USA: You should eat less salt, government says. A lot less

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SEATTLE, Wa / The Seattle Times / Health / January 31, 2011

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON —
You should eat less salt, the government says. A lot less.

It won't be easy. Consumers will need help from food companies if they are going to meet the government's ambitious new goals, announced Monday, for half of Americans to reduce the amount of salt they eat by more than half. Most salt intake doesn't come from the shaker on the table; it's hidden in foods such as breads, chicken and pasta.

Many of the rest of us need to cut back on sodium, too, the government said. And we still need to just plain eat less, especially fats.

The new dietary guidelines, issued every five years by the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments, are telling people who are 51 and older, African-American or suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease to cut the amount of sodium they eat daily to little more than half a teaspoon.

That group includes about half of the population and those who are most at risk of having higher blood pressure due to the amount of salt they eat.

For everyone else, the government continues to recommend about a teaspoon a day - 2,300 milligrams - or about one-third less than the average person usually consumes.

A number of major food makers have announced plans during the past few years to cut sodium in their products as pressure from health advocates, consumers and regulators has built.

Kraft Foods Inc., ConAgra Foods Inc., General Mills Inc., Heinz Co., Campbell Soup Co. and Bumble Bee Foods Inc. are some of the companies that have committed to lowering sodium levels. But it's often a multiyear process to dial down the sodium, largely so consumers do not detect the changes in taste.

It's unclear if those incremental changes will be able to cut enough to satisfy the new guidelines. The Food and Drug Administration has said it will pressure companies to take voluntary action before it moves to regulate salt consumption.

Melissa Musicker, director of nutrition and health policy at the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which represents the nation's largest food companies, says companies will reduce sodium as consumers increasingly demand it. She said that in past years consumers may have avoided products labeled low in sodium. Now, consumers are interested in them.

"They are specifically purchasing those products and they are enjoying them," she said. "Companies are in the business of giving consumers what they are looking for."

Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says the heightened interest in the dangers of too much sodium could help somewhat. But she believes the FDA will have to take action for the companies to reduce enough salt to matter."The companies are only going to do it if there's a really strong push," she said.

The salt industry is fighting back. Lori Roman, president of The Salt Institute, an association of salt producers including Morton and Cargill, said the guidelines make the government into the "food police" and are "made up out of thin air."

She said salt companies aren't worried about people's reactions, however.

"If they don't get it on one food they're going to get it in another food, or they will seek out the salt shaker," she said.

Some cities and states have already moved to try and ensure that doesn't happen. New York City has launched a campaign with the goal of cutting salt consumption by at least 20 percent in five years. That's modeled on a plan in Britain that set voluntary salt reduction targets for 85 categories of processed foods. At least 18 states and the District of Columbia have set portion limits for sodium in school meals and snacks beyond federal standards, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Consumers still have some control. To reduce the risk of disease from high sodium intake, the guidelines say people should:

- Read nutrition labels closely and buy items labeled low in sodium.
- Use little or no salt when cooking or eating.
- Eat more fresh or home-prepared foods and fewer processed foods, so they know exactly what they are eating.
- Ask that salt not be added to foods at restaurants.
- Gradually reduce sodium intake over time to get used to the taste.

Other recommendations in the guidelines are similar to previous years - limit trans fats, reduce calorie intake from solid fats and added sugars, eat fewer refined grains and more whole grains, consume less than 300 mg per day of cholesterol. The guidelines also recommend eating less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fats - full-fat cheese and fatty meats, for example.

The government promotes these guidelines to consumers by using a pyramid. It doesn't specify recommended amounts of foods but directs people to an Agriculture Department website that details the guidelines. That replaced an old pyramid with more detailed specifications after surveys showed that few people followed it.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said his department may come out with a new icon, but that won't be for a few more months. For now, the government wants consumers to focus on the guidelines themselves.

He says the recommendations - coupled with efforts from industry and other government campaigns for healthful eating, such as first lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" initiative - should bring about some change in the country's diet.

"I don't think it necessarily has to take a generation or two to see some progress," he said.

Associated Press writer Sarah Skidmore in Portland, Ore., contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2011 The Seattle Times Company

AUSTRALIA: Grandfather wins poker crown

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MELBOURNE / The Age / Culture / January 31, 2011

By Lorna Edwards

WHEN David Gorr shows up for work at his city insurance company today, it's a fair bet he will have the best story in the office about what he got up to at the weekend.

The 68-year-old Malvern grandfather just happened to defeat a field of 721 to win $2 million in the world's second-richest poker tournament, the Crown Aussie Millions, in Melbourne yesterday.

Along with the cash prize, Gorr walked away with a diamond-encrusted gold bracelet and the sort of bragging rights that poker players travel the world in the hope of winning.

David Gorr  Photo: Angela Wylie



But the massive pay day didn't diminish the computer analyst-programmer's work ethic.

''I will be at work during the day as it would be silly for me not to pop in tomorrow,'' he said.

''I haven't missed a day of work since 1976.''

Indeed, stamina and discipline both played starring roles in his victory. The tournament ran for seven days and when he reached the final table, which began on Saturday at 12.30pm, he was one of just eight contenders.

Gorr, who was low in chips, fought his way through to the final two, with young British player James Keys his opponent. And if the possibility of a $2 million payout wasn't enough pressure, there was the spectacle of it.

The two finalists were ushered into a purpose-built film set at Crown Casino from from where the play-off was broadcast. It was watched live by 500 spectators and attracted a worldwide audience on the internet.

