Living Well - February 13

LIVING

WELL

Bullet Proof Backpacks: Would you buy one for your kid?

Casting Call “Make the Play for Healthy Habits� contest returns

Be Smart About Your Heart Blinding Evidence African Americans need to prevent diabetes-related blindness

One day your weight will catch up with you.

MAKE TODAY THE DAY YOU PUT YOURSELF FIRST AND LOSE 10%.

DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES

TREATED FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

HAS A HEART ATTACK

FINDS CANCER

APRIL

JANUARY

SEPTEMBER

M AY

2014

2015

2015

13

22

07

Losing just 10% of your body weight decreases your risk of chronic conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer. Make today the day you put yourself and your future first, for once. Take the pledge to lose 10% today and get the support you need to change your life at www.michigan.gov/mihealthiertomorrow.

2 LivingWELL • February 2013

28 2017

“We need to encourage more medical students to choose primary care as their career path and Detroit as their home address.”

Rx

for Health

Assuring the uninsured insurance is not an easy or necessarily popular cause.

That’s why Michigan’s Medicaid expansion represents the perfect case for Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to take up. The move is a big one, even for a governor who has proven to be decidedly unapologetic about making tough decisions that he believes will positively impact our state’s stability.

LIVING

WELL

access less costly preventative care and begin to manage chronic conditions better suited to treatment at primary care centers, as well economic opportunity to healthcare providers ready to take on the challenges an expanded Medicaid system will bring.

In the days ahead, we will need to encourage more medical students to choose primary care as their career path and Detroit as their home address.

His call to expand Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act will bring immediate relief to roughly 320,000 uninsured residents, many of whom rely upon Detroit’s hospitals as their sole source of medical care, as well as taxpayers, who will see about $1.2 billion state budget savings by 2020, according to projections.

The good news is that stakeholders appear ready to respond to the challenges that Medicaid expansion will bring. And that’s a promising prescription for Michigan’s future.

While the numbers appear daunting, Medicaid expansion will bring big savings to our cash-strapped state as more residents

Jackie Berg Publisher, LivingWELL Magazine

Jackie Berg Publisher 313.963.6694 Direct Line 313.962.4467 FAX jackie.berg@michronicle.com

Editor Andrew Losen Design Director Gail Green

Contributors NIck Chiles Paul Edwards, M.D. Denene Milner C.L. Price

Ted Roelofs Sterling Wise Whitney Greer

LivingWELL • February 2013 3

Heart

Be Smart About Your

By Denene Milner

My mother had beautiful hands—lovely,

long and fresh, just like her. She kept her fingernails dipped in maroons and dark browns—subtle, but still noticeable. Strong.

As she got older, though, Mommy’s hands became gnarled with the inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis, almost at the same time that a workplace accident took out a disc in her spine. She spent an enormous amount of time posted up in hospital beds and doctors’ offices—enough so that when minor things caught hold of her, like coughs or stomachaches or any other general malaise, she paid it no mind. Soldiered on.

Doing this cost my mother her life.

My mother, you see, died at age 62 of a heart attack, five days into a family reunion trip to her childhood home. She got on the plane experiencing flu-like symptoms—shortness of breath, weakness, unusual fatigue, dizziness, back pain, but thought nothing of her malaise—that is was nothing serious. And even though everyone around her could tell something was seriously, progressively wrong, Mommy refused to go to the hospital—refused to let someone take a look at her. To care for her.

She preferred to soldier on.

What she and our family failed to realize, though, is that my mother was experiencing all the classic female symptoms that signal a heart attack is imminent—signs of which alltoo-many of us are completely unaware. By the time anyone was able to talk her into allowing an ambulance to rush her to the hospital, she died, right there on the floor of her childhood home, with one each of her brothers and sisters standing by—hopeless, helpless.

This did not have to be.

