Over the last few days, I’ve been noticing a lot more public service announcements about the dangers of smoking (some of them are so graphic I could barely watch). I’m not a smoker, but I can’t imagine a smoker not being scared to death after seeing some of these. And today, the Food and Drug Administration announced that new (larger and more graphic) warning labels will be mandatory on all cigarette packaging. If you haven’t seen them yet, this Associated Press news video shows them…
I actually think this is something that really could work. I think these images have a lot of potential to increase the number of people who want to quit smoking, and I also think they will serve as a strong deterrent to anyone who might be considering starting.
Health News: In the last few days we have been hearing a lot about the possibility of our cell phones actually causing brain cancer. But how much truth is in such a statement? Well, the answer is much more complicated than you might think.
I found a video from the Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society, and I think his explanation about this latest study is both informative and easy to understand.
There is a lot of stigma and misinformation surrounding eating disorders, and I imagine the biggest misconception about eating disorders is that it’s somehow the patient’s fault…But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Since this week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I thought I would dedicating this post to providing as much information and facts about this disease as possible.
Mission: Our aim of NEDAwareness Week is to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment. Eating disorders are serious, life-threatening illnesses — not choices — and it’s important to recognize the pressures, attitudes and behaviors that shape the disorder.
This year, NEDA asked everyone to do just one thing to help raise awareness and provide accurate information about eating disorders.
So how do we turn the mass of misinformation around? We educate ourselves. We learn what the latest research has to say and listen to the voices of recovery. We keep our ears, eyes, minds, and hearts open. And once we have educated ourselves, we talk.
Here are some the the facts and statistics about eating disorders.
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness
A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover
The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 – 24 years old.
20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems
In honor of NEDA Week, I wanted to talk about the common obstacles on the road to eating disorder recovery and how individuals can overcome these obstacles.
If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, know that you can absolutely recover. It’s normal to experience setbacks and challenges. Everyone does.
Here is a very informative video about the facts about eating Disorders, with Lynn Grefe, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association…
A few weeks ago my daughter and I were at the mall doing some back-to-school shopping and walked by a kiosk selling what looked like cigarettes. We both thought it was odd, but we assumed it must be some type of “quit smoking” devise. But, on the way out we actually saw a man demonstrating this product which looked exactly like a cigarette (including the smoke). I have to admit, it was very strange seeing someone smoke in a mall, you just don’t see that anymore (except for right outside the mall). As we walked by I noticed a sign that claimed it was a “clean” way to smoke. At the time we just rolled our eyes at the ridiculousness of it all, and wondered why anyone would want to pay money for something that looked like a cigarette but wasn’t?
Fast forward to a few days ago when I was asked to write a post about the controversy surrounding the e-cigarette. I hadn’t heard of an e-cigarette, but after researching it, I realized it was the same thing we saw being sold at the mall.
After reading more about e-cigarettes, I have mixed feelings about their benefits. On one hand, the manufacturers of the e-cigarettes are claiming they only want to give smokers an easier way to quit smoking. But on the other hand, they are marketing the product by glamorizing a new “cleaner” way to smoke. So what is it? It’s clear the real motivation (as always) is in making money, not so much the health or best interest of the consumer. And that’s why I’m happy to hear that the FDA is cracking down on these “questionable” products.
For every person who watches the trailer, Showtime will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to the American Cancer Society…
Join the American Cancer Society and Showtime’s The Big C in the movement to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. In the new series on the pay-cable network, actress Laura Linney stars as Cathy Jamison, a reserved, stifled, Minneapolis schoolteacher who receives the life-changing news that she has cancer. From that moment on, she decides to make some drastic, long-overdue adjustments to the way she is living her life. The Big C premieres at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Monday, August 16 on Showtime.
You can learn more about The Big C and help the American Cancer Society save lives from cancer by watching this exclusive trailer for the show. For every person who watches the trailer, Showtime will donate $1 (up to $25,000) to the American Cancer Society to help people stay well and get well, to find cures, and to fight back against a disease that has already taken too much. Together, we can make a world with less cancer and more birthdays a reality!
Would you take a pill that promised to make you smarter? That could help you do better on tests? Give you the energy to be more productive? Make you feel more alert?
It is possible, but not without risks.
What are smart drugs?
Smart drugs are really just prescription stimulants (Dexedrine, Adderall, Ritalin, Concerta) that have been used to successfully treat attention deficit disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) for many years now. However, when a person without one of these medical conditions takes these drugs, it’s basically a prescription “upper” that gives the user a feeling of being able to conquer any task, along with the ability to stay up longer to complete it.
There is another class of drugs known as eugeroics (ie: Provigil) that work to block chemicals in the brain that cause fatigue and in-turn provide the user with a feeling of alertness. These medications were originally used to treat narcolepsy, and excessive sleepiness due to medical conditions or shift-work.