Undaunted, Gorr then calmly earned the winner's trophy and the cash prize. Speaking afterwards, he said his health was part of the secret to his success.

He said while younger players were generally more mentally alert, he took no medication and kept himself fit by running - something he had done for the past 30 years.

''If you are not right on the game and you smoke and you are not fit and eat the wrong foods, then I think you are not as good as you can be at the table,'' he said.

With only one previous big win at an Adelaide tournament in 1996, Gorr decided to change tactics. ''I used to be a conservative player and I would wait for the better hands to play but to win tournaments you have to mix your game up and play a variety of different hands.''

Gorr was remarkably relaxed about the prize yesterday as he pondered how to celebrate with all his family and friends.

He said he was financially established, so most of the money would go towards helping out his two children and five grandchildren.

''I could buy another car, which I probably won't do, and I could go on a couple of extra holidays but that's the only difference it would make to me,'' he mused.

Then another idea popped up.

''I might just go to a few extra poker tournaments overseas, actually.''

Copyright © 2011 Fairfax Media

UK: Care homes should not represent a death sentence

. LONDON, England / The Daily Mail / Debate / January 31, 2011

By Harry Phibbs

The analysis of death certificates of care home residents exposes an appalling record of neglect that will make all decent people angry.


Between 2005 and 2009 667 elderly people died of dehydration and another 157 died of malnutrition. 1,446 died suffering with bedsores. MRSA killed another 579 and Clostridium difficile 1,349. These are the superbugs that thrive where standards of cleanliness are not maintained.

With chilling cynicism Joseph Stalin said: ‘The death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic.’ It is important to remember that each and everyone of these painful, avoidable care home deaths represents a scandal.

Neglected: Shocking figures highlight that over 600 care home patients died though hydration between 2005 and 2009 - and over 150 of malnutrition


It should also be remembered that many of those who went to the care homes did so after having their savings virtually wiped out. This is money they might have hoped to pass on to their sons and daughters.

Anyone who has saved £23,500 or more is not given any state funding at all for a care home place. So those who need care have to fund it from their savings or sell their home.

Labour's approach to the failings of care homes was to load on more bureaucracy. The Care Standards Act 2000 brought in lots of box ticking regulations. It forced the closure of hundreds of homes whose layout didn't match their pedantic standards.


For instance, if a room was 14.0 square metres instead of the 14.1 specified then the person living in it was forced to move out. I'm sure it was well intentioned but meanwhile the real problems got worse.

Other care homes, which have huge amounts of state funding, have continued despite terrible abuses.

Compared to 1997, when Labour took over, we can see they presided over a doubling of the number of deaths linked to dehydration. There were seven times as many deaths involving superbugs.

Tragically the number of deaths due to negligence is far higher even than the figures released this morning shows, for instance deaths through failure to provide the elderly with the medicine they need at the correct time.

Part of the answer is to keep to a minimum the number of elderly people being sent to these homes. There should be more support and encouragement for people to remain in their homes and to be looked after by family members.

The Government has promised that by April 2013, every eligible person requiring care will have the right to get a personal budget from their council, preferably in the form of a direct payment that can be used to buy the services.

Of course in some cases the elderly will want and need to be in residential care. The feasibility of looking after them in their own home will have been exhausted. In that case the care homes they are placed in - at a cost up to £800 a week - should be accountable to the taxpayer for whom the bill adds up to billions.

The Government has made greater transparency a priority. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Before the elderly are placed in a care home we need to know a lot more about whether it represents a death sentence.

Copyright: Associated Newspapers Ltd

CANADA: How to Manage Pain Naturally in Older Adults

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia  / Suite101.com / Seniors Health / Medicare / January 30, 2011

By Katrena Wells

Look at simple, inexpensive, and natural options for controlling pain other than or in addition to using pain medications in seniors.

Massage May Provide Pain Relief Without Medicine  Photo by Lubyanka

Many seniors experience chronic pain due to a variety of health conditions such as arthritis or advanced cancer, infections such as shingles, injuries such as hip fractures, pain in the extremities due to poor circulation, just to name a few. Unfortunately, many older adults do not have adequate control of their pain and find that they live with pain on a daily basis.

Why Do Seniors Often Have Inadequate Pain Control?

Lack of adequate pain control may be due to hesitancy on the part of the elder to take pain medication, a wish not to increase the dosage, or a wish not to try new medications at the time. The elder may have fears of side effects such as constipation, addiction, or confusion. The cost of medications for pain control may be too much for an already strained budget. Some seniors may assume that they simply must live with unrelenting pain every day and may assume that they do not have any options for pain control.

Healthcare providers may also contribute to the problem of pain in their elderly patients. Some healthcare providers may be unaware that the senior is experiencing pain because some elders tend to be stoic and do not show obvious signs of pain, which may lead the healthcare provider to mistakenly think that he or she is not experiencing pain. Some seniors may view pain as a sign of weakness or may feel as if it is not appropriate to “complain.” An older adult may misunderstand questions related to pain. Some healthcare providers hesitate to prescribe medications that are adequate for pain control in older populations for a variety of reasons.

Some seniors may be unable to take effective doses of medications for pain control, but several simple, non-invasive options for managing pain may be available that might help to give better relief with existing pain control methods.

Ways to Treat Pain Without Added Medications in Seniors

A collaborative approach between the healthcare provider and the patient may result in much better pain control. Natural pain control measures may need to be coupled with prescribed pain medication in order to increase the effectiveness of the pain control therapy.

