One of the ways in which the manufacturers of the standard anti-anxiety meds sell their pills is the claim the drugs relieve anxiety, produce a state of calm and reduce the risk of terror attacks. In the ordinary world where there are few real dangers, this is all very reassuring. No one wants to freak out in the mall when the crowd of shoppers builds up. But do we really want our soldiers to be regular users? The trigger for this questions was the admission from the U.S. Army that more than 105,000 soldiers had prescriptions for painkillers, anti-anxiety meds and antidepressants. The world of the professional soldier is always full of stress. It starts with the need to carry heavy equipment around, sometimes over rough terrain. No matter how careful you are, it’s easy to twist an ankle or knee. Add in the fact someone might try to shoot at you and you’re going to be keeping low and moving fast. With there being a shortage of active soldiers, troops are cycled into and out of the combat zone with ever shorter periods of rest. Frequently, soldiers are sent back out with injuries not properly healed. They only get through with the help of painkillers.

When you are being sent out for your third or fourth tour of duty, it’s also easy to be anxious, if not depressed. Forced extensions after the enlistment contracts are up as part of the stop-loss program does not send our soldiers out in the best possible frame of mind. Then, living in difficult and dangerous conditions in a foreign country, fighting an enemy you cannot see, adds to the challenge. So, perhaps it’s not so surprising such a significant number of serving troops are routinely prescribed mood-control drugs. The latest suicide statistics, however, are surprising. Over the centuries, fewer serving in the Army have committed suicide as compared to the civilian population. That has all changed with the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have been at war for longer than ever before. The result is that suicide is the third most common cause of death. When you add in all the other deaths caused by drug-induced behavior, like driving while under the influence, more soldiers kill themselves or each other than are killed by the “enemy”. Forget about the deaths of others caused by “friendly fire”. Our soldiers are more dangerous to each other. (more…)

Your BMI is 30+. This is what it means when doctors say you are obese. Your goal? Break into the 18.5 to 24.9 range. That’s the “normal weight range”. But those are just numbers. How can you make those numbers real to you, quantify them, let them hit home? Those 6 and some points are the difference between a healthy heart and a heart disease. They are 30 to 40 years of life. They are running in the yard with your kids, enjoying a sunset walk on the beach with your spouse, and that moment when you step out of the house on a brisk morning, gulp in cool fresh air, and feel thoroughly healthy. They can mean happiness and confidence. For the average woman, going from obese to normal is a difference of at least 32 pounds (14.5 kilograms). For the average man, it is a minimum of 36 pounds (16.3 kilograms) from obese to normal. That means that if you had a dollar for every lb you lost, you could buy a Whopper for every resident of not just Lowry, South Dakota, but Wetonka too! A grande cafe latte for every citizen in Butler! That’s a good deal of weight, but you can do it. With some prescription assistance, all it takes is some diet and exercise to be on your way to a normal weight, good health, and a better standard of living. To shake obesity, you technically have to drop your BMI, not pounds, so it will be helpful to look more closely at what BMI is. What is BMI? BMI, also called the Quetelet index, stands for Body Mass Index. It is a statistic based on a person’s weight and height used to determine risk factors for any number of health problems. It is also used by health insurance companies to determine how much to charge you, so saving your life can also save you money. However, it is important to understand that BMI is not an accurate estimation of body fat in many cases. It is so widespread because it is easy to calculate and work with. Most inaccurate numbers are in cases in which the individual in question has a large amount of muscle mass. If you suspect this is not you, BMI is most likely a useful tool of analysis. The calculation is: BMI equals mass divided by height squared. This is represented mathematically as BMI= mass/height2. You can calculate this at home by plugging in values for this formula: BMI= your mass in lbs times 703 divided by your height in inches squared. BMI= lbs*703/in2. There are plenty of good calculators on the internet. If you are taking Meridia to lose weight, work with a doctor, dietician, and/or physical trainer to set targets and milestones at which you can adjust your diet and exercise regimen. Once your BMI reaches 29.9, your doctor may choose to take you off of Meridia because you are no longer technically obese, but overweight. (more…)