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October Body Bulletin and online Personal Best newsletters now available

The October issue of the Body Bulletin newsletter is being distributed to Laboratory employee mail stops and the Personal Best is now online.

Both newsletters have essentially the same content, however additional or expanded articles are included in the online Personal Best.

This month's cover story focuses on exercise for kids. Safety concerns can limit free-play outdoors, and families are spending more time in front of the television or computer. Personal Best outlines an exercise plan for kids, from age 5, from the American Heart Association. Following the exercise plan can be difficult for families with working parents, so some tips — a 30-minute walk three times a week after dinner for example — are included on how to keep children from growing up to be couch potatoes.

As children get older, other concerns become important, such as making teenagers aware of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Nearly 25 percent of teenagers are infected each year with STDs and many teenagers are not aware of how an STD in youth can affect future health. Starting a discussion with teens about sex can be difficult. Read some tips on how to begin the conversation and more ideas on how to keep children educated and healthy.

Women dread finding a breast lump. But there is no need to panic if one is found because the majority of breast lumps are benign. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and it is a good time to learn more. In this month's issue, read some facts about benign lumps and more information about breast cancer, including risk factors and how to screen for lumps. The Occupational Medicine (HSR-2) Health Promotion team is organizing a women's health presentation to make women more aware of other health risks and to hand out women's self-care guides. The presentation is at noon, Oct. 22. Contact Diane Min Fa of HSR-2 at 5-0520 for more information.

The cold and flu season is beginning so now is the time to think about getting a flu shot. It's the best prevention for most people and should be administered by mid-November. Personal Best has more tips on how to take care of yourself or a loved one if you do get the flu or a cold. HSR-2's annual flu vaccination clinic begins Oct. 27.

Does noise annoy you? We know that sounds greater than 85 decibels can permanently damage hearing, but can constant, low-level noise be hazardous to health? The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association says noise may contribute to elevated blood pressure, heart rate and production of stress hormones, as well as impair sleep and concentration. The October issue of Personal Best presents some practical ways to turn down the sound.

More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking. This month's issues offer some clues on how to tell if someone is an alcoholic, as well as tips on how to help and offer support.

What are the physical effects of stress? The daily stresses of life are likely to be psychological, but the body reacts as though it were confronting a physical threat. Chronic, prolonged stress can lead to health consequences and disease. This month's newsletter has more information on how stress can affect a person and what can be done about it.

The recipe of the month is Pumpkin Caramel Flan.

Also in this issue: Halloween fun and safety; assess your management skills and eliminate time-wasters; raising awareness of depression in men; being wary of health information on the World Wide Web; controlling cholesterol with a healthy food plan; avoid combining aspirin with ibuprofen; smoking during pregnancy; international cuisine; top safety solutions; Pilates; mind/body medicine; and immunizations for adults.

Body Bulletin and the online Personal Best are published by Scott Publishing in Edmonds, Wash., and are part of the Lab's Positive Health Directions program in HSR-2 and Benefits and Employment Services (HR-B).

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