BODY WATCH : Send Your Cards and Do a Good Turn
You can check off one major chore by turning over that holiday card list to the Foundation for the Junior Blind. The personalized “holiday tribute letters,” including customized greetings, cost $10 each for one to 10 greetings and $5 each for larger lists. Call (213) 295-4555, Ext. 237 to order.
Prepare for Holiday Feast by, Uh, Eating
Think back to last Christmas when you couldn’t budge from the dining table after stuffing yourself silly. This year try doing what the Stanford University medical researchers recommend: Start with a wholesome breakfast, and then a light snack at midday if the holiday meal isn’t until evening. JoAnn Hattner of the American Dietetics Assn. adds, “If you begin a meal extremely hungry and with accompanying low blood sugar, you are most likely to overeat. For many people, fasting all day before a late afternoon or evening meal will actually cause more weight gain than if they’d eaten lightly before the feast.” (Remember, those leftovers taste even better the next day.)
Norplant an Effective Contraceptive for Teens
Teenagers who use the Norplant contraceptive device, according to researchers at UC San Francisco, are more likely to stick with the method and less likely to get pregnant than teenagers using condoms or the pill.
Events
Tonight there will be a free lecture on “Gynecologic Cancers: Now and in the Future.” 7-9 p.m. RPB Auditorium in the Stein Plaza at UCLA, 800 Westwood Plaza, Westwood. Call (310) 794-6644 for information . . . On Wednesday, you can ask doctors about medical and behavioral issues common in kids under 5. 7:30-9 p.m. Free. Northridge Hospital Medical Center, 18300 Roscoe Blvd., Northridge. Call (800) 922-0000 for reservations.
Briefly
St. John’s Hospital and Health Center has added a free program--”Senior TLC (Teaching Lifestyle Changes).” The benefits for adults 55 and older in Los Angeles County include medical advice, screenings, and home visits by a counselor to talk about financial and family concerns, including holiday blues. Call (310) 582-7000 for more information.
* This health roundup appears on Tuesdays. Items to be considered should be mailed 3 1/2 weeks before the event to Candace A. Wedlan, Health Watch, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053. Fax: (213) 237-4888.
