weight loss pills

Archive for April, 2010

Growing waistlines equal growing health care costs. At least that’s how it seems regarding health and health insurance. A famous documentary has already shown the short-term impact of too many super-sized meals. But did you know that there’s another price you’re paying now – in health insurance dollars – for our nation’s weight problem?

Health insurance rates have been rising, with double-digit increases in each of the past three years. Most analysts blame these rising costs on an increased use of medical services. Are we just a nation of hypochondriacs? Why are we visiting doctors’ offices in droves? As many experts are pointing out, part of the answer may be obesity.

More than 60 percent of Americans presently qualify as overweight or obese. Even among children, obesity rates have tripled over the past decade. Obesity is known to considerably raise your risk of orthopedic problems, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, certain types of cancer, and respiratory problems. The Surgeon General’s office estimates that obesity costs the economy more than $100 billion a year.

Insurance companies understand that obesity is costly. If you’re an obese person trying to get health coverage, you may be turned down due to the risks associated with your weight. If you’re not turned down, you’ll probably pay more for coverage, up to twice as much as a slimmer person. And even though you can’t be turned down for employer-sponsored health insurance based on obesity, the increased cost of insuring you becomes a financial burden not only for you, but also for your coworkers.

Now this doesn’t mean that skinny people should blame heavier people for the annual insurance rate hikes that everyone dreads. There are other factors involved, like the increased use of prescription drugs and costly new medical technologies. But if the majority of Americans is obese and it’s substantially more expensive to insure an obese person, you can begin to see how big a role an expanding waistline may play in expanding health insurance costs.

So, what can we all do about this waistline epidemic? In the United States alone, obesity is expected to overtake smoking as the number-one cause of preventable death. Through a combination of government action and an aggressive public persuasion campaign, smoking is on the decline. These tactics can also be used in the battle on obesity.

Or perhaps we need to make the connection between obesity and health insurance costs more apparent to encourage our government and public health organizations to help in the battle of the bulge. Maybe that will encourage health insurance companies to expand coverage for weight-loss programs and procedures. Most importantly, perhaps if we feel the impact of obesity in our pocketbooks, we’ll take our health more seriously.

If you’ve never considered the ramifications of what you eat, maybe you should. It may not seem like it will affect your health now, but it certainly will in the long run. And as you’ll discover, what affects your health also will eventually affect your bank account.

Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com

You might assume that overcoming erectile dysfunction is as easy as taking a pill and dancing with your lover around the bedroom in a few minutes. However, it is not that easy, and it can cost you a big buck. For instance, one blue pill costs around $15. Unfortunately, you won’t get insurance for such costs, even though most men, who reach 65 years of age undergo ED.

Around 30 millions of men in the US suffer ED. Almost one third of males in their 50s are undergoing it, and even more do when they get over 60.

If you think that taking Viagra two times a week is the best solution, you could end up spending about $1,500 per year. In case you are lucky enough to get the coverage for your medicines, you will have a bill with around $500 costs. And the most discouraging thing is that most of the ED drugs don’t work well for nearly half of men, who undergo it.

However, there are other medications for the dysfunction. Some of which can turn out being even more affordable then the widely known medicines. The fact is that there are no men, who can’t be helped with their erectile dysfunction.

At first, it’s necessary to visit a doctor that is specialized in ED and let him check your general health condition. In case your primary doctor can’t recommend you anything, you can always address the Sexual Medicine Society and inquire a medical referral.

Often, ED is the symptom of some problem like hypertension or diabetes. As a matter of fact, among younger males, erectile troubles are frequently the first signs of cardiovascular disorder. Young men can suffer erectile problems up to three years prior to a stroke or heart attack.

That is because blood-plate will begin to hinder the small penis arteries before the larger coronary arteries. The physician will try to define if your erectile dysfunction is the consequence of a psychological matter, in case of which they will advise you to refer to a specialist. In dependence with your policy, your underwriter might cover a particular number of visits. Thus, you would have to pay a closer attention to this issue.

