Twelve Deaths Now Reported in NYC Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Two more deaths were reported Monday in the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City, bringing the total to 10.

The number of reported cases also increased, from 100 to 113, officials from the New York City Department of Mental Health and Hygiene said in a news release.

The outbreak has been traced to water-filled cooling towers in the South Bronx.

Health experts note that the elderly, smokers and those with respiratory conditions are most vulnerable to the potentially deadly bacteria. New York City health officials said last week that of those who had died, all were older individuals with other medical conditions.

“There are probably going to be more cases because the disease has a long incubation period — 10 to 14 days,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, an attending physician in the department of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Another expert explained that the disease is more likely to get a foothold during warm weather.

“Every summer, when we are using air conditioning, the odds of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease increases,” said Dr. Debra Spicehandler, an infectious diseases specialist at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y.

Hospitals routinely test their water for Legionnaires’, she said. However, hotels, apartment buildings and offices are not required to test for it.

Glatter said that most of the people who are affected by Legionnaires’ are the elderly, people who smoke and those with chronic medical conditions, such as emphysema or asthma. Children and young adults are usually not affected, he said.

According to Glatter, the bacteria is commonly found in water and soil. “However, when it is able to set up shop in cooling towers where the water is warm, it can reproduce quickly and spread,” he said.

But Spicehandler noted that “it’s a very simple, treatable disease most of the time.”

Among the young and healthy, the infection runs its course without treatment, but among those at high risk, up to 30 percent can die, Glatter said.

Fortunately, Legionnaires’ cannot be spread person-to-person, Glatter said. “It is airborne and is contracted by inhaling it or, in theory, through drinking water,” he said.

Legionnaires’ causes fever, cough and chills, Glatter said. If caught early, it can be treated with antibiotics.

“Death is usually caused by respiratory failure,” Glatter said. “The bacteria overwhelms the lung tissue and reduces the ability to get oxygen into the lungs. Asphyxia [suffocation] is the main cause of death,” he said. “Death can occur within three to five days or sooner.”

Legionnaires’ disease was first seen among 2,000 American Legionnaires attending a convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1976, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak was linked to air conditioner cooling towers in the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. That outbreak sickened 221 people, and 34 died.

“People should not be alarmed at this point,” Glatter said. “The cooling towers are being cleaned and disinfected, and these measures should make the public feel safer,” he said.

More information

Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on Legionnaires’ disease.

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Two More Deaths Reported in NYC Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Two more deaths were reported Monday in the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in New York City.

The number of reported cases also increased, from 100 to 113, officials from the New York Department of Mental Health and Hygiene said in a news release.

The outbreak has been traced to water-filled cooling towers in the South Bronx.

Health experts note that the elderly, smokers and those with respiratory conditions are most vulnerable to the potentially deadly bacteria. New York City health officials said last week that of those who had died, all were older individuals with other medical conditions.

“There are probably going to be more cases because the disease has a long incubation period — 10 to 14 days,” said Dr. Robert Glatter, an attending physician in the department of emergency medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Another expert explained that the disease is more likely to get a foothold during warm weather.

“Every summer, when we are using air conditioning, the odds of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease increases,” said Dr. Debra Spicehandler, an infectious diseases specialist at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y.

Hospitals routinely test their water for Legionnaires’, she said. However, hotels, apartment buildings and offices are not required to test for it.

Glatter said that most of the people who are affected by Legionnaires’ are the elderly, people who smoke and those with chronic medical conditions, such as emphysema or asthma. Children and young adults are usually not affected, he said.

According to Glatter, the bacteria is commonly found in water and soil. “However, when it is able to set up shop in cooling towers where the water is warm, it can reproduce quickly and spread,” he said.

But Spicehandler noted that “it’s a very simple, treatable disease most of the time.”

Among the young and healthy, the infection runs its course without treatment, but among those at high risk, up to 30 percent can die, Glatter said.

Fortunately, Legionnaires’ cannot be spread person-to-person, Glatter said. “It is airborne and is contracted by inhaling it or, in theory, through drinking water,” he said.

Legionnaires’ causes fever, cough and chills, Glatter said. If caught early, it can be treated with antibiotics.

