Community Thread VII

[Blame Rasho]

Studies have shown that SIMPLE QUICK interventions (taking 3-5 minutes to discuss the risks of smoking, etc.) on the part of the physician make a huge impact on getting people to quit smoking, getting people to drink less, getting people start exercising, etc.

I really doubt this... I will go look for some academic papers and educated myself more on the subject but if that is the case why do we have so many overweight/obese people if that is what a doctor is suppose to tell you after seeing your weight and BP? You would think after going to the doctor will change people behavior, but that is not the case. People are stupid for the most part even if when they are presented information that should make them change their behavior. How many times have you seen the commercial for ED when the guys says, "I didn't know being overweight can led to my erectile dysfunction." Yet the more than avg male in his 40's is overweight.

[Sedition]

You can search the Pubmed database (www.pubmed.gov) which has abstracts and links to basically all studies published in peer-reviewed journals.

Heres the most recent study I could find on a quick search:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18425860?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

This one is a Cochrane systematic review, a meta-analysis of 41 different studies which found that on average quick interventions increased smoking quit rates 1-3%.

You would think after going to the doctor will change people behavior, but that is not the case. People are stupid for the most part even if when they are presented information that should make them change their behavior.

I think there are a number of reasons for this. For one, we have a HUGE portion of the population which basically has no access to continuity care, or health care of any sort aside from the ER. It's this population that contributes significantly to our overall bad health outcomes (pre-term births, lack of treatment of medical problems like obesity or diabetes until it's basically too late... you name it). Another reason is that even for those who have healthcare, doctor visits can be costly so people are generally less likely to visit the doctor and get exposed to preventative measures.

And of course, this is also in large part due to physicians' own behavior patterns. You don't get paid anything extra for taking another 5-10 minutes to talk to your patients about quitting smoking. You WILL get paid for squeezing in an extra patient visit with that time you saved. Taking the capitalism out of the equation would do a lot to ensure that physicians are doing what's best for their patients and not for their bottom line.

[Blame Rasho]

I will get back to you later Sedition ...

Anyways... how much does gas cost now? Price per gallon went from 3.81 to 3.96 over here in just two days. eek...

[Verbal]

It's $4.20 here.

[milesfides]

Cost me over 50 bucks to fill up my mini cooper.

I don't give people rides anymore. In my car.

[DoctaJ]

Good call Miles

[Verbal]

Cost me over 50 bucks to fill up my mini cooper.

I don't give people rides anymore. In my car.

Not worth cleaning up the sweat from the backseats, or not enough room?

[milesfides]

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Not worth cleaning up the sweat from the backseats, or not enough room?

I don't think there would be enough room for self-satisfaction.

[8'sReverse]

Cheapest I've seen in Torrance are at an Arco stations... $4.29-$4.35 for regular. Sick. I told my family that I if/when it hits $5 I'm not driving anymore... the only reason I can still drive now at these prices is the fact I'm only using my car to go to and from work which is less than 15 minutes away.

[8'sReverse]

BTW, I've never seen so many trolls w/trollish posts/threads of the opposing team who is winning on this board. I realize/see it happen, but not at this magnitude. Go figure...

That's my last words on the subject, unless you guys want to discuss lol.

[Sedition]

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I love my Coheed and Cambria.
The newest one wasn't their best though.

Can't stand the singers voice... sounds like a girl.

[Sedale Threatt]

Between housing costs to lengthy commutes to rising food/gas costs, I honestly wonder how Southern Californians can survive economically. How do you guys do it?

We had a dude on our staff take a job covering the league at large for Yahoo sports, based out of L.A. He got a raise that took him well over six figures, yet all he can reasonably afford is some run-of-the-mill two bedroom apartment above a medicinal mariuana clinic.

I forget the exact location. But anything better/more affordable, and he'd be facing at least an hour's drive one way to Staples, even without heavy traffic. Dude's making more than a hundred grand a year, and he says it feels like he took a pay cut. Madness.

[Blame Rasho]

I couldn't believe how much housing costs are over there in the So Cal Area. A small 800 sqf house costs well over 450,000K. Hey I know it is California and LA but I can't see myself living in a place with such a high cost of living. I share Sedale Threatt's sentiments, how does the avg joe do it?

I love Texas for various reasons lower cost of living, no state income tax, and etc. It has everything you need, maybe not everything you would want. 250,000K much less 450,000K can get you a very respectable home in Austin( perhaps the best mid sized city in US) Dallas and SA.

[DoctaJ]

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Can't stand the singers voice... sounds like a girl.

I understand what you mean. He's one of the few high pitch singers I can stand. Usually I find them piercing my ears.. but he isn't so piercing. (Like the singer from Hedley, if you've heard of them.. Can't stand that guys voice, lol)

[8'sReverse]

It's expensive now to move in/out of Southern California... it's not as bad for the people who have lived/moved in here 10+ years ago. When my parents bought our house in Torrance 11 years ago it was worth $200,000 or so, but it's now worth close to a half a mil. (if not more) in it's not-as-good-as-when-it-was-bought state.

Of course that's not true for everyone living on a property 10+ years because of other economic factors and stupid personal budget... but it's definitly not as bad for the people who are moving in now.

[Sedale Threatt]

It's been fascinating reading some of the stories in the Times about the declining state of the SoCal real estate market.

They had a story about one of the suburbs last week that had a huge boom for 10 years and has turned into something of a ghost town with people just abandoning these big palatial estates. Neighbors are spray-painting the neglected lawns green and the local government can't keep up with all the festering swimming pools.

Southern California is an incredible place in so many ways, but between the traffic and the cost of living there's just no way I could do it. I live in a decent little townhouse that would probably cost about five times more than what I paid for it, and I can make the 10-mile drive home in about 15 minutes (traffic permitting). I can't imagine spending all those hours stuck in gridlock, crawling along at a snail's pace, trying to get to a home you're spending half of your income on.

[LLcoleJ]

Born and Raised in Cali- however have lived all over. Virgina, New York, Portland and Dallas in my 20's for work.

Each place has its plus's -- example housing in Dallas. I had a brand new house on an acre with 5 bedrooms on a golf course and it set me back like 180,000.

But, the draw and the love for So. Cal brought me back. I live in a small town ( little to no traffic) and I am 5 blocks to the ocean. For me, there is nothing better.

[Sedale Threatt]

A set-up like that sounds like a dream. California's climate is impossible to beat.

[Slava]

I just can't look at anything green at the moment!

[Sedition]

\
But, the draw and the love for So. Cal brought me back. I live in a small town ( little to no traffic) and I am 5 blocks to the ocean. For me, there is nothing better.

You beat me to it Phil. Some things are worth the cost... and southern California life is definitely worth it. I only realized that after I (foolishly) moved away. All the summers I've spent back in California, no matter how much work I had, no matter how bad the traffic was everyday, I still woke up every morning thinking to myself, GOTDAMN its a beautiful day yet again. Nothing irritates me when I'm back in the perfect weather. To each his own though.