If you are considering weight loss surgery, Lap Band surgery may be an option for you. There are many reputable Lap Band clinics in Toronto, but before you make an appointment, make sure to do your research. Below are a few things to consider if you are thinking about undergoing Lap Band surgery for weight loss.

Cost

Lap Band surgery in Toronto and other parts of Canada can be very costly. You’ll have to research the different Lap Band clinics to find out specific information related to cost. In many cases, medical insurance will not cover the cost of bariatric surgery. Consider whether you’re willing to finance your own surgery through loans or credit cards should it be necessary.

Eligibility

Many different factors are considered by doctors in determining whether you are eligible for Lap Band surgery or not. In order to qualify for surgery, you must be between the ages of 18 and 55, and at least 100 pounds overweight. Alternatively, you may have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between 35 and 40 or (or a BMI of 35 with significant co’morbidity). You must be in reasonably good health and you must report any current or past medical problems. Patients with severe and permanent medical conditions are considered ineligible for bariatric surgery.

In order to determine if you are a candidate for Lap Band surgery several exams are required prior to scheduling surgery. Required tests include: EKG, Upper G.I. Series, Gallbladder Ultrasound, Chest X-Ray, Blood & Urine Analysis.

Risks

As with any type of major surgery, there are general risks associated with undergoing a major procedure. These risks can be worse for overweight patients. Most of the common complications associated with lap band surgery will take place after the surgery. Most patients will experience one type of complication or other in the weeks and months following lap band surgery.

Common Complications

- Nausea & Vomiting: 50% of patients - Regurgitation/Gastro Esophageal reflux: 1/3 of patients - Slippage of the band: 1/4 of patients - Blockage in the passage between the two sections of the stomach: 1 in 7 pages - Difficulty in swallowing (dysphasia), constipation and diarrhea

More Serious Complications

- Erosion of the band into the stomach - Twisting or leakage of the access port

Rare Complications

- Inflammation of the stomach (gastritis) - less than 1% - Migration of the stomach above the diaphragm (hiatal hernia) - Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) - Dehydration - Abdominal pain - Gas/flatulence - Chest pain - Infection

Commitment

Though the surgery can technically be reversed by removing the Lap Band, you must remember that Lap Band surgery is considered a life-long commitment that is intended to help keep the weight off. With that being said, living with the lap band will require a total lifestyle change. Some of the changes you can expect include the following:

- You’ll have to learn new eating habits. While you are learning these new eating habits you can expect vomiting to occur.

- For up to three days following surgery, you will only be allowed to consume clear liquids in small amounts.

- Solid foods will be allowed only after clear liquids and soft foods are kept down.

- Progression to solid foods is slow and varies from one patient to another. Initially, one starts with 8 teaspoons of food, which must be eaten slowly. You must stop eating as soon as you start to feel full or you may vomit.

Average Weight Loss

It is difficult to estimate how much weight you will lose monthly or annually following Lap Band surgery, especially since results vary for everyone depending on your age, height, metabolism, level of activity, etcetera. However, patients who follow the new eating patterns carefully and exercise daily can hope to lose more than 30 kilos (or 65 pounds) in the first year.

Conclusion

If after considering all these factors you still think Lap Band surgery may be for you, the next step is to talk to a doctor about your situation. Research Lap Band clinics in Toronto and make an appointment to discuss surgery with a specialist.

My mother-in-law wants her son fitter not fatter. That is why she is happy to see LESS of him these days. She heard that he has discovered body type exercises that are a prefect match for him and she is thrilled with the result.

This is the mom who has always harbored the hope that we would live next door and has never grown accustomed to the fact that her son moved interstate. She loves him deeply and has found it hard to let him go. So why is she satisfied to see ‘less’ of him now?

It is because her own health has taken a turn for the worse over recent years. She wants her son to make sure that he does not follow the same direction as she has without knowing about the value of tailored body type exercises. She didn’t watch her diet, was overweight for many years and sadly, has developed high cholesterol as well as Type 2 Diabetes and suffered a stroke recently.

She has lost weight and reduced her blood fat levels but like all diabetics what and when she eats every day is limited. It is not surprising that she wants her children to take care of their well being, their diet and participate in regular exercising now.

Much to her delight, her son has lost 11 pounds already, has heaps more energy and is well on the road to better health. His most exciting discovery has been about the nature of his endomorphic body type. Now he knows how to combine new programs of body type exercises for his body and get the best results.

My mother-in-law can see why losing weight has always been a problem for her son (especially around his stomach). She understands that he plans to shed even more weight through his diet and by speeding up his metabolism through well matched body type exercises. He is making good progress with better muscle tone too!

The last time my husband visited his mother, she noticed his reduced body fat and trimmer waist. She said that he looked as lean and handsome as he did on our wedding day, like his old self. She is delighted that he looks so much healthier and has even started regular body type exercises that are right for her.

She farewelled us as we drove away calling out ‘Goodbye Son. Hope to see less of you’. We nearly hit an oncoming car!

PS. News Update. Her next door neighbors plan to move. A worrying thought..

Why should I try to have a healthy diet?
Having a healthy diet is one of the most important things you can do to help your overall health. Along with physical activity, your diet is the key factor that affects your weight. Having a healthy weight for your height is important. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems, arthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), osteoarthritis, and some cancers.A healthy diet provides all the nutrients we need in a day. The amount a child needs from each food group depends on age, gender and daily physical activity. Children who are very physically active, for example, need more than children who get little or no physical activity.

Can sugar be a part of a healthy diet?
Yes. As part of a diet containing a variety of foods from all food groups, sugar can add to the enjoyment of healthy eating. Many recent studies have examined the relationship between sugar and health, and experts have concluded that sugar does not contribute to poor health or specific diseases. Along with other carbohydrates, sugar can contribute to tooth decay, but fluoride and good oral hygiene (including brushing and flossing) are recommended as the best ways to prevent cavities.Question: My husband just returned from the hospital and was told to change to a more heart healthy diet. (less fat, no salt, fewer calories, etc.) Does anyone have any easy heart healthy diet recipes.They are considered healthy they could forward me or point me to online? I have an older versi . tagged: Heart Healthy Diet RecipeSoft drinks contribute to the diet in two ways.

Can a healthy diet include sweet foods and beverages?
A healthy diet provides all of the essential nutrients that your body needs to promote health, support a fit and active life, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes or cancer. A healthy diet includes a variety of foods: cereals and grains; fruits and vegetables; protein foods such as meats, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and vegetables; milk and other dairy products like cheese or yoghurt; and small amounts of fats and oils.Soft drinks contribute to the diet in two ways. Because they are predominantly water, they can help quench thirst and meet the body’s fluid requirement — about two quarts of liquid a day.

Will I learn about a heart-healthy diet?
Yes. The cardiac rehab registered dietitian does a computer analysis of your current diet and helps you to make changes in your diet that will show how to achieve sensible health-related dietary goals. For heart-healthy meal ideas, visit our recipe corner.A heart-healthy diet emphasizes foods low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol to help lower blood cholesterol. This is the recommended eating pattern for Americans older than 2: Less than 300 mg a day of dietary cholesterol. Saturated fat increases blood cholesterol more than anything else you eat, so choose foods low in saturated fat to reduce blood cholesterol. If you are overweight, losing weight is important for lowering blood cholesterol.

How can we follow a healthy diet?
We must pay careful attention to the ingredients in everything we eat, avoiding harmful ones and choosing those that enhance our good health and help us fight illness. For example, we should eat foods that improve our immune system, decrease high cholesterol levels, and support our cardiovascular system and the regulation of hormones. At the same time, we should not base our diet solely on one type of healthy food.Question: What your healthy (very short please) diet tips? Answer: For losing weight: calories out - calories = weight change A positive number = weight loss A negative number = weight gain tagged: Healthy Diet TipYes.

How can we follow a healthy diet?
We must pay careful attention to the ingredients in everything we eat, avoiding harmful ones and choosing those that enhance our good health and help us fight illness. For example, we should eat foods that improve our immune system, decrease high cholesterol levels, and support our cardiovascular system and the regulation of hormones. At the same time, we should not base our diet solely on one type of healthy food.A healthy diet provides all the nutrients we need in a day. The amount a child needs from each food group depends on age, gender and daily physical activity. Children who are very physically active, for example, need more than children who get little or no physical activity. For students who get 30 to 60 minutes of daily physical activity it that means consuming at least 6-5-3-3-2: My students eat some foods I’ve never seen or tasted. I have no ideas what food group they belong to.A heart-healthy diet emphasizes foods low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol to help lower blood cholesterol.