Relaxation May Help Decrease Pain in Seniors - Photo by Yoga4love

According to the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship’s article entitled “Pain Treatment,” some noninvasive and non-pharmacological pain control measures may provide some relief, including:
•Distraction
•Relaxation
•Position changes
•Healthy lifestyle
•Massage
•Biofeedback
•Warm and/or cold therapy

Chronic pain can easily permeate all areas of a person’s life. Those who have their mind solely focused on the pain may find themselves watching the clock in anticipation of the next dose of pain medicine, unable to think about much else. Some seniors may be able to effectively distract themselves with activities that may take their mind off the pain, at least temporarily. Activities that interest a senior tend to be more effective.

People who are in pain often find that tense muscles can increase that pain. Relaxation techniques may help to decrease pain. Some seniors may find it helpful to listen to relaxing music or verbal cues for relaxing. Some exercise classes, such as yoga, may have a relaxation component that many seniors find helpful. Focusing on muscle groups in a systematic way may turn a person’s thoughts to the muscles rather than the pain.

Staying in one position can also lead to increased pain. Seniors who are bedfast can quickly develop pressure ulcers, which can lead to more pain and further declines in health. Frequent position changes may improve circulation and can decrease the hazards of immobility as well as possibly decreasing pain. Performing active or passive range of motion (ROM) exercises can also improve mobility and may prevent painful contractures, which can make many activities of daily living more difficult and painful.

Distraction May Help Control Pain in Older Adults - Photo by gracey

Living a healthy lifestyle may help seniors to more effectively control pain. For example, those who are overweight may experience more pain in weight-bearing joints. Those who smoke may experience painful coughing episodes and difficulties breathing. A lack of regular exercise can result in stiff and painful joints and additional chronic health problems. Adopting a healthy lifestyle may result in many health benefits, including the potential to improve pain control.

Many people find massage to be helpful in relieving pain. Gentle massage may help a person to relax. A simple backrub in the evening may be helpful in relieving pain and stress before going to bed in particular. Deep massage should typically be performed by trained professionals. Massaging certain areas, such as the legs or neck, may increase risk for injury, so it is important to check with a healthcare professional regarding safe massage techniques before attempting to do so.

Biofeedback can give a person objective data about how pain and stress affects the body. For example, the pulse and blood pressure may become elevated as a result of pain or stress. Sometimes seeing this data may help a person to become more self-aware and may help them to identify sources of pain and stress.

Warm therapy, such as a heating pad, can increase blood flow to an area and relax sore muscles. Cold therapy can provide a numbing effect, decrease inflammation, and may help to manage nerve pain. Some people find that alternating cold and warm therapy may provide some pain relief. These have a high potential for injury in seniors, should be covered before placing cold or warm therapy on the skin, and are typically not recommended to be used for more than ten minutes at a time.

How to Control Pain Without Medication in Older Adults

Pain is often difficult to adequately treat in seniors. Some older adults may wish to minimize the use of pain medications but may find natural pain therapies to be useful in helping to decrease pain. Pain can vary from day to day and from one hour to the next, but older adults who are looking for inexpensive and natural ways to help control pain may find some of these non-pharmacological pain control measures worth exploring with a healthcare provider.

Readers may also wish to read:
•Yoga Health Benefits for Seniors
•Arthritis Joint Pain – Common Triggers and Practical Tips
•Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN) – Shingles Nerve Pain After the Rash
•Common Causes of Confusion in the Elderly

This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Check with a healthcare professional before changing any prescribed pain control therapy.

Sources:
•Center for Disease Control and Prevention May 10, 2010 article “How much physical activity do older adults need?” accessed on January 30, 2011
•National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship online article “Pain Treatment” accessed January 30, 2011
•North Carolina Nurse Aide 1 Curriculum approved by the NC Board of Nursing
•Author’s personal experience in caring for cancer patients on a bone marrow transplant unit for more than 17 ½ years

Copyright Katrena Wells.

AUSTRALIA: Overweight elderly 'live longer'

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LONDON, England / BBC News / Health / January 29, 2011

Moderately overweight elderly people may live longer than those of normal weight, an Australian study suggests. But being very overweight or being underweight shortened lives.

The report, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, said dieting may not be beneficial in this age group.  But the study of 9,200 over-70s also found that regardless of weight, sedentary lifestyles shortened lives, particularly for women.

The study by the University of Western Australia set out to find out what level of body mass index (BMI) was associated with the lowest risk of death in the elderly.

The study found exercise particularly benefited elderly women

For younger people, there is a well established health risk from being overweight or obese.


Overweight best:  The team tracked the number of deaths over 10 years among volunteers who were aged 70 - 75 at the start of the study.

It found that those with a BMI which classed them as overweight not only had the lowest overall risk of dying, they also had the lowest risk of dying from specific diseases: cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory disease.

The overall death rate among the obese group was similar to that among those of normal weight.

But those who were very obese had a greater risk of dying during the 10 year period.

Lead researcher, Professor Leon Flicker said: "Concerns have been raised about encouraging apparently overweight older people to lose weight.

"Our study suggests that those people who survive to age 70 in reasonable health have a different set of risks and benefits associated with the amount of body fat to younger people."

The conclusion of this study, that being overweight may be less harmful for elderly people, corroborates the findings of previous research.

Staying still: Sedentary lifestyles shortened lives across all weight groups, doubling the risk of mortality for women over the period studied, and increasing it by 25% for men.

