The Fit vs. Fat Debate Goes On

Back in the 1970s, when I was an impressionable youth, I remember watching football games with my dad and laughing hysterically when the Miller Lite beer commercials came on.

By now they are the thing of parody, but at the time I used to love it when the former professional athletes like ex-catcher Bob Uecker or old defensive lineman Bubba Smith would argue the merits of the low-calorie beer.

“Tastes great!” one would yell. “Less filling!” yelled the other. Soon, the entire bar was shouting back and forth and really, the winner was the American consumer, because it had a beer that featured both great taste and was less filling. Or so the ads would have you believe.

I thought of all this, randomly, as I read yet another study that tries to provide the authoritative voice on a matter of importance to Americans. And while it doesn’t have a catchy slogan, it goes something like this: “It’s OK to be a little overweight!” claims one group of researchers. “No it isn’t!” rebuts the other.

Monday’s latest volley studied nearly 40,000 women with an average age of 54 for a dozen years. Nearly a thousand of them developed heart disease.

The study concluded that, when compared with women who were at normal weight and physically active, there was a 54 percent higher risk for developing heart disease for active women who were overweight and 87 percent higher for active women considered obese. But for women who were overweight and inactive, the risk for heart disease was 88 percent higher than active, fit women and even higher for obese, inactive women.

Again, this study is far from conclusive. Another will likely come out next week contradicting this one. Still, there are so many benefits to being active and reducing your weight – including prevention of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, some cancers and more – that it’s a good rule of thumb for your overall health.

Now, if only someone would come up with a quirky catch-phrase, every one would be doing it.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Lights! Camera! MDoc TV!

Who says watching TV isn’t good for you?

MDoc TV, a monthly videocast produced by the Martin Memorial Marketing Communications Department, is designed to provide information that can help people improve their health. It can be seen on the health system’s Web site, http://www.mmhs.com/.

The videocast, which debuted on April 22, features a wide range of health issues from physicians and clinical experts. In the inaugural videocast, topics included: Martin Memorial’s collaboration in a study called Total Cancer Care; how a specialized rehabilitation program can get golfers back out on the links; and information from cardiologist Howard Helfman, M.D., on how to prevent heart disease.

“MDoc TV is designed to deliver healthcare news and information in an engaging fashion that is convenient to access,” said Lisa McCluskey, director of marketing communications. “Our goal is to provide a wide range of topics that can help people live healthier lives.”

Since November 2007, Martin Memorial has been providing new ways for people to access healthcare information. That includes this blog as well as Martin Memorial Healthcast, a podcast produced twice a month that can also be accessed at http://www.mmhs.com/.

By offering a variety of communication outlets, Martin Memorial is continuing its role as the leading healthcare provider in the community by helping people prevent disease and staying healthy.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Getting to the Heart of the Matter

As the marketing representative for the Frances Langford Heart Center, I work closely every day with the personnel there to educate the community about the heart center.

I go to meetings, do health fairs and organize events. It is very busy and very interesting and I feel that I have learned a lot about what the heart center does. So when I had the opportunity to be present at one of the many heart surgeries performed at the heart center, I thought it was my chance to really see in action what I put on paper for others.

Dr. Michael Crouch, one of our cardiothoracic surgeons, was performing an aortic valve replacement on a 75-year-old woman. I was very excited, but when I talked to my husband about it the night before he was a little surprised about it – he worried I might pass out. I knew that there was a possibility for me to get a little queasy during the surgery, but I was ready to take the chance of looking ridiculous if it meant having an opportunity to see a procedure take place.

We arrived early in the morning and got into scrubs. The patient was already in the operating room and sound asleep. Dr. Crouch came in and I was amazed by the calm demeanor of the entire team. Our surgeon was assisted by Dr. Paul Robertie, the cardiac anesthesiologist, and Dale Ruby was the perfusionist who was making sure that the pump machine would take over for the heart of the patient. A team that included a physician assistant, surgical technicians and nurses proved to be skilled and efficient during the operation.

When Dr. Crouch started to open the patient’s chest, the heart was beating slowly. The next thing I know, she was hooked to the pump and her heart stopped beating. Then, Dr. Crouch made an incision into her heart and showed me the aortic valve that needed to be replaced. He prepped the area and started to attach the new valve, then slid the new valve gently into its place and closed the area.

The patient heart was ready to beat on its own again and the pump was stopped so that the heart could start again. An hour after her heart was stopped, the new valve was in and her heart was beating by itself again.

