Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 2003)
You Can Kick it! Accordingto the 2003 UO Health Center Survey 22% of UO students use tobacco 81% of UO students who use tobacco have considered quitting 6l%ofUO students who use tobacco have tried to quit 8y Phyllis Lee e are constantly bombarded with the words“Don’t smoke, it's bad for you.” By now, we all understand that tobacco related diseases (heart attack,stroke,emphysema and cancer) are the top killers in America. These diseases are also the most pre ventable.We know this and yet look around campus. According to the 2003 Health Center sur vey, an average of 22% of us Ducks smoke. We also know most smokers want to quit. Shouldn’t we,as concerned friends,focus on how to support those that are already addicted and are trying to quit? Kicking the habit is difficult; however the health benefits of quitting quickly outweigh the difficulties. The Center for Disease Control recommends this plan for those wanting to quit smoking. • Write down all the reasons you want to quit and refer to this list often • Know that it will take effort to quit smoking. It takes most successful quitters about five attempts. • Don Y smoke any number or any kind of cigarette. Cold turkey has been shown to be the most effective quit strategy. • Half of all adult smokers have quit, so you can too University of Oregon Health Center is a wonderful resource for students who want to quit smoking. Smoking Cessation workshops are offered every term. There is helpful information and quit kits located in the Peer Health Education Office. In addition the Health Center is offer ing nicotine replacement (patches and gums) to students who want to quit smoking, free of charge. For more information come by the Health Education office in the UO Health Center or call 3464456. Your Health: The most important subject this term By Shannon Stout ollege students complain about feel ing stressed in such matter-of-fact ways,that we may begin to believe there are no alternatives. The same goes for complaints of falling asleep in class or finding nothing other than junk food when it comes time fora meal. As we try to strike a balance between work and playour health is often compromised. Fast food instead of nutrient dense food and all night cram sessions instead of time man agement are tempting choices that offer limit ed reward. It is important to try to keep a regu lar sleep schedule,eat right and exercise. This is easier said than done.Yet finding balance is simply a matter of making choices to incorpo rate sensible health practices. Efforts toward living a more healthy life today will have posi tive effects on your stress levels, mood and ca pabilities.The bonus is that eventually these practices will become habits. Eat a well balanced diet. Studies show that skipping breakfast detracts from scholas tic achievement. If you are on the run grab a bagel,piece of fruit,and some juice instead of a donut and coffee.Try to eat foods that are baked,steamed,or grilled,rather than fried. Limit the amount of empty calorie foods (e.g. candy, chips, and soda that provide few nutri ents other than calories).Find nutrient dense foods at late-night snack time such as pop corn and veggies.lt is also very important to drink plenty of water to keep your body hy drated. Exercise regularly. Exercising 3-5 times a week for 2060 minutes will help increase muscle tone,decrease body fat,and will help to speed up your metabolism to give you more energy TVy biking,running,fast walking, or swimming. Those who exercise, tend to stay more alert in the day and sleep more deeply at night.Exercise can also help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases such as heart dis ease,strokes,and some cancers. Make sure to get enough sleep. Poor sleep can quickly become a catch 22 where unchecked stress disturbs sleep and in turn poor sleep aggravates stress. There may be so much to juggle in college that you find you are skimping on rest. The average amount of sleep a person needs is 8 hours. Not getting enough sleep can lower your immune sys tem, making you susceptible to colds, flu and other illnesses. SOURCES AVAILABLE ON CAMPUS • Student Recreation Center: Avail able to all UO students, includes swimming pool, variety of athletic equipment, indoor track, rock climb ing, basketball and tennis courts. • Physical education classes: Over 30 different credit course offered to stu dents. • Join an Intramural Sports Team or Club Sport (Information available in the Rec Center). • University Health Center offers a wide variety of services for health promotion. Stop by the Peer Health Ed Room or call 346-4456 to find out more about health promotion services. Be Dear To Your Heart by Susie S.Jiing n your pursuit to get to get to know others on campus, don’t forget to get to know yourself. Let’s start with a few personal questions. • Do you have a family history of heart disease? • Do you smoke? • Do you have high blood pressure (Le. above 140/90)? • Are you overweight? • Is exercise absent from your normal weekly routine? • Do you have a high blood cholesterol level (i.e. above 240 mg/dO? If you answered “yes” or“don’t know”to any of these ques tions,you may be susceptible to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies have demonstrated that,even at our young age, many of our arteries are ALREADY 20-50% occluded. That would mean,of course,that the heart is not receiving an ade quate blood supply While this may not spell immediate disas ter, when the heart’s ability to work is greatly reduced for a pro Studies have demonstrated that, even at our young age, many of our arteries are ALREADY 20-50% occluded. longed time,a life-threatening situation can arise. You may be saying to yourself,“this could not happen to me, not nowf It’s true that heart disease does not appear overnight,but takes years to develop. Many do not realize, how ever,that CVD can start at an early age and that it eventually kills more Americans than any other disease. According to the American Heart Association, CVD is the number 1 killer of both women and men.These diseases claim the lives of more than half a million females every year - about a death a minute. That’s more lives than the next 7 causes of death combined. Factors that influence this statistic include the usual suspects: tobacco smoke, obesity physical inactivity high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus.and high blood cholesterol. The good news is