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Alerting the public to a variety of hazardous situations.
Health & Mental Health
Consumer Alerts, Consumer Protection,
Warnings & Safeguards
-----INDEX-----
Alzheimers' Prevention?
High Protein Diets: Atkins Diet Causes Depression? Kidney Stones?
Credit Reports: Free annual reports. Pre-approved credit card offers
Food Protection Program--food borne diseases and protecting your family at home.
Flu defense this winter. Words of wisdom.
Heart Attack--determine your current risk level
Identity Theft--protect yourself
Junk Mail ("snail mail")
Product Recall Notices--unsafe products
Weight Loss: One point snacksIf you have suggestions for this page, please contact us.
Alzheimer Pill?
A UCLA study determined that two over-the-counter pain medications, ibuprofen and naproxen, appear to "dissolve and even prevent the formation of the plaque that is believed to kill brain cells in Alzheimer's patients." [Readers Digest Medical Update, July 2003]
Your Current
Heart Attack RiskOne out of every two men and one out of every three women will develop heart disease during their lifetime. Your risk will increase as you get older. To find out your current heart attack risk, try the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institutes online calculator that assesses your risk of dying of heart attack or heart disease in the next ten years. [To use it you will need to be ready to enter your "Total cholesterol," your "HDL cholesterol" level, and your systolic blood pressure. [Your systolic blood pressure is measured before the diastolic blood pressure and is the first (and highest) figure in a blood pressure measurement.]
The Atkins Diet
Can Cause Depressionby Mark Prigg, Daily Mail, reported in
the UK Therapists Newsletter, March 5, 2004.
The Atkins diet is at the centre of fresh controversy after scientists said it could cause depression and mood swings. Medical experts have found that the diet blocks the brain's ability to produce chemicals that keep us happy.
Nutritionists have called for people to abandon the diet, claiming they could be risking their mental health as well as physical well-being.
The key to the research is serotonin. This is the chemical released in the brain that keeps us relaxed and positive.
The team, led by Dr Judith Wurtman at MIT - one of America's top research universities - discovered that high levels of carbohydrates and low levels of proteins are the key to producing enough serotonin to regulate mood. But this is the opposite of the Atkins diet ideal.
According to Dr Wurtman, low-carb diets can lead to grumpiness, irritability and even depression. She added that the problem was magnified in women, who have naturally lower levels of serotonin in the brain.
Dr Wurtman said: "Serotonin is involved in keeping our moods stable, making us calm and serene and allowing us to focus and concentrate. When you take away the carbohydrates, it's like taking away water from someone trekking through the desert."
The MIT team studied the levels of serotonin in the brain of 100 volunteers during a 12-week study. Some were given a high carbohydrate diet and others ate more protein-rich foods.
Those on high carbohydrates produced higher levels of serotonin and were more relaxed. Dr Wurtman said: "If you eat a potato when you are feeling grumpy or angry, you'll be feeling better in 30 to 40 minutes."
Carbs control appetite
The study also revealed carbohydrates played a key role in controlling appetite. Dr Wurtman added: "When serotonin is made and becomes active in your brain, its effect on your appetite is to make you feel full before your stomach is stuffed and stretched."
Her research showed how the brain satisfied its need for carbohydrates in some people when serotonin levels were low. "These are the people we call ' carbohydrate cravers', who need a certain amount to keep their moods steady," said Dr Wurtman.
Nutritionist Natalie Savona was not surprised by the research. She said: "The Atkins diet just isn't good. It is far too extreme. In terms of day-to-day moods, diet and carbohydrate levels make a big difference."Kidney Stones and High Protein Diets
When you digest protein from meat and other animal products, they are broken down into acids. Your body uses calcium from your bones to bind with and neutralize the acid. When the kidneys filter these particles from your blood, calcium is left behind and over time binds together to form stones. When you body tries to excrete the stone it can be extremely painful.
Kidney stones have generally been considered a male problem, but since women are more likely than men to try these diets, stones in women have increased by 46% over an 18 year period (while the increase for men was 29%).
