# CONSUMER REPORTS: Lifestyle RX: Lifestyle Effects On Health Including IBS



## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

In the October 2000 Isssue of Consumer Reports, a survey of 46,806 respondents to a health and exercise benefit survey conducted by CU's Staff is reported.Among the "disease conditions" reported is Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Respondents reported whether they had attempted a program involving exercise, dietary modification or both, and what effectt each had on their symptoms for each disease entity, Including IBS.The results are interesting as they are consistent with published reports of success in dietary manipulation in IBS. Over the years, success rates as measured by reduction in symptoms with various approaches to dietary management have ranged from as low as 30% to as high as 70% depending upon methodology and adherence.In the CU study 52% of the IBS respondents reported trying some form of dietary modification to manage their IBS. The results were consistent:Approxiately 2/3 of the "dieters" reported moderate to substantial benefits, and approximaely 1/3 reported little to no benefit. In the category of undelineated "digestive problems" (ie: person did not have a specific diagnosis attached to their chronic digestive dysfunction when reported) 40% reported attempting dietary modification. Of the ones who tried OVER 90% reported moderate to substantial success with dietary modification!The suggestion that causal realationships in chronic digestive dysfunction, including IBS, have little or no basis in diet (foods and additives) would again appear to be counterintutive based upon what the patients themselves report as successful outcomes.30% of the IBS patients reported utilizing an exercis program in their personal disease mangement. Of those, approximatley 2/3 again fet that the incorporation of an exercies regimen was mpderately to substantially beneficial and approximatle 1/3 felt that there was little to no benefit.As is often confirmed in the literature, lifestyle modification including directed dietary and activity-enhancing support at a minimum is reported beneficial to the majority if victims of the syndrome. The more directed the specific modifications to diet can be made to be, the higher the likelihood of success.If this was cancer, it would be hailed as a medical revolution! I guess we are not as glamorous. Anyway it is an interesting report nto only for what it suggests about directed-lifestyle modifications in IBS but in the large number of other conditions where benefits were reported in this survey.To see the whole survey and the charts, one has to become a member, then the url can be accessed: http://www.consumerreports.org/######6e1AY...ts/0010exe0.htm Simpler still, the October issue is on the newstands for $3.50 I believe. besides, if you get it this month you can read about wine, bad airports, oil change shops, windshield wipers, and the new 2001 cars too!MNL_______________ www.leapallergy.com


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