Weight Control

If you are overweight, you are not alone. Sixty-six percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Achieving a healthy weight can help you control your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. It might also help you prevent weight-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and some cancers.
Eating too much or not being physically active enough will make you overweight. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat. A weight-control strategy might include
* Choosing low-fat, low-calorie foods
* Eating smaller portions
* Drinking water instead of sugary drinks
* Being physically active

Wounds

Wounds include cuts, scrapes, scratches and punctured skin. They often occur as a result of an accident or injury, but surgical incisions, sutures, and stitches also cause wounds. Minor wounds usually aren't serious, but even cuts and scrapes require care. To avoid infection and aid healing

* Apply pressure with a clean cloth to stop bleeding
* Clean the wound with water
* Use an antibiotic ointment to prevent infection
* Bandage the wound if it's in an area that might get dirty
* Watch for swelling and redness
* Get a tetanus booster if you are due for one
Serious and infected wounds require medical attention. You should also seek attention if the wound is deep, if you cannot close it yourself, if you cannot stop the bleeding or get the dirt out, or if it does not heal.

Winter Weather Emergencies

Severe winter weather can lead to health and safety challenges. You may have to cope with

• Cold related health problems, including frostbite and hypothermia
• Household fires and carbon monoxide poisoning from space heaters and fireplaces
• Unsafe driving conditions from icy roads
• Power failures
• Floods after snow and ice melt

Although there are no guarantees of safety during winter weather emergencies, you can take actions to protect yourself. You should have a disaster plan. Being prepared can help reduce fear, anxiety and losses.

West Nile Virus

West Nile virus (WNV) is an infectious disease that first appeared in the United States in 1999. Infected mosquitoes spread the virus that causes it. People who contract WNV usually have no symptoms or mild symptoms. Those with symptoms may have a fever, headache, body aches, skin rash or swollen lymph glands.

If West Nile virus enters the brain, however, it can be deadly. It may cause inflammation of the brain, called encephalitis, or inflammation of the tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called meningitis.

Older people are most at risk. There are no specific vaccines or treatments for human WNV disease. The easiest and best way to avoid WNV is to prevent mosquito bites:

* Use insect repellent
* Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets or barrels
* Stay indoors between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active
* Use screens on windows to keep mosquitoes out