*Pollutants in the body contribute to diabetes Risk

...This is as true as it sounds
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
Being exposed to “persistent organic pollutants” can possibly raise one’s risk for diabetes.
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are chemicals used as pesticides, chemicals used by industry, or are industrial byproducts. These types of pollutants are absorbed in fatty tissue and concentrate in plants and animals through a process called “bioaccumulation.” Humans are high up the food chain and so absorb the greatest concentrations of POPs.


The researchers wanted to see if lifestyle change affects arterial thickening.People who had detectable levels of the six pollutants in their bodies were more likely to have diabetes than people who didn’t have detectable levels of the pollutants in their bodies. For two of the pollutants, the risk of having diabetes was strikingly higher. The researchers believe the results of this study suggest a cause-and-effect relationship between high levels of pollutants in the body and an increased risk for diabetes. Further studies are needed to confirm the results.

*Diet Pills... The obsessive Pursuit of thinness

...In the obsessive pursuit of thinness, many individuals turn to the use and eventual abuse of diet pills. Both over the counter and prescription, diet pills are one of the most unhealthy and potentially dangerous way to lose weight.
Unfortunately, diet pills are common and easily accessible to everyone, including minors. Just about every grocery store, pharmacy, convenince store and health food store carries these highly addictive substances. It is all too common for individuals to start off taking just a few diet pills and then before they know it graduate to full addiction and dependence on the diet pills. Ephedrine, caffeine, and phenylpropanolamine are just some of the dangerous and addictive substances found in diet pills.
Herbal, sometimes referred to as natural weight loss products, cab be just as dangerous as diet pills. All of these substances are stimulants to the central nervous system and much like speed, can have serious and potentially fatal side effects.
Complications of the misuse of diet pills include but are not limited to:

• Cardiac arrest


• Cardiac arrhythmias


• Congestive heart failures


• Stroke


• Seizures


• Headaches


• High blood pressure


• Loss of Libido


• Insomnia


• Paranoia


• Menstrual irregularities


• Anxiety


• Diarrhea


• Dizziness


• Blurred vision


• Death

*Compulsive overeating

...Compulsive overeaters are often caught in the vicious cycle of binge eating and depression. They use food as a coping mechanism to deal with their feelings. Binge eating temporarily relieves the stress of these feelings but is unfortunately followed by feelings of guilt, shame, disgust and depression. Binge eating, like bulimia, often occurs in secret. It is not uncommon for compulsive eaters to eat normally or restictively in front of others then make up for eating less by bingeing in secret.For other compulsive eaters, binges consists of grazing on food all day long. Similar to Anorexics and Bulimics, compulsive overeaters are constantly struggling and unhappy with their weight.
The number on the scale often determine how they feel about themselves. Medical complications can also be severe and even life threatening for compulsive overeaters

*Bulimia Nervosa

...Bulimics are caught in the devastating and binge purge cycle. The bulimic eats compulsively and then purges through self induced vomitting, use of laxatives, diuretics, diet pills, ipecac, strict diets, fasts, chew spitting, vigorous exercise or other compensatory behaviours to prevent weight gain. Binges usually consists of the consumption of large amount in a short period of time. Binge eating usually occur in secret.
Bulimics, like anorexics, are also obsessively involved with their body shape and weight. While anorexia affects the heart, bulimia is a disorder that damages the digestive system.

*Anorexia Nervosa

...This is a disorder where the main characteristic is the restriction of food and the refusal to maintain a minimal normal body weight. Any actual gain or even perceived gain of weight is met with intense fear by the anorexic. Not only is there a true feeling of fear, but also once in the grasp of the disorder, anorexics experience body image distortions. Those areas of the body usually representing maturity or sexuality including the buttocks, hips, thighs and breasts are visualized by the anorexic as being fat.