And so today, in the name of my mother, Bettye Milner, I implore each of you reading this to know the heart attack symptoms for women, as well as the risks associated with them. I wrote about this last year—as I do every year—but certainly it bears repeating:

• Women tend not to have the clutch-your-heart, movie-styled heart attacks that men have; our symptoms are more likely to include all those that my mother experienced, plus nausea, lower chest discomfort, upper abdominal pressure and nausea.

• Women can exhibit symptoms up to a week before their heart muscles suffer irreparable damage, leading us to believe that we’re suffering from something other than a heart attack.

• Heart attacks are the leading cause of death among all women, but black women are affected in even greater numbers, particularly because the risk factors associated with heart disease include diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure—huge health issues for us.

• It’s critical that we keep our heart muscles strong through exercise, weight control, healthy eating, refraining from smoking and watching our cholesterol and blood pressure.

What’s more, heart disease is plaguing and devastating the health and well-being of African American women in particular, because we simply do not know the stakes. According to the American Heart Association: • Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for African American women.

• Of African American women ages 20 and older, 46.9 percent have cardiovascular disease.

• Only 1 in 5 African American women thinks she is personally at risk.

• Nearly 50 percent of African American women are aware of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.

• Only 43 percent of African Americans know that heart disease is their greatest health risk.

I’m writing about this not just to honor my mother, but in support of a month-long nationwide effort to encourage women to get smart about heart health. While the American Heart Association encourages women to wear red in support of heart health awareness, companies like Diet Coke are partnering all month long with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to boost The Heart Truth®, a campaign that reminds us women to protect our heart health and inspire those we love to do the same.

Go to the American Heart Association’s site to learn more continued on pg. 5

4 LivingWELL • February 2013

“Heart attacks are the leading cause of death among all women, but Heart Smart continued from pg. 4

black women are affected in even greater numbers, particularly because

the risk factors associated with heart disease include diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure...huge health issues for us.” about heart disease and its risks, plus hear the stories of real women who survived the devastation of heart attack. My favorite page on the American Heart Association site is “Live Healthy,” which houses exercise tips, suggestions for healthy snacks and eating-on-the-go, plus a super smart section on heart healthy dinners under $100 per week, plus tips for feeding picky eaters.

I encourage you, too, to upload heart-inspired photos to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #ShowYourHeart to trigger a donation from Diet Coke to the Foundation for the National Institutees of Health. Diet Coke will donate $1, up to $100,000, for every #ShowYourHeart upload. I’m going to do my part by sharing my heart—a picture of my mother.

Be

I do miss my mother’s hands—their warmth. Her touch.

There were days aplenty that I laid with her in her bed and held them while we got lost in the din of the TV, not saying much of anything, but knowing for sure that our love knew no bounds. There are times when remembering those moments simply isn’t enough. I want her back and wish with all my might that she and our family would have known the symptoms of heart attack in women. We found out the hard way. You do not have to.

Be heart smart—not just in February but everyday. Share this post with everyone you know so that they can be heart smart, too.

heart smart— not just in

February but everyday.

Editor’s Note: Denene Milner is a LivingWELL Magazine editorial contributor and founder of My Brown Baby, an irreverent, funny website filled with posts that make you think and occasionally say “Amen” because it reminds you of what’s going on behind your closed door with your family. Check out Denene’s blog at www. mybrownbaby.com.

Denene Milner LivingWELL • February 2013 5

Blinding

vidence

By Paul Edwards, M.D., Chair, Department of Ophthalmology

T

hat beautiful, seductive plate of fried food – fish, chicken, potatoes, pork chops, even fruits and vegetables – can leave you stone blind.

That’s a stretch, a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s meant to make a point.

If you’re black, you’re much more likely to develop diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. Although the numbers vary depending on where you look, the risk is significant, perhaps as high as twice that of whites.

One eventual consequence of diabetes, if left untreated, is blindness, and African Americans are 50 percent more likely to lose their sight from the disease.

There are other horrible results of diabetes that affect black people much more often than others, including kidney disease and the amputation of part or all of lower limbs.

But my focus here is on blindness and what can be done to lower your risk.

