Monthly Health Issue
February 2005
National Condom Month
- Every day more than 33,000 Americans get an STD
- More than twelve million Americans get an STD each year.
- At least one in four Americans will have an STD some time in their lives.
With nearly one million Americans infected with HIV most of them through sexual transmission, and an estimated twelve million cases of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) occurring each year in the United States, effective strategies for preventing these diseases are critical. While abstinence is still the best form of prevention, correctly using condoms and other forms of protection can greatly reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.(1)
You Are at Risk If:
You are having any type of sex - vaginal, anal or oral
You are having sex with a person who has an STD
You are having sex with more than one person
You are having sex with only one person but had sex with other people in the past (some STDs can remain hidden)
Your sex partner had sex with other people in the past, or is having sex with other people now
You are not having sex now, but have had sex with people in the past and do not know their medical history
Remember, when you have sex with someone, you are having sex with every sexual partner from that person's past.(2)
Visit the Pharmacist Planning Service website or American Social Health Association website for more information on this topic.
Also, brochures on sexually transmitted diseases and making sex safer are available at the health center.
American Heart Month
Diseases of the heart and blood vessels are the number 1 cause of death in the United States.
Having a healthy heart involves a variety of factors, including proper diet and nutrient intake, and proper exercise.
Diet
One of the most important ways to maintain a healthy heart is through diet. Try to pick foods that are low in calories and low in fats. Check out the Nutrition section for examples of health snacks and how to eat healthy. Another healthy heart helper is iron. Without enough iron, the blood does not carry as much oxygen as the cells need. The blood becomes "iron poor" and iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia may develop. Anemia makes you weak, tired, pale, irritable and short of breath. The average male, age 19 - 51+ years requires 10 mg of iron each day and the average female, age 19 - 50 years requires 18 mg of iron each day. Good sources of iron include: liver, kidneys, clams, oysters, cooked cereals, dry cereals, dried fruits and green vegetables.(3) Also, try to avoid sodium compounds, including salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), baking soda and baking powder. The body only requires 0.2 grams of sodium each day (0.5 grams of salt), but the average American consumes 6-18 grams daily. By reducing sodium intake, you can reduce or avoid high blood pressure. This is important because people with high blood pressure are more likely to develop heart diseases and stroke.(4)
(Visit the Health Center for these and other brochures.)
Exercise
Regular exercise improves blood circulation, relieves stress and releases tension, promotes enthusiasm, increases energy, reduces the risk of a heart attack, tones muscles and can help control weight. Aerobic exercises that involve rythmic, repetitive motions, such as jogging, bicycling, walking, hiking, swimming, roller blading, jumping rope, or active sports, all promote cardiovascular fitness. Develop a program that will let you gradually work into your target fitness routine. Set a pace for yourself and don't push yourself too hard when you start. Always start a workout by warming up and finish by cooling down with stretching exercises and slow walking. During your workout, maintain at least 50% of your maximum heart rate for at least 30 - 60 minutes.(5)
Age (years) Target HR Zone 50-75% (beats per minute) Average Max. HR 100%
20 100-150 200
25 98-146 195
30 95-142 190
35 93-138 185
40 90-135 180
45 88-131 175
50 85-127 170
55 83-123 165
60 80-120 160
65 78-116 155
70 75-113 150
(Visit the Health Center for these and other brochures.)
Other Factors
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat found in certain foods, and it's also produced by yur own liver. It's carried in your blood stream by two kinds of protein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad cholesterol) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or good cholesterol). The good cholesterol removes cholesterol from your blood, the bad cholesterol builds up those fatty tissues and plaque.
High Blood Pressure
When your blood is under too much pressure as it pumps through the arteries, it puts a lot of stress on the artery walls. Over time, it wears them away, and cholesterol forms at the damages sites. As plaque builds up, the blood flow to the heart is reduced.
Smoking
Half the deaths from heart disease are believed to be caused by smoking. When you smoke, carbon monoxide and other dangerous substances damage arterial walls; cholesterol is attracted to the damaged site, where it builds up plaque and retards the flow of blood; your blood vessels contract and restrict the flow of blood.(6)
(Visit the American Heart Association Website for more information on healthy hearts.)
Random Acts of Kindness Week
February 11-17
There are plenty of special things you could do for someone just to brighten up their day. This week, try to do a little something extra to put a smile on someone's face. Check out the examples to the left, or create an act of kindness of your own. Visit the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation's website for ideas and information about this week.
The level of our success is limited only by our imagination and no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. - Aesop
That best portion of a good man's life, His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. - William Wordsworth
Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. - Scott Adams
This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. - Dalai Lama
What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? - Jean Jacques Rousseau
If you have not often felt the joy of doing a kind act, you have neglected much, and most of all yourself. - A. Neilen (7)
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
February 24-March 3 (8)
Out of every four college women, one has an eating disorder.
A study in 1995 found that three minutes spent looking at a fashion magazine caused 70% of women to feel depressed, guilty and shameful.
Models 20 years ago weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, they weigh 23% less.
If Barbie were a real woman, she'd have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.
There are 3 million women who don't look like supermodels and only 8 who do.
The average woman weighs 144 pounds and wears between a 12-14.
Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14.
People Develop Eating Disorders for Various Reasons
a poor self image, including low self-esteem, a negative body image and cultural attitudes
a difficulty with emotions such as depression, anxiety, despair and anger, or fear of sexual development
a need for control in order to make up for feelings of helplessness, to get attention or rebel against parental control
a stressful personal life, including situations such as death of a loved one, divorce or a breakup of a relationship, or school or work stress
a need to overachieve, mainly perfectionists who may be overly concerned with grades, neatness, being a star athlete or the "perfect" son or daughter
Symptoms
Whatever the reason, there are some common symptoms to look out for.
a lack of control over food
obsessing about what is eaten
eating alone or in secret
hiding, stealing, or throwing out food
isolating oneself
denying the problem
Three Main Types of Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
A person may:
become very thin
have dull hair, dry skin and brittle nails
develop fine hair on arms, legs and torso
always feel cold or tired
exercise vigorously at odd hours
have unusual eating rituals
wear baggy clothes to hide the body
stop menstruating
Bulimia Nervosa
A person may:
gain and lose weight often
not have a change in body weight in spite of eating a lot
misuse laxatives or diuretics
make excuses to use the bathroom after meals
have tooth decay from contact with stomach acid during vomiting
have cuts and scrapes on the backs of hands from self-induced vomiting
have irregular menstrual periods
Binge Eating Disorder
A person may:
gain weight rapidly
not gain any weight instead in spite of overeating, especially if young or active
not stop eating when full
act guilty or disgusted with him- or herself after a binge
(For information on eating disorders, visit the Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, Inc. website, the National Eating Disorders Association website, or the Overeaters Anonymous website.)
(1) Information taken from the Pharmacist Planning Service website, February 1, 2002.
(2)Information taken from "There's Something You Should KNow," Burroughs Wellcome Co. 1995.
(3) Taken from "Iron for Good Health and Vitality," The Pennsylvania Department of Health. 1991.
(4)Taken from "Shaking Your Salt Habit," The American Heart Association. 1999.
(5)Information taken from the American Heart Association brochures: "Walking for a Healthy Heart," "'E' is for Exercise," and "Running for a Healthy Heart."
(6) Taken from "If Hearts could Talk," a plamphlet available at the Health Center.
(7) Quotes taken from the Random Acts of Kindness website.
(8) Information taken from "Eating Disorders - They can be Treated," Channing L. Bete Co., Inc. 1999.Various pamphlets on this topic and others are available at the Health Center.
