Healthbeat by Deirdre Cox Baker

No matter how hard you exercise or how well you eat, that dimpled skin you first noticed as a teen is probably a permanent part of the female body.

Cellulite, the focus of magazine articles and “This REALLY WORKS!” advertising campaigns, still has no evidence-based fix, according to a Harvard Medical School study that was discussed this week in the New York Times. The article, “Treating cellulite? It’s still there” was published Wednesday.

A woman’s skin would have to be restructured for a true fix, experts concluded.

Cellulite occurs because of an interplay between the skin, fat, connective tissue and underlying muscle. It’s a scourge for women because of estrogen production and the design of connective tissues in females.

Women spent $47 million on cellulite-reduction devices in 2008, and that cost is expected to grow to $63 million by 2013.

But the best treatments might show 25-50 percent improvement after multiple times, and they often have to be sustained to work long-term, according to the Harvard study.

Cellulite occurs in both heavy and thin women, because of the connective tissue, and how well it stretches. That stretching ability also decreases with age.

Affordable, temporary fixes like an over-the-counter cream work  by mildly irritating the skin. That causes a little bit of swelling which camouflages the dimpling for a while. A professor at the University of Califonia, Los Angeles, pointed out that the need for re-application benefits the cellulite cream manufacturers.

Still, the products roll out with the amazing claims. A beauty analyst in a market research firm noted that 40 percent more anti-cellulite creams were introduced in 2008, compared to 2007.

Magazine articles discuss expensive “fixes” such as liposuction, as well as machines that combine massaging rollers with a light source.

Liposuction removes fat, but does nothing for the underlying connective tissue or too-thin skin. The machines seem to work by inducing swelling, which again reduces the appearance of cellulite as long as the skin is swollen.

The New York Times article cites sources that say cellulite is so prevalent, it is most logically considered a secondary sex characteristic which occurs after puberty, like breast development.

That does darn little to soothe a woman’s irritation over cellulite.

The welcome rise in temperatures will also be reflected in an increased number of biting insects, and health officials are already warning about high numbers of mosquitoes due to last year’s floods.

Most bites to most people are standard stuff, but there can be complications, so you just should be aware of them.

1. Tick bites
Some ticks carry Lyme diesase and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Both can be treated when caught early. Both happen here, but infrequently … Scott County Health officials report that one case of Lyme disease was treated locally in May. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is less common than that. The following information is provided by the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Lyme disease appears within a few weeks of infection and may include a salmon-colored rash that is white in the center. Rocky Mountain spotted fever has more severe symptoms, which show up 5-10 days after the bite, including a sudden fever, headache, muscle pain and a rash on the hands and feet.

Check yourself regularly for ticks and shower or bathe after potential exposure.
If bitten, remove the tick by pulling it straight up with tweezers or between your fingertips if you don’t have tweezers.
Get tested for Lyme disease if you are bitten, or if symptoms develop.
If possible, place the tick in a plastic zip-top bag and store it in the freezer so it can be examined if symptoms develop.

2. Mosquito bites
Most mosquitos are simply annoying, but there are some which carry West Nile Virus or encephalitis. To protect yourself or your children:

Wear insect repellent, especially at night. Repellants with DEET are most effective, but if you have children, limit the lotion to 10 percent DEET. Do not use it on babies.
Avoid going outside during peak hours like dusk and dawn when insects are more prevalent.
Don’t stand near nesting areas like pools of stagnant water, garbage cans or gardens in bloom.
Don’t leave food, drinks or garbage out and uncovered.

Click here to see the Web site of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Across America, recent college graduates reaching a certain age — or maybe the day they got their diploma — could face an unpleasant reality: The end of health insurance coverage provided through their parents’ group plan at work.

Iowa-based businesses with self-insured plans provide health insurance coverage until a dependent child is 23 years old. It’s believed that most graduates will have lined up work and have their own insurance coverage by that age.

However, a new law in Illinois extends the timeframe to 26 years of age for unmarried children.

Those individuals who either cannot find a job with benefits, or who go to graduate school for advanced training or education must scramble to find insurance for at least a short while. Or, their parents have to take on the task. It is a more pressing concern in Iowa than Illinois, where the new law went into effect earlier this month.

Some young people may go without insurance, of course. I’ve heard, anecdotally, from a person who was in that position a few years ago, and got a severe kidney infection. She went to one of those off-site clinics operated by a hospital and received her medication in sample form.

Now, I’m hoping to talk with area families who may lose coverage for their recent graduate or graduate student and soon have to buy health insurance. If you’d care to share your personal story for this project, please contact me during normal business hours. My e-mail is dbaker@qctimes.com, and my direct phone number is (563) 383-2492.

A new study released this week indicates that kids are making more healthy food choices.

This follows a report last year that showed childhood obesity rates at least appeared to have plateaued after rising for 20 years or more, according to a story in Tuesday’s New York Times.

