Monique Lhuillier's Seductive Success!

 Few famous critics attend the runway shows of Monique Lhuillier and even fewer senior magazine editors show up, yet the front-row of her show Monday, Feb. 14, in New York was packed with members of a frequently far more useful profession for a designer - retailers.

And there's a very good reason for that. Lhuillier manages to distill modern high fashion trends into plausible and flattering collections, clothes that department stores know they can sell with confidence.

In a very tangible sense if one really wants to understand what stylish American women will be wearing this autumn, then a visit to an Lhuillier runway show is highly informative. She cuts with class and assurance, self-edits splendidly and knows how to create dramatic silhouettes that compliment rather than overpower ladies. No wonder heavy league buyers from Saks, Harrods and Bergdorf Goodman all showed up, and with their business antenna on full alert.

That was very much the case with this femininely seductive fall 2011 collection where the designer riffed on ideas seen in Europe, though with sufficient zest and personal input to make each look very much her own.

A silver encrusted halter neck black crepe column may well have echoed Yves Saint Laurent and several ostrich feather looks - either an A-Line cocktail or a deep scarlet coat - recalled Giambattista Valli. Yet throughout this collection there was still a signature Lhuillier style - flirty, lacey, focused femininity.

"This woman knows how to gets what she wants," trumpeted the designer in her program notes. And, leaving this show in the custom-made Lincoln Center show tent complex, one could only think that wearing these clothes, women will achieve precisely that.

*Beautiful as always! High fashion and always a cut above the rest* 

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Billy Ray Cyrus: 'Hannah Montana' destroyed family!

Billy Ray Cyrus says the Disney TV show "Hannah Montana" destroyed his family, causing his divorce and sending daughter Miley Cyrus spinning out of control.

In a December interview published in the Feb. 22 issue of GQ Magazine, Cyrus said he wished the show that launched his daughter to pop stardom had never happened.

"I hate to say it, but yes, I do. Yeah. I'd take it back in a second," Cyrus said. "For my family to be here and just be everybody OK, safe and sound and happy and normal, would have been fantastic. Heck, yeah. I'd erase it all in a second if I could."

Cyrus and his wife, Tish, filed for divorce in October. They have three kids together — Miley is the oldest — and two from Tish's previous marriage.

Billy Ray Cyrus said when he asked about the rumored video footage of his daughter smoking from a bong at her 18th birthday party in December, he was told it was none of his business. He refused to attend the party, saying it was wrong to have it in a bar.

Cyrus, a native of Flatwoods, Ky., had his own success as a country singer beginning in the early 1990s with his huge hit "Achy Breaky Heart."

Cyrus says in the interview that he tried too hard to be a friend instead of a parent to his daughter. He said he is scared for Miley and compared her current path to those of other stars whose lives ended tragically, including Kurt Cobain, Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson.

"I should have been a better parent," Cyrus said. "I should have said, 'Enough is enough — it's getting dangerous and somebody's going to get hurt.' I should have, but I didn't. Honestly, I didn't know the ball was out of bounds until it was way up in the stands somewhere."

He said his entire family was baptized before leaving Tennessee for Los Angeles to protect themselves from evil, and he believes Satan is attacking his family.

"It's the way it is," Cyrus said. "There has always been a battle between good and evil. Always will be. You think, 'This is a chance to make family entertainment, bring families together ...' and look what it's turned into."


*This is a classic case of pure "stupidity." Parents whose kids are famous are always trying to be a friend instead being the parent. Everyone saw Miley Cyrus getting out of control and doing outrageous things. However, when it came time for her parents to truly step in and stop the outlandish behavior they were concerned about themselves and Miley making more money to continue their life style.  Everyone knows that "real" parenting is priceless and money and celebrity is just that...money and celebrity*


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14 Things Your Eyes Say About Your Health!

Looking people straight in the eye may or may not reveal their honesty -- but the eyes *can* tell you about cholesterol, liver disease, or diabetes, if you know what to look for.

"The eye is a unique window into health," says ophthalmologist Andrew Iwach, spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and executive director of the Glaucoma Center of San Francisco. "It's the only place in the body where, without surgery, we can look in and see veins, arteries, and a nerve (the optic nerve)."

The eyes' transparency explains why common eye diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration can be detected early with regular eye exams.

