The Spread of Health Behaviors in Social Networks

As the founder of a social networking site designed to help foster healthy lifestyles, I could not have asked for a more germane study in support of what we are trying to do.  The Framingham Heart Study is one of the most famous social network studies in the academic world.  Essentially, a stash of papers found in a storeroom were the personal records of 5,124 male and female subjects started in 1948.  The primary focus of this data set was for risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease.  What Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH; A. James O’Malley, PhD; Alan M. Zaslavsky, PhD did was take this study and expand upon it to look at the affect of your social network and risks associated with obesity.

The following image is from an article in Wired Magazine and show the virulent characteristics of obesity in human populations.  Essentially what the researchers did was map out BMI for the population in Framingham over time and looked at the relationship that defined that population.  The key finding is that it’s very hard to stay lean if you are surrounded by obese people, hence the clumping of obese groups of individuals.  What is the most shocking is that if you have a friend that is obese, your chances of being obese jumps to 171%.

Without getting too much into statistics and correlation, causality, and externalities…I think there is something that is very intuitive with the assumption that our friends do have an influence on how we live and what we do.  I would say with a lot of confidence that positive behaviors can be infectious and they do become more powerful the larger the group.  Unfortunately the same goes for negative behaviors.

It’s important to recognize the influence our friends have on us and to think about who we want to affect that in line with our personal goals.  Group mandated change is one of the most powerful motivators out there…and new online capabilities can be a wonderful enabler.  Get together with your friends and form a friendly competition around who can lose the most weight or log the fastest time.  Share success stories, tips, and press each other on.  I’m not revealing any great mystery but there is something to hearing it again.

Here is the link for the original study…click here

Here is a link for the book that came out of this study….click here

And here is the link to fivi.com where you can form a positive habit forming group …click here

Cheat Sheet for Shin Splints (in Layman’s English)

Shin splints are the bane of so many a runner’s (or any athlete that runs) existence.  It’s one of those nagging injuries that will not force you to stop right away but if left untreated can get serious and not to mention is a very popular excuse for so many of us not to workout or be active.  There are some serious names out there that most of us would not recognize like periostitus and medial tibial stress syndrome but basically shin splints is the term all of us have come to be the most familiar with.

Courtesy of Mayo Clinic

What are Shin Splints?

Basically, shin splints is an inflammation of the tissue between the muscle that runs down the front of your shin (also called the tibia).  It can hurt in a number of different places but usually the pain is in the area between your ankle and below your knee.  The pain can be acute and sharp like to the touch or each time you step.  It can also be dull and continuous during the workout and after the workout.  There can be in some extreme cases mild swelling on the inner most side of the shin as well redness (but not always evident).

What Causes Shin Splints?

Unfortunately, shin splints can be brought on by a number of different things.  Fortunately, almost all of them are pretty straightforward to fix and can be done with some proper self adjustment in how you do things.  I won’t claim to list everything but I will try and list the most common ones.

• sudden increase in training or working out – this means that all of sudden you drastically do more running or a higher intensity workout.  Do you just increase your distance?  Try interval training for the first time?  Slack off during the winter and punish yourself out of guilt during the spring?  All are examples of a sudden spike.
• poor running form – running is a very complicated thing as we talk about in Running 101 and it’s important we pay very special attention to our form and how it pertains to our bio mechanics.  There are some tips on how to figure out what your tendencies are when it comes to running in the article Mythbusters: Is Running Really Bad for your Knees.  Just remember that you can start subconsciously altering how you run to accommodate a slight pain and this can aggravate the problem.
• running on a hard surface – pavement is no joke and it has no give.  Simply put, that translates into impact.  Without getting into physics that a lot of force each time you hit the ground and with each strike of the ground, you are pulling the muscle off the bone and that puts stress on your connective tissue.
• old or bad shoes – it cannot be overstated the importance of a good pair of running shoes designed for the type of running you do and for how you run.  Finding a good pair of shoes is a process and if you don’t know what suits you – go to your local running store or work with a coach (a lot of running clubs have them on a part time basis).  Logging them is a good idea.  We built a shoe tracker to log mileage on www.fivi.com just for that.  Replacement schedules for sneakers should be anywhere between 300-500 miles.
• weak or unbalanced muscle conditioning – muscles do more than just make your frame move and do things, they also keep you aligned and the original blueprint for how we were built called for some pretty tight specs things like flexibility, tension, strength, etc.  We have muscles in the front of the shin and we have calf muscles (there’s more but for the most part, those are the easy ones to recognize) – now these muscle groups work together.  If there is any kind of imbalance between the major muscles, that also can bring on shin splints.
• being overweight – a few pounds extra, never mind the 10-20% a lot of us carry can also bring on shin splints.  Namely because the excess weight will throw off your running as well as increase the impact factor (even worse on hard surfaces).

What’s the Impact of Shin Splints?

