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The Factors of Effective Weight Loss

Drilling Down on Why the Journey to Achieving Ideal Body Mass Index is Not One Size Fits All Kim Gafford became an emotional eater after her father died when she was just eight years old. Her weight was a problem by age 12— and it continued to climb— until she reached 325 pounds. When she…
Pop Quiz: Is It Chronic Cough Due to Allergies, or Something Else?

Get to the Bottom of Your Chronic Cough By Answering these Questions Most people don’t consider a little cough something that is serious enough to see the doctor about. However, once the cough sticks around for a few weeks, most people start to get concerned. If you’ve got a chronic cough, take our quiz below…
Stepping Up the Focus on Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Advocates Say Teen Pregnancy is a Social Issue that Impacts All of Us— Not Just Parents and Teens Raising awareness about teen pregnancy prevention is spotlighted in May, but for devoted advocates, it is a year-round campaign.

Editor’s Dose: Tips for minimizing back-to-school stress

IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, then come early July you were already thinking about preparations for the new school year. Parents and children in the community this year are getting ready extra early because Polk County public schools moved up their calendar by one week — day one of school is August 15.
Making the choice to breastfeed

THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH in Polk County (DOH-Polk) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) recognize August as Breastfeeding Awareness Month. This is a wonderful time of year to promote breastfeeding as a vital health activity and discuss the health benefits breastfeeding provides. Although every woman has their own…
Editor’s Dose: Keeping kids’ bodies and minds active this summer

WHEN I FIRST had the twins, my mom would say, “Have a schedule for them, or they’ll have a schedule for you.” Basically, she was cautioning that I’d better keep those little minds and bodies active, or chaos would inevitably ensue. Being a mother of eight children, I think she was speaking from personal experience.…