1 in 5 Parents Say Kids Online Too Much

This is the kind of crap that annoys me...

ANICK JESDANUN AP Internet Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- One in five American parents believe their kids are spending too much time on the Internet, though most say the online activities haven't affected grades either way.

In a study to be released Wednesday by the University of Southern California, 21 percent of adult Internet users with children believe the kids are online too long, compared with 11 percent in 2000. Still, that's less than the 49 percent who complain their kids watch too much TV.

WHY ARE PARENTS COMPLAINING about kids on the internet too much?!?!? Get a BACKBONE, set some standards and take care of the situation. Who's the parent and who's the kid?!? Stop letting the kid get on the computer....DUH.

Video Game Violence Goes Straight to Kids' Heads

By Steven ReinbergHealthDay Reporter Tue Nov 28, 7:04 PM ET
TUESDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- A study of adolescents finds that violent video games stir up the brain's emotional-response center while reducing activity in regions linked to self-control.

"This is the first time that it has been demonstrated that violent video games can affect brain physiology and the way the brain functions," said lead researcher Dr. Vincent Mathews, professor of radiology at Indiana University School of Medicine.

"After playing a violent video game, these adolescents had an increased activity in the amygdala, which is involved in emotional arousal," Mathews said. "At the same time, they had decreases in activity in parts of the brain which are involved in self-control," he added.
The findings were to be presented Tuesday in Chicago at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.

Video games accounted for $10 billion in sales in the United States last year, but there is growing concern about the effects the games may have on those who play them.
In the study, Mathews's team randomly assigned 44 adolescents to play either a violent video game or a nonviolent video game for 30 minutes. They then had the adolescents undergo functional MRI (fMRI) brain scans while performing tasks that measured concentration and inhibition. fMRI measures real-time changes that occur when the brain is active.
The Indiana group found that, compared to children who weren't playing a violent video game, kids who played these games had more activation in the amygdala, a brain area closely linked to emotional arousal.

At the same time, their brains showed a reduced activation in prefrontal brain areas involved in inhibition, concentration and self-control. "These findings raise concern that these types of video games are having some sort of effect on the brain and likely an effect on behavior as well," Mathews said. "This is early evidence for a biological change supporting other research on violent video games," added David S. Bickham, a research scientist at the Center on Media and Child Health at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. "This is a first step in this kind of research, but it isn't conclusive," he said.

The research is opening up new areas in understanding the process of how violent media results in negative and aggressive social behaviors, Bickham said.
Bickham said parents need to be vigilant regarding the media they are letting into their homes, since children learn from all media they encounter. "This is more evidence that violent media can lead to aggressive and negative behaviors," he said.

One in Four Overweight Kids Gets Poor Sleep

TUESDAY, Nov. 28 (HealthDay News) -- About one in four overweight American children have sleep trouble, new research shows. However, regular exercise can help those yawning youngsters.

The study of 100 black and white boys and girls, ages 7 to 11, found that one-fourth of overweight, inactive children tested positive for sleep-disordered breathing, including the telltale sign of snoring.

But the number of children with sleep problems was cut in half after about three months of vigorous after-school physical activity, such as basketball, tag, and jumping rope.

Even children who did not have sleep problems at the start of the study showed improved sleep scores after boosting their levels of physical activity.

"Existing data suggests about two percent of children have sleep problems, but with 37 percent of children now considered overweight, the percentage may be much higher," lead researcher Dr. Catherine L. Davis, a clinical health psychologist at the Medical College of Georgia, in Augusta, said in a prepared statement.

"We believe this study is a red flag to pediatricians to ask parents about their children's snoring," Davis said. "Snoring does not appear to be benign in children. Not sleeping well can affect children's behavior, their ability to function in school. We don't know yet if it will affect their development."

The study was published in the November issue of the journal Obesity.
More information
The National Sleep Foundation has more about children and sleep.

Get into the habit now...

