Football and Concussions

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/10/23/concussion-concerns-may-lead-to-fewer-boys-playing-football/

     It is becoming more apparent of the risk of long term brain injury from multiple concussions. Because of football having such a high risk of recurring concussions it seems that some parents are preventing their kids from playing the game. In the CNN poll 86 percent of Americans said they had at least heard of the connection between concussions and long term brain injury. This correlation has got 1 in 4 Americans saying the they will keep their kids from playing the game. Still the other 3 out of 4 say that the benefits such as commitment, teamwork, and athletic ability out way the risks. An interesting point is brought up about the effects these mindsets can have. Pop Warner is where many of the now NFL stars started. If parents start preventing their kids from playing the game could it decrease the number of athletically talented recruits? I personally find that notion hard to believe.
     Still the issue of safety remains. The NFL is investing in research in order to make the game safe from better rules to improved helmets. With the potential of life long brain defects do you think the game is worth it? That is hard to say if you have never played it. Given that I only played JV it still helped me grow into my high school years. I bonded with the guys that I struggling to completely that next sprint with, hit that next practice dummy, and run that next play. It taught me to persevere and keep fighting. I know that it gives many kids valuable life lessons. It can help kids in school. But is it worth it? I think that with increasing awareness of concussions and improved equipment we can combat the negative effects that can come from the game.

Judgement

    This book has got me reflecting on how I view other people, how I treat them, and how that affects interactions. It is very easy to quickly judge others based on their outward appearance. I know that if I saw that family in Geek Love a million different thoughts would start bouncing through my head. Many of them would likely be things that should be kept to myself or not thought of to begin with. It is difficult not to judge and make decisions quickly when we see people for the first time. I would like to see this family in really life just to know how I would respond to them being different from me and everyone I know. Just because someone is disfigured that does not mean that we should avoid them. We most certainly must not treat them any different.
   Even if you are not Catholic or religious at all I am sure that you could get behind many of the Pope's actions lately. His most recent is the embrace of a disfigured man. The man had hundreds of tumors all over his face and body and the Pope pulled the man into his chest and kissed his forehead. This is a shining example of how we need to constantly treat those around us (maybe not always in such a literal sense). I would like to think that if I saw someone completely different that I would not tweet about them or make any other side remarks. This is difficult because society influences would say that this is okay to do. I am making a more conscious effort to be more accepting and simply not looking at someone oddly because they may be different than me. I would encourage others to strive for this in your lives as well. If you would like to read an account of the Pope's encounter with this man it can be found at http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/07/world/europe/pope-francis-embrace/ . It is a powerful story and I am sure that it is influence the millions of Catholics, Christians, and other people of the world.

Obamacare: Fewer Options

    There are more unforeseen problems appearing out of Obamacare. First have been the various website crashes. A CNN article (1) said that another outage had occurred for one of the sights. This had locked out many account holders and was preventing others from signing up. Verizon is the main provider for the website and has been requested by government officials to give more data to the website. Technical analysis said that the website was not actually prepared to go live on October 1st but the administration proceeded anyway.
    The main issue that is presenting itself now is the lack of hospitals accepting Obamacare plans. This CNN article (2) gave the example of a Connecticut town's only hospital not accepting Obamacare due to the fact that it was unable to debate for prices and would be paid less than the cost of providing care. For citizens in that area that have purchased new plans through The Affordable Care Act they are at a loss. They are forced to drive to another town in order to get their health care while they have a perfectly good hospital right around the corner. The article goes on to mention many other big name hospitals that are not accepting Obamacare plans or a limited number of them. This will prove to be a big problem because citizens are purchasing these new plans not knowing their local doctors may not accept it. They would then be left to change doctors or pay out of pocket for their care.
    It seems that potential problems with Obamacare where not publicized fully before its launch. I would think that if these issues where made more apparent to the public the Affordable Care Act would have been revisited before its launch. Now it seems many are locked into this new health care plan that is rapidly draining money our government simply does not have. Again I am not saying that everyone should not have access to health care, I think they should, but multiple problems early on typically spells disaster. It does not seem that the Obama administration actually looked into their plan as much as they said they did because I would think the problem of plans not being accepted would have been seen very soon. Many practices are still trying to figure out what accepting plans would mean for them. This should have been made extremely apparent well before the start of Obamacare, long before citizens could begin purchasing plans when the doctors do not even completely understand them! I do not know what the correct answer is but this one seems to keep developing problems. There most likely no one size fits all solution for our health care system. It is difficult to suddenly add 46 million to a system already struggle.  

