Lifestyle vs. Genes for Cardiovascular Health?
By Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D.
Dec 17, 2010
Behind the Headlines
by Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D.
Recent Posts
It is well known that genes play a role in determining who has a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks and strokes. But we also know that lifestyle factors determine risk as well. In confirmation of this, researchers from Northwestern University reported, at the 2010 meeting of the American Heart Association, that a healthy lifestyle actually has a bigger impact than does inheritance on cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Research findings on lifestyle factors that make a difference
• The investigators considered five healthy lifestyle factors:
• Not smoking
• Low or no alcohol intake
• Weight control
• Physical activity
• Healthy diet
One of their studies found that 60 percent of individuals who adopted all five healthy lifestyle factors as young adults and followed them for 20 years remained at low risk for CVD (heart attacks and strokes) in middle age. By contrast, among those who maintained none or just one of the healthy lifestyle factors only 6 percent were at low risk in middle age.
A study of three generations confirms the importance of behavior
Their second study examined the cardiovascular health of about 16,500 people who were part of three generations of families from the Framingham Heart Study. The results showed that only a small portion of CVD risk was determined by the cardiovascular health of the parents. Rather, risk status was predominantly due to lifestyle and behaviors.
Family history is still important
I completely agree that maintaining good lifestyle habits is critical for preventing CVD events and deaths. However, people at high risk–because of a family history of premature CVD, high blood pressure, diabetes, of a high cholesterol, whether inherited or not–may need to do more than merely follow healthy lifestyle measures.
At least by their 20s or early 30s everyone needs a visit to a physician or an examination at some screening center to learn whether they have high cholesterol levels or high blood pressure. Early management of these risk factors with either specific lifestyle measures or medications is the best prescription for preventing
CVD in such high risk people.
Continued genetic research is still needed
Further, even if genetic factors presently appear to have a relatively limited effect on CVD, it is extremely important to continue studies on the genes involved in CVD, diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. Results of such studies may identify more people, possibly only in small numbers, who have inherited genetic abnormalities that puts them at high risk for CVD or one of the its major risk factors. In addition, discovery of the genes that predispose to these disorders will provide better understanding of their underlying causes. Such understanding, in turn, may be the key to developing more effective and safer medications for treating or preventing these disorders.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sibutramine Ubat Diet yang BAHAYA kini diharamkan!
Pada pendapat saya, sepatutnya Dadah Sibutramine ini TIDAK PATUT diluluskan pada peringkat awal lagi. Ini mungkin pihak syarikat Farmaseutikal begitu kuat melobi FDA utk meluluskan ubat ini untuk megawal obesiti.
Alhamdulillah kini dengan produk SLIM DIET 2 (SD2) anda kini boleh kawal berat badan secara semulajadi!
KENYATAAN AKHBAR
PENGGANTUNGAN PENDAFTARAN PRODUK-PRODUK YANG MENGANDUNGI
SIBUTRAMINE ATAS SEBAB KESELAMATAN
1. Pihak Berkuasa Kawalan Dadah (PBKD) telah memutuskan untuk menggantung
pendaftaran produk-produk yang mengandungi sibutramine atas sebab keselamatan.
Semua pemegang pendaftaran telah diarah untuk memberhentikan segala transaksi
memborong dan mengimport produk-produk tersebut dengan serta merta dan menarik
balik produk mereka dari pasaran sehingga ke peringkat jualan dalam tempoh 30 hari
dari tarikh penggantungan.
2. Keputusan ini adalah berdasarkan pengesahan dari kajian Sibutramine
Cardiovascular OUTcomes (SCOUT) bagi produk Reductil® yang dijalankan oleh pihak
Abbott Laboratories dimana terdapat peningkatan risiko kesan advers kardiovaskular
seperti serangan jantung dan strok ke atas pesakit obes dan berlebihan berat badan
yang mengambil sibutramine berbanding pesakit yang hanya menjalani senaman dan
kawalan pemakanan.
3. Sibutramine didaftarkan di Malaysia sebagai terapi tambahan kepada diet dan
senaman untuk pesakit obes yang mempunyai faktor risiko seperti penyakit diabetes,
hipertensi dan dislipidemia. Namun demikian pesakit yang mempunyai sejarah penyakit
arteri koronari, kegagalan jantung kongestif, penyakit arteri periferal, arithmia, strok dan
hipertensi tidak terkawal adalah dilarang mengambil sibutramine. Terdapat sebanyak
sembilan (9) produk berdaftar yang mengandungi sibutramine iaitu Reductil®
, Slenfig®,
Sibutramine Sandoz® , Fenslim® dan Sibutrim® dan kesemua maklumat keselamatan ini
telah dimasukkan dalam sisip bungkusan produk masing-masing.
