CHILD OBESITY

There is a growing alarm in the U.S. Too many children are gaining more and more pounds and facing more health issues. Research is now blaming fast food for the increased weight gain. Studies show that children who eat fast food consume 187 more calories daily than that of children who do not consume fast food as much.



About one-third of U.S. children aged 4 to 19 eat fast food everyday. A study, involving 6,212 children, shows that these children are at risk of obesity with a weight gain rate at 6lbs per year. Children's current levels of fast-food consumption probably are even higher because of an increase in the number of fast-food restaurants and in fast-food marketing since the late 1990s, Dr. David Ludwig said. This epidemic of child obesity is largely due to the fact that the American diet consists of tons of unhealthy foods.

In order to stop this weight gain in the children of our future, parents need to show their children how to eat healthy. This means that junk food is a snack or treat, not an everyday meal. We need to teach children how to eat different kinds of fruits and vegetables and meats and breads in a controlled amount, as to not over do consuption of food. Water and excercise is also needed. Children who live in suburban areas need to get outside to their local park and play with their friends instead of being home all day doing nothing.

HIV & AIDS in the LATINO Community

HIV or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, is a retrovirus which in most cases leads to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus). This conditions causes the immune system to fail. The immune system is the part of your body which protects you from sicknesses and diseases, and so when it begins to fail, it can become life threatening. This life threatening virus is passes on from human to human through semen, vaginal secretion, open wounds (where blood can enter another persons open wound). Infected pregnant women can pass the disease onto their children during pregnancy or delivery, or even brest feeding. (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/qa/qa1.htm) In the Hispanic Community the numv=ber of infected people is increasing.



In 2006 a study shows that hispanics accounted for 18% of the 35,314 new HIV/AIDS cases in 33 states with long-term, confidential name based HIV reporting. (http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/hispanics/resources/factsheets/hispanic.htm#2)

Every who is sexually active, whether they are hispanic or not needs to be responsible and protect themselves. AIDS and HIV are a serious illness. In order to keep it from spreading we must constantly get tested and use contraception that will not allow us to be infected or infect someone else. Too many people die every year from this terrible disease and it is up to us to try to control it.

Heatlh Care Crisis

America is a country of great oppotunities. We are able to obtain so many things that our country has to offer to almost everyone, in which other countries are not as fortunate. People have access to free organizations which offer things like free breakfast on weekends to children, and planned parent hood. Our country also has some of the best doctors and medicine in the world. However, we are starting to see negative things effect health care.

The United States is the only industrial country that does not have universal health care. Meaning that not everyone is offered health care, some cannot afford it or are simply not qualified for certain health care insurances. Research finds that lack of insurance is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranked the United States health care system 37th in the world for quality and 55th for fairness. Considering that we are one of the richest countries in the world why is this happening?(http://www.healthcareforall.org/healthcare_crisis.html)

This health care insurance crisis had mostly affected poor or nearly poor families but now is affecting others as well. Today the health care insurance crisis is becoming a problem in the middle class homes; where people earn from $25,000 to $49,999 and even some families who earn a little over $50,000 a year. Since health insurance usually is provided through your emplyment, the vast number of people who are not employed do not hav ehealth insurance. Health insurance is also becoming more unaffordable to many people and so they choose to not have insurance at all. (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E0D7163CF931A35753C1A9659C8B63)

I think that Congress seriously needs to focus on this "health care crisis" issue. People should not be dying because they don't have health insurance. If the Constitution says that we are all equal, then why don't we all have equal opportunity to health care insurance. Health insurance needs to be more affordable according to the persons salary and size of immediate family {children, husband/wife}.

STEROIDS...A SUPER DRUG

Steroids are a group of synthetic hormones that promote the storage of proteinand the growth of tissue. As of 2004, there are four types of anabolic steroids which are, Nandrolone, Oxandrolone, Oxymetholone, and Stanzolol.(http://www.answers.com/topic/anabolic-steroid?cat=health) Anobolic steroids are synthetic drugs similar to the male hormone, testosterone. They can be taken as tablets, in powder form or by intramuscular injection. These steroids imporve muscle growth, strength and power. Many times these steroids are used by athletes. These drugs are usually precribed to people who have anaemia, breast cancer and post-surgical muscle wasting.

Here in the U.S. steroids is becoming a problem amongst athletes and body builders, and even young males looking to have a leaner body. Those who abuse the steroids may feel stronger, more agressive and confident. Adults who take anabolic steroids can be affected psychologically, their livers may be damaged, and may suffer heart disorders. Famous athletes like Bary Bonds, Mark McGuire, and Jason Giambi have all testified to using steroids in order to "up their game".(http://media.www.berkeleybeacon.com/media/storage/paper169/news/2004/12/09/Sports/SeventhInningStretch.SteroidUsing.Players.Should.Be.Banned-826448.shtml) The side effects include {men} shrinking of the testicles, reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, development of breasts and for adolescents, their growth stops prematurely from premature skeletal maturation and may also see accelerated puberty changes. Research says that users may suffer from paranoid jealousy, extreme irritability, delusions, and impaired judgment stemming from feelings of invincibility. (http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/Drug_guide/Steroids) Basically the steroids drug can almost change your character when taken frequently. It causes you to act irrationally then you would otherwise.

