The Cardiologist's Wife

Pimento Cheese, Not Your Grandma's Spread

Pimento cheese is one of those foods that has been so corrupted by the food industry that it has become synonymous with other crappy foods like Spam. I'm not even certain what store bought pimento cheese might contain, nor do I want to find out. It's a shame because pimento cheese can be a delightful treat, even if it does Read the full post…

Plum Good BBQ Sandwiches

In a few days it will officially be fall but the temperatures are still warm enough for me to continue swimming for a few more days. The breeze was a little cool but that didn't stop me from swimming several laps this morning and I felt great afterwards! Have you exercised lately? With fall's cooler temperatures and fewer insects, you Read the full post…

Shingles Vacine and Treatment

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with shingles so I felt I should discuss this nasty virus once again. If you ever had chicken pox, you are at risk for getting shingles and believe me, you don't want it. Shingles is a painful rash with blisters that scab over and may take 4 weeks or more to heal. The Read the full post…

Vegetarian Tacos are muy delicioso!

There are times when I think I could easily become a vegetarian, especially when I try a new dish that is as good as the vegetarian tacos I had at Local Lime restaurant in Little Rock and the tofu fried rice at Sai Tai here in Jonesboro. My husband and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary this past weekend by spending Read the full post…

Midyear Health Check

Summer is winding down , the year is more than half way over and our January resolutions are long forgotten. It's time for a health reality check. First of all, how is your health lately? If you have enjoyed good health, are you thankful? Take some time to appreciate how wonderful it feels to be healthy, for your family to Read the full post…

Vacation Lessons For A Healthier Life

I'm back from a lovely beach vacation and I wish I was still there with all my heart. Wouldn't it be nice if our every day life was as nice as a vacation? If we could relax, eat well, sleep and exercise just enough without having to worry about bills, work, illnesses and school, our lives would be perfect. But Read the full post…

1 2 3 4 5 6

Obesity And Knee Surgery

[ Post by Lisa Tedder ][ Post on September 27, 2012 ][ In Medical and Health Information ]

It was no surprise to me when I heard on the news last night that Americans are having knee surgery in unprecedented numbers and I knew exactly why before the reporter even told us. Americans are too fat and all that excess weight destroys knees. Obesity wears out joints faster and contributes to arthritis. The rate of knee surgery in those 65 and older has more than doubled over the last 20 years by 162% as Americans fight to stay mobile. The effect on Medicare is obvious with 60% of those surgeries paid for by Medicare. The average cost of a knee surgery is $15,000. To be fair, obesity accounts for about 12% of those surgeries annually but with obesity rates projected to go up, it will account for a larger share of the surgery pie.

Also, knee surgery patients are getting younger as obesity and an athletic lifestyle take a toll on the body sooner. This all makes yet another solid case for taking care of your body. Doctors can’t always fix what you broke and if they can, it will cost you money, time and pain. Doctors are not wizards who wave their wands or give you a potion that works quickly and effectively. So if you are overweight, (and if you even think you might be overweight, you probably are) lose the weight by exercising and eating a healthy diet. If you do exercise or participate in a sport, train carefully and properly so that you don’t put unnecessary strain on your joints and muscles, risking injury.

People like to gripe all the time about the cost of health care; it’s too expensive, and we don’t want to pay for it. But we don’t do anything to help ourselves prevent health problems either! We want to eat all the junk we can stuff in our mouths, sit on the couch and watch TV or play video games. God forbid we should take a walk or (gasp!) eat a vegetable that isn’t fried! I find it pitiful that students and adults alike do nothing but complain about the changes to school lunches. ”Let us have our fat, salt and sugar, then help us when we’re sick!” is the unspoken motto.

I’m not sorry to be so harsh today; somebody has to speak the plain truth. If we treated our cars half as bad as we do our bodies, they wouldn’t run. What happens for instance, if we put diesel in a car designed to use gas? What if we don’t change the oil? We should be able to see what happens when we put junk in our bodies but we overlook the glaring evidence until our bodies shut down. Get a clue, people, get a clue! We complain about illegal aliens getting our tax dollars, what about those who don’t even try to take care of themselves bloating health care costs? It’s past time to take responsibility for your health.