The start of another new year usually brings a sense of hope, promise, and resolve to "Have a Happy New Year".  It is probably safe to say that health status could have a significant impact on one's level of happiness.  And it is important to recognize that health status is not determined by genetics alone.  The lifestyle choices of everyday life are just as important as genetics in determining health status.

Frankly, the numbers are getting frightening.  Twenty-four million Americans have diabetes.  One out of four people aged 60 or older has the disease.  Another 57 million people, 40% of those aged 40 to 70, have pre-diabetes.  And now teenagers and children are being diagnosed with diabetes.  When are Americans going to get the message that they can actually prevent diabetes and other chronic diseases?  At the very least, progression can be slowed and complications minimized which would improve quality of life.  And who doesn't want to have a nice, healthy life?  It is a worthy goal and although it takes some effort, it need not be too difficult.

So, what's a person to do?  Very simply, weight management and physical activity are key elements of a healthy life.  Being overweight and sedentary increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions.  In Wisconsin, 2 of 3 adults are overweight or obese.  Even a small weight loss can make a difference.  Small changes made over time will be more likely to become part of your daily routine.  Gradually include better nutrition and more activity into your life.  In time, you will probably wonder why you waited so long! 

So let 2009 be the year you actually take charge of your health and your future.  Do not underestimate the importance of making healthy choices in daily life.  Resolve to make the changes you know should be made.  Resolve to improve your health and your family's health.  Think of lifestyle changes as an investment in your future and recognize that you and your family are worth it!

There is so much information out there about healthy living that it is hard to choose.  But for starters, check out the following websites.  They all have many very good links.

http://cdc.gov/HealthyLiving/         http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/physicalactivity/ToolCalcs.htm        http://www.shapeup.org/shape/index_shape.php    

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200009        http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/ped_3.asp?sitearea=PED    

Everyone is so busy with preparations for the holidays -- so much to do, people to see, food to eat!  How to manage it all? 

First of all, do what you can to STAY HEALTHY.   

• Get a flu shot if you haven't already done so.  It's NOT too late -- peak flu season is January through February. 
• Wash your hands often. 
• Stay home if you are sick. 
• Get adequate sleep and manage stress.
• Stick to your regular activity/exercise routine.  Get out for walks if nothing else but watch out for icy spots.
• Maintain your weight and don't gain.  This does not have to be too difficult if you balance your intake of calories with calories burned through activity. 
• Make healthy food choices -- plenty of fruits and vegetables and less fat and sweets.  You will feel better, sleep better, and accomplish more.
• Practice safe food handling in the kitchen and remember raw cookie dough CAN make you sick.  (Raw eggs can harbor salmonella.)
• Spend within your budget.  Nobody needs additional financial stress in these economic times.
• If you don't want to do something, don't do it.  Does anyone really need twelve different kinds of cookies?
• Begin planning ahead for lifestyle changes that will help you be healthy in 2009.

Check out these websites for additional tips for healthy holidays:  http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HealthyHolidays/          http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-holidays-8/default.htm    

All of us at the North Shore Health Department wish all of you good health over the holidays and through the coming year!

The number of Americans (including children) developing type 2 diabetes is staggering and the toll is enormous.  In addition to high medical costs, the years of illness, disability, and life lost affect millions of families.  This is a disheartening situation because diabetes can often be prevented with minimal effort.  As with all chronic disease, it is so much better to prevent if possible then it is to treat after diagnosis.

It is never too late to choose a lifestyle that will protect and enhance your health and well-being.  At the top of the list is increasing physical activity.  This should not be too hard to do, even if you don't like to "exercise".  You simply need to make it a priority in your life to be more active and choose something that you like.  Be sure to start slowly with the goal of increasing to thirty minutes of activity on most days of the week.  A brief walk after dinner would be a great place to start.  Once a more active lifestyle becomes a habit, you will probably want to do even more because you will notice the overall benefits.