In my opinoin steroids should be left to the doctors fro medicine. People need to love their bodies the way it is instead of pumping "juice" into themselves! the side effects are not worth all the effort and money of steroids. I also feel that it is unfair for athletes to use steroids to increase their power and skills during a game. Athletes are chosen through there natural skills and power, steroids is a hormonal drug that makes them better, which is n't fair to all the other players. In my opinion that is CHEATING...If you can't play fair go home!

BIRTH CONTROL PILLS.....HOW GOOD IS IT?

Birth control....What a miracle for women! Imagine only having to take a small pill everyday, each month, which would prevent pregnancy at a rate of 99% when used correctly. It is a phenomena that has been on the market for many years now. Women all over the world are currently using their birth control prescriptions to avoid the risk of pregnancy. Just how good are these tiny pills? What do they do for us women? Could something this great have a terrible effect on our bodies, or is it simply just another a form of protection?



Today a high percentage of teenage girls are turning to birth control as one of their first options to protect themselves against pregnancy. Sexual activity has become one of the most difficult decisions for teens to deal with. There is a huge responsibility that comes with the decision of having sex. The first responsibilty is using contraception and this is where birth control comes into play. The use of birth control by teenage girls has risen. In a study in 2003 about 61% of teens (15-19 yrs old) admitted to using birth control pills while being sexually active.(http://www.kff.org/youthhivstds/upload/U-S-Teen-Sexual-Activity-Fact-Sheet.pdf)



The effectiveness of the pill comes with a catch. It must be taken daily at a consistant time. The effectiveness of the pill itself is measured according to how many women become pregnant during the first year of using oral contraception. In typical oral contraception pills the failure rate (occuring pregnancies) is about 5% per year. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birth_control) This is usually due to ineffective usage. The birth control pill is a tiny tablet taken daily that is made of synthetic female hormones such as progestin and estrogen (which are normally produced by the ovaries). The pills prevent pregnancy by suppressing the pituitary gland, preventing the development and release of an egg in the ovary. The progestin also changes the lining of the uterus and stops the sperm from reaching the egg. Due to the fact that not all women will be able to take the pill perfectly (everyday at the same time) oral contraception is considered 95% effective, Although when used correctly it can be 99% effective or more. (http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/femalehormone1.html) However, the pills do have side effects. The minor side effects are, light bleeding between menstrual periods, weight change, nausea, skipped periods, an increase in vaginal infections, and bloating. The greater side affects of the birth control pills are much more serious; they include, heart attacks, stroke or blood clots. These side affects usually occur in older women (35 yrs +), women who smoke, or women with health problems (see doctor) (http://www.unm.edu/~shc1/pill-side-effects.html).



The bottom line ladies and gentlemen, is that birth control is a great form of contraception for those who are ready to take on the responsibilities that come with it. Most women do benefit from the pill. Please see your doctor for further information about birth control and more varieties of contraception. Also, remember that birtch control pills DO NOT PROTECT YOU FROM STD's!!!!

CHILD HEALTH IN THE UNITED STATES

Life can take its toll on everyone, even children. Fortunately for the United States we have a great health care system compared to many countries all over the world. We are lucky enough to have well educated doctors, from all over the world, and have access to thousands of great medicines. Childrens immune systems are not as strong as adults and so they are more suseptable to getting sick and some are even born sick or carrying a disease.



It is sometimes hard to keep our little ones completely healthy simply because we cannot protect them from everything. In a study in 2003 84.7 % of children were reported to be in very good or excellent health, according to their parents. Despite this large number of healthy children, the health rate begins to decrease as children get older. The research showed that 86% of children under 5 were either in very good or excellent health, 84% in children ages 6-11, and 83% in children reaching adolescence at 12-17 years old. (http://mchb.hrsa.gov/mchirc/chusa_05/healthstat/children/0308hsc.htm)

The study also shows that people with higher incomes have healthier children. The more likely answer for this is that those with higher incomes can afford better qualiry health insurace or can pay for certain medicines their doctors may not provide because their health insurance does not provide these medicines. The following quote gives further details of this--"Children with family incomes below 100 percent of the Federal poverty level (FPL) were least likely to be reported by parents to be in excellent or very good health (66.8 percent), followed by those with family incomes of 100 to 199 percent of FPL (80.9 percent), and those with family incomes of 200 to 399 percent of FPL (90.2 percent); children with family incomes of 400 percent of FPL or above were the most likely to be in excellent or very good health (93.8 percent)." Unfortunately those with lower income are not as fortunate to be able to buy these medicines and so their doctors are limited as to how they can treat the patients health.

