State Health Department gets diabetes prevention funding; will focus on prediabetes detection and lifestyle changes

The state Department for Public Health has been awarded a $134,380 federal grant to help reduce high rates of prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes in Kentucky.

“Diabetes is a tremendous public health concern that is both horrific for the individual, if unmanaged, and costly in terms of medications, various complications and long-term hospitalizations that are so often associated with the disease,” Audrey Haynes, secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in a press release.

In 2009, Kentucky's rate for diagnosed diabetes was the fourth highest in the nation at 11.4 percent of the population, compared to a national median of 8.3 percent. The rate means an estimated 366,000 adults in Kentucky have diabetes. An additional 266,000 Kentuckians are estimated to have prediabetes, according to the CFHS website.

Prediabetes often leads to Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, within a few years, but lifestyle changes promoted by the federal Diabetes Prevention Program can decrease the risk of developing diabetes by almost 60 percent, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine.

“We must act now to begin reversing the devastating impact of diabetes on our state,” Haynes said. “We are excited to continue our work with the Diabetes Prevention Program to help more Kentuckians start making healthier lifestyle choices so they can avoid developing diabetes and lead longer, healthier lives.”

The DPP specifically targets individuals with prediabetes and works with them to reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. The risk factors for both are: being older than 45, being overweight or obese, physical inactivity, having a family history of diabetes, ever having gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol, having a history of cardiovascular disease and being African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Asian American or Pacific Islander. Click here to take the diabetes risk test.

The federal Centers for Disease Control estimates that national efforts to prevent Type 2 diabetes could save $5.7 billion in health care costs by preventing 885,000 cases in the next 25 years. Kentucky will focus on three diabetes prevention strategies that involve raising awareness among health care providers to improve detection and treatment of prediabetes and encouraging both state/local government and business to add lifestyle change programs to the list of covered services under health plans, says the news release. (Read more about diabetes and prevention in Kentucky).

Spotlight on Men's Health

Erica Moss is the community manager for Georgetown University's online MSN degree program. She also enjoys blogging, TV and pop culture.

Maintaining a sound mind and sound body is an ever-present challenge for both men and women, but the lack of awareness around the topic of men's health is a disturbing reality. Maintaining a proper diet and exercise is not an easy task, but a surprising number of men don't have the basic facts about the most common risks to their health, and to change that, we need more education around this important issue.

The Problem

More than half of all premature deaths among men are preventable, according to the infographic below. Causes of preventable death include smoking, obesity, alcohol and drug use, and some types of cancer (such as testicular cancer, which can be treated effectively if detected early). Men are also less likely than women to take advantage of the health care resources that they have access.

Via Nurse Practitioner Programs and Nursing License Map

This potentially fatal tendency not to address health problems when the opportunity presents itself might be rooted in ignorance or in the cultural belief that it is unmanly to admit weakness or seek help from others. Either way, it leads to needless complications and, unfortunately, deaths.

Education

The fact that so many men's deaths are preventable can be seen as an enormous opportunity as well as an enormous tragedy. By educating the public about the most common risks to men's health and making health care resources available to everyone, it would be possible to extend the lives of an enormous number of people. Such initiatives could cover things that men can easily do themselves, such as regular testicular self-exams.

They could also make clear the necessity of seeing a doctor regularly and recognizing the early warning signs of heart attacks, which two-thirds of men do not respond to by seeking professional help.

Additional aspects of men's health education could focus on making informed decisions about everyday risk factors, like eating healthy and exercising regularly. It is common sense that men who are aware of the nutritional content of their food are more likely to choose foods that will not put them at risk of diabetes or obesity later in life, but, unfortunately, some men also choose to take risks. Such dangerous and rigid ideas about gender also need to be a part of our national conversation about men's health.

The importance of education on this issue is clear: It saves lives.

Update on Obesity

Sarah Fudin currently works in community relations for the George Washington University's online MPH degree, which provides prospective students the ability to earn an online Masters degree in Public Health. Outside of work Sarah enjoys running, reading and all things education.

Americans have been increasingly concerned about weight gain in recent years, and with good reason. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three Americans is obese, making it common to speak of obesity as an epidemic a widespread problem that affects the society as a whole rather than an affliction of individuals who make poor eating decisions.

Who is Obese?

The obesity rate has fallen slightly in recent years and appears to have stabilized among children, but obesity does not affect all portions of the population equally. Obesity disproportionately affects those who with less money and education, as well as women. And obesity affects earning power and other forms of opportunity in turn: The obese earn as much as 18 percent less than those of "normal weight," according to a recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report. In light of these considerations, taxing unhealthy food an approach adopted by Denmark, Hungary, France and Finland is problematic because it puts the economic burden of obesity on those most directly disadvantaged by it.