“Death is usually caused by respiratory failure,” Glatter said. “The bacteria overwhelms the lung tissue and reduces the ability to get oxygen into the lungs. Asphyxia [suffocation] is the main cause of death,” he said. “Death can occur within three to five days or sooner.”

Legionnaires’ disease was first seen among 2,000 American Legionnaires attending a convention in Philadelphia in the summer of 1976, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak was linked to air conditioner cooling towers in the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. That outbreak sickened 221 people, and 34 died.

“People should not be alarmed at this point,” Glatter said. “The cooling towers are being cleaned and disinfected, and these measures should make the public feel safer,” he said.

More information

Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on Legionnaires’ disease.

---

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8 Beauty Products That Make Packing for Your Trip So Much Easier

With the non-stop world we live in, it’s about time our beauty products stepped up their on-the-go game, too. You’ve probably been using face wipes for years, either every night or just when you travel, thanks to their one-swipe-and-done allure. But you probably didn’t know there’s now a wipe for practically everything in your beauty and hygiene routine. Check out the 8 products we’re packing now, all of which are TSA-approved.

RELATED: 8 Best Overnight Beauty Products to Wake Up Gorgeous

Lotion

Photo: Courtesy of Pacifica

Pacifica Island Vanilla Hand & Body Lotion Wipes ($7 for 30, ulta.com)
Never toss an entire bottle of lotion in the security line again. Pack these moisturizing wipes instead. Infused with coconut milk, these biodegradable cloths hydrate skin without leaving them feeling slick.

Body wash

Photo: Courtesy of Yuni

YUNI Instant Shower Sheet ($12 for 20, yunibeauty.com)
These are meant to be used after your workout, but may also be useful for intrepid backpackers or campers—or for travel emergencies, like getting stuck in the airport overnight. (You never know!) The biodegradable towel is large enough that you just need one for your whole body but small enough to keep in your toiletry bag for when you need it.

RELATED: 17 Best Beauty Products for Your Face

Facial cleanser

Photo: Courtesy of Target

Burt’s Bees Exfoliating Facial Cleansing Towelettes ($5 for 25, target.com)
Give your face a deep clean, no sink or wash-cloth needed. The textured wipe grips on to dirt, oil, and makeup while witch hazel sloughs off dead skin cells so skin is left feeling fresh.

Sanitizer

Photo: Courtesy of Flu War

FluWar Antibacterial Wipe Travel Pack ($2 for 8, fluwar.com)
Keep hands moisturized and protected against germs wherever you go with these antibacterial wipes. Made with aloe and vitamin E and without alcohol so you’ll never have to sacrifice germ protection for smooth hands again.

RELATED: 10 Surprising Beauty Uses for Coconut Oil

Self-Tanner

Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Dennis Gross

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pads ($12 for 5, sephora.com)
Get show-off skin with these disposable self-tanner pads that contain vitamin D and DHA (the tanning ingredient). Bonus: application with a wipe may create a more even tan.

Fragrance

Photo: Courtesy of Noma Terra

Nomaterra On-The Go Fragrance Wipes ($20 for 12, sephora.com)
Gorgeous fragrance bottles are great for decorating your bathroom or vanity but they’re not easy to bring with you. Trade them in for these scent-soaked wipes instead. The long-lasting formula comes in three scents (Miami orange blossom, Malibue honeysuckle, and Oahu Gardenia) so you can find your perfect match.

Nail Polish Remover

 

Photo: Courtesy of Butter London

Butter London Scrubbers ($10 for 10, sephora.com)
Never get caught with a chipped mani again! Just one of these polish-removing wipes works for all 10 nails without any lingering scent so you can use them anywhere.

RELATED: 11 Beauty Products From the ’90s That Have Stood the Test of Time

Deodorant

Photo: Courtesy of Whish

Whish Deodorant Inhibiting Odor Swipes ($7 for 8, dermstore.com)

Travel-sized deodorants are easy enough to come by, but why not make even more room in your bag? Plus, when you’re out of your element, things can get stinky. So stop trying to sneak a lift and sniff and keep these slick deodorizing wipes on you. The mixture of active botanicals and seaweed and seabuckthorn extracts keep B.O. at bay.

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How to Stop Motion Sickness

Photo: Getty

Trains, planes and automobiles have you feeling queasy? Compare these antidotes.

