Understanding Trans Fats

(HealthDay News) -- Trans fats, also called hydrogenated fats, are man-made compounds that are made from processed liquid oils. These harmful fats will raise bad cholesterol, and could lower a person's good cholesterol levels.

Because these fats are so thick and stiff, they can also clog up arteries and blood vessels, which can lead to heart attack or stroke, says the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Trans fats are commonly found in processed foods such as potato chips, cookies, doughnuts, cakes and many fast foods. You can avoid trans fats by choosing natural, healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grain breads and cereals. Check ingredient labels for hydrogenated fats, and try to avoid those foods.

Which state is the healthiest??

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Minnesota was deemed the healthiest U.S. state for the fourth year in a row, while Louisiana slumped into last place as the least healthy in annual state-by-state rankings released by on Tuesday.

Vermont placed second as it did in 2005 with New Hampshire, Hawaii and Connecticut rounding out the five healthiest states in the report by the United Health Foundation, a nonprofit group formed by health care company UnitedHealth Group.

They were followed in order by Utah, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Maine and Wisconsin.
Louisiana dropped to 50th from 49th last year. The others in the bottom 10 included last year's cellar-dweller Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, West Virginia, Georgia and Florida.

The American Public Health American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention also contributed to the report, posted on the Web at: http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/ahr2006.html.

TYLER is BACK!

I have to give Tyler a shout-out! So many of you have been so generous....I am amazed;) Some of you act all hard and that you don't care about stuff, but it's times like these where people show their true caring character.

Sore Feet?

The problem may be your running shoes. Buy new footwear every time you log 300 - 500 miles, or every 6 months or so. You'll avoid blisters, corns, calluses and many more serious injuries. Your shoes should be suitable for daily workouts -- be sure they're the right size and in good shape. If you have persistent knee, hip or back pain after walking or running, or problems that don't respond to self-treatment, see a podiatrist.

Once middle age disease, diabetes hits more children

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Diabetes is striking growing numbers of children around the world as parents and doctors fail to diagnose a disease which until recently was associated mostly with middle-aged and elderly people, experts said on Tuesday.

"Diabetes has become a chronic and common disease among children ... and often these children die," Francine Kaufman, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California medical school, told a news conference at the World Diabetes Congress in Cape Town.

New data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) showed the two most common types of diabetes - type 1, which usually strikes young people, and type 2, which has been called "adult onset" diabetes and was once unknown in children - are rising at an alarming rate.

An estimated 70,000 children under the age of 15 develop type 1 diabetes every year, while type 2 is also affecting children as young as eight in both developing and developed countries.

CHILDHOOD DANGER

Diabetes of both types is particularly dangerous for children and a missed diagnosis can prove fatal.

"The young tend to run into problems quickly," said Henk-Jan Aanstoot, a pediatric diabetes specialist from Rotterdam who is helping to coordinate the IDF's childhood diabetes campaign.

While type 1 can be managed with regular insulin injections, failure to start treatment can leave children at risk of rapid dehydration that can end in a deadly swelling of the brain.

Young people with untreated type 2 diabetes are also at risk for deadly complications, ranging from heart attacks to coma.

Both types of diabetes increase the likelihood of kidney and heart problems, blindness and nerve disease which can require the amputation of feet and lower legs.

Aanstoot said the biggest problem of childhood diabetes was the failure of parents and doctors to catch it, with symptoms such as excessive thirst and extreme tiredness often being overlooked or misattributed.

While young people who are not properly diagnosed can end up facing a lifetime of insulin injections and expensive drug treatments, early detection of diabetes or other blood sugar problems can result in effective interventions to slow the progress of the disease. "The test is just a finger prick away, and can prevent a lot of problems," he said.