Blog #12 Women Need More Mental Health Support

Women take on a lot of responsibilities and often multi-task to get things done. Having so much pressure placed upon them usually caused them to stress out. This affects their quality of life and productivity, and stops them playing a full part in family life and their communities. Women need more mental health support than they are receiving. research by Platform 51 has shown that a third of women have taken antidepressants at some point in their lives, while one in four women currently taking antidepressants have been on them for 10 years or more. It seems like so much is expected out of a woman, as if she is supposed to be a superwoman and tackle everything on her own. Sometimes I even feel that way myself, that is not healthy; everyone needs a little help every now and again. 44% of women take time off work as a result of mental health problems and one in four stay off for at least a week. Work can be very stressful and although we have to work to make end meet just a little support from someone close to us can make our mental status stronger.

Women are such strong individuals and can tackle many things at once, but sometimes the work load needs to be passed to someone else. Stress and being depressed from work and other obligations is neither healthy nor good.  Also antidepressants aren’t the best option because they can cause suicidal thoughts or tendencies. So when stressed or depressed just take a minute and breathe and remember that it is ok to ask for help but go about it in the right way.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/nov/17/women-mental-health-support?INTCMP=SRCH

Blog #11 Driving Drowsy is as Dangerous as Driving Drunk

We all know the symptoms of being drowsy, eyelids begin to droop, head and body begins to feel heavy, and you just can’t stop yawning. In our society many people don’t have regular sleeping patterns. Trying to juggle work, have a social life, and free time to ourselves seem impossible to fit in a 24 hour day. So we try to find extra hours by cutting down on our sleeping hours. This week is Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, and numerous organizations such as the National Sleep Foundation and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety are trying to get this topic out to society. According to a recent poll conducted by the AAA Foundation stated that a large percentage of Americans drive under the influence of sleep. A  NSF poll of approximately 1,000 people found that 60% of drivers, or about 168 million people, admitted that they had driven while sleepy in the preceding year; and 37% confessed that they had actually fallen asleep behind the wheel. These are very scary statistics, driving while drowsy is almost as bad as driving while drunk. If driving while drowsy your reaction rate is slowed down just as much as people who are drunk; people who fall asleep behind the wheel are not only putting themselves in danger but also other drivers in danger. When sleep the body is not alert at all so that can allow for anything to happen.

Educating people on the dangers of drowsy driving is a key step in prevention. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 100,000 crashes that are reported to the police each year as the direct result of fatigue and sleepiness. If more people become educated on this matter and actually see the statistics of how many people drive while drowsy and how many crashes occur as a result of doing so, then I believe most people will think twice before getting behind the wheel while drowsy.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/09/driving-drowsy-as-dangerous-as-driving-drunk-studies-show/?hpt=he_c2

Blog #10 Debunking the Myth of the 'Freshman 15'

Just about everyone has heard of the “freshman 15”, the notion where you gain fifteen pounds your first year of college. This is proven to be a myth according to a study from Ohio State University. The first mention of the phenomenon in the popular press appeared in 1989 in an article in Seventeen Magazine. So that means almost everyone has believed that myth for twenty-two years. Well if you think about it, in college there is a lot of late night snacking, unlimited dining hall food, and excessive drinking which can encourage weight gain. According to the study, students gained about two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half pounds, which is nowhere near fifteen pounds. Even over their entire college careers, students didn't gain fifteen pounds. The study found that in four years, women gained a median 6.5 pounds and men gained 12.1 pounds. "The typical student is not going to get fat," says Jay Zagorsky. This is quite true, although a lot of food maybe consumed a lot of it will be burned off from walking to classes that are spread far apart from one another.

