Unemployment isn’t the only thing on the rise; obesity rates are, too. 

In fact, obesity rates have been steadily rising for the past four decades, and it’s not getting any better. According to recent data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 1 in 5 American 4-year-olds are obese, with children of color at higher risk. American-Indians, for example, had the highest rates, with nearly 1 in 3 4-year-olds obese.  Hispanic and black children are also at higher risk. 

It’s a problem. Unheard of before, obese children are now developing diseases that were previously only seen in adults, such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. They may also face emotional issues, such as low self-esteem or depression. 

No Child Left Behind . . . in the Gym?

Undoubtedly, there are multiple reasons for the increases in childhood obesity rates. Children today live in a world of sugar-filled soda, calorie-laden French fries, countless hours of video games and TV, and less time exercising. Even schools, once teeming with recess and Physical Education (PE), have less time and funding devoted to keeping kids fit. 

Some say the No Child Left Behind Act is partly to blame. The Act, passed in 2001, requires all public schools to administer annual state-wide standardized tests in math, reading and science to students. If a school scores well on the standardized tests, it will be rewarded with increased federal funding. 

With this incentive to score well, schools have increased class time needed to prepare for those tests. The increased emphasis on the core subjects of reading, math and science has led to a decreased emphasis on electives like music, art and PE. Consequently, budget cuts due to this hurting economy often hit these electives the hardest. 

Is PE a Thing of the Past?

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommends that elementary-aged students get 150 minutes of PE per week. However, making physical education mandatory is up to each individual state school district. 

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 22 percent of schools don’t require students to take any PE. Moreover, only 3.8 percent of elementary schools, 7.9 percent of middle schools and 2.1 percent of high schools provide daily PE classes.

To make matters worse, most children do not participate in any organized physical activity outside of school, either. 

Alarmed by the rising rates of childhood obesity, some schools have adopted mandates requiring additional time for PE. However, without additional funding, many of these schools are still not able to meet the requirement. In California, less than half the elementary schools are meeting the mandated PE time. And what are the consequences for not meeting the requirement? Nothing. 

Yet, PE may not necessarily be a thing of the past. Just last month, several members of Congress called for passage of the FIT Kids Act, a bill that would amend No Child Left Behind to add PE as a core subject and require schools to report on their PE programs. It’s still unclear where schools would get the funding they need. 

In the meantime, make your children’s health a priority in your home:

• Watch our documentary on Childhood Obesity on the Public Internet Channel
• Visit our sister site, the Beehive, for tips on eating right and staying fit.
• Find out how to calculate your child’s Body Mass Index (BMI).
• Learn more about obesity in children and teens.
   

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Courtesy of mscaprikell

Worried about the current state of our economy? You’re not alone. A 2008 USA Today/Gallup Poll found that 40 percent of the adults felt afraid and 53 percent felt angry about the economy. The American Psychological Association also found at least 80 percent of adults cited money and the economy as the main causes of stress.

Experts say the economy is likely to get worse before it gets better. So does that mean that your stress will get worse, too? Not if you can help it!

Instead of focusing on the green in your wallet, try focusing on another green – houseplants! Sure, they make your home look nice. But studies suggest that houseplants can also better your health and improve your mood.

• Lower Stress – See it to believe it! Researchers suggest that just the act of looking at a plant can calm us down. One study found that people who placed Devil’s Ivy in their offices felt less stress and described the space as more natural and refreshing.
• Boost Your Immunity – Lower stress levels boost your immunity, which can help you ward off a cold or the flu. Plus, plants release moisture into the air. The higher humidity levels can help relieve cold symptoms, like dry throats and noses.
• Fight Toxins – Plants not only take in carbon dioxide, but they also take in VOCs. VOCs are toxins (or poisonous substances) that are released by household items such as cleaning supplies, office equipment like printers, paint, and glues. One study from the University of Technology in Australia found that three Janet Craig plants reduced VOCs in a room by up to 70 percent.
• Enhance Creativity – Be inspired! A Texas A&M University study found that women who worked in a room with plants and flowers came up with 13 percent more creative ideas than women in a room with just sculptures.

What more proof do you need?

