Wilson+Isabella


 * Skin Cancer**


 * 2010 Health Care Bill:** This new health care bill put a new 10% tax on using tanning beds in salons. The International Agency for Research on Cancer moved tanning devices into the category of "carcinogenic to humans." This new tax was imposed so that hopefully people will be discourages from using tanning beds more than is safe.


 * Promotions by the Tanning Industry:** In response to the taxes, the tanning industry has established and supported advocacy groups. There are different ones such as the Indoor Tanning Association, Tanning Truth, Ultraviolet Foundation, and the Vitamin D Council. The Tanning Truth claims "One reason so many people enjoy the professional indoor tanning experience is that trained operators can give a tanner controlled UV exposures to gradually develop natural sunscreen – often called a "base tan" – while minimizing the risk of sunburn." They also go on to explain that a lot of people use tanning beds to treat psoriasis, eczema, acne, vitiligo, seasonal affective disorder, and to increase vitamin D. They claim that there are more beneficial affects than there are harmful affects. The Indoor Tanning Association has also launched a new campaign challenging dermatologists and the sunscreen industry.

 I believe there should be legislation to regulate the use of tanning beds. Tanning beds have been deemed as carcinogenic and the government should be protecting the people from something it knows is dangerous. There is conclusive proof that driving cars is dangerous because people get severely injured and can even die from car accidents. Some drugs are illegal because their effects have been proven over and over again to be very harmful and scientists know the mechanisms they use to cause those effects. I believe if there was conclusive evidence that UV rays cause cancer and scientists knew exactly how it happens the regulations and laws on indoor tanning would be far more strict. The tanning industry can claim that tanning beds don't cause as much damage to skin as the general public thinks because scientists and researchers haven't been able to figure it out yet. When explaining about the organization who deemed tanning beds as carcinogenic, Lynne Peeples, from CNN health, said "... the organization emphasized some shortcomings in the research, such as the inability of most studies to tease apart the effects of indoor tanning versus sunbathing or to pinpoint how the extent of tanning-bed use -- also known as the "dose" -- affects skin-cancer risk. " If scientists could explain exactly how UV rays damage the skin and to what extent they do damage, people may not be allowed to use tanning beds at all. As long as there is ambiguity in the scientific evidence the tanning bed industry can claim that tanning beds are not that bad for people.
 * Position: **

However, the same article talks about a study done around 2010. According to the results, people who have used tanning beds have about a 75% higher chance of developing melanoma. This study may not explain how UV rays from tanning beds cause cancer but it is definite evidence that UV rays do cause cancer. The warnings on the tanning beds have been increased and are stronger but I don't believe that is enough. Children are educated on the dangers of drinking alcohol and smoking when they are very young. Their parents tell them to put on sunscreen and to get out of the sun but other than that most people do not know the real dangers of UV rays. In New Jersey people can't buy cigarettes if they are under 19 and can't consume or buy alcohol until they are 21. However, with parental consent minors can use devices that are known carcinogens. If the government won't make laws on how much time a person can spend in a tanning bed then they at least need to put a ban on the use of tanning beds for people under 19. This is the age at which people can buy tobacco products, another known carcinogen. If people are older when they use tanning beds hopefully they will be able to make better, more educated decisions on what they are exposing their body to.

http://tanningtruth.com http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2013/12_0186.htm http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/27/tanning.booth.melanoma/index.html?iref=allsearch
 * Sources: **

10x20: The Heart

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Many recovering drug addicts are at a high risk for having relapses. To reduce the risk of relapsing a drug addict's treatment will probably include taking up a hobby, going to group and individual therapy, and taking methadone. All four have all proven to make treatment more effective for patients who are recovering from addiction.


 * Hobbies**: They provide pleasure and improve mental and physical well-being. Hobbies are important because they give the patient a purpose. If the patient doesn't have a purpose in life they are more likely to relapse. Having a lot of free time is bad for the patient because that is more time for them to relapse.


 * Group Therapy**: It is beneficial for patients to listen to people who have had similar difficulties they have been able to grow past. Patients can learn from each other because their situations apply to each other. Group members know where the other patients are coming from and provide either feedback or understanding depending on what the individual needs. When the group members directly and honestly with each other they can learn to accept others and then themselves. The more the patients put into the therapy the more they will receive.


 * Individual Therapy**: This is for addressing the psychological problems each patient has. Drug addicts use drugs to escape life and when they are recovering the must learn to cope with life. There are different kinds of behavioral therapies to address these issues.
 * Cognitive:** Helps patients recognize, avoid, and cope with situations which they are most likely to use drugs in.
 * Multidimensional Family Therapy:** Adresses a wide range of influences on drug abuse patterns and improves overall family function.
 * Motivational Interviewing**: Determines how motivated the individual is to change their behavior and enter treatment.
 * Motivational Incentives**: Uses positive reinforcement to encourage abstinence from drugs

Usually patients will stay on methadone for a few months up to a few years.
 * Methadone**: Heroin has a very short half-life and because of this addicts need to give themselves doses every few hours. The percent of receptors binding to heroin is always going up or down. Because of this the systems these neurons regulate become out of balance. Methadone binds to the receptors for long periods of time and does not cause the brain to become out of balance. It does not bind to all receptors so that some can be available for normal functions. Patients won't feel a rush of euphoria because of this. Usually patients will start at 30-40 mg to allow the patient to have some withdrawal symptoms. The does is raised by 5-10 mg until the person doesn't experience withdrawal symptoms anymore. This is usually at about 60-120 mg. They are kept on this dose until they are in a stable place when they can start to taper the doses. Methadone is used for three main purposes:
 * 1)** Prevent withdrawal which makes it easier for the patient to start recovery.
 * 2)** Prevents physical cravings by satisfying the brain's need for chemicals. As a result some psychological cravings are reduced.
 * 3)** Blocks the effects of other opiates.

