-- or some anecdotal evidence why u.s. residents might sue more often than germans
no reaction to letters, getting charged $20 for a blind that at wal-mart costs half, and janitors that can’t repair a water heater. renting in athens is contrary to renting in leipzig, germany: the landlords – students often refer to them as slumlords – try to squeeze every dollar out of tenants while providing little in return.
during my roughly two years in athens, i lived in two apartments in the university commons, and in one in mill street village.
while at commons we had a leaking ceiling, that got never repaired, a broken water heater that got never repaired, a stolen towel, and stolen money when our security deposits [kaution] were not completely returned.
the broken water heater resulted in a race for the shower in the morning because only the first ten minutes the water would stay warm. with four more room mates not so much fun.
the broken ceiling gave us our personal rain drizzle in the hallway, something that got never resolved until we left. the helpless janitors kept putting in new ceiling tiles to just have them soak and break again.
beware of leaving a towel on your balcony without watching it for it will disappear our towel was salmon pink, had a name stitched on it, and was left to dry on the banister of the balcony. when it was gone after a few hours we thought random people took it. but my favorite american spotted the towel in the wiping bucket as when one of the janitors tried to fix the heater one more time, in vain. we should have filed for petty theft. instead we just took it back, grey and abused, to make our lives easier.
when my security deposit did not come back completely on unreasonable grounds and the security deposit of my favorite american didn’t show up as well, we had enough. we went to our $8 lawyer. every ohio university student automatically has access to a lawyer upon paying $8 per quarter. you can opt out but it is one of the best investments i made in athens. the $8 magic worked and we both got our security deposits back, completely.
the landlord claims you left trash, you did not replace pots or pans if they are provided or other items of the cheapest kitchenware that can be bought at wal-mart. they charge for cleaning although you left the place as sparkling as it probably ever was. in addition, the prices charged by the landlord are always rounded and have no foundation.
luckily we took videos and pictures of every place when we moved in and when we moved out. this and consulting a lawyer seemed to be the only recourse for us when dealing with landlords in athens. unfortunately at least three of our room mates who had the same problem didn't seek legal advice or were out of the country to do so. a perfect opportunity for the landlords to skim dollars of each student, especially international ones.
back in the golden german days when i lived in three different apartments during my roughly five years in leipzig, i barely needed repairs in any of them and i got all my security deposits back completely. in only one case it took longer than the usual grace period of six months because of an overwhelmed landlord or misunderstanding and my lack of not being able to deal with the case from overseas more rapidly. in any case i had never consulted a lawyer before. landlords and their helpers where something distant, something not in your life.
not so in athens.
it is common for the landlords or their assistants to access your apartment when they please. they throw a sheet into your door with a required 24 hour notice but if you are not at home or traveling, they come anyway. once during winter break when we were gone for christmas someone entered the apartment and turned the heater up. our utility bill was no pleasant sight for that month.
once again we moved out recently.
we are charged $5 each for three drip pans [blechschalen unter den heizschlangen des elekroherds] that had minor rusty stains after four years in the apartment, normal wear and tear, and $20 for a blind that at wal-mart costs half that price.
but oh no, the blinds in the apartment were custom-made, that is, with a slit in the middle to fit with a nonsensical fixture on the window frame. the window frame features two latches in the middle so that whenever you lower the blind you run the risk of breaking one of its cheap plastic horizontal stripes. if that happens, you can’t replace them because they need to be custom-made (i.e. cutting a slit in the middle with a knife) for a fantasy price.
it seems another appointment with our favorite lawyer is in order.
6/26/2009
6/12/2009
mining stories
–- seven thorough, insightful multi-media projects investigating southeast ohio's mining history and its consequences
this spring quarter professor bernhard debatin, ph.d., ohio university, taught a class on environmental and science journalism. athens and its mining history became the focus of the students' projects. as professor debatin put during the public presentation of the projects yesterday, the area is almost like swiss cheese because a huge area around athens consists of mines underneath, sometimes two or three on top of each other.
the students investigated abandonded mines and acid mine drainage, clean coal, bottom coal ash as a potentially dangerous but neighborly meant gift on the streets, air pollution by mercury, how mining uprooted people and starts to uproot one of ohio's old growth forests.
all stories show how the mining industry of the previous century and energy production today are impacting our environment, our health, and our homes.
don't miss out on this great series of well-researched stories about coal, which we walk upon daily but is often forgotten in an event-driven news culture.
ADDENDUM: Just in case you missed the link in the comment section. A friend of mine brought my attention to a blog that was established this May to report about the effects of the coal mining industry in South East Ohio. It features stories about the Millfield mining disaster, fires in New Straitsville, abandoned mines, acid mine drainage among a few others.
http://seocoalmining.blogspot.com/
this spring quarter professor bernhard debatin, ph.d., ohio university, taught a class on environmental and science journalism. athens and its mining history became the focus of the students' projects. as professor debatin put during the public presentation of the projects yesterday, the area is almost like swiss cheese because a huge area around athens consists of mines underneath, sometimes two or three on top of each other.
the students investigated abandonded mines and acid mine drainage, clean coal, bottom coal ash as a potentially dangerous but neighborly meant gift on the streets, air pollution by mercury, how mining uprooted people and starts to uproot one of ohio's old growth forests.
all stories show how the mining industry of the previous century and energy production today are impacting our environment, our health, and our homes.
don't miss out on this great series of well-researched stories about coal, which we walk upon daily but is often forgotten in an event-driven news culture.
ADDENDUM: Just in case you missed the link in the comment section. A friend of mine brought my attention to a blog that was established this May to report about the effects of the coal mining industry in South East Ohio. It features stories about the Millfield mining disaster, fires in New Straitsville, abandoned mines, acid mine drainage among a few others.
http://seocoalmining.blogspot.com/
6/11/2009
the costs of removing a pyogenic granuloma
so what the heck is a pyogenic granuloma? you may ask. and why does it need to be removed? –– a tale of how the united states health care system works, a personal example
it probably happened by laying on my ear in a funny way during night. but i don't know what exactly caused it. all i know is that i woke up with a pimple behind by right ear lobe. after admittedly squeezing it for a bit, to get rid of the zit, it grew. and grew.
it grew into a do-nothing bothersome bubble the size of one of these pale reddish erasers attached to the end of a pencil. i spare you more graphic details. it didn't hurt but was moist and messed up my pillow every night. after a few weeks with my new parasite pet, i went to ohio university's hudson health center.
as an international student i'm forced to be on the health insurance that ohio university provides. every quarter i pay $338, which usually covers three months, but for spring quarter the six months between march and august if you paid the rest of the year. what the insurance covers is pretty complicated, you can find out details when you click on 2008 police brochure at the bottom of this page.
what it does not cover for sure are teeth and eyes, like most other u.s. insurances.
since my ear was the trouble i was good to go. so hudson health center it was. people fear it and tales of the incompetence of the staff abound on campus. it's a bit like eating in the "Mensa" (the dining hall at german universities for voluntary use): everyone complains about it but everyone goes there, too.
i had, too, anyway. the process goes like that. after checking in with the computer which recognizes your ohio university identification number you get to choose the disease you have from a menu. you also confirm your address, birthday, etc.
you sit down in the waiting area.
a receptionist calls you. you confirm everything again and sign a green small slip of paper saying something legal i should know but i'm oblivious of right now.
you sit down in the waiting area again.
a nurse (is it a nurse? medical titles are different here than in germany and it's too complicated for now to go into right now) calls and asks what's wrong, she takes your temperature, your blood pressure, asks for allergies. i showed her my friend behind the ear lobe. she send me away.
you sit down in the waiting area again.
then another nurse called and wanted to see my friend also. i granted her a visit behind my ear. she seemed puzzled and referred me to holzer clinic, one of the two real hospitals we have in athens (the other one is called o'bleness, which people have dubbed sarcastically o' blessings). she scheduled an appointment with a real doctor.
the next day at holzer i checked in with a receptionist since the computer there refused to recognize my data.
i sat down in the waiting area.
my name was called, i talked to another nurse (?) who asked me everything again i had told to the two nurses (?) at hudson.
you sit and wait for the doctor. luckily a time magazine was in the room.
after a while the real doctor swooshed in, twisted my ear lob for thirty seconds while babbling in latin, said something about that i need to come back for cauterizing, and swooshed out.
i went back. twice.
once for cauterizing my bubble friend. for this i saw the real doctor for several minutes. enough time to ask him if he could write down the proper name of my otherwise nameless friend. he actually came back to hand me a copied sheet, probably from a medical textbook. there is was: pyogenic granuloma.
about two months i got the bill for ending the brief relationship with my friend:
$879.
i have to pay $95 (€67) of the total – and the 42 cent stamp to send the cheque.
germans: never complain about the €10 Praxisgebühr again.
u.s. readers: the Praxisgebühr is a fee paid for seeing the doctor for the first time of the quarter in germany. €10 is about $14 as of this writing. otherwise the insurance picks up the bill directly except for i think €5 as a base payment for certain medications (germans: please correct me if something has changed in that respect or if my memory fails me).
oh, and by the way. next week my dentist wants $78 for a check-up.
it probably happened by laying on my ear in a funny way during night. but i don't know what exactly caused it. all i know is that i woke up with a pimple behind by right ear lobe. after admittedly squeezing it for a bit, to get rid of the zit, it grew. and grew.
it grew into a do-nothing bothersome bubble the size of one of these pale reddish erasers attached to the end of a pencil. i spare you more graphic details. it didn't hurt but was moist and messed up my pillow every night. after a few weeks with my new parasite pet, i went to ohio university's hudson health center.
as an international student i'm forced to be on the health insurance that ohio university provides. every quarter i pay $338, which usually covers three months, but for spring quarter the six months between march and august if you paid the rest of the year. what the insurance covers is pretty complicated, you can find out details when you click on 2008 police brochure at the bottom of this page.
what it does not cover for sure are teeth and eyes, like most other u.s. insurances.
since my ear was the trouble i was good to go. so hudson health center it was. people fear it and tales of the incompetence of the staff abound on campus. it's a bit like eating in the "Mensa" (the dining hall at german universities for voluntary use): everyone complains about it but everyone goes there, too.
i had, too, anyway. the process goes like that. after checking in with the computer which recognizes your ohio university identification number you get to choose the disease you have from a menu. you also confirm your address, birthday, etc.
you sit down in the waiting area.
a receptionist calls you. you confirm everything again and sign a green small slip of paper saying something legal i should know but i'm oblivious of right now.
you sit down in the waiting area again.
a nurse (is it a nurse? medical titles are different here than in germany and it's too complicated for now to go into right now) calls and asks what's wrong, she takes your temperature, your blood pressure, asks for allergies. i showed her my friend behind the ear lobe. she send me away.
you sit down in the waiting area again.
then another nurse called and wanted to see my friend also. i granted her a visit behind my ear. she seemed puzzled and referred me to holzer clinic, one of the two real hospitals we have in athens (the other one is called o'bleness, which people have dubbed sarcastically o' blessings). she scheduled an appointment with a real doctor.
the next day at holzer i checked in with a receptionist since the computer there refused to recognize my data.
i sat down in the waiting area.
my name was called, i talked to another nurse (?) who asked me everything again i had told to the two nurses (?) at hudson.
you sit and wait for the doctor. luckily a time magazine was in the room.
after a while the real doctor swooshed in, twisted my ear lob for thirty seconds while babbling in latin, said something about that i need to come back for cauterizing, and swooshed out.
i went back. twice.
once for cauterizing my bubble friend. for this i saw the real doctor for several minutes. enough time to ask him if he could write down the proper name of my otherwise nameless friend. he actually came back to hand me a copied sheet, probably from a medical textbook. there is was: pyogenic granuloma.
after two weeks i had to go back, the 30 second swooshing was repeated and i was properly taken care of.
"pyogenic granuloma is a rapidly developing vascular lesion (=wound of blood vessel) usually following minor trauma (laying funny on my ear). this is a very common solitary eroded vascular nodule (=single bump) that bleeds spontaneously (hence the messed up pillow) or after minor trauma (possibly further squeezing the pimple)."
about two months i got the bill for ending the brief relationship with my friend:
$879.
- $195 for the first 30 second swooshing in
- $286 for burning my little friend
- $71 for the second 30 second swooshing in
- $327 for examining my friend in a lab
i have to pay $95 (€67) of the total – and the 42 cent stamp to send the cheque.
germans: never complain about the €10 Praxisgebühr again.
u.s. readers: the Praxisgebühr is a fee paid for seeing the doctor for the first time of the quarter in germany. €10 is about $14 as of this writing. otherwise the insurance picks up the bill directly except for i think €5 as a base payment for certain medications (germans: please correct me if something has changed in that respect or if my memory fails me).
oh, and by the way. next week my dentist wants $78 for a check-up.
