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**LET'S TALK**

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| ##### SUMMER 2005 HEALTHY BODIES ● SOUND MINDS ● A SAFE PLACE TO WORK |
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ANNOUNCING A NEW SERVICE ---Connect4Health

**WO R K**

SOMETIMES, PEOPLE FIND THEMSELVES WONDERING whether their use of alcohol

and/or drugs is an issue of misuse or abuse, but they don't know where
to turn. Federal Occupational Health (FOH) can help. Now, there is a new
and innovative resource that offers another option for employees with
alcohol- and drug-related

concerns.

This new resource, Connect4Health, is a technologically sophisticated
program that

offers Web-based education (up to six sessions), online support, and
early intervention and relapse prevention. Connect4Health is offered in
addition to the customary Employee Assistance Program sessions, and is
available to all Federal employees and family members participating in
the FOH Employee Assistance Program.

All Connect4Health sessions consist of online group discussions about
issues relating to alcohol and drug use. Sessions are facilitated by
licensed professional counselors and utilize real-time audio and video
technology that lets participants see the counselor in an atmosphere of
complete confidentiality and anonymity. Connect4Health is *not* a
substance-abuse treatment program.

The Connect4Health program can benefit adults ...

□ With substance-misuse vulnerabilities

□ Who want more education on their use of substances and their effects

□ Looking for relapse prevention support

□ Who cannot participate in single-location substance education groups
due to work

or personal reasons

□ Who live in rural or remote U.S. locations without proximity to
face-to-face

services

□ Who are posted overseas without access to services

□ Who simply desire the convenience and confidentiality of online
services

Connect4Health was designed especially for FOH by eGetgoing, a fully
accredited

online substance use intervention program. Setting up the Connect4Health
program is easy. You must have a computer with a modem or other Internet
connection; access to a quiet, private room; and Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP
operating system.

You will receive a kit including set-up and content CDs, a headset and
microphone. An eGetgoing IT specialist will personally help you install
and test the software to ensure you can log in successfully and can see
and hear properly.

Stress Can Make Your Body Say 'Uncle'

**IN MODERATE DOSES, STRESS CHALLENGES YOU TO DO YOUR BEST** so you

keep learning and growing. But too much stress has a negative effect on
your work,

mood and physical well-being.

When stress becomes chronic, it can cause mental and physical distress.

Stress causes your body to create chemicals that send extra power to
muscles and help you focus your mind and senses. When stress is
occasional, these chemicals

are washed away safely in your blood. But when stress continues over
time, the

chemicals build up in your body. This can cause physical symptoms such
as:

□ CHRONIC COLDS AND FLU. Stress weakens your immune system.

□ INSOMNIA. Your body gives you another shot of adrenaline every time
you think

about your problems.

□ HEADACHES AND SORE MUSCLES. Stress puts your body in a high state of
alert,

with muscles tensed to fight back. Constant tension makes them rigid and
sore.

□ STOMACH PROBLEMS. Stress prompts stomach secretions that can cause
digestive

miseries.

□ SKIN ERUPTIONS. A depressed immune system can cause fever blisters,
cold

sores, shingles and other skin problems.

□ Physical symptoms of stress can get worse if the stress continues to
build.

This can lead to even more serious conditions such as heart disease,
depression,

alcoholism and cancer.

**ADVANCE DIRECTIVES**

There is information and a full article on advance directives on the FOH
Web site,

*www.foh.dhhs.gov.* Just go to the home page, and look for Advance
Directives under the "News You Can Use" section.

***Summer 2005*** 2

**What 's new**

Late-Breaking Health News

**\>\>Exercise alone can reduce depression.**

The first study to look at exercise alone in treating mild to moderate
depression showed depressive symptoms were reduced almost 50 percent in
adults who did 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five times a
week.

The four-year study of 80 people published in the *American Journal of
Preventive Medicine* found those who participated in moderately intense
aerobics, such as exercising on a treadmill or stationary bicycle ---
whether it was for three, four or five days a week --- experienced a
decline in depressive symptoms by an average of 47 percent after 12
weeks.

**\>\>Children exposed to secondhand smoke daily** have 3.6 times the
risk of developing lung cancer later in life as those who grow up in
smoke-free homes. Children who breathe secondhand smoke a few times a
week are 1.5 times more likely to develop lung cancer, according to a
study published in the *British Medical*

*Journal*. In one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind on
passive smoking, researchers looked at 303,020 people who had never
smoked, or who had stopped

smoking for at least 10 years.

**\>\> Losing even a little weight helps a lot.** According to a report
published in the *Mayo Clinic Health Letter,* losing just 5 to 10
percent of your body weight and keeping it off can increase longevity
and help reduce your risk for these conditions:

**□ HYPERTENSION** --- several studies have shown losing even 5 percent
of body

weight can reduce or eliminate the need for medications to lower blood
pressure.

**□ DIABETES** --- studies of people at high risk for diabetes showed
moderate weight

loss from dietary changes and exercise can delay and possibly prevent
type 2

diabetes. A weight loss of 5 to 7 percent was linked to a 58 percent
reduced risk

for diabetes.

