Childhood Obesity Facts
Obesity means an excess amount of body fat. No general agreement exists on the lowest definition of obesity in children and adolescents, unlike standards for adults. Nevertheless, most professionals accept published guidelines based on the body mass index (BMI) -- modified for age, pubertal stage, and gender -- to measure obesity in children and adolescents. Others define pediatric obesity as body weight at least 20% higher than the healthy weight range for a child or adolescent of that height, or as a body fat...
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Running
Baby, we were born to run." Those immortal words by Bruce Springsteen may be more than just rock and roll lyrics, they may explain our evolutionary past. In this article, I'll describe the biological and social history of running, the health and fitness benefits (and risks) of running, how to get started, how to run properly, and some training techniques.
History of Running
The conventional thinking among most scholars is that early man (hunter-gatherers) ran in short sprints as a matter of survival -- to catch prey and escape danger...
Exercise
Exercise Overview
Exercise isn't a new idea. Records of people exercising go back to 1100 B.C., when the Greeks competed in the javelin throw, distance running, archery, and boxing. Hippocrates (460 B.C.-377 B.C.), the father of medicine, wrote that "eating alone will not keep a man well; he must also take exercise." Milo of Croton, in 6 B.C., discovered the Principle of Progressive Overload, in which he carried a calf every day on his shoulders and as it grew into a bull and got heavier, he got stronger (just like adding heavier dumbbells)....
Breastfeeding
Introduction to Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding or bottle feeding your newborn baby is a personal decision. If you choose to breastfeed, it will be helpful if you are in a supportive environment and have resources to assist you with questions you may have or breastfeeding problems that may develop. The following breastfeeding tips may also be helpful:
Consider attending a series of La Leche League meetings or reading La Leche League's book on breastfeeding (The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding) before the birth of your baby.
Ask other breastfeeding...
Definition of La Leche League
La Leche League: An organization that helps and supports breastfeeding mothers with advice, ideas, and both legal and medical advocacy. Abbreviated LLL...
Stroke
Stroke Overview
Stroke is a brain attack. It ismuch like a heart attack, only it occurs in the brain.Like a heart attack, stroke is a medical emergency. Do not wait or hesitate to call for emergency medical help. Fast treatment makes a big difference in outcome for someone having a stroke.
CALL 911 for STROKE
When the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off or greatly decreased, a stroke occurs. If the blood supply is cut off for several hours or more, the brain cells, without enough blood supply,die.
Depending upon the amount of...
Obesity
Obesity Overview
The foods we eat every day contribute to our well-being. Foods provide us with the nutrients we need for healthy bodies and the calories we need for energy. If we take in more calories than we burn, the extra food turns to fat and is stored in our bodies. If we overeat regularly, we gain weight, and if we continue to gain weight, we may become obese.
Obesity results from the accumulation of excess fat on the body. Obesity is considered a chronic (long-term) disease, like high blood pressure or diabetes. It has many ...
Body Mass Index
Body-mass index, or BMI, is used as one measure of obesity or state of being overweight. BMI is used as a baseline and, then subsequently, to measure the effectiveness of a weight loss and/or health regimen implemented in cooperation with an individual's physician and other health care providers.
The National Institutes of Health recommends four BMI Categories:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
References:
"Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment...
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic Kidney Disease Overview
Normal kidneys and kidney function
The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs that lie on either side of the spine in the lower middle of the back. Each kidney weighs about ¼ pound and contains approximately one million filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron is made of a glomerulus and a tubule. The glomerulus is a miniature filtering or sieving device while the tubule is a tiny tube like structure attached to the glomerulus.
The kidneys are connected to the urinary bladder...
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes Overview
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a set of related diseases in which the body
cannot regulate the amount of sugar (specifically, glucose) in the
blood.
The blood delivers glucose to provide the body with energy to perform all of
a person's daily activities.
The liver converts the food a person eats into glucose. The glucose is then
released into the bloodstream.
In a healthy person, the blood glucose level is regulated by several hormones,
primarliy insulin. Insulin is produced by the pancreas, a small organ between...
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Eclampsia Definition and Overview
Eclampsia, a life-threatening complication of pregnancy, is a condition that causes a pregnant woman, usually previously diagnosed with preeclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in the urine), to develop seizures or coma. In some cases, seizures or coma may be the first recognizable sign that a pregnant woman has had preeclampsia. Key warning signs of developing eclampsia in a woman diagnosed with preeclampsia may be severe headaches, blurred or double vision, or seeing spots. Toxemia of pregnancy is a common name formerly used to describe...
Pregnancy
Early Pregnancy Symptoms
Stages of Pregnancy Pictures
Pregnancy Overview
Pregnancy occurs when an egg is fertilized by a sperm, grows inside a woman's uterus (womb), and develops into a baby. In humans, this process takes about 264 days, but the obstetrician will date from the last menstrual period or 280 days (40 weeks).
The doctor will use certain terms in discussing a woman's pregnancy. Some of the...
What is HCG (Novarel, Ovidrel, Pregnyl)?
What is HCG (Novarel, Ovidrel, Pregnyl)?
Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a hormone that supports the normal development of an egg in a woman's ovary, and stimulates the release of the egg during ovulation.
HCG is used to cause ovulation and to treat infertility in women, and to increase sperm count in men. HCG is also used in young boys when their testicles have not dropped down into the scrotum normally. This can be caused by a pituitary gland disorder.
HCG may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What...
Definition of Fetus
Stages
of Pregnancy Pictures
Early
Pregnancy Symptoms
Fetus: An unborn offspring, from the embryo stage (the end of the eighth week after conception, when the major structures have formed) until birth...
Definition of Embryo
Embryo: An organism in the early stages of growth and differentiation, from fertilization to the beginning of the third month of pregnancy (in humans). After that point in time, an embryo is called a fetus...
Alzheimer's Disease Pictures
Could It Be Alzheimer's?
It's normal for our loved ones to become a bit forgetful as they age. So how can we separate a harmless "senior moment" from a more serious problem like Alzheimer's disease? One in eight people 65 and older have this devastating form of dementia. In its first stages, Alzheimer's may not be obvious to friends and family. But there are some early warning signs to watch for.
Warning Signs: Memory and Speech
In...
Your doctor: Stages of Pregnancy Pictures
Your doctor: Stages of Pregnancy Pictures: Overview Pregnancy is measured in trimesters from the first day of your last menstrual period (LMP) and normally lasts about 40 week...
Brain Disorders Image Collection
+Dementia+1.jpg)
1. Picture of Vascular (Multi-Infarct) Dementia 1
Vascular dementia is the second most common cause of dementia, after Alzheimer's disease. It accounts for up to 20 % of all dementias and is caused by brain damage from cerebrovascular or cardiovascular problems - usually strokes. It also may result from genetic diseases, endocarditis (infection of a heart valve), or amyloid angiopathy (a process in which amyloid protein builds up in...
Dementia Pictures
Dementia Overview
A woman in her early 50s was admitted to a hospital because of increasingly odd behavior.
Her family reported that she had been showing memory problems and strong feelings of jealousy. She also had become disoriented at home and was hiding objects.
During a doctor's examination, the woman was unable to remember her husband's name, the year, or how long she had been at the hospital. She could read but...
