The Preventative Health Journal: News

Study supports bigger role for physiotherapy

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:22:11 PST

A study in the latest Australian Health Review adds further weight to the growing evidence that physiotherapists should have a role in triaging patients with lower back pain to increase efficiency in the health system.

Patients referred by a GP to an orthopedic surgeon wait between six months and two years.

The study found that after an approximately nine week wait, patients were able to see a physiotherapist and most importantly, 67 per cent of those triaged in the physiotherapy led clinic went on to not require an orthopedic surgery consultation.

“With low back pain the principal cause of disability and absenteeism in Australia, it is incumbent upon state and federal governments to use the evidence provided in studies like these to reform the system to provide better health outcomes for these patients,” said APA president Pat Maher.

He also said, “It is particularly timely given the Rudd Government’s rhetoric around improved primary health care and the Federal Health Minister’s comments at the Australian General Practice Network conference last week”

Roxon said, “We need to make sure we redesign health services around the needs of people, and make sure that people can access the right care in the right setting. This idea encompasses three things:

bringing more services locally
making sure access is provided to the most suitable health professional
making sure it is efficient – by ensuring the system supports care provision in the best setting for the need at hand

This research highlights the kinds of improvements the Minister outlined and the APA will continue to work with the government to enable physiotherapists to provide workforce flexibility to achieve similar or better outcomes for patients, at the same or less cost to the taxpayer.

Junk food drains health, tax and environment

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:52:57 PST

Calls to exclude processed food from the Australian Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) will cost Australians their health, tax dollars and the environment.

The Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA) calls on the Federal Government to resist calls to exempt processed food (which includes junk foods) in the Australian Emissions Trading Scheme.

CEO of the PHAA Michael Moore said: “Governments should have a long term vision of a sustainable, equitable and healthy food supply. Inclusion of processed foods in the ETS is a critical activity to help structure the food supply towards this goal”.

Leading nutritionist, Dr Rosemary Stanton said, “the average supermarket stocks 1800 different snack food lines, more than 150 breakfast cereals (some more accurately described as confectionery), and an absurd choice of junk in aisles stocked with packet soups, sauces, biscuits and sugary drinks. This vast array of foods ensures we over-eat”.

Food processing currently is included in the Federal Government’s Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) which aims to identify the relatively high carbon footprint of such processing within the government’s strategy to transition to a lower carbon economy.

The PHAA challenges the idea put up by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) which has successfully lobbied the Federal Opposition to exclude food processors from the ETS as one of its proposed amendments to the scheme.

Moore said, “the government must resist such proposals because of the impact such an exemption will have on human health, the economy and the environment”.

The AFGC claims that they represent the “nation’s producers of consumer food, drink and grocery products”.

It should be noted, however, that their member companies predominantly produce packaged food and beverages that are not essential for a healthy diet.

Many of the processed foods are high in fat, sugar and/or salt and many fit the usual definition of junk foods and drinks.

As well as the health risks associated with high consumption of these foods, the excessive processing associated with their production has a detrimental environmental impact in terms of energy and water inputs and carbon outputs.

The food industry aims to ‘value-add’ to basic food products to make them more attractive, usually by minimising the content of ‘real’ food and adding ‘padding’ from ingredients such as sugar, fats and salt.

The top five individual processed food categories that contribute to value adding in the Australian food industry are meat processing ($1.97 billion), beer and malt ($1.5 billion), confectionery ($1.5 billion), wine ($1.5), and soft drinks, cordial and syrups ($1.5) (Australian Food Statistics 2008, Dept Agriculture, Food and Forestry). The government must also ensure no exemptions for alcohol.

Dr Stanton argued “the consequence of consuming diets that are high in these foods is of significant concern to health, nutrition and environmental health experts. Governments need to note dramatically increasing health care costs related to increasing diet-related problems such as obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and osteoarthritis and to ensure that every action they take reduces risk associated with the causes of chronic disease.”

“There are many good reasons for the Federal Government to continue to include processed foods and alcohol in the Emission Trading Scheme. Including processed foods and beverages in the ETS encourages those producing such foods to act responsibly and consider the consequences of their actions in terms of both health and the environmental impact,” Moore added.