Just think, such a small berry that is growing in the Brazilian rain forest can have such an effect on the world. Here we have the Acai berry. (ah-sigh-ee) The whole world has sat up and taken notice of the properties claimed by this berry.

This amazing berry is the fruit of palm tree from the Amazon and is packed full of nutritional stuff that dreams are made of. Imagine a fruit which is full of all the good things which give the human body energy, essential vitamins and nutrients plus an anti aging agent. The Acai berry appears to have it all.

Better than the great benefits of drinking red wine, and even better than the act of eating fresh fruit, this berry promotes good heart health and encourages digestive system health.

The benefits do not stop there. The fatty acids in the berry enable the body to absorb those omega oils which benefit the joints and aging bodies. Joints which are supple will enable the older person to be active for much longer without the aches and pains of arthritis.

The berry also lays claims to keeping insulin levels steady. Of course, this benefits not only the body because of the anti-inflammatory properties - which if left unchecked will age the body, but also diabetics may have an easier time controlling their insulin levels which could result in them using less drugs.

Even losing weight is affected by the Acai berry. The nutritionl value of the berry balances the body making it easier to drop those unwanted pounds.

Cancer sufferers too are not left out in the cold and many claim to benefit from the juice of this small berry.

No wonder then that this small berry is being hailed the ‘wonder’ food and being advertised on prestigious TV shows.

Many people are testifying to its health benefits and have literally flooded the internet with testimonials about the results experienced on a diverse number of conditions.

Of course, even if there is only a shred of truth in all of these claims, then someone somewhere will benefit from taking this supplement. Could it hurt to give it a try?

People spend hundred and even thousands of dollars yearly on weight loss supplements in the hope of speeding up their metabolism. There desire is to be attractive and accepted but it is becoming a more difficult goal to achieve. Specifically the fitness industry is booming but still a lot of people are unable to cut those fat in spite of all the exercise and diet efforts. All across the world more than sixty per cent of adults are overweight and thirty per cent are considered obese. The reason for this: one, a lot of weight loss products promises unrealistic goals; two, dietary product manufacturers rely on the overweight person’s failure to survive; and three, the information they supply about the supplements in the market are just written by themselves just to make a sell.

Despite the fact that the Food and Drug Administration has successfully banned illegal marketers, some products are still available. Many people can be deceived of the labels which claims caffeine or ephedra fee not knowing that these supplements composes of other ingredients that may pose the same health risks. These include heart and digestive as well as other health problems, headaches, insomnia, and even psychological side effects.

Some manufacturers say that their products contains EGCG which is a phytochemical ingredient found in green tea. This very component claims to speed up metabolism but in reality poses to reduce the risk of cancer. Studies have found that it could slightly increase the potential to burn calories and now can be found in many weight loss supplements. Apparently it might have good points on the other hand since the body might conform to EGCG after a period of time. It is predicted that the weight loss benefit could sum up to 60 to 70 calories a day. The effect is that this helps prevent excessive weight gain.

One other significant effect of weight loss supplements is that it may also contain ingredients that makers claim will help to prevent the absorption of carbohydrates. One good example of this fact is Chitosan. This product appears most promising, but in fact shows no positive result in fat absorption or lasting weight loss. It could even take up to six months for men to lose jany fat and for women, there is no sign of fat loss at all. Thyroid supplements act as thyroid replacements and help to optimize the thyroid at another level. The body might feel like a couch potato and this won’t perform the job it has to.

Since the number one reason why people eat is because they feel hungry, there is another type of ingredient that manufacturers made which increases the feeling of being full and decreases appetite, Guar Gum. However, recent studies show that it has no meaningful benefit at all to weight loss. It is ironic that manufacturers mix Psyllium that has the reputation of reducing eating and aiding weight loss for initial studies so far do not support this claim although it helps control blood cholesterol and sugar.

