Category: civil rights

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Differences make us unique, and may have helped with survival

Modern humans may have multiple ancestors. Sub-Saharan Africans may be the only modern race without a mixture of ancestors. European and Asian populations have been found to typically have a small percentage of genes from Neanderthal people and more recently genes similar to Denisovan people have also been discovered particularly in people with native Australian and Melanesian ancestors. [1, 2, 3]

Today or yesterday is Autism Awareness Day, making it a good day to appreciate differences. Mixing with other peoples may have helped early African travelers adapt to lower levels of sunlight and colder climates. Lighter skin tone would allow more production of vitamin D even in areas with less sunshine.

The term autism spectrum helps suggest how much difference there can be between people with autism symptoms. The condition is not well understood. Some individuals may have increased skills in some areas of life but may have other difficulties with communication or social interaction. Underlying metabolic differences may be present that could be modified by diet if the genetic difference is identified. The type of bacteria in the the intestines may also be involved, which also could cause symptoms that might be helped by diet or use of probiotic supplements. [4] More research is needed – a phrase that gets overused. Searching for a cure to a genetic issue may not help as much as searching for ways to manage the changes that exist for each individual on the autism spectrum.

The increased rate of autism may also involve differences in the prenatal environment. Research into the frequency of defects in the methylation cycle in mothers may lead to better understanding of how we could help prevent the genetic changes in infants that can cause symptoms associated with the autism spectrum. Adequate levels of methylation can help protect genes from changing form. If the mother has an inadequate ability to methylate her own genetic material or vitamin B12 or folic acid, then the infant may also be more at risk of genetic changes occurring. A diet and environment that contains more toxins may leave a person with a limited ability to methylate more at risk for genetic changes occurring. [Methyl donors] [Methylation and BPA] [Elevated levels of BPA found in children with autism] [Genetic Screening for defects in the methylation cycle, a book link]

More research is needed into prevention and management of autism rather than looking for a cure to something that isn’t really a disease. Antibiotics might help if intestinal bacteria are unhealthy but underlying genetic changes are also involved.

/Disclosure: I am a nutritionist. Disclaimer: Information presented on this site is not intended as a substitute for medical care and should not be considered as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by your physician. Please see a health professional for individualized health care services./

 

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If laughter is the best medicine, then self advocacy may be the second best, and a U.S. physician has written a prescription for both; a book link

There are no guarantees in life except that it doesn’t end well but a physician has written a guide that may help patients navigate through the U.S. medical system. The book “Prepare to Defend Yourself . . . How to Navigate the Healthcare System & Escape with Your Life,” (2014) by Matthew Minson, MD is a patient guide written with sensitivity and humor . . . and the cartoons are funny too. [1]

The author shares the background history of medical care and addresses how changes in the current medical industry has made individualized care of patients more difficult for physicians and for patients. The guide has helpful worksheets of information to keep on hand in case of emergencies, [2], and questions to ask before an emergency occurs (ideally, get the book now, before you need it).

The book’s publication was with the support of the Texas A & M School of Rural Public Health, “whose mission is to improve the health of communities through education, research, service, outreach, and creative partnerships.” The author completed his medical residency in Anesthesiology but since then has worked extensively in the field of emergency and disaster response at federal and corporate levels. [3]

More information about the book and copies of worksheets from the book are available on the website: preparetodefendyourself.com.

Happy April Fool’s Day, but the need for self advocacy as a patient is no joke. Arm yourself with knowledge and a side of laughter, the end result will be the same but quality of life is something to protect every day.

/Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and  the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./

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Good news, homes for the chronically homeless saves money; a link

America may not have refugees fleeing war but we do have chronically homeless individuals living without regular shelter for averages of 10 to 18 years. The community costs may be indirect but emergency room visit care and police bookings, incarcerations, and mental health services within a prison setting add up to large sums of money. Housing First programs in several areas have successfully established chronically homeless individuals in apartments for less money than the average cost of emergency services.

A county in Florida followed the estimated costs accrued by 37 homeless people over a ten year time span. The 37 people were arrested 1,250 times over the ten years resulting in 61,9896 total days of incarceration. The costs included $130,000 for police bookings, $4,951,680 for jail costs and $1,336,225 for mental health care in jail for a total of $6,417,905 dollars – for 37 people.

