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P age A 4
Walk for
Healthy Choices,
Healthy Lives
Join the fun on Saturday, May
10, 1997 (the day before Mother’s
Day) at Pioneer Courthouse square
in downtown Portland for Planned
Parenthood o f the C olum bia/
Willamette's first Celebration Walk
for Health Choices, Health Lives.
More than 1,500 participants are
expected to walk in support ofchil-
dren who are loved and wanted!
The C elebration W alk is a
c h an ce to show su p p o rt for
Planned Parenthood’s efforts to
help people make healthy choices,
build health lives, and create
healthy families. And the Cel
ebration Walk is a chance to party-
with music by the Balafon Ma
rimba Ensemble, healthy break
fast foods, chances to win prizes,
a Joy Jump for the kids, a children’s
art booth (make that last minute
M other’s Day card!), massage
booths, and educational and in
formation booths.
Entry forms and pledge sheets
are available at all Planned Parent
hood sites and many health clubs
and sportswear outlets. Entry fees
are $ 15 foradults($ 18 day o f event)
and $7 for children 12 and under
Registration includes a t-shirt.
Day-of-event registration begins
at 7:30 am. H ulks begin at 8:45
am. To register of fo r more infor
mation about the Celebration
H alk, call 775-4931.fax 788- 7285.
A pril 2, 1997 • T he P ortland O bserver
Supersizing
“ Supersizing” your fast-food or
der may be a value, but it may not be
what you bargained for in terms o f
your health
“ People are unaware o f normal
food portions,” said Dr. John Eoreyt,
a professor of medicine and director
ofthe Behavioral Medicine Research
Center at Baylor College o f Medi
cine in H ouston. “ Increasingly,
larger-than-normal amounts o f food
are perceived as norm al.’
Buying an order o f large fries
and a 32-ounce cola instead o f an
order o f small fries and a 12-ounce
soft drink may cost only a few
cents more, but it can double the
calories.
Eoreyt says despite the added fat,
the inexpensive, larger fast-food
“combo” is the choice o f many busy
families.
“Even children are used to order
ing larger servings,” he said.
The key is knowing how to make
sensible food choices.
According to the U.S. Depart
ment o f Agriculture, which devel
oped the Food Guide Pyramid, a
daily diet consisting o f no more that
30 percent o f calories from fat in
cludes the fol lowing amounts o f food:
Bread, cereal, rice and pasta: 6-
I I servings. One serving equals 1
slice o f bread, tortilla or pancake, a
half-cup o f cereal, rice or pasta, 2
medium cookies, a half o f a bagel, or
a hamburger bun.
T he success o f tw o v o ter referen d u m s su p p o rtin g m edical use of
m a riju a n a is one to the most in terestin g outcom es o f the N ovem ber
election. C a lifo rn ia 's Proposition 2.15 allow s patients u n d e r a d o c to r's
c are to tre a t a v a rie ty o f ailm ents w ith m a riju a n a . A riz o n a 's P ropo
sition 200 goes à step fu rth e r, allow ing d o c to rs to p rescrib e any d ru g
they deem a p p ro p ria te , and m an d atin g tre a tm e n t, not in c a rc e ra
tion, for those a rre ste d for possession o f an illegal d ru g . These votes
signal th a t it’s tim e to stop a rg u in g a b o u t w hether m edical m a ri-'
ju a n a w o rk s-th a t question has alread y been an sw ered -an d sta rt
talking ab o u t how to best m ake m a riju a n a available to patients who
could benefit from it. O p p o n en ts of the tw o propositions denied the
reality o f these p atien ts, thousands o f w ho c u rre n tly sm oke m a ri
ju a n a to alleviate th e pain an d su ffering caused by can cer, AIDS,
glaucom a, a rth ritis , an d m ultiple sclerosis. M any o f these patients
never sm oked m a riju a n a before they got sick, and m any d o n ’t care
for th e d ru g ’s psychoactive effects. T hey sm oke not to get high, but
to get relief they c a n ’t get any o th e r way.
The best advice for bikers, said Dr.
Tom Jaksic, a pediatric surgeon at
Baylor College o f Medicine in Hous
ton, is to always wear a helmet when
biking.