There are many new technologies and one of the latest innovations in the fat loss industry is by way of skin absorption. They have invented a Cutting Gel, which is an epidril product by far the best selling in fat loss creams technology. Rub it where you want the fats cut, and they claim it will happen. For me the best advise is the age old remedies to excessive weight gain. Invest in walking shoes instead of diet supplements, go to the park and do brisk walking, go to the gym, and have a well balanced diet. It might be much safer.

Weight loss programs and diet programs are a huge business. I am always seeing ads for weight loss products that promise miraculous results. Some of them are magic pills, some have meal plans, and others are magic diets that increase your metabolism. You can have marvelous success with many of these programs. You will have much better success over the long if you learn how to lose weight and incorporate it into your life.

Healthy Weight Loss Tips

Weight loss nutrition is much better than weight loss pills. Eating many fruits and vegetables will help you slim down. Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and high in fiber, this will help you feel full without the excess calories. Fruits and vegetables also increase your metabolism, much more so than doughnuts. Fruits will help you with your cravings for sweets.

There are foods that you are going to need to cut out of your diet. One of the main ones is fried foods. It is much better to bake or steam your food or eat it raw.

It will do a lot for you if you stop eating meat. Once you stop eating meat for a few weeks you will not want to eat it any more. I saw a man lose 90 pounds over a year just by not eating meat and sweets. He still ate more than any two people would ever need but he still lost weight. He did do Yoga and walked but that was all he did that was different. He did not need diet pills or any special programs. Just good, healthy foods.

You need to replace the doughnuts and angle food cakes with fruits. Not canned fruit with added corn syrup but fresh or at least frozen organic fruit. If you find it hard to let go of your cravings for sweets, try to at least limit your intake. You can indulge in a treat once in a while just go for the lowest calorie treat you enjoy and eat it with fruit, then go walk around the block.

No ice-cream. The trouble with ice-cream is it is in the freezer for you to eat. Every time you open the freezer it is there looking at you, what else is there to do but eat a bowl every night. That is what you don’t want to do. If you must eat ice cream buy the smallest and best you can find and eat it with fruit. The fruit will help fill you up.

My advice is to lose weight the healthy way. It still will not be easy but eating many fruits and vegetables will help you preserve your willpower and you will lose weight without starving yourself. At some point life gets easer, your new way of eating is normal to you and you are not trying to lose the weight, you are just doing weight control. Weight control is much easer because you do not need to lose it, you just need to keep it off.

I don’t know about you but sometimes when I see a picture of a beautiful super model like Cindy Crawford I just have to wonder “has she had work done is she naturally beautiful?”… The thing is, regardless of the answer, the one thing that is true is that they all work hard to maintain their looks using their own natural beauty secrets…

These secrets and tips are all part of their beauty regimes, activities that they usually follow daily… but tips that you can easily adopt and use yourself in your own life…

In fact, their natural beauty secrets could be very similar to what you may already be doing. As you probably know, there are women all over the world that are looking for ways to look like their favourite celebrity or model, seeking out their beauty secrets and hoping to have the same flawless, beautiful skin…

I’ve compiled a few celebrity natural beauty secrets - feel free to adopt any that strike your fancy…

Halle Berry’s top tip is to cleanse her face and moisturize it two times every day. She prefers to use fruit based cleanser with natural acids that can exfoliate the skin. Why not adopt a similar routine yourself…?

Whereas Mo’Nique goes for the more straightforward approach. She recommends good ol’ water. Use it to cleanse your face along with an astringent and then apply some great moisturiser and that’s it. This is an easy one to copy…

And who would have thought that Victoria Rowell would credit petroleum jelly for her glowing beauty… It’s true. She uses it before breakfast and in the evening. So what are you waiting for? Go buy a bottle of petroleum jelly…

And what about Lisa Leslie? Well, that beauty says you should use lovely cocoa butter to have smooth soft skin. She also claims that it can remove skin marks too. And talking of cocoa butter, Cindy Braggs recommends using it to remove stretch marks during pregnancy. I like it…

The singer Jody Watley also recommends good old H2O and aerobics but also has a more spiritual tip. She says that she focuses on her body, mind and spirit - making sure that they all get the attention they deserve. That sounds good to me - food for the body and the soul…

Each of these natural beauty secrets are great tips. You can only improve your beauty care by adding them to your daily regimen.