Kidney failure higher in Australian men

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:51:43 PST

Australian men are being accepted onto dialysis programs at a rate 154% higher than women according to data released by Kidney Health Australia.

In Australia in 2008, 1503 men and 973 women started dialysis.

Tim Mathew, the medical director of Kidney Health Australia, said given the overall population in Australia where the sex ratio is about equal it is surprising to see such a large difference in the acceptance rate.

Dr Mathew said the gap has been steadily widening over the last 25 years with the increase in men undertaking dialysis rising from 53% in 1982 to the current 61% with the increase occurring in men at all ages.

The male excess occurs in most of the common conditions that cause kidney failure including diabetes, nephritis and vascular disease.

Dr Mathew said the explanation for the large and increasing gender gap was not obvious and had not been well studied. There is some data showing that men with early chronic kidney disease (CKD) progress more quickly into kidney failure than women although this is balanced by the fact that according to current criteria women have more early CKD than men.

Further work was needed to determine if the gender gap was due to intrinsic differences in disease frequency and expression or to differences in health seeking behavior.

Dr Mathew said he was unaware of any negative selection bias towards women into dialysis though in the elderly where kidney failure is most frequent the decision to commence dialysis is often complex.

Men dominate the home haemodialysis scene with 73% of all people at home being male.

Dr Mathew said “Men at high risk of CKD should request regular kidney checks when they visit their GP in the same way people are now conditioned to ask for checks for prostate cancer, heart, blood pressure or diabetes”

The gender issues identified in CKD and all of its stages will need to be addressed as part of future health planning and the provision of dialysis services which are expected to double to 20,000 by 2020 with an ageing population.

Dr Mathew said, “The number of people actually dialyzing on December 31, 2008 was 10,062 – a 6.3% increase on the previous year.

“At an estimated average annual cost of $65K per patient this represents an additional cost to the Health budget of about $27.3 million/year compared to the end of 2007.”

The Australian CKD scene is characterised by a steady increase in the numbers of people entering dialysis programs and in those dying of kidney failure.

Almost 1 million hospitalisations for dialysis occurred in 2007-8 accounting for 17.4% of all separations from public hospitals.

This number had increased by 131% over the last 5 years (AIHW, June 2009). The number of people with silent or asymptomatic early CKD was believed to be on the increase driven by the increased prevalence of diabetes and the ageing of the population

Warning on high-strength vitamin supplements

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:31:51 PST

A cancer expert has warned that people who take high-dose vitamin and mineral supplements might do themselves more harm than good.

Professor Martin Wiseman, the medical and scientific adviser for World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), has said it is difficult to make confident predictions on what impact supplements – and particularly high-dose ones - have on cancer risk.

Lower dose supplements are recommended or can be a valuable safety net in some situations. However, in some cases high-dose supplements can have a harmful effect and this is why WCRF recommends that rather than taking dietary supplements for cancer prevention, people should aim to get the benefits from eating a healthy diet.

But despite this advice, according to statistics from the Food Standards Agency 31 per cent of people say they take a supplement and about 15 per cent say they have taken a high-dose supplement in the last year.

Professor Wiseman said: “Many people think they can reduce their cancer risk by taking supplements, but the evidence does not support this.

“Just because a dietary pattern that provides a relatively high level of a particular nutrient might protect against cancer, it does not mean that taking it in tablet form will have the same effect. In fact, at high doses the effect of these micronutrients is unpredictable and can be harmful to health.

“Although there are some studies that have shown a reduction in cancer risk from high-dose supplements, others have not, and these supplements have normally only been tested on a select group of people. This means we simply do not know enough about what the effect will be for the general population to confidently predict the balance of risks and benefits. Some people may be doing themselves more harm than good.

“There are also studies that show high doses of some supplements can increase risk of some cancers. For example, there is convincing evidence that taking beta-carotene supplements actually increases the risk of lung cancer in current smokers.

