That's Fit

It's odd to hear that a scent could invoke the feeling (and diagnosis) of cancer, but in Houston, Texas, that is precisely what has happened.

A lingering stench in a part of Houston is being looked at in the mysterious diagnosis of leukemia in a 6-year-old, Valentin Marroquin. Is there something in the surrounding environment that is not only smelly, but has contributed to a case of leukemia?

The family in question lives right next to the Houston chip channel, which is home to the largest petrochemical complex in the country. It's pretty obvious to see where the smell comes from -- but is there something in the air that could cause cancer when inhaled (or perhaps ingested)?

That is unknown -- but chemical companies are spewing tons of waste into the air each day there, including benzene and other pollutants. After reading about the environment in the Manchester area, I'm in no hurry to go there.

Our city recently announced that a new power plant would be built in the area -- a coal burning plant. It will sit right next to our existing coal-burning plant, the one that's responsible for our significant air and water pollution issues. It's distressing news for someone who wants to see her city clean up their act, and I wish that my area leaders would look at some of these cities -- Yahoo's top 10 greenest -- for inspiration:

• Portland, Oregon
• Austin, Texas
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Boulder, Colorado
• Burlington, Vermont
• Madison, Wisconsin
• New York, New York
• San Francisco, California
• Santa Monica, California
• Chicago, Illinois

Some of the ways these cities earned their way onto this list include: good public transportation, well-kept bike trails for commuting, year round farmer's markets, dedication to renewable energy, and strong recycling programs. Do you live in a green city? What kinds of things does your city do to encourage sustainable living?

Three months ago, government officials in the city of Ise in Japan embarked on a Samurai diet in order to win a vicious war -- against obesity and metabolic syndrome, according to this article. Unfortunately, the program took an unexpected turn -- one government official had a heart attack while jogging and died in August. However, the 'Samurais' motored on and the program recently ended and results were promising, with the city's mayor shedding 12 lbs. Way to set a good example, Mr. Mayor!

I think this is a great idea and one that every municipal government should adopt. Encouraging healthy habits is especially effective when people in the public eye and in positions of authority get the ball rolling, don't you think?

Even though childhood obesity rates have climbed to disturbing levels, some kids are still managing to stay healthy. Apparently where they live has something to do with it.

According to the October issue of Men's Health magazine, youngsters who call Seattle home are among the healthiest in the country, while those who live in Cheyenne, Wyoming aren't faring so well.

The cities are included in a ranking of the 100 Fittest and Fattest cities for kids in America, compiled from statistics from nutrition and physical-activity programs, state physical education requirements, and federal fit standards, as well as on unfit adults and the number of sports camps and fast-food restaurants within a city. There's even an interactive map of the country with these statistics and more. The project is part of the magazine's FitSchools Initiative.

European life spans are being cut short by about a year due to poor air and water quality, according to a report out of Europe's main environmental agency this week.

Changes attributed to global warming were specifically referenced in the report as well (smog and pollution), and these collective reasons were connected to an overall decrease int he average European's life span -- to the tune of year lost.

The European Environment Agency concluded that quick changes are needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as increasing air and water quality or the more than hundreds of thousands of Europeans prematurely dying each year could increase, according to the 400-page report.

I get tired of stepping out the front door to head off on my morning walk/jog route. I'm a hamster on wheel most days, but fitting in that workout is paramount. On the weekends, it's invigorating to seek a new trail.

Whether you need just a few miles of crushed gravel or 50+ miles for a bike fiesta, check out this terrific trail locator tool from Rails to Trails Conservancy. Pop in your state and keywords and you'll be sure to find a new curvy path to traverse this weekend. Invite friends and family, bring a lunch, make a day of it! The tool offers detailed directions, mapping, trail descriptions and occasional photos and reviews.

Since 1986, the non-profit Rails to Trails Conservancy has been working diligently to preserve and transform unused rail corridors into public trails. They've had tremendous success influencing favorable trail legislation in Washington, with over 100,000 members and supporters. Check out RTC's news and publications to get a field update from your region of the country.

I'm always on the lookout for healthy restaurant menu items. And while it takes quite a hunt to locate a safe bet, I'm slowly arriving at a few good picks. One of them -- a Low Fat Chicken Noodle Soup -- comes from Panera Bread.

One eight-ounce serving of this scrumptious soup comes with 100 calories and two grams of fat, neither of which fall into the saturated or trans fat categories. Complete with 15 mg of cholesterol, 15 grams of carbohydrates, one gram of fiber, one gram of sugar, five grams of protein, and 1080 mg of sodium -- here's the trade-off -- this soup gets a thumbs up by me.

Accompanied by a French baguette that pumps all these details up a bit, this soup is a yummy fare. And now that I've scoured the Panera menu, I know it's just about the healthiest option at this establishment. There's also lots of other good stuff. When I say good, I mean loaded with, at minimum, lots of fat -- The Fuji Apple Chicken salad (sounds healthy) has 570 calories and 30 grams of fat. But for those looking for a trimmed-down selection, the soup is it.

Bon Appetit!

I live in a state with amazing outdoor recreation areas, so I'm always surprised when we often find ourselves low on lists that rank states by health. Though I know that just having great places to exercise doesn't mean that everyone is able to or willing to use them, I'm still disappointed when we rank low on those lists.

