Can I Cure My Addiction to Alcohol?

Happy New Year! That phrase will ring throughout the world as we celebrate and look forward to a upcoming and prosperous New Year. I find it striking about the number of articles that have been written this week about curing the big hangover that accompanies this celebration. Does this celebration mask our overdependence to alcohol? Addictions are most commonly associated with drug and alcohol addiction, however the principle is millions of people suffer from all kinds of addictions.

Some of these addictions are related to some form of chemical dependency such as alcohol, controlled substances and even prescription medicines. Other addictions are related to compulsive types of behavior such as gambling, shopping, food disorders an even the Internet.

One of the most necessary things to pinpoint about any type of addiction, regardless of whether it is a chemical addiction or a behavioral addiction; is that it is not a matter of choice. Individuals who are addicts do not have the faculty to easily select to stop abusing their 'drug' of choice. Addictions affect not only the user, but also their family and friends as well.

So what is an addiction?

How does it begin and when does a pattern of behavior become an addiction? Some individuals seem to have the expertise to use a substance or engage in a behavior periodically over a period of years without becoming 'hooked.' Others; however are not capable of stopping and become addicted.

Addictions affect all social and educational groups. There is no typical addict.

The causes of addiction have been studied for several years. In bountious ways, addiction is caused by the emotion the substance or behavior brings about in the user. The body and mind become dependent on that feeling and seeks to maintain it.

There are addiction risk considerations that make some people more likely than others to become addicts. Studies show that sometimes addictions can be hereditary. The child of an alcoholic may not grow up to be an alcoholic, however, they may become addicted to gambling or some other type of compulsive behavior as an adult.

Besides hereditary, individuals who grow up in families with abuse, neglect and who are impoverished are more likely to become addicts.

For most addicts, it can be extremely laborious to recognize that what they have associated with as candidly a habit is actually an addiction. While every individual varies there are some signs that are habitual among most addicts and addictions:

Symptom # 1

Unable to meet responsibilities at home, school or office.

Symptom # 2

Continues to use substances or engage in behavior even when it puts them in jeopardy.

Symptom # 3

The need increases to engage in behavior or use numerous amounts of a substance to obtain the same ramification or feeling.

Symptom # 4

Has tried but failed to stop using the substance or end the behavior.

Symptom # 5

Continues to engage in the behavior or use the substances even when they are cognizant of the dangers.

Answering yes to three or more of the above conditions during a 12 month period may show that you or a loved one has an addiction. The number one step to treating an addiction is recognizing that it exists.

There is no cure for an addiction. Treatment and counseling can lend a helping hand to an addict to show how to manipulate their behavior, withstand impulses and pinpoint the presence of a headache, but an addict is never cured. Treating an addiction can take years and requires ongoing support from friends, families and support groups.

A 12 step program can be particularly healthful in treating an addiction. One of the most well known 12 step programs is AA, also known as Alcoholics Anonymous; however there are similar programs for all types of addictions.

Living with an addiction requires a once daily commitment and there is always the possibility of relapsing. An addict that has been "pure" for even 20 years can succumb to temptation just as they did decades before.

There are several treatment programs and centers that can help with the numerous types of addictions that are extensive today. Many of them are anonymous. Support groups are also applicable to a helping hand family and friends who encounter the effects of an addiction in a loved one.

How Can I Body Refine and Detox For Enhanced Immunity and Health?

The supposition of internal body cleansing and detoxification may be relatively distinct to the western world, but it has been prescribed for thousands of years in the ancient India medicine system of Ayurveda as a key measure in maintaining overall health and dealing with a whole range of common, as well as debilitating diseases.

Today, you have the option of choosing one of the countless commercially handy detoxification programs and products - based on peculiar approaches to body cleansing - according to the state of your conventional health and individual body requirements.

Some detoxification treatments are preferable taken at a natural health spa, while others can be taken at home. The various detoxification and body cleansing products are accessible online or in natural health stores or spas.

But Why Detoxify?

Although nature has equipped our body with self-cleaning mechanisms, exposure to a myriad of toxin-generating influences in modern-age life - whether from the polluted air we breathe or from the chemical-laden food we ingest or from countless other sources - weakens our immune system, making the body incapable of self-detoxification. And then there are internal toxins generated due to stress and negativity that go hand in hand with our ever-increasing swift paced life.

