(PRWEB) February 11, 2012

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Conditions for raising healthy Wyoming children have worsened in
the past decade, according to a report released today.

Wyoming improved in only four of 12 indicators of child
well-being from 2000 to 2009 in the 2012 Wyoming Kids Count report.
The report ranked the 15 most-populated counties on factors such as
poverty, infant mortality rate and percentage of mothers who smoked
cigarettes while pregnant.

Albany County ranked highest for the most indicators, while
Fremont County ranked 15th for child well-being. Natrona County
ranked 11th.

Natrona County outperformed the state average in six indicators:
children eligible for free or reduced lunch at school,
out-of-county births, child care affordability, infant mortality,
child death and low-birthweight babies.

The report is intended to bring attention to child well-being in
Wyoming and communities to government officials and community
leaders who can change policy, said Wyoming Kids Count Director
Marc Homer.

Homer said the report also shows Wyomingites that conditions
vary across the state. For example, a county with a high median
income doesn’t necessarily score high in other areas.

“We hope the result is the leadership in our communities and
state intensify their efforts to try and solve these problems,”
Homer said. “Child well-being is the best barometer we have for the
quality of life in our state.”

Natrona County averaged 90 deaths per 100,000 teens ages 15 to
19 in the five years spanning 2005-09 — up 45 percent from the
five-year average of 62 deaths in 2002. Wyoming’s average rate
increased to 86 from 77 in 2002.

In 2008, 59 of Wyoming’s 70 average teen deaths were by
accident, homicide or suicide.

Homer said the report uses five-year averages for infant, child
and teen death rates due to privacy concerns by the Office of Vital
Records and Statistics at the Wyoming Department of Health. He said
“older” data or averages should not be used to discredit the
report.

“We are not sure what’s happening right now, but the trend
points to conditions worsening in many of our Wyoming
communities,”

Homer said.

The report made several policy suggestions, such as creating a
“children’s budget” and tracking its outcomes and shifting the
focus of juvenile justice to be more restorative than punitive.

“People should not shy away from these numbers because they
think it makes their community look bad,” Homer said. “They should
really embrace this as a tool that can guide them to finding more
carefully and strategically describing the problems.”

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 8, 2012): The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) today reassured members that the special funding scheme for public housing programmes does not involve EPF providing loans to individuals.

EPF deputy CEO and Head of Investment Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan clarified that the loans are to be provided to the federal government through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up under the Federal Territory Foundation.

Terms of the agreement which are currently being finalised essentially entail an initial facility of RM300 million, with any further loans to be granted at the discretion of the EPF Investment Panel, he said in a statement.

He added that the approval of further loans will also be subjected to satisfactory performance of the account, to be reviewed after 12 months from the date of the last drawdown of the RM300 million.

The terms of the loan agreement are within the risk appetite of the EPF as it is secured against assets and cash flow with a suitable guarantee on repayment of the loan made, said Shahril, who explained conditions imposed to protect the interests of EPF contributors.

Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin had on Jan 30 announced that the EPF will give a RM1.5 billion loan to the Federal Territories Foundation (FT Foundation) to fund 44,146 housing units under the National Economic Action Councils People Housing Programme as well as Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) public housing.

Raja Nong Chik said the loan will be disbursed through Syarikat Perumahan Wilayah Persekutuan, the SPV set up to assist eligible buyers who are unable to obtain loans from banks due to their credit background.

His announcement had sparked concerns that workers savings were being put at stake, as the loans were generally perceived to be high-risk.

In assuring the public that this is not so, Shahril said 25% of the loans disbursed must be set aside in a liquidity reserve account assigned to the EPF, together with the assignment of all cash flow.

The EPF has also requested that the FT Foundation engage a suitable financial institution to manage the credit administration of the scheme to ensure good conduct of the individual accounts, he added.

Based on the terms and the security arrangements that we have put forth, the EPF is well protected and the annual 5.5% profit rate imposed on the loan is fair, he added.

In PUTRAJAYA, Raja Nong Chik gave an assurance that the scheme will not lead to a subprime crisis – a United States financial crisis arising from subprime housing loans between 2006 and 2008, which resulted in US$250 billion losses.

The scheme is different from the subprime as it does not involve any elements of speculation, he told a press conference at his office.

