Minnesota is known as “the fittest state in the nation”. Our state’s fine climate, its friendly folks, and its famous hot-dish hospitality combine to keep the overall health of Minnesotans well above the national norm. Sadly, however, we are below par in one important area of health: obesity. In fact, here in the North Star State, almost 61% of the population is overweight or obese.
And while looking bad is a consequence of obesity, it’s far from the worst. Obesity kills people, both by wrecking their health and by destroying their spirit. Elevated blood sugar levels and coronary problems aside, the shame and self-hatred felt by many of the obese can lead to serious psychological problems – even suicide.
It’s beyond being just a problem. It’s a crisis. Many scientists and physicians believe that the obesity epidemic is the most serious health threat facing the population of our state.
Dealing with Obesity
If obesity were just a matter of losing weight, there would be no problem. Once a person’s daily caloric intake drops below the level needed to sustain life, they’ll lose weight – the laws of physics guarantee it.
But of course it’s not that simple. Yes, we eat too much – but why? Nothing in nature favors overeating, yet we do it anyway. If we could crack the secret of what makes people eat too much of the wrong foods, we’d be halfway to curing obesity.
Unfortunately, many Minnesotans try gimmicks in an attempt to slim down -- fad diets, exercise programs, so-called weight-loss pills, etc. Most of them quickly regain any lost weight later on. Yet many obese people ignore or are unaware of the best method of losing weight: a medically-supervised program of dietary changes and increased activity. Experience has shown that such programs work well for most people who want to attain a healthy weight.
For some extremely obese people, of course, things are too far advanced for a 100% lifestyle-based obesity therapy. Fortunately, another option exists: weight loss surgery.
Weight Loss Surgery
Surgical weight loss procedures – also known as bariatric surgery -- have been proven to help ease –or even cure – many co-morbidities, which are health conditions related to obesity. It can also help those who are obese but have no co-morbidities to reach their ideal weight, and guard against future health complications.
The three main types of weight loss surgery are malabsorptive, restrictive and combination surgery, each with different risks and benefits. Malabsorptive procedures alter the patient’s intestinal tract, changing the way the body absorbs food; restrictive procedures (e.g., the Lap-band and vertical banded gastroplasty procedures) create a small pouch that limits the amount of food a person can eat; and combination procedures, like the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, create a small stomach pouch and alter the intestinal tract.
For those with morbid obesity, weight loss surgery can mean the difference between life and death. It is not, however, magic. Recovery from obesity is a whole-life process; patients who fail to alter their lifestyles after surgery may regain any weight lost.
Weight loss surgery is a serious step. The risks associated with these procedures are real, and should always be discussed beforehand in consultation with a physician.
Considering Surgical Weight Loss
Minnesota may be the fittest state in America – but it could become the fattest if we don’t change our relationship to food and by adopt healthier lifestyles. By working together we can keep Minnesota fit
12/03/2008
Weight Loss Surgery in Mississippi
Mississippi is in deep trouble. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the Magnolia State is in the grip of an epidemic: the epidemic of obesity. Across our state, the number of overweight and obese individuals is rapidly increasing. In fact, almost 66% of the population of Mississippi is overweight or obese, making Mississippi the nation’s least healthy state. Diabetes, stroke, and heart disease are endemic in Mississippi’s population, especially within ethnic groups prone to being overweight. And it’s not just adults -- a recent study using a sample of African-American children in the rural town of Canton, Mississippi revealed that 46% were overweight or at risk of being so.
Obesity is the second most frequent cause of preventable death in the United States, and Mississippi natives are not alone in their fight. However, if not addressed, severe and morbid obesity often lead to a shortened life span because those who suffer from obesity face a significantly higher risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke.
This epidemic cannot be allowed to rage unchecked. Mississippi cannot be allowed to remain the nation’s least healthy state. Something must be done.
Getting Fit
Obesity is not simply a matter of losing weight, nor is it a character flaw. It is a disease caused by a disordered relationship with food. Losing weight is simple math: when a person takes in fewer calories each day than their body needs to function, the body begins to burn fat to stay alive, resulting in weight loss.