That's why I was so pleased to find us at least on this list of the country's most active states, as ranked by the CDC, who counted the number of adults getting at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. Alaska sits at the top of the list, along with Vermont and Wisconsin, while the most sedentary states include Kentucky, Louisiana, and Tennessee, as well as Puerto Rico. The CDC also found that people with disabilities are having a hard time meeting their activity requirements -- just 38%, compared to about half of non-disabled people.

Is your state on the most active list? What kinds of things do they do to encourage exercise?

According to this article, China and Australia have been named the greenest countries in the world -- that is, they're the places where citizens are most concerned about environmental issues like global warming. They're also the countries that are most likely to buy 'green' products and services.

This discovery seemed to come as a surprise to researchers, but while I had no idea that the Chinese were so environmentally-friendly, I predicted Australia would take a top spot. When I was there a few months ago, I was surprised at all the steps Australians took to conserve the environment. Plastic bags, for instance, were nearly unheard of -- everyone carries fabric bags when they do their shopping. And throwing leftover food in the trash? No way -- it goes in the compost.

Another surprise? Canadians also ranked highly on the list because 60% of Canadians say they are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint. But where I live in Western Canada, SUVs and constant littering prevail -- much to my chagrin.

The world as a whole seems to get bigger and bigger, and people in Japan are no exception. Well, half of them are anyway. The male half.

That's right -- studies are showing that as men in Japan get heavier and become closer to obesity, the women of Japan are staying slim and even getting slimmer on average as the years go by. In the past few decade, women on average have lost 2 kg (4.4 lb), while men have gained 4 kg (8.8 lb.)

The reason behind these changes? Women are becoming more aware of the benefits of exercise, while men are working longer hours and socializing for work more.

China currently houses the world's largest population of smokers )300 million, give or take), and a recent smoking ban in Hong Kong is causing a reduction n profit for about 40 percent of restaurants in that city, according to a report this week.

This will be the largest test yet on the effectiveness of smoking bans and the resultant effects on public establishments where smoking is being eliminated.

Can businesses afford to lose revenue and therefore reduce the amount of sales tax they send to local taxing authorities? That seems plausible in the U.S., and other countries may see similar effects. But, the shrinking of those developing lung cancer from secondhand smoke would seem to counter the revenue loss problem. The only problem with a developing hypothesis like that is that it's almost impossible to correlate the two.

The University of Florida's College of Pharmacy hopes to raise $19 million so they can find new treatments for asthma, gain a better understanding of addiction and obesity, and enhance the college's community service programs. Note the health connection here.

The same university's College Of Health and Human Performance wants to raise $7 million to expand research in substance abuse, obesity, chronic diseases, and leisure and recreation issues. The College of Public Health and Health Professions -- they want $13 million. If they get it, they pledge to develop prevention programs to change the course of spiraling disease rates and to improve the health of individuals and their communities.

What about English, math, science, and foreign languages? Academics are still at the core of higher education, but now more than ever, health and wellness are sharing the spotlight. As they should.

Second-hand smoke is dangerous. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, nonsmokers breathing the haze potentially face a 30 percent increased risk for developing heart disease and lung cancer.

A new study released today bolsters the credibility of indoor smoking bans. It's no joke, the bans are significantly reducing heart attacks. The state of New York had an 8 percent drop in heart attacks after their Clean Indoor Act passed in 2003. Dr. Michael Seigel at Boston University criticized the results, stating the decline in heart attacks could have been happening nationwide -- data needs to be assessed from every state to attribute it to indoor smoking bans.

An earlier study in Helena, Montana found a 40 percent drop in heart attacks after an indoor smoking ban went into effect. Interestingly, heart attack rates returned to previous levels after the ban was lifted. Only 22 states have indoor smoking bans. Smokers -- please stop lighting up indoors!

Employers should assist depressed employees in order to curb absenteeism, according to a new study released this week.

In addition, it is in the best interests of the employer to help employees maintain proper health (mentally and physically). In a world of personal responsibility, the daily grind of employment can sometimes tax employees beyond their limits, if you ask me.

It's unfortunate that many employers, according to the study, view mental health coverage as a "financial black hole," most likely because there is very little measurable cost savings to be had. Unfortunately, the reverse it true -- the most you help employees help themselves, the more productive they'll be and the fewer days they'll miss. Someone get a bean counter in on that thought.

President Bush's No Child Left Behind (NCLB) educational initiative has failed on many fronts. I'm working on an M.Ed. in Elementary Education and you should hear the frontline educator buzz of disgust surrounding NCLB. 'Teach to the test' is the mantra these days -- at the students' expense.

NCLB's focus on testing in the core curriculum has been especially damaging to K-12 environmental education (EE). As a result, an exciting movement appropriately named No Child Left Inside has emerged to advocate for EE in school classrooms.

No Child Left Inside has sparked 16 members of Congress to co-sponsor new bi-partisan legislation -- the No Child Left Inside Act H.R. 3036 -- to bring EE back into educational focus. Most excitedly, the 2007 draft reauthorization of NCLB dedicated 14 pages to EE, and No Child Left Inside is working on further strengthening the language. If we want our increasingly overweight children to move and be active, we have to get them outside, touching and studying the environment around them. Take action on behalf of EE! Contact your members of Congress about H.R. 3036, join the No Child Left Inside movement, write a letter to the editor in support of EE.