The simplest fix is to avoid high-protein diets. But if you must try one, talk to your doctor first. [C.D. in RDHEALTH, Feb 2004, Readers Digest]
anti-depressants
--Most are risky for the young, British warn.
Truth or Fiction?
It's true that In December 2003, British researchers warned against the use of a number of antidepressant drugs in the SSRI category should not be used for depressed people under 18 years of age. [Paxil, Zoloft, Effexor, Celexa, and Lexapro and Luvox--but not including Prozac.]It's also true that In 2007, new studies indicate that, following this 2003 warning and the resulting decrease in the use of SSRIs with depressed adolescents, there had been a marked increase in adolescent suicides.
So, until the next study is released with contrary results, SSRIs are probably appropriate treatment for some depressed adolescents. Talk to your doctor.
Consumer Education and
Consumer Protection AlertsThe following three websites give upset consumers a change to complain about a company's poor customer service features stories and tips written by consumers:
The CONSUMERIST: Shoppers Bite Back. Look for the "COMPLAINTS" link just under the page heading or read any of the articles introduces on the home page.
RIPOFF REPORT: By Consumers, For Consumers. Want justice! The Rip Off Report allows you a central place to enter complaints about companies and individuals who are ripping people off. Ripoff ReportŪ is a worldwide consumer reporting Web site and publication, by consumers, for consumers, to file and document complaints about companies or individuals.
COMPLAINTS.COM: Consumers in Control. Search or browse their database by company name, product name or other product details.
CONSUMER AFFAIRS: links to Small Claims Guide, Class Actions, Lemon Law, FAQ, Resources, Newsletters--and numerous articles about current consumer events.
Consumer Product Safety Commission's
press releases and product recall notices.
clarkhoward.com TEAM CLARK HOWARD'S
CONSUMER ACTION CENTER In 1993 Clark Howard opened the Consumer Action Center, an advice service for consumer questions staffed by over 140 volunteers. His consumer protection radio show is heard across the nation.
Flu --Best Flu Defense
is in Your Hands--LiterallyCondensed from a story by Tom Paulson
Seattle P-I reporter
November 2, 2005..."Hands are the primary transmitters of flu," said Dorothy Teeter, interim director of Public Health - Seattle and King County...."
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, the flu virus generally doesn't float around in the air looking for lungs to infect. It instead prefers to hang out in the large droplets coughed or sneezed out from those infected. Transmission of the virus, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tends to take place only when someone is close enough to catch a droplet or contact a doorknob that some wheezing sick person has dropped droplets on.
If everyone actually followed that tired, old nagging reminder to engage in regular hand-washing, Teeter said, the virus would have a much harder time getting to new hosts. The use of gel-based alcohol solutions, she noted, is a convenient alternative to hand-washing.
"And if people are sick, they need to stay at home," said Dr. Mazine Hayes, state health officer with the Department of Health.
...About 36,000 people die each year from routine flu, she noted, yet public health agencies still throw away many unused flu vaccines ever year.
Wash your hands often.
Get a flu shot.
Hoax Emails--Virus Warnings, etc.Imagine that you receive an email from a friend warning you about a terrible new computer virus or the danger of visiting the mall on Halloween. Some warnings are real; many are phony. What do you do? Send it off to alert your other friends, thinking that it's your duty to warn them! What else could a friend do? STOP!
Several web sites list known hoaxes. Visit the well known Urban Legends Reference Pages.) Or check out a site that is devoted to "killing hoaxes" such as Hoax Busters. Other resourcea are Truthorfiction.com or SOPHOS anti-virus and anti-spam for business
If the email you received is a hoax, send a reply back to your friends and let them know. Help stop the spread of hoax emails and the worry and fear that they cause.
Email Scams, spoofs & Phishing--Protect YourselfSee why Internet ScamBusters TM call themselves "The Number One Publication on Internet Fraud"
eBay has an excellent tutorial on how to avoid "Spoof (fake) Emails:" including 1. What is spoof email? 2. How to spot a spoof email. 3. How to spot a fake Web site. 4. What do do about spoofs.
E-mail Scams: Phishing--What is phishing? All Internet users should be aware of the online scam known as "phishing" (pronounced "fishing"). Phishing involves the use of e-mail messages that appear to come from your bank or another trusted business, but are actually from imposters. [More security information from Washington Mutual Bank.]
