The Price of Lazy Living and the Medical World’s Response…

Our lazy lifestyle is causing some big issues...

Let us be honest with ourselves, the lifestyle choices that we, as a society has made in the last twenty years our definitely not the smartest ones. Two prominent health problems we face today are

1. Colon cancer, which is linked to a bad diet and inactivity;
2. Multiple sclerosis which has tripled in woman over the last decade;

It has been a constant struggle in the medical world to keep up with the increasing health issues of our population that have arisen.

“A new study serves as good evidence that a western diet can more than double the risk of colon cancer.” (Boyles, Colon Cancer Linked to Pork/Beef) Yep, that sounds really scary and even more so when this study explains that those who ate lots of red meat were 2.5 times more likely to develop colorectal cancer. It is not just our diet though, researchers estimated the rate of colorectal cancer will increase by 50% by 2040 (BBC, Colon Cancer May Rise 50%). Now, what can we do? First of all get off our butts and get active, eat healthier less processed foods and be aware. The medical community has started an intense campaign to encourage everyone to get regular colonoscopies. A colonoscopy cannot be described as the most pleasant thing but it could save your life since 90% of cases if caught early are treatable. If you watch any Canadian TV you have seen the (what I call) “invisible people” commercials; they advertise the need for colonoscopies. Check it out here if you don’t watch any Canadian TV, which is sad but common.

Colorectal cancer awareness is so incredibly imporant because of the fact that if caught early enough, 90% of cases are treatable and to catch it people must get colonoscopies! It could save thousands of lives.

This procedure is being pushed so hard now because of the increase in colorectal cancer and it is the medical community’s way of trying to protect us from ourselves!

           



More adds stressing the importance of colonoscopies, they save lives and whether they are pleasent or not, they are vital. Just because a baby does not like having it's medicine we still force them to have it because it helps them... same thing here!



 This next case is more of a mystery because doctors still cannot figure out the causes of this debilitating illness. Multiple Sclerosis has more than doubled over the last twenty years in women and whether it is lifestyle, genetics, environment or something else it is vital for something to be done (Petrun, MS, On the Rise). A very promising study though has brought new hope to MS patients and families everywhere! One of the results thought to be from MS are the narrowing of blood vessels in the neck, this means less blood going to the brain and obviously this impairs the brains ability to make the body work properly. The procedure is pioneered by Dr. Paolo Zamboni and it inserts a tiny tube into neck veins and widens them with the goal to get more blood flowing through them and therefore improving the symptoms of MS patients. There has been major funding issues, especially in Canada and I think it is terrible that something that could help so many people is not being supported.



Dr. Paolo Zamboni, the pioneer of the vien therapy treatment for MS patients.



This is a simplified explanation of the procedure. The tube is inserted into the vien, it is then inflated to widen the vien and hopefully the last image is the widened vien which blood flows freely through.

In the words of the Alberta Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky, "I don't think that we should ever take away hope that there might be something new out there that works."

Take a stand. There are people, loved ones, suffering who need our help and we must do what we can do provide it. Whether that is informing people through high school biology blogs, putting ads on the TV, or taking part in activities to promote awareness; we must step up and make our voices heard!

I commented on these two Bio Blogs:   http://caitlincosgrovebioblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/importance-of-various-technologies.html and http://bioblogstuff.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-wonderful-life-thanks-to-technology.html

Works Cited

"BBC News - Colon Cancer Cases 'may Rise 50%'" BBC - Homepage. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11264372>.

"Colon Cancer Rise Linked to Beef, Pork." WebMD - Better Information. Better Health. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20021115/colon-cancer-rise-linked-to-beef-pork>.

News, Cbc. "MS Vein Therapy Study Still a Go: Zwozdesky - Calgary - CBC News." CBC.ca - Canadian News Sports Entertainment Kids Docs Radio TV. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2011/04/14/edmonton-ms-vein-therapy-alberta-study-zwozdesky.html>.

Size, Font. "MS, On The Rise - Up To The Minute - CBS News." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/27/uttm/main2734068.shtml>.

"Use of Virtual Colonoscopy on the Rise in U.S. Hospitals." Home. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.wmbb.com/Global/story.asp?S=14162299>.

"Vein-opening Treatment Safe for Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Say Researchers." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110328092411.htm>.

"YouTube - Colorectal Cancer : Get the Facts - Ad." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAT_VnY6gME>.