Ginger

The upside: Research shows that it works. One study discovered that people who took ginger supplements before being subjected to simulated spinning were less nauseated than a control group.
The downside: It may be less reliable than meds.
Best if: You want an herbal solution to the misery. Try a 1,000-milligram supplement about an hour before your trip.

Benadryl

The upside: This antihistamine blocks some of the signals in the brain that induce nausea and vomiting.
The downside: It can also cause drowsiness.
Best if: You’re prone to vomiting. Take the recommended dose 30 minutes before traveling.

Prescription patches

The upside: Worn behind the ear, they release a steady dose of a drug called scopolamine over three days.
The downside: The patch can interfere with other drugs.
Best if: You’re going on a cruise or road trip that spans a few days. Apply the patch four hours before you leave.

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Stomach Ache? What to Eat to Feel Better

18 Reasons Why Your Stomach Hurts

How to Treat 8 Common Injuries at Home

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4 Reasons You Really Don’t Want to Be a Perfectionist

Photo: Getty Images

Being a perfectionist is often thought of as a plus: In a job interview, if a potential boss asks about your attention to detail or work ethic many would be eager to answer, “Oh, I’m a perfectionist.”

But it turns out, the life of a true perfectionist may not be so, well, perfect. In fact, a growing body of research suggests that this personality quirk has a dark side. Below, find out the surprising ways the quest for perfection can backfire.

RELATED: 3 Ways to Help a Perfectionist

It may lead to burnout

That one co-worker (is it you?) who over-works because she’s afraid she’s not “good enough” might be approaching burnout fast. A new analysis of 43 studies published in the Personality and Social Psychology Review found that having high standards for achievement was helpful on the job, but that “perfectionistic concerns,” i.e. desiring perfection because of constant worries about not measuring up, were associated with burnout in the workplace.

“Perfectionistic concerns capture fears and doubts about personal performance, which creates stress that can lead to burnout when people become cynical and stop caring,” lead researcher Andrew Hill, an associate professor of sport psychology at York St. John University in England, explained in a press release.

RELATED: 10 Things To Know About Compulsive Hoarding

It can mess with your body image

Perfectionism may contribute to the development of eating disorders in two ways, according to a 2013 study from the Journal of Eating Disorders. The first is what psychologists call “adaptive perfectionism”—basically, in the context of body image this is when a person puts a very high value on getting the “perfect body.” The other is “maladaptive perfectionism”—or when a person dwells on their own mistakes (or body flaws) and what other people think. After surveying more than 1,000 women between the ages of 28 and 40, the researchers found that women who exhibited maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism were much more concerned about how their bodies looked, compared to others. This preoccupation can in turn up risk for eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

“While some perfectionism is normal and necessary there becomes a point at which it becomes an unhelpful and vicious cycle,” study co-author Tracey Wade, PhD, dean of the School of Psychology at Flinders University in Australia explained in a press release. “Knowing that perfectionism of any sort is a risk factor for eating disorders suggests we should tackle ‘all or nothing’ attitudes with clients, as well as helping them to become less invested in defining their self worth in terms of their ability to achieve high standards.”

RELATED: Subtle Signs of Eating Disorders

It can make you anti-social

Another type of perfectionism is “other-oriented perfectionism,” and it can affect your ability to connect with others. An “other-oriented perfectionist” is what it sounds like: someone who sets ridiculously high standards for others. These people tend to be narcissistic, anti-social, and have a more aggressive sense of humor, compared to people who set high standard for themselves (aka run-of-the-mill perfectionists), according to a recent study in the Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment.

It’s a risk factor for suicide

Finally, and perhaps most alarming of all, the pressure to be perfect may be dangerous to your mental health, according to an analysis published last year in the Review of General Psychology. The study authors argued that not only are perfectionists more likely to die by suicide, but that this risk is also widely underestimated by experts. Even worse: the researchers report that perfectionists who attempt suicide are more likely to succeed because their plans are precisely and thoroughly thought out.

RELATED: 12 Worst Habits For Your Mental Health

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3 Workouts You Need to Try Before Summer Ends

Photo: Getty Images

Hot weather calls for even hotter workouts. You know, those outdoor calorie-crushing sessions that leave you seriously drained—but exhilarated. Try one (or all three) of these summertime staples while soaking up the sun—just don’t forget to slather on the SPF, of course!

