weight control
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People: Duggars Pose With Hospitalized Preemie, Say They Want More Kids
Promoting risky medical decisions is becoming a trend for People: This week, the Duggars share pictures of their 19th child, who was born premature, and declare they're open to having more kids because, “You can't let fear direct your lives.”
Though Josie Brooklyn, who was born three months premature on December 10 and weighed only 1 lb. 6 oz., is still in a neonatal intensive care unit, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar feel now is a great time to address their critics in People. “The negatives don't bother us” says Jim Bob, “Our hearts haven't changed.”
For those of you who wondered if Josie being born at just 25 weeks would change the Duggars' commitment to not using contraception, the answer is a resounding no. According to People:
[The Duggars] remain committed to their belief that “each child is a gift from God” and are open to having more. Michelle knows how their position is likely to be viewed, particularly following Josie's arrival. “When I say we would love more children, we open ourselves up for attack,” she admits.
So why make a public announcement about your family plans, especially when Josie and Michelle's health situation is still so unclear? Unlike the Heidi Montag plastic surgery cover story, People quotes several medical sources in the article. They all say more pregnancies would be harmful to the Michelle and the child, including obstetrician Dr. Jeffrey Richardson, who warns that after four children, pregnancies become much more dangerous and, “postpartum hemorrhage, dysfunctional labor, preterm labor and early miscarriage are all risks.” The article also mentions that while Michelle became pregnant with Josie six months after her last pregnancy, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends spacing out pregnancies by at least 18 months.
It's not even clear at this point if Michelle, who is 43 and was diagnosed with preeclampsia while pregnant with Josie, can have more children. Usually, the Duggars only method of birth control is following the Biblical recommendation to abstain from sex for 40 days after having a boy and 80 days after having a girl. “It is not as if we're going for another immediately. This is going to be a year of different focus for me, getting Josie through her first year of life,” says Michelle.
Of course, Michelle has a right to do whatever she wants with her body, but that doesn't make her decision to appear in People any less questionable. It's hard to say which is the stranger symbol of how our society treats pregnancy: Kourtney Kardashian's baby appearing on four tabloid covers in his first month of life, or Josie Duggar appearing on the cover of People with a tube taped to her tiny face seven weeks before her due date. The public is curious about the Duggars and the TLC show 19 Kids and Counting provides some of the money to raise all those children, but do we need to read quotes from Michelle and Jim Bob about their reproductive decisions wrapped around the photo above, of their newest baby fighting for her life? It's bad enough that tabloids are mainly focused on how fast moms lose the baby weight, but People has achieved a new low by focusing more on the novelty of a 20th Duggar that the health of the 19th.
Baby Josie Duggar's 18 Siblings Getting To Know Her Onscreen
The full article is available in the February 15, 2010 issue of People.
Earlier: Hey, Nineteen
Just Perfect: People Glamorizes Plastic Surgery Addiction
The “Baby Weight” Obsession: Officially Out Of Control
Send an email to Margaret Hartmann, the author of this post, at margaret@jezebel.com.
Knee replacements can be a boon, making it possible for people be more mobile. But there may be a catch, as a new study has discovered: with a knee replacement can come weight gain.
It seems counterintuitive, since being more mobile might motivate one to be more active. But that's not what researchers from the University of Delaware found when they studied two groups of people over the course of two years.
One group consisted of 106 men and women who had had a total knee replacement; the other, 31 people who had no knee pain and no surgery, who acted as a control group. Both groups had their body mass index tracked and were given functional evaluations that included testing the strength of their quadriceps (thigh) muscles. The surgery group went through a six-week comprehensive physical therapy program.
Over the two years the surgery group showed a substantial average weight gain–66% of people in that group gained an average of 14 pounds compared with the control group, which showed virtually no change in body mass. Those in the surgery group who had the weakest quadriceps muscles also gained more weight.
The researchers noted that despite gaining weight, those in the surgery group felt they increased their functional abilities. In the paper, the researchers wrote, "This reinforces the idea that high body weight should be treated as a separate condition that will not resolve with an increase in functional ability." The authors also make the case that while osteoarthritis is not life-threatening, gaining weight does carry risk factors such as cardiovascular disease.
The study appears in the online edition of the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage.
– Jeannine Stein
Photo credit: Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times
Weight concerns are plaguing the United States. Millions of Americans are overweight, and because of this the rates of serious health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease are skyrocketing. Being underweight is also a concern for thousands of American men and women who are going to extreme measures to make their bodies fit unrealistic ideals. These extreme measures are degrading their health by increasing the chances of various types of cancers, of organ failure, and even of death. With the seriousness of the health risks that are linked to weight problems, it is obvious that taking control of your weight is vitally important to maintaining your health, improving the quality of your life, and even in extending the length of your life. While it is obvious that taking control of your weight is important, it is also unfortunately very hard for some people to do. In order to overcome the difficulties that are related to weight control a weight control health care consultant may be needed.
What to Look for in a Weight Control Health Care Consultant
The first thing that you will want to look for in a weight control health care consultant is that they are knowledgeable about healthy weight control options. There are many weight loss scams out in the market ranging from unhealthy restrictions of calories and food groups, to the exclusive use of unproven drugs and stimulants to reduce a person’s weight. If you are looking to improve your health, you will want to look for a consultant that will be able to modify your current diet and exercise levels to something that is more healthy, and that will be able to produce real and lasting results for you. This means that they will need to have an understanding of nutrition, biology, and physiology.
The second thing that you will want to look for in a weight control health care consultant is a compatible personality. If you are a timid person and don’t like confrontation then hiring a weight control health care consultant that is very aggressive and military in nature may not be your best option. In fact, hiring a consultant with an incompatible personality may work to undermine your progress, and may reduce your chances of success.
Finally you want to look for a weight control health care consultant that can develop a program that provides you with the level of control and support that you need to be successful in your weight loss, or weight gain mission. This means that if you have problems with will power, or you don’t have the culinary skills to cook your own nutritious meals, that you find a consultant that is willing to either teach you how to cook healthier, or that they provide you with pre-made meals.
Weight Control Health Care Consultant Options
Finding a weight control health care consultant is relatively easy if you know where to look. There are several companies that specialize in weight control consulting that provide guidance in nutrition and exercise, as well as provide clients with emotional support. These companies include Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig. If you are not comfortable with a group setting for your consulting sessions, then you may want to consider private consultants. You can find these types of consultants at many mid-level to high-end gyms, as well as in the yellow pages under nutritionist. If these options don’t work for you, you can always ask your doctor for a referral to a specialist that can help you reach your ideal weight. What ever option(s) you select, making a decision to regain control of your weight is the first step in meeting your weight loss or weight gain goals.