High school welcomes pole dancer to health week

How do you encourage 14-19 year old students to exercise? One school's solution on the other side of the pond is pole dancing. The reporters covering this story say that pole dancing is "apparently" a good cardio workout, and watching the woman on that clip move, I'd say so.

I've heard of pole dancing as an addition to workouts before, although not quite geared for impressionable high school students. I'm all for finding fun alternative ways to exercise. Anyone remember when Carmen Electra came out with her aerobic striptease workouts a few years ago? Four years ago fitness clubs across the country were offering pole dancing classes.

Strip aerobics routines are available on videos as well as in the gym, and Blacker said the poles can be part of a good workout. "You are doing regular aerobics mixed with the pole," he said. "The unique thing is, it's a sexy workout."

The majority of people in Doyle's class, about 99%, have never been this exposed in public but seemed to welcome the opportunity to unwind. The feeling is, "I just worked in a 9 to 5 job all day, and now I get to dance against a pole," he said

I can think of a handful of my adventurous girlfriends who would give that a try, but can't think of too many high school students that this class would be appropriate for.

I think it's great this British school is taking a week to promote healthy behavior (although I doubt the progress that will be made within 5 days), this performance shows how little thought and care was put into this production.

The great think about exercising isn't just the physical benefits, but the mental and emotional lessons that come from fitness activities as well. Preschool and elementary school students are often encouraged to join little league teams to promote early movement, but also sharing, teamwork and to spark interests early on. High school gym classes and sports teams try to shape a sense of belonging, discipline and often introduction to a variety of sports older kids may be more capable of participating in. Pole dancing and striptease workouts can be a fun alternative for stable adults, possibly looking to express a confident body image while working out.

What do you think? What are or aren't appropriate workouts for different ages?

New sugar alternative

Are you a Splenda fan? When introduced to the U.S. in 199, those little white granules caused a big stir. Although widely used (sales topped Equal), the safety of Splenda is still questioned. Your thoughts on Splenda aside, a new sweetner is coming!

Just in time for holiday baking is Stevia. The low-calorie, natural sweetner from South America is not yet approved by the FDA, but can be found in the U.S. at some specialty stores. Are you on board?

The sugar replacement trend got me thinking. Are you an early adopter to promises of low calorie and less fattening goods? Or would you rather be behind the curve a bit and like to wait for testing approval?

More business on the pink ribbon

I've seen more pink ribbons in the last month than a nurse would in a newborn ward. Every stop to think about the whole trend?

Might not be as good as it seems, says one of my fellow MLive bloggers.

Need a little more info? Check this MSNBC health article- the politics behind the pink ribbon. I wrote about this a little bit about a year ago, but I think cancer and your money are both big enough topics to give another go around.

Does the pink campaign sway your purchases at all? What's your favorite way to support breast cancer? Here's mine!

Wondering why a head of broccoli is more than a happy meal?

Ready to tear your hair out if one more person brings up the election? At ease, hair follicles, no political chatter here. If you're paying attention to the election or living under a rock, odds are you're fairly knowledgeable on where the two popular candidates stand, but what about their opinion on food?

I came across a pretty cool New York Times blog interviewing author Michael Pollan who says talking about the nation's food policies are just as important as any other hot topic.

One of Mr. Pollan’s concerns is that national policies subsidize the least healthful calories that we eat. He notes that the “building blocks” of fast food are soy and corn, used to make hydrogenated soy oil, the protein and starch in cattle and chicken feed, and high-fructose corn syrup used in sodas and sweets.

“That’s what we’ve been heavily subsidizing, encouraging farmers to grow more of, and that’s what makes fast food so cheap,” he said. “Meanwhile over in the produce section, the head of broccoli costs more than a fast-food hamburger. Why is that? We do very little to encourage farmers to grow what are called specialty crops, which is actual food you can eat. We need to level the playing field between the unhealthy and healthy calories.”

Any living, breathing, eating, grocery shopping American should take some time out to think about national food policies. The NYT blog is only a snippet of a 20 minute interview with Pollan. What do you think? Voice your opinions in comments or email me!

Energy drink mayhem

Oh it's about time!

I see kids carrying these around campus all the time (especially those with unfortunate 8 a.m. classes). The NBC video talks to a John Hopkins professor who says some energy drinks can have up to 500 milligrams (Mountain Dew has about 50) of caffeine with little to no warning labels.

What ever happened to a good old breakfast to get you going in the morning? Given sometimes my breakfast is a pop-tart (which is about as good as having a bowl of ice cream) but it's something!

What are your thoughts? What do you rely on to get you up in the morning?

Back rolls?

Get your back rolls removed! What??

There's a NEW surgery out there that will lift and tuck those pesky "back breasts" out of your way. Now I've heard it all.

My first ASA post was a readers opinion article on plastic surgery. Over a year since that, I'm curious to see, what do you think now? A new surgery for back rolls makes me wonder about where plastic surgery is headed. Do you have wider fingers that need a nip and a tuck?

I'm curious- what do you think about back rolls? While I've noticed them before, it's never changed my judgment on someone. You can find fit bodies at the beach with a little extra luggage back there. Is your back an area of concern for you? If you could make up a plastic surgery procedure, what would you go under the knife for?

Sidenote: Check out ABCNews covering JLo's back rolls!

Kiddie equipment

Get your kids moving on their own workout equiptment?

Some experts are saying this is a horrible idea, and may be pushing kids too hard in the direction of fitness. Parents however seem to like the idea.

I think the equipment is awesome! While its been argued that kids using this equipment are missing out on the fun of social interaction sports like tag and kickball, I think the pros outweigh the cons. The last time I saw neighborhood kids out playing tag and kick-the-can was when I was doing it. There are too many toys that coax kids to stay inside, and the idea of playing outside is as foreign to kids now as a typewriter.

Most children want to emulate their parents, or older siblings. I don't think any child should be made to spend 20 minutes on a kiddie treadmill, but when mom or dad is on the in home stationary bike, giving junior the option to ride along to can be an empowering experience. Even for physically active children, there is an appeal to kid equipment. Eventually Billy is too old to play on the school soccer team, but if he grew up with a familiarity to exercise equipment, will he be more prone to going to the gym on his own?

What's your stance?

Slim down or pay up!

True if you're a state worker in Alabama. The down south government is looking to combat their status as second largest state by charging overweight employees.

Smoking state workers in 'bama are already getting slapped with a monthly fee; now those overweight can expect to shell out $25 per month for otherwise free insurance if they don't slim down by January 2011.

"We are trying to get individuals to become more aware of their health," said state worker Robert Wagstaff, who serves on the insurance board.

E-K. Daufin of Montgomery, a college professor and founder of Love Your Body, Love Yourself, which holds body acceptance workshops, said the new policy will be stressful for people like her.

"I'm big and beautiful and doing my best to keep my stress levels down so I can stay healthy," Daufin said. "That's big, not lazy, not a glutton and certainly not deserving of the pompous, poisonous disrespect served up daily to those of us with more bounce to the ounce."

The program will include health screenings to deem which employees need to pay up. The whole program will cost the state about $1.6 million, will apparently pay off in the long run.

Ashmore said research shows someone with a body mass index of 35 to 39 generates $1,748 more in annual medical expenses than someone with a BMI less than 25, considered normal.

What do you think? Some people are naturally overweight, or become obese due to medial conditions and medication. Is it fair to impede on the choices of employees to save money for the state?

Hey young girls- come build a bimbo!

Thank goodness, it's the game we've all been waiting for! Pull your nearest 8 year old girl close, you're going to want her to hear about this. "Miss Bimbo" allows its users to create virtual bimbos and take care of them Tamagotchi style. Everything from relationships, buying a new apartment, outfitting your bimbo and even taking her under the virtual knife for implants is included.

The game is attracting very young users and raising lots of eyebrows. Check out the ABC News article about it. Creators say they didn't think about the body issue ramifications the game may have on young girls and health experts and chompin' at the bits over it. In reality, there's little to no way to age protect internet content. Miss Bimbo is definitely not appropriate for the age group it's most popular with; then again, who is it appropriate for? At 21, I could imagine the effects of moving your bimbo up the social ladder with plastic surgery and top line apartments could subconsciously be bothersome to any woman.

What do you think? Where do we draw the line between innocent games and over the time body image spoilers?

Breast cancer hits Hollywood

Just to stir up the pot o' controversy a little, I believe this is all the proof needed to back up my thoughts on Friday's post.