Although helmet com pliance is
particularly low among teenagers, sta
tistics continue to show a dramatic
link between helmet use and reduced
risk for injury and death
"In most bicy cle accidents," Jaksic
said,"the head or neck is the most
common area for serious injury."
He recommends helmets that are
light, snug-fitting and bright in color
for better visibility .
Diaper Rash:
a thing of the
past
Whether you use cloth or dis
posable diapers, the bottom line
is keeping the baby’s skin dry.
Approximately 30 percent ofvis-
its to pediatricians are related to
diaper rash.
Diaper rash is caused by sub
stances in feces and urine, by
friction from diapers, by pro
longed wetting and by soap, said
Dr. Moise L. Levy, a dermatolo
gist at Baylor College o f Medi
cine in Houston.
f requent diaper changing is
the best prevention. Levy said.
Help For Impotent Men
For some men suffering from
impotence, a new procedure called
MUSE offers hope of a return to
normal sexual function.
"One group is those
men who now cun
achieve erections only
by injecting
themselves at the base
o f their penises with
medicine that relaxes
the penile tissue and
allows blood to enter
more easily."
High blood pressure awareness promoted
is Oversizing
The case for
medical marijuana
Bicycle helmets
save lives and
prevent injuries
• . *- .* - .- ••’: <
MUSE, medicated urethral sys
tem for erection, may be especially
helpful for two specific groups o f
impotent men, said Dr. Larry I
I . ipshultz, a urologist at Bay lorCol-
lege o f Medicine in Houston.
One group is those men who
now can achieve erect ions only by
injecting themselves at the base of
their penises with medicine that
relaxes the penile tissue and al
lows blood to enter more easily.
Lhe other group is impotent men
who have avoided treatment be-
causethey fear the invasiveness o f
self-injections.
With MUSE, a pellet contain
ing the drug alprostadil is inserted
into the urethra Once inside, the
medicated pellet caused blood to
(low into the penis, facilitating
erection and sexual intercourse.
Vegetables: 3-5 servings. One
serving equals a half-cup o f chopped
raw or cooked vegetables, scalloped
potatoes or potato salad, I cup raw,
leafy vegetables, or 10 french fries.
Fruit: 2 to 4 servings. One serv
ing equals I piece o f fruit or melon
wedge, a fourth-cup dried fruit, a
half-cup o f chopped, cooked, or
canned fruit, or three-fourths cup of
fruit juice.
Milk, Yogurt and Cheese: 2 to 3
servings. One serving equals 1 cup
o f milk or yogurt (plain or frozen),
one and a half cups o f ice cream or
ice milk, 2 cups o f cottage cheese,
one and a half ounces o f natural
cheese, or two ounces o f processed
cheese.
Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans,
eggs and nuts: 2 to 3 servings. One
serving equals about 3 ounces o f
cooked lean beef, pork, lamb, veal,
poultry or fish-roughly the size o f a
deck o f playing cards, a half-cup o f
cooked beans, 1 egg, or 2 table
spoons o f peanut butter.
Fats, oils and sweets: Use spar
ingly.
Ordering large portions o f food at
inexpensive prices can be tempting,
Foreyt says, so know your order ahead
o f time.
"D on’t be caught in the drive-
thru I ine wondering what you want.”
Foreyt said. “ You are in control o f
your diet, not a restaurant.”
P reven tin g
in d ig e s tio n and
h ea rtb u rn
For people who suffer from
indigestion and heartburn, a few
simple changes in lifestyle and
diet can often solve the problems.
Dr. Atilla Ertan, a gastroenter
ologist a, Baylor College of Medi
cine in Houston, recommends
minimizing consumption o f to
bacco, alcohol, coffee and cola,
including decaffeinated brands,
and avoiding foods that have upset
your stomach in the past.
If heartburn is a recurring
problem, try elevating the head of
your bed to minimize the reflux of
stomach acid into the esophagus.
Also, avoid tight-fitting clothes,
lose weight and do not eat during
the three hours before bedtime.
In recognition o f National High
Blood pressure Month (May 1997),
the Office o f Minority Health Re
source Center(OM H-RC) is making
a special effort to educate minority
communities about high blood pres
sure. The Center is distributing free
copies o f a new information packet
that contains tips for preventing high
blood pressure.
