###### ![](media/image1.png){width="1.5006944444444446in" height="0.9555555555555556in"}

**LET'S TALK**

S • A S A F E P L A C

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ####                                                                  |
| ##### WINTER 2005 HEALTHY BODIES ● SOUND MINDS ● A SAFE PLACE TO WORK |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

**E TO WO**

World AIDS Day

WOMEN, GIRLS, HIV AND AIDS was the theme of the 2004 World AIDS day.
According to UNAIDS, a joint United Nations program on HIV/AIDS, there
are many ways in which HIV and AIDS affect women. Among them are:

**Transmission.** In 2004, most HIV infections are coming from
heterosexual sex, in which women are more likely to become infected than
men.

**Mother-to-child transmission** of HIV accounted for 90 percent of all
babies infected in 2003. HIV also can be transmitted through breast
milk.

**Sexual violence** affects women around the world. It can be even more
damaging when it involves the transmission, sometimes deliberate, of
HIV.

**Discrimination.** Women who have HIV may experience discrimination in
their job prospects, economic and social position, access to health care
and education.

**Men** are the most common route of HIV transmission to women. In fact,
most women infected with HIV caught the virus from a husband or partner.

If you would like confidential information about HIV/AIDS, contact the
CDC National AIDS Hotline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at
**800-342-2437;**

**TTY, 800-243-7889.**

## HIV and AIDS: Are You at Risk?

IN 2002, MORE THAN 42,000 AMERICANS became infected with HIV, the virus

that can lead to AIDS, a potentially fatal disease with no known cure.
Knowing

the facts about HIV and AIDS can help you protect yourself.

**HIV and AIDS Facts**

AIDS --- acquired immunodeficiency syndrome --- is the disease you get
when HIV --- human immunodeficiency virus --- destroys your body's
immune system. Your immune system normally helps you fight off illness,
but when it fails, you can

die from diseases that people without AIDS would survive.

**HIV can be transmitted:**

By having unprotected sex --- sex without barrier protection --- with
someone

who has HIV.

By sharing a needle and syringe to inject drugs or sharing equipment
used to

prepare drugs with someone who has HIV.

From a blood transfusion or blood clotting factor you received before
1985.

**HIV cannot be transmitted:**

By working with or being around someone who has the virus.

From sweat, spit, tears, drinking fountains, phones or toilet seats.

From insect bites or stings.

From donating blood.

From a closed-mouth kiss.

**Protect Yourself**

Insist on knowing your partner's HIV status before engaging in sexual
intercourse.

Don't share needles and syringes used to inject drugs or steroids or
used for

tattooing or body piercing.

Use male latex condoms. However, no protective method is 100 percent
effective,

and condom use can't guarantee absolute protection.

Don't share razors or toothbrushes.

If you are exposed to someone else's blood, assume it is potentially
infectious

and treat it accordingly.

**See a Doctor**

The only way to know for sure if you're infected with HIV is to be
tested. For HIV counseling and confidential testing information, call
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National HIV/AIDS
Hotline at **800-342-2437**.

*Sources: CDC National AIDS Hotline, 800-342-2437; CDC Division of
HIV/AIDS Prevention, www.cdc.gov/hiv; www.aidsinfo.nih.gov; and
www.cdc.gov/hiv/general.htm.*

**what 's new**

## Late-Breaking Health News

**SOFT DRINKS INCREASE DIABETES RISK.**

**An eight-year study of 91,249 women found those who drank higher
amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages had an increased risk of developing
type 2 diabetes and gaining weight. The study was published in the
*Journal of the American Medical Association*.**

Soft drinks are the leading source of added sugar in the U.S. diet and
may increase the risk for diabetes because they contain large amounts of
high fructose corn syrup, which raises blood glucose in the same way as
sucrose does.

***Winter 2005*** 2

The study found women consuming one or more sugar-sweetened soft drinks
per day had an 83 percent increased risk for type 2 diabetes, compared
with those who consumed less than one of these beverages per month.

