Second Hand Smoke? No, Thanks.

As I said in an earlier post, I do not suffer second-hand smoke gladly. I feel no compunction about removing myself from a smoky environment, and I do not feel that I have to apologize for doing this. Protecting my health matters more to me than not hurting a smoker's feelings. Especially if the smoker seems not to care that others may not wish to inhale noxious fumes.

I can't count the number of times I've walked away from people in the middle of a conversation because they lit up without asking if it bothered me. Before walking away, I would always explain that I liked to avoid second-hand smoke . It never even occurred to me to grin and bear it, or more aptly, inhale it. I felt that if someone was inconsiderate enough to light up without asking me if I minded the smoke, they couldn't take the high moral ground if I interrupted the conversation and moved away. I feel sorry for the babies who can't do the same when their parents smoke over them. That's something I can't understand - why anyone would do that to their child. But then there's a lot about smoking that I don't understand.

It's generally known now that second-hand smoking is bad for the health. A new study in the US shows that up to 20% of women who develop lung cancer have never smoked. In men, 8% of lung cancer patients are non smokers. It is not clear why the figure is much higher in women: perhaps women are more susceptible to smoking, whether it is direct or second hand.

The researchers know that second-hand smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. They believe many of the cases they studied can be attributed to this. The leading cause of lung cancer is smoking, but radon, asbestos, chromium and arsenic are also associated with the disease.

Anyone still in doubt as to whether second-hand smoking is dangerous to health may want to read this article about the new research.

Snow, Snow, Everywhere

There was heavy snow today (well, heavy by British standards) in many parts of the UK. As is usual here, this caused widespread disruption and more than 2000 schools were closed due to the severe weather. And a senior member of the government admitted that Britain could cope "a little bit better" with this type of weather.

I didn't venture out in the snow and I spent way too much time on the internet. I'm leaving cyberspace now, but not before sharing some pictures of landscapes in the snow, which I found on the internet. I particularly like the one that shows an intrepid postman in shorts striding out in style!

Are Health Warnings Any Good?

I've always wondered whether serious smokers paid any attention to the health warnings on cigarette packs. Frankly, I think the warnings aren't worth the paper they are printed on - they don't seem to have put many people off buying cigarettes . I'm not a smoker myself. I tried it many years ago and fortunately didn't like it.

Maybe the health warnings do help some smokers quit. A new study shows that pictorial warnings on cigarette packs have a greater impact on smokers than warnings that consist of plain text. On the face of it, this seems to provide some evidence to support the UK's plans to introduce picture warnings later this year.

And then there are the graphic anti-smoking messages that are sometimes shown on British TV. Don't get me started on that one. I don't think die-hard smokers take any notice of those messages or health warnings for that matter. I know smokers who continue to smoke even after losing a family member to smoking-related cancer. What graphic image or large pictorial health warning is going to stop someone like that?

Voodoo Nutrition

Manufacturers or marketers of nutritional products who make "unverified" product claims may face legal challenges.

This may be a problem for Coca-Cola Co and Nestle who launched a new drink called Enviga which they say "gently" burns calories. The two companies have been asked by a Connecticut (US) Attorney General to show scientific evidence of the calorie-burning claims. Without such evidence, the Attorney General says such claims would be no more than "voodoo nutrition".

The two companies maintain that their claim is backed by scientific studies. Apparently, a study conducted on behalf of the companies showed that drinking the equivalent of three cans of Enviga a day resulted in burning more calories.

Hmm. I wonder how many calories are contained in a can of Enviga. This information was not included in the article I read.

Are Trans-Fats on the Way Out?

British Retail Consortium members (Asda, Boots, Co-op, Iceland, Marks and Spencer, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose) have said they will stop using trans-fats in their own-brand products by the end of the year. That's good news - of which more details can be found here.

Trans-fats have no nutritional value. Like saturated fats, they raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Some people say they should be allowed to eat whatever they like, even if that includes unhealthy foods. So I guess not everyone will welcome the announcement by the Bitish Retail Consortium. But then you can't please everyone...

Boutique Ultrasounds

I remember the first time I had an ultrasound scan done during my pregnancy. Our excitement was palpable as my husband and I watched the moving image of our baby on the screen. I was a bit disappointed that they wouldn't tell us the sex of the baby, but I figured I could wait until the birth. We thought the grainy black and white picture we were given afterwards was the most beautiful picture we'd ever seen!

Although I would have wanted to find out whether the baby I was carrying was a boy or girl, it wasn't that important. But I knew some women in my position chose to have an ultrasound scan done privately so they could find out the sex of their baby. Sometimes they would have 3D scans.

It seems, however, that not everyone thinks it's a good idea for pregnant women to have ultrasound scans for reasons that have nothing to do with health. A recent news article talks about the risks of carrying out so-called "boutique ultrasounds".

Unhealthy Emotions

I believe that holding on to negative feelings like anger, bitterness, and hatred can endanger one's health. It's best to let go of these emotions so that they do not consume one's thoughts.

That seems to be the moral of a book I've just finished reading, titled "Every Breath You Take" by Ann Rules. It's a true story about a man who was so obsessed with anger and revenge that he hounded, stalked and finally ordered the killing of his ex-wife and mother of his two oldest children. This man was immensely wealthy and had remarried and started a new family, but he was consumed by hatred for his ex from whom he had been divorced for ten years. Imagine spending ten years of one's life hating someone else! In the end, he lost everything when he was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Hatred is a waste of human potential. Love is so much more fun.