To make matters worse, low nutrition junk food has replaced wholesome freshly cooked meals and sensible exertion has been reduced to a minimum. The by-product of all this body abuse is accumulation of toxins, which initially may begin as unmistakable headaches, joint pains, or bloating, but can eventually lead to resolute debilitating diseases like muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, obesity, colon cancer, and greater.

Internal body cleansing and detoxification can help reverse the detriment that has been done by external and internal toxins, strengthen the natural immune system of your body to fight these diseases, and restore agreeable health.

Common Detoxification and Body Cleansing Methods

Natural health specialists have evolved several detoxification approaches, including the use of choice restrictive diets, herbal supplements, water or juice fasting, detoxification baths and massages, enemas, parasite elimination and de-worming, colon cleansing, liver cleansing, gall bladder flushing, and bounteous numerous additional remedies. All these therapies generate favorable conditions in the body for the cells to heal and rebuild. Consult a specialist to check which detoxification method meets your body requirements the tops.

Any Side Effects?

When you are on a detoxification program, during the basic initial days you may experience slight discomfort due to (a) sudden withdrawal from stimulating and rich foods your body is used to and (b) mobilization of accumulated toxins in your body towards excretory organs. The detoxification systems can range from headaches, fatigue, and sore muscles to skin eruptions, but that is really a minimal price to pay for all your past indulgences and have your body completely overhauled. Needless to say, these diagnostics evaporate as soon as the process of elimination of toxins starts, leaving you feeling rejuvenated and with much higher energy levels.

Allowances of Body Cleansing and Detoxification

Internal body cleansing and detoxification confers numerous benefits to your body, some of them being

- Strengthening of the immune system

- Weight loss

- Riddance from nagging body aches and pains

- Glowing complexion

- Enhanced energy levels

- Improved sleep

- A renewed interest in life

The end offshoot is that your body's detoxification organs start behaving better intelligently and efficiently, self-cleansing and detoxifying your body regularly on a day-to-day basis.

For these benefits to last permanently follow up with a nutritious diet based on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, disease-free oils, and plenty of water. And spend some time in contemplation and meditation to detoxify your mind from negative thoughts as well.

Is My Job And Lifestyle Causing Hypertension?

One out of three American adults has high blood pressure or hypertension. Hypertension is known as the "silent killer" because people with this condition can go years without realizing they have it. The only way to tell is to have it checked by a doctor.

Taking the necessary steps to manipulate hypertension includes a sustaining diet, increased physical action and lifestyle changes.

Nourishing Diet

The key to preventing excessive blood pressure is moderation and a healthy standing. Increasingly, adults are overweight now than when their grandparents were young. Newfangled conveniences seem to add to the problem rather than to head off it.

Sixty-five percent of American adults are overweight or plump. If you are 30 percent above your ordinary weight, you are an excessive risk. Take the compelling steps to lower your blood pressure.

First of all, make changes to your diet. You have the choice to eat to live or live to eat. Cut salt back to 1.5 grams a day. Add potassium to your diet by eating 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Eat whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts. Avoid canned foods at all costs, cold cuts, red meat, sugary beverages, and sweets. Choose lowfat dairy products.

Increase Natural Activity

Second, lose the weight. Light aerobic exercise 20 to 45 minutes 4-5 times a week will slash your body fat.

Commit to walking after dinner or first thing in the morning. If it is hot outside, walk inside the mall or go swimming. If you do not have time to commit to a traditional schedule, boost your sensible hustle by parking your car a good distance away and walk to your destination. Take a flight of stairs instead of the elevator, weed your garden, or cut the grass instead of having it done for you.

CHANGE Lifestyle

Did you know that your job status could be killing you? We get so used to living a certain way that change can be formidable. However, your situation can dramatically increase your chance of having high blood pressure or hypertension so take the time to change your bad habits one by one.

- Drink alcoholic beverages in moderation. A moderate amount is one drink for women and two drinks for men.

- Avoid Tobacco. Smoking, even second-hand smoke, is not valuable for anyone but especially those with high blood pressure or hypertension. Do not be afraid to ask your doctor for help. Inquire about nicotine gum or patches. If you smoke, your chance of suffering a heart attack is 2-6 times more likely.

- Avoid Coffee. There is a brand-new report that indicates that some unknown ingredient or ingredients in coffee is what is responsible for high blood pressure and not caffeine. Research shows that even people who drink decaffeinated coffee display these effects. While this might seem like pleasing news, it is in your best interest to avoid it if at all possible.