Healthy Eating Begins in Childhood

According to Margo Wootan of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the trick to reducing obesity is to change the way that children eat. Wootan says that by serving healthier lunches in schools and removing vending machines, we can habituate children to healthier eating. She also suggests that part of the problem is that 80 percent of food marketing aimed at children advertises unhealthy food an argument that recalls the controversy around cigarettes being marketed to children. Children who learn to eat healthfully are likely to remain healthy throughout their lives, while those who don't will face an uphill battle.

Preventing the development of obesity in children has been a common goal of many anti-obesity strategies. While such strategies may not produce the quick results that many of us would like to see, they could produce much healthier generations of adults in the years to come.

A Strategy for Prevention

The Institute of Medicine recently released a new strategy for preventing obesity in the United States. The strategy addresses the obesity epidemic from multiple angles, including restrictions on marketing unhealthy food to children, increasing the amount of physical exercise mandated in schools, making healthier food available to children in restaurants and using doctors to disseminate information and advice about healthy eating.

While obesity is a deep-rooted problem that isn't likely to disappear overnight, we can take steps to prevent it from spreading and to eventually reverse the trend. It seems clear that no easy answer or single strategy will solve the problem of obesity in our society, just as drastic dietary changes tend to produce temporary results for individuals. But approaching the problem from several different angles at once does seem more likely to produce results.

Common beliefs about obesity and weight loss found to be myths

Think going to gym class drives weight loss, or that breastfeeding protects a child from obesity? Think again, because these are among seven popular myths about obesity myths, according to an international team of researchers.

The seven popular but largely inaccurate beliefs, which lead to poor policy decisions, inaccurate public-health recommendations and wasted resources, were identified by the team led by David Allison, associate dean for science in the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Here are the seven myths:

• Myth 1: Small, sustained changes in how many calories we take in or burn will accumulate to produce large weight changes over the long term.
Fact: Small changes in calorie intake or expenditure do not accumulate indefinitely. Changes in body mass eventually cancel out the change in calorie intake or burning.

• Myth 2: Setting realistic goals in obesity treatment is important. Otherwise, patients become frustrated and lose less weight.
Fact: Some data suggest that people do better with more ambitious goals.

• Myth 3: Gradually losing weight is better than quickly losing pounds. Quick weight losses are more likely to be regained.
Fact: People who lose more weight rapidly are more likely to weigh less, even after several years.

• Myth 4: Patients who feel “ready” to lose weight are more likely to make the required lifestyle changes, do health-care professionals need to measure each patient’s diet readiness.
Fact: Among those who seek weight-loss treatment, evidence suggests that assessing readiness neither predicts weight loss nor helps to make it happen.

• Myth 5: Physical-education classes, in their current form, play an important role in reducing and preventing childhood obesity.
Fact: Physical education, as typically provided, does not appear to counter obesity.

• Myth 6: Breastfeeding protects children against future obesity.
Fact: Breastfeeding has many benefits for mother and child, but the data do not show that it protects against obesity.

• Myth 7: One episode of sex can burn up to 300 Kcals per person.
Fact: It may be closer to one-twentieth of that on average, and not much more than sitting on the couch.

The research team also defined six “presumptions" that are generally held to be true even though more studies are needed before conclusions can be drawn, such as the idea that regularly eating versus skipping breakfast contributes to weight loss. Studies show it has no effect.

The same goes for the idea that eating vegetables by itself brings about weight loss, or that snacking packs on the pounds. According to Allison and colleagues, these hypotheses have not been shown to be true, and some data suggest they may be false.

The researchers also identified nine research-proven facts about weight loss. For example, weight-loss programs for overweight children that involve parents and the child’s home achieve better results than programs that take place solely in schools or other settings.

Also, many studies show that while genetic factors play a large role in obesity, “Heritability is not destiny.” Realistic changes to lifestyle and environment can, on average, bring about as much weight loss as treatment with the most effective weight-loss drugs on the market. (Read more)

Childhood obesity is linked to more immediate health problems than doctors formerly realized

While a plethora of research on childhood obesity has linked it to long-term health problems, a new UCLA study focuses on the condition's more proximate consequences, showing that obese children are at a greater risk for immediate health problems than previously thought. That's important for Kentucky, which ranks poorly in many health measures and is third highest in child obesity. (Photo by Tara Kaprowy)

"This study paints a comprehensive picture of childhood obesity, and we were surprised to see just how many conditions were associated with childhood obesity," said lead author Dr. Neal Halfon, a professor of pediatrics, public health and public policy at UCLA.