This was an incredible and very humbling experience for me. I think that every time the team performs a heart surgery it is a miracle that happens.

And speaking of miracles, I did not pass out – no queasiness, not even a shiver.

--Sophie Sawicki
Marketing Representative

Watch Out for Energy Sinkholes

Energy sinkholes are situations that repeatedly drain your energy and add to your stress. Since we work and live in a chaotic world there are plenty of good reasons to invest your energy wisely. Unfortunately, it is often hard to see sinkholes, which slowly drain your energy until you are stressed, depressed and unproductive.

The best way to get out of these sinkholes is to create a routine. Having a preplanned method to handle these situations can keep your mind focused on more important things and enabling you to bounce back when stressful situations arise. Here are five sinkholes that may be keeping you from bouncing back:

1 - Disorganization
Having to constantly find documents or forgetting commitments and appointments puts you in a huge sinkhole. The solution is to create a system for organizing and routinely tidy it up.

2 - Poor Diet and Lack of Exercise
Staying fit keeps your energy levels high. Even if you don’t have a weight problem you can still be drained because you aren’t fit, so don’t use the scale as the measurement. Here are some things you might want to consider to get out of this energy trap:

• Make a Routine. Find a gym partner, class or workout time that you can exercise at least three to four times per week. Try it for 30 days to see how it goes.
• Replace Foods One at a Time. Don’t try to overhaul your eating habits overnight. Switch out one unhealthy food type for a month before making more changes.
• Time Your Meals. The best way to eat would probably be five or six smaller meals spread throughout the day. Since this isn’t a reality for most people, a decent alternative is simply to time your meals so your blood sugar levels remain steady throughout the day.

3 - Focus on Your Strengths
Use your strengths to help you through a sinkhole. If you are great at organization, rely on that to help you. If your attitude is your best feature, use it to help you through the day.

4 - Squeaky Hinges
A squeaky hinge is any piece of technology, process, or protocol that works, but has irritating side-effects. If the solution to a squeaky hinge is cheap, fix it immediately. If the solution is expensive, write down the total cost and keep track of any wasted time/money due to the problem and present it to your leadership or significant other.

5 - Pleasing People
Don’t waste your energies trying to fit others expectations. We spend a lot of time meeting others needs and not our own. At the end of the day, we haven’t allowed any time to renew, refresh and invigorate ourselves. So, we carry that sinkhole into the evening and the next day. Know what is urgent and what is not, and learn to prioritize your time.

--Lani Kee
Manager, Martin Memorial Center for Health and Healing

Rock-a-bye Baby – or Else!

Parents of young kids have plenty of stress on them (or so I’ve heard). The formative years from conception to age 30 – when they finally move out of the house – are crucial to the development of good, decent, tax-paying members of society.

There are so many things to consider. Make sure you take prenatal vitamins. Read to the kid in the womb. Baby Einstein or Barney? Organic strained carrots or the regular stuff? Cloth or Pampers? Day care or stay-at-home parent?

Now a new study suggests another possibility for worry. The recently published Harvard study suggests that babies and toddlers who get less than 12 hours of sleep a day have a higher risk for being overweight by the time they get to preschool.

Preschool. Now we’re worrying about kids being overweight in preschool. Who ever used to think of that? I carried a lot of chunk around when I was in preschool – and elementary, junior high, high school, college and on up until today. But back then, it wasn’t viewed as anything more than a slice or two of Velveeta too many.

Now a study comes out that shows lack of sleep for kids in this age group means the likelihood of the kid growing up “husky” (as my mom used to call it) jumps as much as 12 percent.

Throw in watching television and the number balloons to 17 percent. So now it seems that nearly two out of every 10 non-sleeping, TV-watching babies has a higher likelihood of being overweight. And they haven’t even had the option of making their own bad judgments, like a Dr Pepper and Hostess Cupcake lunch in the school cafeteria.

The bottom line, experts say, is to get kids on a regular sleeping schedule. Make sure they get exercise. Don’t let them watch too much TV. All of which is good advice that should help you have a healthier kid.

I just wonder if we’re spooking ourselves too much with these studies. I wonder sometimes why parents just don’t lock their kids into hermetically sealed rooms and leave them there until they’ve passed the FCAT.

The fact is, simply by being born we’re exposing them to danger. Are we really helping things by worrying about every single thing that may or may not occur, based on a study? Probably not.

So don’t worry if your kid sleeps 11 hours instead of 12. If he gains a few extra pounds, make whatever adjustments you can. But losing sleep over every health study that comes down the pike won’t do anybody any good.

