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httpy/www.thecharlottepost.com ®fje Cljai’Iottc Post LIFE Section THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 28, 2006 IN RELIGION Author Charles Rivers gets to the heart of marriage in his new book. Blood sugar campaign tackles silent disorder THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TRENTON, N. J. —Gettii^ fatter around the middle? Have a family history of heart disease or diabetes? You could be headed for the same trouble, particularly if you’re over 40 and female Because there are no obvious symptoms of high blood sugar or insulin resistance, few peo ple realize it is a^ping up and putting them on the path to diabetes and heart disease, experts say The National Women’s Health Resource Center, based in Red Bank, is hoping to change that with a new public health cam paign taigeting women ^ed 40 to 65 -a gi'oup whose members are at greater risk than oth ers, and often hold the role of Dr. Mom. “Women are the gatekeepers to the health of the family so I do think it’s appropriate to let them know it’s stalMr^ their children,” said Dr. David Katz, a preventative health expert who is an adviser to the center. In the years leading up to menopause, hor monal changes in women trigger symptoms such as hot flashes and gradually end men struation, making women more likely to accu mulate fat aixiimd the waistline than in other places. At the same time, fat builds up in the liver and other vital organs, predisposing women to a growing problem called insulin resistance, in which insulin no longer can get enough glu cose into cells for fuel, said Katz, co-founder of the Yale Prevention Research Center and author of several books on wei^t control. The body’s compensatory mechanisms even tually fail, blood pressure rises along with blood sugar and blood fat levels —making cells even more resistant to insulin—and diabetes, heart disease or both often follow. “That’s the sequence tiiat’s occurring in tens of millions of American adults” and inaeasing numbers of kids amid the country’s obesity epidemic, said Katz, who estimates half of overwei^t and obese American adults are insulin resistant. “It’s an enormous problem,” he said. ‘We’re just starting to get doctors’ attention.” Audrey Sheppard, chief executive of the resource center, said that even women with a family history of heart disease co' diabetes often don’t know they need to eat a healthier diet and get more exercise to prevent such con ditions, which are among the nation’s top kfllers. ‘We think this is a very important new issue for women,” Sheppard said. “There’s very little awareness.” The center, which provides information on dozens of health conditions and promotes a healthy Hfestjde through its Web site, last week added a new section to the site for the campaign, called “Be Blood Sugar Aware.” Besides explaining how uncontrolled blood sugar- harms the body it offers tips for main taining a healthy blood sugar- level. It also pro vides questions patients can ask a doctor. Other groups, including the American Diabetes Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Pr-evention, also support education programs emphasizing a healthy diet and lifestyle. Among the research showing their benefits is a recent CDC study that found modestly overweight adults who worked with nutrition and exerxtise experts reduced risk of develop ing diabetes by nearly 60 percent over several yeai-s, compared with a group that made no changes, said Dr. Henry Kahn, a clironic dis ease epidemiologist in the CDC’s diabetes divi sion. The key warning sign that people need to see a doctor and take action is a waistMne bigger than 34 inches for women and 40 inches for men, said Katz. Women who have had diabetes temporarily Please see BLOOD SUGAR/2B Sugar-filled confections come of age with adults THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK—The cupcake is a classic, let’s face it. An unsung favorite for eons, in recent years it has hit the culinary pop charts, even the art scene. The sugary little darlings have become big business, but they still retain their cozy place in oiu- hearts. Tlj.ese days not only do bakeries across the coxmtry sell cupcakes, you can go out to eat at a cupcake cafe and choose a ritzy cupcake fiom the dessert menu of an upscale restau rant. You can order cupcakes online fi-om cup cake boutiques, there are plenty of cookbooks focusing only on cupcakes, and you can get married with cupcakes starring at the wed ding feast. Celebrity has spotlighted cupcakes fi-om the Magnolia Bakery in New York City munched in endless reruns of television’s “Sex and the City,” and cupcakes fium Sprinkles in Beverly Hills, sent by Barbara Streisand as a gift to Oprah Winfiey Dede TOlson’s newly published “A Baker’s Field Guide to Cupcakes” (Harvard Common Press, 2006, $17.95) is as smart and handy as a cupcake itself: a colorful ringboxmd collec tion of some 60 redpes for every occasion, each with photo and “field notes” besides loads of other tips. Children have always felt a close link to these diminutive confections, Wilson pointed out i-ecently speaking fiom her home in Massachusetts. After all, each cupcake is yours alone; “All of that cake and fiosting is just for you.” Also, she said, ‘T think for a lot of us as chil dren cupcakes seemed to be tied in with school functions—you often didn’t see them outside that mother-child home-bakLr^ con nection.” That was then. “Now we see how versatile they are, how fun. TheyTl go fiom a homey bake sale to an individual dessert for a shower, to a campy kitschy item for adult holidays.” (Just now, food and women’s magazines are filled with ideas for turning cupcakes into spi ders, mummies, and all things Halloween.) Indeed, cupcakes have now totally grown Please see CUPCAKES/2B The power of patent leather accessories THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK-One of the shin ing stars of the fall fashion season is patent leather. Yes, years ago it was considered a summer item—it was a way to lighten up black accessories to go with lifter clothes. It’s also been associated with little girl Mary PHOTO/L UCID.UK.COM Janes and the 1960s’ mod look. This year, thoi^i, patent is sophisticated. And cool—even wintery It’s also colored In addition to black, shoppers will find patent leather accessories in white, navy red and camel. 