Compared to kids who are not overweight, the study found that obese children have nearly twice the risk of having three or more reported medical, mental or developmental conditions. Specific medical conditions included bone, joint and muscle problems; asthma; allergies; headaches; and ear infections. Obese children also reported a greater tendency toward emotional and behavioral problems, higher rates of grade repetition, missed school days and other school problems, ADHD, conduct disorder, depression, learning disabilities, and developmental delays.

The study provides the first comprehensive national profile of associations between weight status and a broad set of associated health conditions, a UCLA release said. Halfon said these findings should serve as a wake-up call to physicians, parents and teachers, who should be better informed of the risk for health conditions associated with childhood obesity. (Read more)

Indonesian Food Health Benefits

There are many beautiful aspects of Asian culture we admire and knowingly or unknowingly emulate working with them on a daily basis. There are those among the countries of Asia which are more popular than others in the west for various reasons. Sadly Indonesia is one of those that gets easily overlooked when it comes to the local culture. Most people see and think of either China, Japan, Korea and Thailand when they think of the term "Asian", however Indonesia can offer a unique and varied culture spread across over six thousand islands. Their art, martial arts such as Silat and history of piracy and naval warfare created a world where nothing is boring or mundane even to the most travel-savvy visitor. Their food is a unique and diverse combination of flavors because of the fact that the islands developed their own versions of common recipes among other things and with the abundance of seafood it also has some very nice health benefits.

The local food has many influences both from mainland Asia and the west because of its lucrative position in respect to naval trade through the centuries. A lot of the spices present in many recipes in the west have been intertwined with the local culture precisely because of that trade such as cloves and nutmeg. One of the most beautiful and healthy aspects of the local food is exactly these spices - they contain much needed protein and minerals the human body uses and on top of that they have the added bonus of tasting great.

Something else the local food uses a lot is rice and that is in abundance - the health benefits here are well-known: it stabilizes the blood sugar levels, it has plenty of vitamins B1 and D as well as many minerals, it is rich in carbohydrates, cholesterol-free and capable of helping out with many diseases by just being part of your daily diet. You can find rice in a lot of the local dishes such as nasi uduk (coconut-milk cooked rice), lontong (banana-leaf steamed rice) and of course nasi goreng which is essentially fried rice. Nasi goreng is considered the national dish of Indonesia and it combines seafood, vegetables and rice in a tasty dish.

There are a lot of fruits containing high quantities of starch in the local diet such as yams, potatoes, cassava, sweet potatoes, taro, breadfruit and jackfruit. These are truly staple foods and because of their prevalence in Indonesian cuisine the local population has a chance to eat healthy. Sadly a lot of the local population has begun emulating the western lifestyle switching from their traditional diets to fast-food restaurants and a sedentary lifestyle which we all know can lead to serious health issues.

There are some truly amazing dishes out there which also have local vegetables. Kangkung is a leaf vegetable which is known for its blood sugar lowering effects. It is used in many recipes in the local cuisine. Other examples include melinjo with its wonderful antioxidant properties. Genjer (not to be mistaken for a corruption of the word ginger) is a plant often used in combination with other plants in curry, soup and salads among other things.

Overall Indonesian food bears similarities to a lot of the mainland Asian cuisine but with its own twist. Thanks to the way the recipes are prepared this makes it healthy and good for consumption on a regular basis. As with all things however this should be taken in moderation as overeating is one of the main reasons for obesity.

This guest post has been submitted by: Vacation-Rentals

By Angela Harpert

What Everyone Ought to Know About Obesity

Obesity has become a real problem in a lot of countries, however the US is the most obese country in the world, and the medical profession have started to worry about the additional stress it’s putting on the health service. The US is famous for consumerism, and it’s not difficult to find a fast food restaurant wherever people happen to live.

It’s not just food that’s the problem it’s the way that people live their lives generally. There are so many gadgets about these days in terms of entertainment people often spend hours on their computers playing games. It’s also hard to fit exercise in if you work an office job, sitting at a desk all day won’t exactly get those muscles working, and people often cannot be bothered to go and visit a gym at the end of the day.

The fact is we’re becoming a nation of “couch potatoes”.  Some might say we already are! The problem with obesity is once a person has reached this level, it’s hard to find a way out. Low self-esteem sets in, energy levels are low, and people even start to suffer from depression.