"Unfortunately, people get busy and delay not only eye exams but regular physicals. That's why eye doctors sometimes discover other issues, like diabetes or high blood pressure," Iwach says. Especially vulnerable, he says: People like caregivers, who worry about others around them while neglecting care for themselves.

Keep your eye out for these 14 problems.

1. Red flag: Disappearing eyebrows
What it means: Shaved eyebrows are a fad (or fashion, if you will) in some circles. But when the outer third of the brow (the part closest to the ears) starts to disappear on its own, this is a common sign of thyroid disease -- either hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) or hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland). The thyroid is a small but critical gland that helps regulate metabolism, and thyroid hormones are among those critical to hair production.

More clues: Brows tend to thin with age naturally. But with thyroid disease, the brow-hair loss isn't evenly distributed; it's a selective dropout on the ends. There's usually a loss of hair elsewhere on the body, too, but the brows are so prominent, it's often noticed here first. Early graying is a related sign of a thyroid problem. Women are more often affected than men, and hyperthyroidism especially strikes women in their 20s and 30s.

What to do: Mention this symptom to a dermatologist or your regular doctor. Most other symptoms of both hyper- and hypothyroidism are notoriously broad and general. Before you see a doctor, make note of any other changes you've noticed, possibly concerning weight, energy levels, bowel or menstrual regularity, mood, or skin changes.

2. Red flag: A stye that won't go away
What it means: The vast majority of the time, a small, raised, often reddish bump along the inner or outer eyelid margin is just an unsightly but innocuous stye (also called a "chalazion"). But if the spot doesn't clear up in three months, or seems to keep recurring in the same location, it can also be a rare cancer (sebaceous gland carcinoma).

More clues: Actual styes are plugged-up oil glands at the eyelash follicle. Fairly common, they tend to clear up within a month. A cancerous cyst that mimics a stye, on the other hand, doesn't go away. (Or it may seem to go away but return in the same spot.) Another eyelid cancer warning sign: Loss of some of the eyelashes around the stye.

What to do: Point out a persistent stye to an ophthalmologist (a medical doctor who specializes in the eye). A biopsy can confirm the diagnosis. The stye is usually removed surgically.

3. Red flag: Bumpy yellowish patches on the eyelid
What it means: Xanthelasma palpebra, the medical name for these tiny yellow bumps, are usually a warning that you may have high cholesterol. They're also called "cholesterol bumps" -- they're basically fatty deposits.

More clues: Sometimes people mistake these bumps for a stye, but with xanthelasma, there tends to be more than one bump and they're quite small.

What to do: See your doctor or a skin or eye specialist. A diagnosis can usually be made by sight. An ophthalmologist can also examine the eye and see deposits; for this reason, in fact, sometimes high cholesterol is first diagnosed during a routine eye exam. The problem usually isn't serious and doesn't cause pain or vision problems. A physician will also evaluate you for other signs of coronary artery disease.

4. Red flag: Burning eyes, blurry vision while using a computer
What it means: You might be a workaholic, and you definitely have "computer vision syndrome" (CVS). The eyestrain is partly caused by the lack of contrast on a computer screen (compared with ink on paper) and the extra work involved in focusing on pixels of light. What's more, by midlife the eyes lose some of their ability to produce lubricating tears. Irritation sets in, adding to blurriness and discomfort.

More clues: Does the problem worsen in the afternoon (when the eyes tend to become drier)? Is it worse when you're reading fine print (more eyestrain)? People who wear glasses or contacts tend to be bothered more by CVS. "Sometimes the problem is made worse by a fan positioned so it blows right in the face," the AAO's Iwach adds, noting that the air further dries tired eyes.

What to do: Reduce glare by closing window shades, investing in a computer hood, or checking out antireflective coating for your glasses (if you wear them). Simply tinkering with the contrast of your screen can help, too. White areas should neither glow brightly like a light source nor appear gray. Flat-panel LCD display screens (like those on laptops) cause less eyestrain than older models. Keep reference material close to the same height as your monitor, giving your eyes a break from having to refocus so much.

5. Red flag: Increasing gunk in the eye
What it means: Blepharitis -- inflammation of the eyelids, especially at the edges -- can have several causes. Two of them, surprisingly, are conditions better associated with other body parts: scalp dandruff and acne rosacea (which causes flushed red skin, usually in the faces of fair-skinned women at midlife).