“Even multi-vitamin supplements with a wide range of nutrients will not contain all the beneficial substances found in foods, such as fibre. There is little evidence on whether these low-dose dietary supplements affect the chances of getting cancer, even for people whose diets are otherwise less than ideal, so more research is needed. Until then, the best advice is to have a healthy, plant-based diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, rather than relying on supplements.

“The evidence about the difficulty in predicting the effect of high-dose supplements is getting stronger all the time.

“For example, in 2007 we concluded that taking selenium supplements probably reduces risk of prostate cancer. But a recent study unexpectedly found no evidence that it reduces risk, so my personal interpretation would be that the jury is still out on this.

“Equally, the findings of another American study have raised the concern that high intakes of multi-vitamins might increase risk of advanced prostate cancer, although more research would be needed before we could be confident this is really the case.”

For ideas for recipes that can form part of the kind of diet that can reduce risk of cancer, visit www.wcrf-uk.org

Mental health shouldn’t be back of mind

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:42:39 PST

The majority of Australians believe there is not enough mental health education available to young people.

The Health and Medical Research Public Opinion Poll 2009 published by Research Australia found 75 per cent of Australians believe there is not enough education and information for young people about mental health issues.

Research Australia CEO Rebecca James said the poll was conducted annually to provide a community voice on current health issues.

The poll found the single most important reason to teach young people about mental health issues is to help them recognise symptoms and learn what help, assistance and resources are available.

The poll also revealed Australians believe smoking, drugs and alcohol are the most significant health issues effecting young people. However it was accorded a lower priority for research into preventative health where preference is given to cancer, cardio vascular disease and diabetes.

The poll showed that 29 per cent of people agreed smoking, alcohol and drugs to be the most important health issues facing Australian youth, believing the government should be doing something about it.

“Mental health eduction is of vital importance, especially to young people who face increasing peer group pressure and the changes associated with growing up. We need to equip our youth with appropriate skills and show them the resources available to help deal with these issues,” Ms James said.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Mental Health Council of Australia, Sebastian Rosenberg, said: “Seventy-five per cent of all mental illness happens before the age of 25. It is vital we provide effective mental health services and education to young people so they can finish studying, training, get and keep jobs and become full citizens in our community. This poll shows the community understands how far we have to go”.

The public opinion poll looked at a range of health and medical research issues facing Australia today. The poll also revealed:

28% of people have ‘avoided or delayed visits to a GP, dentist or specialist doctor, in response to increasing financial pressure in the past six months.
91% of people believe improving hospitals and the health care system is the most important priority for the Federal Government over the next 2-3 years.
55% of people believe access to medicines through the PBS could be improved.
43% of people agreed more funding is needed for cancer research. The poll highlighted this as the most important health and medical problem facing Australia today.
64% of respondents support a tax on junk food in an attempt to reduce excessive consumption and avoid the damaging health effects.
There is little concern about the risk of infectious diseases such as swine flu.

On a mission to block bad bacteria

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:09:59 PST

An unassuming building in inner-city Ultimo has become Australia’s mission control for the investigation of inner space with the launch of sophisticated microscopy facilities by the University of Technology, Sydney.

Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry and Science Senator Kim Carr tomorrow will unveil facilities including Australia’s first DeltaVision OMX 3D-Sim Super-Resolution microscope, one of only two in the world.

The $1.5 million OMX allows scientists to study the sub-cellular structures of bacteria and parasites – and their interactions with host cells – at a resolution at least twice as sharp as other light microscopes.

It is a crucial tool for UTS scientists researching ways to treat or block infectious disease-causing organisms, but will also advance research into cancer, diabetes, immune disorders and many other diseases.

The OMX is just one element in cutting-edge imaging facilities that will boost Australia’s capacity in biotechnology, health, biological and physical sciences research, said UTS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ross Milbourne.

“The new Microbial Imaging Facility (MIF) and expanded Microstructural Analysis Unit (MAU) establish the UTS Faculty of Science as the ‘microscopy solution specialist’ in Australia and possibly abroad,” Professor Milbourne said.

