A shocking 92 per cent of the British public believes that admitting to having a mental illness would damage someones career [1].

The three careers most damaged were doctors (56 per cent), emergency services (54 per cent) and teachers (48 per cent). However, only 21 per cent of respondents thought that it would be damaging to the career of an MP, despite it being illegal for someone to work as an MP with a history of mental illness.

The survey commissioned for the antistigma campaign Time to Change [2] also found that as mental illness rises during the recession people may find it more difficult to get jobs if they admitted their mental illness in a job interview.

The study asked more than 2000 people around the UK to imagine that they were interviewing someone for a job, and the interviewee admitted that from time to time they suffered from depression. Despite the respondents considering this person the best candidate for the job, more than half [56 per cent) would not employ them because of their mental illness.

The survey found that of these respondents nearly one in five (17 per cent) would not offer the best candidate the job because they considered that mental illness would make them unreliable, while 10 per cent would worry that if the employee took time off sick, theyd get the blame for employing them. A further 15 per cent worried that they wouldnt work as well as other employees, or that other employees would react negatively towards them, undermining team morale.

Reponses from the survey were also broken down by professions, such as health workers, lawyers and banking. It found that bank workers were the most likely to discriminate against someone with a mental illness. Almost half of respondents (46 per cent) working in this sector were either reluctant to employ someone with a mental illness because theyd be unreliable or worried that theyd get the blame for employing them if they went off sick. This is worrying for members of the banking industry, a sector hit by the recession, when they attempt to get new jobs.

Andy Harley, 37, worked for six years as a business analyst for a bank, until he developed depression and gave up work for a year to get better. He undertook 150 interviews before he could get another job. He said

My experience of getting a job in the banking sector following my depression backs up the findings of this survey. I admitted to depression on application forms and didnt get interviews despite my experience. My mental illness set off alarms bells. My depression was a major concern in the interviews that I did get, with the interviewers worrying that I wouldnt be reliable or able to cope with stress.

The discrimination in the banking sector is outdated. They saw my illness not me. Im not foremost a person with a mental illness. They didnt take into account my own personal circumstances, or the fact that I had worked well for six years in a highpressured environment. Anyone can get ill at any time. I was eventually forced to seek work in another sector entirely.

Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, said

The issue of mental health in the workplace is never more important than in time of recession. We need to be able to have a discussion about mental health problems in the workplace, and to put an end to discriminatory attitudes that prevent capable people from working.

Notes

1. All figures are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2082 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 31st July and 3rd August 2009. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

2. Time to Change is Englands most ambitious programme to end the discrimination faced by people with mental health problems, and improve the nations wellbeing. Mind and Rethink are leading the programme, funded with £16m from the Big Lottery Fund and £4m from Comic Relief, and evaluated by the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College, London. For further information go to timetochange.org.uk

The Big Lottery Funds support for Time to Change comes from its £165m Wellbeing programme. The Big Lottery Fund has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006. Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website biglotteryfund.org.uk

The Alabama Obesity Task Force, a volunteer group interested in preventing and reducing obesity in Alabama, was recently provided the opportunity to join the Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE).

Miriam Gaines, the chair of the Obesity Task Force and director of the Alabama Department of Public Healths Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, says, “The task force is honored to join the action of ACE and looks forward to functioning as a resource for community leaders in their efforts to lower the incidence and prevalence of obesity in individual communities.”

ACE, created in 2002, is a comprehensive approach to economic and community development with partners from the private sector, governmental agencies, utility and construction companies, as well as universities and other interested groups, working together to successfully aid Alabamas smaller communities in their efforts to plan, grow and prosper. As quality of life issues such as healthcare and wellness are vital to a communitys success, the Alabama Obesity Task Force was invited to partner with ACE.

“We welcome the Obesity Task Force as a member of the ACE Associates Council.Healthcare and wellness programs are an important component of a successful and vibrant community. This partnership will help provide Alabamas communities with the information they need to help reduce and prevent obesity in their areas thereby improving the quality of life for each citizen,” said Stacey Bryan, ACE state coordinator.

On Sept. 30 ACE will hold its annual community kickoff at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery. This daylong event will feature speakers on a variety of topics selected to aid communities in enhancing their quality of life and building a better community. In addition to the seminars, the program will provide participants with oneonone time to meet with representatives from various organizations, such as the Alabama Obesity Task Force, to discuss the potential programs and services available for use in their communities. Anyone interested in building a better community may register for this event by paying the appropriate fee and completing a registration form. Advance registration is required with the deadline of Sept. 18. A discount is available for registration before Sept. 4. For more information on the event, including a registration form, please visit the ACE Web site at alabamacommunitiesofexcellence.org.

