Weighing The Facts

The Mind/ Body Dialogues Teach UNH Students TO Love The Genes They Were Born With
Alexis Macarchuk
Student volunteers took to the stage Monday night in the University of New Hampshire's second production of the Mind/Body Dialogues, which celebrated Love Everybody Day.
The cast of 11 assembled to perform the scripted dialogue, which tackles a number of body image issues ranging from anorexia, bulimia and obesity to drug addiction.

Kathleen Grace Bishop, the director of Education Promotion, said, "This dialogue is important because everyone could use some help related to their body image. This is a lifelong struggle for people."

Hosted by the Office of Health Education and Promotion, the play was intended to spark discussion on campus about how people view themselves and treat their bodies.

The event illuminated some startling statistics while sharing a number of poignant experiences related to body issues.
In a survey conducted at UNH in 2001 aimed at finding where UNH stands on body issues, 25 percent of students had symptoms of eating disorders and over half the people surveyed said they knew people with eating disorders.
Linda Hayden, who oversees the fitness and wellness program at UNH, believes this unhealthy behavior related to diet and exercise on college campus happens for a number of reasons.
Hayden believes the media, advertising, and peer pressure influences students. These sources try to tell students how they should look and what their bodies should look like.

The Mind/Body Dialogues try to dispel the myth that there is only one set image of beauty and health.

"A healthy body image is when you appreciate your body for what it is, when you realize that you don't have to change it," Bishop explained. "Love the genes that you were born with. Try to remember that everyone is beautiful in their own way."
Kayleigh, a sophomore who attended the play and requested anonymity, said she liked the story about a mother of four who likes her body most when she's in the grocery store.

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Judge Approves Settlement Of Suit Against Aetna Over Coverage For Eating Disorders.

Healthy Habits: Eating Disorder Warning Signs

By NANCY HUFFMAN
Eating disorders are serious conditions that cause physical and emotional damage. I know you can't force a person with an eating disorder to change their behaviors or beliefs, but you can make a difference by showing that you care, offering your support and encouraging the person to seek professional help. While people with eating disorders usually try to hide the problem, there are warning signs you can watch for. My heart goes out to the families of those with this disorder. If you're looking for a good reference site, check out Anglefire.com. It's a great site that deals with eating disorder issues and offers some of the signs that might be present.
Note: Any combination of these symptoms can be present in any eating disorder, and not all signs are always present in every person who engages in these behaviors.
Signs of food restriction:
Wearing baggy clothing (to hide weight loss)
Making excuses for not eating
Obsessively measuring/weighing food
Looks pale
Constantly feeling cold at normal room temperatures

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Eating Right for Bone Health
By Jovanda Biston
Osteoporosis is normally associated with older women. That is because this disease of the skeleton, in which bones become brittle and are prone to fracture, usually occurs in women over 55 years of age.

But it can also affect men and younger women.

What may be even less well-known is that steps to prevent primary osteoporosis, which commonly occurs after menopause or develops due to age-related bone loss, should ideally be taken from as early as childhood.

The World Health Organisation said bone formation is most active during childhood and adolescence and that bone length and girth increase as the teenager grows, ending at early adulthood when peak bone mass is attained.

Dr Manju Chandran, a consultant endocrinologist at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), said: "It has often been said that osteoporosis is a paediatric disease that manifests in geriatric times."

Dr Chandran is director of SGH's osteoporosis and bone metabolism unit, the country's first and only unit that caters specifically to the management of patients with osteoporosis and other bone disorders. He explained that getting your bones in peak shape during the growth period from puberty to the early 20s is extremely important. It will pay off in your later years.

The attainment of peak bone density or mass is heavily influenced by nutrition, hereditary factors, hormonal effects and the environment. The growth years are thus crucial to averting the risk of osteoporosis in later life.

Dr Chandran said that people who have a history of an eating disorder in their growing years can develop secondary osteoporosis. This type of osteoporosis occurs as a result of the treatment of another disease or condition, or as a result of the condition itself.

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sources:http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202425462558&pos=ataglancehttp://media.www.tnhonline.com/media/storage/paper674/news/2008/10/24/News/The-Mindbody.Dialogues.Teach.Unh.Students.To.Love.The.Genes.They.Were.Born.With-3504155.shtml http://health.asiaone.com/Health/Wellness%2B%2540%2BWork/Story/A1Story20081025-96299.html http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20081027/LIFESTYLE/810270319 picture source:bigfoto.com