People who are obese probably don’t realize just how much strain their putting on their internal organs. The heart has to work harder, which means people are more at risk of heart disease. Carrying extra weight around also puts more pressure on the joints.

Skin problems can also start to raise their ugly little heads. Things like Psoriasis, skin tags and warts start to appear. To be honest it’s really not pretty, and if anyone reading this has been told they’re obese, it’s time to do something about it. You’re not doing yourself any favors, and it’s likely you will die much younger than someone who is at an acceptable weight level.

The expressions “big is beautiful” or “I have a problem with metabolism” really doesn’t cut it with most people who are obese. Of course, there are people with metabolic problems, but the medical profession can do things to help this. Some people may also be happy with the fact they’re big, but there is a very fine line between being healthy and big, and being obese.

These words may seem harsh, but a wake-up call is what’s needed. Just take a moment to think about family and friends? How would they feel if you’re life ended simply because you didn’t address the problem with your weight?

The fact is the health issues that come hand in hand with obesity can be really serious. If you’re in a situation where you’re feeling totally alone because of your weight start by joining forums on the internet, this will be your first step to getting some help. You’ll be surprised at just how many people are feeling just like you are.
It cannot be stressed enough how important it is that obese people take the problem “by the horns” and do something about it. Who wants to spend most of their life in a hospital having to undergo a hip replacement or some other sort of surgery because they’re obese, the answer is NO-ONE does!

Military culling overweight and obese troops; Ky. recruitment drops

Between 1998 and 2010, CNN reports, the number of active-duty military personnel deemed overweight or obese more than tripled. In 2010, 5.3 percent of the force -- or 86,186 troops -- received at least a clinical diagnosis of overweight or obese, according to the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. The trend has prompted the Pentagon to re-examine its training programs, and it is now actively weeding out soldiers deemed unfit to fight. It is also a tidy way to trim the budget at the same time as federal cuts loom. (CNN photo)

During the first 10 months of this year, 1,625 soldiers were dismissed for being out of shape. That's  about 15 times the number discharged for that reason in 2007 at the peak of wartime deployment, CNN reports. Overweight are considered "substandard" fighting units and a threat to national security and the nation' ability to maintain an adequate defense. Obesity is now the leading cause of ineligibility for those wishing to join, say military officials.

Kentucky ranks 34th in state recruitment rates. The numbers -- as a percentage of the recruits per 100,000 youth aged 18-24 -- dropped steadily from 2007, when it was 2.53 percent, to 2010, when it was 1.94 percent. Perhaps the state's high obesity rate was a reason. (Read more)

Rural Obesity Prevention Tool Kit created to tackle epidemic: 40 percent of rural adults in U.S. are obese

When the Journal of Rural Health recently reported that 40 percent of adults living in rural areas are obese, compared with 33 percent of adults living in urban areas, the size of the disparity was larger than expected and previously estimated. In response to the severity and urgency of the obesity epidemic, the Rural Assistance Center of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has created a Rural Obesity Prevention tool kit which contains resources to help communities develop obesity prevention programs. (Read more)

One S.C. county serves as incubator for state's efforts to battle weight problems, with some good results

PE teacher Sharon Williams, right,
leads morning exercises before
classes start at Bells Elementary.
(The State photo by Tim Dominick)

With nearly two-thirds of South Carolina deemed overweight or worse, lucky Colleton County got picked to be a test case for doing better. That is, for improving its chances to beat the state's already overwhelming rates of diabetes, heart disease and stroke and for helping to lower the state's $1.2 billion dollar medical bill. Lucky, because in 2010, the county was awarded almost a half million Eat Smart Move More grant by the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation to see if it could promote health eating and more physical exercise countywide. Joey Hollerman of The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., reports that "the results have been striking," though he notes that changing obesity numbers is "like turning an aircraft carrier, it's a slow process." Mostly, he's talking about attitude and perseverance.

How does the county-wide program work on a daily basis? First, of course, you have to have buy-in, which this county did. Hollerman explains that now when children arrive at Bells Elementary School in the county seat of Walterboro, "they go straight to the gym and walk laps before heading to classrooms. Worshipers at Power of Faith Delivery Ministry harvest collards as well as souls, and fried chicken is discouraged at church dinners. The local farmers market has a sparkling new home and a system set up to accept cards from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program." The Let’s Go, Eat Smart program and exercise programs are posted in schools, workplaces, grocery stores and churches.