Physical exercise "really matters", said Professor Flicker.  As well as helping to build muscle mass, it has broader health benefits for elderly people, he said.

The authors believe BMI may give a poor reflection of fatty mass in elderly people.

"It may be time to review the BMI classification for older adults," says Professor Flicker.

Professor Kay-Tee Khaw from Cambridge University agreed, noting that optimal weight appears to be higher in older age groups.

"This is important since under-nutrition is an important problem in older people.


"Waist circumference, which assesses abdominal obesity, appears to be a better indicator of health consequences of obesity" she said.

  © MMXI

CANADA: Chronic conditions drive seniors' health care use

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TORONTO, Ontario / CBC News / Health / January 27, 2011

It's not age alone that drives use of Canada's health care system by seniors, but the number and type of the chronic conditions they suffer, a new report suggests.


Nearly three-quarters of this age group has at least one chronic medical condition, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information report, "Seniors and the Health Care System: What Is the Impact of Multiple Chronic Conditions?" released Thursday.

More than three in four Canadian seniors described their health as "excellent," "very good" or "good." (iStock)
The authors focused on people aged 65 and older who were not living in institutions.

More than three in four seniors (77 per cent) in Canada described their health status as “excellent,” “very good” or “good,” compared with 51 per cent of seniors with three or more chronic conditions.

These seniors accounted for 40 per cent of health care use among those in this age group, even though they comprised only 24 per cent of the population studied.

While the risk of developing chronic conditions increases with age, good primary care like having a family physician plays a strong role in managing them and perhaps delaying or preventing their onset, said Jeremy Veillard, the institute's vice president of research and analysis.

The 11 common chronic conditions included in the study were:
* Arthritis.
* Asthma.
* Cancer.
* Chronic pain.
* Depression.
* Diabetes.
* Emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
* Heart disease. 
* High blood pressure.
* Mood disorders other than depression.
* Stroke.

Seniors taking a high number of prescription medications were at a greater risk of experiencing side-effects requiring medical attention, the researchers found.

But fewer than half, 48 per cent, who reported a chronic condition said they'd had their medications reviewed by a doctor.

Seniors with chronic conditions regularly taking at least five prescription medications were more than twice as likely to experience a side-effect needing medical attention (13 per cent) as those taking only one or two prescription medications (six per cent).

By trying to better understand the relationship between how chronic conditions are managed, Greg Webster, the institute's director of primary health care, said they hope to improve preventative care and reduce health care costs.

The findings were based on a 2008 survey by Statistics Canada.

Copyright © CBC 2011

USA: With Poem, Broaching the Topic of Death

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NEW YORK / The New York Times / Health / January 25, 2011

OUTREACH Gina Nez, right, and Mitzie Begay visited Jimmy Begay (no relation), 87, a “code talker” in World War II, who signed an advance directive on end-of-life care.
By BEN DAITZ, M.D.

FORT DEFIANCE, Ariz. — Mitzie Begay, an elegant 76-year-old Navajo, can interpret the nuances of her language and traditions with contemporary verve and understated wit — qualities that make her a good fit for a job that could hardly have been imagined in the Navajo Nation a generation ago.

Ms. Begay, whose title is cross-cultural coordinator for the home-based care program at the Fort Defiance Indian Hospital here in northeastern Arizona, helps Navajos deal with the complex and confusing process of decision-making at the end of life.

In Navajo culture, talking about death is thought to bring it about, so it is not discussed. A dead person’s name is never spoken. Only designated tribal members are permitted to touch and bury the dead.

So it is up to Ms. Begay and her colleagues to find ways to teach people (many with little or no English) about things like living wills, durable powers of attorney, do-not-resuscitate orders, electroencephalograms, feeding tubes and ventilators. In spite of the taboos, they are trying to find a comfortable way to begin a conversation with patients and their families about death and dying.

Until last month, the program’s director was Dr. Timothy Domer, a geriatrician who practiced medicine for more than 20 years in this remote, high-desert, red-rock landscape on the eastern fringe of the vast Navajo reservation. Its goal, he said, is to keep elderly patients healthy, starting with a thorough physical exam and a comprehensive, interdisciplinary assessment, followed by home visits.

Dr. Domer, who is moving to New York State to practice geriatrics and palliative care, said it soon became clear that when it came to end-of-life matters, his patients had a different perspective from many other Americans.

“When I explained to an old Navajo patient of mine that we sometimes have to shock the heart to get it started, he said, ‘Why would anybody do a crazy thing like that?’ ” he said. “That made me think there were people who didn’t necessarily want the standard resuscitative efforts that we routinely practice at the end of life.”

When Dr. Domer started the home-based care program five years ago, he reviewed hospital records to see how many charts contained advance directives. “There were none — zero,” he said.

For patients who had terminal illnesses, Dr. Domer wanted to be able to provide hospice and palliative care.

“Our goal is not just to change the way people die,” he said, “but to change the way dying people live, and how their families experience and will remember the death.”

On this day Ms. Begay and Gina Nez, the program’s director of nursing, are bumping along in a four-wheel-drive S.U.V. to visit elderly patients in isolated communities. They drive past hogans, the six-sided traditional Navajo dwellings, past herds of cattle and sheep that dot the grass meadows.

“At first I was uncomfortable,” Ms. Begay said about her introduction to end-of-life discussions. “But the staff got together and we talked about it, and we agreed on a way to approach it.”

The vehicle was a poem:

“When that time comes,
when my last breath leaves me,
I choose to die in peace
to meet Shi’ dy’ in” — the creator.

