acne around mouth: 2010

Acne No More System - How to Permanently Cure Acne

Are you looking for the best acne treatment that can help you clear your acne from its source??. Acne no more is the answer. Keep reading to find the truth before you decide to buy it...

What is acne no more system?

This is the #1 best selling acne E-Book that explains you step by step how to eliminate acne from its source created by Mike Walden, a health consultant and also a certified nutritionist. Mike walden claims if this product can help you cure acne without using expensive creams and drugs.

In the beginning of his product, he explains what acne is. This is very important because you must know what causes your acne and then you can find how to treat it effectively.

By following this program, you will realize if natural remedies is the biggest secret to cure acne. This E-Book will also explain you variety of acne causes (including the internal problems in your body that can cause acne and how to stop it), and why using antibiotics is not recommended to treat acne.

However, this is not the right product for you if you want to clear your acne instantly. It takes patience and time if you want to see the result of this treatment program.

The bad thing about acne no more

* The diet program:

It might be a hard task for you to follow the instructions of this program if you hate diet because this program also requires you to diet in order to get a healthy skin. (Note that It’s a fact if food has strong connection to acne) .

This program will also explain you what food you need to avoid in order to get healthier skin and what food that can help you clear acne. (For example, you may not eat hamburgers for several days and you need to change them with juices) .

The idea of this diet program itself is to restore the balance of your body by getting rid of the toxins.

*Some people say if the E-book is too overwhelming. It makes sense since the guide contains more than 200 pages.

Does it really work???

Yes it does, as long as you follow the instructions in this E-book, the acne no more program will help you clear moderate or even severe acne in different parts of the your body such as face, chest, and back.

60 Days Money back guarantee

Save hundred of dollars by joining with this program. But if it doesn't work or if you are not satisfied with acne no more, you can claim your money back in 60 days (just forward an email with your clickbank purchased number to refunds@clickbank.com ).

The last words from me:

Acne no more is not a miracle cure. Like i told you above, this guide is not made for those who want to clear acne very fast. Thanks for coming and you can get the product by clicking the link below:

click here to get acne no more

What You Need to Know About Acne?

Acne is a common human skin disease. It can be defined as the chronic inflammatory disorder of pilo sebaceous follicles. It may be characterized by inflammatory or non inflammatory papules, pustules, nodules in its more severe form or scars. The lesions of acne are commonly called pimples, blemishes, spots etc. It occurs mostly in the areas of skin where sebaceous follicles are dense. Areas mostly affected by acne are forehead, cheeks, chin, upper arms and upper trunk. Course of the disorder varies extremely ranging from months to years.

There are certain well recognized forms of acne:

1. Acne vulgaris: It is the most common type of acne observed in teenagers.
2. Acne excorie: Squeezing of acne lesions result in scarring and disfiguration
3. Acne neonatorum: It is also known as juvenile acne. It is a manifest of a virilizing syndrome and is usually seen during first two years of life. But in most of the cases cause remains unknown
4. Acne conglobata: This kind of acne is mostly encountered in males characterized by chronic burrowing and scarring
5. Acne venenata: Chemical exposure e.g. tars; mineral oil etc is the cause

Acne most commonly occurs in adolescents. It affects more than 90-96% teenagers and may also continue in adulthood. The processes causing acne are similar for skin of all colors. But the darker skin has more effects of acne. It diminishes and tends to disappear over time; however no one can predict how long it will take to disappear entirely. Besides scarring, acne can affect a patient psychologically. It can result in lack of self confidence, depression and social insecurity.

Acne occurs due to blocked follicles which may be due to the hyperkeratinization and keratin or sebum plug formation. Sebaceous glands when become clogged with sebum directly results in whiteheads or closed comedone. Naturally occurring bacteria Propionibacterium acnes cause inflammation by producing lipase, splitting the fats into fatty acids and triglycerides which are comedogenic and lead to papules, pustules, or nodules formation in the skin around comedone resulting in redness, scarring or hyperpigmentation.

Primary causes of acne may include family or genetic history, hormonal activity (menstruation and puberty), and stress which may result in increased acne severity. Diet factors may include consumption of chocolate, milk, low levels of vitamin A and E. High humidity and temperature may induce severe relapse.

Acne should not be taken lightly as it can cause considerable psychological and physical trauma. General treatment of acne includes elimination of acneigenic drugs and chemicals, avoiding chocolates and nuts in susceptible patients. Also avoid greasy cosmetics as they are another reason for acne.

Topical as well as systemic treatment may also be given during acne. Tetracyclines, erythromycin, antiandrogens, retinoids are given to treat acne systemically. Whereas in case of topical treatments it is advised to wash the affected area three to four times a day with soap and water. Keratolytic agents such as salicylic acid or sulphur in the form of lotion or cream are given and applied to induce exfoliation. Erythromycin and tetracycline are also available as topical lotions and creams.

I had severe acne for many years. There are some things I wish I knew earlier. Find them out here: http://acne-cure-now.blogspot.com/

Calling the Sugar Plum Fairy Fat and Other Ways To End Up on the Naughty List!

Back in the mid 1990's I first began getting interested in public health. One of my first areas of interest was around eating disorders, especially among female athletes. Many of you may remember the book that sparked my interest, "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes".

This book focused on body weight/image pressures among female athletes in elite gymnastics and figure skating. The book is heartbreaking, following several athletes along paths of injury and disordered eating...many of which lead to permanent injury or death. Even though the book is almost 15 years old, I sometimes wonder if we've even learned anything from those stories.

On NBC's Today Show this morning, Jenifer Ringer was a guest. She is a New York City Ballet principal dancer, currently playing the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. Her name has been all over the blogosphere in the past week after a critic for The New York Times Dance Section wrote that "she looked as if she'd eaten one sugar plum too many".

In response to the outrage over his comments, the critic (Alastair Macaulay) published a second editorial five days later called "Judging the Bodies in Ballet". His primary argument- judging the body is fair game in ballet. "If you want to make your body irrelevant to criticism, do not choose ballet as a career". And I would assume that he would argue that the same goes for gymnastics or figure skating, where the body is actually part of the art form. But if that is true, how does the cycle of pressure and expectation ever get broken? Are you asking for criticism if you choose to participate in one of these sports?

In public health, we often make much more headway by changing laws/policies versus changing any one individual's opinion. In that spirit, there have been some systemic changes that have made these types of sports safer for young female athletes. For example, a minimum age limit for Olympic competition was enforced (even though some countries have cheated), hoping that it will help with wear and tear on young bodies that can not yet handle the intense training. Changes have been made to make the equipment safer. For example, after many serious injuries occurred on the women's vault in gymnastics, their pommel horse was replaced with a "vaulting table" that was more appropriately sized and padded.

So minimum ages and safer equipment are wonderful, but what will help with the unrealistic body image problem? In her Today Show interview, Jenifer shared that the New York City Ballet has all types of bodies on the roster, including hers that is more "womanly". I guess that's a good start. If ballet companies can model variety and acceptance and strength for their audiences (including aspiring ballerinas), that can begin to change perceptions of what is "normal". And the outrage shown by readers of the critic's comments. I guess that's a good start too.

