Blog #1: Health Issue concerns for me

Blog #1: Health Issue concerns for me

Health Issues that concern me include:

• Obesity: As a Hispanic women this is the most important concern of mine, since women in my family battle overweight and obesity. Many women and men have trouble with obesity. According to the CDC over 60 million people are obese. (CDC Website) When I graduated high school I gained almost 50 pounds. I was already a little overweight but this put me at a high risk of having serious health problems. With determination and hard work I lost 63 pounds in a year and a half. Not only has my quality of life improved physically but emotionally I feel like a better person. I feel better about myself and gained loads of confidence on many different levels.
  
• Stress Management: Students already have enough to deal with having deadlines and school work to worry about. I also work full time and just a baby. My time and stress levels are all over the place. I find it hard to have time for myself. Because of this my stress causes many problems. Stress can influence a number of health issues.
  
• Lupus: Both my mother and my grandmother suffer from Lupus. Since this health issue has been linked to genetic factors I am very concerned with this problem.
  

Health issues that concern other women:

1. April Palomino, Age 22 (Caucasian): April is most concerned with the issue of health insurance. She is currently in graduate school and cannot hold a full time job. Since she is married she cannot not be on her parents insurance . In order to have medical insurance she has to pay outrageous monthly payments. The part time job that she has onyl pays for her insurance every month. She is upset that all her money goes to one place, even though it's for a good reason.
2. Catherine Salguero, Age 28 (Hispanic): Catherine's health concerns included obesity and anemia. She is currently overweight and is afraid of becoming obese. She claims that she is constantly stressing over what she is eating, which can cause other health problems. Anemia is a concern of hers because her mother struggles with anemia. Because Catherine is anemic she cannot give blood as frequently as she would like. Furthermore, she is tired through most of the day even thorugh she has had ample sleep the night before. Anemia can cause other issues such as vision problems.
   

References:

Unknown Author. (2006). Overweight and Obesity: Home. Retrieved January 17, 2007, from
CDC Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm