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Pot use and addiction; Steve Jobs's daughter on her father
As cannabis continues to be legalized across many states, the reality that some users are addicts is receiving greater notice. The prospect of easier and legal availability has sparked (pun intended) public health concerns. “Cannabis is potentially a real public health problem,” says Mark A.R. Kleiman, PhD, a professor of public policy at New York University.
“It wasn’t obvious to me 25 years ago, when 9% of self-reported cannabis users over the last month reported daily or near-daily use. I always was prepared to say, ‘No, it’s not a very abusable drug. Nine percent of anybody will do something stupid.’ But that number is now [something like] 40%” (The Atlantic).
It’s no secret that Steve Jobs was a driven person who could be aloof and cruel to business associates. Now, with the publication of a memoir by his daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, his cold path through life is revealed to have extended to the four walls of the family home. In the memoir “Small Fry,” Ms. Brennan-Jobs paints a picture of a father who, after accepting court-ordered child support, was emotionally hurtful.
Ms. Brennan-Jobs claims that he told her that she “smelled like a toilet,” when she visited Mr. Jobs on his deathbed. The remark was based on fact, as she later acknowledged (The New York Times).
A romantic relationship that stands the test of time is not a static union. There is give and take, communication, good and not-so good times, and adjustment to the changes that life brings.
But when one partner is physically present but mentally absent, the load can be crushing. Spouses of someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another progressive disorder that robs a person of their mental acuity and personality know this hell.
Less well-known, but just as devastating, is the state of “minimal consciousness” – where someone with a brain injury is left immobile and incapable of independent self-care, but who still may perceive the world and, in their own way, respond to the world and those in it.
A recent article explores the relationship of car crash victim Ian Jordon and his wife, Hilary. This past April marked the couple’s 45th wedding anniversary. For more than 30 of those years, Ian has been bedridden and unresponsive after a September 1987 car accident at the end of a shift as a police officer. He was 35 years old (Globe and Mail).
The U.S. Department of Education has announced that it is exploring the possibility that legislation governing academic enrichment grants might permit the use of the funds to purchase guns for schools.
The move has been greeted with hostility from Democrats and many educators, who decry the diversion of funds that are typically used for after school programs mental health support to a program that, they say, is fueled by the desire to appease the National Rifle Association (PBS News Hour).
As cannabis continues to be legalized across many states, the reality that some users are addicts is receiving greater notice. The prospect of easier and legal availability has sparked (pun intended) public health concerns. “Cannabis is potentially a real public health problem,” says Mark A.R. Kleiman, PhD, a professor of public policy at New York University.
“It wasn’t obvious to me 25 years ago, when 9% of self-reported cannabis users over the last month reported daily or near-daily use. I always was prepared to say, ‘No, it’s not a very abusable drug. Nine percent of anybody will do something stupid.’ But that number is now [something like] 40%” (The Atlantic).
It’s no secret that Steve Jobs was a driven person who could be aloof and cruel to business associates. Now, with the publication of a memoir by his daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, his cold path through life is revealed to have extended to the four walls of the family home. In the memoir “Small Fry,” Ms. Brennan-Jobs paints a picture of a father who, after accepting court-ordered child support, was emotionally hurtful.
Ms. Brennan-Jobs claims that he told her that she “smelled like a toilet,” when she visited Mr. Jobs on his deathbed. The remark was based on fact, as she later acknowledged (The New York Times).
A romantic relationship that stands the test of time is not a static union. There is give and take, communication, good and not-so good times, and adjustment to the changes that life brings.
But when one partner is physically present but mentally absent, the load can be crushing. Spouses of someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another progressive disorder that robs a person of their mental acuity and personality know this hell.
Less well-known, but just as devastating, is the state of “minimal consciousness” – where someone with a brain injury is left immobile and incapable of independent self-care, but who still may perceive the world and, in their own way, respond to the world and those in it.
A recent article explores the relationship of car crash victim Ian Jordon and his wife, Hilary. This past April marked the couple’s 45th wedding anniversary. For more than 30 of those years, Ian has been bedridden and unresponsive after a September 1987 car accident at the end of a shift as a police officer. He was 35 years old (Globe and Mail).
The U.S. Department of Education has announced that it is exploring the possibility that legislation governing academic enrichment grants might permit the use of the funds to purchase guns for schools.
The move has been greeted with hostility from Democrats and many educators, who decry the diversion of funds that are typically used for after school programs mental health support to a program that, they say, is fueled by the desire to appease the National Rifle Association (PBS News Hour).
As cannabis continues to be legalized across many states, the reality that some users are addicts is receiving greater notice. The prospect of easier and legal availability has sparked (pun intended) public health concerns. “Cannabis is potentially a real public health problem,” says Mark A.R. Kleiman, PhD, a professor of public policy at New York University.
“It wasn’t obvious to me 25 years ago, when 9% of self-reported cannabis users over the last month reported daily or near-daily use. I always was prepared to say, ‘No, it’s not a very abusable drug. Nine percent of anybody will do something stupid.’ But that number is now [something like] 40%” (The Atlantic).
It’s no secret that Steve Jobs was a driven person who could be aloof and cruel to business associates. Now, with the publication of a memoir by his daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs, his cold path through life is revealed to have extended to the four walls of the family home. In the memoir “Small Fry,” Ms. Brennan-Jobs paints a picture of a father who, after accepting court-ordered child support, was emotionally hurtful.
Ms. Brennan-Jobs claims that he told her that she “smelled like a toilet,” when she visited Mr. Jobs on his deathbed. The remark was based on fact, as she later acknowledged (The New York Times).
A romantic relationship that stands the test of time is not a static union. There is give and take, communication, good and not-so good times, and adjustment to the changes that life brings.
But when one partner is physically present but mentally absent, the load can be crushing. Spouses of someone with Alzheimer’s disease or another progressive disorder that robs a person of their mental acuity and personality know this hell.
Less well-known, but just as devastating, is the state of “minimal consciousness” – where someone with a brain injury is left immobile and incapable of independent self-care, but who still may perceive the world and, in their own way, respond to the world and those in it.
A recent article explores the relationship of car crash victim Ian Jordon and his wife, Hilary. This past April marked the couple’s 45th wedding anniversary. For more than 30 of those years, Ian has been bedridden and unresponsive after a September 1987 car accident at the end of a shift as a police officer. He was 35 years old (Globe and Mail).
