When I first read about 42-year-old Donna Simpson it was clear that she was getting some
positive reinforcement in the form of attention from her goal of weighing 1000 pounds. In 2007, she earned the Guinness Book of World Records title for being the world’s biggest mother when she gave birth to her daughter; a birth that required the assistance of 30 medics. Ms. Simpson has stated that her 49-year-old boyfriend supports her in this endeavor and would like her to be bigger. Although, she is seriously endangering her health with the risk of
obesity-related diseases, it is likely that the publicity from this goal is increasing the traffic to and income she earns from a website where men pay to watch her eat and wash herself.
If you have ever used yoga to calm a racing mind or deep yogic breathing to tame a frenzied situation, the intention of a new study underway investigating the connection between heart disease and this ancient mind-body practice won’t surprise you.
Yoga My Heart is a study coordinated by the University of Kansas Hospital to show how yoga may affect atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation is a heart condition that affects 2.2 million Americans. Usually triggered in response to a stress-provoking situation, atrial fibrillation causes chest pains, dizziness, palpitations, fatigue and shortness of breath. Those with the condition may frequently require medication and invasive treatment.
The study’s lead investigator, Dr. Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy, sees the calming effects of yoga as a possible formidable medication-free treatment option for those who suffer from it.
Academy Award Nominee Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe (pronounced SIH-deh-bay) may not look like your typical Hollywood starlet, but she seems to be comfortable in her own skin and unconcerned about her size. She has been cast in Showtime’s new series “The Big C” as a recurring guest star and seems entirely confident that she is not destined for occasional bit roles.
Recently Sidibe told New York magazine, “I learned to love myself, because I sleep with myself every night and I wake up with myself every morning, and if I don’t like myself, there’s no reason to even live the life.”
Desperation to conform to the thin ideal can have serious health consequences, sometimes even death. However, there are just as many medical concerns with obesity. Obesity can cause problems with sleep, neurological problems, pancreatic cancer, a shorter life, increased chances for infections like the swine flu, and even more debt.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has released their report card for companies that market food to kids. Out of 128 companies evaluated, nearly 75 percent of them are getting a failing grade.
CSPI is concerned about the fact that food marketers continue to aggressively target children with unhealthy foods, despite high obesity rates. That shouldn’t come as a surprise though, should it? Companies are built to make money, not think about what would help parents and their obese children. They are making their products cheaper (i.e. processed and unnatural), so they are cheap enough for average consumers to buy as much of it as possible.
Even though kids naturally gravitate more towards Lucky Charms than a bran cereal, there are sweet and healthier options for breakfast. But, back to the story at hand…
The FDA is often criticized for not being tough enough in its regulations. But now, it’s the federal agency’s turn to come down hard on food manufacturing corporations that are making false health claims on scores of products.
According to the FDA, 22 products made by companies like Nestle, Diamond Foods and POM violate the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by using unauthorized words like “healthy” and “cholesterol free.” Using such words on product packaging requires that the item’s nutritional content must meet the FDA’s very strict definition of “healthy” or “cholesterol free.”
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