Get a list of common houseplants and their benefits

Don’t stop there! Learn eights way to beat stress!

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by Jessica Mendoza, Beehive Producer, PICurrent Contributor

Courtesy of Soctech

New studies find that students who do not speak English as their native language may not be mastering the language as well as they should be. The debate is on about what should be done.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) continues to show serious reading problems for students who do not speak English as their native language, even after several years of schooling.

• The Editorial Projects in Education Research Center found that 28.9 percent of students in the U.S. whose first language is not English are not proficient in the language.
• Moreover, a study in Texas just found that about three in 10 students whose native language is not English are not making significant progress in mastering the language.
• Similarly, the Oregon Department of Education found that after five years of learning English as a second language, only one in five students had learned to read, write and speak it fluently by spring 2008.

What can be done?

There is much debate over whether students should be taught in their native language and whether more ESL (English as a Second Language) programs should be offered. According to Claude Goldenberg, who directs the Center for Language Minority Education and Research, research finds that teaching students in their own language makes them stronger at reading in English.

But this past election season, voters in Oregon narrowly rejected a ballot that would have limited how long schools could teach English learners in their native language. It also would have put a limit on ESL (English as a Second Language) programs.

So, it’s safe to say that the jury’s still out on what should be done for students who do not speak English as a native language.

But what can YOU do for your kids?

• Find out about ESL programs at your school. There may also be free or low-cost tutoring and afterschool programs to help your child.
• Visit our sister site, The Beehive, to learn how to get help for students who don’t speak English.
• Get tips on choosing ESL class.

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by Jessica Mendoza, PICurrent Network Contributor

The battle against online hackers, phishers and scammers may never be won. In fact, online fraud is on the rise. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to avoid being a victim.

Although 90% of identity theft occurs offline (usually by someone the victim knows) (BBB Online), online fraud is on the rise. For example, according to APACS (the UK’s payment authority), online phishing has more than doubled in the first half of 2008 compared with 2007.  

Online phishing is a con game where Internet criminals try to steal your identity be sending an email claiming to be a real business and asking you to give up private information. The email links to a false Web site where you are asked to “update” your personal information, such as credit card number, social security number, or password. The site may look real, but it’s not.  If you enter your information on this false site, the phisher will use that information to steal your identity.

However, online fraud is not limited to emails. Just last week, The Washington Post reported that hackers hijacked the Web site CheckFree.com—an online bill payment site. When visitors went to the site, they were redirected to a Web site that tried to install malicious software (or malware) on their computers.

The Federal Trade Commission also warns consumers about pop-up windows and phony websites that trick people into providing their private information.

With so many different scams online, how can you protect yourself and your family? Check out the Beehive for tips on:

• Keeping your identity safe online
• Keeping your computer safe (from malware and viruses)

Related Links:

Learn more about Internet safety on our sister site, The Beehive.

Can you identify phishing emails? Take this online quiz to test your skills.

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by Jessica Mendoza, PIC Network Contributor

Courtesy of Avoir Chaud

By giving a little blood, you could learn a lot about your risk for heart attack or stroke  . . . and help protect yourself against the nation’s leading killers. 

A new study suggests that a simple, low-cost blood test could determine if you are at increased risk for a heart attack or stroke, even if you appear to be in good health.

How It Works

The blood test measures the levels of C-reactive proteins (CRPs). Based on these levels, doctors can estimate the amount of inflammation, or swelling, in the body. Inflammation is associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

If you have inflammation, you may benefit from statins. Statins are medicines that lower the CRP levels and LDL cholesterol – the bad kind of cholesterol that is associated with heart disease. Lowering the levels of CRP and LDL cholesterol can reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes.

The test only costs about $20 and could become part of a routine blood work for middle-age patients. Doctors may also start prescribing statin to patients whose test results show inflammation.

Learn more about this new heart disease blood test.

Related Links

Heart disease kills about 450,000 Americans every year. Learn more about heart disease.

Get tips on maintaining a health lifestyle from our sister site, The Beehive.