Shame on you Mr. Macaulay for picking on the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Acne coming back @ 26 years old

So, my acne was pretty much under control once I turned 25. I had almost no acne except for the occasional breakout every month around that time. However, this year October, I had some extra stress and my acne came back full force. I had lots of small red pimples all over my forehead; they almost look like they are angry and screaming at me. Why?? I was so frustrated that I almost wanted to end it all. I am already 26 with acne for almost 8 years. This is so unbelievable. Why would I still have this problem when I am an adult? I inherited my dad's bad oily acne-prone skin which makes me feel like I am a monster practically all the time. I am sure all acne sufferers would relate to that. I never felt beautiful in my life and I know it's because of acne. My mom says so and so has acne but she is still happily married. She doesn't know how I feel or how people with acne feel because she's never had acne in her life. I am just so tired of hearing it will go away eventually. OK, like when is it really going away?? Never. Anyways instead of going on and on about how miserable I am. Let me give you some update on the situation, I saw my doctor and he prescribed me bunch of medicine, Benzoyl Peroxide (5%) / Erythromycin Gel (1%), erythromycin tablets and retin-A. The benzoyl peroxide / erythromycin gel is pretty effective however I am super allergic to it. It made my face tomato red for several days plus I was itchy. If your skin can tolerate the benzoyl peroxide, you should definitely get this mixture cream, works very well for my hundreds of forehead acne. Erythromycin tablets was prescribed to me as well, but I couldn't take it because every time I took I felt really sick. The retin-A just peels the skin and I didn't feel it had an effect at all. So with that, I felt pretty hopeless. My primary physician said that I should get my blood / urine tested so that I can get ready to take Accutane. He gave me a referral to a dermatologist who can actually prescribe the medicine (as my primary physician cannot). I will be seeing him on Dec, 14. Don't know if he is willing to prescribe me that stuff as I imagine that he will say that my situation is not that bad.
Oh, here is a little bit of background on my acne history. I took Accutane before for just 1 month on 10mg per day. It cleared up my skin beautifully. It worked almost right away. My skin was feeling normal and the acne never came back as severe as before. Thinking back, I should have taken Accutane for at least 3 months 20mg per day for a longer lasting effect.
OK, my fellow acne sufferers, I will update you on the situation once I see the dermatologist.

In Honor of World AIDS Day: Can Celebrity "Digital Deaths" Prevent Real Deaths from HIV/AIDS?

Kim Kardashian, Ryan Seacrest, and Lady Gaga are all dead! No, not really...but they are considered "Digitally Dead" for today- World AIDS Day (December 1st). These celebrities and many more joined forces with a charity co-founded by singer Alicia Keys called Keep a Child Alive. The charity provides treatment, love, and support to families affected by HIV/AIDS.

For today's campaign, celebs were pictured in coffins, featured in "last video testaments", and pledging to stay digitally silent on their social media accounts (i.e., on Facebook and Twitter) until their lives were "bought back" by donors reaching a minimum of one million dollars total. Although the images of celebs in coffins were a little creepy, Keep a Child Alive co-founder Leigh Blake says:

"We're trying to sort of make the remark: Why do we care so much about the death of one celebrity as opposed to millions and millions of people dying in the place that we're all from? Its about love and respect and human dignity."

It is an interesting concept for a health communication/advocacy campaign. Usually when campaigns advocate via social media, it is done by bombarding their followers with messages and links to donate or sign up to assist the cause. Here, the campaign is trying to motivate donors by having an ABSENCE of the celebrities' voices. How powerful is that absence? Will the public really miss reading celebs tweets and facebook status updates? Apparently so. As of tonight on Twitter, Kim Kardashian had 5,467,107 followers and Ryan Seacrest had 3,683,658 followers. So whether we like it or not, the voices (and silences) of these celebrities matter in our communities.

While I do think the campaign will have large reach, I will say that their coffin posters left room for improvement. I've analyzed health communication campaigns on this blog before, and the key is always- "What is the cue to action? Does the audience know what they are supposed to do after seeing the poster/brochure/PSA?" Well- when I first saw this poster of Kim Kardashian, I had no idea what it was about. I had to Google and read the narrative about the World AIDS Day campaign for Keep A Child Alive. For this blog post, I had to blow the image up over 100% to read the text on the bottom of the poster. It reads,

"Kim sacrificed her digital life to give real life to millions of others affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. That means no more Facebook or Twitter until we buy her life back". Then the charity website and text number were provided to accept donations. In future campaigns, they would want that text to be much bigger. It should not take the audience several minutes, a Google search, and a magnifying glass to figure out what they are supposed to do to help poor Kim get out of that coffin.

Overall, I give this campaign a B+ for creativity in using the "absence" of social media messages and targeting celebrities with a huge following and reach to potential donors.

Picking Blackheads - Why Are They Ineffective?

Blackheads are those tiny black bumps that you usually see on your chin, nose and forehead. They are annoying, stubborn, and you just can't get rid of them easily. There are many solutions that you can do to make them disappear. Picking blackheads, however, is not one of them.

I know you can't help but touch your face and pinch those pesky black bumps. I know how that feels like to be obsessed about removing those awful little stressors. Take it from me. Doing this is extremely bad for your skin. Why? Reason number one is that touching your face alone spreads bacteria. Bacteria, when combined with oil and dirt, instantly cause acne and other skin problems.

Reason number two is that erroneous squeezing of blackheads causes scar. Sure, the scars are easy to conceal but pinching affects the pores surrounding the area you squeezed. This makes more blackheads appear on the other areas. Wait! There are more reasons to scrap the picking idea.

Reason number three is that your blood vessels might be damaged if you squeeze or pinch your blackheads. Unfortunately, only a pricey laser treatment can remove or restore the damages made in your skin. Still not convinced why you should not pick your blackheads?

Reason number four is that picking blackheads creates more problems than when you started. If you happen to pick them incorrectly, the clog in your pores may be pushed further away from the top layer of the skin. This causes a lump and can only be removed by your dermatologist. However, it will create a large hole in your face once removed. To top that, it is very difficult to cover up a big and deep hole on your face. So do you still want to pick your blackheads?

Instead of picking your blackheads, why not start clean? You can cleanse your face every day to avoid the formation of the black bumps. The daily cleansing unclogs your pores and removes the oil and dirt accumulated all throughout the day. If the blackheads are already in your face, you can remove them by using pore strips. In addition, stay away from smoking, alcohol, spicy, fried and unhealthy food.

Drink about eight glasses of water daily to hydrate your skin. If you want, you can look for natural homemade remedies to use on your face. One sample remedy you can use is tomato. Slice your tomatoes and then put them inside a container (or preferably a zip lock bag). Place this container inside the freezer and let the tomatoes freeze. Gently massage them to your face once they are frozen. You may find it uncomfortable but tomatoes are really good in exfoliating your skin and removing the blemishes. If you are not too comfortable with this remedy, there are more recipes online that you can do at home without the hefty price tag.

Picking blackheads is not safe. Even the lightest or the friendliest pinch will still cause more trouble than you had before. Instead of picking, why not cleanse your face daily or do homemade remedies for them? I bet they are more effective.

Mick J Jones is a health and beauty enthusiast who wishes to help those who have skin problems. You can read more about it when you go to Picking Blackheads

Text Messages and Public Health: Can They Remove Barriers for "Calling" 9-1-1?

Text messages are a great time saver. You do not have to have a long conversation with someone...instead you can just send a quick message like "I made it home safe!" or "Can you pick up milk on your way home?" These text messages work well to support our busy lives, but can they also be incorporated into effective public health interventions and systems?

This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced that it is looking into letting citizens report crimes via text message. An article posted by Wired discusses the possibility and highlights some of the "barriers" that this new strategy could help to address. First and foremost, it could allow citizens to report a crime without being overheard if they were in dangerous situations (e.g., kidnapping, robbery). The FCC specifically pointed to the 2007 shootings at VirginiaTech and reported that texts could have allowed emergency personnel to respond more quickly and with a better understanding of the circumstances inside the campus buildings.

While at first glance, it may seem surprising to use text messaging for 9-1-1 reporting (due to potential logistical considerations and challenges), it would not be the first time that texts were being integrated into public health interventions and emergency response systems. For example:

Text messages are used to disseminate key health messages to various priority populations. E.g., The Text4Baby campaign allows mothers to self select into their program by texting "Baby" to the program number. The mothers then receive weekly text messages (timed to their due date or baby's birth day) regarding key health issues for their babies (e.g., nutrition, immunizations, etc).

Many workplaces and college campuses have signed up for emergency response systems that will send out automatic alerts to email and phones (via text message) during a crisis (e.g., shooter on site).

In the case of using text messages for "calling" 9-1-1, I wonder about how texts could influence a well documented social psychology barrier to calling for help. Those of you that took a social psychology course in college may remember the name "Kitty Genovese". She was a woman who was murdered outside her home in Queens, NY in 1964. At least one dozen people heard or observed her attack (lasting approximately 30 minutes), but there was much delay in anyone calling for help. A NY Times article running two weeks after her death was entitled, "Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call Police". This case is widely discussed as an example of the "Bystander Effect", which is used to explain why many people do not help in emergency situations when others are present. Some hypotheses about the effect are that we just do what others are doing (i.e., nothing to help), we assume someone else is already calling/helping, or we assume that others are more qualified to help. Perhaps it is also too much trouble to call 9-1-1? They require a lot of information, we have to stay on the phone, etc. Perhaps a more "passive" option to report the information (like text messaging) would decrease resistance and the bystander effect?

In addition to the great potential with this strategy, there are also several barriers that must be addressed in the planning:

Costs (equipment, training, staffing)
Regulation and Oversight: Will text message support be required or voluntary at emergency centers? Who will conduct a formative and ongoing evaluation of the system?
Interpretation of messages: Operators will need special training to (quickly) interpret and respond to text messages. Texts are often written in short hand, so you would need someone very skilled to decipher them accurately. It may also be time consuming to support the texting back and forth that may be required to receive all relevant information from the "caller" in order to dispatch an appropriate response.

Even with the barriers noted above, it does seem like text messages are a viable option to consider in order to increase timely and safe 9-1-1 reporting. However, the 9-1-1 system will need to think critically to develop the type of infrastructure that can keep up with our ever changing and expanding communication technology.

No Matter How Graphic The Images, Fear Based Messages Will Continue To Be Ineffective For Prevention

All over the news in the past week, we have seen samples of the new graphic images being proposed for addition to cigarette packages. They include corpses and people dying of cancer. However, just because these images and warnings are larger and more graphic, does not mean that they will be effective in smoking prevention.

A story ran today on Boston.com called "Will graphic cigarette warnings help- or hurt?" Two experts in tobacco prevention are quoted regarding their concerns about the new images. Gregory Connelly of the Harvard School of Public Health points to the results coming from Canada after using similar images. Smokers there simply purchased sleeves to cover up the images on their cigarette packs. Also, the smoking rate did not go down. The second expert is a wonderful professor of mine from the Boston University School of Public Health, Dr. Michael Siegel. Dr. Siegel writes regularly regarding this topic on his blog, "The Rest of the Story: Tobacco Analysis and Commentary". In the Boston.com article, he states "I do not actually think it's going to have much of an impact". His argument- the images are too late. The smokers are seeing the images after they have already purchased cigarettes. And (drum roll please....) people already know smoking is bad for them.

As someone who grew up during the "This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?" era...I wonder why we have not made much progress since then? Numerous studies have shown that scare tactics (or fear appeals) are not effective for preventing or producing sustained reductions of Alcohol, Tobacco, or other Drug use among youth. In addition to the issues outlined above, there is another problem with the fear based approach:

Although the fear based messages may increase knowledge (e.g., if they did not know it already, smokers will learn that cigarettes are bad for them from the graphic images)- knowledge does not equal behavior change. Especially when you are dealing with an addictive behavior. Addictive behaviors like smoking and drug use are impacted by much more than a rational weighing of pros and cons. There is the biological component of addiction, local-state-national prevention policies, social norms around the behavior, consequences experienced (or not experienced), ease of access to the substance, social support for quiting, money to support the addiction, etc. As you can see, knowledge alone will not change this kind of complex behavior.

Many of the most successful prevention strategies around this and other public health issues will continue to be a refocus from increasing individual knowledge to changing an environment that supports the behavior. In other words, laws that create smoke-free workplaces and crack down on establishments that sell cigarettes to underage kids will always be more effective at keeping the population healthy versus trying to educate (or scare) one individual at a time.

Kids, Gender Identity, and Bullying: Moms Fight Back

Last week on Facebook, no less than ten friends posted a link to the Nerdy Apple Bottom website post "My son is gay". The post was written by the mother of a 5-year old boy who dressed as Daphne (from Scooby Doo) for Halloween. She talks about his arrival at school in his costume and the harsh reaction received...mostly from other parents. She documents her internal reaction to this reception, which prompted much discussion and cheering among my Facebook friends:

"If you think that me allowing my son to be a female character for Halloween is somehow going to 'make' him gay, then you are an idiot. Firstly, what a ridiculous concept. Secondly, if my son is gay, OK. I will love him no less. Thirdly, I am not worried that your son will grow up to be an actual ninja so back off".

As of tonight, this post had 41,311 comments.

Coincidentally, the November 15th edition of People Magazine runs a story called "A Tale of Acceptance". The story profiles a Seattle mother named Cheryl Kilodavis who also has a 5-year old son that likes to dress up as a girl character. When the behavior began three years ago, she and her husband discussed it and decided to let him dress how he liked. In order to help other kids accept him, Cheryl decided to write a children's story. She calls her self-published book, "My Princess Boy".