Try Beach volleyball

Calorie burn: 571 per hour

Body benefits: “When I get back in the sand after the off-season, I notice instant leg toning and booty lifting and more defined arms,” says three-time Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings. Plus, research shows that folks who work out on sand reap greater overall gains than grass exercisers.

Try Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP)

Calorie burn: 428 per hour

Body benefits: “You engage your small stabilizing muscles, core, back and legs to maintain your balance,” explains Noelle Kozak, ambassador for Laird StandUp in Corona del Mar, Calif. Look for fun hybrid classes, too—think SUP mixed with yoga or strength training.

Try Kayaking

Calorie burn: 357 per hour

Body benefits: “You’ll develop your triceps, biceps and back muscles with the pulling of every stroke,” notes Wade Blackwood, CEO of the ACA, the oldest and largest paddlesports organization, and Team USA Canoe and Kayak. And it’s great cardio. Ramp it up with intervals (see caption at right).

RELATED:

25 Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

How to Burn Calories This Summer

17 Ways to Burn More Calories All Day

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Steroids May Help Speed Pneumonia Recovery, Study Finds

MONDAY, Aug. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Steroid treatment may hasten pneumonia patients’ recovery and cut their risk of complications, a new review suggests.

The findings “should lead to an important change in treatment for pneumonia,” lead author Dr. Reed Siemieniuk, a physician and graduate student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, said in a university news release.

“Corticosteroids are inexpensive and readily available around the world. Millions of patients will benefit from this new evidence,” he said.

But one expert said a bit more research may be needed first.

“With such modest — though measurable — effects of treatment, a large multi-center randomized clinical trial,” would still be necessary to confirm the new findings and “perhaps justify a change in the standard of care,” said Dr. Bruce Polsky. He is chair of the department of medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.

In the new study, the international team led by Siemieniuk analyzed data from 13 clinical trials involving more than 2,000 patients who were hospitalized with pneumonia.

They found that patients treated with corticosteroids — drugs that include medicines such as cortisone — were discharged from hospital one day sooner than those who didn’t receive corticosteroids.

Corticosteroid treatment also reduced the need for ventilators to help patients breathe, and the risk of a life-threatening complication called acute respiratory distress syndrome, which fell from 8 percent to 2 percent of patients when the steroids were used.

Overall, the findings suggest that steroid treatment could reduce death rates among pneumonia patients from about 9 percent to10 percent now, to 5 to 6 percent, according to the study published online Aug. 10 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

“Corticosteroids over short periods are safe, and we now know that they achieve important benefits in a serious and common medical illness,” ,” study senior investigator Dr. Gordon Guyatt, a professor of clinical epidemiology and biostatistics at McMaster, said in the news release .

Polsky stressed that many cases of pneumonia won’t require powerful steroids.

“Although this is potentially important data, most cases of pneumonia [acquired outside of the hospital] are not so severely ill and are treated in the outpatient setting,” he said. “These data would not apply to such patients.”

Dr. Len Horovitz is a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He noted that corticosteroids are “potent anti-inflammatory” drugs, and “as such, they can address the inflammation associated with pneumonia. They will also benefit patients with associated pulmonary conditions like COPD and asthma.”

However, there was one caveat: “Caution [in using steroids] will need to be exercised in patients with diabetes and hypertension,” Horovitz said.

More information

The American Lung Association has more about pneumonia.

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What’s the Best Method for Cleaning Hospital Rooms?

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Concerns about hospital “superbugs” have spotlighted the need to prevent the spread of germs in health-care settings. But a new report reveals a disturbing lack of knowledge on something as basic as proper cleaning of a patient’s room.

Very little research addresses the best ways to disinfect and sanitize the hard surfaces in a hospital room, investigators report in the Aug. 11 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

“We basically found that there are studies available to guide actions, but there are much fewer than you might expect for such an important issue,” said lead author Dr. Craig Umscheid, an assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.

At any given time, about one in every 25 hospital patients has an infection they got from being at a hospital, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. An estimated 721,000 health care-related infections occurred in 2011, which led to about 75,000 deaths, the authors noted in background information.

