Dr. Steve: Avastin - New Breast Cancer Drug & Obesity Is More Dangerous Than Terrorists

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7:00am Segment Info:
There's a lot of concern these days about terrorism, but at a recent international meeting experts agreed that obesity and other lifestyle changes are actually more of a problem... Killing millions of people each year. They want issues like poor diet, smoking and lack of exercise to take top priority in the fight against chronic diseases. An estimated 388 million people will die from chronic disease worldwide over the next 10 years, according to world health organization.

Why don't these issues get the attention and the funding they need?

WATCH THE VIDEO & GET MORE INFO AFTER THE JUMP

It doesn't seem to connect with people as something that's urgent. For instance, they noted at the meeting that in the u-s presidency race there hasn't been any talk about the obesity crisis.. What that costs, and how for the first time since we've been keeping life expectancy records this crisis may actually shorten the average lifespan of an entire generation. Not to mention chronic diseases like heart and lung disease, diabetes obesity and cancer can bankrupt a healthcare system and sicken a healthy economy.

In other news, a new drug has been approved for breast cancer treatment.

That's right, in a surprise move the drug Avastin received federal approval to treat breast cancer. This was a surprise because the FDA voted against the recommendations of its advisory panel. That's because they judged its effectiveness against tumor growth not patient survival.

Will this make a big difference for patients?

Not really, Avastin has already been used "off-label." That's where doctors use an already FDA approved drug for something other than its intended use. Avastin was already approved for lung and colon cancer. It was being used "off label" for breast cancer. Where you will see a difference is in insurance coverage. In Europe Avastin was already approved for breast cancer. It works by blocking nutrients from reaching tumors.

8:00am Segment Info:
1. Vincent from the Bronx asks: I've heard you shouldn't freeze plastic water bottles because dioxins are released. True or false?

Vincent, I believe that's false. There's no legitimate study that I’ve seen demonstrating that freezing plastic water bottles releases dioxins. In fact, cold temperatures usually inhibit the release of chemicals. There have been some concerns about heating plastic bottles, which could release a chemical called bisphenol-a or BPA. So I would not recommend heating a plastic water bottle.

2. Sabrina from NYC asks: I've been trying to gain weight. I keep eating but have not gained a pound. What can I do?

Sabrina, it can be really tough for some people to gain weight. In most cases hard gainers have a fast metabolism. They also tend to be younger. If you're healthy i recommend you start counting the amount of calories you eat every day and add 500 more, but eat healthy. Stay away from fat. Drink plenty of water and instead of eating 3 meals a day, eat 5 or 6. Finally, get to the gym. Lifting weights can help you add weight. You should only add 1 to 2 pounds a week at the most.

3. David from NYC asks: Is it possible to have too many fruits in your diet?

Too much of anything, even a healthy thing, can be bad for you. Fruit has about 80 to 100 calories per serving because it's high in natural sugar. If you have 5 servings a day that's 500 calories, you're only supposed to get between 1800 and 2000 calories a day. Instead of overeating the fruit try switching it out for some vegetables. You'll get more fiber and fewer calories.