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August 2007
Don’t touch my baby bump
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Reporter Casandra Andrews shares her experience dealing with rude comments she endured during her pregnancy.
She also shares the following tips for interacting with pregnant women. 1. Don’t touch the bump. 2. Don’t make jokes about where babies come from. 3. Don’t comment on a woman’s size. Ever. 4. Don’t ask a pregnant woman how old she is. 5. Don’t comment on how much a pregnant woman eats.
Check out the story, then tell us if she’s missing a few tips.
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What’s your motivation
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The pursuit of flat abs and bulging biceps leads some of us to the weight room. My motivation was an injury.
I wasn’t sure how I hurt my shoulder — just that my shoulder hurt. Maybe my overloaded briefcase was to blame. Or perhaps the position of my computer’s keyboard.
“You said you’re how old?” the orthopedist asked as he held my X-ray up to the light.
I told him. He nodded. The joint, he explained, was simply worn and under used — a cruel reminder that I was not, in fact, getting any younger. He gave me an extremely painful shot of cortisone and prescribed four months of physical therapy, three times a week. Grudgingly, I complied.
Each session, Steve, my physical therapist, would show me a few new exercises — with rolled-up towels, gigantic rubber bands and small hand weights. At first, I could barely lift a pound in each hand before the pain would set in. I felt ancient.
But I stuck with it. And eventually the pain subsided. I got noticeably stronger, and more confident. If I could rebuild one part of my body, why not the rest?
I joined a gym, resumed my long-dormant running routine and took my bike in for a deluxe tune-up. Five years later, regular cardio workouts remain part of my routine, balanced with the moves Steve taught me — now with 10-pound weights in each hand. Reading today’s cover story, I’m happy to know I’m doing just what the top fitness experts these days are advising, for both injury prevention and weight maintenance.
Pushing off the effects of aging as long as possible remains my top motivation. But the dream of a buff body doesn’t hurt either.
What motivates you to stay fit?
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Morning after pill sales soar
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sales of the controversial morning-after pill, which is sold over the counter, have soared since it became available last year.
It’s safety record and popularity, however, have done little to quiet critics, who are seeking to challenge the Food and Drug Administration’s ruling that allowed the sale of Plan B (as it is known) to customers 18 and older.
Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. projects that sales of Plan B will total about $80 million for 2007, almost double the total for 2006 and up eightfold from 2004. Barr claims a high dose of a drug found in many regular birth-control pills, can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent if taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.
Critics say the pill’s availability will promote teenage sex, especially if an older person buys the pill for them and that it is basically abortion. Others say it will help decrease unintended pregnancies.
Do you think availability of the pill fuels teenage sex? Should the pill be made available with or without a prescription? Have you encountered a problem getting the pill?
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Friends don’t have to weigh you down
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Three days after I graduated from college, I started my first reporting job in my hometown with a journalism degree — and the “Freshman 15” I earned my first semester.
At various times, I would make half-hearted attempts to shed those unwanted pounds. But then the weekend would roll around. Inevitably, my other rookie-reporter buddies and I would end up stuffing ourselves at a favorite Mexican restaurant. But my frustration was nothing compared to Helen’s. In our circle of friends, she was the life of the party and a fabulous cook who struggled with obesity her whole life. She had tried every diet, with mixed — but never sustained — success.
Then one day, she told me about the new diet her doctor recommended. He called it “behavior modification.” He asked her to write down every bite she ate. He also asked her to keep track of other details: which room she ate in, what else she was doing while she ate, who she ate with and so on.
I started doing the same. We would meet every day and compare notes. Our other friends followed suit. Soon we were spending our weekends running 5K races or going on long bike rides. Within about six months, Helen had lost nearly 100 pounds; I had dropped 20.
Does it matter whether your friends are fat or skinny if you’re trying to lose weight? I don’t think so — despite what that recent study by the New England Journal of Medicine would have us believe. But it does help if they’re motivated, and supportive of your efforts. We even found a few examples and share their tips for success.
Do you think friends can influence friends to lose weight?
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Do you have 30 minutes?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An new study suggests that 30-minutes of daily exercise is all we need to stay in shape. Some folks log that precious time by walking the dog or chasing after the kids.
But do most people have 30 minutes to spend on a daily workout — in this heat? How do you fit 30-minutes of exercise into your day?
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Baby bottles vs. breast-feeding
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A recent study by the CDC says moms are too quick to grab the baby bottle. Only about 30 percent of new moms are feeding their babies breast milk alone three months after birth, the researchers found. At six months, only 11 percent are breast-feeding exclusively.
You can read the full story here.
Many women move away from breast-feeding because of their jobs, the inconvenience, and possibly because of convincing baby formula advertising, researchers say.
What do you think?
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