I’m Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV with this week’s discoveries and breakthroughs New debate over the importance of an annual mammogram.The real cost of eating a healthy diet And why there’s no such thing as “fat AND fit.”First…a study that adds new fuel to the fire over the right timing for mammograms.Back in 2009, new guidelines from The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, suggested women between 50 and 74 get mammograms once every two years…not annually.Now new research shows the more frequent the mammogram….the less likely a woman is to be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer that has already spread to the lymph nodes. The study included 3-hundred-32 women with breast cancer identified by screening mammography between 2007 and 2010. All were broken into groups based on the time between mammograms.Factoring in age, breast density, high-risk status and a family history… women who had a mammogram every 1 and a half years had the lowest lymph node involvement…at just 8-point-7 percent.But when a woman waited longer…1 and a half to three years… the rate of lymph node involvement was significantly higher -20-point-5 percent.Up next how much extra does it cost to fill your grocery cart with healthy foods versus the not-so-healthy kind? Researchers analyzed 27 studies done in 10 countries that included food pricing data. They compared costs per serving, per 200 calories, per day and per 2,000 calories.The results showed that on average, healthy diets including things like fruits, vegetables fish and nuts cost about $1.50 more per day than the least healthy diets filled with more processed foods, meats and refined grains.Over a year, that adds up to about $550 per person While the researchers say this could be financially hard for some families, they point out that the price difference is small compared to the costs of diet-related chronic diseases. Finally…the debate over whether you can be “fat AND fit.” Recent research has suggested it could be true. But a new review of eight existing studies, which included more than 60-thousand people, may put that belief to rest.All of the studies recorded participants’ BMI, whether they had diabetes or other metabolic issues, as well as any fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events, such as a heart attack.The data showed that compared to healthy, normal weight people, metabolically healthy obese people were still at higher risk for death.Also, blood pressure, waist circumference and insulin resistance increased, while HDL cholesterol the good kind decreased, as BMI rose.Moving forward, you and your doctor may want to consider your BMI…and whether you have any metabolic conditions as you manage your long term health.I’m Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV with the health news for you and your family.
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