health0405

CAN YOUR EATING HABITS MAKE YOU INFERTILE?
by Dr. Sharara

The societal pressures on women to be attractive, successful, and thin are stronger than ever. The desirable woman portrayed in the media is much thinner than the average woman. Popular slogans such as "thin is in" and "you can never be too rich or too thin" have equated thinness with happiness. The result is that for the first time in history, being attractive means being thin. Healthy weight women have an easier time getting pregnant than overweight or underweight women. Studies show that women whose body mass index (BMI) is below 20 or above 25 (especially above 30) have a harder time getting pregnant, so it's a good idea to try to get yourself into the 20 to 25 range before you start trying.

According to Dr. Fady Sharara, board-certified reproductive endocrinologistand Medical Director of the Virginia Center for Reproductive Medicine, being underweight can affect a woman's fertility, due to reduced body fat that canaffect ovulation. "Even moderate weight loss of 10-15% under the ideal bodyweight can result in an irregular menstrual cycle," says Dr. Sharara. This contradicts the popular belief that only dramatic weight loss of 30% ormore-commonly found in women with anorexia nervosa and bulimia-will lead tomenstrual irregularities. Studies show that up to 73 percent of these underweight women who have been able to achieve 95 percent of their ideal body weight, have restored ovulation and pregnancy.

In addition, obesity and weight gain are also emerging as significant factors in ovulatory dysfunction and thus infertility. More than 60% of the US population is overweight (BMI > 25), and at least 30% are obese (BMI > 30). Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), which is a health problem that can affect a woman's menstrual cycle and fertility, has been linked to weight gain or obesity. However, women who do not have PCOS but are overweight have also been linked to fertility problems. "The insulin resistance state induced by the weight gain results in an altered hormonal milieu, which can impair the fertility process", says Dr. Sharara. "In addition to being infertile, these women have also increased risk at developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease as they get older." Many overweight women who have gone through group treatment programs to lose weight have shown a return of fertility. Also, studies have shown that weight loss of 15 pounds can restore ovulation in women who are overweight (obese women need to lose more). Many researchers believe that the body's ability to regulate insulin production has more to do with the regulation of ovulation than the weightloss itself. Being overweight or obese result in significantly reduced chances at getting pregnant with fertility treatments such as IVF, which was shown by Dr Sharara in 2001, and recently confirmed in larger studies.

About the Author
Dr. Sharara advises infertile couples to consider body weight first. Weight gain is the first treatment he recommends to women who weigh less than 95 percent of their ideal body weight. Conversely, he advises women who weigh more than 120 percent of their ideal body weight, to lose weight.

What's Your 'Aging in America' IQ?
Take the Quiz and Find Out
by Susan Dunn

TRUE or FALSE

1. Older adults have more mental health problems than younger adults.

FALSE Overall prevalence of mental disorder in older adults is less than in any other age group, and general life satisfaction is as good as, if not better than, any other age group. (APA)

2. People become more difficult and rigid with advancing years.

FALSE Personality remains relatively consistent throughout the lifespan. (APA)

3. Sight declines with age.

FALSE Although changes in vision become more common with age, any change in vision, regardless of age, is related to a specific disease. If you're having problems with your vision, see your doctor. (National Institute on Aging, NIA)

4. More women survive to old age than men.

TRUE Women tend to outlive men by an average of 8 years. There are 150 women for every 100 men over age 65, and nearly 250 women for every 100 men over 85. (NIA) Among centenarians, 85% are women and 15% are men, but within that group, the men are doing better.

5. Senility is a meaningless term that should be discarded.

TRUE Everyone does not become "senile sooner or later if they live long enough. Even among those who live to be 80 or older, only 20-25% develop Alzheimer's disease or some other incurable form of brain disease. (NIA) 15% of centenarians are living on their own!

6. American families have largely abandoned their older members.

FALSE The American family is still the #1 caretaker of older Americans. Most older people live close to their children and see them often; many life with their spouses. In all, 8 out of 10 men and 6 out of 10 women live in family settings. (NIA)

7. Modern health, medicine sanitation and lifestyle have greatly extended the overall maximum lifespan of the human species.

FALSE It seems fairly fixed at an average of around 80 years, with a few people living to a maximum of 120 years.

