Celebrities Crossing the Line on Medical Advice

Jenny McCarthy tells the public to stop vaccines as it can contribute to autism, while Brooke Shields speaks out about postpartum depression and Michael J. Fox shares his struggle with Parkinson's disease and the need for stem cell research. Doctors and researchers are acknowledging that people are paying attention to these celebrities.

It helps people to realize that health problems they have affect even celebrities," says pediatrician Aaron Carroll, director of Indiana University's Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research. "Knowing that a rich and famous person can have the same problem as you or me makes it seem more fair, maybe.” Carroll continues, "It also can make it easier to talk about your own problem, because a celebrity has the same issue."

The concern comes from celebrities need to get their facts right, says Bradford Hesse, who studies health communication at the National Cancer Institute. Many doctors and medical experts are very troubled by stars who cross the line from sharing their stories to championing questionable or even dangerous medical advice.
In 2005 Scientologist and actor publically railed against antidepressants and Brook Shields for sharing she had postpartum depression. He dismissed psychiatry as a "pseudoscience." Actress Jenny McCarthy, who has an autistic son, has publically linked autism with childhood vaccinations.

Doctors and public health groups say they struggle over the best way to respond to celebrity claims. Celebrities have the power to do tremendous good, Hesse says. Lance Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer, has advocated for funding and policy changes to help cancer patients and has raised more than $325 million through his foundation.

"People like Katie Couric and Lance Armstrong can do a lot to teach people that it is important to talk to their doctors about screening for cancer," Hesse says. "Some would say they have done more for the cause of public awareness for cancer than most scientists."

Still the medical community is concerned about misinformation and trying to correct that misinformation. “Even with a mountain of evidence it can be a challenge,” says Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "It's much easier to scare people than to un-scare them," Offit says.

Some psychologists say that celebrity activists are part of a larger trend, in which survivors of serious illness feel less of a stigma about speaking out and find it therapeutic to help others in a similar situation. "Giving to other people has a profound way of rewarding us," says the NCI's Julia Rowland. "It's a way to make meaning out of a situation.” She says, “You tell other people how to cope, and it helps you cope, too."

"If someone has a heartfelt belief that something ought to be on the radar screen of America, they ought to put it out there, because believe me, other people are saying it anyway," says Mehmet Oz, a heart surgeon and host of The Dr. Oz Show. "I'd rather have it come up publicly and have Larry King have a debate about it." Studies have shown that doctors still have an influence on people. About 68% of people trust their doctors according to a 2007 survey by the NCI, however, it seems like people are placing some of their trust in celebrities when it comes down to medical advice.

Runaway Youth - Everyone's Responsibility

Runaway Youth and Troubled Teens are Serious Social Issue

At-risk teens and troubled youth are not defined by demographics, race, or by economics. They are found in every neighborhood. Dysfunction within the family is usually the common denominator, but not always. Runaway, abused, and thrown away youth have become a crisis. Children sleeping on park benches, thrown away youth searching for a bite to eat, or emotionally abused teens wandering the streets is everyone's responsibility. It is important to be aware of this troubled section of society and reach out a helping hand.

These may seem like rare, isolated incidents but they are not. According to me, the number of runaway and throwaway youth is hard to measure, but it is a chronic and serious social issue. It is estimated that 1.6 to 2.8 million youth run away or are thrown away each year in America.

As the office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention reports,

A runaway incident is when:

• A child leaves home without permission, staying away overnight
• A child 14 years old or younger, away from home, chooses not to come home when expected to, staying away overnight.
• A child 15 years old or older, away from home, chooses not to come home,stays away two nights

A throwaway incident is when:

• A child is asked or told to leave home by a parent or other household adult with no adequate, alternative care, and is out of the household overnight
• A child who is away from home and is prevented from returning home by a parent or other household adult, with no adequate, alternative care, and is out overnight

The major reason for youth in this situation is within the family unit, stemming from child neglect, physical or sexual abuse, family substance abuse, or family violence.

“A very colorful girl,” they thought after meeting her several times. With each encounter, the hair had been a different color. Little did they know that the color of her hair was a cover for her dysfunctional, young life. Her friends had tried to help, sheltering her from the realities that lived at her home, but it was to no avail. Missing for two weeks, no one knew where she’d gone.

There’s no easy way to define this troubled section of society. They are male or female, range in age and can come from either poverty or affluence. Females seem to make up the majority or at least are more likely to seek help. The data collected by the National Runaway Switchboard in 2008 showed that 72% of the callers were females under the age of 18 and 28% were male.

"Once I turn 18, I’m getting kicked out." This statement and ones similar are often heard among troubled youth today. Unprepared for and unaware of the many decisions they need to make, they drift from place to place, never establishing roots and often getting into trouble.