The impact can range from mildly annoying to pretty serious (on the order of surgery).  But the major ways it can affect you are as follows:

• ruin a good workout and make it unenjoyable
• delay your schedule in preparation for a very important
• force you to run in a sub-optimal way that will throw off bio-mechanics and create an injury somewhere else (like your knees or your back)
• shin splints can turn into a very real problem the most severe being an actual stress fracture of the Tibia (or shin bone).  Yes, let them get bad enough and you can cause a break in the bone!

What to Do About Shin Splints?

First and foremost, DO NOT IGNORE THEM.  Be reasonable with your body.  Think about what may have brought on your shin splints and try and rectify the situation.  When was the last time you replaced your shoes?  How are you running?  Does it feel right?  Where are you running?  Did you warm up properly?  Did you change your training?  Did you increase your distance?  It is your body and it is your responsibility to take good care of it.  Think about your habits and what it can be.  Keeping a log is one of the best ways to figure these out.  That’s why we put the Fit Blog right on your profile in www.fivi.com.  Try something new or change up and enter it into your fit blog.  Log your mileage and see if the problem gets better or worse when you change your routine.  It’s like an online journal you can access from anywhere and you don’t have to worry about losing it.

Some suggestions to remedy the problem:

• first thing is take some time off – usually on the order of 2-4 weeks.  You can do other cardio workouts (swim, stationary bike, etc) in the meantime.
• icing the sore shins and taking some ibuprofen to reduce swelling
• taping the shins is an option (it keeps connective tissue in place to counter the impact of the foot striking the ground)
• trying warming up slowly first (brisk walking) and then do a thorough but gentle stretch before and after the workout
• lose a little weight
• try incorporating some lower body strength training (this means light squats, calf raises, and what I call toe curls where you sit down and pull an exercise band in with your toes to flex that shin muscle)
• if the problem does not get better and definitely if the pain gets worse, go see a specialist.  There is no glory in causing damage!

Here is some additional information on shin splints:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/shin-splints/DS00271

http://www.medicinenet.com/shin_splints/article.htm

Corporate Wellness – the Stick or the Carrot

Is corporate wellness the next bubble in the health and wellness space?  Rising cost of health care, more employee managed programs, aging workforce, etc – all make corporate wellness a pretty germane topic these days.  The recent WSJ article “Get Well, or Pay Not To” raises some interesting questions.

First, the current recession is not going to stymie the growth in corporate incentives for people to lead a healthier lives:

(excerpt)

More employers are offering cash, discounts and even lower health-insurance premiums to entice workers to participate in a variety of programs. And starting next year, employees could have further incentive to get healthy as more companies add penalties to insurance premiums for workers who don’t partake.

“It’s an opportunity to get cash for doing what’s right for you,” says Shelly Wolff, a senior consultant at consulting firm Watson Wyatt.

Despite cutbacks amid the recession, 58% of large U.S. companies now offer lifestyle-improvement programs, up from 43% in 2007, according to a Watson Wyatt study. And 56% provide health coaches, compared with 44% in 2007. Health-risk appraisals are offered at 80% of companies, up from 72% in 2007.

(end excerpt)

The articles continues to talk about the lengths that companies will go to just to encourage their employees to be healthier.  Whether it’s money, gift cards, or access to wellness professionals – the economics are there for employers to have healthier employees.  One extreme example is the “insurer Aetna which offers employees up to $1,200 back each year via their paychecks or health savings accounts for completing a health-risk assessment, identifying and completing family health goals, making healthy food choices and participating in a variety of fitness activities.”

Now what happens for those who choose not to participate?  There has been talk of a surcharge for employees who don’t take the assessments.  It’s more to get the attention of the employee.  It’s is my opinion that these tactics are counterproductive and completely unsustainable in a tight labor market.  I know that in the current economic climate, a tight labor market seems like an absurd thing to write about.  But we will get there eventually.  Baby boomers will retire eventually and they did not make as many Gen X’ers as them (on the order of 10-12 million less).  It is my personal belief that a good corporate wellness program will be much more in the future than just about saving on health care costs.  It will be a key component of attracting the best talent and most loyal employees.

Some food for thought.  Many of corporate wellness programs today are very passive in nature.  Log so many hours on our site over 6 months and we’ll give you a $300 check.  Most people forget.  Free gym memberships aren’t much better.  Even when people pay for the gym membership, they don’t go.  Health assessments, quick and easy to take but once we know that you are at risk – then what?  Is a $25 dollar surcharge going to get you to quit smoking?  I hope so, but not likely.  It may only aggrevate the situation.  What about all the smaller companies that don’t have the economis of scale that Aetna enjoys who can’t afford to give their employees $1,200 in incentives?