Written in both Navajo and English, it serves to open a discussion about living wills and advance directives.

Fewer than 30 percent of Americans have signed advance directives for health care. But Dr. Domer says almost 90 percent of patients in the program have signed the poem and other standard directives.

“Our elders tell us they want to die with dignity — the way they lived,” he said. “We’ve changed how patients live their final days by opening the discussion on death and dying, and giving patients and families the opportunity to tell us what is important to them.

“Before we started this program, the subject was generally avoided out of ‘cultural sensitivity,’ depriving patients and families of preparing for death spiritually, emotionally and practically.”

When someone dies in the family hogan, for example, a hole is made in the north wall to let the good spirit out, and then the hogan is abandoned.

RESERVATION Health workers visit elderly Navajos

at home in isolated communities.  Photo: Dale Kruzio

“I’ve seen my share of dying patients, particularly elderly patients who spoke only Navajo, whose families brought them to the hospital to die,” Dr. Domer said. “One of the reasons they came to the hospital was that if they died in the hogan, the rest of the family would have to leave, and for poor people that’s a real hardship.”

James S. Taylor, a bioethicist who teaches philosophy at the College of New Jersey, has written about Navajo views of end-of-life care.

“Navajos value the principle of autonomy or self-determination,” he said in a telephone interview. “But their cultural taboos — you can’t think negatively, or it will happen — restrict their ability to autonomously plan for their end-of-life care, since the planning itself requires such negative thinking.

“Using the poem and open-ended questions allows nuanced and respectful solutions to this problem because it gives people the opportunity to discuss end-of-life planning impersonally. It’s a compassionate approach, and it’s in accord with the twin values that Navajos share with mainstream American culture — individual autonomy and personal dignity.”

Ms. Begay and Ms. Nez visit Jimmy Begay (no relation), a bright-eyed man of 87 who lives with his wife in the little community of Sawmill. In World War II, Mr. Begay was one of the Navajo “code talkers” whose radio transmissions were never deciphered by the Japanese; the walls of his modest home are covered with photos, a squadron’s worth of family members who have served in the military.

Mr. Begay has signed the poem and the advance directives, and so has Mitzie Begay.

“Traditionally, it’s our belief to always have a positive attitude,” even when someone is dying, she said. “The family has a five-day sing” — a Navajo ceremony — “drink herbs and paint their bodies. All these things are done for the patient, and then we know we did all we could.

“After a patient dies, you don’t hang on, because the deceased is no longer on Mother Earth. You wash up, take your corn pollen and go on with life.”

© 2011 The New York Times Company

USA: Jane Fonda wants you to feel the burn — again

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LOS ANGELES, California / The Los Angeles Times / Health / January 17, 2011

Oscar winner Fonda returns at age 73 with a series and book encouraging older folks to get moving.


By Stacie Stukin, Special to the Los Angeles Times
 
Jane Fonda — whose 1982 video "The Jane Fonda Work-Out" sold 17 million copies — is back in the fitness fray. Three decades ago, her signature leg warmers, striped leotards and pelvic lifts spawned a fitness revolution and a whole generation of women who "did Jane," sometimes with a group of friends, in their living rooms.
 

Now the two-time Academy Award-winning actress, who last month celebrated her 73rd birthday, has relaunched her workout brand, with one arm of it aimed at the older set. With her "Prime Time Walkout" and "Prime Time Fit & Strong" DVDs, Fonda puts on her leotards and leggings (sans leg warmers this time) to lead baby boomers and an older generation in a kinder, gentler, low-impact workout.

"I felt like no one was marketing to the over-50 set," she said recently while sitting for an interview in a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles, looking trim and posture-perfect, her perfectly snowy-white Coton de Tulear dog sleeping quietly on the floor beside her. "I thought, who better than me to do it? I'm old, I have a new hip, a new knee and I have credibility in the fitness arena."


Fonda's history in the fitness industry began in the late '70s, when she gave up unforgiving ballet for an aerobic regime designed to work the large muscle groups and increase heart rate. These early routines, which she learned from a Los Angeles fitness instructor named Leni Cazden, were set to music and inspired by dance. She began teaching the routines to the cast and crew while in Utah filming "The Electric Horseman" — and was surprised by how popular her basement workout sessions became.

Around the same time, she was looking for a business to help raise money for the political work she was doing with her then-husband Tom Hayden. Naive to the sensation it would become, in 1979 she opened an exercise studio on Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills. The release of the home fitness video three years later grew the business to a multimillion-dollar earning concern. Five fitness books, 12 audio programs and 23 videotapes later, Fonda became known more as a fitness guru than as an actress.

"She opened the door for us who were either dancers or interested in fitness to become professionals and create an industry. We wouldn't be here without her visibility or her celebrity," says Carol Espel, 55, the national director of group fitness for the Equinox Fitness clubs. "She helped legitimize fitness as a viable business. And it wasn't just [the business of] workouts. It was the clothes we wore, the music we played and the studios we created."

With the "Prime Time" series, Fonda has a bigger agenda on her mind: She's hoping to inspire women of a certain age to experience their aging bodies in a new way. "As Bette Davis once said, 'Aging isn't for sissies.' It's hard, I know," she says. "The old paradigm was you were born, you peaked and then you just accepted decline." All wrong, she adds. "Research is starting to show that besides quitting smoking and eating well, staying active is one the keys to aging successfully."