4. Lanjutan daripada maklumat preliminari kajian SCOUT sebelum ini, PBKD pada
25 Januari 2010 telah mengarahkan semua pemegang pendaftaran produk untuk
mengemaskini sisip bungkusan produk sibutramine bagi memperkukuhkan lagi
informasi keselamatan terhadap produk ini dan mengeluarkan surat kepada pengamal
perubatan di Malaysia untuk memaklumkan mengenai maklumat ini.
5. Melalui Program Pemantauan Kesan Advers Ubat, Biro Pengawalan
Farmaseutikal Kebangsaan yang dijalankan secara berterusan oleh Kementerian
Kesihatan Malaysia, sebanyak 38 laporan kesan advers yang melibatkan penggunaan
produk ini telah diterima. Lima (5) dari laporan yang dikemukakan mendapati pesakit
mengalami kesan advers kardiovaskular iaitu jantung berdebar (3 laporan) dan infarksi
miokardial bukan fatal (2 laporan).
6. Pesakit yang sedang menerima rawatan sibutramine adalah dinasihatkan supaya
merujuk kepada doktor mereka untuk nasihat selanjutnya.
TAN SRI DATO’ SERI DR HJ MOHD ISMAIL MERICAN
Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan
Merangkap Pengerusi Pihak Berkuasa Kawalan Dadah
11 Oktober 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Ancaman Leptospirosis (Jangkitan Air Kencing Tikus)
Malaysia warns of waterborne disease after 10 die
AP - Monday, August 23
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia has closed parks and warned the public about swimming and dumping trash in rivers after 10 people died from a disease spread by rats.
The latest reported death from the bacterial disease leptospirosis was Saturday. The 17-year-old boy in northern Kedah state had swam in a river and had a picnic with friends at a recreational park last month, the New Straits Times and The Star reported.
Several parks throughout the country have been closed since the first deaths were reported last month.
The Health Ministry's website warns people not to swim in public rivers when it rains and to avoid taking a dip if they have cuts on their body, which makes an infection more likely.
Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai was quoted by the Times on Monday as saying his ministry would distribute leaflets and posters to raise awareness of the disease.
Leptospirosis is caused by exposure to water contaminated with urine of infected animals and absorbed through the skin. Rats are the main carriers, and the ministry's campaign urges people not to dump rubbish near water sources that could attract rats, he said.
Cases of the disease have been increasing in Malaysia. It killed 62 people last year, up from 20 in 2004. In the same period, the number of infections rose more than fivefold to more than 1,400 cases, up from 263.
Symptoms are severe muscle pain, fever, vomiting and headache, and leptospirosis is curable if the person is treated within a week.
AP - Monday, August 23
• Send
• IM Story
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia has closed parks and warned the public about swimming and dumping trash in rivers after 10 people died from a disease spread by rats.
The latest reported death from the bacterial disease leptospirosis was Saturday. The 17-year-old boy in northern Kedah state had swam in a river and had a picnic with friends at a recreational park last month, the New Straits Times and The Star reported.
Several parks throughout the country have been closed since the first deaths were reported last month.
The Health Ministry's website warns people not to swim in public rivers when it rains and to avoid taking a dip if they have cuts on their body, which makes an infection more likely.
Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai was quoted by the Times on Monday as saying his ministry would distribute leaflets and posters to raise awareness of the disease.
Leptospirosis is caused by exposure to water contaminated with urine of infected animals and absorbed through the skin. Rats are the main carriers, and the ministry's campaign urges people not to dump rubbish near water sources that could attract rats, he said.
Cases of the disease have been increasing in Malaysia. It killed 62 people last year, up from 20 in 2004. In the same period, the number of infections rose more than fivefold to more than 1,400 cases, up from 263.
Symptoms are severe muscle pain, fever, vomiting and headache, and leptospirosis is curable if the person is treated within a week.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Perut Boroi Membahayakan Kesihatan
Study: Belly bulge can be deadly for older adults
AFP/File – Two overweight women cross the street in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Obesity in the United States has grown …
By CARLA K. JOHNSON, AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson, Ap Medical Writer – Mon Aug 9, 9:39 pm ET
CHICAGO – If your pants are feeling a bit tight around the waistline, take note: Belly bulge can be deadly for older adults, even those who aren't overweight or obese by other measures.
