Janice Milliman, Quit Coach, Service Delivery:   The recent death of Patrick Swayze raised much media attention and discussion of a little known and very deadly cancer: pancreatic.  For me, it also brought back bad memories. My good friend, Jim, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March of 2007.  Unfortunately, he did not survive long, and lost his battle 2 months later. I felt such grief and compassion upon learning of Mr. Swayze's death.  I wondered if he suffered the extrem... [More]

Beth Shepard, MS, Exercise Physiologist, Contributing Writer:   At a time when consumers are getting mixed messages regarding the value of exercise, the New York Times serves up a recently published study from Finland pointing to moderate and vigorous exercise as a cancer prevention tool. Researchers studied the physical activity habits of about 2500 middle-aged Finnish men over the course of 17 years. After controlling for factors such as age, fiber and fat intake, and cigarette ... [More]

Ken Wassum, Senior Product Manager, Tobacco:   Understanding your risk for getting cancer is a critical piece of information that can help you stay healthy. Modifying behaviors to reduce your risk of developing a specific type of cancer makes perfect sense. Many people do this by getting exercise, watching what and how much they eat and drink, and by not smoking. It was recently disclosed that a new test has been developed that identifies those smokers who have higher risk of deve... [More]

Jennifer Fifield, M.S., Content Manager, Weight Management:   How was your 30-minute walk yesterday? Wednesday, April 8th was National Start! Walking Day sponsored by the American Heart Association.  The Start! Walking Program encourages employers to create a “walking-friendly” environment at work.  The program also encourages employees to incorporate more walking into their work week. A lot of us truly underestimate the power of walking.  Walking is a great form of exercise for a... [More]

Beth Shepard, MS, Exercise Physiologist, Contributing Writer:   A recent online headline caught my eye: “Michigan Baseball Park Offers 4,800 Calorie Burger.” Hoping it was a joke, I clicked on the headline, but saw that it was no laughing matter. The article described a new ballpark burger as a “4-pound, $20 burger featuring five beef patties, five slices of cheese, nearly a cup of chili and liberal doses of salsa and corn chips, all on an 8-inch sesame-seed bun.” And that’s... [More]

Sharen Ross, Vice President, Marketing:   A new anti-smoking website was launched earlier this week targeting girls between the ages of 8-11. It made me think about my experiences with smoking at that age and ponder how effective a website like this would have been for me. When I was 8 years old cigarettes were still being advertised and shamelessly glamorized by celebrities. My favorite Uncle smoked about a pack a day and would routinely send me to the corner store with a note an... [More]

Beth Shepard, MS, Exercise Physiologist, Contributing Writer:   Like many people, you may wonder how much exercise you really need to make a difference in your health. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recently published the first-ever Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, making a strong, evidence-based statement about the value of physical activity and the amount required for health benefits. The Guidelines recommend 2.5 hours a week of moderate exercise, or 1... [More]

Ken Wassum, Senior Product Manager   We have become somewhat numb to the fact that 440,000 Americans a year die from a preventable cause – cigarette smoking. That’s 1,200 deaths per day. Use whatever analogy you want -- 48 Amtrak accidents per day where 25 die, 3 fully loaded jumbo jets crashing daily with all lost – you name it. It is a lot of lives tragically lost. The U.S. is not alone in this loss of life. It happens world-wide, every day. A new report issued by the Royal Coll... [More]

Tim McAfee, Chief Medical Officer:   I just put my wife on a plane to Amsterdam today. I’ll be a single parent for a week, and it's all because of smoking. She is going for a last visit with her Aunt Gerda, who at the age of 75, was recently diagnosed with Stage-4 lung cancer, which is basically a death sentence. Aunt Gerda is a wonderful person, married to a charming man, whom I had the pleasure of visiting a few years ago in her small apartment outside Amsterdam. She is about to lose ... [More]