--Scott Samples
Public Information Coordinator

Climbing Over the Plateau

You’ve worked hard for the past three months, lost inches and weight and toned up your muscles. Now you seem to have stopped making progress. Your body has adjusted to the new exercise regimen. You have hit a plateau.

Plateaus are a fact of life but they are also frustrating. So what do you do now? You need to step it up a notch and challenge your body once again. Your workout needs to increase in time, intensity and variety. Here are a few suggestions for additional challenges:

• Increase your cardiovascular workouts (walking, biking, jogging).
• Increase your intensity. You need to break a sweat once again as you did when you began.
• Try something new. Try a step class or the elliptical in addition to your normal treadmill workout.
• It may be time to talk with a personal trainer to get you back on the right track.

It’s time to have a “heart to heart” talk with yourself about your eating habits. Are you really watching what you put into your body and are you eating enough of the right foods? Your body needs its fuel.

Remember to think of the plateau as reaching part of your goal, of climbing halfway up the mountain. You have reached the point where you can see the prize. You are well on the way to “a new you.”

--Jane Reynolds
Martin Memorial South Health and Fitness

For more information on how you can break out of exercise ruts and get over plateaus, listen to Jane on Martin Memorial Healthcast, a podcast that can be accessed at www.mmhs.com/content/healthcasts.htm.

Seeking a Good Night’s Sleep

My husband tells me that I snore like a freight train, keeping him up at night. He has even video taped it to show me and unfortunately for him, it actually sounds like the train is coming through the wall.

I wake up most days feeling more exhausted than when I went to sleep the night before. I’ve tried the usual suggestions, like reading before bedtime, drinking decaffeinated, hot tea and even counting sheep.

I fall asleep very quickly and I sleep through the night, even if I’ve had a daytime nap. I should feel fabulous the next day, but instead, I’m lethargic with limited energy. I fight to stay awake while driving too, which really scares me.

I’ve tried caffeinated drinks and medication to keep me awake, but I don’t know what causes my excessive daytime sleepiness.

My doctor suggested a sleep study to determine if I have sleep apnea, a condition that causes a person to stop breathing repeatedly during sleep. If left untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain and headaches. Moreover, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes.

On April 11, I will participate in a sleep study at the Martin Memorial Sleep Disorders Center. While I’m eager to find out if I have sleep apnea and discuss treatment options with my doctor, I’m also a little hesitant. I don’t like spending the night somewhere away from home.

I’ve been to other sleep centers and found their rooms very small and confined. When I visited the sleep center at Martin Memorial, I was pleased to see the spacious rooms and personal bathrooms – they looked like hotel rooms. I was welcomed by pleasant, knowledgeable staff that seemed to care about my sleeping problem and wanted to help me find answers and solutions.

I’m looking forward to learning more about my sleeping issues and I’m hopeful that my sleep study will produce results to help me get a better night’s sleep.

--Landy Tiffany
Marketing Coordinator

HCAHPS: More Than Just Letters

There are a seemingly endless number of acronyms in health care. Some (like the FDA, CDC or AMA) are more recognizable than others (such as AHCA, FHA or CON).

Now there’s a new one coming out that healthcare providers will likely recognize, but may just be another alphabet soup for the general public. It’s called HCAHPS and it stands for (take a deep breath) Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems.

It sounds very impressive…but what is it?

In essence, it’s a tool to measure patient perceptions of the care they receive when they stay at a hospital. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services created the program as a way to gather information on how hospitals were doing in caring for patients.

A survey is provided to patients, who answer questions about: how doctors and nurses communicated with them; whether the hospital staff was responsive; how their pain was controlled; whether they were communicated with about their medications; was the physical environment clean and quiet; did they receive the proper discharge information. The results of the patient surveys are then sent to a third-party vendor and collated.

The process of this program allows the hospitals to be compared to each other accurately. In the past, many hospitals used customer satisfaction surveys to measure themselves, but because the same questions weren’t always asked, the comparisons might not have been exact.

The new program is important for hospitals because in the near future, their rates of reimbursement from the government will be tied to their HCAHPS scores. And while that’s certainly an incentive, the ultimate goal is to make sure our patients are satisfied with their visits.

As of March 28, the results for each hospital are available online at www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov. Those results will be published on a quarterly basis.

In the meantime, start brushing up on your healthcare acronyms. You never know when they’ll come in handy.

--Maureen Gritz
Director of Quality Management Resources