UNHEALTHY HOLLYWOOD! Healthapalooza’s Annual Report

Healthapalooza’s Annual Report

UNHEALTHY HOLLYWOOD

by Sean Kenniff, MD

Hollywood has always been a good place for bad behavior. But 2009 was especially tragic for Tinseltown, as a lot of Hollywood’s best had their worst and last moments. In June, David Carradine died under bizarre sexual circumstances in a Bangkok Hotel. Soon thereafter the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, went into cardiac arrest after receiving a deadly cocktail of potent prescription drugs. Adam Michael Goldstein, better known as DJ AM, suffered a fatal drug overdose in August. And most recently 32 year-old actress Brittany Murphy died under questionable circumstances. Forget falling stars, 2009 was a meteor shower.

All year the staff at Healthapalooza.com follows celebrity news, gossip, and tabloid rumors to bring you our annual report “Unhealthy Hollywood.” The winner of each category is dishonored with a “Healthapaloozer” award—perhaps the only award in Hollywood nobody wants to win.

In the category for SCARIEST SKINNY the nominees are…

1.    Lindsay Lohan

2.    Mishka Barton

3.    Keira Knightly

The Healthapaloozer goes to Mishka Barton! According to the British tabloid The Daily Mail, the 5’9” Barton was a curvy size 12 last year. Now she appears sickly and skeletal. Barton denies having an eating disorder, and credits her dramatic weight loss to a new obsession with pilates.

Important Fact: The eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia, are the deadliest forms of mental illness. In women, anorexia raises the risk of death 12 times.

In the category for FRIGHTENINGLY FAT the nominees are…

1.    Kirstie Alley

2.    John Goodman

3.    Aretha Franklin

The Healthapaloozer goes to Aretha Franklin! Lately the “Queen of Soul” has been looking more like the “Dairy Queen of Soul.”

Important Fact: Being overweight or obese raises the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and many forms of cancer. There are more than 4 million Americans weighing over 300 pounds.  

In the category for MOST TOXIC BODY the nominees are…

1.    Amy Winehouse

2.    Artie Lange

3.    Courtney Love

The Healthapaloozer goes to Amy Winehouse! The singer claims she has been drug free since January 2009, but her erratic behavior is raising a lot of doubts. Winehouse was arrested two times in 2009 for alleged assaults, and in late December she collapsed and was treated at a hospital for “nervous exhaustion.” Amy, it looks like it might be time to say “Yes, Yes, Yes,” to rehab.

Important Fact: The most common addictions in the U.S. are to legal substances, namely alcohol and tobacco. In terms of dollar amounts, more cocaine is sold each year in the U.S. than Starbuck’s coffee.

In the category for MOST LIKELY TO CONTRACT AN STD the nominees are…

1.    George Michael

2.    Tiger Woods

3.    Warren Beatty

The Healthapaloozer goes to George Michael! Tiger Woods had at least 11 mistresses, and Warren Beatty is rumored to have slept with nearly 13-thousand women over his acting career, but singer George Michael appears to be the riskiest sex seeker. In 1998 the Grammy winning superstar was nabbed by police engaging in a “lewd act” in a public toilet, and he recently admitted to The Guardian that he smokes seven joints a day and engages in casual sex about twice a week with men other than his boyfriend.

Important Fact: Drug use increases the risk of contracting an STD. So does having sex under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or having sex with someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The more sexual partners you have, the higher your risk of an STD.

In the category for MOST FROZEN FACE the nominees are…

1.    Joan Rivers

2.    Kenny Rogers

3.    Kathy Griffen

The Healthapaloozer goes to Joan Rivers! Joan Rivers clearly suffers from the “Frozen Face Syndrome.” With her facial muscles paralyzed by Botox, and skin stretched paper thin, the funny lady can hardly crack a smile.

Important Fact: Nearly 12 million cosmetic surgeries were performed in the U.S. in 2007. Two thirds of cosmetic surgery patients are repeat patients.

In the category for MOST DANGEROUS DIET the nominees are…

1.    Rihanna

2.    Britney Spears

3.    Miley Cyrus

The Healthapaloozer goes to Miley Cyrus! Sultry songstress Rihanna supposedly orders pizza, lasagna, and french fries before her concerts. Britney Spears reportedly kicked her junk food habit to slim down for her Circus tour. But Miley Cyrus is allegedly addicted to junk food. While staying at a hotel in December 2009 Life and Style reported Cyrus ordered seven burgers and cheese fries, and she washed it all down with an Oreo milkshake.

