January 17, 2012
[VIDEO] By Sarah Pusateri – Experts say as many as 20% of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post traumatic syndrome disorder, or PTSD. Nightmares, flashbacks and anxiety are all symptoms of the disorder. Less publicized, however, is the effect PTSD has on the children growing up in the homes of veterans suffering from the disorder. The Department of Veteran’s Affairs says studies of Vietnam veterans’ families reveal that children of veterans with PTSD are at a higher risk for behavioral, academic and interpersonal problems. Also, research has linked PTSD to an increased likelihood of violence in the home.
December 12, 2011
By HealthyState.org Staff – Buddha famously said, “Health is the greatest gift.” You can’t tie a bow around health, per se, but this holiday season, there are plenty of gift ideas to keep your loved ones well all year long. Check out our staff picks:
December 7, 2011
By Sammy Mack – A bill that would repeal a middle school physical education requirement is one step closer to making it though Florida’s next legislative session. House Bill 4057 would repeal a mandate that children in sixth through eighth grades take physical education classes. Tuesday, the bill passed 9-6 in the K-20 Innovation Subcommittee. To supporters, ending the requirement would ease pressures on overburdened schools. To opponents, the bill would exacerbate childhood obesity.
By Dalia Colón – Hoping to get lucky over the holidays? Then lay off the bean dip. One in four Americans avoids intimacy because of digestive issues. That’s according to a recent survey conducted by Braun Research on behalf of Phillips’ Colon Health. It makes sense: constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating don’t exactly set the mood. And over the holidays, things can get even less… uh… regular.
December 2, 2011
By Sammy Mack – At a special mass for lawyers and judges in Tampa on Wednesday, Bishop Robert Lynch told parishioners that “2,300 employees of the Diocese of St. Petersburg will lose their health care coverage” if President Obama doesn’t widen exemptions to the Affordable Care Act. At issue: a requirement that health insurance plans cover contraception.
December 1, 2011
By Dalia Colón – When Desiree Blue’s son Darwin was 4, he caught onto something: The Nintendo DS that belonged to his 11-year-old brother, Denzel, sure looked like fun. “Once he saw the displays, he was fascinated by them,” said Blue, of Tampa. Denzel’s Nintendo Game Boy looked pretty neat, too. “I started hiding it from the little one because I think it’s too small,” Blue said. She worried the tiny screen would damage Darwin’s young eyes.
By Sammy Mack – Today marks the 23rd annual World AIDS Day and three decades into the pandemic, the Florida Department of Health is turning to the internet to humanize the impact of AIDS. The Virtual Memorial on WeMakeTheChange.com is a patchwork of user-submitted memorials. Each panel in the digital AIDS quilt consists of a name, a birth and death date, and an epitaph of 100 words or less.
November 23, 2011
By Sammy Mack – Just in time for Thanksgiving, we bring you a collection of articles that add up to one festively healthy holiday survival guide. From healthy road trip snacks to safely frying a turkey, we’ve got you covered.
By Sammy Mack – Last week, Congress reaffirmed pizza sauce as a vegetable serving in school lunches. This week, American families sit down to the kind of decadent meal for which health experts issue warnings. It’s during this season of mixed messages about nutritional priorities that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a report on the fruit and vegetable habits of high school students. The results are, as CDC epidemiologist Dr. Sonia Kim puts it, “alarming.”
November 21, 2011
By Sammy Mack – Almost two-thirds of LGBT seniors have been victimized three or more times, according to a government-sponsored report. The results are in from a groundbreaking national health survey of more than 2,500 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender seniors, and it highlights the particular disparities and needs of aging LGBT communities.
November 16, 2011
[VIDEO] By Sarah Pusateri – The rhetoric of abstinence – you’ve heard it: “It’s great to wait.” And “true love waits.” But does it work? While the state has refused millions of dollars in federal grants for many health care programs, they have accepted money for abstinence education – $2.6 million each year through 2014. So what exactly is Florida doing with those federal tax dollars?
November 15, 2011
By Sammy Mack – Thanksgiving is almost here. And with the gluttonous holiday comes the very serious threat of danger – the danger of third degree burns or a house going up in flames. If you’re thinking of taking the deep-fried turkey plunge – a plunge into a propane-fueled vat of boiling oil – there are a few safety tips you might find useful.
November 9, 2011
By Dalia Colón – You board the airplane feeling fine, but by the time it lands, you’ve got every symptom from the NyQuil commercials. What’s that about?! Chris Sussingham knows that ikcy feeling all too well. As a pilot for JetBlue Airways, Sussingham flies 80 to 90 hours a month – and that’s not counting the time he spends as a passenger, commuting from his Lakeland home to airports all over the country. “When I first started, I got sick a lot,” Sussingham says.
November 4, 2011
By Sarah Pusateri – Finger waving, talking and using imagery. Could these seemingly simple actions hold the key to cracking PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder? The University of South Florida’s Dr. Carrie Elk thinks so. Using a grant funded by the Department of Defense, Dr. Elk is currently treating veterans suffering from PTSD through a process called accelerated resolution therapy.
October 27, 2011
[VIDEO] By Dalia Colón – We all know texting while driving can be dangerous. But exactly how dangerous is hard to say. Sure, statistics exist: Drivers using a handheld device are four times more likely to get into a serious crash. Using a cell phone, whether handheld or hands-free, is equivalent to having a .08 blood alcohol level – the legal limit. But National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials say it’s difficult to count the number of accidents texting causes, for several reasons.
October 24, 2011
[VIDEO] By Sarah Pusateri – What’s wrong with Health Care in America? If you ask protestors with the Occupy Tampa movement, they’ll say just about everything. They’ve been camped out on the sidewalk just outside of Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in Downtown Tampa. Between meeting with Tampa’s City Council and arguing with police over places to sleep, they took time out to talk about health care. Or rather, what they believe health care should be in America.
October 21, 2011
By Dalia Colón – Here’s the good and bad news: “In general, candy is really no more likely to cause cavities than most other foods,”says Dr. Carlos Bertot, a pediatric dentist in Maitland. “Frequent snacking, whether on candy or a healthful food, is what increases one’s risk for dental decay.”
October 19, 2011
By Sarah Pusateri – Sweet Tarts, Tums and Mylanta. What do the three have in common? Both kids and teachers had a tough time telling the delicious from the dangerous.
October 13, 2011
By Dalia Colón – October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And Down Syndrome Awareness Month. And Spina Bifida Awareness Month. And Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Wanna show your support? Slap on an awareness bracelet.
October 3, 2011
By Dalia Colón – It’s time to clear the air. Literally. That’s the word from Environment Florida Research and Policy Center. Recently, the nonprofit released Danger in the Air: Unhealthy Air Days in 2010 and 2011, a report that ranks the nation’s smoggiest states and metropolitan areas based on the number of “smog days”- days when the ozone level exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards.