Is Social Media Making Me Fat?

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Joann Ariola

Have you ever wondered why when you see postings of food on social media that are pleasing to your eyes, you immediately begin to desire that food or think, “Gee, I’m hungry?

The human mind is divided into two parts, the conscious and subconscious mind. The conscious mind works while we are awake, while the subconscious mind is always activated. The subconscious mind regulates everything in our body, our character, our speech and receives and processes information. The food and beverage postings on social media speak directly to our conscious and subconscious mind.

According to researchers, 70 percent of household meals in America are influenced by digital media. Pictures of food and beverages show up on news feeds 63 percent of the time. One popular social media site noted that a widely used food hashtag marked photos of snacks and meals 54 million times on their site alone.

In addition to subliminally causing you to want to eat more food, studies have shown that people who spent two hours or more using a device with LED display, such as a smart phone or tablet, had a corresponding dip in melatonin levels. Melatonin is the chemical that prepares your body for sleep. When we lose sleep, we can pack on extra pounds because there is a link between sleep loss and weight gain. If you are awake for longer periods of time, you may be more inclined to reach for a late night snack or bag of chips.

Some steps you can take to curb your hunger and promote good health are:

Choose fresh, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats.
Prepare your meals at home and limit dining out and processed on-the-go meals.
Try to avoid being distracted by TV, work, driving or surfing on your computer, phone or tablet while eating.
Regulate your social media feed, especially if the pictures of food and beverages make your stomach moan.

Obesity is on the rise because many factors, but keep in mind that you are in control and can make healthy choices to live a healthy life. It’s better to eat with your stomach and not with your eyes.

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that mainly affects people who are middle aged or older, but it can affect anyone at any age. There are more than three million people in the United States and 60 million people worldwide who suffer from glaucoma.
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. Typically the disease starts to develop suddenly, often without symptoms, and once vision is lost, it is permanent. As much as 40 percent of vision can be lost before some people even notice a problem. It usually starts with loss of peripheral vision. Glaucoma is caused by damage to the optic nerve so that the brain isn’t able to receive images from the eyes. There are two types of Glaucoma, Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma where pressure inside the eye increases on its own and damages the optic nerve and Secondary Glaucoma where another disease causes the pressure in the eye to increase and that results in optic nerve damage. Both types will eventually lead to blindness.
Early detection of Glaucoma can help to slow down the progression of the disease. Regular eye exams are very important. To schedule an appointment with an eye doctor at Jamaica Hospital, please call 718- 206-5900.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

Posted on January 5, 2016 by Andrew Rubin

Do You Have Trouble Identifying Colors? You Might Be Color Blind!

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Michael Hinck

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet – the colors of the rainbow; most of us can identify and distinguish each of these colors from the rest, but for those who are color blind, telling these colors apart is not so easy.

As much as 8% of men are color blind, (compared to only 0.5 % of women). Why are men so much more prone to colorblindness? Well, the reason for colorblindness is a dysfunction in the x chromosome. Men only have one X chromosome, but women have two – and all someone needs is one working x chromosome to compensate for the loss of function of the other.

Being color blind doesn’t really mean that a person can’t see color though. Complete color blindness is actually very rare. What is much more common is a visionary deficiency, which means a person isn’t aware of the differences among colors. Some deficiencies are profound while others are mild. In fact, some people who don’t have a severe form of color blindness are not even aware they have the condition.

The most common type of color blindness is an inability to distinguish between red and green. While there is no cure for color blindness, those who are red-green color blind can actually use a special set of lenses to help them perceive colors more accurately. There are even apps now available on smartphones to help people differentiate colors.

While some people go their entire life unaware they are color blind, most are diagnosed as children. This is because educational material is often color coded, so when a child has trouble processing information, color blindness can be identified as the reason.

Eye care professionals can use a variety of tests to diagnose color blindness. The most common tests use a series of colored circles with overlapping color shapes inside of them. These shapes are easily identifiable to people who have normal color vision, but are difficult to see for people who are color blind.

To have yourself, or your child tested for color blindness, please consult with your primary care doctor or ophthalmologist. The TJH Ophthalmology Center at Jamaica Hospital is staffed with board certified doctors who can test and diagnose this condition. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 718-206-5900.