Cullen Jones in the 4x100 relay

You caught this, right?



An amazing race, especially considering where third leg swimmer, Cullen Jones was almost 20 years ago. As a 5 year old, the only African American swimmer on the US Olympic team, almost drown at a Pennsylvania amusements park.

Jones almost added to the statistic he now is on a public mission to fight. A recent New York Times article looked at the race divider in the pool.

But the most worrisome statistics involve black children and teens ages 5 to 19, who are 2.3 times more likely to drown than whites in this age group. For children 10 to 14, the rate is five times higher.

Nearly 6 out of 10 African-American and Hispanic children are unable to swim, nearly twice as many as their Caucasian counterparts.

Why is there such a drastic racial difference when it comes to water safety? The issue is addressed in a Wall Street Journal article profiling Cullen Jones and his unusual choice of sport.

...Mr. Jones will provide the African-American community with a champion swimmer it can hold up as a symbol of the absurdity of old biases about blacks and swimming. Anthony Ervin's gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle race in Sydney didn't resonate in that way; he is one-quarter African-American.

The outdated stereotype remains powerful. Mr. Jones said members of his own family still ask him why he chose the sport.

"They'll say, 'Don't you know blacks don't swim?'" Mr. Jones says.

This New York Times article looks at reasons why African Americans are less likely to be involved in water sports than other races. Segregation at public beaches and pools in the 1950's played into the current stereotype that Cullen's family still plays into.

Why does race play a role at all in athletics? It's apparent outside the pool as well. Table tennis, track and field and swimming are a few sports that carry stereotypical ideas of participants. What do you think? Is the NYT article's reasons for lack of African Americans in swimming true?

LA to jump on board with calorie tattle tail

Sounds like folks on the west coast don't want to be passed up by skinny competition in the Big Apple.

In late July, I posted on the new law in New York forcing restaurants to come clean about their calories. Los Angeles is considering following suit with their proposed food fine.

The topic is still generating mixed reviews; let me down my donut in peace! although mostly from the restaurant owners themselves. Seems to me this is just the slap in the belly our fast pace society needs to get on board with healthy living.

As a college student, aka master-snacker, I can relate. Nothing erks me more than realizing I'm stuck on campus all day without a meal card. When you're hungry and on the go, you're at the mercy of whatever fast food chain or convenience store meets your grumbling stomach quicker.

If you're looking to keep in shape, you can forget about these options, as even the healthiest usually packs a mean gut growing punch. New York has the right idea forcing these shops to own up to the damage they're doing to our bodies. Once LA follows suit, we can only hope the same law finds its way to our own backyard breakfast bakeries.

Just as a note, love the last quote on the article I linked to above. California Restaurant Association spokes person Daniel Conway says to solve the problem, we need to teach people about basic nutrition. Kudos sir, and I agree until you hide 200 extra calories in a blueberry muffin which looks damn good next to the double chocolate chip scone. He finishes off by adding-

"We recognize our customers do want this information, but most of the customers don't want this information forced on them every time."

Mr. Conway has obviously never met a 30 year old woman still trying to loose an extra 5 pounds in the week before her wedding.

Post your calories, New York City!

Yummy pastry? 500 calories.

Would you want to know the damage you're about to do when you pick up breakfast from your favorite shop? New York City is enforcing a law requiring some restaurants to post calorie information on their menus.

Personally, I never thought this day would come. The higher ups at Starbucks and Dunken Donuts had to be real miffed about this whole thing. Really, it's about time. Obesity is a huge (no pun intended) issue in our society, and what are we doing about it?

Restaurants are slapping the term 'fat free' and 'low carb' around like it's a high five. Of course it's a high five, to themselves! We suck up gallons of diet pop, and trust these so loosely used phrases. Companies are not invested in selling Americans healthy products, they are invested in selling. Period. From companies that sell frozen dinners, to cigarettes, the goal is simple- lure the consumer to purchase, and purchase regularly.

When obesity numbers first rose, restaurants started to "show their dedication to the well being of their consumers" by posting nutritional information deep within their web sites. Sorry, but when you missed breakfast and need to pick up a bagel to go, are you really going to swing by the library to look up the nutritional info first? Inconvenient.