Hospitalizing is rarely sufficient to cure anorexia nervosa, however it is necesasry to interrupt further weight loss.
If left ubtreated, the effect can be far worse than mere "fatal"

*Eating disordes.....staying alive

...Most people perceive people with eating disorders as having an obsession with food. However, this perception is just a myth because the real cause of eating disorders is usually a deeper psychological problem that a person has to deal with.
Eating disorders are characterized by severe disturbances in eating behavior. The practice of an eating disorder can be viewed as a survival mechanism. Just as an alcoholic uses alcohol to cope, a person with an eating disorder can use eating, purging or restricting to deal with their problems. Some of the underlying issues that are associated with eating disorder include; low self esteem, depression, feelings of loss of control, feelings of worthlessness, identity concerns, family communication problems and an inability to cope with emotions.
Eating disorders are usually divided into into three categories: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Compulsive overeating.
I will talk more on each of these in my subsequent posts.

*Bullying...a major Cause of stress

What is bullying?
Bullying can be defined as the unjust exercise of power by one individual over another using means frighten,denigrate or injure the victim. Bullying can be characterised by

• the use of offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behavior, an abuse or misuse of power through a variety of means.
• European nation often refers to this process as 'mobbing'
• Bullying and harassment do not necessarily take place face to face. They may occur in written communications, email, phone and automatic supervision methods such as computer recording of downtime of number of calls handled if these are not applicable to all workers.

Wierd but true

In a research work carried out by professor Cary Cooper in the mid 1990's, it was estimated that the working lost as a result of bullying is about 160 times more than days lost by industrialaction.

• The overall cost to the economy of bullying was estimated in 1995 to be between 3 to 4 billion pound

Responding to Bullying

• Raise the issue with work colleagues and trade union
• Keep written records of bullying incidents
• Confront the bully about his/her behaviour
• Use appropriate inhouse procedures
• Share the problem with a friend
• Respond in writing to bullying memos and keep copies
• Establish the status of meeting before agreeing to attend, take a friend
• Raise issues with appropriate service manager
• Seek councelling and support via the employer
• Read books on this topic to put you in the right frame of mind

Recognizing stress

Which of these is stress?

• you received a promotion at work
• your car has a flat tire
• you go to a fun party that lasts till 2.00am
• your dog gets sick
• your beroom set is being delivered
• your best friend and his wife come to stay at your house for a week
• you get a bad case of fever
• all of the above

Guess what? ALL OF THESE ARE STRESS.....

We are all familiar with the five letter word 'stress'. Stress is when you are worried about getting laid off your job, or worried about having money to pay your bills.It is many different kind of things:sad things, happy things,allegic things,physical things.Many people carry enormous stress load and they dont even know it

Your body however has a much broader definition of stres.TO your body, stress is synonimous with change. It doesnt matter if it's a "good" change or "bad" change.EVEN IMAGINED CHANGE is stress (imagined change is what we call worrying). Imagined change are just as stressful as real changes

Here are several types of stress -ones that are so common place that you might not realise they are stressful

• Emotional stress-When arguments, disagreements and conflicts causes changes in your personal life...that is stress
• Environmental Factors-Very hot or very cold climates can be stressful.Each of these factors tends to cause a change in your body's internal environment.
• Special case of tobacco use-Tobacco is a powerful toxin !! Smoking destroys cells that clean your trachea, bronchi and lungs. Smoking, over time causes emphysema and chronic bronchittis which progress to slow suffocation.The carbon-monoxide from cigarette smoking causes chronic carbon-monoxide poisoning.Tobacco use damages the arteries in your body causing insufficient blood supply to the brain,heart and vital organs. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of cancer 50 fold. Chewing tobacco or snuff is no safe haven as it also damages the arteries and carries the same cancer risk( cancer of the head and neck are particularly vicious)

Poisoning the body with carbon monoxide and causing physical illness of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cancer and arterial damage, tobacco is a powerful source of added stress to one's life

• Hormonal factors-Factors such as puberty,menopause, post partum and pre menstrual syndrome
• Taking responsibility for another's action
• Allergic stress-Allergic reactions are a part of your body's natural defense mechanism. When confronted with a substance your body considers toxic, your body will try to get rid of it, attack it or somehow neutralize it. If it is something that lands in your nose, you might get a runny,sneezy nose. If it lands on your skin, you might get blistery skin.If you inhale it, you'll get wheezy lungs.If you eat it, you'll break out in itchy red hives all over your body

Allergy is a definite stress, requiring large changes in energy expenditure on the part of your body's defensive system.That my friend is also stress