Healthy Women Today. A Newsletter from the National Women's Health Information Center (www.4woman.gov, 1-800-994-9662). The Office on Women's Health, U S Department of Health and Human Services

November 2002 edition

FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Fall has always been my favorite season of the year with the burst of color in the trees and crisp air, pumpkins and apples, and the rediscovery of favorite warm sweaters. It also marks a time of new beginnings for many - start of a school year or a refocus on work activities after a summer break. This Fall brought me an unexpected change - the departure of Carol Krause and my temporary designation as the Acting Director of Communications. I have worked happily for OWH for over four years under the tutelage of Carol Krause as the Program Manager for NWHIC during a period of tremendous growth and change. I will continue to be very involved in its success and hope you all continue to visit the web site and call the toll-free number with your health questions.

Now, I encourage you to take advantage of this beautiful time of the year to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends and get the exercise we all need. Take a walk in the cool crisp air and crunching leaves. My son and I rake leaves together - or rather I rake and he jumps in the piles! If your family participated in a physical activity to earn your Presidential Sports Award, we'd like to hear from you. Feel free to provide details on how your family stayed in shape throughout the summer at: http://www.4woman.gov/search/contact.cfm. Selected participants will be featured in the December 2002 edition of the "Healthy Women Today" Newsletter.

As the holiday season approaches, you are probably looking forward to preparing snacks and meals for family and friends. Be sure to take a look at our "Cooking Healthy is Easy" section below for ideas on great low-fat, low sodium holiday recipes. One of my favorite treats for the holidays is pumpkin spice bread. Baked bread can be made lower in fats if applesauce is used in place of butter and egg substitutes for eggs.

This month's newsletter highlights a couple of important events and new federal services. On October 16, DisabilityInfo.gov (http://www.disabilityinfo.gov) was launched to provide Americans with disabilities a portal to information about services, assistance, and general information. During the month of November, the American Diabetes Association (http://www.diabetes.org) emphasizes the importance of regular physical activity and a balanced diet to reduce the risk diabetes complications. The latest research has identified diabetes as the 6th largest killer in American adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that over 17 million American have diabetes, however 5.9 million aren't even aware of it.

The Office of Women's Health within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also offers diabetes materials through the "Take Time to Care" Campaign. Publications and recipe cards are available for ordering in both English and Spanish at the following URL: http://www.fda.gov/womens/taketimetocare/diabetes/TTTCaboutdiabetes.html.

This November, The Great American Smokeout is scheduled for the 21st. On this day millions of Americans try to quit smoking for the day … or longer. This nationally recognized event challenges people to discontinue tobacco use and brings awareness to the many successful ways to quit for good. The National Women's Health Information Center also offers helpful information and resources on smoking cessation. Visit our Smoking Page "A Breath of Fresh Air! Independence from Smoking!" at: (http://www.4woman.gov/QuitSmoking/index.cfm). You can also contact our toll-free call center to order free material on smoking cessation at: 1-800-994-9662.

I hope you have the opportunity to take a break and unwind with a nice walk or jog. I try to squeeze a jog in during my lunch break - but you should do what works best for your schedule. Until next month …

Valerie Scardino, M.P.A. Acting Director of Communications, Office on Women's Health, DHHS

IMPORTANT NWHIC & OWH NEWS

NEW!!! Now available to order, Pick Your Path to Health (PYPTH) Pocket Planners focusing on African-American women, Asian American women, Native American women, Latina women and now Rural Women and Women with Disabilities. The Pick Your Path to Health Campaign, based on the Ten Leading Health Indicators as identified by the U.S. Surgeon General, helps women take simple and time-sensitive steps to improve their health, and provides tools for local communities to promote practical, culturally relevant action steps to wellness. Pick Your Path to Health is for all women, with a special emphasis on women from different cultural and ethnic groups. Learn more about this initiative at: http://www.4woman.gov/PYPTH/index.htm. To order Pick Your Path to Health materials, call the National Women's Health Information Center at: 1-800-994-9662.

NEW!!! Information for Health Professionals and Your Patients - The Link Between You and Women's Health (http://www.4woman.gov/HealthPro/index.htm). We understand women's needs for quick, trustworthy information. Knowledge is key to them making better, more informed decisions about their and their families' health. As a busy health care professional, every day you are faced with the task of helping meet these needs and providing quality medical care to your patients.

Now, you can use the valuable resources and tools in this section of our web site to strengthen your link to the world of women's health. You can:

OTHER HHS NEWS & EVENTS

HHS AWARDS FIVE NEW MODEL COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS TO IMPROVE WOMEN'S HEALTH!!
On October 9th, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced the creation of five new National Community Centers of Excellence in Women's Health (CCOEs) to provide integrated health and social services to women in their communities.