We hear reports of people who drop lifeless, and this includes physically progressive and sedentary people alike. High blood pressure or hypertension is the "silent killer". Please have your blood pressure checked regularly. Make the cardinal changes in your outlook and live a long healthy life!

Can I Use Hypnosis to Stop Smoking?

All habits, inhibitions, and mental blocks are stored in our subconscious mind. With each of these components there are associated feelings and sensations. Some time in the past these temperamental inputs - feelings and sensations - were experienced repeatedly. The repetition reinforced those emotions and made them augmented dominating other emotions. The subconscious mind tries to re-live the event, creates situations so that dominating emotions appear again and again and get further reinforced. As a result the subconscious mind creates and maintains self-made limitations.

To take an paradigm, say a person has a habit of smoking. There are tangible and mental sensations connected with smoking. The subconscious mind will try to occurrence those sensations again. It will initiate a situation in which smoking will become a "necessity". The data stored with the subconscious will be confirmed and the subconscious mind will happily conclude that smoking is a necessity.

To break any bad habit or limitations set up in the subconscious it will be quintessential to change the conviction held by it. The stored emotions of bad habit will have to be replaced with desirable emotions. Hypnotism is one of the methods for changing the beliefs held by the subconscious mind.

There are two broad stages in the process of hypnotism.

1. Relaxation

2. Focus on the quandary

In the relaxed condition the subconscious mind is increasingly receptive. You will need to have some perfection in achieving relaxation by practicing stage 1 several times. This is a significant precondition for hypnosis. After you are sufficiently trained in relaxation you can divert your attention to complication solving. By this technique it is possible to solve virtually any personal problems.

Relaxation

Try to recall an event in which you felt totally relaxed. It could be your recent vacation or meeting with old friends or time you spent in a forest away from routine problems. It could be any situation with which memory of your relaxation is connected. If you cannot recall any event you can invent one in your awareness. You can have a combination of real life and imaginary situations.

After deciding the situation you will mentally go there. Write down the steps for going there from your present position. Your steps could be something like this.

1. I am sitting comfortably on my revered chair.

2. Now I am shutting out my worries.

3. My nerves have calmed down and I am feeling more relaxed.

4. My breathing is becoming numerous rhythmic and relaxed.

5. I am breathing more deeply. (Ponder on your breathing for a minute or two.)

6. I am feeling that I have descended into Piedmont Park (if you are in Atlanta, Georgia). (Try to remember the park in detail.)

7. I am enjoying the natural surroundings, the smell of fresh air, all around there is feast for my eyes.

8. The atmosphere is so soothing and relaxing.

9. I feel totally relaxed.

10. I am totally relaxed.

After writing these steps, revise and remember them thoroughly because once you start the process of relaxation you cannot break to consult your notes.

In the entire process of relaxation you will be talking to yourself. You can silently talk to yourself or record your talk in your voice and play the recording when you covet to soften. While recording speak in slow and soothing voice. For each step give sufficient time in your recording to experience the feelings as if you are really there.

When you are ready to start the process, sit comfortably in your beloved chair. Close your eyes, silently start talking to yourself and go through the steps one by one. (Or play the recording). Give sufficient time and stress to each step to capture the emotions. After you reach the equivalent of step 10 given in the exemplification above you can retrace your steps and return back to normalcy. You should practise these steps many times so that you are able to calm quickly at will.

Now you are ready to focus on your attention on resolving the problems. From step 10, or its equivalent, you can go directly to the next stage.

Center on Complication Solving

There are several methods of concentrating on the problems. A method called 'arrangement interrupting' works well for eliminating habits like smoking. In this process you start with writing the steps and feelings associated with execution of your bad habit.

If you wish to exit smoking, make a list of all the steps you take when you smoke. Following steps are only suggestive; you can make your own steps:

1. I am totally relaxed (you will be continuing from the relaxed position).

2. I have an urge to smoke.

3. I take out a cigarette. There goes my 50c (or whatever the cost of one cigarette).

4. I take out my lighter.

5. I can already feel the excitement of smoking.

6. I light my cigarette.

7. I am now smoking (remember the taste and the sensation of smoking).

8. My cigarette is over and I throw away the stub.

9. The evil act of smoking is over. At last!

10. Feeling of regret.

11. Feeling of mischievous accomplishment because I finished my cigarette before Anita could see me smoking.

12. Comforting feeling that I will not be smoking for some time at least.

13. I am still relaxed.

14. What a enormous achievement it will be when I totally resign smoking.

After writing down the steps, try to remember them.