The article headlined “Kid goes into McDonald’s and orders … yogurt?”  discusses findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

It is unclear whether different food choices or increased activity levels should get the most credit for the study’s results, but this mother would say it’s a combination of both.

Data cited in the story were collected by the Chicago market research firm, NPD Group. It gathered a representative sample of 3,500 households and 500 teens to gain detailed information on their restaurant habits. The data are thought to be very reliable since the researchers called participants daily, and asked what they and their family had to eat out on the day before. The data have been collected since 1976 to provide a long-term look at trends.

Some noted trends over the past year, obviously somewhat reflecting the economy:
1. Orders for kids’ meals with toys, down 11 percent.
2. Value-meal orders, up 9 percent.
3. Orders for cold-cut sandwiches, up 11 percent (think, Subway’s $5 campaign).
4. Restaurant birthday parties, down 5 percent in the past year.
5. Colas ordered, down 10 percent.
6. Chicken nuggets and strips, down 8 percent.
7. French fries, down 7 percent.
8. Hot dogs, down 6 percent.
9. Those going up … soup (29 percent), grilled chicken sandwiches (26 percent), yogurt (21 percent) carrots (9 percent) and fruit (6 percent).
10. Pizza, while still the favorite choice of children in fast-food restaurants, has seen flat growth in the past year. It’s also been replaced by pasta in full-service restaurants.

The study tends to support those researchers who believe that children, given good food choices, will make good food decisions. That’s in direct contrast to industry claims, which tend to say that they supply the foods that consumers want.

Fast-food restaurants with more healthful choices: Burger King, smaller kids’ meal burgers, sliced apples to resemble fries, reduced-salt chicken tenders, calcium-fortified apple juice and fat-free chocolate milk … McDonald’s, apples and yogurt … Wendy’s, kids’ meals with mandarin oranges.

I was a kid when my best friend’s mom, backing up in her 1960’s station wagon, hit and killed a young relative.

It shocked the community and much of the ensuing anger centered on my friend’s mom.

Now, 40 years older, I can think about how terrible it would be to hit a small child while doing something you may have done several thousand times. My friend’s mom, who had six young children herself and was a hardworking farm wife, was in her farmhouse driveway, it was the middle of winter, she was going on an errand. She backed up that vehicle with tragic results.

The Safe Kids US organization sponsors the “Spot the Tot” prevention program. It tracks backing up accidents, and notes that most victims are between 1 and 4 years old, and are friends or relatives of the driver. Most such accidents — 80 percent — involve SUVs, trucks or vans.

Top suggestions to prevent backing-up accidents include:

1. Drivers should walk completely around their vehicle before getting in.
2. Teach children, at a very young age, never to play in the driveway or around vehicles.
3. Remind drivers to be alert for children and pets in the driveway.
4. Roll down your windows so you can hear what is happening outside your vehicle.

Consumer Reports magazine says camera systems and back-up warning sensors may be used to prevent such accidents, but the sensors may not always be strong enough to detect the presence of small children.

Click here for more information about backing-up safety.

Pink, not the most masculine hue in the world, has been adopted by a group of Quad-City men who support the work behind the 20th annual Komen Quad Cities Race for the Cure, which takes place at 8 a.m. Saturday in Moline.

The men were recruited by Cathie Whiteside, co-race director, who lauds the group for “looking awesome” in the photo attached.

Whiteside said the folks involved are working to recruit more participants, especially to reach Saturday’s event goal of 10,000 walkers and runners.

Race for the Cure is a prime fundraiser for the Komen Foundation. Funds raised help pay for local breast health and breast cancer awareness projects. That’s a more worthy project today than ever.

Click here to find out more about Race for the Cure, which kicks off at 8 a.m. Saturday in Moline. (http://www.komenquadcities.org/)

The founding group of the “Pink Tie Guys” includes (listed first row, left to right; second row, left to right; third row, left to right in attached photo):

Dr. Matthew Christophersen, physician, Davenport Surgical Group

Vic Quinn, executive vice president, Quad City Bank & Trust

Jim Graham, owner, 50+ Lifestyles Magazine

Greg Larrison, president, Larrison & Associates Architects

Dr. Douglas Khoury, physician, Davenport Surgical Group

Jeff Gilfillan, retired partner, Isabel Bloom, LLC

Dan Kueter, president and CEO, United Healthcare Inc.