The difficulty comes in restricting caloric intake – the primal urge to eat when hungry is almost irresistible. And, for some, the pleasure of eating is a
substitute for emotional satisfaction. Others are food addicts, plagued by a constant craving for something to eat, regardless of whether they are physically hungry.
The difficulty of losing weight often leads those with the disease to attempt self-treatment, including crazy diets, extreme exercise programs, or “magical” weight-loss pills. Some do lose weight by these methods -- but most gain it back fast, and usually damage their health in the process.
No miracle cure for obesity exists. The only way to successfully treat the disease of obesity is through medical care, based upon a complete change in the patient’s lifestyle and eating habits. To beat obesity, our state residents must begin to eat healthier foods in smaller portions. Most people can accomplish this lifestyle change through education, counseling, and sheer willpower.
But for many, weight loss surgery is the only way they can break destructive lifelong habits.
About Weight Loss Surgery
Weight loss surgery is performed under general anesthesia, usually laparoscopically. Its purpose is to physically limit the amount of food that the patient can eat by surgically altering his or her stomach or digestive tract. The alterations make it nearly impossible to overeat—at least initially—and cause the patient to take in fewer calories each day than he or she burns. Consequently, the patient loses weight safely, and relatively rapidly.
Weight loss surgery, however, is not magic. Only a complete change in a patient’s lifestyle can cure the disease. Patients who fail to follow postoperative instructions may regain any weight lost. Those considering bariatric surgery as an option for the management of obesity should discuss their options with their physician prior to making a decision.
Mississippi can win the war on obesity. We can send some other, lesser state to the bottom of the healthy-states list. By changing our diet and lifestyle – and by using weight loss surgery as a weapon of last resort – we can beat obesity here, and make things better in this state we all love.
Obesity is the second most frequent cause of preventable death in the United States, and Mississippi natives are not alone in their fight. However, if not addressed, severe and morbid obesity often lead to a shortened life span because those who suffer from obesity face a significantly higher risk of diabetes, heart attack and stroke.
This epidemic cannot be allowed to rage unchecked. Mississippi cannot be allowed to remain the nation’s least healthy state. Something must be done.
Getting Fit
Obesity is not simply a matter of losing weight, nor is it a character flaw. It is a disease caused by a disordered relationship with food. Losing weight is simple math: when a person takes in fewer calories each day than their body needs to function, the body begins to burn fat to stay alive, resulting in weight loss.
The difficulty comes in restricting caloric intake – the primal urge to eat when hungry is almost irresistible. And, for some, the pleasure of eating is a
substitute for emotional satisfaction. Others are food addicts, plagued by a constant craving for something to eat, regardless of whether they are physically hungry.
The difficulty of losing weight often leads those with the disease to attempt self-treatment, including crazy diets, extreme exercise programs, or “magical” weight-loss pills. Some do lose weight by these methods -- but most gain it back fast, and usually damage their health in the process.
No miracle cure for obesity exists. The only way to successfully treat the disease of obesity is through medical care, based upon a complete change in the patient’s lifestyle and eating habits. To beat obesity, our state residents must begin to eat healthier foods in smaller portions. Most people can accomplish this lifestyle change through education, counseling, and sheer willpower.
But for many, weight loss surgery is the only way they can break destructive lifelong habits.
About Weight Loss Surgery
Weight loss surgery is performed under general anesthesia, usually laparoscopically. Its purpose is to physically limit the amount of food that the patient can eat by surgically altering his or her stomach or digestive tract. The alterations make it nearly impossible to overeat—at least initially—and cause the patient to take in fewer calories each day than he or she burns. Consequently, the patient loses weight safely, and relatively rapidly.
Weight loss surgery, however, is not magic. Only a complete change in a patient’s lifestyle can cure the disease. Patients who fail to follow postoperative instructions may regain any weight lost. Those considering bariatric surgery as an option for the management of obesity should discuss their options with their physician prior to making a decision.
