Trivia Question: Which state has the highest rate of obesity?

• West Virginia
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• South Carolina

Answer: West Virginia has the highest rate of obesity, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. Its obesity rate (35.3%) is accompanied by the highest rates of diabetes and high blood pressure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the “body mass index” (BMI), a number which is calculated based on a person’s height and weight. If a person has a BMI of 18.5-25, he or she is considered to have a normal weight range. People with a BMI of 25-30 are may be considered overweight for their height and weight, and people with a BMI over 30 are considered obese. The CDC estimates that over one third of Americans are obese, leading to $190 billion in annual medical costs.

  Read more…

By now, so many months later, I’ve heard mostly everything that has been said about strokes, including upsetting rumors, dreadful untruths, and uplifting myths. Let’s take these issues one at a time. The comments in parentheses are mine. I’ll give you examples, too, even though it’s sort of painful to do so. But, hey. I’m here to teach you about strokes, so I’m obligated. But it’s so hard to hear that stuff, from people who just don’t know.

Upsetting rumors

When I was at Rehab X, I overheard (yes, I was eavesdropping) two stroke patients conversing.
“Could I get worse than this?”
“Sure. I heard from a nurse that sometimes, a stroke can turn into measles.” (Measles come from a virus. The nurse doesn’t know jack! The scary thing is, why doesn’t she know?)

Or this one, heard from a CNA:
“If you don’t brush your hair regularly, you’ll lose most of it.” (Hair loss comes about for many different reasons, and one of them is trauma. If you’re “out of the woods” as far as strokes are concerned, most likely your hair will grow back).

Dreadful untruths

Untruth: A stroke survivor who was giving a talk said, “Stroke patients die more often than not.”
Truth: Nope. They don’t. (In fact, the ratio is 5 to 1, that is, people who live as opposed to people who die from a stroke).

Untruth: Heard from a doctor, “Stroke victims are likely to be depressed for at least five years.”
Truth: I thought of suicide, and here I am, alive. Read more…