Of course, improving nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight are also key components in preventing type 2 diabetes.  Include more fruits and vegetables in your diet, the more colorful and varied the better.  Pay attention to portion size and lose weight if necessary.  Skip the fast food restaurants and junk food aisles at the grocery store.  Combining better nutrition with more activity will have you feeling energized and healthier in no time.

Take advantage of Diabetes Month to assess your current lifestyle and tweak it where possible.  You have everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose. 

Checkout these links for more information about diabetes:

http://www.diabetes.org          http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/index.htm          http://diabetes.webmd.com/default.htm

http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/diabetes/index.htm          http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/DA99999   

We are sure that at some point in life, everyone has heard someone say "Eat your fruits and vegetables".  Have you ever really stopped to think why?  A diet rich in fruits and vegetables has so many benefits.  People who eat more fruits and vegetables are likely to have less risk of chronic diseases, including stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.  Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that are so important for good health.  There is the added bonus of being naturally low in fat and calories as well as filling which will help maintain a healthy weight.  So why don't we eat more of them?

The average American eats just three servings of fruit and veggies a day (French fries probably don't count!)  However, the latest dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings (or two to six and a half cups) a day.  The federal government's "5 A Day" campaign has been changed to "Fruits and Veggies:  More Matters" in an effort to get Americans to eat more of the food that contributes to better health.

Fall is a perfect time of year to add more fruits and veggies to your family's diet.  Visit your local farmer's market to check out the summer's bounty.  Remember to think color because fruits and vegetables of different colors give your body a wider range of valuable nutrients.  And be sure to try something new.

It shouldn't be too difficult to add more of the good stuff to your daily food intake.  Do it for you and your family.  Research has suggested that children who see their parents eat more fruits and vegetables will likely do the same.  Try these tips to fit more fruits and vegetables into your day:

• Keep fruit out where you can see it.  You will be more likely to eat it if you see it.
• Eat some fruit or vegetables at every meal, every day.  Bonus points if you get some at snack time, too.
• Explore the produce aisle and choose something new.  Variety is the key to a healthy diet so don't get into a rut with the same old thing.
• Forget about the potatoes and choose other vegetables with more nutrients.
• Make it a meal.  Try some new recipes where vegetables are the main attraction.

Check out the following websites for more information on the value of eating more fruits and vegetables.  There is also a link to local farmers' markets.

http://dhs.wisconsin.gov/health/physicalactivity/F&V/brand.HTM          Http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/nutrition_for_everyone/fruits_vegetables/index.htm

http://www.ecommandos.com/farmers-markets.htm

May has been designated as Skin Cancer Awareness Month.  One would think this is an attempt to get people to think about their sun exposure during the upcoming summer months and change their behavior.  And they should do just that!  There are more than ONE MILLION cases of skin cancer diagnosed every year in the U.S.  It is the most common type of cancer and can be easily prevented.

There are several different types of skin cancer.  Basal cell and squamous cell cancers are highly curable while melanoma is much more dangerous, especially for young people.  But melanoma is also curable if detected in its early stages.  It is estimated that 8,110 people died from melanoma in 2007 and 58,940 were newly diagnosed.   Other types of skin cancer claimed 2,740 lives. 

Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays appears to be the most important environmental factor involved in the development of skin cancer.  People with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop skin cancer.  Risk factors include:

• unprotected and/or excessive exposure to UV radiation by the sun or tanning bed
• family/personal history of skin cancer 
• a history of sunburns as a child
• fair complexion or skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun
• blue or green eyes, blond or red hair
• certain types and a large number of moles

The best ways to reduce the risk of skin cancer are to avoid intense sunlight for long periods of time and to practice sun safety.  The American Cancer Society recommends these sun protection habits:

• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Seek shade.  Teach your children the "shadow rule".  If your shadow is shorter than you, the sun's rays are at their strongest.
• Slip on a shirt and cover up to protect exposed skin.
• Slop on sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.  Use it even on overcast days and re-apply it throughout the day.
• Slap on a hat, preferably a wide-brimmed hat.  If choosing a baseball cap, remember to use sunscreen on your ears and neck.
• Wrap on sunglasses to protect your eyes.  Make sure they offer 99%-100% protection from both UVA and UVB rays.
• Avoid other sources of UV light.  Rays from tanning beds and sun lamps are as dangerous as those from the sun.