The U.S. Department of Education has announced that it is exploring the possibility that legislation governing academic enrichment grants might permit the use of the funds to purchase guns for schools.
The move has been greeted with hostility from Democrats and many educators, who decry the diversion of funds that are typically used for after school programs mental health support to a program that, they say, is fueled by the desire to appease the National Rifle Association (PBS News Hour).
Survivors of sexual abuse cope with stigma
The Roman Catholic Church continues to be rocked by the burgeoning reality of priests as sexual predators. Some Catholics, including the Pope, have stepped up and acknowledged the blame for the decades of abuse, but others have been less inclined to do so. The latter attitude was and still is crushing to some the victims.
“Being raised Catholic, I remember – you don’t speak out against your own church,” Jim VanSickle says in an interview with National Catholic Reporter. “Nobody’s going to listen to you.”
Many of the survivors, Mr. VanSickle included, belonged to very conservative parishes. Parishioners often showed no compassion. After being sexually assaulted at age 16, he suffered in silence for almost 4 decades before speaking out during the recent release of Grand Jury report on the church abuses by the Pennsylvania attorney general.
“I’ve known others [who] came forward. They were ridiculed and ostracized – even by their own family members,” Mr. VanSickle says.
“We lived in a neighborhood where most of the people in the subdivision were Catholic. Everything in our lives revolved around the church,” said another victim, Utah resident Judy Larson. To be in that kind of environment and try to say something horrible happened to you, by a person everybody thinks is a god on earth, you’re all alone.”
As reported by Zita Ballinger Fletcher of the Catholic News Service, “survivors also faced a stigma caused by sexual assault. The victims were molested at an age when they did not know about sex. Confused, they realized what happened when they grew up. Feeling disgust, anger, and shame, they feared hostile reactions from their traditional communities.”
with the Catholic Church.
“People say, ‘You’re a bad person,’ ” Mr. VanSickle says. “It’s amazing that they attack their own people. They attack their own faithful.”
Click here to read about the challenges faced by these survivors.
The Roman Catholic Church continues to be rocked by the burgeoning reality of priests as sexual predators. Some Catholics, including the Pope, have stepped up and acknowledged the blame for the decades of abuse, but others have been less inclined to do so. The latter attitude was and still is crushing to some the victims.
“Being raised Catholic, I remember – you don’t speak out against your own church,” Jim VanSickle says in an interview with National Catholic Reporter. “Nobody’s going to listen to you.”
Many of the survivors, Mr. VanSickle included, belonged to very conservative parishes. Parishioners often showed no compassion. After being sexually assaulted at age 16, he suffered in silence for almost 4 decades before speaking out during the recent release of Grand Jury report on the church abuses by the Pennsylvania attorney general.
“I’ve known others [who] came forward. They were ridiculed and ostracized – even by their own family members,” Mr. VanSickle says.
“We lived in a neighborhood where most of the people in the subdivision were Catholic. Everything in our lives revolved around the church,” said another victim, Utah resident Judy Larson. To be in that kind of environment and try to say something horrible happened to you, by a person everybody thinks is a god on earth, you’re all alone.”
As reported by Zita Ballinger Fletcher of the Catholic News Service, “survivors also faced a stigma caused by sexual assault. The victims were molested at an age when they did not know about sex. Confused, they realized what happened when they grew up. Feeling disgust, anger, and shame, they feared hostile reactions from their traditional communities.”
with the Catholic Church.
“People say, ‘You’re a bad person,’ ” Mr. VanSickle says. “It’s amazing that they attack their own people. They attack their own faithful.”
Click here to read about the challenges faced by these survivors.
The Roman Catholic Church continues to be rocked by the burgeoning reality of priests as sexual predators. Some Catholics, including the Pope, have stepped up and acknowledged the blame for the decades of abuse, but others have been less inclined to do so. The latter attitude was and still is crushing to some the victims.
“Being raised Catholic, I remember – you don’t speak out against your own church,” Jim VanSickle says in an interview with National Catholic Reporter. “Nobody’s going to listen to you.”
Many of the survivors, Mr. VanSickle included, belonged to very conservative parishes. Parishioners often showed no compassion. After being sexually assaulted at age 16, he suffered in silence for almost 4 decades before speaking out during the recent release of Grand Jury report on the church abuses by the Pennsylvania attorney general.
“I’ve known others [who] came forward. They were ridiculed and ostracized – even by their own family members,” Mr. VanSickle says.
“We lived in a neighborhood where most of the people in the subdivision were Catholic. Everything in our lives revolved around the church,” said another victim, Utah resident Judy Larson. To be in that kind of environment and try to say something horrible happened to you, by a person everybody thinks is a god on earth, you’re all alone.”
As reported by Zita Ballinger Fletcher of the Catholic News Service, “survivors also faced a stigma caused by sexual assault. The victims were molested at an age when they did not know about sex. Confused, they realized what happened when they grew up. Feeling disgust, anger, and shame, they feared hostile reactions from their traditional communities.”
with the Catholic Church.
“People say, ‘You’re a bad person,’ ” Mr. VanSickle says. “It’s amazing that they attack their own people. They attack their own faithful.”
Click here to read about the challenges faced by these survivors.
The aftermath of a mother’s suicide attempt
A suicide attempt can be devastating for family members. For a son or daughter, the fallout can include feelings of guilt at missing the warning signs and the knowledge that they may have contributed to the despair that might have driven their loved one to trying to end their own lives.
There also can be the feeling that the attempt to deliberately exit this life is an indication that those left behind are not valued.
As related in a StoryCorps episode, which described the attempted suicide of Linda Kwong and the toll on her daughter Emily, Linda’s longstanding suicidal depression was separate from her love for her family.
The news of the suicide attempt rocked Emily. “I described our family as a table, and you were the most important leg. So you disappearing just knocked the whole thing over,” she says.
Yet, the past had seen Emily distancing herself from Linda, with the reality of her mother’s ongoing darkness. “I thought if I spent too much time with you, I would become like you,” Emily says to Linda during their StoryCorps interview.
In the aftermath of Linda’s suicide attempt, the mother-daughter bond could have been shattered. Instead, in the intervening 5 years, it has been stripped down and rebuilt, with both individuals coming to a better understanding of one another and the pain in their lives.
“I mean,
“I can’t believe that you can use the word ‘proud,’ but it makes me feel like that bond between us will always be there,” Linda says. “And that means the world to me.”
Click here to listen to their StoryCorps episode, broadcast on NPR.