The freshman fifteen is a myth that most freshman including myself believed to be true at one point and time. Fifteen pounds is a lot of weight to put on in one year and is almost nearly impossible to happen. If the right foods are eaten and exercising is being done then there shouldn’t be a thought of gaining fifteen pounds. Some people actually lose weight their first year of college. With all the back and forth to classes and studying sometimes I forget or just don’t have the time to eat. The freshman fifteen should be left at just a myth because gaining fifteen pounds in one year is just unlikely.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/02/debunking-the-myth-of-the-freshman-15/?hpt=he_c2

Blog #9 Surprising Halloween Health Hazards

I’m aware that you must know Halloween can be fun and risky. We often hear the tips: don’t accept candy that is already unwrapped, and stay in well-lit areas. But in addition to these, there are some dangers that are less obvious. Here are some surprising hazards to keep an eye out for on Halloween.  “Heart attack” licorice: Consuming too much black licorice may cause abnormal heartbeats, or arrhythmias, particularly in order adults, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Black licorice contains the compound glycyrrhizin, which can cause the body's potassium levels to fall. Potassium is a mineral essential to maintain proper health, in other words consuming lots of black licorice sucks the nutrients right out of the body.  Flying eggs: Eggs thrown around Halloween time can cause severe eye injuries; some of the injuries include blood in the front of the eye, scratches to the cornea and retinal swelling. This is something serious to think about. While trying to get a laugh by throwing an egg at someone’s house your aim may be off and the egg can hit someone and they could suffer from the injuries listed above. Lead contamination in toys: Paint used to cover Halloween candy buckets and even fake teeth may be contaminated with lead, according to a 2008 study in the journal Science of the Total Environment. This is the most important hazard, because most children carry around Halloween buckets and also put fake teeth in their mouth. Lead poison can be deadly if too much of it gets into the body.

Halloween can be a very exciting time for the young and the old. Kids enjoy trick or treating, teens enjoying pranking or egging houses and adults enjoy giving out candy. Now as I presented these hazards, I feel that it is important to take these into consideration because now we know some of the hazards. Everything can’t be done all at once to change the dangers of Halloween but small things can be done. For example just looking through your child’s or little brother/sister’s candy to make sure it’s safe is a start. So on this Halloween not only enjoy yourself, but also be safe.

http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/surprising-halloween-hazards-2055/

Blog #8 Americans are Consuming too Much Sodium

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American children and adults consume eighty-eight percent more sodium per day than the amount recommended by federal dietary guidelines. It is recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that adults and teens consume 2,300 milligrams daily; but the average intake is 3,513 milligrams which is fifty-three percent above the suggested limit. It’s not always easy to figure out what foods have a lot of sodium in them, because some foods have hidden sodium in them. Can vegetables are an example of foods with hidden sodium, the juice that it sits in to stay fresh is filled with sodium, in which will be consumed unless you rinse the vegetables off thoroughly. The subpopulations which include people over 50; blacks; and those with high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease make up nearly half of the population. It is recommended that the subpopulation limit their sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams a day. Researchers aren’t surprised about these data findings, Janelle Peralez Gunn says health officials “have work to do” on educating the public about the dangers of excess sodium.

I’m pretty sure that everyone including myself at some point exceeded too much sodium in one day by trying to add a little zest of seasoning to improve our food. All of that sodium isn’t good for our bodies; too much sodium can cause high blood pressure, heart attack, or strokes. I feel that we as a society should become more educated on the harmful effects that sodium can cause our bodies. By educating ourselves we won’t have to suffer from the harmful effects or we won’t have to see someone in our families suffer from harmful effects of sodium.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/20/cdc-americans-consume-too-much-sodium/?hpt=he_c2

blog #7 Food for Thought: Eat Slower, Eat Less

Losing weight can be a very hard task; it involves exercising and eating the right foods. On the subject of eating, while eating slow down and really get the taste of the food. The slower you eat the less you will eat and feel full faster. Research shows that people who eat less consume fewer calories and weigh less than people who rush through their meals. According to Kathleen Melanson (director of the university’s Energy Balance Laboratory), “Faster eaters take larger bite sizes and chew less before swallowing”. Eating slower allows enjoyment and fullness to enter the brain before too much food is consumed. Mireille Guiliano suggest to eat “with all your senses and in no less than 20 minutes, which is the time required for the brain to interpret the satiety signal”. To slow down your eating rate select food that are high in fiber such as apples, pears, carrots, broccoli and air-popped popcorn. Foods high in fiber take more time to chew which will ultimately slow us down while eating. Also focus on the meal while eating, don’t try to watch the television while eating. If you do so most of your attention will be focused on the TV and not on the meal, which will allow you to carelessly eat.