Infants should be kept out of direct sunlight.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using sunscreen on infants for small areas such as the face and back of hands where protection from clothing is inadequate.  Teach your children sun safety practices because they will be exposed to UV radiation their entire lives.  Pediatric melanoma is increasing about 3% a year. 

Everyone should wear sunscreen, even people with darker skin who might not get sunburned as easily as those with lighter skin.  Skin damage from excessive sun exposure can occur even though the skin does not burn.  Unfortunately, cases of skin cancer in those with darker skin are often not detected until later stages which provides all the more reason to use sunscreen. 

Remember to examine your skin regularly to look for changes, especially in the size or color of a mole or other darkly pigmented growth or spot, or a new growth.  Check for scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or change in the appearance of a bump or nodule.  The spread of dark coloring beyond the edge of a mole or mark could be a warning sign.  And note any change in sensation, itchiness, tenderness, or pain.  Any of these signs should be reported to your doctor. 

Take steps today and everyday to reduce your risk of skin cancer.  For more information, check out these websites:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/skin          http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/melanoma          http://www.aad.org/media/psa/index.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skincancer.html          http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/ped_7_1_Skin_Cancer_Detection_What_You_Can_Do.asp

Now that the holidays are over and the New Year's Resolution to get active and improve our health has been made (and let's hope not discarded!), it's time to get serious about it.  Everything we read nowadays stresses the importance of including activity in our daily lives if we want to be healthy and live longer.  We just need to move more.  But HOW do we do it and stick with it?  And what if we don't like to exercise?  Can we really change our behavior for the better?

According to Dr. Josh Klapow of the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, in addition to having information and motivation, individuals must have a core set of behavior change skills in order to sustain lasting change.  This skill set is something all of us can develop and use to our benefit and fits under the acronym of SMART.

S -- Set specific and observable goals for ourselves -- the more specific, the better.  For example, make an appointment to walk for 30 minutes at the park on Saturday morning from 8-8:30 am.  It helps to make a "reachable" goal -- start small and increase in increments.

M -- Monitor actions:  Write it down.  Record our activities someplace where we will see it regularly.  Visible behavioral cues increase the chance of doing and maintaining an activity.  Recent research has shown that people who wear pedometers actually take more steps in a day.

A -- Arrange the environment for success.  For example, if we want to eat less junk food in addition to increasing activity, we need to remove most of the junk food from our houses.  We can keep a small amount of favorite junk food and put it in an out-of-the-way cupboard.  It's there if we want a little but it's not tempting us every time we open the cupboard.

R -- Recruit support from family and friends.  Tell them that we need their help so we can become "partners in change" and request their encouragement of our endeavors.  If we "put ourselves out there", we increase our accountability and chance of success.

T -- In the early stage of behavioral change, we need to treat ourselves consistently and frequently with whatever we like that won't sabotage our goal.  This is a critical component that helps keep us going.  We need not wait until we reach a larger, longer term goal.

Of course, everyone slips off track every once in a while but keep in mind that the least amount of time off, the better. Establish a "three days off" rule and set a specific day and time to start back up.  And it may help to remember that it takes time to build new habits and break old habits.  But the more we do something, the sooner it will become a habit.

A simple tool that may be useful in forecasting who will stick with positive behavioral change is to ask the following questions and answer them honestly:

How healthy will I be in five years?  What will I look like?  What will I feel like?  How will my choices and behavior affect others?

So, if, like us, you are one of the milllions of people who have decided that now is the time to make a lifestyle change, we hope some of the above suggestions will help you reach your goal and we wish you much success.  Contact us if you need extra support or have questions.  Also, check out these websites for more information on the benefits of daily exercise:  http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/everyone.htm   http://www.fitness.gov   http://www.dhfs.wisconsin.gov/health/physicalactivity/