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Courtesy of Sunsets for You

What’s the greatest risk for getting breast cancer? Being a woman. In fact, the American Cancer Society (ACS) reports women have a 1 in 8 chance of getting breast cancer some time during their lives.

There is no cure (yet), but there are things we all can do to reduce our risk of getting breast cancer. And every year, during October (National Breast Cancer Awareness Month), we are reminded of the importance of breast health.

The Facts
More likely than not, you or someone you know has been affected by breast cancer.

• According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), more than 211,000 American women and about 1,700 American men learn they have breast cancer each year.
• The ACS reports that there are about two and half million breast cancer survivors right now in the United States.
• The older a woman is, the more likely she is to develop breast cancer. According to the ACS, 95 percent of American women diagnosed with breast cancer are ages 40 and up.

Learn about the risk factors of breast cancer.

Prevention
Women should know how their breasts normally look and feel. The best way to know this is to have regular breast self-exams. If there are any changes in your breasts, you should contact your doctor. It could be the sign of a problem.

Although self-exams are important, so are clinical breast exams and mammograms performed by your doctor. A mammogram is an x-ray that shows the inner breast tissue. Doctors use mammograms to make sure there aren’t any abnormal growths like lumps, cysts or tumors in your breasts.

Treatment and recovery are more likely to be effective when cancer is found early.

Steps you should take to screen for breast cancer:

• Starting in their 20s, women should perform monthly breast self-exams. Learn how to do a self-exam.
• Women ages 20 to 39 should have a clinical breast exam (an exam performed by a doctor) at least once every 3 years.
• Women ages 40 and up should have a clinical breast exam and a mammogram each year.

Remember, the earlier you detect breast cancer, the better.

Free and Low-Cost Mammograms

By now you know that getting a mammogram is the best method for early detection of breast cancer. Most health insurance companies pay for the cost of breast cancer screening tests. But if your insurance company doesn’t pay for them or if you don’t have health insurance, there are ways to get free and low-cost mammograms:

• The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) offers free and low-cost mammograms for women who don’t have health insurance. Contact a local program for more information.
• Contact Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s breast care helpline at 1 (877) GO-KOMEN [1 (877) 465-6636] (toll-free) to find out how to get a free or low-cost mammogram and to find a certified radiology center in your area.
• The YWCA has a free national program called ENCOREplus®, which provides breast cancer information and free or low-cost screening mammograms for women in need. Contact your local YWCA program to see if they offer ENCOREplus®.

More Information:

Learn more about breast cancer on our sister site, the Beehive.

Do you have Medicare? Medicare pays for most of the cost of a screening mammogram every 12 months. Medicare will pay for a diagnostic mammogram at any time if you need it. Learn more.

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You’ve probably seen that commercial telling you that depression hurts. But have you seen the new CDC report telling us just how many people it hurts?

National Archives, Public Domain

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 1 in 20 Americans ages 12 years and older are depressed. Rates are higher in 40-59 year olds, women, and non-Hispanic blacks than in other demographics. The study also found that 1 in 7 Americans living below the poverty level were depressed – more than those with higher incomes.

Wow. One in 7? Are you as surprised as I am?

But the more important question is, is there anything you can do about it? Well, yes and no. Depression isn’t something “you can simply ‘snap out of,’” according to MayoClinic.com.  It’s a health condition that affects you physically and emotionally. Symptoms include:

• Feeling sad
• A loss of interest in daily activities
• Feeling hopeless and worthless
• Difficulty concentrating
• Back pain or headaches
• Thoughts of suicide

And causes of depression are unknown. There’s evidence depression is caused by several things, including:

• Biochemical factors (like imbalances with your hormones)
• Your genes (it may run in your family)
• Events in your life (the loss of a loved one, for example)

Although you can’t change how you became depressed or how it makes you feel, there ARE steps you can take to fight it.

• Learn more about depression from the National Institute of Mental Health and from the Mayo Clinic. The more you learn about it, the better you can deal with it.
• Visit your doctor.  Not only can your doctor help you identify the causes of your depression, but your doctor can also help you treat it. You can also search for mental health care near you.
• There are even steps you can take to prevent depression, like reducing stress and building your support network.

For even more information about depression, visit our sister site, the Beehive.

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