Inactive adults over age 30 lose about 3 - 5% of muscle tissue every 10 years; here's what you can do. Go to the weight room. Strength training prevents the reduction in muscle tissue that causes the body metabolism to slow and makes the bones more vulnerable to conditions like osteoporosis.

CPR SKILLS

I have watched my students learn how to perform the basics of CPR on an adult today. Some of them doing a great job. This is such a wonderful skill to be learning at this age. You never know what life is going to bring you and being prepared for anything is the only thing you can do. I have been certified for 16 years and have only been in a position to use my skills twice. I never had to actually do CPR on someone,but I have had to sit with a lady as she was having a heart attack and I was just waiting for her to "die" so I could go into action and give CPR...that's an interesting exerience. The other time we were driving down the road and passed by a bloody motorcycle accident. I stopped and no one there knew CPR or First Aid...I checked for responsiveness (he was kind of alert) and waited with him until the EMTs showed up. I ended up being a Student Athletic Trainer in college and my skills in CPR and First Aid were constantly being used. You just never know when you will be called into action.

You are writing your life story

Within you the person of your tomorrow is struggling to get out. Awaken to your hopes within and the gifts within you ready to be brought forth. These gifts are free, but the success and happiness that they bring must be brought forth through effort, commitment and discipline. It is faith, not reason, that will be your guide. Your person of tomorrow will be determined by how you see with faith-filled eyes today. Through faith you will see a vital emerging magnificent you. You are writing your life story. (MK-Management Conference 1989)

Breaking 36 years of bad habits...

My sister invited me to a Weight Watchers meeting Wednesday night before our workout. She has hit the FIFTEEN POUND mark!! I am so unbelieveably proud of her! It's hard to break habits that have lasted 36 years and she is doing it. She is making her whole famly healthier....it's amazing to see the benefits of a healthy lifestyle unfold for them. My heart is filled with so much joy for her. I could really tell today when I went to to her house for Thanksgiving...she's definately slimmer. I have been waiting so long for her to make a change in her life. About two years ago she started getting into fitness. She bought a used treadmill and an Ab Lounger. She has used the ab lounger on most days, doing 50 sit ups. But 50 sit ups won't get rid of fat. I had bought her an exercise ball and a magazine subscription to Qxygen (the best female fitness magazine in the world). She has renewed the mag subscription twice!! But no other changes happened. I've always wanted to be supportive, but didn't want to push and ultimately PUSH her away from fitness. Weight has been a touchy issue in our family. She had always been the skinny one and I was a bit...well, we'll say "pudgy." The tables turned as we got older and the issue was uncomfortable so we didn't really talk about it. Three weeks ago she called and asked me to workout with her...I WAS SO EXCITED! She seems to be enjoying it and learning alot. And the added exercise has helped her post some pretty consistent weight loss numbers. I am so blessed to be helping my sister on this health journey...I'll keep you posted on her progress!! ;)

Cram in More Cranberries

Bursting with flavor, dripping with color, and abounding in cancer-fighters -- the tiny cranberry has it all.

The bright red of the cranberry is a clue that it is jam-packed with flavonoids, including ones that appear to defend against cancer cell growth. So spread your turkey sandwiches with lots of tasty, fresh cranberry relish. It's great on fish, in muffins, and as a salad topping, too!

Beverage firm offers pea-flavored soda

SEATTLE (Reuters) - After introducing the world to new soda flavors like fish taco and salmon, Seattle specialty beverage maker Jones Soda Co. is offering a new flavor: Green pea.
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Green pea, along with other unusual sodas such as turkey and gravy, dinner roll, sweet potato and antacid flavor, will be part of the company's $10 to $15 "holiday pack" of bottled drinks available nationwide.

Peter van Stolk, chief executive of Jones Soda, said on Monday the collection of strange-flavored sodas usually sells out quickly, even though he can not stomach the drinks. Past flavors included broccoli casserole, corn on the cob and Brussel sprout.