Mississippi can win the war on obesity. We can send some other, lesser state to the bottom of the healthy-states list. By changing our diet and lifestyle – and by using weight loss surgery as a weapon of last resort – we can beat obesity here, and make things better in this state we all love.
12/01/2008
Savannah/Hilton Head Island Airport History
The Savannah/Hilton Head airport has a long and varied history, both in terms of the airport itself, and its contributions to milestones in American aviation. If you have ever flown into the Hilton Head Island area, you are probably familiar with the airport but not with the history behind it. What began as a small landing strip less then one hundred years ago has now expanded into a full service International airport, where many flights are routed each day. In 1918, the first aircraft landing field in Savannah was constructed, and was the main source of airport operations until 1930, when a 730 acre tract was selected as a modern airport site. This airport, the Savannah Municipal Airport, opened on September 20th of 1929 and offered air service between New York City and Miami by Eastern Air Express. In 1932, a city resolution renamed the airport Hunter Field and a trolley car functioned as the first Hunter airport terminal for several years. In 1940, the U.S. Army Air Corps announced that if a war were to start, it would takeover Hunter Field, and so a second Municipal airport was constructed in response. Three runways were constructed at the new airport, but before construction was complete, the U.S. Army Air Corps d
ecided that it was necessary to take over the facility and they named the airfield Chatham Field. Chatham was used until the end of WWII as a bomber and training base for both B-24s and fighter aircrafts. In 1949, the old airport was moved from Hunter field to Travis Field and a few years later, due to an increase in air travel, Runway 9-27 was extended to a length of 8,000 feet and a new Airport Commission was created by a special act of the Georgia State Legislature. In 1960, a new, permanent terminal building was completed and served as the main passenger terminal until 1994, when it became the Airport Business Center. This new terminal was part of an improvement project that included new roads, a new aircraft taxiway, landscaping, and a new I-95 Interchange. This project totaled 43 million dollars. IN 2003, the name of the airport was changed yet again to the Savannah/ Hilton Head International Airport, and since then has undergone several large scale expansions, improvements, and renovations. This airport, although it may have started out as a small airstrip, is nevertheless a significant part of the aviation history of the area, as well as the United States, and as such, is an important piece of living history.
ecided that it was necessary to take over the facility and they named the airfield Chatham Field. Chatham was used until the end of WWII as a bomber and training base for both B-24s and fighter aircrafts. In 1949, the old airport was moved from Hunter field to Travis Field and a few years later, due to an increase in air travel, Runway 9-27 was extended to a length of 8,000 feet and a new Airport Commission was created by a special act of the Georgia State Legislature. In 1960, a new, permanent terminal building was completed and served as the main passenger terminal until 1994, when it became the Airport Business Center. This new terminal was part of an improvement project that included new roads, a new aircraft taxiway, landscaping, and a new I-95 Interchange. This project totaled 43 million dollars. IN 2003, the name of the airport was changed yet again to the Savannah/ Hilton Head International Airport, and since then has undergone several large scale expansions, improvements, and renovations. This airport, although it may have started out as a small airstrip, is nevertheless a significant part of the aviation history of the area, as well as the United States, and as such, is an important piece of living history.
Professional significance of MySpace
MySpace was introduced in the year 2003 by Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe. It was a magical launching and achieved dream acceptance by the masses in all over the world. Basically, it is social networking website but its immense popularity has inspired numerous business persons to discover business making ways and they found it. It proved a great business promotional tool. Now, let’s explore business making ways from myspace.com.
• You can enrich your contacts through social networking platforms like MySpace.
• More contacts mean more business.
• Through your profile, people know about your business and company.
• Hence, concept of business profile developed and customized MySpace page concept prevailed rapidly.
• Design and uniqueness of your MySpace profile symbolically speaks about your company and its quality work. So, nowadays, people are more concern towards designing aspects of MySpace page.
• Hence, numerous designing companies are providing exclusive designing services for MySpace profile. They have exclusive expertise in different segments of my space page designing like MySpace Div Layouts, and MySpace Flash Layouts and so on.