In subprime, the mortgages were sold in secondary level but there is only one level of transaction involved here, he said, adding that the RM1.5 billion fund will not cause a financial crisis in the country because it only reflects less than 1% of the countrys housing loan portfolio.

Raja Nong Chik said the value of the property is also doubled or higher and there is a buy back guarantee from DBKL is the loans are not paid back.

It is secured in terms of the conditions. Everyone is secured. The EPF is very professional and it has placed steep conditions so it will not lead to any financial crisis, he stressed.

Raja Nong Chik also explained that the RM1.5 billion fund will only be completely used if all the 44,146 units are taken up by the buyers.

He said at present, there are only 24,126 people who have been offered the letter to purchase the houses.

The scheme is done in two batches where the first batch involves 6,378 buyers who have signed the agreement to purchase housing units, which will cost about RM200 million-RM300 million.

The second batch will involve about 12,675 people, which will cost about RM400 million.

About 4,964 people have already purchased the units on their own either by paying it cash or they have secured a loan from the bank, he said adding that the remainder have not expressed interest in purchasing the units.

When asked if those who default the loans will be evicted, Raja Nong Chik said yes, as they are no longer under the rental basis.

They have been given a privilege, so they have to be responsible. There are 30,000 people in waiting list who are qualified, so we are firm because we have to instil financial discipline. I am confident they will pay up, he said.

Yesterday, several Pakatan Rakyat MPs submitted a memorandum urging EPF to reconsider its decision to provide a RM1.5 billion loan for the scheme.

All the speculations would not have arisen if the minister had clarified that EPF is not in the business to do retail lending to individuals, said Kuala Selangor MP from PAS Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad after meeting Shahril.

Meanwhile PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar refuted claims that the Pakatan Rakyat was against a move to help low-income groups to become house owners.

But there are other ways to assist them without using funds saved by workers, said Nurul Izzah who lauded the opportunity to meet with EPF over the matter.

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Davenport, Clinton and Muscatine are among 11 Iowa communities
chosen to be finalists in a program intended to make Iowa the
healthiest state in the nation.

Blue Zones are places around the world where residents live
measurably longer, happier lives with lower rates of chronic
disease and a higher quality of life. An initiative sponsored by
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Healthways, the Blue Zones
Project is the centerpiece of the Healthiest State initiative
designed to propel the state from its 19th-place ranking to the top
spot on the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

Each of the 11 chosen cities will receive a site visit from
members of the Blue Zones Project committee in February or March,
and three or four cities will be chosen later this spring to be
demonstration sites for the program, Wellmark spokeswoman Courtney
Green said.

Green said all Iowa communities will have access to online
resources for information about how to create a healthier community
through initiatives such as optimizing policy, building design and
social networks.

Theresa Hauman, senior recreation manager for the Davenport
Parks and Recreation Department, said the citys application for
the program was bolstered by the citys collaborative efforts with
the Davenport Community School District, numerous local health
initiatives and cooperation with organizations such as the Scott
County Family Y and Hy-Vee Food Stores.

Hauman said she was excited to hear Friday that Davenport had
been chosen as one of the finalists for the program.

Davenports site visit is scheduled for March 5, Hauman
said.

We are really excited, but our real work is still ahead of us,
Mary Odell, Trinity Muscatines director of public health, said.
Really, the initiative is just starting. There will be
opportunities for lots of people to participate down the road.

Muscatines site visit is scheduled for March 7, Odell said.

Michele Cullen, community health manager for Genesis VNA in
Clinton, said community health leaders in Clinton are very
excited about being chosen a finalist and that preparations will
begin next week for the communitys site visit on March 6.

We hope to make Clinton a healthier, happier place, she
said.

A new report examining the impact of entertainment on the well-being of UK Armed Forces, finds that it plays an important role in sustaining morale, and hence may help protect service personnel against psychological disorders.

   EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is an all-encompassing technique that has been proven to help treat/prevent diseases, phobias, and emotional/physical/mental pain/distress without expensive equipment, procedures, money or an appointment to the doctor.
   EFT was developed by “Gary Craig…a student of Dr. Roger Callahan who devised TFT (Thought Field Training). Craig refined and developed his own Emotional Healing Technique known as EFT,” says writers at depression-guide.com.
   EFT is “…a type of psychological acupressure that involves the stimulation of traditional Chinese acupuncture points,” says authors at whatiseft.org. Unlike acupuncture, however, you don’t use needles to stimulate these places when using EFT, and you don’t have to pay expensive fees in order to do it.  Stefan Gonick, creator of eft-alive.com, say’s that “EFT works…by thinking about a painful memory or just feeling your feelings…you tap with your fingertips on a set of 10 easily learned acupuncture points in order to clear out the energy disturbance in the affected meridians (acupuncture points). As the disturbance gets cleared through the tapping, you will experience your negative emotions…drain away.”
   The great thing about EFT is that it’s absolutely free, has an easy learning curve, and can be done by anyone who has a physical/emotional/mental/spiritual problem, illness, or distress. Cravings for food, drugs, and/or alcohol, as well as physical pains like headaches/migraines, arthritis, and a stomach ache can all be cured with EFT. EFT also helps you get over phobias, reduce and prevent stress and anxiety, as well as help you solve problems and find answers (or at least give you insight into a way to solve your problem(s).
   To practice EFT, the first thing you need to do is identify the tapping (acupressure points) on your body, which are located on the top the head, the beginning of the eyebrow, the side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, chin, collar bone, under your arm, inside your wrist and on the karate chop point (the place on your hand where you would “karate chop” a board) “The tapping on each point should be rapid little “thunks”,” says eft-alive.com “…you should tap hard enough to feel some percussion during each tap but not hard enough…to feel tender after a lot of tapping…(you) only need to tap each point 4-6 times, though more is not a problem.”
   The next thing you need to is to select the problem you’d like to address with EFT. You can either choose a past, painful memory or an in-the-moment emotion(s) (like anxiety, anger, and/or sadness) food cravings, physical pain and more. Then you come up with a short phrase called the “reminder phrase”. The “reminder phrase” helps you refer to your selected memory/problem, and should be as specific as possible. This phrase helps you remember/focus on your problem. For example, you could say, “My best friend moved away and I was alone” or “I’m afraid of flying” or “I’m worried I won’t pass my final exam(s).” 
   After that, you rate your pain/distress level on a scale of 0-10, where at 0 there is no problem, and 10 is excruciating pain/distress. Don’t worry about being exact with this, as it just helps you keep track of your pain level, but you may wish to write these numbers down on a piece of paper if you’d like.
   Now we’re ready to tap. We start by tapping on the karate chop point with our set-up affirmation that looks like this:
   “Even though (insert reminder phrase here), I deeply and profoundly accept myself.” (Ex. Even though I’m worried I won’t pass my final exam(s), I deeply and profoundly accept myself.” Gently tap on the karate chop point as you say this phrase three times. Once you’re done, switch over to your reminder phrase (ex. I’m worried I won’t pass my final exam(s).”
   “It is important to stay focused on the memory or feelings while tapping on all of the points,” says expert EFT practitioner Stefan Gonick of eft-alive.com “When you have done all ten points, you have completed one pass through the points. Repeat…”
   Once you’ve done this, rate your pain level on the 0-10 scale, and if progress has been made, your number should go down. You should aim for 0, as this means that your pain/memory has been successfully healed and removed from your body. If your number hasn’t gone down, or has even increased, keep repeating the EFT procedure until you reach 0. Once your pain level has gone down, change the set-up and reminder phrase so that your reminder phrase of “I’m worried I won’t pass my final exam(s).” will now become “I’m still worried I won’t pass my final exam(s)” or “I’m still a little worried/nervous/etc… that I won’t pass my final exam(s)” and repeat the EFT procedure until you reach a pain level of 0.
   If you need extra help, you can look up EFT tutorials on YouTube or download a free EFT manual (written by Gary Craig) called “The EFT Manual” on Google at www.rivendellvillage.org/eftmanual.pdf You can also check our pictures that explain the tapping points (in detail w/ instruction) at thrivingnow.com/tapping-points-and-instructions/ or look at a in-depth, one-page tutorial online (and accessible here at school) at http://eft.mercola.com/.    

Are you happy? Have you noticed the number of companies that are no longer promising the best quality, experience or even the best price for a product or service as the reason to give them a try? Instead they appear to be offering something we used to think money couldnt buy — happiness. Retailers, manufacturers, service providers all want you to know how they bring more than just good things to life, they can make you happy too.