New York Health

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." (http://www.who.int/governance/eb/who_constitution_en.pdf)

Keeping healthy is an active process. There are many different kinds of healthy. You can be physically healthy but not be mentally and/or socially healthy. A human being must balance all three aspects to truly be healthy. Of course this is easier said than done, due to the fact that living your everyday life is very stressful and most people over work their bodies. It is very hard for a lot of people to juggle everything that life will throw at them and so some people pay attention to other things in life and forget about their bodies and its health. Are we so busy that we fail to realise that we may be ,slowly, killing ourselves?



According to a new City Health Department study, New Yorkers are drinking a lot! (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/22/nyregion/22drink.html) The information was collected in 2003, where they found that the heaviest drinking neighborhoods were in Greenwich village and Chelsea, where reports show 32% of adults were excessive drinkers. The neighborhoods that followed are as listed: Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Gramercy Park (Manhattan), Brooklyn Heights and Park slope (Bklyn). About 15% of New Yorkers drink excessively. The Study also found that men are twice more likely to drink in excess then women. The research has also come to the conclusion that the heaviest drinkers are young and white. About 1,500 people die each year either indirectly or directly because of alcohol.

Physical health is an activity develops and maintains a persons physical (body) fitness and even overall health. Most people exercise to maintain their physique and others for health issues and many people for both. Regular exercise helps to prevent diseases, strengthen your immune system, can improve your mental health and also prevent depression. A person should excercise about 3-4 times a week. (http://www.who.int/governance/eb/who_constitution_en.pdf) for all of you busy busy people, excercise does not have to be done in the gym. You can work out at home! You dont need a bunch of equipment to stay healthy, you just need guidance. For those who own computers or know someone with a computer you can easily go online and watch and download free work out videos from such websites as Youtube.com. Even taking the time out of your day to walk to the super market or bike to work is a form of exercise. People also need to eat healthy to maintain their physical health. Having a healthy balanced meal is critical to good health. Now-a-days we are so tempted to buy the "HOT JUICY BURGER", and we forget how harmful these fastfoods can be. It is not wrong to have food once in a while but unhealthy food on a regular basis is dangerous, it can cause obesity and can lead to high cholesterol and heart attacks. While it is extremely hard for some of us to ignore the temptations of Burger King and McDonalds, heres a few tips. You can take a salad with you to work, top it with your favorite dressing and put any kind of meat that you love to eat with your salad. You can also bake or grill the meat that you cook for dinner; by grilling meat, you drain out a lot of oil from your food that you would otherwise eat if it had been fried. New York ranked the 34th in the U.S with the highest obesity rates in adults. The obesity rate continues to rise not only inNew York but all over the country (http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2005/release.php?StateID=NY).

Mental health is also extremely important! Mental health is the emotional wellbeing or absence of a mental disorder. A person who is mentally healthy is able to enjoy life and balance life activities and cope with stress. There is not an "official" definition of mental health, according to the World health Organization, simply because there are differences between people such as cultural differeces. Life continually throws obstacles in our ways that we have to overcome. Everyday life isn't exactly a peace of cake, although we do have our moments when things seem perfect, for some reason life feels stressful about 90% of the time. Some people, under so much pressure, begin to fall into a state of depression (http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/stressmanagement/a/whatismental.htm). In fact, Mental health disorders account for four of the top 10 causes of disability in established market economies. About ever year 1 in 5 adults are diagnosed with a mental disorder. Millions of people suffer from drepressive illnesses and about 18.8 million adults 18 and over will eventually suffer from a drepressive illness. A study also finds that women are twice as likely to suffer from major depression then men( http://www.nyp.org/health/mental-health-stats.html).

Lastly, to complete our circle of health we must also be socially healthy. People need to get out! Everyone deserves a break in life. We become so consumed in our daily lives that we sometimes forget we need a TIME OUT! Working and being active is great, but sometimes just hanging out with your friends at the mall, hanging out on a Saturday night at your local lounge, or even just taking a walk with a friend or family member is good for you. People need someone to talk to, people to relax with and forget about stress for a little while. Releasing stress in crucial to health! Simple things can help us release just a little bit of stress at a time. Sometimes just being around people can help so that you don't feel as if you're the only person going through a bunch of "crap". Social Health also depends on our person views and attitudes. We need to be more optomistic as people. Although it is'nt always easy to keep a positive outlook on things, it does help to think, "things could always be worse."(House, J. S. {1977}. The three faces of social psychology. Sociometry, 40, 161-177) There are certain things in life which we must accept and others where we can either try to make it better or do nothing and bath in sorrow. I honestly prefer to be positive about things and would reccommend other people to try the same.

All these three things, Physical, Mental, and Social are important in being and staying healthy. It is not easy to do this but, with effort, being healthy could improve a persons life, not only in the physical aspect of it.