6/10/2009
huge, huger, hugest
–- how wholesale markets top super-sized supermarket items, a photo collection
imagine a mixture between a "Baumarkt" (Lowe's), an optometrist, fast food restaurant, gas station, and a supermarket and you'll get a u.s. wholesale place such as walmart's sam's club or costco.
a visit to them made my eyes grow to take in the sizes of the items offered. i had thought that 2kg packages of sugar in walmart or kroger were big and heavy when i came to the united states but in order to carry the roughly 25kg hunk of packaged sugar at costco you need a fork lift.
enjoy warehouse charm created by sturdy metal shelves, freezer aisles wide enough to drive a truck through, and fresh produce fridges the size of a room. sold products range from super-sized food containers to bouncing castles, toilets, popcorn machines, matresses next to the pastries, ready to serve party trays of wraps, and a collection of odd items such as germ deleting uv-c wands, muscle milk (probably to prepare for the next hauling of 50 pound bags), and anti belly fat pills.
after an exhausting shopping trip, costco offers a food place that besides pizza and hot dogs sells churros, twisted dough sticks. i've seen xurros, with exactly that spelling, the last time in barcelona. the u.s. version came with cinnamon (but i didn't try).
indulge into a photo collection of random items xxl.
around the world in four hours
–
– visiting the disney world resort in orlando, florida
(many more commented pictures on my flickr account)
recently i got a chance to see mickey, metaphorically.
because of a conference we drove down to orlando, florida, where one of disney's sprawling theme parks is has claimed part of the earth.the conference hotel turned out to be a disney resort hotel, so visiting one of the epitomes of american pop culture became a must.
among the many theme parks including animal kingdom, magic kingdom, and hollywood studios we chose epcot. epcot didn't mean anything to me but my disney-savvy travel companions were throwing around words such as world show case, rides, test tracks, spaceship earth, monorail and other attractions as regular vocabulary.
quickly i learnt that epcot is the theme park in which disney attempted to build a mini world.
it's trying hard to induce authenticity into its commercial stereotypes of asia (japan & china), the u.s favorites in europe including italy, france, great britain, and germany with the odd one out, Norway. of course a token african nation (morocco) needed to be included as well as the token latin american nation and u.s. neighbor mexico. not to upset the only other u.s. neighbor, canada was featured, too. oh, and of course no world is complete without the United States, which we skipped due to felt redundancy.
as a german i had to inspect and reconfirm the u.s. stereotype of my home county.
so this is how germany is supposed to look like.as always germany translates into bavaria in u.s. minds symbolized by castles with turrets, wood frame houses, oktoberfest, lederhosen, meat, beer, huge beer mugs, kuckucksuhr, and obviously a range of chocolate that was based in switzerland and austria and is now owned by u.s. companies.
bavaria is the texas of germany.
it was its own kingdom (like many other german regions), wanted to secede, and still doesn't want to belong to rest of germany. in return in german stereotypes, bavaria is perceived to be extra: extra expensive to live in, extra picky in the high school diplomas recognized from fellow german states (there are 16 in total by the way), extra smart, extra low in unemployment, extra strong in economy, extra posh. in one word "extrawurst", as we say in german.
no wonder bavaria is the epitome of germany for most u.s. americans of whom the most I've met have been to west germany only, preferably the southern and rhine regions. they easily tick of names such as munich, frankfurt (main), occasionally hamburg or smaller cities like cologne or something ending in -burg or -berg (often freiburg, heidelberg).
weimar, leipzig, dresden, the lake landscape of mecklenburg-vorpommern, schwerin, potsdam, or even berlin usually are missing from the mental map. no wonder, they are in east germany.
apart from mocking the chain of souvenir shops disguised as different countries we had a good time as you can see on the commented photos on my flickr account.
Counting Carbs for the First Time -- Karen Bailey, OU Dietician, Helps Diabetics Lose Weight
Dollars vs. Fat & Sugar -- How Diabetes, Obesity, and Food Prices are Linked
(Back to main story)
Karen Bailey is a Dietitian for the Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Center. The Center is located in O'Bleness Memorial Hospital in the Cornwell Center, where she educates people with diabetes on nutrition, diet, and exercise. In the interview she talks about t
how her patients from rural Southeast Ohio struggle to battle the disease, more so during these times of economic crisis.
More on the topic:
The Greatest Barriers Are Economic -- Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University, on the Struggles of Diabetes Patients
Soft Spot Health Care -- A U.S.-European Dialogue with Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University (Video Part 2)
Not All Fats Are Equal -- Dr. Darleen Berryman, Ohio University, on the Causes of the Obesity Epidemic and New Research Paths
(Back to main story)
Karen Bailey is a Dietitian for the Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Center. The Center is located in O'Bleness Memorial Hospital in the Cornwell Center, where she educates people with diabetes on nutrition, diet, and exercise. In the interview she talks about t
how her patients from rural Southeast Ohio struggle to battle the disease, more so during these times of economic crisis.
More on the topic:
The Greatest Barriers Are Economic -- Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University, on the Struggles of Diabetes Patients
Soft Spot Health Care -- A U.S.-European Dialogue with Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University (Video Part 2)
Not All Fats Are Equal -- Dr. Darleen Berryman, Ohio University, on the Causes of the Obesity Epidemic and New Research Paths
6/06/2009
at the cash register: anecdotes of a ritual
recently it happened again: i put three pennies on the counter at a cash register. quickly, as always, jerone picked them up and handed them to the cashier.
depending on which side of the atlantic ocean you are reading this, you'll either think i am completely normal or jerone rescued me from one the biggest sins in u.s. american politness.
despite having lived in the united states for over three accumulative years of my life, i'm still oblivious of some customs. this includes handing money or credit cars to the person directly instead of laying them on the small plastic table next to the black credit card sliding apparatus. no big deal, my german friends will think. it is though here: every time i do it wrong jerone nimbly collects the coins to very apologetically and elegantly let them slip into the cashier's palm. i'm again and again confused about his hectic gesture accompanied by in some secretive way conveying the message to the cashier: "i'm sorry my fellow u.s. american, this is my completely confused german girlfriend. she's not yet enough civilized to pay in a supermarket but i'm getting there. i'm sorry again, sorry." outside a well-meant often heard diatribe rains on me. it is spoken in a soflty education tone and includes the word "rude" several times. then the diatriber digresses to how germans don't smile on the street, don't greet, and ends into the overall conclusion that the inhabitants of the german lands are stiff apathic robotlike organisms and it is uniamginable how they get along with each other.
that's when my defense is due: in germany it is simply for the most part not the usual way to touch hands when handing money. we have funny little bowls to act as neutral playground for these transactions or smoothly shaped recesses in the plastic tray for the cashier to conveniently fish out the coins. no touching, no awkwardness, no offense: we managed to pass inanimate objects to each other and kept our private bubbles intact. no need for further contact.
especially one childhood episode made me extra allergic to any other form than money-on-the-counter for this delicate social ritual. i went to buy a gyros and the gyro man actually softly took my hand with the four deutsche mark. he then held it somewhat firmly with his hand to pick up the coins slowly with the fingers of his other hand while i was captive. it was creepy.
since then i keep my distance; the plastic tray is my friend and will remain so.