Hand-washing receives much attention for preventing the spread of germs, but disinfecting the hard surfaces in an examination room or hospital suite can be just as important, Umscheid said. Many dangerous germs are spread by touching counters, floors, tray tables, bed rails, IV pulls, light switches, toilets, and even call buttons.

Many experts believe that only 50 percent of surfaces are typically disinfected during cleaning of a patient’s room, according to background notes.

For this report, researchers reviewed 80 studies published between 1998 and 2014.

The investigators found only five randomized, controlled trials that explored the best ways to disinfect surfaces. Most were before/after studies, in which germs were measured on a surface before and after a cleaning product had been used.

Fewer than 35 percent of the studies focused on infection rates or spread of disease due to unclean surfaces, the researchers said.

They also found that most studies only examined the effectiveness of a single cleaning product or method, rather than comparing it against others.

“There are all these approaches that are available, and there just are no head-to-head trials that compare one versus another and look at outcomes that matter to patients,” said Umscheid.

The team identified several studies showing that rates of C. difficile, the most common cause of hospital-acquired gastrointestinal infections, fell with the use of bleach-based disinfectants but that a chlorine dioxide-based product was ineffective in reducing contamination and infection rates.

Seventeen studies on newer cleaning technologies — such as devices that emit ultraviolet rays or hydrogen peroxide vapor — reported positive findings, with three demonstrating reductions in infection rates.

The researchers also found some evidence supporting use of contamination-resistant surfaces such as copper-coated bed rails.

Studies attempting to assess the best hospital cleaning strategies are difficult to perform, said Victoria Richards, an associate professor of medical sciences with the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in North Haven, Conn.

“A hospital is a busy and chaotic place,” Richards said. “There are a lot of different individuals who go into a lot of different rooms, touching different surfaces. Just by virtue of the environment, it’s a very difficult type of research to conduct.”

Hospital officials rely heavily on manufacturers’ recommendations when it comes to choosing cleaning products, said Donna Armellino, vice president of infection prevention for the North Shore-LIJ Health System in New York.

These recommendations often focus more on how a cleaner would affect a surface, and just assume it’s an effective germ-killer, Armellino said.

“From a medical equipment standpoint, basically they’re looking to see what chemicals are compatible with the surface of that specific medical equipment,” she said. “Will it discolor the plastic or will it harm the surface of the metal?”

At the same time, Armellino said the threat posed by contaminated surfaces is not as dire as that posed by unwashed hands or unclean medical instruments.

“I would be more concerned with those items that penetrate or come into contact with the mucous membrane, rather than items that come into contact with intact skin,” she said.

Patti Costello, executive director of the Association for the Healthcare Environment, objected to the study’s methodology.

“This study seems to be more of a compendium of past studies and doesn’t provide any new information,” she said. Her organization, a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association, stresses on-going education, training and certification that demonstrates a commitment to correct and consistent disinfection, Costello said.

“Hospitals take cleaning and surface disinfection very seriously,” she added.

More information

For more on hospital-acquired infections, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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More Evidence That Southern Cooking Boosts Heart Risk

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 10, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fried chicken, sweet tea and greens cooked in bacon fat — delicious hallmarks of a Southern diet — may increase your risk for a heart attack, a new study suggests.

Lead researcher James Shikany, a professor of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, said that regularly eating Southern-style dishes was linked to a 56 percent increased risk for heart attack during the almost six years of the study.

However, it’s important to note that the study wasn’t designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship between these foods and heart disease, only an association.

Still, Shikany said, “there are many possible mechanisms that increase risk.” These include excess saturated fats and nitrates in processed meats and sugar, which increase cholesterol, insulin resistance and body weight, all of which are linked to an increased risk for heart disease, he added.

For the study, Shikany’s team collected diet data on more than 17,000 people from around the United States who took part in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study of white and black men and women aged 45 or older enrolled from 2003 to 2007.

The researchers compared the Southern diet with other diet patterns. Patterns included the “convenience” pattern made up of pasta dishes, Mexican food, Chinese food and pizza; the “plant-based” pattern included mostly vegetables, fruits, cereal, beans, yogurt, poultry and fish; the “sweets” pattern consisting of added sugars, desserts, chocolate, candy and sweetened breakfast foods; and the “alcohol/salads” pattern, which included beer, wine, liquor, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes and salad dressings.