A suicide attempt can be devastating for family members. For a son or daughter, the fallout can include feelings of guilt at missing the warning signs and the knowledge that they may have contributed to the despair that might have driven their loved one to trying to end their own lives.
There also can be the feeling that the attempt to deliberately exit this life is an indication that those left behind are not valued.
As related in a StoryCorps episode, which described the attempted suicide of Linda Kwong and the toll on her daughter Emily, Linda’s longstanding suicidal depression was separate from her love for her family.
The news of the suicide attempt rocked Emily. “I described our family as a table, and you were the most important leg. So you disappearing just knocked the whole thing over,” she says.
Yet, the past had seen Emily distancing herself from Linda, with the reality of her mother’s ongoing darkness. “I thought if I spent too much time with you, I would become like you,” Emily says to Linda during their StoryCorps interview.
In the aftermath of Linda’s suicide attempt, the mother-daughter bond could have been shattered. Instead, in the intervening 5 years, it has been stripped down and rebuilt, with both individuals coming to a better understanding of one another and the pain in their lives.
“I mean,
“I can’t believe that you can use the word ‘proud,’ but it makes me feel like that bond between us will always be there,” Linda says. “And that means the world to me.”
Click here to listen to their StoryCorps episode, broadcast on NPR.
A suicide attempt can be devastating for family members. For a son or daughter, the fallout can include feelings of guilt at missing the warning signs and the knowledge that they may have contributed to the despair that might have driven their loved one to trying to end their own lives.
There also can be the feeling that the attempt to deliberately exit this life is an indication that those left behind are not valued.
As related in a StoryCorps episode, which described the attempted suicide of Linda Kwong and the toll on her daughter Emily, Linda’s longstanding suicidal depression was separate from her love for her family.
The news of the suicide attempt rocked Emily. “I described our family as a table, and you were the most important leg. So you disappearing just knocked the whole thing over,” she says.
Yet, the past had seen Emily distancing herself from Linda, with the reality of her mother’s ongoing darkness. “I thought if I spent too much time with you, I would become like you,” Emily says to Linda during their StoryCorps interview.
In the aftermath of Linda’s suicide attempt, the mother-daughter bond could have been shattered. Instead, in the intervening 5 years, it has been stripped down and rebuilt, with both individuals coming to a better understanding of one another and the pain in their lives.
“I mean,
“I can’t believe that you can use the word ‘proud,’ but it makes me feel like that bond between us will always be there,” Linda says. “And that means the world to me.”
Click here to listen to their StoryCorps episode, broadcast on NPR.
Charting a life with Alzheimer’s disease
In a segment aired on a recent episode of “60 Minutes,” Mike and Carol Daly continued to share details of their life in the decade since Carol was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Since that diagnosis, the couple has been interviewed every year or so over the last 10 years. Chronicling the couple’s journey was a way of showing the devastating impact of the disease.
In 2008, Carol was still active, aware, and determined to make the best of her life. (Early on, CBS told the couple about the Music & Memory program, which works with people with dementia to create personalized music playlists.) In the intervening years, however, the progressive loss of mental acuity forced Carol to stop reading and watching movies. Within 3 years, she had lost the ability to gauge the passage of time. When CBS News chief medical correspondent Jon LaPook, MD, asked Carol her age, she pegged it at 80 years. Her actual age was 67.
By then, Mike, a former New York City police officer, had become her go-to for dressing and makeup. “She had a job. She cleaned house. She did the wash. She made the beds and she put up with me. Now I do the wash. I make the beds. I help Carol,” Mike said at the time.
So I did sign up for it in the beginning.”
After 2 more years, Carol had forgotten that she was married and the identity of the husband sitting next to her, and was losing functional control of her body. An additional 2 years and Mike had hired a home care aide to the tune of nearly $40,000 annually. The mental and physical burden had become a financial burden.
Now, Carol spends her days in silence. She is unable to understand the world around her. “We can’t communicate; it’s lonely,” Mike said. Yet, until very recently, she remained home under the watchful care of her husband. Still, at that point, she still reacted to music that she once enjoyed.
Mike’s resolve to be Carol’s guide through life has been severely tested by the ongoing ordeal. In fact, Mike, who has put on weight and started taking medicine for anxiety, confided that he had considered suicide.
Carol declined to a point that she now lives in a nursing home. “I love Carol who was Carol,” Mike said. “But now Carol’s not Carol anymore.”
Click here to watch the “60 Minutes” segment.
In a segment aired on a recent episode of “60 Minutes,” Mike and Carol Daly continued to share details of their life in the decade since Carol was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Since that diagnosis, the couple has been interviewed every year or so over the last 10 years. Chronicling the couple’s journey was a way of showing the devastating impact of the disease.
In 2008, Carol was still active, aware, and determined to make the best of her life. (Early on, CBS told the couple about the Music & Memory program, which works with people with dementia to create personalized music playlists.) In the intervening years, however, the progressive loss of mental acuity forced Carol to stop reading and watching movies. Within 3 years, she had lost the ability to gauge the passage of time. When CBS News chief medical correspondent Jon LaPook, MD, asked Carol her age, she pegged it at 80 years. Her actual age was 67.
By then, Mike, a former New York City police officer, had become her go-to for dressing and makeup. “She had a job. She cleaned house. She did the wash. She made the beds and she put up with me. Now I do the wash. I make the beds. I help Carol,” Mike said at the time.
So I did sign up for it in the beginning.”
After 2 more years, Carol had forgotten that she was married and the identity of the husband sitting next to her, and was losing functional control of her body. An additional 2 years and Mike had hired a home care aide to the tune of nearly $40,000 annually. The mental and physical burden had become a financial burden.
Now, Carol spends her days in silence. She is unable to understand the world around her. “We can’t communicate; it’s lonely,” Mike said. Yet, until very recently, she remained home under the watchful care of her husband. Still, at that point, she still reacted to music that she once enjoyed.
Mike’s resolve to be Carol’s guide through life has been severely tested by the ongoing ordeal. In fact, Mike, who has put on weight and started taking medicine for anxiety, confided that he had considered suicide.
Carol declined to a point that she now lives in a nursing home. “I love Carol who was Carol,” Mike said. “But now Carol’s not Carol anymore.”
Click here to watch the “60 Minutes” segment.
In a segment aired on a recent episode of “60 Minutes,” Mike and Carol Daly continued to share details of their life in the decade since Carol was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Since that diagnosis, the couple has been interviewed every year or so over the last 10 years. Chronicling the couple’s journey was a way of showing the devastating impact of the disease.
In 2008, Carol was still active, aware, and determined to make the best of her life. (Early on, CBS told the couple about the Music & Memory program, which works with people with dementia to create personalized music playlists.) In the intervening years, however, the progressive loss of mental acuity forced Carol to stop reading and watching movies. Within 3 years, she had lost the ability to gauge the passage of time. When CBS News chief medical correspondent Jon LaPook, MD, asked Carol her age, she pegged it at 80 years. Her actual age was 67.
By then, Mike, a former New York City police officer, had become her go-to for dressing and makeup. “She had a job. She cleaned house. She did the wash. She made the beds and she put up with me. Now I do the wash. I make the beds. I help Carol,” Mike said at the time.
So I did sign up for it in the beginning.”
After 2 more years, Carol had forgotten that she was married and the identity of the husband sitting next to her, and was losing functional control of her body. An additional 2 years and Mike had hired a home care aide to the tune of nearly $40,000 annually. The mental and physical burden had become a financial burden.
Now, Carol spends her days in silence. She is unable to understand the world around her. “We can’t communicate; it’s lonely,” Mike said. Yet, until very recently, she remained home under the watchful care of her husband. Still, at that point, she still reacted to music that she once enjoyed.
Mike’s resolve to be Carol’s guide through life has been severely tested by the ongoing ordeal. In fact, Mike, who has put on weight and started taking medicine for anxiety, confided that he had considered suicide.
Carol declined to a point that she now lives in a nursing home. “I love Carol who was Carol,” Mike said. “But now Carol’s not Carol anymore.”
Click here to watch the “60 Minutes” segment.
For women athletes, motherhood can bring unique challenges
All working mothers navigate tensions between work, family, and leisure. But, for the mother who also is an elite athlete, in some nuanced ways, the challenges can prove greater.
That’s partly because, to remain competitive, such athletes engage in physically demanding training for hours at a time. And at the same time, like all mothers, many feel the pull of meeting cultural expectations of what it means to be a good mother “and the resulting guilt experienced when taking time to train.” (Psychol Sport Exer. 2018 May;36:41-9). Serena Williams is a case in point.
For Ms. Williams, giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. – known as Olympia – took a physical toll that included a pulmonary embolism and hematoma that required a series of surgeries. Past this time of peril and with progressively improving health, she now finds her time torn between career and home.
“Millions of working parents wrestle with this question every day. In cubicles and call centers, at restaurants and on assembly lines, a large portion of the world’s workforce consistently thinks about their children. That concern can be deep, gnawing, even painful for anyone, but no working mother on the planet is quite like Serena Williams,” Sean Gregory wrote in Time magazine.
“Professional tennis all but requires selfishness – the time needed to train, to travel and to maintain competitive focus blots out virtually all else,” Mr. Gregory wrote. “Parenting is essentially the opposite. You are no longer the point. Yet, at 36, an age when even the greatest champions tend to lose a step, Serena is determined to show that it doesn’t have to be so.”
“Some days, I cry. I’m really sad. I’ve had meltdowns,” Ms. Williams told Mr. Gregory. “It’s been a really tough 11 months.”
In the article, Ms. Williams also described the difficulty of being told by her coach that she needed to stop breastfeeding to improve her tennis game.
Ms. Williams said she has found support in a group of other mothers. She also has her husband, family, and what the article refers to as “child care help.” Meanwhile, researchers encourage sport psychology clinicians to work with mothers who are competitive athletes to help them forge their new identities.
Click here to read Mr. Gregory’s article in Time.
All working mothers navigate tensions between work, family, and leisure. But, for the mother who also is an elite athlete, in some nuanced ways, the challenges can prove greater.
That’s partly because, to remain competitive, such athletes engage in physically demanding training for hours at a time. And at the same time, like all mothers, many feel the pull of meeting cultural expectations of what it means to be a good mother “and the resulting guilt experienced when taking time to train.” (Psychol Sport Exer. 2018 May;36:41-9). Serena Williams is a case in point.
For Ms. Williams, giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. – known as Olympia – took a physical toll that included a pulmonary embolism and hematoma that required a series of surgeries. Past this time of peril and with progressively improving health, she now finds her time torn between career and home.
“Millions of working parents wrestle with this question every day. In cubicles and call centers, at restaurants and on assembly lines, a large portion of the world’s workforce consistently thinks about their children. That concern can be deep, gnawing, even painful for anyone, but no working mother on the planet is quite like Serena Williams,” Sean Gregory wrote in Time magazine.
“Professional tennis all but requires selfishness – the time needed to train, to travel and to maintain competitive focus blots out virtually all else,” Mr. Gregory wrote. “Parenting is essentially the opposite. You are no longer the point. Yet, at 36, an age when even the greatest champions tend to lose a step, Serena is determined to show that it doesn’t have to be so.”
“Some days, I cry. I’m really sad. I’ve had meltdowns,” Ms. Williams told Mr. Gregory. “It’s been a really tough 11 months.”
In the article, Ms. Williams also described the difficulty of being told by her coach that she needed to stop breastfeeding to improve her tennis game.
Ms. Williams said she has found support in a group of other mothers. She also has her husband, family, and what the article refers to as “child care help.” Meanwhile, researchers encourage sport psychology clinicians to work with mothers who are competitive athletes to help them forge their new identities.
Click here to read Mr. Gregory’s article in Time.
All working mothers navigate tensions between work, family, and leisure. But, for the mother who also is an elite athlete, in some nuanced ways, the challenges can prove greater.
That’s partly because, to remain competitive, such athletes engage in physically demanding training for hours at a time. And at the same time, like all mothers, many feel the pull of meeting cultural expectations of what it means to be a good mother “and the resulting guilt experienced when taking time to train.” (Psychol Sport Exer. 2018 May;36:41-9). Serena Williams is a case in point.
For Ms. Williams, giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. – known as Olympia – took a physical toll that included a pulmonary embolism and hematoma that required a series of surgeries. Past this time of peril and with progressively improving health, she now finds her time torn between career and home.
“Millions of working parents wrestle with this question every day. In cubicles and call centers, at restaurants and on assembly lines, a large portion of the world’s workforce consistently thinks about their children. That concern can be deep, gnawing, even painful for anyone, but no working mother on the planet is quite like Serena Williams,” Sean Gregory wrote in Time magazine.