Cheryl first shared the book at her son's school. The vice principal loved it and put copies in all the classes. Cheryl soon had orders from nine other schools and now that there has been so much press coverage, the family is searching for a publisher and trying to keep up with the book requests.

Of course, not all of the press has been positive. A New York Times article late last week discussed some therapists' concerns about these young boys being "outed" by their parents by having their pictures posted on YouTube, blogs, and talk shows. Some commenters wonder why these mothers do not protect their children from ridicule by making them dress in costumes that are more gender appropriate.

The discussion of bullying and suicide over the past few months has seemed to provide a real "teachable moment" for this country. People want to talk about it (as evidenced by the 41,000+ comments on the Nerdy Apple Bottom site). People want to teach kids how to respect themselves and each other. Therefore, they seem fascinated by "My Princess Boy", which uses words and illustrations that can allow even the youngest children to participate in the discussion around personal expression and acceptance. These blogs and books and support from children's schools can really help to change the social norms around what is "normal" behavior and dress. We must be creative in designing a way to evaluate these normative changes. Hopefully we will see a reduction in negative outcomes for students (e.g., reports of bullying, rates of depression, and suicide). But hopefully we will also see a reduction in risk factors further up stream, like attitudes around acceptance and gender roles.

How To Get Rid Of Acne Scars - Best Way To Get Rid Of Acne Scars

You have just suffered from acne, and now you are left with a terrible and embarrassing acne scar. And you are wondering what to do to get rid of it. Many people don't know how to treat acne scars and because of this they are likely going to believe that acne or pimples scars cannot be cured.

If you are amongst these group i have news for you, you can get rid of your scars, starting from today as you are reading this article!
You can get rid of pimples scars by using natural home remedies for acne. It is very effective and is the best way to get rid of acne scars. Listed below are some home ingredients you can use to get rid of acne marks naturally.

Olive oil: To clear your skin of any scar or pimples scars you can apply a 100% raw olive oil on it. You should rub it on at least three times in a day that is in the morning, afternoon and then night. Olive oil will help to reduce the scar on your skin and finally eliminate them all. This oil has good healing properties.

Sandal woods: sandal woods are very helpful in skin treatment because they help your skin to regenerate fast. Ii is also very effective in combating any bacteria on your skin. You are to apply it directly on your acne leave it overnight, then wash it away in the morning. You can do this as much as you like, it will help to heal your skin faster and cure you pimples or acne.

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Marie Claire Blogger vs. Mike & Molly: A "Heavyweight" Fight

Last week a blogger for Marie Claire Magazine named Maura Kelly posted an article called, "Should 'Fatties' Get a Room? (Even on TV)?" The post is focused on a new fall sitcom for CBS called "Mike & Molly". I must disclose that I have not watched this show, but have read that it centers on a couple that meets at an Overeaters Anonymous Group. Ms. Kelly takes a strong position that this show is "promoting obesity" and is grossed out by having to watch two obese people make out (or do anything else, like walk across a room).

As you can imagine, this post has been met with quite a reaction, including 3,195 reader comments (as of tonight) that prompted Ms. Kelly to post an update (aka apology). The update apologizes to those readers that were offended (many of which state that they have since canceled their Marie Claire subscription) and offers that perhaps her strong reaction to these overweight actors comes from her own history as an anorexic. The gist I get from the comments, is that most readers do not feel the apology is sincere and expected a better response from Marie Claire (that would include firing Ms. Kelly and/or making it clear that they will not support this type of discrimination). There has also been a strong response from the celebrity community, including Sharon Osborne on "The Talk" who said that she was appalled and wondered about what Ms. Kelly would think of her. Sharon admitted that she's 30 pounds overweight...should she not be allowed to kiss her husband or walk across the room?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 34% of adults are overweight and about the same percentage are obese. If approximately 70% of our adult population is overweight or obese, why don't we have more characters that accurately reflect what people actually look like and the challenges that they face? Hasn't there been some effort to portray more diverse characters in other ways (e.g., race and ethnicity)? Why would being overweight be so offensive to the viewing population? And is Mike & Molly really the first show to do this? Growing up, I was a fan of the sitcom "Roseanne" (1988-1997). The primary couple on the show (Rosanne Barr and John Goodman) were very overweight and struggled quite openly with weight, diet, and exercise on the show. Perhaps my memory is fuzzy, but I never remember hearing that viewers were horrified by these characters showing affection on the show.

Ironically, as I was getting ready to put this post together today, I caught the Oprah show. She had on Portia Di Rossi who discusses her battle with Anorexia and Bulimia in her new book "Unbearable Lightness".

Portia spoke about her breakout role in Ally McBeal in the 1990s. Many of you may remember the media headlines at that time calling the three female leads "Scary Skinny" (which they were- Portia was down to 82 pounds at one point). Ironically, she specifically discussed her fear about a scene where she seduces her boss in her lingerie in the law office. Although she was skeletal and sick looking, did we hear from viewers or writers that they were "grossed out" to watch her make out with her boss on the show?

So what is best for viewers? What messages regarding "normal" should we be sending to viewers? If actors are too skinny, the concern is that the image is not realistic and it is causing young girls to have eating disorders trying to achieve this ideal. However, when a show like Mike & Molly is showing characters that accurately represent 70% of the population, there is also controversy. From a public health perspective, I would say that characters should accurately reflect the viewing population- people tend to respond to people that they can relate to. If you are creating a health communication product (e.g., poster or brochure), you test it with the target audience to make sure that they connect to the images. If you are concerned about "promoting obesity", then have the characters modeling healthy behaviors. For example, Mike & Molly are attending an Overeaters Anonymous Group, which means they are taking steps to improve their lifestyle.

I for one, would be very happy to see more realistic characters on television. I would also like to see research on how those characters can be used as a health communication tool to promote positive body image and health behaviors among the viewing population.

Hollywood's "Dilemma": Should "Gay" Jokes Be Censored?

Recently I went to see "The Social Network". We watched several movie trailer previews, including the Ron Howard directed film "The Dilemma". The preview included a scene with Vince Vaughn exclaiming to a conference room full of colleagues, "Ladies and gentlemen...electric cars are gay". He goes on to clarify that he does not say "gay" to mean happy, instead he compares its level of "coolness" to your parents chaperoning a school dance. I leaned over to my husband and whispered, "I thought they were taking this scene out of the trailer?". I guess it had not yet been pulled (and was instead being seen by millions, as The Social Network was #1 at the box office that week).

The controversy regarding this quote began several weeks ago. CNN's Anderson Cooper was one of the first to draw attention to the preview when he appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. His argument (especially in light of the recently publicized suicides involving gay children/teenagers) was that we must "make those words unacceptable cause those words are hurting kids". In addition, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) put out a statement on the situation:

"When 'gay' is used as a pejorative, it frequently sends a message- particularly to youth and their bullies- that being gay is wrong and something to laugh at. We invite Vince Vaughn to work with us and help insure that gay youth and those perceived to be gay aren't put in harm's way by such jokes".

