Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.health From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: health Wed, Apr 1 1992 Date: Wed, 1 Apr 92 05:43:26 EST Message-ID: 04-01 0000 DECISIONLINE: Health USA TODAY Update April 1, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network DIETERS FAIL TO CHANGE HABITS: John Foreyt, director of the Nutrition Research Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, says there are many reasons why dieters often fail to keep off weight after they lose it. He says his research shows people who fail in maintenance cheat, don't learn to cope with situations that go them in trouble in the first place and eat in an attempt to relieve negative feelings. (For more, see special Maintain package below.) STUDY DONE ON CANCER COSTS: Families can spend as much as $20,000 in just three months to care for a cancer patient, new research shows. Insurance may cover hospital and doctor bills, but other costs mount once the patient is sent home. A three-month study of 190 middle-class cancer patients and family care-givers, shows average out-of-pocket expenses were $659 per family; the range was $60 to $3,380. MAJORITY DEPLETED SAVINGS: The average loss of income from time taken off work in caring for a cancer patient was $363; range, zero to $13,592, a Michigan State University survey shows. Average total family costs were $4,571; range, $60 to $20,754. That includes $10 an hour for time spent taking care of a patient. Also, sixty percent of family care-givers depleted their savings. MRI IS HOT DIAGNOSTIC TOOL: Magnetic resonance imaging, often used in sports medicine, has reduced the need for surgery in many cases. MRI "gives you much less exploratory surgery," says Dr. Anton Hasson of Loma Linda (Calif.) University Medical Center. It also reduces recuperation. MRI is less invasive than arthroscopy, in which an incision is made in the joint and a lens inserted for a "scope." IUDS STILL NOT EFFECTIVE: Today's IUDs are not the same as the products that caused pelvic infections and infertility in thousands of women in the 1970s. "Modern IUDs are effective and they're safe," says Dr. Daniel Mishell Jr., of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. But U.S. women don't seem to agreee. IUDs have been used by only about 1% of contraception users since the mid-1980s. NICOTINE PATCH GAINS STEAM: A Band-Aid-sized patch that delivers undiluted nicotine to the bloodstream is the newest medical treatment in the campaign to stop people smoking. It is sold as Nicoderm, Habitrol and ProStep. It comes in 21 mg, 14 mg and 7 mg strengths. The patch costs $2.50 to $3 a day, or $250 to $300 for the recommended three-month program. Most insurance policies don't cover the cost. GROUP WANTS WARNINGS ON ADS: A nationwide coalition of health professionals launched a push Tuesday for a surgeon general's warning on all alcohol advertisements telling about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy. The Coalition on Alcohol Advertising and Family Education said it is targeting Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or FAS, an irreversible collection of alcohol-related birth defects. SOME AIDS PATIENTS NOT COUNTED: A government study in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that for every person officially listed as an AIDS patient by the federal government, two more are getting medical care for illnesses caused by the AIDS virus. Many are seriously ill, despite not having an infection recognized as a sign of full-blown AIDS. HYSTERECTOMIES POSE DANGER: A study by Researchers at the universities of Iowa and California found that hysterectomies should not be routinely performed on women who have benign uterine tumors. The study is in Wednesday's "Obstetrics and Gynecology." Between 650 and 1,100 women die each year in the U.S. because of surgical or anesthetic risks of a hysterectomy, the study says. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON MAINTAIN: SOME EAT HIGH-FAT FOODS AGAIN: After losing weight, some people try to see what they can get away with. They nibble at high-fat foods and make excuses not to exercise, says John Foreyt, director of the Nutrition Research Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. They often get themselves in trouble with a demanding social life, frequent travel or irregular eating patterns due to hectic work schedules. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY NEEDED: To successfully keep weight off, dieters need to do regular physical activity. It is the strongest factor for long-term success, Foreyt says. Social support from family, friends, colleagues and groups, such as Weight Watchers, can also make maintenance easier to handle. DIETERS SHOULD ENJOY DIFFERENCE: It is important that the dieter on maintenance enjoy positive lifestyle changes. They should concentrate on feeling better and goals such as walking farther. People who have internal motivations to lose weight are the most likely to keep it off. They want to feel and look better. They're not losing weight simply to attend a class reunion. (End of package.) Health Editor: Ed Kelleher. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM