Health in the news — April 1

An hour a day to keep pounds off

Roni Caryn Rabin reports in the New York Times on a study that looked at how much physical activity was needed by women to keep weight off.

She writes:

“The researchers found that an hour of moderate activity a day — including such recreational activities as brisk walking, leisurely bicycling, ballroom dancing and playing with children — prevented women of normal weight from gaining more than five pounds over any three-year period. Half that amount of vigorous activity, like running, jogging or fast biking, will do the trick as well, they said.”

The study appears in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

To learn more:

• Read Rabin’s article: How Much Exercise Will Prevent Weight Gain?
• Read the study: Physical Activity and Weight Gain Prevention. (Subscription or fee may be required.)

At the end of life, many need help with decisions

Associated Press reporter Stephanie Nano reports on a study that found that significant number of people at the end of life need help making decisions about their medical care.

She writes

“The results illustrate the value of people making their wishes known in a living will and designating someone to make treatment decisions for them, the researchers said.

“In the study, those who spelled out their preferences in living wills usually got the treatment they wanted. Only a few wanted heroic measures to prolong their lives.”

Nano’s story appears in the the Seattle Times, a LocalHealthGuide news partner. The study appears in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

To learn more:

• Read Nano’s article: Many people need care decisions made for them, study says

Should you “friend” your therapist?

Traditionally, therapists learned about their patients by talking with them. But should therapists also use Facebook and other online social networks to better understand their patients?

Washington Post reporter Dana Scarton writes about the debate:

In fact, the tremendous availability online of personal information threatens to alter what has been an almost sacred relationship between therapist and patient. Traditionally, therapists obtained information about a patient through face-to-face dialogue. If outside information was needed, the therapist would obtain the patient’s consent to speak with family members or a previous mental-health practitioner. At the same time, patients traditionally knew little about their therapists outside the consulting room. Now, with the click of a mouse, tech-savvy therapists and patients are challenging the old rules and raising serious questions about how much each should know about the other and where lines should be drawn.

To learn more:

• Read: Google and Facebook raise new issues for therapists and their clients

Did Rob McKenna join lawsuit to buff his conservative credentials?

OhSeattle Times Olympia Bureau reporter Andrew Garber looks at the politics that may lay behind the decision

McKenna, who has built a reputation as a moderate Republican, says his decision to join the lawsuit was not influenced by politics and is purely about protecting the Constitution. But there are clear political consequences for a man widely expected to be the GOP nominee for governor in 2012.

Democrats argue that the move shows McKenna’s true nature as a far-right Republican out of step with most Washington voters. But the legal challenge appeals to core Republicans, including those at the rally, who could prove important for any gubernatorial bid.

McKenna will be participating in an online chat today at 12:45 p.m. with Seattle Times political reporter Jim Brunner. Questions for McKenna can be submitted online before the chat begins.

(Seattle Times is a LocalHealthGuide news partner.)

To learn more:

• Read Garber’s article: Health-care lawsuit throws spotlight on McKenna’s politics

• Visit the Seattle Times’ Editorial and Opinion section where you can submit your questions for McKenna.

• Read the Seattle Times editorial: AG Rob McKenna has a case to challenge the health-care law’s individual mandate.

• Read Seattle Times article by reporter Rick Perry’s: UW panelists say lawsuits challenging health bill lack merit.

• Read the New York Times’ editorial on the issue: The Legal Assault on Health Reforms

• Watch the UW School of Law’s roundtable debate on the issue here.

Gary Locke calls health law-related corporate writedowns “hype”

Former Washington governor and now U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke says claims that the new health law is already hurting businesses force corporations to announce writedowns in anticipation of the loss of a drug subsidy are “hype”.

Writing in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece, Locke argues that, “taken as a whole, health reform is undeniably pro business and pro jobs.”

“The new comprehensive health-care legislation meets these goals, and will significantly benefit American businesses by slowing and eventually reversing the tide of crippling premium increases washing over our nation’s employers.

“These cost savings are real. They will grow over time. And they will make U.S. businesses more competitive.”

To learn more:

• Read Locke’s article: Don’t Believe the Writedown Hype. (Subscription or fee may be required.)

Tags: End-of-Life Care, Fitness, Health-care Reform, Psychology

Category: News