Emmestyle

By REUTERS Published: April 4, 2008 WASHINGTON (Reuters) — About one of every 43 American infants is physically abused or neglected annually, and those babies are especially at risk in the first week of their lives, health officials said Thursday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its first report on maltreatment of babies up to age 1 that 91,278 of them were physically abused or neglected in 2006.

Other new government figures showed that 499 babies up to age 1 were killed in maltreatment cases in 2006. About a third of the maltreated infants, 29,881, were abused or neglected before they were a week old, mostly in their first four days, the centers said. Many of those cases may be linked to maternal drug use, the report said.

Physical abuse included beating, kicking, biting, burning and shaking; neglect included abandonment, maternal drug use or failing to meet basic needs like housing, food and clothing, according to the report.

Ileana Arias, who leads injury-prevention efforts at the centers, said, “The findings do demonstrate a clear pattern of early neglect and physical abuse that is largely preventable.”

Because this is the first data looking at babies to age 1, it is unclear whether abuse is increasing or decreasing, said a centers epidemiologist, Rebecca Leeb.

The report said 905,000 American children of all ages were victims of maltreatment in 2006. Maltreatment is the third-leading cause of death of American children under 3, Ms. Arias said.

Thanks to the Rudd Center Newsletter, I found this article and feel there really is some truth to how much you exercise and the neighborhood in which you live.

ScienceDaily (Mar. 18, 2008) — The neighborhoods people live in can help inspire – or discourage – their residents to exercise and keep physically active, new research suggests. Residents of neighborhoods with higher levels of poverty, lower education, and more female-headed families are less likely than others to exercise, according to the study. It’s not simply that poorer people are less likely to exercise, researchers say. In fact, the study, which was done in Chicago, found that a person’s individual income wasn’t as important as the neighborhood he or she lived in for determining exercise levels. “We can’t encourage people to exercise more without looking at the neighborhood environment in which they live,” said Christopher Browning, co-author of the study and associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University. “Some people may have the personal resources and desire to exercise, but don’t live in a neighborhood in which they feel comfortable to go outside for activities.” The study found that neighborhood context was more important for women than for men in determining how much they exercised. The findings also showed that levels of trust among neighbors, perceived violence in the community, and beliefs that neighbors help each other, all contributed to how much people exercised in a specific community. Taken together, the results show that a wide variety of social and economic factors outside of any individual’s control can impact physical activity, Browning said. Browning conducted the study with Ming Wen, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Utah, and Kathleen Cagney, associate professor of health studies at the University of Chicago. Their study appeared in a recent issue of the journal Urban Studies. The study looked at levels of exercise among 8,782 residents of 373 neighborhoods in Chicago. The study combined statistics from three data sources from the 1990s: the Metropolitan Chicago Information Center Metro Survey, the 1990 U.S. Census, and the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods Survey. Results showed that the social and economic characteristics of a community – including the level of poverty – were the most important factors in determining levels of physical activity. Browning said it was somewhat surprising and noteworthy that neighborhood characteristics were more important than an individual’s income in determining how much he or she exercises. “The result is surprising enough that it needs to be confirmed by other studies,” he said. “But if the finding is substantiated, it would show just how important neighborhoods are, and would have important implications for any new initiatives aimed at enhancing health and well-being.” Another important finding was that women’s exercise habits were affected by the neighborhood more than men. “This could help us understand why African American women have much higher obesity rates than other groups,” Browning said. Contrary to other research, this study found that once neighborhood factors were taken into account, African Americans in general exercised as much as white residents did. Browning said this finding suggests African Americans will exercise more if they live in neighborhoods where they feel comfortable doing so. While social and economic factors played the largest role in exercise, the findings also showed residents were affected by neighborhood safety, their levels of trust with neighbors, and the degree to which they said residents helped each other in their community. “Neighborhoods where people do not trust each other or help each other and where violent crimes are prevalent may tend to push better-off people away – a process that leaves more people in poverty and deteriorating neighborhood conditions,” Browning said. “All of this leaves an environment that is not amenable to getting outside to exercise.” Other studies have found that exercise levels can be increased by improving the physical components of a neighborhood – such as creating high-quality parks, sidewalks and recreation centers. But Browning said this study shows that the social environment in a neighborhood needs to be considered along with the physical environment. “We don’t know the relative role of the physical and social environments of a neighborhood,” Browning said. “However, it seems likely that they are constantly reinforcing and reacting to one another. When there is high poverty and low levels of trust in a community, it is harder to mobilize people to achieve neighborhood goals, such as improving parks and cleaning up streets.” The study was partially funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Adapted from materials provided by Ohio State University.

Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the following formats: APA MLA Ohio State University (2008, March 18). Neighborhoods Play Key Role In How Much People Exercise, Study Says. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 31, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/03/080317123252.htm

Led by Paul J. Veugelers, MSc, PhD of the University of Alberta, researchers surveyed around 5000 Canadian fifth grade students and their parents as part of the Children's Lifestyle and School-Performance Study. Information regarding dietary intake, height, and weight were recorded and the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) was used to summarize overall diet quality. The DQI-I score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better diet quality. Less healthful dietary components included saturated fat and salt, while healthy foods were classified by fruits, vegetables, grains, dietary fiber, protein, calcium and moderate fat intake. A standardized literacy assessment was administered to the children. Multilevel regression methods were used to examine the association between indicators of diet quality and academic performance. Students with an increased fruit and vegetable intake and less caloric intake from fat were significantly less likely to fail the literacy assessment. Relative to students in the group with the lowest DQI-I scores, students in the group with the best scores were 41 % less likely to fail the literacy assessment. "We demonstrated that above and beyond socioeconomic factors, diet quality is important to academic performance," the authors conclude. "These findings support the broader implementation and investment in effective school nutrition programs that have the potential to improve student's diet quality, academic performance, and, over the long term, their health." This study is published in the April 2008 issue of the Journal of School Health.
Adapted from materials provided by Blackwell Publishing Ltd., via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

ScienceDaily (Feb. 13, 2008) — In a study to examine the impact of desired body weight on the number of unhealthy days subjects report over one month, researchers at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that the desire to weigh less was a more accurate predictor of physically and mentally unhealthy days, than body mass index (BMI). In addition, the desire to lose weight was more predictive of unhealthy days among Whites than among African-Americans or Hispanics, and among women than among men.

After controlling for actual BMI and age, the researchers found that men who wished to lose 1 percent, 10 percent, and 20 percent of their body weight, respectively, reported 0.1, 0.9 and 2.7 more unhealthy days per month than those who were happy with their weight. Among women, the corresponding increase in numbers of reported unhealthy days was 0.1, 1.6 and 4.3. Persons who were happy with their weight experienced fewer physically unhealthy days (3.0 vs 3.7) and mentally unhealthy days (2.6 vs 3.6) compared with persons unhappy with their weight. "Our data suggest that some of the obesity epidemic may be partially attributable to social constructs that surround ideal body types," said Peter Muennig, MD, MPH, Mailman School of Public Health assistant professor of Health Policy and Management. "Younger persons, Whites, and women are disproportionately affected by negative body image concerns, and these groups unduly suffer from BMI-associated morbidity and mortality."

Approximately 66% of the more than 150,000 U.S. adults studied wanted to lose weight, and about 26% were satisfied with their current weight. With respect to BMI, 41% of normal weight people, 20% of overweight people, and 5% of obese people were happy with their weight. Older persons were also more likely to feel positively about their weight than were younger persons. However, in all models, perceived difference was a stronger predictor than was BMI of mentally and physically unhealthy days. The researchers emphasize that there is a large body of evidence suggesting that social stress adversely affects mental health as well as physical health. "Our findings confirmed that there was a positive relationship between a person's actual weight and his or her desired weight and health, be it physical or mental," observed Dr. Muennig. Obesity is one of the greatest public health threats. Over 7 million quality-adjusted life years are lost annually as a result of excess body weight in the United States alone. There is evidence that discrimination against heavy people is pervasive, occurring in social settings, the workplace, and the home. These processes are likely internalized, leading to a negative body image that also may serve as a source of chronic stress.

"The data add support to our hypothesis that the psychological stress that accompanies a negative body image explains some of the morbidity commonly associated with being obese. Our finding that the desire to lose weight was a much stronger predictor of unhealthy days than was BMI further suggests that perceived difference plays a greater role in generating disease," said Dr. Muennig.

The paper, "I Think Therefore I Am: Perceived Ideal Weight as a Determinant of Health," will be published in the March issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Adapted from materials provided by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

Check out Ophelia's Place Fashion Show yesterday in Liverpool New York yesterday!

Ophelia's place fashion show

A great time had by all!

Here's my blog for the after show chat: (http://www.cnbc.com/id/22792014/)

Please check out www.safehorizon.org to learn about the important work this NYC non profit agency does to support NYC children from domestic abuse and violence!

You will get a chance hear about my bout with cancer, surviving it, taking a proactive role in recovery, going through chemo with the incredible guidance and leadership of Dr. Gregory Mears at Columbia, how essential oils <http://emme.younglivingworld.com/MainFrame.asp?BodyFrame=resources/OilStorymain.asp> made such a pleasant shift in my experience, what's new in my life and what I am working on going forward!

I subscribe to the Rudd Center For Food Policy and Obesity's Newsletter. For all those Moms and Aunts and Dads out there....read up!

New Study Confirms Vast Majority of Ads Seen by Kids Promote Foods High in Sugar, Fat or Sodium Sep 4, 2007 - Chicago, Ill.

Study is first to use TV ratings data to measure nutritional content of food ads seen by kids on more than 170 top-rated programs. Program Areas Childhood Obesity

Associated Topics

Conditions & Diseases Obesity

Health Care Services & Quality Facilities

Populations and Locations Children (5 to 14 years) Infants & Toddlers (0 to 4 years) National in Scope Teens (15 to 19 years)

Promoting Good Health Nutrition Physical Activity Publication Types News Releases

The overwhelming majority of food-product advertisements seen on television by American children and adolescents are for products of poor nutritional content, according to a major new study published today in Pediatrics. In the most comprehensive effort to date to assess the nutritional content of food advertisements viewed on television by children, researchers found that 97.8 percent and 89.4 percent of all food advertisements viewed by children ages 2 to 11 and adolescents ages 12 to 17, respectively, were for products high in sugar, fat or sodium.

The advertised products were particularly high in sugar: on average, 46.1 percent and 49.1 percent of total calories among the products advertised came from sugar in the ads viewed by children ages 2 to 11 and adolescents ages 12 to 17, respectively. The study, Nutritional Content of Television Food Advertisements Seen by Children and Adolescents in the United States, defined a food as being high in sugar if more than 25 percent of calories came from sugar. In addition, 97.6 percent of cereal advertisements seen by children ages 2 to 11 were for high-sugar cereals.

“Our study documents the stark realities of television food advertising to children,” said lead researcher Lisa M. Powell, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the Bridging the Gap national research program, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Previous studies have shown that children’s food preferences may be influenced by food advertising. This study confirms the very poor nutritional content of the foods being marketed to our children, and makes it incumbent on food companies to change their advertising practices.”

Over a nine-month period from 2003 to 2004, researchers drew samples from 170 top-rated television shows among children ages 2 to 11 and adolescents ages 12 to 17 using ratings data from Nielsen Media Research. Each food-product advertisement and its related nutritional content were weighted using the television ratings data to determine actual exposures across each age and race category. For children ages 2 to 11, a total of 50,351 food-product advertisements were assessed. For children ages 12 to 17, 47,955 food-product ads were assessed. Because the length of advertisements varied, for measurement purposes, advertisements were tallied into 30 second intervals. For example, two 15-second advertisements were weighted as equivalent to one 30-second advertisement.

This study is the first to use television ratings data to draw a large sample that is representative of the viewing patterns of children and adolescents and to weight the nutritional content of each advertisement, given that some ads are viewed more than others. Previous studies selected shows from certain time slots (e.g., Saturday morning) and examined nutritional content based on the airing of the ad, which does not allow for measurement of actual exposures.

