Women's Page

Breast cancer is a potential killer however, the prognosis is very good if detected and treated early. Make sure you have a regular mammogram x ray and check yourself regularly and frequently for any signs of lumps or other unusual growth activity. You have been warned!

Older birth control pills linked to breast cancer

A large bag of potato chips is ripped open and consumed, then quickly followed by another. Two pints of ice cream are spooned and swallowed. The cookie jar is raided and emptied. Typically, all of these foods are eaten rapidly in one sitting, usually in solitude and often with shame.

Millions of people can't put the brakes on eating — a recently characterized eating disorder known as binge eating. This condition differs from bulimia in that binge eaters usually do not try to "erase" their eating sprees with laxatives, excessive exercise or purging. Instead, they may continue to gain weight.

A binger feels out of control when eating and eats well past the point of feeling full. They eat to distance themselves from painful feelings and always eat secretively. They don't necessarily enjoy the food and may stop only when they run out of food, someone enters or they have to be somewhere else.

The annual Thanksgiving feast in which you heap mountains of delicious food on your plate again and again or those occasional trips to all-you-can-eat buffets do not make you a binge eater. Such meals are few and far between and are regarded as social events.

By clinical definition, a binge eater overeats at least twice a week for at least six months. During the binge, the person experiences a sense of loss of control over eating, feeling that they cannot stop.

A binge is often 3,000 or more calories, and it's usually fast foods, sweets and carbohydrates." A binge eater may pull up to a fast food drive-up window, supersize the entire order and eat the food very quickly. Binges are often accompanied by feelings of guilt or disgust at one's behavior.

Medical experts are just starting to unlock what triggers binge eating, but they rank it as the most common eating disorder. The American Psychiatric Association estimates this eating disorder affects about 2 million Americans. Binge eating seems to occur equally among women and men and among blacks and whites. By contrast, bulimia and anorexia predominantly affect women.

Although the cause of binge eating remains a mystery, Dr. Bartlett, Dr. Guarda and other experts say about half of all people diagnosed with binge eating disorders have clinical levels of depression. Many have tried and failed dieting programs.

"We're starting to recognize that binge eating is a coping mechanism, much like why some people drink alcohol or abuse drugs or medications," says Dr. Bartlett.

"During a binge, these individuals are promising themselves that they will go on a diet the next day, that this is the final feast," says Dr. Bartlett. "The promise is broken."

Binge eaters also tend to develop this disorder during their late teens or 20s. By the time they reach their 50s, the condition seems to improve somewhat. But 20 to 30 years of overeating take a physical toll on their bodies, making them at greater risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer. It also takes an emotional toll. Embarrassed by their physical appearance, bingers may begin to avoid social activities and spend more time alone, says Dr. Bartlett.

Fortunately, effective treatment is available. Success depends on first recognizing that you have this condition. It is vital to seek professional help from a psychologist or psychiatrist trained in treating this specific eating disorder.

Treatment usually includes cognitive behavior therapy to help the individual understand and identify their feelings as well as the events, people and situations that trigger binge episodes. They learn how to re-think their eating, relationships and situations in a healthier manner. Interpersonal therapy, working one-on-one with a therapist and working in groups, helps an individual learn to focus on his or her relationship with people. Antidepressant medications such as fluoxetine (Prozac) or fluvoxamine (Luvox) may also be prescribed in people with clinical evidence of depressive symptoms. These drugs should only be taken under extreme caution due to the possibility of dependence; preferably not at all!

"The goal of therapy is to gain control over eating, and it may take a few months, six months or longer," says Dr. Bartlett. "It depends on the individual."

Individuals learn healthy eating and exercise habits. They learn the value of eating three nutritiously balanced meals and two snacks a day well within normal caloric intakes. Once eating patterns have normalized, structured weight management efforts can help the individual learn how to gradually lose and keep off excess pounds.

"The healthy way is to lose one pound a week and realize that there are no quick fixes." "For binge eaters who are obese, losing 10 to 20 percent of their weight will significantly impact the medical complications of obesity in a positive way."

The sooner one seeks help, the quicker the condition can be addressed and corrected.

"Binge eating disorder requires professional help. It doesn't go away on its own," says Dr. Bartlett. "Effective treatments are available. Untreated, it tends to get worse. We know more about how to help individuals with this disorder than we did even 10 or 15 years ago."

Why exercise while you're pregnant? Take a look at some of the possible benefits:

Fewer leg cramps, backaches and other pregnancy-related pains
Increased sense of well being and control during pregnancy
Lower weight gain
Larger placenta (the nutrient base for the baby)
Shorter labour and easier delivery
Speedier recovery

The typical woman exercises to burn calories and lose body fat. However, when a woman becomes pregnant, she needs to gain weight in order to assure a healthy pregnancy. For this reason, exercise goals need to be modified. The most important goal is to exercise in ways that are safe.

The College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists recommend the following:

Regular exercise (at least three times per week) is preferable to intermittent activity.
Assuming that a woman doesn't have any risk factors for adverse maternal or pre-natal outcome, she can exercise and derive benefits from participating in mild to moderate intensity exercise routines. Working heart rates should be measured during peak levels of activity to ensure that exercise intensity is within desired range.
Extremes of joint flexion and extension (such as deep knee bends and ballistic hyperextension of the knees) should be avoided.
Pregnant women should avoid exercising in the supine position ( on their backs) after the first trimester.
Pregnant women should be aware of the decreased oxygen available for aerobic exercise and should be encouraged to modify exercise intensity according to maternal symptoms. Pregnant women should stop exercising when fatigued and not exercise to exhaustion.
Prolonged periods of motionless standing should be avoided.
Avoid exercises in which loss of balance could be detrimental to maternal or foetal well-being, especially in the third trimester. Any type of exercise involving the potential for even mild abdominal trauma should be avoided.
Women who exercise during pregnancy should be particularly careful to ensure an adequate diet.
Women should gradually increase exercise intensity after delivery.