STORY BYThis morning's breaking news that certain financial institutions in three Northeastern cities may be targeted for terrorist attacks prompts us to ask yet again, are we prepared?
Do you still have enough water for three days' use? Can you find the extra cell phone charger in the junk drawer? Has your emergency contact information changed?
It's time to revisit the list, the plan and the back-up plan. Being prepared not only allays your anxiety, it also increases your chances of survival in case a terrorist incident (or natural disaster) does take place.
Since any kind of event often hinders local telephone communication, experts recommend that you make arrangements for family members to check in with a contact person out of state. It is also wise to select one or two meeting sites away from home in case it is impossible for everyone to get back to home base.
Another critical step is to assemble a kit with enough supplies for you, your family, and pets to last at least 72 hours.
This should include:
Have a bag packed that you can throw in your car or keep packed in your office that contains:
Though terrorist attacks could conceivably involve biologic agents, chemicals and/or nuclear and radiological attacks, "Most chemical or biological weapons would not affect large numbers of people if they were used at an outdoor event," explains Richard N. Bradley, MD, clinical associate professor of emergency medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. "And if you look at the recent history of terrorist attacks around the world, they do not generally involve chemical, biological or radiological weapons."
Traditional explosives could be laced with radioactive materials, making a "dirty bomb," which could spread radioactive contamination over a wide area. Although such an event would receive widespread attention, experts agree that minimal radiation to the general public would result, making this approach more a weapon of mass confusion than of destruction.
"What's being promoted is to take an all-hazards response to disasters," says Robert Emery, Dr.Ph., executive director of Environmental Health and Safety at the UT Health Science Center and associate professor of occupational health at the Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness at the UT School of Public Health.
"Although, in the coming months there might be a heightened awareness of terrorism, it might be a good time to step back and ask: 'Am I prepared to withstand any kind of disaster, manmade or intentional?'"
"Using common sense is what you want to do," says Mary Desvignes-Kendrick, MD, MPh, deputy director of the Center. "Knowing what your first five steps are going to be would be very good for people to work on. If you have a plan, then you can call or turn on the radio and then figure out the steps. If you have to start from square one, then you are going to tend to be more anxious. It's important to know what to do ahead of time."
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Dr. Richard Bradley is associate professor of emergency medicine at the UT Medical School.
See Dr. Bradley also at:
Dr. Robert Emery is executive director of Environmental Health and Safety at the UT Health Science Center and associate professor of occupational health at the Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness at the UT School of Public Health.
See Dr. Emery also at:
Dr. Mary desVignes-Kendrick is professor and deputy director of the Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness at the UT School of Public Health.
See Dr. desVignes-Kendrick also at:
Eating healthy
reverses metabolic syndrome
Dr. Tasnime Akbaraly of University College London and her colleagues were interested if healthy eating could actually turn-the-tide and reverse metabolic syndrome, which is having 3 or more of the following risk factors: excess abdominal fat; high triglycerides, hypertension, low levels of HDL the “good” cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes. Having metabolic syndrome doubles a persons’ risk of heart disease and greatly increases the odds of developing type 2 diabetes.
The researchers studied 339 British civil servants with metabolic syndrome, and how closely the adhered to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) to see if it could help reverse metabolic syndrome. The AHEI is a set of published nutritional guidelines by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2002 that emphasizes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and decreased red meat consumption.
Five years into the study, nearly 50% no longer had metabolic syndrome. People who followed the AHEI guidelines the closest were nearly twice as likely to have reversed their metabolic syndrome. The results of the study were published in Diabetes Care, online July 29, 2010.
Dr. Alice Lichtenstein, an expert on diet and heart health from Tufts University in Boston who was not involved in the study said, "It's not about focusing on individual components of the diet, it's really the whole package, and that becomes important because it means that if one of the components of a healthy diet is to eat more fruits and vegetables, just buying a pill saying that there's a concentrated extract of fruits and vegetables is probably not what's going to help you."
Call and make an appointment with Wellness Coach Sam Hester, CWC, CPT, LWMC, at 713-500-3327. It's confidential and free. For more information on the wellness services provided, visit UT Counseling and WorkLife Services.