Here are just a few examples:

Campbells Soup is now making your happy place anywhere you have your soup. Offering a smile in every spoonful Campbells is blending healthy with happiness. On a recent walk through Best Buy I read a commanding sign Buyer Be Happy. Coca-Cola is offering more than refreshment, now I can — Open Happiness. And it is not just stuff that promises to make me happy, services can be downright giddy too. Few people who fly often equate flying with happiness, but JetBlue brought enough innovation to its service that you dont just fly — you jet.Their promos onboard and on roadside billboards now promise you will jet happy.

Happiness is far from new to marketing. Marketers have always used unstated but ever-present cues to elicit emotion to connect with and commit the consumer. Feeling down, retail therapy will make you happy. Shopping for I gotta have items will provide happy relief. Getting I wanna have will produce happy satisfaction. Today there is the expressed promise of happiness stamped on the ingredients label of nearly every product, service and experience. But marketers may be doing more than giving happiness a push, they may, in fact, be touching a powerful generational cord of personal well-being.

The science of well-being has developed rapidly in recent years. Beyond the traditional considerations of physical health, well-being now includes multiple dimensions that capture the whole person. Happiness is certainly a prominent theme. Perhaps the best developed measure of well-being is the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The Index bases its assessment of Americas well-being on a daily survey of 1,000 people collecting data on six dimensions:

• Life satisfaction — how is life today and how do you think it will be five years from now?
• Emotional health — have you experienced happiness, stress, sadness, anger, etc. today or recently?
• Physical health — how is your energy level, have you slept and rested well, are you managing chronic disease(s), does your physical health get in the way of daily activities?
• Healthy behaviors — are you eating well, exercising, not smoking, etc.?
• Work environment — how happy or satisfied are you with your workplace?
• Basic access — do you have access to basic needs, health services, clean food and water, feel safe, satisfied and happy with where you live, etc.?

After four years and more than one million survey responses a pattern emerges. Little surprise, younger adults ages 18 to about 25 years old report a high state of well-being. After 25 years old, however, young adults experience lower well-being leveling off until about age 37. But at about 37 years old most of us descend into a statistical trench for nearly 20 years. The lowest state of well-being is reported by adults 37 to nearly 60 years old. Got happiness? For middle-aged adults — they may be fresh out. Even adults ages 65 and older report well-being that rivals and surpasses older teens. Interestingly, elder consumers 75-plus report the highest state of well-being of any age group despite chronic diseases and the associated challenges of aging.

So whats up with middle age? There are names, bad jokes, attitudes, conditions and very real medical explanations for midlife blues — but what is not lost on marketers is that adults in midlife have the largest proportion of discretionary income of any age group. They are also more likely to be the key influencer (often the financier as well) of what their children and elderly parents buy. Moreover, midlifers (older Gen X and younger baby boomers) are more likely to buy high style, high tech — and given their lower state of well-being — may be willing to pay a high price for happiness.

Marketing happiness has potential but is not without peril. Older Gen X and younger baby boomers may buy once, but once disappointed a product or service may pay dearly for not delivering to a discerning and inpatient midlife consumer. Delivering on the promise of happiness requires understanding what might be leading to diminished well-being and how the product, service or experience fills the void or provides temporary relief well beyond the thrill of the retail kill. Among the reasons midlife consumers may have lower states of well-being is they are busy — sandwiched between kids, career, aging parents and all the things called life in between. For them, Starbucks delivers a moment of peace in an otherwise crazed day. Amazons smiling logo is about making life easier and for stressed midlifers that means happier. BMW promises to deliver joy in an otherwise frustrating daily commute. Creatively mapping happiness to what influences well-being across the lifespan may make more than a good jingle, it makes good strategy — done correctly it might deliver a few smiles too.

Fun is one of the most underrated business tools we own. When you create a fun working environment, it leads to happy, loyal and more productive employees as well as an innovative organization that attracts new opportunities.

It is well documented that laughter releases endorphins, and that leads to a sense of well-being and optimism. Now apply this to the workplace as one California researcher recently did. His study showed that people who enjoy a little fun and humour on the job tend to be more creative, are more effective at decision making and get along better with others. These employees also chalk up fewer absent, late and sick days.