The Alabama Obesity Task Forces mission is “Working toward the prevention and reduction of obesity for a healthier Alabama.” City leaders interested in additional information should stop by the task forces exhibit during the ACE Community Kickoff. Several board and task force members will be present to provide information and assistance to parties interested in lowering the prevalence and slowing the incidence of obesity in their communities.

Michael Jackson, a member of the task force board and president of The DuBois Institute, said, “We encourage community leaders interested in improving the rate of obesity to get a copy of the state plan and implement environmental and policy changes at the local level.” The Alabama Obesity Task Force meets in Clanton quarterly. Additional information can be found on its Web site

Aid agencies on Tuesday “appealed for better access” to “tens of thousands” of people in Yemen who have been displaced by violence and are facing “a high risk of outbreaks of malaria and diarrhoeal diseases among the already malnourished population,” Reuters reports.

An estimated 35,000 people have fled after violence escalated over the past two weeks, UNICEF said. “Some 120,000 had been made homeless by earlier rounds of fighting in an intermittent conflict that began in 2004,” according to Reuters (Nebehay, 8/25).

Ann Veneman, the director of UNICEF, said aid workers are struggling to shelter, and to feed and safeguard the health of an evergrowing body of internally displaced people. Veneman said that children and women are the “majority of the displaced,” the National reports.

“Some internally displaced people are displaced for the second or third time,” Claire Bourgeois, the U.N.s refugee chief in Yemen, said (Reinl, 8/26).

Elisabeth Byrs, of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said, “Insecurity has made it difficult for the humanitarian community to access the affected population and obtain accurate information on numbers, locations and needs.” She added that Yemens foreign minister indicated that the government would consider opening a humanitarian corridor, Reuters writes.

“Humanitarian workers must be protected and given safe passage to provide emergency aid,” the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement (8/25).

This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSEAmexPLX), announced that it has received Fast Track Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prGCD, the Companys proprietary plantcell expressed recombinant form of glucocerebrosidase (GCD) for the treatment of Gaucher disease.

Fast Track designation is an FDA approved process that facilitates the development and expedites the review of drugs to treat serious diseases and fill an unmet medical need with the goal of getting important new treatments to patients earlier. This process allows a company to file the sections of the New Drug Application (NDA) as they become available instead of filing all the sections at once. It also enables the agency to commence its review and proceed on a rolling basis as the additional sections are completed and submitted for review. Protalix plans to submit the first section of the rolling NDA for prGCD, allowed under the Fast Track process, in the very near future.

Protalix expects to complete the Companys Phase III trial of prGCD for the treatment of Gauchers disease in September, to report topline results in October and to complete the NDA filing before the end of the year. Additionally, the Company has initiated a treatment protocol that allows physicians and other careproviders to treat Gaucher disease patients in the United States and additional countries worldwide with prGCD while the drug is still under investigation.

Source

Women with a large waist are more likely to develop asthma even if they have a normal body weight, suggests research published ahead of print in Thorax. US researchers also confirmed a link between excess weight and asthma severity and prevalence.

Obesity is a risk factor for adult asthma, especially in women, but few studies have looked at the relationship between abdominal obesity (large waist size) and asthma.

Researchers from California led by the Northern California Cancer Centers Berkeley team of scientists, used data from the California Teachers Study, which began in 1995. This involves 133,479 female teachers and school administrators either employed in the California public school system or retired and receiving retirement benefits.

Women participants answered questionnaires in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2005.

The researchers analysed 88,304 women and found that 11,500 (13%) of them were obese in 1995, including 1,334 who were extremely obese.

They looked at three groups of women those with adult onset asthma, and those with adult onset asthma who were not overweight at age 18.

Compared with women of normal weight body mass index (BMI) below 25 women who were obese were more than twice as likely to have adult onset asthma, and extremely obese women were more than three times more likely to have asthma.

The researchers also found that large waist circumference (more than 88 cm) was associated with increased asthma prevalence even among women with a normal BMI.

Women who were obese and overweight were at greater risk of severe asthma attacks, shown by urgent medical visits and hospital admissions.