One of the largest studies to examine the dangers of abdominal fat suggests men and women with the biggest waistlines have twice the risk of dying over a decade compared to those with the smallest tummies.
Surprisingly, bigger waists carry a greater risk of death even for people whose weight is "normal" by the body mass index, or BMI, a standard measure based on weight and height.
"Even if you haven't had a noticeable weight gain, if you notice your waist size increasing that's an important sign," said lead author Eric Jacobs of the American Cancer Society, which funded the study. "It's time to eat better and start exercising more."
Other research has linked waist size to dementia, heart disease, asthma and breast cancer.
Bulging bellies are a problem for most Americans older than 50. It's estimated that more than half of older men and more than 70 percent of older women have bigger waistlines than recommended. And it's a growing problem: Average waistlines have expanded by about an inch per decade since the 1960s.
To check your girth, wrap a tape measure around your waist at the navel. No fair sucking in your bulge. Men should have a waist circumference no larger than 40 inches. For women, the limit is 35 inches.
The new study, appearing in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine, is the first to analyze waist size and deaths for people in three BMI categories: normal, overweight and obese. In all three groups, waist size was linked to higher risk.
About 2 percent of people in the study had normal BMI numbers but larger than recommended waists. Jacobs said the risk increased progressively with increasing waist size, even at waist sizes well below what might be considered too large.
The study used data from more than 100,000 people who were followed from 1997 to 2006. Nearly 15,000 people died during that time.
The researchers crunched numbers on waist circumference, height and weight to draw conclusions about who was more likely to die. Study participants measured their own waists, so some honest mistakes and wishful fudging could have been included, the authors acknowledged.
Four extra inches around the waist increased the risk of dying from between 15 percent to 25 percent. Oddly, the strongest link — 25 percent — was in women with normal BMI.
People with bigger waists had a higher risk of death from causes including respiratory illnesses, heart disease and cancer.
The study was observational, a less rigorous approach that means the deaths could have been caused by factors other than waist size. But the researchers did take into account other risk factors for poor health, such as smoking and alcohol use.
Some older adults gain belly fat while they lose muscle mass, Jacobs said, so while they may not be getting heavier, they're changing shape — and that's taking a toll.
A tape measure, or a belt that doesn't buckle the way it used to, "may tell you things your scale doesn't," Jacobs said.
Fat stored behind the abdominal wall may be more harmful than fat stored on the hips and thighs. Some scientists believe belly fat secretes proteins and hormones that contribute to inflammation, interfere with how the body processes insulin and raise cholesterol levels.
But Dr. Samuel Klein, an obesity expert at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is skeptical about that theory. Removing belly fat surgically doesn't lead to health improvements. That may mean it's simply a stand-in for some other culprit that is causing both belly fat and poor health. Klein wasn't involved in the new research.
Klein said the new study, while showing a link between waist size and mortality, doesn't pinpoint exactly how much belly fat is dangerous for normal, overweight and obese people. The 40-inch for men and 35-inch for women cutoff points are irrelevant for many people, he said.
What can be done to fight belly fat? It's the same advice as for losing weight. Eat fewer calories and burn more through walking, bicycling and other aerobic exercise. "Sit-ups are useless," Klein said.
___
Online:
Archives: http://www.archinternmed.com
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Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Obesity Linked to Low Testosterone in Men
Obesity Linked to Low Testosterone in Men
Men who are tipping the scales might want to get their testosterone levels checked, according to a new study showing obese mean are more likely than others to have low levels of this sex hormone.
Forty percent of obese participants in the study had lower-than-normal testosterone readings. And for those obese men who also had diabetes that percent rose to 50 percent.
A separate study last year found that obese men who lost significant weight reported better sexual function.
While past studies have shown a link between diabetes and low testosterone, the new one is the largest analysis to look at the association between obesity and low testosterone. In fact, the Endocrine Society now recommends that all men with type 2 diabetes have their testosterone levels measured. Now, it seems, obese men, even younger men, should also get screened for low testosterone, the researchers say.
"The effect of diabetes on lowering testosterone levels was similar to that of a weight gain of approximately 20 pounds," said lead author Dr. Sandeep Dhindsa, an endocrinology specialist at the University of Buffalo, Department of Medicine, and lead author of the study published online ahead of print in the journal Diabetes Care.
With our waistlines expanding, the results could speak to many American men. "In view of the fact that almost one-third of the U.S. is obese, these observations have profound pathophysiological, clinical, epidemiological and public health implications," Dhindsa said.
