**J U N E 2 0 0 2**

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**LET'S TALK**

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| ##### WINTER 2004 HEALTHY BODIES ● SOUND MINDS ● A SAFE PLACE TO WORK |
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######## Open the Door to a Happier 2004

**J U N E 2**

**Do you like to daydream? Just imagine \...**

□You're not as stressed as you used to be.

□You've adopted some truly effective parenting tips.

□Relationship problems no longer are getting the best of you.

□You've learned how to control your anger.

□You're more contented at home.

□You're getting along better with your co-workers.

Your EAP can help you open the door to making your daydreams become
realities in 2004. Contact Your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for
confidential assistance.

**And have a Happy New Year!**

**H E A LT H Y B O D I E S • S O U N D M I N D S • A S A F E P L AC E TO
WOR K W I N T E R 2**

####### Making and Maintaining Healthy Changes

**HALF OF US MAKE THEM EVERY YEAR:**

New Year's resolutions. Many people use New Year's resolutions to rid
themselves

of unhealthy habits, such as smoking or eating junk food. One study of
more than 200 people who made New Year's resolutions showed that 75
percent were sticking with them a week later. But only 40 percent were
still on track after six months.

The researchers found that people who kept their resolutions over time
had three things in common.

□They believed that they could change.

□They weren't too hard on themselves if they didn't make a total change
right

away.

□They didn't expect their life to change dramatically after meeting
their goal.

**The Road to Successful Change**

Change doesn't happen overnight. Just because it's January 1 doesn't
mean you're ready to make a change. Knowing your readiness to change can
help you choose your next step. People usually go through these phases
on their way to change:

**1.** "I'm thinking about it." Your desire for change is still vague.
Gather information

on the benefits of the change you're considering.

**2.** "I'm ready." You are starting to test your ability to make
long-term change by

making small improvements. This is the best time to make a resolution to
change.

Ask your friends and family for their support.

**3.** "I'll do it." You put your plan into motion and take action. Be
sure to monitor your progress from time to time.

**4.** "I did it." Reward yourself for staying on track. And replace the
time you once spent on an unhealthy habit with something equally
enjoyable. For example, if you used to smoke a cigarette after meals,
spend that time taking a quick walk or talking with a friend instead.

**Dream the Possible Dream**

To stick with a healthy resolution, start small. Begin with an
achievable resolution, something you can reasonably accomplish. Your
confidence will increase by making a simple resolution rather than a
grand plan that doesn't get off the ground. And most important,

believe in yourself. Reading or saying a simple affirmation to yourself
every day, such as "I am going to do it," will remind you that you have
the power to change.

What's New?

####### Late-Breaking Health News

**\>\>Bottling up your anger can cause headaches,** according to a study
published in the journal *Headache.* Researchers found that holding in
anger was the biggest predictor of

headaches among a group of 422 adults in the study. Researchers looked
at how angry a

person is, how much he or she internalizes anger, and how severe and
frequent headaches are. They also considered whether the individual was
anxious or depressed, two factors that

have been linked to headaches. This doesn't mean you should express your
anger. Researchers suggest people learn ways to be more patient so they
avoid becoming angry.

**\>\>Government health studies on hormone replacement therapy** (HRT)
over the past 18 months delivered the following findings:

WINTER 2004 2

JULY 2002: The government-backed *Women's Health Initiative* study of
16,608 women is halted because researchers discovered significant health
risks for women taking estrogen-progestin pills.

The risk for heart disease was 29 percent higher than expected. Breast
cancer risk increased by 26 percent.

MARCH 2003: HRT failed to improve older women's memory, sleeping or
mental outlook.

MAY 2003: Those who took estrogen-progestin an average of more than four
years faced double the risk for Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia.

JUNE 2003: Breast cancer linked to estrogen-progestin may be hard to
detect.

AUGUST 2003: The risk for heart attacks during the first year on the
pills was nearly double the expected rate. Risk was also higher than
expected for those with high LDL cholesterol.