ps: ironically, despite the germ paranoia of many u.s. americans it seems to be okay to touch hands when they belong to a stranger cloaked in the authority of a walmart or kroger uniform. now i know why there are all these signs in the restrooms: employees must wash hands.
depending on which side of the atlantic ocean you are reading this, you'll either think i am completely normal or jerone rescued me from one the biggest sins in u.s. american politness.
despite having lived in the united states for over three accumulative years of my life, i'm still oblivious of some customs. this includes handing money or credit cars to the person directly instead of laying them on the small plastic table next to the black credit card sliding apparatus. no big deal, my german friends will think. it is though here: every time i do it wrong jerone nimbly collects the coins to very apologetically and elegantly let them slip into the cashier's palm. i'm again and again confused about his hectic gesture accompanied by in some secretive way conveying the message to the cashier: "i'm sorry my fellow u.s. american, this is my completely confused german girlfriend. she's not yet enough civilized to pay in a supermarket but i'm getting there. i'm sorry again, sorry." outside a well-meant often heard diatribe rains on me. it is spoken in a soflty education tone and includes the word "rude" several times. then the diatriber digresses to how germans don't smile on the street, don't greet, and ends into the overall conclusion that the inhabitants of the german lands are stiff apathic robotlike organisms and it is uniamginable how they get along with each other.
that's when my defense is due: in germany it is simply for the most part not the usual way to touch hands when handing money. we have funny little bowls to act as neutral playground for these transactions or smoothly shaped recesses in the plastic tray for the cashier to conveniently fish out the coins. no touching, no awkwardness, no offense: we managed to pass inanimate objects to each other and kept our private bubbles intact. no need for further contact.
especially one childhood episode made me extra allergic to any other form than money-on-the-counter for this delicate social ritual. i went to buy a gyros and the gyro man actually softly took my hand with the four deutsche mark. he then held it somewhat firmly with his hand to pick up the coins slowly with the fingers of his other hand while i was captive. it was creepy.
since then i keep my distance; the plastic tray is my friend and will remain so.
ps: ironically, despite the germ paranoia of many u.s. americans it seems to be okay to touch hands when they belong to a stranger cloaked in the authority of a walmart or kroger uniform. now i know why there are all these signs in the restrooms: employees must wash hands.
Dollars v. Fat & Sugar -- How Diabetes, Obesity, and Food Prices Are Linked
by Stine Eckert
When Bill Zorn was writing a play on diabetes in November 2007 little did he know the story would be about him. A month later the 39-year old Ohio University playwright was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Yes, he was obese at 330 pounds and six feet. But he didn’t have a sweet tooth or a family history of diabetes and for the past year his blood sugar level had been normal. One day in December 2007, however, his eyesight went blurry. Very, very blurry. At that time his old furnace got replaced. It was found to be leaking carbon monoxide. He suspected carbon monoxide poisoning and went to the emergency room. The doctors didn't find poison in his blood but a blood sugar level of 982 mg/dl. High blood sugar starts at 140 mg/dl.
"My pancreas had practically stopped working," he says.
Out of the hospital a new life began without sugar, without hamburger buns, but with Metformin pills to control his insulin production. Since he started on his new diet Mr. Zorn dropped 60 pounds.
Count your carbohydrates, but first find where they are: Trainings material of the Appalachian Rural Health Institute (ARHI) Diabetes Center.
“We don’t even have to get out of the car anymore to get food.”
With almost 30 percent of Ohioans obese in 2008 year, Ohio ranked as the eleventh most obese state in the country last year, above the national average of 27 percent, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion.
Almost one in three Ohions is obese.
The number is growing fast. While 1995 saw 18 percent obese Ohioans, 2008 saw almost 30 percent. A trend that is not unique for Ohio.
“It’s happening all over the nation,” says Dr. Darleen Berryman, associate professor for Food, Nutrition and Hospitality at Ohio University. “Factors that play into that, range from lifestyle to environment to what is available to us in terms of exercise, safety, and food.”
Certain genetic make-ups are much more susceptible to obesity, she says.
“But that can’t account for the explosion in obesity we’ve seen over the past twenty years.”
Ohioans might be aware of their growing girth. This past year 74 percent reported that they had exercised the previous month, up by over 17 percentage points from 57 percent in 1996. But that might not be enough movement to balance calorie intake and calorie burning.
“On the food side there already was a lot of negative going on 20 years ago. A trend for prepared food has existed since the 1970,” Dr. Berryman says. “What caught up to us is the [the lack of] physical activity.”
People have created an environment less conducive to activity, she says, with escalators, elevators, television, laptops, video games, and more subtle things like temperature control through air conditioning. Jobs have shifted from physical labor to more sedentary desk jobs. Mr. Zorn says he spends 12 to 14 hours working on campus but now that the quarter is over he wants to ride his bike more often.
“We don’t even have to get out of the car anymore to get food,” she says.
Not conducive to movement: Technology provides convenience.
When Dr. Berryman graduated in 1994, she says nobody cared about adipose tissue. “It was this fat warehouse and didn’t do much.”
Since then researchers have come to appreciate fat as an endocrine organ and found that not all fat is equal. Some fat doesn't seem to be as harmful, she says. A study showed that in the lab researchers can create a healty environment in which obese mice live much longer than normal mice.
“We have a very simplified view that obesity is bad and lean is good,” Dr. Berryman says.” But there’s definitely a gray area and a lot to learn.”
A rural problem
Within Ohio, people in Appalachia reported the highest average percentage for obesity with over 31 percent as opposed to Ohioans in metro, suburban, or other rural areas. Twenty-two percent of people in Appalachia said they were in poor health and ten percent said they’ve been diagnosed with diabetes according to the 2008 Ohio Family Health Survey.
Whereas in 2004 almost eight percent of Ohioans (63 of 803 survey participants) said they were diagnosed with diabetic, in 2008 almost 10 percent (170 of 1720) said so, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion.
Type 2 diabetes has been increasing in epidemic proportions worldwide and in Appalachia over the past thirty years says Dr. Frank Schwartz, Director of the Appalachian Rural Health Institute (ARHI) Diabetes Center and associate professor of Endocrinology at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Diabetes research and treatment: Ohio University's College of Osteopathic Medicine.
He says that people with lower socio-economic status have higher rates of obesity and other chronic diseases. But he adds that the old generalization that poorer people make poor choices because they are less educated doesn’t hold true anymore.
“We know that stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are much higher in people who are under economic stress compared to people who aren’t,” he says. “These are diabetegenic hormones, which induce metabolic effects.”
In addition, there’s a higher prevalence of depression in poor and diabetic people, he says. These in turn find it more difficult to maintain their diet, to exercise, and to take their medications, which creates more complications, says Dr. Schwartz.
