In This Issue

13 Ways Parents Can Help Children Be More Physically Active

The number of obese and overweight children is on the rise. One of the major contributors is inactivity. Parents and caretakers need to help children be more active. Here are some tips:

1) Frequently ask what physical activities they like to do, then help them do it!

2) Be a role model;

3) Participate with your child;

4) Encourage your child to participate on sports teams;

5) Plan family events that include physical activity;

6) Enroll your child in out-of-school physical activity lessons;

7) Transport your children to places where they can move and play safely if necessary;

8) Monitor TV viewing and video game play. Have your child "earn" time for these by accumulating minutes of physical activity.

9) Select gifts that promote physical activity;

10) Write and speak with school administrators showing your support for quality daily physical education programs;

11) Encourage school officials to provide opportunities for students to be physically active before school, after school and during lunch breaks;

12) Encourage school officials to offer assemblies, field trips, and special events that promote physical activity;

13) Advocate for the development of neighborhood parks, bicycling paths, walking trails and sidewalks in your community.

Credit card issuers seem to come up with new angles every day to make money off cardholders. Even if you pride yourself on being a savvy consumer, there may be something in their bag of tricks you haven't heard of:

1. Watch for changes in policies and rates. These are usually announced via "bill stuffers." Be alert for the words: "Important Notice of Change in Terms." For example, recently Wells Fargo Bank raised its late fee from $25 to $29, American Express Optima announced it was cutting back its 30-day grace period to 25 days and Household Bank increased its penalty rate to 23.90%.

2. Late fees: Many cards now require that monthly payments arrive "on or before" the due date. If your payment arrives just a day or two late, you could be charged a late fee of $25 or $29.

3. Interest charges on late payments: Even if you pay your balance in full each month, you might incur interest charges if your payment is late.

4. The penalty rate increase: When you are late with your payment for even one month, your interest rate may jump. This is usually spelled out in the fine print of a card offer, but you might miss it in a bill stuffer.

5. Temporary "teaser" rates are flaunted in giant-sized type, but you have to read the itty-bitty type to discover the non-introductory rate.

6. Even "fixed" interest rates aren't fixed. Card companies can increase the annual percentage rate (APR) with a mere 15 days notice.

7. If you are considering transferring a balance to a lower rate credit card, make sure that your new card won't charge you a cash advance fee. Before you apply for the card, ask if there is a fee for balance transfers.

8. Balance transfers don't always trigger cash advance fees, but they begin accruing interest the day they are posted to the card, whether or not you carry a balance.

9. Over the limit fees: Many cardholders assume that when they get too close to their credit limit the charge will be denied. This isn't true in all cases - you may be allowed to go over your credit limit and be charged a fee as high as $29 for doing it. You'll be charged that fee every month until you bring the balance within your credit limit.

10. Ask your bank if rate increases are tied to anything besides your payment history. With some banks, just being close to or at the credit limit on your other credit card accounts merits a big rate increase.

11. With a growing number of cards, the interest rate for cash advances is higher. This is not the only cost associated with cash advances - they have up-front fees of 2-4% of the amount borrowed and begin accruing interest immediately, even if you pay your balance in full every month.

12. The checks that your credit card company likes to send seem convenient, but using them is the same as taking a cash advance - immediate interest charges accrue and a higher cash advance rate may apply.

Source: Today's Consumer, Spring 1999

Osteoporosis - Don't Give Yourself a Break!

Osteoporosis: A debilitating disease that can be prevented and treated.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. Typically these broken bones occur in the hip, spine and wrist.

Any bone can be affected, but of special concern are fractures of the hip and spine. A hip fracture almost always requires hospitalization and major surgery. It can impair a person's ability to walk unassisted and may cause prolonged or permanent disability or even death. Spinal or vertebral fractures also have serious consequences, including loss of height, severe back pain, and deformity.

Millions of Americans are at risk. While women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, men also suffer from osteoporosis.

Who's at Risk?

There are many factors that determine who will develop osteoporosis. The first step in prevention is to determine whether you are at risk, since not everyone is. The risk factors are:

Age. The older you are, the greater your risk of osteoporosis. Your bones become less dense and weaker as you age.

Gender. Your chances of developing osteoporosis are greater if you are a woman. Women have less bone tissue and lose bone more rapidly than men because of the changes involved in menopause.

Race. Caucasian and Asian women are more likely to develop osteoporosis. However, African American and Hispanic women are at significant risk for developing the disease.

Bone Structure and Body Weight. Small-boned and thin women are at greater risk.

Menopause/Menstrual History. Normal or early menopause (brought about naturally or because of surgery) increases your risk of developing osteoporosis. In addition, women who stop menstruating before menopause because of conditions such as anorexia or bulimia, or because of excessive physical exercise, may also lose bone tissue and develop osteoporosis.

Lifestyle. By smoking, drinking too much alcohol, consuming an inadequate amount of calcium or getting little or no weight-bearing exercise, you increase your chances of developing osteoporosis.

Medications and Disease. Osteoporosis is associated with certain medications (e.g., cortisone-like drugs) and is a recognized complication of a number of medical conditions, including endocrine disorders (having an overactive thyroid), rheumatoid arthritis, and immobilization.

Family History. Susceptibility to fracture may be, in part, hereditary. Young women whose mothers have a history of vertebral fractures also seem to have reduced bone mass.

