Obesity plays an important part in the overall health of an individual. A person is considered overweight or obese based on his BMI (Body Mass Index). The BMI is calculated by dividing the weight of an individual by the square of the height (kgs/m2). As per the World Health Organization (WHO),

* A person with a BMI of 25 is overweight and
* An individual with a BMI of 30 or above is considered obese.

These numbers and indexes should be treated as indicative since the level of fat, weight of the bones and muscle in all adults can vary on the basis of sex, race and environment.

Given that obesity is a serious concern among kids and teens, the WHO is also delving on the issue of developing a growth reference index for children and adolescents.

Obesity is a major health risk, which is directly proportionate to the BMI of a person. It is a major cause for heart disease and stroke, diabetes, osteoarthritis and some types of cancers.  Read more...

Diabetes Self-Management publishes instructive “how-to” information that has immediate application for people with diabetes.

Articles focus on exercise and fitness, nutrition and diet, and the techniques, products, and strategies that help readers take charge of their well-being and live happier, healthier lives…. More >>

Diabetes Self-Management

Featured Yoga:  Read more...

• Yoga For Beginners
• Foldover Logo Yoga Pant – WHITE (L)
• Yoga For Weight Loss for Beginners
• Yoga Anatomy
• Yoga for Stress Relief (With The Dalai Lama)
• ToeSox Yoga / Pilates Organic Cotton Toe Socks (Small, Black)
• Power Yoga – Total Body Workout
• Valeo Yoga Kit
• Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga…
• Yoga For Every Body (With Over 35 Routines)

Featured Heart Disease:  Read more...

• Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure
• Reverse Heart Disease Now: Stop Deadly Cardiovascular Plaque Before It’s Too Late
• The First Year: Heart Disease: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed
• Braunwald’s Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, Single Volume (Heart Disease (Braunwald) (Single Vol))
• American Medical Association Guide to Preventing and Treating Heart Disease: Essential Information You and Your Family Need to Know about Having a Healthy Heart
• Polar F6 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor Watch (Black Diamond)
• Take a Load off Your Heart: 109 Things You Can Actually Do to Prevent, Halt and Reverse Heart Disease
• Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease: The Only System Scientifically Proven to Reverse Heart Disease Without Drugs or Surgery
• Heart Disease for Dummies
• Pathophysiology of Heart Disease: A Collaborative Project of Medical Students and Faculty, 4th Edition

On this page you will find the following popular Alternative Medicine:  Read more...

• Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide (2nd Edition)
• Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine: The New Approach to Using the Best of Natural Therapies and Conventional Medicine (Mayo Clinic, Book of Alternative Medicine)
• Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, Revised Second Edition
• ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE – An introduction to Holistic and Integrative Therapies
• Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, Updated and Expanded
• The American Holistic Health Association Complete Guide to Alternative Medicine
• Mosby’s Complementary & Alternative Medicine: A Research-Based Approach (Mosby’s Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

Cigarette smoking is the most preventable cause of a multitude of illnesses, diseases and conditions that are known to scientists and doctors today. Cigarette smoking will account for more than 440,000 deaths of the more than 2.4 million who die every single year. Smokers have a higher risk of developing many different chronic disorders that are a result of the chemicals and nicotine ingested into the body during smoking.

While the drug nicotine may be primarily responsible for the addiction to cigarettes there are over 2000 other chemicals that affect the body during smoking. The most hazardous substances included in cigarettes are tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide. Smoking will decrease the levels of oxygen which reached the tissues because of the carbon monoxide which also increases susceptibility at the cellular level for damage to be done by the over 40 different known carcinogens inhaled with each cigarette.  Read more...

According to surveys around 15 million smokers try to quit smoking each and every year. Unfortunately, less than 3% of these people will actually be successful for three to 12 months. But, do not lose hope because smokers who try often will actually succeed at a higher rate than those who try less often. There are several tips that will help you to set yourself up for success when you attempt to quit smoking. Remember these things as you set your goals in your sights on success.

1. Learn the effects of smoking on your body. By understanding the dangerous effects on the health risks you help to pad your motivation and increase the chances that you will continue to try to quit smoking even if you smoke one or two cigarettes during the process.

2. Prepare yourself to quit smoking through planning and preparation. Some individuals find that they can go cold turkey by just waking up one morning in deciding this is that. However, most are more successful when they determine their personal goals, decide on their reasons for quitting and get rid of their temptations that can interfere in any stop smoking program.  Read more...

Between 1918 and 1919 over 20 million people died from the influenza virus. There were not many ways known to treat the virus and as a result it spread quickly and killed many. The influenza virus is spread through respiratory secretions, from coughing and sneezing, and will usually run its course within one to two weeks.

Symptoms include chills, fever, headache, soreness, backache and fatigue. Individuals who are at higher risk for developing more severe disease often have an underlying medical condition that affects their immune system, such as AIDS, diabetes or asthma, or they are greater than 65 or younger than five.

For the largest majority of people, however, the flu causes uncomfortable and irritating symptoms that resolve on their own. The best way to treat the flu is to prevent getting it in the first place. That is accomplished by keeping your immune system in good condition and practicing good hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus.  Read more...

Sleep is an important part of our daily cycle. It is during sleep that the body begins to regenerate and repair itself from the activities of the day. Shorting yourself when it comes to getting enough sleep can lead to changes in your body that promote weight gain.

Each person has a certain amount of sleep that their body needs each night. Depending on your age, you need more sleep than at other times. For children, the sleep requirement is usually between nine and ten hours a night. The body is still developing. With growth spurts, teenagers may sleep a little one night and half of the day another night.

The body does lots of work during this time. The brain processes what has happened during the day while you sleep. The body recovers from stress at night. If you exercise, your muscles are still burning fat while you sleep.  Read more...

There are hundreds of different cold and flu viruses, most of them which routinely alter themselves on an annual basis in response to their own environment. This means that any thought of the traditional medical cure is nowhere in sight. This is because of the way in which current antibiotics and medications are developed. For this reason many of these same cure words which were used by our ancestors continue to be used today in order to cure the flu. The flu will typically affect between 10 and 35% of the population each year, depending upon the virulence of seasonal flu variety and how well protected individuals keep themselves.

In close quarters, conditions are always right for the spread of the virus which explains why the highest incidence of the flu is in children between the ages of five to 18 who spend most of their time in school. However, the most serious complications occur in older adults and those whose immune system is compromised from underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma or AIDS.  Read more...