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How Often Should Healthy Adults Get Physical Exams?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 26, 2009 Comment (3)
A reasonable guideline would be twice in their 20s, three times in their 30s, four times in their 40s, five times in their 50s, and annually thereafter. Attempts to apply scientific rigor to what should be included in the history, the physical, and screening laboratory studies can argue that almost none of this is cost effective; yet I feel that periodic examinations are a good way for doctors and patients to get to know one another, to identify risk factors, to discuss lifestyle issues and to review immunizations while discussing benefits, risks, and costs of screening procedures. It is helpful to have an established relationship with a personal physician when dealing with intercurrent illness or major health problems. Personal physicians also represent an excellent source of referrals to other healthcare providers as these needs arise. Additionally, a personal physician can be a helpful sounding board in talking through recommendations from other specialists. -
What Is the Most Over-Hyped Dietary Advice?
Tweet Share on Facebook January 26, 2009 Comment (2)
By far the most over-hyped advice has been to reduce total fat in the diet. There was really never any good evidence that replacing fats with carbohydrate is beneficial, and it is now clear that we have good and bad fats and good and bad carbohydrates. Thus, if we reduce healthful unsaturated fats or increase refined starches and sugars, this can actually be harmful. The idea that fat calories, but not carbohydrate calories, make us fat was widely believed even by parts of the nutrition community, but it is now clear that too much of either will make us fat.
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