When you adopt a healthier lifestyle, you will be able to better your overall health and recover your erectile functioning.

In a recent research on ED and the risk of its development, Italian researchers concluded that the males might better their erectile abilities by losing their weight, bettering their diets, and doing more frequent physical exercises. After 2 years of perceptible changes in the lifestyle, 58% of men showed normal erectile abilities, in accordance to the research, which was posted in the January issues of Journal of Sexual Medicine.

However, changes in your lifestyle might be hard to make and might take months before taking effect. During this period, your physician will possibly prescribe a PDE-5 inhibitor, like Levitra, Viagra, and Cialis. These medicines improve the nitric oxide effects, which help to augment flow of blood to the penis. These three drugs work in the same manner, but distinguish in the periods they need for effect and how long it lasts.

This is, probably the best solution in such condition. You may consider to order Levitra online, which is not a bad decision at all, since when you want to buy cheap Levitra, Viagra, or Cialis, Internet is the best way to save on your costs and receive a quality product.

The significant thing you have to remember is that if these inhibitors don’t work for you, you shouldn’t give up. In 40% of cases, it is the patient’s mistake, which causes the medicine to fail in its effect. Carefully follow the doctor’s instructions and you will work all things out.

We need to start with a brief reminder of the underlying mechanics of an erection. When your brain recognises a situation as sexually stimulating, it sends a message to the arteries leading into the penis. Although blood is routinely circulated through the penis – it prevents gangrene and the flesh rotting – the volume is low. When the message from the brain is received by the arteries, they dilate and the volume of blood entering the penis increases dramatically. It slowly begins to fill a sponge-like area of tissue. As this swells, it presses against the veins taking the blood out. This traps blood inside the penis and the erection grows and hardens. When the stimulation disappears, the arteries into the penis contract. The flow of blood is reduced and the erection fades away. Ignoring the problems of psychology, this places the key performance requirement on the ability of the arteries to dilate and contract upon demand.

There are smooth muscles built into the walls of arteries all round the body and, depending on the energy requirements and environmental conditions like temperature, they all expand and contract as needed. Unfortunately, the blood carries a number of different elements through the body including cholesterol and triglycerides. These cause the walls of the arteries to harden. Plaques form which prevent dilation and contraction. This becomes the disease called artherosclerosis. It first affects the smallest arteries and, if not treated, spreads through the whole system of blood vessels until the heart can no longer cope. Strokes and heart attacks follow.

When we apply this to erectile dysfunction, the lessons are clear. The arteries leading into the penis are among the smallest in the body and so the ones most likely to be affected by artherosclerosis. If the early onset of this disease is preventing you from enjoying an erection, this suggests the rest of your blood vessels will be affected over time. The best estimates are that you have about four years from the first appearance of erectile dysfunction to take effective preventative action to prevent heart disease. Because the medical science is clear, any man reporting erectile dysfunction to his physician will be treated as a heart patient until tests prove the risks are low. Put another way, erectile dysfunction is a warning sign giving you the chance to avoid the pain of a stroke or heart attack and extend your life. Ignore this warning at your peril.

You could just surf the internet, find a recommended online pharmacy and buy cialis. This drug is clearly the best of the treatments because it gives the longest response times. If you take the as-needed version, it gives thirty-six hours of responsiveness. The once-daily version gives you responsive power as and when the opportunity presents itself. This would restore your erections and give you several years of satisfaction and pleasure. But during these years, the artherosclerosis will be developing. If you have not at least made lifestyle changes to your diet, your health is seriously at risk, and no amount of cialis is going to prevent the arrival of serious diseases. Take the wise course of action. Have the full range of tests. If they prove negative, you are reassured and your health insurance company is happy. If you are at risk, the preventive treatments will extend your and keep your insurance company’s bills small. Everyone’s a winner!

Flolan is a type of drug known as a prostaglandin, and is used to treat Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. Flolan works by relaxing blood vessels in the lungs and allowing the lungs and heart to achieve more normal levels of function. There are a number of important aspects involved in the safe use of Flolan for PPH treatment.

Before taking Flolan

Flolan should not be used by people who are allergic to any of the ingredients in the drug, or by anyone with severe congestive heart failure. If you have either of these conditions your doctor must be informed when you are discussing PPH treatment options.

Additionally, you should inform your doctor if you are pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant while taking Flolan. Any allergies you have to foods and other substances as well as medications, and any prescription or over-the-counter medicines you are taking should be discussed prior to starting Flolan treatment.

Flolan and Drug Interactions

Another important aspect of Flolan treatment is the way in which the drug interacts with an extensive variety and range of prescription and over-the-counter medications. These include such commonly-used drugs as Aspirin and Tylenol, as well as more specialized over-the-counter treatments such as Rogaine.

Some of these drug interactions can reduce the effectiveness of the Flolan treatment, and other interactions may produce severe side effects. It is vital that you inform your doctor if you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications prior to being treated with Flolan. Additionally, you should consult with your doctor before taking any medications while you are using Flolan.

Side Effects of Flolan Treatment

Flolan has numerous minor side effects including feelings of anxiety, pain in muscles or bones as well as in the stomach, back or jaw, headaches, dizziness or nausea, and vomiting. More serious side effects include chest pain, irregular heartbeat, and unexplained bruising or bleeding. If you experience any of these side effects while taking Flolan, it’s important to consult your doctor as soon as possible. Even minor side effects should be reported, as your doctor may want to adjust your Flolan dosage.

Overdoses

Because Flolan is administered intravenously it is usually handled, stored and administered by a trained medical professional. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to use Flolan at home and administer it yourself. Any Flolan at home should be safely stored away from children and pets, and Flolan should be used in accordance with your doctor’s advice.

Symptoms of a Flolan overdose include headaches, lightheadedness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and rapid heart rate. If you suspect a Flolan overdose, contact your local medical emergency facility immediately.

Staying Safe while Using Flolan

Flolan can cause dizziness, and this effect can be increased if you drink alcohol, or if you take certain medications in addition to Flolan. For this reason, it is safer to avoid driving or performing other activities which may be hazardous, until you know how your body will react to the drug. The side effects of Flolan treatment differ between individuals, and you may react more or less severely depending on your unique circumstances.

The effects of Flolan on pregnancy and breast-feeding are not yet established. If you are pregnant prior to being treated with Flolan your doctor may discuss alternative treatments. If you wish to become pregnant while you are already taking Flolan, they may want to reduce your dosage or change your treatment plan while you are pregnant. Your doctor may even suggest that it would be safer if you change your pregnancy plans.

In all situations, if you are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding while taking Flolan or prior to being treated with Flolan, discuss your situation with your doctor to make sure both you and your baby remain safe.

Flolan may cause severe withdrawal symptoms if you suddenly stop taking the drug. These effects include shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, weakness, and dizziness. Any withdrawal from Flolan treatment should only be done on medical advice, your doctor may want to slowly reduce your dosage rather than stopping it altogether. If you miss one or more doses of Flolan for any reason, contact your doctor as a safety measure.

The most important aspect of safe use of Flolan is staying in regular contact with your doctor. Inform them of any side effects, and consult them before taking any medications in addition to Flolan. Please note that this article should not be considered a substitute for expert medical advice. If you are in doubt about any aspects of your PPH treatment it is always best to consult your doctor or another medical professional for further advice.

Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving Fen-Phen and PPH, Paxil, Mesothelioma and Nursing Home Abuse. Call Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.jbclawfirm.com

Your eyes. You’ve only got two. And if you lose even one, you lose your ability to see in “stereo.” An estimated 1.1 to 2.4 million individuals in Dallas, Houston, throughout Texas and the rest of the country, fall prey to eye injuries each year. Approximately 42,000 of these injuries require hospitalization.

