Traditionally, eating disorders have been considered an issue for middle-upper class white females. However, we now know that these disorders do not discriminate by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age or gender.
The teenage years usually leave strong memories that persist for the rest of our lives. These are years of many changes, much growth, physical and emotional, and consequently, the loss of innocence and the beginning of responsibilities. For young people, one of these responsibilities, shared with their parents, is associated with the decision to be vaccinated or not against the human papillomavirus (HPV). Vaccination is recommended as a preventive measure against the possibility of developing cervical cancer later on, should they become infected with the virus .
I must confess that the first time I heard someone say that they were suffering from the thyroid, I figured "duhthiroy" was the name of a strange disease that I would not encounter often. It was not until much later that I understood the importance of the thyroid gland, whose role is vital to maintaining the balance in our bodies and therefore a sense of well-being. Thyroid diseases are even more common than diabetes, and yet, not much is heard about them. It is estimated that over 30 million Americans have thyroid problems, and that up to half of these have not yet been diagnosed.
In 2009 we saw the global hysteria that can take hold after an uncontrolled influenza outbreak. The disease caused by the H1N1 virus, known as swine flu, infected hundreds of millions of people around the world. In the United States, recent estimates show that the virus may have infected up to 90 million people and claimed around 12,500 lives.
They say it's better to prevent than to deal with an issue after it’s too late. In no other aspect of our daily life is this more true and important than when it comes to our health. Every day we make decisions that sooner or later will affect us. As time goes on, if we haven’t paid attention to these decisions nor taken care of our physical and emotional health, the body and the mind are going to pass the bill.
