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Eased postal reforms, Diet pay cuts passed

Posted: April 28, 2012 at 9:12 am

The Diet passed a bill Friday to amend the Postal Privatization Law and water down the postal reforms championed in the early 2000s by then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, and a bill to trim national lawmakers' salaries for two years.

The two bills were approved by the Upper House with help from the main opposition forces the conservative Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito, which jointly submitted the bills with the ruling Democratic Party of Japan.

The enactment of the bills represents a legislative victory for Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, but his main priority the social security and tax reform package remains in danger because the opposition camp is refusing to join the talks until May. The Diet will close in June.

The postal privatization amendment is aimed at selling the government's two-thirds stake in Japan Post Holdings to fund Tohoku's recovery from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The stake is currently estimated to be worth more than 6 trillion.

But the amendment scraps the deadline for the selloff, allowing the government to keep its hooks in the financial services juggernaut for an indefinite period. The original law required the government to sell off all its Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance holdings by 2017, but the amendment merely states that the shares are to be sold "as early as possible."

The shares might have been sold sooner, but the DPJ froze the deadline for the sale in 2009 upon taking power for the first time ever.

The legislation will reorganize the Japan Post Group into a four-company system instead of five by merging Japan Post Service Co. with Japan Post Network Co.

When the bill cleared the Lower House on April 12, three LDP politicians, including Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Koizumi, voted against it, although their party collectively approved the revision.

The party usually punishes dissenting members, but the LDP's vice president only issued them warnings to prevent divisions from forming within the party.

Meanwhile, the pay cut bill will reduce Diet members' pay by about 13 percent for two years, bringing their salaries to 18.3 million from 21 million.

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Eased postal reforms, Diet pay cuts passed

Serena changes diet to support Venus

Posted: April 28, 2012 at 9:12 am

UpdatedApr 27, 2012 10:05 AM ET

Serena Williams says altering her diet in support of big sister Venus hasn't been much of a hardship.

Serena said she's cut down on eating chicken and fish and is eating more raw foods like Venus, who adopted the change to help her body cope with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain. But while the new diet has been a big change for Venus, it's not been that big a deal for Serena, she says.

''I've always been a better eater than her, even though I'm a lot, lot thicker,'' she said, laughing during a recent phone interview.

Serena said since she lives with Venus, she is mindful to eat foods that won't tempt her.

''I don't want her to come home and see a piece of chicken and be like, `Oh, I want it,' and she can't have it. It would be like a stumbling block for her,'' she added.

Both Serena and Venus have been back on the tennis court recently after dealing with health issues. Serena had ankle injuries this year and last year made her return after missing nearly a year because of several health concerns, including cuts on her feet from glass at a restaurant and clots in her lungs.

''I'm looking forward to playing, and just playing and being healthy; I haven't really been healthy in a few years, and I'm just really looking forward to having a chance to play,'' she said. ''I think right now I am at 100 percent ... I'm really looking forward to continuing this and continuing to be healthy.''

Besides her excitement for upcoming Grand Slams and the Olympics, Serena said she's also still focused on her side ventures, which include an upcoming appearance on the TV show ''Drop Dead Diva,'' her nails (she's a licensed manicurist and has a nail polish line), her clothing company, Aneres (she said it's relaunching online next year) and business school, just to name a few.

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Serena changes diet to support Venus

Serena makes diet change to support Venus

Posted: April 28, 2012 at 9:12 am

Updated: April 27, 2012, 10:33 AM ET

NEW YORK -- Serena Williams says altering her diet in support of her big sister Venus hasn't been much of a hardship.

Serena said she's cut down on eating chicken and fish and is eating more raw foods, as does Venus, who adopted the change to help her body cope with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause fatigue and joint pain.

Although the new diet has been a big change for Venus, Serena said it hasn't been that big a deal for her.

"I've always been a better eater than her, even though I'm a lot, lot thicker," she said, laughing during a recent phone interview.

Serena said since she lives with Venus, she is mindful to eat foods that won't tempt her sister.

"I don't want her to come home and see a piece of chicken and be like, 'Oh, I want it,' and she can't have it. It would be like a stumbling block for her," she added.

Both Serena and Venus have been back on the tennis court recently after dealing with health issues.