More clues: The eyes may also feel irritated, as if specks have gotten in them. They may burn, tear, or feel dry. The crusty debris tends to gather in the lashes or the inner corners of the eyes, or even on the lids.

What to do: With clean hands, apply a warm, damp washcloth to the eyes for about five minutes at a time to loosen debris and soothe the skin. See a doctor, who may prescribe an antibiotic ointment or oral antibiotics, as well as artificial tears.

6. Red flag: A small blind spot in your vision, with shimmering lights or a wavy line
What it means: An ocular migraine (also called an "ophthalmic migraine," "optical migraine," or "migraine aura") produces this disturbed vision, with or without an accompanying headache. Changes in blood flow to the brain are thought to be the cause.

More clues: The visual distortion starts in the center of the field of vision. It might appear as a bright dot, dots, or a line that can seem to move and disrupt your ability to see properly, as if you were looking through a pocked or cracked window. It's painless and causes no lasting damage. Individuals seem to have different triggers (ranging from chocolate, caffeine, and alcohol to stress). A headache, possibly severe enough to cause nausea, sometimes follows.

What to do: If you're driving, pull over until the phenomenon passes (usually within an hour). Do have an eye specialist check it out if vision impairment lasts more than an hour or so, to rule out serious problems such as a retinal tear; or if you also experience other symptoms elsewhere that could indicate stroke or seizure (such as fever, loss of muscle strength, or speech impairment).

7. Red flag: Red, itchy eyes
What it means: Many things can irritate eyes, but itchiness accompanied by sneezing, coughing, sinus congestion, and/or a runny nose, usually screams "I'm allergic!" When the eyes are involved, the trigger is usually airborne, like pollen, dust, or animal dander.

More clues: An eye allergy can also be caused by certain cosmetics or ointments. Some people, for example, are allergic to the preservative in eye drops used to treat dry eyes.

What to do: Staying away from the allergic trigger is the usual treatment. Antihistamines can treat the itchiness; those in eye-drop or gel form deliver relief to the eyes faster. If the problem turns out to be an allergy to eye drops, look for a preservative-free brand.

8. Red flag: Whites of the eye turned yellowish
What it means: Two groups of people most often show this symptom, known as jaundice: Newborns with immature liver function and adults with problems of the liver, gallbladder, or bile ducts, including hepatitis and cirrhosis. The yellow in the white part of the eye (the sclera) is caused by a buildup of bilirubin, the by-product of old red blood cells the liver can't process.

More clues: "Other tissues of the body would have the same look, but we can't see it as clearly as in the whites of the eye," says ophthalmologist Iwach. (Skin can also turn yellowish when a person consumes too much beta carotene -- found in carrots -- but in those cases the whites of the eyes remain white.)

What to do: Mention the symptom to a doctor if the person isn't already under care for a liver-related disease, so the jaundice can be evaluated and the underlying cause treated.

9. Red flag: A bump or brown spot on the eyelid
What it means: Even people who are vigilant about checking their skin may overlook the eyelid as a spot where skin cancer can strike. Most malignant eyelid tumors are basal cell carcinoma. When such a tumor appears as a brown spot, then -- as with any other form of skin cancer -- it's more likely to be malignant melanoma.

More clues: Elderly, fair-skinned people are at highest risk. Look especially at the lower eyelid. The bump may look pearly, with tiny blood vessels. If the bump is in the eyelash area, some eyelashes may be missing.

What to do: Always have any suspicious skin spots or sores checked out by a dermatologist, family physician, or eye doctor. Early detection is critical, before the problem spreads to nearby lymph nodes.

10. Red flag: Eyes that seem to bulge
What it means: The most common cause of protruding eyes is hyperthyroidism (overactivity of the thyroid gland), especially the form known as Graves' disease. (First Lady Barbara Bush had it.)

More clues: One way to tell if an eye is bulging is to see whether there's any visible white part between the top of the iris and the upper eyelid, because normally there shouldn't be. (Some people inherit a tendency toward eyes that bulge, so if the appearance seems to run in a family, it probably isn't hyperthyroidism.) The person may not blink often and may seem to be staring at you. Because the condition develops slowly, it's sometimes first noticed in photos or by the occasional visitor rather than by someone who lives with the person every day.

