A Healthy, Happy Life in Spite of Media Hype

It is sad how we respond to media-generated hype and hysteria.

The 24 x 7 news void demands to be filled, and by golly, they do indeed fill it. 

Why a police chase ending in a rollover blocking the 405 south of Los Angeles is pertinent, we don’t know. But we are compelled to watch the gripping video. Ask a hard question – is the news you watch mostly useful, or is it mostly entertainment? 

Remember that the networks and cable news outlets are driven by a chase for revenue. The news arms of the majors (ABC, CBS, NBC) and the cable networks – CNN, MSNBC, Fox News – all are competing to keep your eyes glued to their particular screen.  The stories they feature are not primarily designed to make you a better citizen, or to keep you safe, but rather to maximize their advertising revenue. 

Take, for example, the stereotypical “stranger-danger” child kidnapping. As a media maven, one would think that these events have gone through the roof. Children are no longer permitted to walk to school or play alone because of such dangers. A child kidnapping in far-off Atlanta or Houston is emblazoned on our screens, not to help recover the child, but as a ploy to keep you watching the commercials.

To the contrary, a recent Department of Justice bulletin reports that such child kidnappings have not increased. The study found that approximately 105 child kidnappings occurred nationwide in 2011, about the same as in 1997. And more importantly, the number of deaths resulting from such events fell dramatically, from 40 percent to 8 percent. (The authors of the study credit technology – cell phones, GPS, security cameras – for making kids easier to recover). Bottom line – kids are safer now than ever.

This one example gives us some guidance – as a citizen, as a voter, as a parent, our best defense is to be well armed with relevant information. Our government does a great job of gathering and publishing statistics, and it is free for you to access.

For instance, here are the leading causes of death in the United States for 2014 from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

A quick glance at the big top four should convince you that diet and exercise and a healthy lifestyle should be your highest priority. 

Next is to take care to avoid accidents (unintentional falls being a significant portion of them).

Not much can be done yet to avoid Alzheimer’s disease although general good health, diet, and exercise are thought to help, along with maintaining strong social interactions.

Numbers seven through nine again speak to health, nutrition, and lifestyle.

Drug overdose and suicide are both very sad causes of death, perhaps interrelated. All we can do there is to support our loved ones and call for increased funding for rehabilitation and mental health programs. 

Finally to the most dangerous form of transportation known to man – our cars. Help is on the horizon with autonomous (self-driving) cars promising to greatly increase safety. In the meantime, you can take care to buckle up and don't drive under the influence (one third of motor vehicle fatalities involve alcohol-impaired drivers).

Not on the list but top of mind recently is homicide. The death rate for all homicides is 5.1 per 100,000 people. (Interestingly, that rate has declined over 50% from a high of 10.4 in 1980). Death by firearm is a fraction of that, 3.5 per 100,000. And unless you live in a drug-infested urban enclave, your odds of meeting this particular fate are exceedingly low.

Here are a few observations that may contribute to the length and quality of your life. First, shut off the cable news – it is not serving your best interests. Read your local newspaper – what is going on around you is far more important. And for goodness sake, put down that cheeseburger and go for a hike once in a while. 

The statistics demand it.

Summer is fun - but keep it safe for kids

Picnic Rock, Kennebunk River Maine c. 1900

In New England, Memorial Day weekend kicked off the unofficial start of summer this year with dismal, cold, wet conditions and two feet of snow in the mountains of Vermont.  A week later, our first official heat wave threatened with several days over 90 degrees. Our deepest quandary was when to safely retire the fleece and slickers. Such is life in the land of the lobster.

But as we more reliably glide into the embracing arms of  summertime, our thoughts turn firmly to sailing the salty reaches, picnicking the beaches, canoeing the ponds, and camping  the forests of our beautiful land. For an all too brief time, we can allow the snow blowers to gather dust.

The kids will be out on summer vacation soon and, while we want them to enjoy this interlude, as responsible parents and guardians we must care for their safety. The first step is to be forewarned with some facts.

