How Did Your State or Country Weigh In 2023?

A 2023 ranking of US states based on three dimensions of overweight and obesity prevalence of children, teens, and adults; health consequences; and food and fitness showed some large differences in populations in different parts of the country.

The #1 most unhealthy state is West Virginia. Here, 41.3% of adults are obese and 32.6% are overweight but not obese. It is also the state with the highest levels of diabetes and high cholesterol. It ties for the state with the 4th highest rate of physically inactive adults.

Some possible reasons for West Virginia’s poor showing on this health rating are that its teens have the highest rate of sugary beverage consumption of any state. Less than half (41%) of families live near a healthy food retailer, making it harder to purchase fresh foods.

To check out how your state rates, see the research report: https://wallethub.com/edu/fattest-states/16585

By comparison, for information on the prevalence of obesity in European countries: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2441615/

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Overweight_and_obesity_-_BMI_statistics

Obesity and overweight in Asian countries:
https://www.genre.com/us/knowledge/publications/2023/april/ri23-1-en

Obesity in Africa:
https://www.afro.who.int/news/obesity-rising-africa-who-analysis-finds

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/10/e017344

Obesity and overweight in Latin America:
https://www.thelancet.com/campaigns/kidney/updates/obesity-and-overweight-populations-in-latin-america

Overweight and obesity in Australia
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/overweight-obesity/overweight-and-obesity/contents/overweight-and-obesity

July 26 is ADA34 Day

Thirty-four years ago on July 26, 1990, President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. This historic document not only guarantees the rights of Americans with disabilities, but has served as a model for disability civil rights legislation in nations around the globe. There are five sections, or Titles, in the law.

Title I of the ADA legislation protects persons with disabilities in the employment practices of private employers with 15 or more employees, state and local governments, employment agencies, labor unions, and other employers. Title II offers protection in the programs and activities of state and local government. Title III applies to private entities that are considered places of public accommodation. Title IV requires telecommunications companies (phone and internet) to provide relay services for hearing and speech impaired individuals. It also requires closed captioning of federally funded public service announcements. Title V contains miscellaneous provisions addressing, for example, the impact on insurance providers and a prohibition against coercion and retaliation. Title V also lists certain conditions that are not considered as disabilities.

What can you do to celebrate ADA34 Day. First, and perhaps most important, learn about the rights and responsibilities set forth in this document. A good overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act is here: https://adata.org/factsheet/ADA-overview

The ADA National Network has provided a Toolkit for ADA34 Day. It includes tweets and other ways to share the anniversary with your social media contacts. Find the ADA34 Toolkit here: https://adaanniversary.org/

Nutrition Tip - What’s the Leanest Meat?

Getting adequate protein without too much fat is important. Get the leanest cuts of meat. White meat chicken and turkey breasts without skin are a good choice. The leanest beef cuts are chuck, round, sirloin, and tenderloin. Leaner pork cuts include loin chops and tenderloin. Portion size is also important. One serving of meat or poultry is 3 ounces. That is about the size of a deck of cards.

Are Mocktails Good for You?

It’s always a good idea to cut down on alcohol consumption, or quit drinking alcohol entirely. As little as one drink a day can increase your risk of developing certain cancers or dying of some types of heart disease.

Many adult social gatherings involve alcohol. If you don’t want to drink, or want to drink less, you may have considered imbibing a mocktail.

What are some of the good points about drinking mocktails?

• They are hydrating, not dehydrating like their alcoholic cousins. You won’t get hung over.

• They are less expensive than alcoholic drinks.

• You can drink mocktails if you’re taking certain medications for which alcohol is contraindicated, or if you are pregnant.

• You’re still drinking with your buddies, so it doesn’t call attention to your non-alcohol habit.

Are there any reasons not to drink mocktails?

• Diabetics should be aware of the potentially high sugar content of some mocktails.

• Grapefruit juice in certain mocktails will cause problems for people taking blood thinners or statins.

• People in recovery from alcoholism should not drink nonalcoholic beer. Certain brands contain small amounts of alcohol.

And what about all the calories in mocktails? While certain mocktail recipes are high in calories, if you drink sparkling water or club soda which has zero calories, you can add a slice of fruit and still not feel caloric guilt.

Want to learn more about mocktails?

Popular mocktails: https://www.barschool.net/blog/mocktails-to-order-at-a-bar

Disney mocktails: https://www.frommers.com/slideshows/848494-make-the-delicious-drinks-cocktails-and-mocktails-from-disney-s-u-s-parks

Fruity mocktails: https://mindfulmocktail.com/mocktail-recipes/fruity-mocktails/

Accessibility Features at US Airports

Both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) require specific assistance be provided at American airports for persons with disabilities. The Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights describes the fundamental rights of air travelers. These rights apply to all flights of all US airlines, and to flights originating at or ending in the US by foreign airlines. Here’s how to access that assistance.

First, when you make your reservations early, advise the airlines of the type of assistance you will need. Will you need someone to guide you to the gate, or someone to push your manual wheelchair, or will you be using your power wheelchair which must be gate-checked? Remember to call and confirm your accessibility needs before you leave for the airport.