Those who regularly ate a typical Southern diet tended to be men, blacks and people who had not graduated from high school, the study found. The researchers also found — unsurprisingly — that people who regularly consumed Southern fare tended to live in the so-called “Stroke belt.” This includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana, the researchers said.

No other dietary pattern the researchers looked at was associated with the risk for heart disease. The “Southern” pattern included added fats, fried food, eggs and egg dishes, organ meats, processed meats and sugar-sweetened drinks, the researchers said.

The report was published online Aug. 10 in the journal Circulation.

Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said, “It would seem that just about everyone knows that eating fried pork chops and gravy, butter-drenched, lard-laden biscuits and bacon-infused everything is not a healthy diet.”

However, what people choose to eat is based on cultural, emotional, social, economic, psychological, physiological and environmental influences, she said.

“This is clear in the findings of this study as the South is known for heavily meat- and dairy-based dishes, fried foods and rich sauces,” Heller said. “The deep South is often referred to as the Stroke Belt and the Diabetes Belt because of the high prevalence of dietary-related stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart disease,” she added.

Trying to shift the culture around a certain style of eating, in this case shifting the Southern style to a healthier, more plant-based approach, can be daunting, Heller explained.

“As much as I try to convince patients that collards can still taste great without a pound of smoked ham hocks, butter and tons of salt, it’s a tough sell,” she said. “Still, it is necessary for nutrition education and support to be brought to the communities and populations most at risk.”

One way may be to approach the shift from a slightly different angle, Heller said. “Instead of making substitute dishes such as ‘healthy fried chicken’ — since it will not taste anything like its deep-fried namesake — alternate dishes may be a better approach. Thus, one might encourage Southern food eaters to opt for oven-fried nut-crusted chicken. Or New York-style collard greens simmered with extra virgin olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and organic vegetable stock,” she said.

Shikany doesn’t think people have to completely eliminate these foods from their diet. “I tend to be a moderation person,” he said. “I don’t like to tell people ‘don’t eat this, don’t eat that,’ because it doesn’t work. People get frustrated.”

He would rather encourage people to modify their diet. For example, he suggests not having bacon or ham every day for breakfast, but limiting it to a couple of times a week. “It’s probably best to cut it out, but I tend to be realistic, so I try to get people to cut down,” he said.

More information

For more on a healthy diet, visit the Harvard School of Public Health.

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Coke Is Funding Scientists With a Controversial Weight Loss Message

Photo: Getty Images

This post is in partnership with Fortune. The article below was originally published by Fortune.com.

Coca-Cola is providing millions of dollars in funding for a non-profit group that argues weight-conscious Americans should be paying more attention to exercise and less attention to their diet, The New York Times reports.

“Most of the focus in the popular media and in the scientific press is, ‘Oh they’re eating too much, eating too much, eating too much’ — blaming fast food, blaming sugary drinks and so on,” says Steven N. Blair, vice president of the group, known as the Global Energy Balance Network, in a video. “And there’s really virtually no compelling evidence that that, in fact, is the cause.”

Two universities that employ leaders of the Global Energy Balance Network told the Times that Coca-Cola had donated $1.5 million last year to start the organization, and that the company had provided close to $4 million in funding for other projects spearheaded by two members from the group.

Health experts are calling Coca-Cola’s motives into question, especially in a longstanding era of declining soda sales.

“The Global Energy Balance Network is nothing but a front group for Coca-Cola,” Marion Nestle, author of the book Soda Politics and a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, told the Times. “Coca-Cola’s agenda here is very clear: Get these researchers to confuse the science and deflect attention from dietary intake.”

This isn’t the first time Coca-Cola has tried to popularize the idea that its products are healthier than believed. In February, it was reported that fitness and nutrition experts wrote Coke-endorsed online pieces for American Hearth Month arguing that a mini-can of Coke could be a healthy treat. Last year, the American Beverage Association, which represents Coke and Pepsi, published findings of a study that suggested diet soda could aid in weight loss, a result that’s been refuted elsewhere.

More from Fortune:

Here’s everything we know about Tesla’s grid battery business

Restaurants are facing a serious chef shortage

Paid parental leave should be U.S. law — not just a company perk

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