Last week, Vince Vaughn addressed the above concerns with his own statement that highlighted his feelings that the "gay joke" should be kept in the trailer and in the movie:

"Let me add my voice of support to the people outraged by the bullying and persecution of people for their differences, whatever those differences may be. Comedy and joking about our differences breaks tension and brings us together. Drawing dividing lines over what we can and cannot joke about does exactly that; it divides us. Most importantly- where does it stop?"

ABC's The View also discussed this during its "Hot Topics" show yesterday. I was actually pretty surprised that there seemed to be consensus and support for Vince Vaughn's statement. How can you censor a "character"? This was not about Vince making homophobic statements...but it was the statements of his character. What if the character is a jerk? Then he/she will sound like a jerk. Whoopi Goldberg spoke about recently watching "Roots" on TV and how much of the message was lost due to the censoring of the racist language.

I can see both sides of the argument on this one. Of course, people of all ages look to celebrities and movies to be role models and to confirm (or break) social norms. Therefore, statements using "gay" as a pejorative can absolutely influence the beliefs of an audience. However, I also understand the slippery slope of censorship and the concern that stories can no longer be told with the same honesty and depth of characters. It is also unclear how this censorship would be overseen and enforced. Can we always tell the difference between a statement of someone's beliefs and their attempt at a joke? And just because something is intended as a joke, does that really mean there are no consequences? If your boss "jokes" about how your clothes fit...it is still sexual harassment.

With tomorrow being "Spirit Day" to combat anti-LGBT bullying, it seemed very timely to toss this "dilemma" out to my readers for comment. I look forward to your thoughts.

Blackhead Removal Home Remedies And Tips

Blackheads can be a pain. Besides knocking your self-confidence down a peg or two, they're a pain to get rid of and are easy to notice in some cases. They're simply follicles that have opened too wide and full of sebum and dead cells before oxidizing and turning black. The primary cause of blackheads is oily skin, though other factors can increase the number that plague our skin. Here's some blackhead removal home remedies that have been reputed to have work for some people. While some may work for you and others don't, it's important you follow through in order to achieve maximum effectiveness.

Home Remedies

Some basic ingredients have helpful properties that you might like to know. Honey is a proven anti-bacterial, as is Green Tea. Green Tea is also a powerful anti-oxidant and helps with weight loss, which is why you can find it in many different sources. Some of the ingredients are also abrasive so they help remove dead skin cells and the tops of the blackheads. The ingredients applied afterwards kill the bacteria that might be lingering, then the wash clears it all away. Some of the methods may also involve hardening pastes, which solidifies and allows you pull the blackheads from their resting places.

A teaspoonful of groundnut oil and fresh lime juice applied to the face for between ten and fifteen minutes before rinsing with warm water is a good prevention method. As far as removal of blackheads go, there are dozens of methods. One part Epsom salt to four parts iodine mixed in a bit of hot water then applied to the affected areas. Boiled milk mixed with fresh lime juice can also be used.

For a scrub, you could use salt, lemon and honey with optional yogurt. Apply to affected areas for five-ten minutes, then wash and pat dry. Green tea is also a good substitute. Pastes are also common, as it allows ingredients to be well-mixed and combine the advantages. Strange as it may seem, ground radish seed paste with a little water has also proven to be effective. Other such ingredients are fresh methi leaves; red sandal wood and turmeric mixed with milk; three parts honey to one part cinnamon powder; tender neem leaves and turmeric.

Hopefully one or more of these methods will work for you and you'll be able to achieve noticeable results within weeks, if not days. If you find they don't work, consider looking for more home remedies, as this is in no way an exhaustive list. Many of the ingredients can be found at home or the store.

You can find out more about how to get rid of blackheads and what other blackhead remover options are available to you.

Courteney and David: A Poorly Designed PSA That Makes Me Want to "Scream"

So Courteney Cox and David Arquette are having a tough week. First they announced their separation and now I have to highlight the poor design of a recent public service announcement (PSA) in which they starred. I must say- they made a much better team on the set of their "Scream" movies.

A recent Newsweek article entitled "Can PSAs End Domestic Violence?" discussed the Cox/Arquette PSA and outlined the challenges of using this particular health communication channel to address the public health problem of domestic violence. The article quotes a wonderful professor of mine (thank you Dr. Emily Rothman for posting this link), so I decided to check the PSA out for myself. Overall, my impression was not good. Let's compare the PSA to some best practices and/or guidelines and see how it holds up. A great resource on this (and all aspects of program planning) comes from the Community Toolbox:

1. PSA Length
A typical PSA runs about 30 seconds. This video runs 1 minute, 50 seconds. And the viewer does not even know what the video is about (cue a random segment about "furry" sex) until the timer hits 1 minute, 25 seconds. They could have very easily lost viewers by that point (either due to boredom, confusion, or because they were offended by the "furry" segment).

2. PSAs Should Have a Clear Message and Call To Action (i.e., what do you want the viewer to do after they see your video?)
So I was a little surprised that the video did not include any specific hotline numbers. In case the audience included victims of DV, you would think that it would be a priority to list those resources. Instead, the only "action" that I could see outlined was how to donate to "OPCC"...and it was unclear what that organization was. So I followed the instructions at the end of the video that gave their Facebook address. Again, there is a huge logo that says "OPCC" (still not sure what that is, so I probably won't give money) and finally (in much smaller writing) some hotline numbers on the left. I went one more step and went to the Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC) website, where it still wasn't immediately clear how this organization supported domestic violence prevention. Apparently, this PSA was to support one of the community programs called Sojourn (a women's shelter)...but geez- how hard was that to figure out!!!???

3. Like any good health communication product, there should be a clear target audience
I have no idea who the audience was for this PSA. This is a direct result of the lack of a clear "call to action". This video had no idea who they expected as an audience or what they wanted those individuals to do. Before the video starts, we are told "this is not for kids" (again- due to the "furry"). So kids are excluded as a possible audience- which is a shame because young adults are also victims of domestic violence. I'm assuming that domestic violence victims themselves are not the audience, since the video did not include any links to DV hotlines/shelters. I doubt the audience was supposed to be DV perpetrators, because I doubt that they would be giving donations. So maybe the intended audience was just potential donors? It is unclear.

4. Evaluation
Ahh! I know I'm a broken record about this issue on my blog. As Dr. Rothman states in the Newsweek article, "there haven't been that many well-designed, rigorous evaluations of the ad's effectiveness". The OPCC spokesperson says that it has been effective because "people are talking about the ad" (how do we know?) and Facebook traffic was up (as of tonight, just 365 people had "liked" the page). But even if "talk" is increased, is that really changing the attitudes or behaviors that were (maybe) targeted by this PSA? If they had clearer goals and a call to action (e.g., The audience for this PSA is women who are victims of DV and the behavior we want to see is an increase in calls to our hotline)- it would be much easier to evaluate. And that evaluation would go well beyond "awareness".