You can see why college students are gravitating to these drugs, but do they give them an unfair advantage over students that aren’t using them?
It’s important to remember that these are addictive narcotics with many dangerous side effects. Even so, students and professionals are still using them to get an edge over their competition.
Last week, we heard that Gwyneth Paltrow was diagnosed with osteopenia (a precursor to osteoporosis).
Osteopenia is the term used for bone density that falls somewhere between less than normal and osteoporosis. People with osteopenia have a greater chance of developing osteporosis, a bone disease which leads to an increased risk of fractures.
Paltrow was told by her doctors that her vitamin D levels were extremely low. Because vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium into our bones, a vitamin D deficiency is the likely cause of her early diagnosis of osteopenia. Many people are wondering if Paltrow’s strict dieting habits (she is an 11-year follower of the macrobiotic diet) could be partially responsible for her current condition. She has now been put on prescription strength vitamin D to hopefully aid in her calcium absorption and prevent the onset of osteoporosis.
This week the Choose You Blog is focusing on the topic of relieving stress and finding peace. My contribution to this cause comes from several different posts I’ve done over the past few years.
These are posts I’ve done on the many different ways we can reduce stress in our lives.
Did you know laughing is good for reducing stress?
Diet and exercise are important for good health, but did you know laughter is too? If you want to be as healthy as you can be, than laughter needs to be part of your healthy living regimen. Is it?
Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases infection fighting antibodies. It increases our attentiveness, heart rate, and pulse.
People who laugh heartily on a regular basis have lower standing blood pressure than the average person. When people have a good laugh, initially the blood pressure increases, but then it decreases to levels below normal. Breathing then becomes deeper which sends oxygen enriched blood and nutrients throughout the body.
Laughter, along with an active sense of humor, may help protect you against a heart attack, according to the study at the University of Maryland Medical Center (cited above). The study, which is the first to indicate that laughter may help prevent heart disease, found that people with heart disease were 40 percent less likely to laugh in a variety of situations compared to people of the same age without heart disease.
May is Lupus Awareness Month, and even though it’s the end of the month, I wanted to do my part to bring more attention to this devastating disease and some of the brave women living and blogging with it.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects many more women than men. In fact, ninety percent of people who develop Lupus are women. The scary part about Lupus is that it can damage any organ in the body (including the heart, kidneys, lungs, blood, joints, and skin) causing life-threatening complications.
The most common symptoms of lupus are: extreme fatigue or exhaustion, headaches, painful or swollen joints, fever, a butterfly-shaped rash across cheeks and nose, sun- or light-sensitivity, and hair loss.
Approximately two-thirds of people with lupus will develop some type of skin complication. This often is in the form of a rash or sores, most of which will appear on sun-exposed areas, such as face, ears, neck, arms, and legs.
There is no single laboratory test that can determine whether a person does or does not have lupus. Diagnosing lupus involves analyzing the results of several lab tests that are used to monitor the immune system, along with a review of the person’s entire medical history.
Systemic lupus is the most common type of lupus. Systemic lupus can affect any organ system of the body, including the heart, kidneys, lungs, blood, joints, and skin.
In lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances, such as viruses or bacteria, and the body’s healthy tissue. The result is the production of auto-antibodies that attack healthy tissue.
Since many symptoms of lupus mimic those of other illnesses, lupus often can take three to five years to diagnose. Symptoms of lupus can come and go over time, which makes a definite diagnosis more difficult.
There are many courageous women living and blogging with Lupus, and May is the perfect time to check out their blogs and show them some love and support. If you know a woman blogging with Lupus please share their link in comments.
Did you know that 57.7 million Americans suffer with mental illness? That’s 1 in 4 of us. Chances are, if you’re not one of those four, you most likely know someone who is. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve had my bouts with depression and anxiety over the years. Thankfully, I always recognized when I needed to reach out for help, and when I did, I got it.
But because of the stigma associated with it, it’s not always easy for people to reach out for help. That’s why it is so important to shed light on this issue and help eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and on May 18th bloggers were encouraged to come together through a Blog Party and help bring awareness to the issue of mental health. The goal was to help educate the public, decrease stigma, and to discuss strategies for making lasting lifestyle changes to promote overall health and wellness.
Take a little time and visit some of the blogs that participated in the Mental Health Blog Party…
My name is Catherine Morgan...I'm a writer, nurse, and mother. I'm also a contributing editor for BlogHer Health & Wellness.
Welcome to my blog...I write a little bit of everything with an emphasis on healthy living, inspiration, nutrition, and health news. I hope you'll find topics that interest you here, and I would love to know what you think in comments. Thanks for stopping by.
