Tag Archives: smoking

E-Cigarettes Are Not as Bad, But Still Not Good

Billed as a healthier alternative to smoking, e-cigarettes may not be as harmless as previously thought. As they become more popular, more research is being conducted about e-cigarettes, and what the researchers are finding isn’t all that good.

The latest research suggests the vapor produced by e-cigarettes produces tiny particles. These particles are then inhaled deeply into the lungs, which could cause or worsen respiratory diseases.

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Posted on May 13, 2024 by Elizabeth

Former Marlboro Man Dies of Smoking-Related Illness

It was announced yesterday that Eric Lawson, actor, had died at age 72. His cause of death was respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Eric Lawson, who died of a smoking-related illness, was the Marlboro Man from 1978 to 1981.

Lawson was one of the few actors cast as the smoking cowboy. Usually Philip Morris went with rodeo riders and ranch-hands to give their ads an authentic feel. The image of a tough, rugged man smoking their cigarettes caused the company’s sales to grow tremendously. Philip Morris took a chance on Lawson, who started smoking at 14, because he looked the part.

Though a long-time smoker, Lawson took part in an anti-smoking advertisement for the American Cancer Society in the 1990s that mocked the Marlboro Man campaign. He also gave an interview on an Entertainment Tonight segment during which he spoke of the negative effects of smoking and the health risks.

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Posted on January 28, 2024 by Elizabeth

Bye Bye Bloomberg! What NYC Gained Before it Lost its Biggest Health Advocate

With the new year, New York City bid farewell to Mayor Mike Bloomberg after a twelve-year term. Love him or hate him, his achievements in public health were stunning. While others only talked, he managed to act on smoking, obesity, and hypertension—and he placed the burden of fixing them on the industries that profited at the cost of the public’s health.

The Mayor showed that public health is a priority for local government, not just for the federal government to create health policies from on high. Bloomberg used New York City as a laboratory for public health innovation, spotlighting issues and testing solutions on a relatively small scale.

Here’s a reminder of Mayor Bloomberg’s most significant public health campaigns:

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Posted on January 8, 2024 by Natalie K

Mississippi Retains Least Healthy State Title, Hawaii Ranks Healthiest in 2024 Rankings

According to the latest, and frankly most, state health rankings, the healthiest states are mostly found in the western and northeastern parts of the country while the least healthy are in the South. America’s Health Rankings have released their list for 2024, with Hawaii taking the top health spot.

The top three is rounded out by Vermont and Minnesota. At the bottom of the overall list are Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi. To determine the overall health of each state, America’s Health Rankings combined information about individual health choices, environment, public policy and clinical care. States were also ranked on percentage of adult population who smoke, are obese, are physically inactive, and have diabetes.

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Posted on December 12, 2024 by Elizabeth

Fit Enough to Fornicate! 5 Ways to Start Having More Sex With Your Partner

Dating is fun—especially in the flirty, passionate beginning of a relationship. But eventually, life settles in, and between the kids, family, work, and finances, you might forget all about that fire.

It’s perfectly natural—for most people, this passion plunge occurs between one and four years into cohabitation, and women experience it more than men. But that doesn’t mean you have to take the situation, um, lying down.

Keeping in mind all the physical and emotional perks of frequent sex—the cardiovascular benefits alone are impressive—it’s well worth it to make the effort to keep the home fires smoldering. Here are some ways to do just that:

Keep on moving. The benefits of exercise are endless. In the sex column, studies show that people who exercise more get more action in the bedroom—and they’re more satisfied when they do. They also have more stamina and higher levels of self-confidence, which benefit sexual experience. (more…)

Posted on September 18, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

I Have Diabetes – Now What? A New Patient’s Guide to Managing Type 2 Diabetes

There are more than 25.8 million people living with diabetes in the U.S., according to the CDC. They also say that adds up to just more than eight percent of our total population. It’s a tricky disease to manage and an expensive one, with a total annual cost of $2 billion. More startling? Eighty percent of cases are reversible, but that part is up to you.

If you’re one of the nearly two million newly diagnosed cases of diabetes each year, it can be worrisome, to say the least. The word strikes fear in those who have it, and worry in their loved ones. Life as you know it seemingly changes in an instance. But that’s OK. It’s a hard reality check to follow, but one that can literally save your life.

With Dr. Sarah G. Khan, our resident pharmacist and diabetes education expert, we’ve created your one-stop guide to diabetes for new patients. We’ll answer your questions, provide you with resources, and give you options to manage or reverse your disease.

1. Do you want to manage or correct your diabetes?

“I think diabetes is a combination of both managing and correcting,” explained Dr. Khan. “There are other factors such as illness and stress that raise blood sugars which aren’t always under a person’s control.” Ask yourself which path you want to take.