Giuliana and Bill: A Reality Show Addressing the Real Stigma of Infertility

Talking about infertility makes people uncomfortable. Those struggling are uncomfortable because it is extremely personal. Perhaps they feel like they've failed at something that should come naturally...something that seems easy for everyone else. Perhaps it is difficult to explain why they cannot bring themselves to go to a friend's baby shower. Perhaps people at work ask them "when are you going to have a baby?"...not realizing that it is an incredibly painful question because they have been trying for years.

With this as the current state of affairs, you can imagine my surprise to see Giuliana and Bill Rancic come on The View two weeks ago and tell their story about trying In Vitro fertilization (IVF) and suffering a miscarriage. Their ordeal is also documented on their reality show: Giuliana & Bill. I just finished watching my DVR copy of their season premiere which follows them on their IVF cycle. What I really appreciated was the honest display of how difficult the cycle was. Were they both on board with this next step? How scary were the bags and bags of medication!? How would they coordinate their work schedules to make it happen? How could they keep it a secret from their work colleagues and their families? Who would stay home with Giuliana for her 48 hour bed rest? And of course it was difficult to watch them get the happy news of "you're pregnant!" at the end of the episode, since we already knew what was to come nine weeks later.

But what I really want to talk about are the huge strides they've made in reducing the stigma of IVF and miscarriage in just a few short weeks since they've come forward. I've spoken in previous posts about the importance of celebrity role models in reducing stigma of various conditions. Besides their appearance on The View and their very honest portrayal on their show, they have also partnered with key professional organizations like Fertility Lifelines and Resolve- The National Infertility Association. They have created a PSA for Fertility Lifelines encouraging couples to visit a fertility specialist. They offer statistics to help normalize the struggle to conceive and to build a community by letting viewers now that they are not alone.

Just three days ago, Access Hollywood reported that actor Kelsey Grammer came forward to say that the pregnancy he and his girlfriend had just announced in August had ended in a miscarriage. It is hard to imagine that the culture is changing this quickly...in all my entertainment news watching, I can count on one hand how many celebrities have shared this type of story.

I also think that having a "spokescouple" increases the effectiveness of their message. The stigma of infertility so often falls to the woman. "What is wrong with her?" The woman also has to endure the physically and emotionally difficult treatments. Having a couple remind us via this PSA that it can be 50/50 as to which person (or both!) is leading to the infertility helps take the stigma off the woman alone.

This situation also makes me think about the systems (or lack there of) that exist to support couples once they make the choice to see a specialist. Are these types of specialists/procedures even covered by their health insurance? Is it difficult for couples to take time off of work to deal with the physical/emotional demands that come along with this process (which is so often completely inflexible in its scheduling)? Are human resource departments/managers supportive of making accommodations and/or keeping this information confidential for their employees? Are there enough mental health professionals that specialize in infertility to help couples/individuals with the emotional challenges that go along with the physical?

As more couples wait longer to have babies and science moves forward to offer more treatments for infertility, we're going to have to grapple with these questions on a broad system level. However, that conversation is easier to have when stigma is reduced and more couples come forward to ask for what they need and offer to help each other.

Bullying: Is Technology Helping Us or Hurting Us?

Like many of you, my heart broke when I heard about the suicide of Tyler Clementi last week. Unsure of exactly how I wanted to focus my blog on this topic, I took a little time and read the comments coming through on Facebook and Twitter. I talked to colleagues and friends. And something that really struck me was that many people expressed that technology was the problem. All this new technology can only lead to bad things. Right? I agree that new technology has played a large part in our discussions around bullying the past few years. There seems to be an assumption on the part of the bullies that they can be protected by technology- that their identity can be kept "anonymous" in the cyber-world. Perhaps more kids bully online because it is easier to insult or hurt someone at that distance- versus right to their face. Of course, these hurtful comments or videos now have a much broader reach. They can be disseminated through the school, city, state, or even country in just minutes. And you can't take them back. I also think that technology is evolving so quickly that we don't always understand the new boundaries for privacy.

But even with all the new challenges and channels to bullying that technology brings, I still do not believe that it is the root cause. As a friend of mine tweeted this week (yes- Beth G you get a shout out here) "Thinking on the Tyler Clementi case. Tired of hearing that technology is to blame. I'm pretty sure Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei are, actually". Let's not forget the role of personal responsibility- I believe that gets lost when the blame falls squarely on technology.

So with all of that as a backdrop for this discussion, I decided that I wanted to focus my blog on how technology can also help us to combat bullying and help those at risk for suicide. Risk for suicide can increase among those who feel isolated and disconnected from resources. They can also suffer when surrounded by social norms that do not support help seeking for the resources that they need.

So I wanted to present these resources that have gone viral in just the past few days. I can't help but think about all the isolated kids/teens they may reach:

1. MTV launched an Iphone application to combat bullying called "Over the Line". Users can post a bullying scenario that they've experienced and other users can vote if it was "over the line". This has the potential to help promote positive norms/limits regarding how we treat each other. The peer support online may also encourage users to ask for help.

2. MTV was also involved in the launch of "Love is Louder". This "movement" has begun primarily in response to anti-gay bullying and suicides among LGBT youth. Viewers (and celebrities) can upload videos of support for these youth. It has been described as a way to channel the sadness and anger we all feel following these events. Again- this has the potential to build peer support among individuals that may be at risk. It also introduces celebrities or role models to support positive social norms.

3. Columnist Dan Savage has organized the "It Gets Better" campaign. The goal is to reach out to lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual youth who may be the victims of bullying and remind/assure them that things will get better. This campaign has also attracted many celebrity supporters telling their stories (e.g., Tim Gunn from Project Runway was featured on many of my friends' Facebook pages today).

4. Four days ago, Ellen DeGeneres posted "An Important Message" on YouTube regarding the recent suicides of LGBT youth. As of tonight, there had been 235,627 views of that video. She pledged her support and encouraged all of us to have zero tolerance regarding bullying and the loss of these kids/teens.

So that's the complicated story. Technology brings new prevention challenges to bullying. But it can also build peer networks and deliver resources to those in isolation. It can bring the voice of celebrities or other role models into the discussion, which can be a strong influence on kids/teens. I urge us not to write off all technology in light of recent events.

For example, if anyone reading this blog needs help- please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Their technology even allows for Veterans to chat with an online counselor. Amazing!

Evaluating 90210 & Public Health Interventions: My Perfect Fantasy Job

Cases in Public Health Communication & Marketing is an online, open-access journal (coming out of the George Washington (GW) University School of Public Health and Health Services) which focuses exclusively on case studies from the fields of public health communication and social marketing. The journal's mission is to promote the analysis of real-world experiences and practice-oriented learning. They have recently published Volume 4 (Summer 2010) which includes several case studies focused on Entertainment Education and the work of Hollywood, Health, & Society.

Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S), is a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, and provides entertainment industry professionals with accurate and timely information for health story lines. Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The California Endowment, and the Health Resources and Services Administration's Division of Transplantation and Poison Control Program, the program recognizes the profound impact that entertainment media have on individual knowledge and behavior. These professionals (who totally have my perfect job!) focus on Entertainment Education (EE), which is a communication strategy that involves embedding health or social messages into entertainment programming that can influence knowledge and attitudes, and promote healthy behavior among television drama audiences. The two cases highlighted for the GW publication included a The Bold and the Beautiful (daytime soap opera) storyline which promoted bone marrow donation and a (new) 90210 (nighttime young adult soap opera) storyline which highlighted a main character with bipolar disorder.