• Social networks provide you an opportunity to make deep market research. You can accumulate views, opinions and ideas from other members. Forums also can be used as an important business discussion tool.
• However, daily interaction with MySpace members is limited up to 200.
Thus, the key characteristics of MySpace are exposed. Now, we can easily understand its demand and popularity amongst millions of users. In spite of all business prone virtues of this social networking web site, experts always prominently count its one unique feature and that is customization of layouts. They say that dull or mundane profile in MySpace is just like ‘winking at a girl in the dark’. Hence, let’s have a look upon designing aspects
• Be conscious while you are making business profile. Your profile must be catchy and include entire key information about your business.
• You can also incorporate information regarding awards and recognition.
• Never forget that MySpace design will reflect your personality, hobby and character.
• Try to keep your MySpace page formal. Don’t make it strict.
• The most important designing aspect is that your MySpace profile must be quick and easy to load.
• Don’t hesitate to invest money in template designing eventually it will make your profile more impressive and inducing.
• If you are unable to spend money and keen to learn something new then surf information pertaining to HTML. It is easy to learn and you can practice it in your own MySpace page.
• Never try to obscure MySpace ad banner because your account may be deleted.
Thus, don’t forget the famous quote, “opportunities are often missed by people because it is dressed in common”. A recent study report suggests that 77% amongst 16-18 age groups have their profile on social networking websites. This report has lot of significance as it is silently & precisely providing us a glimpse of tech savvy era.
Social networking website indirectly enhances technological skills of budding tech savvy. It promotes their creativity on global platform. It provides them an opportunity to upgrade communication skill & express diverse views fearlessly. Normally, in developing and underdeveloped countries; technical education pertaining to layout and website designing, editing cum customizing contents and so on are substantially expensive. But, social networking websites have proved quite effective as it has made them familiar with all new advancements in web world.
Revolutionary concept like MySpace has become need of contemporary era. Hence, it requires least effort to gain public attention. It is good that even governments in many countries are extremely concern towards these sorts of websites and have provided certain guidelines to them. Almost in every country, the prime target of governing body is to keep such websites aloof from obscene materials and abuses. Though, it is hard to accomplish. In fact, it is impossible if we do not support them. Such guidelines help in preventing unsocial activities that eventually deteriorate the core concept of such intelligent websites. Even as a common people, we must understand need and relevance of such websites and always looking forward for its positive and lasting impact. MySpace has gained very special reputation & recognition and all MySpacers must understand that it is their duty to make it a better place.
• You can enrich your contacts through social networking platforms like MySpace.
• More contacts mean more business.
• Through your profile, people know about your business and company.
• Hence, concept of business profile developed and customized MySpace page concept prevailed rapidly.
• Design and uniqueness of your MySpace profile symbolically speaks about your company and its quality work. So, nowadays, people are more concern towards designing aspects of MySpace page.
• Hence, numerous designing companies are providing exclusive designing services for MySpace profile. They have exclusive expertise in different segments of my space page designing like MySpace Div Layouts, and MySpace Flash Layouts and so on.
• Social networks provide you an opportunity to make deep market research. You can accumulate views, opinions and ideas from other members. Forums also can be used as an important business discussion tool.
• However, daily interaction with MySpace members is limited up to 200.
Thus, the key characteristics of MySpace are exposed. Now, we can easily understand its demand and popularity amongst millions of users. In spite of all business prone virtues of this social networking web site, experts always prominently count its one unique feature and that is customization of layouts. They say that dull or mundane profile in MySpace is just like ‘winking at a girl in the dark’. Hence, let’s have a look upon designing aspects
• Be conscious while you are making business profile. Your profile must be catchy and include entire key information about your business.
• You can also incorporate information regarding awards and recognition.
• Never forget that MySpace design will reflect your personality, hobby and character.
• Try to keep your MySpace page formal. Don’t make it strict.
• The most important designing aspect is that your MySpace profile must be quick and easy to load.
• Don’t hesitate to invest money in template designing eventually it will make your profile more impressive and inducing.