From there, Fonda gets on a roll. She explains how the frontal lobe of the brain thins as we age; how as we lose muscle mass our metabolism slows, leading to unhealthy weight gain; how the body's ability to oxygenate blood diminishes too. She talks about the effects of exercise on mood, about age-related loss of bone mass and a study that found that 1 in 3 adults 65 and older falls each year.

Fonda's punch line: The way to prolong well-being and quality of life is, of course, exercise. With the DVDs, she says, she hopes to offer a well-rounded option that works on balance, strength training, flexibility and a dance-inspired low-impact workout to get the heart rate up. "The good news is that, even if you never have been active before, you can start all this in your third act," she says.

Colin Milner, chief executive of the International Council on Active Aging, has looked at Fonda's DVDs and says she's devised a well-rounded workout that targets the average middle-aged orolder person who may not be in great shape but wants to start an exercise program.

He has a few bones to pick: that there's a lack of alternative moves for people who have physical limitations, that Fonda's technique isn't always spot-on and that the balance section — a crucial part of any senior fitness regimen — starts with a teetering one-legged move while standing in front of a chair rather than holding on to that chair for support.

But, he adds, "at the end of the day, if she can get people moving, that's what's more important than anything else. We have very few positive fitness role models in the 65-plus crowd, and she's certainly someone who can help change the expectation of what getting older means."

Fonda's evangelism for changing the aging paradigm did not come without study. For 31/2 years she has been consulting experts while researching and writing a book about aging called "Prime Time: Creating a Great Third Act," a follow-up to her bestselling autobiography. Her friend Robin Morgan, an activist writer and Ms. Magazine editor who founded the Women's Media Center with Fonda and Gloria Steinem, recalls visiting Fonda's ranch in Santa Fe, N.M., while having a back problem. "She took me in hand and suggested some exercises that were better than the ones my physical therapist gave me," Morgan says. "Once I got over the hilarious concept of me working out with Jane Fonda, she really helped me feel better."

But Morgan also says Fonda's commitment to fitness and health is no joke; it's part of her feminism. "It's just such a big part of who she is. … She cares very deeply about what is happening to women and children — their health, the obesity epidemic, is very much a part of that," she says. "Our culture is good at selling the body makeover and the boob jobs, but it's not good at selling us messages that we need to be healthy and move our bodies."

Fonda admits she struggled for many years with body image — in fact, she launched the original workout right about the time she faced the darkness of her bulimia. Then 45, she began to realize that empowerment could begin in the muscles. But that message wasn't what people saw, she says: Instead, she got flak, and not just for the leg warmers and thong leotards. "I was criticized early on by some women. They thought it was all about vanity and that I wanted everyone to look a certain way."

Now we are obsessed with celebrity workouts and their bodies. Fonda expresses relief that she's not coming of age in these times. "These magazines, with the close-ups of the cellulite, it must be very hard for some of these young girls." But she's also cognizant that for a celebrity, some may view her promotion of fitness and aging well as yet another message of vanity and perfection.

Fonda says she combats that skepticism by being honest. "I don't lie about my age. I talk about the fact that I had plastic surgery. And I'm also very lucky. I have good genes and money — money for facials, for massages, for therapy, for trainers." She laments she can no longer push 200 pounds on the leg press (now she's down to 60 or 80) and that she had to defer her dream to trek through the Himalayas because she acknowledged her body just couldn't hack it.

"But I'm here to encourage people that if they can't do what they used to do, it doesn't mean they should do nothing," she says. "The key is to do anything — just do it more slowly."

health@latimes.com

Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times

CANADA: Seniors like online dating, too

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TORONTO / The Toronto Sun / Life / January 14, 2011

By Kristina Cooke, REUTERS

NEW YORK - Jo Ann Montrose-Eichelberger, 55, never thought she would meet her second husband on an online dating site — especially not one for seniors.

The stewardess who lives in California said she signed up “as a joke” in March 2009. She had been divorced for about 18 years and was content being single, but an ad for the site sparked her curiosity.

At first she felt uncomfortable about even putting up her photograph.

The number of seniors using the internet has risen to 17.5 million in November 2009, according to Nielsen data. (Shutterstock)

“It felt like I was marketing myself. It was all new to me. At the time, I hadn’t even gone on Facebook,” she said.

The number of seniors — classified as anyone over 55 — using the targeted dating site is growing, according to Seniorpeoplemeet.com, which says they attract 1,000 new members a day.

“The norms are changing for seniors meeting online,” said Oakland University professor Terri Orbuch. “Now technology is becoming more central to our lives it is becoming more acceptable.”

The number of seniors using the internet has risen to 17.5 million in November 2009 from 11.3 million in November 2004, according to Nielsen data.

Because she didn’t take the idea of online dating seriously, Montrose-Eichelberger said, she made her profile “brutally honest”.

People who needed anti-depressants to deal with life shouldn’t bother contacting her, she wrote on her profile. The first people who reached out to Montrose-Eichelberger were terrible, she said, as they were barely able to spell or string sentences together.

Which is why when she came across Brian Eichelberger, 57, she was taken by the fact he was a good writer and that he had held the same job, as a correctional officer, for two decades.

“For the over-50s, attitudes, values and stability are much more important than for 20-somethings,” Orbuch said. Seniors are more likely to have had a long-term, significant relationship in their past, Orbuch said, which affects the way they approach online dating. They’ll often know exactly what they are looking for, she added, and put a lot of value on spending time together.

Montrose-Eichelberger said that even when they are in different cities, she and her husband play online Scrabble together.

“We make it a date night no matter where we are,” she said.