Are you carrying around a little more weight than you would like? Possibly a lot more weight than you would like and you have to do something about it? You are not without company. The obesity epidemic in America is out of control. Obesity is also a growing problem around the world as American fast-food franchises open in countries that have never had this problem on a large-scale.

Being overweight can lead to severe health issues. Having too much extra weight can make you more prone to heart problems, diabetes, strokes, and some types of cancer. You deserve to enjoy life, being unhealthy when you can do something about it is no way to live.

Just because you are on a low calorie diet does not mean you have to starve yourself or eat nothing but sprouts and brand. Understanding this can help you stay determined and take off some of that weight that is making you unhealthy. Some weight loss programs can make you weak and hungry. The good news is you don’t have go through this to lose weight. In fact it is much easer to loose weight if you eat enough of the right foods so you don’t get weak and hungry. If you eat healthy foods you will lose weight naturally and keep it off.

It is better that you do not feel hungry. Our bodies tell us that we had better eat when we are hungry. It is a matter of self-preservation, the problem is then we eat foods we should not and we eat too much. It is better to eat smaller regular meals and keep from getting hungry and gorging on ding dongs. If you eat a healthy diet long enough your body will not crave ding dongs.

A low calorie diet with foods you like will help you stick to a healthy eating plan and reach your weight loss goals. Keeping yourself from getting hungry is a key to not overeating. It is also the key to keeping from being miserable. Don’t think of it as a diet, think of it as foods you like to eat that will not add fat.

How to Loose Weight

Eating more calories than you can burn will cause you to gain weigh. Take in less calories than you burn and you will lose weight. The best way to do it is to eat less calories, and increasing the number of calories you burn at the same time. Work out and eat better, notice I did not say, “eat less food”. Eating better is always preferable to eating less. You may find foods that you like that you can eat as much as you like, as long as you do not eat any more Twinkies and walk around the block. It sounds simple and it is but this is the best safe weight loss plan. Learn what foods you like that are low calorie and eat more of them. Each week add a new food and cut out a high calorie food.

Quick weight loss diet plans work in the short run but if you want to keep it off for life you must eat fewer calories, and increasing the number of calories you burn. Your body will not like you and you will not feel good if you go back and forth between gaining weight and then doing the latest fast weight loss diet or taking weight loss pills to get it off for the next prom. For some of us there is always the next prom or reunion we need to get ready for. When it is over we go back to our normal way of eating. I understand this because I did this for years.

Another important point is that you are not eating a low calorie healthy diet to be skinny. Skinny for you may not be healthy; to me skinny people do not look right. It makes me want to buy them lunch or have them over for dinner. If you are not meant to be skinny than why make yourself miserable trying to get there. A healthy weight is different for everyone.

Even worse is believing you have to be skinny to be happy. Be happy now, enjoy the body you have and eat healthy to get to a weight that a healthy weight for you. If you want to take 10 lbs off for the prom that is one thing but if you want to keep it off for your 10 year reunion that’s something all together different.

The 5 Factor weight loss diet was made by celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak for celebrities that need to loose weight fast and get in shape without getting hungry and weak. The diet is based on the number 5. For five weeks you eat five meals a day and do five workout sessions a week with five exercises each.

Harley Pasternak wrote the book 5 Factor Fitness in 2004. The book 5 Factor Diet was published in 2007; it is an expanded version of the dietary portion of the 5 Factor Fitness book. This is not just another Hollywood diet gimmick, this is a nutritious, balanced diet that includes all the recommended food groups, it helps people get control of their appetites and lose pounds.

If you want to lose 10 pounds or lose 20 pounds this is a good diet because it emphases nutrition and not getting hungry. The best part is it works; it can help you change the eating behaviors that caused you to gain the weight in the first place.

Each meal has no more than five ingredients and takes no more than five minutes to prepare. Each of the 5 daily meals is low in fat and calories and a proper mix of lean protein like chicken, fish, or low-fat dairy. Each meal also has fruits and vegetables, whole grain fiber, monounsaturated fats and water or other sugar-free fluids, all in proper proportions. All refined flour and added sugar is banned.

