People Who Walk Have Lower Risk of Diabetes

 Among people with low physical activity and a high risk of diabetes, those who walk more throughout the day are less likely to actually get the blood sugar disorder, according to new research.

See this Medline Plus article for the facts.

Have Your Body Mass Index Calculated

In a bold move, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is now recommending that primary care doctors screen each and every adult patient for obesity. This means using height and weight to come up with a body mass index, or BMI.

See the complete transcipt at Medline Plus.

Health of Americans a Mixed Bag: CDC Report

Highlights of the report include:

• The percentage of adults who drink five or more alcoholic drinks a day has dropped after increasing between 2004 and 2010, to just over 22 percent in 2011.
• Self-reported obesity in Americans over age 20 has climbed from 19.4 percent in 1997 to 28.7 percent in 2011.
• One in five adults aged 65 and older has diabetes versus one in 10 among those aged 45 to 54.
• Only 2.4 percent of Americans rate their personal health as poor.
• Among black children under 15 years of age, 16.6 percent have asthma; that figure is 10 percent for Hispanic children and 7.5 percent for white kids.
• Fifty percent of adults aged 25 to 44 say they have been tested for HIV.
• In 2011, 48.4 percent of adults aged 18 and older said they did aerobic exercise -- the highest percentage ever reported.
• For 6.5 percent of Americans, cost kept them from seeking needed medical care.
• Among those aged 65 and older, 7.3 percent needed assistance with personal care in 2011, compared with 6.4 percent in 2000.
• More adults (3.4 percent) had serious psychological distress during 2011 than in 1999 (2.4 percent).
• The number of U.S. adults who smoke dropped from 24.7 percent in 1997 to 18.9 percent in 2011.
• Most Americans (87 percent) had a usual place to go for medical care in 2011, a little more than the 2010 estimate of 85.4 percent.
• In 2011, almost 67 percent of those aged 65 and older had received a vaccine against pneumonia, a significant increase from 43 percent in 1997.

See complete news article at HealthDay.

Long-Term Salty Diets Tied Again to High Blood Pressure

Indulging in a bag of chips or munching a handful of nuts now and then isn't likely to hurt you in the short run, but regularly chowing down on salty foods over several years may damage your blood vessels and lead to high blood pressure, a new study finds.

See more about this study at Medline Plus.

Don't Over Train

The American College of Sports Medicine offers these suggestions to avoid overtraining:

• Include at least one recovery day each week.
• Alternate your exercises.
• Don't increase both frequency and intensity of exercises at the same time, and make sure that you don't increase either too quickly.
• Don't repeat exercises for long periods without any variation.

Hibbing's Downtown Market Day

Hibbing's Downtown Market Day is back!  The venders are located along side of City Hall on 4th Avenue East and 21st Street every Thursday from 2:30 until 6:00 p.m.  Find home grown produce, fruits, honey, jams, flowers vegetables, all natural food, meats and local specialties.

The Market is also in the old Ogles parking lot behind Kentucky Fried Chicken on 9th Avenue West on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

If you would like more information on the market, Contact the Hibbing Area Chamber of Commerce at 218-262-3895 or email hibbcofc@hibbing.org.

Don't Fight With Kids Over Food

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says. Pressure won't work.
But the academy says there are things you can do to help achieve the same goal. Here are its suggestions:

• Adhere to structured, scheduled family meals and snacks with your child where you sit down together to eat.
• Be a good role model by eating healthy foods and practicing healthy eating habits.
• Eat plenty of vegetables, serve them in different ways and tell your child how much you enjoy them.
• Turn off the TV and put away cell phones while you eat.
• Set clear expectations for manners and behaviors at the table, but be realistic about what children can manage.

Stay Flexible!

Flexibility exercises stretch your muscles and can help your body stay limber. Being flexible gives you more freedom of movement for other exercises as well as for your everyday activities.

• Shoulder and upper arm stretch
• Calf stretch
• Yoga

For exercises go to NIH Medline Plus.