The workplace accounts for 1,000 eye injuries daily, but more injuries to the eye result from use or misuse of household, garden or home workshop products. According to the National Society to Prevent Blindness, nearly 60% of all product-related eye injuries occur in and around the home.

Any injury to the eye can potentially end up in visual loss or blindness if it is severe enough and left untreated or treated improperly. Fortunately, though, 90% of all eye injuries can be prevented, as this can be a matter of simply changing how you deal with situations at home, at work and at play.

Home Prevention
One of the best and most important ways to prevent household product-related eye injuries is by reading and following the manufacturer’s instructions and safety warnings. Common sense also factors into protecting your eyes:
- When opening a champagne bottle, wrap the bottle neck and cork in a towel and grip it tightly. As you remove the cork, point it away from yourself and others. Do not shake the bottle.
- Pick up rocks and debris before mowing the lawn.
- Take extra precautions when children are in the house. Don’t give glass bottles or drinking cups to babies or small children. Keep sharp objects away from children.
- Don’t peak into a bag of popcorn just taken out of the microwave oven. The steam can scorch the surface of your eye.

Preventing many eye injuries is as simple as wearing safety glasses, which are made of hard plastic. Safety eyewear can be purchased at many home building stores and hardware stores, as well as optical centers in Dallas, Houston, Austin or elsewhere in Texas.

Wear eye protection when:
- Cleaning the oven or using other strong chemicals
- Chopping wood
- Working with motorized equipment
- Jump-starting a car — an exploding battery can spray acid into your eyes

Work Prevention
Each year, nearly 100,000 Americans lose sight in one or both of their eyes because of accidents at work. Nationally, work-related eye injuries cost over $133 million a year in lost production, medical expenses and workers’ compensation, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has had a major impact on safety in all industries. OSHA requirements include proper eye protection — approved industrial safety glasses made of plastic or shatterproof glass. Unfortunately, there is still a high incidence of employee eye trauma. Corporations can prevent many eye injuries by starting or improving training programs in safety and first aid.

Recreational Prevention
Sometimes, when you play, you pay with your eyes. Sports and recreational activities cause more than 31,000 eye injuries each year. Nearly one third of these eye injuries occur in children, ages 5 to 14 years, often in accidents involving play. Many injuries to children occur during rough play, such as wrestling or throwing things at each other.

Toys that can hurt the eyes include:
- Missile-type toys
- Toys with hard edges or detachable parts
- Slingshots, BB guns and other toy guns
- Fireworks

In addition, people involved in outdoor recreational activities should know that the sun’s ultraviolet rays could burn the cornea. Sunlamps and tanning booths also put off intense ultraviolet rays, which can burn unprotected eyes.

Wearing proper headgear and protective eyewear can prevent most sports-related injuries. Standard eyeglasses and contact lenses do not offer adequate protection. Special eye guards are needed for racket sports and basketball. Football, hockey and baseball players require even stronger headgear to protect the head and face.

If you lose your eyesight, you’ll lose big. So it’s important to take the proper precautions now to ensure that you have good eyesight for the rest of your life. Because how you treat your body when you’re young will certainly affect your health when you get older. Eventually, it will also affect your wallet as well.

Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com

Erectile dysfunction is not a rare condition. The majority of men have erection problems sooner or later during their lives. The most important thing here is not to panic and seek for professional help as soon as you feel it has become a permanent issue. And by professional help we mean speaking to your physician, not seeking alternative remedies that promise impressive results but never deliver them. Why would you do that when there are numerous certified healthcare ways to treat erectile dysfunction of various degrees of severity?

Want to learn more about erectile dysfunction treatment options? No problem:

Psychological therapy

Doctors say that 9 out of 10 cases of male impotence have psychological causes. These causes may vary from simple stress to depression, fatigue, relationship problems or even mental illnesses. Neutralizing these elements usually helps restore sexual problems in a healthy fashion. An experienced therapist is able to put a man back on track even during a single session of behavior or group therapy. And sometimes just speaking things out helps people a lot.

