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Showing posts from November, 2019

Shining A Light On The Darker Side Of The Holidays

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The holidays are almost here and it’s—if songs are to be believed—the most wonderful time of the year. But for many, the holidays are hard. This is a time of year that can wreak havoc on our relationships—the to-do lists and demands on our time make us crazy and the people we love most often pay for it. It’s the time of year that, for those feeling loneliness or struggling with loss, can feel even harder. Images of perfection—all the family, all the love and joy, the perfectly decorated home—bombard us from everywhere we look and, in particular, on social media. Stacy Bass, while blessed in many ways, can relate to the less cheery side of the holidays—this year will be the first without her mother, whom she lost in January to pancreatic cancer. Though the loss is still raw, Stacy wants to share her experience of finding social media—the very place that sometimes seems to amplify what we don’t have and how we don’t measure up—to be a place of discovery and healing, and how she

Empowering Men To Take Charge Of Their Health

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It’s no secret men can be notoriously bad about keeping up regular doctor’s visits. This November marks National Men’s Health Awareness month, a time of year when Northwestern Medicine encourages men to take charge of their health. Read more.

Overweight & Obesity; America’s Fattest States

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Americans are gaining weight at a startling rate, with the average adult weighing about 15 pounds more than 20 years ago. A healthy person has a BMI of 18.5 to 24, while an obese person has a BMI above 30. Today, about 40 percent of U.S. adults and nearly 20 percent of children are obese. Being overweight or obese can have a serious impact on health, according to WHO. Carrying extra fat leads to serious health consequences such as cardiovascular disease (mainly heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis, and some cancers (endometrial, breast and colon). These conditions cause premature death and substantial disability. Read more.