Healthy and relatively cheap: Over the past thirteen years the annual average price of romaine lettuce stayed below the Consumer Price Index. But you need more pounds to satisfy calorie needs.
Food choices during survival mode
Karen Bailey, a dietitian in the Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Cener, provides medical nutrition therapy for diabetics who want to lose weight. Her program recommends a diet with lean meats, not too much meat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, whole grains, and high fiber.
“Diabetics don’t have to buy foods that have been specially designed for them, they can be expensive,” she says. “Just buy fruits, vegetables, healthy foods; don’t spend money on pop, chips, and empty calories like that.”
But Dr. Schwartz says that it’s a lot cheaper to buy high fat, simple sugar, and bulk foods. “You’re in survival mode and so you’re going to make choices you know may be wrong but for other reasons.”
A look at the average annual price change between 1996 and 2008 shows that for six selected healthy foods, five were higher than the consumer price index (CPI) according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Only three of six unhealthy foods were higher than the CPI: bologna, a two-liter bottle of cola, and potato chips were cheaper than the index. Although the price per pound for the healthy foods is lower than for some of the meats and snacks, a person needs to buy more vegetables to get the same calorie count, spending more money for the same amount of calories and over the years more than on other consumer items on average.
Over time people have been eating more processed, frozen, and canned foods and spend less of their household budget on food and more on non-food items, says Dr. Richard Vedder, professor in the Department of Economics at Ohio University focused on economic history.
For Mr. Zorn the opposite is true. He spends more of his household budget to buy adequate food since he started his new diet as a diabetic. Before the diagnosis, he usually spent $100 per month on groceries. Now it’s up by $50 per month. He says for example sugar-free bread costs at least $3. While he, as Ohio University faculty, can afford the food, other people are struggling to purchase healthy food.
Unhealthy but cheap: Over the past thirteen years the average annual price for bologna and cola have lower than the Consumer Price Index.
Invisible hunger
People in the Athens area are using food assistance programs three times more than the rest of Ohio, according to a study by Dr. David Holben, assistant professor for Food, Nutrition, and Hospitality at Ohio University and Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics.
Among the over 2,500 people surveyed, obesity and diabetes was greater among these so-called food insecure (27 percent) than people who are food secure, he says. Food insecurity means that someone has relied on food assistance at least once during the year and might get enough calories but not enough nutrition.
“The poor, especially women, show a binge-like eating pattern,” Dr. Holben says.
When at the beginning of the month money is more available, people tend to overeat because they are wondering where their next meal is coming from. By the end of the month there's no food available.
“But they may have gained weight already and that does not just fall off,” he says.
Apart from economic barriers, people who start on a diabetic diet struggle the most with counting carbohydrates.
“Portion control is really hard,” says Ms. Bailey. “Because they’ve never had to think about that before.”
Mr. Zorn was educated about his new diet by a nurse named Candy before he left the hospital. He made her a character in his diabetes play titled Lucille, which shows the tricky transition of a freshly diagnosed older woman from the hospital into the world.
“I used my mom as the main character and put her through my experience.”
He says it’s hard to find something to eat on the street. As his job keeps him busy, he can take a meal at home only once a day. Forced to eat out, he orders hamburgers without buns, tacos without shells, and politely declines cookies or pizza when people offer them at meetings.
But unlike him, a lot of people Ms. Bailey trains don’t apply their new knowledge at home and need to come back for refreshers, she says. During the first year after a person has been diagnosed, Medicare reimburses for six to ten hours of so-called diabetes nutrition management training. After that, Medicare only pays for two hours a year for follow-ups. But in addition to initial training, Ms. Bailey can bring people under other programs back to the ARHI Diabetes Center, which was established in 2003. Its mission is to reach and treat people in Southeastern Ohio and to lead diabetes research at Ohio University.
The Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Center is located in the Cornwell Center of O'Bleness Hospital, Athens, Ohio.
Staffed with Dr. Schwartz, Ms. Bailey, another dietitian, and a nurse, the ARHI Diabetes Center helped 228 people in 2004. With 305 patients, the center saw its highest count in 2005, but fewer people came the following years, down to 295 in 2007, the most recent number provided by the ARHI Diabetes Center. Even though there’s been an increase in diabetes, classrooms don’t get too crowded, Ms. Bailey says. People live far away from classrooms and sometimes don’t have money for gas.
“Because we’re in a rural area we actually have to push to get people to show up for classes.”
So what’s the solution?
Early prevention and identification of those with pre-diabetes is “really, really” important, says Ms. Bailey. She hopes that any new health-care legislation covers more prevention than now.
But if a national health-care program would be implemented in the United States, some of the food assistance programs might go away, worries Dr. Holben. He’s seen this happening in Canada. He says community initiatives such as the West State Community Gardens in Athens make a difference.
“President Obama and his wife have a garden at the White House, which is encouraging.”
Let them eat peaches: Annual average price for the fuzzy-skinned healthy fruit was higher than the Consumer Price Index for the past thirteen years.
Legislation could help to make healthier foods cheaper and unhealthier foods more expensive or to build communities that promote walking, safe biking, and activity, says Dr. Berryman. Especially in schools, she says, activity has been a low priority. Some states turn it into a high priority, some don't, Dr. Berryman says. In addition, government surplus food served in schools is very high in fat and very high sugar, says Dr. Schwartz.
“There’s a lot to do in nutrition education,” says Dr. Berryman. “Soda is just not appropriate for a two-year-old.”
But the most important things for the Athens area are jobs, better health care, and economic development.
Many people don't even get personal time for doctor's appointments, says Dr. Schwartz.
“If you don’t show up for a day at work, you’ve lost that income, you’ve acquired the bill for seeing the physician, and your boss is mad at you for leaving,” he says.
But people suffering from a chronic disease such as diabetes need routine appointments, not just quick care at night.
Even though Mr. Zorn doesn’t face the economic barriers himself, his new play on diabetes will address them and the social pressure diabetics face such as when families get together and offer pumpkin pie along with mocking commentary that one piece "isn’t gonna hurt".
“Even if people around you aren’t helpful, it’s about your own will power," Mr. Zorn says. "It's about self-preservation.”
More on the topic on my blog:
Not All Fats Are Equal -- Dr. Darleen Berryman, Ohio University, on the Causes of the Obesity Epidemic and New Research Paths (extended video Interview)
The Greatest Barriers Are Economic -- Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University, on the Struggles of His Diabetes Patients (extended video interview part 1)
Soft Spot Health Care -- A U.S.-European Dialogue with Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University (extended video interview part 2)
Counting Carbs for the First Time – Karen Bailey, OU Dietician, Helps Obese Diabetics Lose Weight (audio slide show with extended interview)
Info box: Where Does the BMI Come From?
