Pioneer Library System

According Dr. Emyll Chynn, of the American Council on Science and Health, Americans spend 100 million dollars a year treating firework-related injuries. Over 10,000 people seek emergency room treatment and approximately a dozen people died from fireworks-related injuries.  Half of these injuries occur during the 4th of July weekend. Fireworks-related injuries often involve the eyes (33% of ER cases). Of those cases, 33% of ocular fireworks injuries result in a permanently blind eye, acccording to U.S. Eye Injury Registry Data. Since children make up approximately 50% of these injuries, that means that 75 children lose an eye each 4th of July weekend.

The President is calling you out! The June Fit for Life program features fitness.gov, the health and sports information website of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Oklahoma is currently the 9th most obese state in the nation according to the Center for Disease Control and our obesity rates have been increasing since 2001, so it is time for all of us to focus upon our physical fitness.

Do you think you can rise to the President's Challenge and become more physically fit? The President's Challenge is customized by group, including kids, teens, adults, and seniors. If you are already active, you can participate in the Presidential Champions program, which is designed to challenge those who already have a more active lifestyle. As you work your way through the President's Challenge, you can earn rewards including patches and medals.

If you are an educator or run a business or group, the website features special information that will assist you in implementing a physical activity program. It also includes several helpful tools, such as a body mass index calculator and 10 ideas to get active now, as well as a list of other websites that can give you helpful information concerning fitness.

Will you become Fit for Life?

May's Fit for Life website pick focuses on the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

The CDC features a wealth of information that can assist one in leading a healthy lifestyle. Topics include information on various diseases and conditions, health information sorted by age and gender specific concerns, disabilities, and updates on the latest illness outbreaks around the world--such as the Swine Flu!

Tired of hearing conflicting health information on the television? Try going to an authority on health-related information authored by a source that you can trust. Learn why it is important for people of all ages to follow the appropriate vaccination/immunization schedules.

April's featured free online resources is the USDA Food and Nutrition Information Center.The center includes information about nutrition, diet, weight loss, food safety, and dietary supplements.

The MyPyramid.gov link takes you to a wealth of resources aimed at providing nutrition and health information for all ages. The food pyramid has been redesigned and is now customized to your height, weight, age, and exercise level. Other useful tools include a menu planner and a dietary analysis tool that help you plan your nutritional future. So while you digest this information, why don't you head on over to MyPyramid.gov and check it out?