A research study came out last week that stated drinking fewer sugary drinks may help lower blood pressure. The study found overweight people with high blood pressure who drank one less sugar-laden beverage a day significantly lowered their blood pressure over 18 months.
For most Americans, that means cutting soft drink intake in half. Food and beverage companies are under pressure to reduce the sugar content in their products in line with the recently-passed health reform legislation which is promoting ways to prevent disease as well as treat it.
Too much sugar not only makes people fatter, but is also a key culprit in diabetes, heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. A researcher at the Louisiana State University Health Science Center said American adults drink an average of 2.3 28-ounce servings of sugar-sweetened beverages per day.
As our daily Arizona temperatures move into triple digits, and our liquid intake goes up, we all should look for more healthy drinks to consume. Hey, water’s more a bad choice.
~Wid
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Survey Ranks Obesity as Nation’s Most Serious Health Problem
In a survey of 1,000 Americans conducted by Rasmussen Reports this past April, 25% of the respondents ranked obesity as the most serious health problem facing the Nation, followed by Cancer (23%), Heart Disease (22%), Diabetes (11%), AIDS (4%) and Mental Health (2%).
Data we have previously quoted indicate that two-thirds of adults are either overweight or obese, yet the Rasmussen poll found that just 30% of adults considered themselves overweight.
The survey went on to say that 58% of American adults have at some point in their life been on a diet to lose weight, and 35% of that group are still on one. But 59% of those who may have dieted are not doing so anymore, while 37% of all adults say they have never been on a diet.
Sixty-eight percent (68%) of women say they went on a diet to lose weight, compare to 48% of men. Those between the ages of 30 and 64 are more likely to have dieted than younger and older Americans.
Three out of four adults (76%) say that when they go on a diet, they do so by changing their eating habits on their own. Thirteen percent (13%) use a commercial diet like Weight Watchers, and 10% consult a doctor before dieting.
What is interesting is that only 30% of the adults in this survey consider themselves overweight, while it is generally agreed that more than double that number are either overweight or obese.
Is the poll at fault, or do we say, “Let’s get real, folks!”?
Wid
Data we have previously quoted indicate that two-thirds of adults are either overweight or obese, yet the Rasmussen poll found that just 30% of adults considered themselves overweight.
The survey went on to say that 58% of American adults have at some point in their life been on a diet to lose weight, and 35% of that group are still on one. But 59% of those who may have dieted are not doing so anymore, while 37% of all adults say they have never been on a diet.
Sixty-eight percent (68%) of women say they went on a diet to lose weight, compare to 48% of men. Those between the ages of 30 and 64 are more likely to have dieted than younger and older Americans.
Three out of four adults (76%) say that when they go on a diet, they do so by changing their eating habits on their own. Thirteen percent (13%) use a commercial diet like Weight Watchers, and 10% consult a doctor before dieting.
What is interesting is that only 30% of the adults in this survey consider themselves overweight, while it is generally agreed that more than double that number are either overweight or obese.
Is the poll at fault, or do we say, “Let’s get real, folks!”?
Wid
Thursday, May 6, 2010
"10,000!"
For the first time in our 18 year history the nations largest amateur Winter Sports Festival eclipsed the magical "10,000" athlete threshold. The 17 weekend marathon, except for Easter weekend ,captured 10,313 athletes!! 23 sports were up and 11 were down.
A special thank you to my loyal staff,supportive board members,competitive athletes,tireless volunteers, and knowledgeable commissioners for their unconditional commitment to this worthy endeavor!
Next up the Summer Games, followed by the crowning jewel of our year long format, The Lori Piestewa National Native American Games!
Thank you one and all!
Wid
A special thank you to my loyal staff,supportive board members,competitive athletes,tireless volunteers, and knowledgeable commissioners for their unconditional commitment to this worthy endeavor!
Next up the Summer Games, followed by the crowning jewel of our year long format, The Lori Piestewa National Native American Games!
Thank you one and all!
Wid
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Awards Aplenty and Scholarships!
The celebration honoring the 2010 Art and Essay Contest winners drew a capacity crowd at Southwestern College in Phoenix on April 23. The top essay winners from grades 11 and 12 each received four-year scholarships to the College, and two-year scholarships were presented to the adult winners. These scholarship awards benefited 20 individuals and amounted to a total of $115,000 if utilized in full by attending Southwestern College.
The essay contest drew 2,924 entries from 49 states, of which 105 were selected as medal or certificate winners. The aggregate over the past 15 years now stands at 47,790 participants. Shea Van Slyke, an eighth grader from Bios Christian School in Gilbert, and Sadhana Kumar who attends kindergarten at the Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori School, read their gold medal essays for the assembled families and friends.
Eighty-eight art contest winners out of 1,570 received gold, silver or bronze medals or honorable mention certificates. Samar Waterworth spoke about her inspiration for the illustration which appeared on the cover of the evening’s printed program. Many of the winning entries were on display for the enjoyment of all in attendance.
Special recognition went to Alan Lambert, Commissioner of the Year; Desert Dolphins Synchronized Swim Team, Athletes of the Year; 76-year-old Mary McBain, 2009 Premier Power Player; and John Startt who is retiring from the GCSG Board (including two years as President.) John faithfully made the 420-mile round-trip from his home in Sierra Vista and never missed a meeting in nine years!!! That’s dedication!!!