**\>\>A DIET RICH IN FRUIT, VEGETABLES, FISH, BEANS, LOW-FAT DAIRY AND
WHOLE GRAINS is the foundation of a long life, according to a new study
of 59,038**

**women published in the** International Journal of Epidemiology.

Regular consumption of a large variety of healthful foods --- including
apples, pears, oranges, bananas, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, kale,
cabbage, carrots, beets, beans, peas, low-fat milk and yogurt,
whole-grain breads, oats, salmon, herring, tuna and other fish ---was
associated with longevity and lower mortality rates from heart disease
and

cancer.

In contrast, a diet that includes lots of less healthful foods --- such
as red meat, bacon, sausages, cold cuts, French fries, chips, cheese,
margarine, white bread, cookies, ice cream, candy, sugary foods and
foods rich in saturated fats --- was associated with increased

Mortality rates from cancer.

Foods in the healthful group are low in fat and rich in vitamins,
minerals, phytochemicals, fiber and essential fatty acids.

*See your physician for guidance and advice regarding a specific health
condition.*

VITALITY-ON-DEMAND VITALITY

**VOD**

A world of additional health information available via your computer.

You may think of this publication as just a newsletter. But would you
believe it's also an access index to one of the largest databases of
family health and personal self-care data

around? With our free Vitality-on-Demand (VOD) service, you can get all
of the information you need any time you want it!

**Look for this symbol VOD 000 throughout the newsletter for topics you
would like to learn more about.**

WINTER 2004 3

**Placing your VOD order is simple.**

**And it's free.**

**Via the Internet:** Visit our home page at *www.vitality.com* and
press the Vitality-on-Demand button. Enter the three-digit VOD number
from this newsletter, or you can search

by keyword.

##### SPECIAL REPORTS

**540** How to Quit Smoking

**541** Sensible Weight Loss

**542** Lowering Your Cholesterol

**543** Reducing Your Stress

**544** Walking for Fitness

**545** Workstation Comfort

**546** Fixing an Aching Back

**547** Start An Exercise Program

**548** Controlling Allergies

**549** Lowering Health-Care Costs

**550** Living With Arthritis

**551** Dealing With Headaches

**552** High Blood Pressure

-ON-

####### Making the Most of a Difficult Transition

You just got the news: Your department is reorganizing, downsizing or
being combined with another department ---or you're getting a new boss.
What can you do to weather the change?

"When it freezes over, ice skate," says Patt Schwab, Ph.D., a
professional speaker in Seattle who specializes in workplace change.
During a difficult transition, you may not be able to concentrate on
your work, may feel immobilized by stress and may be frightened about
the future.

But don't despair. Schwab offers the following suggestions to help you
float through difficult transitions instead of thrashing around in a sea
of confusion.

##### Analyze

"Analyze what you can or can't do," says Schwab. "If you can't stop the
change, then figure out what the next step is and live with it. Don't
waste time fighting a done deal."

If you're being laid off, analyze your skills, assess your contacts and
determine how much time you have between now and your last paycheck.
Look for opportunities that may

arise out of the change. If your unit is being absorbed by another
department, do some research to learn as much as you can about the other
group.

##### Say Farewell

"There's a whole progression of natural feelings you go through during a
transition," explains Schwab. "First you deny something is going to
happen, then you resist it, then you explore different scenarios, and
finally you accept it and commit to the new change."

WINTER 2004 4

Saying good-bye to the past is important to moving forward. You must let
go of one side of the pool before you can swim to the other side.

**Be Prepared**

You'll fare best if you live your life like the Boy Scout motto: Be
Prepared. "This means you've kept your training up to date, you haven't
over-extended yourself financially and your relationships are good both
in and out of the workplace," say Schwab.

Even if your department isn't at a turning point, preparing yourself for
any possibility will help you ease through difficult transitions when
they do happen, and will help you approach each day with confidence.

####### Hear Today, Hear Tomorrow

From morning's first echo of percolating coffee to evening's final chat
with friends, our hearing connects us to our surroundings. By our late
40s, however, many of us join 30

million other Americans in asking, "Could you speak up?"

"People are complaining at increasingly younger ages of hearing loss,"
says Margaret Wallhagen, Ph.D., R.N., associate professor in the
Department of Physiological Nursing at

the University of California in San Francisco.

Luckily, however, we can often prevent hearing loss. Two types of
problems can interfere with hearing:

□Conductive hearing loss can occur at any age from injury, illness or
trauma to the middle or outer ear.