Children are considered adults at the age of 18. Is this realistic? Steve Biddulph, an author, activist, and psychologist says, " The teenage brain is very unformed. It rebuilds from 13 to about 19 and is changed in structure so comprehensively that it makes decision-making and logical thinking very hard for teenagers, especially if they are stressed or distracted. So adults have to stay close to the action and not leave kids alone or with too much freedom."

The Carnegie Report on Adolescent Development reported that there has been a breakdown of traditional support networks that existed in past generations where a sense of community thrived and accountability was important. The report concluded that, "Young adults from all economic strata now find themselves alone in communities where there are few adults to turn to, and no safe places to go."

Colin Powell once shared that family, church, the public school system, and something he called the "aunt net" saved him from succumbing to the influences of street life. He said, "When I set off to school each morning, I had an aunt in every other house, stationed at the window with eyes peeled, ready to spot the slightest misbehavior on my part and report it back to my parents." As uncomfortable as it may seem, it is everyone’s responsibility to care for this next generation.

It is a challenge for parents to raise, protect, and provide guidance for children. Saturated with temptations, moral corruption, accessible illegal drugs, and other negative influences, the world is a virtual whirlpool drowning unsuspecting, neglected youth. Being a parent does not come with retirement benefits.

• Stay involved.
• Don't think that there is a magic age when it can be said children don't need guidance
• Pray
• Communicate, even when topics are uncomfortable
• Keep the lines of communication open
• Get to know their friends
• Stay close, be available

Care and discernment must be taken when becoming involved in situations dealing with troubled youth. It is not unusual for teen rebellion to regularly raise its ugly head in the best of family situations. Be informed about circumstances before offering help. Usurping parental authority may cause further problems, making reconciliation difficult. Caring adults can make a difference.

• Provide a safe haven
• Provide a listening ear, balanced meal, guidance, or a Godly example
• Provide information regarding outside agencies that reach out to troubled youth
• Establish personal, healthy boundaries so that troubled teens learn responsibility and do not rely too heavily on others’ kindnesses
• Speak words of encouragement to help rebuild confidence and self-respect

Runaway, throwaway, and troubled youth are everywhere. It is a crisis affecting the next generation and beyond. Responsibility rests in the hands of caring adults willing to reach out and make a difference. At-risk teens often need help beyond what their parents can give. Patterns of dysfunction within the family can be remedied. Healthy boundaries, a kind heart, and an encouraging word from a caring adult can be the beginning of lasting change.

Relaxation Techniques and Strategies for Teens

Helping Kids Learn How to De-Stress and Relax

Kids today are under an unprecedented amount of stress. Family issues, peer pressure, academic struggles, and an eagerness to fit in can create situations teens may not be emotionally prepared to handle. Without the skills to cope positively and de-stress, teens may turn to unhealthy coping strategies.

Much of teen maladaptive behavior is actually an attempt by the teen to manage unpleasant feelings or experiences. Explosive or angry behavior, self-mutilation, drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, and school avoidance, for example, are possible ways kids may cope with situations or emotions they don’t know how to handle. Learning positive ways to relax and cope when under stress may help reduce some of these behaviors.

Relaxation skills, once learned, are versatile because they can be used anytime, anywhere, and for practically any situation. For the most part, they don’t require any special equipment, and can be modified for the individual user. For teens, learning relaxation skills have several benefits. Beyond their use as a calming strategy, their mastery also empowers teens to feel that they have some control over their emotions, and they are simple enough to teach that teens can easily share them with others.

This strategy requires teens to focus on one muscle at a time, alternately contracting and relaxing the muscle. Ideally, the teen should be either lying down or reclined in a comfortable chair. The room should be quiet, preferably somewhat dark, and comfortable. Starting at the toes and working up to the head, each muscle group is contracted, held for five to ten seconds, and then relaxed. As teens learn how to purposefully relax their muscles, as well as identify which muscles are the most tense when they are stressed out, they will gain the skills to relax their muscles during tense situations.

Teens should choose a relaxing scene at the focal point for this strategy. It should be a location that the teen finds personally meaningful and calming. It can be a warm beach scene, a walk through the woods, or a cozy, rainy day. It will likely be somewhat different for each person. The teen should make notes about what he or she finds relaxing about this scene.

Be sure to utilize all five senses. What does this place smell like, feel like, and look like? List some words that describe what it feels like to be here. Choose words that imbue a sense of peace and calmness, as well as power and strength.

Teens may choose to tape themselves talking about this special place and how it makes them feel. The tape can then be played back either during or after a progressive muscle relaxation, or during a stressful situation where the teen needs a mental “break.”