Next time after you are in relaxed stage start with the steps to focus on the complication. Try to re-live the encounter. After completing the steps again think of steps 2 to 12 but not sequentially. Think of the steps in random order to break the template. Try to think of each step randomly about 3 times.

Now think of desirable steps. For exemplification, you can weigh on these steps:

1. I am totally relaxed.

2. It is commendable that my last cigarette is over.

3. It feels huge just to think that I will not smoke again.

4. I am happy that I will not have to hide anything from Joanna.5. What a sense of achievement. I have finally exit smoking. I have done it!

6. This is the victory of my will power over my useless habit.

7. I am still relaxed.

After repeating those desirable steps scattering times you can slowly come back to your ordinary self.

Hypnotism has amazing power. When used properly it can bring about tremendous allowances. It is a formidable tool and should be used wisely.

Why Do My Children Have Obesity Problems?

Overweight children and adolescents have significantly increased during the past decade. There are times during childhood and adolescence where one is deeply susceptible to weight gain, but these times also offer prevention opportunities for obesity.

Obesity is defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) according to body mass index (BMI). Several health risks arise from a child being overweight, such as type-2 diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, and heart disorder. Fortunately, approaches to counter childhood obesity have been clinically recognized, including behavioral, pharmacological, and surgical.

The prospect of morbid short- and long-term outcomes make childhood obesity a considerable public concern. The boost of adult obesity has been correlated to the raise of childhood obesity. Other countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Dominion, China, Germany, and France have reported increases of childhood obesity as well. Parents who suspect a problem can check by having a doctor or pediatrician measure the child's height and weight to see if they are in a healthy range.

As instances of childhood obesity rise, there is alarming evidence that these children will be predisposed to heart disease later in life. The American Heart Association (AHA) has issued statements on the importance of preventing obesity for this reason. The AHA has also urged physicians to be proactive in identifying the development of obesity and health conditions such as type-2 diabetes and glucose intolerance.

Today's fast-paced, sedentary, fast food lifestyles entice children to build their lives around a steady diet of fatty and fried meals, much of which can e blamed for obesity. The onslaught of obesity places children at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, resistance to insulin, and a heightened risk for heart condition. Research has also proven obesity in adults leads to hardening of the arteries, heart sickness, strokes, angina, and heart attacks.

Despite this, relatively little is truly known about the importance of these adult issues in childhood. Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) begins in childhood and progresses throughout one's life. But there has been very insignificant research or interest in childhood heart sickness, so unfortunately there is correspondingly little knowledge available for parents.

Research for the treatment of obesity has been relatively narrow, especially when compared to the epidemic rise in weight gain. So the most considerable prevention that a parent can make is to introduce sustaining eating habits to their children and avoid overfeeding infants. Children should not be given food as a reward or incentive because they grasp to use it as a stress reliever. On the other hand, children ought not be deprived of food they need since they could wind up adopting negative feelings about the event and later evolve an eating disorder.

Training on the basic food groups and fitting servings will benefit children as well. For illustration, snacks that include nourishing foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and grains should be high priorities. Legitimate diets ought to be paired with exercise that gets the entire body involved. Admirable options would be biking, swimming, and walking.

Obesity treatment programs that affirm to be on track include:

* Treatment before adolescence

* Willingness on the part of both the children and the rest of the family to participate

* Education of families about the complications of obesity

Involving the entire family in invigorating eating habits is a vast way to a helping hand one's child not feel awkward. For exemplification, sustaining eating can be encouraged by parents providing more vegetables and fruits, and conversely reducing the number of sodas and high-priced fat, excessive calorie junk foods.

What Are Some Treatments for Eating Disorders?

In 1997, 22-year-old Heidi Gunther died of a heart attack during a vacation trip with her family. She was at the time a ballet dancer for the Boston Ballet. Heidi suffered from an eating disorder called Anorexia Nervosa.

Anorexia is a life threatening psychological condition where a person believes he or she is too obese; never thin enough, resulting in self-starvation and indulgent exercising to the point of malnutrition. This condition seems to be increased commonly emcompassed by teenage girls and modern women but not exclusively. Cases have also been found emcompassed by men, burgeoning children, and even some women as old as sixty. It is characterized by extremely low body weight, and a distorted sense of self-perception.

