DadTalk

A Simple Plan to Make Most Out of Drugs Found in Drinking Water

By now, you’ve probably heard about The Associated Press probe that found all manner of pharmaceuticals in our drinking water. Since the economy sucks, I was thinking this could be good news for money-strapped Americans:

Doctor: Hello fellow Americans! I’m so glad you could join this little forum! I know the cost of drugs has gotten out of hand, so I’m here to answer all your questions on where to find the cheapest drugs.

John: Doctor, I suffer from epileptic seizures, but my insurance won’t cover “unwarranted” prescriptions. What can I do?

Doctor: Ah, this is an easy one. Just move to Southern California! There is plenty of anti-epileptic medicine in the drinking water there!

Alice: Um, Doctor? My kids keep catching strep throat at school, but I can never get a doctor’s appointment when they’re sick. What can I do?

New Maps Paint Vivid Picture of Ocean Damage

Not to take anything away from the global warming debate, but for the last two years, I’ve been more concerned about the world’s oceans.

More than 40 percent of the world’s waters are severely compromised, according to new ocean maps that chart how human activity has been damaging our ecosystems. The maps were created by researchers from the U.S., Canada and Britain, who spent four years on the project, reports ScienceNow.

How bad are human impacts on water? Writes ScienceNow:

The data suggest, for example, that ecosystems found in rocky reefs and on continental shelves “are being impacted even more” than coastal coral reefs, which get much more attention. But coral reefs are in bad shape themselves: The map indicates that nearly half of global reefs are experiencing serious, multiple impacts, including damage from fishing and ocean acidification.

While the maps are not perfect, they offer a vivid picture of how human activity is damaging an irreplaceable resource. Writes The Washington Post:

Anti-Depressants, New Cholesterol Drugs May not Be All That Great

When it comes to health, I’ve been very fortunate: most of my problems have been limited to colds, occasional stomach bugs and stubbed toes. I say fortunate, because the few times I’ve ever run to the medicine cabinet, I’ve experienced nasty side effects.

Aspirin hurts my stomach. Painkillers dehydrate me. Penicillin causes my shoulders and neck to break out in a rash.

So I rarely take drugs. I even avoid vitamins. Still, it’s good to know that modern science provides a slew of options should I need them. Insulin for diabetes and antibiotics really work.

Because of this, most of us believe that antidepressants and anti-cholesterol drugs work as well.  Perhaps we are mistaken.

It turns out that pharmaceutical companies never bothered to publish the full story about antidepressants, reports The New York Times:

A Trip to the Museum of Science and Industry

On Sunday, we took the kids to the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Because the place was packed, we had to drive into the bowels of the building to find a parking space.

Amazingly, the enormous line for tickets moved quickly. Lael burst into tears every time we reversed directions as the line snaked this way and that through the security ropes.

I handed the credit card to the cashier.

“It’s free day,” she said, handing us a packet of tickets.

“Hummida. Agro pick free a whatzy?

Yeah, I was left speechless. We had no idea. Luck was on our side this day.

Even better, the kids, who started the trip cranky, had a blast. Seth got to “drive” a train at the Pioneer Zephyr exhibit. But he went bonkers (in a happy way)  at The Great Train Story, which is a 3,500-square-foot room filled with model trains. The route travels from a replica of downtown Chicago through the prairies, over the Rockies and into Seattle.

Kids (and adults) can push a button to make a fog horn blow. Another button launches a huge cargo-loading crane.

Seth, who usually never loses sight of his parents, rushed from train scene to train scene like a loco weed-chewing gazelle. I had to hunt him down several times.

Overheard

“Dad, that looks a mushroom that’s on fire.” – Seth looking at the cover of my Scientific American

“It is. It’s a, um, from an atomic explosion.”

“What’s that?”

“A really bad thing.”

I then launch into a limited explanation of what a nuclear bomb is.

Good News, Bad News, Obesity Studies Find

A number of studies are offering mixed messages about obesity. First the good news:

Adult Obesity Growth Rates Stalling

The Centers for Disease Control are reporting that women’s obesity rates have leveled off and remained steady since 1999, reports The New York Times. I’m not sure what that means in terms of all the studies that claim otherwise, but the CDC is the most official source of health data in the United States.

The obesity rate even seems to be stabilizing for men, who may have topped out in 2003. In the glass is half-empty category, researchers are dismayed that the obesity rate has not gone done. More than 72 million – one-third – of Americans adults are overweight.

Click here (pdf) for more details on the study.

Fitness Is Better Gauge of Lifespan

Confirming previous research, seniors who are fit but overweight are more likely to outlive thinner, more sedentary peers, reports U.S. News & Report. This study focuses on adults over 60  years of age.

“Cardio-respiratory fitness is a strong determinate of mortality in older men and women,” researcher Steven N. Blair, a professor at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health, tells U.S News. “Older individuals need to be concerned about their fitness level. There is perhaps too much focus on body weight, and fitness is only an afterthought.”

Now the bad news:

Girls Kick Butt in Science Contest*

Finally, some good news. Two high school girls – Janelle Schlossberger and Amanda Marinoff – placed first in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, reports The New York Times.

They are the first women to ever win the $100,000 scholarship, which will be split between them. The team created a molecule that stops drug-resistant tuberculosis from reproducing.

Another young lady, Isha Himani Jain, placed first in the individual category for her studies into the growth of zebra fish bones.

Alicia Darnell took second place for her research into Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Perhaps the most interesting research came from three home-schooled girls who figured out that by watching hamburgers shrink can reveal when E. coli bacteria has been safely eliminated. They took fifth place.

Although the finalists are not yet up on the contest website, you can view all the candidate projects here.

Congratulations to all the girls and contestants.

*UPDATED: A commenter points out that girls previously won this contest. The newly-posted Siemens press release (pdf) reveals that it’s the first time girls swept the contest.

Would a Food Rating System Really Help U.S. Consumers?

A group of hairy, grunting ancestors, spears in hand, are trying to decide which meal to hunt down for dinner.

“Unnhhh, rabbit 65 on health scale,” Grog says.

“Puh. Mastedon a 75,” argues Thickbrow.

“Maybe we should hunt raspberries. Score 99,” says Steve, the tribe’s vegetarian.

What am I talking about? Our good friends in the food industry want to help you and me, the customer, figure out what is most nutritious on grocery shelves, reports The New York Times.

Worried that consumers can’t make heads or tails out of the average food label – which is probably true – grocery chains are considering competing rating systems. One of systems rates food using a 3-star system. The other uses a scale from 1-100, with the highest numbers being best for you nutritionally.

You see, the American consumers no longer can determine which is healthier: grapefruit or chocolate chip cookies. Wait, that’s not it:

Amid the confusion, how can consumers tell whether Cheerios, say, are better or worse than Special K? Is light mayonnaise more nutritious than regular? Which are worse, Nilla Wafers or Chunky Chips Ahoy?

Yeah, that’s it. Americans can’t tell which junk food is healthier than the other one. And goodness knows it is important to determine if Cocoa Puffs are healthier than Lucky Charms. (Personally, I’m betting on Lucky Charms.)

All right, I’m still not being fair. Trying to decide between two brands of bread for health reasons isn’t always easy. Is it better to have more fiber or protein? Should one bread brand get a lower rating because there is corn syrup in it?

Should You Buy Paternity Tests From a Drug Store?

When I look at my kids, I have zero doubt they are mine and Anne’s. Appearance, mannerisms and behavior are all dead giveaways.

Besides, I was there when they were born, and we have the ultimate proof detector: they love books.

For some parents, such clarity is lacking. A few years ago there was a case where two children were switched in the hospital and it was years before the discovery made. There was another case last month in which two Czech moms decided to keep the reversed children, reports the Australian News.

Such cases are rare. Far more common are men – rightfully or wrongfully – who doubt their “dadliness.” Consider the black-haired dad who has a red-haired daughter. And where did that nose come from, anyway?

It was bound to happen sooner or later, but Rite Aid stores are now selling a paternity test kit called Identigene in California, Oregon and Washington, reports The New York Times. “There is a curiosity and a need to know that can be provided discreetly, conveniently and affordably at retail,” Douglas R. Fogg, chief operating officer of Sorenson Genomics, tells the Times.

Recalls – Consumers Union on Lead II Should Parents Test Children, Toys for Lead Contamination?

This is Part II of a three-part series on lead in toys. Below are Consumers Union’s answers to my questions that I suspect are on the minds of many parents.

DadTalk: Just how real of a threat is lead when it is found in children’s products?
Consumer’s Union: This is a very broad question, but the threat is real.  One child died from swallowing a piece of lead jewelry.  Others who may only chew on lead-painted toys may suffer less, but still measurable and permanent damage to their brain and nervous system that could affect how they do in school and relate to peers.

DadTalk: Is it currently legal for lead to be in children’s toys? Or is there just a government standard?
Consumer’s Union: There is a government standard for lead in PAINT that applies to toys, of 600 parts per million.  We believe this 30-year-old standard is out of date and should be lowered.  There is no standard for lead in toys that are not painted, such as jewelry or vinyl products.  We think one should be established.

DadTalk: What kind of short-term and long-term harm can lead cause in children?
Consumer’s Union: Short-term problems in children can include IQ deficits. Long-term effects of lead are still being studied, but there is some evidence that nervous system-based diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s may be associated with high lead levels.  Since we don’t have a good understanding of what causes many of these nervous-system disorders, minimizing exposures to neurotoxicants like lead and mercury is simply a healthy thing to do.   

DadTalk: How does the threat of lead in toys compare to choking hazards or powerful magnets that can be ingested?
Consumer’s Union: Both can be lethal.   But you can’t always tell if a child has high lead levels since they may not display any clinical symptoms.  The only way to know what your child’s lead level is, is to have them tested. 

DadTalk: Should parents test their children for lead?
Consumer’s Union: They absolutely should – ideally at age 1 and again at 2.  Children with elevated levels should be tested every year until age 6.