Smokeless Tobacco
The tobacco industry has recently developed additional smokeless tobacco products to add to their traditional list of chew (tobacco placed between teeth and gums) and snuff (moist, dry and sachet that is mostly also put between teeth and gum). There are smokeless tobacco products that come in the form of lozenges, tablets, tabs, strips and sticks. These products have various names depending on the manufacturer and come in various flavors and packaged to be appealing to young tobacco users. -
It is important that health educators convey the message that no tobacco product is less harmful to health. Any and all tobacco products, even by-products such as secondhand smoke, has detrimental health consequences.
Smokeless Tobacco and Cancer
There are 28 carcinogens in smokeless tobacco -
One is at increased risk for developing cancer of the mouth, throat, and pancreas
Smokeless Tobacco and Oral Health
Leukoplakia, a soft white patch that is precancerous, is often seen in the mouths of smokeless tobacco users -
Smokeless tobacco causes recession of the gums, gum disease, and tooth decay
Smokeless Tobacco and Reproductive Health
Pregnant women who use smokeless tobacco products are at increased risk for premature births, low birth weight babies, and preeclampsia (a condition that includes high blood pressure, fluid retention and swelling) -
Men who use smokeless tobacco have reduced sperm counts and abnormal sperm cells
Smokeless Tobacco and Nicotine Addiction
Assessed on 7-10-2010 http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco
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Healthy Eating and Nutrition
The Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommend mixing up your choices within each food group:
Focus on Fruits: Eat a variety of fruits – whether fresh, frozen, canned or dried – rather than fruit juice for most fruit choices. For a 2,000 calorie diet, you will need 2 cups of fruit a day (for example, 1 banana, 1 large orange, ¼ cup of dried apricots or peaches).
Vary your Veggies: Eat more dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens; orange veggies, such as carrots, sweetpotatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash; and beans and peas, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas, and lentils.
Get your Calcium-Rich Foods: Get 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk – or an equivalent amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese (11/2 ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk) every day. If you don’t or can’t consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium fortified foods and beverages.
Make Half your Grains Whole Grains: Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or pasta every day. Once ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats or corn are referred to as “whole” in the list of ingredients
Go Lean with Protein: Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it, or grill it. And vary your protein choices – with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.
Know the limits on fats, salt, and sugars. Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Look for foods low in saturated fats and trans fats. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little salt (sodium) and/or added sugars (caloric sweetners).
Older Adults may require more or less of certain nutrients. It is a good idea to consult your doctor about your specific dietary needs.
From “Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans” , pages 3, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture; www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines. |
Additonal Resources
Vermont Department of Health
www.healthvermont.gov
Their web site has a wide variety of health information, tools, reports and data that may be helpful to you.
Under the heading, “Children and Families” heading, you will find the following topics: WIC; Fit & Healthy Kids; Nutrition; Breastfeeding; and School Health.
Under the heading, “Diseases & Prevention” you will find the following topics: Blueprint for Health; Chronic & Infectious Disease; Oral Health; and Tobacco.
Click on Chronic & Infectious Disease
The Fit & Healthy Vermonters Initiative The Obesity Prevention Plan -
Obesity Facts and Effects
The Guide to Community
Preventive Services
The Guide to Community Preventive Services is an outreach endeavor of the National Center for Health Marketing at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The site provides best practice programs and strategies for communities on a variety of health topics.
www.thecommunityguide.org
NIHSenior Health
www.nihseniorhealth.gov
The National Institutes of Health has developed a simple and user friendly web site for older adults pertaining to senior health issues. Click on “T” for Tobacco, or “O” for Obesity to get topic specific information.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco
CDC Fact Sheet: Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke: Office on Smoking and Health
“Secondhand smoke exposure has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease. “
- Attributes to 46,000 premature deaths due to heart disease in the US per year
- Increases the risk of non-smokers by 25-30% of having heart disease
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