The study involved 2,165 men, 45 years or older, who provided blood samples for analysis of testosterone concentrations and who were taking part in the Hypogonadism in Males (HIM) study funded by Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc. The study was conducted from November 2003 to February 2004 in 95 primary care practices throughout the United States. (This was an unfunded analysis of HIM data.)
Body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of height and weight that estimates body fat, was used to indicate obesity.
Men with diabetes, whether obese or not, showed lower levels of testosterone than non-diabetic men across all weight categories. Testosterone levels decreased significantly in both diabetic and non-diabetic men as BMI increased.
UB endocrinologists published a study in Diabetes Care in 2008 showing that more than 50 percent of men between 18 and 35 years old with type 2 diabetes had lower than normal testosterone levels.
"In view of the high rates of subnormal testosterone in patients with obesity or diabetes, testosterone concentrations should be measured regularly in these populations, especially when these conditions occur together," said study researcher Dr. Paresh Dandona, head of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at UB.
Men who are tipping the scales might want to get their testosterone levels checked, according to a new study showing obese mean are more likely than others to have low levels of this sex hormone.
Forty percent of obese participants in the study had lower-than-normal testosterone readings. And for those obese men who also had diabetes that percent rose to 50 percent.
A separate study last year found that obese men who lost significant weight reported better sexual function.
While past studies have shown a link between diabetes and low testosterone, the new one is the largest analysis to look at the association between obesity and low testosterone. In fact, the Endocrine Society now recommends that all men with type 2 diabetes have their testosterone levels measured. Now, it seems, obese men, even younger men, should also get screened for low testosterone, the researchers say.
"The effect of diabetes on lowering testosterone levels was similar to that of a weight gain of approximately 20 pounds," said lead author Dr. Sandeep Dhindsa, an endocrinology specialist at the University of Buffalo, Department of Medicine, and lead author of the study published online ahead of print in the journal Diabetes Care.
With our waistlines expanding, the results could speak to many American men. "In view of the fact that almost one-third of the U.S. is obese, these observations have profound pathophysiological, clinical, epidemiological and public health implications," Dhindsa said.
The study involved 2,165 men, 45 years or older, who provided blood samples for analysis of testosterone concentrations and who were taking part in the Hypogonadism in Males (HIM) study funded by Solvay Pharmaceuticals Inc. The study was conducted from November 2003 to February 2004 in 95 primary care practices throughout the United States. (This was an unfunded analysis of HIM data.)
Body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of height and weight that estimates body fat, was used to indicate obesity.
Men with diabetes, whether obese or not, showed lower levels of testosterone than non-diabetic men across all weight categories. Testosterone levels decreased significantly in both diabetic and non-diabetic men as BMI increased.
UB endocrinologists published a study in Diabetes Care in 2008 showing that more than 50 percent of men between 18 and 35 years old with type 2 diabetes had lower than normal testosterone levels.
"In view of the high rates of subnormal testosterone in patients with obesity or diabetes, testosterone concentrations should be measured regularly in these populations, especially when these conditions occur together," said study researcher Dr. Paresh Dandona, head of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at UB.
Penting tabiat Makan Sihat
ARKIB : 02/05/2010 Utusan Malaysia
Penting tabiat makan sihat
Oleh Profesor Madya Dr. Zaitun Yassin & Mahenderan Appukutty
Persatuan Pemakanan Malaysia (NSM)
Sebagai ibu bapa sudah tentu anda menaruh harapan yang tinggi dan mendoakan anak-anak a cemerlang dalam pelajaran dan menyertai aktiviti kokurikulum agar menjadi pelajar yang cergas dan serba boleh. Anak anda sedang memasuki alam pembelajaran yang serba baru dan membina kemahiran hidup lain yang diperlukan. Anda tahu sekiranya dia cemerlang dalam pelajaran, dia akan berjaya dalam kehidupan.
Tetapi dengan segala tumpuan diberi terhadap pencapaian akademik dan aktiviti kokurikulum, kebanyakan ibu bapa lupa pentingnya memberi makanan dengan cara yang betul kepada anak-anak. Dengan jadual pembelajaran yang ketat, baik semasa di sekolah mahupun luar waktu sekolah, serta kesibukan ibu bapa zaman sekarang, pemakanan betul dan tabiat makan yang sihat sering diabaikan.
Ramai ibu bapa mungkin tidak sedar pentingnya pemakanan dan tabiat makan yang betul ketika anak-anak berusia antara 7 dan 12 tahun. Hakikatnya, pemakanan dan tabiat makan yang baik adalah faktor yang sangat penting untuk mempengaruhi kesihatan dan kesejahteraan anak-anak anda, baik dari segi fizikal mahupun mental.