If you want to manage… (more…)

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Natalie K

Smoking Alcohol Cuts Calories, Could Kill You

Go home America, you’re drunk. Of course “smoking alcohol” is a thing now, trending with young men at college campuses nationwide. The weight conscious are beginning to adopt the practice, as the inhalation of alcohol cuts all the calories and sugars.

The concept is simple. Alcohol can be smoked by pouring liquor over dry ice and inhaling the fumes, or freebasing the stuff, like crack. YouTube videos depicting the charming act have been popping up with increased frequency and a bar in Chicago even hosted a freebasing night in January.

Smoking alcohol provides a much more supreme high than merely drinking the stuff, and naturally, it’s devastating to the body.

smoking-alcohol

The human body prevents alcohol poisoning by forcing itself to throw up the alcohol it has ingested, but since smoking alcohol doesn’t involve the digestive system, the body does not have a surefire way to protect itself. Dr. Harris Stratyner, regional clinical vice president of Caron Treatment Centers in New York, told the New York Daily News that, “When you inhale alcohol, it goes directly into the lungs and circumnavigates the liver.” Once you skip the only organ actually designed to process alcohol, the inhaled booze-fumes make a beeline to the brain.

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Posted on June 19, 2024 by Patrick

5 Ways to Think Small About Your Weight Loss

By Team Best Life

Bigger isn’t always better. In fact, when it comes to weight loss, it’s often the small changes that end up tallying up to greater rewards. No wonder the idea of small victories is one of the hallmarks of the Best Life plan. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking small.

women
Say a word—or two.

Flexing your small-talk muscle can actually aid in maintaining your overall health. Social interactions have a lot of positives, including an elevated mood and reduced stress-hormone levels, that can keep you both emotionally and physically healthy, studies say. Not to mention, chatting it up can be an effective distraction from the buffet table or bar at most parties. (more…)

Posted on May 21, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

Kristen Stewart’s Breakup Diet is Pushing Her Toward an Eating Disorder

After a nasty split with Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart is apparently not doing well. The Hollywood actress is subsisting primarily on Red Bull and cigarettes while keeping as low a profile as possible.

A source close to her also said Stewart is looking pale and worn-out. Stewart and Pattinson’s relationship lasted nearly four years and ended when Stewart admitted to an affair with her Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders.

The insider said, “Kristen is a nervous wreck and existing on a diet of cigarettes, sugar-free Red Bull and the occasional bag of potato chips…Whenever anyone tries to push her to eat even a small bowl of soup, she either claims that she’s just had something, which isn’t true, or that she’s nauseous and there’s no chance of keeping anything down.” (more…)

Posted on August 20, 2024 by SarahS

Suicide, Cancer, Obesity Among Factors That May Shorten Baby Boomers’ Lives

For those in their 20s and 30s, consider this a wake up call: Research now suggests that baby boomers may not live longer than their parents, as a collection of studies surrounding those born between 1946 and 1964 suggests their health is on the decline.

S. Jay Olshansky, a public health professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has been studying the longevity of baby boomers under a MacArthur Foundation Grant. And based on his findings thus far, he predicts noticeable drops in this generation’s lifespan.

“If you look at the health status of the baby boom versus the generation that just preceded them, they are in worse shape,” Olshanksy told Reuters in a recent interview. He added that health experts are seeing greater frailty, increased risk for cardiovascular disease and declining cognitive function among this generation.

With improvements in healthcare, innovative drugs, and increasing life expectancies among most age groups, it’s been an assumption that baby boomers would easily outlive their parents’ generation. However, because of factors like obesity and cancer, their lifespans may be cut short. (more…)

Posted on August 15, 2024 by Dana

Tobacco Use is Up, Lung Cancer Still Killing Thousands

A recent Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report about cigarette use gives us cause for celebration. However, upon reading the entire report, we realize it’s a small, temporary celebration.

The research regarding cigarette use was released in the August issue of Morbidity and Mortality Report. The report states that Americans have decreased their cigarette use by 32.8 percent over the last 12 years. This news is fantastic as the numbers show a constant decline in smoking, giving hope that people are finally letting go of such a harmful habit.

The celebration is cut short, though, when all of the facts regarding tobacco are revealed. While cigarette smoking has decreased, a constant increase in other forms of combustible tobacco use has taken place. During the same 12-year period, the use of pipe tobacco and cigars have seen a 96.9 percent increase.

It seems fair to assume that tax laws were the reason for this shift. The taxes on pipe tobacco and cigars are lower than the rates on cigarettes. It doesn’t seem like anyone really quit smoking, they just switched their products to save money. (more…)

Posted on August 3, 2024 by Lacy

Tag Archives: smoking

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