The authors said “All measures of obesity were strongly associated with increased asthma prevalence. Even being modestly overweight was associated with higher asthma prevalence in this population.”

A large waist circumference was also associated with modestly increased asthma prevalence among women who were of normal weight based on BMI, they added.

The researchers conclude “These findings are particularly troubling because a majority of American adults are now overweight or obese. The current prevalence of obesity in US adults is estimated at 32% and the prevalence of overweight and obesity combined is 66%.

“Abdominal obesity is increasing faster than overall obesity. According to an analysis of data from the 20034 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 61% of US women were abdominally obese based on waist circumference.”

Citation
“Obesity, waist size and prevalence of current asthma in the California Teachers Study cohort.”
Thorax 2009; doi 10.1136/thx.2009.114579

Research published ahead of print in Thorax reports that women with a large waist are more likely to develop asthma even if they have a normal body weight. In addition, US researchers established a link between excess weight and asthma severity and occurrence.

Obesity is a risk factor for adult asthma, especially in women. However, few studies have considered the connection between large waist size (abdominal obesity) and asthma.

A team of scientists from The Northern California Cancer Centers Berkeley led a group of researchers from California. They used data from the California Teachers Study, which began in 1995. This included 133,479 female teachers and school administrators. All were either employed in the California public school system or retired and receiving retirement benefits.

The participants answered successive questionnaires (in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2005).

After analyzing 88,304 women, results showed that 13 percent of them (11,500 women) were obese in 1995, including 1,334 who were extremely obese.

Several groups of women were studied those with adult onset asthma, and those with adult onset asthma who were not overweight at age 18.

Findings pointed out that women who were obese were more than twice as likely to have adult onset asthma, and extremely obese women were more than three times more likely to have asthma, compared with women of normal weight or body mass index (BMI) below 25.

In addition, the researchers found that a large waist circumference of more than 88 cm was linked with increased asthma incidence even among women with a normal BMI.

According to emergency medical visits and hospital admissions, women who were obese and overweight were at greater risk of severe asthma attacks.

The authors explain “All measures of obesity were strongly associated with increased asthma prevalence. Even being modestly overweight was associated with higher asthma prevalence in this population.”

They added that a large waist circumference was also linked with some increased asthma prevalence among women who were of normal weight based on BMI.

The researchers write in conclusion “These findings are particularly troubling because a majority of American adults are now overweight or obese. The current prevalence of obesity in US adults is estimated at 32% and the prevalence of overweight and obesity combined is 66%.”

“Abdominal obesity is increasing faster than overall obesity. According to an analysis of data from the 2003 4 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 61% of US women were abdominally obese based on waist circumference.”

“Obesity, waist size and prevalence of current asthma in the California Teachers Study cohort”
J Von Behren, M Lipsett, P L HornRoss, R J Delfino, F Gilliland, R McConnell,L Bernstein, C A Clarke, P Reynolds
doi10.1136/thx.2009.114579
Thorax

Women in labor may be allowed to quench their thirst with more than just the standard allowance of ice chips, according to a new Committee Opinion released today from The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and published in the September issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Although the guidelines on prohibiting solid food while in labor or before scheduled cesarean surgery remain the same, ACOG says that women with uncomplicated labor, as well as uncomplicated patients undergoing a planned cesarean, may drink modest amounts of clear liquids during labor if they wish.

Standard hospital policy for many decades has been to allow only ice chips for pregnant women in labor if they were thirsty. Women are not allowed to eat any solid food during labor. “The reason for restrictions on food and water (or other liquids) during labor is to avoid aspiration in the event that a woman needs to be anesthetized for a cesarean delivery,” said William H. Barth, Jr, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and chair of ACOGs Committee on Obstetric Practice. Aspiration, which is potentially fatal, can occur when the contents of the stomach are drawn into the lungs while under anesthesia. Over the past 60 years, however, the incidence of maternal death due to aspiration while under anesthesia has declined dramatically, mainly due to the prohibition on solid foods as well as improvements in obstetric anesthesia.

According to ACOG, women with a normal, uncomplicated labor may drink modest amounts of clear liquids such as water, fruit juice without pulp, carbonated beverages, clear tea, black coffee, and sports drinks. Fluids with solid particles, such as soup, should be avoided, however. Women who have uncomplicated pregnancies and are scheduled for a cesarean delivery may also drink these clear liquids up to two hours before anesthesia is administered.