Unfortunately, our current media structure, with ravenous cable news channels competing to fill a 24 by 7 news vacuum, has distorted our perception of threats. Hurricanes, tornadoes, child abductions, school shootings, gang wars, and terrorist bombs fill the airwaves with constantly recurring loops of carnage. We begin to feel that our kids would be safest if kept in locked dungeons. Perhaps the best advice would be to shut off the TV and consult the experts.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) annually publish tables of mortality itemizing the cause of death by age group. While not pleasant reading, these data can inform our efforts to keep our kids safe by imparting the risks arising from various sources. The first observation is that for children fourteen and under, the vast majority of non-medical deaths are accidental: that should be our focus. For 2010 (the latest year compiled), here are the top causes of accidental child mortality in decreasing order of occurrence:

1. Transportation (Automobile and other)
2. Drowning
3. Smoke, fire, flames
4. Poisoning
5. Falls 
6. Firearm discharge

Based on this, here are some recommendations for summer safety:

Transportation accidents (mostly automobile) are the leading cause of non-medical child mortality. Make sure that your younger kids are in approved safety seats and that the older ones are buckled up. Insure that this occurs in any car they might be riding in (friend, neighbor, relative). Don’t drive your kids after drinking and make sure that no one else drives them in that condition, either. This is the single most important area of child safety – be certain that you do all you can do.

Drowning is the next most frequent cause of child death. Drown-proof your kids – get them the training needed to assure water safety. Your pool should meet safety standards such as required gates and fences. Be nosy and assure that your neighbors' pools are kid-safe, too. When at the beach, an adult should constantly monitor any children in or near the water. While aboard boats, approved personal flotation devices (PFDs) should be worn. Don’t slack off – this is the second most frequent cause of childhood mortality.

Smoke and fire are the third most probable cause of death for children. Have a home fire safety plan. Practice and rehearse your evacuation plans. Smoke and carbon dioxide detectors must be operational. Again – make sure that this is true at any other home where your child may stay overnight.

The last three categories cause a much lower frequency of childhood death but cannot be neglected. Household cleansers, pesticides, and other poisons should be properly secured. Make stairs safe from falls – keep them clear of clutter and make sure that handrails are installed on both sides. Windows should be locked with screens in place. Firearms must be stored in a responsible manner, not accessible to children. As in the other categories, you should ensure that these precautions are in place anywhere your child spends time outside of your home.

Enough gloom and doom. Be sensible, but enjoy your summer. It is so brief, at least in the land of the lobster.

Sanitary antics

“Employees must wash hands before returning to work.” This sign was found in the restroom of a famous Seattle-based coffee franchise. Why do they focus on employee cleanliness? Because even a short list of foodborne illness vectors contains such delicacies as campylobacter, hepatitis A, shigella, E. coli O157:H7, salmonella, and other lovely organisms. And if customers were to become ill from eating at this establishment, that would not be good for profits.

One of the most simple, cheap, and effective means to prevent foodborne illnesses is to have employees practice strict sanitary hand washing procedures. Hence the signs. But there is one small problem – the public often share the same restroom facilities with the employees, and the sanitary habits of the public cannot be underestimated.

Knowing that, the food service provider posts a sign instructing her employees to follow a strict hygienic procedure. The instructions on this sign are as follows:

1. Water
2. Soap
3. Wash (for 30 seconds)
4. Rinse
5. Dry
6. Turn off water (with paper towel)

Why turn off the water with a paper towel? Obviously, because if a previous user of the facilities did not practice good hygiene, the faucet handles might be contaminated with one or more of the lovely aforementioned disease vectors. Gee, I wonder if that applies to the door handle as well?

There were a few problems at this particular establishment… in spite of the sign, there were no paper towels. Only a hot air hand dryer. And the door most unhelpfully opened inward. So how is one to shut off the faucets and open the door without contaminating your hands? And if you, a customer, can’t do it , then how can the guy behind the counter do it?

I recommend that when you run into a situation where you can’t satisfactorily exit the restroom with assuredly clean hands, you need to complain to management that his employees can’t either.