However, more people are reaching the 80s. 200 years ago, more than 80% of the population would be dead by the age of 50, whereas now less than 10% have died by 50. (BBC)

8. Most people over the age of 65 will have lost interest or capacity for sexual relations.

FALSE The majority continue to have both interest and capacity. Masters and Johnson (1966) found that the capacity for satisfying sexual relations continues into the 70s and 80s for healthy couples. The Duke Longitudinal Studies resulted in similar findings. (Palmore 1974)

9. The number of older Americans has doubled since 1900.

FALSE It has increased more than 10-fold. In 1990 there were only 3,000,000 people 65 and older. Now an estimated 33.3 million people (12% of the population) are 65 and older. (Home Instead Senior Care)

10. There are currently about 10,000 people 100 years and older in the US, but the number is declining.

FALSE There are currently 65,000 people 100 years and older, and the number is projected to grow to 381,000 by 2030. (HISC) In fact, centenarians are the fastest growing segment of population in the US.

Curious how long you may live? Use the Life Expectancy Calculator: www.bbc.co.uk/health/interactivearea/living_100.shtml. (Be prepared to know your weight in stones!)

About The Author
© Susan Dunn, MA, cEQc, The EQ Coach™, www.susandunn.cc. Bringing the power of Emotional Intelligence to YOUR life through coaching, eBooks, Special Reports, and distance learning. Midlife, retirement and transition coaching, career and relationships. sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE eZine. Want to be a certified EQ Coach? Email me for information about this fast, affordable, comprehensive, no-residency program. Products available for licensing to build your practice.

Good news for people with diabetes:
COMEDIAN J. ANTHONY BROWN GETS SERIOUS ABOUT DIABETES WITH dLifeTV

J. Anthony Brown is one of 2.8 million African Americans living with diabetes. As co-host of the first weekly diabetes talk show, dLifeTV, debuting March 20 at 7:00PM Eastern / 4:00PM Pacific on CNBC, funnyman Brown will get serious about diabetes, a topic close to his heart. dLifeTV is produced by dLife - For Your Diabetes Life.

With a fan base of over eight million listeners from his daily duty as co-host of the Tom Joyner Morning Show, audiences are more than familiar with Brown's gut busting jokes, hilarious song parodies and good-humored antics. While still incorporating his uncanny sense of humor into a topic that greatly impacts the Black community, Brown will have now a unique opportunity to entertain while educating.

"I have kept it no secret that I suffer from what Black Americans used to call 'the sugar'! Diabetes is no laughing matter. But humor is a wonderful tool to use when educating and informing. To be a part of dlifeTV is such an honor. I get to join fellow celebrities Mother Love, and Miss America 1999 Nicole Johnson Baker, actor Jim Turner, and Olympic champion swimmer Gary Hall, Jr. as we help our audience better manage their disease. And the funny thing is - we all have diabetes and that's no joke!"

dLifeTV will also feature guests from the world of entertainment, sports, healthcare, fitness, food and nutrition, and everyday life who have something from advice to inspiration to offer the diabetes community. Guests on the first six episodes include heavyweight champion Joe Frazier; Pittsburgh Steelers guard, #73, Kendall Simmons; B.B. King; rap artist Phife of A Tribe Called Quest; Joslin medalists; and many others. All share their experiences and/or expertise about how to better manage diabetes for a fuller life. Emmy Award winner Erik Sorenson, former president of MSNBC, is one of dLifeTV's executive producers.

dLifeTV represents one facet of the dLife media outreach. The comprehensive consumer website www.dLife.com/ to become the largest independent diabetes site on the Internet has already gone live with its initial release. dLife.com serves as a total diabetes hub, featuring the latest information and exclusive content about the condition from many of the top experts in the world. Topics include diagnosis, research, lifestyle, and diabetes treatment and management information. The website also offers tips on health, fitness, and nutrition.

Last month, dLife also launched dLifeRadio, which produces "The dLife Diabetes Minute with Dr. Bob Arnot 60-second vignettes featuring diabetes facts and tips, airing on more than 400 stations around the nation. The other dLife media outlet is dLifeConnect, a direct mail newsletter connecting more than 2.5 million people who are actively managing their disease with helpful information, products, and services.

For more information about dLifeTV, other dLife media and living well with diabetes, visit www.dlife.com/