A Welfare recipient might receive $3000 per year which would be $1,110,000 for 37 people for ten years. Subsidized housing and food benefits add additional costs.

Research during the first nine years of a ten year plan to end homelessness in Utah suggests that costs accrued by treating homeless individuals average $20,000 per year there while the Housing First program only costs $10,000 to $12,000 per person.

Homeless shelters in New York City cost an average of $3,444 dollars per month to provide temporary shelter for a single mother and her children according to the letter that one mother who has to stay in a shelter receives from the Welfare program each month. She states that she would find an apartment for herself and her children if she had $900 per month to spend.

Housing First programs take a different approach to helping the homeless – providing homes before expecting recipients to be drug free and have stable mental health symptoms. The more common approach has been to provide services within the temporary shelters until individuals prove they have reached a stable level of self care. The problem with that method is that for many chronically homeless, a stable level of self care can not be reached while in an unstable, stressful homeless situation. And for some people expecting a complete remission from their mental health symptoms may be impossible.

Personal Opinion: we don’t expect other chronically ill people to just stop acting sick. Illness is not an act and taking pills can’t always provide an end to all symptoms let alone provide a cure.

Read more: “Room for Improvement: The Shockingly Simple, Surprisingly Cost-Effective Way to End Homelessness,” by Scott Carrier, Feb. 17, 2015, March/April 2015 issue, [Mother Jones.com] 

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Closed big box stores could be re-purposed as community health and recreation centers

Empty store buildings the size of warehouses are becoming more common in the U.S. and in other countries. Often a large chain store location is closed and left empty instead of being refurbished. The chains open newer larger buildings within the same community and move out of the old building. The empty buildings can become a tax liability for the community by reduced tax revenue as the chain store may have placed restrictions on who the property may be rented or sold to in a way of reducing risk of competitive chains moving into the location. [Read more: Big-Box Blight: The Spread of Dark Stores]

The empty buildings can become a risk of vandalism as they stand empty for years. The warehouse size buildings are difficult to sell because of their large size often with larger parking lots. Some communities eventually raise funds to have the buildings removed so the property can be sold as an empty lot.

With community support such a large size building might be useful for indoor recreation and health centers. Space for children to play safely can be difficult to find especially for people with limited income. Educational activities as well as just for fun physical games could help the children and the caregivers. Such a center would be unlikely to add tax revenue but it might promote increased revenue through indirect means such as reduced health care costs, reduced vandalism and crime, and increased employee health and productivity.

Open play areas for children can be difficult to find for parents living in crowded conditions. Gymnasiums at schools are not very available for open play because of scheduled sporting events. Private gyms are designed for adult use and typically have a fee that is prohibitive for lower income adults or for many people who have car loans, house loans and credit card bills. An empty big box store would not have the same height of ceiling found in sporting arenas so a community health and recreation center would be unlikely to compete for the consumers who are already using the adult oriented centers. Some indoor malls promote their open areas for walking for health purposes. An empty big box store could be re-purposed to make room for walkers to be able to jog or play more active games like tag or possibly sports using a soft Nerf football or a soft disc Frisbee.

A community center would likely need financial support from a variety of community businesses and volunteer or government agencies in order to succeed over the long term. With the high cost of childcare many parents don’t have additional money for regular recreational classes or memberships. Child oriented activity centers tend to focus on special events like birthday parties for income or may have an indoor putt putt golf course for generating more revenue.

A community health center might encourage attendance at educational events by providing vouchers for recreational events to those attending the health oriented session.

A large open building might also be suitable for craft fairs or rummage sales or other special events. A building with an overly large parking lot might be re-purposed by building some open air areas for outdoor craft and produce markets.

Depending on the climate a large open building might be useful for a community or privately owned hydroponic garden business.

Re-purposing empty buildings can require communities to void clauses in a retailer’s lease that limit the owner’s ability to rent the property to other retailers – which is the easiest way to re-use warehouse size empty storefronts. The other way is to limit their existence in the first place by limiting how much land is zoned for large stores and placing limits on the size of stores that are allowed within smaller communities. Requiring new construction to be multi-story, mixed use buildings can make the property more versatile for a range of tenants over the years. Economic review committees can help prevent empty warehouse sized buildings from becoming a problem for community by examining whether there is a need for more retail space before approval is given for new construction – maybe the community already has an empty big box store that is waiting for a new tenant.