Report phishing emails to the Anti-Phishing Working Group and do your part to stomp out this insidious threat to our payment systems and e-commerce infrastructure. Click the top left "Report Phishing" link for instructions.
Also see: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team US-CERT is a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security and the public and private sectors. Established to protect the nation's Internet infrastructure, US-CERT coordinates defense against and responses to cyber attacks across the nation.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C). IC3's mission is to serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime. The IC3 gives the victims of cyber crime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations.
Do You Hate Junk Mail?
To decrease the amount of national advertising mail you receive through the mail, write to Mail Preference Service, % Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008 and ask that your address be removed from their mailing lists. It may take three to six months, but their members will stop sending you unwanted mail. It doesn't stop mail from non-members.
National Do Not Call List
Since July 1, 2003, you can sign up on the Federal Trade Commission "Do not call" website. [Or call 1-888-382-1222--you must be calling from the telephone that you wish to list, otherwise use the website.] There is no charge.
Your Cell Phone: "The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association is compiling a directory of wireless phone numbers. It claims that only people who choose to be listed will be included. But to be sure to minimize unwanted calls, add your cell phone digits to the...National Do Not Call Registry" [AARP Bulletin, January 2005, Vol. 46, No. 1.
The National Do Not Call List will not end all telephone solicitation--only calls from interstate telephone solicitors (those calling across state lines). And there are exceptions for certain types of businesses and firms that you have recently done business with. These you must still ask, "Please take me off your calling list"--and, in Washington State, they are required to do so!
FTC info: con artists are still swindling consumers Steps you can take to protect yourself.
Identity Theft?
How to Avoid Being Caught in the Net of Phishing Scams
An email that looks like it originated from your bank demands immediate attention threatening that your account may have been compromised. A polite caller claims to be from your financial institution and says the bank needs to update your information. How would you respond? Read full article....Identity Theft: You are totally unaware. Unknown to you, someone else has assumed your identity for the purpose of opening credit card accounts and buying merchandise. Suddenly one day, collection agencies are after you. They have tracked you down and they want their payments. You have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. You never bought that boat or stayed in that hotel. But they know it's you--it's your name and social security number. Your credit rating is destroyed. You have failed to protect yourself from IDENTITY THEFT. What do you do now? [see below]
Federal Trade Commission's
Identity Theft Hotline
--call 1-877-IDTHEFT (that's 877-438-4338) or
Visit the U.S. government's Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Identity Theft Site with sections for consumers, businesses, law enforcement, military, media, reference desk and a Spanish language section..Identity Theft Resource Center Identity Theft Resource CenterŪ (ITRC) is a nonprofit, nationally respected organization dedicated exclusively to the understanding and prevention of identity theft.
Washington State Office of the Attorney General: Page on Credit Freeze Procedures.
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act
of 2003Congress, in the form of a bill sponsored by Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash, has acted to address the identity theft problem.
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act of 2003 provides a standard affidavit for identity theft victims to fill out and give to creditors, who then have 30 days to release to the victim financial records that might help clear their names. The records now also will be made available to investigators. [Sam Skolnik, Seattle P-I, 1/1/04]
Annual Free Credit ReportsDepending on the part of the county you live in the three major credit reporting agencies are phasing in the service--beginning December 1, 2004 for the western US. The credit services have opened up a joint website so that you can get free credit reports from one or all three. The website is located at http://www.annualcreditreport.com. Besides entering basic identification questions the agencies will ask another qualifying question that only you are likely to be able to answer.
Pre-approved credit card offers that come in the mail create the potential for Identity Theft. Thieves can steal the cards from the mail and you won't miss them because the cards have been issues without your knowledge. The thieves immediately put through a change of address and future statements are delivered to an address of their choosing. In the meantime, they are running up huge bills in your name and against your credit record.
By calling 1-888-567-8688 you can contact all three credit bureaus and trigger a two year opt-out of unsolicited credit offers. To opt-out permanently, you need to write each of the three credit unions. [Thanks to the Clark Howard team--see below.]
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