**Nine controllable risk factors are responsible for 90 percent of heart
attacks,** according to the results of an international study of 30,000
people

from 52 countries published online by *The Lancet*. Cardiovascular
disease is

estimated to be the biggest cause of death and disability worldwide.
According to the study, the controllable risk factors were smoking, high
blood pressure, diabetes, abdominal obesity, diet, level of physical
activity, alcohol consumption, cholesterol level and stress.

The two factors identified from the study as carrying the highest risk
were smoking (risk value of 2.9 --- nearly three times the risk for
heart attack for smokers compared with those who had never smoked) and
high cholesterol (risk value 3.25).

Other important risk factors for heart attack were stress, diabetes,
high blood pressure and abdominal obesity.

**Methamphetamine is fast finding its way into the workplace, a new
report**

**found.**

Employers who screen job applicants and workers for drugs saw the number
testing positive for methamphetamine rise 68 percent last year,
according to Quest Diagnostics Inc., the country's largest drug testing
company. The report --- which looked at more than 7 million workplace
drug tests performed last year --- shows the methamphetamine positive
rate jumped, along with a smaller rise in positives for opiates such as
heroin. "These are the largest increases of any drug or drug class for
as long as we've been tracking the individual categories of drug tests,"
says Barry Sample, director of science and technology for Quest's
workplace drug testing business.

VITALITY-ON-DEMAND VITALITY-ON-

**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!

######## 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.**

***Winter 2005*** 3

**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 REPORTS

**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

DEMAND

## Relaxing Ways to De-Stress

WE LIVE IN TENSE, TURBULENT AND STRESSFUL TIMES.

"But you can easily avoid adding to the turbulence," says Mike George, a
meditation

teacher and author of *1,001 Ways to Relax.* "In fact, you can become
one of those people for whom the world has a great need: those who can
stay calm in a crisis, cool in the midst of chaos and focused on the
positive when everyone around you is inclined to reinforce the negative.
If you can stay relaxed and calm, it helps others do the same."

Here are some of George's suggestions for de-stressing your life.

FORGET YESTERDAY'S MISTAKES.

Today is a new day. Your mind has been refreshed by sleep, and there's
no need

to believe that yesterday's misjudgments or misfortunes will repeat
themselves.

DECIDE TO BE HAPPY today, no matter what happens or who does what. It's

within your power to make this choice.

DON'T JUST DO SOMETHING, SIT THERE! Simply take a few moments to

sit in stillness, gathering your strength. Give your mind and body
permission to

relax.

UNRAVEL A PROBLEM. Most problems have a number of strands tangled
together,

often in complicated ways. You may find that identifying the pieces of
the problem in this way leads to a breakthrough in working out a
solution.

THINK OF REASONS WHY YOU CAN DO SOMETHING, rather than why you can't ---
all it takes is a shift in attitude.

REALLY LISTEN TO PEOPLE. By paying close attention to others, you stay
in

balance with them. Actively listen to what other people are saying.

BRING AN OPEN MIND to new people, places and experiences.

***Winter 2005*** 4

"Your way is only one of many ways," says George. "Open-minded people
tend

to find more to enjoy and less to be disappointed or stressed by."

*Barbara Floria spoke with Mike George, a meditation teacher and author
of* 1,001 Ways to Relax, *Chronicle Books, 2004, \$9.95. For more
information, visit www.relax7.com.*

**How to Beat Cabin Fever**

When cold or inclement weather forces us indoors, sometimes even the
closest families find themselves getting on each other's nerves.
Suddenly the house seems smaller, the adults are short-tempered, the
kids are whiny or fighting with each other. Everyone seems on edge.

This is the time to get up and get out. People pay too little attention
to the need to get out, to be active and to find something interesting
to do. Here are some ways to get your family out of a rut:

Go for a walk. It's a good way to be out and active and meet other
people.

(If the weather is bad, walk at a local mall.)

Plan a mini-vacation, like a weekend or day trip. To break up a routine
that's become monotonous, you need new things to look forward to.

Invite company over. It shakes up the cast of characters, and children
are always better behaved around company.

Create separate space: Mom's night out. Dad's afternoon out. An outing
with friends for the kids.