Pemakanan yang baik memberi manfaat kepada anak-anak dalam pelbagai aspek, termasuk:
Membolehkan pertumbuhan optimum
Pemakanan yang betul membolehkan anak-anak anda mencapai pertumbuhan yang optimum. Ia juga boleh mencegah masalah berat badan dan kekurangan nutrien seperti anemia yang berpunca daripada kekurangan zat besi.
Meningkatkan perkembangan kognitif
Makanan yang betul dan tabiat makan yang sihat adalah penting untuk otak kerana ia menggalakkan pembelajaran yang lebih baik, meningkatkan daya tumpuan dan perhatian, dan menguatkan daya ingatan anak anda untuk membolehkan mereka terus kekal cerdas di sekolah.
Menggalakkan perkembangan sosio-emosi
Jenis makanan dan bila anda memberi makanan kepada anak-anak juga mempengaruhi keadaan emosi dan tingkah laku mereka.
Bagaimanapun, anda juga perlu ingat bahawa pemakanan yang betul perlu disokong dengan aktiviti fizikal. Aktiviti fizikal adalah sama penting dengan makanan yang baik, kerana ia banyak memberi manfaat kepada anak-anak yang sedang membesar. Aktiviti fizikal akan membakar tenaga berlebihan daripada makanan dan menguatkan tulang serta otot. Ia juga membantu meningkatkan selera makan anak anda dan mengelak mereka daripada menjadi gemuk. Ingatlah bahawa kesejahteraan sosio-emosi anak anda juga bergantung kepada aktiviti fizikal. Aktiviti seperti sukan berpasukan membantu membina keyakinan diri, menyemai nilai-nilai kepimpinan dan menyumbang kepada perkembangan keseluruhan anak anda.
Makan untuk hari esok
Menyediakan pemakanan yang baik untuk anak bukan sahaja penting untuk kesejahteraan semasa mereka, malah ia juga membina asas yang kuat untuk kesihatan pada masa hadapan dan menyemai gaya hidup yang sihat.
Sebagai contoh, pemakanan yang baik mula mempengaruhi kesihatan tubuh anak anda pada usia awal mereka. Ia juga membantu menguatkan sistem imun mereka pada masa kini dan masa hadapan serta menguatkan sistem daya ketahanan semula jadi tubuh.
Pemakanan yang baik pada hari ini akan mengurangkan risiko kesihatan pada masa hadapan. Jika berat badan anak anda berlebihan, besar kemungkinan mereka akan membesar menjadi remaja dan orang dewasa yang berlebihan berat badan juga. Risiko orang dewasa yang mempunyai berat badan berlebihan untuk mengalami penyakit kronik adalah lebih tinggi, termasuk penyakit jantung, kencing manis (diabetes) dan tekanan darah tinggi. Berat badan berlebihan juga boleh menjejaskan perkembangan sosio-emosi kerana bentuk badan yang kurang menarik menyebabkan anak anda merasa rendah diri.
Apa yang anda boleh lakukan
Sebagai ibu bapa yang penyayang, anda mesti berusaha memberikan makanan yang betul kepada anak anda yang bersekolah dan menggalakkan tabiat makan yang sihat sejak kecil lagi. Ingatlah, makanan yang betul tidak bermakna memberi mereka makanan yang mahal. Pemakanan yang betul bermakna memberi anak-anak anda pelbagai jenis makanan yang seimbang, dan dalam jumlah yang sewajarnya.
Anda juga patut berusaha sedaya upaya menanam tabiat makan yang sihat dan menggalakkan anak anda kerap melakukan aktiviti fizikal. Walaupun mereka akan diajar tentang aspek pemakanan yang baik di sekolah akan tetapi anda juga harus mendidik mereka di rumah, dan tidak menyerahkan segalanya kepada guru di sekolah.
Dapatkan maklumat lebih lanjut tentang kaedah membesarkan anak-anak sihat untuk negara yang lebih sihat menerusi pelbagai bahan dan aktiviti pendidikan Bulan Pemakanan Sihat Malaysia 2010 (NMM '10) yang dimuatkan dalam laman web www.nutriweb.org.my. Sertailah Karnival NMM '10 yang menyeronokkan di Pusat Pameran Mid Valley pada 15 & 16 Mei 2010, bermula dari 10 pagi.
