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Summer Health Tips

 

Fast Foods

Fast foods are quick, reasonably priced, and readily available alternatives to home cooking.  While convenient and economical for a busy lifestyle, fast foods are typically high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt.

The fast food chains and restaurants have responded to the increasing awareness of the public about nutrition and attempted to help people concerned about health.  For example, they now make ingredient and nutrition information available on their menus.  Despite these changes, however, in order to maintain a healthy diet, it is necessary to choose fast foods carefully.

Function

Most people today have less time to select, prepare and eat food than their grandparents did.  Fast foods are very appealing because they are widely available and inexpensive.

Food Sources

Fast food items have been modified to reflect consumers’ concern about the fat content of their food.  Many fast food restaurants have switched from beef tallow or lard to hydrogenated vegetable oils for frying.

Some restaurants offer low calorie choices like salad bars and assorted take-out salads with low calorie dressing, low-fat milkshakes, whole grain buns, lean meats, and grilled chicken items.

Side Effects

Maintaining nutritional balance is not easy with fast food as there is not control over how they are cooked.  For example, some are cooked with a lot of oil and butter and there maybe no option if you want this selection with reduced fat.  The large portions also encourage overeating.  Fast foods also tend to be short on fresh fruits and vegetables.  In general, people with high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease must be much more careful about choosing fast food due to the content of fat, sodium, and sugar.

Recommendations

Knowing the number of calories and the amount of fat and salt in the fast food can help you decide which items are better choices.  Many fast food restaurants have published the nutrient content of their foods.  These are often available on request.  You can plan a convenient yet healthful diet with this information.

Make better choices when eating at fast food restaurants.  In general eat at places that offer a variety of salads, soups, and vegetables.  Consider these general tips:

  • Pizza — Ask for less cheese, and choose low-fat toppings such as onions, mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes, and other vegetables.
  • Sandwiches — Healthier choices include regular or junior size lean roast beef, turkey, chicken breast, or lean ham.  Extras such as bacon, cheese, or mayo will increase the fat and calories of the item.  Select whole-grain breads over high-fat croissants or biscuits.
  • Hamburgers — A single, plain meat patty without the cheese and sauces is the best choice.  Ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.  Limit your intake of French fries.
  • Meat, chicken, and fish — Look for items that are roasted, grilled, baked, or broiled.  Avoid meats that are breaded or fried.  Ask for heavy sauces, such as gravy, on the side.
  • Salads — High-fat food items such as dressing, bacon bits, and shredded cheese add fat and calories.  Choose lettuce and assorted vegetables to make up the majority of your salad.  Select low-fat or fat-free salad dressings, vinegar, or lemon juice when available.  Ask for the salad dressing on the side.
  • Desserts — Choose low-fat frozen yogurt, fruit ices, sorbets, and sherbets.  Occasional indulgent desserts add fun to a carefully selected, well-balanced diet.

Try to choose smaller sized servings.  Consider splitting some fast food items to reduce the amount of calories and fat.  Ask for a “doggy bag” or simply leave the excess on your plate.

To help supplement and balance the fast food meal, make nutritious options such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and yogurt available as snacks.

When chosen carefully and not used in excess, fast foods can offer reasonably good quality nutrition to your diet.  By being aware of what you eat and paying attention to how it affects your health, you can set an example and teach your children to eat healthy as well.  As always, variety and moderation are the key principles in providing a healthy diet for children as well as adults.

Review Date: 10/17/2003

Reviewed By: David Webner, M.D., Sports Medicine Fellow, Crozer-Keystone Family Practice Program, Springfield , PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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Broken Bones

If more pressure is put on a bone than it can stand, it will split or break.  A break of any size is called a fracture.  If the broken bone punctures the skin, it is call an open fracture (compound fracture).  A stress fracture is a hairline crack in the bone that develops because of repeated or prolonged forces against the bone.

Considerations

If a young child refuses to put weight on an arm or leg after an accident, won’t move the arm or leg, or you can clearly see a deformity, assume the child has a broken bone and get medical help.

It is hard to tell a dislocated bone from a broken bone.  However both are emergency situations and the basic first aid steps are the same.