“Professional tennis all but requires selfishness – the time needed to train, to travel and to maintain competitive focus blots out virtually all else,” Mr. Gregory wrote. “Parenting is essentially the opposite. You are no longer the point. Yet, at 36, an age when even the greatest champions tend to lose a step, Serena is determined to show that it doesn’t have to be so.”
“Some days, I cry. I’m really sad. I’ve had meltdowns,” Ms. Williams told Mr. Gregory. “It’s been a really tough 11 months.”
In the article, Ms. Williams also described the difficulty of being told by her coach that she needed to stop breastfeeding to improve her tennis game.
Ms. Williams said she has found support in a group of other mothers. She also has her husband, family, and what the article refers to as “child care help.” Meanwhile, researchers encourage sport psychology clinicians to work with mothers who are competitive athletes to help them forge their new identities.
Click here to read Mr. Gregory’s article in Time.
Schools’ cell phone policies: What’s best for students?
Schools across the country – or around the world, for that matter – are grappling with policies and regulations tied to their students’ use of cell phones during school hours.
These policies run the gamut, from allowing students to use smartphones as learning tools to requiring them to keep the devices turned off. One public high school’s action on cell phones, initiated this year by a parent, has prompted one parent’s thumbs-up. This school is phasing in a lock-up-your-cell-phone policy.
NPR reporter Jennifer Ludden said that when the idea was first floated toward the end of the last school year, it provoked a parental outcry at her sons’ school. “My generation is used to 24/7 access to our kids, wherever they are. I confess, I’ve texted mine at school. It was about a doctor’s appointment,” Ms. Ludden says.
Meanwhile, she says, some asked: “ ‘What if there’s an emergency?’ It’s a fair question. We’ve all heard about students hiding from a gunman, posting updates, and texting to let friends and family know they’re safe,” she says.
Yet, evidence suggests that a cell-free classroom is a safer classroom, without the distraction of that screen to divert attention instructions that come in the wake of a school emergency. And, in a chilling mental image, a phone’s ringtone or vibration on a desk could be a beacon for a shooter.
Putting aside the horrific potential of school violence, a no-phone policy could have other tangible benefits that would help students in real life. The rejigging of adolescent brains away from the umbilical cord of their phone would be welcome. Imagine social interactions, instead of that face-down, thumbs-poised posture that is everywhere! And it could also help curb the electronic version of passing notes during tests.
Ms. Ludden mentions another benefit. “ Invaluable time to relax, and connect, without phones. I’m grateful to see some schools investing in that,” Ms. Ludden says.
Click here to listen to Ms. Ludden’s take.
Schools across the country – or around the world, for that matter – are grappling with policies and regulations tied to their students’ use of cell phones during school hours.
These policies run the gamut, from allowing students to use smartphones as learning tools to requiring them to keep the devices turned off. One public high school’s action on cell phones, initiated this year by a parent, has prompted one parent’s thumbs-up. This school is phasing in a lock-up-your-cell-phone policy.
NPR reporter Jennifer Ludden said that when the idea was first floated toward the end of the last school year, it provoked a parental outcry at her sons’ school. “My generation is used to 24/7 access to our kids, wherever they are. I confess, I’ve texted mine at school. It was about a doctor’s appointment,” Ms. Ludden says.
Meanwhile, she says, some asked: “ ‘What if there’s an emergency?’ It’s a fair question. We’ve all heard about students hiding from a gunman, posting updates, and texting to let friends and family know they’re safe,” she says.
Yet, evidence suggests that a cell-free classroom is a safer classroom, without the distraction of that screen to divert attention instructions that come in the wake of a school emergency. And, in a chilling mental image, a phone’s ringtone or vibration on a desk could be a beacon for a shooter.
Putting aside the horrific potential of school violence, a no-phone policy could have other tangible benefits that would help students in real life. The rejigging of adolescent brains away from the umbilical cord of their phone would be welcome. Imagine social interactions, instead of that face-down, thumbs-poised posture that is everywhere! And it could also help curb the electronic version of passing notes during tests.
Ms. Ludden mentions another benefit. “ Invaluable time to relax, and connect, without phones. I’m grateful to see some schools investing in that,” Ms. Ludden says.
Click here to listen to Ms. Ludden’s take.
Schools across the country – or around the world, for that matter – are grappling with policies and regulations tied to their students’ use of cell phones during school hours.
These policies run the gamut, from allowing students to use smartphones as learning tools to requiring them to keep the devices turned off. One public high school’s action on cell phones, initiated this year by a parent, has prompted one parent’s thumbs-up. This school is phasing in a lock-up-your-cell-phone policy.
NPR reporter Jennifer Ludden said that when the idea was first floated toward the end of the last school year, it provoked a parental outcry at her sons’ school. “My generation is used to 24/7 access to our kids, wherever they are. I confess, I’ve texted mine at school. It was about a doctor’s appointment,” Ms. Ludden says.
Meanwhile, she says, some asked: “ ‘What if there’s an emergency?’ It’s a fair question. We’ve all heard about students hiding from a gunman, posting updates, and texting to let friends and family know they’re safe,” she says.
Yet, evidence suggests that a cell-free classroom is a safer classroom, without the distraction of that screen to divert attention instructions that come in the wake of a school emergency. And, in a chilling mental image, a phone’s ringtone or vibration on a desk could be a beacon for a shooter.
Putting aside the horrific potential of school violence, a no-phone policy could have other tangible benefits that would help students in real life. The rejigging of adolescent brains away from the umbilical cord of their phone would be welcome. Imagine social interactions, instead of that face-down, thumbs-poised posture that is everywhere! And it could also help curb the electronic version of passing notes during tests.
Ms. Ludden mentions another benefit. “ Invaluable time to relax, and connect, without phones. I’m grateful to see some schools investing in that,” Ms. Ludden says.
Click here to listen to Ms. Ludden’s take.
Girl reunites with mother amid uncertainty
Prominent in the news has been the plight of thousands of immigrant families who are separated from one another at the Mexico-United States border. Now, as reunification is occurring for some, what is the aftermath of the forced separations?
A recent report by the PBS News Hour focused on 3-year-old “Sofi” (last name withheld). She and her grandmother and guardian, Angelina, were among those separated when they made their way legally from Mexico to a U.S. immigration checkpoint in Texas, seeking to escape reprisals from a Mexican drug cartel. For 47 days, infant Sofi was on her own without her family, first in a migrant shelter in El Paso, Texas, and then in a facility in Pennsylvania. For Ana, whose mother was in California already, the time apart from Sofi was one of mind-numbing worry over the fate of her daughter and mother.