I even noticed Starbucks started to carry pamphlets with nutrition info. I admire their attempt to fool consumers, because the higher ups know as well as we do that no one is going to pause from their morning rush to scrutinize papers tucked in the corner of the store. Although again inconvenient for the consumer, think about how convenient it is for the companies to boast they care.

Thankfully the government is taking things into their own hands and requiring calorie posting, even in the same size and font at the food label itself. Thank you to The Weighting Game for first bringing this to my attention; I had to bring the topic to ASA. Here's what folk in the Big Apple think, what about you?

Whose career comes first?

A must read CNN article- whose career is more important in your relationship, yours or your partners?

The article researched the trends of placing more importance on the male’s career, even if the female’s career was bringing in more money.

I think traditions play a nasty roll in this sticky topic. Men might be more unwilling to place the importance on a woman’s career because they may feel it jeopardizes their roll as the main provider. Sadly to many it may seem threatening in a relationship to place trust and value on the woman’s career.

The traditional approach of sending dad off to work while mom tends to the house is no longer the norm. Women are a powerful threat in the working force. Maneuvering around motherhood and childcare has changed in modern day society as well, making for full daycares and more acceptance for the stay at home dad.

I can only hope as I plan to start a career within the next few years and eventually (but not within the next few years!) a family that my husband understands my career and enjoyment I get from writing.

What goes in your family? How about your parents? Things are changing- has your value on career changed too?

Fashion/Sports?

Professional athletes have it tough. A former athlete myself, I understand the further level of commitment it takes to be successful at a sport and on-going challenge to keep up performance to stay at the top of the pack. Determination, discipline and a competitive spirit are all necessary traits to make it at a professional level; but is fashionista one as well?

It seems athletes from Dennis Rodman to Maria Sharapova are among the many that gain as much press for their performances as they do their clothes. Golf followers know what it means when Tiger Woods wears red on the green, and I’ll admit, I don’t watch Hockey Night in Canada for the game.

When did advertising take on such a crazy toll that pro athletes are dressed by their endorsers? And more so, why is the hoopla surrounding fabric and not athletics itself?

Tell me- do you tune in to see what they’ve got on, or could you care less? Do the clothes bring more attention to the player than the game?

Hot topics: medical wonder, modern feminist & celeb bodies

Wheeeew nelly! I found some hot topics for discussion today! With these links, there's a little something to get everyone's engines revved up. Let's give the comment section a good workout today, folks.

Medical wonder? The British Daily Mail posted this little gem that I could not pass up sharing- I'm thrilled my baby survived abortion! Short but quiet interesting story. Your two cents?

Best Fem 2008? Blogger Jezebel recently picked her choice for best modern day feminist. I'll give you some clues; she's an activist, has been a staple on television for almost 20 years and rocks the short blond hair better than Ellen DeGeneres. Here's her choice. Not quite mine, but what do you think? Whose your pick?

Nit picking celeb bods? This one's an oldie but a goodie. Tyra Banks may have put on a little weight since her supermodeling (ahem airbrushing) days. Last January, she used her television show to address some harsh words and an unflattering photo that popped up in tabloids. Are the bodies of celebrities our business? Check out my previous post on the subject & reader comments and for some more celebrity body shots, check here.

Who cleans?

The New York Times posted an interesting article in light of the legilization of gay marriage in California. Looking at the way homosexual couples vs. heterosexual couples split up tasks like chores around the home, the article brings forth some light to how we interact in relationships. What do you think?

Got a good ASA hot topic? Let me know in comments or by email- asizableapple@gmail.com

Grunting at the gym goes too far

If you’ve belonged and frequented a gym for any stretch of time, you’ve experienced the frustration of New York native, Christopher Carter.

You’re in the middle of your workout, and hear the grunts. Even jumping from machine to machine doesn’t do it; you can still hear proof of how difficult someone else is working. (Check #13 on my gym etiquette list.)

The New York Times reports Carter, a 45-year-old stockbroker, couldn’t deal with the grunts and shouts of fellow biker in his spin class, 49-year-old Stuart Sugarman. After asking the instructor to quiet Sugarman down with no success, the two men exchanged some harsh words before Carter took maters into his own hands.