“These two suites of advanced microscopy and materials characterisation instruments allow us to observe anything in any shape and form – it could be bacteria cells, biofilms, coral, or determining the authenticity of a priceless piece of Monet’s work.

“They provide superior, high-quality imaging solutions for all disciplines of science, from helping us understand and treat diseases to enabling environmental scientists to better understand the impact of climate change.

“Already the Microstructural Analysis Unit is at the forefront in developing materials for the next generation of energy efficient, environmentally friendly solid-state lighting.

“I am particularly pleased about the availability and accessibility of these facilities. Both the MIF and MAU are open to students, researchers and industry partners 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“While these facilities open up possibilities to researchers here at UTS, they will also foster a wealth of collaborative research. At UTS we take great pride in our track record in working with our peers, as well as partners in industry, government and the professions. These new facilities will further enhance those relationships,” Professor Milbourne said.

Is fatigue affecting your work performance?

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:06:36 PST

As evidence mounts that Australians are increasingly working longer hours, professional services firm Deloitte has highlighted the importance of managing fatigue as a key risk for organisations seeking to maximise workplace performance while minimising the workplace accidents that currently cost millions of dollars a year.

According to Deloitte partner Janet Lewell, understanding exactly when performance starts to be impacted by fatigue, the need to compare downtime to shiftwork for all workers, the relationship of work hours and sleep debt levels and the ability of workers to “self monitor” fatigue are issues currently subject to intense debate by experts.

“Organisations are now starting to quantify their fatigue risk; identify individual levels of fatigue, assess the level of compliance with fatigue legislation and determine the adequacy of policies and procedures,” she said.

With the current focus on optimising performance, fatigue management is generating momentum as organisations start to realise its importance.

Fatigue Science has developed a biometric model to measure and interpret circadian sleep rhythms and other elements that impact on fatigue. People can now wear a ‘sleep band’. This is essentially a wrist watch which measures wrist movement – like a pedometer but for the wrist.

The band defines a person’s level of activity, and based on that activity, can then determine whether a person is awake or asleep. The scientists equate fatigue to blood-alcohol levels: if a person has been awake for 18 hours, it’s the equivalent of having a .05 level of alcohol in their body; if they have been awake for 21 hours, it’s equivalent to a.08 level.

“These sleep bands allow us to see patterns once the data is entered into a Self Organising Map. You can pull out profiles of people who have had the most incidents or the people who haven’t had a single incident and then look for patterns in their sleeping habits. Further data on sleep patterns and accidents, employee age for example, can then be added or extracted.

We can then advise people about what can be an optimum performance and the standards you need to maintain to mitigate risk. A company might then want to design ideal roster patterns and shift lengths; setting a standard on how many hours straight their employees at risk might be able to work, or how much of a break they need between shifts,” Lewell said.

Fatigue management has also become more prominent since the introduction of legislation in September 2008. This placed the onus on organisations to be responsible for the welfare of their employees, by making sure they understood potential workplace risks and exerted controls to minimise them.

“Companies are just starting to realise the real cost of not taking action. Accidents attributable to fatigue cost hundreds of millions of dollars globally, each year. If companies aren’t doing the right thing by their people – providing a safer environment and heightening awareness of potential risks to the firm and employees, there are serious consequences,” said Lewell.

“By bringing objective, evidence-based data about fatigue risk we can reduce fatigue risk, protect organisations as well as their employees, reduce the number of workplace incidents and create a safer, healthier and more productive workplace. Companies can change by designing better roster patterns, altering shift lengths, setting a standard on how many hours straight their employees are able to work and how much of a break is needed between shifts,” concluded Lewell.

Why is Movember important?

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:20:56 PST

November marks the beginning of Movember, the annual moustache-growing charity event aimed at raising awareness and funding for men’s health issues, particularly prostate cancer and depression.

On average, Australian men have a life expectancy five years less than Australian women.

More men die from diseases and other factors that could have been avoided – or at least managed – by seeking early medical attention and having healthier lifestyles.

Warren Snowdon, the Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery, said: “To everyone who has already signed up to take part in Movember to help raise funds for male health, thanks for your commitment and support.

