Fighting Youth Obesity - A Master Formula For Youth Fitness

Ok, let's get right to the heart of the matter. You are colliding with the single greatest crisis facing your family. But enough is enough already! With 1/3 of all kids under the age of 18 considered overweight or obese, we need to stop talking start acting. The solution lies right in your own home. A master Formula for fighting youth obesity in this country comes down to a few simple steps. First we'll break it down into common sense components, and then put it all together into a final workable formula for you. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The components that you are about to read will put the formula into motion for you. It's your job to put each component into action!

Component 1 RESPECT Here we have the heart of all that is to follow. Respect is the cornerstone to living a fit lifestyle. We must respect our bodies and teach our children to respect theirs. This includes things like eating well and getting enough exercise and rest. Respect goes deeper as we accept our responsibility to be careful role models for our children. Monkey see monkey do was never so important.

Component 2 ENCOURAGEMENT Once we conquer the respect component, we must add loving and daily encouragement to our child's life. This can come in many forms, from demonstrating a healthy attitude towards fitness to participating with your kids as they play, and especially finding those motivating words that spark the fire and excitement in all of us. "Great job! I am so proud of you!" Heck, even just talking about being healthy offers a huge payoff.

Component 3 FUEL For us, proper nutrition alone is not adequate "fuel" for our bodies. We must also energize our minds with the knowledge to make the right choices and the right decisions. This education can, and in our opinion should, start early. It is never too early to begin having conversations about healthy eating and activity.

Component 4 MOVEMENT The crux of the active lifestyle. But by movement we don't simply mean exercise in the traditional weight-lifting, treadmill-running sense. We also mean PLAY time. TUMBLE time. Go-to-the-park time. Make-chores-fun time. Dance-while-you sweep time. Add movement to your life. Everyday!

Component 5 REST & Rejuvenation Think spa-like serenity. We all need this, and in ample amounts, too. The many benefits to getting enough rest are well known: From being more productive, more alert, and better able to focus to recovering from injuries and allowing for healthy growth and development. Focus on all forms of rest, not just nighttime sleep. We need to recognize the need to tone it down a few notches, withdraw from the over-stimulation of our hectic daily lives, and respect your growing child's need for relaxation.

So there you have it: the five components upon which we built our Master Formula for fighting youth obesity.

Best Acne Solutions

Most everybody has to deal with acne at one time or the other. Acne is especially noticeable during teen years when individuals are the most self-conscious about their looks and wish to make a favorable impression. The disfiguring effects of acne (especially on the face) are quite depressing and can greatly damage anyone's self esteem.

Acne is caused by an imbalance in the skin's physiology. Hormonal changes during adolescence trigger hyperactivity of oil producing glands in the skin. This oil and dead skin cells block hair follicles. Opportunistic skin bacteria then infect these follicles.

With so many commercial anti-acne medications to choose from, how does one know which medication suits him or her best? Different skin types react differently to medications. What works well for one person may not work for another. While it is always best to consult a dermatologist, below are a few popular medications used in the battle against acne. These drugs act on factors that cause acne -- oil, dead skin and bacteria.

Accutane is an oral drug that acts on cells that produce oil and reduces their output by as much as 80%. However, Accutane affects all the cells in the body and could cause the mucosal lining in lips, mouth, eyes and vagina to bleed. It also causes significant birth defects and damages the liver.

Antibiotics help in controlling the infectious bacteria in an outbreak of acne. Erythromycin is widely used in topical applications. Continued use of antibiotics though results in the development of drug-resistant bacteria. Individual sensitivity to antibiotics should also be tested prior to use.

Retin A is a topical medication that is quite effective in reducing acne, but it does cause skin irritation, redness, itching and flaking.

Several masks that reduce the oil content of the skin are available. These include charcoal and oatmeal masks. One must be cautious in using these as they may cause over drying of skin.

Salicylic Acid, better known as aspirin, is an effective antidote. When used topically as a 1-2% solution, it promotes exfoliation of the epidermal layer of the skin, and minimizes plugging of follicles.

Precautions such as avoiding exposure to strong sunlight and intake of greasy food, controlling stress, personal hygiene and regular exercising go a long way in controlling the effects of acne.