1- http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/29/news/economy/obamacare-site-outage/index.html
2- http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/29/health/obamacare-doctors-limited/index.html?hpt=he_c1

Health Care System Soon to Crash?

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/02/health/obamacare-doctor-shortage/index.html?hpt=he_bn6   

   Regardless on your feelings on Obamacare the facts cannot be ignored. For years our healthcare system has been lacking and falling behind many other developed nations. Now Obamacare is putting an increased demand on the system that is already stretched thin. When Obamacare first went so many of the 48 million uninsured in this country were ready to cash in on their new medical benefits that twelve of the enrollment sites experienced technically problems and even crashed. If the technical portion of the system was having trouble on the first day of operation how can we possibly expect the actual medical care portion to hold up for long?
    Currently estimates show that our system is short 20,000 doctors and this number is only expected to get worse. A study in the Annals of Family Medicine journal estimates that by 2025 we will be short a necessary 52,000 doctors. This article does note that the Affordable Care Act did not create this problem but it is exacerbating it. With an aging and growing population our system is struggling. The influx of many new patients could be more than it can handle. I liked the comparison of Obamacare is giving everyone ATM cards with no ATMs. I think Obamacare should have addressed current problems of our system before adding even more patients to the problem. If its giving them access to the system that may not even be able to help them what good will it do? Though it does seem to touch on some issues it just seems like it is not enough.
   I do like that ideas that the article gives to help with the primary care issues. Since primary care is the backbone of our healthcare system I think it is important to focus on it. Because some graduates are turned away from primary care because of the low salary giving scholarships and other financial incentives could help with the need for more primary care doctors. An advantage to focusing on primary care is catching major issues in patients while they are still small. This will save the healthcare system money in the long run.
   I see positives and negative about going into the medical field from this article. There will obviously be places that you will be able to find a job as the need seems to be so great. The negatives that I see are how many issues there seem to be. I think the job could become very stressful not because of serving patients but trying to manage the bureaucracy of the system. Its a tough decision that many undergraduates seem to be facing. I for one am not as convicted to go into the medical field though it is still of great interest to me.
   

Obesity and America

Link to story that this post is inspired by: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/14/health/weight-loss-sheltons/index.html?hpt=he_t2

      Our cells are always replacing themselves and they do this by using the energy we get from food. This is why the cliche you are what you eat is so very true. So why do so many people just not seem to care what they are putting into their bodies? The rest of the world sees as the overeaters. Recently I know that we have reached the point where there are more obese people in the world than people starving. This is frankly mind boggling to me. The CDC says that 35.7% of U.S. adults are obese. Obesity puts a huge strain on our medical system. Medical costs for those that are obese are about $1,500 dollars more than those of normal weight. This equates to $147 billion spent on medical problems associated with being obese. Obesity affects some certain groups more than others, mainly low socioeconomics. You can see why from my last blog post. In North Carolina the prevalence of obesity is about 25%-29%. So what is the answer to obesity?
     One incredible success story was posted on CNN. A couple lost a combined 538 pounds in 19 months. Plagued by daily road blocks and medical scares the couple finally decided that they needed to do something about their weight problem. They went to see a physician to learn what foods they could and could not eat. He gave them a plan on how to begin losing weight. The before and after pictures of this couple are absolutely amazing. I think that their preserving should be an inspiration for all Americans that are overweight. They cam see that it is possible to overcome their weight problem.
     The couple used a multitude of tools in order to achieve their success. They used apps on their phones in order to track their progress. They said this was able to encourage them to keep working hard to lose the weight. Of course the couple join a gym and frequented it 5-6 days a week. On off days they would find a fun way to work out such as hiking of swimming.
    I think all of America needs to learn from there story. People need to be able to take control of their lives in order to improve their standard of living. If citizens themselves reduced the obesity rate a great stress will be lifted off the medical industry. What do you think of this story? Does it inspire you to keep better track of your daily intake and exercise? Do you think that obesity is a medical care problem or one that should be taken care of by the patients themselves?

