Study: Vitamin Supplements May Boost Death Rates in Older Women
I have many questions about how this research was carried out to control for other factors such as diet, pre-existing health conditions, and quality of supplements taken. Unfortunately one must pay a subscription to the journal to access this information.
I believe the most critical question would be the reasons the women took supplements. In my clincial experience people are more apt to take supplements after they have health problems already. So the population of women taking supplements may have been at higher risk of death anyway. Perhaps if they had not taken supplements their death rate would have been higher.
The conclusion of risk from supplements reveals a problem with the researchers' logic. For example, if they studied those who take medications for heart conditions vs. those who don't, I am sure the medicated group would have a higher death rate when tracked into their late 80's. But I don't hear anyone doing this study and concluding that heart medications are increasing the risk of death.
Read the article CTV/Study links vitamins to higher death rates in women
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Another half baked vitamin study from Finland. They have done more studies on vitamins over the years and their results are always so flawed but they get headlines over here.
The problem is that people like Commentator are quick to react in a sky is falling mindset with no real basis for doing so other than this shaky so called study. .For everyone that comments there is a segment of the population that won't even get past the headline to form a new opinion and that is the unfortunate thing.
We are fast approaching a sound bite population and news stories like this tend to be a disservice in this environment
Read the article CTV/Study links vitamins to higher death rates in women
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First off, iron and calcium are not vitamins, they're minerals which are a whole other subject. Generally, the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are not too likely to be found in deficient levels in most North Americans. The water soluble vitamins (B & C) are a different story.
Studies like this are meaningless and generally cause panic in people who won't do the follow up research. How many of those deaths are directly attributable to vitamins? If 87% of the women were blondes would the researchers conclude that vitamins cause women to have blonde hair? Generally speaking, the outcome of a study is dependent on who bankrolled it. As a precaution, consult a physician before spending a bunch of cash on anything that could potentially harm you.
Read the article CTV/Study links vitamins to higher death rates in women
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This paper contributes to the growing amount of studies showing no benefits
for supplement use in the prevention of chronic diseases
Curious to know whom funded this study, was it the taxpayers or Big Pharma?
Regardless, these off-the-wall studies have lost their credibility, e.g.,
historically, coffee was bad for you...now it's good for you - recently reported
to decrease depression in women by 20%; alcohol is bad, but now it's better for
woman to have 2 glasses of wine daily; chocolate is fattening, but now it's
reputed to be good for one's health, especially dark chocolate, etc., etc.
We're
fed so much nonsense, that later turns out to be contradictory to what we've
been told originally. Is it any wonder we no longer heed the so-called experts
advice claiming to know what's good or bad for us? Same goes for info from the
CDC, WHO, FDA...the key is moderation in everything, and a little commonsense
doesn't hurt.
Read the article LOS ANGELES TIMES/Dietary supplements risky for older women, study finds
Straight Talk from Teachers About Parents
Perhaps instead of asking your child if what the teacher says is true, ask what your child has to say about the situation. I have 3 children; one is in college and the other 2 are in high school. I know my children very well. Every time a teacher has raised a concern with me about their grades or behavior, it has been valid.
Teachers, in general, want kids to be successful. None of them are in it for the money because quite frankly there is not enough money in teaching to warrant putting up with all the spoiled brats in today's world.
The teacher has nothing to gain from bringing in a parent to discuss a child's behavior unless there is a problem. Like you and I, at the end of the day, teachers are ready to go home to their families and lives; they don't want to spend more time at school meeting with parents if there isn't a real need.
Give teachers the benefit of the doubt. Little Johnny is not always the brilliant angel Mommy and Daddy think he is. I know mine aren't!
Read the article CNN/ What teachers really want to tell parent
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After 33 years of being in the teaching profession, I left because of what you have posted. The teachers are not getting administrative support because they do not want to upset the parents. Parents have too much control of our system.
I was told to change grades because parents were upset. I was told to water down what I was teaching because the parents thought it was too hard. These parents have their kids involved in so many outside activities that school becomes secondary. I hope many parents read this. I really fear of what we are going to see from our future generation.
Read the article CNN/ What teachers really want to tell parents
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I whole heartedly agree with the author of this story. I have four children who can be overwhelming and just plain bad sometimes. I am a realistic individual. Our children never behave the same at home as they do in other settings.
Teachers are consistently ragged on by overbearing parents and threatened with legal action because parents in today's society are too busy or too lazy to listen. The parents who take offense are usually the individuals who play the blame game and never accept responsibility for their own actions.
Defensiveness is just an outward expression of pain because the truth hurts. If parents would take the time, listen to what is being said and act in a proactive manner rather than a reactive manner our children, teachers and society will benefit!!! And no we are not bullies!!!
Read the article CNN/ What teachers really want to tell parents
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As a parent AND teacher, let's not forget, the door swings both ways! What parents really want to tell teachers?