Now, life is better. Through an interpreter, Ana said: “I feel good, very good to see her with my mom, and to know that she will now be with us, and she won’t be apart from me.”
The separation was hard on Sofi.
“She cried all the time, told me she didn’t want to be there,” said Ana of Sofi’s ordeal. “One time, she didn’t sound OK. She couldn’t speak clearly, and they were giving her a bad look. They would scold her. And she wanted to tell me something, but couldn’t, because they would scold her. So that had me very worried.”
The early days of reunification have gone fairly well. But unease remains. Sofi mentioned medicine she was given and of being punished for crying or refusing to eat. Whether those incidents are real or embellished, and whether emotional scars remain, is the stuff of the unknown.
“We haven’t asked her many questions because she says that it was a bad place. We want to eventually ask her little by little how she was treated. I think that, with time, we need to let her know that they separated her from us for some time,” Angelina said. “ because she looks good now – but who knows how she will react later on.” Sofi is home. But hundreds of other children reportedly remain separated from their families.
Click here to watch the News Hour report.
Prominent in the news has been the plight of thousands of immigrant families who are separated from one another at the Mexico-United States border. Now, as reunification is occurring for some, what is the aftermath of the forced separations?
A recent report by the PBS News Hour focused on 3-year-old “Sofi” (last name withheld). She and her grandmother and guardian, Angelina, were among those separated when they made their way legally from Mexico to a U.S. immigration checkpoint in Texas, seeking to escape reprisals from a Mexican drug cartel. For 47 days, infant Sofi was on her own without her family, first in a migrant shelter in El Paso, Texas, and then in a facility in Pennsylvania. For Ana, whose mother was in California already, the time apart from Sofi was one of mind-numbing worry over the fate of her daughter and mother.
Now, life is better. Through an interpreter, Ana said: “I feel good, very good to see her with my mom, and to know that she will now be with us, and she won’t be apart from me.”
The separation was hard on Sofi.
“She cried all the time, told me she didn’t want to be there,” said Ana of Sofi’s ordeal. “One time, she didn’t sound OK. She couldn’t speak clearly, and they were giving her a bad look. They would scold her. And she wanted to tell me something, but couldn’t, because they would scold her. So that had me very worried.”
The early days of reunification have gone fairly well. But unease remains. Sofi mentioned medicine she was given and of being punished for crying or refusing to eat. Whether those incidents are real or embellished, and whether emotional scars remain, is the stuff of the unknown.
“We haven’t asked her many questions because she says that it was a bad place. We want to eventually ask her little by little how she was treated. I think that, with time, we need to let her know that they separated her from us for some time,” Angelina said. “ because she looks good now – but who knows how she will react later on.” Sofi is home. But hundreds of other children reportedly remain separated from their families.
Click here to watch the News Hour report.
Prominent in the news has been the plight of thousands of immigrant families who are separated from one another at the Mexico-United States border. Now, as reunification is occurring for some, what is the aftermath of the forced separations?
A recent report by the PBS News Hour focused on 3-year-old “Sofi” (last name withheld). She and her grandmother and guardian, Angelina, were among those separated when they made their way legally from Mexico to a U.S. immigration checkpoint in Texas, seeking to escape reprisals from a Mexican drug cartel. For 47 days, infant Sofi was on her own without her family, first in a migrant shelter in El Paso, Texas, and then in a facility in Pennsylvania. For Ana, whose mother was in California already, the time apart from Sofi was one of mind-numbing worry over the fate of her daughter and mother.
Now, life is better. Through an interpreter, Ana said: “I feel good, very good to see her with my mom, and to know that she will now be with us, and she won’t be apart from me.”
The separation was hard on Sofi.
“She cried all the time, told me she didn’t want to be there,” said Ana of Sofi’s ordeal. “One time, she didn’t sound OK. She couldn’t speak clearly, and they were giving her a bad look. They would scold her. And she wanted to tell me something, but couldn’t, because they would scold her. So that had me very worried.”
The early days of reunification have gone fairly well. But unease remains. Sofi mentioned medicine she was given and of being punished for crying or refusing to eat. Whether those incidents are real or embellished, and whether emotional scars remain, is the stuff of the unknown.
“We haven’t asked her many questions because she says that it was a bad place. We want to eventually ask her little by little how she was treated. I think that, with time, we need to let her know that they separated her from us for some time,” Angelina said. “ because she looks good now – but who knows how she will react later on.” Sofi is home. But hundreds of other children reportedly remain separated from their families.
Click here to watch the News Hour report.
The moves may not be smooth, but dance dad, dance
Many men (yours truly included) are not the smoothest creatures on the dance floor. But what is embarrassing dorky in public works like magic at home, with the clunky moves drawing howls of laughter from family.
But there’s the rub ... behavior that is fun in private can become something to be avoided in public. The drumbeat of generations past about men who are strong and capable can surface, curbing those tapping feet and sending dads to the edge of the dance floor.
That’s why the latest Internet rage is welcome. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGSSHSJPhv4 for an example.
According to Sarah L. Kaufman, dance critic at the Washington Post, “therein lies the coolness of the real-life dancing dad. He’s the opposite of embarrassing! He’s uplifting by way of a profound, unspoken understanding of the situation and of his child.”
Motivated by love and unafraid to show the world their moves, the dorky dancing dad can become heroic dancing dad, especially to a son or daughter who is on shaky ground and in need of support. The behavior of these dads also runs counter to the toxic masculinity that seems to pervade much of American culture.
“Within his body, stereotypes are vanquished. The distant dad is overshadowed by the physically present dad. The clueless dad yields to the one who knows exactly what his kid needs,” Ms. Kaufman wrote.
So go, dancing dad, go!
To read Ms. Kaufman’s article, click here.
Many men (yours truly included) are not the smoothest creatures on the dance floor. But what is embarrassing dorky in public works like magic at home, with the clunky moves drawing howls of laughter from family.
But there’s the rub ... behavior that is fun in private can become something to be avoided in public. The drumbeat of generations past about men who are strong and capable can surface, curbing those tapping feet and sending dads to the edge of the dance floor.
That’s why the latest Internet rage is welcome. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGSSHSJPhv4 for an example.
