Happy, HEALTHY Halloween!

Candy. Let's face it: That's why people love Halloween. Sure, the pumpkin carving is a fun mess, and the dressing up is always a good time--but would anyone bother if there was no treat, only trick? I bet I wouldn't.

But as we fight (or don't fight) an obesity epidemic in this country--particularly in children--dumping a heap of pure sugar on the dining room table sure seems like a bad idea to me. And, while Little Johnny's teeth may have more stake, the heap of goodies isn't good for Mom or Dad, either.

Some survival tips:

1. Buy candy at the last minute. As in, at 5:00 tonight. You won't be tempted to crack open a bag and do any damage.

2. Don't get the good stuff. At least, not the stuff that's good to you. For example, call me strange, but I HATE peanut butter. Absolutely won't eat anything that has it inside...yes, even if it's touching chocolate. So I can easily have Reese's around for other people without stuffing my face.

3. Be a nerd. Sure, you might get a few pairs of rolling eyes in your direction, but you can always be That House that gives out cute little pumpkin pencils--or, like my childhood dentist, toothbrushes.

4. Bargain. I've heard of parents doing this with their kids, but I think there are some take-aways from adults, too. Buy each piece of candy The Kid is willing to sell for a dime or a quarter (or "buy" it from yourself and stash the $$$ in your fun fund), and take the candy to work. Or trade so many pieces of candy for a new book, toy, etc.

5. Eat first. Just because you know you'll accumulate lots of loot doesn't mean you should skip dinner. Don't. Make sure you eat something (preferably healthy) before going someplace drowning in candy. It's like grocery shopping on an empty stomach--bad, bad, bad. Trust me.

And in the end, don't stress. Halloween is only once a year, and any damage can be undone. I may have gotten ahold of some Nerds yesterday and was so excited because I hadn't had Nerds since, like, middle school that I basically inhaled them. A lot of them. Oops. It's over. My body has forgiven me.

Have a happy Halloween (even if you're on a sugar high)!

Oh, and if you see a giant bottle of mustard walking around tonight, it is probably me.

Thanks, Crystl, for the sweet Peeps!

Shooting for the shot record

UPDATE! Tuesday, Oct. 28

Let's face it: Sometimes we have to pull out all the stops to make people do stuff.

We talk about it in public health all the time--incentives, reinforcement, social support. And...fun? That's what my good ol' University of Minnesota is doing to promote flu shots.

It's not just a flu shot party. The University is offering students, employees and dependents free flue shots this Tuesday to a) keep the campus community as flu-free as possible (duh) and b) break a world record for the most flu shots given in a single day (currently 3,271--pshh!--we can do that, no problem).

I'm sure some people think this is a wacky tactic. Maybe we should try to educate people about the dangers of the flu and the effectiveness of the vaccine instead? Well, yeah, but we also have to do what works. And if putting on a big event that makes people feel as if they're contributing to a big, goofy goal makes people who wouldn't usually get flu shots get flu shots, I say we go for it.

Oh, and my name better end up somewhere in the Guinness Book of World Records for this...

Image from Boynton Health Service

Placebo, schmebo...or whatever works?

Did you catch this story and its offshoots, based on a BMJ article, that half of doctors in the U.S. give patients pointless drugs to make them feel better? You can be upset and go off muttering about those stupid doctors -- or you could think about it.

A placebo, by definition, is something with no therapeutic value for a person. It could even be, for example, an antibiotic, but that's useless to you unless you have an infection.

Doctors prescribe placebos -- pain killers, vitamins, antibiotics and other no- or low-harm drugs, doses so low they couldn't possibly have a noticeable effect -- knowing the won't chemically cure anything. But sometimes they cure things anyway.

Why? Our bodies might not be as smart as we think they are -- usually the brain takes the cake. Using the power of suggestion, taking a pill -- even a pill that can't work biologically -- can trick the mind into thinking something's going on to cure our sickness or relieve our symptoms. And interestingly, our mind often believes it!

The ethical issue in the recent news is that doctors aren't telling their patients that what they're giving them is a placebo. Yes, I certainly see that.

But at the same time, results are results. If I come in with nasty headaches and leave with a pill that makes them go away, who am I to complain if they end up to be vitamin B supplements? And if my doctor had explicitly told me that I was just getting a pill for the sake of getting a pill that in and of itself, probably wouldn't do anything, maybe it wouldn't.