Info box: What Is Food Insecurity?
Info box: How Much Food Is Enough?
Info box: What Is Diabetes?
Other helpful links:
Obesity
http://news.research.ohiou.edu/notebook/index.php?item=151
This offers more details on Dr. Berryman’s obesity research – fat mice lived longer than normal mice. How did that happen? Find out!
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/nhanes_questionnaires.htm
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) offers a wealth of data sets ranging back to the 1970s.
Diabetes
http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/ARHI/education_links.htm
The Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Education Center provides ten links and phone numbers of major institutions with information on diabetes, also for children (all links were working as of May 26, 2009).
http://www.hhs.ohiou.edu/chhs/gallery_of_research_david_holben.aspx
More details on the 1999 study by Dr. Holben on diabetes and food insecurity.
Food insecurity
http://www.invisiblehunger.blogspot.com/
In this local blog, journalism senior Taylor Randall of Ohio University writes about social problems including food insecurity and poverty in rural communities.
http://jfs.athenscountygovernment.com/gfx/media/PovertyReport.2006.pdf
Athens County Poverty Report 2006
http://www.ruralrambler.org/
This website in blog style relates to the local organization Rural Action, whose mission is to foster social, economic, and environmental justice in Appalachian Ohio.
http://esj09.wordpress.com/projects/you-can’t-eat-coal/
You Can’t Eat a Lump of Coal: Agriculture in Southeast Ohio
by Mary Nally and Leah Crone-Magyary, Spring 2009
This is an extensive report on the larger issues of community food initiatives as a chance for sustainable employment and food security in a region wrecked by mining industry. Ohio University students Mary Nally and Leah Crone-Magyary wrote the report during their spring quarter 2009 class on environmental and science journalism taught by Dr. Bernhard Debatin.
(This report is part of an excellent blog, which compiles thoroughly researched stories about the impact of the coal mining industry on humans and the environment in the Athens regions.)
http://www.athensinteractivist.org/news/other/presidential_research_scholar_dr_ann_tickamyer_gives_insig
Presidential Research Scholar Dr. Ann Tickameyer gives insight on plight of rural poverty
by Christina Green
Article in the Athens local magazine Interactivist, self-proclaimed "Ohio's Only Progressive Magazine"
The InterActivist asked Ohio University Presidential Research Scholar Dr. Ann Tickamyer, a professor and department chair of Sociology and Anthropology at Ohio University, her opinions regarding rural poverty. Tickamyer’s areas of specialization are inequality; gender and work; and rural poverty and development and she has taught several classes and seminars regarding poverty including Sociology of Poverty; Poverty, Development and Social Welfare provision; and a Proseminar in International Development Studies. She has been published at least 20 times according to the Ohio University Department of Sociology and Anthropology website and has done extensive research on poverty, inequality, poverty in rural areas and welfare reform. This interview focuses on Tickamyer’s experiences researching rural poverty and her opinions of how it should be handled.
http://www.athensinteractivist.org/spotlights/group_spotlights/community_food_initiatives
Community Food Initiatives
by Crystal Edmunds, June 5, 2009
An article in the Athens local magazine Interactivist, self-proclaimed "Ohio's Only Progressive Magazine"
Lovingly known as the "Garden Lady" throughout Athens, Liz Shaw, Community Gardens Manager, has transformed the food security movement. With overflowing compassion and a wealth of ideas in improving the community and the world at large, Shaw has changed the way countless Athens residents view their connection to the food system and their own personal nutrition. She has planted the seeds of self-sufficiency throughout Athens, Ohio, and is expanding her mission as quickly as the Earth allows!
http://feedingamerica.org
How much do you know about hunger in the United States? This website gives you an idea who goes to food banks. You can read personal stories, find on an interactive map which food bank serves which counties in Ohio, and prove your newly gained knowledge in a hunger quiz.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FoodSecurity/
This website of the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides current graphics and statistics on food insecurity.
http://www.hungercenter.org/resources.htm
The Congressional Hunter Center is an anti-hunger non-profit organization in Washington D.C. that includes members of Congress. It provides lists of national and international hunger and poverty organizations.
http://www.irp.wisc.edu/
The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin in Madison tells you who is poor, how many children are poor, and a list of publications on poverty research.
http://www.acfb.org/projects/community_garden/plant_a_row/
Plant a Row for the Hungry: An initiative that encourages people who have a garden plant to an extra row of corn or lettuce you something else you can donate to your local food bank.
Food prices
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/outside.jsp?survey=ap
Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index Average Price Data U.S. City Average
When Bill Zorn was writing a play on diabetes in November 2007 little did he know the story would be about him. A month later the 39-year old Ohio University playwright was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Yes, he was obese at 330 pounds and six feet. But he didn’t have a sweet tooth or a family history of diabetes and for the past year his blood sugar level had been normal. One day in December 2007, however, his eyesight went blurry. Very, very blurry. At that time his old furnace got replaced. It was found to be leaking carbon monoxide. He suspected carbon monoxide poisoning and went to the emergency room. The doctors didn't find poison in his blood but a blood sugar level of 982 mg/dl. High blood sugar starts at 140 mg/dl.
"My pancreas had practically stopped working," he says.
Out of the hospital a new life began without sugar, without hamburger buns, but with Metformin pills to control his insulin production. Since he started on his new diet Mr. Zorn dropped 60 pounds.
Count your carbohydrates, but first find where they are: Trainings material of the Appalachian Rural Health Institute (ARHI) Diabetes Center.
“We don’t even have to get out of the car anymore to get food.”
With almost 30 percent of Ohioans obese in 2008 year, Ohio ranked as the eleventh most obese state in the country last year, above the national average of 27 percent, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion.
Almost one in three Ohions is obese.
The number is growing fast. While 1995 saw 18 percent obese Ohioans, 2008 saw almost 30 percent. A trend that is not unique for Ohio.
“It’s happening all over the nation,” says Dr. Darleen Berryman, associate professor for Food, Nutrition and Hospitality at Ohio University. “Factors that play into that, range from lifestyle to environment to what is available to us in terms of exercise, safety, and food.”
Certain genetic make-ups are much more susceptible to obesity, she says.
“But that can’t account for the explosion in obesity we’ve seen over the past twenty years.”
Ohioans might be aware of their growing girth. This past year 74 percent reported that they had exercised the previous month, up by over 17 percentage points from 57 percent in 1996. But that might not be enough movement to balance calorie intake and calorie burning.
“On the food side there already was a lot of negative going on 20 years ago. A trend for prepared food has existed since the 1970,” Dr. Berryman says. “What caught up to us is the [the lack of] physical activity.”
