ÿtartlanb COhseruer
Page A6
August 26, 2009
H ealth matters
H ealth W atch
B eatin g B re a st C a n c e r -- H ealth experts at Providence offer
free sem inars on how nutrition and exercise choices can reduce
the risk and im prove survival from breast cancer. V isit
providence.org/integrativem edicine.
M in d Body H e a lth C lass - Y our thoughts, feelings and habits
have trem endous im pact on your physical and m ental health.
L eant and practice techniques to help you im prove your mood,
health and wellbeing, including effective ways to manage
difficult em otions and chronic stress or illness. Registration is
$70 for K aiser Perm anente m em bers and $95 for nonm em bers.
Call 503-286-6816.
F am ilies w ith M e n tal Illness — A free, 12-week course for
people whose family mem bers live with mental illness is offered
at Emanuel Hospital, Mt. H ood M edical Center and Providence
M edical Center. The course has been described as “life
changing” by former participants. Registration is required by
calling 503-203-3326.
C h a n g e fro m th e Inside O u t — G et to the root o f your w eight
problem by identifying thoughts and feelings fhat affect your
eating and activity patterns. In a group setting, y ou ’ll learn new
skills to overcom e em otional eating patterns. The class, offered
by Providence, lasts 10 weeks and begins Sept. 8. Fee $ 195. Call
503-216-5641 for more information.
H elping K ids G et H ealth y a n d F it - Providence is accepting
registration for its fall 2009 Healthy n ’ Fit class, a pediatric
w eight m anagem ent program targeting children 8 to 15 years
old. The 10-week program is led by a certified dietitian and
exercise specialist. Fee $250. T o register, call 503-215-2233.
M a m m o g ra p h y S creen in g -- Early detection is a key factor in
the prevention o f breast cancer. Call 503-251-6137 to schedule
your high-tech, soft-touch mam m ogram .
B ereavem ent S u p p o rt G ro u p s -- Free, safe confidential group
m eetings for those who have experienced the death o f a loved
one offered on various nights and locations. For inform ation
and registration, call 503-215-4622.
P a re n tin g C lasses — N ew borns d on’t com e with instruction
m anuals but parents and parents-to-be can learn about a
variety o f topics from pain and childbirth to breastfeeding to
infant CPR and much m ore. For a schedule o f events, call 503-
574-6595 or visit: providence.org/classes.
Employers Urged to Fight Flu
Keeping sick employees home
(AP) -- Governm ent officials
are calling on U.S. businesses
to help manage swine flu this
fall by getting vaccines to v ul
nerable w orkers and encourag
ing em ployees with sym ptom s
to stay home.
C om m erce S ecretary G ary
Locke said employers should de
velop plans for managing both
seasonal and swine flu. B usi
nesses should encourage em
ployees who are at-risk for swine
flu to get the vaccine as soon as
it becomes available. First in line
are pregnant women, health care
workers and younger adults with
conditions such as asthma.
The governm ent is trying to
prepare for the possibility o f a
w idespread outbreak this fall,
w hich co uld hurt bu sin esses
a lo n g w ith th e b r o a d e r
econom y by keeping w orkers
home. Unlike regular seasonal
flu , th e H 1N 1 v iru s w h ich
cau ses sw ine flu has not re
treated during the hot and hu
mid sum m er months, and so far
has infected m ore than 1 m il
lion Am ericans.
Locke briefed reporters Aug.
19 on recommendations for U.S.
businesses at a press co n fer
ence alongside H om eland S e
curity ch ief Janet N apolitano
and Health and Human Services
Secretary K athleen Sebelius.
The three cabinet secretaries
said each com p an y m ust d e
velop its own unique plan. The
officials declined to give more
detailed instructions, explaining
the scope o f a p otential o u t
break is still unclear.
A bout 45 m illion doses o f
sw in e flu v a c c in e fro m
GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and
several other com panies are ex
pected to be available by mid-
October. Federal officials plan
to begin shipping vaccines out
to the states w hen they becom e
available.
The World H ealth O rganiza
tion has estim ated that up to 2
Gary Locke
billion people could be sic k
ened during the swine flu pan
dem ic, w hich already is know n
to be responsible for m ore than
1,400 deaths.
"T he g o v ern m en t ca n 't do
this on its own," Locke said.
"For this effort to be success
ful we need businesses to do
their part.”
G uidelines posted online rec
o m m en d b u sin esses d ev elo p
p la n s fo r o p era tin g w ith re
duced staff, in the event o f a flu
pandemic.
E m ployers also should con
sid er allo w in g em p lo y ees to
work staggered shifts or from
hom e if an outbreak becomes
severe, the g o v ern m en t o ffi
cials said.