What to do: Mention the symptom to a doctor, especially if it's present in tandem with other signs of Graves' disease, including blurry vision, restlessness, fatigue, increase in appetite, weight loss, tremors, and palpitations. A blood test can measure thyroid levels. Treatment includes medication and surgery.

11. Red flag: Sudden double vision, dim vision, or loss of vision
What it means: These are the visual warning signs of stroke.

More clues: The other signs of stroke include sudden numbness or weakness of the arm or leg or face, typically on just one side of the body; trouble walking because of dizziness or loss of balance or coordination; slurred speech; or bad headache. In a large stroke (caused by a blood clot or bleeding in the brain), these symptoms happen all at once. In a smaller stroke caused by narrowed arteries, they can occur across a longer period of minutes or hours.

What to do: Seek immediate medical help by calling 911.

12. Red flag: Dry eyes that are sensitive to light
What it means: Sjogren's (pronounced "show-grins") syndrome is an immune system disorder. It impairs the glands in the eyes and mouth that keep them moist.

More clues: Sjogren's usually affects women over age 40 with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Usually the eyes and mouth are affected together. The person may also have vaginal dryness, dry sinuses, and dry skin. Because of a lack of saliva, it can be difficult to chew and swallow.

What to do: A doctor can diagnose Sjogren's through testing. Artificial lubricants (such as artificial tears) are usually necessary to protect the eyes, as well as to improve eating. Drinking plenty of water also helps.

13. Red flag: Sudden difficulty closing one eye, inability to control tears in it
What it means: Bell's palsy is an impairment of the nerve that controls facial muscles (the seventh cranial nerve), causing temporary paralysis in half the face. It sometimes follows a viral infection (such as shingles, mono, or HIV) or a bacterial infection (such as Lyme disease). Diabetics and pregnant women are also at higher risk.

More clues: Half of the entire face, not just the eye, is affected. Effects vary from person to person, but the overall effect is for the face to appear droopy and be weak. The eyelid may droop and be difficult or impossible to close, and there will be either excessive tearing or an inability to produce tears. The effects tend to come on suddenly.

What to do: See a doctor. Most cases are temporary and the person recovers completely within weeks. Rarely, the condition can recur. Physical therapy helps restore speaking, smiling, and other tasks that require the facial muscles working in unison, and it also helps avoid an asymmetrical appearance. Professional eye care can keep the affected eye lubricated and undamaged.

14. Red flag: Blurred vision in a diabetic
What it means: Diabetics are at increased risk for several eye problems, including glaucoma and cataracts. But the most common threat to vision is diabetic retinopathy, in which the diabetes affects the circulatory system of the eye. It's the leading cause of blindness in American adults.

More clues: The changes linked to diabetic retinopathy tend to show up in people who have had the disease for a long time, not those recently diagnosed. The person may also see "floaters," tiny dark specks in the field of vision. Sometimes diabetes causes small hemorrhages (bleeding) that are visible in the eye. There's no pain. People with poorly controlled blood sugar may have worse symptoms.

What to do: Someone with diabetes should have a dilated eye exam annually to catch and control the earliest stages of retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, or other changes -- before they manifest as changes you're aware of. 


For more information visit: http://www.caring.com/

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Palin hires chief of staff for PAC!

Alaska – Sarah Palin has hired longtime political strategist Michael Glassner as chief of staff of her political action committee.

The hire, confirmed to The Associated Press on Saturday morning by Palin aide Rebecca Mansour and SarahPAC Treasurer Tim Crawford, is certain to fuel fresh speculation about Palin's possible intent to run for president in 2012. Palin has only said she's considering a run.

Glassner managed Republican vice presidential operations in 2008, when Palin was John McCain's running mate. Glassner also served as the longtime senior adviser to former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole.

"The fact this is someone who's had a career in national politics, that's the only indication that something might be up," said Ross Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University. But he doesn't think it's very significant in trying to divine Palin's plans, and it could just be a routine organizational move, he said.

"We tend to apply the sort of standards of interpretation that we would apply to, let's see, a Mitt Romney, that we would to her, and it's usually wrong, because her plans are so cryptic and her method of operation is so unconventional," he said.

Since resigning as Alaska's governor in 2009, Palin has relied heavily on Facebook and Twitter to communicate her point of view and remain in the political limelight. She also burnished her celebrity credentials last year, starring in the travelogue series "Sarah Palin's Alaska," and releasing a second book.

"Clearly, everybody is, all of the other hopefuls are hedging their bets based upon whether or not she's in the game or not," Baker said, adding that he believes a potential contender, like U.S. Sen. John Thune of South
Dakota, probably would have given a clearer indication by now of his intentions if not for the uncertainty surrounding Palin, a tea party darling.

"I think she's keeping people off balance," Baker said, "which I think she probably finds quite enjoyable, that somebody who's a relative newcomer in the party has been able to keep all of the pros guessing."

*Clearly this chick has lost her political marbles and then some. If she thinks she can run for President of the United States and get voted into office, then, she should check herself into a mental hosptial.  Sarah Palin has issues with communication and how she addresses the American people. She lacks know-how and substance. Also, she's all about herself and not the people's agenda. Instead of worring about being President, she should straighten our her own home with that husband of hers cheating and lying. Again, Sarah Palin should stay her ass in the Alaska wilderness get off her high horse about becoming President of the US*

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Seven alarming facts about sitting!

(Vicki Santillano, DivineCaroline) A recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology linking excessive sitting time with increased risk of dying. The study also concluded that whether you exercise or not makes little difference. Uh-oh.

According to results, men and women who sat longer than six hours were more likely to die at the time of the study than those who sat for fewer than three hours. Six hours sounds like a long time to stay put, but considering a large portion of Americans have desk jobs and spend their off-time being couch potatoes, maybe that’s not so surprising. It made me wonder about our culture’s sedentary nature and how it affects us.

1. We spend 8.5 hours a day in front of screens.
That’s what Ball State University researchers found out in 2009 when they recorded how much visual media people are exposed to on a daily basis, and through what mediums. Their results showed that across most age groups, consumers spend almost nine hours a day in front of the TV and computer, using mobile devices like the iPhone, and watching movies.

Another survey done that same year had similar results: The Nielsen Company’s Three Screen Report found that Americans watch about 153 hours of TV every month per person -- and that doesn’t include anything watched online or via smartphones.

2. Work-life lasts 7.5 hours every day. Active life? Not so much.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted an American Time Use Survey in 2009 showing 7.5 hours as the average amount of time Americans spend working daily. Ted Schadler of Forrester Research estimates that 34 million Americans work from home at least part of the time, which often contributes to a sedentary lifestyle by eliminating the need to get up and leave the house, walk to a coworker’s desk for a meeting, and so forth. (Plus, the kitchen’s right there.) That number is expected to reach 63 million by 2016.

Comparatively, the 2010 National Health Interview Survey found that only 31 percent of people do the recommended thirty minutes of moderate physical activity five days a week. In fact, 40 percent of people don’t engage in any kind of regular exercise at all.

3. This all leads to fifty-six hours of sitting every week.A 2009 issue of Women’s Health reported on a poll conducted by the Institute for Medicine and Public Health that showed the average American spends a little over 33 percent of the week sitting. Given how much we work, watch TV, and don’t exercise, that seems about right.

4. Three out of four Americans have an increased skin-cancer risk partly caused by sitting indoors so much.Recent research suggests office workers are more at risk for malignant melanoma than outside workers. In exploring this surprising rise, the authors of a 2009 study published in Medical Hypotheses discovered two significant factors: harmful UVA exposure from outside light through windows and a lack of vitamin D.

The vitamin D problem is a persistent one in this country. A 2009 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that 75 percent of Americans are deficient in vitamin D, partly due to insufficient time outdoors (because we’re spending too much time working and watching TV indoors).

We need vitamin D to fight melanoma, but the only way to get a sufficient amount is through proper diet and plenty of sunshine. A deficiency in vitamin D also contributes to osteoporosis and cardiovascular issues.

5. Constantly sitting makes our bodies wider.
Not surprisingly, sedentary jobs and habits, as well as our culture’s penchant for greasy food and big portions, invariably lead to weight gain. Forty-four percent of workers in a 2010 Careerbuilder.com survey reported that they had put on weight at their jobs. Forty-nine percent of them attributed it to sitting at a desk most of the day. That could be because being sedentary for long periods of time causes the metabolism to slow and less effectively break down fats and sugars.