Teens are often surprised to find out that their breathing becomes quick and shallow when they are stressed out. This method of breathing reduces oxygen to the brain and heightens the body’s tension. Learning how to purposefully slow breathing down helps increase calmness and relaxation. Teens should breathe in through their nose for 3-4 seconds, and out through their mouths for 6-8 seconds.

The slower the better, but be sure the exhale is twice as long as the inhale. Breathe from deep inside the body, and be aware of the chest rising and falling during breathing. During the breathing, teens can either think about their peaceful place, or focus on one word (such as calm, peace, or another word of the teens choosing) that helps connect the brain to the breathing. Controlled breathing should be done for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Simple relaxation techniques, when practiced enough to become second nature, can have a great impact on teen’s ability to calm themselves during stressful situations. With such positive ways to manage their feelings, this may prevent teens from turning to more harmful ways of coping.

Parents' Impact on a Child's Desire to Learn Read more at Suite101: Parents' Impact on a Child's Desire to Learn: Take These Steps to Help Chidlren r

The more involved parents are in their children's school activities, the more they can encourage their children to excel. Similar to how parents inspire their children who participate in sports by attending their sporting competitions and cheering, parents can inspire and motivate their children to excel in school by showing up at academic events.

In addition to showing up at their child's school events, by regularly taking the following steps parents can help their children to excel in school. To ignite their child's imagination and inspire a passion for reading and writing, parents can create stories with their child.

Twice a week sit down and write a story with one's child. This does more than teach a child accurate sentence structure. This polishes a child's writing style and gives the child confidence to excel at English.

Ask first and second graders, younger children if they are ready, "What time is it?" several times throughout the day. This quick, simple interaction requires no books, paper, pen, pencils or money. A few seconds several times throughout the day can help to teach a child a new and valuable skill -- how to tell time.

Offer children the pleasure of spooning and measuring ingredients while preparing morning, noon or evening meals. Not only does this teach children the art of cooking, it also teaches children how to weigh and measure. Combined these at home lessons can become a definite plus when young children perform math and science equations in school.

Provide children with daily and weekly chores. When chores are given to children with love and respect, they help to teach children to be responsible. Chores can be as simple as helping to carry groceries inside the house from the car, assigning the child to make their own bed, clean their room, sweep the front or back porch, put away their clothes or feed and help care for the family pet. Children who are responsible for their actions and feelings learn to keep their word, respect others and complete school assignments on time.

Celebrate each child in the family's achievements. Reciting a poem, reading verses of scripture, earning a passing grade or helping someone are all achievements. So too is learning to share a favorite toy, learning to skate, ride a bicycle or finishing reading a new book.

Scholastic has an online resource that has a customized space for kids, parents, teachers, librarians and administrators. There are games, videos, information on book fairs and discounts on books ordered directly through Scholastic.

Reading Rockets focuses on emerging reading skills. Research data and free reading guides are offered through Reading Rockets as well. The guides can be printed and used by parents at times that best suit their family's schedule.

To o inspire older children to continue to improve their reading skills, parents will do well to celebrate their child's achievements. this builds healthy self-esteem. Parents should also set healthy boundaries and assign chores for children to complete to teach children to be responsible. Ask children simple questions like "What time is it?" throughout the day and let children measure ingredients while one is cooking to teach children how to tell time and learn about measurements.

Visit the local library and online and offline booksellers , Cushcity.com, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Walden books, Parenting Today's Teenager, Success for Students, Your Baby Can Read, Robin's and Rare and Classic Books to encourage a passion for literacy in children. Together these

Education and Career Choice for New Generations

The increasingly technological working environment has placed a much faster pace on day to day activities. Today and tomorrow’s generations must be flexible, creative and multi-disciplinary in order to reap the most from their potential.

It is rare in today’s world for a young man or woman to graduate from University, move into a job they love and stay put until their retirement day. The working life now, in particularly for highly creative people is an adventurous journey, full of challenges, changes and the usual peaks and troughs.

The broad range of skills gathered by many twenty to thirty something’s through multiple jobs and travelling could be viewed as an asset. However, there are many companies that still consider jumping from job to job uncommitted working behavior.

Sir Ken Robinson PhD, is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation and human resources. Robinson defines creativity as "originality that has value". It is his view that everybody has a talent that should be developed and that it is a misconception that only special people are creative. Sir Robinson believes that it is possible to be creative in any area of life including science and maths.

The old concept of climbing a career ladder may become a thing of the past. Instead of only moving in one direction, people will learn that there are other ways to develop a career. So how is it possible to be in control in an environment that can turn upside down in a moment?