#1 - You are educators, not nannies. You teach them from 8-3 and leave the child-rearing and values-instilling to me.
#2 - Trust us. We are not all a bunch of lazy ignoramuses just because you have had a few run-ins with those. Let's try thinking the best of each other. If a parent asks there child if something is true, stay calm, and assume they are asking "what is your side of the story?"and that it is not intended as an insult towards you.
#3 - Please quit with all the excuses - of why you can't return my phone calls and emails. Over and over, I can't seem to get away from teachers who say they want to communicate and be partners and then get defensive when you try to do that. It is just basic decency to return your phone messages and emails.
#3a - Please quit planning my child's time outside of school. Homework is a part of life, but always remember, you do NOT plan our family time at home and you most certainly will NEVER plan our summer vacation. I am in charge of my home. If you make suggestions, I will consider them, out of respect for you. If you offer a summer reading list, I will consider it and most likely check those books from the library for our summer reading. But ultimately, I decide what my family does over the summer. Again, let's remember that you are educators, not nannies.
#4 - Teachers, be a partner, not a prosecutor. We are equals. Period. I am not your subordinate. If you have a policy of having parent signature's on reading logs or agendas or notes, I will sign to show you I have read the item, and out of respect for you. I will not over-react if you have a particularly hectic day and don't have time to send a note or write on agendas and you will offer me the same courtesy. We can communicate as equals and no punishment of any child needs to occur in relation to our communication. It's between parent and teacher.
Read the article CNN/ What teachers really want to tell parents
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And what parents want teachers to know.....We can make sure our children complete their homework, are prepared for class and study for tests. We can discuss behavioral issues with our children and hold them accountable to some degree for inappropriate conduct, but ultimately, we have no control over motivating a child in the classroom setting because we are not there and many children care more about immediate feedback and consequences than they do about any positive or negative consequences they receive at home 5 hours later.
Don't call us complaining if the behavior chart you sent home isn't working if you aren't providing appropriate redirection and positive reenforecement in your classroom. You may "love" our kids, but you don't don't love our kids the way a parent would and you don't have to worry about their success or failure in the long term. You only see our children in one setting, so, while we consider your opinion, it generally gets factored in with many other considerations when it is time to make decisions about the approach to take with our children.
We shouldn't have to justify decisions made in consideration of the long term future for our children if they are inconsistent with what would provide the most benefit for you in the short term in your classroom.
Also, if it is OK for kids to get in trouble every so often, then don't spend hours documenting it and generating behavior files for kids who get in trouble once or twice a year. These records travel with kids and may not be "no big deal" if they ever want to get into private school or in some cases get a government job later. Don't minimize parents' concerns about how your actions could impact their child's future because chances are, you won't be around to deal with that child's future, but the parents will
Read the article CNN/ What teachers really want to tell parents
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To those who feel teachers are not as smart as doctors and lawyers. I was a teacher for 5 years before I decided that it was not the career for me. I couldn't take the parents and the nonsense from administrators. It was no longer rewarding so I found a profession that I would feel was rewarding.
I became a MEDICAL DOCTOR. Yes, you heard it, a MEDICAL DOCTOR and I was a TEACHER FIRST. I give all the credit in the world to those who are still in the profession because I could not do it.
I worked in the trenches of NYC in a high school. I started as an enthusiastic young teacher and when I left I was burnt out and run down. I am renewed and refreshed and I have to say that I was never as stressed out in medical school as I was as a teacher. It is a different kind of stress. In medical school it is the stress of performing well but in teaching it is the stress of being abused by students, parents and principals.
I should say it was more dread. Dread of knowing that no matter how hard you try you will be underappreciated and disrespected. Hats off to all teachers for what you do and for what you put up with!
Read the article CNN/ What teachers really want to tell parents
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I am a sophomore in high school, and I have to say that I agree with EVERYTHING said here. Students, for the most part, find it extremely annoying to have their parents swooping in all the time to "save their student." We don't want them to be our "hero," and we do talk to them about it.
Unfortunately, some of the problem does lie in the student body- we are lazy people, I admit. We get angry when we work 5 minutes on a term paper and get failed. 5 minutes, for us, is a long time, and we do need to improve our work standards.
After talking with my parent, they don't "swoop in" as much except to attend Open House meetings, which is perfectly acceptable. My parent has learned that they need to step back and allow me to try it on my own before they step in and assist ME without yelling at my teacher. I have been taught that it is rarely the teacher's fault that I have failed, it is mine. I haven't done what I've been asked to do (however, everyone can agree that there are bad teachers out there).
Parents need to learn to work with their student(s) and find a balance between trust and stepping in. It's fine to step in and help when a student gets a C or a D, but it's not okay to step in when a student gets one percentile below an A. We deserve the grade we get for the most part and that's totally okay with the students.
Read the article CNN/ What teachers really want to tell parents
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