Vacuum pumps

Vacuum pumps have been around for decades and are widely available in shops all over the world. Their mechanism of action is very simple: a plastic cylinder is for inserting the penis in, then using special seals and a valve mechanism the air from the cylinder is sucked out and thus vacuum is created. Vacuum around the penis stimulates the blood flow and results in a stronger more durable erection.

Medications

This type of ED treatments has seen a substantial growth over the last ten years. The introduction of Viagra has shown that it’s possible to overcome erectile dysfunction no matter how severe it may be. Soon other drugs have followed as well as generic Viagra variations from foreign manufacturers. Today millions of men buy Viagra and other similar drugs online making it a huge international market that is constantly growing. These drugs work by stimulating the blood flow inside the penis, but unlike penis pumps they cause a chemical reaction rather than a physical process.

Hormonal treatment

In certain cases impotence can be caused by hormonal imbalance, especially low levels of male hormone – testosterone. Restoring the balance is most likely to eliminate erectile dysfunction, however you should never do it on your own. First you have to run through different tests in order to define the problem and then take hormonal treatment under a strict supervision of your physician. Hormones are very dangerous to toy around with so take full responsibility before starting a course of hormonal treatment.

Prosthesis

This is the last resort for impotence treatment when all other methods have failed. There are different types and designs of implants that can be embedded into the penile shaft to allow the patient having sex. Some are semi-rigid others have special pumps that simulate the process of erection when needed. But always remember that if there’s a hope to treat the problem in a less implicative way you should try it first before going with an implant.

Surgery

Sometimes the physiological aspect of the penis can be the cause for erectile dysfunction. If a patient has certain abnormalities in the shape or structure of the penis this might be the factor causing the problem. In most cases these factors can be eliminated through surgery. Of course, a thorough medical examination before surgery is a must!

For the majority of men their peak of sexual abilities and activity is around their 30′s. However, some men keep an impressive sexual desire and erectile function when they get a lot older. Still, when older men have problems with their sexual abilities our society doesn’t go any further than suggesting to use penis pumps, ED drugs or any other obvious treatments everyone has heard of. Think older men aren’t aware of these options? They often know a lot more than these obvious things. And here are a couple of useful tips an older man can use to improve his sexual life without the use of popular solutions.

As a man grows older he may require more sensual and sexual stimulation to become aroused and have an orgasm in the end. There’s nothing odd about it, because it’s a natural process of wear and tear on the penile tissue combine with a gradual decrease in testosterone levels. But this doesn’t mean that the man will necessarily require hormonal treatment or a pack of pills to make things right. Take some time and have a longer foreplay before having sex (or masturbating). Learn from women – they tend to enjoy foreplay a lot more than men and usually need it before being able to have good sex.

Those who have serious health conditions like heart diseases, blood pressure issues, diabetes or chronic illnesses are very likely to experience problems with their sex life. Health condition plays a very important role in a man’s sexual life and even by taking certain medications that will improve your health you can experience loss in sexual drive or even erectile dysfunction as a side effect. That’s why it is very important to keep your health under thorough supervision of a doctor and go through medical exams and blood test on a regular basis. Don’t be shy about informing your physician about any sexual problems you may have, it is certainly be very important. Sometimes your sexual problems can be a sign of a more serious health condition your doctor is unaware of. Statistics show that older men who have no problems with their health tend to buy Viagra and other treatments far less often than those with health problems.

Some older men find it less pleasing to have sex with their partner as they grow older. But this doesn’t mean that another partner will do the trick and you have to give up. Intercourse is not the only activity that is defined as sex, try diversifying your intimacy by using toys, role play, tantric practices or other things you haven’t tried. Sometimes new sensations and experience can be a lot more effective than Viagra, and your partner will definitely enjoy something new in bed. Developing a routine is not the best way to remain sexually excited in a relationship when you are younger, and older men tend to get a lot more frustrated by this. Always try to diversify your intimacy, bring something new to the table and make it exciting for both you and your lover.