First, though, it must be said that diabetes advocacy organizations, the insurance industry, health care providers and medicine in general must do more tackle the shameful situation I just described. Efforts are being made in some quarters, but the numbers involving African Americans and diabetes don’t seem to budge much. More needs doing.

That’s the blame that can be cast elsewhere.

But much of the onus falls on us for our diet, lifestyle, and personal neglect. Food and obesity are more directly related to diabetes than almost any other disease or disorder.

When we follow the traditional black diet – whether we call it soul food, comfort food, country cooking or Afrocentric dining – we eat too many of the wrong things. Fat makes food delicious, but too much is hazardous. Greens are extremely beneficial, but that’s blunted by pot liquor bubbling with meat grease. Too many starches raise blood sugar and add unhealthy pounds. And sugar itself, in soft drinks and desserts and candied vegetables and so many other places in our diet is dangerous in ways too numerous to detail here.

We must get smart about what we eat, and there is no end of information available online about how to do that and not forgo flavor and satisfaction. continued on pg. 7

6 LivingWELL • February 2013

When you gaze at that seductive plate of unhealthy food, it’s worth remembering that eating it can up the odds that you won’t see it – or anything else – ever again.

“African Americans are 50 percent more likely to lose their sight from the disease.”

Linda Burgess at The World of Travel

Presents Motorcoach to Chicago for the Black Women’s Expo

April 6-7, 2013 (Sat-Sun) 7

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Ev

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Blinding Evidence continued from pg. 6 We must end any sedentary ways and exercise, not only to stop gaining weight but to shed the excess fat so many of us already carry.

One of the more insidious realities of diabetes-related blindness is that there may be no symptoms until the damage is well underway. When symptoms appear, they can include blurred vision, “black spots” before your eyes, glints of light and eye pain.

Any of these, especially if you know you’re diabetic, should be followed up immediately with an ophthalmologist. Those without insurance to cover such exams may find help through local medical schools.

Diabetics should have a thorough eye examination once a year, especially for retinopathy, the most serious of the eye disorders that can be caused by the disease and the leading cause of adult blindness.

To avoid the condition, it is most important to combine a diabetic diet with regular exercise and check your blood sugar levels regularly – there’s just no getting around this. The same goes for smoking and heavy drinking – both need to be stopped. If you need an extra incentive, think about living in darkness every time you light up or raise another glass.

Because high blood pressure and cholesterol can also contribute to failing vision, these too should be regularly monitored as part of a physical exam, and controlled by diet, lifestyle changes and sometimes medication.

Regular, affordable, quality healthcare is unavailable to far too many Americans, particularly African Americans, and solving that is beyond the ability of any individual.

But what we eat and how it affects our bodies is a choice. When you gaze at that seductive plate of unhealthy food, it’s worth remembering that eating it can up the odds that you won’t see it – or anything else – ever again.

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Paul Edwards, M.D., Henry Ford Hospital Chair, Department of Ophthalmology

LivingWELL • February 2013 7

By Whitney Greer

K

imberly Montgomery’s refusal to see things negatively was a huge advantage to her over the years. That is, however, until she didn’t take the signs of a heart attack or her family history seriously, and it almost cost her life.

When Kimberly became ill one afternoon after a hot yoga class, she came up with many explanations for her nausea and profuse sweating – a heart attack wasn’t one of them. Instead, she was sure she simply hadn’t cooled down from class. Or it was food poisoning. Or the onset of menopause even crossed her mind. She was sure it was nothing critical.

When her symptoms persisted, a friend convinced her to walk to a nearby urgent care clinic. She was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, but even that wasn’t enough to worry her. When Kimberly asked the doctor – who was about to perform a heart catheterization procedure – if he could wait a few minutes until her family arrived, he told her there was no time to lose. She had just had a heart attack.

Kimberly, like many women, was completely unaware that nausea and sweating are two major symptoms of a heart attack in women.

