Health&Wellness | Guts.Glam.Grace.

Mental Illness Awareness

13 November, 2010

Just about every month we are celebrating something. October was Disability Awareness Month. The first week in October was Mental Illness Awareness Week.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) they are “the organization behind this week. It was founded as a nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, and support and advocacy organization of consumers, families, and friends of people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorders”. (more…)

No Comments | Written by Dr. Lynda Lewis

Nail Biting: Why do people bite their nails?

01 November, 2010

Nail biting is a very common disorder. Usually people bite their nails due to stressful situations. Nail biting typically starts during childhood and it progressively becomes a tendency as a person grows up. A person often times start nail biting and sometime toe nail biting during stress, boredom, hunger, or nervousness. Some people have found that biting the nails helps to relieve the tension of a stressful situation. However, it is very important to get to the root cause of the stress or nervousness in a person’s life as one means to solve the nail biting problem. (more…)

No Comments | Written by Dr. Lynda Lewis

On Being Healthy

01 October, 2010

Food and Drug Administration advisors recently met to determine if Meridia, a weight loss drug, should be recalled. The average weight loss by uses of the drug was 8.8 pounds. This is not considered a great weight loss for the obese. The drug is marketed to the morbidly obese. There was however a 16% increase in the risk of heart attacks, strokes and death. As of time of reporting, the FDA has not made a final decision on Meridia. As for other weight loss drugs: Qnexa was rejected. Lorcaserin is being reviewed by the panel and Contrave will be reviewed in December. The first rule of weight loss medication is Do No Harm, according to Dr. Jennifer Ashton, CBS News Correspondent (Safety of Three Diet Drugs in Question – CBS The Early Show)

Many people in our society are obsessed with weight. Obesity is an epidemic in the Unites States. Drugs and surgery are some methods to weight loss for the morbidly obese. However diet and exercise are more healthy options. Before beginning any weight loss program, please consult your primary care physician.

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