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- (0b»eruer H||||| A .V . L V A W /f VIA’ S T O R Y e ffiiio n --------
February 27, 2002
Your Life May Depend
on Overcoming Obesity
Fam ilies can reduce the
G rant H igginson , M.D.
amount o f time they watch tele-
A death certificate tells only
vision, prepare and eat m ore
part o f the story. W hile O rego
meals together and plan activi
nians are dying o f heart disease,
ties that provide exercise and
stroke and cancer, the m ost sig
enjoym ent. C om m unities can
nificant cause o f death may never
dev elo p safe places for their
appear on the docum ent: o b e
m em bers to w alk and ride
sity.
bikes.
M any o f us com m it to ex er
Schools should ensure that
cise and eat better, but histo ri Dr. Grant Higginson
they are providing healthful food
cally most will abandon their re
and sensible portions. A nd they should
solve w ithin a few w eeks. W ith such d is
provide culturally appropriate education
couraging inform ation, why bother? Your
about healthy eating habits and regular physi
life depends on it.
cal activity.
E ach year about 300,000 deaths in the
M ore than 100 m illion o f us spend the
U nited States may be attributed to obesity,
m
ajority
o f our day at a w orksite. E m ploy
according to a report from the surgeon
ers should establish w orksite exercise fa
general.
cilities or create incentives forem ployees to
M ore than one in four O regonians are
jo in local fitness centers. T hey can help
overw eight and h alf are sedentary. O ver
curtail the endless parade o f unhealthy food
w eight and obesity are associated w ith
appearing at w orkstations and reception
heart disease, certain types o f cancer, type
counters everyw here, and encourage em
2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, breathing prob
ployees to share healthier snacks with their
lem s and psychological disorders such as
co-w orkers.
depression.
O regon em ployers are spending huge
W e live in an environm ent that has made
am ounts o f m oney on health insurance and
unhealthy behavior the easierchoice. W e
racking up an estim ated $ 1 billion in hospi
drive rather than w alk o r bike. W e eat
tal costs attributable to obesity, so these
burgers and fries rather than fruits and
steps m ake good business sense.
vegetables. W e sit at co m puters and in
T he good new s is that 50 p ercen t o f the
front o f televisions rather than getting the 30
risk o f developing chronic disease and dy
minutes o f moderate activity recommended
ing prem aturely is posed by som ething we
by the surgeon general.
can change. E ven m odest w eight lo ss— 5
O u r school districts are m aking deals
to 15 percent o f total body w eight —
with soft drink companies and putting vend
reduces risk factors for conditions such as
ing m achines in schools. T he fast food
cardiovascular disease.
industry promotes bigger sizes, better value.
By m odifying our environm ents and be
Im proving the health and w ell-being o f
haviors to prom ote h ealth ier eating and
O regonians will take the collaborative ef
increased physical activity, w e can extend
fort o f fam ilies, schools, worksites, media,
lives, save m oney and im prove the quality
government and communities. The first step
o
f life for thousands o f O regonians.
is shifting the primary reason for weight loss
Grant Higginson, M.D., is the state
and exercise from appearance to health.
public health officer in the Oregon D e
The second is figuring out w hat you can do
partment o f Human Services.
about it.
Page A3
Not only have talented Blacks sold
billions of tickets. They even invented the
machine that dispenses the tickets.
by
I
I
A
The ticket dispensing machine, was invented by Frederick foies, lune 27,1939, US Patent 2,16 3 , 7 $ K $ Dry cleaning process
for clothes, Thomas lennings, ( First African American to recede a US Patent) March 3, 182J. US£attfiL&306X • Folding cabi
net bed, Sarah Goode, ( First African American woman togieive a US Patent)
machine, Dewey Sanderson, luly 28, 1970, US Patent 3,522, 011 •
US Patent 5,188,321 •
K e yfo rd stand,
and, ¡cHarding 8r
Sr B. Hirschenson, Feb. 23, 1993,
Fire e ^ M I t f d e r ' Joseph Winters, May 7, 1878, US Patent
Wrench, lohn ¡ohnson, April 18, 1922, US M g y f
Patent 3,802,434 •
Patent 3,802,434 •
syringe,
Brooks, Apr. 9, 1974, US
Ito y e security with TVsurveillance,Miine V$trown, Dec. 2, 1969, US Patent 3,482,037 • Automatic
safety
break systeifyl
safety break
system, Brehm if Splws, lair. 2, 1962, USPatent'8,0d5,522 •
Street sweeper, Charles Brooks, Mar. 17, 1896, US
Patent556,71l • M O frlh t >^tsSJewart, /line 13; 1893, US Patent 499,402 •
Patent556,711 * M f y h 'vm S h*m ’S ? .w 1 3 j 1893.USPotent499,402 •
US
US Patent
Patent 1,680,521
1,687,521 • •
W
Urinalysis
Steam boiler furnace, Granville Woods, ¡uae p l 88 4,1JS latent 299,894 • Laser surgery process for
cataracts, Patricia Bath, MD, Inly 6, 1999, US Patent 5,919,
203,517 •
f^ td 'd f^ lfJ v P Patent
a te n t 322,117 •
!Ä
Electric heater, Ebert Stallworth, Oct. 16,1928,
Electric heater, Ebert Stallworth, Oct. 16,1928,
f R & t t e e d d & 9 sheet,
sheet, tibrtha
1959, US Patent 2,907,055 • Oil stove, lohn Standard, Oct.
Hertha Bemfai
Bennati Ck&6,
C
w - J
"-C
. . . ..... I ”
29, 1889, US Piftent 4T3,68Si • StaM im bing wheelchair,
pressure cooker & ¡m o w Maurice
1959, US Pc
Patent^
S q fc 2 9 ,1959,
'aver, Nov. 19, 1968, US Patent 3,411,598 • Automatic
* *
$,191 • Vehicular restraint system, Leslie /ones, Sept. 12,
1972ÀI8 PaW 3,490,
From inventions like the ticket dispensing machine to the many other unknown African American
achievements, Black history has touched our lives in many ways.
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