Celebrity and Weight

NY Times article entitled "Bingeing on Celebrity Weight Battles." This article discusses celebrities (notably women, including Oprah and Kirstie Alley) and their very public battle with weight and body image. What message do you think it sends to young women that famous women publicly debase themselves and their bodies unless they have an almost-unhealthy body size (e.g., Kirstie Alley said she would be happy at 5'8" and less than 140 pounds, which is at the very bottom end of a healthy weight for that height). How can you talk to young women about this phenomenon? What emotional impact does celebrities having weight-loss surgeries (and sometimes lying about it) have on the average overweight American woman?

New Warning on Hormone Replacement Therapy

NY Times article entitled "New Warning on Hormone Replacement." Hormone replacement therapy already has somewhat of a bad reputation for increasing the risk of certain health conditions, and now a recent study indicates that women taking HRT are at increased risk of dying from lung cancer. The article also discusses new cancer medication. How would you talk with a patient about the risks and benefits of HRT? Should all women thinking about HRT go through preliminary medical screenings for lung cancer and other health conditions?

Eating for Two?

NY Times article entitled "Study Urges Weight Gain Be Curbed During Pregnancy." Current guidelines advise overweight women to limit weight gain during pregnancy to 25 pounds; however, recent research has recommended a significant change to these guidelines, with obese women being asked to limit weight gain to 11 to 20 pounds. How much weight is appropriate to gain during pregnancy, especially if a woman is already overweight? How much does the old adage "eating for two" promote over-eating during pregnancy.

Texting May Take a Toll

NY Times article entitled "Texting May Be Taking a Toll on Teenagers." The average teen sends over 2000 text messages a month, which is almost 80 per day. Teens admit to texting during class, when they should be sleeping, and while walking. Psychologists and pediatricians are concerned about this phenomenon. Should they be concerned? What are the implications of constantly being "in touch" with others? What might the emotional, physical and social tolls on teenagers be if they text constantly?

Death in Birth

NY Times article entitled "Where Life's Start is a Deadly Risk." Pregnancy and childbirth kill half a million women each year around the world, but half of those deaths occur in Africa. Most of these births would be preventable, however, there is a severe shortage of medical staff and equipment. What do you think a feasible solution might be? How does a country with limited resources find the financial and governmental support to create programs to help these women? Would birthing kits such as this one help?

Webcast Your Brain Surgery?

NY Times article entitled "Webcast Your Brain Surgery? Hospitals See Marketing Tool." The article describes the new use of social networking sites (YouTube, Twitter, etc) to market hospitals and procedures to potential patients. How might this impact privacy rules that are meant to protect patients? What are the ethical implications of this new use of social technology? Would you allow a medical procedure to be documented and shared on the internet?

A Prom Divided

NY Times article entitled "In Georgia, Segregation Endures on Prom Night." Mount Vernon, GA has held segregated proms since their schools integrated in 1971. Although most students want to have an integrated prom, parents have disagreed on the basis that "it's tradition." What do you think about this "tradition?" What are the implications of continuing to have a segregated prom in the 2000's? What might be the impact of this event on the friendships within the school?

Brain Power

NY Times article entitled "Brain Power - At Card Table, Clues to a Lucid Old Age." The article describes an ongoing research project exploring healthy aging, and describes a group of Bridge players who keep sharp much longer than their non-Bridge-playing companions. What do you do to keep your mind sharp? Which direction do you think the correlation goes it -- is it that sharper people who play Bridge are less likely to develop dementia, or that people who play Bridge stay sharp and prevent dementia? How might the results of this research impact your plans for older adulthood?

HBO Documentary: The Alzheimer's Project

This is a new documentary series by HBO entitled "The Alzheimer's Project." You can view the videos from this website. Please read the review by The Chicago Tribune about this amazing public health documentary, focused on both individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. Alzheimer's is a growing health priority in our country, and this project (co-sponsored by the National Institutes of Health) is geared towards increasing awareness of the disease.