“To those who may still be thinking of growing a mo – I urge you to get with the program. While I already have a moustache, I will certainly play a part to help raise funds and spread the message about the importance of male health throughout Movember.”

Indeed, the Rudd Government is developing Australia’s first ever National Male Health Policy because it recognises the need for more attention to be given to men’s health.

The policy will focus on reducing the barriers that men experience in accessing health services, making health services more male-friendly, addressing the reluctance of some men to seek treatment, and raising awareness of the range of preventable health problems that disproportionately affect Australian men.

The consultation process for the policy is now complete, following 26 forums held across Australia with approximately 1,300 participants. The policy, due to be released at the end of this year, will signal a significant step towards improving the health of Australian men.

The Government is also committed to improving diagnosis and treatment options for men living with prostate cancer.

Every year, more than 18,000 Australian men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and 2,900 die from the disease.

In 2009, the National Health and Medical Research Council will spend about $10.9 million on 46 prostate cancer research grants at universities, medical research institutes and hospitals around Australia.

“We are also addressing depression,” adds Snowdon. “By the end of 2010, beyondblue will have received $66.2 million from the Commonwealth Government to raise community awareness and reduce stigma associated with the illness.”

For more details on Movember, or to register or make a donation, see http://www.movember.com .

Do not take your lungs for granted

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:51:17 PST

November is Lung Health Awareness Month and the Rudd Government is encouraging Australians not to take their lungs for granted.

During the month a variety of events will aim to raise awareness of lung disease among Australians, especially those over 35 years of age, promote the importance of lung health and motivate people with lung disease symptoms to seek diagnosis and treatment.

World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day, on 18 November, also falls in Lung Awareness Month. The Government’s $23 million reinvigorated Asthma Management Program, for the first time, addresses linkages between asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Asthma Management Plan aims to reduce the personal, social and economic impact in Australia of asthma and linked conditions, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, by facilitating best practice treatment and encouraging proactive management of these conditions.

The program will have a strong focus on prevention among susceptible members of the community including the elderly, people from lower income groups and Indigenous Australians.

Of course, the cost of tobacco use on lung health is significant.

That’s why the Government has already allocated, through COAG, $872.1 million for Preventative Health programs, including those to minimise harm from tobacco.

The National Preventative Health Taskforce targeted tobacco as a priority, and its report will assist the Government to reduce smoking rates.

The Rudd Government is investing in a range of initiatives to tackle the burden of lung related health problems:

- Under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme in 2008-09, a total of $385.7 million was spent on medicines for obstructive airways diseases.

- The Government has committed $4 million to the Primary Care Collaboratives Program. This program supports doctors to make practice-level changes to improve health outcomes for patients. Around 90 general practices will be participating in the next wave of collaborative program topics, and one of these tackles COPD and assists general practitioners to improve clinical outcomes.

- The Government is providing more than $400,000 to the Australian Lung Foundation to undertake several projects around lung health.

- As well, in 2008 the National Health and Medical Research Council invested $38.9 million into research on respiratory disease.

Australia’s First Preventative Health Agency

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:36:45 PDT

Australia’s first ever Preventive Health Agency will soon be established following the passage of important legislation in the House of Representatives.

The Agency is a key part of the Rudd Government’s decision to invest more in preventative health measures than any other government in Australia’s history.

The legislation is now with the Senate for consideration. It is essential that this Bill be passed without delay so that the agency can commence work on 1 January 2010.

The creation of this agency responds to calls from health professionals for Australia to establish – as many other countries have done – a dedicated agency to focus exclusively on driving the prevention agenda and combat the complex challenges of preventable chronic disease.

The agency will guide health ministers in their task of curbing the growth of lifestyle risks driving chronic disease. It is a role requiring national leadership, capacity to work across sectors and portfolios, and an oversight role for surveillance and monitoring.

The agency will bring together the best expertise in the country and play a key role in gathering, analysing and disseminating the best available evidence and evidence-based programs.

Its prevention activities will engage all Australian governments as well as employers, businesses and other sectors, to benefit every community in the nation.

