I just read an online article in Food Consumer  (foodconsumer.org) that says  — Americans in their middle years, ages 40 to 74, are ditching healthy lifestyles.  They’re  drinking more, exercising less and gaining more weight than they were 18 years ago – even when they have high risk diseases like diabetes.

Following a healthy lifestyle, according to the Journal, includes being physically active, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, using alcohol moderately and not smoking.

So what gives?  The article did not look at why people are exercising less and drinking more and I’m curious.

Could it be stress? Are people over worked or over scheduled?  Or ,as a Norfolk cardiologist recently pointed out to me, do they have an attitude of “hey doc, something is gonna kill me eventually.”

What do you think?  And what, if anything, would get you to trade  old habits for healthy ones?

Let me know.

Worries over swine flu and swine flu scams may be more hazardous to your health than the actual virus.

When you work yourself into a panic about something and get all stressed out its not good for your immune system.  That can actually put you at greater risk for swine flu and any other virus floating around out there.  So my advice is “chill out”.

Remember what doctors have said about prevention.  Good hand washing is your best protection.

Also, know the symptoms : congestion, cough, fever, muscle aches and being really tired  (regular flu symptoms).  If you experience them call your doctor.  There are medications (antivirals) that can help lessen the symptoms and duration of the flu.

Next, beware of scammers.  Wouldn’t you know it people are trying to take advantage of others fears over swine flu too.    If a message pops in your inbox just delete it.

Most of these emails will direct you to an online pharmacy.   You should know there is no swine flu vaccination so don’t buy one.   You also don’t want to buy the antivirals (Tamiflu and Relenza) because  Doctors say you’re only protected while taking them – so how do you know when to stop?   if you take them too much they’ll lose their effectiveness.     Viruses get smart, change and can morph so  the medicine won’t work at all  (that’s the same reason docs have stopped prescribing so many antibiotics).

Oh, and one other thing when you buy online without a proper prescription from an unknown company you never know what you’re gonna get.  How can you be sure what you’re taking?

Remember the regular seasonal flu kills more than 36,000 a year. Keep it in perspective and you’ll feel a lot better.

Today was the day Jimmy and I had been waiting for, a 20 mile stretch that really puts us to the test!  We made it, but as usual we couldn’t have done it without all of the support from the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s department, and the Police Departments of Suffolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth.

If you were watching WAVY News 10 and FOX 43 this morning…you may have noticed Delegate Chris Jones walking wih us. We always look forward to seeing his smiling face. He brings fresh energy and we always stop at the Bennett’s Creek Pharmacy (which was super-convenient because I needed some Ibuprofin and sunscreen today!)  When we went by the Carrolton Volunteeer Fire Department they pulled a couple of Engines out just to say hi…or maybe they could tell Jimmy’s feet were on fire! Just kidding! He’s actually walking faster than I am!  Suffolk’s fire station 5 also met us with some cold water and encouragement, so I thought it was only right to high five them all!!

When we came to the Mills E. Godwin bridge the three of us got kind of quiet, we put our heads down and just focused on trying to get over that thing!!!  After that it was smooth sailing to Hall Chevrolet in Chesapeake. The Western Branch Veterinary Hospital brought us $1,000 dollars for the March of Dimes, and we met a couple of once premature babies. First we met Virginia an 18 month old who was born at 23 weeks, and then Brice, who received surfactin when he was born early,  and now is a thriving eight year old who loves the Boston Red Sox….atta boy Brice.

After our stop for lunch we went on for the last 7 miles or so to the Midtwon tunnel. Fantastic day…can’t wait to see everybody at the oceanfront Sunday!

Check out our slideshow of walk pictures right here at WAVY.COM.

Now that Jimmy Ray and I have 30 miles under out belt we’re really looking to hit the half -way mark and we’ll do it tomorrow! Today we started from Patrick Henry Mall and wound our way into York County, then Hampton, then back into Newport News. Every time we crossed a city or county line the police officers were there to keep us safe. They all do a great job.

Jimmy and I even did a little running today through some construction so we wouldn’t cause too much of a back up. As usual, folks were great, making their donations, giving us water and the ladies at Hampton Foot and Ankle handed us some blister kits!!! So far our feet are holding up well, but we appreciate it!!!

We had another great turnout at Langley Federal Credit Union on Mercury where we stopped for lunch. It’s really great to catch up with the folks who come by every year.