But if it were a painkiller, or a sedative, or a pointless antibiotic, would I want it in my body unnecessarily? Without knowing it's all a big mind game?

I'm not sure. But I'd be still glad my headaches were gone.

Photo, thanks to rodrigo senna.

Want to be prez? Hand over those medical records.

We all know that John McCain has had a few bouts with skin cancer but is doing pretty darn well for 72.

Barack Obama, ex-smoker and Nicorette chewer, is in excellent shape.

Today, we learned that Joe Biden had two aneurysms 20 years ago but is doing well, despite some back pain, sinus problems and nasty allergies.

And Sarah Palin won't spill.

Why do we know all of this anyway? Have candidates historically disclosed their medical records (yes, some)? Or was the norm born out of McCain's age and public battle with melanoma?

I certainly see the point to that argument. The average life expectancy for males in the U.S. is about 75; McCain is 72 (and a three-time cancer survivor); a presidential term is four years...you do the math. And if the president kicks it, the VP is in charge. Lots of people hate the republican VP pick. Again, you see where this is going.

On the other hand, where do we draw the line between the public's right to know and candidates' privacy? Sure, they've decided to become public figures, but a person's medical records are about as personal as you can get.

And who's to say Barack Obama, who has a strong family history of cancer, won't come down with something? Or Sarah Palin, who is apparently in such good health there's nothing in her records worth seeing (...?)--what if she's in a car accident? And who's to say John McCain won't be perfectly healthy for the next decade?

On the first hand again, though, isn't more information better for the people deciding how to cast their vote?

What do you think? Do you think the candidates should offer up their medical records? Are you glad they did?


Thanks for the photo, j.reed.

Don't like food? You might eat more of it.

Check out this interesting piece that challenges what I would assume: that people who like food might, you know, eat a lot of it. In fact, some overeating behaviors that can lead to obesity may have to do with the opposite:

For most of us, eating is a feel-good activity. But for some of us, it just doesn’t feel good enough.

And, according to a new study by a research team based in Eugene, people whose brains don’t generate as much of that feel-good reaction to food will overeat to get it, setting off changes that tempt them to overeat even more and increase their risk of obesity. Read more...

'Don't Be Silly, Wrap Your...' or 'Why the U.S. Sucks at Talking About Sex'

Cute dress, no?

And yes. It's made from condoms.

She's not going to prom; she's walking the runway at last year's condom fashion show in Beijing to raise awareness about AIDS.

I bet your head is saying,

"Hey! It's kind of cute. I want to see some more!"

"WTF?!"

"That would NEVER fly here."

I think all of those responses are fair, particularly the last one.

I'm taking a one-credit, Saturday class called Sexuality Education: Criteria, Curricula and Controversy, and while most of it focuses on--you guessed it--sex ed in schools, we also talked this weekend about the differences between sexuality in the U.S. and other countries. And, surprise, we're way behind--in pregnancy prevention, STIs, contraception use, you name it.

(If you're curious about the sexuality climate in Europe, check out this great video that talks to teens and highlights condom advertisements that are quite interesting/entertaining.)

Why is it that we in the U.S. can't seem to talk to teens about sex? Are we more conservative than other countries? Do (federally supported) abstinence-only school programs, gulp, maybe not work? Are we in denial that teens are having sex?

In class, we did a small-group exercise where we got a list of about 20 sex-related topics that students should learn and, pretending to be a school board, put them in the curriculum at appropriate grade levels.

At first, being the public health-focused people we are, we of course were ready to throw everything, from talking about healthy friendships to demonstrating how to use a condom, into, like, kindergarten. But stepping back into our role as a school board, we struggled to be realistic toward what a community would go for, pushing a condom demonstration back and back, until it would come so late in a child's education that there's a very good chance he or she would have already had sex--without that knowledge.

What do you think about sex ed in the U.S. and abroad? Clearly we're struggling here--what can we do about it?

Thanks to bronwyn (ECG) (condom dress) and compujeramey (German condom ad) for the great photos!

Too broke to eat? It might be good for you.

It's no surprise that the economy is going down the toilet, and it's probably no surprise that it affects our health. But if you assume that the less money we have, the sicker we are, SURPRISE! You're wrong.

The New York Times reported that, while good economics lead to good health over the long haul, our health as a country actually improves in shorter spells of economic downturn. Like this one.