What is really fantastic about the case descriptions (beyond the collaboration and prep work that went into creating these accurate and engaging story lines) was their discussion of how to evaluate their efforts. Evaluation is (unfortunately) sometimes an afterthought for public health interventions. Or evaluation is poorly defined as simply measuring satisfaction- "Did the viewers "like" the episode?" Despite the complexity of evaluating health communication efforts, these case studies were quite thorough. For example, with the 90210 episode, they looked not only at exposure (i.e., how many watched the episode or saw the accompanying PSA on bipolar disorder) but also at help-seeking behavior following the episode. They documented calls/contacts to their partners (e.g., SAMHSA Health Information Network and the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF). The evaluators also collected qualitative feedback from volunteers and teens who visited the CABF online chat rooms after the episode aired. "As expected, visits to the chat rooms increased shortly after the episode aired. Remarkably, traffic and participation in the chat rooms continued for months after the episode and PSAs aired".

It is always validating to see that watching TV can be more than a mind numbing couch potato activity...it can be educational and essential for shaping and measuring social norms around important health issues.

FAQs About Acne Treatment During Pregnancy

There are so many things to consider in acne treatment during pregnancy. Many pregnant women seek out information about acne and acne treatment during pregnancy because this a common condition that develops along with their conception. The situation becomes complicated because the pregnant mom could not use just any medicines available because it might affect the baby growing inside her.

Having a perfectly clear skin before getting pregnant is not a guarantee that a woman will not develop acting during pregnancy. If however you've had the condition before, it might get worse. This usually happens in the first trimester of the pregnancy and will eventually go away after.

Here are the frequently asked questions about acne during pregnancy and acne treatment:

1. Are there ways to prevent acne during pregnancy?
NO. During pregnancy your body produces more androgenic hormones than usual that stimulates the sebaceous or oil glands in your skin to produce more oil. This usually happens in the first three months of pregnancy. Your skin will eventually clear up after this but in some cases, the presence of acne all throughout the pregnancy can be noticed.

2. What type of acne will usually develop?
The most common are cysts and pustules. White heads and black heads are also noted to propagate as well as body acne in areas where there is a heavy concentration of oil glands like the back, neck, chest, arms, shoulders and the buttocks.

3. Will it go away after childbirth?
It is a case to case basis. Every woman is different. During the first trimester, the body produces high levels of progesterone. After that the level decreases and is replaced by estrogen. The skin clears up but occasional breakout may happen. Some women go back to their usual self after two months of giving birth while others especially if it is a pre-existing condition may experience outbreaks every now and then.

4. Will the baby develop acne in his or her teens if the mother has acne during pregnancy?
NO. There is no direct link to this unless it is in the genes of either parent. There are so many factors that contribute to the development of acne.

5. What medications are safe to use for acne treatment during pregnancy?
It is best to check with your dermatologist or OB Gynecologist. NEVER self medicate! This can make the condition worse and the medications might have adverse effects on the baby. It is better to be safe than sorry.

BE SAFE! Click on the link below to get PROFESSIONAL and EFFECTIVE TIPS to deal with acne during pregnancy.

http://www.onlyacne.com

Health Intervention Reality Shows: Are Participants Rescued or Buried Alive?

Last month I wrote on my Facebook wall "that hoarding show on TLC is both horrifying and fascinating". From the quick responses to my post, it is clear that I am not the only one feeling this way. Therefore, I was really interested in stories recently posted on the TIME website discussing how these types of shows can be harmful for the individuals that are featured.

There have been a slew of reality TV shows focused on staging interventions with individuals with a variety of mental illnesses/addictive behaviors. Some examples are "Hoarding: Buried Alive" (TLC), "Hoarders" (A & E), "Intervention" (A & E), and "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" (VH1). In one TIME article called "For Hoarders and Addicts, Drama is Trauma- Not Therapy", the author presents the argument that the needs of the mentally ill and addicts are the exact opposite of the formula of successful reality TV shows. Recovery for these individuals takes time and empathy and reality TV shows are looking for conflict and quick fixes within the hour allotted.

In all fairness (since I haven't seen all the reality shows in this category), I must say they are not all created equal. For example, A & E "Hoarders" seems to be much more of quick fix with cleaning crews clearing out houses over a two day period (which is very traumatic for the owners). In contrast, TLC's "Hoarding: Buried Alive" cleans out over a longer period and the individuals are more active participants/leaders in their own clean out. With the TIME article noting that effective clean outs for hoarding are a year on average, you have to wonder about the trauma of being confronted on camera about your "abnormal" behavior and then forced through a quick clear out. Also, the behavior of hoarding (or drinking or drug use) is usually just the tip of the ice berg, as it is a symptom of a larger problem. For example, I recently watched one episode of "Hoarders" where the woman shared that she began hoarding after surviving childhood sexual abuse. The therapist assigned to her clean out said "let's not talk about that right now". Therefore, I wonder about the long term repercussions of bringing out these emotions and not providing individuals with the support they need.

On the other hand, there could be potential positive outcomes from these individuals being featured on such a reality show. The primary outcome that I think of is access to resources. Many of the families/individuals featured are in great financial peril (often as a result of the money needed to continue with their addictions). The show is able to link them up with leading experts in their condition, offer ongoing care, assist them with legal concerns, etc. It remains to be seen whether these positives outweigh potential dangers.

Can Foursquare get youth to "check in" to STD testing?

As technology and social networking continue to expand, it is logical to think about the connection to public health. We need to think specifically about its use among priority populations already using it- like youth. It has just been announced that Foursquare will team up with MTV for their "Get Yourself Tested" (GYT) campaign. I'll back up quickly for those that are not familiar with Foursquare. It is a mobile application that allows users to "check in" at locations in order to explore a new city, link up friends, etc. There is also a "competitive" nature to the application which offers "badges" and other titles to individuals which visit the most spots.

Foursquare and GYT have teamed up to offer the first cause-related badge for users who visit STD testing sites. The goal of offering the badge and allowing users to announce it in a public setting is to reduce the stigma of STD testing. This is a common public health strategy- to focus on reducing a specific barrier to a health behavior. In this case, planners are hoping to reduce stigma by normalizing STD testing.

The article does not mention how the program will be evaluated. It seems simple enough to track the number of people who obtain the GYT badge (which I assume is just based on self report). It would be interesting to have some kind of follow up with users to find out:

1. Why they decided to get tested (was it due to exposure to the GYT materials/foursquare badge?)

2. Was this the first time that they were tested? I.e., is this campaign actually initiating a new action among youth? Or is it only attracting youth that have already bought into this behavior?

3. Is there a certain demographic most influenced via Foursquare? How is this similar/different than the changes they are documenting using more traditional channels like PSAs/posters, etc?