"I'm looking forward to playing, and just playing and being healthy; I haven't really been healthy in a few years, and I'm just really looking forward to having a chance to play," she said. "I think right now I am at 100 percent ... I'm really looking forward to continuing this and continuing to be healthy."

Besides her excitement for upcoming Grand Slams and the Olympics, Serena said she's also still focused on her side ventures, which include an upcoming appearance on the TV show "Drop Dead Diva;" her nails (she's a licensed manicurist and has a nail polish line); her clothing company, Aneres (she said it's relaunching online next year); and business school, just to name a few.

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Serena makes diet change to support Venus

New Service Provides Individualized, Targeted Weight Loss Plans

Posted: April 28, 2012 at 9:12 am

ORLANDO, Fla., April 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Dr. Edward J. Gross, M.D., a leading plastic surgeon in Central Florida, has launched a new service that provides individualized, targeted weight loss programs. The comprehensive plans provided by Primera Slim Spa are effective tools for all goals and body types because they are customized depending upon each individual's unique needs.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120427/CG96759)

Weight loss is an issue that faces the entire country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese." The obesity epidemic continues to rise. In Florida in 2003, less than 19% of the population was considered obese. By 2010, that number had jumped to 26.6%.

Obesity is linked to such fatal conditions and diseases as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancers. Also according to the CDC, in 2008 alone, $147 billion dollars in medical expenses were attributed to obesity related conditions.

One does not have to be considered "morbidly obese" in order to be at risk for these conditions. Indeed, an individual can appear to be at a healthy weight yet still be at risk if they hold a large amount of visceral fat in the midsection. According to the Mayo Clinic, visceral fat has been linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, as well as type 2 diabetes.

Naturally, not everyone who wishes to lose a few pounds is in a condition that is cause for concern. Though there are many people who need to lose weight in order to live healthier, fuller lives, there are also those who wish to lose weight or tone their bodies in order to feel and look more attractive, which can lead to a much higher level of self esteem and overall happiness.

The good news is that Primera Slim Spa is designed to help those who desire to shed a few pounds for the best possible appearance as well as those who are at risk for obesity related diseases. Primera Slim Spa is not a cookie-cutter plan for weight loss. So many well-meaning programs use one approach and one plan to fit a variety of body types and lifestyles. Primera Slim Spa patients are given customized nutritional guidelines, customized exercise plans, and individual care regarding supplements, medications, and counseling.

All Primera Slim Spa patients receive one-on-one care by highly trained professionals. They are given a complete blood test to determine the best course of treatment and are provided with medications of the utmost quality in a state-of-the-art facility.

Primera Slim Spa is supervised by Dr. Edward Gross, a published and highly respected physician who has been named as a leader in his field.

For more information about Primera Slim Spa, please visit http://www.primeraslimspa.com.

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New Service Provides Individualized, Targeted Weight Loss Plans

Weight Loss Success and Behavioral Changes Achieved with IntraPace abiliti® System

Posted: April 28, 2012 at 9:12 am

BARCELONA, Spain & MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The abiliti implantable weight loss management system has been developed specifically to treat obesity by promoting lifestyle and behavioral changes.

Data from a clinical study presented at the 5th Congress of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders European Chapter (IFSO-EC) in Barcelona, Spain, show that the abiliti system supports significant weight loss, is well tolerated and promotes behavioral changes.

The abiliti system combines gastric stimulation, which helps patients feel full sooner, and unique data collection and monitoring tools, to allow patients and doctors to constantly monitor progress (reduction in food intake and amount of exercise) and implement necessary lifestyle changes to maintain sustained weight loss.

The results of this study show some of the unique attributes of the abiliti system. Not only are patients achieving significant weight loss, they are able to take control and make the necessary lifestyle changes to maintain this weight loss, noted Dr. Gnther Meyer, an investigator in the study and Chief of General Surgery, Wolfart Klinik, Munich, Germany, who presented the data at the IFSO-EC conference. Unlike other bariatric procedures, the abiliti system provides patients with the added benefit of being able to continuously monitor eating and exercise information on their home computer.