Why? Think about it. You just scored a sweet, high-paying job and don't have a money care in the world. You eat out a lot. You don't hold back at the bar. You might drive yourself home after a little too much fun. And because your job brings in all the bacon, you pour yourself into it, sending exercise, minor medical appointments and other health-related "extras" straight down the priority list.

Replicate that on a population level, and it's no wonder we're less healthy when we're rolling in the dough.

I'm all about a silver lining, but the current state of the economy has some definite downsides, too. If the price of groceries forces you to eat generic mac 'n' cheese for breakfast, lunch and dinner; if you can't afford your health insurance premium; if you have to cancel your gym membership and put off buying that new bike, on a personal level, you're certainly not healthier.

But then again, a couple fewer tequila shots never hurt anyone, no matter the reason. Trust me.

And the Nobel Prize goes to...

The brains behind AIDS and cervical cancer!

The Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded today to three people: two French virologists credited for discovering HIV and the German physician and scientist who discovered HPV, or human papillomavirus.

Other major medical developments honored by Nobel Prizes include the development of penicillin, blood typing and genetic engineering.

A pretty impressive list to join, I'd say.

Photo: Nobel Prize medal, from NobelPrize.org

Wanna vote? Better register...like, now

Things I Totally Forgot In The 16 Months Between College And Grad School

I looked up a reading on one of my syllabi today and about passed out when I had to flip the page to see what was on week five. I've been in school for exactly a month--unbelievable!

What's also unbelievable is that "fact" about the brain only holding a million pieces of information--and which pieces fall out to make room for new ones. Behold...

Things About School I Totally Forgot In The 16 Months Between College And Grad School:

• It's hard! I mean it's doable, but hard. Grad school considerably more so than college I'd say, but in either case, it takes a good few weeks to get into the groove, figure out what you absolutely have to do and what can slide if necessary and just get your brain moving after a, um, little break.
• There's homework! A lot of it. Man, is there a lot. And there's never a break: Just when you think you must have hit the bottom of the pile, you flip the page of the syllabus and start all over again. There is always more biostats where that came from, and it's impossible to ever feel as if you're ahead of the game (or that you're not irreversibly behind).
• You feel stupid! Or maybe that's just me...? But I think there's a tendency to assume, when slumped over in epidemiology, staring blankly at the PowerPoint, that the person to your right understands every word and the one to the left aces every exam. It seems like everyone's had a cooler internship, more impressive job or Fulbright. WTF am I doing in this company? And I forget reeeally quickly that wait a second, I've done some cool stuff, too. I get most of this. And hey, the school let me in.
• You're busy! It's easy to forget that there's a lot more to school that sitting in class and studying for tests. There are group projects and meetings and presentations and advisors and events and parties and study sessions, and they don't all happen on weekdays between the hours of 9 and 5 (unfortunately). The whole school-life balance thing is harder than it sounds. Especially when you're like me: Homework on weekends is like having 27 root canals.
• It's a rush! Now maybe I am just a total nerd, but I love the feeling of putting the final period at the end of a paper I know I wrote well, turning in a test I know I was prepared for, having a concept I'd been struggling with all of a sudden click. There's definitely something to be said for an easy class, but looking back, I've always gotten the most of the courses that were most challenging (read: painful) at the time.
• It's...fun?! Again, I may be a nerd. But I like school! Really. I love hearing about the experiences of my professors and classmates and learning things I know I'll use in a future career (sorry undergrads, that might be more of a grad school thing :) ...). The best thing for me is just seeing what's out there and what I can explore that I never even knew existed. I realize I need to narrow my focus sooner rather than later, but I'm skeptical that I'll ever truly be able to do that. 

Overall, I'm happy I decided to go back to school. I struggled with the decision big time, but hey, I'm not out there in the scary economy, the job market should recover by the time I hit it with two master's degrees, I'm using my brain (or what's left of it) and I'm busy, just as I like it--ignore my whining, and don't let me convince you otherwise. :)

More about school to come. I realize I've been sort of hush-hush about it and that a lot of you probably want the MPH scoop. I've been busy, not secretive. You'll get your scoop, I promise.

And, as always, question away in the comments. No question is a dumb question (and if it is, there's always the anonymous posting option...). 

Thanks to Gaetan Lee for the brain photo!