Q: Is it better to let my kids eat their Halloween candy all at once, or should I give it to them a little every day? Which is the least harmful to their health and their teeth? My children are two and four.
A:Of course, none of that junk food is good for your children, but you would be fighting a losing battle if you deprived them of their Halloween candy. You could always help out by eating some of it yourself.
Technically speaking, it is less damaging to the teeth if a person eats a lot of candy in one go, rather than spreading it out daily for several weeks. Of course, the downside of giving them the candy all at once is that they would probably get sick. You will have to compromise.
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On the lighter side, Dr. Allan Hirsch, a neurologist at the Smell and Taste Research Foundation in Chicago, Ill., has been able to identify different personality types associated with junk food preferences. His study involved giving psychological tests to 800 people over an eight-year period. He found that:
- Potato chip lovers were
ambitious, high achievers.
- Tortilla chip lovers were perfectionists and conservative.
- Pretzel lovers were energetic, bored by the usual routine.
- Cracker lovers were shy and thoughtful.
- Cheese curl lovers were formal and conscientious.
- Meat snack lovers were social and sometimes too trusting.
He didn’t study chocolate addiction, but other studies have shown women crave it more than men.
Emergency treatment
Q:I am a farmer and I keep some antibiotics on hand to treat my pigs and other animals. In the case of an anthrax exposure, would it be OK to take these drugs?
A: I am aware some farmers treat themselves for various ailments using veterinary products. I have even heard of some people using dewormers. However, it is not recommended, because you do not know what illness you are suffering from without a proper examination and diagnosis by a doctor. Also, the purity may not be up to human standards.
Dosages for dogs and cats can vary. Dogs, I believe, need several times the human dose. Pigs are probably the closest to humans in their physiological makeup, so in a dire emergency, such as a run on antibiotics at the pharmacy caused by panic, you could use the pig dosage of penicillin or tetracycline. You would have to give the correct amount for your weight in kilograms, according to the label on the bottle, and be sure that you are not allergic to either drug.