Increase in Out-of-Wedlock Birthrates

NY Times article entitled "Out-of-Wedlock Birthrates Are Soaring, U.S. Reports." In 2007, the study reports that 4 out of every 10 children born in the U.S. were born out of wedlock. These rates are rapidly increasing, with the numbers of children being born to out-of-wedlock mothers highest among women in their 20's and 30's. What are the implications of this study? Do two parents living together provide the same type of parenting experience as two married parents?

Mother's Talk Key to Social Development

From CNN.com, article entitled "Mothers' talk is key to kids' social skills, study says." Research reveals the way mothers talk with their children appears to be key to social understanding, especially the labeling of feelings. How could this be incorporated into parenting classes or other training opportunities for mothers? Is there a way to get fathers involved?

Salt Content in Popular Restaurant Meals

The Center for Science in the Public Interest released a report documenting the salt content in many popular meals at seventeen restaurants. The report, entitled "Heart Attack Entrees and Side Order of Stroke: The Salt in Restaurant Meals is Sabotaging Your Health" and is available at this link in pdf file format. What are the implications of this report? Will it change your eating habits?

Women and Mental Illness

CNN.com article entitled "New report underscores women's mental illness concerns." The article discusses a new report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, entitled "Action Steps for Improving Women's Mental Health." Most mental health professionals are aware of the health disparities in mental health diagnosis and treatment between men and women. How might this new report impact treatment for women? What are some of the implications for mental health workers to be aware of when working with women?

Doctors and Assisted Suicide

Chicago Tribune article entitled "A right to die, but a grim fight to do so." The article discusses how physicians are reluctant to engage in assisted suicide even when it is legal (Oregon, Washington). What are the ethical and moral issues involved in this type of decision? Is it right for the physician to refuse if the family, patient and caregivers involved all agree that this is the decision they want?

Children Absorb Parents' Attitudes About Food

Chicago Tribute article entitled "Children Absorb Parents' Attitudes Regarding Food." The article discusses how mixed messages about food (e.g., emphasizing the importance of breakfast to your child but not eating breakfast yourself) may lead to negative eating behaviors in later life. It also discusses the impact of body image in children on eating habits. In addition to the suggestions the nutritionists offer, how else might a parent encourage their child to have healthy eating? What could school systems do to help parents?

Too Fat for the Boy Scounts?

Chicago Tribune article entitled "Too fat for the Boy Scouts?" The Boy Scouts are implementing height/weight (BMI) requirements for certain events they sponsor. Is this sizeism, or is this responsible behavior on the part of the Boy Scouts? How might a child feel if they were not able to participate in an activity with their Boy Scout Troop solely on the basis of their weight?

Unemployment Makes You Sick

NY Times article entitled "Unemployment may be hazardous to your health." Researchers found that adults who lost their jobs were twice as likely to be diagnosed with chronic health problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes than those who remained employed. What do you think comes first, health problems or unemployment? How could unemployment services provide mind-body wellness information to those recently unemployed? What preventative efforts could be made to change the outcome of unemployment on health?

Racism Hurts Kids' Mental Health

USA Today article entitled "Racism hurts kids' mental health." Researchers revealed that 5th graders who felt they were mistreated because of the color of their skin scored significantly higher on measures of depression, ADHD, and oppositional defiant disorder. What implications could this have for school systems, especially when dealing with racially-motivated teasing and bullying? How would you help a child who has been teased because of their ethnic background?

Reminders of Age Impact Memory

NY Times article entitled "Reminders of Age Undermine Memory." Older adults who were told that age impacts memory performance did, in fact, perform worse on a memory task than those older adults who were not told that age impacts memory. What are the implications of these results? How might you utilize this information when working with older adults (especially those who might say "I'm old, I can't remember much.").

Researchers Find First Signs of Autism in Infancy

TIME magazine report about new research that demonstrates there are early signs that indicate a child may develop Autism. How might this research impact Autism treatment? What are the implications for families with children who have autism?