W orkers with flu sym ptom s
should be encouraged to stay
hom e and rem ain there at least
24 hours after they no longer
have a fever, the governm ent
recommends.
"If an em ployee stays home
sick, it's not only the best thing
for that em ployee's health, but
also his co-w orkers and the pro
d u c tiv ity o f th e c o m p an y ,"
L ocke said.
O ther recom m endations for
c o m p an ie s in c lu d e: k eep in g
w ork areas clean, stocking up
on h and san itizers and oth er
supplies, and sending em ploy
ees hom e at the first sign o f flu
sym ptom s.
"In som e areas there may be
a lot o f flu," Sebelius said. "In
other areas, very little."
Seasonal Flu Vaccines Arrive at Safeway
S a fe w a y a n n o u n c e d la s t
week that it has begun offering
seasonal flu vaccines.
The stores will provide the
seasonal vaccines on a “walk-
in” basis at m ost stores, and
through scheduled flu vaccine
clinics at others. T he shots are
o ffe re d a d isc o u n t p rices to
help consum ers and businesses
control health care spending in
a challenging econom y, co m
pany officials said..
T h e C e n te rs fo r D is e a s e
C o n tro l and P rev en tio n p re
d ic ts an u n u su ally severe flu
season, elev atin g the urgency
fo r certain g roups an d d em o
g rap h ics to receiv e the v a c
cine.
Safeway also is w orking with
state, local and federal health
authorities to obtain a supply
o f the vaccine to com bat against
the H1N1 “Sw ine Flu” virus.
The vaccine is expected to be
available in the United States
in late October.
P o w erfu l T ools F o r C a re g iv e rs — 6-week educational series
designed to help family caregivers take care o f them selves
w hile caring for relatives or friends w ith chronic illness. C lass
size is lim ited, and registration is required. Call 503-413-8018.
Video Games Take Toll on Health
L eg A lert S creen in g — Check for peripheral arterial disease
with this safe, simple screening using ankle and arm blood
pressure. The fee is $40. T o schedule an appointm ent, call 503-
251-6137.
Survey reveals
some negatives
S m oke-Free S u p p o rt G ro u p - Meets Mondays, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
For information, call 503-256-4000.
Philadelphia CMB Church
Pastor’s According To My Heart
from Jeremiah 3:15
Celebrating 15 years Pastoring
Rev Roy E Clay, Sr. • Rev 1st Lady Lottie Clay
Featuring Guest Speakers:
Bishop Freddie Brown & Pastor Alvin Ellerby
Sunday Sept 6th @ 3:30 Pin
238 NE Mason ST., Portland OR 97217
503-281-6017 • 503-249-7291
Northwest Voice For Christ Ministries
“ A Community Church”
Bishop H. L. Hodge, PhD
Pastor/Teacher/Revivalist
“The Voice Speaks”
Worship Service: Sundays- 8:00 A.M.
Seminars: Bible Themes- Wednesdays- 6:00 P.M.
“God, The Father"; “God, The Son"; and "God, The Holy Spirit”
Bishop Hodge and Congregation invite you to join
us at our appointment with Jesus.
We Reach, Teach, & Preaeh in Jesus’ name!!!
Location: 48(10 NE 30th Ave.
Portland, Oregon
To inquire about our Church or Ministry
call 503 863-6545 or email hodgehspks@msn.com
V » rtlanb (Ohserurr
Established 1970
USPS 9 5 9 -6 3 0 ________________________________
T eens aren 't the only ones
glued to the video gam e c o n
sole. A cco rd in g to a new su r
vey, the av erag e v ideo gam er
in the U .S. today is 35 years
old — and not all that h ealthy
p h y sically or em otionally.
A c c o rd in g to th e s u rv e y
released this w eek, the ty p i
cal adult video gam e p lay er is
o v erw eig h t, in tro v e rte d and
m ay be a little b it dep ressed .
T he In tern et-b ased survey
inv o lv ed ad u lts ag ed 19 to 90
y ea rs o ld from th e S eattle -
T acom a area, w ho w ere asked
v ario u s q u estio n s ab o u t their
health , as w ell as th eir m edia
h ab its.
O f the 552 respondents (ages
19 to 90 years), 249 - a little more
than 45 percent - identified them
selves as video-gam e players -
- the m ajority o f them men (56
percent).
In a rep o rt in the A m erican
Jo u rn al o f P rev en tiv e M ed i
cine, Dr. Jam es B. W eaver III,
o f the U .S. C en ters for D is
ease C o n tro l and P revention,
A tla n ta, and c o lle a g u e s say
they fo u n d "m easurable" a s
s o c ia tio n s b e tw e e n p la y in g
v ideo gam es and h ealth risks.