Eating Healthy versus Unhealthy

        How do the food options available to us and the place that we live affect our likelihood to eat unhealthy?  Here at school we have the luxury of all you care to eat dinning halls. It has made it much easier for me to monitor the food choices that I am making. I am often able to make myself choice some of the healthier options that are being offered. At home my choices were often based simply on what was in our fridge or pantry. For most people they do not even have it this easy. Many people in our country are stretching their dollars thin and have to make difficult choices when it comes to food. One study from the University of Washington found that the average price for 1,000 calories of high energy dense food but low in nutrients was $1.78. For low energy dense foods but high in nutrients the average price was $18.17. This is a very dramatic difference. People that have a low socioeconomic background are drawn to the high energy dense foods because it is easier to sustain themselves. In this way it is more difficult for people in poverty to eat healthy.
      Another factor that affects our health from a food and exercise stand point can be where we live. At school the gym is about a 5 minute walk for most students. I know at home my gym was about a 15min drive away. This can definitely be a big determinate in how often someone works out. Now running is a free and effective way to workout. Everyday I see many students getting a run in on campus. Some people may live in areas where its not as safe to run. Some people may live in areas where it is often too cold to run. What are some strategies that people could use to maintain a healthy lifestyle if they are negatively affected by where they live?
       Where we live can also affect what foods we have readily available. I remember my high school had a McDonalds directly across the street. It was always very tempting to go over there and grab a couple McDoubles. Local grocery stores can often only have a small selection if you are in a rural area or raise the prices of the healthier options. Is it solely our responsibility to choose what we eat? What if it is out of the control of some people? Simply the placement of food items in the grocery store can affect what people choose. Sugary cereals are often put lower on the shelves to gain the attention I know that part of the reason that some foods are so cheap is because what the government subsidizes. Is it the responsibility of the government to regulate some of the food choices? What are some options that you can employ to improve your eating habits? Your exercise routine?

Source:

Parker-Pope, Tara. "A High Price for Healthy Food." Well A High Price for Healthy Food Comments. The New York Times, 5 Dec. 2007. Web. 06 Oct. 2013.

Importance Of Sleep

College is packed full of activities all day long and even all night. I have already had a night until 2am in Davis Library and I have heard much later from friends finishing papers. I am having a blast but I know I have definitely been skimping out on my sleep. Sleep is extremely important and I hate to miss but sometimes it is inevitable. There can be many negative health implications for not getting a full night sleep. For teenagers the suggested sleep time is 8.5-9 hours. I do not know how anyone would be able to stick to this suggestion and manage school and extracurricular. Negative implications include increased risk of obesity, decreased productivity during the day, and increased moody swings such as irritability. The most stunning fact I found is that “After several nights of losing sleep—even a loss of just 1–2 hours per night—your ability to function suffers as if you haven't slept at all for a day or two.” I know that if I do not get enough sleep I am extremely grumpy and not pleasant to be around the next day. So what are some of the benefits of getting enough sleep? One of the most beneficial for us at college is that it will help us retain information better. "Studies show that a good night's sleep improves learning. Whether you're learning math, how to play the piano, how to perfect your golf swing, or how to drive a car, sleep helps enhance your learning and problem-solving skills. Sleep also helps you pay attention, make decisions, and be creative." Most people are not even aware that sleep depravation is affecting them. One example of this is that drowsy drivers do not believe that their ability to drive is affect, but in reality “it can be affect as much as or more than being drunk.”  Does being aware of these effects make you want to get more sleep? If so how much sleep do you estimate you need each night to be able to function properly the next day? What will you do in the future to insure that you’re getting an appropriate amount of sleep?

My source and inspiration for this article comes from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why.html

"How Schools Kill Creativity"

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html - Inspiration for this post came from this TED talk. It would be helpful to watch it to get the background ideas that Robinson talks about.