One out o f four American adults
has high blood pressure or hyperten
sion. African Americans are twice
as likely than Whites to develop it,
and the condition tends to develop
earlier in African Americans and be
more severe. It is the number one
preventable cause o f m ore that
65,000 excess deaths among Afri
can Americans each year.
“ We don’t know for sure why
high blood pressure affects African
A m ericans at higher rates than
Whites, but it appears to be a mix of
genetic and environmental factors,”
according to Ralph Watson. MD, a
member o f the OMII Resource Per
sons Network. “One o f the most
significant factors that puts African
Americans at risk is a diet that is
high in salt,” he said. Dr. Watson
has 18 years o f experience treating
African Americans with high blood
pressure and serves as director of
the Hypertension Clinic at Michi
gan State University.
“ It is crucial that we put high
blood pressure information into the
hands o f minorities because the
condition is a silent killer,” said
Jose T. Carneiro, EdD, director o f
OMH-RC. “ High blood pressure
usually has no symptoms, and many
people go for years without know
ing they have it.” Left untreated,
the condition can lead to serious
health problems, including heart
disease, kidney failure, stroke, and
vision problems.
So what exactly is blood pres
sure? Each time your heart beats, it
pushes blood into vessels that carry
blood away from the heart to other
parts o f the body. Blood pressure is
the force o f blood pushing against
the walls o f those vessels. It is
measured in two numbers. A nor
mal blood pressure reading is 130/
85 or lower, and any reading of
140/90 or higher is called high
blood pressure. The first number
measures the pressure during a
300,000 Oregonians
Breathe Easier
7th Annual “Reach the Beach” Clean Air
Bicycle Challenge
The American Lung Association
o f Oregon is holding its 7th Annual
“ Reach the Beach” Clean Air Bi
cycle Challenge on Saturday, May
17, 1997. Participants from the be
ginner to the seasoned cyclist are
invited to join an expected 2,000
Northwesterners on one o f four dif
ferent bicycle routes through breath
taking scenery.
Reach the Beach, sponsored by
Portland G eneral Electric, prom
ises to be a day o f great recreation
and fun for fam ilies, neighbors,
corporate team s, and friends old
and new. Proceeds go tow ard Lung
Association program s for clean air,
research, and services benefitting
m ore than 300,000 O regonians
with lung diseases.
Riders can choose a route — start
ing from Portland, Salem, Amity, or
Grand Ronde -- to best fit their abil
ity-
courses wind through lush Wil
lamette Valley farms and vineyards
and the majestic coast range forest.
The Grand Ronde route covers ter
rain especially for mountain bikers.
Rest stops with food and water and
medical and bike mechanic services
support participants along the routes.
All the routes end in Pacific City,
where beautiful Cape Kiwanda and
Haystack Rock are the backdrop to a
finish festival with food and enter
tainment.
But biking isn’t the only way to
join the fun. Volunteers are wel
come to help make the event a great
success again this year. For more
information, call the Lung Associa
tion at (503)246-1997 or 1-800-
LUNG-USA in Oregon.
Betting on a Vegas Heart-stopper
High rollers at Las Vegas casinos
now have better odds at winning
what might be the biggest jackpot of
all — heart attack survival.
"At the Stardust, w e’re going to
have four defibrillator units,” ex
plained Rob Stillwell, spokesman
for the Boyd Gaming Corporation,
which operates the Stardust, along
with six other Las Vegas casinos.
“It’s a minimal cost when you con
sider the fact that you’re going to be
able to save lives."
Time is a crucial factor in cardiac-
arrest survival. Experts from Las
V egas’ Clark County Fire Depart
ment (CCFD) say that “after four
minutes have elapsed (without medi
cal assistance), the probability of
surviving a cardiac arrest drops by
approximately 10% per minute."
And they say, “the survival rate
could be improved to well over 50%
if automatic external defibrillators
were available for immediate use."
Stillwell explained that EMS crews
have always had a tough time getting
to those who’vc suffered heart attacks
while in casinos. “The paramedics
c
COMMUNITY
(E b e
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O O b s c ru c r
Call 503-288-0033
DIVERSITY
3
are super at getting to the casinos,” he
said. “But once they get there, be
cause of the sheer volume of people
that we have in our casinos, it’s very
difficult to reach the affected person
in a timely manner.”