Causes

The following are common causes of broken bones:

  • Fall from a height
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Direct blow
  • Child abuse
  • Repetitive forces, such as those caused by running, can cause stress fractures of the foot, ankle, tibia, or hip

Symptoms

  • A visibly out-of-place or misshapen limb or joint
  • Swelling
  • Intense pain
  • Bruising
  • Numbness and tingling
  • Bleeding
  • Broken skin with bone protruding
  • Limitation or unwillingness to move a limb

First Aid

  1. Check the person’s airway, breathing, and circulation.  If necessary begin rescue breathing, CPR, or bleeding control.
  2. Keep the person still and calm.
  3. If needed, call your local emergency number (such as 911).
  4. Examine the person closely for other injuries.
  5. In most cases, if medical help responds quickly, allow the medical personnel to take further action on the broken bone.
  6. If the skin is broken, it should be treated immediately to prevent infection.  Don’t breathe on the wound or probe it.  If possible, lightly rinse the wound to remove visible dirt or other contamination, but do not vigorously scrub or flush the wound.  Cover with sterile dressings. 
  7. Immobilize the broken bone with a splint or sling in the position you found it.  Possible splints include a rolled up newspaper or strips of wood.  Immobilize the area both above and below the injured bones.
  8. Apply ice packs to reduce pain and swelling.
  9. Take steps to prevent shock.  Lay the person flat, elevate the feet about 12 inches above the head, and cover the person with a coat or blanket.  However, DO NOT move the person if a head, neck, or back injury is suspected.
  10. Check the person’s blood circulation.  Press firmly over the skin beyond the facture site.  (For example, if the facture is in the leg, press on the foot).  It should first blanch white and then “pink up” in about two seconds.  Other signs that circulation is inadequate include pale or blue skin, numbness or tingling, and loss of pulse.  If circulation is poor and trained personnel are NOT quickly available, try to realign the limb into a normal resting position.  This will reduce swelling, pain, and damage to the tissues from lack of blood.

Treat Bleeding

  1. Place a dry, clean cloth over the wound to dress it.
  2. If the bleeding continues, apply direct pressure to the site of bleeding.  DO NOT apply a tourniquet to the extremity to stop the bleeding unless it is life-threatening.

DO NOT

  • DO NOT move the person unless the broken bone is firmly secured with a splint of sling.
  • DO NOT move a person with an injured hip, pelvis, or upper leg unless it is absolutely necessary.  If you must move the person, pull the person to safety by his clothes (such as by the shoulders of a shirt, a belt, or pant-legs).
  • DO NOT move a person who has a possible spine injury.
  • DO NOT attempt to straighten a bone or change its position unless blood circulation appears hampered.
  • DO NOT try to reposition a suspected spine injury.
  • DO NOT test a bone’s ability to move.
  • DO NOT give the person anything by mouth.

Call immediately for emergency medical assistance (usually 911) if:

  • There is a suspected broken bone in the head, neck or back.
  • There is a suspected broken bone in the hip, pelvis, or upper leg.
  • You cannot completely immobilize the injury at the scene by yourself.
  • There is severe bleeding.
  • An area below the injured join is pale, cold, clammy, or blue.
  • There is a bone projecting through the skin.

Even though other broken bones may not be medical emergencies, they still deserve medical attention.  Call your health care provider to find out where and when to be seen.

Prevention

  • Wear protective gear while skiing, biking, roller blading, and participating in contact sports.  This includes helmets, elbow pads, knee pads, and shin pads.
  • Create a safe home for young children.  Gate stairways and keep windows closed.
  • Teach children how to be safe and look out for themselves.
  • Supervise children carefully.  There is not substitute for supervision, no matter how safe the environment or situation appears to be.
  • Prevent falls by not standing on chairs, counter tops, or other unstable objects.  Remove throw rugs and electrical cords from floor surfaces.  Use handrails on staircases and non-skid mats in bathtubs.  These steps are especially important for the elderly.

Review Date: 8/7/2003

Reviewed By: Jacqueline A. Hart, M.D., Senior Medical Editor, A.D.A.M., Inc. Previously reviewed by Andrew L. Chen, M.D., M.S., Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (1/29/2003).

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org ).

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