Study Details

In the clinical study presented at the conference, the abiliti system was laparoscopically implanted into 31 obese subjects (BMI 35-55). At 12 months, patients on average showed a mean excess weight loss (EWL) of approximately 30%. Analysis of data from two separate patient groups (one with EWL above 25% and one group with EWL below 25% at 12 months) showed that eating habits and exercise had a dramatic impact on sustained weight loss. For the group above 25%, at 12 months, excess weight loss was found to be approximately 44%. This group demonstrated a significant change in behavior, showing a reduction in snacking both during the day and at night. Because the abiliti device records this data automatically, 24 hours a day, doctors receive accurate eating information, as compared to data self-reported by patients, allowing doctors to guide patients on future lifestyle changes that can dramatically impact weight loss goals.

During the IFSO conference today, IntraPace will host a lunch symposium on the abiliti system at the Palacio de Congresos Catalunya (PCC), rooms B2/B3, between 13:45 and 14:45.

About the abiliti System

Following implantation via a simple minimally invasive surgical procedure, the abiliti system detects when a person eats or drinks and sends low-level electrical impulses to the stomach. This stimulation helps a person feel full before the stomach is actually full, causing them to eat less. As the anatomy of the stomach and intestines is not changed, clinical experience with the abiliti system has shown virtually none of the nausea, diarrhea and other side effects seen with gastric bypass surgery and gastric banding. Patients are not restricted in the types of food that they consume, but are encouraged to adopt a healthy diet and exercise program.

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Weight Loss Success and Behavioral Changes Achieved with IntraPace abiliti® System

Big 3 watches as Heat lose to Wizards 104-70

Posted: April 28, 2012 at 9:12 am

WASHINGTON (AP) LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh watched and didn't seem to care. The final game of the regular season was meaningless, and the Miami Heat played like it.

Without their Big Three, the Heat suffered their worst defeat of 2011-2012 with a 104-70 loss to the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.

With their first playoff game just two days away, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra rested the boldface names and started Shane Battier, Udonis Haslem, Eddy Curry, Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers. Only Chalmers usually starts, and Curry started for the first time in more than four years.

The Heat are locked into the Eastern Conference's second playoff spot and open the postseason Saturday against the New York Knicks.

Miami was blown out early. Washington led by 25 at halftime and by as many as 38, sending the Heat to their biggest loss since Jan. 20, 2010.

''If we land safely and the plane touches down in Miami, it's a victory,'' Battier said. ''That was a nasty game. Luckily no one was injured, seriously, that's what you take away from this game.''

The Heat had only two players in double figures: Norris Cole with 14 and Curry with 10.

''Obviously we're not gonna put too much weight into this game. We don't think it'll have too much bearing on the second season,'' Spoelstra said.

''This will be a great first-round matchup. The way the season's been we couldn't expect anything other than to play after a day. We don't need more than that. We're in the same place the Knicks are in,'' Spoelstra said.

''They're coming off a game as well, so everybody's on a fair fighting field right now. Let's tip it off.''

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Big 3 watches as Heat lose to Wizards 104-70

GI Dynamics Announces New Data Demonstrating Feasibility of EndoBarrier® Re-Implantation

Posted: April 28, 2012 at 9:12 am

LEXINGTON, Mass. & Sydney--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

GI Dynamics, Inc. (ASX: GID.AX - News) today announced new data results that demonstrate the feasibility and safety of re-implantation of EndoBarrier, a breakthrough device for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and/or obesity. These data were presented for the first time by Alex Escalona, M.D., Department of Digestive Surgery, Pontificia Universidad Catlica de Chile, Santiago, Chile, during an oral session on Thursday, April 26, 2012, at the 5th Congress of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders, European Chapter (IFSO-EC) in Barcelona.

In addition, information about EndoBarrier Therapy, including how it works, key benefits and clinical results to date, will be presented by Jan Willem Greve, M.D., Ph.D., Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Surgery, Atrium Medical Center Parkstad, Heerlen, the Netherlands, during a roundtable discussion at the Metabolic Surgery Symposiumat IFSO-EC on Friday, April 27, 2012.

The efficacy of first-time EndoBarrier Therapy in weight loss and blood sugar control have been well established, and these results demonstrate that EndoBarrier can be safely re-implanted in patients who have previously undergone treatment with the device, said Dr. Escalona. Re-implantation of the EndoBarrier may facilitate additional weight loss and improvements in diabetes and other co-morbid conditions, and additional studies evaluating these clinical benefits are ongoing. We believe this is very exciting news for patients who may benefit from another period of EndoBarrier Therapy.