"A s h y p o th esized ," the re
s e a r c h e r s r e p o r t, a h ig h e r
b o d y w e ig h t an d a g re a te r
n u m b e r o f " p o o r m e n ta l
h e a lth d ay s" d if fe r e n tia te d
adult v ideo gam ers from n o n
gam ers.
M en w ho said they played
video gam es w eighed more and
used the Internet more than men
Too much playing o f video games can take a toll on your physical and emotional heath.
w ho did not play video gam es,
the survey showed.
W om en w h o rep o rted p la y
in g v id e o g a m e s r e p o r te d
g re a te r le v e ls o f d e p re ssio n
and poorer o verall health than
n o n -g am ers.
A d u lt v id e o g a m e rs a lso
seem ed less o u tg o in g , o r e x
tro v erted , an d less social and
a s s e rtiv e th a n n o n -g a m e rs ,
co n siste n t w ith prio r research
in ad o lesc en t vid eo gam e e n
th u siasts th at tied video gam e
p la y in g to se d en ta ry h ab its,
w e ig h t is s u e s a n d m e n ta l
h ealth co n cern s.
A dult v id eo gam ers o f both
s e x e s r e l i e d m o r e o n th e
In te r n e t fo r s o c ia l s u p p o rt
than n o n -g am ers, w hich su p
p o rts prio r research su g g e st
in g th a t a d u lt v id e o g a m e
p la y ers m ay "sacrific e real-
w orld social activ ities to play
video gam es."
W e av e r and c o lle a g u e s
sug g est that video gam in g for
ad u lts m ay be a form o f "d ig i
tal self-m ed icatio n ." W om en,
in p a rtic u la r, m ay im m erse
th em selv es in b rain -en g ag in g
d ig ita l e n v ir o n m e n ts as a
m eans o f se lf-d istra ctio n ; "in
short, they literally 'take th eir
m inds o f f th eir w o rries w hile
p la y in g a v id e o gam e," th e
in v e stig a to rs note.
W h a t d r iv e s m e n to th e
v ideo gam e co n so le is lik ely
to be d ifferen t.
In a co m m en tary p u b lish ed
w ith th e su rv ey resu lts. Dr.
B rian A. P rim ack o f the U n i
v ersity o f P ittsb u rg h S chool
o f M edicine applauds W eaver
and his team for "rem inding
us that v ideo gam es are c u r
Health Advocate Leads National Group
M u ltnom ah C o u n ty H ealth
D ep artm en t D irec to r L illian
Shirley will lead a national o r
g anization representing 3,000
local h ealth d ep artm en ts.
S h irle y w a s n a m e d v ic e
p resid en t o f the N ational A s
so ciatio n o f C o u n ty and C ity
T h e Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions Manuscripts and photographs should he
clearly labeled and w ill he returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope
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4 7 4 7 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.. Portland. OR 97211
Charles H. Washington
E ditor M ichael Leighton
D ist r uction M anagcr : M ark W ashington
C kfative D irkctor : Paul N eufeldt
E o n o n -iN -C H irr. P vkushfk :
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r e n t l y p o p u l a r n o t o n ly
am o n g young peo p le b ut also
am ong adults."
T h e g r e a t e s t c h a lle n g e ,
P rim a c k c o n te n d s , w ill be
m ain tain in g balance.
H e asks: "How do we sim ul
taneously help the public steer
aw ay from im itation playlike
activ ities, harn ess the p o ten
tially positive aspects o f video
gam es and keep in perspective
the overall place o f video games
in our society?"
P o w erfu l g am in g industry
g ian ts, w arns P rim ack , "w ill
su c c e ssfu lly to u t th e p o te n
tial h ea lth -rela ted b en e fits o f
p ro d u c ts th ey d e v e lo p . B u t
w ho w ill be left to rem in d us
th at - for ch ild ren and ad u lts
alik e — H id e-A n d -S ee k and
F reeze Tag are still p ro b ab ly
w hat we need m ost?"
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FAX 503-288-0015
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Lillian Shirley
H e a lth O f f i c i a l s a t th e
a sso c ia tio n 's annual m eeting
in O rlando, Fla. T h is form ally
p laces her in the p o sitio n o f
presid en t-elect o f the asso cia
tion.
S h irle y sa id th e n a tio n a l
g ro u p w as a v ita l lin k fo r
p o licy m ak ers on both the fed
eral and local level w ho w ork
to p rotect and im prove health.
T he g ro u p also p ro v id es lo
cal p u b lic h ea lth o ffic ia ls a
forum to share best p ractices
and to o ls for im p ro v in g d e
livery o f h ealth services.