The study was carried out by a team of researchers from the US who took into consideration all births between 1989-2003 in New Jersey and Michigan. Next, they narrowed it down to women who gave birth to more than one child – this was to rule out the possibility of women who were obese due to genetic reasons passing it down to their babies. Over 500,000 women and 1.1 million infants were part of the study.

The results showed that females who gained over 53 pounds during their pregnancy had babies who were around 150g heavier compared to babies of women who put on only around 22 pounds during their pregnancy.

Published in Lancet, a medical journal, the study was funded by the US National Institutes of Health.

Stephan Rossner, Professor, Obesity Unit, Karolinska Hospital, Sweden said that preventing obesity should be one of the top priorities when pregnant. He said it could prove to be uncomfortable for pregnant women to eat less and also undergo certain changes in their lifestyle, but it would pay off for the babies they bring into the world.

In America, one third of the female population is of normal weight, while over 50% is obese.

According to advice from the Institute of Medicine, women of normal weight should gain only around 25-35 pounds during their pregnancy, while obese females should only gain around 11-25 pounds.

Dr. David Ludwig, Director, Optimal Weight for Life programme, Children’s Hospital, Boston said that bigger infants stood a chance of remaining heavy right throughout their life. He said that these infants were at a higher risk of developing health problems such as allergies and asthma and even possibly cancer.

The abuse of methamphetamines and prescription amphetamines are on the rise nationals. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that treatments in drug and alcohol addiction programs for methamphetamine and amphetamine abuse rose from four percent of total cases in 1995 to nine percent in 2005. This rise in treatment for these types of drugs has continued to be seen in drug addiction programs around the country in recent years. Meth and other amphetamines are cheap, easy to find and produce a potent high.

Professional counselors in drug rehabilitation centers can also tell you that these drugs are extremely dangerous as well as being addicting. Overdoses because of meth and other amphetamines are common as the nervous system and cardiovascular system are over stimulated. While using these drugs, a person’s heart rate and blood pressure can spike to dangerous levels along with triggered cardiac arrhythmias and other potential health problems.

But meth and other amphetamines pose long-term risks to a person’s cardiovascular health along with having the potential to cause major short-term problems. Frequent abuse of these drugs can do significant damage to a person’s heart, circulatory system and central nervous system, one major reason why it’s so important for a person with a serious problem to get checked into an addiction program sooner rather than later.

The August issue of the American Heart Journal brought more confirmation about the potentially deadly side effects of meth and amphetamine abuse if not treated in a drug rehab facility. The journal published a study by the UT Southwestern Medical Center which showed that people who abused amphetamines were three times more likely than a non-user to suffer a possibly fatal tear in the aortic dissection — the main artery leading from the heart.

The study’s lead author Dr. Arthur Westover said that while aortic tears are rare, the findings suggest that screening for tears should become standard practice for doctors dealing with amphetamine users during routine check-ups or before going into an addiction center for treatment.

It is due to this reason that the lupus symptoms are not particularly specific and diagnosis tends to be delayed. Patients may have a with low grade fever which has been persisting for some time, a rash over the nose in the shape of a butterfly and of a reddish or purplish color, extreme fatigue and severe pain in the joints.

Many organizations are involved in Lupus charity all over the world. Charitable organizations are coming forward with financial and other forms of support for lupus patients in the United States of America. These charitable organizations not only give funds to take care of needy patients but also fund the detailed studies about this disease in order to find a cure in the future.

1. The fact that you have to admit to others about an addiction.
2. Anticipation of the unknown processes you will face there.
3. How credible the Addiction Center is.

There are simple ways to rest your fears. The first step after you have admitted to yourself that you have an addiction is to enlist the help of family and friends. You have to understand that due to your addiction, your ability to make certain judgments will be clouded. This is where those who are close to you and care about can help.

Choosing a Drug Rehab center has to be done carefully. Their past track record, treatment processes, length of treatments, cost etc., are crucial factors in picking them. Another factor that goes in their favor is if they specialize in certain addictions; for example Alcohol Treatment, Heroin Treatment, Cocaine Treatment etc.

Don’t be afraid to ask about the treatments. You have to know what you are getting into and even if you don’t understand, it is important that the people closest to you do. This way you will be able to get all the emotional support you need in getting over your addiction.

By finding a qualified and established treatment center, like Cirque Lodge for instance, you will not only be getting the best treatment, you will also be giving yourself the best chance to get over your addiction.

Treatment for drug and alcohol addiction is a complicated process. There is no one treatment option that is right for all people struggling with addiction. At the same time, it’s also important for treatment programs to be multi-faceted and treat patients with a variety of approaches. Traditional methods of treatment such as talk therapy are important but a holistic approach to treatment should heal the soul along with the mind.

This is where experiential treatment becomes so critical in a person’s recovery from alcoholism, hard drugs use or prescription drug abuse. Experiential treatment takes a patient beyond just talking about their experiences and touches the deeper memories and emotions that a person has associated with the past. Addiction touches every aspect of a person’s life and it can be difficult for an addict to experience the most basic human emotions without having their feelings be wrapped up in their time using drugs and alcohol.

Experiential treatment in an addiction treatment program attempts to change how addicts experience emotions. Patients are given task-oriented projects to complete. These can be as simple as working in the kitchen or as complex as completing an outdoor obstacle course. No matter what the patient is asked to do, they are typically assigned projects which will test them mentally and physically but which can also lead to great rewards if they are successful.

Drug addiction is a disease of comfort. People who are struggling with addiction often don’t seek treatment because they are used to the lifestyle they have created while using drugs or alcohol; even if they understand the poor decisions they are making, it is still easier to continue to live a familiar life rather than stop using and breaking their comfort level and have to deal with the real world.

Experiential treatment during drug rehab is all about pushing people outside of their comfort zone and making them confront new tasks. Being put into stressful situations typically makes people struggling with addiction uncomfortable. Giving addicts tasks to perform such as climbing a mountain or caring for a stable of horses forces people to confront the range of emotions they have covered up through their drug and alcohol abuse, helping them to make a breakthrough.

Leading addiction centers use both indoor and outdoor experiential therapy as a facet of their treatment plans. The Cirque Lodge in Colorado has been a pioneering rehab center in adventure therapy for several decades. Through goal-oriented tasks, patients get in touch with their hidden feelings and can gain the inner confidence needed to tackle the arduous process of addiction recovery.