the self-image issues that trigger their dangerous behaviors.   Guys will never admit to having an eating disorder.  After all, only girls have those problems right guys? Jason MNagata,Tiffany ABrown,Jason MLavender,Stua

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/JPD_AErq2wQ When you chomp down on a chocolate bar or daintily take a bite of that truffle, the package that tasty tidbit came in has much to do with its perceived flavor.  Aussies at the University of Melbourne’s School of Agriculture and Food presented 75 study subjects with the same piece of chocolate wrapped in 6 different packages that cried out a variety of messages including bold, fun, everyday, special, healthy, or premium. The study results showed that the participants, ranging from 25-55 years of age, liked the chocolate taste better when they loved the package design and when that design shouted fun, healthy, relaxing, excitement, and friendly.   The tasters were less enthusiastic about the chocolate taste when they picked up and tasted an unwrapped piece. Other studies have shown that 60% of consumers make buying decisions solely on product packaging.  I’d add that even more make choices based on name brands. If you want to save a ton of money and still enjoy the food yo

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/_JJ0_t-I2wk Health News You Should Use, the latest medical discoveries and commonsense advice that you can use in a practical way to keep yourself and your family healthy.   Here are this weeks stories : Laundry detergent Pods Continue To Poison Children Video Game Weapons Make Kids Handle Real Ones Large City Air Pollution Clogs Your Arteries Arthritis Supplement Helps Your Heart Nervous Neds and Nellies May Stay Safer Kids On Wheels Risk Head Injuries An Egg A Day IS Safe FDA Warns Women Of Vinpocetine Risks More Evidence Links Gingivitis To Dementia Blood Pressure Control Reduces Dementia Formula Supplementation For A Baby’s First Days Does Not Reduce Breastfeeding Is Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Really Mild? Lack Of Sleep Damages Your Heart Buyers Beware Of Wearable Brain Tech Scams Do You Need To Fast For That Cholesterol Test? For show notes and references tofor the stories, check out my website at:  https://www.drhowardsmith.com/june-2019-1st-week-health-news #Detergentpods #so

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/mdLlLwEvCyk The latest answer from Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Britain’s National Heart and Lung Institute is a resounding NO!  They analyzed data from more than 8000 participants in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial. The tabulated results indicate that both non-fasting and fasting lipid levels had similar correlations with coronary events including both non-fatal and fatal heart attacks.  The non-fasting determinations did have slightly higher triglyceride levels, but this variation did not invalidate the usefulness of the non-fasting data. The next time you need to have your lipid profile including cholesterol and triglycerides drawn, you can go anytime of the day without regard to meals.  But do eat healthy and avoid downing a pile of fat. Mora S, Chang CL, Moorthy MV, Sever PS. Association of Nonfasting vs Fasting Lipid Levels With Risk of Major Coronary Events in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial–Lipid Lowering Arm. JAMA Intern Med. Publis

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/YB7O_b3T2bs This warning comes from neurologists and ethicists at Vancouver’s University of British Columbia.  Searching online, they found 19 brain stimulating devices and 22 measuring devices with mind links that are currently being hawked and directly sold to the general public. We’re talking about so-called transcranial direct current stimulation devices, galvanic biofeedback units, brain-sensing headbands, brain trainers, and stress balancing bracelets.  The list goes on and on.  They aren’t cheap costing as much as $500. The advertising claims for these products make a variety of promises including increased concentration, better sleep, relaxation, enhanced self-awareness, mood elevation, better memory, and enhanced physical as well as mental performance.  A total of 20 unique claims were made for 41 devices being sold. Only 8 of the devices had even scientific support from legitimate, published scientific studies.  In many case, studies offered support for a given technology,

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/JY5nRSzsOdw If you sleep less than 7 hours each night, you are deficient in the microRNA regulators that permit your genes to refresh your heart tissues and maintain good vascular health.  This warning stems from work at the University of Colorado at Boulder that studied 24 healthy middle-aged men and women measuring their microRNA concentrations and tabulating their sleep. The group that clocked only 5 to 6.8 hours of sleep a night had 40 to 60% lower levels of the microRNAs that regulate inflammation, immunity, and vascular stability when compared to those sleeping 7 to 8.5 hours a night.  The 7 hour threshold seems to be a constant, and the study investigators cannot yet explain why. So, if you want to keep your heart and the blood vessels that feed all your vital organs healthy, get those ZZZs. Jamie G. Hijmans, Ma'ayan Levy, Vinicius Garcia, Grace M. Lincenberg, Kyle J. Diehl, Jared J. Greiner, Brian L. Stauffer, Christopher A. DeSouza. Insufficient sleep is associated with a p

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/1XFfgZZr-ZU At least half of those seen in the ED and diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury are left with significant functional limitations at one year post-injury.  This surprising statistic comes from a nationwide, multi-center study just published in JAMA Neurology. Those with positive findings on brain CT had a 61% incidence of long-term disability.  But even those with negative findings on the CT had. 49% incidence of continuing issues. This result suggests that even patients with seemingly mild traumatic brain injuries must be followed carefully post-injury in order to detect problems and promptly provide rehabilitation therapy.  The finding also adds to the many studies of chronic traumatic encephalopathy that suggest there is no such thing as a mild brain injury. Nelson LD, Temkin NR, Dikmen S, et al. Recovery After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Patients Presenting to US Level I Trauma Centers: A Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury (

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/o-D_Vw8oCRA Using a bit of formula to assist breastfeeding and trigger a healthy weight gain has for years been considered a no-no.  Lactation consultants advise that this use of formula destroys the child’s interest in breast feeding. A study from the University of California - San Francisco now labels this warning an urban myth.  Pediatricians there and at Penn State studied some 164 babies suffering from significant  post-partum weight loss.  Half of the group received syringe-fed formula in addition to breastfeeding and the others continued with breastfeeding alone. The results showed that, at 6 months, the formula-supplemented group of children were just as likely to be breastfeeding as the no formula group.  An added benefit to supplementation was the finding that those given formula were at lower risk for jaundice. So if your newborn is struggling with weight gain immediately after birth, ask about formula supplementation. Valerie J. Flaherman, Michael D. Cabana, Charles E. M