Penting tabiat makan sihat
Oleh Profesor Madya Dr. Zaitun Yassin & Mahenderan Appukutty
Persatuan Pemakanan Malaysia (NSM)
Sebagai ibu bapa sudah tentu anda menaruh harapan yang tinggi dan mendoakan anak-anak a cemerlang dalam pelajaran dan menyertai aktiviti kokurikulum agar menjadi pelajar yang cergas dan serba boleh. Anak anda sedang memasuki alam pembelajaran yang serba baru dan membina kemahiran hidup lain yang diperlukan. Anda tahu sekiranya dia cemerlang dalam pelajaran, dia akan berjaya dalam kehidupan.
Tetapi dengan segala tumpuan diberi terhadap pencapaian akademik dan aktiviti kokurikulum, kebanyakan ibu bapa lupa pentingnya memberi makanan dengan cara yang betul kepada anak-anak. Dengan jadual pembelajaran yang ketat, baik semasa di sekolah mahupun luar waktu sekolah, serta kesibukan ibu bapa zaman sekarang, pemakanan betul dan tabiat makan yang sihat sering diabaikan.
Ramai ibu bapa mungkin tidak sedar pentingnya pemakanan dan tabiat makan yang betul ketika anak-anak berusia antara 7 dan 12 tahun. Hakikatnya, pemakanan dan tabiat makan yang baik adalah faktor yang sangat penting untuk mempengaruhi kesihatan dan kesejahteraan anak-anak anda, baik dari segi fizikal mahupun mental.
Pemakanan yang baik memberi manfaat kepada anak-anak dalam pelbagai aspek, termasuk:
Membolehkan pertumbuhan optimum
Pemakanan yang betul membolehkan anak-anak anda mencapai pertumbuhan yang optimum. Ia juga boleh mencegah masalah berat badan dan kekurangan nutrien seperti anemia yang berpunca daripada kekurangan zat besi.
Meningkatkan perkembangan kognitif
Makanan yang betul dan tabiat makan yang sihat adalah penting untuk otak kerana ia menggalakkan pembelajaran yang lebih baik, meningkatkan daya tumpuan dan perhatian, dan menguatkan daya ingatan anak anda untuk membolehkan mereka terus kekal cerdas di sekolah.
Menggalakkan perkembangan sosio-emosi
Jenis makanan dan bila anda memberi makanan kepada anak-anak juga mempengaruhi keadaan emosi dan tingkah laku mereka.
Bagaimanapun, anda juga perlu ingat bahawa pemakanan yang betul perlu disokong dengan aktiviti fizikal. Aktiviti fizikal adalah sama penting dengan makanan yang baik, kerana ia banyak memberi manfaat kepada anak-anak yang sedang membesar. Aktiviti fizikal akan membakar tenaga berlebihan daripada makanan dan menguatkan tulang serta otot. Ia juga membantu meningkatkan selera makan anak anda dan mengelak mereka daripada menjadi gemuk. Ingatlah bahawa kesejahteraan sosio-emosi anak anda juga bergantung kepada aktiviti fizikal. Aktiviti seperti sukan berpasukan membantu membina keyakinan diri, menyemai nilai-nilai kepimpinan dan menyumbang kepada perkembangan keseluruhan anak anda.
Makan untuk hari esok
Menyediakan pemakanan yang baik untuk anak bukan sahaja penting untuk kesejahteraan semasa mereka, malah ia juga membina asas yang kuat untuk kesihatan pada masa hadapan dan menyemai gaya hidup yang sihat.
Sebagai contoh, pemakanan yang baik mula mempengaruhi kesihatan tubuh anak anda pada usia awal mereka. Ia juga membantu menguatkan sistem imun mereka pada masa kini dan masa hadapan serta menguatkan sistem daya ketahanan semula jadi tubuh.
Pemakanan yang baik pada hari ini akan mengurangkan risiko kesihatan pada masa hadapan. Jika berat badan anak anda berlebihan, besar kemungkinan mereka akan membesar menjadi remaja dan orang dewasa yang berlebihan berat badan juga. Risiko orang dewasa yang mempunyai berat badan berlebihan untuk mengalami penyakit kronik adalah lebih tinggi, termasuk penyakit jantung, kencing manis (diabetes) dan tekanan darah tinggi. Berat badan berlebihan juga boleh menjejaskan perkembangan sosio-emosi kerana bentuk badan yang kurang menarik menyebabkan anak anda merasa rendah diri.
