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Why people overuse antibiotics

The overuse of antibiotics occurs due to the mistaken widespread belief that they are beneficial for a broad array of conditions and because many physicians are willing to prescribe antibiotics if patients ask for the medication, according to a Rutgers study.

Published

3 years ago

January 30, 2021

ZestMag.com Staff

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels.com

The study, published in the journal BioEssays, reviewed more than 200 peer-reviewed studies to examine the causes behind antibiotic overuse, which can lead harmful bacteria to become drug-resistant and cause harmful effects on the microbiome, the collection of beneficial germs that live in and on our bodies.

Martin Blaser, director of the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine at Rutgers and lead author, said the global use of antibiotics between 2000 and 2015 increased 39 percent, with a 77 percent increase in low- and middle-income countries. He discusses the study’s findings.

What health concerns result from the disruption of the microbiome by antibiotics?

In children, improper antibiotic use can alter the microbiome while their immunological, metabolic and neural systems are developing. Epidemiological studies associate antibiotic exposure with an increased risk of disease of allergic, metabolic and cognitive disorders that have grown more common in children during the antibiotic era.

In adults, there is increasing evidence that antibiotics may enhance risk for metabolic and neoplastic diseases, including diabetes, kidney stones and growths in the colon and rectum that can lead to cancer.

What are the trends you found in antibiotic use?

Studies in the United States, United Kingdom and China found numerous online pharmacies selling antibiotics without a prescription. This problem also is large in Iow- to middle-income countries, where 60 percent of antibiotics are sold without prescriptions, often by untrained medical practitioners.

Perhaps of special concern during the COVID-19 pandemic is the finding that telemedicine services are another potential source of questionable antibiotic sales in the United States. A recent analysis found that patients with acute respiratory infections were more often prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics if they had a tele-health doctor visit, compared to an in-person visit.

Worldwide, antibiotic use is highest in young children, especially in low-income areas. This is often in response to the fact that young children are prone to have four to six upper respiratory tract infections each year. Although most of these infections are treated by antibiotics, 80 percent are not caused by bacteria and would therefore derive no benefit from antibiotics.

Are some practitioners more likely to prescribe antibiotics?

Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that older physicians are more likely than their younger colleagues to prescribe antibiotics. For example, one study found that physicians over 30 were several times more likely to prescribe antibiotics for common respiratory conditions that do not necessarily require them. Another study found that physicians with over 25 years in practice were disproportionately likely to issue prescriptions of more than eight days.

What misinformation did you find among the public?

Many people believe that antibiotics are effective against bacterial and viral illnesses, lumping all types of pathogens together and adopting a “germs are germs” attitude. Others believe that taking antibiotics can’t hurt. Across Europe, for example, 57 percent of people surveyed were unaware that antibiotics were ineffective against viruses, and 44 percent did not know that antibiotics have no effect against colds or influenza.

What other reasons did you find for inappropriate prescription of antibiotics?

Antibiotics are commonly used across the world to self-treat health problems for which they were never intended, such as in Nigeria, where women are increasingly using antibiotics to reduce menstrual cramps. In low- to middle-income countries, antibiotics are often seen as strong, magical medicines, capable of both curing and preventing a range of illness. In many countries people also take them to return to work or school when ill. One of the studies found that 63 percent of Chinese university students kept a personal antibiotic stock at home.

Parents may appeal for an antibiotic for their children so that they can go to work or for the children to return to school or daycare. A U.S. study found that 43 percent of parents of a child with cold symptoms believed that antibiotics were necessary.

In addition, some doctors are inclined to prescribe an antibiotic to maintain a good relationship with patients who expect to receive medication. Patients may not demand antibiotics outright, but rather infer their need for them by how they describe the severity of their illness or note that they worked in the past for a similar issue. People have become less willing to wait and let an illness run its course. The perception that there is a pill for ills of all kinds leads the public to demand immediate relief for symptoms from practitioners and to self-medicate.

Every time an antibiotic is given, money changes hands. This is especially a problem in low- and middle-income countries, where pharmacists are happy to dispense without a prescription to their customers. The rural health practitioners in China are paid every time they dispense an antibiotic as well. Such monetary incentives favor the wide use of antibiotics.

How can antibiotic overuse be addressed?

Clinicians need to be better educated about the long-term effects on the microbiome and learn about better ways to speak with their patients about antibiotic risks and benefits. They also need to improve their communication about the consequences of antibiotic treatments and identify antibiotic alternatives.