“When I heard the words ‘heart attack,’ I finally started worrying,” she says. “I was no longer in denial about what was happening to me.”

The doctor assessed the damage to her heart and found one artery with a 75 percent blockage and another with an 80 percent blockage. Two stents were inserted, and the cardiac rehab process began.

An avid exerciser, Kimberly found the recovery process frustrating “I was used to being active every day, and in my mind I knew I could do it,” she says. “But I had to really slow down and rebuild my body. I would be tired after walking just two blocks.”

Even more frustrating was Kimberly’s attempt to understand why this had happened to her. Her grandfather had died of heart disease years ago, but he was 80 years old at the time. Her mother was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation a few years earlier, but no one in her family had experienced a heart attack at such a

young age. They were all athletes, running track in high school and continuing to exercise into their adult years. She didn’t connect the dots of her family’s history of heart disease until after she’d had her heart attack.

8 LivingWELL • February 2013

Women don’t always experience the same classic heart attack symptoms as men, such as crushing chest pain that radiates down one arm. Often times, women’s symptoms are far less dramatic, and therefore easy to miss. Here are the top six to watch out for: 1. Chest pain or discomfort.

Chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom, but some women may experience it differently than men, describing it more like a squeezing or fullness sensation which may or may not be concentrated on the left side. Some women describe the pain as vise-like.

“I just never considered that I could get heart disease,” she says. “I saw my doctor regularly and had great results at my company wellness screenings each year.”

But although she had been watching her blood pressure numbers, she wasn’t paying attention to cholesterol. Now fully recovered, Kimberly does cardio every single day and has adjusted her diet to be low in cholesterol and sodium. She’s also working hard to pass these healthy habits on to her 22-year-old son, as well as other family members and her coworkers.

“I sometimes feel like I am the downer at office parties because I am really careful about what I eat and I like to coach people on how they can be healthier, too,” she jokes.

Recently, an office birthday party included a Greek yogurt bar with fruit toppings rather than a cake – a sign that her coaching may be working. Energetic, active and still an eternal optimist, Kimberly has since turned a major health setback into a positive by educating others about listening to their bodies when something isn’t right.

“Women, in particular, need to be reminded to take care of our bodies and pay attention when something is not right,” she says. “We tend to focus so much on how everyone around us is feeling that we forget about ourselves.”

Editor’s Note: Whitney Greer is a regular contributor to blackdoctor.org, a leading source for culturally relevant healthcare information. Blackdoctor.org is an editorial partner of LivingWELL Magazine.

2. Pain in your arm(s), back, neck, or jaw.

This is the most common symptom among women and may be gradual or sudden — disappearing and then reappearing with more intensity.

3. Stomach pain.

Many heart attack survivors experience severe abdominal pressure that feels like an elephant sitting atop their stomach. Sometimes people mistake stomach pain that signals a heart attack with heartburn, the flu, or a stomach ulcer.

4. Shortness of breath, nausea, or lightheadedness.

If you suddenly have trouble breathing without cause, it may signal a heart attack particularly if other symptoms are also apparent.

5. Sweating.

Breaking out in a nervous, cold sweat is a common symptom of women who are experiencing a heart attack. Many women describe the feeling like a stress-sweat you might feel in a tense situation. Some women, like Kimberly, confuse it with a hot flash.

6. Fatigue.

Some women who have heart attacks feel extremely tired, even if they’ve been sedentary. Many often describe feeling exhaustion in their chest and experience difficulty walking across a room.

Not everyone experiences the same symptoms, but doctors recommend that if you have chest discomfort, especially if you also have one or more of the other signs, call 911 immediately.

LivingWELL • February 2013 9

Make Fitness

a Family Affair

By Sterling Wise

Today childhood obesity is a

major concern among parents and the medical community.

This generation of kids is less active and more obese than any generation before.

Wouldn’t it be great if your kids

naturally enjoyed exercise? If this were the case, childhood obesity wouldn’t be the looming problem that it is.

As adults, we exercise to improve health, stay fit, and control weight.

But what motivates a child to be physically active? Fun. Ultimately, if children and adults enjoy an activity, they’re more likely to stick with it.

As you know, an inactive child has a greater chance of becoming an inactive adult.

Healthy habits have to be instilled early in life. And it’s never too early to start.

What better way to get your kids moving than to find a fun exercise activity your whole family can enjoy? Your family will not only be healthier and trimmer, but will spend quality time connecting and set habits that may last a lifetime.

Just remember that exercising as a family won’t look like your typical workout. Here are some fun, creative ways to incorporate exercise into the life of your family.

Make Chore Time Fun Time

Let’s face it: chores and kids don’t mix. Not willingly at least. Chores and fun don’t usually mix, either.

How can you combine chores with fitness while making it fun at the same time?

Turn up your family’s favorite tunes and sing and dance while cleaning the house. Let the kids take turns choosing the music. All ages can be involved.

The youngest can pick up toys or sweep the floors. The older kids can vacuum, dust, and help with laundry.

While you’re at it, turn chores into a competition. Who can clean his or her room the fastest? (Without stuffing everything in the closet.)

continued on pg. 11 10 LivingWELL • February 2013

Family Affair continued from pg. 10

Dance Party

Want a little more wiggle in your family exercise routine? Invite the kids’ friends over for a dance party. Move the furniture out of the way, turn down the lights, and turn up the tunes! Then get moving.

Kids will have a great time with this. If you have an Xbox dance game, take turns in dance competition.

Family Fitness Nights

Family fun night is often spent sitting around watching a movie or playing a board game. How can you turn family nights into fitness nights?

Go on a bike ride together. Head to a nearby trail in the woods and go on a hike. Invite another family to join you and organize a soccer game, whiffleball tournament, or relay races. Set up a badminton net in the backyard.

If there’s snow on the ground, get out the sleds and head to a nearby hill.

What about roller-skating as a family? Now there’s a fun family workout!

Let each family member take turns choosing which activity to do on family nights, but keep the nights focused on fun fitness.

Hire a Personal Trainer

Each person has different fitness needs and goals. A personal trainer can help design a workout program for each family member.

Track Progress

A great way to stay motivated as a family to keep exercising is to track individual progress. If one family member needs to lose weight and another is trying to bench press heavier weight, track both of their progress and encourage them along the way.

You can also have all family members wear a pedometer and reward the person with the most steps, or choose an exercise of the month. Good choices are squats, lunges, sit-ups, push-ups, or jump rope. At the beginning of the month, each family member must perform his or her maximum number of repetitions. After a month of training, the person with the highest percentage of improvement gets a small reward.

Keep progress at the forefront with a chart on your refrigerator to track your family’s fitness goals.

A Way of Life

When fitness is incorporated into everyday life, it won’t become a drag or another thing to fit into your already busy schedule. Set aside just an hour two to three times a week to get moving as a family. Your kids will have fun and learn valuable life lessons.

Editor’s Note: Detroiter Sterling Wise launched his personal fitness company, The Wise Decision, in 2007. If you would like to learn more about the fitness coach and motivator visit: www.thewisedecision.com

LivingWELL • February 2013 11

Casting Call

HAILEY SAMPLES, from Warner Upper Elementary in Farmington Hills, was the winner of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s “Make the Play” video competition last year.

“ Make the Play for Healthy Habits” contest returns

By C.L. Price

One girl challenged the habits of nearly 250,000

viewers with her video blog post last year and it, in turn, changed her life.

Detroit Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford is now on a first name basis with Hailey Samples, a Farmington Hiills school student at Warner Upper Elementary, who “friended” Stafford following her first place win in Blue Cross Blue Shield’s “Make the Play for Healthy Habits” video contest last year.

The win earned Samples a guest video blog spot on A Healthier Michigan, a site that gets thousands of hits daily, and a stage appearance with Stafford at a school assembly, where Hailey had the opportunity to interview the sports icon about his own healthy habits, while sharing a few of her own.

