Blog Posts in Category: Obesity
Before coming abroad I knew I wasn’t going to have the luxury of a gym like the Hamel Recreation Center . I also knew a gym membership would be way too expensive to have abroad. Not going to the gym and eating all of the glorified food in Florence, Italy worried me! When I talked to other people who went abroad they told me how much walking I would be doing and how all the walking would really contribute toward my daily exercise. But not having any experience yet, I was still skeptical.... Read More
Could standing desks be a solution to America’s inactive lifestyles? We live in a day and age where many people are trying to improve their health and wellbeing, but are unsure where to start. There is a large focus on eating healthy and getting physical activity. However, maybe we should start focusing on the problem with inactivity. We are a hard working nation and many days are spent at work or school. What if there was a way to not sit a desk all day for hours on end? “The World Health... Read More
If there was one thing that I learned in Italy this summer, it is that all fats should NOT be treated equally. It is important to be able to recognize healthier fats and try to minimize certain less healthy fats in your diet. For a general rule of thumb, saturated fats are solid at room temperature. They can be found in many animal products such as cheese, meat, milk, etc. Foods that have lots of butter and shortening are also high in saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends... Read More
This past summer, I volunteered for a week at a summer camp for children with diabetes.The American Diabetes Association’s, Camp Carefree was geared toward bringing children with diabetes together and providing them with support from all over the country. The kids amazed me every single day with their knowledge and bravery. I knew nothing about how hard their daily lives were; I only knew what I had learned in classes at UNH. I watched these children inject themselves with insulin every day... Read More
A recent study out of the University of Granada has linked participating in physical activity with longer attention spans. Better cognitive abilities such as time perception were also higher in physically active participants. It has been generally known that physical activity lends itself to better overall health outcomes, but this study clearly illustrates a strong relationship between physical activity and longer attention spans. Antonio Luque Casado, a researcher from the University of... Read More
This week is National Public Health Week, an annual celebration of public health sponsored by the American Public Health Association (APHA). Today’s theme is “Providing a Safe Environment for Children at School”. Children spend 180 days in school every year. The lessons and habits children gain during this time influence the rest of their lives. Our nation’s children develop eating habits through the National School Lunch program, which feeds more than 31 million children each day. Many... Read More
Reported by CNN in February, 2010, the first lady, Michelle Obama spoke about the increasing costs the United States spends on treating obesity related issues and the economic effect. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study in 2009 stating “obese patients spent an average of $1,429 more for their medical care than did people within a normal weight range.” This figure had me thinking, being overweight is not only costly to our health, but costly to our wallets as well.... Read More