The new CCOEs will serve women of diverse races and ethnicities in urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods -- in Birmingham, Ala.; Derby, Conn.; Wilmington, Del.; Clearwater, Fla.; and Honolulu, Hawaii. The CCOEs will coordinate all aspects of issues related to women's health throughout the life span, and will address the cultural and socioeconomic challenges to quality health care for underserved women. HHS will provide $150,000 to each center for each of the next five years to support the program. This brings the total number of CCOEs to 12.

The CCOE program provides recognition and resources to community-based programs that unite promising approaches in women's health across six components: health services delivery, particularly preventive services; training for health care professionals and other staff; community-based research; public education and outreach; leadership development for women; and technical assistance to other communities that want to replicate the program. Read more at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2002pres/20021009.html.

NEW WEB SITE FOR AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES!!
On August 28, 2002, President George W. Bush issued an Executive Memorandum as part of his New Freedom Initiative which directed federal agencies to work together to build a one-stop interagency web portal for people with disabilities, their families, employers, service providers, and other community members.

Disabilityinfo.gov (http://www.DisabilityInfo.gov), the result of this collaborative effort, is the Bush Administration's latest step toward a citizen-centric Federal government. It is a comprehensive online resource specifically designed to provide people with disabilities with the information they need to know quickly. With just a few clicks, the portal provides access to disability-related information and programs available across the government on numerous subjects, including civil rights, education, employment, housing, health, income support, technology, transportation, and community life.

NEW!!!! Fall Into Fitness!!

Take advantage of the outdoors while the weather is still cool and comfortable. The National Park Service (http://www.nps.gov) offers bike tours every Saturday along the National Mall if you are in the DC Metro area, but check their site for activities in your area also. Bicycling is a great form of low-impact aerobic exercise if you maintain consistent effort, keeping your heart rate at a training level for 30 - 60 minutes.

If you prefer the indoors, try popping in your favorite CD and dancing. Another simple, but good way to exercise is to walk up and down your stairs, at home or at work. Both are weight-bearing exercises that can increase flexibility, improve muscle tone and strengthen your heart.

By the end of the month, you should have approximately 40 - 46 hours accrued towards your Presidential Sports Award, with only 10 hours to go!!! We'd like to hear from you if you have completed a minimum of 40 hours of an activity. Simply email us at: http://www.4woman.gov/search/contact.cfm explaining your (or your family's) chosen activity, how you benefited from it and what you will do to continue staying physically active. Selected entries will be posted in the December edition of "Healthy Women Today." Your story may be an inspiration to others!

For more information on physical activity, go to: http://www.fitness.gov.

NOVEMBER FEATURED HEALTH ARTICLE

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR! INDEPENDENCE FROM SMOKING!

Today, about 1 out of every 5 women in America smokes, even though we know smoking is not good for our health. And, women are starting to smoke at younger and younger ages. Did you know that lung cancer kills more women every year than breast cancer? Did you also know that smoking could affect more than just your lungs? Smoking can increase your risk for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, osteoporosis (thinning or weakening of your bones), and cancers other than lung cancer. It can also affect your ability to get pregnant. Smoking when you are pregnant increases your chances of having problems with your pregnancy, including premature or early birth and having a baby with low birth weight. The bottom line is … if you smoke, QUIT!

For more information on smoking cessation see our A Breath of Fresh Air! Independence from Smoking Page at: http://www.4woman.gov/QuitSmoking/index.cfm

GUEST EDITOR FEATURE FOR NOVEMBER 2002

The featured Guest Editor article on NWHIC's web site this month is:

"Quitting Smoking, You're Not Alone." Our featured article comes to us from the American Cancer Society. To read this article, please go to: http://www.4woman.gov/editor/nov02/.

COOKING HEALTHY IS EASY - START EATING RIGHT TODAY!

Just in time for the holiday season, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov) has come up with tasty "Holiday Fare" that's just right for any diet! These low-calorie, low-fat, low-sodium recipes are perfect for those on restricted diets or if you simply want to watch your weight during the holiday season! They also are a great accompaniment with any turkey dinner.

NOVEMBER'S PICK YOUR PATH TO HEALTH THEME

Tobacco Use: Smoking - Costly to your LIFE and your wallet!

Links for additional information on smoking cessation for all women:

NATIONAL HEALTH OBSERVANCES IN NOVEMBER

THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS FOR YOUR HEALTH

WHO IS USING NWHIC'S SERVICES?

California produced the most calls to our toll-free Information and Referral line. Help your state become our "number one" state by encouraging your friends, colleagues and family members to call our toll-free service if they need information on women's health topics.

The five most popular NWHIC web pages this month were:

Our most frequently asked health topics this month were requests for information on: Prevention, Menopause, Breast Cancer, Breastfeeding and State Health Department.

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