A different mindset is needed to succeed in today’s working world which includes being flexible and creative. Having fresh ideas and new approaches applied to solid situations is the way to make things happen. Young people are the force that will create new theories and visions for the future. Experience gained by crossing disciplines and cultures allows a much broader perspective in choosing new solutions.

Unless conditions and encouragement are established during early education, talents may not flourish. Many adults today have never found what their real talents are because their gifts went unrecognised at school. Individual talents are so diverse that many are not supported by the current education system. These unsupported and unrecognised talents become a detriment to society and culture as well as individuals. Creative solutions are lost as well as lives wasted in unfound potential.

Young people today must be pioneers in creating new working formats and innovative solutions to current issues. By doing so they will gain the most from their potential as well as contribute to the continuing development of society.

What is important is that older generations are prepared to not only listen, but to initiate and support action. An honest approach to reviewing and releasing old educational and working structures is required to allow space for pioneering work to emerge.

After-school Programs Crucial for Students

After-school programs are provided for elementary and middle school students around the nation. These programs give children the opportunity to advance their skills while applying academically suitable techniques. When children are left alone beginning at a young age, they are more likely to become involved in high-risk behavior. However, when children are actively attending after-school programs, they are more likely to become involved in positive activities.

Elementary school-age children are more likely to attend after-school programs and more likely to engage in self-care as they reach an older age. “Nation-wide, 3,325,00012 six- to 12-year-olds regularly spent time unsupervised or in the care of a young sibling in 1999.” In fact, about the same number of children are left unsupervised each year, regardless of socioeconomic status (Vandivere, Tout, Capizzano, & Zaslow, 2003).

However, after-school programs are offered throughout the country to young children in hopes of improving their academic, social, and enrichment opportunities. About 14% of elementary school students are enrolled in after-school programs (ERIC Development Team, 2001). These programs are proven to be more effective for students when the adult-child ratio is low. The students receive personal attention, are able to get involved in more flexible activities, and are exposed to more age-appropriate activities.

Gender also plays a role in how effective after-school programs are. Boys who are involved in these programs usually prefer sports activities, while girls usually prefer social and academic activities (ERIC Development Team, 2001).

Socioeconomic status plays a great role in students’ involvement in these kinds of activities. Parents who make more money and have higher educational levels usually urge their children to participate in educational activities and enrichment lessons. It is easier for these parents to pay for their children’s involvement in these services (ERIC Development Team, 2001). “Most families pay, an average of $22 per week, per child for after-school programs (Making the Case, 2006). In fact, students with the most to gain from after-school programs are those who come from high-risk backgrounds.

Who are Generation Y?

children and young adults born between the early 1980s and 2001 as "The Millennial Generation," sometimes known as Generation Y. Although Generation Y has been a frequently used term used in popular culture, Howe and Strauss note that in a 1997 ABC News online poll, the members of the generation themselves overwhelmingly chose Millennials as their moniker.

Millennials, the children of the Baby Boomers and Generation X, exhibit quite different characteristics from their predecessors. Teachers, coaches, and others who work with children and young adults of Generation Y need to understand their unique traits in order to work with them successfully.

Members of Generation Y aren't typically wanted by the police, but they have been very wanted by their parents in the sense that their births have been the most planned for and anticipated in history. By 1998, the number of Gen Y births had surpassed that of their Boomer-era counterparts, as more Boomers and Gen Xers are starting and expanding their families, many times relying on fertility treatments to do so.

Because Millennials were so wanted and planned for by their parents, they have also become the most watched-over. generation in history. In sharp contrast to the "latch-key kid" mentality that marked many Gen Xer childhoods, Gen Y children have little unsupervised free time, with schools doling out more homework than ever before and parents scheduling them into more and more after-school and weekend activities.

As Generation Y is spending more time than ever supervised by parents and other authority figures, they tend to trust and respect authority more than previous generations. Rather than rebelling against parents, teachers, government, and religious institutions, Millennials believe in following the rules, precipitating a drop in violent crimes and teen pregnancy in their age group that began in the late 1990sCompared to their rather cynical Generation X elders, the children of Generation Y are a generally positive, cutting-edge bunch. They are the first generation to have been exposed to computers and technology since birth and view themselves as problem-solvers and world-changers.

Howe and Strauss note that Millennials rejected the name Generation Y due to its close association with Generation X; rather than wanting to be seeing as simply the "next" generation, Millennials want to be seen as a new and different generation that is not related to (although, obviously, still respectful of) previous generations. In general, Millennials are positive, goal-oriented team players who work well with authority, and as such, parents and other adults can easily guide them toward being the next great generation of leaders