Besides keeping a good health condition don’t forget about physical activity and diet. Exercising and eating healthy food can be so beneficial you won’t need any of that cheap Viagra everyone will suggest using. Everything is in your hands and you can do without any of those fancy treatments if you do it right.

Texas ranks in the bottom quarter of the nation for health care, according to recent reports. As a state with one of the highest rates of uninsured — just over 25% — this comes as no surprise to many.

Just over 15% of all Americans go without health insurance, totaling nearly 48 million. This unfortunate statistic comes at a time when Medicare is experiencing historical funding cuts under the Bush administration. The concern is not so much how many lack insurance, but what kind of health care those uninsured receive.

Even officials from high-profile organizations, such as the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund, are beginning to admit that receiving quality health care in the U.S. is not only dependent on where one lives, but also on whether or not one has health care coverage. At least one-quarter of those lacking health insurance, for instance, did not receive a recommended test in 2004 due to cost.

The devastating report released by the Fund this week openly stated a strong link between health care coverage and access to quality care. It evaluated such variables as uninsured breast cancer death rates and preventable hospital admissions, among others. If all states implemented wide-sweeping measures designed to grant health insurance to more individuals (such as Hawaii and several East Coast states in which 90% of working-age adults are now insured), as many as 90,000 deaths could be avoided, 22 million more could be insured, and the Medicare program could save $22 billion.

It’s strange to think that, in a nation basing its moral principles on the belief that all citizens are to be treated equally — and that everyone, regardless of citizenship, has certain “unalienable rights” — tens of thousands are literally dying due to lack of insurance.

The problem cannot be blamed on any one factor. Most health care professionals, for instance, are compassionate individuals working their hardest to provide quality care. But many facilities treating low-income individuals lack the proper staff, resources, equipment, and time to administer to all their patients effectively. Cities like Houston, Dallas, and Austin are experiencing enormous pressure to deliver care to more individuals than their facilities can realistically handle, due, in part, to the growing number of uninsured commuting from rural areas in the hopes of receiving more effective treatments. To make matters worse, Texas is experiencing a devastating shortage of young, qualified physicians.

Many would like to blame illegal immigrants for the Lone Star State’s health care standing — implying that if only there weren’t such a border-crossing problem, the health care system could be relieved of its pressure. And while Texas, like other border states, does take on certain financial responsibilities when caring for illegal immigrants, it’s not the worst aspect of the problem by any means. Texas also ranks high in the nation for poverty levels, unemployment, and expensive chronic conditions, such as obesity and diabetes.

Sixty-one percent of adults in Texas are obese. Thirty-five percent of children are also afflicted, and the numbers just keep increasing. That’s well over half of Texans considered extremely overweight. The condition is so costly due to its secondary effects, such as higher rates of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain cancers, like breast cancer. Some would also argue that the psychological effects — depression, anxiety, social disorders, low productivity, to name a few — are rarely documented as linked with the disease at all.

The issue was once publicly avoided by officials, for fear of being accused of insensitivity, but obesity, is, in fact, a legitimate health concern that needs to be addressed. Its varied causes are only exasperated by recent reports that eating healthy is far more expensive than not. If many uninsured are of low income, and a certain percentage of those are, obviously, also obese, then it is becoming increasingly difficult for those with this problem to take the necessary steps to improve their condition. Not only can many obese Texans not afford proper health care, but neither can they afford health club memberships, or the healthier, more expensive foods. Neglecting the issue in the low-income population is not helping. In fact, it’s costing the state millions.

The rate of diabetes in Texas, too, deserves considerable attention. As of 2004, nearly 500,000 Texans had been diagnosed with diabetes, with the expectation that the number would grow. It’s the leading cause of kidney disease and blindness for those between the ages of 20 and 74, and is the sixth leading cause of death, though many officials believe it’s actually much higher. Diabetes can cause vascular disease, neurological problems, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. When we make the logical conclusion that many suffer from both, obesity and diabetes, that much statistical data on disease is based on those who actually made it to the doctor for diagnosis, and that many of those sufferers are going without insurance (and, therefore, quality care), we begin to get a true sense of this issue.

