The morning after…

Jerry Seinfeld used to do a bit about Evening Jerry and Morning Jerry. Evening Jerry loved to stay out late, drink too much, and party because he knew that he wouldn’t have to suffer. Morning Jerry, exhausted and hungover, would have to struggle through his day.

Most likely we are all guilty at one time or another of causing our morning selves to pay for the excesses of our nighttime selves. But at least our morning selves know exactly when and how our nighttime selves inflicted this damage on them.

But what about the vices whose effects only show up some considerable time after their indulgence? While many gay men take care of themselves fastidiously, just as many seem to really enjoy their vices and discount their long-term effects. If we engage in these vices everyone tells us we shouldn’t do - smoke, tan, overeat, dance in front of the speakers - how long can we indulge before those behaviors punish us?

“How long does it take to…”

Develop lung cancer from smoking?I fail to understand why people still smoke, but its prevalence in Oklahoma has quit declining - so they must find something they like in it. Lung cancer rates begin to rise when people are in their mid-40s and peak in their 70’s. So, we can calculate that lung cancer usually begins to show up after 20 years or so. Heavy smokers have a 30 percent chance of dying from lung cancer, light smokers, a 9 percent chance. These rates do not include other smoking-related illnesses. For more see bit.ly/gayly01

Develop melanoma skin cancer after too much sun exposure?For many of us, a day in the sun feels great. It’s hard to deny that when you are young a tan is sexy. When you are old this same tan can make you look like an old saddlebag.

The number of factors which go into the onset of skin cancer make this one impossible to estimate with any precision. But the majority of people diagnosed with melanoma are white men over the age of 55. Assume skin damage began in their teenage years. So, in a majority of cases, it takes 30 years or so for melanoma to appear. But there are so many variables, it is hard to generalize. For info see bit.ly/gayly4.

Develop coronary heart disease (CHD) from a fatty diet?Fat figures strongly into the equation of what makes food delicious. The role of dietary fat in heart disease is still controversial. A 2009 meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition stated that there is “no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD….” But, if your LDL is high, your doctor will probably warn you of the risk of heart disease. For info, visit bit.ly/gayly10.

Develop diabetes from gaining too much weight?Research studies have indicated that if a person does not make any lifestyle changes after being diagnosed with prediabetes, then he or she has approximately a 50 percent chance of developing type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years.

Prediabetes means that your blood sugar is between 100 and 125 as determined by a fasting plasma glucose test. What is considered overweight to increase your chance of diabetes is pretty strict. Google “standard weight” for tables that calculate if you are overweight. Check for info: bit.ly/gayly16.

Develop hearing loss from loud music?Most of us love loud music. The rate of hearing loss is determined not only by the duration of exposure to loud music but also by the peak sound levels experienced. Approximately 15 percent of Americans between 20 and 69 have hearing loss that may have been caused by exposure to noise at work or in leisure activities. As many as 16 percent of teens (ages 12 to 19) have reported some hearing loss. Sounds of less than 75 decibels (dB), even after long exposure, are unlikely to cause hearing loss.

Normal talking occurs at 40-60 dB. A loud concert can reach 110-120 dB, more if you are directly in front of the speakers. See bit.ly/gayly12.

So, what’s the lesson here? Unlike an alcohol hangover, other indulgences do not catch up with you the next morning. This delayed response time allows us to cultivate the illusion that we may not have to pay for them. But, sooner than you would like in many cases, that morning does eventually come.

by Tom Spector
Op-Ed

Copyright The Gayly - 11/30/2016 @ 11:15 a.m. CST. All rights reserved.