Instead of just letting them sit in front of the television, engage your
children with imaginative pursuits like arts and crafts, puzzle solving,
thought-provoking games or helping you cook.

## Dealing With Cranky Coworkers

Cranky coworkers or bosses can make your work life difficult, but you
can take

steps to improve your situation. Follow this simple formula: Stop, look
and listen,

then respond.

**Stop**

Don't respond to your coworker with sarcasm, ridicule or anger. This
will only escalate the problem. And don't take your boss' cranky remarks
personally;

stress may cause some managers and supervisors to act crabby. Also,
don't

deplete your energy by obsessing about what you should have said.

**Look**

Observe when the crankiness occurs. Do you notice it most during a
certain time of the day or on a particular day of the week? Does it
occur when the person is dealing with a lot of work stress or personal
hardship? Take note of when and where the crankiness occurs to identify
any pattern, which will make the grouchy behavior more predictable and
less threatening.

***Winter 2005*** 5

######## Listen

What's the cranky person's real message? Are you in any way part of the
problem?

######## Respond

Although some people may purposefully use on-the-job crankiness to get
their way, others can't help themselves. It's a reflection of their
inner turmoil.

**Here's how to give an assertive, yet compassionate response:**

**Step 1. Agree**

In a neutral tone of voice, agree with any part of the cranky person's
statement

that may be true, and ignore the false claims.

For example, if your boss complains you don't care about the company
because you turned in your report late, reply with, "You're right, I did
turn in my report late last week."

**Step 2. Reflect**

Next, reflect on how the cranky person might be feeling by saying, "You
seem

frustrated" or "You look like you're under a lot of stress." It will
pleasantly surprise the grouch that someone else cares.

**Step 3. Ask**

In a neutral tone of voice say, "I don't like to be talked to in that
way because

it sounds angry and disrespectful. Would you please speak to me in a
calmer tone

of voice?"

**Consequences**

Cranky people often continue behaving badly because their targets remain
silent.

By responding, you'll make the offender feel somewhat uncomfortable, and
most

people won't make changes until they experience such discomfort.

If you take the above steps, you'll feel happier because you'll be
standing up for yourself in a compassionate, respectful manner.

**Helpful Tips**

**As soon as you're given a responsibility,** communicate to your boss
what kind of authority you'll need to carry it out. A good manager will
appreciate that you're

thinking about what you'll need to perform your job successfully.

*Men's Fitness, Woodland Hills, CA.*

**Never just shrug your shoulders** at one of your accomplishments.
You've achieved something, so you should acknowledge your successful
effort and reward yourself. The recognition you give yourself will
motivate you to do more good work.

*The Everything Time Management Book by Bob Adams, Adams Media Corp.,
2001.*

**To relieve tension:** Sit in a chair and inhale deeply. When you
exhale, rotate your shoulders and spine so you're looking over the back
of the chair, then grasp the chair back with your hands. Hold for a
count of three. As you twist, imagine wringing all the tension out of
your body like water out of a washcloth. Switch and stretch to the other
side.

*First for Women, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.*

***Winter 2005*** 6

**Business letters that aren't brief** and to the point may not spark a
prompt reply because it takes more time to write a response to a
complicated document.

*Esquire's Things a Man Should Know About by Ted Allen and Scott
Omelianuk, Hearst*

*Communications Inc., 2001.*

**If you're concerned with results,** rather than your career, you'll
likely have more success climbing the ladder at work.

*Men's Health, Emmaus, PA.*

**Assign a closing time** to a meeting to ensure it doesn't drag on. A
tight finish time will encourage participants to work more efficiently,
with fewer interruptions.

*Time Management by Marc Mancini, McGraw-Hill, 2003.*

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| ### ![](media/ima                                                     |
| ge1.png){width="1.0041666666666667in" height="0.7104166666666667in"}  |
|                                                                       |
| ###                                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| **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.*                                                                |
|                                                                       |
| *Copyright © 2004 Health Ink & Vitality Communications. All editorial |
| rights reserved.*                                                     |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

***Winter 2005*** 7