Twenty-four obese patients with an average weight of 109 kg (239.8 lbs.) and an average body mass index (BMI) of 44 completed 12 months of EndoBarrier Therapy, achieving a mean weight loss of 20 percent (22 kg/44.4 lbs) and excess weight loss of 47 percent. Following their initial treatment period and at least 31 weeks of follow-up post EndoBarrier removal, these patients were invited to participate in a re-implant study. In this study, 19 of the eligible 24 obese patients were re-implanted with the EndoBarrier. The mean time from EndoBarrier removal to re-implant was 39.4 weeks (range: 31-52 weeks). All of the patients who participated in the study were successfully re-implanted with EndoBarrier and there were no procedure-related complications.

We are pleased to have these data presented showcasing the ability to successfully re-implant the EndoBarrier, and we look forward to sharing data on the efficacy of second time EndoBarrier Therapy later this year, said Stuart A. Randle, president and CEO, GI Dynamics, Inc.

About EndoBarrierTherapy

EndoBarrier is a breakthrough device for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and/or obesity that has been clinically demonstrated to lower HbA1c levels, achieve weight loss of more than 20 percent, and improve important metabolic measures including cholesterol, blood sugar and triglycerides.1 It has been studied in 13 clinical trials and has been used in more than 500 patients. EndoBarrier is a thin, flexible, tube-shaped liner that forms a physical barrier between food and a portion of the wall of the intestine. Once implanted, EndoBarrier Therapy affects certain gastrointestinal hormones involved in insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism and satiety, and these changes allow for rapid and sustained improvement of type 2 diabetes and weight loss.2

EndoBarrier received CE Mark approval for Europe in 2010 as well as approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in Australia in 2011 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and/or obesity. EndoBarrier is currently commercially available in select European markets, Chile and Australia. For more information, please visit http://www.endobarrier.com.

1Moura, GHD, et al, One Year Results of an Endoscopic, Duodenal-Jejunal Exclusion Device for Weight Loss and Control of Type 2 Diabetes. Hospital das Clinicas, University of So Paulo, So Paulo, Brazil. DT&T, February 2012, vol 14, no.2:183-189.

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GI Dynamics Announces New Data Demonstrating Feasibility of EndoBarrier® Re-Implantation

On the go? 6 healthiest fast food meals

Posted: April 28, 2012 at 9:12 am

MESA, AZ - Fast food -- it's quick, cheap, and often packed with fat, but there are options out there that won't break the calorie bank.

ABC15 called in Valley health guru Chris Powell to reveal the healthiest and most affordable meals at the drive-through.

"It's rare to find this in a lot of fast food nowadays," Powell said with excitement.

Powell, the so-called Transformation Specialist from ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition", gives his top three fast food chains he claims are serving up good choices for your budget and your diet.

His first pick: Chick-fil-A .

"It's going to be one of my favorite items especially if you're on the go," explained Powell.

For just over $6.50, Powell said the best option at Chick-fil-A is the char-grilled chicken sandwich meal with a side salad and unsweetened tea.

"Three hundred and seventy calories in this entire meal which is fantastic," expressed Powell.

But remember to keep hidden calories off the plate.

"Whether you're ordering at a sit-down restaurant or a fast food restaurant always get your croutons, dressings and sauces on the side."

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On the go? 6 healthiest fast food meals

Women Risk Extreme Diets to Lose Weight

Posted: April 27, 2012 at 1:10 am

Chicago - Its rumored Victorian women had their ribs removed to look slim. Who can forget Scarlett OHaras corset, pulled so painfully tight?

Desperate dieters have even turned to tape worms, inserting a sometimes deadly parasite in their bodies, to lose weight.

But the newest, most extreme diet to hit the scene is the feeding tube diet. Brides to be are doing it for their big day, eating only liquids through a feeding tube until theyre ready to walk down the aisle.

FOX Chicago medical contributor Dr. Mona Khana is disturbed by the fact that doctors are going along with this extreme diet.

I think any doctor who inserts a feeding tube into someone for the purpose of weight loss should have their license taken away, Khana said.

Northwestern registered dietitian Heather Harrington said the feeding tube diet is not medically safe to do as wedding and bathing suit season approaches.

