Arthritis in Women Provided by the Arthritis Foundation
(Wisconsin Chapter)
Nearly 46 million Americans have some type of arthritis or a related condition. That’s one in three people! The term “arthritis” encompasses more than 100 diseases and conditions that affect joints, the surrounding tissues and other connective tissues. Arthritis can cause mild to severe pain in the joints, as well as joint tenderness and swelling.

The various forms of arthritis and related conditions can affect anyone, no matter what your race, gender or age. However, it is especially important for women to be educated about these diseases since they affect women at a much higher rate than men. Sixty percent of all people who have arthritis are female, and several of the more common forms are more prevalent in women.

Preventing Arthritis
Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet to help maintain your recommended weight. Women who are over weight have a higher risk of developing osteoarthriris in the knees.
Alternate periods of rests with activity. Pace yourself to help protect your joints from the stress of repeated tasks and to help reduce fatigue. Learn ways to use your joints without putting undue pressure on them.
Use hot or cold compresses on joints for short term pain relief and preparation for exercise.
For more information on arthritis please visit arthritis.org.

Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome, also commonly referred to as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome, is a collection of common disorders that when present, increase an individual’s risk for developing a heart attack, stroke, or diabetes. It’s quickly becoming an increasingly common disorder affecting over 50 million Americans.

Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when at least three of the following conditions are present within an individual: abdominal obesity (excessive fat tissue around the stomach), high levels of “bad” cholesterol, low levels of “good” cholesterol, high blood pressure, and abnormal blood sugar.

Metabolic syndrome often runs in families. People who are overweight or have limited physical activity are more likely to develop the syndrome as well.

Initially, treatment for metabolic syndrome is centered around weight loss, increased physical activity, and good eating habits. In some cases, further treatment with medication may be needed to help reduce “bad” cholesterol , blood pressure, and abnormal blood sugar. It’s very important that people of all ages see their doctor on a regular basis. Prevention is often the best medicine.

Provided by Lance Kunde

Am I going to see “Norbit?”
Everyday I wake up and look in the mirror, there are several things I notice.
The first being that I’m Black, followed by the fact that I’m a woman.  It’s usually around this time that I realize that I don’t have on my glasses, so after reaching for them and putting them on I’m hit with the awful truth that I’m fat too.
So what does this have to do with anything?
There are very few positive images of Black women who wear any size above a 2 in the media.  America is obsessed with thin and quite frankly it’s still in. 
Thanks Eddie, as if Black women don’t already have an image problem.  That just did wonders for my self esteem and plus-sized Black women all across America. Not only are we fat but we’re mean too.
Being fat is no laughing matter, I can tell you because I speak from first hand experience.  Everyday is a constant challenge from getting dressed to leave the house to dealing with the fact that America’s obsession with skinny people causes good people with great hearts to go unnoticed, like me.  I’m a woman and I like to shop so it’s not easy going to the mall knowing that aside from the shoe stores, there are very few places that I can go that offer anything more than muumuu’s for people my size. 
A little known fact is that in America, 63% of Black women are overweight.  So, while we may be piling into the theaters to see “Norbit” and stuffing our faces full of popcorn, the cholesterol alone is killing us inside. 
At the end of the day, Eddie isn’t solely to blame for “Norbit,” but he is the face of the film.  Before the film reached theatres, it was green lighted by a group of people, hopefully none of which were Black women, who didn’t care about the affect of the film on people like you or me, just the affect it had on their pocket book.
And I didn’t need to see Eddie Murphy in a two piece to remind me of what I don’t need to wear on the beach.  Trust me, I know.
Edited version…for her full story please visit her website at www.jasmynecanick.com
Jasmyne A. Cannick