How Can I Tell the Health of My Bones?

A bone mass measurement is the only way to tell if you have osteoporosis. Specialized tests called bone density tests can measure bone density in various sites of the body. A bone density test can:

• Detect osteoporosis before a fracture occurs.
• Predict your chances of fracturing in the future.

Please note: Medicare now covers bone density tests. Ask your doctor about having the test done. It's quick and painless.

For information in Tulare County about being screened for osteoporosis, contact Kellie Burris, Certified Densitometry Technician with Arthritis Associates (559-732-7877). Many insurance plans, including Medicare, cover screening as well.

How Can I Prevent Osteoporosis?

Building strong bones, especially before the age of 30, can be the best defense against developing osteoporosis, and a healthy lifestyle can be critically important for keeping bones strong. There are several steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis:

Estrogen, Alendronate and Raloxifene

Estrogen, alendronate and raloxifene are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of osteoporosis. Experts recommend estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) for women at high risk for osteoporosis, especially if their ovaries were removed before age 50.

Alendronate is a medication from the class of drugs called bisphosphonates. In clinical trials, alendronate slowed or stopped bone loss, increased bone density, and reduced fracture risk.

Raloxifene has been recently approved for the prevention of osteoporosis. Like estrogens, raloxifene benefits the bones and reduces total and LDL cholesterol, which may benefit the heart. Unlike estrogens, it does not stimulate uterine or breast tissue. In fact, raloxifene may reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Exercise

Exercise can also be helpful in building and maintaining strong bones. Exercise that forces you to work against gravity - so called weight-bearing exercises such as walking or jogging - are beneficial. Other weight-bearing exercises include racquet sports, hiking, aerobic dance, and stair climbing. The benefits of exercise last only as long as you maintain the program. If you are at risk for osteoporosis, your doctor will most likely include exercise as part of your overall treatment program.

How Calcium Helps

Calcium plays an important role in maintaining bone. Calcium alone cannot prevent or cure osteoporosis, but it is an important part of an overall prevention or treatment program. Yet, national surveys have shown that many Americans are not consuming enough calcium. Many women, in fact, consume less than half of the daily recommended amount of calcium.

One way to increase the amount of calcium in your diet is to eat calcium-rich foods like low-fat milk, cheese, broccoli, and others. Milk has 300 mg of calcium in 8 oz, while yogurt has 400 mg per cup. Cheese has about 200 mg of calcium per ounce. Adults need three to five servings of dairy foods to meet their calcium needs. If you are unable to get enough calcium through your diet, your doctor can recommend an appropriate calcium supplement. Since there are several different types of calcium and a variety of supplements available, you should discuss the choice of calcium with your doctor.

The calcium in supplements needs to be easily absorbed by the body. You can be sure of this if the tablet dissolves almost entirely in a small glass of warm water or vinegar within 30 minutes. Also read the label to determine the actual amount of calcium in the supplement, which is usually referred to as elemental calcium.

Some people are lactose intolerant and have difficulty digesting dairy products because they lack the enzyme lactase, which is needed to break down the milk sugar lactose. Milk fermented with certain bacteria (called acidophilus) is well tolerated, as are yogurt and hard cheeses. If you are lactose intolerant, you can treat lactose-containing foods with commercial preparations of lactase or buy milk products that have already been treated. Most people can tolerate smaller servings of milk without adding lactose.

Getting enough calcium, whether through diet or supplements, is essential to maintaining bone strength and can play a vital role in preventing osteoporosis-related fractures. Speak to a doctor or dietitian about how you can get the proper amount of calcium.

Source: National Osteoporosis Foundation

Don't Hesitate...Refrigerate

1 . More than 2 is bad for you

Two hours is the maximum time perishable foods should be at room temperature. Just ONE bacterium can grow to 2,097,152 bacteria in 7 hours if not kept under control! If you can't eat perishable foods within 2 hours --- don't hesitate-refrigerate ... at 40° F or colder. Perishable foods include meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, pasta, rice and cooked vegetables. Also, refrigerate fresh, peeled and/or cut fruits and vegetables within a couple of hours.

2. Here's the rule, get it cool

Refrigerate hot take-out foods within 2 hours-let the refrigerator cool them. Leave container covers cracked open so food cools faster; cover tightly when cooled. (Note: For large quantities, divide food into loosely covered shallow containers before refrigeration.) If pizza and other perishable foods are left at room temperature for more than a couple of hours, TOSS! Some bacteria can form a heat-resistant toxin that cooking can't destroy.

3. Avoid delay, eat in a day

Eat take-out foods and leftovers in a day for greater safety and quality.

4. Don't miss a beat, safely reheat

Beware of microwaving take-out food in the original container. At high temperatures, chemicals from containers can be absorbed into foods. Safe microwave containers include glass, glass ceramic cookware, and those labeled for microwave use. To reheat in the microwave:

• Cover container with a lid or plastic wrap turned back at one comer. Trapped steam helps destroy bacteria. Plastic wrap shouldn't touch food to avoid possible chemical absorption.
• Stir and/or rotate food midway or as needed.
• Reheat foods until steaming hot throughout (165° F).

5. When in doubt, toss it out!

You can't always see, smell or taste bacteria that might make you sick. It takes from 1/2 hour to 2 or more weeks to get sick from contaminated food.

Written by: Alice Hennernan, R.D., and Laura Covey, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County.