Two Scourges of This Millennium: One New, One Revived
New articles in our 25-Year Checkup series reveal notable changes in health and wellness over the past 25 years
Welcome back to your weekly dose of wisdom and wellness, helping you make tomorrow a little better than today. Below you’ll find links to several in-depth, actionable stories by Wise & Well’s team of journalists, topical experts and practicing professionals. But first…
The 25-Year Checkup
Here are two new installments in our series, the 25-Year Checkup: big developments since the turn of the millennium that have had significant effects on our health and wellness.
Syphilis: An Ancient Scourge is Rampant Again
25 years ago, syphilis was largely eradicated. Now it’s back with a vengeance. This medical doctor has seen the rise in this sexually transmitted disease first hand, in young adults with scary symptoms and, worse, babies that catch it in the womb. It’s awful, and the photo included with the story is awful. But this is an entirely preventable disease, and Step 1 in the fix is to face it.
Syphilis was close to elimination in the US a quarter of a century ago, and the public and many healthcare providers do not think of it as common anymore. However, there has been a huge surge in syphilis in the US and globally in the last 25 years. This preventable and treatable infection has increased by over 500% since 2000. Even more concerning is that syphilis in babies has increased more than 900% in the last 10 years.
—Dr. Jan Patterson
Social Media in the New Millennium is Crushing Our Self-Esteem
The writer recalls, in her childhood, trying to square her body type with the idealized versions in media. Now a psychologist, and comfortable in her skin, she examines how social media has made the problem of self-loathing and body hatred much bigger for today’s young people. This is a story for parents, as much as for young people — I wish I’d had all this info and advice when my kids were young.
At the turn of the millennium, social media was barely a glimmer in the eyes of the few entrepreneurs who would later shape this medium. Back then, traditional media (TV, film, and magazines) influenced fashion and beauty ideals. But now, with the onslaught of 24/7 social media images, young women (and men) cannot escape its grip.
— Gail Post, Ph.D.
THIS WEEK’S OTHER FEATURES
A selection of our informative, entertaining and actionable stories
Everyday Acne Treatment Found Harmful
Medications nearly always have side effects—even topical remedies. But sometimes even doctors and pharmacists don’t know about dangers of the topicals they prescribe. As with the active chemical in many common acne treatments, we learn otherwise when some detailed tests are performed. Now what? A dermatologist explains and offers advice.
The study’s findings highlight the need for better safety measures and further investigation into benzene formation and exposure in commonly used acne and rosacea treatments. Whether the results become a disrupter for acne care depends on reproducible additional studies. Further regulatory and industry actions, such as product recalls, may be needed.
—Annie Foley
Do We Really Need New Warning Labels on Alcohol?
You’ve perhaps heard that a drink or two a day can be good for you. Science disproved this faulty advice years ago. We now know that no amount of alcohol is healthy. So no surprise: Last week the surgeon general called for new warning labels on alcohol related to cancer risk. He did not mention other serious health risks of drinking.
While many of us view alcohol as a great social lubricant and a pleasant way to relax in the evening (author raises hand) the case against it, healthwise, is strong, not just for its cancer-causing qualities but because it raises the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, dementia, and other illnesses.
—Robert Roy Britt
When Your Time Comes: Lessons from Jimmy Carter’s Hospice Decision
As we age, we begin to think about things that seemed far-off and even improbable earlier in life. We get flooded with advice for retirement planning, how to sign up for Medicare and Social Security, and perhaps proper estate planning. We hear a lot less about preparing for end-of-life decisions and palliative care. Wise & Well’s newest writer, a Mayo doctor, has you covered.
Palliative care can be life enhancing in providing support to help the patient and the family have a high quality of life (if death is coming or if someone is recovering from a car accident and death is not imminent, for example) regardless of the stage of the illness or injury.
— Dr. Ed (Edward T. Creagan, MD)
Does it Matter WHEN You Drink Coffee?
Several studies find significant health benefits to coffee, even in large quantities. It’s good for the heart and mind and is linked to lower risk of several chronic physical and mental ailments. However, new research suggests these benefits might be more robust for people who drink coffee only in the morning.
“Compared with people who did not drink coffee, morning coffee drinkers were 16% less likely to die of any cause and 31% less likely to die of cardiovascular disease,” the researchers said in a statement. “However, there was no reduction in risk for all-day coffee drinkers compared to non-coffee drinkers.”
—Robert Roy Britt
Rethinking Success: Focus On Knowledge Instead of Grades or Certification
I got my lifeguard license and first-aid certification in my mid-20s. As someone who spent a lot of time in or around water, I wanted to know how to save a life. Though my certifications lapsed ages ago, much of the knowledge remains. And that was always the point. This writer and first-aid instructor dives into the broader benefits of learning for its own sake.
Learning for its own sake, rather than for examination or certification requirements, offers several significant advantages. We’re often more deeply motivated by curiosity and personal interest, making the process more enjoyable and fulfilling. Learning that stems from a genuine desire to understand leads to a more profound grasp of the material.
— Gill McCulloch
Mindfulness 2.0: How to Transform the Daily Grind
I’m a constantly failing practitioner of mindfulness meditation. That’s kinda the point. But I do practice, and when all goes well, my practice translates beyond the seated position to help me better navigate daily life. When things get hard or angsty, I often stop and take a deep breath to clear my mental plate to better face what’s in front of me. And that’s the idea behind this philosopher’s strategy.
While you can’t escape the grind, you can transform it. The latest psychological research on the good life points the way: By shifting your mindset, you can make your day-to-day more interesting and create psychological richness within your life. Psychological richness describes a robust form of cognitive engagement. It’s distinct from happiness and meaning, but just as important to the good life.
—Lorraine Besser
Elon Musk’s ‘C-Section Babies’ Tweet: Truth, Misdirection, and Misogyny
It’s impossible to keep up with all the misinformation these days. But sometimes smart writers, like this scientist, are compelled to weigh in on claims that stretch the truth in dangerous ways. And that’s one of the tricks of misinformers like Elon Musk: Couch falsehoods and innuendo in a grain of truth — in his case implying that larger brains (as with men, on average) produce smarter people.
Elon Musk’s Tweet doesn’t have any outright false statements in it. But it overstates the importance of C-sections when it comes to head size, and it suggests that head size has a direct impact on intelligence — which it doesn’t, not at the individual level.
— Sam Westreich, PhD
Ants Beat Humans in Contests of Cooperation
The movements of ants look chaotic at a glance. But if you watch for a while, you’ll see cooperation emerge amid the chaos. Logic. Scientists have long known this. New research pitted groups of ants against groups of humans in competitions to see which could solve a challenging puzzle the most efficiently. Clearly, we could learn a thing or two from ants.
It’s not that individual ants are smarter than individual humans, said study team member Ofer Feinerman, PhD, who runs an ant research lab at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. But in groups, ants get really savvy at solving difficult puzzles.
—Robert Roy Britt
I hope we’ve helped make your tomorrow a little better than today.
Cheers,
Rob