If patients commit to getting better they will significantly reduce their chance of relapsing.

@http://www.recoveryhelpdesk.com/2010/02/07/series-10-things-you-should-know-about-methadone-number-5/ @http://www.rockefeller.edu/pubinfo/news_notes/121500e.html @http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction @http://counseling.appstate.edu/pagesmith/158 @http://alcoholrehab.com/alcohol-rehab/hobbies-in-recovery/
 * Sources**:

Project #2- You Are What You Eat


 * Response to article**

This article makes me very disappointed with the food industry. The executives in charge care more about sales and money then they do about the health of the country. I wish as people they saw the huge negative impact their products are having on the population. They always want to sell more no matter what. Of course they aren't forcing people to buy their products but they are doing everything they can to make them more appealing to the public. They have scientifically figured out how to engineer snack foods which is scary because that gives them a lot of power. The public should educate themselves on what they are consuming instead of being lead blindly by companies such as Kraft, Nabisco, Coca-cola, and General Mills. I hope that someday the government imposes regulations on the amount of salt, sugar, and fat that a food product can contain. If it doesn't I think the companies will continue with their best efforts to make unhealthy and appealing snacks.


 * Anlysis of My Diet**

I noticed after using the food tracker for 5 days that I consistently eat too many refined grains. Only on Monday I wasn't over 100%. On Friday I ate 199% of what my daily intake of refined grains should be.
 * Refined Grains:**



I researched why it is harmful to eat refined grains and what I found is grains are much healthier when they are whole. There are three parts to a grain which are the bran, endosperm, and germ. The bran has high amounts of fiber and vitamin B. The endosperm contains strach, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Lastly, the germ B vitamins, proteins, minerals and healthy oils. Whole grains include all three of these while refined grain is made up of only the the endosperm, the least healthy part of the grain.

During the five days I also noticed I overeat on dairy products. On Wednesday I ate about 193% of what my daily intake should be. I drink multiple cups of milk each day and eat a lot of cheese.
 * Dairy:**



According to an article by the Huffington Post more dairy is not necessarily a good thing, contrary to popular belief. It states that we all need calcium but not as much as the government recommends. Dairy is linked to heart disease because it contains a lot of saturated fat. Also, humans are the only mammals to continue drinking milk after they are weaned. Dr. David Rowland says that most mammals stop producing lactase after they are weaned because they will not need it. Human bodies were not designed to drink milk after being weaned. That is why lactose intolerance is a common allergy and people develop it when they are older. Also, three cups of milk each day, what I consume on a daily basis, can lead to a calcium and magnesium imbalance. If I keep drinking a lot of milk I need to change my diet and also consume a proportionate amount of magnesium to "maintain the solubility of calcium."

Another thing the food tracker showed me is I am lacking in fruits and vegetables. Before some dinners I eat salad but that does not fulfill my fruit and vegetable requirements. Fruits and vegetables increase cardiovascular health and help with weight management since they have relatively few calories. If I don't eat fruits and vegetables I could develop a vitamin or mineral deficiency and develop digestive issues from the lack of starch. To stay healthy I need to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in my diet because there are some days that I don't any at all.
 * Fruits and Vegetables:**

Most adults get enough protein in their diets from eating meat. However, I am lacking in protein. Protein is important because our bodies can make soma amino acids but not all of them. A complete protein, such as animal protein, includes all of the amino acids. Some sources of protein such as vegetables are incomplete because they do not contain all of the amino acids. They can be combined to give us whole proteins though. Not eating protein can affect hair and skin, cause muscle weakness, impair immunity (antibodies are made of proteins), and blood disorders (hemoglobin is a protein).
 * Protein:**

A few good things about my diet are 4/5 days I ate under the maximum amount of daily calories. I also consistently ate less than the maximum amounts of oils, saturated fats, and sodium. A negative thing about my diet is that I consistently ate too many empty calories. Empty calories are calories from solid fats and empty sugar. They provide little to no nutrients. I have to be more careful about eating food with empty calories.
 * Calories:**

By tracking what I eat I could see what I ate by the day. This lead me to realize that the daily events in my life affect what I eat. Prom was on Friday and on Wednesday the orange juice ran out. This project helped me learn that I have to keep myself from eating more than I should when more is available and I have to actively seek out fruits and vegetables when they are not easily available. This will keep me healthy on a more daily basis. I now know what the possible consequences are when I don't.

Sources: http://wholegrainscouncil.org http://www.joybauer.com/food-articles/refined-grains.aspx http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/dairy-free-dairy-6-reason_b_558876.html http://www.chiro.cc/health_database/milk.shtml http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/consequences-not-eating-fruits-vegetables-6202.html http://www.livestrong.com/article/487784-why-is-protein-important/ http://www.livestrong.com/article/256074-the-effects-of-not-enough-protein-in-the-diet/ http://www.choosemyplate.gov/weight-management-calories/calories/empty-calories.html