Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.health,americast.usa-today.health From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: health Fri, Sep 25 1992 Date: Fri, 25 Sep 92 04:37:05 EDT Message-ID: 09-25 0000 DECISIONLINE: Health USA TODAY Update Sept. 25-27, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network KIDS ARE GETTING CHUNKIER: Kids today are chunkier than they were seven years ago. Boys are more likely to be overweight than girls; and older kids are chubbier than younger ones. These are among findings of a national survey of 401 parents with kids, ages 3 through 17, conducted by Louis Harris for Prevention magazine. The magazine commissioned a similar survey in 1984. (For more, see special Kids package below.) FAMILY LEAVE BILL GOES TO HOUSE: The Senate voted Thursday to override President Bush's veto of a family leave bill. Next stop: The House, where the veto is likely to stay intact, thanks to southern Democrats aligning with Republicans. The 68-31 vote was two votes more than the two-thirds majority needed to override and marked the first time the Senate has overridden a Bush veto. BILL GIVES WORKERS MORE LEAVE: The House is expected to take up next week the issue of the family leave bill. The Senate Thursday overrode President Bush's veto of the bill that would require employers with 50 or more workers to guarantee employees up to 12 weeks unpaid leave to care for new babies or ill relatives. Veto counters on and off Capitol Hill say the House is about 30 votes short of an override. HENS ARE ON LOW-FAT DIET: In what its maker touts as "egg-citing" news for people with cholesterol problems, Eggland's Best this week is introducing in Iowa supermarkets hens' eggs it says can be eaten regularly without increasing serum cholesterol. The secret to the eggs, say the developers, is the hens' diet, which includes no animal fat or animal byproducts. BLACK MEN IN N.C. ARE AT RISK: Black men in North Carolina die of prostate cancer at a rate of 57 per 100,000, the highest in the nation, researchers at Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center said. The mortality rate for whites with the disease was 23.1 per 100,000 population. The USA's mortality rate was 47.2 for blacks and 22.7 for whites. Blamed: Lack of access to medical care. HEALTH CLUBS OVERLOOK OBESE: Significantly overweight women have been largely ignored and mistreated by the fitness industry and health professionals, according to a report in the National Women's Health Network newsletter Network News. Suggestions: Recruit qualified "large" women for instructors; and involve overweight women in planning and education. STEP AEROBICS MORE STRENUOUS: For a little variety in the normal aerobic routine, many exercisers are adding step aerobics to their workout, but are unaware of the risks involved. Experts advise taking some classes with a good instructor before deciding to take step aerobics; and wearing shoes made for stability, such as cross-training shoes. Aerobic shoes might not have as much support. MORE WOMEN FACE POVERTY: More women than men will face poverty when they retire. A congressional report says that's because pension plans and Social Security discriminate against them. Almost half of the elderly women living alone by the year 2020 will have incomes less than $9,500 dollars. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON KIDS: MORE BOYS OVERWEIGHT: Findings show: 34% of kids were overweight in 1991, compared with 24% in 1984; 39% of boys are overweight today; 30% of girls; 28% of white kids are overweight; 56% of Hispanic kids; 41% of African-American children; 22% of kids 12 years and younger are overweight; 57% of those age 13 to 17. PROBLEMS START IN TEENS: A "huge number of kids" have developed weight problems by their teen years, says Thomas Dybdahl, director of research for Prevention. "By the time they are 18 or 20, weight control may already be a losing battle for millions of people." The weight range for healthy children varies with height, weight and body type. Concerned parents should check with a physician. PARENTS MAY OVERLOOK FAT: Other survey findings in theOctober issue, out Friday: 85% of parents say their child is physically fit while 14% say their child is not; 70% of parents say their kids get 20 minutes of strenuous exercise at least three times per week; 32% say their child gets strenuous exercise six or seven days a week; 8% report less than once a week. (End of package.) Health Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM