HEALTH AND WELLNESS

                                                        A particularly tragic outcome of alcohol abuse is its effect on the unborn. Alcohol is far worse for the developing fetus than any other abuse drug. When a pregnant woman drinks, her developing child also drinks, and the toxic effect of alcohol is especially devastating at this formative stage of the fetus. Alcohol causes irreversible damage to its central nervous system. Neurons do not form properly. Cells are killed off. Other cells end up located in the wrong place.     The result, fetal alcohol syndrome [FAS], is the foremost cause of mental retardation in newborns. Difficulties encountered by FAS children include intellectual impairment, lang...

                               Everyone is likely to become impatient on occasion. But there may be serious consequences when bouts of impatience are an everyday occurrence.     HEALTH RISKS: For one thing, impatience is linked to frustration, irritation, and even anger. Such emotions can raise our stress level, which in turn can harm our health. A recent study published by the American Medical Association specifically pointed to impatience as a risk factor for hypertension, even among young adults.     There are other problems associated with the lack of patience. A recent study revealed that impatience is linked to obesity. The researchers found that impatient individuals are more likely to be obese than people who are good at waiting. In some areas, inexpensive fast food is easily available at all ti...