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6A Daily News – Tuesday, December 31, 2013 Vitality health & fitness Is skiing more dangerous than snowboarding? Michael Schumacher, seven-time winner of Formula One is in a critical condition after suffering a serious head injury while skiing in the Méribel resort in France. Several research studies put the news in context by comparing injury rates among various sports. IS SKIING MORE DANGEROUS THAN SNOWBOARDING? The popularity of snowboarding has rapidly grown over the past two decades despite (or some may argue because of) concerns about the sport being a dangerous one. A four-year study by doctors in California sought to compare injuries sustained by skiers and snowboarders to determine which winter sport had the highest risk. Their results show the importance of experience; 49% of injured snowboarders were beginners compared to 18% of skiers. Wrist and ankle injuries are far more likely among snowboarders while skiers are more likely to damage their knees during a fall. Overall though, snowboarding carries a higher risk of injury and, according to Professor Michael Henrie at the University of Utah, has become more dangerous – Henrie found that there were 6.97 snowboarding injuries per 1,000 visits in 2001, compared to 3.37 per 1,000 ten years earlier. 0.9 PER 1,000 In a separate study of skiers in Norway, a medical officer documented 883 injuries over 980,000 days – amounting to an injury rate of around 0.9 per 1,000 days. Around 1 in 6 of all injuries were to the head, although that figure rose to 1 in 4 of all injuries that were the result of a collision. PROTECTION 2 out of 3 skiers and snowboarders who had been in a collision but hadn't suffered an injury said that they always wore helmets. Despite accounting for a relatively small fraction of all injuries, head injuries are particularly serious given that they are the most frequent cause of death and severe disability. OTHER SPORTS Although their data doesn't take into account the popularity of different sports, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons monitors head injuries treated in US hospital emergency rooms, particularly those that affect the brain. Around 10.8 million US citizens skied during the 2010/11 season, compared to around 18.3 million who played football and 46.8 million who cycled. When those participation rates are considered, the risks of sustaining a head injury are similar across all three sports. Listed below are the 20 sports and recreational activities most commonly seen in the emergency room for head injuries. Real and fake knee surgeries get the same results in a study Surgeons in the U.S. perform about 700,000 knee surgeries every years in an attempt to repair torn menisci, commonly described as two cushions between your thigh and shin bones. But a new study suggests the surgeries might be for naught. The study, released in The New England Journal of Medicine, says minimally invasive surgery on the meniscus works no better than fake operations to relieve pain and fix knee problems, such as locking and clicking. All of the 146 volunteer Finnish patients got anesthesia and incisions. Then, some received the real surgery, in which shaving tools trimmed the torn meniscus. Others were given simulated procedures, meaning blade-less shavers were rubbed on the kneecap to simulate the sensation of surgery. The patients didn't know which treatment they received. A year later, most patients in both groups said their knees felt better. Many said they'd choose the same treatment again, even if it was fake. The study suggests that surgery should still be performed in some cases, especially for younger patients and for sports-related tears, reported The New York Times. A March study found that physical therapy for a torn meniscus was often just as successful as the surgery. 5 myths and misunderstandings about obesity By DEBORAH COHEN The obesity epidemic is among the most critical health issues facing the United States. Although it has generated a lot of attention and calls for solutions, it also has served up a supersized portion of myths and misunderstandings. 1. If you're obese, you can blame your genes. As obesity rates have soared, some researchers have focused on individuals' genetic predisposition for gaining weight. Yet, between 1980 and 2000, the number of Americans who are obese has doubled — too quickly for genetic factors to be responsible. So why do we eat more than we need? The simple answer: Because we can. At home and at restaurants, a dollar puts more calories on our plates than ever before. Before World War II, the average family spent as much as 25 percentof its total income on food — in 2011, it was 9.8 percent. And people eat out now more than in the past. In 1966, the average family spent 31 percentof its food budget dining away from home — in 2011, it was 49 percent. Because restaurant meals usually have more calories than what we prepare at home, people who eat out more frequently have higher rates of obesity than those who eat out less. Meanwhile, the food industry has developed tens of thousands of products with more calories per bite, as well as new, effective mar- FREE EVALUATIONS FOR HEARING INSTRUMENT CANDIDACY keting strategies to encourage us to buy and consume more than necessary. We should blame these business practices, which are modifiable, for obesity rather than our genes, which are not. 2. If you're obese, you lack self-control. According to a 2006 study, "research on restrained eating has proven that in most circumstances dieting is not a feasible strategy." In other words: People won't lose weight by trying to eat less because they can't easily control themselves. Unfortunately, this puritanical view of personal resolve plays down how our surroundings and mental state determine what we eat. Our world has become so rich in temptation that we can be led to consume too much in ways we can't understand. Even the most vigilant may not be up to the task of controlling their impulses. 3. Lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables is responsible for the obesity epidemic. The Obama administration's Healthy Food Financing Initiative is meant to help low-income communities that lack access to fresh food. Although the Department of Agriculture estimates that fewer than 5 percent of Americans live in these "food deserts," about 65 percent of the nation's population is overweight or obese. For most of us, obesity is not related to access to more nutritious foods, but rather to the choices we make in convenience stores and supermarkets where junk-food marketing dominates. Since we are buying more calories than we need, eating healthfully could be made more affordable by eliminating unnecessary cheaper low nutrient foods and substituting higher quality foods that may be slightly more expensive. FOR THE REST OF 2013 20 Antelope Boulevard Red Bluff 530-527-2403 Need a Physician? (NEXT TO COPY CENTER AND RESTORE, ACCESSIBLE VIA RIO STREET) www.myears4u.com Lic#8981 Lic#7575 Doctors who listen ... Doctors who care. A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE Call toll free RANDAL S. ELLOWAY DDS IMPLANT DENTISTRY 2426 SO. MAIN ST., RED BLUFF 530-527-6777 888.628.1948 FACT SHEET ON DENTAL IMPLANTS DENTAL IMPLANTS: * are the most advanced tooth replacement system ever devised *help preserve jawbone to prevent the appearance of premature aging *look and function like natural teeth *are placed/restored in the doctor's office with minimal discomfort *improves comfort, appearance, speech * have a 95% success rate * allow you to eat the foods you love and talk, laugh and smile with confidence * represent a conservative treatment option-adjacent teeth are left untouched * never develop decay * can provide great stability for lower denture * can completely eliminate the need for a denture * can help people of any age * give patients a third set of teeth that are natural looking and very long-lasting Ask yourself the following questions: Are you missing one or more of your natural teeth? Do you have a complete or partial denture that is no longer completely comfortable? Have you ever been embarrassed by a denture or a bridge? If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, call us today at (530) 527-6777 to schedule an evaluation appointment. We would be pleased to evaluate your oral health and discuss treatment options with you. Obesity is usually the consequence of eating too much junk food and consuming portions that are too large. People may head to the produce section of their grocery store with the best intentions, only to be confronted by candy at the cash register and chips and soda at the end of aisles. About 30 percent of all supermarket sales are from such endof-aisle locations. Food retailers' impulse-marketing strategies contribute significantly to obesity across the population, not just for those who do not live near a green grocer or can't afford sometimes pricier healthful choices. 4. The problem is not that we eat too much, but that we are too sedentary. First lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign is based on the idea that if kids exercised more, childhood obesity rates would decline. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there was no significant decrease in physical activity levels as obesity www.redbluff.mercy.org Lassen Medical rates climbed in the 1980s and 1990s. In fact, although a drop in work-related physical activity may account for up to 100 fewer calories burned, leisure physical activity appears to have increased, and Americans keep tipping the scales. 5. We can conquer obesity through better education about diet and nutrition. According to a physicians' health study, 44 percent of male doctors are overweight. A study by the University of Maryland School of Nursing found that 55 percent of nurses surveyed were overweight or obese. If people who provide health care cannot control their weight, why would nutrition education alone make a difference for others? Even with more information about food, extralarge portions and sophisticated marketing messages undermine our ability to limit how much we consume. Consider Americans' alcohol consumption: Only licensed establishments can sell spirits to people older than 21, and no alcohol can be sold in vending machines. Yet there are very few standards or regulations to protect Americans from overeating. -–Cohen is a senior natural scientist at the Rand Corp. and the author of the forthcoming book "A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic and How We Can End It." Author's email: dcohen@rand.org. FREE ENROLLMENT HELP For the Expected, Unexpected and Everything in Between Covered California Affordable Care 2450 Sister Mary Columba Drive Red Bluff, CA 96080 530-840-6611 530 527-0414 805 Walnut Street Red Bluff lassenmedical.com www.lassenmedical.com Corner of Walnut & Jackson Lic# 0573654