Princess Health and BLOWING OUT SOMEONE ELSE'S CANDLE TO MAKE YOUR'S SEEM BRIGHTER. Princessiccia

Princess Health and BLOWING OUT SOMEONE ELSE'S CANDLE TO MAKE YOUR'S SEEM BRIGHTER. Princessiccia

Gusty 08:48 Add Comment

Other people�s criticism, or judgment of what is wrong or bad about somebody or something, is merely a reflection of their need to control and dictate rules, guidelines, and boundaries. They are enforcing apon other's the principles by which they use to feel better about themselves.

Their criticism is also a reflection of what makes them feel insecure. Otherwise they wouldn�t take the time and effort to impose their opinion with the intent to put other�s down.  It is this type of controlling person that attracts chaos, and expresses criticism that constantly wreaks havoc, attracts conflict, and draws attention towards to their need for attention and control.

Could it be that their bias is what they think gives them value, that they like the control they feel when people submit to their judgments, or that criticizing others puts them higher-up in a pecking order? Is their offensive attack to protect and control something they don�t want to lose? Even if what you do has no bearing on what they do, if (in their mind) it conflicts or competes with their bias, they�ll feel the impulse to protect their ego, and justify an offensive attack - thus, blowing out someone else�s candle to make theirs brighter.

I understand this reaction. This is the premise for why we war, why there�s prejudice, why we feel justified in hurting others, why ideals judge, hate, and fight to seek value above other ideals. This is why people who have low self-esteem feel the need to put others down in order to pump them-selves up. As if putting someone else down really improves self-esteem!

If a person was confident in themselves and what they do, would they:

�         Start rumors, lie, and put effort into seeking allies that construe faults conflict and controversy?

�         Spend more time trying to discredit the work of others, than they do crediting their own work?

�          Need to justify or defend their beliefs or actions?

Their energy and motive is no longer in the integrity of the work they do, but instead to the corruption of their shallow ego to offend the work of other�s. 

If they were secure in their view, would they feel the urge to attack other people�s belief?

How many of you have been overly criticized by someone you love and want approval from?  Is their disapproval the truth of who you are or is it merely a reflection of the ideology they think you should adhere to? Is their criticism a way to control you, to put you beneath them, and a way for them to feed their ego? One of the most common reasons people emotionally eat is out of insecurity, or to compensate for lack of approval. Eating is a form of self-approval and an easy means to feel secure when insecurity ensues.

But what if you are that critic? Is it your entitled right to force others to remove your insecurity? Instead of forcing other�s to fulfill you are you forcing your insecurity on your body? Do you criticize yourself and enforce diet restrictions to control your feelings of insecurity? Is it your body�s job to make you feel better about yourself?

Consider your internal battles and question if you are the critic, if you are your own opponent, and if you are a martyr to your own abuse. Is the battle you have with other�s really a battle within yourself? If you are secure in yourself, secure in what is authentic and what makes you independently valuable, is there really a threat? Is there a need to put others or yourself down? No.

Before you criticize yourself and others seek what you are compensating for. Are you defending something that needs no apology or are you taking offense to something because you feel insecure? Question why you feel threatened and why you need something outside of yourself to feel better.

If you are blowing out someone else�s candle, it really doesn�t make yours burn brighter, but in fact, it just makes your surroundings darker.

Princess Health and School nurses in Fayette cut as public-health dollars shrink.Princessiccia

Princess Health and School nurses in Fayette cut as public-health dollars shrink.Princessiccia

children children's health education nurses public health school health school nurses

Gusty 11:51 Add Comment

Takirah Sleet, 7, and school nurse Michelle Marra assess her
lunch to manage Takirah's diabetes. (H-L photo by Pablo Alcala)

As public health and education dollars shrink, school nurses are caught in the middle. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is among those scaling back its school-nurse program due to cuts, even as "more students with greater medical needs are appearing in classrooms," reports Mary Meehan for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The cuts and the need present a difficult scenario: "In order to be educated, a student has to be healthy. How do you make that happen?" asked Mary Burch, president of the Kentucky School Nurse Association.

Schools nurses are not mandated in Kentucky, and the way school districts address the issue varies widely. Some districts use a nurse consultant to train school staff. The National Association of School Nurses recommends one school nurse for every 750 students. With 40,000 students, Fayette County falls short of meeting that level of care. The Fayette County school board helps to increase funding to keep nurses in place. About $600,000 would need to be reallocated. (Read more)

Princess Health and HPV-linked cancers on rise, more prevalent in Kentucky.Princessiccia

Princess Health and HPV-linked cancers on rise, more prevalent in Kentucky.Princessiccia

cancer cervical cancer HPV human papillomavirus

Gusty 11:43 Add Comment

The human papillomavirus, which is generally blamed for causing cervical cancer, is being linked to the formation of several other kinds of cancer, and Kentuckians are getting these diseases in unusually high numbers, reports Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal.

HPV is being linked to cancers of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus and lung, as well as the head and neck. "It's turning out to be a pretty bad actor ... an extensive health problem," said Dr. Daniel Metzinger, a gynecological oncologist with University of Louisville Physicians.

Kentucky's rates for HPV-related cancer are among the highest in the country. Part of the reason may be that smoking is a risk factor and Kentucky has the nation's highest smoking rate, Ungar reports. "I'm seeing more of it for sure," said Metzinger. "It used to be a disease we'd see in older people. Now, we see it in younger and younger people."

One way to protect against the virus is to be immunized with the HPV vaccine. A federal committee recommends vaccinating 11- and 12-year-old girls through to women up to age 26. Boys and men should also be immunized from age 11 to age 21. The immunization must occur before the patient is sexually active, since HPV is sexually transmitted.

