Causes of Obesity

Obesity has become one of the major problems today that it is now termed as globesity. It is accepted as a global danger and governments are putting in resources to fight this threat. The economic resources of the country are wasted in fighting this menace.


The Survey Reports confirm that 1% obesity levels are increasing every year for the last 15-20 years and if this rate continues whole of the population of America will be over-weight by the year 2040. The eating habits of people have changed over the years. Fast food chains, more of carbonated drinks and above all, the work culture has added to all this.


The original causes of obesity have to be understood to eliminate it from its roots.


Changing Work Culture


Earlier, people were required to perform their work in a single day without any breaks and any unwanted movement. There were limitations on holidays and leaves so there was very less social life left for them.


Now-a-days, people get big breaks at their workplace so that they can take rest and they get much more time to meet their deadlines. The timings have become flexible so one can move according to his/her plans.


Junk Food


Changing time has brought many new things with it and one thing which we can mention here is fast food. This food has affected our lives like nothing else before. Low physical activity has resulted in the inability of the body to break down sugar molecules and has led to an increased desire for instant and quick absorbing, cheap energy foods. Junk food and carbonated drinks quickly emerged to replace energy foods and drinks which constituted all the necessary nutrients. By the time, people started realizing the fact that fast food is adding to their ill-health it was too late. Todays generation is totally dependent on such foods and it seems difficult to stop them.


Transportation Facilities


These days, people spend very little time walking since the mode of transportation has improved. There is little need to walk distances. There are various transportation means to travel to your destination. Life has become very fast as compared to the laid-back 20th century lifestyles. This resulted in high stress leading to an increased longing for carbohydrates and high-energy foods which gave way to fast food.


Improvement in Technology


Technology has influenced our lifestyle to a great extent. From cooking to computers, everything is just at the touch of a button involving very little physical activity. This sedentary lifestyle resulted in low metabolic activity and calorie burning. The actual exercise is walking and breathing fresh air rather than exercising in gyms on treadmills.


Role of Information Technology


Information technology has affected the work culture in a sense that you do not have to visit customers or business associates for meetings. You do everything using computers, internet, video conferencing and teleconferencing. Technology has even enabled the work to be outsourced to different countries with no physical contact needed. Work can be done sitting at one place.


Obesity and overweight needs to be tackled by designing a new lifestyle that will combine technology with natural living. Technology has to be an enabler of better health and lifestyles and not be the basis for the destruction of the mankind.

This article is submitted by Versha, Editor to Pillslim.com Please
Visit the website pillslim.com for more solutions about Weight Loss.

Obesity is becoming a big problem in America

Slowly and slowly more and more people in USA is getting obese. According to a study it is reavelead that about 50% people are found obese in USA. So the question is What is Obesity? What are the cause of obesity? What are its effects? And what are the guidelines to weight loss?

Obesity : Well According to an article When a person's caloric intake exceeds his or her energy expenditure, the body stores the extra calories in the fat cells present in adipose tissue. These adipose cells function as energy reservoirs, and they enlarge or contract depending on how people use this energy. If people do not balance energy input and output by adopting healthy eating habits and regular exercise, then fat builds up, and they may become overweight.
Here I would like to mention that Obesity is not just about being fat; it is now considered a chronic disease like blood pressure or diabetes. It has serious consequences on a persons health, and is the second leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S.

So how one can decide that who is overweight or who is not? Obesity is determined by measurement of body fat, not merely body weight. People might be over the weight limit for normal standards, but if they are very muscular with low body fat, they are not obese. Others might be normal or underweight, but still have excessive body fat.

BMI : Here one concept is very important to describe is what is BMI and how it is related to overweight? So that answer is the current best single gauge for body fat is a measurement called body mass index (BMI) Higher BMIs are associated with significant health problems. Experts argue, however, that being overweight may not harmful under various circumstances. For you knowledge I would like to mention that in general a BMI of 25 to 29.9 indicated being overweight and obesity is a BMI of 30 and above.

Research : According to research that has been conduced in past shows that the people who used weight-loss method, gain one pound weight back they lost in last few months. It is stated in a study that that every person has an inherited weight range that varies by only about 10% either up or down from some set point. (For instance, a man whose "genetically-determined" weight is 200 pounds would tend to swing from 180 to 220 pounds, but would be unlikely to lose or gain more than this.).
Weight gain or being obese is direct invitation to various diseases. For example most people with type 2 diabetes are found to be obese. Cancer is also somewhat related to overweight. Obesity also bring negative effects to our parts of body like, muscles and bones, cause eyes and mouth disorders, sleep disorders.