6. Most things around us have gotten wider, too.As a result of the country’s collective weight gain, specialized office furniture is now made to support heavier loads. Theater seats increased from 19 to 21 inches in the last century. Doors and church pews have gotten a little wider, too.

7. Our mothers were wrong: Fidgeting in seats is a good thing.
The more you move in any capacity, be it pacing or wiggling in your seat, the less likely you are to gain weight, at least according to a 2005 study at the Mayo Clinic. Scientists studied the actions and tracked the caloric intake of obese and thin people for a period of time.
 
They found that the thin participants sat 150 minutes less per day than the obese ones because they tended to fidget more, which meant that they burned an average 350 calories more. Even tapping your foot under the desk works; it’s a movement that continuously activates leg muscles without requiring much energy or thought.
 
There’s at least one alternative to sitting in a desk chair all day, and that’s the treadmill desk championed by the same Mayo Clinic researchers who studied fidgeting. You walk on the treadmill at any pace you like and type, talk on the phone, and conduct work as you would sitting -- only this way you’re burning way more calories.

But if your employers won’t spring for that, try to stand up and stretch or walk around at least once an hour. Just don’t stand hunched over your keyboard all day, as I’ve been doing since learning about the horrors of constant sitting. It barely makes a difference calorically, and then you have to explain to confused coworkers why you think your office chair is killing you.

*Interesting article about sitting too long. We all need physical activity daily in our day to day. Again, if we can all just start thinking differently about getting up off of our asses, then maybe more folks can be in better shape. Diva's Nation just keeking it real*


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Diet Pepsi 'skinny' can stirs up big controversy!

(SARAH SKIDMORE, AP Food Industry Writer) Diet Pepsi has introduced a new "skinny" can for Fashion Week, but some critics are giving it a big, fat "no."

The can is a "taller, sassier" version of the traditional can that the company says was made in "celebration of beautiful, confident women." Some say Pepsi's approach only reinforces dangerous stereotypes about women and body image.

PepsiCo Inc. presented the new can at New York's Fashion Week, which began Thursday. It will be available to consumers nationwide in March.

The company, a Fashion Week sponsor, is hosting a series of events to launch the new can, include collaborations with popular designers such as Charlotte Ronson and Betsey Johnson.

"Our slim, attractive new can is the perfect complement to today's most stylish looks, and we're excited to throw its coming-out party during the biggest celebration of innovative design in the world," Jill Beraud, chief marketing officer for PepsiCo said in a statement.

Critics say it is nothing to celebrate.

Brand experts praised the new design but say the company may be a bit off on its sales pitch that skinny is better. The National Eating Disorders Association said it takes offense to the can and said the company's comments are both "thoughtless and irresponsible."

Libby Copeland summed up many of the criticisms in an article for Slate.

"Same old story - aspirational, looks-oriented advertising with a thin layer of faux-empowerment on top," Copeland wrote. "If you're confident on the inside, you'll be skinny on the outside, or something. Huh?"

Pepsi said that can and its campaign are focused on design.

"We are sensitive to this interpretation, and that is definitely not our intent," the company said in an e-mailed statement. "We intend to highlight the innovative look for Diet Pepsi and provide our fans with an "inside look" at events that celebrate innovation and style."

The company will take its campaign one step further on Feb. 28 when it launches a print advertisement for the new can featuring the buxom actress Sofia Vergara.

Pepsi says it will continue to sell its traditional-sized can.

*WOW! A skinny Pepsi can! Pepsi must really think the consumers have lost their marbles! A skinny can doesn't hide the sugar, calories or the salt. No matter what they do, a soda is a still a soda*

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Alcohol kills more than AIDS, TB or violence: WHO!

(Reuters) – Alcohol causes nearly 4 percent of deaths worldwide, more than AIDS, tuberculosis or violence, the World Health Organization warned on Friday.

Rising incomes have triggered more drinking in heavily populated countries in Africa and Asia, including India and South Africa, and binge drinking is a problem in many developed countries, the United Nations agency said.

Yet alcohol control policies are weak and remain a low priority for most governments despite drinking's heavy toll on society from road accidents, violence, disease, child neglect and job absenteeism, it said.

Approximately 2.5 million people die each year from alcohol related causes, the WHO said in its "Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health."

"The harmful use of alcohol is especially fatal for younger age groups and alcohol is the world's leading risk factor for death among males aged 15-59," the report found.

In Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), every fifth death is due to harmful drinking, the highest rate.

Binge drinking, which often leads to risky behavior, is now prevalent in Brazil, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and Ukraine, and rising elsewhere, according to the WHO.

"Worldwide, about 11 percent of drinkers have weekly heavy episodic drinking occasions, with men outnumbering women by four to one. Men consistently engage in hazardous drinking at much higher levels than women in all regions," the report said.

Health ministers from the WHO's 193 member states agreed last May to try to curb binge drinking and other growing forms of excessive alcohol use through higher taxes on alcoholic drinks and tighter marketing restrictions.

DISEASE AND INJURY

Alcohol is a causal factor in 60 types of diseases and injuries, according to WHO's first report on alcohol since 2004.

Its consumption has been linked to cirrhosis of the liver, epilepsy, poisonings, road traffic accidents, violence, and several types of cancer, including cancers of the colorectum, breast, larynx and liver.

"Six or seven years ago we didn't have strong evidence of a causal relationship between drinking and breast cancer. Now we do," Vladimir Poznyak, head of WHO's substance abuse unit who coordinated the report, told Reuters.

Alcohol consumption rates vary greatly, from high levels in developed countries, to the lowest in North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, and southern Asia, whose large Muslim populations often abstain from drinking.

Homemade or illegally produced alcohol -- falling outside governmental controls and tax nets -- accounts for nearly 30 percent of total worldwide adult consumption. Some is toxic.

In France and other European countries with high levels of adult per capita consumption, heavy episodic drinking is rather low, suggesting more regular but moderate drinking patterns.

Light to moderate drinking can have a beneficial impact on heart disease and stroke, according to the WHO. "However, the beneficial cardio-protective effect of drinking disappears with heavy drinking occasions," it said.

One of the most effective ways to curb drinking, especially among young people, is to raise taxes, the report said. Setting age limits for buying and consuming alcohol, and regulating alcohol levels in drivers, also reduce abuse if enforced.

Some countries restrict marketing of alcoholic beverages or on the industry's sponsorship of sporting events.

"Yet not enough countries use these and other effective policy options to prevent death, disease and injury attributable to alcohol consumption," the WHO said.

Alcohol producers including Diageo and Anheuser Busch InBev have said they recognize the importance of industry self-regulation to address alcohol abuse and promote curbs on drunk drinking and illegal underage drinking.

But the brewer SABMiller has warned that policy measures like minimum pricing and high excise taxes on alcohol could cause more public health harm than good by leading more people to drink homemade or illegally produced alcohol.


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Medicare chief says health law working!

President Barack Obama's chief of health programs for the elderly and poor on Thursday said the year-old U.S. healthcare overhaul was reducing Medicare costs and called a push by congressional Republicans to repeal the law unfortunate.

Medicare and Medicaid services administrator Donald Berwick, appearing before a congressional panel, rebuffed Republican claims that the law would raise costs for people enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA), which uses private insurance providers such as Humana Inc and UnitedHealth Group Inc, to deliver benefits.

Berwick told the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee that the latest data show premiums are down an average 6 percent this year, while enrollment is up by 6 percent to more that 12 million people.

Separately, Oppenheimer & Co analyst Michael Wiederhorn said he expects growth in private Medicare plans to continue to swell as more of the nation's baby boomer population qualifies for the program, which covers people age 65 or older.

Such plans "should be an attractive alternative to control costs ... compared to the inefficient Medicare Fee-For-Service," he wrote in a research note, adding that cuts to the plans under the health law could squeeze HMO profits.

Overall, shares of HMOS were up slightly compared to the larger S&P 500 index. Humana shares were down 0.7 percent at $58.14 while UnitedHealth was up nearly 1 percent at $42.46 in afternoon trade on the New York Stock Exchange.

As Berwick testified, Democrats released a report by the Government Accountability Office that said many Medicare Advantage programs spend a high percentage of premiums on administrative costs and profits.
"One out of every three MA enrollees is in a plan that spends less than 85 percent of their projected

Medicare payment on medical expenses, which means more than 15 percent of their projected Medicare payment goes to overhead and profit," the report said. The healthcare overhaul places limits on how much insurers can spend on profits and administrative costs.

