Posted: 05 Oct 2010 09:07 PM PDT

Last week, The Herald reported on a study that found that delaying school start times could improve students' academic performance. Associate Professor of Pediatrics Judith Owens '77 MD'80 conducted an experiment at St. George's School in Newport, R.I., that observed the impact of a later start time on student performance, according to the article.

The study then tracked tardiness, academics, and visits to health services before and after the start of the school day was delayed. Results indicated that starting school just 30 minutes later improved students' academic performance and motivation. Students also reported improved physical and psychological health. At the conclusion of the study, school administrators were sold on keeping the later start time, according to The Herald.

We were delighted to see results that supported something many students have known for years - nobody likes to get up early. But the results don't simply reflect students' desire to sleep in. Rather, they are firmly grounded in biological science. Adolescents and young adults need to get a solid night of sleep.

The Herald reported that administrators from other schools, including Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, have already implemented a similar change. We hope other schools throughout Rhode Island will take St. George's as an example and consider shifting their school days as well.

We recognize that changing the school day will be more difficult in large public school districts than in independent schools like St. George's. Many school districts must arrange bus routes for primary, middle and high school students, which often means staggering start times so the same fleet of buses can be used for each cohort. But we hope the evidence is compelling enough that districts at least consider this type of change as a long-term goal.

Despite the logistical challenges involved, the collateral impact of such a shift would likely be small. Owens' study only changed morning start time by a half hour, from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Many schools finish relatively early compared to a standard workday, often ending by 2 or 3 p.m. If planned carefully, shifting the day by 30 minutes shouldn't have too serious of an impact on teachers or parents.

Of course, as the earliest classes at Brown start at 8:30 a.m. anyway, we are fortunate compared to many high schoolers. Though we sometimes like to think that we've outgrown pediatric recommendations geared to teenagers, Owens' study offers a lesson we can all learn from. Most high school and college students need eight to nine hours of sleep every night, Owens told The Herald. But how many of us can remember the last time we slept that much?

Between classes, extracurricular activities and social lives, our sleep schedules tend to take a hit. We hope you take advantage of the long weekend coming up to escape the library and get some much-needed sleep. Your grades may thank you for it; your body definitely will.

Editorials are written by The Herald's editorial page board. Send comments to editorials (at) browndailyherald.com.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php
Five Filters featured article: Beyond Hiroshima - The Non-Reporting of Falluja's Cancer Catastrophe.

Olive Oil and Your Beauty - Associated Content

Posted: 13 Oct 2010 08:36 PM PDT

Olive oil has received much positive reviews in the recentyears regarding its heart and cholesterol protective benefits. It is a major component of the Mediterranean diet. Those who follow it have found to have much

less incidence of cardiovascular disease than those who consume the high fat American diet.

Apart from these well known health benefits, olive oil provides wonderful beauty benefits. Let's take a peek at two of the well known ones.

Skin

Olive oil has got numerous nutrients such as antioxidants vitamin A and Â¡ Antioxidants are powerful nutrients that help battle cellular damage that results in aging skin. With daily use, the skin feels softer and smoother. Olive oil is also a great moisturizer for dry skin Â Improvement is usually seen a few days after regular usage.

Hair
Â

For healthier hair, olive oil provides moisture and shine.This is essential to hair that has been chenically damaged by relaxers, perms and coloring. Regular usage will strengthen the hair and mosturize the scalp, keeping both healthy and beautiful.

For more information on health a nd beauty topics, please visit: www.sherelynne.blogspot.com

Shame on You Piggy Health Insurers! - Huffingtonpost.com

Posted: 13 Oct 2010 05:44 PM PDT

On Saturday, October 9, in New York City, I was privileged to have had the opportunity to be a volunteer at The Vascular Birthmark Foundation's annual medical conference and clinic at NYU.

The prior evening, I had chaired the Mark of Beauty Gala for VBF, where I met many of the families who brought their children to New York for treatment, as well as some of the adults who have lived with vascular disfigurements.

At the gala I spoke to a crowd of several hundred in attendance, about my own journey with my now 20-year-old daughter's hemangioma. I discussed the uphill battle we faced 20 years ago and ironically still must contend with today. The crowd became aghast when I told them about the language used by insurance providers when they denied a claim for treatment of these deformities, calling it a "cosmetic procedure" and classifying it as a breast augmentation or a nose job!

As I spoke, the audience members could look around the room at the many disfigured faces in the crowd and see with their own eyes the sheer lunacy of this ridiculous predicament.

Under Obama's new health care reforms, besides being denied coverage, procedures which are deemed cosmetic will also be surcharged. To claim that removal of deformity is purely cosmetic is not only obviously preposterous, but it is ultimately a more expensive tab for the short sighted insurance industry to deny coverage.

The cost of these types of cases is far less with early surgical intervention and will undeniably save insurance providers the exorbitant tab of mental health therapy down the road. This cost doesn't even begin to consider the toll on the family and society as a whole. The insurance industry is responsible for the indelible psychological scar that they are allowing to form in those that are forced to live with deformities because they have denied them the ability to get medical treatment. Is treatment of physical defects not a corrective procedure rather than a cosmetic one?

I beg the public to get angry about this ludicrous situation and demand that we mandate to greedy, apathetic insurance companies that they MUST distinguish between cosmetic procedures, which would merely enhance one's appearance and corrective procedures which would eliminate disfigurement and preserve one's psychological well being.

In 1990, when my baby daughter was born with a large purplish growth on her upper lip, which grew and grew, I was made only too aware of the scrutiny from the public that was in store for her once she was old enough to understand. The constant staring and whispering, peppered with rude remarks and comments would often send me home in tears.

I was one of the lucky ones. I found the doctor that was able to literally remove her golf ball sized tumor on her face, in outpatient surgery when she was only 14 months old. I was again fortunate to be able to afford her surgery. My daughter was spared any awareness of the harsh judgment from the public that I will never forget. With all of the bullying and suicides which have made the headlines lately, I cannot imagine what my child's life might have been like if I had not been able to get her the surgery that would remove the enormous cross she would have otherwise been forced to bear throughout her life.

The following is a quote from 31-year-old Kiana Smith who came to the medical conference from Trinidad for treatment. She has lived with a vascular deformity which has continued to grow throughout her life and currently covers the entire left side of her face, chin, neck and left ear.

I feel like I grew up so old. All the teasing, having to cope with it. "Sticks and stones" and all that crap. I can't be strong every day. I can't. I am still a human being like everyone else. I am glad I only hear in one ear. I don't hear all the comments but I see my mother get angry and know something was said. One young man we passed said I was his worst nightmare... I don't feel passion for living. I don't feel normal and think I should. Who would hire me anyway with my face?

I was taught that if we are not part of the solution, we are surely part of the problem. Please help me to end this craziness. Send a message to your congressman, senator, President Obama and the press, and tell them we will not stand by and allow the insurance fat cats to grow richer by turning their backs on those that need and deserve their support. Be a part of the solution!

Follow Hyleri Katzenberg on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Hyleri

Health and Beauty

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

“Editorial: Not just beauty sleep - Brown Daily Herald” plus 2 more

“Editorial: Not just beauty sleep - Brown Daily Herald” plus 2 more

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive

Feedjit