Obesity in USA : According to a survey billions of dollars are spending every year by Americans to lose weight. Major portion of their saving is going to diet programs, diet foods, books etc. Here one dangerous trend has started to skip you meals if you want to lose weight. What do you think about it? Do you think by doing this obesity can be eliminated?

The answer is straight-forward NO. By doing this body loses muscle and bone mass quickly and can lead to low blood sugar which is not good if you want to lose weight. Moreover skipping meal is invitation to overweight.
Solution : You need to eat sensibly and in a consistent manner if you want to lose weight. Regular exercise is also a good solution. Include crisp veggie salads in your meal instead of oily food. If possible steam, or bake you foods. Drink lots of water as it is essential to all bodily functions and has no calories. Avoid colas and other sweet drinks, instead drink fresh juices. Eat slowly and enjoy your food.
Why I am saying to eat properly is because obesity is related to your eating habits in a certain manner. By eating in proper manner it is possible to protect yourself of being overweight. Remember one thing that purpose of losing weight is to lead a healthy life, not to become thin.


This article is submitted by Madeleine, Editor to http://www.pillslim.com

Please Visit the website http://www.pillslim.comfor more solutions about Weight Loss.



Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts: Part 4Jesse Cannone CFT, CPRS, CSPN and Steve Hefferon, Welcome to article number 4 in our series Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts. In this article we are going to talk about how bodybuilders tend to create massive muscle imbalances and what you can do to not be one of them.

If you missed the first article, you can read it by clicking on the link below.

Heres a breakdown of the articles to look for:

1. Article 1 - Choosing The WRONG Exercises
2. Article 2 - Training Variations for Pain Relief and Maximum Results
3. Article 3 - Targeted Stretching
4. Article 4 - Targeted Exercises
5. Article 5 - Rest, Recovery, and Injury Prevention

Article 4 - Targeted Exercises

What is a Targeted Exercise and Why You Need To Be Doing Them?
While performing three different exercises for each area of the chest may sound targeted and it may work great for targeting the chest itself this is NOT what we mean by targeted

What we are talking about is choosing exercises with more than just size increases in mind remember, there is far more to muscle than just how it looks You can be really big, but also weak, slow and inflexible.

To drive this point home some more, remember the Turtle Back Syndrome we covered in article 1? So many body builders are plagued with this gruesome condition and they dont even know it! Are you?

The Turtle Back condition is a direct result of too much focus on building up the pecs and lats and not enough focus on the upper back. Also, the lack of focus on flexibility in the chest and shoulders makes it even worse

Not only does this look stupid, but it sets you up for back, neck and shoulder problems like rotator cuff tears and the like and I know you dont want any of those!

So by targeted, we mean exercises that will not just develop muscle strength and size, but more importantly work towards correcting muscle imbalances which will mean less pain and missed workouts, better performance and function, and most of all better and balanced total body development!

So How Do You Find Out Which Ones You NEED To be Doing?

As we discussed in the previous article on Targeted Stretching, its very important to know before hand what stretches you actually NEED to be doing the same applies to exercises

and the ONLY way to find out what specific areas you need to target is to perform physical evaluations so you can pin point the weak muscles that need strengthening and the tight muscles that need stretching.

We have developed a series of simple assessments you can do yourself to identify the muscles imbalances you have

and while they are intended for people suffering from back pain or sciatica, as a bodybuilder you stand to benefit greatly because you train so hard, you are far more likely to experience injuries like bulging and herniated discs, rotator cuff tears, knee pain, etc

Plus, even if you dont have any pain or injuries now, it would be very wise to learn how to assess yourself so you can target your training now before you create an injury, which not only will slow down your training and progress, but it can also become a life-long struggle with pain and a serious loss of your strength, size and fitness.

So be sure to check out our website to learn more about how you can quickly and easily identify and eliminate any muscle imbalances you have http://www.losethebackpain.com



Article by Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, CSPN and Steve Hefferon, CMT, CPRS of http://www.losethebackpain.comIf youve got back pain or sciatic pain, youve gotta check out their website!


Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts: Part 3Jesse Cannone CFT, CPRS, CSPN and Steve Hefferon, Welcome to article number 2 in our series Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts. In this article we are going to talk about how bodybuilders tend to create massive muscle imbalances and what you can do to not be one of them.

If you missed the first article, you can read it by clicking on the link below.

Heres a breakdown of the articles to look for:

1. Article 1 - Choosing The WRONG Exercises
2. Article 2 - Training Variations for Pain Relief and Maximum Results
3. Article 3 - Targeted Stretching
4. Article 4 - Targeted Exercises
5. Article 5 - Rest, Recovery, and Injury Prevention

Article 3 - Targeted Stretching

Stretching can be great, but it can also make existing injuries worse or even bring about new ones!

The key to making stretching work for you is knowing which stretches you need to be working on and just because a muscle feels tight, that doesnt necessarily mean it needs to be stretched.

For example, many people stretch the hamstrings because they feel tight and they think the hamstrings are limiting their flexibility

the fact is, most of the time the hamstrings are tight because they are constantly being pulled / lengthened due to muscle imbalances that tip the pelvis forward.

As you can, when the pelvis tips forward the hamstrings get pulled upward and are constantly held in a stretched position

And this is why millions of people can stretch their hamstrings every freakin day and never make any improvement in their flexibility.

Are you one of those people?

If you are, you need to stop stretching your hamstrings and find out exactly which muscles you need to be targeting by reading the rest of this article

Not only does this forward tipping of the pelvis (which is caused by muscle imbalances) keep the hamstrings tight and make it very difficult to make improvements in the muscles flexibility, but it also leads to the following:

increased stress / wear and tear from the ankles all the way up the spine

For example, the forward tipping of the pelvis places uneven pressure on the ankle, knee and hip joints and also many of the vertebrae in the spine.

weakens the hamstrings, inhibits normal functioning and increases the likelihood of hamstring pulls

When the hamstrings are constantly being strained because of the muscle imbalances, the muscle is weak, not able to function as it normally would, prone to injury and without correcting the muscle imbalance recover can take up to 9 months to a year, or longer!

creates excess curvature in the lower and middle spine

This tipping of the pelvis places excessive amounts of abnormal stress on the muscles, vertebrae and discs in the lower and mid spine and this sets you up for potential injuries to the muscles of the lower and middle back

Plus, it also causes the discs between your vertebrae to wear down and deteriorate much faster than they normally would and this sets you up for degenerative, bulging, protruding and herniated discs along with numerous other spinal conditions like arthritis, spinal stenosis, and the oh so popular sciatica!


This hamstring example is just one of many muscle imbalances are responsible for nearly every ache, pain, injury and condition out there!

Here are a few more examples of injuries / conditions that are caused by muscle imbalances and can easily be prevented and/or eliminated with targeted stretches and exercises:

upper back and neck pain
shoulder injuries (rotator cuff)
elbow and wrist pain (carpal tunnel, tennis/golfer/baseball elbow, etc)
knee pain (runners knee, chondromalacia, ligament tears, etc)
hip pain (IT band syndrome, bursitis, etc)
ankle pain (Achilles tendonitis, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, etc)

All of these conditions are caused by muscle imbalances and will NOT go away unless you work towards correcting the imbalances and the only way to know for sure which imbalances are causing your pain or injury is to do a series of physical assessments like the ones covered in our Lose the Back Pain Video which is designed for anyone suffering from back pain or sciatica.

What the heck is a targeted stretch?

This is a question we are asked often and heres the definition we give it:

Targeted Stretch - a stretch or stretching exercise that is chosen, based on physical assessments, to target a specific muscle or muscle group to increase the flexibility and range of motion in that area and bring the bones and or joints back towards the normal position.
When you compare a targeted stretch to general stretches like the ones found in Yoga, Pilates and the corny ones your doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist gives you, its no surprise they give little or no pain relief and almost always fail to get rid of the problem.

Conclusion

Remember, the key to eliminating injuries and preventing future ones is to identify what areas you need to target. In the next article well be discussing in detail, how to address various injuries like back, hip, knee, and shoulder pain with targeted exercises. In the meantime, be sure to read thru all of our detailed Back Pain Articles and if you have questions, please post them in our Discussion Forum.