"Why people buy it is beyond me. I can't drink a bottle of this stuff," said van Stolk.

Jones Soda, which sells traditional sodas alongside more exotic flavors like fufu berry and green apple, first introduced the holiday soda pack in 2003, gaining notoriety for its turkey and gravy flavor soda.

"We have the market share leader in turkey-flavored beverages," said van Stolk. "We know we can't compete with Coke or Pepsi by playing their game, but we know they're not going to come out with a turkey flavor or antacid flavor."

Asked if there were any flavors that were off limits, van Stolk said he put his foot down when it came to curried chicken flavor.

"Fish taco was just nasty and we tried curried chicken. That was just wrong," he said.

Waiting for the 3:20 bell...

As I sit on my classroom first period, anxiously awaiting the bell at 3:30, my thoughts are on Thanksgiving Break. I think about years back when I was into hard core training and how the wonderful food on Thanksgiving Day didn't even tempt me to eat until I was stuffed. Then I think about how I feel now....wave a cookie in front of my face at 8AM and I am on it! I can only imagine how I am going to be drooling all moring as I smell everything cooking! What the heck has changed? How have I lost such self-control? How did I even have it in the first place?? But it's not really about self-control or willpower or any of that other crap people talk about. It comes down to how we feel about ourselves...our SELF WORTH. Being healthy is more than just counting calories and exercising. How does a person find that self worth when they haven't had it for so long?? Crazy thing is that exercise and eating well will help that self worth increase!! I know myself that I just get SICK and TIRED of being sick and tired....and then I decide to change...and change is hard at that point.

Eggs are OKAY!!

Many studies have shown that saturated fat is a much greater factor in heart disease than dietary cholesterol. Eggs are high in dietary cholesterol, but relatively low in saturated fat. Eaten in moderation as part of a low-fat diet, they're unlikely to raise heart disease risk. On a daily diet of 2,000 calories, you'd want to limit yourself to no more than 140 calories of saturated fat. One egg contributes 14 calories of saturated fat. It also has only 70 calories, and is a good source of protein, vitamin B-12, riboflavin, iron and zinc. To keep fat content and calories low, substitute egg whites for some of the whole eggs used in omelets, or try egg substitutes.

HEALTH TIP: Keep A Food Diary

(HealthDay News) -- A food diary may be helpful in the battle to lose weight. It can help you track what you eat for a week or even a day, and help you realize how much every little snack matters when counting calories.

Here are suggestions on what to record, courtesy of the American Academy of Family Physicians:

• Write down the portion size of every food you eat. Record the dimensions, weight, volume or count.
• List exactly which foods you ate, including any sauces or condiments used.
• Record what time you ate, where you ate, and if you ate with company. Recording these things can help monitor trends in your eating habits.
• Include what you were doing while you were eating -- watching TV, reading, etc. -- and how you felt while you were eating.

FOOD LOG PAPER

DUE BLOCK DAY NOVEMBER 29/30

CPR Certification

This year approximately 300 Prairie Students will be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Angela Ulferts, RN, helped bring Cedar Rapids Heart to Prairie's Health and Fitness classes. "I had been tyring to get CPR here since I came to Prairie, but it was always way to expensive", said high school Health and Fitness teacher Lisa Powers. The cost to certify each student ranges from $45-$60.

An organization called CR Heart (Cedar Rapids Health Education and Resuscitation Training) is currently working with two schools. This organization runs solely on donations through companies and individuals in the Cedar Rapids area.

Students are responsible for the cost of $3.00. They will receive an American Heart Association CPR certificate for adult, child, and infant at the completion of the course. By 2010, the program is hoping to certify 400,000 teens nationally, ages 15 and older each year.

$3.00 due to School Store by FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1st

WELCOME!

Hello!
Glad you could stop by my blog! There is so much out there on Physical, Social and Mental/Emotional health that I wanted a place for my students to go and ask productive questions and comment on the things we are doing in class and, possibly, how they have used this information to help change things in their lives.