If we take the time to savor our food and slowly eat it, then everyone’s healthy weigh will be maintained. Eating fast confuses the brain on whether your full or not, which also us to eat and eat until we are stuffed. There is not a reason to rush and eat; the food isn’t going anywhere so we should all just take our time. Also eating the right foods and slowly eating them can lessen the change of obesity, because eating slow does away with greedily eating which causes obesity.

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/8056070-423/food-for-thought-eat-slower-eat-less.html

Dangers of Driving While Alcohol Impaired

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), four million adults drove drunk last year. States in the Midwestern part of the country had the highest numbers of drunk drivers. Four out of five drivers were men and 85% involved binge drinkers. Drunk driving is a very dangerous and heinous crime that puts everyone on the road at a high risk for death. Nearly 11,000 people are killed each year in car accidents that involve alcohol impaired drivers. Drunk drivers have a blood alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 %. This would be about four drinks in one hour for a 160-pound man or three drinks over two hours for a 120-pound woman. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women during a short time period. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are developing possible solutions to drunk driving. Two of the solutions are sobriety checkpoints and ignition interlocks. These to solutions help prevent previous offenders from drinking while driving again. If these two solutions could be put in to action more effectively by authority figures in communities then thousands of lives would be saved as a result.

Driving while alcohol impaired is far too common in society today. Too many innocent people are dying in accidents involving alcohol. I feel that people driving while alcohol impaired should not just go to jail, but also have to get a harder sentence than they usually do. Allowing offenders  to come out of jail on probation and do community service may not be enough to get them to understand that driving while drunk is a very serious and can be fatal.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/04/cdc-men-binge-drinkers-drive-drunk-most-often/?hpt=he_c2

New Step to Fighting Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity affect many children in the world today, seventy percent of children who are obese will stay obese in their adult years. Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH stated “Over the last three decades, obesity rates among children and adolescents have nearly tripled. Obese children are more likely to have asthma, depression, diabetes, and other serious and costly health problems”. These are serious health problems that a child should not have. Most children who are obese are minorities and from low income families. In the family if the mother and/or father doesn’t have a stable income then the child will be more than likely eaten junk food or fast food rather than healthy balanced meals. Many diseases linked to childhood obesity can be prevented as a result of being educated on the matter, and giving a child healthy food alternatives. Today the Center for Disease Control (CDC) made new efforts in fighting childhood obesity by launching successful elements of primary and public care. The Affordable Care Act made twenty-five million dollars available for the CDC to work on the four-year Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project. This four year project is meant to support children's healthy eating and active living and help combat childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity is a major health problem and should not be taken lightly. Many parents buy their children countless junk food, which will give that child the satisfaction at that moment. In the long run it could harm the kid’s health if too much is consumed. Nothing is healthy for anyone if done in large amounts. Everything should be done in moderation. That goes for food as well, if children continue to overeat and constantly junk on snack they will become that much closer to childhood obesity.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/235311.php

Blog #4 Overeating? Try switching hands

Overeating is a major problem that affects both the young and old in our society. It can start with a single potato chip and once the potato chip excites your taste buds it is only natural to eat and eat until the whole bag is gone. Mindless eating can become a habit when people act blissfully and shove food into their mouth until a full feeling in their stomach is formed. Experts are saying while eating switch hands use your non-dominant hand. According to one study conducted at the University of Southern California, People who snacked using their non-dominant hands reduced about 30% of their total intake, compared with those using their dominant hands. Also according to David Neal, “If people disrupt the physical sequence of action that is in automatic eating, that’s one way to gain some control”. In other words, inconvenience yourself a little while eating so that you can ask yourself “am I really this hungry or am I overeating”? If you try to use your opposite hand at somewhere like a banquet or a fancy restaurant may cause an awkward atmosphere. So try to be more practical, while snacking in front of the TV try using your non-dominant hand while eating. This might feel awkward to you at first but it will help to reduce overeating.

Overeating is a major issue; many people spend hundreds and thousands of dollars to reverse their bad eating habits. Why spend all that money when just using your non-dominant hand while eating has been proven to reduce how much people eat.  Though spending hundreds and thousands of dollars to reverse bad eating habits may sound better, if you think about it it’s not. You can spend all the money in the world to reverse a bad eating habit, but if you don’t work on changing that eating habit you will just be right back at square one.

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/20/overeating-which-hand-are-you-using/?hpt=he_c2

Blog #3 Debate on HPV vaccination

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexual transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer. It is also the second leading cause of female cancer mortality worldwide. To prevent the human papillomavirus two different shots are offered and they must be taken in three different doses over a six month time lapse. Those shots are Gardasil and Cervarix. Since 2006, 19 state legislatures have attempted to pass legislation that would mandate HPV shots for school. For years schools offered the HPV vaccination, but parents have the ability to allow their child to opt out. Parents usually opt out of letting their child receive the vaccination because of the ongoing debate on whether childhood vaccinations were linked to autism or other diseases. Most people feel the vaccination is unsafe not based on facts, but based on personal views and opinions. During a debate on HPV Rep. Michele Bachmann said parents told her that the vaccine had made their children sick. This is a personal view, there possibly could have been other factors that made their children sick not just the HPV vaccine alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also spoke on the issue of the HPV vaccine, “studies of the vaccine showed no serious side effects, but common, mild side effects included pain where the shot was given, fever, headache, and nausea.”

The HPV vaccination is a great way to prevent cervical cancer in both females and males. Most females receive the vaccination when they are in their upper teens. Since the vaccination is being offered in schools to middle school aged children, parents should allow their child to get the vaccine. The vaccine is safe, because the CDC provide reliable information ensuring that. I have received the HPV vaccine myself and I didn’t experience any side effects. This is a great step in the reduction of cervical cancer. Even though people fail to realize that now, maybe they will in the near future.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/14/the-five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-hpv-debate/?hpt=he_c2

Poor Antiretroviral Supplies in Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, Africa the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) kills thousands by attacking the immune system. The deaths of children range from six thousand to seven thousand. The country has the antiretroviral treatment, but it is only offered to fifteen year olds on up. As a result, that leaves the children younger than fifteen to face a slow agonizing death.  AIDS is not only transmitted through bodily fluids during sexual intercourse, it can also be transmitted through a women’s breast milk. When the mother feeds the infant her breast milk, another innocent life becomes subjected to AIDS. According to Dr. Peter Salama, "It is important to have an early infant diagnosis as 50 percent of those children not tested will not be able to reach the age of two." Last year Zimbabwe could provide only thirty percent of children with the paediatric ART. This was less than the regional average. The lack of advanced technology in Zimbabwe, Africa is the major reason why AIDS is so prevalent. Technology is most definitely important when testing children, because testing children is much more complicating than testing adults. Children require instant infant diagnosis. Zimbabwe is in need of better laboratory equipment and infrastructure. This can quickly determine the results of the HIV/AIDS test so they can begin the treatment process for the children. Dr.Peter Salama is hoping by next year that this issue of paediatric ART will be prioritized on round 11 of the Global Fund.

Zimbabwe, Africa should be provided with the correct and proper research tools needed in the process of finding AIDS. By having the proper equipment, children will be able to receive treatment before it’s too late. Every life is precious and should be long lived.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201109080227.html

Blog 1: Firefighters at higher risk of cancer

The bombing of the World Trade Center affected millions of people; among those are the firefighters who risked their life in order to save lives. The firefighters who put their lives on the line are now at 19 percent higher risk of getting cancer from exposure to toxic fumes. The cancer varies; the most common of those are skin cancer, prostate, thyroid, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.  According to Dr. David Prezant, there is a direct link from the exposure of the pollutants to make cancer biologically plausible. The burning of the World Trade Center produced contaminants in the dust which are known as carcinogens; and breathing up those carcinogens created a higher risk of getting cancer for the firefighters. Although these firefighters are at the risk of cancer, they are still gain the recognition of being heroes. These firefighters ran into the collapsing World Trade Center saving twenty to thirty thousand people. Firefighters have smelled different fumes from fires before, but the firefighters repeatedly said the World Trade Center smelled different than any fire before.

In this day and time will live in a cancer stricken society due to biologically factors and bad habits. It is very unfortunate that the firefighters whom saved the lives of thousands may have to live with cancer as a result. No one should have to walk around and wonder “what’s going to happen to me?” Lots of studies are being conducted as of now to lower the firefighter’s risk of getting cancer; because saving one life should not mean another life has to come to an end as a result.

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/02/world-trade-centre-rescuers-health-risk?INTCMP=SRCH