that CVD can be prevented. Most preven tion measures involve nothing magical, just adjusting lifestyle factors: • First, if you use tobacco, quit • Choose nutrient dense foods with limited saturated fats • Incorporate daily aerobic exercise • Maintain normal blood pressure and blood choles terol If you are not sure if you are at risk of CVD, the UO Health Center offers free cholesterol screening and assessment for CVD risk. Cholesterol screenings are every Tuesday from 9:30 11:30 a.m. No appointment is needed and you can drop in the Health Education Office located near Area B.Call 3404456 for more information. I The Truth About Ephedra By Jennifer Helms verywhere you look,our media is flooded with ads for weight loss. Products like Slimfast,weight loss programs,workout videos,and “miracle” weight loss pills, have found their way into everyday life. Many people have been sucked into buying these products without understanding their potential health dangers. Ephedra is one such product. Also known as Ma Huang.it is an adrenaline-like stimulant that originated in China. Today it is sold in around 200 dietary supplements like Metabolife,Meta-Lite,and Stacker 2. Ephedra is popular because of its claims of enhanced metabolism,increased energy and weight loss. The ads don’t mention the many dan gerous potential side effects.Some of these include dizziness,tremors,alterations in blood pressure, and heart rate,and serious headaches. More severe side effects include chest pain,stroke,heart attack, seizures,and in severe cases,death. In a 2001 study, reported in the Annals of Inter ... ephedra is one of the most dangerous herbal supplements out on the market. It results in more adverse reactions than any other legal herbal product sold in the US. nal Medicine, data from the US Fbison Control Cen ter are compared to overall sales of ephedra in the US. The study showed that“products containing ephedra accounted for 64% of all adverse effects reported from herbs even though they represented less than 1 % of total herbal product sales." In other words.ephedra is one of the most dangerous herbal supplements out on the market. It results in more adverse reactions than any other legal herbal product sold in the US. According to the American Heart Association President Dr.Robert Binow,“There is no such thing as a magic weight loss pill.These quick fixes are misleading.” Many people are unaware that they are even taking a product that contains ephedra because the labels on these products are often confusing and misleading. Read labels carefully to check for ehpedra. Anyone who is interested in these products should also check with a medical practitioner.They can help you determine ephedra’s dangers if you are taking other kinds of medication or have pre existing health issues. The best way to improve your fitness is by in creasing your activity level and improving your diet. For more information on these more promis ing practices, come by the Health Education office on the main floor of the Health Center. I In Sickness And In Health By Sam Hodges ere at UO,students have a Health Center at their full disposal. Don’t fall for the misperception that the Health Cen ter is useful only when you are al ready sick or injured. There are plen ty of services for the healthy student who wants to stay well! Below is an overview of three of the services to help students attain even greater lev els of health. Many of our students are far from home and their family dentist. Why not come into the Health Cen ter for a checkup and a cleaning? Worried you can’t afford it right at the moment you need it? You can have all services charged to your student account, which would make any college student smile. Dental appointments fill up fast,so call 346-4432 for your appointment. While it may be tempting to try the latest fad diet as seen on TV you can get more sound recommenda tions from the Health Center’s regis tered dietitian Kristen Olmos. She helps students with diet concerns ranging from weight management, disordered eating and disease con ditions such as diabetes. Appoint ments can be made by calling 346 2770. The Peer Health Education of fice has an awesome lending li brary with many provocative titles. While you’re there,pick up free con doms, or talk to one of the peer health educators about health questions you may have. We can help you navigate through the Health Center, get well and stay well. Factoids An individual can contract gon orrhea or chlamydia in the throat throu#i unprotected sex. www. bigeye. com/sexeducation Around half of all pedestrians aged 16-60 killed in road acci dents are over the legal drink drive limit. wwwlifebytes.goo.uk At least 7% of drowning acci dents and 40% of household fires involve alcohol. www.lifebytes.gov.uk According to the FBI,only 2% of reported rapes in the U.S. are false claims. The curing process tobacco must undergo before being processed into cigarettes is the single largest commercial cause of deforestation world wide,destroying around 8.55 million acres of forest each yean www bigtobaccosucks. arg Tobacco related diseases cause more deaths peryear than alcohol,heroin,cocaine, homicide.suicide.car acci dents, fire,andAlDScombined. wwwquitsmoking.about.com 50% of smokers who smoke in their teens and continue to smoke,will eventually be killed by their smoking habit. www.Iifebytes.gov. uk Smoking-related diseases claim an estimated 430,700 American lives each year. American Lung Association The leading causes of death in the US. 1-Heart disease 2 Cancer 3-Stroke (Center for Disease Control) One in five adults engage in high level of activity,but one in four are largely inactive (National Center for Health Statistics) Many pigments used in tattoo inks are not approved for skin contact at all. Some are industrial grade colors that are suitable for printers’ink or automobile paint. (U.SFBA Center for fbod Safety and Applied Nutrition office of Cosmetics <fi Colors Fact Sheet Nov.29,2000) Scientific evidence suggests that about one-third of the 556,500 cancer deaths ex pected to occur in 2003 will be related to nutrition,physi cal inactivity,obesity,and oth er lifestyle factors and could also be prevented. (American Cancer Society) In the US, 1 of every 4 deaths is from cancer (American Cancer Society) If you took the average 5’2” woman,age 22 and normal weight of 125 pounds and ex pected her to fit into the Bar bie image she would have to be 7’2”tal!! (National Association of Anorexia)