Bill Wundram, columnist, the Quad-City Times

Frank Clark, plant manager, Nestle Purina PetCare

Joe Moreno, 3M and race director, Quad Cities Marathon

Dr. K. John Hartman, physician, Davenport Surgical Group

Dr. Joseph Lohmuller, physician, Davenport Surgical Group

Dr. Michael Phelps, physician, Davenport Surgical Group

Ryan Burchett, chief meteorologist, KWQC-TV6

Chris Bush,  freshman, Assumption High School and junior race director, Komen Quad Cities Race for the Cure®

Jay Whiteside, business analyst, Deere & Co., Komen Quad Cities Race for the Cure® Co-Race Director

Fred Whiteside, women’s track & cross country coach, Augustana College, Komen Quad Cities Race for the Cure® co-race director

Thom Cornelis, sports director, KWQC-TV6

Not available for photo:
Gary Metivier, Anchor, KWQC-TV6; Jim Victor, SVP, Smith Barney & financial analyst; Doug Cropper, president & CEO, Genesis Health System; Dr. David Aanestad, physician, Davenport Surgical Group; John Anderson, president & CEO, Quad City Bank & Trust; Michael Whiteside, assistant general manager, Noodles & Company; Bill Cleaver, attorney, Bozeman, Neighbour Patton & Noe and Kevin Mueller, CFO, Davenport Dryer, LLC

This morning’s assignment has to be a record for my 25 years of experience in the world of journalism.

I went to an Anatomy Enrichment Program in the cadaver lab at Augustana College, Rock Island, and wrote about 20 high school teens who spent this summer day dissecting actual human bodies that had been donated to science.

Interestingly, I find this topic to be greatly divided along generational lines. Regular readers know I’m 51 years old, and that I have a certain type of “ick” reaction to this type of topic. But younger colleagues and other more youthful individuals focus on the educational aspect of the activity.

That’s exactly what I did, today. It is quite educational, and we are lucky to have a facility like Augustana’s cadaver lab in the Quad-Cities.

I witnessed 20 very focused high school students who treated each of four cadavers with great respect. This Augustana program is the first of several planned to offer unique educational experiences to high-achieving youth.

But, as the mother of a teen, I also appreciated a moment that had little to do with science. I was following behind two young girls who put their long white laboratory coats on over their regular clothing before entering the cadaver lab. “Yuk,” said one, speaking of the coat, “this is ugly.”

“No kidding!,” said her friend. “At least I have on cute shoes.”

My main story in this week’s Health section of the Times focused on children who are encouraged by their school to remain active while at home. It points out a gradual cultural change.

It seems more and more individuals, organizations and events are all working to keep children moving, or exercising, much like we Baby Boomers tended to do many years ago.

A good idea is to enjoy the great outdoors this summer while helping the whole family to work out.

My family includes three of us who like to walk together; we do this on the road by our home, or in the park that’s nearby. It’s an especially good time to visit. Here are some more ideas for family-focused exercise, most of which are provided by the TOPS, or Take Off Pounds Sensibly, organization.

1. Call the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center, (563) 328-3286, or check the web site here (http://www.scottcountyiowa.com/conservation/wapsi.php) to see about nature hikes. Many facilities like this one have special events when children are out of school.

2. Initiate a house rule that video games or watching television has to stop after one hour.

3. Provide a child with outdoor equipment, such as a kite, bicycle or inline skates. Something new or different can provide incentive to use it outdoors. Better yet, offer, if possible, to play with the child.

4. Ride bikes together, but remember to wear helmets and to practice good “rules of the road.”

5. Challenge walkers periodically to go a little farther.

6. Look for routes that combine inclines and flat paths. My walking path in our local park has a long, sharp incline. We really like to get to the top of that hill and then walk more easily on level ground.

7. Keep a log of the distance covered. Consider small rewards for each 10 miles achieved. We use a spare calendar to track the family’s workouts; the aim is to exercise at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

Before the advent of the current electronics era many Americans, including yours truly, managed to enjoy a fairly pain-free life. But daily work at a computer first caused some hurt from carpel tunnel syndrome, which necessitated various rehab techniques.

Lately, a new generation of Americans, including my daughter, have the potential to experience such pain problems through the repeated use of texting, or playing games such as those of the Wii system.

“All the excitement about PDAs and Wii can often spark obsessive and unrestricted use which takes a toll on the body,” said Dr. Traci Nelson of Nelson Chiropractic in Bettendorf.

Thumbs, Nelson said, are not really designed for use at unusual angles as required to text on phones, in the use of PDAs, or Personal Data Assistants, or in playing electronic games such as the Wii. Damage starts out as minimal and may become chronic.

Here are some proper habits to avoid pain: Take micro-breaks, employ stretching exercises and use correct ergonomics, such as a lowered computer keyboard.

My carpel tunnel pain came from using a banquet table as a desk, I am convinced. Once I got the correct chair, keyboard height, mouse placement, etc., I was able to rehab the muscles and end that unhappy chapter of my life.

The American Chiropractic Association and the Iowa Chiropractic Society offer these tips on safe use of the electronic devices in question:

Cell phones and PDAs –

1. Keep the wrist as straight as possible, minimize neck bending and twisting.

2. Try to rest your arms or let them fall relaxed to the side of the body.

3. Use a chair that provides lower-back support and natural body posture.

4. Avoid hunching shoulders or leaning your head forward.

When it’s a Wii game –

1. While using a traditional classic controller, rest your arms on a pillow if possible.

2. Allow for room around your legs.

3. Position the gaming television in front of you, not at the side, and put it at eye level so you are not always looking up. If you can’t move the TV or monitor, move yourself to a proper height.