Imagine how that experience will look on Samples’ college application!

Response to the social media contest was so powerful that

BCBSM is sponsoring its return in 2013.

“Making the play” – something quarterback Matthew Stafford does week after week each season with the Detroit Lions – is something he couldn’t accomplish without good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. That’s why he agreed to be a part of the initiative that encourages kids to create their own winning habits.

CALLING ALL CONTESTANTS Sponsor BCBSM is inviting kids in grades four through eight to make their own play at encouraging healthier habits in the second annual “Make the Play for Healthy Habits” video contest.

The student that submits the winning video will get to star as a host of his/her own healthy lifestyle video blog series on aHealthierMichigan.org, and will receive a school assembly featuring Stafford.

Video submissions are being accepted through March 29. In April, 10 semifinalists will be selected and notified and their video submissions will be posted on aHealthierMichigan.org for a two-week public voting period. The winner will be announced in early May.

Michigan to this contest. We are excited to do it again,” said Andrew Hetzel, BCBSM vice president for corporate communications. “Kids are naturally creative. Working with their parents and teachers, Blue Cross wants to see their creativity come to life with the goal of making their schools and communities healthier.”

Video submissions should be no more than two minutes long. They should creatively answer the question “What would you do to make Michigan healthier?” and include the student’s perspective on how themselves, their family, teachers and classmates can live a healthier life. Students should explain how they would communicate healthy lifestyle choices with their families and fellow students.

Editor’s Note: Students can submit a video directly on aHealthierMichigan.org/kidcontest, or upload their video to YouTube and submit their link online. For more contest information, visit: aHealthierMichigan.org/ kidcontest.

“Last year, we had such a tremendous response from kids across HAILEY SAMPLES and Detroit Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford dish about healthy habits on stage at a school assembly.

Continue the conversation at: www.aHealthierMichigan.org

12 LivingWELL • February 2013

Road Out of Fat City Begins With a Stroll

DEDICATION TO NEW LIFE: Wayne County resident Kimiko Adolph shed 130 pounds through diet and exercise. (courtesy photo/Oakwood Hospital).

At 268 pounds, this single mother of three realized she could change – or die.

By Ted Roelofs

A

bout a decade ago, a flight of stairs was enemy territory to Kimiko Adolph. She was all too fond of fast food. Her favorite refuge: Sleep and the living room couch.

At 268 pounds, this single mother of three realized she could change – or die.

“I was having breathing problems,” Adolph recalled.

“I had gone to the doctor and my blood pressure was going up. My heart was palpitating. I had just had a baby and I was newly divorced and I knew I had to something for myself and my children.”

The Wayne County resident began with a walk.

“I remember I went over to a park and I said, ‘Let’s try a mile.’ I couldn’t even make it around the park.”

But that first walk led to another. Walking led to running. Adolph replaced junk food and fatty snacks with a vegetarian diet. Soon enough, she was running in 5- and 10-kilometer races.

Adolph, 39, now weighs 140 pounds, her life a virtual road map for victory in the battle with obesity. In 2012, the Michigan Fitness Foundation recognized Adolph and two others with its “Conquering Obesity” award.

“It was recogniKimiko Adolph shows off a pair of pants that used to fit her when she weighed more than 250 pounds. (courtesy photo/Oakwood Hospital)

amazing and wonderful,” Adolph said of the tion.

Fitness Foundation officials say that some obese individuals need a support network and outside motivation in order to make healthy changes. They credit Adolph for finding it within herself.

“Any time an individual can make that kind of change in life is impressive. To make those huge changes, to make those goals, takes a lot of courage,” said Jessica Holli, the foundation’s communications and events coordinator.

Looking back, Adolph said her new state of well-being was reward enough to motivate her to persevere.

“Once I began doing something, the weight just came off.

In the first nine months, I had lost 80 pounds. My friends began asking, ‘What are you doing?’ People thought that I had bariatric surgery.

“I told them I am exercising.”

