Health Trends of 2007 were Global Warming & Health Impact, Obesity (it’s all time trend), Breast Cancer and others, but what are you about to expect this year?

According to American Medical Informatics Association’s research top ten health trends that would be popular during the 2008 are as follows:

1. Children’s Obesity
Obesity stays “Number One” problem in modern society. The year of 2008 will not become an exception. But what is more important, children’s overweight problem has become epidemic. It seems much more serious comparing with adult obesity due to young age. The organism is growing and many internal systems are forming and “tune” to proper functioning in this age, that’s why obesity becomes very dangerous.
More than 30% of children in the age group of 6-18 are overweight and around 15% are obese. The problem is still caused by “classical” for the Western society combination of sedentary lifestyle (lack of physical activity) and excessive nutrient intake. Children obesity results in 99% of cases from poor eating habits.

Soft drink consumption (esp. carbonated drinks) is proved to lead to childhood obesity. In a study of several groups of children between 11 and 16 years, scientists found a direct relation of soft drink consumption to children obesity. They discovered children were 1.6 times more likely to be obese for every soft drink consumed each day. Junk food and fast food preferred to natural and healthy food contribute to the problem of obesity as well. Almost 90% of lunchboxes of American children contain junk food. The problem is originated from the meal of the family. Parents usually let their children make their own food decisions. For the few next years child obesity will become an important issue and the situation is not likely to change soon.

2. Problem of Electrosmog
Most people use cellular phones and wireless internet (WiFi). But they can’t answer the question, what impact on your health all this electrosmog has. More and more medical institutions warn people about potential risks. WiFi, mobile phones and other electrical items may lead to headaches, insomnia, dizziness and nausea. The major problem is that you can’t see your potential “enemy” and can’t hide from harmful exposure.
3. Goods Dangerous to your Health

There were several facts of recall of dangerous Chinese toys from U.S. market in 2007. All toys were painted with lead containing material. If swallowed, some substances from this paint can convert into GHB (toxic drug), and lead to death. American government and common consumers will stay sharp to prevent their citizens and children from possible threat. Although, the risk of being “poisoned” still remains high enough.

4. Mental Health
A certain negative trend is a rise of mental disorders of grown-ups and children. Each year the number of people facing problems of mental health increases. Autism, bipolar disorder and all sorts of panic disorders are diagnosed very frequently. Actually 1 in 70 Americans appear to have these disorders. This figure has increased more than 50 times over the previous decade. People use more and more antidepressants and other drugs to keep their heads “clear”, but mental health research centers remain skeptical. With the modern type of life in big cities there is no chance to see any decrease in this negative trend.

5. Health and “Healthy” Lifestyle
More than 60% of all minor and serious problems with health are derived from one’s lifestyle. Alcoholism leads to cirrhosis and excessive smoking causes cancer. That is quite clear. This rule works the other way as well; healthy lifestyle will help you to lead a long healthy life. This topic is sure to become one of the major trends in 2008 as more and more people become aware of their health and lifestyle. Infrastructure of “Leading a Healthy Life” is to experience a great boost this year.

6. Clean Air and Water Accessibility
The problem of clean water and air stays very important. People who live in big cities got used to buy drinking water while using industrial water for other purposes. But what are we going to do with air? It’s impossible to buy a bottle of fresh air to breathe with. World population is growing and putting pressure on all water and air resources. Cities and towns utilize water from lakes and rivers and use excessive amounts of fresh air for industrial means. Governments develop public services which ensured water is clean and available to the community. This water hasn’t always been free but it hasn’t been commercialized and sold to the highest bidder, until recently. So, very soon the same situation is to arise with clean air? The next few years will show how the situation is to develop.

7. Genetic Therapy
There were a lot of researches dedicated to different isolated genes in the past years; but in 2008 a new emphasis will be made on the work of the whole genetic system of the body. New effective therapies will be invented. People with incurable diseases will get their chance to be cured. The process will surely take more than a year, but this genetic trend is to become one of the top trends this year and the significance of the issue is to rise.