Apa yang anda boleh lakukan
Sebagai ibu bapa yang penyayang, anda mesti berusaha memberikan makanan yang betul kepada anak anda yang bersekolah dan menggalakkan tabiat makan yang sihat sejak kecil lagi. Ingatlah, makanan yang betul tidak bermakna memberi mereka makanan yang mahal. Pemakanan yang betul bermakna memberi anak-anak anda pelbagai jenis makanan yang seimbang, dan dalam jumlah yang sewajarnya.
Anda juga patut berusaha sedaya upaya menanam tabiat makan yang sihat dan menggalakkan anak anda kerap melakukan aktiviti fizikal. Walaupun mereka akan diajar tentang aspek pemakanan yang baik di sekolah akan tetapi anda juga harus mendidik mereka di rumah, dan tidak menyerahkan segalanya kepada guru di sekolah.
Dapatkan maklumat lebih lanjut tentang kaedah membesarkan anak-anak sihat untuk negara yang lebih sihat menerusi pelbagai bahan dan aktiviti pendidikan Bulan Pemakanan Sihat Malaysia 2010 (NMM '10) yang dimuatkan dalam laman web www.nutriweb.org.my. Sertailah Karnival NMM '10 yang menyeronokkan di Pusat Pameran Mid Valley pada 15 & 16 Mei 2010, bermula dari 10 pagi.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Exercise, diet can cut up Breast Cancer risk by 30%
Published: Friday March 26, 2010 MYT 2:43:00 PM
Excercise, diet can cut breast cancer risk by 30%
BARCELONA (Spain): Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers at a conference said, renewing a sensitive debate about how lifestyle factors affect the disease.
Better treatments, early diagnosis and mammogram screenings have dramatically slowed breast cancer, but experts said the focus should now shift to changing behaviors like diet and physical activity.
"What can be achieved with screening has been achieved. We can't do much more," Carlo La Vecchia, head of epidemiology at the University of Milan, said in an interview. "It's time to move on to other things."
La Vecchia spoke Thursday at a European breast cancer conference in Barcelona.
He cited figures from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which estimates that 25 to 30 percent of breast cancer cases could be avoided if women were thinner and exercised more. The agency is part of the World Health Organization.
His comments are in line with recent health advice that lifestyle changes in areas such as smoking, diet, exercise and sun exposure can play a significant role in risk for several cancers.
Dr. Michelle Holmes of Harvard University, who has studied cancer and lifestyle factors, said people might wrongly think their chances of getting cancer depend more on their genes than their lifestyle.
"The genes have been there for thousands of years, but if cancer rates are changing in a lifetime, that doesn't have much to do with genes," she told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women.
In Europe, there were about 421,000 new cases and nearly 90,000 deaths in 2008, the latest available figures. The United States last year saw more than 190,000 new cases and 40,000 deaths.
A woman's lifetime chance of getting breast cancer is about one in eight.
Obese women are up to 60% more likely to develop any cancer than normal-weight women, according to a 2006 study by British researchers.
Many breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue. So experts suspect that the fatter a woman is, the more estrogen she's likely to produce, which could in turn fuel breast cancer.
Even in slim women, experts believe exercise can help reduce the cancer risk by converting more fat into muscle.
Yet any discussion of weight and breast cancer is considered sensitive because some may misconstrue that as the medical establishment blaming women for their disease.
Tara Beaumont, a clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, a British charity, said her agency has always been careful about giving lifestyle advice.
She noted that three of the major risk factors for breast cancer - gender, age and family history - are clearly beyond anyone's control.
"It is incredibly difficult to isolate specific factors.
Therefore women should in no way feel that they are responsible for developing breast cancer," she said.
Yet Karen Benn, a spokeswoman for Europa Donna, a patient-focused breast cancer group, said it was impossible to ignore the increasingly stronger links between lifestyle and breast cancer.
"If we know there are healthier choices, we can't not recommend them just because people might misinterpret the advice and feel guilty," she said.
"If we are going to prevent breast cancer, then this message needs to get out, particularly to younger women."
That means avoiding becoming overweight as an adult.
Robert Baan, a cancer expert with the international cancer research agency, said it isn't clear if women who lose weight can lower their risk to the level of a woman who was never fat.
The American Cancer Society Web site says the connection between weight and cancer risk is complex.
It says risk appears to increase for women who gain weight as adults, but not for women who have been overweight since childhood.
The cancer society recommends 45 to 60 minutes of physical activity five or more days a week to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Drinking less alcohol might also help. Experts estimate that having more than a couple of drinks a day can boost the risk of breast cancer by 4 to 10 percent.