Article by Jesse Cannone, CFT, CPRS, CSPN and Steve Hefferon, CMT, CPRS of http://www.losethebackpain.comIf youve got back pain or sciatic pain, youve gotta check out their website!

Obesity Deaths Reach All-Time High

(ARA) - Obesity is on the rise in the United States and kills hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 300,000 preventable deaths each year can be attributed to dietary habits and physical inactivity that lead to obesity. Obesity is second only to tobacco use as the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.

Concerned about what it calls one of the most serious public health problems of our time, the American Medical Association (AMA) is encouraging physicians to help combat this epidemic. The AMA has released a new publication, Assessment and Management of Adult Obesity: A Primer for Physicians, to help physicians identify and treat obesity in their patients.

The statistics on obesity are frightening. When 64 percent of Americans are overweight or obese -- its an alarming wake-up call for all physicians, said Donald J. Palmisano, M.D., J.D., AMA president. Obesity is a leading indicator for serious health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers. These are medical conditions that physicians are already managing, so it makes sense for physicians to address the underlying cause of these conditions and diseases. Dr. Palmisano said that physicians should encourage patients to eat healthily and get physical activity.

Obesity is defined as a condition in which excess body fat may compromise a persons health. One of the methods a physician can use for diagnosing obesity in adults is to calculate an individuals body mass index (BMI). This is determined by dividing a weight in pounds by height in inches, and multiplying the resulting number by 703. A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while obesity is defined as a BMI of 30.0 or greater. Other factors should be considered to determine patient obesity.

The AMA recommends that obese patients have the best results for weight loss when they make gradual changes to their lifestyle. Eating 500 to 1,000 calories less per day, and engaging in physical activity, can result in a one to two pound weight loss each week.

Recent research findings indicate that physical activity, even when accumulated in short bouts, such as taking several 10 minute walks throughout the day, can result in significant health and fitness benefits. The eventual goal for most people is 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five or more days a week, but any increased physical activity is a step in the right direction.

We want our patients to learn to think differently about what they eat and how they move. This is not a quick-fix weight loss plan. For instance, its not realistic to ask an obese patient to run five miles a day, but they need to start somewhere. Patients can think of physical activity in new ways -- such as washing the car, vacuuming the house, walking up an extra flight of stairs or around the block, putting on music and dancing around the living room. Physical activity needs to be practical, and can be fun, said Dr. Palmisano. It is never too late to make healthy changes that can have a favorable impact on health.

According to Dr. Palmisano, patients should consult their physicians and consider them their partners in health. Physicians can work closely with patients to design a program that is appropriate for them.

Assessment and Management of Adult Obesity: A Primer for Physicians gives physicians practical advice on evaluating patients for current and potential health risks related to weight, measuring BMI, and offering concrete recommendations for weight management through healthy eating and physical activity. The booklets encourage physicians to improve their communication and counseling skills, and ensure that their office environment is appropriate for overweight and obese patients.

The 10-booklet primer was written by Robert Kushner, M.D., a national expert on obesity. Dr. Kushner is Professor of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Medical Director of the Wellness Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "With its practical tips and office-based support materials, this AMA primer will help physicians to manage their patients' overweight and obesity condition, said Kushner. Physicians learn how to broach the topic of weight loss, initiate an effective treatment program and monitor progress while strengthening the patient-physician relationship."

Assessment and Management of Adult Obesity: A Primer for Physicians, is part of the AMAs ongoing Roadmaps for Clinical Practice series and was developed in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Healthy People 2010 initiative. The primer was funded with a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Courtesy of ARA Content



Courtesy of ARA Content

Cooking for a Holiday Crowd Made Easy (Peasy)ARAARA) - The holidays. A time for loads of family, gifts and good cheer. Unfortunately, the holidays also can be a huge headache when it comes to cooking a holiday dinner for a house filled with people. Plus, youre probably sick to death of turkey and wish you could serve something a little different to your holiday guests. Heres the thing: you can!