The new preventive health agency will concentrate on reducing the burden that preventable health problems are already placing on the workforce, and ensure Australia’s productive capacity is maintained.

The agency will receive $133 million over four years, from the Government’s record $872 million COAG Prevention Partnership funding.

Strong support for the agency has been expressed by key players in the preventive health field such as the Public Health Association of Australia, and this is important in ensuring the agency’s success in forging cohesiveness in national preventive health efforts.

Practitioner alert - only 7 free tickets left for business workshop

editors@thephj.com (Lifestyle Practitioner Academy) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:33:38 PST

Health professionals, who work in any kind of practice, from natural therapies, through to sports sciences, are being invited to take part in a workshop that will teach them how to make more money for working less hours.

7 free tickets are left for the workshop that will take place on November 14th. It is aimed at people who feel that they are earning less than they are worth as a health practitioner.

Adam Gibson, the head of coaching at the Lifestyle Practitioner Academy, says that in just one day he will promise to show you how to boost your income and have more control over your whole practice so you can enjoy the lifestyle you know you deserve.

The workshop will consist of the following lessons:

    •    The five critical and costly mistakes that could be literally robbing you of your enthusiasm, vitality and longevity as a practitioner.
    •    The confronting truth about how you’ve been valuing yourself as a practitioner and how to “reboot” your mindset for success.
    •    How to implement regular price increases and elevate your session fees, regardless of what your competitors charge!
    •    Why over 90% of practitioners will never become wealthy and how to eliminate the risk of this happening to you in under 5 minutes
    •    How to be one of the first in the world to get their hands on an amazing new mindset success system that will guide you to the lifestyle of your dreams
    •    The special guest speaker who will wave a magic wand over your current advertising and bring a flood of new clients to your practice

Sharon Edwards, a physio from Brunswick, Brisbane, Queensland, says that she used to work over 100 hours a week and was completely stressed out before attending one of these workshops.

“I was sick of micromanaging every little thing and I was extremely worried about the toll this was taking on my health. Six months later, and after implementing Adam’s strategies, everything has turned around! My turnover has increased by 60% and I’m now back to working “normal hours” and giving myself every Friday off!”

Gibson says that the most common responses he hears from health practitioners when he covers his “Money Session” in his workshops is: “Have you lost your mind?” and “I can’t increase my prices by that much – I’ll lose all my clients”

“And hey, if they don’t say it, then it’s written all over their face,” he adds. “But here’s what’s interesting….nearly every health practitioner I’ve met has had an initial money blockage around raising their prices. Let’s face it… we’re all trying to be the ‘Noble Practitioner’ right? – But sadly, most are still complaining about lack of time and money! I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way.

“Once they understood my success secrets – and took action – they have all turned their practice and profits around immediately! And the best part is, they’re now attracting the type of clients they want, plus, they are earning more and working less.”

He adds that one of his past attendees used his secrets to uncover $62,000 he was losing from two clinics. Since then, he has put Adam’s strategies in place and now the money is in his pocket!

“Another Naturopath, Sam, increased her practice turnover by 25% by using my ideas. On top of that, she implemented a 100% cancellation rate – with zero complaints from clients or staff. All she needed was to be shown the ‘right way’ to do it. And that was implemented straight after our seminar. A separate client, Olwen, from Northern NSW, increased her income by 100% in just four weeks after attending a workshop.”

Gibson teaches practitioners how to choose and control staff so they become assets to your business and give you more time. He also teaches them how to write an ad, letter, or any marketing piece, so that you will have a flood of new clients pouring in.

“In the past, when you’ve started out to build a ‘Million Dollar Health Practitioner Mindset’ there’s been a small problem,” says Gibson. “What exactly does it look like? I mean there are plenty of books out there telling you that need to think the right way and develop the right attitudes and so on. But what specifically do you need to do? The answers have been vague and unclear.