The physiological state of anorexia creates a enormous strain on the heart and cardiovascular system. Conditions include decelerate heart rate, an electrolyte imbalance, muscle weakness, and a breakdown of the immune system resulting finally in mortality. Anorexia can also lead to other disorders such as stunted maturation, shrunken bones, mineral loss, kidney debasement, liver harm, destruction of teeth, disruption of menstrual cycle, infertility, and a host of other damaging prognostics.

There are various types of eating disorders, but the special ones include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, rumination disorder, and pica.

Bulimia nervosa, like anorexia, is an eating disorder in reaction to a perceived weight gain. The subject with bulimia engages in binge eating countless times during the day and then follows the binging with intentional purging by inducing vomiting. Some subjects with anorexia also combine binging and purging with their starvation routine.

Rumination is an eating disorder whereby a person after eating regurgitates the contents from his/her stomach back into the mouth to be chewed again. The disorder is associated with nervousness and anxiety-related issues after eating a meal, and is also related to anorexia and bulimia.

Pica is a disorder whereby a person develops an appetite for things that are not food at all such as dirt, coal, chalk, cardboard, clay, and even cigarette butts. Pica can occur in people of all ages, but is found especially in young children with study disabilities and children of poor developing countries. Pica is usually caused by a biochemical deficiency such as an iron deficiency. Once the deficiency is found and resolved in a patient, the pica disorder is also resolved. Treatment for pica includes some psychosocial and family guidance techniques involving associating negative chain reactions with eating non-food items.

In today's civilization, especially in developed countries, the pressure for women to live up to an unrealistic supreme "thin" appearance is imposed, celebrated, and glamorized by the media and the culture. Magazine covers in newsstands everywhere portray that "desired image" and at the same time send out a message of equating or associating that appearance to being fruitful, beautiful and having self-worth.

There's a societal pressure in this nation for developing women and teenage girls to be thin.

In fields of ballet, modeling, and the entertainment industry, competition is fierce. Importance is placed on that excellent "thin" look by these institutions, especially in the modeling and ballet worlds. Even though it is generally accepted in the medical world that the causes of anorexia nervosa are inconclusive, the idea that societal pressures are one of the causes for this mental disorder is not far-fetched.

Aside from world and the media celebrating a culture of overboard thinness, there are other circumstances that interact with each other to determinent anorexia. Scientists determined that the interaction of genetics, environment, biochemistry, and personality traits also contribute to the eating disorder. Most people with anorexia share homogeneous personality traits such as perfectionism and low self-esteem. They also share some other psychological issues such as manage issues, lack of coping skills, the need for attention, and dejection.

Since the causes of anorexia are multifaceted, the treatment can include a diversity of approaches, most of which are psychological in nature. The prime step to recovery though is to restore the person to a usual or imminent-to-typical body weight that is out of the threat zone. It's best if the patient can be diagnosed early and steps can be taken to handle the patient either in a hospital or as an outpatient. The patient who is far along in his/her disorder may be in need of urgent hospitalization to thwart casualty. In the beginning, weight gain is the biggest obstacle to fundamental recovery.

After weight has been stabilized, psychotherapy and/or counseling is the primary avenue of treatment in order to deal with the issues of self-hate and low self esteem that are at the root of the disorder. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can also be used to change destructive thoughts and behaviors. Then there's group therapy and family therapy to give the patient a support group. A physician would also be involved in prescribing medication to deal with anxiety or distress.

For someone with anorexia or any other eating disorder, it's a tough road back to health. In the beginning most patients resist treatment because of denial. Recovery can take 7 to 10 years or augmented. Eighty percent of people with eating disorders who pursue out treatment totally recover or make eloquent strides. Unfortunately, the rest may continue chronic sufferers or die.

The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders is a immense resource for a remedy and enlightenment regarding these eating disorders. They are free and have a hotline if anyone needs a remedy.

Is It Effortless to Moderate the Risk of Heart Disease?

Staying healthy is something for which everyone must take as a personal duty. A considerable part of staying disease-free is eating a nutritious and balanced diet. Staying healthy requires work, but the payback far outweighs the costs. Incorporating tips for staying healthy will assist you in avoiding the flu, colds, and other illnesses. Be sure to read through these tips for staying invigorating especially if you value your health.