3 PATENT/2B Expo’s goal: Expose African American business to all THE STOCK MARKET By Chens F. Hodges cheris.hoc(ges®(hechartoffeposf.com Black businesses will be on display this weekend at the first Charlotte Black Business Expo. Hosted and produced by Emmanuel Media, the Restoration Tblevision Network and Kreative Planning and Marketing, the event is designed to promote networking among black businesses and consumers. “When I first came to Charlotte, I was surprised to see that there was not a homegrown black business expo,” said Cherie Shepherd-Chatmon, one of the organizers. “And this is a passion of mine. I want to see businesses do well. ‘We’re going to have vending booths and aitertainment fiom around the city One of the things that we’re most excited about is that we’re going to have the Charlotte urban talent search.” Winners of the talent search wfll be eligible for studio time and get to audition in fixint of radio executives and recording industry professionals. Shepherd-Chatmon said the talent search will run all year and the finals will be held dur ing the CIAA basketball tourna ment this spring. The Black Expo boasts a vari ety of black business partici pants, such as jewelers and churches. University City Pastor Michael Stevens will be signing ■IP tmSmim ® O copies of is new book “Straight Up,” at the event. The one-day event, Shephard- Chatmon said, is an opportunity to meet someone who can help propel their business. “We need to network. As Afiican Americans we need to support each, other in business more than we do,” she said. “It’s vit^ that Afiican American busi ness promote their businesses. I want for businesses to interact with each other and grow together.” There will be several seminars at the event, including a build ing your business credit work shop, Shephard-Chatmon said. The event runs fiom 12-8 p.m on Saturday and will be held at Please see EXPO/3B Adults and immunizations Each year, over 40,000 adults die fin^m vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis A and B, and influenza! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Afiican Americans have one of the lowest adult immunization rates compared to other racial and ethnic subgroups. Given the ain-ent statis tics, there is a gi-eat need to increase, awareness of adult immunizations and when they shoiild be adminis tered in the Afiican American com munity Did you know that before the mod em era of vaccines the only way you could be protected fi-om certain dis eases was if you actually came down with that disease? Of com-se, this instance assumed you siu-vived the illness in the first place, and many people did not. You may have read about the Plague that wiped out vast nmubers of people back in the Middle Ages. Well, we have come a long way In the last column on vaccines, we discussed the origin of the word vac cine and how it was discovered that ejqxjsm-e to cow pox provided pretec- tion against another-, more serious disease: small pox. Tbday we have many more vaccines that allow us to develop immunity to a variety of dis eases caused by vii-uses and bacte ria. Now, let’s i-eview some key facts about adult inmumizations. How immunizations work Vacdnes fall into two categories: live attenuated and the dead/macti- vated. A live attenuated vaccine con tains a virus that, although Uving, has been altei-ed so it can no longer cause disease. It does, however, stim ulate the immune system to pi-oduce antibodies, or immunoglobulins (Ig), just like a real virus woxfld. A dead/inactivated virus vaccination causes the immune system to devel op protection in a similai- manner. When we come in contact with the real virus or bacteria, om- inmnone system is activated and we ai-e able to mount and effective defense, thereby avoiding the more serious disease. A number of misconceptions exist regai-ding immunizations. Some people mistakenly beheve that receiving a vaccination will inci-ease their likehhood of contracting the disease. This assumption could not be more wror^. Others refuse vacci nations because they fear side effects, which include, local tender ness, redness. sweUing, and low- grade fever. However, oftentimes advei-se reac tions are not attril)Uted to the vac- • cine itself, but rather to trace amounts of substances fornid within the vacdne. Individuals with aller gies to eggs, egg proteins, neomycin, or streptomycin should not receive certain vacdnes. Also, individuals who have had previous episodes of hypersensitivity following prior con tact with a vaccine or its components (anaphylaxis) or neurologic compli cations may not be good candidates for certain vaccines. It is important to discuss any allergies or other important health information with your doctor before receiving any immunizations. Please see ADULT/3B PHOTOMAKE FORREST UNIVERSITY
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Sept. 28, 2006, edition 1
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