They call me the Naked Chef because I like to prepare easy, no-fuss meals. I reckon the same should go for holiday meals. The perfect holiday dinner can be prepared pretty easily, without a whole lot of extra steps -- especially when you have the right range to work with. Lucky for me, Amana has given me one of their new ranges, and it works just great. You should see it -- this range is the largest one for its size on the market, with 5.22 cubic feet of capacity -- which is large enough to let me prepare an entire holiday meal at once. Its the size of Royal Albert Hall! On the outside, though, its a standard 30-inch range so it fits perfectly in your kitchen with no problem. Its also easy to use, which is terrific when your kitchen is crazy and overflowing with holiday guests. The U-shaped EasyRack oven rack keeps you from getting burned when taking out a pizza pan or cookie sheet, while the self-cleaning oven makes clean-up a piece of cake. Theres also a warming drawer where I can heat up plates before serving the great meal. Brilliant.

Heres one of my favorite holiday meals. Its got it all -- a nice piece of pork, loads of veg and a tasty dessert. Thanks to my Amana range, I cooked the entire thing at once . . . and it was delicious.

Pork Loin with a Great Herby Stuffing

This pork recipe is great for holiday entertaining. You can serve it as a conventional roast, or let it cool, slice it and serve it as part of a buffet. Heres what youll need.

Serves 8-10

1/2 a pork loin, preferably the rib end, off the bone

1 small handful of rosemary leaves, picked

3 heaping teaspoons of fennel seeds

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound, 2-ounces sourdough or rustic bread

2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced

1 small handful fresh sage leaves, ripped up

1 handful of pine nuts

Extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place your pork loin in front of you and score across the skin with a sharp knife about 1/2-inch deep and about 1/2-inch apart. Using a mortar and pestle, pound up the rosemary and fennel seeds with a tablespoon of salt -- bash the mixture up until really fine and then rub it into all the score marks on the pork. Remove the crusts from the bread and slice it up. I like to toast the bread in a toaster or on a griddle until lightly golden, as this gives the stuffing a really fantastic smoky flavor. While the bread is toasting, slowly fry the onions, garlic, sage and pine nuts in a little olive oil for 10 minutes, until the onions are sweet and soft. Season with salt and pepper, add the balsamic vinegar and put the mixture in a bowl. Rip your bread into pieces and add to the bowl. Squash everything together, really squeezing the onions into the bread. Have a taste -- it may need a little more seasoning. Put to one side and allow cooling.

Insert your knife into the eye meat of the pork loin and make a cavity for your stuffing. Pack in the stuffing, then roll the pork over and tie it with a few pieces of string. Place the pork on a roasting pan and cook in the oven for just over an hour, until crisp and golden or until pork reaches 160 degrees.

Now, as your pork begins cooking, you can prepare these terrific veg dishes. Once youve prepared them, pop them in your range alongside the pork and allow everything to cook at once.

Stir-fried Savoy cabbage with garlic and Worcester sauce

This is a really simple and amazingly tasty thing to do with a Savoy cabbage. Worcester sauce (pronounced Wooster in England -- dont ask me why!) is worth looking for. You can find it in the States, but if its not in a store near you try using a strong spicy steak sauce instead.

Serves 4

1 head of Savoy cabbage

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2 teaspoons of Worcester sauce

Cut your cabbage in half and cut out the stalk. Place the halves cut side down on a chopping board and slice the cabbage up as finely as you can.

Heat a large flat low-sided pan or a wok and add the oil. When the oils hot, add the garlic, fry for a few seconds until it turns light brown. Add the shredded cabbage and stir-fry for a minute coating all the pieces of cabbage in the garlicky oil.

Add the Worcester sauce, lots of salt and freshly ground black pepper and continue to stir-fry for another minute or two until the cabbage has wilted slightly and soaked up all the lovely sauce, but it should still have just a little crunch.

Wicked roast vegetables

Roast veg has never been so good! If you cant find parsnip, try using wedges of pumpkin instead.

Serves 4

4 medium size potatoes

2 carrots

2 parsnips

2 red onions

A handful of garlic cloves

Some rosemary sprigs

Olive oil

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel or scrub all the root vegetables and cut them in half, lengthways. Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with salted water and place on the heat. Peel the onions, cut them into quarters and toss them with the carrots and parsnips in a few tablespoons of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper and spread out in a roasting tray. Cover tightly with foil and place in the pre-heated oven.