I know many of my friends/followers are Foursquare users- what do you think of using the application for "causes" and other public health initiatives?

"Health Fashion" Police

It is the day after the Emmy Awards, so most of us have fashion on the brain and are eagerly awaiting E! Fashion Police. As a result, I thought it was very timely to discuss "Health Fashion". The idea came to me this weekend in two ways. First, as I saw new fashion merchandise (modeled by celebs like Jordin Sparks and The Jonas Brothers) in the form of "TXTING KILLS" thumb bands to reduce texting while driving. Next, I read a fabulous new article in the September 2010 issue of Health Promotion Practice called, "Undressing Health Fashion: An Examination of Health-Cause Clothing and Accessories".

The article provides a great overview of the history of health fashion, including its beginnings in 1953 with the first Medic Alert bracelet. It then proceeds to discuss the use of colorful ribbons to support causes (e.g., AIDS, deployed troops, etc) over the past 30 years. However, the authors really highlight the Lance Armstrong/Nike release of the yellow Livestrong wristband in 2004 as the event that created an explosion of Health Fashion and Cause Marketing.
Health Fashion is sorted into one of three categories:
1. Wearables: Worn by the consumer (e.g., Nike Livestrong wristband)
2. Usables: Items that are directly consumed or that utilize health fashion symbols in manufacturing/packaging/marketing (e.g., United States Postal Service breast cancer stamps)
3. Displayables: Items that are displayed in homes/offices/cars which use health fashion symbols (e.g., Swarovki pink ribbon holiday ornaments)

The article also does a nice job giving an overview of how this merchandise becomes a hot trend. It introduces the reader to Everett Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations theory and how innovators and early adopters (often well known/respected in the community) can disseminate messages or material throughout their community/society, etc. Many of you may be familiar with this theory after reading Malcolm Gladwell's "The Tipping Point".

However, the key question on this blog (and happily in the article as well) is: "Are these initiatives effective?" In order to make that call we have to define what we mean by "effective". The article points out that many campaigns (e.g., Go Red for Women) define their goals as raising awareness. Therefore, if they survey women pre and post campaign and they report an increase in knowledge of facts such as "heart disease is the number one killer of women"...then they can say that the campaign was effective. However, if they had defined their goals in terms of behavior change (e.g., more women will visit their doctor for yearly blood pressure checks), it would be unclear if their goals were achieved.

Another way "success" or "effectiveness" has been defined for health fashion has been focused on the revenue generated by the sale of these items. If the Livestrong wrist bands or Avon's "Kiss Goodbye to Breast Cancer" lipstick line raise significant funds for their charities, then we can consider them successful....right?

Here are some questions regarding effectiveness raised by the article...with my own two cents (okay- more like five cents) thrown in:
1. Are we achieving saturation point with the marketing of health fashion? Does anyone even know what color wrist band supports what cause?
2. How will increasingly knowledgeable consumers affect the sale of these items? It is much easier to find out what percentage of your donation/purchase is actually going to the charity vs. to the corporation.
3. How have social networking sites like twitter/facebook affected the adoption/dissemination of health fashion and cause marketing? Support for a cause can be almost instant and celebrities can quickly call on their twitter followers, which in some cases number over one million. Are consumers being as thoughtful/careful when it is so easy just to click their support?

What are your questions?

Choosing The Acne Free In 3 Days Product

Skin problems happen to be one of the dreaded diseases by almost everybody simply because it destroys one's appearance and a lot of people are really conscious about how they look. In this modern world wherein many folks are trying to look great through the help of science, it's like having such skin problems is a major no-no. What's worse is that there are more than dozens of skin diseases that can ruin your life. Perhaps one of the most common is acne.

If you have been suffering from acne problems, you may already have tried several acne treatment methods and products just to get that fixed. However, many have complained that they can't seem to find that particular product or treatment that will give the permanent solution they need. Why don't you try the Acne Free In 3 Days e-book? This product developed by Chris Gibson is said to be the most holistic acne treatment method there is in the market today.

If you are wondering why and how it is considered as a holistic product, it's because it can cure those acne problems of yours inside and out. Some treatments and products for acne only involve topical solutions. The Acne Free In 3 Days product provide cure beyond that because it helps you remove acne-causing toxins from your body. The e-book even recommends a list of food that you should not eat for they can cause growth and development of acne in your skin.

Another way that that this effective acne treatment method cures you from the inside is by helping you control your hormonal imbalances. Lack of or excess supply of hormones can contribute to the existence and spread of the acne disease. This is why those other products and methods only provide temporary relief. The cure they offer is limited to the skin's surface alone. What you need is a holistic approach, a cure inside and out.

If you are still skeptical in trying out the Acne Free In 3 Days product, you should read reviews about it to learn whether it's worth trying out. In fact, you should make it a habit to check out acne treatment reviews before buying any acne treatment product. It pays to be wise and vigilant, you know.

For only 39 dollars and 95 cents, you can have the chance to be acne-free in just three days. If this doesn't happen, you can have your full money back as long as you send a request within 60 days after date of purchase. If that's not holistic and effective enough for you, then what is?

If you want an acne treatment method that's safe, holistic and effective, then there's one product you should go for. The Acne Free In 3 Days e-book by Chris Gibson is what you need.

Teen Moms and Teachable Moments

For one terrible minute on Monday night, my remote control found itself on ABC Family's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager". The show is completely unrealistic in showing 15 year olds pregnant and parenting with the maturity and vocabulary of people in their 30's. However, my remote control has recently become stuck on a reality show of the same topic on MTV called "Teen Mom". Now this is quite a leap of faith for me, as I pretty much gave up on MTV after its early quality reality shows (Season 3 of Real World with Pedro, anyone?) turned nasty and staged and scandalous. But according to a recent NPR story, I am not the only one thinking that this new show has some value and "reality". The Kaiser Foundation has funded reproduction of the series so that it can be distributed to schools, non-profits, and social service organizations that are working to reduce teen pregnancy.

The educators mentioned above believe that "Teen Mom" helps create and capitalize on a teachable moment. This is defined as "a moment of educational opportunity...a time at which a person, especially a child, is likely to be particularly disposed to learn something or particularly responsive to being taught or made aware of something". One reason to buy into this theory is based on the idea that modeling is important. People learn from watching each other. What high school students see other high school students doing is very important. Therefore, seeing the realistic struggles of the four girls on the show could help them think about potential consequences of teen pregnancy. We see the relationships with their family or the baby's father crumble. We see them working and paying bills in addition to waking up at all hours to a screaming baby. We hear about how one girl lost the father of her baby in a car accident before the child was born...now she is a single mom.

Of course anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis knows that I need to mention that this show is being used in schools as an educational piece. And of course an educational piece is not a silver bullet because it cannot address all the complex risk factors for teen pregnancy which include things like economic disadvantage and growing up with teen parents yourself. However, I think it is a step in the right direction. It is definitely an improvement in the quality of MTV reality shows. It also shows these girls in a pretty "real" light without being preachy or fear-based. Check it out and let me know what you think.