In 2010, just 49 percent of adolescent girls nationwide received at least the first of the vaccine's three doses, and only a third had gotten all three, which are required for full effectiveness. In Kentucky that year, only 25 percent of adolescent females had gotten the first dose, and fewer than 11 percent have received all three doses, according to Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky.

National Cancer Institute numbers show more than half of sexually active people are infected with HPV at some point. Usually, it goes away on its own within a few years. "But it can also set the stage for cancer," Ungar reports. "Across the nation, about 26,000 new cancers attributed to HPV occur each year, with 18,000 in women and 8,000 in men." (Read more)

Princess Health and Health-care costs are a serious problem, nine of 10 adults say.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Health-care costs are a serious problem, nine of 10 adults say.Princessiccia

health care access health care costs health insurance poll research

Gusty 11:39 Add Comment

Nearly nine of 10 American adults say the cost of health care is a serious problem (chart) and about two-thirds of the general public believe that cost has gone up in the last five years.

These are the results of a poll released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Harvard School of Public Health and National Public Radio.

The poll asked additional questions of Americans who said they have had a serious illness, medical condition, injury or disability in the past year. More than 40 percent said the cost of their medical care caused a "very serious" (20 percent) or "somewhat serious" (23 percent) problem for their or their family's finances.

"The rising cost of medical care affects everyone, but people who have been unwell know firsthand that an illness or injury can mean financial hardship or ruin," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the RWJF. "These findings confirm how thinly individuals and families have been stretched. Having access to high-quality, affordable, comprehensive health coverage is crucial, but we know that even with insurance, rising health care costs leave many Americans with the burden of higher out-of-pocket spending." (Read more)

Princess Health and HBO's 'Weight of the Nation' examines the obesity epidemic.Princessiccia

Princess Health and HBO's 'Weight of the Nation' examines the obesity epidemic.Princessiccia

child obesity fast food food food industry food marketing health literacy health outcomes health status junk food nutrition obesity weight loss

Gusty 11:33 Add Comment

A compelling four-part documentary delving into the obesity epidemic sweeping the country is being aired on HBO and can be watched free by clicking here. A reporter wanting to write a series of stories on the issue would find "weight of the Nation" a good reference.

The program is divided into four parts. The first segment, "Consequences," looks at the scope of the epidemic and the ramifications of being overweight or obese. "Choices" looks at the science behind how to lose weight, how to maintain weight loss and prevent weight gain. The third part, "Children in Crisis," looks at how the problem is affecting American children, exploring the decline of physical activity, school lunch, the demise of school recess and how marketing of unhealthy food targets children. The final segment, "Challenges," looks at the major forces driving obesity, including agriculture, economics, evolutionary biology, food marketing, racial and socioeconomic disparities, physical inactivity, American food culture, and the influence of the food and beverage industries.

The documentary is on a detailed website that answers questions that range from "What is obesity?" to "How do I know if I'm overweight or obese?"

The project is a presentation of HBO and the Institute of Medicine in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, with support from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and health insurer Kaiser Permanente.

Princess Health and Healthy food is less expensive than junk food, study finds.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Healthy food is less expensive than junk food, study finds.Princessiccia

diet fast food food nutrition research

Gusty 07:33 Add Comment

Though it's widely believed that healthy food is more expensive than junk food, a new government analysis shows that does not have to be the case.

"In fact, carrots, onions, pinto beans, lettuce, mashed potatoes, bananas and orange juice are all less expensive per portion than soft drinks, ice cream, chocolate candy, French fries, sweet rolls and deep-fat fried chicken patties," reports Nanci Hellmich for USA Today.

"We have all heard that eating a healthy diet is expensive, and people have used that as an excuse for not eating a healthy diet . . . but healthy foods do not necessarily cost more than less healthy foods," said Andrea Carlson, an economist and co-author of the report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service. "The price of potato chips is nearly twice as expensive as the price of carrots by portion size."

Carlson and colleague Elizabeth Fraz�o analyzed national pricing data on more than 4,000 foods and ranked them according to price based on calories, weight and portion size. The foods were placed in five food groups: grains, dairy, protein, fruit and vegetables. Another category was added for unhealthy items, which did not fall into any of the other calories or were high in sugar, sodium and/or saturated fat such as cookies, desserts, granola bars and many cereals. They found:

� Given portion size, the ranking from least expensive to most expensive is: grains, dairy, vegetables, fruit, protein and less healthy foods. Protein and less healthy foods cost nearly the same.

� Meat, chicken and fish are the most expensive sources of protein but there are low-cost options like eggs and beans.

� Fruit and vegetables are lower in cost overall than unhealthy foods.

� Grains, such as bread, oatmeal, pasta and rice, are the cheapest foods no matter how the portion is measured. (Read more)

Princess Health and For first time, annual health costs for families exceed $20,000.Princessiccia

Princess Health and For first time, annual health costs for families exceed $20,000.Princessiccia

health care costs health insurance

Gusty 07:30 Add Comment

For the first time, the average annual costs of workplace-provided health insurance and other costs for a family of four has exceeded $20,000, a new study has found. Costs are $20,728 this year, an increase of $1,335 over 2011.

An average family will pay $5,114 in premiums for a preferred provider organization plan, plus $3,470 in out-of-pocket costs like co-pays and prescriptions,  Jeffrey Young reports on The Huffington Post. The rest of the costs are paid by employers, according to the report released by Milliman, a firm that consults with companies on employee benefits.

"The rate of increase is not as high as in the past but total dollar increase was still a record," the report states. "The dollar amount of the increase overshadows any relief consumers might derive from the slowing percentage increase."

The report also found health-care costs vary among 14 metropolitan areas Milliman analyzed. Miami and New York City are most expensive where costs are 20 percent higher than the national average. Louisville and Lexington were not among the areas studied. (Read more)