By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
February 18, 2007
Would you like to be connected to tubes for months to sustain life when doctors know there's no hope of your survival? Or have family members feud because none are aware of your wishes when faced with your imminent death. If you've left such an important decision to chance then there's a good chance this could happen. A study shows that 80 percent of North Americans haven't signed a Living Will.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
February 26, 2006
How good are you at following a healthy lifestyle? This week you can compare how you rate with the faculty of The Harvard Medical School that has 15,329 faculty. Equally important, are they paragons of virtue, practicing what they preach?
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
Monday, January 2, 2006
Voltaire was right when he wrote, "Most men live lives of quiet desperation". As we enter another year, desperation seems to be getting worse. Escalating violence in Iraq, concerns about increasing crime in our cities, political corruption and headlines warning us of the dangers of prescription drugs confront us daily. So all the more reason to consider 10 non-prescription ways to help you relax in 2005.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
Monday, September 26, 2005
"Three year old child dies of heart failure due to obesity". This British headline recently shocked the nation. What an appalling situation when a generation of obese children may die before their parents. So what about fighting this problem with Britain's proposed "Red Light" approach?
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
What current lifestyle problem bothers me the most today? It's seeing obese children guzzling cans of liquid candy. Parents must be totally unaware of the can's contents. But if they know the health consequences, and do nothing about it, they should see psychiatrists.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Iris Evans says, "We need to create an atmosphere of wellness". And unlike most politicians this one is practicing what she preaches. The 62 year old former nurse has lost 60 pounds in the last two years.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
April 26, 2005
Are you fed up reading about war, our failing health care system and crooked CEOs? If so, let's discuss a more pleasant topic, the way to ensure a long and healthy life. Some are convinced that jogging, a variety of diets or a daily glass of red wine is the answer. But what about sex? The fact is that making love is downright good for you. Here are eight reasons why you should put more amore into your life.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
February 8, 2005
How many steps do most people take daily, and how many are needed for good health? I had no idea how many I take and thought it would be interesting and prudent to find out. And who is right about exercise, Mark Twain or the Earl of Derby?
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
December 21, 2004
In 1673 J.B. Moliere wrote, " Nearly all men die of their medicines, not of their illness". And while imprisoned on the island of St. Helena Napoleon commented, "Take a dose of medicine once and in all probability you will be obliged to take an additional hundred afterward". So neither party would be surprised at the bombshell announcement that Vioxx, heralded as the "Super Aspirin" for arthritic pain, has been found to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and removed from the market. It's the old story of "caveat empor", let the buyer beware. But think again if you naively believe Vioxx is the only problem.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
December 1, 2004
What is the greatest tragedy that can befall a parent? Most parents will reply, "That one of our children will die before we do". The call that a child has been killed in an accident is a tragedy impossible to measure. Equally tragic is that today's obese children may die before their parents. But this is a preventable tragedy and parents can do something to avoid it.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
October 19, 2004
An economist, analyzing financial disasters, remarked that "If you keep going to hell you'll eventually get there". This warning equally applies to the millions of people who still smoke and eventually die from this addiction. Today, there is no greater madness than smoking when research proves that smoking kills. Fortunately, there's a new treatment that can help to save these needless deaths. In this case it's okay to inhale to quit smoking, with the newest smoking cessation, the Nicorette inhaler.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
September 29, 2003
How long should we be our brothers' keeper? A report in the British newspaper, The Guardian, claims that being a Samaritan is coming to an end in England. Smokers and overweight people will soon be asked to sign contracts with their doctors. They will have to agree to a program to quit smoking and lose weight under a radical medical plan drawn up by the Labour government. Health secretary, Alan Milburn, says it's an attempt to remind people of their own responsibilities. The document will not deny medical care to those who refuse to sign the agreement. But the government wants to make it clear that smokers and overweight people must play a role in caring for themselves by stopping smoking, losing weight, eating a more nutritious diet, and exercising.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