Important Fact: A study conducted in 2000 found junk food raises the risk of heart disease in TEENS!

In the category for UNHEALTHIEST MOVIE the nominees are…

1.    Taking Woodstock

2.    Paul Blart: Mall Cop

3.    The Hangover

And the Healthapaloozer goes to The Hangover! No doubt The Hangover was a comedy hit, but the bachelor party booze bonanza flick features almost every kind of unhealthy behavior—drugs, anonymous sex, over drinking, grand theft, taser demonstrations, and being punched by Mike Tyson.

Important Fact: Recently studies have found hangovers impair judgment and memory, and they are a leading cause of work absences and lost productivity. Another recent study found driving with a hangover is 4-times more dangerous than driving sober.

In the category for UNHEALTHIEST TELEVISION PROGRAM the nominees are…

1.    Rock of Love with Brett Michaels

2.    The Simpsons

3.    More to Love

And the Healthapaloozer goes to Rock of Love! Homer Simpson is a drunk-driving donut-eating dimwit who chokes his son, Bart, in fits of rage, but even he could not beat the unhealthy behaviors featured on VH1’s Rock of Love with Bret Michaels.  On the show chain-smoking boozed-up bimbos compete for the affection of Bret Michaels, the former frontman of the rock group Poison. 

Last but not least, the EVEL KNIEVEL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR DEATH DEFYING LIVING goes to…Artie Lange! Howard Stern’s hysterical sidekick, and author of the book, Too Fat to Fish, is dangerously fat, and has a long history of drug and alcohol abuse. He was recently hospitalized for undisclosed reasons. Get well, Artie, and stay well.

Does I.Q. Decline with Age?

   Though there is some evidence that the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) can increase during early childhood, it is supposed to remain relatively constant during adulthood. But the reason for this constancy is purely statistical and not biological.

   There are several different kinds of IQ tests and all of them are imperfect, but they are believed to provide a rough measure of a person’s reasoning ability. An IQ of 90-110 is considered average. After testing for verbal skills, visual-spatial abilities, mathematical reasoning and memory, a person’s raw score is calculated.

   This raw score is corrected for age, and then plotted on a bell curve against the scores of similarly aged people in the general population. In other words, IQ is not only a calculation, it is a comparison to other people of the same age. So, theoretically, a person of any age should always fall into the same percentile when compared with their peers.

   While one’s IQ may stay the same, most people do show a modest decline in mental performance on IQ testing as they age. Verbal skills seem to be retained the longest, but memory, mathematical ability and visual-spatial reasoning start to decline slowly around and 35, and more considerably after age 65. -Sean Kenniff, MD

The Ten Most Effective Abdominal Exercises: #5 The Torso Track

  You can turn flabby into fabulous with these top ten abdominal exercises. Dr. Peter Francis and his team from the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University measured abdominal muscle activity by using electromyography (EMG) devices. They then rated the most commonly performed abdominal exercises from most effective to least effective. The study was sanctioned by the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

#5 The Torso Track

  Dr. Francis found the most effective abdominal exercises combined continuous abdominal contraction and rotation of the torso. So adding a twist will always help work your oblique muscles. Overall the Bicycle Maneuver ranked #1, the Captain’s Chair ranked #2, and the Exercise Ball Crunch ranked #3, and the Vertical Leg Crunch came in at #4 for working the abs (see below). In fifth place came Fitness Quest’s ‘The Torso Track’ a piece of equipment sold on infomercials. But the Torso Track faired only slightly better than a regular crunch. Many gyms have a Torso Track. Here’s how to perform the exercise properly according to the manufacturer.

• 1. Grip the handrails of the device and hold in your abs without holding your breath.
• 2. Exhale as you glide forward as far as you can without straining.
• 3. If you fall or collapse, you have gone too far forward.
• 4. Contract your abdominals as you pull back up.
• 5. Complete three sets of then repetitions.
• 6. Always use smooth motion while performing this exercise.

