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“Obese” Girl in Sweden Denied Health Insurance

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A mother in Sweden was very surprised when her insurance company denied health insurance coverage to her daughter. Despite being a normal weight for her height, the daughter has been classified as obese. Could an insurance company in the United States do something like this? Zarah Samuelsson lives in Sweden, and has a five year old daughter named Freya. She got a letter back from her insurance company, (Folksam), stating that they have refused to renew her daughter’s health insurance policy. At first, she thought this was a joke, but it turned out to be very real. The reason given … Continue reading →

Obese Young Adults in Trouble

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You may have noticed that America is getting larger and not in a good way. A study, titled Add Health and conducted by the University of North Carolina showed that young adults between the ages of 24 and 32 are at a higher risk than ever for high blood pressure among other health problems. High blood pressure is defined as that above 140/90. When I was that age, few of us worried about any health problems. But, the expanding waistlines and higher body mass index (BMI) of these young adults is taking its toll. The study, which was published in … Continue reading →

Foot Care for Diabetics

My father is a diabetic and if I don’t quit eating like I am and start exercising, I am headed in that direction. Since both my grandmothers were also diabetics, I probably know more about diabetes than the average person. One thing I learned from my grandmothers is that diabetics need to take good care of their feet. Why the focus on foot care? Well, if you don’t take good care of your feet, it can lead to amputation of toes, feet, or even your leg. Diabetics are more likely to have foot problems because of reduced blood flow to … Continue reading →

What is FoodCorps?

As a mother, I worry about what my child eats. The obesity rates for children are worse than ever. Our children are eating more bad food and getting less exercise than ever. This can lead to diabetes and heart problems at a younger and younger age. FoodCorps hopes to change that by getting kids to eat healthy meals. How can that happen? FoodCorps is kind of like the PeaceCorps – for food that is. FoodCorps finds recent college graduates to volunteer to go into a limited-resource community for a year to teach about healthy living. They offer nutrition education, help … Continue reading →

Study Shows Lack of Sleep can Raise Blood Pressure

As I get older, I realize just how much sleep, or lack thereof, can affect you. For whatever reason, lately I’ve been having trouble sleeping. I know that lack of sleep can make you grouchy and irritable, but today, I read that a study may show that lack of sleep can do even more harm by raising your blood pressure. The study, published in Hypertension, the journal of the American Heart Association, was authored by Dr. Susan Redline, Professor of Sleep Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston. The … Continue reading →

Foods to Help Prevent Diabetes

Since diabetes runs in my family, I am trying to do everything I can to avoid getting it. Diabetes statistics in the U.S. are staggering. Almost 26 million adults and children have diabetes. And, even more frightening, 79 million are pre-diabetic like myself. I’ve preached about how exercise and diet are great ways to starve off diabetes as long as possible, but there are also some foods that can help fight it. Bean Beans are a great way to raise your blood sugar levels very slowly because they are considered high-quality carbohydrates. And think of how many you have to … Continue reading →