When the potatoes come to the boil, carefully lift them out and place in a colander to drain. After the vegetables have been in the oven for 30 minutes, take the tray out of the oven and take the foil off. Add the potatoes, garlic and rosemary and shake everything around a little. Return to the oven without the foil and roast for another 30 minutes or until cooked through and crispy brown.

Baked Pears Stuffed with Almonds, Orange and Chocolate in Flaky Pastry

Last, but not least, the holiday dessert. Heres one your guests will come back for next year.

Youll need:

Serves 4

4 perfectly ripe pears

1-1/2 ounces blanched almonds

5-1/2 ounces butter

1-3/4 ounces sugar

Zest of 1 orange

Seeds of one vanilla bean

1-1/2 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate

16 sheets of filo dough, defrosted if frozen

Carefully peel the pears and carve out each core from the bottom. This will give you a hole about 1-1/2 inches deep. Put the pears to one side.

Put your blanched almonds into a food processor and whiz up until really fine (or bash with a rolling pin). Put them in a bowl with 5 tablespoons of the butter, the sugar and the zest of the orange. Add the vanilla seeds to the bowl, then mix everything up until nice and smooth. Bash up the chocolate into small pieces, adding these to the mixture as well. Divide into 4 balls and put to the side.

Melt the rest of the butter in a little pan for brushing onto the filo dough. Dampen a clean dish towel and wring it out -- use this to cover the unused filo dough so it doesnt dry out. Working with one piece of filo dough at a time, spread it out in front of you and brush the sheet with melted butter. Lay the next sheet of filo dough on top and repeat until you have four brushed layers of filo dough. Cut the layered pastry down to an 8-by-8-inch square.

Take a pear and one ball of almond mix and fill the hole in the base, packing the excess filling around the base of the pear. Place in the middle of the filo square, then gather up the pastry around the stalk and pinch tight. You can leave it looking nice and rustic and flopping all over the place, as this will look really good when its cooked. Repeat this process with the other pears. Brush the outside of the pastry with any remaining melted butter, then bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and crisp. Serve with the rest of your lovely holiday meal.

Visit www.amana.com for more practical appliance solutions from Amana.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Obesity: Can it be disabling?

Social Security has a set of Impairment Listings. At one time "obesity" had an impairment listing. Thus, if the applicant was of a certain height and weight, then the applicant received Disability. For example, if you were 5'2" and 300 pounds, then you were well on your way to winning a Disability Case if you had any impairments in addition to your "obesity".

In 1999, Social Security changed the Rules and deleted the Impairment Listing for "obesity". Social Security did say it would consider the effects of "obesity" with regard to other listed impairments such as respiratory impairments, cardiovascular impairments, and muscoloskeletal impairments (back problems).

In a recent case I had a young lady who was 400 pounds and had spinal stenosis. Prior to 1999, she probably would have met the Impairment Listing for "obesity". Since the rules have changed, we had to go to a hearing before a judge and demonstrate the severity of her back problem. We won but the primary focus of the decision was on the back problem and not her "obesity."

In another case I had the applicant was a man who was over 375 pounds with congestive heart failure. Again, prior to 1999 he would have met the "obesity" listing. Instead, we had the hearing and the judge denied the claim on the grounds he had not done enough to lose weight. The United States District Court reversed the social security judge and we are awaiting a new hearing. But again, this case shows the rules have changed and "obesity" no longer is the "slam dunk" winner it once was.

This may be considered AN ADVERTISEMENT or Advertising Material under the Rules of Professional Conduct governing lawyers in Virginia. This note is designed for general information only. The information presented in this note should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

Gerald G. Lutkenhaus, has been representing Social Security Disability claimants for 30 years in the Central Richmond Area in Virginia. He was given Martindale Hubbell's highest rating in 2003, for more information check our websites at http://www.virginiadisabilitylawyer.com or http://www.geraldlutkenhaus.com or email us at jervalaw@aol.com.

Obesity Isn't The Only Problem With Today's Youth Entertainment

Parents are desperately trying to lure their children away from video games and the TV for fear of obesity. Many children today are substituting good reads for TV remote and game controllers. Cindi Brown, a daycare owner expresses "Children who read at an early age seem more content with a good book and do not rely on TV and video games for entertainment as much as non-readers."