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83% of Filipino consumers want food companies to use only cage-free eggs

The nationwide survey found that 83% of consumers believe eggs sourced by restaurants, supermarkets, packaged foods companies and similar should come only from hens living in cage-free environments. 80% said they were more inclined to patronize a food brand that sourced only cage-free eggs.

Published

19 hours ago

April 25, 2024

ZestMag.com Staff

A new national consumer survey carried out by leading APAC consumer research agency GMO Research has found that a large majority of Filipino consumers want food companies—including restaurants, retailers and packaged foods brands—to source their eggs from farms that use cage-free production methods. Tokyo-based GMO Research is one of the world’s ten largest consumer research agencies, with 55 million online consumer panelists across 16 APAC countries and markets. The survey, which randomly polled hundreds of respondents from across the Philippines, reflects the evolving attitudes of customers in seeking higher animal welfare and sustainability standards from the food brands they patronize.

The survey also found a notable willingness to pay a price premium for the shift to cage-free eggs. 89% of respondents agreed with the statement that “The advantages of cage-free eggs in terms of food safety and quality are worth spending a little extra money on.” 76% of consumers were willing to pay 10-25% more for cage-free eggs in supermarkets, and 74% were willing to spend 5-10% more for a restaurant meal or packaged food product that used cage-free eggs.

Over the past several years an increasing number of major food brands in the Philippines, including Jollibee, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Ascott, MetroMart, SM Hotels and Conventions Corp and Robinsons Hotels & Resorts, among others, have committed to sourcing only cage-free eggs in the coming years in response to evolving customer values.

“These new survey findings underscore how important it is for food companies to prioritize animal welfare and other ethical sourcing practices in their operations,” said Robyn Del Rosario, Sustainability Program Manager at Lever Foundation, an NGO that supports companies in the Philippines and across Asia on sustainable sourcing. “As consumer awareness and demand for improvements like cage-free eggs continue to rise, businesses can seize the opportunity to enhance their brand reputation by aligning their sourcing standards with consumers’ expectations.”

Concern for animal welfare appears to play an important part in consumer attitudes on the issue. The survey found that 95% of consumers agreed with the statement “Hens that produce eggs should not be kept in cages; they should have the freedom to walk and move around.” 99% believed that food companies should source both eggs and meat from a supply chain that adheres to humane standards of animal treatment. Concern for animal welfare wasn’t the only motivating factor though, with 31% of respondents citing the safety of cage-free eggs as a valuable advantage.

Cage-free egg production, in which hens are given the freedom to move in open indoor environments, improves animal welfare and significantly lowers food safety risks compared to caged egg production. Exhaustive research by the European Food Safety.

Authority found battery cage egg farms have up to 25 times higher rates of contamination by key salmonella strains compared to cage-free eggs, leading the EFSA to issue a recommendation for a complete ban on caged egg production across Europe. For individual consumers, the best way to protect egg-laying hens is by reducing or eliminating egg consumption.

NewsMakers

Watsons announces ‘1-Day, 1-Price Online Sale’ on April 26

Mark your calendars for April 26 as Watsons’ best-selling facial serums will be priced at Php399 for one day only. This extraordinary event is exclusively available online and for Watsons Club Members.

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2024

ZestMag.com Staff

Elevate your skincare regimen with facial serums, the ultimate skincare essential designed to target your skin’s unique needs. From banishing wrinkles to combating acne, these potent potions deliver concentrated doses of active ingredients to leave your complexion radiant and revitalized. Participating brands include Garnier, Luxe Organix, Ponds, Fresh Tomato, QuickFX, Fresh Skinlab, Kojiesan, Naturals by Watsons, Dermaction Plus by Watsons, and Collagen Plus by Watsons.

Take advantage of this limited-time offer to treat yourself to radiant, revitalized skin at an irresistible price. Fill your Watsons App carts now and check out on April 26th during this one-day special sale!

Sign up for a Watsons Card now to enjoy exclusive perks! Watsons Club offers a free lifetime membership. Enjoy Php100 off when you download the Watsons app through this link http://bit.ly/WatsonsMobileApp. Download the Watsons app now.

Learn more about Click & Collect and Watsons Express Delivery by visiting www.watsons.com.ph/shipping-delivery.

NewsMakers

‘Always be Chic by Miss Kayce’ launched

In a chic celebration of style and sustainability, Miss Kayce launched the second edition of her book, “Always be Chic by Miss Kayce”. Hosted by publishing house Bookshelf PH, the event was not just a book launch but a bold statement towards a more sustainable and inclusive fashion industry.