Improved health care in Texas is entirely within reach. Such a dishearteningly low national ranking does not need to be permanent. But better health care is not attainable without first addressing the situation, or the real causes of it. More effective government programs need to be instituted, a stronger recruitment plan for quality physicians put into action, and more affordable health insurance policies made available.

Watching out for your own health care is important in such difficult times. How you take care of yourself will certainly affect you as you age, and eventually your wallet, as well.

Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com

It’s always a joy to be able to link apparently unrelated subjects in the title to an article. This title is a real winner. Scientology was developed by a science fiction writer and has attracted some notoriety of late as various Hollywood figures have complained about its strange beliefs and homophobic practices. The idea of being able to relate dieting and weight loss to the pronouncements of the Thetans is wonderful but, unfortunately, not possible in this instance. No matter how interested the extraterrestrials may be in weight loss, they have neglected to include it in their religion. However, you will be pleased to know that it all does tie together. Kirstie Alley may be better known as an actress, but she is also a high-ranking Scientologist. Some years ago, she had a serious cocaine addiction and has credited the Church with her “cure”. She is now the celebrity ambassador for the Scientology movement’s drug treatment program and, probably by virtue of the size of her financial contributions to the Church, she is now a level 7 Thetan.

Those of you who follow gossip cannot fail to have noticed the constant stories about Ms Alley’s fluctuating weight. As the young star of Cheers, she was relatively slim. Sadly, as the years advanced, so did signs of her spreading hips. By 2005, she had expanded to more than 200 pounds but, by virtue of an aggressive diet and exercise program, she lost 75 pounds in a year and appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in a revealing bathing costume. With this public celebration of her weight loss success behind her, she returned to eating and put most of the weight back on again. Now she has launched a new project. Going under the name Organic Liaison LLC, it sells a diet regime based on a new organic product with USDA approval. People who sign up, pay between $10 and $149 every month. In return, they receive a diet regime also including vitamins and supplements. So far, many of the members have reported some success. Ms Alley herself has lost 20 pounds.

The reason for the controversy is that all the income generated by this company seems to be channelled straight into the Church’s bank account. While there is nothing in law to prevent any private company from donating some or all of its net profit to charitable, religious or other comparable purposes, many who signed up for the weight loss program have been shocked to discover most, if not all, their money is funding the Church of Scientology. While most view the Church as harmless, there is a difference between passively ignoring it and discovering you are actively supporting it with your own money. No matter whether the company’s organic product is effective or the diet regime is nutritionally sound, there is a serious issue at stake here. We give to charities when we sympathize with their aims. Failing to disclose that Organic Liaison is effectively a front for collecting funds for the Church seems almost dishonest. How much easier it is when it comes to phentermine. Here we have an FDA approved drug with decades of track record in safely helping people to lose weight. There is no question of any part of the purchase price being diverted for non-commercial purposes. Phentermine is a capitalist’s dream – a safe and effective drug that can command a good price because there is no real competition in the market. It’s a shame Ms Alley is not a red-blooded capitalist.

The U.S. doesn’t get its money’s worth when it comes to health care, according to recent statistics. The Commonwealth Fund released a report earlier this month on America’s ranking in the world health care system — and it wasn’t good.

According to the report, residents of the United States receive the poorest quality of care, yet pay the most for it, among six of the top industrialized nations, including Germany, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. The findings were based on measures including quality, access, efficiency, equity, and outcomes of health care. Germany took the overall first place ranking, followed by Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

While the other five nations on the list provide universal health care, the U.S., with its unorganized mixture of employer-funded care, private insurance, and government programs, leaves nearly 48 million throughout the country with no insurance whatsoever. Ominously, the Fund also linked lack of insurance with poorer quality of care in another report released this month.

