Parade and USA Weekend focus on bread health issues; where's walking?


Parade magazine's cover touted this week's issue as a "practical guide to better health." USA Weekend's announced that this week's issue features a "special women's health report." These health and fitness overviews are designed for the reader with the attention span of a fruit fly. They rarely tell us anything new. Advice tends to run along the lines of "take the stairs instead of the elevator" and "eat more fatty fish like salmon, whole grains, green vegetables and fresh fruit and drink fruit juice instead of soft drinks."


Unfortunately, both barely turned the spotlight, even briefly, on the health benefits of walking in general -- let alone the bonus that Nordic Walking brings.

USA Weekend suggests:

• The "FitSmart" topic of Parade's regular "ThinkSmart" section suggested as a stress reducer: "Exercise. Pick an exercise you actually will do -- maybe starting with the gentle stuff such as yoga or power walking." Huh? Power walking gentle? But that was all Jorge Cruise wrote on the subject. Elsewhere, women's health includes:
• News that Vitamin D might be even more effective than calcium supplements in combating osteoporosis
• A recommendation of healthywomen.org as a trustworthy wsebsite
• A first-person piece on 41-year-old triple Olympic medalist Dara Torres's training epiphany ("When you're younger, you think you're invincible. When you're older, you listen to your body more."), women's greater likelihood of contracting Alzheimer's, fillers rather than a facelift to look younger.
• Moderate drinking can help a woman's heart health but heavy drinking can ruin it.
• Alternatives to hysterectomy for fibroids.
• The importance of seeking medical help immediately if chest pain occurs.
• The bonus of breast feeding
• The danger of sun exposure
• Don't procrastinate if knee replacement surgery is required
• Arthritis alert
• Hold hands with your mate to de-stress
• New developments in breast cancer detection
• Celiac disease affects twice as many women as men

From Parade, we have:

• Relief from chronic pain (simulation, drugs, acupuncture, alternatives)
• "8 Ways to Stay Healthy" 1) Give blood (helps men; might help women); 2) Wash up (wash your hands frequently); 3) Drive less (cutting down mileage cuts risk of traffic accident); 4) Sleep in (ideally eight hours a night, but naps can supplement; 5) Go fishing (actually, eat fish at least twice a week to prevent heart attack or stroke); 6)Don't ask for antibiotics (they can cause adverse reactions); 7) Have a shot (get tetanus, shingles and other vaccines), 8) Check it out (don't postpone important health screening tests).
• "Ease the Aches of Arthritis" ("Use your body. Simple exercises are needed for proper functioning of an arthritic joint....If your arthritic joint can handle it, walking just 20 to 30 minutes a day can prevent further deterioration." Bingo!)
• "Tips for Digestive Health":
• "Revolutions in Vision"

Two magazines that each reach millions of readers -- and just two tiny mentions of walking to improve health.