Are there risks associated with having more fun in the workplace? Sure there are, and they should not be overlooked. The main issue is that because everyone has their own definition, what may be considered fun to one person could be decidedly unfun to another. There is also the risk that jokes will get out of hand or cross appropriate boundaries. It should be clearly spelled out that humour must be free of prejudice, racism or sexism and should never hurt the feelings or damage the character of a fellow co-worker.

Some people argue that a fun work environment is frivolous and a distraction from serious business. This is why management needs to demonstrate the importance of balancing work with fun without letting any deadlines, meetings or other responsibilities slip.

So, a la David Lettermans signature-style list, here are the Top 10 Reasons Why Fun Improves the Workplace:

No. 10: Having fun breaks up the monotony and the mundane. It alleviates the boredom and fatigue associated with routine, non-challenging tasks. At school, recess gives kids an outlet to have fun and an opportunity to relax so they can come back to class recharged and ready to contribute. Why did we ever give that up?

No. 9: Having fun fulfils the need for human interaction. With our noses to the grindstones, it is too easy to let an eight-hour day slip away without so much as a coffee break. By instituting a little group fun and encouraging employees to step away from their workspace, they get to be more social. Interacting with each other helps create a sense of purpose and belonging.

No. 8: Having fun boosts creativity. Workplace fun doesnt have to be silly. In fact, any task that sparks inspiration, innovation and imagination can be fun. Be creative in how you trigger your people to think outside the box: Ill take clever teamwork ideas for 500, Alex.

No. 7: Having fun encourages team building. Because they are communicating more frequently in a relaxed, casual way, personal relationships build faster among teams when they are having fun in their everyday work. This builds a stronger, more effective team.

No. 6: Having fun is measurable in employee satisfaction. Compare the absentee and turnover rates before and after you instituted a little fun into the workplace. Happier employees feel better about their company, their jobs and their futures. Customers see it, too.

No. 5: Having fun can rally support for change. Change is scary to most people, so making change part of something more enjoyable can take the fear out and put the fun into it. For instance, when implementing a new process, encourage feedback, throw a pizza party, organize a prize draw — anything to positively reinforce the change in a fun way.

No. 4: Having fun increases employee loyalty. People who enjoy doing something tend to do it more often and do it for longer periods of time. Its the same with work. If employees are having fun, they are more likely to stay, which provides greater value to the organization.

No. 3: Having fun reduces tension and conflict. People who interact more with one another build greater understanding and tolerance; therefore, if they know each other better, they are more likely to be able to effectively resolve any personal differences that may arise.

No. 2: Having fun positively reflects on leadership. Managers who can bring a little levity are seen as team players. By clearly demonstrating the need to strike a healthy balance between fun and work (as well as to not take some things so seriously) it encourages others to follow their lead.

And the No. 1 Reason Why Fun Improves the Workplace: Having fun is, well, fun. Everyone wants their job to be more enjoyable and lets face it, if its fun, youll put more effort into it. A job well done gives you greater personal satisfaction, which brings about more happiness. In turn, this creates fulfilment and enjoyment in other areas of your life.

– With reporting by Barbara Chabai

Colleen Coates, CHRP, CCP, is a practice leader with People First HR Services Ltd. She can be contacted at ccoates@peoplefirsthr.com

RESEARCH:

http://www.workplaceissues.com/arhumor.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/abrams/2003-08-21-fun_x.htm

http://learnthis.ca/2010/07/fun-in-the-workplace/

I am a 53-year-old man who is a firm believer in the benefits of Ayurveda and yoga. Because of that I have successfully avoided contracting any of the lifestyle diseases that are so common these days. I regularly walk for an hour and do yoga for another hour. I am a strict vegetarian and avoid fast food as well. Which Ayurvedic supplements should I take to ensure that I am able to maintain my health?
GP Unni, Dubai

Although the natural deterioration of the body due to ageing is inevitable, Ayurveda does address the main causes of premature ageing.

Foodwise this would include overeating, eating at the wrong times, eating when suffering from indigestion and excessive consumption of the following:

• sour, salty and spicy foods
• alkali foods (those that have a high quantity of preservatives such as baking soda)
• tinned foods
• oily or deep-fried foods
• non-vegetarian foods
• alcohol

Various lifestyle tendencies cause premature ageing as well. These include sleeping during the daytime and keeping awake at nights; overexertion or stress; and negative emotions. The branch of Ayurveda that specialises in the extension our lsquo;health span is called Rasayana.