Health

By April Lieb, PA-C
Physician Assistant, Caughman Health Center

With summer quickly approaching, it’s important to remember the value of using sunscreen, especially on our children. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Having five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer. 
A few simple steps, as directed from healthychildren.org, will help protect your family from sunburns – they are as follows:

Shade
Keep babies under the age of six months out of direct sunlight. Do this by placing the child under a shade tree or by using an umbrella or covered stroller. 

Clothing
Dress in cool, comfortable, lightweight long sleeves and pants to keep arms and legs covered.

Wear a hat with a brim all the way around that will protect the face, ears and back of the neck. 

CONTINUES

By Alexis Nicoson and Katie Prater, Student Pharmacists with Karen Kier, Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

Eat It was a 1984 parody written by “Weird Al” Yankovic of Michael Jackson’s 1983 hit titled Beat It.  Weird Al was first introduced to the public in 1976 at the age of 16 on The Dr Demento Radio Show. He has won five Grammy awards, written 150 parodies and sold over 12 million albums. Besides his comic parodies, he writes and plays polka medleys of several popular songs with his accordion. His parody of Eat It was about an exasperated parent attempting to get their child to eat. This is not far from reality for many parents and grandparents. 

Did you know that nearly one-third of children below the age of five do not eat a daily fruit or vegetable? 

Making sure children have a balanced diet with fruits and vegetables with less added sugars can greatly impact their health. Some health issues are lifelong, but can be reduced by ensuring children are eating a balanced diet every day. Some of the health problems noted from an imbalance of nutrients include obesity, cavities, diabetes and heart disease.