The study found no substantial differences in the nutritional content of food advertisements seen by black and white children ages 2 to 11. However, black adolescents ages 12 to 17 did view a slightly higher proportion of food advertisements, in general, and ads for high-sugar food products, in particular, than did their white peers. Across all food products, 91.1 percent of advertisements seen by black adolescents were high in either sugar, fat or sodium, compared with 88.8 percent of food ads seen by white teens.

“Clearly our kids are getting bombarded with poor nutritional messages every day,” said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which has committed $500 million over the next five years to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic. “The food industry could and should be part of the solution, but they’ll need to change their marketing practices.”

For instance, said Lavizzo-Mourey, industry should put its marketing muscle behind promoting healthier foods to kids, and should stop using licensed characters to market foods of poor nutritional value.

About Bridging the Gap

Bridging the Gap, which is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is a joint project of the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Health Research and Policy and the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. It is intended to improve our understanding of the role of policy and environmental factors in youth alcohol consumption, illicit drug and tobacco use, as well as diet and physical activity. Bridging the Gap also evaluates the effectiveness of policies and changes in environmental conditions in reducing substance use and obesity among youth. For more information, visit www.impacteen.org and www.yesresearch.org.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need—the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime.

Contacts for Journalists Chuck Alexander Burness Communications calexander@burnesscommunications.com Office: (301) 652-1558

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Will Our Kids be Less Educated Than We Are? - Page 6

Photo Credit: Gilles Glod

Hands Up For Kids

Providing quality public education is just one part of ensuring bright futures for all of our kids. In fact, 76 percent of voters believe the President and Congress need to give a higher priority to the health, well-being, and education of the country's children. Now, bipartisan congressional members, REDBOOK and other media outlets, children's organizations, and celebrities are teaming up for the national nonpartisan initiative Show of Hands (showofhandsforkids.org) to promote children's needs in politics. "Our kids will be the primary beneficiaries of policy decisions we make today," says Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. "So as a politician and a mother of three, I believe it's a must that our Presidential candidates prioritize the issues that affect our children — education, alternative-energy research, and universal health care, to name a few." Wasserman Schultz will sponsor Show of Hands' National Children's Summit in Spring '09 to discuss health, education, safety, and economic and environmental security — all key issues for America's children. Also in attendance will be Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who adds, "For too long, there has not been enough will in Washington to make our children a top priority. Those days are over. We must take seriously our responsibility to ensure that our children — our nation's greatest resource — are given the tools to succeed."

EVERY WOMAN COUNTS! Log on to everywomancounts08.com to join our Every Woman Counts coalition (with Lifetime TV and Marie Claire and CosmoGIRL! magazines) and make your voice heard. To learn more about issues affecting children and how the Presidential candidates plan to address them, check out mylifetime.com, which will focus on children for the month of September. Also, be sure to catch Homeless to Harvard, the inspiring rags-to-education story of Liz Murray, which airs on Lifetime TV on August 23.

NOVO NORDISK PRESENTS DIVABETIC: MAKEOVER YOUR DIABETES

Catherine Schuller 16 June 2007

Novo Nordisk Presents Divabetic–Makeover Your Diabetes This coming June 16, 2007 at the Paramount Studios located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood women at risk of, affected by or living with diabetes will experience a new approach in diabetes outreach which promotes a ‘Don't Get Down Get Diva’s bold & sassy attitude’ as a way to empower and motivate women and their families against complications related to diabetes.

Novo Nordisk Presents: DIVABETIC - Makeover Your Diabetes outreach events offer head to toe-tal makeover experience plus nutrition, health and fitness advice free beauty and fashion services and music with interactive diabetes education in a fun, unbeat setting to broaden the appeal of diabetes outreach for women. “I want women to feel so good about themselves at our events that they’re willing to start tackling their fears or concerns about diabetes in order to stay healthy,” says Max Szadek, the founder of the community-based nonprofit diabetes organization, DIVABETIC. “I created that idea for DIVABETIC - Makeover Your Diabetes because I thought that a boost in self-confidence that results from a makeover could help a woman struggling to overcome her care obstacles, as well as enable us to motivate people who are living in denial about their diabetes, to improve their care.” Max adds.