According to Sarah L. Kaufman, dance critic at the Washington Post, “therein lies the coolness of the real-life dancing dad. He’s the opposite of embarrassing! He’s uplifting by way of a profound, unspoken understanding of the situation and of his child.”
Motivated by love and unafraid to show the world their moves, the dorky dancing dad can become heroic dancing dad, especially to a son or daughter who is on shaky ground and in need of support. The behavior of these dads also runs counter to the toxic masculinity that seems to pervade much of American culture.
“Within his body, stereotypes are vanquished. The distant dad is overshadowed by the physically present dad. The clueless dad yields to the one who knows exactly what his kid needs,” Ms. Kaufman wrote.
So go, dancing dad, go!
To read Ms. Kaufman’s article, click here.
Many men (yours truly included) are not the smoothest creatures on the dance floor. But what is embarrassing dorky in public works like magic at home, with the clunky moves drawing howls of laughter from family.
But there’s the rub ... behavior that is fun in private can become something to be avoided in public. The drumbeat of generations past about men who are strong and capable can surface, curbing those tapping feet and sending dads to the edge of the dance floor.
That’s why the latest Internet rage is welcome. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGSSHSJPhv4 for an example.
According to Sarah L. Kaufman, dance critic at the Washington Post, “therein lies the coolness of the real-life dancing dad. He’s the opposite of embarrassing! He’s uplifting by way of a profound, unspoken understanding of the situation and of his child.”
Motivated by love and unafraid to show the world their moves, the dorky dancing dad can become heroic dancing dad, especially to a son or daughter who is on shaky ground and in need of support. The behavior of these dads also runs counter to the toxic masculinity that seems to pervade much of American culture.
“Within his body, stereotypes are vanquished. The distant dad is overshadowed by the physically present dad. The clueless dad yields to the one who knows exactly what his kid needs,” Ms. Kaufman wrote.
So go, dancing dad, go!
To read Ms. Kaufman’s article, click here.
Back-to-school stress affects children – and parents
Even as summer continues on, the long, hot, sunny days and backyard barbecues can be tinged with the realization that the new school year looms ahead. For those in traditional school systems, September is the return to the classroom. This has long been a source of angst for many children who may face a new school or a return to the challenging, even overwhelming, business of learning.
“The end of summer and the beginning of a new school year can be a stressful time for parents and children,” says psychologist Lynn Bufka, PhD, assistant execute director for practice, research, and policy for the American Psychological Association. “While trying to manage work and the household, Working with your children to build resilience and manage their emotions can be beneficial for the psychological health of the whole family.”
According to the association, parents can help ease their child’s worries by offering support and encouragement and by listening to their child’s concerns, which can help foster their resilience. A dry run about a week before the big day can help reset the summer sleep schedule. Getting school supplies together and ready for action is another bit of preparation that helps get the mind ready for the reality of school. Visiting a new school, if permitted, can remove some sense of the unknown and lay the path for that first day through the front door. Empathy can be a powerful aid; understanding that a child might be apprehensive can prevent the potentially misguided advice to just tough it out.
But children aren’t the only ones with back-to-school anxiety. Increasingly, this time of year is generating stress for parents. When budgets are stretched tight, the additional school expenses can be a strain. The horrors of school shooting incidents can be on parents’ minds, especially when their child is enrolled in a new and unfamiliar school. An era of heightened competitiveness for postsecondary education and scholarship money comes with the baggage of worry that a son or daughter is lagging and already might be behind the eight ball in the game of life.
Parental stress can be tough to deal with. Budget planning, participating in safe-school activities, fostering relationships with teachers and staff, having a heightened awareness of signs of school-related stress in their children, and maintaining faith in their children’s ability to learn and succeed can go a long way toward easing the parental burden.
Click here to read the APA’s back-to-school tips.
Even as summer continues on, the long, hot, sunny days and backyard barbecues can be tinged with the realization that the new school year looms ahead. For those in traditional school systems, September is the return to the classroom. This has long been a source of angst for many children who may face a new school or a return to the challenging, even overwhelming, business of learning.
“The end of summer and the beginning of a new school year can be a stressful time for parents and children,” says psychologist Lynn Bufka, PhD, assistant execute director for practice, research, and policy for the American Psychological Association. “While trying to manage work and the household, Working with your children to build resilience and manage their emotions can be beneficial for the psychological health of the whole family.”
According to the association, parents can help ease their child’s worries by offering support and encouragement and by listening to their child’s concerns, which can help foster their resilience. A dry run about a week before the big day can help reset the summer sleep schedule. Getting school supplies together and ready for action is another bit of preparation that helps get the mind ready for the reality of school. Visiting a new school, if permitted, can remove some sense of the unknown and lay the path for that first day through the front door. Empathy can be a powerful aid; understanding that a child might be apprehensive can prevent the potentially misguided advice to just tough it out.
But children aren’t the only ones with back-to-school anxiety. Increasingly, this time of year is generating stress for parents. When budgets are stretched tight, the additional school expenses can be a strain. The horrors of school shooting incidents can be on parents’ minds, especially when their child is enrolled in a new and unfamiliar school. An era of heightened competitiveness for postsecondary education and scholarship money comes with the baggage of worry that a son or daughter is lagging and already might be behind the eight ball in the game of life.
Parental stress can be tough to deal with. Budget planning, participating in safe-school activities, fostering relationships with teachers and staff, having a heightened awareness of signs of school-related stress in their children, and maintaining faith in their children’s ability to learn and succeed can go a long way toward easing the parental burden.
Click here to read the APA’s back-to-school tips.
Even as summer continues on, the long, hot, sunny days and backyard barbecues can be tinged with the realization that the new school year looms ahead. For those in traditional school systems, September is the return to the classroom. This has long been a source of angst for many children who may face a new school or a return to the challenging, even overwhelming, business of learning.
“The end of summer and the beginning of a new school year can be a stressful time for parents and children,” says psychologist Lynn Bufka, PhD, assistant execute director for practice, research, and policy for the American Psychological Association. “While trying to manage work and the household, Working with your children to build resilience and manage their emotions can be beneficial for the psychological health of the whole family.”
According to the association, parents can help ease their child’s worries by offering support and encouragement and by listening to their child’s concerns, which can help foster their resilience. A dry run about a week before the big day can help reset the summer sleep schedule. Getting school supplies together and ready for action is another bit of preparation that helps get the mind ready for the reality of school. Visiting a new school, if permitted, can remove some sense of the unknown and lay the path for that first day through the front door. Empathy can be a powerful aid; understanding that a child might be apprehensive can prevent the potentially misguided advice to just tough it out.