But now there’s a solution. It’s a way to know exactly what’s holding you back from success and exactly what you need to do to bring wealth and abundance into your life. It’s the ‘MPowered Personal Profiling System’. Developed over the last 19 years by success expert and coach Mia Munro, you’ll discover…

Your personal wealth profile and exactly how you think, make decisions and what drives your behaviour. This is the key to understanding why sometimes you’re successful but other times you fail to do what you know needs to be done
The exact destructive attitudes and beliefs that are holding you back…and how to change them forever
A clear plan and map to get from where you are now to have the mind of a ‘Million Dollar Health Practitioner’…with the rewards and lifestyle that go with that

“There’s no guesswork with this. Once you have your own personal wealth profile it’s like having a clear treasure map to guide you to the success you deserve. And you’ll be one of the first people in the world to get your hands on this amazing tool.”

To find out more about how you can get hold of a free ticket to this workshop, email: rodney@thephj.com.

Lifestyle Practitioner Academy profile

Helping parents to improve their childrens’ health

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:24:12 PDT

CSIRO scientists in Adelaide are undertaking a study to test simple strategies to help parents get their kids off the couch and provide them with healthier foods.

“There is an overwhelming amount of information available to parents on food and nutrition,” says CSIRO Preventative Health Flagship research officer, Gilly Hendrie.

“The study will test some practical ways of helping parents to get their children to choose healthier habits, focussing on the common obstacles children and busy lifestyles place in the way of a balanced lifestyle.”

Key findings from the recent National Children’s Nutrition & Physical Activity Survey suggested opportunities exist for change in areas such as eating and TV viewing habits.

“CSIRO’s study will look at whether current health policy and advice helps kids to make positive changes,” Hendrie says. “Most kids drink whole milk so it is important to understand if drinking other types of milk will make a difference to their health and whether they substitute milk with other foods. Kids spend 75 per cent spent more than the recommended amount of time in front of the TV or playing computer games so, the study will also explore whether targeted policy advice has a positive impact on exercise behaviour.

“Both areas are important to develop good habits early to provide a stronger foundation for the next generation of Australians.”

The study runs for 24 weeks and involves families with children aged between four and 13. Participants will need to visit CSIRO six times for 30-60 minutes to record their childrens’ food intake, physical measurements and lipids and cholesterol levels.

Parents will also complete a questionnaire, have their height and weight recorded and attend individual sessions with a dietician to receive detailed advice on nutrition and activity and how to go about changing family habits. Incentives will be offered to participants in acknowledgement of the time and commitment involved.

The study is being funded by Dairy Australia.

Osteoporosis affects men too

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:17:18 PDT

New resources aimed at increasing awareness and diagnoses of osteoporosis in Australian men were launched recently to mark World Osteoporosis Day.

Aimed at providing information for both members of the public and GPs, the brochures provide information on osteoporosis in men, including the common risk factors and how the disease can affect them.

One in four Australian men over the age of 60 will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis. Fractures from osteoporosis are less common in men than in women but when fractures occur in men they cause higher disability and death rates.

Musculoskeletal conditions, including arthritis and osteoporosis affect around 6.3 million Australians.

Minister Elliot said: “Australian men should be aware that as they age, their risk of developing osteoporosis is elevated, despite the misconception that the condition only affects women.”

The Rudd Government provided more than $80,000 to Osteoporosis Australia for the development of the Men and Osteoporosis and Men and Osteoporosis – for GPs resources.

To help get the message out, Osteoporosis Australia have recruited well known Australian athletes, Guy Leech and Robert de Castella to help promote the new resources.

Minister Elliot said: “These new resources, coupled with an increased community awareness of osteoporosis in men are important steps towards reducing the incidence of the disease and increasing diagnosis.

“These tools will help Australian men reduce and identify their risks of osteoporosis and fractures,” Minister Elliot said.

“Older people are at greater risk of osteoporosis as when people age their bones begin to lose calcium and can become weaker and are not as effective at absorbing calcium from food.

“Early diagnosis and treatment can prevent the loss of bone mass from getting worse and can also help to improve bone density. To improve bone health, men should lead an active and healthy life by getting regular exercise, eating a healthy diet with an increased amount of calcium and vitamin D,” Minister Elliot said.

