Q:  Mr. Pedometer, perhaps you can help solve a bet: My friend says that United States residents have the highest life expectancy of any nation in the world. I say that is not so. Which of us is correct?

A:  Sadly, you are now correct.  According to a recent article by Doyle Rice in USA Today, “In 1960, the United States had the highest life expectancy in the world. It has lost ground to other industrialized nations ever since.

“Life expectancy in the U.S. is now 1.5 years lower than a group of 35 nations known as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which includes, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, among others.”

The author noted that “in 2016, life expectancy in the USA was 78.6 years, a decrease of 0.1 years from 2015.”  That may not sound like much, but a recent report noted that this is the second year in a row for a decrease. “…The alarming story is not the amount of the decrease, but that the increase has ended,” said Steven Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University, who was the co-author of the latest report.

Woolf also said, “We are seeing an alarming increase in deaths from substance abuse and despair.”  Opioid addiction, fatal overdoses from other drugs, and a surge of deaths from alcohol and suicide are among the reasons cited for the change.

“The idea of the American dream is increasingly out of reach as social mobility declines and fewer children face a better future than their parents,” stated the article.

“The report found that Americans have poorer health than people in other nations in many areas, including birth outcomes, injuries, homicides, adolescent pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.  Americans also engage in unhealthy or risky behaviors – such as high-calorie intake, drug abuse, and firearms ownership – live in cities designed for cars rather than pedestrians or cyclists, have weaker social welfare supports, and lack universal health coverage, the report said.”

“The consequences of these choices are dire: not only more deaths and illnesses, but also escalating health care costs, a sicker workforce, and a less competitive economy.  Future generations may pay the greatest price,” the report concludes.

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, with all due respect, don’t you think you are exaggerating the supposed “dangers” of this year’s flu?  I haven’t had the flu since childhood, so I don’t bother to get the flu shot.

A:  You must be very optimistic to be willing to gamble on your health and lifespan. Nearly 100 people in California have died of the flu so far this season.  Those victims all were under the age of 65, and many of them were in excellent health…until they got the flu.

Perhaps you missed the article in the local newspaper this past week that cited a new study linking the flu to a dramatic increase in the chance of heart attack for older people.  Mike Stobbs of the Associated Press reported that “a new Canadian study found that risk was six times higher in the first week after flu is diagnosed, compared with the year before and after the flu bug hits.”  Results were published this last Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“How does the flu, a respiratory ailment with fever, coughs, and aches, trigger a heart attack?” asked the article.  “Flu can cause swelling or inflammation in the coronary arteries, which can shake loose plaque and cause blockages, cutting off blood flow….  Lung infections make it harder for people to breathe, so the heart has to pump harder to get oxygenated blood out to every part of the body.”

Consider yourself very fortunate if you have not had the flu in decades. However, you might also consider the fact that by not getting a flu shot, you might be endangering not only yourself, but others for whom the flu could be fatal.

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends…

Published: January 24, 2018

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, recent news stories have been warning us that this season’s flu may be more deadly than most.  Any advice on how to avoid becoming one of the statistics?

A:  Speaking as one who has already experienced the unpleasantness of this current flu — despite having gotten my flu shot – I can share some of the tips I should have paid more attention to.  The online Money Talks News listed the following:

• GET THAT FLU SHOT! I’m told my recent illness would have been worse, and likely lasted longer, if I had not had my flu shot.  If your health insurance does not cover it, the cost is usually $20-$40 – and I can tell you that’s a worthwhile investment, to avoid the misery!  The article by Melissa Neiman says some places are offering “bonuses” for getting the shots at their stores:  Target gives a $5 coupon; CVS offers $5 off the next purchase of $25, and Safeway offers 10% off of groceries purchased that day.
• WASH YOUR HANDS THOROUGHLY (AND OFTEN). The article says you should lather up for at least 20 seconds, which the author claims is how long it takes to sing or hum “Happy Birthday.” (Mr. Pedometer does not recommend singing aloud in public restrooms  (-;  )
• AVOID TOUCHING YOUR NOSE OR EYES. This might not be as easy as it sounds. A 2012 survey observed that people touched surfaces in public places an average of 3.3 times per hour…and they touched their faces 3.6 times per hour.
• GET MORE SLEEP. This may have been Mr. Pedometer’s  downfall since I was keeping long hours at multiple business conferences before becoming ill. It turns out that sleep deprivation can weaken one’s immune system.
• EXERCISE REGULARLY. Those who manage 2.5 hours of exercise per week reduce their chances of getting the flu by 10%.  (Walking on Saturday mornings is a great start!)

I sincerely hope that none of our readers will experience the flu that is going around.  Take it from me:  it’s no fun!

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

October 25, 2017

Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends….

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, I grew up knowing kids who were stricken with polio.  Is it true that that terrible disease has been eradicated worldwide?  

A:  Almost, but not quite.  Yesterday was World Polio Day, “to raise awareness and support to end polio – a vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens children in parts of the world today,” to quote from an article in the October 19 Independent newspaper.

Mr. Pedometer is proud to be a member of Pleasanton North Rotary.  Our international service organization launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative almost three decades ago.  We have helped create a 99.9% decrease in the annual number of cases of this crippling disease — from 350,000 cases a year to only 37 in 2016, and only 8 cases so far this year.

Rotary has committed to raising $50 million per year over the next three years to support polio eradication efforts, keeping all children protected from this debilitating disease.  The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match our donations 2:1.

“Without full funding and political commitment, this paralyzing disease could return to previously polio-free countries, putting children everywhere at risk,” the article notes.

You can help by going to www.endpolio.org to make a donation.  Our Tri-Valley Rotary clubs will be holding an End Polio Now Campaign from March 1 to April 30, so we will remind you then.

Only one other disease has been successfully eradicated in modern history, and that is smallpox.  You can help make history with your donation of any amount.