A poll conducted by the dating website found 54% of people would rather spend time with their partner than get flowers or jewelry on Valentine’s Day — an 80% increase in priority from when they were in their 20s or 30s

Though big, romantic gestures do play their part.

For their first date in the spring of 2009, Eichelberger, who lived in Fresno, California drove 2-1/2 hours to Malibu to take Montrose-Eichelberger out for lunch.

“I was surprised he would drive all that way just to have lunch with me,” she said. “I was also a bit nervous. I’d never used a dating site before. So I made him some cookies to show I appreciated the effort.”

They married a year later.

Copyright © 2011 Toronto Sun

USA: Seniors may have to pay for Medicare home health

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WASHINGTON / BusinessWeek / Associated Press / Finance / News / January 13, 2011

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR

Congressional advisers are calling for a new out-of-pocket charge for Medicare home health care, a service that until now has been free of charge to patients.

The recommendation Thursday from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission comes as lawmakers look for health care spending cuts to help get control of federal deficits. The advisory panel did not prescribe an amount, but its staff has suggested the charge be $150 for a series of related visits.

More than 3 million seniors got home health care last year, including visits from nurses, therapists and personal care attendants.

The service was once seen as a cost saver, since it's much cheaper than putting patients in the hospital, but costs are approaching $20 billion a year and rising.

The AARP seniors lobby opposes the plan.

©2011 Bloomberg L.P.

USA: Grandma Onie lived an incredible life

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DESTIN, Florida / The Destin Log /  News / January 9, 2011

Former councilman remembers 112-year-old grandmother

By Matt Algarin
 

The year was 1898 and the United States of America had formally declared war against Spain; congress passed the Newlands Resolution, annexing Hawaii as a U.S. territory; Theodore Roosevelt was named governor of New York and Onie Ponder was born in Ocala.

One hundred and twelve years later, Onie passed away Dec. 31, 2010 at an Ocala hospice after a brief bout with pneumonia. Born Sept. 3, 1898, she was the oldest living person in the State of Florida, the ninth oldest person in America and the 21st oldest person in the world, according to her grandson Mel Ponder, of Destin.

“She was an incredible woman who lived to see so many different things,” Mel told The Log. “We are all saddened by her death… she lived an incredible life.”

Onie was born to Louis and Nita Hickman Chazel and was the fifth of eight children, which was an accomplishment in itself, since she was born in the family home, not a hospital. With the exception of a few stops in North Carolina, Tennessee and Boston along the way, she spent the majority of her life in Ocala.

During her time in Boston, Onie met and would eventually marry bookkeeper Lester William Ponder in 1928. He died in 1958. Her son, Carswell Ponder, told the Associated Press that Onie long outlived her seven siblings.

With a mind that stayed as sharp as a tack until her death, Mel said that “Grandma Onie” could remember the slightest details. He said that her storytelling abilities were second to none.

“She would recall things from when she was a child, details that go as far as the weather conditions, the direction the wind was blowing and what color dress she was wearing,” Mel said. “The detail was so vivid — I remember her telling me about the first automobile she saw drive through Ocala.”

Living to be 112 doesn’t happen very often, and that allowed Onie to be part of some exclusive company.

She was one of 1,000 people involved in the New England Study of Centenarians conducted since 1994 by Boston University’s College of Medicine, according to an article on Ocala.com. As part of the study, numerous publications and television programs interviewed Onie.

The article states that a photograph of Onie appeared in Time magazine in an article about aging. Her photograph, along with other centenarians appears in the new wing of the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

“People would go to her assisted living facility with different news or magazine articles that were written about her and ask for autographs,” Mel remembered. “It was just amazing how people always wanted to be around her, to listen to her stories and to hear about what she had experienced during her life.”

As for the secret to her long life, Mel said he wasn’t sure. What he did know is that she gave “credit to the Lord” for taking care of her, she kept her mind active and maintained a healthy diet.

“She was a devout Catholic … ,” Mel said. “Up until two weeks ago, the only medications she took were a daily aspirin and a water pill… she was in excellent health and didn’t need much assistance.”

And while he may not have gotten to spend as much time with “Grandma Onie” as he would have liked to, Mel said that he would never forget the time they did share together.

“She was just a special person,” he said. “I regret not spending more time with her, hearing her heart and her mind — we are definitely going to miss her.”

Copyright © 2011 Freedom Communications

PHILIPPINES: Senator welcomes 5% seniors' discount for power, water

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PASAY CITY, Philippines /  Senate of the Philippines / Press Release / January 6, 2011

Senator Pia S. Cayetano today lauded the announcement of the 5% senior citizens' discount for electricity and power rates by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and major water distribution utilities.

Cayetano is the principal sponsor in the Senate of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 (Republic Act 9994) which laid down several benefits for the country's elderly, including the 5% discount for power and water, as well as a provision exempting them from the 12% expanded value added tax so that they may fully enjoy the 20% senior citizens' discount.

"I welcome the announcement of the 5% discount for water and power rates by ERC and major water companies as part of the benefits under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act. This should give our seniors much-needed relief, even as toll fees, public utility fares and prices of basic goods continue to increase."

"But these benefits, while well-deserved by our lolas and lolos, should be enjoyed responsibly and must not be abused under any circumstances," she cautioned.

"I urge our elderly to fully comply with the requirements to be able to enjoy the discount, and for utility firms to step up their information drive about the discount guidelines to make the application process simpler, faster and easier to understand for our elderly."