**□** **HEART DISEASE** --- a 10 percent weight reduction may reduce
your lifetime risk

of developing heart disease by up to 4 percent.

**□ STROKE** --- sustained moderate weight loss may reduce the risk for
stroke.

**□** **SLEEP APNEA** --- one study compared the likelihood of this
sleep disorder in

overweight participants before and after weight loss. Those who lost a
moderate

amount of weight experienced a 14 to 26 percent decline in the number of

occurrences of abnormal overnight breathing.

VITALITY-ON\--DEMAND

**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!

***Summer 2005*** 3

**Visit www.vitality.com for more articles and to search for topics you
would like to learn more about.**

**It's simple. And it's free.**

**Via the Internet:** Visit our home page at *www.vitality.com* and
press the Vitality-on-Demand button to search by keyword. Or click on
Special Reports to access the articles listed below.

**SPECIAL REPORT**

**119** Identity Theft

**120** 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

TRYING TO CHANGE?

LIST YOUR VALUES

LIKE MANY PEOPLE, YOU MAY FEEL FRUSTRATED TRYING TO CHANGE A BAD HABIT.

Sometimes people fail because they focus on the wrong reasons for
changing.

Perhaps you've tried to get regular exercise but can never stick with
it. It may be that your motivation to exercise is what's tripping you
up. Maybe it's time to step back and reconsider your reasons for wanting
to change.

Perhaps you are focused on exercising mainly as a way to lose weight.
While this isn't a bad reason for changing, it may not be motivating
enough to help you stick with it.

Instead, think about how getting regular exercise ties in with what you
value most in life. Write down your list of values. It might include
your family, your health and longevity and your self-esteem. Now focus
on how exercise will help support those values. Exercise can help you
live a longer life by lowering your risk for certain diseases. This
means you'll be more likely to be around for your family for years to
come.

Thinking about exercise --- or any new healthy habit --- in relation to
your values may

give you the motivation to stick with it. To help you stay on track,
post your list of

values where you'll see it every day. There may be no better motivator.

***Summer 2005*** 4

Remember to Relax on Your Vacation

**TOO MANY OF US RETURN FROM VACATION MORE TIRED AND STRESSED**

**OUT THAN WHEN WE LEFT**. But with the right planning, your vacation
can actually leave you feeling rested and recharged.

Whether you're traveling around the world, across country, to the
mountains or the beach, here are some suggestions for enjoying a
stress-free vacation:

□ **IF YOU HAVE TO CATCH UP WITH EXTRA WORK** before starting your

vacation, spread it out.

□ **BEGIN PACKING A WEEK BEFORE YOUR TRIP**. Waiting until the last
minute is

stressful.

□ **VISITING FAMILY, WHILE IMPORTANT, OFTEN IS NOT RELAXING.** Plan to

spend at least part of your vacation in a more relaxing setting.

□ **PLAN TO GET A FULL NIGHT'S SLEEP EVERY NIGHT.**

□ **AVOID WORKING WHILE ON VACATION.** Don't leave contact information

with the office, and, if possible, leave your laptop at home.

□ **CHOOSE A VACATION THAT ADDS BALANCE TO YOUR LIFE**. If life is
hectic,

get away and relax. If life is lethargic, consider a more active
vacation.

**KEEP THE KIDS HAPPY**

Here are some tips to keep your children occupied on a long car trip:

□ Pack healthy snacks and beverages.

□ Bring small toys, books, games and cassettes.

□ Mark your trip's starting point and destination on a map and point out
landmarks

along the way so they can follow your progress.

□ See how many different states' license plants you can spot.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder---

IT'S NOT JUST KID STUFF

ARE YOU RESTLESS? MESSY? EASILY DISTRACTED? These could be symptoms of
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), more commonly referred
to as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

According to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA), 3 to 5
percent of school-aged children have ADHD, and one-half to one-third of
children with the disorder will continue to experience problems as
adults, which can include:

□ Being unable to keep a job or not keeping jobs as long

□ Not achieving educational goals otherwise within their ability

□ Having marital difficulties

□ Having more accidents and traffic violations

***Summer 2005*** 5

In diagnosing ADHD in adults, symptoms are traced all the way back to
childhood. Symptoms of inattentive behavior include having a short
attention span, being easily distracted and being disorganized.
Over-activity and being impulsive --- acting and/or

doing things without considering the consequences --- characterize
hyperactive

behavior.

These symptoms have to have been present in childhood for there to be a
diagnosis retrospectively in adults. Moreover, the problems caused by
ADHD would be pervasive and get in the way of the child's normal
development--- usually academic or social.

The typical first line of treatment is medication. But no one treatment
approach is appropriate for everyone. Treatment must be tailored to the
individual, depending on his or her behavioral, social, academic,
vocational or relationship concerns.

For more information about ADD in adults, visit the Attention Deficit
Disorder Association (ADDA) Web site at *www.add.org* or the Children
and Adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) Web
site at *www.chadd.org.*

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| **The Federal Consortium EAP provides assessment, counseling,         |
| referral, training and consultation 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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| ### *Copyri                                                           |
| ght © 2005 Health Ink Communications. All editorial rights reserved.* |
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***Summer 2005*** 6