The main attraction of every Novo Nordisk Presents: DIVABETIC - Makeover Your Diabetes event is the interactive diabetes education component called the MAKEOVER MAZE. The five stations that comprise the MAKEOVER MAZE include “Denial’s Not My Style”, “Glam More, Fear Less”, “Grab Green & Go”, “Twist and Shout” and “Sweet Inspirations.” Each station is intended to teach attendees about diabetes in a personal and more feminine way which reflects the unique needs and interests of women. “It’s called a ‘MAZE’ because people always talk about how confusing diabetes care can be due to all the mixed messages,” says Max. At each of the five MAZE stations women meet members of DIVABETIC’s CORE TEAM including: Jessica Issler, RD, CDE for “Grab Green & Go”; DIVABETIC Partner, Joy Pape, RN, CDE for “Denial's Not My Style”; Catherine Schuller, image consultant and style expert, for “Glam More, Fear Less”; and DIVABETIC Founder, Max Szadek for “Sweet Inspirations.” Celebrity makeup artist, Jeff Jones and The Powder Group from NYC handle the makeup stations...fashion photographer, Winston Kerr, help women feel like ‘divas’ in the surrounding areas of the BEAUTY BAZZAR throughout the course of the evening.

“The mixture of free beauty services interspersed between the different stations of the MAZE makes talking about diabetes fun and exciting for everyone,” says Joy Pape. “We’ve gotten a lot of amazing feedback from the local educators who worked with us commenting that the women attending were so open and interested in addressing the ‘real’ issues blocking their care. It’s really a great environment for education and encouragement. As for the participants, there were so many ‘Ah-Ha’ moments I know will change their lives forever.”

At the end of the night, Max invites the ‘divas’ up on stage to share their stories and motivate others. “It’s one of the best parts of the whole night because women get a chance to show off and talk to each other about their experiences living with diabetes. The last song that’s played is Luther Vandross’ ‘The Power of Love’ to celebrate our growing community’s commitment to care and to inspire women to keep their families strong and healthy,” says Max.

For more information go to: www.divabetic.org or call the DIVABETIC Hotline at 800-624-8888 For more information about diabetes education and management, go to: Novo Nordisk Changing Life with Diabetes Web site: www.ChangingDiabetes-us.com
Catherine Schuller, AICI, CIP DIVABETIC Image and Style Advisor www.divabetic.org catherine@divabetic.org Glam More Fear Less 917-375-0731

What a tragedy. What a waste of human life. What is going on in our country and when are we going to wake up and make some changes? There is much too much violence as a means to an end being shown on tv not to mention the violence taking place in our homes...the breeding ground for young people to think that violence/bullying/aggressive behavior is de rigour and not something out of the ordinary. How many young adult males will it take who randomly shoot and kill 5 innocent people, as in yesterday's mall shooting spree in Salt Lake City last night, before we seriously reflect and take inventory about the kind of entertainment we expose our children, community, or society to? Columbine was enough, then it happend again, and continued to happen again, and again. When will parents set boundaries to what their children see and are exposed to inorder to lower box office sales, thus reducing the push to supply the crap? In the same vein, when will movie exec's and producers of personal game toys say enough is enough, instead of "more gore, more sales"? Maybe if the shootings hit us close to home, affecting our own family, will there be long lasting change. Just ask the Colorado and Utah families, I'm sure they have a thing or two to suggest how to make change happen.

Before coming home from Houston tonight, I received a phone call about Anna Nicole then saw Anna's story unfold on TV. Such a terrible situation and tragedy.

It's truly amazing that in this enlightened/high tech day and age that the issue of a woman's size continues to challenge the value of our worth. To be emaciated and close to death equals "wealth" and being in control while to be rounder, more than, is infact seen as less than, inferior, unintelligent, and lazy. When are we going to wake up and reclaim our lives from decision makers who have a warped sense of what it is be human, no less a woman? Thank you so much for stepping up and being brave. Young girls and women, don't let Trya do all the hard work, get involved with sharing your thoughts and opinions with others in your community. The time is now to start feeling better about yourself without judging your self esteem on the bathroom scale!