Published

2 days ago

April 24, 2024

ZestMag.com Staff

What does ‘Always Be Chic’ mean and who learns their ABCs in such a fashionable way?

Author, fashion and wardrobe stylist KC “Miss Kayce” Leyco grew up taught to dress up chic and introduced this new way of learning ABCs to the fashion-forward at the SM Aura Book Nook last Friday, April 19, 2024. In a chic celebration of style and sustainability, Miss Kayce launched the second edition of her book, “Always be Chic by Miss Kayce”. Hosted by publishing house Bookshelf PH, the event was not just a book launch but a bold statement towards a more sustainable and inclusive fashion industry.

The newly updated “Always Be Chic by Miss Kayce” is every fashionista’s must-read manifesto that calls for a revolution in how we view, wear, and care for our clothes. With enriching new content, Miss Kayce extends her narrative to delve deeper into circular fashion—an ethos where clothes are designed to last longer, be reused more, and eventually be recycled, reducing the industry’s footprint on our precious planet.

‘I have nothing to wear’

“How many times have we opened our closet full of clothes and said ‘I have nothing to wear’?” Miss Kayce asked. “What makes us think we don’t own enough clothes when we barely have space in our wardrobes anymore?”

Donning an heirloom headscarf gifted by her late mother, a frayed, black denim dress from her go-to ukay store on Instagram, and statement black boots from a local Marikina shoemaker, Miss Kayce explained that this wardrobe brouhaha has a lot to do with our desire to keep up with fast fashion trends and thoughtless shopping choices.

“Hopping on trends triggers us to do impulse buys, then later on we realize these fashion pieces don’t suit us well or that they’re only worn once before we stash them in our closet behind a new pile of clothes,” Miss Kayce explained. “Being chic isn’t about not repeating clothes, but it’s all about choosing pieces that are made to last and can always be worn and paired with other pieces in a new way or repurpose for an entirely different look.”

The Fashion Revolution

Fashion starts with the self.

In this case, Miss Kayce hosted “How to Be a Storyteller”, a fashion revolution global workshop which included a series of design activities for participants.

From writing 10-minute poems to explain stories about their outfits to crafting short stories and characters about circular fashion, these bursts of creative sessions provided a platform for attendees to express their fashion stories in unique and impactful ways.

Attendees, dressed in their expressive best, had an immersive experience on the chic world of clothes, including Miss Kayce’s stories about working in the fashion and styling industry and insider information on the realities of fast fashion and its impact on Mother Earth.

“Fashion, for me, is all about connecting with people–may it be those who create these long-lasting clothes or the clients I style to bring out their best selves,” Miss Kayce said. “I always make it a point to buy from our local designers and sewers, while also accepting that every individual is unique and that I’m here to help them wear clothes that speak their personality and authenticity the most.”

A mini-competition during the activities also rewarded attendees who shared their stories with copies of ‘Always Be Chic’.

Fast-fashion to clothes that last

A spirited Q&A session also offered deep dives into the complex issues of fast fashion including limited clothing options for plus-sized fashionistas and the convenience of shopping online.

“Here in the Philippines, it’s always a challenge to find clothes for plus-sized men and women. This leaves us with no choice but to purchase from fast-fashion apps online. Given this reality, does it mean we can never be sustainable with our fashion choices?“ an attendee asked.

“Purchasing fast-fashion doesn’t entirely mean you can’t be sustainable,” Miss Kayce explained. “It’s not an end-all, be-all where you buy from a fast-fashion app and that’s it, you’re hurting our precious planet and there’s nothing you can do, no.”

So in case you bought a cute top from a fast-fashion app, it’s never too late to still be part of circular fashion.

“What we’re always advocating here is for you to buy clothes that last–whether that’s through rewearing them over and over again or reinventing them to be new fashion pieces that will last in your wardrobe even longer,” Miss Kayce said.

SM Aura Book Nook, located in Level 3 SM Aura, is a community library and learning hub that houses a diverse range of books including a donated copy of “Always Be Chic by Miss Kayce” and other Bookshelf PH titles. The donated copy is free to read along with other book selections.

“Always Be Chic by Miss Kayce” is available in paperback on PaperKat Books and available as an ebook through Bookshelf PH.

Join the next creative book club session with The Write Side of Bookshelf at SM Aura Book Nook this coming May 22, Wednesday, 4pm.