Linda Ronstadt: I Have Parkinson's Disease

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Linda Ronstadt has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The 67-year-old singer of such classic 1970s hits as “When Will I be Loved” and “You’re no Good” got the bad news eight months ago but may have been exhibiting symptoms for the past eight years.

Although she had experienced common symptoms of Parkinson’s for awhile, such as trembling hands, she became seriously concerned when she couldn’t sing. In an interview with AARP’s Alanna Nash, Ronstadt said:

 ‘“I couldn’t sing…and I couldn’t figure out why. I knew it was mechanical. I knew it had to do with the muscles, but I thought it might have also had something to do with the tick disease that I had. And it didn’t occur to me to go to a neurologist.”’

When she finally did go to a neurologist and was diagnosed her with the disorder, she described her reaction as “completely shocked.” This is, perhaps, not an unusual response.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that develops slowly, so it’s not uncommon to experience symptoms for many years, as Ronstadt did, before suspecting a serious problem. According to the Mayo Clinic, it often starts “with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand.” Other early symptoms include a lack of expression of the face, slurred speech, and slowed movements. Eventually, tremors typically spread to the limbs, face, and jaw. These and other neuromuscular symptoms of Parkinson’s worsen with time. 

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke points out, however, that the progression of this disease is unpredictable. It can lead to total incapacity for some, yet others may experience only minor motor problems. It usually strikes people who are over the age of 50 but can also occur in younger individuals.

Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s, there are medications that may help to reduce the severity of the symptoms. Surgery may also be appropriate for some patients. Because the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are subtle in the beginning and could be caused by a host of other neurological disorders, individuals who experience any motor movement problems, such as tremors, slowed movements, a lack of coordination, and speech abnormalities are advised to seek medical advice and treatment.

Ronstadt is one of the 60,000 Americans who are diagnosed with this condition each year. Other celebrities who have Parkinson’s disease include actor Michael J. Fox, boxing champ Muhammad Ali, and legendary evangelist Billy Graham.

Follow Christine Mattice on Twitter @ChrisMattice

 

 

 

 

 

A Bing Drinking Student is a Happier Student, Study Shows

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It should come as no surprise that college students who drink alcohol at parties and popular campus hangouts have fun. But are binge drinking students actually happier than their non-binge drinking pals? The surprising answer, according to a study conducted by the American Sociological Association, is “Yes.”  

During a survey of approximately 1,600 undergraduate students at a Northeastern liberal arts college, researchers not only established that binge drinkers are, indeed, happier, they also discovered why.  

In her report of the findings, Carolyn L. Hsu, co-author of the 2009 study and an associate professor of psychology at Colgate University, writes:

“Binge drinking is a symbolic proxy for high status in college…It’s what the most powerful, wealthy, and happy students on campus do. This may explain why it’s such a desirable activity. When lower status student binge drink, they may be trying to tap into the benefits and the social satisfaction that those kids from high status groups enjoy. And, our findings seem to indicate that, to some extent, they succeed.”

Hsu’s analysis seems to indicate that binge drinking among college students is spurred by a need to fit in with the “popular crowd.” Unfortunately, the tragic fact is that, for many binge drinkers, what they “fit into” are their own coffins. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) attributes 1,700 college student deaths to excessive drinking.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some of the dangers of binge drinking include:

·       Unintentional injuries such as falls, car crashes, burns, and drowning. (Binge drinkers are more likely to get behind the wheel of a car than casual drinkers.)

·       Intentional injuries such as gunshot wounds to self or others  

·       Alcohol poisoning which can lead to death

·       Neurological damage

·       Cardiovascular disease

·       Liver disease

·       Sexually transmitted diseases

And it doesn’t take much alcohol to accomplish these harmful, sometimes fatal effects. The NIAAA defines binge drinking as consuming four drinks for women and five drinks for men within a two hour period.

The full results of this study were presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in Denver and published online.

For more information on the dangers of binge drinking, please visit the websites of the NIAAA or the CDC. If you or someone you know is a binge drinker, get help. You could be saving a life.

 

The Shocking Way Food Companies Make You Fat

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Dr. David Kessler, former head of the Food and Drug Administration, used to be a chronic overeater. He could not resist his favorite foods, nor could he regulate the amount of food that he ate. But not anymore.

Kessler has discovered that the reason most people overeat is because of a state he calls "conditioned hypereating," and he has the science to prove it.

Kessler and his colleagues conducted research into the mechanisms of overeating and published the results in his book, The End of Overeating.

All of their research, says Kessler, indicates that overeating may be caused by the fat, sugar, and salt content in foods. In a process that resembles an addiction, these ingredients "condition" you to eat more of them, and to eat them more often.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Many studies have shown that foods high in both fat and sugar stimulate the brain's dopamine center. This is the same area-the brain's pleasure center-that drugs and alcohol stimulate to cause people to become addicted to them.

But, according to Kessler's study, sugar may be the major cause of "conditioned hypereating."

This study showed that rats, even ones that were not hungry, would work harder to get a drink of a vanilla milkshake if it contains a specific ratio of fat to sugar. But when researchers added even more sugar to the mix, the rats drank more of the milkshake.

Kessler and his team then analyzed the behaviors of "conditioned hypereaters," those who characterized themselves as having no control over their eating habits, were always hungry, and frequently thought about food. Of the people with those behaviors, Kessler said, 42 percent were obese. Conversely, only 18 percent of the people who did not exhibit these behaviors were obese.

Kessler and his colleagues then considered the results of a study conducted by Dana Small, a neuroscientist at Yale University. Small put hyper-eaters inside an MRI machine, then allowed them to smell and taste a chocolate milkshake. The brain scans showed that the longer the hypereaters were exposed to the smell of the chocolate milkshake, the more desirable the smell became to them. This is not normal, as constant exposure to a scent should dull the desire for it. Further, even being allowed to drink the milkshake did not stop their cravings for it.

But hypereaters are not at the mercy of their dopamine conditioning, Kessler stresses; indeed, many conditioned hypereaters are thin. All you need to do is reprogram your mind.

Change the Conditioning

Kessler offers the following advice for those seeking to reverse their conditioned hypereating:

·       Instead of thinking how delicious a certain food will be, tell yourself how much you will hate yourself if you eat it. Then replace your desire for that particular food, or foods, with an enjoyable alternative, either a lower calorie food or a physical activity.

·       Before going to a place where you know they'll be fattening food, tell yourself that you will not be tempted by it.

·       Avoid those "habitual-eating" situations of the past.

Kessler took his own advice, and now chronic hypereating is not much of a problem for him. Hopefully, his book will encourage others to follow his lead.

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