~Wid
The essay contest drew 2,924 entries from 49 states, of which 105 were selected as medal or certificate winners. The aggregate over the past 15 years now stands at 47,790 participants. Shea Van Slyke, an eighth grader from Bios Christian School in Gilbert, and Sadhana Kumar who attends kindergarten at the Ahwatukee Foothills Montessori School, read their gold medal essays for the assembled families and friends.
Eighty-eight art contest winners out of 1,570 received gold, silver or bronze medals or honorable mention certificates. Samar Waterworth spoke about her inspiration for the illustration which appeared on the cover of the evening’s printed program. Many of the winning entries were on display for the enjoyment of all in attendance.
Special recognition went to Alan Lambert, Commissioner of the Year; Desert Dolphins Synchronized Swim Team, Athletes of the Year; 76-year-old Mary McBain, 2009 Premier Power Player; and John Startt who is retiring from the GCSG Board (including two years as President.) John faithfully made the 420-mile round-trip from his home in Sierra Vista and never missed a meeting in nine years!!! That’s dedication!!!
~Wid
Friday, April 16, 2010
"Birthdays!"
Today my son Dallas is 30 years old! I quit keeping track of my own a long time ago....for obvious reasons.What started out to be a small family BBQ has mushroomed into a full scale gig at, you guessed it, our house! That pleases me.Erika, Adam, and grandson Kael arrived by plane last night. Cindas' folks Barb and Doyle are driving from San Diego today as are Adams folks Rick and Judy from L.A.! Jessica flies in from Vegas tomorrow and Dallas' friend Lincoln is going to surprise him from Seattle!
Add in some friends from Dallas' work,and Punks entourage plus some neighbors of course,and there you have it....A small casual family get together.
Should be fun!
Happy Birthday my son!
Wid
Add in some friends from Dallas' work,and Punks entourage plus some neighbors of course,and there you have it....A small casual family get together.
Should be fun!
Happy Birthday my son!
Wid
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
It’s Up to Us!
With all the talk about controlling healthcare costs, one statistic that hit me revealed 70% of what is spent for healthcare is for diseases linked to our behavior in some way and how we live our lives.
Two examples cited indicated that the average annual tab for someone with diabetes is over $2,100, and for asthma, it’s $1,100.
More and more companies are urging employees to adopt healthier lifestyles and enroll in programs to manage chronic illnesses.
On a previous blog, I quoted Dr. Andrew Weil who stressed the importance of making smart decisions if you want to eat for optimum health and achieve a healthy weight. His bottom line prescription is to cut down on all food products with any kind of flour and sugar. He advises people to fill their shopping carts with vegetables and lean meats and to stick to the outside aisles in the supermarket where you’ll usually find unprocessed foods.
You may also have read that buried in the 2,400-plus pages of the Healthcare Reform Act is a provision requiring chain restaurants around the nation to post calorie counts for each item they serve.
All of this helps to make the public more aware that we should focus not only on how much we eat, but also what we eat.
~Wid
Two examples cited indicated that the average annual tab for someone with diabetes is over $2,100, and for asthma, it’s $1,100.
More and more companies are urging employees to adopt healthier lifestyles and enroll in programs to manage chronic illnesses.
On a previous blog, I quoted Dr. Andrew Weil who stressed the importance of making smart decisions if you want to eat for optimum health and achieve a healthy weight. His bottom line prescription is to cut down on all food products with any kind of flour and sugar. He advises people to fill their shopping carts with vegetables and lean meats and to stick to the outside aisles in the supermarket where you’ll usually find unprocessed foods.
You may also have read that buried in the 2,400-plus pages of the Healthcare Reform Act is a provision requiring chain restaurants around the nation to post calorie counts for each item they serve.
All of this helps to make the public more aware that we should focus not only on how much we eat, but also what we eat.
~Wid
Thursday, April 1, 2010
"Recognition!"
Everyone likes to be recognized for their accomplishments! On April 23rd at Southwestern College we will try to do just that!
Our Annual Celebration Banquet is in the planning stages and the momentum is growing.
We plan to acknowledge our Art/Essay contest award winners,Volunteer of the year,Athlete of the year,Commissioner and venue of the year recipients.Our Power Player award winners have also been invited.Sponsors and board members will also be in attendance.
New Executive Commissioner Ron Wolfley will emcee the evening and Mogollon will provide the entertainment.Plus,there are always some special surprises!
You are invited! Reception and registration starts at 5pm with dinner and show at 6pm. Cost is $15 a person (beat that),with the address for the College being 2625 E Cactus Rd,85032,Phx Az. Please RSVP to Tara Heinrichs at 480-517-9700 by April 21.
It's all about"Recognition!"See you there!
Wid
Our Annual Celebration Banquet is in the planning stages and the momentum is growing.
We plan to acknowledge our Art/Essay contest award winners,Volunteer of the year,Athlete of the year,Commissioner and venue of the year recipients.Our Power Player award winners have also been invited.Sponsors and board members will also be in attendance.
New Executive Commissioner Ron Wolfley will emcee the evening and Mogollon will provide the entertainment.Plus,there are always some special surprises!
You are invited! Reception and registration starts at 5pm with dinner and show at 6pm. Cost is $15 a person (beat that),with the address for the College being 2625 E Cactus Rd,85032,Phx Az. Please RSVP to Tara Heinrichs at 480-517-9700 by April 21.
It's all about"Recognition!"See you there!
Wid
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