These are interesting questions that many in the industry are trying to solve right now as we speak.  I see this being more about active participation and being more creative about how we would encourage people to lead better healthier lives.  This means specialized firms and wellness professionals that can tailor programs for the individual companies.  Different corporate cultures will require different programs.  For those companies that can’t afford managed wellness programs, I see technology as playing a large role in helping bring down the costs.  Peer motivation and social networks are a great source of opportunity that unfortunately today are usually tapped to sell only advertising.  I’m a big proponent of evidence based wellness services.  There are a lot of great tools out there and the smart wellness professional who wants to enter this space will use what is available but use it creatively.  You can only do so much via email and articles still keep people in front of the computer and in their seats.  Organize groups, get groups together and out.  Encourage information sharing and success sharing.  Even go as far as encourage bragging.  We compete on sales and on the field, why not with the waistline.  This is a very exciting field to be in right now and one that surely will see some phenomenal players in the coming months!

It’s National Men’s Health Week

Did you know that this week is National Men’s Health Week?  The edict from the nation’s highest authority was passed to raise awareness on mens’ health related issues and how simple things can have a significant impact on improving the quality and longevity of men’s lives around the country.  The two bills: Senate Joint Resolution 179 (SJR 179) and the House Joint Resolution (HJR 209) were passed in March and May of 1994.  Upon final signature of SJR 179 by President Clinton on May 31, 1994, National Men’s Health Week was established.

The Goal of Men’s Health Month

The purpose of Men’s Health Month is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

This month gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.

NATIONAL MEN’S HEALTH WEEK
(Senate – March 25, 1994)

Mr. MITCHELL. Madam President, on behalf of Senator Dole, I ask unanimous consent to proceed to Senate Joint Resolution 179 now at the desk introduced by Senator Dole, and I ask for its immediate consideration. I further ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be deemed read three times and passed and the motion to reconsider laid on the table and the preamble be agreed to.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

So the joint resolution (S.J. Res. 179) was deemed read three times and passed.

The preamble was agreed to.

The joint resolution (S.J. Res 179), with its preamble, reads as follows:

S. J. Res. 179

• Whereas despite the advances in medical technology and research, men continue to live an average of 7 years less than women;
• Whereas the likelihood that a man will develop prostate cancer is 1 in 11;
• Whereas the number of men contacting prostate cancer will reach over 120,000 in 1993, with an expected one-third of the cases to die from the disease;
• Whereas testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men aged 15-34, and when detected early, has an 87 percent survival rate;
• Whereas the number of men contracting lung disease will reach over 100,000 in 1993, with an expected 85 percent of the cases to die from the disease;
• Whereas the number of cases of colon cancer among men will reach over 80,000 in 1993; with nearly one-third of the cases to die from the disease;
• Whereas the death rate for prostate cancer has grown at almost twice the death rate of breast cancer in the last five years;
• Whereas African-American men in the United States have the highest incidence in the world of cancer of the prostate;
• Whereas men are seven times as likely as women to be arrested for drunk driving and three times as likely to be alcoholics;
• Whereas women visit the doctor 150 percent as often as men enabling them to detect health problems in their early stages;
• Whereas significant numbers of male related health problems such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, infertility, and colon cancer, could be detected and treated if men’s awareness of these problems was more pervasive;
• Whereas educating both the public and health care providers about the importance of early detection of male health problems will result in reducing rates of mortality for these diseases;
• Whereas appropriate use of tests such as Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) exams, blood pressure screens, cholesterol screens, etc., in conjunction with clinical examination and self-testing for problems such as testicular cancer can result in the detection of many of these problems in their early stages and increases in the survival rates to nearly 100 percent;
• Whereas many men are reluctant to visit their health center or physician for regular screening examinations of male related problems for a variety of reasons including fear, lack of information, and cost factors; and
• Whereas men who are educated about the value that preventive health can play in prolonging their lifespan and their role as a productive family member will be more likely to participate in health screenings: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That June 12 through 19, 1994, is designated as National Men’s Health Week, and the President is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate programs and activities.

Their website is chock full of tips, events, visual aids, and more – to help promote awareness on key issues.  The calendar has events around the country is support of the week’s charter for promotion of awareness.  If you are interested in sponsoring an event please check out the Men’s Health Zone Planner.

FiVi.com encourages you to use this week as milestone in your health.  Use FiVi Maps to plot out routes where you like to run or walk.  Use our Quick Entry tool to log exercises or activities.  We encourage you to use the power of peer motivation.  Get together with your friends and set a common goals and help each other reach those goals.  A common goal could be as simple as “We’ll run 5 miles a week” or “We’ll burn 1000 extra calories a week” and the group monitors itself via reports sharing.  Next week, we launch FiVi Updates where you’ll be notified everytime one of your friends logs and activity or exercise.  Blog about what you are doing this year to help ensure you live a life to it’s fullest potential and share it with your friends and colleagues.

Happy National Men’s Health Week from us at FiVi.com!