All of the carbohydrates must have a low rank on the glycemic index scale. Lower glycemic carbohydrates will give you a more stable blood sugar level. The Glycemic index is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels. High GI carbohydrates break down rapidly during digestion and cause your body to release glucose rapidly into your bloodstream; carbohydrates that break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the bloodstream, have a low GI.

Drinking water before a meal helps you fill full so you will eat less food. Fiber is a part of each meal. The insoluble fiber will wash out of your system and take some of the fat from the meal with it.

It is important not to skip meals, this causes the body to store fat instead of burn it. Skipping meals tells the body to keep the fat. Eating 5 times a day, increases the metabolism so you lose fat. The 5 Factor diet has one day a week when can eat favorite foods that you have eliminated from your diet.

You are not left on your own with just a book, the website is useful and informative; it is loaded with meal plans, menus, eating and exercise plans, journals, and much more. The exercise portion of the 5 Factor diet includes activity five days a week for twenty-five minutes a day.

Can a healthy diet include sweet foods and beverages?
A healthy diet provides all of the essential nutrients that your body needs to promote health, support a fit and active life, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes or cancer. A healthy diet includes a variety of foods: cereals and grains; fruits and vegetables; protein foods such as meats, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and vegetables; milk and other dairy products like cheese or yoghurt; and small amounts of fats and oils.Healthy diet is crucial to feeling good, strong and alert.

Will I learn about a heart-healthy diet?
Yes. The cardiac rehab registered dietitian does a computer analysis of your current diet and helps you to make changes in your diet that will show how to achieve sensible health-related dietary goals. For heart-healthy meal ideas, visit our recipe corner.Yes, sugar in moderation can be part of a healthy diet and weight loss program. The US Food Guide Pyramid encourages consumers to have the smallest portion of their energy derived from fats, oils and sugar (top of the pyramid). Diet Center follows these recommendations from the Food Guide Pyramid. All carbohydrates we consume, whether they are complex carbohydrates or simple sugars are broken down into the simplest sugars (glucose, galactose and fructose) in the body during digestion.Soft drinks contribute to the diet in two ways.

How can a snack bar be considered part of a healthy diet?
GR2eat bars contain the correct balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat needed to nourish your body while keeping your blood sugar and insulin levels stable. Unlike other “snack” bars, it is low in sugar, fat, and calories.A heart-healthy diet emphasizes foods low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol to help lower blood cholesterol. This is the recommended eating pattern for Americans older than 2: Less than 300 mg a day of dietary cholesterol. Saturated fat increases blood cholesterol more than anything else you eat, so choose foods low in saturated fat to reduce blood cholesterol. If you are overweight, losing weight is important for lowering blood cholesterol.

What are the most important steps to a healthy diet?
Although there are different food pyramids for you to choose from, the challenge is to pick one, then create an eating plan that embraces healthy food.GR2eat bars contain the correct balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fat needed to nourish your body while keeping your blood sugar and insulin levels stable. Unlike other “snack” bars, it is low in sugar, fat, and calories.Yes.

Can a heart-healthy diet include eggs?
Since 20% of the cholesterol in the bloodstream derives from cholesterol in food, high cholesterol foods should be avoided if one is serious about lowering blood cholesterol levels. Although a few studies have not shown a cholesterol-lowering effect from the addition of eggs to the diet, these studies generally involved people who were already consuming large amounts of cholesterol. Adding cholesterol to such a diet often makes no difference.Yes.

What is a heart-healthy diet?
A heart-healthy diet emphasizes foods low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol to help lower blood cholesterol. This is the recommended eating pattern for Americans older than 2: Less than 300 mg a day of dietary cholesterol. Saturated fat increases blood cholesterol more than anything else you eat, so choose foods low in saturated fat to reduce blood cholesterol. If you are overweight, losing weight is important for lowering blood cholesterol.Yes. As part of a diet containing a variety of foods from all food groups, sugar can add to the enjoyment of healthy eating. Many recent studies have examined the relationship between sugar and health, and experts have concluded that sugar does not contribute to poor health or specific diseases.