September 8, 2003
Socrates, the Greek philosopher, cautioned in 410 B.C. "Nothing in excess." Others since that time have added, "Too much of a good thing is worse than none at all." But North Americans don't believe it. Every year, people unwittingly poison themselves with excess acetaminophen, better known by the brand name, Tylenol. It's easier than most realize to damage the liver and cause death. They do it to themselves, and sometimes to their children as well.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
December 22, 2002
How naive can you be? Premier Romanow has been touring the country for months trying to discover what's wrong with the Canadian health care system. His simplistic solution? 15 million dollars. He believes that tossing more bags of money into the failing health care system will save it. His foresight is appalling. Even a 14 year old girl could figure that out.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
December 8, 2002
The more and more complicated medicine becomes the greater the need to keep it simple. After all, how many people know the formula on how to measure body mass index (BMI) ? Luckily there's no longer any need to tax your brain on this matter. All you need is a tape to measure abdominal circumference. If your dimensions indicate a pot-belly, it's more important than BMI in gauging cardiovascular risk.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
December 1, 2002
What constitutes a good checkup examination? Good sense dictates that young children don't need a Pap smear for cervical cancer, a PSA test for prostate malignancy or X-ray studies to measure bone density. So what's done depends on the patient's age and it can save a life or prevent serious diseases.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
October 20, 2002
What would you do if you're a member of a school board facing this dilemma? You need money for the school gym and a soft drink company has offered to install soft drink vending machines and share the profits with you? The end result of course, will be money for the school, and damaged health for the children. But there is way where everyone benefits.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
September 15, 2002
This week I ran into the same problem I've encountered many times before. Many writers will understand. I was bored, weary of my computer and barren of ideas. I've written 1400 columns during the last 28 years. And I desperately needed a new topic to keep me from falling asleep. Suddenly I discovered it in Denmark. Then I couldn't wait to get back to my computer. Why? Because this story could never happen in "Canada, The Good".
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
August 11, 2002
What can we do to shorten the long waiting lists for surgery? How can we stop the massive increases in the cost of health care? Politicians and health care workers continue to struggle with this dilemma. They always conclude that more money is the answer. But this approach is doomed to failure. How can it work when it's taken 40,000 years for humans to get into such horrible shape? How did it happen? And is there a solution?
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
June 16, 2002
Males often remark, only half-jokingly, that they want to marry a younger woman to care for them in their old age. If that's their motive, should age be the only factor to consider? A recent study shows they should be looking for a particular shaped girl. But alas another report indicates some men may not live long enough to find one.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
June 2, 2002
Why do Pat Quinn, Mike Harris and other celebrities do it? I refer to recent photos, one of Mike Harris, former Premier of Ontario, smoking a stogie on the golf course. Another of a multi-millionaire sports celebrity lighting up after winning a championship. The latest is a front page picture in The Toronto Sun of Pat Quinn, coach of the Maple Leaf hockey team, smoking a stogie during the NHL playoffs. This sends the wrong message to young fans. Celebrities are not lighting up for victory. They're lighting up for death. It's time public relations agents told macho males to stop acting like jackasses.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
April 28, 2002
Have you ever wondered how much benefit you gain from being good? Saying "no" to rich desserts you've enjoyed for years. Tossing away tobacco, too many martinis and other vices. After all, why give up these pleasures if the return is only marginal. Now a study from Harvard answers this question. And the findings even shocked researchers.
By Dr. W. Gifford Jones
March 3, 2002
This week a change of pace. Recently I was questioned by the media about the obesity epidemic. This is what I told them.
W. Gifford-Jones M.D is the pen name of Dr. Ken Walker graduate of Harvard. Dr. Walker's website is: Docgiff.com
My book, Ò90 + How I Got ThereÓ can be obtained by sending $19.95 to:
Giff Holdings, 525 Balliol St, Unit # 6,Toronto, Ontario, M4S 1E1
Pre-2008 articles by Gifford Jones