□Sensorineural hearing loss, more common, stems from damage to the inner
ear. Sometimes it results from illness or sudden loud noise. Most often,
it results from long-term

exposure to loud noises.

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is the top cause of middle-age hearing
impairment. In the inner ear, 24,000 sensory hair cells that transfer
sound to nerves suffer repeated tiny injuries and don't regenerate. The
ear can't translate sounds, especially high-pitched tones.

The simplest way to protect your hearing is to avoid loud noises. If
that's impossible, use earplugs or other products to block the noise.

Some other advice:

□See a doctor if you have ringing in your ears.

□Spend 20 minutes in silence: Ears suffer fatigue.

□If work or recreation involves loud noises, get a hearing test
annually.

Remember, if the noise level is too loud to comfortably carry on a
conversation, it's loud enough to pose a risk to your hearing.

WINTER 2004 5

####### Do You Have a Healthy Attitude?

A POSITIVE ATTITUDE, FAITH AND GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS can make

you healthier, experts agree.

No one's sure exactly how some of these factors contribute to good
health, but study after study shows they do. A positive attitude depends
on genetic influences, upbringing, health habits, social connections and
emotional support. You can't change some of these factors, but you can
learn new ways of thinking and behavior to help maintain a positive
mind-set --- and live a healthier life.

"Your beliefs about a particular situation are very important in terms
of your immune system's response to stress. The more optimistic you are,
the higher the level and function of key immune cells in your body,"
says psychologist Suzanne Segerstrom, Ph.D. "While a stronger immune
system doesn't necessarily mean you feel better, it does affect how
easily

you get sick, or how well you recover from illness or surgery."

So does having a good connection to family, friends and acquaintances.
In general, social ties guard against stress and contribute to a
positive attitude. Researchers have proven that they also help you
survive major illnesses and heal more quickly.

"A strong social support system encourages better health habits," says
psychiatrist Redford B. Williams, M.D., director of behavioral research
at Duke University Medical Center. Company can also ward off depression.

Experts warn, however, that some people feel more comfortable being
alone. If forging ties to family and friends actually stresses you out,
you're better off respecting your need for solitude, suggests Dr.
Segerstrom.

"As you practice healthy habits, you affect your health positively,"
says Dr. Gordon. "You soon feel the results of your efforts. That
reinforces not only a positive attitude, but also the control you now
have over your life --- to make it the best it can be."

Put some positive energy in your life

by identifying activities that make you feel good, then doing more of
them every day. Asking these questions will help you identify such
activities: What always makes me

smile? What fills my heart with love? What makes me feel fulfilled? What
small things leave me feeling content?

*Family Circle, 110 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10011.*

**It takes more than saying "no" to keep teens off drugs.** Preventing
drug

abuse requires parents to frequently discuss the health and safety
issues involved in drug use. Experts stress the importance of listening
to your teens during such talks and not lecturing. Setting standards for
behavior and consequences for not meeting those standards also is
important.

*University of Washington Health Sciences and Medical Affairs, Seattle.*

WINTER 2004 6

**You're at risk for an eating disorder if you:** Obsessively keep track
of everything you eat; weigh yourself more than once a day; eat in
secret; give more priority to your workouts than your social life.

*Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.*

**Writing in a journal after you suffer something traumatic can help you
heal** --- if you write not only about how you're feeling, but also how
you're dealing with the setback.

It's not enough to say you're angry; also detail what you're doing to
calm yourself.

*Research at the University of Iowa, Iowa City.*

**Avoid distractions at work.** Jumping from one thing to the next
indicates an undisciplined commitment to priorities.

*12 Simple Secrets of Happiness at Work by Glenn Van Ekeren.*

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| ### The Federal Consortium                                            |
|  EAP provides assessment, counseling, referral, training and consulta |
| tion to federal employees and agencies throughout the United States.  |
|                                                                       |
| *Information published in Let's Talk is the opinion of the sourced    |
| authors. Personal decisions regarding health, finance, exercise and   |
| other matters should be made after consultation with the reader's     |
| professional advisers. All models are used for illustrative purposes  |
| only.*                                                                |
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| *Copyright © 2003 Health Ink & Vitality Communications. All editorial |
| rights reserved.*                                                     |
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WINTER 2004 7