HEALTH AND WELLNESS

                                  “Sometimes when I sit down to eat, I get nervous and start to shake. I’m afraid that I’ll gain weight. I tell myself, ‘I have to lose [two more kilograms].’” –Kate. “I want to be attractive, and I’m terrified of getting fat. But I don’t want anyone to know that I throw up my food after I eat. It’s very embarrassing.” –Emmy. “I tell myself: ‘… Today, I’m going to do better…’ And then later in the day at some inevitable point, I binge. Guilt follows, and I want to die.”-Tina.      You want to look good, and that’s normal. You want to be comforted when you’re anxious or depressed. There’s nothing wrong with that either. But if you’re like any of the girls quoted here, you could have a problem. If you do, you’re not alone. The fact is, millions of youths –most of them girls –have an eating disorder. Let’s take a closer look at ANOREXIA, BULIMIA, and BINGE EATING. Each of these disorders has distinct symptoms, but all of them inv

                                             He was only ten years old, but Daniel had been battling cancer for a year. His doctors had given up hope, as had others close to the boy. But Daniel held on to hope. He believed that he would grow up to be a researcher and help to find a cure for cancer someday. He was especially hopeful regarding the upcoming visit of a doctor who specialized in treating his particular form of cancer. When the day arrived, though, the specialist was forced to cancel his visit because of bad weather. Daniel’s spirits sank. For the first time, he became listless. He died within a few days. Daniel’s account was related by a health-care worker who studied the role that hope and hopelessness play in relation to health. You may have heard similar stories. An elderly person, for example, lies near death but is eager to reach some long-anticipated milestone –whether the visit of a loved one or simply an anniversary. When the event has come and g

Cancer is overwhelmingly caused by where you are, what you do, and what happens to you in life, rather than by what you are that is your genetic makeup.   Environmental factors are more important than gene factors, smoking causes about 35 percent of cancer, while another 30 percent appear to be related to diet and another fraction caused by exposure to sunlight.   Genetic factors play a part in prostate, colorectal, and breast cancer, even if you have a family history of    cancer what you do with your life is much more important.   Vitamin D is needed for absorption of calcium so that the mineral can take its place in bone and shore up the skeleton against fractures. 90 percent of our vitamin D is made in our skin upon exposure to sunlight.   But excessive exposure can damage the skin thereby causing a type of skin cancer called melanoma. Mild exposure of the skin to the sun is good for the skin that is why morning sunlight is recommended, the time should be betw

                        LIVING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AVIS was driving home alone when suddenly her vision became blurred. She quickly stopped the car. After a few minutes, her sight cleared, and she continued on her way, attributing the incident to tiredness. Then, while on vacation four years later, AVIS awoke in the middle of the night with severe headache. She went to the hospital, where a doctor gave her an analgesic and kept her under observation, fearing a possible aneurysm. The next day the pain was gone. However, AVIS felt very weak. She even had difficulty holding a glass of water, and she felt a tingling, blurring sensation on her right side. Concerned, she and her husband cut short their vacation and drove home. The following morning at breakfast, AVIS could not control her fork, and the right side of her entire body now felt weak. She went to a hospital, where doctors gave her a battery of tests that ruled out stroke. Unaware of the event that had