What's Happening at DKWIO

Last month we recognized National Yoga Month with a flurry of activity.  First, the de la Ferriere Yoga Center and the Authentic Living Center hosted weekend yoga fundraisers to help support the work we do. We also stayed busy recruiting new yoga volunteers to join us as we launch our fall 2009 programs. The month rounded out as we updated all of our DKWIO program materials and offered our first volunteer training session.

October started off "in style" as we were awarded $5000 from the Fashion in Detroit event held at the Detroit Zoo on October 1^st and 2^nd. It was a great event and we channeled that momentum in launching our fall programs last week. For the next ten weeks, we will have programs running at University Prep Science & Math Middle School, Garvey Academy, and the Boys & Girls Club (Fauver-Martin). 

We have worked hard to keep everyone informed of the work we do. Besides our blog, you are also welcomed to join us on our Facebook Cause page (search Danialle Karomanos’ Work It Out), follow us on Twitter @DKWIO, or join our mailing list from our website.

 

A Blueprint for Childhood Obesity

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have teamed up with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to deliver a report that outlines simple, concrete steps for fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity. The report suggests that kids and families need access to healthy, fresh foods—a particular challenge in some urban and rural areas—and that schools shouldn’t be circled by junk food outlets. The report further states that kids should have the safety and resources to ride bikes or walk to school, as well as programs and facilities for playing afterward. USA Today breaks down the report and its suggestions here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-09-01-childhood-obesity_N.htm.

Eat Perfectly

Ever wish you had a nutritionist on call to help you make every meal, snack and workout choice? Us, too, but it’s a little inconvenient unless you have a spare bedroom and a fat checkbook. Instead, why not use Prevention’s Perfect Day of Eating tool? This remarkable tool runs through a full day, showing you what types of foods you should eat, activities you should undertake, and when. Get a notebook and go to http://www.prevention.com/perfectdayofeating/index.html.

Manage Your Table-settings to Manage Your Waist

Here’s a great suggestion: keep your plates, spoons and serving dishes small. Why? It seems that dishes that look smaller in proportion to the food they contain make us feel—or at least think we feel—fuller. Women’s Health has a variety of suggestions, not just for your plates and spoons, but for all of your table settings . Check it out at http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-strategies-1. We feel more full already.

Reduce Your Alzheimer's Risk Today

It may sound hard to believe, but you can take two simple steps today to reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s by 60 percent. A recent Columbia University Study confirms that healthy diet and modest exercise can help keep you and your family Alzheimer’s free. What’s more, the study validated that these benefits are independent, compounding each other to a 59 percent reduction in the occurrence of Alzheimer’s. Check out the New York Times’ blog posting on this topic at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/health/18prev.html?_r=1&ref=health.

Yoga at Work

Face it, even the most disciplined of us don’t practice yoga or exercise every day. Great news: Women’s Health Magazine has put together a number of practical tips for relieving the stress that work places on your neck, shoulders, eyes, back and more. These simple exercises can help bring the practice of yoga into your everyday life, while relieving much of the physical and emotional stress we face from work. Take a look at http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/best-tips/yoga.html. 

Weight of the Nation

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently held a national summit on obesity. The event featured a luminary lineup of experts like Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who said, “We are killing ourselves, and more importantly, we are killing our children.” USA Today Tweeted on the event here: http://twitter.com/usatodaydiet. The publication also created an interactive graphic that shows the devastating impact of obesity on different parts of kids’ bodies. Check it out http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-07-28-sebelius-childhood-obesity_N.htm.

Keeping Work / Life in Balance

In today’s economy, many of us are tempted to work extra hours, whether for security, promotion or extra income. While this can be OK in the short term, the long-term impact on our health and relationships can be profoundly negative. For a comprehensive overview on this issue, as well as some great tips on maintaining balance between your work and the rest of your life, visit the Mayo Clinic web page at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/work-life-balance/WL00056.

What's Eating You?

Many of us have a powerful relationship with food, one that’s defined by much more than biological hunger and need. For devastating insight into one man’s love-hate relationship with food over the decades, check out this New York Times Magazine article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/19/magazine/19bruni-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1. The article is the autobiographical work of Frank Bruni, NYT restaurant critic. While it may not match your particular journey, it’s a poignant reminder that—for true health—we need peace in mind, body and spirit.

The Cost of Childhood Obesity

Research out of Mount Sinai School of Medicine concludes that obesity-related hospitalizations for kids doubled between 1999 and 2005. The associated costs also doubled to an astounding more than $238 million per year. What’s worse, many of the conditions causing hospitalization were far beyond the reach of “traditional” obesity-related disorders like heart disease. Among the common admission reasons were psychiatric disorders, demonstrating again that obesity impacts much more than the body. Researchers conclude that investing in prevention is the only way to reduce the impact—financial and societal—of childhood obesity.