Evelyn Petersen, author of 8 books for early childhood and parenting, a writer in newspapers for over 20 years, "Detroit Free Press" and "KRTN Wire" previously, as well as writing for weekly parenting columns for the "Nashville Tennesean". Also has been published in "Children and Families" magazine comments "Many first grade teachers are noticing that children who stare at the TV screen for hours each day are often damaging the muscles in their eyes so they cannot "track" their eyes to left to right as you read."

While many parents are often too busy to take time to read to their children, it is associated that "children who are read to, are children who read," as commented by MaryAnn Kohl, author of over 15 books on creative art for children, and a columnist for many parenting magazines including Scholastic's "Let's Find Out."

Early childhood reading is considered a key element in a child's success for their future. Sue Reszka has been teaching in preschools for 25 years and has found that "children that have the opportunity to experience books at a young age, have a much easier time when learning to read on their own. Reading to children at an early age helps them learn new words, relate the spoken word to the printed word, develop listening skills and an understanding of what words mean. Books let children experience whole new worlds, people, places and ideas. The greater the variety of experiences a child has, the greater the chances that he/she will succeed."

While often children don't want to read books because their either consider to childish for their age or not entertaining enough, a current release from LH Publications and Productions has been found to entice readers of all ages while secretly unveiling a lesson or two in each story. Mysterious Chills and Thrills by author Laura Hickey is an anthology of spooky twists of fiction that weave the age old question of "what if" that many generations can apply to their own lives.

Mysterious Chills and Thrills shows promise to delight kids across the nation at a price to please parents. With book reviews such as "A young person's thriller written in their own language, 5 stars" and "Age appropriate for children six and up, these stories will have you chilled and thrilled!" from "Book Review Cafe", Mysterious Chills and Thrills isn't your average sci-fi children's book. Funny, creepy and educational, it's a triple threat of a gem of a book for kids to start reading at a young age. This holiday season remember, good readers promote communication and SOLIDIFY important skills for life.

Mysterious Chills and Thrills can be bought as an e-book or paper back book at http://www.laurahickey.com for ages 9-12.

Obesity Isnt The Only Problem With Todays Youth Entertainment

Parents are desperately trying to lure their children away from video games and the TV for fear of obesity. Many children today are substituting good reads for TV remote and game controllers. Cindi Brown, a daycare owner expresses Children who read at an early age seem more content with a good book and do not rely on TV and video games for entertainment as much as non-readers.

Evelyn Petersen, author of 8 books for early childhood and parenting, a writer in newspapers for over 20 years, Detroit Free Press and KRTN Wire previously, as well as writing for weekly parenting columns for the Nashville Tennesean. Also has been published in Children and Families" magazine comments Many first grade teachers are noticing that children who stare at the TV screen for hours each day are often damaging the muscles in their eyes so they cannot track their eyes to left to right as you read.

While many parents are often too busy to take time to read to their children, it is associated that children who are read to, are children who read, as commented by MaryAnn Kohl, author of over 15 books on creative art for children, and a columnist for many parenting magazines including Scholastic's Let's Find Out.

Early childhood reading is considered a key element in a child's success for their future. Sue Reszka has been teaching in preschools for 25 years and has found that children that have the opportunity to experience books at a young age, have a much easier time when learning to read on their own. Reading to children at an early age helps them learn new words, relate the spoken word to the printed word, develop listening skills and an understanding of what words mean. Books let children experience whole new worlds, people, places and ideas. The greater the variety of experiences a child has, the greater the chances that he/she will succeed.

While often children don't want to read books because their either consider to childish for their age or not entertaining enough, a current release from LH Publications and Productions has been found to entice readers of all ages while secretly unveiling a lesson or two in each story. Mysterious Chills and Thrills by author Laura Hickey is an anthology of spooky twists of fiction that weave the age old question of what if that many generations can apply to their own lives.

Mysterious Chills and Thrills shows promise to delight kids across the nation at a price to please parents. With book reviews such as A young person's thriller written in their own language, 5 stars and Age appropriate for children six and up, these stories will have you chilled and thrilled! from Book Review Cafe, Mysterious Chills and Thrills isn't your average sci-fi children's book. Funny, creepy and educational, it's a triple threat of a gem of a book for kids to start reading at a young age. This holiday season remember, good readers promote communication and SOLIDIFY important skills for life.

Mysterious Chills and Thrills can be bought as an e-book or paper back book at http://www.laurahickey.com for ages 9-12.