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FDA Consumer, May, 2001 by John Henkel

Hot spots and cool links on FDA's Web site and beyond.

Tips for Getting (and Staying) Fit

Want to exercise regularly but just can't seem to find a way to squeeze physical activity into a busy schedule? Let baseball great Nolan Ryan give you tips on how to do it right. Ryan's "Fitness Guide" is one of 10 publications available free online from the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS). President Eisenhower founded PCPFS nearly 45 years, ago to encourage American children to lead healthy and physically fit lives. Today, the council is still going strong and preaching its fitness message to Americans of all ages. On its Web site (www.fitness.gov), you can check out brochures on numerous topics including:

* Exercise and weight control

* Fitness fundamentals

* Kids in action (fitness for children 2-6)

* Fitness for youth ages 6-17

* 10 tips to healthy eating and physical activity

And, of course, there is Ryan's guide, which advises that "You don't need lots of time [to exercise], just take advantage of the opportunities you have." While on the site, take a look at "Gopher Cakes" and the rest of the council's humorous public service videos, viewable on desktop with a free downloadable player.

Getting the Word Out to Seniors

The Internet is loaded with Web sites aimed at older adults, but it can be a chore to find reliable information. FirstGov for Seniors (www.seniors.gov), a new site managed by the Social Security Administration, gives seniors a heads-up on other sites that cover topics ranging from gambling to smoking to filing taxes. For example, one featured site explains pending legislation of interest to seniors, including proposals for prescriptions, health care and retirement. Another linked site explains how to get copies of vital statistics (such as birth, death, marriage and divorce certificates). FirstGov for Seniors also has a retirement planning page, with valuable information about financial planning, medical coverage, housing, and life insurance. Links to information on education, travel and volunteer work also are featured.

A Look at Medical Alternatives

The decision to use an alternative or complementary medical treatment can be a crucial one. Before making a decision, people need to consider:

* the safety and effectiveness of the treatment or therapy

* the qualifications of the health-care practitioner

* the quality of the service delivery

To help guide consumers in such decisions, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a division of the National Institutes of Health, has created a helpful Web site. At http://nccam.nih.gov, you can learn more about alternative treatments such as acupuncture and St. John's wort, or various therapies for cancer and hepatitis C. The site links to more than 220,000 scientific citations related to complementary and alternative medicine. The center also publishes a newsletter called Complementary and Alternative Medicine at NIH, which is available on the Web site or in hard copy form. Though the Web site is loaded with useful information, the NCCAM encourages patients to consult their primary healthcare provider before using an alternative therapy.

Got Questions About Food Safety?

You probably have all sorts of questions about

how to best prevent yourself and your family from experiencing a foodborne illness. For answers, check out FDA's "Consumer Advice" page at www.cfsan.fda.gov/ ~lrd/advice.html. There, you'll learn the best way to clean kitchen counters, whether "slow cooking" is safe, why some people shouldn't eat raw oysters, and how to best handle take-home foods and leftovers. The site also contains useful information about dietary supplements, food labeling, cosmetics, weight loss, women's health, food irradiation, and bioengineered foods.