The News Argus - Page 8
HEALTH WATCH
HealthFocus
Donald Wesson, M.D. Baylor College of Medicine in Houston
Obesity: A Serious Health Problem
It is a serious health problem that is.
pardon the expression, all around us.
Being overweight or obese is one of
this nation’s most common health
problems. An estimated 25 percent of
Americans carry too much fat. It is so
common that many of us fail to notice it,
particularly in ourselves and in loved ones.
African Americans as a group have a
greater proportion of overweight people
than other American population groups.
The National Center for Health Statistics
reports that about 35 percent of African
American men ages 35 to 64 are
overweight, compared to about 28 percent
of white men. Even more striking is that
more than half of African American
women in the same age group arc
overweight, compared with about 30
percent of white women. The reasons for
these differences are unclear, but
socioeconomic, cultural and genetic
factors are possible contributors.
Studies have shown that overweight
people live shorter lives as a result of
health problems that go beyond concerns
for appearance. They are more likely to
suffer from heart disease, high blood
pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Weight
loss can reduce or eliminate these risks.
Why are some people more
susceptible to becoming overweight?
Body fat is made up of calories eaten
but not “used up” by the body through
physical activity like aerobics. People
become overweight when they eat more
calories than the body can bum.
The amount of energy your body
needs depends on your metabolic rate and
your level of physical activity. Although
some people have a higher metabolism
than others, the best way to avoid gaining
too much weight is to balance calorie
intake and exercise. If you maintain a
sensible diet and exercise regimen, you
can bum extra calories and increase your
metabolism.
If you are less active and overweight,
limit your intake of high-calorie foods,
like pastries, and “fill up” on low-calorie
foods like vegetables and fruits.
Before entering a weight-loss
program, consult your doctor. Nutrition
experts at Baylor College of Medicine
state that fad or “crash” diets often provide
inadequate nutrition and can be harmful.
In most cases, the weight is regained when
resuming old eating habits. Also, choose
an exercise program that matches your
level of fitness. An inappropriately
vigorous exercise program can be harmful.
You can successfully lose and
maintain your ideal weight by eating well-
balanced, low-calorie meals daily and
performing modest exercises, such as
walking. Such a strategy can become a
life-long habit that will help you achieve
your goal while making you feel better and
live longer.
(Dr. Wesson is an associate professor
of medicine at Baylor College of
Medicine in Houston, Texas.)
Microscopic Surgery Reattaches Limbs
BY RODRICK MURRAY
Conlribuling Writer
Imagine a 250 piece puzzle the size of a playing card.
The pieces range from the size of a dime to the size of a
needle. In order to put this puzzle together you have to
use special tools such as tweezers and a magnifying
glass. With all these intricate pieces you would probably
say it will take a lot of time to put this puzzle together. Is
it worth it?
For Deena Jones, a Winston-Salem State
University student, it was. Jones had her hand detached
and reattached November 11, 1993.
She was working in the Fine Arts Building on an
elecuical cutting machine, when her sweater got caught in
the machine, dragging her hand into the cutting blade
severing her hand from her body. She was rushed to
Baptist Hospital and under went surgery for 11 hours.
Thanks to microscopic surgery, Jones is on her
way to recovering. Microscopic surgery is a type of
reconstructive surgery that uses high power microscopes,
artificial material, and natural materials.
Dr. Colin Shearin, a plastic surgeon in Winston-
Salem, has performed several microscopic surgeries and
says that the average patient who has a limb reattached
will only receive “50 percent of the movement back in
that area.”
The steps toward having a successful operation
are: the time period between the time of detachment and
the time of reattachment, how the detached limb is stored
(it should be stored in a bag then put in a bag of ice), the
place where the limb has been attached should be covered
and something should be done to stop the flow of blood—
-so the patient won’t bleed to death, after getting to the
hospital the affected areas will be cleaned and studied to
find out how much damage was done to the tissue.
A surgeon then has the task of reattaching the
body part. First the doctor assembles the bone structures,
by either using the bones that are repairable or using pins
and clamps, which are made of stainless steel or plastic.
Then the surgeon repairs the blood vessels and veins. The
doctor repairs what he can then replaces the badly damage
parts with veins or vessels from other parts of the body in
which he uses sutrers (a thin hairlike material that is made
by man to sew things back together) to mend them
together. When he finishes with the circulatory system he
moves to repair the muscles and tendons, again he uses
sutrers to mend them together. The final step in this
surgery is mending the shin. The doctor uses as much of
the good skin as he can, then uses skin from other parts of
the body to make skin graphs.
The doctor knows almost right away if the surgery was a
success or failure because of the amount of blood
circulation going through the affected area.
After anywhere between 12 to 15 hours you
have a finished puzzle. It is either a success of a failure.
If it fails the surgeon has to find out where the problem is
and do his/her best to solve it.
Pre-medical Summer Program
To be Held at Rice University
NEWS RELEASE
Minority college students and
graduates considering careers as
physicians may apply for the Honors fte-
Medical Academy, a six-week summer
program held at Baylor College of
Medicine and Rice University in Houston.
The national program, funded
partially by a grant from The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, is designed to
increase minority representation in
medicine by enhancing the participants'
competitiveness in the medical school
application pool.
Admission is based on academic
achievement and interest in medical
careers. Participants must be African-
American, Mexican-American, mainland
Puerto Rican or Native American.
Participants spend mornings in a
medical setting paired with physicians and
aftemoons in science and communications
classes at Rice.
College credit, housing and a stipend
are provided. Application deadline is
March 1, 1994. For more information,
call (800) 633-6445 or (713) 798-4841.
Happy December
Birthday Wishes
Takesha Patterson
Kwame Brown
Erica Avent
From Some Of
Your Special
Friends