“Allowing laboring women more than a plastic cup of ice is going to be welcome news for many,” Dr. Barth said. “As for the continued restriction on food, the reality is that eating is the last thing most women are going to want to do since nausea and vomiting during labor is quite common.”

According to ACOG, expert consensus supports the recommendation that women undergoing a planned cesarean delivery or elective postpartum tubal ligation after vaginal birth should have no solid food from six to eight hours prior to surgery. Pregnant women who have additional risk factors for aspiration, such as morbid obesity or diabetes, and those at high risk for operative delivery (ie, forceps, vacuum), may need to be restricted from fluid intake on a casebycase basis.

Committee Opinion #441, “Oral Intake during Labor,” is published in the September 2009 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Source

The American Red Cross has advice and safety tips for anyone planning a trip to the beach along the U.S. East Coast this weekend as experts predict Hurricane Bill may cause dangerous waves and rip tides along the shore.

Hurricane Bill is currently a Category Three storm with winds blowing up to 125 mph, and experts say the storm could strengthen over the open Atlantic. The first hurricane of 2009 is expected to travel very close to Bermuda and make landfall in Canada. Forecasters are predicting dangerous waves and rip tides all along the coast over the next several days.

Red Cross says beachgoers should be aware of how dangerous rip currents are, and swim only at beaches with lifeguards in the designated swimming area. Rip currents can form in any large open water area such as low spots and breaks in sandbars, or near structures such as jetties and piers. A band of water a few feet wide may rush back through a gap in a sandbar made by breaking waves.

If caught in a rip current, stay calm and dont fight the current.

Swim parallel to shore until free of the current

Once free, turn and swim toward shore

If the swimmer feels they wont make it in to the shore, they should draw attention to themselves by waving and calling for help

When at the beach, check conditions before entering the water. Check to see if any warning flags are up or ask a lifeguard about water conditions, beach conditions, or any potential hazards.

The Red Cross offers swimming and water safety courses for people of all ages and abilities. Each year, more than 2 million people participate in Red Cross swimming and water safety programs. Visit RedCross.org for additional water safety tips and for information on our swimming programs. Contact your local chapter to find out which aquatic facilities offer Red Cross swimming courses.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies nearly half of the nations blood; teaches lifesaving skills; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization not a government agency and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission.

What steps have public officials in your state or community taken to combat childhood obesity? The percentage of American adolescents who are obese has tripled in just 35 years. Local governments play a crucial role by shaping environments that make it either easy or hard for families to find fresh fruits and vegetables, play outdoors, walk, and otherwise eat healthy and be physically active. LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACTIONS TO PREVENT CHILDHOOD OBESITY, a new report from the Institute of Medicine, offers action steps that officials at the regional and community levels can use to help reduce childhood obesity, one of the most serious and expensive health problems facing the nation.

The release of this report provides an opportunity to examine initiatives taking place across the country. The report highlights 10 examples of how local officials have promoted healthier lifestyles in communities ranging from big cities to small towns.

Public Briefing Members of the committee that wrote the report will be available to discuss their recommendations and take questions at a public briefing starting at 11 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Sept. 1, in the Lecture Room of the National Academy of Sciences building, 2100 C St., N.W., Washington, D.C. Those who cannot attend may listen to a live audio webcast and submit questions through a link that will be available at nationalacademies.org on Sept. 1.

Participating from the committee that wrote the report Eduardo J. Sanchez (chair), vice president and chief medical officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas

Peggy Beltrone, commissioner, Cascade County Commission, Great Falls, Mont.

Mary T. Story, professor of epidemiology and community health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Adewale Troutman, director, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness, Louisville, Ky.

Antronette (Toni) K. Yancey, professor of health services, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles Source
Christine Stencel

Families in Ohio and Pennsylvania who use Healthsenses stateoftheart eNeighbor® remote monitoring to help care for elderly relatives with Alzheimers disease or dementia say the technology has enabled them to keep their loved ones safe at home for longer and delay placing them permanently in secured memory care units. They also credit the Healthsense technology with improving their own quality of life by helping relieve the stress and strain of tending to seniors with Alzheimers or dementia.

“Without the eNeighbor system, I honestly dont think my mother would still be able to live at home with us,” said Mary White, who has used the Healthsense technology for about a year in her Toledo, Ohio residence to help care for her 88yearold mother, who has Alzheimers. “She does so much better here with me than in a nursing home. She eats better. She exercises more. She has more company here. It also gives me peace of mind. Before, I couldnt even go out to the mailbox to get the mail without worrying that she might open a door and wander off.”