Protecting Against Heart Disease

The body cannot insulate itself against diseases alone, as it needs your assistance. All of the considerable causes of demise such as cancer, stroke, lung illness and injury can be prevented by the things that you do. Sixty-five percent of all deaths in adults are caused by heart disorder, cancer and stroke. But many of the actions that determine these issues begin at an early age.

Evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an imperative role in several types of chronic health problems especially cardiovascular infirmity, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders. Other circumstances that put people at risk for infirmity include your age, your medical and family history, and individual choices that people make. What can you do to stay disease-free and thwart sickness?

Losing weight helps lower the risk of health problems especially people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Maintaining typical cholesterol levels with a remedy inhibit diseases and can assistance avert circulation problems. If you cease with smoking, you'll lower your risk for heart attack, stroke, nerve malady, kidney illness, and oral conditions. It is suggested that you talk to your doctor about how to slash the risk elements of heart illness, including controlling your cholesterol.

Customary Exercise

Exercise can prevent heart disease, escalating blood pressure, diabetes, osteoporosis, distress, and possibly colon cancer, stroke, and back injury. A exorbitant-fiber, low-fat diet and run-of-the-mill exercise can a assist you in losing weight gradually and this remedy can keep it off. Try to exercise for 30 to 60 minutes, 4 to 6 times a week, but any amount is finer than not at all. Moderate intensity exercise activities, such as walking and swimming, are huge choices. Wellness is a way of living that highlights such preventive measures as eating a nourishing diet; making exercise an enjoyable part of your life, and making self-care decisions that will improve the condition of your life.

Staying desirable requires moderation in everything that you do. Staying desirable physically and mentally is significant to preventing numerous diseases that plague our community. Maintaining or adopting a sustaining situation as you get older can assist your chances of staying disease-free and maintaining your independence. Whether you like playing sports, drawing, singing, writing stories, or just being funny, share your commitment to staying healthy with others and let's fight against heart disease problems that can be prevented.

Protecting Our Children's Self Appearance by Avoiding Steroids

It is not a surprise to most people that health studies point to our beloved culture as a perpetrator of body appearance which has corresponded to the self-awareness model and well being for women, men AND men. What may surprise you is that this is not a new paradox. Is the rail thin arrival of runway and magazine models a distinct obsession which has started burgeoning girls and women on a path towards starvation, malnutrition and disorders such as anorexia and bulimia? I do not believe this is the case.

The western world created a celebrated culture of 'you can never be to thin' as early as the 1920's when "flapper" styles caused women to starve and over exercise their bodies to attain the flat chested, androgynous look that was beloved at that time. The fuller figure did make a comeback during the Depression, but quickly reverted in the 1960's with thinness being equated with natural beauty.

Studies on self awareness and appearance indicate that women tend to recognize themselves heavier than they really are. This distorted body appearance is linked to unhealthy dietary practices like anorexia and bulimia. Although distorted body equivalent affects men and women of all age ranges, it is middle and upper class women who are most commonly affected in thinking they are too copious and need to lose weight. Sadly, girls as young as nine are following the paths set down by mothers, sisters and others. On the other hand, men with body appearance problems often feel they are too thin and use of steroids by youths trying to build muscle mass shows that they are also adversely affected by media portrayals of the body.

Bad self image is learned. This can be clearly illustrated by a study conducted by the World Health Organization with Canadian students. The study showed that the reliance of children dropped dramatically through the pre-teen years. The percentage of 11 year old boys and girls who felt confident all of the time was 47% and 35% respectively. By age 15 the percentage dropped to 30% for boys and a disappointing 14% for girls.

What are we teaching our children?

In a quote from Health Canada based on a research program for VITALITY the following report was made: "Slimness in western cultures is associated not only with big hit and sophistication, but with character virtues. Conversely, obesity is the opposite of all these things and, particularly in the case of women, is associated with failure and a collapse of self-discipline." Self awareness is tied to several points, only one of which is body model. Self appearance is part of self awareness and starts early in childhood, even before speech. As we become adults many tie their self reputation to such components as job triumph, relationships and abilities. Body appearance - if a person has a negative view of themselves physically - can be one of the most dramatic influences.

Health Canada's findings show that although self awareness may be subject to change throughout our life, our "fundamental sense of feeling worthy or unworthy (self-esteem) remains relatively stable". This means that it while children are still unpracticed that the most jolt is made on their future self equivalent. Creating a safeguarded, nurturing and loving environment can be the greatest protection against negative body appearance and low self-esteem.