People have created an environment less conducive to activity, she says, with escalators, elevators, television, laptops, video games, and more subtle things like temperature control through air conditioning. Jobs have shifted from physical labor to more sedentary desk jobs. Mr. Zorn says he spends 12 to 14 hours working on campus but now that the quarter is over he wants to ride his bike more often.
“We don’t even have to get out of the car anymore to get food,” she says.
Not conducive to movement: Technology provides convenience.
When Dr. Berryman graduated in 1994, she says nobody cared about adipose tissue. “It was this fat warehouse and didn’t do much.”
Since then researchers have come to appreciate fat as an endocrine organ and found that not all fat is equal. Some fat doesn't seem to be as harmful, she says. A study showed that in the lab researchers can create a healty environment in which obese mice live much longer than normal mice.
“We have a very simplified view that obesity is bad and lean is good,” Dr. Berryman says.” But there’s definitely a gray area and a lot to learn.”
A rural problem
Within Ohio, people in Appalachia reported the highest average percentage for obesity with over 31 percent as opposed to Ohioans in metro, suburban, or other rural areas. Twenty-two percent of people in Appalachia said they were in poor health and ten percent said they’ve been diagnosed with diabetes according to the 2008 Ohio Family Health Survey.
Whereas in 2004 almost eight percent of Ohioans (63 of 803 survey participants) said they were diagnosed with diabetic, in 2008 almost 10 percent (170 of 1720) said so, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion.
Type 2 diabetes has been increasing in epidemic proportions worldwide and in Appalachia over the past thirty years says Dr. Frank Schwartz, Director of the Appalachian Rural Health Institute (ARHI) Diabetes Center and associate professor of Endocrinology at Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Diabetes research and treatment: Ohio University's College of Osteopathic Medicine.
He says that people with lower socio-economic status have higher rates of obesity and other chronic diseases. But he adds that the old generalization that poorer people make poor choices because they are less educated doesn’t hold true anymore.
“We know that stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are much higher in people who are under economic stress compared to people who aren’t,” he says. “These are diabetegenic hormones, which induce metabolic effects.”
In addition, there’s a higher prevalence of depression in poor and diabetic people, he says. These in turn find it more difficult to maintain their diet, to exercise, and to take their medications, which creates more complications, says Dr. Schwartz.
Healthy and relatively cheap: Over the past thirteen years the annual average price of romaine lettuce stayed below the Consumer Price Index. But you need more pounds to satisfy calorie needs.
Food choices during survival mode
Karen Bailey, a dietitian in the Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Cener, provides medical nutrition therapy for diabetics who want to lose weight. Her program recommends a diet with lean meats, not too much meat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, whole grains, and high fiber.
“Diabetics don’t have to buy foods that have been specially designed for them, they can be expensive,” she says. “Just buy fruits, vegetables, healthy foods; don’t spend money on pop, chips, and empty calories like that.”
But Dr. Schwartz says that it’s a lot cheaper to buy high fat, simple sugar, and bulk foods. “You’re in survival mode and so you’re going to make choices you know may be wrong but for other reasons.”
A look at the average annual price change between 1996 and 2008 shows that for six selected healthy foods, five were higher than the consumer price index (CPI) according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Only three of six unhealthy foods were higher than the CPI: bologna, a two-liter bottle of cola, and potato chips were cheaper than the index. Although the price per pound for the healthy foods is lower than for some of the meats and snacks, a person needs to buy more vegetables to get the same calorie count, spending more money for the same amount of calories and over the years more than on other consumer items on average.
Over time people have been eating more processed, frozen, and canned foods and spend less of their household budget on food and more on non-food items, says Dr. Richard Vedder, professor in the Department of Economics at Ohio University focused on economic history.
For Mr. Zorn the opposite is true. He spends more of his household budget to buy adequate food since he started his new diet as a diabetic. Before the diagnosis, he usually spent $100 per month on groceries. Now it’s up by $50 per month. He says for example sugar-free bread costs at least $3. While he, as Ohio University faculty, can afford the food, other people are struggling to purchase healthy food.
Unhealthy but cheap: Over the past thirteen years the average annual price for bologna and cola have lower than the Consumer Price Index.
Invisible hunger
People in the Athens area are using food assistance programs three times more than the rest of Ohio, according to a study by Dr. David Holben, assistant professor for Food, Nutrition, and Hospitality at Ohio University and Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics.
Among the over 2,500 people surveyed, obesity and diabetes was greater among these so-called food insecure (27 percent) than people who are food secure, he says. Food insecurity means that someone has relied on food assistance at least once during the year and might get enough calories but not enough nutrition.
“The poor, especially women, show a binge-like eating pattern,” Dr. Holben says.
When at the beginning of the month money is more available, people tend to overeat because they are wondering where their next meal is coming from. By the end of the month there's no food available.
“But they may have gained weight already and that does not just fall off,” he says.
Apart from economic barriers, people who start on a diabetic diet struggle the most with counting carbohydrates.
“Portion control is really hard,” says Ms. Bailey. “Because they’ve never had to think about that before.”
Mr. Zorn was educated about his new diet by a nurse named Candy before he left the hospital. He made her a character in his diabetes play titled Lucille, which shows the tricky transition of a freshly diagnosed older woman from the hospital into the world.
“I used my mom as the main character and put her through my experience.”
He says it’s hard to find something to eat on the street. As his job keeps him busy, he can take a meal at home only once a day. Forced to eat out, he orders hamburgers without buns, tacos without shells, and politely declines cookies or pizza when people offer them at meetings.
But unlike him, a lot of people Ms. Bailey trains don’t apply their new knowledge at home and need to come back for refreshers, she says. During the first year after a person has been diagnosed, Medicare reimburses for six to ten hours of so-called diabetes nutrition management training. After that, Medicare only pays for two hours a year for follow-ups. But in addition to initial training, Ms. Bailey can bring people under other programs back to the ARHI Diabetes Center, which was established in 2003. Its mission is to reach and treat people in Southeastern Ohio and to lead diabetes research at Ohio University.
The Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Center is located in the Cornwell Center of O'Bleness Hospital, Athens, Ohio.
Staffed with Dr. Schwartz, Ms. Bailey, another dietitian, and a nurse, the ARHI Diabetes Center helped 228 people in 2004. With 305 patients, the center saw its highest count in 2005, but fewer people came the following years, down to 295 in 2007, the most recent number provided by the ARHI Diabetes Center. Even though there’s been an increase in diabetes, classrooms don’t get too crowded, Ms. Bailey says. People live far away from classrooms and sometimes don’t have money for gas.
“Because we’re in a rural area we actually have to push to get people to show up for classes.”
So what’s the solution?
Early prevention and identification of those with pre-diabetes is “really, really” important, says Ms. Bailey. She hopes that any new health-care legislation covers more prevention than now.
