Notes From A Conversation With Dr. Oz, Comments About Recent Mammogram Controversy

I had a chance to participate in a conference call yesterday with Dr. Mehmet Oz, and had the chance to get some very interesting answers to some questions I had. He has his own TV show now, and the call was part of an effort to promote his new venture.

The focus of the call was squarely on "getting healthy for the holidays." What you need to do at holiday parties, as you travel on airplanes, stay in hotels, deal with your relatives. He had some interesting tips. For example:

• When you are on a plane, turn on the air vent above you on low and aim it at your chest. This helps push germs in the air away from you.
• In hotel rooms, immediately remove the bedspread because it is rarely washed 
• After you do that, sanitize the TV remote and wash any glasses
• Zinc supplements help the immune system, and interestingly help food taste good. (you can help support PEERtrainer and follow through on this suggestion by stocking up on Zinc at Amazon.com). He also recommended that people need to make sure they are getting enough Vitamin D, and specifically Vitamin D3.
• He also had a helpful recommendation when it came to dealing with kids- "you can't hide your emotions from them, and they sense stuff immediately." 

I knew the focus of the call was on the holidays, but given the recent controversy about the age at which women should take mammograms, I had to ask his thoughts on this subject.

I am glad I did and so was he.  He was very pointed in his comments. He said that "one governmental organization gave their opinion." He added that this opinion has generated an avalanche of anxiety and fear among women and that people have flooded his show with emails about this subject.

So much so that this coming Monday he canceled his scheduled topic and is bringing some of the nations leading experts on the subject to his show. He said that "the mammogram is a wonderful test" but added that he has some strong ideas on how the whole screening process can be made better, and that will be discussed on the show.

Personally I am very heartened to know I can get information like this in an unfiltered manner. When someone from the government makes a statement like this, and essentially freaks everyone out, it is nice to see people like Dr. Oz step into the void and provide leadership on the issue.

-Jackie

Comments

[Donna]

Australia does not have the same pressures put on their health care system that the US does. It is a much smaller country which severely limits "immigration" and illegal aliens. It is difficult to compare the two countries and their systems fairly. Health care isn't a right of the people. It is a system of health which we care for ourselves. That said, it is wrong for health care to be linked in anyway to someone's employment. Health care is a personal care issue that needs to be addressed in one's personal life. Just like we address buying our houses, autos, auto insurance etc. so is health care. The U.S. government is simply to create an environment to freely pursue life, liberty and happiness. To that end it is up to me to provide for my life and make myself happy -- not some bureaucrat flying on a Gulfstream at taxpayer expense. We must all provide for ourselves.

[ldeborah]

Yes, Nikki. I agree. I voted with my feet and immigrated to Ireland 15 years ago... There isn't a perfect place on the planet, that's for sure... Still, I simply saw too much greed & corruption and left. It is my sincere hope that things can change in America. I have fond memories of my childhood there... American was different... When civilizations stop taking care of the young, the aged and the sick- they crumble. History repeats itself until we get the lesson.

[nikki]

I am so glad I live in Australia, we have a national health system where public hospitals are free for the community. If you need a mammogram you'll get it, through our medicare system. Every taxpaying Australian contributes X amount of their tax dollars each year to medicare so that every Australian recieves vital medical needs free to them. We can also be in private medical if we want to be, our choice either way we have a health system that looks after us. Women of 50+ are provided with a mammogram service at clinics for free every two years, but if a lump is found in any age group a mammogram and or ultrasound is also provided free to the patient via screening at private agencies through bulk billing (ie government incentive program who suppliment doctors through medicare).
Every woman at any age should check their breasts and if any abnormality is found whether benign or not should have the right to protect her health. And if a government cares about it's people them it should be only too willing(like Australia) to allow them to do so without fear of not having enough money to do it. I cannot understand how a huge nation like USA can spent gazillions on war and space and not spend money on it's own people...