• If you are unable to spend money and keen to learn something new then surf information pertaining to HTML. It is easy to learn and you can practice it in your own MySpace page.
• Never try to obscure MySpace ad banner because your account may be deleted.
Thus, don’t forget the famous quote, “opportunities are often missed by people because it is dressed in common”. A recent study report suggests that 77% amongst 16-18 age groups have their profile on social networking websites. This report has lot of significance as it is silently & precisely providing us a glimpse of tech savvy era.
Social networking website indirectly enhances technological skills of budding tech savvy. It promotes their creativity on global platform. It provides them an opportunity to upgrade communication skill & express diverse views fearlessly. Normally, in developing and underdeveloped countries; technical education pertaining to layout and website designing, editing cum customizing contents and so on are substantially expensive. But, social networking websites have proved quite effective as it has made them familiar with all new advancements in web world.
Revolutionary concept like MySpace has become need of contemporary era. Hence, it requires least effort to gain public attention. It is good that even governments in many countries are extremely concern towards these sorts of websites and have provided certain guidelines to them. Almost in every country, the prime target of governing body is to keep such websites aloof from obscene materials and abuses. Though, it is hard to accomplish. In fact, it is impossible if we do not support them. Such guidelines help in preventing unsocial activities that eventually deteriorate the core concept of such intelligent websites. Even as a common people, we must understand need and relevance of such websites and always looking forward for its positive and lasting impact. MySpace has gained very special reputation & recognition and all MySpacers must understand that it is their duty to make it a better place.
11/29/2008
Create Fans Not Clients
I remember it well. I was 12 years old when I heard Eric Clapton’s first solo album. I can tell you where I was. I can tell you the first song I listened to. (It wasn’t the first track.) I can tell you that I was an instant fan and have been ever since —- so much so that my oldest child, Erika, is named after him.
Mr. Clapton has had his ups and down in life — battling alcohol and drug addiction as well as depression. Sometimes these battles led to inspired works; sometimes they led to songs and albums that caused some fans to determine that “Slowhand” had lost it.
I, however, am not your average fan. For whatever reason, the sound that emanates from his guitars captures me … inspires me. Sure, I know when he has produced a clunker. It happens. But as a true fan, I know he will be back with something that touches me in the same way “Let It Rain” did all those years ago.
How would your business be affected if your clients thought about you in the same way as I do about Eric Clapton? Would it increase the number of clients you have? Would you get more referrals? Would you be able to increase your fees and your profits? Then you have to convert the people who hire you from clients to fans. How do you do that? It’s not as difficult as you may think.
First, determine who your most profitable clients are. Once you have that information, ask those particular people why it is they do business with you. Then ask them what else you could possibly do for them to make their lives or businesses better?
Before you go any further, realize that you now have to take the information you got from your best clients and interpret it to determine what it is that they actually meant. For instance, one of the most popular answers you may get is to make it easier to get in contact with you. Does that mean they want you to answer the phone more often, instead of your voice mail answering? Does it mean that they want to be able to reach you by e-mail and be assured that you will respond within 24 hours? If necessary, contact those clients again and ask probing questions until you know exactly what it is they want.
Now you need to create a plan that not only addresses what it is that your clients want, but also one that blows them away. If it is important that you get back to them within 24 hours, perhaps you can devise a way to get back to them within six hours. Just be sure that you can consistently provide whatever it is you decide upon.
When I owned a publishing company, we sold the magazines and books directly to our target audience. We also sold products that pertained to the subjects discussed in the magazines and books. When customers ordered the publications or products, they could count on the items being shipped within 24 hours … without fail. I could count on one hand how many times we missed this promise over the course of 15 years. We also promised that we would not be out of stock, and if we were, the customer received a discount.
Another promise we made and consistently delivered on was that if a customer did not receive an issue of a magazine — for whatever reason, such as getting lost in the mail — then we shipped another one to them by first-class mail on the same day that they notified us. And … we added another issue to the length of their subscription just because they had to go out of their way to contact us.