When you arrive at the airport, identify yourself to an airline staff member as a person with a disability who has pre-booked specific assistance. You should be provided assistive services that address your needs. If you are traveling with your motorized wheelchair, be aware that each airline has its own procedures for storage of such wheelchairs and wet-cell batteries.

To express your gratitude for assistance, it is polite to tip the airport accessibility assistant. They are often low-paid workers, and a small tip is usually appreciated. Their job is usually considered a tip-wage position by their employer, which allows them to be paid below the minimum wage.

Some of the rights passengers with disabilities have, in addition to assistance through the airport check-in and boarding process, include accessible airport facilities, priority aircraft boarding, assistance in getting to the onboard lavatory, and the right to travel with assistive devices and service dogs. Airline staff must have had training on how to properly assist a person with a disability.

What if you’re not disabled, but would find the long hike between check-in and boarding too strenuous? Can you request wheelchair assistance? Yes, you can, but the airlines may choose to transport you on a cart instead of in a wheelchair.

Have a safe trip and remember to book your accessibility needs well in advance of departure.

July is Disability Pride Month

This is the month where disabled people and their supporters around the world celebrate the inherent dignity and inalienable rights of persons with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law on July 26, 1990. The first official designation of Disability Pride Month was in 2015, marking the 25th anniversary of this ground-breaking civil rights legislation.

The Disability Pride flag has five colorful diagonal stripes, representing different types of disabilities, against a black background that stands for anger and mourning about neglect and eugenics that disabled people and their allies must fight against. The red stripe represents physical disabilities; the gold strip stands for neurodiversity; the white strip for invisible and undiagnosed disabilities; blue is for emotional disabilities and mental illness; and green for sensory disabilities.

The history of the development of disability pride is a long one, founded in the middle ages and beginning in earnest with accessibility protests in the 1980s. Certainly the disability community can be justifiably proud of the accomplishments of its champions and heroes:

• Javed Abidi
• Edgar Allen
• Andrew Batavia 
• Rosa May Billinghurst
• Ellen Daly
• Justin Dart
• Evan Kemp, Jr.
• Gini Laurie
• Carrie Ann Lucas
• Yetnebersh Nigussie
• Christoper Reeve
• Ed Roberts
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver
• Richard St.Denis
• Mark Wafer
• Stella Young

and many, many more folks from all around the world. You can support disability pride by learning about these heroes and educating others about their accomplishments.

Another source of pride is economic. People with disabilities, their families, and carers spend an estimated $2 trillion annually in the US. Hiring persons with disabilities can have many economic benefits. Disability-inclusive companies have 28% higher revenue than do companies that are not inclusive. Disabled employees have a higher retention rate and lower absentee rate than non disabled employees. These are statistics to be proud of.

Not (yet) disabled? You can become a disability ALLY. Those letters stand for Acknowledge, Learn, Leverage, & Yield. Disability allies start by acknowledging and respecting the different experiences and abilities everyone has. They actively learn about different types of disabilities and how they affect a person’s daily life. They promote accessibility and community inclusion by leveraging their influence. And they yield to the lived knowledge of people with disabilities when identifying and working to eliminate accessibility barriers in the community instead of making assumptions.

The American Bar Association has established a 21-day Disability Equity Habit-Building Challenge that offers collections of readings and videos on topics such as ableism, intersectionality, guardianship, healthcare equity, eugenics, and many other important topics. Check out this excellent list of resources here: 

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/diversity/resources/celebrating-heritage-months/disability-pride-month/aba-wide-21-day-disability-equity-habit-building-challenge/

Self-advocacy is a skill any disabled person can be proud of, and best of all, it is learnable. The Ability Toolbox lists 12 self-advocacy skills that all disability heroes employ. Best of all, these skills can help anyone be the best they can be. Educate yourself, advocate for yourself and others, and find ways to celebrate Disability Pride month.

Additional Resources:

Why and How to Celebrate Disability Pride Month (the ARC) 

https://thearc.org/blog/why-and-how-to-celebrate-disability-pride-month/

Everything to Know About the Disability Pride Flag and Disability Pride Month

https://www.womansday.com/life/a43964487/disability-pride-flag/

Disability Pride Month and the Disability Rights Movement

https://www.pbs.org/articles/disability-pride-month-and-the-disability-rights-movement/

Disability Social History Project

https://disabilityhistory.org/

Center for Disability Rights

https://cdrnys.org/

Displays and Exhibits for Healthinfo Island for July 2024

You can teleport to any of the eight displays and exhibits using the SLURLs in this posting. In Second Life, click on the poster with the same name as the title of the poster set, and you will get a notecard that contains all the text of the posters plus descriptions of the images.  If you click each poster, you will get a private message with additional information and live links.

Central Pavilion of Healthinfo Island
Check out the calming breathing exercise on the back wall!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/128/126/24

There are lots of outdoor activities in July. Check out these poster sets for safety ideas.  Information on climate change is on poster set 2.

1. Safe Water Fun

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/195/158/22

2. Drowning Risk and Climate Change
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/188/181/24

3. Lawn Mowing Safety
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/172/155/22

4. Use Sunscreen Properly

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/114/79/24

5. July is UV Safety Month
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/98/40/26

6. Racial Disparities in Health and Healthcare

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

7. Honey, I Love You!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/24/23/30

8. All About Stevia
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/21/63/32