So how, if the numbers aren't clear yet, how to measure if it's working? Well, only one fried chicken basket showed up at a recent church supper and the member who brought it ended up apologizing for her breach. On the day the reporter visited only the elementary school only one child in the entire first grade tried to slip through without selecting a fruit or vegetable. He was sent back and grabbed a plastic container of grapes from the Go (instead of the Slow or Whoa) food options, Hollerman reports. There are also anecdotes galore, including those of children, once on insulin, who are now fine without it.

South Carolin's BlueCross BlueShield recently awarded another grant to Eat Smart Move More, in part to continue the work in Colleton County but also to for expand it to other communities. (Read more)

Reasons Of Testosterone Deficiency And Their Remedies

Testosterones are the sub type of human growth hormones often referred to as male or sex hormones. It is actually testosterones that impart male characteristics in men. Furthermore, they are also vital for immaculate performance of sexual system. Testosterones are also indispensible for overall well being of the body.

Disadvantages of Testosterones Scarcity:

The deficiency of testosterones in the body can create many problems for your health. For instance,

• Dearth of testosterones can result in reduced libido and erectile dysfunction
• Testosterones deficiency can cause obesity
• Testosterone deficient body will have lean muscles lacking any real strength
• Weak bones with low bones density
• A spree of diseases can attack your body like diabetes, all sorts of heart problems and cancers
• Insomnia may also drop in your body due to shortage of testosterones
• Testosterone deficiency can cause stress, anxiety, depression and curtailed performance of brain
• Total degeneration of body

Reasons of Testosterone Deficiency:

There are many reasons that can lead to dearth of testosterones.

• One of the most obvious reasons is the process of aging. Testosterone decline naturally as you age.
• Obesity due to any reason can also force testosterone reserves to decline
• Mental stress is another major factor for testosterones to shrink in number
• High cholesterol levels in the body adversely affect the production of testosterones
• Lack of physical activity also makes testosterone levels to deplete
• Imbalanced diet that is rich in fats is another apparent reason
• Smoking and alcoholism also have devastating consequences for testosterone secretion

Remedies:

There are many methods that can be brought into the use to restore testosterone levels in the body.

• Regular exercise can cause testosterone levels to shoot up
• Use of balanced diet can also help
• You should take ample sleep as production is maximum during sleep
• Avoid stress and mental depression
• Keep weigh in control

Testosterone Therapies:

As most people especially senior citizens cannot sustain all the above mentioned requirements, they can undergo testosterone treatment therapy to regain what they have lost. In these therapies, artificial testosterones are inserted to replace lost natural testosterones.

Conclusion:

Testosterones regulate almost every function and organ of human body and thus adequate levels should be present in the body all the times. You need to follow above mentioned tips to alleviate the symptoms of low testosterones where testosterone treatment therapy can especially help. Furthermore, avoid anything that can inflict some damage to your testosterone reserves.

By Ali Ahmed

The world is getting fatter, but Kentucky's rate of obesity is two and a half times the world rate

Take no solace from The Economist, which proclaims in its yearly analysis-and-prognostication issue that this is the year world leaders will take on worldwide obesity because, writes Charlotte Howard, "they will realize something must be done."

So, no, it is not just you, Kentucky. In fact, Howard, the health-care correspondent for the magazine, writes that 30 percent of Mexico's adult population is obese. That is precisely the same percentage of Kentuckians that were considered obese by a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America's Health analysis released in August. (We ranked sixth fattest state nationwide.) It is also the same percentage of Chinese adults that are, as Howard put it, "too wide" -- a term that Howard uses here to include the overweight as well as the obese.

But there is no room to crow here. Kentucky is far ahead of the trend. Only 12 percent of the world counts as obese today. We beat that two and half times over. (The number of Kentuckians who were merely overweight was not calculated or included in the figures in the study.) A study released in September by the same group found that if trends continue, 60 percent of Kentuckians will be obese by 2030. The World Health Organization's estimate of the world's obesity was at 15 percent by 2020.

The Economist folks favors an approach that a democratic path to better health and fiscal sanity, given the health care cost ramifications of obesity. They like a tax on soda -- it's pure sugar, no real nutrition. They like subsidies to make fresh produce cheaper. And they like better school lunches and labeling, labeling, labeling so consumers will make better choices.

Control Arthritis before it assault your health

Arthritis is a group of diseases that are the enemy of joints in the body. Various endangering diseases do not allow a man to live a healthy life in the long run. One or the other diseases are assured to attack human body wherein some can be silent or asymptomatic and other might show symptoms. Arthritis is not a single disease, but encompasses of over 100 different forms. The joint structure is changed with the harmful affect bringing about pain and swelling. Most commonly seen is osteoarthritis, following with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and others.

Osteoarthritis is a kind of degenerative joint disorder that causes degradation of joints, gradual loss of cartilage, bringing about bony spurs and cysts, and affects sub-chondral bone. Rheumatoid is a different disorder that starts to occur anywhere between ages 25 and 55.

Rheumatoid arthritis takes a chronic form and it is known to make the person crippled while causing damage, injury, loss of motion to the joints, and others, to distort them completely. The symptoms normally attached to this disorder include swelling, pain, and stiffness. Women are more prone towards this disorder showing the rate three times more than that of men. Obesity is one of the factors that drag women in the direction of this disorder. It was also included in one of the latest study held in 2012 that 18% to 19% overweight and obese women are likely to acquire rheumatoid arthritis. It is thus very important to have a control over the weight that can also aid in guarding from other disorders like diabetes or cardiovascular, apart from protecting from rheumatoid arthritis. It is basically the excessive presentation of the fat cells that delivers the inflamed proteins. Consequently, one should maintain a normal weight with the help of good diet and exercise.

The other dangerous episode of rheumatoid arthritis in connection with depression can probably lead to the jeopardy of death. Patient with this disorder are three times more probable to die within a year when he faces the symptoms of depression than other RA patient who do not show any sign of depressions. This can lead to the endangering complication in men.

Men with erectile dysfunction are mostly prone to depression, loneliness, and a feeling of worthlessness. Other normal men can also face the events of such depression without regards to ed disorder. These categories of men are 5 times more prone to die maybe in next year. Thus, it is important for men with RA chaos to control their emotions of sadness and try finding out for other solutions which will keep away from sadness thought. They need to solve their issues with doctor.

The other finding revealed about the newly identified genes and its connection to the rheumatoid arthritis. These genes linked to the X chromosome can help solve and clarify the fact of women being more prone to this disorder than men. As we all know that there are two X chromosomes in women while men have X chromosome and Y chromosome.

This is the guest post by Irvine Lampson,consultant physician and writer for Generic Pill Mart and author of various health related articles such as men health, generic celebrex, allergy etc. to help people to be aware about various health issues and their solution.

By Irvine Lampson

Maternal Obesity Can Hamper The Development Of Child's Brain

Obesity is normally associated with many common diseases like heart attacks and diabetics. But very few people know that imbalanced and fat rich diet taken by women before and during pregnancy can give birth to mentally retarded children especially males. The most important abnormality observed in such children is the appearance of anxiety during adulthood.

Extra Weigh and Pregnant Women:

Fatness can be extremely deleterious for pregnant women and doctors constantly warn such women not to increase their weight before and during pregnancy. The disproportional diet of the mother and any physical or mental trauma suffered by her can cause many different diseases in new born baby like mental disorders, obesity and diabetes in later stages of life.

Mental Disorders Suffered by Children:

According to a recent study there are many other mental problems children of obese mothers have to face apart from anxiety.

• Maternal obesity can cause anxiety for a life time
• It can have adverse effects on emotional stability, intelligence and unwanted effects on brain development
• Such children can suffer from acute inattention problems
• Such children often shows the symptoms of memory loss and social behavior disorders

Reasons:

Many different theories are put forward as reasons for this abnormal mental behavior exhibited by the children of fat mothers. Some important factors are discussed below.

• Maternal obesity effects on the development of neurotransmitters of the brain which are responsible for controlling mood swing. As a result these children suffer from depression and anxiety
• Extra maternal fats can produce more proteins called cytokines in the fetal brain. These proteins are responsible for shrinkage of those brain parts that regulate memory and learning
• These proteins also cause inflammation in the brain and more the inflammation in the brain, less developed will be the brain of the baby
• Various glands of such children do not function properly. For example, pituitary glands fail to produce enough testosterones and low testosterone symptoms start to appear. Anxiety is also one of the important symptoms of low testosterone levels.

This is a very alarming situation because obesity rate of women of children bearing age is constantly rising. As a result, there is every possibility that our next generations will be mentally deformed by birth. Measures need to be taken to encourage young women to control their weight so that they can give birth to healthy offspring which are a benefit for society not a burden.

By Ali Ahmed

How To Sweat More Using Quick Exercises Guidelines

Exercising is difficult and finding a routine that works for you is the key to getting the results that you want in both the short term and long runs. There are a few guidelines that you can follow in order to sweat more and lose the most weight possible in the shortest amount of time. Following these simple guidelines is the best way to get your heart pumping and start shedding those pounds.

1. Short Bursts Work Best- training with endurance exercises is a good way to get your resting heart rate and blood pressure down when you are not exercising but when trying to work up a sweat and lose major pounds, doing short bursts of varied exercises is the best way. Doing short bursts of varied activity keeps you moving and keeps you focused on what you are doing.

2. Vary Your Workout- Switch up what you do and try not to fall into a routine that is too predictable. Muscle confusion is the best way to get your body moving and to work up a sweat. As you exercise your body becomes used to what you are doing, say for instance you are training with elliptical machines, it may work great for the first week but once your body has a chance to adapt to what it is doing you lose valuable muscle building that can help you burn fat. Try switching up your exercises every three or four days to keep your body working.

3. Do Not Rest too Frequently- resting is essential to keeping up your routine but you should not rest after every set. Moving from one exercise to another helps keep your heart rate up and keeps your body working even when you are not physically moving. Resting after every set gets your heart rate down and keeps your body from working up a sweat that can help you burn fat. Try moving around to two or three exercises before you rest to keep your heart pumping.

4. Room Temperature Does Matter- while most people want to be cool and comfortable while exercising, studies have proven that exercising in a room that is a bit warmer is a great way to get your blood flowing and to work up a sweat. Working out in a room that is overly cool constricts blood flow and makes it harder to work up a sweat and get your body moving.

5. Cardio is King- when it comes to exercising cardio is your best friend. If you want to work up a quick sweat cardio is the quickest way to do that. Working on cardio is a great way to work up a quick sweat and to keep your body moving. Cardio gets your heart pumping and your blood flowing which raises your core temperature and helps work up a quick sweat.

Any of these tips is a great way to work up a sweat and start shedding those unwanted pounds. Finding a routine and a method that works and sticking to it is the best way to get the body that you want quickly and easily. Following one or more of these tips can help you work up a sweat by doing quick exercises that can help you shed pounds quickly.

About the Author:
Joyce G. is a professional health blogger and writer. She currently partners with Nordictrack.com in raising awareness about the importance of health and fitness. NordicTrack has come to symbolize the means for serious athletes and fitness-buffs alike to "get ready for adventure," whatever that may be. Visit our website to learn about training with elliptical machines

UK, ARH planning efforts against high rate of heart-disease deaths and limited availability of proper food in Perry County

The death rate from heart disease is nearly twice as high in Perry County (Wikipedia map) as in Kentucky as a whole, so there's no better time than now to announce that the University of Kentucky Medical Center is close to finalizing a three-year agreement with Hazard Appalachian Regional Healthcare Medical Center to provide continuing care, outreach and education to local physicians and county residents, including more and better information about heart-healthy food choices. Bailey Richards of the Hazard Herald reports that this last task is daunting, particularly since availability of good food is an issue in remote parts of the county.

Richards writes that a 2011 study of the heart-healthy food options in Perry County "showed that the area severely lacks low-fat and low-sodium options." Kevin Luley, a registered nurse at the UK Medical Center and winner of the "Heart Health in Rural Kentucky" grant, surveyed all of the restaurants and grocery stores in Perry County and found that most do not have many off-the-shelf options for a healthy diet. Of all of the items available at the restaurants in Perry County, fewer than 6 percent were considered healthy. (Residents can consult their own smartphones for that information. It should also be posted or available upon request.) Of a standard list of produce items, on average only 60 percent were found at the local grocery stores, Luley found. (Read more)

Kentucky parents' overall perception of Kentucky children's health doesn't match the statistics, foundation survey finds

Many Kentucky parents' perception of their children's health doesn't match statistics, suggesting that many health problems are going undetected or untreated.

That is the upshot of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's first Kentucky Parent Survey, conducted by the University of Virginia's Center for Survey Research this summer and released today.

Only 4 percent of Kentucky parents said a health professional had told them their child was obese, but the National Survey of Children's Health in 2007 found that almost 37 percent of Kentucky children were obese.

Just 5 percent of Kentucky parents said they had been told that their child had depression or anxiety, but about 25 percent of children 13 to 18 will have struggled with anxiety and 11 percent will have battled depression, according to a 2010 national study. And a recent study found that Kentucky teens were more likely than the national average to have attempted suicide.

About 17 percent of Kentucky parents reported that their child had decayed teeth or cavities, but a national survey of third graders in 2001-02 revealed that 35 percent had untreated dental issues.