An estimated 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimers disease, the most frequent cause of dementia and the seventh leading cause of death, according to the Alzheimers Association. As the baby boomer population ages, the number of people aged 65 and older with Alzheimers is expected to reach 7.7 million in 2030 and between 11 million and 16 million by 2050. The Alzheimers Association estimates that as many as 10 million people, including family members, currently provide unpaid care for individuals with Alzheimers.

Developed with grants from the National Institutes of Aging (NIA) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the eNeighbor system is built around a set of batteryoperated WiFi sensors placed in private homes or senior living residences to monitor residents daily living activities and wellness. These sensors include pressure sensors in beds to detect when a resident gets in or out of bed; motion detectors on walls to detect movement or inactivity; toilet sensors to monitor toilet usage; contact sensors on kitchen cupboards and refrigerator doors to monitor whether the resident is eating regularly; and door sensors that alert when the resident tries to leave the residence or enter potentially hazardous areas, such as stairways. eNeighbors “smart” operating system uses algorithms to analyze the sensor data and determine whether the resident requires assistance. The system automatically issues assistive prompts or alerts via any phone when the data indicate help is needed. Information and reports can also be accessed from a secure web portal.

White has several sensors installed in the upstairs portion of her home where her mother lives. A motion sensor by the stairs alerts her via a call to her cordless home phone if her mother attempts to come downstairs at any time between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. And if her mother gets up at night to go to the bathroom, the system (including a bed sensor and motion sensors) alerts White if she has not returned to her bed within 10 minutes. Downstairs, the side, front and back doors are all installed with sensors that alert if theyre opened between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. A pressure sensor on her mothers chair also notifies White whenever her mother gets out of the chair during daylight hours.

“Im able to get a lot more sleep now,” said White. “Before I had the Healthsense technology installed, Id always have to sleep with one ear open. It was the same in the daytime. I had to make sure my house was locked at all times. I couldnt even go out into the yard. I was running back and forth all the time, exhausting myself, worrying that shed get out into the street. Now, its a lot safer for her and its such a relief to me. I feel good that Im able to take care of her here in my own home.”

Eleanor Watts, also a Toledo, Ohio resident, has used the eNeighbor technology in her home for more than a year to help care for her 66yearold husband, who has Alzheimers. The sensor in his bed alerts her via the home phone whenever he gets up. “It has freed me up so much, especially in summer,” she said. “I can take my phone now and go and do some gardening in the back yard. Before, I was trapped in the living room. I had to be close enough to hear him, because I never knew when he would get up. The technology has really opened up my world. I feel it will definitely help keep him at home with me for longer. Its a great boon for the caregiver.”

Adrienne Briggs, a Philadelphia resident whose 70yearold mother came to live with her two years ago after she was diagnosed with dementia, began using the eNeighbor system 20 months ago. In addition to bed, motion and door sensors, her system is also set up to alert her if her mother does not return to bed at night within 10 minutes after getting up to use the bathroom. “The eNeighbor technology has definitely helped keep my mom out of a nursing home, and it has given me peace of mind, knowing that she is being monitored at night when Im asleep,” said Briggs. “Before, I was never really able to go into a deep sleep, because I would always be listening out for her.”

“More and more families are telling us that the eNeighbor system has helped prolong the time that their loved ones with Alzheimers or dementia are able to live at home with them,” said Brian Bischoff, President and CEO of Healthsense. “This is a significant qualityoflife benefit not only for the caregivers but also for the patients, because once they are admitted to memory care, they permanently give up whatever remaining level of independence they may still enjoy. There are also important financial implications. The longer a patients passage to higher acuity care can be postponed, the less costly it is for families, patients, providers and payors.”

White and Watts are participants in a NIAfunded twoyear research project titled “Impact of Monitoring Technology on Family Caregivers” currently underway at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The project is directed by Jennifer M. Kinney, Ph.D., professor of gerontology and research fellow of the Scripps Gerontology Center (SGC) and Cary S. Kart, Ph.D., senior researcher with the SGC. Briggss mother receives her eNeighbor system through NewCourtland, a leading nonprofit provider of community services, housing and nursing homes in Philadelphia. Mary White and Eleanor Watts are pseudonyms, used to protect the privacy of the research study participants.

Source