A Healthy Tan

A healthy tan does not actually exist. 

Yesterday I completed a survey that asked me about my indoor tanning habits throughout my lifetime. One question asked if I had used a tanning bed while knowing the risks associated with using a tanning bed. I answered “yes” as many other people probably also did.

When did having a tan become such a desired look? How is something that is so unhealthy be considered the way that “healthy people” look? 

A pale complexion was a sign of wealth in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Lower classes were tan because they worked outside. That certainly changed with time. Eventually the lower classes were working in factories all day while the wealthier had leisure time to spend outdoors. Coco Chanel is often given credit for making the tanned look fashionable and appealing. Is this a fad that will eventually fade? Dermatologists sure hope so. 

The rates of tanning are highest among non-Hispanic white girls. (Source) I hate to use this reference, but if anyone has watched the Jersey Shore TV show, they would know it has even become an issue even for men. The indoor tanning industry has grown rapidly in recent years due to the demand to be tan year long. 

Some places in Australia have actually banned tanning beds. This is a 30 second Australian commercial about the dangers of tanning. It gives a better idea of how melanoma actually starts. 

Healthy People 2020 even includes reducing indoor tanning as one of their goals for reducing melanoma:

•  “Reduce the proportion of adolescents in grades 9 through 12 who report using artificial sources of ultraviolet light for tanning to 14.0%.”

• “Reduce the proportion of adults aged 18 years and older who report using artificial sources of ultraviolet light for tanning to 13.7%.” (Source) 

Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer that has been linked to tanning. Many believe that indoor tanning is just as bad as sunbathing outside. Realistically they are both unhealthy behaviors. The problem with the tanning beds is that individuals use them consistently throughout the entire year. This is way more exposure than a week’s vacation to the beach. 

I know I have heard individuals say “ I am so pale I look sickly.” Ironically looking tan, is what people believe looks healthy.

KR

O157:H7

What is O157:H7 ?

This is the strain of Escherichia coli that causes the most problems when consumed. It is also one of the strains that has been continuously found in bagged spinach leaves. 

Photo Source

In 2012, there was an outbreak of E. coli across five states, including Virginia. The outbreak investigation indicated a Wegmans brand of spinach, produced in Massachusetts, was one possible source of the outbreak (Source). This is not the first time a type of spinach has been recalled due to an E. coli outbreak. 

In 2007 the FDA finalized a report on a spinach outbreak from the previous year. By using DNA tracing they were able to determine that the source of the E. coli was from wild pigs that may have been near where the farming. There were also traces of cattle or human fecal contamination in surface waterways. There was no conclusion as to how the spinach actually became contaminated but the investigation was able to narrow it down to a few possibilities (Source).  

Why is this a continuous problem with spinach ?

Last week in microbiology, our class did several experimental tests to find out the best way to clean spinach leaves. The samples were from one bag of spinach labeled “pre-washed.” Our control group was an unwashed leaf from this bag. What we found was actually shocking to me. No wonder there have been several recalls on bagged spinach. The leaves all had E. coli bacteria on them, despite the fact that these had already been "washed". I have always been told to make sure I wash everything from the grocery store before using, but now I understand why.

Just in case you were wondering, the “Fit Spray” was the most effective way to clean spinach. I have used this spray before on apples and think it leaves a gross citrus taste, so I personally would not want to use it. It just makes me a little curious as to what is considered "washing"and when does this happen throughout the growing to packaging process.


KR

Carrier Man

Last semester the JMU newspaper wrote a story on the man that always sits by Carrier library. I had walked past him many times throughout my JMU years but never really knew anything about him. Often times students were talking to him and I was just curious as I’m sure many others were.

Photo Source 

Anyways, the article was titled, “Homeless man at JMU hopes to empower women, inspire students” which tells of Mike Klein’s life. It discusses how he came to Harrisonburg and what he hopes to do in the future. I remember reading the article and just thinking, his story was so interesting.

Last weekend I left work on my lunch break to grab food. While I was walking out of the food co-op, a homeless man stopped me and asked for a meal. He was with another man that also had a similar grungy appearance. I don’t know if they were actually homeless but it was my first impression at that moment. I have been confronted by homeless individuals before, but this time it really took me off guard. I had given them a friendly smile while as I walked out, and I guess he made his own assumption of me and thought to ask. “Ma’am would you mind helping us with a meal, we don’t want money,” he said. I still don’t know why, I just didn’t know what to do in that moment. I was trying to get back to work on time so I offered him money. The entire time I was walking back to work I couldn’t stop thinking of him.

Last year it was estimated by the CDC that over 600,000 individuals in the United States are homeless. One third of these people live without shelter and a fourth are estimated to be under the age of 18. While homelessness has declined in recent years it is still a problem in our country.

KR

Furry Friends

Last class we discussed how the virus in Contagion was transmitted from a bat, to a pig, and then to a human. The virus then began spreading from human to human resulting in a pandemic. In the movie, scientists and epidemiologists were trying to find the source of the virus. While the field of epidemiology is often used to improve the lives of humans, it also can be used to improve animal lives.

Zoonotic diseases are diseases spread from an animal source. Many animals including bats, dogs, horses, cattle, and sheep can all spread rabies to humans. Rocky mountain spotted fever and lyme disease are also common zoonotic diseases transmitted from ticks carried by dogs. Anthrax is another widely known disease that can be carried by a variety of animals. There are a wide variety of diseases like these that can be dangerous to both animals and humans. 

“The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta have said that most emerging diseases around the world are zoonotic” - (Source)

Research can help to prevent population declines of specific species. In 2003, tigers were wandering into a town in Russia showing abnormal neurological signs. Pathologists found these tigers were suffering from distemper. This disease is found world-wide in dogs. More research was done to discover if it would be a major source of deaths for tigers. This was necessary because tiger population numbers are extremely low in Russia.  (Source)

Zoologists and veterinarians both do research to protect the lives of animals. Wildlife conservations often do disease investigations in order to protect both wildlife and human populations. Because so many viruses and pathogens can infect both, animal and human epidemiology go hand in hand.

KR