After studies several years ago linked hormone-replacement therapy to cancer, millions of women abandoned the treatment, leading to a sharp drop in breast cancer rates.
Experts said a similar reduction might be seen if women ate healthier and exercised more.
Holmes, the Harvard expert, said changing diet and nutrition is arguably easier than tackling other breast cancer risk factors.
In the 1980s and 1990s, breast cancer rates steadily increased, paralleling a rise in obesity and the use of estrogen-containing hormones after menopause.
La Vecchia said countries like Italy and France - where obesity rates have been stable for the past two decades - show that weight can be controlled at a population level.
"It's hard to lose weight, but it's not impossible," he said. "The potential benefit of preventing cancer is worth it." - AP
Excercise, diet can cut breast cancer risk by 30%
BARCELONA (Spain): Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers at a conference said, renewing a sensitive debate about how lifestyle factors affect the disease.
Better treatments, early diagnosis and mammogram screenings have dramatically slowed breast cancer, but experts said the focus should now shift to changing behaviors like diet and physical activity.
"What can be achieved with screening has been achieved. We can't do much more," Carlo La Vecchia, head of epidemiology at the University of Milan, said in an interview. "It's time to move on to other things."
La Vecchia spoke Thursday at a European breast cancer conference in Barcelona.
He cited figures from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which estimates that 25 to 30 percent of breast cancer cases could be avoided if women were thinner and exercised more. The agency is part of the World Health Organization.
His comments are in line with recent health advice that lifestyle changes in areas such as smoking, diet, exercise and sun exposure can play a significant role in risk for several cancers.
Dr. Michelle Holmes of Harvard University, who has studied cancer and lifestyle factors, said people might wrongly think their chances of getting cancer depend more on their genes than their lifestyle.
"The genes have been there for thousands of years, but if cancer rates are changing in a lifetime, that doesn't have much to do with genes," she told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women.
In Europe, there were about 421,000 new cases and nearly 90,000 deaths in 2008, the latest available figures. The United States last year saw more than 190,000 new cases and 40,000 deaths.
A woman's lifetime chance of getting breast cancer is about one in eight.
Obese women are up to 60% more likely to develop any cancer than normal-weight women, according to a 2006 study by British researchers.
Many breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue. So experts suspect that the fatter a woman is, the more estrogen she's likely to produce, which could in turn fuel breast cancer.
Even in slim women, experts believe exercise can help reduce the cancer risk by converting more fat into muscle.
Yet any discussion of weight and breast cancer is considered sensitive because some may misconstrue that as the medical establishment blaming women for their disease.
Tara Beaumont, a clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, a British charity, said her agency has always been careful about giving lifestyle advice.
She noted that three of the major risk factors for breast cancer - gender, age and family history - are clearly beyond anyone's control.
"It is incredibly difficult to isolate specific factors.
Therefore women should in no way feel that they are responsible for developing breast cancer," she said.
Yet Karen Benn, a spokeswoman for Europa Donna, a patient-focused breast cancer group, said it was impossible to ignore the increasingly stronger links between lifestyle and breast cancer.
"If we know there are healthier choices, we can't not recommend them just because people might misinterpret the advice and feel guilty," she said.
"If we are going to prevent breast cancer, then this message needs to get out, particularly to younger women."
That means avoiding becoming overweight as an adult.
Robert Baan, a cancer expert with the international cancer research agency, said it isn't clear if women who lose weight can lower their risk to the level of a woman who was never fat.
The American Cancer Society Web site says the connection between weight and cancer risk is complex.
It says risk appears to increase for women who gain weight as adults, but not for women who have been overweight since childhood.
The cancer society recommends 45 to 60 minutes of physical activity five or more days a week to reduce the risk of breast cancer.
Drinking less alcohol might also help. Experts estimate that having more than a couple of drinks a day can boost the risk of breast cancer by 4 to 10 percent.
After studies several years ago linked hormone-replacement therapy to cancer, millions of women abandoned the treatment, leading to a sharp drop in breast cancer rates.
Experts said a similar reduction might be seen if women ate healthier and exercised more.
Holmes, the Harvard expert, said changing diet and nutrition is arguably easier than tackling other breast cancer risk factors.
In the 1980s and 1990s, breast cancer rates steadily increased, paralleling a rise in obesity and the use of estrogen-containing hormones after menopause.
La Vecchia said countries like Italy and France - where obesity rates have been stable for the past two decades - show that weight can be controlled at a population level.
"It's hard to lose weight, but it's not impossible," he said. "The potential benefit of preventing cancer is worth it." - AP
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