Medical Alert Jewelry: A Life Saving Fashion StatementWritten by J. Terrence McDermott
No one really wants to be labeled as “different.” And certainly, no one wants to create that label and apply it to him or herself. But many medical conditions require some form of identification indicating that such a condition exists and must be considered in case of an emergency. Thus, millions of people with hundreds of medical conditions must advertise that fact simply to protect themselves. For many, jewelry is chosen medium.Fact: Up to 15% of population of United States could experience a life-threatening reaction to foods, drugs, insect bites or latex. Fact: Many diabetics suffering from hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) have been mistakenly identified as being drunk. Fact: Over 400 Americans die annually from an allergic reaction to penicillin. Given these and many more related statistics, need for proper medical identification is critical. But in an image conscious society, clunky bracelets or dog tags may offend fashion sensibilities of some while overt labeling of medical conditions may be threatening to others. That is why manufacturers of medical jewelry are looking for a balance between necessity of clear communications and a desire for attractive accessorizing. It would be easy to hide identification for a medical condition in a wallet or handbag but in an emergency a visible and obvious message will assist medical personnel to make fast and accurate assessments. Jewelry, by its nature, is an adornment designed to flatter and draw attention to its wearer. A 10KT or 14KT gold or sterling silver charm, pendant or locket that also spotlights medical data can be quite attractive while helping to avert a tragedy.
| | Wellness versus IgnoranceWritten by Dr. Donald A. Miller
If you ask most Americans whether wellness is important, most will agree. Parents will usually say that family health is one of their major concerns. Yet most are rather ignorant about nutrition information. Blame our public education system, false or misleading reporting, and ads, ads, ads.Recent news increasingly reports that obesity is epidemic in United States, and that it is major cause of early death, after tobacco. Yet solution is really simple. It used to be that people who claimed simple life is key to anti aging would be met with a big yawn, or strong doubt, or rude noises. Now, such reliable sources of health information as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are saying that good diet and moderate exercise really are keys to long life. The same ad blasters who helped get us into health troubles are eager to sell us pills, potions, books, quack cures that dance all around truth. After all, folks really want magic bullets to fix problems, so they won't have to take responsibility for consequences of their own choices. It's not merchants' fault if they get rich off public stupidity. Or is it? People, WAKE UP! America is a country in which even poor people are FAT. History tells us that this is a very unusual situation. It is a principle of physics that matter-energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Therefore, if our weight exceeds medical ideal, it can ONLY be from consuming more calories than we need. The only healthy solution is to be more careful of what we eat, and to increase our exercise. Drugs or surgery to cheat on this equation are life threatening. Wild claims to "turn up your fat burners" are total NONSENSE, even though some of "experts" telling this are physicians and nutritionists who really should know better.
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