Tomorrow is a big day…20 miles from the south side of the James River Bridge to the Midtown tunnel in Portsmouth. Wish us luck and remember it’s all for the March of Dimes!

What a great first day of the 18th annual “Walk for Babies!” That’s right, Jimmy Ray of Eagle 97.3 has been doing this for 18 years and WAVY TV joined in six years ago to help raise awareness about the mission of the March of Dimes. We felt a few rain drops as we got started from the Williamsburg Country Club, but over all it was great weather for walking. Thanks to the police officers from York County and Newport News who kept us safe today…

…and to all the folks who came out of their businesses to cheer us on. We enjoyed the smiling and waving and lots of horn honking! I really want to thank the folks who couldn’t make it to the “meet and greet” but made a point to find us on the road to give us a donation to the March of Dimes….Becky from Williamsburg, Harley Steel of the U.S. Army, and the tow truck driver…I didn’t get your name, but you know who you are and we thank you…and the March of Dimes thanks you too. We met so many great WAVY/FOX 43 viewers and Eagle 97.3 listeners when we stopped at the Langley Federal Credit Union on Oyster Point. My favorite was Will…he’s just three years old, and is very familiar with Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters.

He was so sweet. We watched a fire truck go by and then he gave me a big hug. When you check out the pictures, he’s the little guy in the red shirt….fire engine red!

Tomorrow Jimmy and I get started at 6:00 am at Patrick Henry Mall and will finish at the Langley Federal Credit Union on Mercury Boulevard. Make sure you tune in to WAVY News Ten Today from 5am – 7am , FOX 43 News at 7am and WAVY News 10 Midday for coverage of the walk. You can also sign up to follow me on Twitter! Please check out the March of Dimes page here at WAVY.COM to find out how you can sign up to March for Babies this Sunday at the ocean front!

See you in the morning!

Breast cancer doesn’t care what color you are, what religion you practice, or even if you are a woman or man.  It has many faces.  Those who have battled breast cancer often live in fear that it will one day return.   They have questions and concerns others do not.  Well now there’s a place for them to go get those questions answered and talk to others in the same boat.

“The Many Faces Of Breast Cancer”  is an event focused on the unique needs and issues of these survivors.

Virginia Oncology Associates is sponsoring the event next Thursday April 30th.   Doctors will provide the latest information on breast cancer and talk about survivor related  issues.  There will also be an “open floor” portion for participants to ask questions.

I’ll be there moderating and I hope to see you too. 

Again, it’s Thursday, April 30, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (registration begins at 6:00 p.m.) at VOA – Lake Wright, 5900 Lake Wright Drive, Suite 300, Norfolk, VA 23502

RSVP: To register, call 1.800.977.4089 or email ManyFacesNorfolk@zenogroupevents.com

Sometimes there’s just not enough time to tell a story on TV. Case in point, the story of Ryan Poteet.

He’s the Western Branch High School student with the “Mystery Diagnosis”. In case you missed the story on TV, Ryan has something called Hadju Cheney Syndrome. He is one of less then 100 people in the world ever to get the diagnosis. It affects his bone shape, growth, heart, kidneys, hearing and speech. Doctors didn’t know if he’d ever walk. He now break dances at school talent shows. He is very small for his age (16 years old and only about four and a half feet tall) but has a big spirit. He writes christian poems and lyrics. What I did not have time to talk about on TV is all of the daily struggles he faces.

Ryan has to leave class five minutes before everyone else because his S – shaped legs don’t move as quickly as most. He has trouble reaching books in his locker because of his short stature. He takes medicine for high blood pressure, osteoporosis and he takes growth hormones. Ryan had to wear a neck brace for three years after neck surgery so his spine wouldn’t collapse. The thing is he does it all with a smile.

Ryan is the most positive young man. He plans to go to college and become a web designer. He wants to make enough money to one day care for his Mom who has spent all her money and energy caring for him.

You can read some of his poems and hear the lyrics of a song he wrote (which his church choir put to music) plus learn more about Hadju Cheney on a website Ryan’s Mom created. Here’s the link

http://www.hajdu-cheney.com/Ryan.html

Local viewer, Gregg Fordham, continues to keep me posted on his efforts to end AIDS.  He emailed me this note about a rally they had in front of Norfolk city hall on March 11.

“We had about 15-20 folk out we rally out front of city hall passed out flyers to people passing by . We also had some chants going on will we were out there. We did a little program out front city hall where  Pavar  from 103JAMZ spoke and then we had someone else speak on transportation, then we had a report card that we gave the city of Norfolk a grade of D for the efforts that give to the HIV/AIDS community  here. The Tidewater area gets about $5 million for HIV/AIDS in this area  sounds like a lot but really it is not. What we would like to do is get the city’s to put in local money to help in the fight of the epidemic.This area puts in $0  for HIV/AIDS the first thing that is usually said is that you have the Ryan White Money that does get you to doctors, but not support services, sorry I get upset went I start these conversations sometimes.Hope this helps . Thanks for your help in this fight.”

 GREGG FORDHAM

We demand a national plan to end
AIDS within his first 100 days in office:
Identify a high level person who reports directly to
the President to shepherd the plan.
Identify an office within the government
where this plan will sit.
Identify a process whereby people living with
HIV/AIDS will be involved in the development
of the plan.
Identify a process for intergovernmental
collaboration in the development and
implementation of the plan.
Specify a timeline for the development of the
plan.

For more information on the Campaign to End AIDS, click here:

http://www.c2ea.org/

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!  Don’t know about you but I wish the luck of the Irish would bring some green to our economy.  Even hospitals are now feeling the pinch and letting workers go.    Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News eliminated 23 jobs this week.

When I spoke with the Senior Vice President, Patrick Parcells,  he said this is the first time (in his 25  years as a doctor)  that hospitals have really felt the impact of a recession.  People are putting off elective surgeries including knee and hip replacements.  Those with insurance sometimes can’t afford co-pays so they too are putting off doctor visits.

I wonder what impact this will have on our nations health in the long run?  Will failure to see a primary care doctor today lead to much more serious ailments down the road?

The short term outlook appears as gloomy as the weather in Hampton Roads the last five days, but optimistic Irishwoman that I am, I’m hoping there’s a rainbow somewhere in the not so distant future with a big pot of gold at the end of it.

24 hours ago, (February 19th) the Virginia House of Delegates passed a ‘Partial Smoking Ban’ for restaurants and bars. It should come as no surprise the decision comes along with major controversy.

Long story short, it will require any establishment wanting to allow smoking indoors to have a separate room, with a separate ventilation system for smokers. The passage of bill certainly was not quick, in fact, it has been thrown around by lawmakers for years, never making it very far. I spent a good portion of the day yesterday talking to business owners and restaurant owners in the downtown Norfolk area about how they felt. I found “a few” bars that claim they would be hit hard financially, but the overwhelming majority of business owners and patrons I talked with were elated by the idea.

Smokers told me it was an invasion of their freedom as an American, non-smokers feel like it’s an invasion of their freedom to have to breathe 2nd hand smoke. And then there is this: Virginia IS a tobacco state. For the last 400 years tobacco has been a cash crop and many feel the passage of this bill is ironic. This is what one non-smoker had to say:”I’m not a smoker, nor have I ever been, but I’m also against anti-smoking laws. I can see the government banning smoking in public buildings, but private owners should be able to set their own rules and employees and patrons can choose to spend their time elsewhere if the rules bother them.” And the debate will continue.

It reminds me of California’s “Helmet Law”, requiring motorcycle riders to wear a helmet when they ride or face still penalties. Critics argued it’s a personal choice and not something that should be forced on anyone and when you think about it, why shouldn’t we allow someone to risk their own life, if it’s not a risk to anyone else? Although a ‘partial smoking ban’ is very different in nature, each individual still has the option to NOT patronize an establishment that allows smoking. So, at what point do state lawmakers have too much pull? Here in the newsroom, it surprised us when we found out the bill passed for that very reason. I’m not a smoker and I’m glad to know I won’t be forced to breathe someone else smoke, but I can also understand the larger issue of personal freedoms.

Not long ago, the state of New York adopted a similar ‘partial smoking ban’ and the overwhelming majority of responses I found on the web were positive about the change. However, the following is a quote from a New York City “pro-smoking” website. Although it may seem a little far fetched, there is a point here. It began by saying the state of New York has added $1.25 to each pack of cigarettes and at years end, that tax will net the state more than a billion dollars. It reads …

“One billion dollars!!!!!
And people sue the tobacco companies?
Maybe they should sue the state. The state makes more money per pack than do the tobacco companies.
Cigarette taxes have nothing to do with health and everything to do with $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.”

Clearly the state of Virginia is very different and has a very different plan focus for the ‘partial smoking ban’ and cigarette tax, but the basic question of ‘government control’ still holds true. Let me know what you think.

Eric