As per the guidelines of ERC, senior citizens may avail of the 5% discount if their household monthly electricity consumption does not exceed 100 kilowatt-hours and if the installed electricity meter is registered under the name of the senior citizen.

Distribution utilities, such as Meralco and electric cooperatives, are mandated to give the discount upon their approval of the senior citizens' application.

According to Maynilad, senior citizens may enjoy the 5% discount on water provided that the service connection is classified under residential or semi-business category, registered in the name of the senior citizen, and monthly basic consumption of the account does not exceed 30 cubic meters. Maynilad provides water and wastewater services for the West Zone.

On the other hand, Manila Water Company, which is in charge of the East Zone, has reportedly been implementing the 5% discount to qualified beneficiaries since October last year.

© Senate of the Philippines

CHINA: Visiting parents soon a legal must-do

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BEIJING / China Daily / January 6, 2011

By Wang Qian (China Daily)

China is considering making it a legal duty for Chinese citizens to visit their aged parents as the country grapples with the challenges posed by a graying population.


Wu Ming, an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said on Wednesday that visiting aged family members has been written into the proposed draft amendment to the Law on Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Aged.


The law came into effect in 1996, with no amendments since.

Under the amendment, elderly people who are ignored by their children can go to court to claim their legal rights to be physically and mentally looked after, Wu was quoted as saying by Shandong Business Daily.

When the draft amendment takes effect, the court can no longer reject cases lodged by the elderly who lack proper care from their children, he added.

Wu said spiritual consolation is emphasized in the chapter that family members cannot mentally ignore or isolate the aged, and children who live independently should often visit their parents.

The draft amendment also said the country encourages local governments to give pensions to those above 80 years of age and offer free medical examination service to the elderly, Wu said.

In traditional Chinese culture, it is a moral requirement for children to take care of their aged parents. But now more and more children are defying the tradition.

The information office of the ministry refused to confirm Wu's remarks on Wednesday.

Taking care of the aged has long been a problem in China with its large elderly population. By the end of 2009, 167 million people were over the age of 60 and nearly 19 million were over 80, according to statistics released by the China National Committee on Ageing.

More than half of the people above 60 in China are living alone and things are worse in cities, where about 70 percent of the aged live alone, the statistics said.

Social care for the elderly has been written into the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) in order to let most aged enjoy social care, Li Liguo, minister of civil affairs, said at a conference in November on improving the country's elderly care and service system.

China currently has more than 38,000 nursing homes with nearly 2.7 million beds and more than 2.1 million aged receiving care, according to the ministry.

Many experts praise the trend of paying attention to elderly care in China, but said the legal amendment is too difficult to enforce.

Qian Jun, a Beijing-based lawyer, told China Daily on Wednesday it is impossible to carry out the compulsory requirement to visit elderly family members because it violates personal liberty.

"It would be better to strengthen moral education than to force people to do something legally," Qian said.

Cao Yin contributed to this story.

Copyright 1995 - 2010 China Daily Information Co (CDIC).

MALAYSIA: 110-year-old man finds 82-year-old willing to be his wife

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia / Utusan Malaysia / January 2, 2011

A 110-year-old Malaysian man who has been looking for a wife said he was ready to marry again after an 82-year-old woman responded to his wish, a report said.

Ahmad Mohamad Isa, who has 20 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren, told Malay-language newspaper Utusan Malaysia earlier this week that he wanted company and a wife to take care of him.

The report grabbed the attention of 82-year-old Sanah Ahmad, a widow of 30 years and mother of nine, who said she was willing to do so and had asked her children to contact Ahmad's family to make arrangements.

"It doesn't matter who she is, as long as she can cook for me," Ahmad told the paper, saying he was happy and surprised at the news while his daughter would discuss the matter with Sanah's family.

"It is lonely to live alone and I am afraid to sleep alone. If I have a wife she can take care of me," the centenarian, who has five previous marriages and suffers mild hearing and vision problems, said in an earlier interview.

Four of his wives have died and he divorced the fifth.

Sanah told the paper that she was attracted to Ahmad as he bears a striking resemblance to her late husband and both men shared the same name.

Source:  THE TELEGRAPH, London

UK: One in five Britons to live to 100

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LONDON, England / Reuters / January 1, 2011

More than 10 million people living in Britain today, almost a fifth of the population, will reach their 100th birthday, the Department for Work and Pensions said on Thursday.

More than half of these future centenarians are currently aged between 16 and 50.

The rise in life expectancy means many millions of Britons will spend around a third of their lives in retirement, Pensions Minister Steve Webb said in a statement.

"These staggering figures really bring home how important it is to plan ahead for our later lives," he said.

"That's why we are reforming the pension system to make it sustainable for the long term, making sure people can look forward to a decent state pension when they retire, and helping millions save into a workplace pension."

In October, the government said the state pension age for men and women will rise to 66 by 2020 and that it would cut the tax relief on pension savings for around 100,000 higher earners, in a move designed to help reduce a record budget deficit.

Ministers also said they were working on the introduction of a flat-rate state pension to simplify the system, reduce inequalities between men and women and encourage people to save for their pensions by eliminating means testing.

Elderly man shaves while standing in a queue.

The latest figures, based on official population projections, show that the number of centenarians in Britain will reach half a million for the first time in 2066.

The Centenarian Clerk at the Department for Work and Pensions works with Buckingham Palace to ensure people receive a birthday card from the Queen on their 100th birthday.

"He will be very busy in 2066!" the department said.

(Reporting by Olesya Dmitracova; Editing by Steve Addison)

Source: Reuters