Texas ranks at the very bottom of the nation in numbers of people left uninsured, at just over 25%. With high incidences of poverty, unemployment, and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, the state stands to gain more than most by measures to update the health care and/or to make insurance available to more of the population. Most of those lacking insurance do not receive pertinent preventative care, resulting in increased long-term costs to health, as well as to the state and federal governments.

Particularly in the larger cities of Dallas, Houston, and Austin — where many from rural areas of the state come seeking care, overburdening the system further — change would be welcomed.

Activists and members of Congress are calling for an overhaul of the overburdened and outdated system, with suggestions ranging from instituting America’s own universal health care, to subsidizing private insurance companies in order to make health care coverage available to all, regardless of income.

Obviously, it’s an issue that needs to be closely analyzed, as it is “pretty undisputable that we spend twice what other countries spend on average,” as reported by The Commonwealth Fund. While, in comparison to other industrialized nations, the U.S. has the fewest patients seeing a regular doctor (16%), is the least wired (working with the fewest electronic records, and receiving the fewest electronic updates on disease treatment options), and has one of the highest infant mortality rates, we are actually spending twice as much per capita on health care as Germany, at $6,102. Canada spends $3,165 per capita, Australia $2,876, Britain $2,546, and New Zealand $2,083.

The U.S. also has one of the longest emergency room waiting times, takes an average of four months to deliver elective surgery, and is considered one of the less “convenient” nations when it comes to general health care. Sixty-one percent of Americans surveyed found it “somewhat” or “very difficult” to receive care on nights or weekends.

What is most shocking perhaps, is the relatively high infant mortality rate, at 5 in every 1,000. The U.S. is tied with Poland, Hungary, Malta, and Slovakia for this statistic, and, among the 32 industrialized nations surveyed, ranked only above Latvia, at 6 in every 1,000 births. Japan, the Czech Republic, Finland, Iceland, and Norway beat the U.S. by a landslide, at approximately one-third the death rate. Every year, 16,000 newborn deaths occur in this country, mostly linked with low birth weights and premature delivery. This suggests a surprising lack of prenatal care and, indeed, measures of mothers’ well-being ranks extremely low in comparison to other industrialized nations.

African-Americans suffer almost twice the national average of infant mortality, at 9 in every 1,000 — which is closer to developing nations’ statistics than to industrialized ones. Black babies born in the U.S. are also twice as likely to be premature and have a low birth rate than their white counterparts.

Throw in scandals — like drug companies enticing doctors with “free” gifts and dinners to sell their medications, or multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical company investments in medical schools — and it looks like a gloomy picture, indeed. Michael Moore’s summer release of Sicko, though sure to be controversial, undeniably raises a subject on the national consciousness.

While it is painfully obvious that something must be done — and quickly — the next step is not so clear. States such as Hawaii and Massachusetts have taken their own initiatives with state-provided health insurance, resulting in nearly 90% of their residents having insurance, and therefore better access to care. California has debated its own measures, as well as many Midwestern states.

It’s not a straight-forward debate, by any means. While nations providing universal health care rank higher in overall standings, the U.S. is still considered a leader when it comes to breakthrough technologies and treatment options. A balance must be struck between revolutionary research and making sure more people actually have access to its results. Reports on new HIV drugs, for instance, hint that turning HIV and AIDS into a chronic, versus fatal, condition is just around the corner…but those medications are expensive, and not everyone in the U.S. has access to them.

Residents of the U.S., however, have done little to push the initiative. The surprising lack of attention on the issue in political debates reflects the fact that voters do not choose their candidate primarily based on his or her plans for future health care reform. And, time and again, it has been proven that the masses’ outspoken push for measures is what gets things done on Capitol Hill. In the end, it’s really time for us — the people — to decide how to dig ourselves out of this one.

Making sure you receive quality health care is important. Taking care of yourself affects your health, and will certainly affect your health as you age — and eventually your wallet, as well.

Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com