At first class this title seemed the opposite of what I thought schools were supposed to do. I thought schools were meant to improve our minds, which in fact they do, but I had never though of school as crushing my creativity. As Ken Robinson began to talk I was able to really relate to the examples that he was giving. I have been taught under strict guidelines how things should be completed. He thinks that children are innately creative because they are not afraid of being wrong. Because the worst thing you can do in school is be wrong we are grown and taught out of being creative in order to not be wrong.  Public school really started in the 19th century around the time of the industrial revolution in order to cater to new job needs. Schools told kids that certain subjects were not as important because they would not be able to get a job in that subject. There is a hierarchy among the subjects. "Kids are not taught dance as much as they are taught mathematics." Robinson emphasizes the importance of being creative and the fact that everyone cannot be assessed based on the same standards. His talk reminded me of a quote from Albert Einstein "Everyone is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will live its whole life believing it's stupid." I feel like this has really been emphasized since I have been at UNC. What do you think about the fact the schools seem to educated us to eventually focus on one side of our brain? What is the value of other subjects if you are not able to get a job with them? Even if you are a great artist you may be a starving one and no one wants to live like that. Though an interesting example he gave of Gillian Lynne who in todays time would have likely been given ADHD medication and told to sit down and be quiet. She would have probably never created the world famous musical choreography of Cats. What could be changed about schools as not to suppress the natural creativity of children?

Our Attraction to Violence

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1776791-high-school-football-player-dies-after-helmet-to-helmet-collision?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial&hpt=hp_t3

Is it the thrill of watching our favorite player Gio running the gaming winning touchdown 73 yards to beat NC state or is it the skull crushing sound of a big hit that makes us so enthralled to watch football? What is the human characteristic innate in so many of us that keeps us on the edge of our seat during the season's biggest games? I admit I am surely guilty of it, gaining excitement not only from a big play but hit that knocks a player down, “cleans his clock” as some people may say. And to what cost is this enjoyment and adrenaline rush? This article from CNN details the loss of the precious young life of a high school athlete. Running back Damon James lost his life because of a helmet-to-helmet hit in a game at his New York high school. Even with all the regulations and new rules that are being implemented into the game these tragedies still occur. I have played the game myself and I understand the love and drive that comes from playing a sport. People love the sports they play which is why they are willing to take the risk of sustaining an injury, but the risk seems especially high and more serve in football. “The National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research at the University of North Carolina reported 25 deaths of high school football players from 2003 to 2013.”  Should we continue to allow ourselves to be captivated by this sport? The recently publicized issue with the NFL settlement to their players brought to light how serve the repercussions of playing football can be. Is it wrong the teams in the NFL are so profitable while some players are left with handicaps the rest of their lives because of hits and concussions that they suffered? Is it enough to try to change to rule? It still seems inevitable that these injuries will occur.

Carolina Schools - Falling Behind

     http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/08/23/3130949/greeting-the-new-school-year-in.html

     This article from the newsobserver.com makes clear the problems that have been increasing in North Carolina schools every year. Budget cuts are ever increasing which may seem necessary in the short term, only hinder our students in the longer run. I have been personally connected to many of the issues in our public school system because I have been a student there as well as my mother is a high school English teacher. Every year class sizes have been increasing and the number of teacher positions have been decreasing. Parents are becoming concerned over the quality of education their children are getting and teachers are working longer and longer hours trying to find a way to manage the many students in their classrooms. Currently my mother has 36 kids in a classroom that was meant for closer to 25 students. This is not nearly as bad as what is on the schedule for next semester, she has 76 kids on the roster for her 11th grade English class. What can be done about these every worsening conditions in our schools? I know my mother works tirelessly along with the many other teachers in the school system but it is simply to much for the school system to manage with so few resources. North Carolina is 46th in public school rankings with many teachers leaving the profession because of the poor pay and lack of support. Would you want to go into this field? Why do you think our officials do not see the need to invest in our children? They are the ones that will need to work and bring money into our economy. If they are not educated the public school system will only consider to suffer because there will be even less funding to give to schools. We have to invest in our schools now and stop the positive feedback cycle before it spirals out of control. Where do you think the problem started? Why are North Carolina public schools falling behind while we have some of the top universities in the country here? What can be done to most effectively fix this problem?