Search rapid weight loss on Google, and youll get 10 million results, and many of them are not recommended by doctors.

Expectations are high, and the public is constantly fed images of celebrities with great bodies.

Singer Beyonce famously did the Master Cleanse, dropping 20 lbs. for the movie musical Dreamgirls, for which Chicago native Jennifer Hudson won an Academy Award. The Kardashian sisters boast that diet pills work for them.

Thinspo, short for thin and inspiration, is a huge blog forum currently gaining traction online where where gaunt looking women often post pictures of themselves. They promote whats known at the air diet, where they pretend to eat, but are really only taking in air.

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Women Risk Extreme Diets to Lose Weight

Experimental Biology Blogging: Every once in a while, a double cheeseburger might not be so bad for the heart.

Posted: April 27, 2012 at 1:10 am

On the last day of Experimental Biology 2012, I had the great pleasure to be able to see the work of the Jones lab at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. I wrote about their work at last years meeting, and Im very happy to show you all the latest advances this year!

Theres very little thats more serious than a heart attack. Otherwise known as a myocardial infarction (MI), a heart attack is a loss of blood flow to the heart. When there isnt enough blood flow to the heart, the heart muscles do not receive enough oxygen, and heart cells begin to die and lose their ability to pump in rhythm.

In the past, the vast majority of people who suffered from a heart attack would die. But now advances in modern medicine have enabled many people to continue for years following MI. So we are not only concerned with survival of heart attack, we are also concerned with recovery, what can help recovery and make it faster, or reduce the severity of the heart attack in the first place.

And as Haar et al, from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have found, sometimes whats bad for you might not be so bad for your heart, at least, in small doses. Haar has been looking at the effects of a high-fat diet on MI outcomes in mice. She previously found that short-term high-fat diets in mice (between 24 hours and two weeks of exposure, but not longer, otherwise you get some very fat mice), produced protection during a heart attack. When she induced an experimental heart attack in mice, mice that had been treated with a high fat diet for a short period of time showed reduced damage when compared to control mice. Haar also showed that 24 hours worth of high-fat diet produces protection for about 24 hours afterward, but not 48 hours (a double cheeseburger every other day, then?).

All this is well and good, but the important question is asking how does this protection work? Haar and her colleagues hypothesize that a high-fat diet can shift the damage balance in the heart from apoptosis (cell death) to autophagy (a shifting of cellular energy resources), and they hypothesize that an important molecule involved is NF-kappaB.

NF-kappaB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells), is a protein complex which affects the transcription of DNA, and could have widespread effects on how cells function under stress. To examine the role of NF-kappaB in the high-fat protection from MI, Haar took a group of dominant-negative mice, animals which specifically fail to activate NF-kappaB in the heart. She fed some of them on a high-fat diet, gave them all a heart attack, and looked to see if the protective effects of the high-fat diet were still present. In the NF-kappaB dominant negative mice, the injury size following MI was larger, and the high-fat diet failed to protect the mice from the effects.

But NF-kappaB affects a lot of genes, what specifically was going on? It appears that the heart cells are not dying at the same rates in mice on a high-fat diet, Haar saw fewer markers of apoptosis in the high-fat group. To see if the cells were instead undergoing autophagy, she looked at the marker Beclin-1. Beclin-1 is a marker for autophagy, a way to show that cells are reallocating their resources to preserve function, rather than dying in response to the severe stress of the MI. And it turns out that a high-fat diet increases the expression of Beclin-1 in the damage zone of mice having a heart attack. Not only that, this increase is blunted in the dominant negative NF-kappaB mice following heart attack, showing that NF-kappaB may be controlling the increase of Beclin-1. This means that high-fat diets are shifting the balance of the heart from apoptosis to autophagy, allowing the heart to suffer less damage during heart attack.

Of course, its not a good idea to go eat a double-cheeseburger in perfect comfort. After all, people who habitually eat high fat diets are at a much greater risk for heart attack in the first place. But its an interesting look into how the heart can protect itself, and may mean new potentials for treatment in those who suffer heart attack. And maybe you dont have to feel quite so guilty about the high-fat food, if you only have it once in a while.

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Experimental Biology Blogging: Every once in a while, a double cheeseburger might not be so bad for the heart.


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