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Eating ultra processed foods leads to weighty problems

ESCANABA — How well do you eat? An associated question, how important is it to your health? Many would agree nutrition is a topic on which we have much to learn. Theories abound on how best to eat, and the plethora of diets developed in recent years is testament to this. How much do scientists know about the influence of nutrition on health? And then compare this to how much the general public knows about it! A recent study in the prestigious British Medical Journal stated that sixty percent of the calories consumed by the average American comes from processed foods that are largely ...

Health Matters: Bone spurs common in lower extremity

ESCANABA — What follows is a common scenario: an individual experiences pain from the bottom of their heel. They mention it to their primary care provider who sends them for x-rays, an effective means of evaluating osseous tissue, i.e. bone. Examining the radiographs, the PCP finds a large spike of bone exactly where the patient is experiencing their pain. The obvious conclusion is the spur is causing the individual’s pain. Bone is an interesting tissue, at least in part because of how it responds to stress. Obviously, bone must be produced for growth and repair. And many things ...

Health Matters: Advantage plans for seniors come under fire

ESCANABA — American healthcare is a system in crisis. Many Americans have no health insurance and are one injury away from homelessness. Debts resulting from medical care too often lead to bankruptcy or worse. And though there are a multitude of factors at play, many experts believe it is due in part to our profit-driven healthcare system. For over 50 years, we have provided our senior citizens with healthcare, referred to as Medicare. This program has provided healthcare to millions of Americans. Although many problems exist with this system, our seniors, who typically are no longer ...

Health Matters: Chronic joint pain caused by bad biomechanics

  ESCANABA — The complexity of the human body is unparalleled, from top to bottom, inside and out, science has learned much about how we function, how we think, and how we move. Still, many mysteries remain. One example would be our gut biome: what do all those bacteria do and what is the interaction with our general health. One topic on which we have progressed tremendously in our understanding concerns the musculoskeletal system. The functions of the structures composing this system should be obvious; they allow us to walk and stand, to carry things, even run and jump (at ...

Health Matters: Pickleball injuries epidemic

ESCANABA — America is known as a land of sports fanatics. Examine for a moment the attention directed towards sports in this country: from youth sports to the many collegiate athletic events, all the professional competitions, then add in the recent explosion of sports betting, it is a pervasive part of life in this country. If you want numerical evidence of this, simply look at the monies associated with the NFL, the million dollar salaries, the advertising, the pro game is a large part of the American economy. Many claim there is too much attention on sports since, for most of us, ...

Growing pains remain a mystery

ESCANABA — Pain is part of the human experience. As should be predictable, pain is a more frequent companion as we age, the ravages of time taking its toll. Many of us manage to damage some body part or experience a malfunction of a bodily system, and pain is generated as a result. This unpleasant sensation is generally not associated with the vitality of youth, which has not been subjected to the degradation of the years. Children can experience pain, of course, but they relate to it differently than adults. Children will often not be able to verbalize these unpleasant sensations ...