Only 3 percent of parents said their child was diagnosed with a hearing problem, but 15 percent of children nationally have measurable hearing loss. And 14 percent reported being told their child had a vision problem, but about one in four preschoolers nationally have vision issues.

Parents also seem not to get enough advice from health care providers about how to treat their children's health issues, even though there are high rates of children suffering from tooth decay, vision problems, asthma, ADHD, depression/anxiety, obesity, hearing impairment and diabetes, the survey found.

While 92 percent of parents said their child had a regular doctor, just 80 percent said their child had a regular dental care provider. And a 74 percent majority of parents surveyed said they were always encouraged by their child's healthcare provider to ask questions during visits. "The exceptions are worth noting," said Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the foundation. "If three in four parents said their child's provider always encouraged questions, this means that one in four were not always encouraged to ask questions." (Read more)

Canadian study suggests children in day care are more likely to be obese than those cared for by their parents

Children who attend day care regularly are 50 percent more likely to be overweight than those who stay home with parents, according to a new University of Montreal study in Quebec. Lead researcher Marie-Claude Geoffroy said the disparity "cannot be explained by known risk factors such as socioeconomic status of the parents, breastfeeding, body mass index of the mother, or employment status of the mother."

Researchers studied more than 1,600 families with children born in 1997 and 1998 in Quebec, a sample that was representative of the majority of kids in the province. Mothers were interviewed about their children's care at ages 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4. Children were put into groups based on the type of care they received most. Researchers concluded that 65 percent of children spent most of their time in day care. Just 19 percent were cared for mostly by a parent.

Researchers found no clear explanation for the weight disparities, but they argued that day care has the potential to reduce weight problems in children through promotion of physical activity and healthy eating. (Read more)

Share of Kentuckians reporting they had been diagnosed as diabetic nearly tripled from 1995 to 2010

We're not just getting fatter, Kentucky, we're becoming chronically ill because of it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of diagnosed diabetes in Kentucky has increased dramatically in the last decade and a half.

In Kentucky, 9.3 percent of adults reported having been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2010, up from just 3.6 percent in 1995, according to response to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing national telephone survey. (Data from 2011 were not compared because the survey methodology changed.)

The figure is undoubtedly less than the actual percentage of Kentuckians with diabetes; nationally, 18 million people say they have been told they have the disorder, and another 7 million are estimated to have it but not be diagnosed. In 1958, the national rate of diagnosed diabetes was 1 percent; now it's 8.2 percent. Not surprisingly, Mississippi, the state with the largest proportion of residents who are obese, has the highest diabetes rate, at nearly 12 percent.

The biggest jump in diagnosed diabetes from 1995 to 2010 was in Oklahoma, where it more than tripled. The South, as a region, had the most frightening numbers, almost one in 10 adults. That was more than double the rate in 1995. Several Northern states saw rates more than double, too, including Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Maine.

"The rise in diabetes has really gone hand in hand with the rise in obesity," CDC report lead author Linda Geiss told The Associated Press. Diabetes is a disease in which the body has trouble processing sugar. Even with medications to help control it, it can cause damage to the kidneys, circulation and nervous system. It is the nation's seventh leading cause of death. (Read more) To read the CDC report, go here. 

Fat men die of prostate cancer

Adipose tissue surrounding the prostate gland of men with obesity, creates favorable conditions for the progression of prostate cancer.

What is the prostate gland
The prostate gland - is musculo-glandular organ located below the bladder and surrounding the initial portion of the urethra. The main function of the prostate is to produce secretions, which is part of semen. Ducts of the prostate glands open into the urethra.

Prostate cancer
In the early stages of prostate cancer does not manifest itself. Complaints are associated with tumor spread and metastasis. At the stage the only manifestation of the lack of symptoms, allowing the disease to suspect, is to increase blood levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA). As prevention of prostate cancer for all men should conduct an annual PSA test beginning at age 45.

By increasing the size of the tumor shows the following symptoms:

• Frequent urination
• Difficulty urinating
• Urinary incontinence
• urge to urinate.

The essence of the study

Scientists have received samples of adipose tissue surrounding the prostate gland in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostate cancer and prostate cancer. Regardless of prostate disease in men with obesity , there is increased activity of genes in fat cells. These genes encode proteins involved in the immune response, inflammation, growth, reproduction, and cell death.

Increase in the activity of genes leads to inhibition of the immune response and stimulates the formation of new blood vessels, which creates favorable conditions for the progression of prostate cancer. The study's authors hope that the findings will more carefully selected treatments for patients with obesity.