In fact, the CCFD studied the aver
age time elapsing between the emer
gency 9 1 1 call and the ‘first shock' of
the defibrillator to the afflicted ca
sino-patron's chest. For the Stardust,
that time averaged well over 14 min
utes. In fact, none ofthe 20 casinos in
the CCFD study were able to get
defibrillators to those who needed
them in under 9 minutes.
The American Heart Association
(AHA) is backing the casino's move.
“With new defibrillator technology
and trained people, we can save many
more lives," said Dr. Myron Weisfeldt,
òmeri oj
PU RPO SE
chair of the A HA’s national AED
(defibrillator) Task Force.
Right now, the odds of being dealt
a winning hand in beating heart
attack on the casino floor are pretty
low. The CCFD study found that
only 159 of 736 individuals survived
cardiac arrest suffered at Vegas ca
sinos between 1993-1996.
heartbeat, and the second number
measures the pressure between heart
beats. Having high blood pressure
means that you blood vessels are
narrow, making it harder for the
blood to flow and causing the pres
sure to increase.
“Preventing high blood pressure
can save lives,” Dr. Carneiro said.
“That’s why we want people to know
the factors that put them at risk.”
High blood pressure tends to run in
families, and though the chance o f
developing it increases with age, it
can occur in children as well as
adults." The good news is that regu
lar check-ups and lifestyle changes,
such as losing weight, exercising,
and limiting intake o f sal, and alco
hol, can play a big role in preventing
and controlling high blood pressure.
National High Blood Pressure
Month is sponsored by the National
High Blood Pressure Education
Program’s Coordinating Com m it
tee, and is administered by the N a
tional Heart, Lung, and Blood Insti
tute.
The High Blood Pressure Infor
mation Packets are available now.
To request your free copy, cal I -800-
444-6472 and ask to speak with an
information specialist.
W t NEED
YOUR HELP!
This red alert
message is for you!
The C om m unity S olutions
Project is trying to identify ways
to help African American, N a
tive American and Hispanic teen
agers with ongoing health condi
tions get through school, take are
o f their health, and get jobs.
We are talking about teenag
ers with health conditions like
diabetes, h eart problem s, brain
injury, c e re b ra l palsy, sickle
cell, ep ilep sy , c a n c e r, sp in a
bifida, severe asthm a, HIV/aids,
or any o th e r heath problem th a t
gets in the way o f everyday life
If this fits you, please give us
acall. W ew ouldliketoinviteyou
or your child to participate in a
discussion group to tell us about
your experiences.
If you prefer to talk with some
one individually rather than in a
group, w e’d be happy to set it up.
Each family will receive $15.00
and child care can be provided.
Please consider
getting involved!
For more information, contact:
C hristine W illiam s, N orm a
T rim ble or S a ra h G eenen at
494-4634.
If you prefer to speak Spanish,
please call Leslie G a rc ia or
A lphonso L o p e z -V a sq u e z at
494-7574.
Mature African-Americans
With High Blood Pressure
Be part of a nationwide research program sponsored
by the N a tional Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of
the N ational Institutes of Health that w ill help identify
the best medicine for preventing heart attacks and
strokes in African-Americans aged 5 5 and above.
As a participant, you w ill receive medicine that is
currently used to treat high blood pressure.
Join us for an evening o f spe
cial dessert buffet, special
music & a special message
from Dr. O. Virginia Phillips
the evening o f April 3, 1997
at the Lloyd Center Red Lion
7:00PM -9:00PM . $8.50 at
the door. If you have any
questions, please call Zaria at
331-0330.
Women o f Purpose is a non-
denom inational C hristian
group.
To be considered for participation, you should:
• Be at least 5 5 years old
• Have high blood pressure
• Have one other risk factor for having a heart attack or stroke,
such as diabetes, heart disease or be a current cigarette smoker
Qualifying participants receive FREE high blood
pressure medicine for up to 5 years.
For more in'
ition, please call toll free, 8am - 5pm
1-888-HEART-OK
1-888-432-7865
I