But children aren’t the only ones with back-to-school anxiety. Increasingly, this time of year is generating stress for parents. When budgets are stretched tight, the additional school expenses can be a strain. The horrors of school shooting incidents can be on parents’ minds, especially when their child is enrolled in a new and unfamiliar school. An era of heightened competitiveness for postsecondary education and scholarship money comes with the baggage of worry that a son or daughter is lagging and already might be behind the eight ball in the game of life.
Parental stress can be tough to deal with. Budget planning, participating in safe-school activities, fostering relationships with teachers and staff, having a heightened awareness of signs of school-related stress in their children, and maintaining faith in their children’s ability to learn and succeed can go a long way toward easing the parental burden.
Click here to read the APA’s back-to-school tips.
Doctor shaming about weight hurts women’s health
Physicians take the “first do no harm” aphorism seriously. Still, as humans, their biases and opinions can – and do – cause harm. An example, according to an opinion piece written in the Globe and Mail, is the way physicians sometimes treat women who are overweight.
The article cites an Alabama woman named Kayla Rahm, whose complaints of weight gain, abdominal swelling, and shortness of breath fell on the deaf ears of four doctors who, instead of getting to the bottom of her problem, pointed to her weight as the culprit. Ultimately, she had a 50-pound ovarian cyst removed (thankfully, benign.)
“She was seeking help from multiple physicians, and we had missed it – as a medical community, we had missed it,” said Gregory Jones, DO, the obstetrician-gynecologist who performed the eventual surgery, in an interview with the Washington Post.
The weight-related rebuff is all too common for women. The consequences can be tragic. Consider Ellen Maud Bennett, a Canadian woman whose complaints of ill health stretching back years had been met with suggestions to lose weight. All the while, cancer was developing, and when the truth was finally recognized, it was too late.
Her obituary offered this poignant message: “A final message Ellen wanted to share was about the fat shaming she endured from the medical profession. Over the past few years of feeling unwell, she sought out medical intervention and no one offered any support or suggestions beyond weight loss. Ellen’s dying wish was that women of size make her death matter by advocating strongly for their health and not accepting that fat is the only relevant health issue.”
Overweight women are reportedly less likely to be referred for cervical and breast-cancer screenings. Fat shaming can dissuade women from seeking medical help. Instead, they can buy into the view that their health problems are self-imposed.
A recent study conducted in Canada involving more than 54,000 clinically obese people, some with metabolic risk factors and others were who just obese, found that those with no metabolic risk factors were no more likely to die than people of lower weight. “This means that ,” head researcher Jennifer L. Kuk, PhD, said in an interview with Science Daily.
Click here to read about Dr. Kuk’s study.
Physicians take the “first do no harm” aphorism seriously. Still, as humans, their biases and opinions can – and do – cause harm. An example, according to an opinion piece written in the Globe and Mail, is the way physicians sometimes treat women who are overweight.
The article cites an Alabama woman named Kayla Rahm, whose complaints of weight gain, abdominal swelling, and shortness of breath fell on the deaf ears of four doctors who, instead of getting to the bottom of her problem, pointed to her weight as the culprit. Ultimately, she had a 50-pound ovarian cyst removed (thankfully, benign.)
“She was seeking help from multiple physicians, and we had missed it – as a medical community, we had missed it,” said Gregory Jones, DO, the obstetrician-gynecologist who performed the eventual surgery, in an interview with the Washington Post.
The weight-related rebuff is all too common for women. The consequences can be tragic. Consider Ellen Maud Bennett, a Canadian woman whose complaints of ill health stretching back years had been met with suggestions to lose weight. All the while, cancer was developing, and when the truth was finally recognized, it was too late.
Her obituary offered this poignant message: “A final message Ellen wanted to share was about the fat shaming she endured from the medical profession. Over the past few years of feeling unwell, she sought out medical intervention and no one offered any support or suggestions beyond weight loss. Ellen’s dying wish was that women of size make her death matter by advocating strongly for their health and not accepting that fat is the only relevant health issue.”
Overweight women are reportedly less likely to be referred for cervical and breast-cancer screenings. Fat shaming can dissuade women from seeking medical help. Instead, they can buy into the view that their health problems are self-imposed.
A recent study conducted in Canada involving more than 54,000 clinically obese people, some with metabolic risk factors and others were who just obese, found that those with no metabolic risk factors were no more likely to die than people of lower weight. “This means that ,” head researcher Jennifer L. Kuk, PhD, said in an interview with Science Daily.
Click here to read about Dr. Kuk’s study.
Physicians take the “first do no harm” aphorism seriously. Still, as humans, their biases and opinions can – and do – cause harm. An example, according to an opinion piece written in the Globe and Mail, is the way physicians sometimes treat women who are overweight.
The article cites an Alabama woman named Kayla Rahm, whose complaints of weight gain, abdominal swelling, and shortness of breath fell on the deaf ears of four doctors who, instead of getting to the bottom of her problem, pointed to her weight as the culprit. Ultimately, she had a 50-pound ovarian cyst removed (thankfully, benign.)
“She was seeking help from multiple physicians, and we had missed it – as a medical community, we had missed it,” said Gregory Jones, DO, the obstetrician-gynecologist who performed the eventual surgery, in an interview with the Washington Post.
The weight-related rebuff is all too common for women. The consequences can be tragic. Consider Ellen Maud Bennett, a Canadian woman whose complaints of ill health stretching back years had been met with suggestions to lose weight. All the while, cancer was developing, and when the truth was finally recognized, it was too late.
Her obituary offered this poignant message: “A final message Ellen wanted to share was about the fat shaming she endured from the medical profession. Over the past few years of feeling unwell, she sought out medical intervention and no one offered any support or suggestions beyond weight loss. Ellen’s dying wish was that women of size make her death matter by advocating strongly for their health and not accepting that fat is the only relevant health issue.”
Overweight women are reportedly less likely to be referred for cervical and breast-cancer screenings. Fat shaming can dissuade women from seeking medical help. Instead, they can buy into the view that their health problems are self-imposed.
A recent study conducted in Canada involving more than 54,000 clinically obese people, some with metabolic risk factors and others were who just obese, found that those with no metabolic risk factors were no more likely to die than people of lower weight. “This means that ,” head researcher Jennifer L. Kuk, PhD, said in an interview with Science Daily.
Click here to read about Dr. Kuk’s study.