This year the Rudd Government will invest nearly $30 million for research into musculoskeletal conditions, with a further $14.8 million over four years invested into the Better Arthritis and Osteoporosis Care initiative to improve care and management of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions, focussing on osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.

The Men and Osteoporosis resources are available from Osteoporosis Australia (national office) and its state offices, by calling 1800 242 141 or visiting http://www.osteoporosis.org.au.

Heart shows the head how it’s done

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:20:31 PDT

Methods used for analysing a person’s risk of cardiovascular diseases are shedding new light on assessing and modifying a person’s risk of depression, according to a study from The Australian National University.

The study, led by Philip Batterham from the Centre for Mental Health Research at ANU, used data from Australia’s only longitudinal lifespan study - the PATH Through Life study - to identify factors that may increase the risk of depression.

Tracking results across four years, the researchers found that the factors that were associated with depression varied across different groups, as Batterham explained.

“Those who started with many depression symptoms were more likely to be depressed after four years, particularly if they were under financial pressure, participating less in employment or experiencing poor physical health,” he said.

“However, the risk of depression for those who started with few symptoms was determined more by other lifestyle factors such as substance use, or background characteristics such as gender and life events.”

The researchers gathered the data from the PATH Through Life project, which tracks health and welfare of more than 7000 people from the ACT and Queanbeyan region. They then used statistical methods taken from cardiovascular research to examine ways to assess and modify a person’s risk of depression.

“Cardiovascular risk can be assessed based on a number of behavioural factors such as age, diet and exercise, along with background characteristics such as age and gender. Applying a similar
categorisation to assessing a person’s risk of depression performed favourably compared to conventional methods used to examine individual risk factors,” he said.

The researchers hope that the results of the study will enable the creation of an online tool that will help individuals and health professionals identify someone’s risk of developing depression.

“We’re hoping that we can use this approach to develop a predictive tool for use in e-health websites, so that we can have some estimation - based on characteristics and behaviours - to identify areas were people might be at risk, and give them guidance on areas of their lifestyle that they could modify to decrease that risk.”

Mortality rates too high for Indigenous children

editors@thephj.com (Rodney Appleyard) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:09:36 PDT

The Save the Children report released earlier this week shows Indigenous children are three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday than non-Indigenous children.

Richard Trudgen CEO of the not-for-profit Indigenous organisation; Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Inc (ARDS), said the figures were appalling.

“The mortality rates outlined in the report are comparable to some of the poorest countries in the world,” Trudgen said.

“It is completely unacceptable in a first world country that we have young children dying of preventable diseases or health complications.”

“If these deaths were happening in mainstream society, there would be a national outcry.”

Trudgen commented that access to health information in the language of the people who need it, is the key to improving the situation.

The upcoming Bridging the Gap seminars were designed to provide health professionals, and others striving to close the gap, with a model that works.

The strategies outlined at the seminars have been successfully used by the people of north-east Arnhem Land – the Yolŋu people, who still practice one of Australia’s
oldest living cultures.

“Many people coming to work in Indigenous communities, including health professionals, arrive without the tools to work successfully across cultures and often
leave burnt out and frustrated,” he concludes.

“The Bridging the Gap seminars will provide them with the much needed awareness and strategies to deal with communication and cultural barriers.”

Trudgen is the author of acclaimed book “Why Warriors Lie Down and Die” and ARDS is a driving force behind bridging the gap with Indigenous communities.

Trudgen brings with him two co-presenters from north-east Arnhem Land: Witiyana Marika, founding member of internationally renowned band Yothu Yindi and Dianne
Gondarra, presenter on Yolŋu Radio.

The next round of seminars are scheduled for:

Melbourne – Melbourne Business School 19/20 November
Canberra – Canberra National Convention Centre 23/24 November
Sydney – Australian Museum 26/27 November.

Seminars start from 8am each day.

To find out more about Richard Trudgen’s Bridging the Gap seminars go to: http://www.ards.com.au

>ENDS<

For more information and media interviews please contact:
Richard Trudgen ARDS CEO: 0417 896 170
The Buzz PR: (07) 5445 6513 or 0431 079 102