But if a national health-care program would be implemented in the United States, some of the food assistance programs might go away, worries Dr. Holben. He’s seen this happening in Canada. He says community initiatives such as the West State Community Gardens in Athens make a difference.
“President Obama and his wife have a garden at the White House, which is encouraging.”
Let them eat peaches: Annual average price for the fuzzy-skinned healthy fruit was higher than the Consumer Price Index for the past thirteen years.
Legislation could help to make healthier foods cheaper and unhealthier foods more expensive or to build communities that promote walking, safe biking, and activity, says Dr. Berryman. Especially in schools, she says, activity has been a low priority. Some states turn it into a high priority, some don't, Dr. Berryman says. In addition, government surplus food served in schools is very high in fat and very high sugar, says Dr. Schwartz.
“There’s a lot to do in nutrition education,” says Dr. Berryman. “Soda is just not appropriate for a two-year-old.”
But the most important things for the Athens area are jobs, better health care, and economic development.
Many people don't even get personal time for doctor's appointments, says Dr. Schwartz.
“If you don’t show up for a day at work, you’ve lost that income, you’ve acquired the bill for seeing the physician, and your boss is mad at you for leaving,” he says.
But people suffering from a chronic disease such as diabetes need routine appointments, not just quick care at night.
Even though Mr. Zorn doesn’t face the economic barriers himself, his new play on diabetes will address them and the social pressure diabetics face such as when families get together and offer pumpkin pie along with mocking commentary that one piece "isn’t gonna hurt".
“Even if people around you aren’t helpful, it’s about your own will power," Mr. Zorn says. "It's about self-preservation.”
More on the topic on my blog:
Not All Fats Are Equal -- Dr. Darleen Berryman, Ohio University, on the Causes of the Obesity Epidemic and New Research Paths (extended video Interview)
The Greatest Barriers Are Economic -- Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University, on the Struggles of His Diabetes Patients (extended video interview part 1)
Soft Spot Health Care -- A U.S.-European Dialogue with Dr. Frank Schwartz, Ohio University (extended video interview part 2)
Counting Carbs for the First Time – Karen Bailey, OU Dietician, Helps Obese Diabetics Lose Weight (audio slide show with extended interview)
Info box: Where Does the BMI Come From?
Info box: What Is Food Insecurity?
Info box: How Much Food Is Enough?
Info box: What Is Diabetes?
Other helpful links:
Obesity
http://news.research.ohiou.edu/notebook/index.php?item=151
This offers more details on Dr. Berryman’s obesity research – fat mice lived longer than normal mice. How did that happen? Find out!
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/nhanes_questionnaires.htm
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) offers a wealth of data sets ranging back to the 1970s.
Diabetes
http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/ARHI/education_links.htm
The Appalachian Rural Health Institute Diabetes Education Center provides ten links and phone numbers of major institutions with information on diabetes, also for children (all links were working as of May 26, 2009).
http://www.hhs.ohiou.edu/chhs/gallery_of_research_david_holben.aspx
More details on the 1999 study by Dr. Holben on diabetes and food insecurity.
Food insecurity
http://www.invisiblehunger.blogspot.com/
In this local blog, journalism senior Taylor Randall of Ohio University writes about social problems including food insecurity and poverty in rural communities.
http://jfs.athenscountygovernment.com/gfx/media/PovertyReport.2006.pdf
Athens County Poverty Report 2006
http://www.ruralrambler.org/
This website in blog style relates to the local organization Rural Action, whose mission is to foster social, economic, and environmental justice in Appalachian Ohio.
http://esj09.wordpress.com/projects/you-can’t-eat-coal/
You Can’t Eat a Lump of Coal: Agriculture in Southeast Ohio
by Mary Nally and Leah Crone-Magyary, Spring 2009
This is an extensive report on the larger issues of community food initiatives as a chance for sustainable employment and food security in a region wrecked by mining industry. Ohio University students Mary Nally and Leah Crone-Magyary wrote the report during their spring quarter 2009 class on environmental and science journalism taught by Dr. Bernhard Debatin.
(This report is part of an excellent blog, which compiles thoroughly researched stories about the impact of the coal mining industry on humans and the environment in the Athens regions.)
http://www.athensinteractivist.org/news/other/presidential_research_scholar_dr_ann_tickamyer_gives_insig
Presidential Research Scholar Dr. Ann Tickameyer gives insight on plight of rural poverty
by Christina Green
Article in the Athens local magazine Interactivist, self-proclaimed "Ohio's Only Progressive Magazine"
The InterActivist asked Ohio University Presidential Research Scholar Dr. Ann Tickamyer, a professor and department chair of Sociology and Anthropology at Ohio University, her opinions regarding rural poverty. Tickamyer’s areas of specialization are inequality; gender and work; and rural poverty and development and she has taught several classes and seminars regarding poverty including Sociology of Poverty; Poverty, Development and Social Welfare provision; and a Proseminar in International Development Studies. She has been published at least 20 times according to the Ohio University Department of Sociology and Anthropology website and has done extensive research on poverty, inequality, poverty in rural areas and welfare reform. This interview focuses on Tickamyer’s experiences researching rural poverty and her opinions of how it should be handled.
http://www.athensinteractivist.org/spotlights/group_spotlights/community_food_initiatives
Community Food Initiatives
by Crystal Edmunds, June 5, 2009
An article in the Athens local magazine Interactivist, self-proclaimed "Ohio's Only Progressive Magazine"
Lovingly known as the "Garden Lady" throughout Athens, Liz Shaw, Community Gardens Manager, has transformed the food security movement. With overflowing compassion and a wealth of ideas in improving the community and the world at large, Shaw has changed the way countless Athens residents view their connection to the food system and their own personal nutrition. She has planted the seeds of self-sufficiency throughout Athens, Ohio, and is expanding her mission as quickly as the Earth allows!
http://feedingamerica.org
How much do you know about hunger in the United States? This website gives you an idea who goes to food banks. You can read personal stories, find on an interactive map which food bank serves which counties in Ohio, and prove your newly gained knowledge in a hunger quiz.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FoodSecurity/
This website of the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides current graphics and statistics on food insecurity.
http://www.hungercenter.org/resources.htm
The Congressional Hunter Center is an anti-hunger non-profit organization in Washington D.C. that includes members of Congress. It provides lists of national and international hunger and poverty organizations.
http://www.irp.wisc.edu/
The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin in Madison tells you who is poor, how many children are poor, and a list of publications on poverty research.
http://www.acfb.org/projects/community_garden/plant_a_row/
Plant a Row for the Hungry: An initiative that encourages people who have a garden plant to an extra row of corn or lettuce you something else you can donate to your local food bank.
Food prices
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/outside.jsp?survey=ap
Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index Average Price Data U.S. City Average
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