So what did all this do for us? It turned our customers into fans. The positive word-of-mouth advertising and referrals we received was astounding, and what might at first blush appear to be unprofitable practices were actually very profitable.
You see, our customers knew we cared about them. There was a real connection, and they realized that they could count on us. And in the few instances when they were disappointed, they knew we would not only make it up to them, but that we would also go beyond what anyone else would do.
That’s what Eric Clapton does for me and has been doing so for almost four decades. If his next release isn’t up to my expectations, I’ll eagerly await the one after that. Why? Because I know that in the long run, he is going to provide me with something that others simply do not.
That is exactly how you want your clients to feel about you. Then you no longer have a list of clients, you have a list of fans — fans who look forward to working with you … fans who know that you care about them and are there for them. Then the referrals and the profits will roll in in numbers you previously had only wished for.
One more thing. Think about how your prospects will feel when they look at your web site or marketing materials and see “Our Fans,” as opposed to “Our Clients
Mr. Clapton has had his ups and down in life — battling alcohol and drug addiction as well as depression. Sometimes these battles led to inspired works; sometimes they led to songs and albums that caused some fans to determine that “Slowhand” had lost it.
I, however, am not your average fan. For whatever reason, the sound that emanates from his guitars captures me … inspires me. Sure, I know when he has produced a clunker. It happens. But as a true fan, I know he will be back with something that touches me in the same way “Let It Rain” did all those years ago.
How would your business be affected if your clients thought about you in the same way as I do about Eric Clapton? Would it increase the number of clients you have? Would you get more referrals? Would you be able to increase your fees and your profits? Then you have to convert the people who hire you from clients to fans. How do you do that? It’s not as difficult as you may think.
First, determine who your most profitable clients are. Once you have that information, ask those particular people why it is they do business with you. Then ask them what else you could possibly do for them to make their lives or businesses better?
Before you go any further, realize that you now have to take the information you got from your best clients and interpret it to determine what it is that they actually meant. For instance, one of the most popular answers you may get is to make it easier to get in contact with you. Does that mean they want you to answer the phone more often, instead of your voice mail answering? Does it mean that they want to be able to reach you by e-mail and be assured that you will respond within 24 hours? If necessary, contact those clients again and ask probing questions until you know exactly what it is they want.
Now you need to create a plan that not only addresses what it is that your clients want, but also one that blows them away. If it is important that you get back to them within 24 hours, perhaps you can devise a way to get back to them within six hours. Just be sure that you can consistently provide whatever it is you decide upon.
When I owned a publishing company, we sold the magazines and books directly to our target audience. We also sold products that pertained to the subjects discussed in the magazines and books. When customers ordered the publications or products, they could count on the items being shipped within 24 hours … without fail. I could count on one hand how many times we missed this promise over the course of 15 years. We also promised that we would not be out of stock, and if we were, the customer received a discount.
Another promise we made and consistently delivered on was that if a customer did not receive an issue of a magazine — for whatever reason, such as getting lost in the mail — then we shipped another one to them by first-class mail on the same day that they notified us. And … we added another issue to the length of their subscription just because they had to go out of their way to contact us.
So what did all this do for us? It turned our customers into fans. The positive word-of-mouth advertising and referrals we received was astounding, and what might at first blush appear to be unprofitable practices were actually very profitable.
You see, our customers knew we cared about them. There was a real connection, and they realized that they could count on us. And in the few instances when they were disappointed, they knew we would not only make it up to them, but that we would also go beyond what anyone else would do.
That’s what Eric Clapton does for me and has been doing so for almost four decades. If his next release isn’t up to my expectations, I’ll eagerly await the one after that. Why? Because I know that in the long run, he is going to provide me with something that others simply do not.
That is exactly how you want your clients to feel about you. Then you no longer have a list of clients, you have a list of fans — fans who look forward to working with you … fans who know that you care about them and are there for them. Then the referrals and the profits will roll in in numbers you previously had only wished for.
One more thing. Think about how your prospects will feel when they look at your web site or marketing materials and see “Our Fans,” as opposed to “Our Clients
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