She altered her diet after learning about nutrition from her doctor, a vegetarian. Her refrigerator soon was stocked with carrots, green beans, lettuce and vegetarian burgers.

“After a while, walking got boring so I decided to run. I said, ‘Let me do a 5K. Then a 10K and then it was a halfmarathon.”

Since then, she has completed three 26.2-mile marathons and too many other races to remember.

An employee of Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Adolph has added a weight-lifting regime to her routine at the hospital gym. She runs virtually every day.

“I love it. Nothing is going to stop me.”

Editor’s Note: LivingWELL contributor Ted Roelofs is a writer for Bridge Magazine, an editorial partner of LivingWELL Magazne.

LivingWELL • February 2013 13

blog

log

Would You Buy a Bulletproof Backpack for Your Child?

By Nick Chiles

Would you buy your kid a bulletproof backpack?

Apparently a whole lot of parents are answering that question with a hearty “Yes!” Since the ugly Newtown massacre in December, companies that manufacture bulletproof backpacks are seeing a huge jump in sales.

The vice president of one of the companies, Bullet Blocker, told the Washington Post that after Newtown, they continued on pg. 15 14 LivingWELL • February 2013

– the parent brain is ruled by emotion rather than rationality.

With our (sometimes) irrational fears invading every recess of the parent brain, Bulletproof Backpack continued from pg. 14 went from selling 15 to 20 backpacks a week to selling 50 to 100 a day.

An Arizona-based company, Amendment II, says sales of its bulletproof backpacks— Avengers for boys, Disney princesses for girls — have risen more than 500 percent since Newtown.

What’s going on here is a ramping up of the tyranny of fear that retailers have been using for years to sell their wares to parents. From car tires to alarm systems, car seats to organic baby food, manufacturers understand the extreme paranoia of the parent brain: protect our child at all costs. And almost always, the parent brain is ruled by emotion rather than rationality. With our (sometimes) irrational fears invading every recess of the parent brain, we will plop down every last dime in our pockets to make sure our children are protected.

Cause let’s be clear: the bulletproof backpack is about as irrational as a fearful parent can get.

A few years back, the U.S. Dept. of Education actually calculated the odds of your child being killed at school. It was one in a million. For comparison sake, the odds of your child being hit by a car while walking is 1 in 23,000, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency.

So if you were really reacting to the odds, the more rational decision would be to never let your child walk outside. But there’s no retailer trying to sell a product that will protect your child in the street, so no one has yet to use the tyranny of fear to make parents afraid of letting their children walk outside. Maybe that product is on its way to market, but it hasn’t gotten here yet.

President Franklin Roosevelt once told America that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” I think this thinking also applies to parenting. We can’t let this tyranny paralyze us, make us keep our kids locked in the basement, push us into buying something as crazy as bulletproof backpacks. Can you imagine the fear you would instill in your child’s heart with the instructions that go along with such a backpack?

“Okay Suzy, if a crazy man starts shooting at you, hold the backpack in front of you like this…”

My 10-year-old freaks out when she hears thunder. Instruction on using her backpack to stop a bullet would render her apoplectic every time she stepped into the school building.

Black Dragon, another bulletproof backpack manufacturer, advertised its product this way: “Arm the teachers, in the meantime, bulletproof the kids,” Black Dragon said on its Facebook page.

we will plop down every last dime in our pockets to make sure our children are protected.

It’s tempting to believe we can bulletproof our kids, but we can’t.

But we can’t let our parental fears do more harm to them than the crazed gunman we think is lurking around every corner.

Editor’s Note: Author Nick Chiles, a regular contributor to LivingWELL magazine, blogs on mybrownbaby.com. He is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of seven books, including the New York Times bestselling tome The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life’s Storms, co-written with gospel legend Kirk Franklin. His book on Fatherhood, co-authored with Atlanta Hawks is on our must read list.

Author Nick Chiles

LivingWELL • February 2013 15

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16 LivingWELL • February 2013

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