General
Does CBD really do anything? “What is clear, at this point, is that the marketing has gotten way ahead of the science.”
Anti-vaxxers target baby products in Aussie stores: Anti-vaxxers have been placing fear propaganda among baby goods again. Unsurprisingly, the fear-based cards and stickers are not based on fact and do not cite any sources. “I think it speaks volumes they have to sink to such a low level, it’s disgraceful… Fear is a tactic they like to use, but it’s also breach of safety that they can go into a Woolworth’s store and tamper with formula, it’s concerning on many levels.” Fortunately consumers tend to screw up the stickers when they find them.
How our residential aged-care system doesn’t care about older people’s emotional needs: “All humans have fundamental needs. These are physiological (food, drink, clothing, sleep), safety (emotional security, physical safety, health), love and belonging (friendships, community), esteem (respect, dignity) and self-actualisation (accomplishment, personal development). For people living in Australia’s residential aged-care facilities, these needs are often not met.
Most residents do not feel they are loved or belong in the facility. Like aged-care resident Neda Borenstein, whose secret camera footage broadcast on ABC’s Four Corners showed her singing the Australian national anthem in bed while she waited more than three hours to be changed. “I’m just a number,” Neda told her carer when she finally returned to help her up.
Less than one-third of residents we interviewed said they were friends with another resident. This means most don’t have the social support associated with friendships. Most residents said they felt socially isolated, which is associated with poor well-being. A 2016 study of residents’ lived experiences in an aged-care facility found many felt they had little dignity, autonomy or control. Outside of meal and structured activity times, people with dementia spend most of their time stationary, alone and doing very little or nothing.”
Sydney medical practice sued over death of diabetic boy: Another tragedy… “A Sydney couple is suing a medical practice over the death of their six-year-old son, who attended a “self-healing” course in its rooms and later died from insulin deprivation. But the practice claims the couple were already acolytes of the therapy, helped organise the course and were themselves to blame for the boy’s death.
Aidan Fenton, a Year 1 student from Prospect in Sydney’s west, fell unconscious in the Ritz Hotel, Hurstville, about 9pm on a Monday in April 2015 and could not be revived. Over the previous week, Aidan had participated in a treatment called Paidalajin, promoted and overseen by Chinese national Hongchi Xiao. The so-called therapy involves individuals stretching, fasting and slapping their skin to the point of bruising in order to “unblock meridians” in the body. The five-day workshop was advertised by the Tasly Healthpac medical centre in Hurstville, which collected fees of $1800 from participants and provided Mr Xiao with rooms.”
Vitamin patches promise to help you gain focus, lose weight or sleep. Do they actually work?: “The “wellness” industry has exploded. The market, estimated at $3.7 trillion in 2015 by the Global Wellness Institute, generates so many products and programs that it’s difficult for consumer and health watchdogs to keep up”
Did you know?
Bone marrow transplant: As a real-life cancer cure, bone marrow transplants (combined with chemotherapy and other medical advancements) have turned childhood leukaemia from a nearly 100% fatal illness into a disease with a 90% cure rate. The invention of bone marrow transplants is a great moment in health and science indeed.
Is apple cider vinegar really a wonder food? Like many “natural therapies”, proponents claim apple cider vinegar is good for what ails you. But does it really work? I won’t keep you in suspence. The answer is: No. So save your hard-earned, buy ordinary vinegar and put it on salad. All those veggies and greens will do you good.
Abused Health Concepts
Ideological battlefield of the labour ward: The decision to follow evidence and science, and to ignore belief/dogma is the guiding principle that lifted us from superstitions and constant death, to quality healthcare and a good survival expectation. That is why it is so disturbing to see a body of highly expert health professionals teaching its members to use and rely on superstitious practices with no basis in reality. “It’s difficult to understand how a clinician with an expert understanding of pregnancy and birth could suspend disbelief long enough to seriously offer such a service to patients.” The ACM argued that critical thinking skills can be used to decide which modalities can used. This doesn’t explain why they teach said modalities, and defend their use. The labour ward and midwifery, are not a place for ideology and dogma. It’s a place for the best evidence based care.