PHOTO: Christopher Carter
courtesy of The New York Times

He reportedly walked over, tipped Sugarman’s stationary bike (while he was still on it) up and then released it. Carter was acquitted of assault charges, although Sugarman claimed he was hospitalized for two weeks because of resulting neck and back problems.

I don’t believe Carter is a criminal, more like a jerk. How long could you have possibly been in that class for where you were pushed over the edge to possibly injures someone? Yeah, there are some annoying people out there, but that’s why most of us have siblings or at least go through high school- to learn how to deal with other people’s antics that just seem to pick at every single strand of the hair on your arm.

I don’t think Sugarman walks out with the victim card either, I think he’s a jerk too. You’re a 49-year-old man in a public area, be respectful of others around you. Although Sugarman’s shouts were apparently of positive nature, in attempts to keep fellow bikers motivated, he’s not an instructor, personal trainer, or hired motivational speaker. Obviously not everyone in the room signed on for a class with an in house cheerleader; a little encouragement is great, but respect the fine line.

Where do you stand? Should there be a policy for gym shouters? When is enough, enough, or is it ever?

Skin care in the sun

I recently got the chance to speak with a local doctor about skin care and sun protection for this summer. While some of her responses were the tried and true things we know about sun protection but don't always practice, a few things she said were new news to me!

First off, you're putting on a much lower SPF than your bottle brags. The dermatologist I spoke to said even though you're lathering up with SPF 30, if you're not putting on enough, you're protection is actually much less.

Even more shocking was the amount of lotion she recommended using. The amount of lotion in a full shot glass will suffice for covering a full body, and that amount should be re-applied every few hours. (I'm not sure what seems stranger, slathering on that much lotion or the idea of someone measuring out their coverage in a shot glass at the beach!)

How do you stay protected from the sun? What are your sun screen tips?

Different shades of help for getting fit

How much will you pay to get healthy? A study I posted about in January found over a lifetime, women will spend close to $300,000 on weight loss products. Between pills, promising lotions, books, DVDs, apparel and all the accessories you can imagine, keeping up in the weight loss world means dishing out, big time. And with new enticing products coming out every day, more money slurping temptations are coming out.

A new breed of help has been gaining popularity in the fitness world. Personalized help from trainers, motivators, coaches and therapists have gained the popularity from celebrities to the normal person in need. This New York Times article takes a look into the inside of personal coaches.

Figuring out where you stand in the battle is half the solution. Some people flourish with the help of assistants, coaches and trainers. After leaving the world of competitive swimming, I realize how much I accomplished because of the coach figure putting me to work. The power of an authoritative like figure in the gym pushes some farther than they are able to go alone.

However, all this help comes at a price. Going about fitness alone is a perfectly respectable way that can lead to just as positive results. Strengthening your inner drive with working out and eating well will benefit you in other aspects of your life as well.

If you are interested in finding a personal trainer, check out my favorite links post with a link to guidelines to finding a good trainer. It is possible to find a trainer if you’re on a budget as well. Skip the big gyms and look at smaller facilities for starters. Also finding someone who trains independently will save you money although might not be as reliable.

Ask your trainer what you can be doing on your own outside of sessions. Encourage them to give you advice when you’re working out solo so you can minimize the meetings with them. If motivation is an issue, come to your training sessions a half hour earlier or stay later!

Reaction: ‘Obesity is suicide’ campaign

I ran across the debate on Leslie’s blog, The Weighing Game at ivillage.com. These images, part of an advertising campaign by what I believe is a student, has sparked up controversy.

Can you really compare obesity to such a serious topic as suicide?

Personally, while I understand the underlying message, I don’t think of suicide and obesity in the same boat. Obesity is a slow killer, more comparable to smoking in my mind.

Suicide is a serious issue, and while obesity is too, I don’t agree with the comparison being made in the ads. The ads are shocking, creative, edgy, but in my opinion, slightly distasteful.

The mental illness associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors is too distantly disconnected from the mental and emotional connections to overeating.

More so, I disagree with the cause behind the campaign promoting this message. Tiny print at the bottom of the ads reviles that this is for the Northern Bariatric Surgery Institute. Bariatric surgery is an option for obese individuals, but it’s not the only way to ‘save’ oneself from ‘suicide’.

What do you think about the ads? Is a message this sensitive necessary?