8. Heart Diseases – Killer Number One
Lack of physical activity, excessive smoking, high cholesterol level and high blood pressure lead to weakening of the whole system of blood vessels and to the heart. Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, it also causes disability. There are many different forms of heart disease. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart itself. People have heart attacks and their immune system suffers too. This trend stays at the top for at least 5 years and it is here to stay for at least 5 years more.

9. Trans Food
Trans food labeling laws went into effect in 2007 but some supermarkets and fast food providers continued to use some trans food products (fats). Now, even with strict rules of labeling trans food a consumer can’t be sure that he’s just had “clean” chicken or hamburger. The fear of trans food will increase this year and food industry is to do its best to sell its unpopular modified products. More and more researches proving possible hidden danger of trans food will be issued and disputes about genetically modified eatables will stay loud and popular during 2008.

10. Nature Friendly – Health Friendly
A long-term trend that appeared last year will stay very powerful in 2008. The market of so called “green products” is tremendously huge now ($500 billion a year), and it will reach $700-750 billion this year. Organic food, hybrid cars, using ecology friendly products will remain popular and more people are to share these ideas. People start to believe, that being green will benefit to their health and the health of other people. This is a very positive trend that will rise higher during next several years.

In December 2008 we will make another survey to see how close this Top List is to real life trends of the year.

Researchers have found a correlation between drinking diet soda and metabolic syndrome — the collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes that include abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and elevated blood pressure.

The scientists gathered dietary information on more than 9,500 men and women ages 45 to 64 and tracked their health for nine years.

Over all, a Western dietary pattern — high intakes of refined grains, fried foods and red meat — was associated with an 18 percent increased risk for metabolic syndrome, while a “prudent” diet dominated by fruits, vegetables, fish and poultry correlated with neither an increased nor a decreased risk.

But the one-third who ate the most fried food increased their risk by 25 percent compared with the one-third who ate the least, and surprisingly, the risk of developing metabolic syndrome was 34 percent higher among those who drank one can of diet soda a day compared with those who drank none.

“This is interesting,” said Lyn M. Steffen, an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota and a co-author of the paper, which was posted online in the journal Circulation on Jan. 22. “Why is it happening? Is it some kind of chemical in the diet soda, or something about the behavior of diet soda drinkers?”

Source: NY Times

It is well known that too much soda can increase the risk of diabetes and obesity. But when it comes to kidney problems, is there a difference between colas and other kinds of soda?

Colas contain high levels of phosphoric acid, which has been linked to kidney stones and other renal problems.

Much of this conclusion stems from anecdotal and circumstantial evidence. So last year, a team of scientists at the National Institutes of Health took a closer look.

In a study published in the journal Epidemiology, the team compared the dietary habits of 465 people with chronic kidney disease and 467 healthy people. After controlling for various factors, the team found that drinking two or more colas a day — whether artificially sweetened or regular — was linked to a twofold risk of chronic kidney disease.

But drinking two or more noncola carbonated drinks a day, they found, did not increase the risk.

The authors of the study say more research is needed, but their findings support the long-held notion that something about cola — the phosphoric acid, for example, or the ability of cola to pull calcium from bones — seems to increase the risk of kidney stones, renal failure and other conditions affecting the kidneys.

The claim has the ring of a myth. But environmental scientists say it is real.

The reason is that hot water dissolves contaminants more quickly than cold water, and many pipes in homes contain lead that can leach into water. And lead can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in young children.

Lead is rarely found in source water, but can enter it through corroded plumbing. The Environmental Protection Agency says that older homes are more likely to have lead pipes and fixtures, but that even newer plumbing advertised as “lead-free” can still contain as much as 8 percent lead. A study published in The Journal of Environmental Health in 2002 found that tap water represented 14 to 20 percent of total lead exposure.

Scientists emphasize that the risk is small. But to minimize it, the E.P.A. says cold tap water should always be used for preparing baby formula, cooking and drinking. It also warns that boiling water does not remove lead but can actually increase its concentration.

Source: US EPA