Check the Healthapalooza.com Special Reports section tomorrow when we will reveal the exercises that ranked #6 thru #10 in the study. -Sean Kenniff, MD

The Ten Most Effective Abdominal Exercises: #4 The Vertical Leg Crunch

  There are ten top abdominal exercises that can help your tummy go from flabulous to fabulous. Dr. Peter Francis and his team from the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University measured abdominal muscle activity with electromyography. They then rated the most commonly performed abdominal exercises from most effective to least effective. The study was sanctioned by the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

#4 The Vertical Leg Crunch

  Dr. Francis found the most effective abdominal exercises combined continuous abdominal contraction and rotation of the torso. So adding a twist helps work your obliques. Overall the Bicycle Maneuver ranked #1, the Captain’s Chair ranked #2, and the Exercise Ball Crunch ranked #3 (see below). The Vertical Leg Crunch came in at #4 for working the abs, and at #5 for working the oblique muscles. Here’s how to perform the Vertical Leg Crunch properly according to the ACE.

• 1. Lie flat on floor with lower back pressed against the ground.
• 2. Put hands behind your head, but do not pull on your neck.
• 3. Extend your legs straight up in the air and cross your ankles.
• 4. Your knees should be slightly bent.
• 5. Contract your abdominals bringing your torso towards your feet.
• 6. Keep your chin off your chest, and exhale with each contraction.

 Check the Healthapalooza.com Special Reports section tomorrow when we will reveal the exercise that ranked #5 in the study. -Sean Kenniff, MD

Researchers Link Arab-American Dress, Diet to Vitamin-D Deficiency

(Press Release)

Arab-American women need supplement to boost dangerously low vitamin D levels

   Arab-American women living in southeast Detroit whose conservative dress limits their exposure to sun should be taking a vitamin D supplement to boost their dangerously low serum levels, according to a study published by Henry Ford Hospital researchers.

   Researchers found that all 87 women involved in a small study showed vitamin D levels averaging 8.5 ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter) for those who wore western dress to 4 ng/mL for those who wore the hijab, modest dress with a headscarf. A healthy vitamin D level is 30 ng/mL or higher.

   Also, the women consumed little dietary sources of vitamin D. Forty-seven women reported drinking any milk on a weekly basis, but the amount they consume isn’t significant enough to boost their vitamin D levels, researchers say.

   The study is published in the January/February issue of Endocrine Practice. It is believed to be the largest study on the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in one of the largest concentrations of Arab Americans in southeast Michigan.

   Raymond Hobbs, M.D., a Henry Ford Internal Medicine physician and lead author of the study, described the vitamin D deficiency in the women as “much greater than we would have thought.”

“When people live where the weather is colder and they are more covered with clothing, they depend on their diet for their vitamin D,” Dr. Hobbs says. “Unfortunately, most food with the exception of oily fish and vitamin D fortified milk has very little vitamin D. The women in our study drank very little milk, fortified orange juice and had decreased sun exposure because of their dress.”

   Low levels of vitamin D are linked to increased risk of cancer, diabetes and Crohn’s disease, Dr. Hobbs says. Vitamin D is needed to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. It also helps in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones.

“Our findings are consistent with those of similar studies in other parts of the world and underscore the point that there are pockets of individuals who are at risk for culturally mediated health problems,” Dr. Hobbs says. “We need to raise their awareness of this deficiency and to offer them options for increasing their vitamin D levels. A vitamin D supplement is a start.”

  More than 490,000 Arab Americans reside in southeast Michigan, the largest population anywhere outside the Middle East. For the study, researchers looked at Arab-American women in the city of Dearborn, a southeast Detroit suburb in which Arab Americans comprise one third of the 100,000 population.

   Sunlight exposure is the single most important factor in producing vitamin D in the body. For example, sun bathing for a period of time will produce 10,000- 20,000 international units, a measure of vitamin potency, or the equivalent of 100 glasses of fortified milk.

   For the study, researchers recruited women who attended an ethnic supermarket in Dearborn during the course of two Saturdays in April 2007 to search for correlations with dress, diet, use of vitamin D-fortified foods and vitamin supplements. They were interviewed to assess dress, medical history, medication use, clinical symptoms associated with vitamin D deficiency, consumption of fortified milk or fortified orange juice and vitamin supplements. Blood samples also were taken onsite and analyzed for levels of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone and other minerals.

  Dr. Hobbs says Henry Ford is launching an awareness campaign to educate the Arab American community in Dearborn about the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and offer options for addressing the problem.

   Researchers theorize that Arab American women avoid milk because of reported higher incidence of lactose intolerance in their population.

“Our goal is to help them understand that by taking these preventive measures now, they can avoid serious health problems in the future,” Dr. Hobbs says.

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The study was funded by Henry Ford Hospital and the DiaSorin Co.