At the Ways and Means hearing, Republicans pointed to prepared testimony by the Medicare and Medicaid agency's own chief actuary, Richard Foster. He predicted higher costs and lower enrollment in Medicare

Advantage as changes in government payments under the new healthcare law go into effect.

Berwick said that Medicare Advantage providers have been aggressive in advertising and enrolling new beneficiaries.

"This law means real improvements for Medicare beneficiaries, now and in the future," Berwick said in his written testimony to the Ways and Means Committee. "That's why the House vote to repeal this law was unfortunate."

It was Berwick's first appearance before the House panel and Republicans, who are pushing to repeal the law and deny funding for its implementation, pressed for yes and no answers on its effect on Medicare.

Berwick said the law was complicated and said it was difficult to be that specific.

"I am most disappointed in the lack of candid answers," said Republican Representative Geoff Davis.


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Overweight Kids Who Exercise Improve Thinking, Math Skills: Study!

(HealthDay News) -- When overweight, sedentary kids start to exercise regularly, their ability to think, to plan and even to do math improves, a new study suggests.

In addition, exercise was linked to increased activity in the parts of the brain associated with complex thinking and self-control, according to brain imaging scans analyzed by the researchers.

"This implies that chronic sedentary behavior is compromising children's ability and achievement," said lead researcher Catherine Davis, a clinical health psychologist at the Georgia Prevention Institute at Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta.

"We know that exercise is good for you, but we didn't have very good evidence [before this] that it would help children do better in school," said Davis.

Although this study was done among overweight children, she believes that similar results would be seen in normal-weight kids.

Davis speculates that these positive changes are a result of a combination of biological and environmental factors. "There are some neural growth factors that have been identified in mice that exercise," she said.
These benefits may include more brain cells and more connections between them.

But there are also social and environmental factors, she noted. "[There's] more stimulation when things are moving faster and when you're moving. So it is cognitively stimulating to move," Davis said.

With one-third of U.S. children overweight, Davis thinks that exercise needs to become an essential part of children's lives.

"Make sure your child has a balanced life -- not only that they study, but that they learn to take care of their bodies as well," she said.
The report is published in the January issue of Health Psychology.

For the study, Davis's team randomly assigned 171 overweight children 7 to 11 years old, to either 20 minutes or 40 minutes of vigorous exercise every day after school or to no exercise. The exercise program focused on fun and safety rather than competition and skill, and included running games, hula hoops and jump ropes. Researchers found it raised their heart rates to 79 percent of maximum, which is considered vigorous.

The researchers evaluated the children using standard achievement tests known as the Cognitive Assessment System and Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement III. Some children also had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of their brains.

The MRIs found that children who exercised had increased activity in the so-called executive function area of the brain -- associated with self-control, planning, reasoning and abstract thought -- as well as the prefrontal cortex. The latter is the part of the brain linked with complex thinking and correct social behavior, the researchers noted.

There was also decreased activity in an area of the brain that's behind the prefrontal cortex. The shift seems to be tied to faster developing of cognitive skills, Davis said.

In addition, the more the kids exercised, the more the intelligence-test scores went up. An average increase of 3.8 points on scores in cognitive planning skills was noted in kids who exercised 40 minutes a day for three months, the researchers found.

Children who exercised 20 minutes a day experienced smaller gains.

There were also improvements in math skills, but not reading ability. "The finding of improved math achievement is remarkable, given that no academic instruction was provided, and suggests that a longer intervention period may result in more benefit," the researchers said.
 
Commenting on the study, Samantha Heller, a dietitian, nutritionist and exercise physiologist, said: "Take a bunch of kids, put them outside, give them some balls, jump ropes and street chalk, and they will be running, jumping and playing hopscotch in no time."
 
They become happier, more energetic, smarter kids, she said.
 
"Children's bodies know intuitively that exercise is essential for healthy brain and body function. But when we deny children their natural instincts and allow them to stultify in front of a TV or computer, they become lethargic [and] moody," Heller said, adding that sedentary kids are also prone to being overweight and may do poorly in school.
 
"It seems a no-brainer to me that for kids' brains to be healthy, they should be encouraged to participate in regular exercise and given the time and place for it," Heller concluded. "We need to turn off the computers, TVs, cell phones and iPads and let kids do what they do naturally: Run around and play."
 
More information

For more information on kids and exercise, visit the Nemours Foundation.


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